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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of organizational size on adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices for the Indian industry. It also evaluates the impact of GSCM practices on organizational performance.

This study aims to empirically test the GSCM model to investigate the present orientation of the Indian industry toward GSCM practices using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. The statistical inferences were drawn using the data provided by 161 Indian firms. This has compared the GSCM practice implementations among small-sized, medium-sized and large-sized organizations.

The study reveals that Indian organizations have shown a satisfactory implementation of majority of the environmental practices, except supplier ISO:14001 certification and Tier-II supplier evaluation. Out of 21 practices, medium-sized organizations have adopted GSCM practices at a similar level compared with large organizations, with three exceptions: existing environmental management systems, support from mid-level and top management and supplier evaluation for environmental practice. It was found that GSCM adoption can lead to equal improvements in operational performance for both large-size and medium-size organizations.

This paper makes two major contributions in the domain of green supply chain practices in India. First, it investigates the adoption of GSCM practices in organizations of different sizes (small, medium and large) and the impact of GSCM practices on the performance of organizations of different sizes. Second, it identifies the key areas for improvement and recommends a set of measures for improving the implementation of GSCM practices in Indian organizations.

Fostering employee engagement in large organizations is a formidable problem that gets even more challenging in a sluggish economy, when the standard lever of monetary incentives are not a viable option for boosting employee engagement and motivation. As the organization gets larger, building emotional connectedness or bonding becomes challenging as teams expand to operate in different time zones. The overwhelming pace of work in the modern workplace can also hamper bonding. Yet emotional connectedness, when present, serves as a catalyst in driving superior performance and employee loyalty. The culture of many large organizations discourages innovation and out-of-the-box thinking because their institutional structures encourage risk aversion. Even though large organizations are best positioned to absorb the ups and downs of intelligent risk-taking, their talent processes enforce conformity, legitimize mediocrity and penalize failed attempts at innovative thinking. Performance appraisals tend to promote employees who take the path of least resistance. Managers, of course, help perpetuate this risk-averse cycle of mediocrity. Either they have been conditioned to think only in a linear fashion or organizational systems perpetuate managerial insecurity at all levels. This insecurity manifests in several ways: managers may take credit for the work performed by a subordinate; shoot down ideas a subordinate may have; or deflect opportunities that a subordinate may get. Survival in such an environment is based on being average and staying within the system. As a result, the spirit of entrepreneurship is lost. The authors designed a creative and playful contest called “Maverick” to tackle employee engagement in large organizations. The contest deeper goals include: shifting culture and behavior, talent discovery, brand building and meaningful engagement. The impact of the program on a broader organizational culture parameters were assessed through a survey. The survey results validate the impact of the program.

The paper develops a conceptual approach that underlies the design of the Maverick program. Surveys were deployed to determine the perceived impact of the program on the broader culture.

The secret ingredient in employee engagement is gaining the “emotional share of wallet” of employees to drive meaningful, enduring organizational change. Emotional wallet share is the sweet spot that lies at the intersection of employees’ skill sets, their aspirations and the value they generate for the organization. Proactively identifying the sweet spot empowers an organization to capture employees’ emotional wallet share to identify enablers and catalysts that can unlock motivation and performance. The survey results indicate that the Maverick contest was perceived to have a positive impact on all the identified attributes. This is a testament to the program’s success as a pivotal driver of a positive organizational culture. Further, it validates that the Maverick contest identifies several levers that leaders can use to positively influence organizational culture.

The organizations can adapt the proposed conceptual framework in designing meaningful programs to tackle employee engagement and motivation.

The paper provides a meaningful framework to tackle employee engagement in large organizations. The Maverick approach is of interest to leaders of large organizations that are struggling to increase employee engagement with limited resources and that wish to foster creativity to drive innovation. The program offers a compelling way for talented professionals to meaningfully contribute to their organization that is agnostic to their position in the hierarchy. It gives employees the freedom to strive without being paralyzed by fear of failure; the chance to build their personal brand and pride; and a safe environment in which they can question received wisdom and attempt an unconventional approach to problem-solving. It creates a playful environment to bust stress, foster innovation and encourage an entrepreneurial mindset.

