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Article
Publication date: 13 July 2015

Helena Forslund

– The purpose of this paper is to explore and generate propositions of factors that affect the degree of performance management process integration in retail supply chains.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore and generate propositions of factors that affect the degree of performance management process integration in retail supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

The performance management processes of two retail supply chains were explored and their degree of process integration was classified. Differences in the degree of performance management process integration and affecting factors lead to the generation of five propositions.

Findings

Dependence, brand importance, business process integration, performance demand and the existence of a performance management standard seem to be positively related to the degree of performance management process integration in the relation. Both factors that affect process integration in general and performance management process integration specifically are included. Some insights on integration in a vertically integrated retail chain were provided.

Research limitations/implications

This study has specified the knowledge in process integration to the performance management process and expanded it into a retail context. It has generated a number of propositions on factors that affect the degree of performance management process integration, including a factor that was not found in previous research on manufacturing supply chains. The contribution to process integration theory is however limited until the propositions are validated in a broader study.

Practical implications

Knowledge in affecting factors is useful when “performance management managers” need to communicate integration ambitions with other managers within and outside their own company. The detailed descriptions of performance management processes and integration practices can serve as inspiring benchmarks, as in the daily groceries supply chain, where the industry standard is especially interesting. They can also indicate practices to avoid, as in the home textiles supply chain. Another managerial take-away is the need to handle each relation, manufacturer-wholesaler and wholesaler-retailer store, with their specific affecting factors in specific ways.

Originality/value

Previous knowledge on performance management process integration is mainly based on manufacturing companies. This study expands existing knowledge into a retail context.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 43 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 31 July 2020

Johan Klaassen and Jan Löwstedt

Many attempts to integrate technology in Swedish schools have been initiated over the past 30 years with varying success. Although the use of digital tools has increased along…

Abstract

Many attempts to integrate technology in Swedish schools have been initiated over the past 30 years with varying success. Although the use of digital tools has increased along with a general technology development, schools have mainly been using IT in administrative support activities. In recent years, school system reforms and developments in the educational technology sector have both required and enabled schools to digitalize. In this chapter, we follow the implementation of two technologies in a benchmark school in order to understand how technology integration is achieved. We suggest four types of embeddedness resulting from different types of activities that are subject to technology integration, as well as the social and material conditions that guide convergence during the postimplementation phase.

Details

Research in Organizational Change and Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-083-7

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 May 2017

Christina Öberg and Seppo Leminen

Companies often aspire to create advantages for their businesses through acquisitions. Their participation has increasingly been documented to include different motives for…

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Abstract

Purpose

Companies often aspire to create advantages for their businesses through acquisitions. Their participation has increasingly been documented to include different motives for acquirers, while focusing less on the ambitions of acquired parties with the acquisitions. The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss gaps and the handling of gaps between acquirers and acquired parties in acquisitions of innovative firms.

Design/methodology/approach

In the paper, the authors specifically focus on acquisitions of innovative firms. Four case studies illustrate gaps between the acquirers and the acquired parties.

Findings

The authors conclude that gaps may be present from the start as latent gaps, and become activated in integration or as the consequence of non-integration decisions. Gaps between the acquirer and the acquired party may be further manifested in external parties’ reactions to the integration. The handling of gaps emphasizes a transition time and communication about expectations between the acquirer and the acquired party.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to previous research on mergers and acquisitions in general, and acquisitions of innovative firms in particular. Prior literature on acquisitions is scarce on descriptions of gaps or the handling of gaps. Gaps complement ideas on differences in culture between acquirers and acquired parties. It also highlights how acquired parties have as much intention with an acquisition as acquirers.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 September 2014

Torill Meistad

This is an analysis of modern office buildings with high energy efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to focus on how such buildings affects usability for the organizations…

Abstract

Purpose

This is an analysis of modern office buildings with high energy efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to focus on how such buildings affects usability for the organizations occupying the buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis combine results from studies of two case projects with a literature review. Case studies include qualitative interviews with key informants, internal post-occupancy evaluations and annual reports from the user organizations. The two buildings are Norwegian pioneers regarding energy efficiency.

Findings

The new buildings provide a high degree of usability for the user organizations, including user satisfaction, efficiency and effectiveness. The case projects illustrate the potential in combining improvements for energy efficiency and the usability of buildings. There are synergistic effects in a mutual process of development for the buildings and organizations based upon strategic business goals. Management of the process is crucial in order to succeed.

Research limitations/implications

The study applies the approach of usability to an analysis of energy efficient buildings. Two case projects exemplify potentials and challenges.

