Search results

1 – 10 of over 96000
Article
Publication date: 1 December 1998

Fevzi Okumus and Nigel Hemmington

The aims of this paper are to investigate the barriers and the sources of resistance to change in hotel firms and to evaluate the change in strategies adopted in seeking to

7946

Abstract

The aims of this paper are to investigate the barriers and the sources of resistance to change in hotel firms and to evaluate the change in strategies adopted in seeking to overcome these barriers. Primary data were gathered through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews in nine hotels in the UK. The findings indicate that the cost of change, financial difficulties and the pressure of other priorities are the main barriers to change in hotel firms. The findings also indicate that hotel companies use multiple change strategies in overcoming barriers to change. Finally, the limitations of the research are discussed and opportunities for further research are identified.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 10 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 April 2010

Anders Vennström and Per Erik Eriksson

The purpose of this paper is to identify client‐perceived barriers to a change towards increased client influence on the end result of the construction process. Additionally, the…

2922

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify client‐perceived barriers to a change towards increased client influence on the end result of the construction process. Additionally, the variables of size of clients' markets and the extent of external project management are investigated in order to see how they influence the perceptions concerning important barriers to change.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data were collected through a survey responded to by 87 Swedish construction clients.

Findings

Identified barriers are divided into three types: attitudinal, industrial and institutional. Attitudinal barriers (adversarial attitudes, lack of ethics and morality, focus on projects instead of processes and a short‐term focus) and industrial barriers (traditional organization of the construction process, conservative industry culture, industry structure and traditional production processes) are perceived to be important, whereas institutional barriers (standard contracts, laws and traditional procurement procedures) are not perceived to be critical. Each different type of barrier is tested against the use of internal or external project management and the sphere of activity of the client. Attitudinal barriers are perceived as being more critical by clients using external project management. “Nearness” in terms of the sphere of activity (e.g. how large is the client's market?) also has an effect on how clients perceive the barriers. Locally, active clients do not consider attitudinal barriers to be as influential on the end result of the construction process as nationally active clients.

Research limitations/implications

Since the empirical results are based on data collected only from Swedish clients, international generalizations should be made with caution.

Practical implications

Clients wishing to act as change agents need to be aware that their use of internal versus external project management affects their chances to influence the other construction actors and implement change and innovation. Large national and international client organizations, which due to their size have significant opportunities to influence the industry, rely heavily on external project management, which may hamper their change agent role. Hence, such clients should make careful and purposeful selections of project management companies. Another more influential alternative is to strengthen their organisation and rely less on external project management.

Originality/value

This paper presents a unique investigation of the connections between the use of internal/external project management and perceived barriers to change.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 10 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 March 2022

Miyami Dasandara, Bingunath Ingirige, Udayangani Kulatunga and Terrence Fernando

Climate change mitigation and adaptation play an important role in overcoming the climate change challenges facing Sri Lanka today. Many initiatives have been undertaken to

Abstract

Purpose

Climate change mitigation and adaptation play an important role in overcoming the climate change challenges facing Sri Lanka today. Many initiatives have been undertaken to implement different policies and plans in this regard, which require considerable mobilisation of national and international financing. In acquiring climate finance, many barriers can be identified. This paper aims to investigate such barriers to climate financing in Sri Lanka and proposes strategies to address them.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative research approach was undertaken in this study by conducting ten semi-structured interviews with experts who are involved in climate change policy implementation activities in Sri Lanka. The collected data were analysed using the content analysis method via Nvivo software.

Findings

The empirical findings unveil six key barriers and the corresponding root causes to climate financing in Sri Lanka. Inadequate domestic funding for climate actions was captured as the dominant barrier in this direction. This study also revealed that barriers and their root causes are interconnected, leading to many financial limitations in implementing climate actions. The importance of playing a leading role by the government and enabling an integrated approach between the private and public sector organisations were identified as key strategies to combat climate finance barriers.

Originality/value

Despite there being studies focusing on climate change and related policies, limited research has been carried out with regard to climate financing. Within this context, this study makes an original contribution in the area of climate financing with particular reference to a developing country like Sri Lanka. Further, the identification of barriers to climate financing, their root causes and strategies to address them also provides an original contribution to theory and practice.

Details

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction , vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 March 2020

Georgia Warren-Myers, Anna Hurlimann and Judy Bush

To identify barriers to climate change adaptation in the Australian property industry.

Abstract

Purpose

To identify barriers to climate change adaptation in the Australian property industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews with twenty-four stakeholders from a diverse cross-section of the Australian property industry were undertaken in 2018 and 2019.

Findings

A range of barriers to action on climate change were identified. These barriers centre around (1) information: lack of clear, reliable, and trusted sources of climate change information; (2) cost: competing economic demands, and the perceived threat that investing in climate change action poses to competitiveness; and (3) regulation: the inaction of governments thus failing to provide a regulatory environment to address climate change.

Research limitations/implications

The qualitative research provides perspectives from actors in different sectors of the Australian property industry. While it provides an in-depth understanding of the barriers to addressing climate change adaptation, it is not necessarily a nationally representative sample.

Practical implications

The study identifies barriers to climate change adaptation, and establishes practical ways in which the Australian property industry can address these barriers and the role that government regulation could have in generating industry-wide change.

Social implications

Climate change poses significant challenges to society. Built environments are significant contributors to climate change, and thus the property industry is well-placed to make positive contributions to this global challenge.

Originality/value

Limited research has examined barriers to climate change action in the property industry. This research provides novel insights from the perspective of key actors across a diverse range of property industry sectors. This new knowledge fills an important gap in understanding how to address climate change in Australia and broader contexts.