This paper offers a superior alternative to the standard gamification solutions that are routinely applied to business situations. Gamification mechanics work effectively in roles that are transactional, instead of roles that demand autonomy, mastery and a sense of purpose. Maverick program is designed while being mindful of the intrinsic motivation of the professionals.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate competing views of whether organization size creates conditions of rigidity or fluidity with respect to adaptation and change, this study empirically compares processes used to implement planned change and their associated outcomes in small and large organizations.

Using Lewin's three‐phase model of change as an evaluative framework, questionnaire‐based data were obtained from change managers in small and large organizations. Analysis of variance and profile analysis were used to investigate size‐related differences in unfreezing, movement and refreezing phases of change, and in implementation success.

Results indicated that small organizations employed significantly lower levels of refreezing activities and realized lower levels of implementation success relative to large organizations.

While cross sectional in nature, the sample's modest size limits the extent to which findings can be generalized. Future research should consider whether size related effects depend on change related factors such as intentionality or continuity.

Although managers in many large organizations seek to dismantle hierarchical structure, potential consequences of such a move should be carefully considered. Reducing hierarchy may decrease capacity for managing change. Conversely, small organizations may improve change management capability by adding structure that improves implementation control.

This paper offers an uncommon empirical glimpse into processes of change in the context of organizational size. Empirical evidence suggesting that organizational size may not be a hindrance, and perhaps an advantage, when implementing planned change constitutes the primary contribution of this study.

Despite the considerable hype about how Big Data Analytics (BDA) can transform businesses and advance their capabilities, recognising its strategic value through successful adoption is yet to be appreciated. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the process-level value-chain realisation of BDA adoption between SMEs and large organisations.

Resource-based theory offered the lens for developing a conceptual BDA process-level value chain adoption model. A combined two-staged regression-artificial neural network approach has been utilised for 369 small, medium (SMEs) and large organisations to verify their critical value chain process-level drivers for successful organisational adoption of BDA.

The findings revealed that organisational BDA adoption success is driven predominantly by product—and service-process-level value, with distinctive discrepancies dependent on the organisation’s size. Large organisations primarily embrace BDA for their external value chain dimensions, while SMEs encompass its internal value chain cues. As such, businesses will be advised to acknowledge their organisational dynamics and precise size to develop the right strategies to adopt BDA successfully.

The study advances the understanding of the role of internal and external value chain drivers in influencing how BDA can be successfully adopted in SMEs and large organisations. Thus, appreciating the organisation’s unique attributes, including its size, will need to be carefully examined. By investigating these elements, this research has shed new light on how developing such innovative capabilities and competencies must be carefully crafted to help create a sustainable competitive advantage.

For an organisational positioning, acknowledging the role of internal and external value chain drivers is critical for implementing the right strategies for adopting BDA. For larger businesses, resources for innovation often can be widely available compared to SMEs. As such, they can manage their costs and associated risks resourcefully. By considering the identified value-chain-related adoption success factors, businesses should be better positioned to assess their competencies while being prepared to adopt BDA.

The study offers the research and business community empirical-based insights into the strategies needed to successfully adopt big data in an organisation from a process-level value chain perspective.

The early-stage venture capital (VC) industry has long been dominated by small firms comprising senior venture capitalists and few junior staff. However, during the late 1990s, a group of firms changed their internal structures, adopting pyramidal structures and redesigning internal processes to leverage the efforts of junior staff. In doing so, they followed first-movers in other professional services industries that transitioned to pyramidal models in the 20th century. Has the recent industry downturn terminated the transition, or simply delayed it? This chapter analyzes the events that led the VC firms to transition, the barriers to doing so, and related issues affecting the industry's future.

This study aims to determine barriers to innovation and to develop a quantitative model for the barrier to innovation in Vietnamese construction organizations of different sizes.

A literature review and discussions with experienced practitioners were implemented to determine barriers to innovation in construction organizations. The rank-based non-parametric test analyzed collected data from a questionnaire survey to examine if there were significant differences between the three groups of organizations, including small, medium and large construction organizations. The fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) technique was employed to develop barrier indexes (BIs) for organizations of different sizes in Vietnam.

