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Business Organizations (business + organization)
Selected AbstractsDelegation of Authority In Business Organizations: An Empirical TestTHE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2004Massimo G. Colombo This paper tests the predictions of economic theory on the determinants of the allocation of decision-making power through the estimates of ordered probit models with random effects. Our findings show that the complexity of plants' operations and organization, the characteristics of the communication technologies in use, the ownership status of plants and the product mix of their parent companies figure prominently in explaining whether authority is delegated to the plant manager or not. In addition, the nature of the decision under consideration turns out to affect the allocation of authority. [source] The Cameroonian Experience under OHADA: Business Organizations in a Developing EconomyBUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW, Issue 2 2007CLAIRE MOORE DICKERSON First page of article [source] How Macromedia used blogs to build its developers' communities: A case studyPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2008Jingli Cheng Business organizations are using blogs as a conversational technology to help build a community of practice where knowledge exchange and sharing actively take place. This case study examines how Macromedia used blogs to build its developers' communities and become more organizationally effective. Four major types of interactions between the company employees and customers through the blogs are analyzed: socialization, information sharing, help seeking, and teaching and learning. Organizational factors that contributed to the success of such a strategy are also revealed in the study. A model is thus drawn to explain how blogs contributed to the organization's effectiveness by strengthening customer relations, product development, and innovation. Finally, practical suggestions are provided for companies that are considering adopting a blogging strategy for customer relations, product development, and community-driven innovation. [source] Predicting financial failure: some evidence from new brunswick agricultural co-opsANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2005by Jorge Dietrich However, investor-owner firms form the basic unit of analysis of most popular bankruptcy predictors used in Canada. The question is whether the key underlying elements that differentiates the latter from co-ops justifies deriving specific bankruptcy prediction formulas exclusively for each type of business organization. To that effect, this research evaluates the efficacy of these current predictors and suggests an improved predictor for agricultural co-operatives. [source] A Transaction Cost Primer on Farm OrganizationCANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2000Douglas W. Allen Agricultural economists, with their knowledge of farming, are well positioned to take advantage of the fertile ground of economic organization. The transaction cost paradigm is particularly useful in addressing such questions and is outlined in this paper. The overriding theme in the transaction cost approach is that patterns of ownership and contracts are chosen to mitigate transaction costs, which result from attempts to establish and maintain property rights. In agriculture, transaction costs are heavily influenced by Mother Nature. Nature's uncertainty, via weather and pests, leads to moral hazard and seasonal forces impose constraints on production cycles that are not often found in the production of most other commodities. Applications in land contracts, asset control, and business organization are discussed. [source] Business partnerships with nonprofits: working to solve mutual problems in New Zealand,CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2009Gabriel Eweje Abstract This paper examines partnerships between business organizations and nonprofits. Collaboration is becoming increasingly essential as organizations grow in both size and influence, and public pressure intensifies for organizations to address pressing social issues and environmental concerns. Social partnerships between business and nonprofits are widely promoted as an important new strategy which will bring significant benefits to society. A key concern in business/nonprofits collaboration is how organizations might collaborate to achieve mutually beneficial objectives that also align with corporate social responsibility. This research seeks to extend our understanding of social partnerships using an unexamined contextual setting , New Zealand. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] When business associations and a federal ministry jointly consult civil society: a CSR policy case study on the development of the CSR Austria Guiding VisionCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2008Astrid Konrad Abstract In 2002, Austrian business organizations and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour decided to raise the awareness of CSR in Austria by formulating a CSR guiding vision for Austrian businesses after consulting a broad variety of stakeholders. This paper describes the development of the ,CSR Austria Guiding Vision' from 2003, and it gives a brief overview of other public CSR initiatives launched in Austria since then. Since the authors were involved drafting the CSR Austria Guiding Vision as consultants, the paper describes success factors, lessons learned and recommendations relevant for other large-scale stakeholder dialogues on CSR from an insider perspective. Overall, we conclude that a clear idea about the structure, the type and the rules of the stakeholder involvement (conceptual issues), in combination with a timely, honest and empathic approach towards stakeholders (procedural issues), are important success factors for any stakeholder dialogue. