Search results
1 – 10 of over 14000Anna-Therése Järvenpää, Johan Larsson and Per Erik Eriksson
For a number of years, the construction industry has seen an ongoing shift from design-bid-build to design-build contracts. This transition in contract type entails changes for…
Abstract
Purpose
For a number of years, the construction industry has seen an ongoing shift from design-bid-build to design-build contracts. This transition in contract type entails changes for both the organizations and the individuals involved. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how the client manages the transition between the different contract types from an organizational change perspective in a project-led organization.
Design/Methodology/Approach
A multiple case study of six infrastructure projects with DB contracts, all managed by the Swedish Transport Administration, was conducted. The major source of data is semi-structured interviews with respondents from both the client and the contractors.
Findings
Results suggest that the transition has resulted in a mix of design-bid-build and design-build as contract type owing to issues when changing in a project-led organization. A change in vision also requires a concomitant change in culture, systems and roles.
Research Limitations/Implications
The study only includes cases from the Swedish transport infrastructure sector, which limits the generalizability. The findings are also indicative owing to the small number of cases.
Practical Implications
The findings further our understanding of managing change in complex projects, which might help practitioners to manage change in a more integrated way.
Originality/Value
The findings enrich our understanding of the systemic change that a switch in contract types can have in inter-organizational complex projects such as transport infrastructure projects. Furthermore, it emphasizes the intricate task of change management in project-led organizations and its effects on roles and responsibilities.
Details
Keywords
This study aims to introduce management students to climate change by providing them with an opportunity to address it in their own lives, through a class exercise.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to introduce management students to climate change by providing them with an opportunity to address it in their own lives, through a class exercise.
Design/methodology/approach
An in-class exercise was designed, carried out and described in this study. Student teams were assigned different questions on how to address major causes of climate change. Each team did research to generate answers, and ranked their answers based on the speed of implementation. Teams reported their answers to the class. The instructor facilitated a debriefing session, during which all responses were ranked with respect to other variables, including cost savings, time savings and lifestyle fit. This exercise uses few resources and can be adapted to different time lengths and teaching/learning formats (e.g. on-ground, virtual, asynchronous online).
Findings
This exercise can help students to gain an understanding of climate change and its causes and complexities. Students learn how to implement a diverse set of personal actions to mitigate climate change; these can start in the present and continue throughout their lives. In addition, this exercise may help students to make the leap from individual climate change mitigation practices to organizational and societal practices, when they are in the position to do so as future leaders.
Originality/value
Although classes, exercises, and assignments ask management students to consider issues such as climate change at the organizational level, this individual-level exercise can allow students with limited organizational experience to engage more quickly with climate change and better understand organizational and societal implications in the future. That is, if students first understand how to address climate change in their own lives, they may more effectively transfer and apply that understanding at organizational and societal levels and ultimately synthesize solutions to address climate change in the world.
Details
Keywords
Arja Flinkman, Benita Gullkvist and Henri Teittinen
This paper aims to explore how the time and temporal aspects are managed in a financial accounting outsourcing (FAO) transition process in an international interorganizational…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how the time and temporal aspects are managed in a financial accounting outsourcing (FAO) transition process in an international interorganizational context. As a research outcome, the authors identify management interventions of both the service provider (SP) and the outsourcing company (OC) at both the corporate and operational levels.
Design/methodology/approach
The framework by Huy (2001a, 2001b) was used to analyze the qualitative data, which draw on observations, participation in 32 official meetings during the outsourcing process, informal discussions with key actors from the SP and the OC, and archival data of a single case company.
Findings
The authors illustrate how the time and temporal aspects of planned accelerated change are managed through management interventions during the FAO transition process. All four ideal intervention types (commanding, engineering, teaching and socializing) were used sequentially but also jointly to complement one another. The pacing was mostly rapid, owing to strong commanding interventions initiating almost every stage. When analyzing the FAO transition process, the authors identified four stages: contact, contract, convergence and control. Moreover, the authors focused on the role of the operational-level managers and accounting specialists of both organizations. The findings indicate that management interventions vary with the management level.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the interorganizational control literature by considering the time and temporal aspects in planned organizational change and the role of operational-level managers in managing large-scale changes.
