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Article
Publication date: 17 July 2017

Keith D. Harris, Harvey S. James and Aramis Harris

Agribusiness managers oftentimes find it difficult to gain practical experience in an area they have had very little practice. Habitually, they rely on their own business acumen…

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Abstract

Purpose

Agribusiness managers oftentimes find it difficult to gain practical experience in an area they have had very little practice. Habitually, they rely on their own business acumen, and tacit knowledge to navigate unfamiliar territory. What does the manager do when the problem is ill-formed, fuzzy and messy? This paper aims to integrate societal stakeholders like agribusinesses and environmentalists by using the Community of Practice (CoP) framework to help analyze and effectively use knowledge and practical experiences on problems facing the food and agriculture industries.

Design/methodology/approach

The multi-disciplinary analytical framework suggests multiple research strategies and methods. Because environmentalist-agribusiness collaborations involve complex stakeholder, relationship and social processes, case research may be the most appropriate means for initial investigations of these issues. The authors applied an exploratory approach starting with a search of a water and land stakeholder collaborations followed by the selection of specific cases, the collection of secondary case data, and a systematic qualitative content analysis. For this paper, the authors focused on 13 initiatives in agribusiness involving water and land (e.g. the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative and Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines).

Findings

The argument is that firms that use elements of the CoP are better at working through the wicked problems than firms that do not. When elements of the CoP (community, domain and practice) play a significant role in addressing the wicked problem, best practices over a pre-determined time develop. Establishing policies and standards for education and research, technology and research, facilities and operations. More specifically, they relate, in an illustrative manner, how they could quantitatively measure the results that were generated through the use of a specific practice.

Research limitations/implications

This paper has focused only on the land and water constraint aspects. A variety of other stakeholder issues warrant consideration including motivations, contingencies facilitating partnership building, changes in production and consumption and collaborative learning processes. As stakeholder objectives are met, change or diverge, the stakeholders may become less willing to broker and negotiate linkages between the firm and other domain stakeholders, and potentially affect the firm’s competitive advantage. One should also be mindful of the methods of effective engagement, which are able to incorporate and integrate the knowledge, skills, resources and perspectives from many actors are needed to undertake these problems.

Practical implications

To facilitate the discussion on water sustainability between agribusiness firms and environmental groups, it is important for agribusinesses to have some basic understanding of how much water is consumed, evaporated and/or polluted in a given amount of time. Likewise, environmental organizations will need to have a basic understanding of associated physical (freshwater shortages in the supply chain) and financial risks (increase costs or reduced revenues). Both parties need to stay open to challenges and dilemmas of the wicked problem.

Social implications

Farmers, agribusiness firms and environmentalists are the de facto and principle managers of the most productive land and water resources on earth. Their decisions will shape the surface of the planet in the coming decades. Settling on a common strategy of quality of waters resources, potential land use and land management fundamentally involves the interests of all stakeholders. By considering the divergent values, different perspectives and lived experiences of stakeholders and the inextricable link to land, it is found that managing water resources sustainably is a wicked problem.

Originality/value

The effort it takes to find and implement solutions requires the engagement of internal and external stakeholders (relationships) and access to actionable research (knowledge) to manage through the industry’s prickly challenges. For some, ecological goals are foremost, whereas for others, profit and market objectives are paramount for survival. Their relationships may be a common means for the stakeholders to reach ultimately incompatible agendas. The authors characterize water and land constraints in agriculture as a wicked problem. The wicked problems require a new corporate mindset, involving multi-discipline approach of new collaborations and processes to address them.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 38 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 April 2020

Esther Ebole Isah and Katriina Byström

The focus of this paper is on the mediating role of medical records in patient care. Their informative, communicative and constitutive facets are analysed on the basis of a case…

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Abstract

Purpose

The focus of this paper is on the mediating role of medical records in patient care. Their informative, communicative and constitutive facets are analysed on the basis of a case study in an African University teaching hospital.

Design/methodology/approach

A practice-oriented approach and the concept of boundary objects were adopted to examine medical records as information artefacts. Data from nonparticipant observations and interviews with physicians were triangulated in a qualitative analysis.

Findings

Three distinctive practices for information sharing – absorbing by reading, augmenting by documenting and recounting by presenting – were identified as central to the mediating role of medical records in the care of patients. Additionally, three information-sharing functions outside the immediate care of patients were identified: facilitating interactions, controlling hegemonic order and supporting learning. The records were both a useful information resource and a blueprint for sustaining shared practices over time. The medical records appeared as an essential part of patient care and amendments to them resulted in changes in several other work practices.

Originality/value

The analysis contributes to research on documents as enacting and sustaining work practices in a workplace.