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Greening the Swedish Defence Material Administration , a case study on the force of industry in environmental policy-makingENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 6 2004Johan Sandström This paper discusses the greening of the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV). As the national procurer of defence materials, FMV respondents categorized their organization as lagging behind business organizations. Greening was, hence, perceived as a process particularly influenced by an industry-driven institutionalization of greening and environmental policy-making. Building on the tensions in greening a defence organization and, to some extent, in copycatting an industry approach, the paper discusses the force of industry as policy-maker. In the conclusions, based on the case analysis, opportunities and threats in future environmental policy-making are addressed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Greenhouse gas emission policies in the UK and Germany: influences and responsesENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2002Bettina Schrader Climate change is considered to be one of the greatest environmental threats. In response to this threat, developed countries agreed in Kyoto to legally binding targets, which will reduce their atmospheric emissions. In April 1999 Germany introduced an environmental tax. At the same time the UK announced the introduction of a levy on energy consumption, from April 2001. This paper investigates the proposals from both governments and the influences upon them of a variety of institutions (NGOs, industry and business organizations). The similarities and differences between the consultation experiences, and the resulting policies, will be discussed for the two countries. Lessons are drawn applicable to the wider context of EU environmental legislation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment [source] The E-economy and the Rise of Technocapitalism: Networks, Firms, and TransportationGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 4 2003Luis Suarez-Villa ABSTRACT The e-economy is part of a larger phenomenon, technocapitalism, that is transforming business organizations and the ways in which they transact, produce, and ship their goods. Technocapitalism is an evolution of market capitalism that is rooted in technological innovation and supported by such intangibles as creativity and knowledge. This paper considers first the main characteristics of networks that support the e-economy and its source phenomenon, the emergence of technocapitalism. Networks are thought to be the main vehicle through which the e-economy spreads, and they have major effects on the organization of business firms. The culture of technocapitalism, with its emphasis on continuous innovation and rapid adjustment, is largely behind the rising importance of networks. A second section then considers the deconstruction of business firms and its relation to networks, the e-economy, and the rise of technocapitalism. A historical perspective is provided to show the contrast with previous eras. The deconstruction of business organizations involves a major transformation of the norms and ways in which firms are run and structured. Finally, the likely implications for transportation and shipping of the rise of the e-economy, its networks, and the deconstruction of firms are discussed. The logistics, pricing, and infrastructure of shipping are likely to be substantially affected by the spread of the e-economy, its networks, and the deconstruction of firms. [source] The glass ceiling in human resources: Exploring the link between women's representation in management and the practices of strategic human resource management and employee involvementHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2008Shaun Pichler Research on sex stereotypes suggests that gender bias is an invisible barrier,the so-called glass ceiling,preventing women from breaking into the highest levels of management in business organizations. Using data from a state-based professional HR organization, we investigated this phenomenon in the field of HR management. Building on the lack of fit model of gender discrimination and previous research, we tested two hypotheses: that women in HR are more likely to be concentrated in lower-level managerial positions in organizations that emphasize employee involvement (because of a related emphasis on stereotypically feminine managerial abilities) and that women in HR also are more likely to be concentrated in lower-level managerial positions in organizations that emphasize strategic human resource management (because of a related emphasis on stereotypically masculine characteristics). Our results support the first but not the second hypothesis. Theoretical and practical implications related to the glass ceiling are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Applying business management models in health careINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002Michael G. Trisolini Abstract Most health care management training programmes and textbooks focus on only one or two models or conceptual frameworks, but the increasing complexity of health care organizations and their environments worldwide means that a broader perspective is needed. This paper reviews five management models developed for business organizations and analyses issues related to their application in health care. Three older, more ,traditional' models are first presented. These include the functional areas model, the tasks model and the roles model. Each is shown to provide a valuable perspective, but to have limitations if used in isolation. Two newer, more ,innovative' models are next discussed. These include total quality management (TQM) and reengineering. They have shown potential for enabling dramatic improvements in quality and cost, but have also been found to be more difficult to implement. A series of ,lessons learned' are presented to illustrate key success factors for applying them in health care organizations. In sum, each of the five models is shown to provide a useful perspective for health care management. Health care managers should gain experience and training with a broader set of business management models. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Local Governance as Government,Business Cooperation in Western Democracies: Analysing Local and Intergovernmental Effects by Multi-Level ComparisonINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008CLEMENTE J. NAVARRO YÁÑEZ Abstract The internationalization of economics and politics has forced local governments to develop new context-appropriate strategies; these strategies, characterized by a greater degree of interaction with non-governmental key actors and with the business world in particular, have been termed local or urban governance. This article is intended to illustrate the impact of three factors , local leadership, local political arenas and intergovernmental relationships , on the formation of cooperative networks between local governments and business organizations as one of the basic types of urban governance model. To achieve this, a comparative multi-level analysis presenting the CEO's perpective on such issues was conducted. The results show how local and intergovernmental opportunity costs and leadership are the factors that largely determine the degree of collaboration between local government and business. Résumé L'internationalisation de l'économie et de la politique a forcé les gouvernements locaux àélaborer de nouvelles stratégies en fonction des contextes ; caractérisées par une interaction plus forte avec des acteurs-clés non gouvernementaux et avec le monde de l'entreprise en particulier, ces stratégies ont reçu l'appellation de gouvernance locale ou urbaine. L'impact de trois facteurs , autorité locale, arènes politiques locales et relations intergouvernementales , sur la formation des réseaux de coopération entre gouvernements locaux et entreprises est présenté comme l'un des types essentiels de modèle de gouvernance urbaine. Pour ce faire, une analyse comparative multi-niveaux a été menée sur la vision des directions générales d'entreprises concernant ces questions. Les résultats montrent la manière dont les autorités et les coûts d'opportunité locaux et intergouvernementaux déterminent en grande partie le degré de collaboration entre les gouvernements locaux et le monde des affaires. [source] Covert investigations in the workplaceJOURNAL OF CORPORATE ACCOUNTING & FINANCE, Issue 4 2008James A. Tackett Mention a covert investigation and Hollywood images of James Bond or cloak-and-dagger operations come to mind. In reality, covert investigations are far less glamorous,and have become routine in many large business organizations. But you still must proceed carefully. A slipshod investigation can result in major lawsuits, serious injury, or even death. The author discusses covert investigations, explains when you need a professional investigator, and offers some general guidelines. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The Determinants of Organizational Change and Structural Inertia: Technological and Organizational FactorsJOURNAL OF ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, Issue 4 2002Massimo G. Colombo There are a growing body of theoretical work, wide anecdotal evidence, and a few large-scale empirical studies supporting the view that business firms quite rarely change their organizational structure, a phenomenon usually referred to in the literature as structural inertia. The present paper aims to analyze empirically the determinants of structural inertia and organizational change. As far as we know, this work constitutes the first attempt to directly address such issues through econometric estimates based on a large, longitudinal dataset at plant level. For this purpose, we consider changes of the organizational structure within a sample composed of 438 Italian manufacturing plants observed from 1975 to 1996. More precisely, we specify and test a duration model of the likelihood of an individual plant changing the number of hierarchical tiers after a spell r, provided that no change has occurred up to T. We also analyze the direction of change, distinguishing increases from decreases of the number of managerial layers. We consider a set of plant- and industry-specific explanatory variables that are expected to induce or oppose organizational change. The findings show that the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and new human-resources management practices favors organizational change. On the contrary, the presence of sunk costs and the extent of influence activities figure prominently in explaining structural inertia of business organizations. [source] Tricks of the Trade: The Performance and Interpretation of AuthenticityJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 5 2005Brian Moeran abstract This paper discusses a Tokyo advertising agency's preparation of campaign ideas for a competitive presentation made to a Japanese multinational corporation planning to advertise in both Germany and the United States, and the part played therein by the author as authentic foreign other. Based on anthropological fieldwork, the paper gives details of the client's orientation and the agency's subsequent market analysis and creative interpretations, while following the back-stage interpretations of key personnel's tastes by the agency's account team as a means towards making their final selection of campaign ideas for the presentation. This description gives rise to two complementary analyses of authenticity. One concerns advertising as ,authentic reproduction' in the context of the interpretation of cultural stereotypes. The other analyses back stage strategy and front stage performance to show how the performance and interpretation of authenticity are tricks of the trade that enable Japanese business organizations to be seen as professional and credible in the eyes of their clients, competitors, customers and partners. [source] How to become your own worst adversary: examining the connection between managerial attributions and organizational relationships with public interest stakeholders,JOURNAL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, Issue 1 2007James E. Mattingly According to numerous studies across multiple disciplines in the social sciences, business organizations tend to develop adversarial relationships with representatives of the public interest. A survey of 62 Public Affairs Managers in publicly held U.S. corporations finds that organizations adopt relational styles similar to those theorized in studies of inter-organizational conflict, organizational communication and stakeholder management. Empirical results support