Details
Keywords
Ming Yang, Fangyuan Xing, Xiaomeng Liu, Zimeng Chen and Yali Wen
Adopting adaptive behavior has become a basic measure for farmers because the increasingly severe climate change is affecting agricultural production. Perception is a critical…
Abstract
Purpose
Adopting adaptive behavior has become a basic measure for farmers because the increasingly severe climate change is affecting agricultural production. Perception is a critical first step in adopting adaptive behaviors. Livelihood resilience represents a farmer's ability to adapt to climate change. Therefore, this article aims to explore the impact of livelihood resilience and climate change perception on the climate change adaptation behavior of farmers in the Qinling Mountains region of China.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, 443 micro-survey data of farmers are obtained through one-on-one interviews with farmers. The Logit model and Poisson regression model are used to empirically examine the impact of farmers' livelihood resilience and climate change perception on their climate change adaptation behaviors.
Findings
It was found that 86.68% of farmers adopt adaptive behaviors to reduce the risks of facing climate change. Farmers' perception of extreme weather has a significant positive impact on their adaptive behavior under climate change. The resilience of farmers' livelihoods and their perception of rainfall have a significant positive impact on the intensity of their adaptive behavior under climate change. Climate change adaptation behaviors are also different for farmers with different levels of livelihood resilience.
Originality/value
Based on the results, policy recommendations are proposed to improve farmers' perception of climate change, enhance the sustainability of farmers' adaptive behavior to climate change, strengthen emergency management and infrastructure construction and adjust and upgrade farmers' livelihood models.
Details
Keywords
Nabila As’ad, Lia Patrício, Kaisa Koskela-Huotari and Bo Edvardsson
The service environment is becoming increasingly turbulent, leading to calls for a systemic understanding of it as a set of dynamic service ecosystems. This paper advances this…
Abstract
Purpose
The service environment is becoming increasingly turbulent, leading to calls for a systemic understanding of it as a set of dynamic service ecosystems. This paper advances this understanding by developing a typology of service ecosystem dynamics that explains the varying interplay between change and stability within the service environment through distinct behavioral patterns exhibited by service ecosystems over time.
Design/methodology/approach
This study builds upon a systematic literature review of service ecosystems literature and uses system dynamics as a method theory to abductively analyze extant literature and develop a typology of service ecosystem dynamics.
Findings
The paper identifies three types of service ecosystem dynamics—behavioral patterns of service ecosystems—and explains how they unfold through self-adjustment processes and changes within different systemic leverage points. The typology of service ecosystem dynamics consists of (1) reproduction (i.e. stable behavioral pattern), (2) reconfiguration (i.e. unstable behavioral pattern) and (3) transition (i.e. disrupting, shifting behavioral pattern).
Practical implications
The typology enables practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of their service environment by discerning the behavioral patterns exhibited by the constituent service ecosystems. This, in turn, supports them in devising more effective strategies for navigating through it.
Originality/value
The paper provides a precise definition of service ecosystem dynamics and shows how the identified three types of dynamics can be used as a lens to empirically examine change and stability in the service environment. It also offers a set of research directions for tackling service research challenges.
Details
Keywords
Ourania Maria Ventista, Stavroula Kaldi, Magdalini Kolokitha, Christos Govaris and Chris Brown
Professional learning networks (PLNs) involve teachers’ collaboration with others outside of their school to improve teaching and learning. PLNs can facilitate teachers’…
Abstract
Purpose
Professional learning networks (PLNs) involve teachers’ collaboration with others outside of their school to improve teaching and learning. PLNs can facilitate teachers’ professional growth and school improvement. This study aims to explore the drivers for participation within PLNs, the enactment process and the impact of PLN participation on teachers, students and schools in Greece.
Design/methodology/approach
A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experience of primary school teachers participating in PLNs.
Findings
The findings showed that individuals who were open to change were driving innovation to address a need or a lack in their daily practice that was not satisfied within their usual community of practice. The key element of the participation was peer collaboration with openness of communication without attendant accountability pressures. The change was mainly identified in teacher skills and the school climate. An individual could bring change only if the school is already open to change. In some cases, resistance to change in schools was identified before enactment or during enactment. The transformation of teachers’ and leaders’ stances is discussed, enabling the opportunity to maximise school improvement.
Originality/value
The study examines PLNs as European Union-funded initiatives that are developed by teachers in centralised education systems under the phenomenological research paradigm. It explores the PLNs in a different setting compared to the existing conceptual theory of change for PLNs.
