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The aim of this paper is to highlight the significance of integrated governance in bringing about community participation, improved service delivery, accountability of public systems and human resource rationalisation. It discusses the strategies of innovative institutional structures in translating such integration in the areas of public health and nutrition for poor communities.

The paper draws on experience of initiating integrated governance through innovations in health and nutrition programming in the resource‐poor state of Chhattisgarh, India, at different levels of governance structures – hamlets, villages, clusters, blocks, districts and at the state. The study uses mixed methods – i.e. document analysis, interviews, discussions and quantitative data from facilities surveys – to present a case study analyzing the process and outcome of integration.

The data indicate that integrated governance initiatives improved convergence between health and nutrition departments of the state at all levels. Also, innovative structures are important to implement the idea of integration, especially in contexts that do not have historical experience of such partnerships. Integration also contributed towards improved participation of communities in self‐governance, community monitoring of government programs, and therefore, better services.

As governments across the world, especially in developing countries, struggle towards achieving better governance, integration can serve as a desirable process to address this. Integration can affect the decentralisation of power, inclusion, efficiency, accountability and improved service quality in government programs. The institutional structures detailed in this paper can provide models for replication in other similar contexts for translating and sustaining the idea of integrated governance.

This paper is one of the few to investigate innovative public institutions of a particularly vulnerable and poor region in India, and is unique in that it uses the lenses of governance and community mobilisation to explore this important, and under‐researched, topic.

As one of the 16 pilots in the Department of Health Integrated Care Organisation (ICO) programme, Norfolk is exploring ways of integrating primary, community and social care services in six localities. Progress in the first few months is assessed within the framework of the six laws of integration developed by Leutz. The initiative has a high degree of support across the County, and local practitioners are taking the opportunity of being within a national programme to redesign their services for the benefit of patients and carers. There is work to do at every level to align the strategy, policy, management and operation of the service to facilitate integrated working for the benefit of patients and carers. The Norfolk approach is to build on existing knowledge of good practice, identify champions by inviting volunteers to work on the pilot, and share experience through a network for the six localities in preparation for rolling out and replicating the model. Progress is being monitored nationally as well as locally.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of how socially‐embedded information systems (IS), knowledge, and firm capabilities can impact the post‐merger integration efforts of a firm. In particular, this research seeks to identify, describe, and analyze how socially‐embedded resources hindered the integration of the procurement function following the merger of two telecommunications firms.

This research was designed as a longitudinal exploratory study of a single case. The design involved multiple interviews, participant observation, and an evaluation of multiple data sources. Data were collected to develop a comprehensive and reliable understanding of events and outcomes related to the systems integration effort. Process models are used to show the development of phenomena over time.

The findings of the research are twofold. First, in line with previous findings on socially‐embedded resources, the research shows that socially‐embedded resources hindered the ability of a merged firm to integrate some resources. Previous research argued that social constraints can prevent a firm from changing the way it uses resources to establish a competitive advantage, and this research confirms those findings. Second, this research is an important contribution because it identifies two social constraints in particular – cognitive sunk costs and the reluctance to defy social traditions – that contributed to the inability of the merged firm to successfully integrate the procurement function following a merger.

The findings of this study provide empirical evidence to support the theoretical argument that the socially embedded resources involved in the IS, knowledge, and firm capabilities of each of the firms prior to the merger enabled them to establish a competitive advantage in their respective market environments. Further, the data provide validation for the idea that the social context in which firms compete does, in fact, contribute to the development of competitive advantages. The RBV is also extended by showing that the same social contexts can also prevent firms from integrating important resources following a corporate merger.

One of the main objectives of executive management following a corporate merger is to lead the organization in skillfully integrating key resources of the merged organization. However, most firms cannot successfully engage in post‐merger integration efforts unless they fully understand how resources such as IS, knowledge, and firm capabilities can help or hinder their integration efforts. By highlighting one firm's efforts to integrate resources following a merger, the paper provides concrete examples of potential problems that can arise. Potential problems and hindrances are presented in a strategic checklist for managerial consideration.

