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1 – 10 of 35Steven M. Dunphy and James Hoopes
This paper asks whether or not Chester Barnard was a member of an intellectual or managerial “élite”. While it is clear that Barnard provides great insight regarding leadership…
Abstract
This paper asks whether or not Chester Barnard was a member of an intellectual or managerial “élite”. While it is clear that Barnard provides great insight regarding leadership and social responsibility, it is also apparent that his views regarding, for example, race relations were, at least by our contemporary standards, unenlightened and may have conformed more with the “élite” of that time. With the stronger democratic sensibilities of our time, represented by affirmative action, etc., Barnard has to be read historically and understood in the light of his own time in order to get out of him what is still useful today. The paper does not propose to resolve the issue of whether or not he was an e´litist. The conclusion is reached, however, that the continuation of the debate regarding Barnard’s membership of an intellectual or managerial e´lite may have implications for the ongoing reading of Barnard’s work by the management students of today.
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This paper examines a key event in the life of Chester Barnard, a “riot of the unemployed” in Trenton, New Jersey in 1935 when Barnard was director of the state Emergency Relief…
Abstract
This paper examines a key event in the life of Chester Barnard, a “riot of the unemployed” in Trenton, New Jersey in 1935 when Barnard was director of the state Emergency Relief Administration. In a later influential lecture at Harvard, Barnard used the incident to support the ideas of the Harvard human relations group that recognition and dignity were more powerful motivators than money and fear. Contemporary newspaper accounts show that the rioters were motivated more strongly by monetary concerns than Barnard admitted. Barnard was misled by the ideology of the Harvard human relations group to underestimate the importance of power and money, an underestimation that may still be important today, given his continuing influence. That a man of Barnard’s integrity was misled by his ideology is grounds for us in our time to maintain some humility as to the extent of our managerial knowledge.
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Mohar Yusof, Leilanie Mohd Nor and James Edward Hoopes
The purpose of this paper is to postulate, in addition to “moral” and “strategic” considerations, a third general standard for corporate social responsibility (CSR). That third…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to postulate, in addition to “moral” and “strategic” considerations, a third general standard for corporate social responsibility (CSR). That third approach is what moral philosophers call “virtue ethics.”
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a single organization case study of a Malaysian publisher to put forward the practice of virtuous CSR based on Islamic values and principles in a family business.
Findings
By focussing on creating or maintaining virtuous habits in the family and the firm, the family business has avoided the equally unrealistic notions that CSR must be entirely selfless or entirely strategic to be legitimate. Virtues that foster a successful strategy such as vision and competence can be enhanced rather than hindered by virtues such as integrity and generosity.
Research limitations/implications
This is a case study of a single family. Nevertheless, this paper has implications for strategy and CSR for non-family business as well because it brings into the discussion virtue ethics which is largely absent from popular ethical discourse in the West, including popular discourse about business ethics and CSR.
Practical implications
While moral and strategic interests merit consideration, virtue is often the most important concern of all. Virtuous CSR aims to improve or at least preserve the character and the soul of the family and its enterprise.
Originality/value
This paper shows that in family business moral freedom and CSR do not have to be purchased at the expense of an effective business strategy. Paradoxically, an effective business strategy may be partly non-strategic and partly non-business – i.e. partly focussed on virtue. Further research may show that family business can be a leader in CSR, teaching managerial techniques to non-family business.
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Cindy Claycomb, Cornelia Dröge and Richard Germain
Challenges the idea of an unconditional and positive influence of knowledge on performance without regard to environmental uncertainty. Focuses on applied process knowledge…
Abstract
Challenges the idea of an unconditional and positive influence of knowledge on performance without regard to environmental uncertainty. Focuses on applied process knowledge spanning the supply chain (i.e. considers supplier, internal, and customer sources). A survey of 208 manufacturing firms found the association between applied process knowledge and firm market performance is positive and statistically significant when demand unpredictability is high (but not when low); statistically significant when product churning (uncertainty) is high (but not when low); and not moderated by core production or logistics process change. Firm size and production technology were also controlled. Firms that can determine the moderating effect of the different types of environmental uncertainty they face upon their knowledge‐performance relationship will perform better in terms of market performance indicators.
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Christopher J. Skousen and Brady James Twedt
The purpose of this research is to determine the likelihood of financial statement manipulations in companies throughout a variety of emerging market countries and compare this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to determine the likelihood of financial statement manipulations in companies throughout a variety of emerging market countries and compare this potential wirh that of firms within the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors utilize the Fraud Score Model, as set forth by Dechow et al., to determine the likelihood of financial statement manipulations. By adjusting their model to work in an international setting, the authors are able to study nine industries across 23 countries, including the USA.
Findings
The results vary from industry to industry, with some countries performing extremely well in one industry, only to prove remarkably risky in the next.
Originality/value
The findings may be used by a variety of market participants, especially investors, to determine the risk levels of potential foreign investments. Therefore, this research can help lead to a more overall efficient placement of global capital.
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Ming‐Ji James Lin and Chih‐Jou Chen
The purpose of the study is to examine the influence of internal integration and external integration on three types of shared knowledge (shared knowledge of internal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to examine the influence of internal integration and external integration on three types of shared knowledge (shared knowledge of internal capabilities, customers, and suppliers) and whether more leads to superior firm innovation capability and product competitive advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on results from a large‐scale survey. The empirical data used in the study comprises of 245 high technology firms in Taiwan. This study applies the confirmatory factor analysis to examine the reliability and validity of the measurement model, and the structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the hypotheses and research model.
