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1 – 10 of 13Since the mid-1980s, much research attention has been devoted to top management teams and their impact on the strategic behavior and performance of firms. In particular, this…
Abstract
Since the mid-1980s, much research attention has been devoted to top management teams and their impact on the strategic behavior and performance of firms. In particular, this research has focused on the role of top managers’ background, values, and experiences in explaining the choices they make. So far, this research has largely failed to address the national context in which top management teams are formed and operate. Empirical studies have typically involved top management teams of U.S. firms. Other studies are rare, and when they exist, they usually do not take the national context into account. This paper explores the impact of national context characterized by society-specific value systems and institutions, on the composition, organization, and functioning of top management. We address three topics in particular: (1) national variations in the structure and practices of top management and their implications for managerial choices; (2) national governance systems that define and constrain the tasks and functioning of top management teams; and (3) national institutions that help to define managerial selection, promotion, and career patterns.
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Grant Michelson and Rohan Miller
Drawing on the anthropological literature, this paper aims to develop a model of taboos (morality) that applies to the marketing, consumer behaviour and consumption contexts.
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on the anthropological literature, this paper aims to develop a model of taboos (morality) that applies to the marketing, consumer behaviour and consumption contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is mainly conceptual but illustrates the general premises of the model with a case study of “dark” tourism and the contemporary marketing of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Findings
The paper shows that even extreme taboos can be commodified and traded-off, and that not even the horrific deaths and large-scale suffering that occurred at Auschwitz are “sacred”. This can occur through reframing and seeing the same taboo through different national lens.
Research limitations/implications
Questions pertaining to consumer morality are relative rather than universalistic, and even the most extreme cases of taboo can still be successfully marketed.
Originality/value
The paper is among the first to attempt to conceptually design a model and then explain the taboo process as it applies to a marketing and consumption context.
Outlines briefly the history and progression of business systems inThe Netherlands. Describes how human resources are produced andcultivated, in particular through the Dutch…
Abstract
Outlines briefly the history and progression of business systems in The Netherlands. Describes how human resources are produced and cultivated, in particular through the Dutch education system, and assesses its effectiveness. Looks at the integration of human resources in the work organization, pinpointing particular experiments which have been carried out. Outlines various shifts in emphasis from the post Second World War period in Dutch industry and human resource concepts. Concludes that the changes in industrial work organization and human resource management are in line with traditional Dutch ideals and are becoming increasingly effective.
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Bashir Ahmad, Hussain Tariq, Qingxiong (Derek) Weng, Samson Samwel Shillamkwese and Nadeem Sohail
Based on revenge theory and the three objectives of social interaction theory of aggression, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to answer why and when a…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on revenge theory and the three objectives of social interaction theory of aggression, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to answer why and when a subordinate’s own behaviour instigates abuse at the workplace. In particular, the authors argue that subordinate gossip behaviour instils in supervisors a thought of revenge towards that subordinate, which, in turn, leads to abusive supervision. Specifically, this hypothesised relationship is augmented when the supervisor feels close to the gossiper (i.e. psychological proximity).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted two independent studies to test the moderated mediation model, which collectively investigate why and when subordinate gossip behaviour provokes abusive supervision in the workplace. A lagged study (i.e. Study 1: 422 supervisors and subordinates) in a large retail company and an experience sampling study (i.e. Study 2: 96 supervisors and subordinates with 480 daily surveys) in multiple organisations provide support for the moderated mediation model.
Findings
The two-study (i.e. a lagged study and an experience sampling study) findings support the integrated model, which has mainly focussed on instrumental consideration of abusive supervision that influences the supervisor–subordinate relationship.
Originality/value
The two-study investigation has important and meaningful implications for abusive supervision research because it determines that subordinate gossip behaviour is more threating to a supervisor when the subordinate and the supervisor are psychological close to each other than when they are not. That is because when they are close, the supervisor is not expecting gossip behaviour from the subordinate, thus giving rise to an abusive workplace.
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This paper aims to study the origin story of Harvard Business School’s involvement with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad to study the reasons for the spread of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the origin story of Harvard Business School’s involvement with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad to study the reasons for the spread of American management education. It introduces both the explicit influence of Cold War politics and Indian development imaginaries to the export of American management thought in the early 1960s.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper relies on archival research for its primary source material, drawing upon rich archives of documents found at the Baker Library of Harvard Business School.
Findings
Harvard’s role in Ahmedabad was explicitly influenced by the Cold War anti-communist foreign policy of the USA, but did so opportunistically and contrary to the Ford Foundation’s (FF) original plans. Vikram Sarabhai, who was a key player in the Indian national imaginary of development, invited Harvard on his own initiative and forced the foundation to follow his interests rather than being a mere “subaltern.”
Research limitations/implications
This paper could additionally add to the historical debate about the scope and periodization of the Cold War and the role of non-state actors.
Originality/value
This paper covers new ground in exploring the early connection between the Indian development imaginary and business education. It concludes that the export of hegemonic US management education was not successful during Cold War, and the FF was not as dominant as it was made out to be.
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Ming-Huei Chen and Somya Agrawal
Based on group development theories, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate student’s team behavior during different stages of team development.
Abstract
Purpose
Based on group development theories, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate student’s team behavior during different stages of team development.
Design/methodology/approach
A time-lagged survey method was used to collect data over a period of 18 weeks from 40 undergraduate students enrolled in an entrepreneurship course. Hierarchical linear regression and structural equation modeling were used for analysis.
Findings
Findings reveal that during the early stages of team development, a leader with an entrepreneurial approach directed student’s team behavior proactively. Analysis showed that lower level of task conflict strengthened the impact of leadership on team cohesion. It was also found that during the pre-final stages, students demonstrated knowledge-sharing behavior once they were characterized by team cohesion.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected from student teams, which may not generalize to organizational teams.
Social implications
This research presents first of the few empirical studies investigating the above-mentioned interrelationships and provides insights on the order of events that contribute to perceived team performance. An attempt was also made to extend the group theories by exploring the effects of leadership on task conflict.
Originality/value
Showcasing the dynamics of student’s team behavior during the different stages of team development, this study highlights the importance of teamwork to students and provides useful insights to course facilitators and teachers. In light of the results, educators should take account of team dynamics when designing effective teaching methods and incentives.
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