Practical implications

Office buildings can be developed to a high degree of energy efficiency by considering the many aspects of usability for the user organizations. Integrating constructing projects into organizational development processes is crucial for the result.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the emerging field, analyzing effects on usability for the organizations occupying energy efficient office buildings. The study also adds to the young field of analyzing the integration of the development of buildings into processes of organizational development by enlightening the potential regarding buildings with high energy ambitions.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Mark Bromley, Robin Cuthbertson, Veronica Martinez and Mike Kennerley

Survey research suggests that 85 per cent of companies world‐wide have performance management systems. Of that number, many adopt such systems with the ultimate objective of

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Abstract

Purpose

Survey research suggests that 85 per cent of companies world‐wide have performance management systems. Of that number, many adopt such systems with the ultimate objective of increasing productivity and profitability. The purpose of this paper is to show how EDF Energy decided to adapt existing theory to create an in‐house version of the balanced scorecard, with the objective of creating and sustaining a continuous improvement culture.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper outlines the integration of fundamental principles of performance management systems in the context of a large UK energy company. It highlights good practices in the design, alignment, implementation and communication of such systems.

Findings

The key findings of this paper are the importance of the use of goal‐setting theories, particularly in the design and alignment of company ambitions and objectives. In doing so, value‐mapping provides the mechanism to align individual performance with company strategy. This case also highlights the importance of a “performance dialogue” to support the strategic alignment of organisational goals and build a culture of continuous improvement.

Practical implications

Organisations that are planning to review or implement performance management systems should first, consider the alignment of company ambitions and goals with the operational and individual objectives and second, build structured but adaptable communications channels to convey and reinforce the ambitions, objectives and values of the organisation.

Originality/value

The paper provides insight into the way in which standard and accepted approaches to performance management, based around the Balanced Scorecard framework, can be modified to reflect the context of a specific organisation, and the lessons that have been learned along the way.

Details

Measuring Business Excellence, vol. 10 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1368-3047

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 May 2023

Marla T.H. Hahnraths, Maartje Willeboordse and Onno C.P. van Schayck

To gain insight into factors enhancing or obstructing implementation in various school-settings, which is vital for widespread dissemination and sustainable integration of…

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Abstract

Purpose

To gain insight into factors enhancing or obstructing implementation in various school-settings, which is vital for widespread dissemination and sustainable integration of school-based health-promoting interventions.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods multisite comparative case study to investigate (factors influencing) the implementation of health-promoting activities in twelve Dutch primary schools. Data were collected during three school years (2019–2022) through observations, questionnaires and interviews.

Findings

The project resulted in the implementation of small, incidental activities. Important reasons for the limited implementation were lack of commitment and bottom-up involvement. School directors and teachers were not involved early on in the project, which limited project support and commitment. On school level, directors largely carried project responsibility themselves, hindering project sustainability and integration. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) made that schools had difficulties forming long-term visions and plans. Other observed barriers included limited perceived necessity to change, high workload and high staff turnover. Important facilitators were the presence of a process coordinator and sharing experiences from other schools.

Originality/value

This research provided valuable insights into (factors influencing) the implementation of health-promoting initiatives in diverse, real-world school contexts. More extensive support is needed to create commitment, bottom-up involvement and a project vision. Furthermore, empowering in-school champions and/or school-wide project groups is desirable to decrease schools' dependence on long-term external support. The findings can be used by various stakeholders throughout development, adoption and implementation and can facilitate widespread dissemination and sustainable integration of school-based health-promoting interventions.

Details

Health Education, vol. 123 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 July 2015

Terrill L. Frantz

Cultures don’t clash … people do. Hidden below the veil of “incompatible cultures” is a complex network of human-to-human interaction involving information-exchange transactions…

Abstract

Cultures don’t clash … people do. Hidden below the veil of “incompatible cultures” is a complex network of human-to-human interaction involving information-exchange transactions that have gone awry. The multitude of these troubled exchanges results in what is often branded as “M&A failure, due to culture conflict.”

This chapter presents a theoretical discussion that features practical dynamics of the post-merger integration (PMI) process. The aim is to cultivate a deeper understanding of critical, less-acknowledged micro-level aspects of the post-merger integration stage, specifically, those which underlie the development and maintenance of an organization’s culture and lead to organization performance. It is the unseen information exchange among human actors that leads to the perceptible post-merger outcomes, such as cultural unity and task performance. The quality of these micro-exchanges leads to the value capture from the M&A transaction, thus determining the success – or not – of the combination.