Findings
The results show that internal integration and external integration significantly influence shared knowledge of internal capabilities, customers and suppliers among new product development (NPD) team members. The results also indicate that team members' shared knowledge enable the firm to improve innovation capability and new product competitive advantage.
Research limitations/implications
As the data used in the study was cross‐sectional, the causal relationships and the sustainability of firm and product innovative performance cannot be easily captured. Future research can examine how factors of individual traits, organizational characteristics, and external environmental factors may influence the shared knowledge and product competitive advantage.
Practical implications
This study emphasizes the importance of the firm's integration to utilize and share knowledge of internal capabilities, customers and suppliers effectively. Besides, the relationships among internal/external integration, shared knowledge, firm innovation capability and product competitive advantage may provide a clue regarding how firms can manage integrations and promote knowledge‐sharing culture to sustain their firm innovation capability and product competitive advantage.
Originality/value
As only little empirical research has been conducted on the impact of internal/external integration on the firm's innovative capability and product competitive advantage through shared knowledge, the empirical evidence reported here makes a valuable contribution in this highly important area.
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The purpose of this paper is to synthesize existing knowledge‐based dynamic capabilities research into a single typology for managerial and academic use.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize existing knowledge‐based dynamic capabilities research into a single typology for managerial and academic use.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the resource‐based and knowledge‐based views, this study conducts a theoretically grounded typology development exercise based on an extensive review of the existing dynamic capabilities literature.
Findings
The paper identifies seven frameworks presented in the literature that showed some consistency in underlying concepts but conflict in nomenclature and application. Identifying over 80 uses of knowledge‐based dynamic capabilities in the literature review, three complementary dimensions that are common amongst the frameworks are identified and integrated into a consistent typology of eight knowledge‐based dynamic capabilities to encompass the extant literature.
Originality/value
Addressing fragmentation in the knowledge‐based dynamic capabilities discourse, the paper advances the concept of knowledge‐based dynamic capabilities by organizing the existing literature and frameworks into a comprehensive and consistent typology. Moreover, this integrative typology allows managers and researchers to identify those capabilities in use and the commonalities between them. Finally, the paper identifies a new knowledge‐based dynamic capability that has not yet been identified in any existing framework.
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Carmen Pérez‐Cabañero, Tomás González‐Cruz and Sonia Cruz‐Ros
This paper seeks to extend knowledge on the impact of different marketing capabilities on various measures of organisational performance in the context of family‐run small to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to extend knowledge on the impact of different marketing capabilities on various measures of organisational performance in the context of family‐run small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
Aspects regarding marketing capabilities in family‐owned SMEs and their impact on superior performance are identified and briefly discussed according to the existing literature. Then, quantitative research is presented followed by a discussion of the findings. The paper ends with the conclusion, managerial implications, limitations and lines for future research.
Findings
The results of the study show the relevance of marketing capabilities for product differentiation to gain stakeholders' satisfaction. Other marketing capabilities related to marketing planning and pricing have a positive impact on financial performance.
Originality/value
Different marketing capabilities have a different impact on various measures of performance. The nature of the marketing capabilities under consideration determines whether their main impact is on financial performance rather than on stakeholders' satisfaction.
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Short-term problem solving during production launch may result in extended lead times and increased overall costs of new product development, thereby reducing the overall…
Abstract
Purpose
Short-term problem solving during production launch may result in extended lead times and increased overall costs of new product development, thereby reducing the overall profitability of a new product. While the previous literature suggests formalized procedures and systematic problem solving approaches, empirical analyses indicate improvised, non-systematic, and ad hoc responses actually being used in firms’ real world problem solving processes. The purpose of this paper is to explain the role of such non-systematic approaches for the efficiency and effectiveness of problem solving processes during production launch.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper empirically explores the impact of improvisational problem-solving behavior on a firm's production launch efficiency and on the success of new products. Moreover, the paper investigates the moderating role of technology familiarity, project complexity, and the number of occurring problems during production launch.
Findings
The paper finds evidence for a positive curvilinear effect of improvisational problem-solving behavior on new product success and production launch efficiency. Additionally, the paper finds that improvisation is especially reasonable in complex and familiar projects or in the case of many unplanned changes during production launch.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides evidence for the relevance of routinized and improvisational behavior during production launch.
Practical implications
Improvisational behavior decreases the performance of the production launch and the financial performance of a new product in the case of frequent product changes or complex projects.
Originality/value
For the first time behavioral theory is applied to the phenomenon of production launch and problem solving.
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Cindy Claycomb, Cornelia Dröge and Richard Germain
This research challenges the idea of an unconditional and positive influence of knowledge on performance without regard to environmental uncertainty. We focus on applied product…
Abstract
This research challenges the idea of an unconditional and positive influence of knowledge on performance without regard to environmental uncertainty. We focus on applied product quality knowledge spanning the supply chain (i.e. supplier, internal, and customer quality sources are considered). A survey of 208 manufacturing firms examined the moderating influence of product churning (uncertainty) and demand unpredictability on the association between applied product quality knowledge and firm performance. We also controlled for firm size and production technology. Firms that can determine a fit between their product quality knowledge application and the types of environmental uncertainty they face will perform better in terms of market and financial performance indicators.
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