the descriptive power of a two-dimensional model reflecting four relational styles that participating organizations exhibited: avoidance, compliance, co-optation and negotiation. The two dimensions that constitute the model are cooperativeness and boundary spanning. More importantly, managers who attributed power and legitimacy to public interest group stakeholders reported that their organizations were more likely to cooperate with these stakeholders. On the other hand, managers who perceived public interest groups' claims having urgency were more likely to develop communicative, boundary spanning relationships with public interest groups but these relationships were less likely to be cooperative. Because unhealthy relationships with these groups can be detrimental to an organization's long-term prospects, managers must be careful to recognize public interest organizations as potent and legitimate potential allies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Promises Made, Promises Broken: An Exploration of Employee Attraction and Retention Practices in Small BusinessJOURNAL OF SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2001Jill Kickul Entrepreneurial organizations have undergone substantial workforce changes and transformations during the last two decades in order to compete successfully on a global scale. The ability to attract and retain reliable and competent employees has become a key component in developing an effective and sustainable competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the psychological contract and the types of promises made and communicated by small business organizations to attract and retain their employees. From a sample of 151 employees within small businesses, the results demonstrate that perceived unfulfilled promises can have a considerable impact on workplace attitudes, commitment, and intentions to leave the organization. Implications and recommendations for small businesses as well as directions for future research are discussed. [source] Organizational Culture and Socio-cultural Values: Perceptions of Managers and Employees in Five Economies in TransitionPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 2 2004Maria Cseh ABSTRACT This survey-based study compared socio-cultural values and perceptions of organizational culture characteristics held by more than 3,300 managers and employees in twelve business organizations in Hungary, Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. Significant differences were found between the five countries on all socio-cultural and organizational culture dimensions. The relationship between socio-cultural values and the organizational culture perceptions was only moderately significant. The paper concludes with implications for professionals seeking to enhance organizations' performance in these countries and suggestions for further research. [source] Corporate psychopathy: Talking the walk,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 2 2010Paul Babiak Ph.D. There is a very large literature on the important role of psychopathy in the criminal justice system. We know much less about corporate psychopathy and its implications, in large part because of the difficulty in obtaining the active cooperation of business organizations. This has left us with only a few small-sample studies, anecdotes, and speculation. In this study, we had a unique opportunity to examine psychopathy and its correlates in a sample of 203 corporate professionals selected by their companies to participate in management development programs. The correlates included demographic and status variables, as well as in-house 360° assessments and performance ratings. The prevalence of psychopathic traits,as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist,Revised (PCL-R) and a Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) "equivalent",was higher than that found in community samples. The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that the underlying latent structure of psychopathy in our corporate sample was consistent with that model found in community and offender studies. Psychopathy was positively associated with in-house ratings of charisma/presentation style (creativity, good strategic thinking and communication skills) but negatively associated with ratings of responsibility/performance (being a team player, management skills, and overall accomplishments). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Consumer driven corporate environmentalism: Fact or fiction?BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 6 2010Sukhbir Sandhu Abstract The role of consumers in driving organizations to be environmentally responsive is currently contentious. It is, however, important to understand the role that consumers play, because they can be a crucial pull factor for organizations. In this paper, we re-examine the role of consumers in driving business organizations to be environmentally responsive. Our analysis suggests that, despite the growth and interest in green consumerism, it has not yet matured to the stage where it is viewed by managers as driving corporate environmentalism. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] An analytical approach for making management decisions concerning corporate restructuringMANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 8 2006Beixin Lin Internal corporate restructuring activities, such as downsizing, sale or termination of a business line, facility closure, consolidation, or relocation, often occur as part of managerial strategies intended to improve efficiency, control costs, and adapt to an ever-changing business environment. Such actions frequently result in fundamental changes in a business's organization, its strategies, its systems, and its operations. They can unsettle a business and often significantly affect current and future earnings and cash flows. In this paper we propose a novel decision-making model through the use of the dynamic programming technique to illustrate how management can determine the optimal timing and appropriate restructuring actions that maximize the benefits of a restructuring program. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 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