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2014

Didier Vinot

The perpose of this paper is to analyse recent changes in the management of French public hospitals, following a reform enacted in 2009 and aimed at bolstering the managerial…

Abstract

Purpose

The perpose of this paper is to analyse recent changes in the management of French public hospitals, following a reform enacted in 2009 and aimed at bolstering the managerial roles of doctors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is exploratory and is based on both the analysis of French literature dealing with the results of the 2009 reform, and ten semi-directed interviews with clinical managers and top leaders in the public hospital sector.

Findings

The author reports on the major hospital management reforms of 2009 and analyse the implications for the medical profession and management. The author shows that the involvement of the classical clinical leaders has become less regulated as the units no longer have a clear legal basis. The governance of the newly introduced “medical poles” appears to be shaped by various factors: there is high correlation between centrality, prestige and “clan involvement”, which suggests that professionals holding new responsibilities obtain power and legitimacy by consolidating pre-existing networks. While it is often argued that high-quality clinical leadership is a key factor of organisational success, the findings suggest that the performance of clinical managers relies on this network and legitimacy acquired from it.

Originality/value

Drawing on the “sociology of translation” and actor-network theory (Callon and Latour, 1991), this paper provides a new conceptual framework for the analysis of the transformation of the role of clinical leaders, arguing that this transformation depends highly on their abilities to build and use networks. The findings challenge the French tradition of public management that presupposes a clear division of power between doctors and administrative staff.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 27 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2016

Arnaud Mignan, Anna Scolobig and Anne Sauron

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a pilot study involving high school teachers in natural sciences. The aim was to foster critical thinking about cascading…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a pilot study involving high school teachers in natural sciences. The aim was to foster critical thinking about cascading hazards via the use of reasoned imagination. Cascading phenomena can lead to extreme catastrophes and are thus a challenge for disaster prevention and management.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a presentation listing some known cascading phenomena, the participants completed a questionnaire consisting of a blank hazard correlation matrix (HCM) and some open-ended questions. The HCM qualitatively described possible interactions between 16 different perils selected from a large spectrum of natural, technological and socio-economic hazards.

Findings

Most participants were able to describe cascading phenomena within the HCM by reducing them into sets of one-to-one interactions. Based on their experience and imagination, the participants foresaw additional interactions that were not discussed, never observed but are scientifically plausible. The majority of the respondents reported that they learnt something new and wanted to learn more about cascading hazards.

Originality/value

The HCM is especially effective in translating complex hazard scenarios into basic interactions and vice versa. Being imaginative (here via the use of reasoned imagination) and accessible, the HCM could be used as basis for transformative learning in the education of the public and of practitioners on the role of cascading hazards in catastrophes.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 December 2018

Shweta Pandey and Deepak Chawla

The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of factors derived from the unified theory of user acceptance of technology (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the impact of factors derived from the unified theory of user acceptance of technology (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, age, gender) and of those drawn from literature (perceived risk, perceived enjoyment and innovativeness) on the adoption of m-commerce in India. It also suggests implications of these for the consumer behavior theory practitioners and marketers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using an online survey from 321 respondents, split into two groups (high and low adoption level users) based on the usage scores of the four categories of m-commerce- location-based, transaction-based, entertainment and content delivery. Logistic regression technique was used to identify the prominent factors among the nine identified influencers to understand the differences between the two groups.

Findings

The findings of this paper are sample biasness, self-reported m-commerce adoption level, limited m-commerce categories and specific context.

Research limitations/implications

Except the two factors of performance expectancy and facilitating conditions, all other variables discriminate between low and high adoption levels of m-commerce services in India. Social influence, perceived enjoyment and innovativeness were the three main factors that were found to have the most significant impact on the discrimination levels of m-commerce service users in India. Further, it was found that women and the younger generation users of m-commerce showed a greater propensity for adopting m-commerce practices.

Practical implications

Marketers need to focus on key factors like social influence, perceived enjoyment, perceived risk and effort expectancy to persuade the young and innovative consumer target groups increase their adoption of m-commerce services.