Details
Keywords
Manojprabhakaran Thirupal and Adrian B. Popa
This paper investigates the change talk (CT) strategies of the motivational interviewing (MI) technique and their relevance in achieving change goals within communities of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the change talk (CT) strategies of the motivational interviewing (MI) technique and their relevance in achieving change goals within communities of practice (CoP), focusing on addressing real-world problems in today's complex world.
Design/methodology/approach
We employ a literature review and conceptual analysis to study the interactions and potential areas of complement between CT, MI and CoP theories.
Findings
This paper combines CT, MI and CoP theories to develop an integrated model called Facilitative Change Talk Leadership (FCTL).
Originality/value
This paper provides an innovative model (FCTL) to inform leadership educators about facilitating communities of practice. We provide a hypothetical case study to suggest how FCTL might foster collaborative inquiry and resilience amidst complex challenges. This case study illustrates a practical pathway for leadership educators and community practitioners to use this model in their own contexts.
Details
Keywords
This study aims to explore the smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its adaptation options (changing crop variety; improved crop and livestock; soil and water…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its adaptation options (changing crop variety; improved crop and livestock; soil and water conservation [SWC]; and irrigation practices) and drought indices in the Dire Dawa Administration Zone, Eastern Ethiopia.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional household survey was used. A structured interview schedule for respondent households for key informants and focus group discussions were used. This study used both descriptive statistics and an econometric model. The model was used to compute the determinants of climate adaptation options in the study area. Drought characterization was carried out by DrinC software.
Findings
The results revealed households adapted to selected adaptation options. The model results confirmed that education level, farm size, tropical livestock units (TLUs) and access to agricultural extension services have positive and significant impacts on changing crop variety by 0.0014%, 0.045%, 0.032% and 0.035%, respectively. The likelihood of farmers’ decisions to use adaptation strategies (family size, TLU, agricultural extension service and distance from the market) has positive and significant impacts on SWC. The reconnaissance drought index (RDI6) of ONDJFM and AMJJAS showed extreme and severe drought index values of −2.88 and −1.96, respectively.
Originality/value
This study used a locally adopted climate change adaptation intervention for smallholder farmers, revealing the importance of drought characterization indices both seasonally and annually.
Details
Keywords
The objective of this study is to explore the level of understanding and actions taken by the people of Gurugram (erstwhile Gurgaon) to mitigate the impact of climate change…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study is to explore the level of understanding and actions taken by the people of Gurugram (erstwhile Gurgaon) to mitigate the impact of climate change, given its critical importance as a global issue.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a qualitative approach, primary data were collected through in-depth interviews by means of semi-structured interview methods.
Findings
The findings indicate that while people are aware of climate change, the information is deficient for them to translate their knowledge into effective action. Some of the major challenges identified are lack of appropriate understanding, resources, education, motivation and government initiatives, as well as the old habits, peer influence, feeling of incapability and limited media exposure. To bridge the intention-action gap, it is recommended that people should be empowered to act desirably. There is a change need for awareness and education on ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. The study has implications for researchers, environmentalists, policymakers, non-government organizations and local residents of Gurugram.
Originality/value
This study provides unique insights into the understanding of climate change by the general public and challenges faced in taking pro-environment actions. It emphasizes the urgent need to create awareness and educate individuals about ways to mitigate the impact of climate change.
Details
Keywords
Abasiama-Arit Aniche, Hannah Bundy and Katherine E. McKee
The Agents of Change program is a two-year, project-based learning program to develop Extension Professionals’ capacity to engage in Adaptive and Transformative Leadership. Its…
Abstract
Purpose
The Agents of Change program is a two-year, project-based learning program to develop Extension Professionals’ capacity to engage in Adaptive and Transformative Leadership. Its primary goal is to develop the capacity of Extension Professionals to engage in leadership to create more diverse, equitable, inclusive and just Extension programs and community change initiatives. This manuscript describes the program and an initial evaluation and results.
Findings
Results of an evaluation of the first year of the program indicate that regular training sessions and support are appropriate for leadership development and that Extension Professionals are using the learning, awareness and tools from this program to address challenges with Adaptive and Transformative Leadership elements. Also, Extension professionals demonstrated commitment to personal growth, community engagement and understanding of their multifaceted roles as change agents.
Originality/value
Participants are sharing resources from the program with colleagues, leading meetings differently, questioning the status quo and pushing others to try new ways forward.
Details