Presented is a synthesis of numerous existing theories, perspectives, and ideas from various scholarly communities, combined with a drill-down to the basic human interactions that define a culture and lead to positive performance. Information flow is the sustenance of an organization, so when merging organizations restructure the information flow is abruptly disrupted, often at pronounced near-term cost. The information-flow channels must be mended for social unification and performance value goals of the combined organization to be realized. The information-transporting social networks of the organizational actors must therefore adapt and intermingle across the old-organizational faultlines. This is accomplished when individual actors alter their personal social networks and retool themselves for a new set of information-exchange interactions.

In closing, the author counsels managers to focus on the dyadic information exchange of their direct-reports as an actionable approach to PMI management. The chapter concludes by pointing researchers toward studying the micro-level aspects of PMI and offers computer modeling and simulation, and laboratory experiments as effective ways to study PMI dynamics at the micro-level of organization behavior. Such methods may also lead to an ability to forecast outcomes of specific post-merger integration scenarios.

Details

Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-090-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2023

Geoffrey R. Browne

Universities’ unique position within society means they have an important role to contribute to sustainability and to help achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), which…

Abstract

Purpose

Universities’ unique position within society means they have an important role to contribute to sustainability and to help achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs), which are one of the most widely recognised articulations of sustainability. This study aims to look at the integration of the SDGs in education, specifically, in the Bachelor of Design (B-DES) “pathways” at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews with pathway coordinators and a survey of all 45 core subjects were used to understand the current degree of integration and the benefits, constraints and opportunities of deeper integration.

Findings

Sustainability is deeply incorporated into B-DES curricula, but the SDGs are not. Most teachers, but particularly pathway coordinators, see value in deeper incorporation. Issues that constrain this include some students’ fatigue with the idea of “sustainability”, a crowded curriculum and some teachers’ scepticism, even disdain for the SDGs, which they see as contradictory, too broad or overly political.

Originality/value

This study sheds light on the extent of integration and reveals several possible pedagogical approaches: analysing what industries need to do to make a proportionate contribution to achieving the SDGs, critical review of industries’ use of and alignment with the SDGs, comparing and contrasting the SDGs with disciplines’ theoretical frameworks and critiquing the SDGs’ ambition with reference to the capabilities and technologies of a discipline. Provided they are done with due consideration of the SDGs’ limitations, these methods of integration have the potential to better prepare students as global citizens and for international employment.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 4 May 2021

Anita Meidell and Kjell Ove Røsok

Since the mid-1990s, enterprise risk management (ERM) has proliferated in both the private and public sector as a holistic, enterprise-wide approach to risk management. In this…

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, enterprise risk management (ERM) has proliferated in both the private and public sector as a holistic, enterprise-wide approach to risk management. In this chapter, we begin by exploring the economic, regulatory and professional context of ERM practices in Norway. To gain an understanding of the current state of ERM practices among Norwegian entities, we have conducted a survey among members of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Norway. Based on the survey data, we go on to analyse the perceived maturity of risk management practices of the surveyed organizations, as well as their integration of risk management with governance mechanisms and accounting practices. Four main findings emerged from the survey. We firstly observed that a majority of the respondents perceived that they had implemented ERM. Secondly, the average maturity of risk management practice is at a medium level, with ambitions to improve it further in the future. We further observed that a majority of the organizations have established risk management governance structures regarding the roles of risk management. However, there is still work to be done in relation to risk management functions in order for them to gain more attention and influence in the organizations. Finally, we find that risk management is more integrated with reporting processes than with strategic and performance planning processes, suggesting a more reactive than proactive approach to managing risks.

Details

Enterprise Risk Management in Europe
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83867-245-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2011

J. Ola Lindberg and Susanne Sahlin

The aim of this paper is to report how Swedish upper secondary schools involved in a European Union‐financed collaborative project intertwined aspects of subject integration and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to report how Swedish upper secondary schools involved in a European Union‐financed collaborative project intertwined aspects of subject integration and international collaboration with the use of ICT.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used is a case study in which aspects of subject integration and international collaborative ambitions are intertwined with the use of ICT. Data consist of interviews with participants, texts concerning the project, the participating school, and the Swedish upper secondary schools system.

Findings

Teachers and students have worked towards the objectives in the project and in the national curricula, and the case shows how difficult and how many barriers there are to overcome. Even though the curricula seem difficult to coordinate, students appear to have learnt more about the European perspective, as well as about themselves, through the approach. The teacher describes student motivation as high – authenticity and real people to collaborate with support the students' experience of a holistic education, which applies to real life. The teacher tried to change the role towards providing students with structure and advice, monitoring their progress, and assessing their accomplishments, but reported to be struggling with the teacher role.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates originality and value by providing important insight into the use of ICT in upper secondary schools for the purpose of collaboration and at the same time working towards joint curricular themes.

Details

Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1065-0741

Keywords

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