This paper aims to introduce an analytical focus on an individual’s integrative thinking capacity to further understand integrated thinking within the organisation. Integrated thinking is an elusive concept, gaining in prominence through its use by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), without specific guidance or a commonly understood framework. To date, the academic debate on integrated thinking addresses the organisational level only. However, thinking is a process occurring within the mind of an individual and therefore the prerequisites for integrated thinking at the individual level needs to be considered. Critical reflection is, therefore, provided on the interplay between integrative and integrated thinking.

This paper draws on conceptual systems theory and case site analysis to reflect how integrative thinking can be encouraged and supported within the individual and how integrated thinking can hence be fostered within organisations.

The paper analyses and discusses four sites of integrative thinking: the Athenian democracy; the Minangkabau community; the Quakers and consensus decision-making; and the Apis Mellifera and the hive mind. The findings from these different sites illustrate that integrative thinking can be supported by specific structural, organisational and individual contexts and stimuli.

Extending the context of integrated thinking analysis outside of the organisation and analysing these sites through components of integrative thought, this article provides further insights into how integrated thinking can be fostered within different organisations. The implications of these findings for accounting and professional institutions, organisations and the ongoing professional development of accountants are discussed.

This paper tries to propose a pedagogical training program starting from the Romanian mandatory curriculum for higher education (HE) teachers, integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) competencies (UNECE, 2012) through infusion as a technique of curricular design dealing with cross-curricular subject integration. The purpose of this paper is to show how new ESD competencies can be implemented and integrated into the existent curricular formulations and how the current state of affairs can be improved and set toward sustainability.

A qualitative research design is utilized, using desk research, content analysis, case study and, as validation for the new curriculum, structured interviews with key experts. First, an assessment of the quality of the Romanian HE pedagogical training program will be presented based on teaching quality assessments from international rankings. Second, integration of ESD competencies into the existing pedagogical professional development program, through a curriculum design, will be proposed.

The present Romanian teacher training curriculum does not nurture ESD competencies, and it does not have this purpose at all. However, it can be affirmed that this curriculum is in accordance with the newest pedagogical theories. It will be shown (through curriculum design) that it is possible to infuse ESD competencies into the present curriculum without many costs. The present architecture of the teacher training system can be described as a good practice example concerning HE professional development or as an alternative that is worthy to be taken into consideration for other countries with similar educational systems or by countries/universities that believe that pedagogical training addressing ESD should be completed early in one’s teaching career.

As a general rule, many generalizations cannot be made based on qualitative research. Case studies have their limitations: they provide in-depth research on particular situations, and only some of their findings can be extrapolated. All HE curricula represent a particular vision and are all perfectible and subject to debate. The author hopes to have provided sufficient cause for the proposed curriculum.

The new curriculum has clear and practical implications, providing the answer to the question “how can we make pedagogical training better?”. Infusing ESD into the present teacher training program constitutes a practical solution, which carries great social impact.

A new curricular architecture is proposed, a new perspective on the efficiency of pedagogical training, in general, is taken into account and, as a good practical example, the present research is a token of inspiration.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between organizational culture, group dynamics, and organizational learning in the context of organizational change.

A case study was used to examine cultural and group level factors that potentially influence groups' learning in the context of organizational change.

Major themes that emerged as influencing organizational change and learning were a culture of mistrust, changing psychological contracts, differing occupational cultures, power differential between groups, and leadership.

When initiating change efforts, an organization needs to assess and understand what aspects of the culture can be facilitators or hindrances and what aspects of the group structures the organization can use to facilitate learning.

This study extends research in the area of group and organizational learning by identifying group and cultural phenomena that, when manifested, had significant influence on group members' response to organizational change and their capacity to learn. In particular, this study highlights the need to be aware of the characteristics unique to the organization and its culture.

This paper seeks to explore critical factors that may obstruct or advance integration efforts initiated by the clinical management following a hospital merger. The aim is to increase the understanding of why clinical integration succeeds or fails.