Originality/value

This is the first study of its kind to explore factors that distinguish users with low and high levels of m-commerce adoption, by taking into consideration all four categories of m-commerce (transaction-based, content delivery, location-based and entertainment). In doing so, it highlights the need for marketers to focus on factors beyond facilitating conditions and performance expectancy, to enhance the adoption of m-commerce practices.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 May 2017

Noorshella Binti Che Nawi, Abdullah Al Mamun, Noorul Azwin Binti Md Nasir, Noorlisa Maria bt A. Hamid Shokery, Nursalihah Binti Ahmad Raston and Syed Ali Fazal

While it is perceived that adoption reflects acceptance, the purpose of this paper is to argue that individual usage is critical and cannot be guaranteed by mere adoption. This…

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Abstract

Purpose

While it is perceived that adoption reflects acceptance, the purpose of this paper is to argue that individual usage is critical and cannot be guaranteed by mere adoption. This study, therefore, focuses on the factors (i.e. performance expectancy, perceived trust, perceived risk, facilitating condition, and perceived enjoyment) contributing to the adoption and ultimately usage of social media as a business platform among student entrepreneurs in Malaysia under the premise of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a cross-sectional design and quantitative data are collected from 300 selected respondents listed as student entrepreneurs in the entrepreneurship centers of all public universities within Peninsular Malaysia.

Findings

Performance expectancy, perceived risk, perceived trust, and perceived enjoyment have a significant effect on the adoption of social media leading to its usage as a business platform. Findings also report a significant mediating effect of adoption of social media on the relationship between performance expectancy, perceived trust, perceived risk, and perceived enjoyment with the depth of social media usage.

Research limitations/implications

In order to promote entrepreneurial activities among student entrepreneurs using social media as a business platform, programs and policies should focus on improving cyber security and value-added services.

Originality/value

This study puts forward and tests the original UTAUT model to assess the adoption and depth of social media usage as a business platform among young student entrepreneurs in Peninsular Malaysia, which provides a foundation for the design and implementation of programs and policies that promote entrepreneurial activities using social media among student entrepreneurs in Malaysia.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2015

Severine LeLoarne and Adnane Maalaoui

The purpose of this paper is to focus on how entrepreneurs anticipate and change their company’s business process management after developing a radical innovation. The paper is…

1202

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on how entrepreneurs anticipate and change their company’s business process management after developing a radical innovation. The paper is based on a critical approach to business process modelling (BPM) that posits that – in spite of all the claims, guides and tools that companies employ to help them modelise their processes – business processes are developed and improved (or at least changed) by individuals who negotiate, anticipate and compromise to make these changes occur. Thus, BPM is more a matter of “bricolage” (Levi-Strauss) than an established and defined plan. Based on this position, the paper analyses how a business process model emerges in the early phases of a high-tech new venture when the entrepreneur lacks a valid template to form a conceptual representation of the firm’s business processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt a perspective based on the concept of bricolage. By analysing and comparing the discourse of 40 entrepreneurs – involved in an activity based on a radical innovation and 20 involved in an activity based on a more incremental concept – the authors are able to answer the two research questions.

Findings

Entrepreneurs who develop a new activity based on any radical or incremental innovation generally base the BPM of their company and the evolution of this process on existing models. However, BPM generally differs based on the nature of the innovation. Thus, entrepreneurs who develop a new activity based on a radical innovation do not design a single BPM for their company but a portfolio of BPMs. The process by which such entrepreneurs develop such a portfolio is mainly conducted in a step-by-step and iterative approach that utilises “whatever is at hand” (Levi-Strauss, 1966).

Originality/value

First, this study extends existing methods for and approaches to considering BPM. Second, this research partly answers the call for integration among different theoretical backgrounds and approaches that consider BPM.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 October 2023

Emmanuel Mogaji

This study aims to shed light on the evolving nature of banks in the digital era and the implications for bank marketing and management. The research addresses the need for a…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to shed light on the evolving nature of banks in the digital era and the implications for bank marketing and management. The research addresses the need for a comprehensive typology of banks that integrates fintech and explores how traditional and app-only banks strategically position their brands. The key argument is that understanding the changing landscape of banking and the impact of technological advancements is crucial for banks to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by fintech and digital transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines literature and practices to develop a typology of banks, describing their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses and providing examples. It also proposes new research agendas for scholars and practitioners in the field.

Findings

This paper introduces a typology of banks based on their adoption of fintech and digital technologies. Three distinct types of banks are identified: Traditional banks adopting FinTech (TBAF), Traditionally Driven Neo Banks (TDNBs) and Digitally Driven Neo Banks (DDNBs). TBAF are traditional banks that have embraced fintech solutions to enhance their operations and customer experiences. TDNBs represent a hybrid model, combining the trusted brand and infrastructure of traditional banks with the digital capabilities and agility of neo banks. DDNBs are purely digital banks that operate exclusively online, offering innovative and user-friendly banking services.

Originality/value

This study is a pioneering work that classified banks based on their utilization of fintech and digital technologies. The study provides a typology of banks based on fintech adoption, offering valuable insights for bank managers, policymakers and researchers. The research also outlines a research agenda, suggesting future investigations to further enhance understanding of the evolving banking landscape and its implications.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 41 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

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