Details

Journal of Property Investment & Finance, vol. 38 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-578X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2020

Jongbum Kim, Jeonghun Seo, Hangjung Zo and Hwansoo Lee

Electronic books (e-books) have been in the market for decades but have been unable to replace paper books. Previous studies on e-books have failed to identify significant factors…

1596

Abstract

Purpose

Electronic books (e-books) have been in the market for decades but have been unable to replace paper books. Previous studies on e-books have failed to identify significant factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of e-books. This study develops a theoretical framework to explain the adoption behavior of e-books from the perspective of user resistance.

Design/methodology/approach

After a pilot test with 50 e-book users, the research model is validated using a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. A web-based survey method is used to collect data from a sample of 350 people – selected from Korean e-book users and nonusers – during a week in March 2017. This study tests the reliability and validity of the integrated model of planned behavior and resistance theory and tests the hypotheses with bootstrapping resampling.

Findings

The results show that four barriers – usage, value, risk and image – cause resistance to change and users with higher resistance have lower intention to use. The moderating effect of self-efficacy between resistance to change and intention to use is confirmed. Self-efficacy interacts not only with the encouraging factors but also with resistance.

Originality/value

This study expands the understanding of users' adoption behavior of e-books by examining inhibiting factors using a novel integrated model. The findings of this research provide insights for digital product providers, especially e-book publishers, to understand why digital products have not been successful in the marketplace.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1994

James E. Post and Barbara W. Altma

Organizations face formidable obstacles to the institutionalization ofenvironmental management programmes. Longitudinal studies show thatcompanies face two major types of barriers

14528

Abstract

Organizations face formidable obstacles to the institutionalization of environmental management programmes. Longitudinal studies show that companies face two major types of barriers to change: industry‐specific barriers, which affect all organizations in a line of business; and organizational barriers, which are not specific to environmental problems, but may impede a company′s capacity to deal with any form of change. Evidence shows that these barriers can be overcome through effective environmental management programmes. Argues that by overcoming these barriers, organizations can move along an environmental performance curve, consisting of phases involving adjustment to regulatory and market realities; adaptation and anticipation of emerging issues; and innovation in achieving economically and environmentally sustainable performance through change programmes involving internal and external elements.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 17 July 2011

Michael Beer

The field of organization development is fragmented and lacks a coherent and integrated theory and method for developing an effective organization. A 20-year action research…

Abstract

The field of organization development is fragmented and lacks a coherent and integrated theory and method for developing an effective organization. A 20-year action research program led to the development and evaluation of the Strategic Fitness Process (SFP) – a platform by which senior leaders, with the help of consultants, can have an honest, collective, and public conversation about their organization's alignment with espoused strategy and values. The research has identified a syndrome of six silent barriers to effectiveness and a dynamic theory of organizational effectiveness. Empirical evidence from the 20-year study demonstrates that SFP always enables truth to speak to power safely, and in a majority of cases enables senior teams to transform silent barriers into strengths, realign their organization's design and strategic management process with strategy and values, and in a few cases employ SFP as an ongoing learning and governance process. Implications for organization and leadership development and corporate governance are discussed.

Details

Research in Organizational Change and Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-022-3

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2010

Gareth Veal and Stefanos Mouzas

This paper seeks to give empirical examples of the processes whereby networks learn to collaborate. Specifically, the authors aim to examine efforts to learn to collaborate in…

1922

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to give empirical examples of the processes whereby networks learn to collaborate. Specifically, the authors aim to examine efforts to learn to collaborate in response to the challenge of climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses case study research methods to examine concepts previously developed in the literature and propose a conceptual framework of barriers to learning to collaborate.

Findings

Existing research on collaboration over environmental issues highlights the prevalence of cognitive deficiencies, an abundance of conflicts and disputes and the ignorance of exchange opportunities among interdependent actors. Based on a theoretical review and an empirical case study, the authors put forward a framework that involves three stages. The paper proposes that networks learning to collaborate undergo a process of: framing the problem; negotiating; and achieving wise trades.

Practical implications

At all three of the stages given above, there are significant cognitive biases, which can lead to failure to learn to collaborate. The paper gives examples that should help businesses and regulators to understand and avoid in‐built barriers that could lead to a failure of the network to learn to collaborate.

Originality/value

The paper reviews a number of research disciplines linked to collaboration and gives an empirical case study that explores their links. The authors then propose a conceptual framework of barriers to learning to collaborate, which can be used to help guide practitioners. Failure to learn to collaborate can be found in the many contemporary cases of conflicts and disputes; such as in the areas of intellectual property rights, international trade, inter‐firm alliances and vertical marketing systems.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 25 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2016

Sirkku Juhola

In the past 10 years, most countries and cities have published a national adaptation strategy that outlines the strategic approach to reduce the vulnerability to climate change

Abstract

Purpose

In the past 10 years, most countries and cities have published a national adaptation strategy that outlines the strategic approach to reduce the vulnerability to climate change and to adapt to the impacts of it. The existence of an adaptation strategy does not, however, equal implementation of adaptation and the fact that adaptation is taking place across multiple levels also poses new challenges to its efficient implementation. The literature on barriers of adaptation has been increasing rapidly, questioning whether there is a misconception that barriers to implementation can be solved at the local level.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses the implementation of adaptation strategies across multiple levels of governance by focusing on the land use planning in Finland. The case study examines the implementation of adaptation in the metropolitan region of Helsinki through a policy document analysis.

Findings

The conclusions highlight that there are barriers at the local level that emerge from the existing governance structures and cannot be solved by the local level alone. There needs to be a further recognition that coordination across levels of governance is a factor in overcoming barriers.

Originality/value

So far, there are very few studies that have analysed barriers in relation to the implementation of adaptation in a multi-level setting, and none in the land use sector, which is inherently hierarchical in nature.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 96000