The authors compare two cases of clinical integration efforts following the Karolinska University Hospital merger in Sweden. Each case represents two merged clinical departments of the same specialty from each hospital site. In total, 53 interviews were conducted with individuals representing various staff categories and documents were collected to check data consistency.

The study identifies three critical factors that seem to be instrumental for the process and outcome of integration efforts and these are clinical management's interpretation of the mandate; design of the management constellation; and approach to integration. Obstructive factors are: a sole focus on the formal assignment from the top; individual leadership; and the use of a classic, planned, top‐down management approach. Supportive factors are: paying attention to multiple stakeholders; shared leadership; and the use of an emergent, bottom‐up management approach within planned boundaries. These findings are basically consistent with the literature's prescriptions for managing professional organisations.

Managers need to understand that public healthcare organisations are based on competing institutional logics that need to be handled in a balanced way if clinical integration is to be achieved – especially the tension between managerialism and professionalism.

By focusing on the merger consequences for clinical units, this paper addresses an important gap in the healthcare merger literature.

Australia is one of the Anglophone countries that readily adapted to a public management approach. Reforms since the 1980s have shown remarkable breadth, longevity and significance. The reforms acknowledge failure of existing approaches and the need to address management deficiencies, fiscal stress and increased complexity. This chapter discusses four cases, reflecting leadership from core agencies as well as executives. Financial management reform was initially led by Finance, and then a broader agenda was pursued through a senior management committee under the Department of the Prime. However, devolution of responsibilities from central agencies did not appear to make managers more accountable. Finance was weakened by devolution and unable to exercise appropriate leadership, and agencies did not integrate performance management reform with internal planning processes. By contrast, a one-stop shopping service for welfare was successful, although later folded in the Department of Human Services. DPMC also launched reform process in the 2010s, although not a priority of the prime minister, some recommendations, such as leadership development and talent management, were implemented that increased public service capacity. The case of Australia shows that in spite of variable political support and leadership by central agencies, a relatively stable environment (governments serving multiple terms) allowed implementation to proceed in the mid-term, including incentives to ensure responsiveness at department levels.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the post–enterprise resource planning (ERP) issues and challenges in the context of Saudi Arabia. There is a lack of research in the context of developing countries regarding post-ERP implementation issues and challenges. The high failure rate of the ERP system is a reflection of many management issues that occurred at different phases of ERP implementation. Previous research indicated that even after a successful implementation, the ERP system was unable to sustain itself in the organizations.

An exploratory case study design was adopted to proceed with this research process at two organizations in Saudi Arabia. The interviews of the top and middle management are conducted and transcribed. These case studies were further analyzed using the Creswell approach to generate several themes, and descriptions provided a deeper understanding of the post ERP implementation issues and challenges.

Research findings show that for successful ERP implementation, identified factors are top management support, integration, strategy, employee resistance, BPR, change management, vendor selection, team formation and culture. Moreover, factors for the post-ERP implementation that led to sustainability are top management support, training, system adoption, system testing, data migration, cost overrun, employee retention and post-implementation support.

This study is unique in its type to examine the issues and challenges organizations face after deploying ERP initiatives. This research's findings were useful and supportive for the senior management interested in successfully sustaining such an initiative in the organization.

This paper deals with the rationales which prevail in the organisation of the communication function of international companies, ie the reasons which govern this organisation and the principal patterns and underlying conceptions of corporate communication. Beyond the logic or absence of logic in this organisation, one should be able to contribute to knowledge of communication in the following areas: what conceptions (definition) of corporate communication does this organisation manifest? What are the main patterns in the organisation of communication according to business field and to country? Are some better than others? To what extent does this organisation depend on managerial cultures (national culture, culture of the business sector, management style, culture of the company, etc…)? This paper was written from a survey conducted in the chair ‘Communication et Management’ of ESSEC, Graduate School of Management, in 1995. Its results appeared in International Public Relations Review, IPRA, Volume 16, 1995.