The findings showed 17 barriers to innovation which were categorized into four groups, including organizational, human resources, economic and market barriers. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences regarding barriers to innovation between small, medium and large construction organizations in Vietnam. The post hoc test highlighted barriers to innovation differently separated into two groups: SMEs and large construction organizations. The FSE analysis integrated the identified barriers into the comprehensive BIs for SMEs and large construction organizations. The FSE analysis illustrated that the organizational barrier is the most critical barrier for SMEs. On the other hand, the market barrier received the most significant attention in large construction organizations.

This research is one of the first integrated barriers to innovation into a comprehensive formulation. The indexes provide the decision-makers with a practical and reliable tool to evaluate barriers to innovation in construction organizations of different sizes.

Describes research into attitudinal differences between small‐sized and medium/large‐sized organisations towards the benefits/limitations of obtaining certification for a quality management system (QMS) and differences between small‐sized and medium/large‐sized organisations in terms of the pressures driving organisations to seek certification. Presents details of prototype model building of characteristics of organisations either positive or negative towards a certified QMS approach. Fifty organisations were surveyed using a postal questionnaire. Finds some evidence of smaller‐sized organisations having more negative attitudes to QMS certification than medium/large‐sized organisations. Finds both small‐sized and medium/large‐sized organisations attach importance to internal reasons (i.e. a desire to improve internal efficiency) and external reasons (i.e. pressure from customers) in influencing the decision to seek certification. Suggests small‐sized manufacturing companies currently in the process of seeking certification are more likely to fit the model profile of organisations hostile to the QMS certification approach.

Blockchain possesses the potential to disrupt and reshape a plethora of industries in the next decade. However, blockchain adoption rates in technology developed countries, such as Ireland, are relatively low. Motivated by blockchain’s potential to transform sociotechnical systems, the lack of systematic inquiry pertaining to blockchain studies from an information system perspective, the authors propose the following research question: “How do organizational factors influence blockchain adoption in organizations based in a developed country?” Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate the impact of organizational factors on the adoption of blockchain and the adoption of blockchain in companies based in Ireland.

A comprehensive literature review was conducted, and the methods of qualitative content analysis were used to identify the most important technology–organization–environment (TOE) blockchain adoption factors. Organizational factors are often viewed as the most significant determinants of IT innovation adoption in organizations. Consequently, using a multiple-case study of 20 companies based in Ireland, the authors investigate how the top three organizational factors identified from the blockchain literature affected these companies decision to adopt or not adopt blockchain.

The literature review on blockchain adoption identified specific technological, organizational and environmental factors. Furthermore, the case study findings identified three patterns: top management support and organizational readiness are enablers for blockchain adoption, and large companies are more likely to adopt blockchain than small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors explain these patterns by examining the nature of blockchain and the characteristics of Ireland as a developed country. Practical and scientific contributions are also presented.

This study makes several important scientific contributions. First, the findings revealed that top management support and organizational readiness are significant enablers of blockchain adoption. Ireland is recognized as a technology developed country; however, the findings in relation to top management support contradict existing IT adoption literature pertaining to developed countries. Second, previous IT innovation adoption literature suggests that organizations size has a positive influence on a company’s IT innovation adoption process. This study demonstrates that large organizations are more likely to not only adopt blockchain but are also more likely to conduct increased levels of blockchain research and development activities. Finally, and most significantly, the authors identified several patterns, which relate specifically to Ireland as a developed country that influenced the findings. These findings could hold particular relevance to governments and organizations of other developed countries in terms of accelerating blockchain adoption.

The findings about the low level of blockchain awareness and the lack of information pertaining to viable business use cases indicate that the Irish government could play a more significant role in promoting the benefits of blockchain technologies. Further, the findings could also encourage IT providers to formulate enhanced strategies aimed at disseminating information pertaining to blockchain technologies. Second, the positive influence of top management support and organizational readiness, particularly about core competencies, on blockchain adoption suggests that equipping managers with the requisite knowledge and skills will be crucial in adopting these IT innovations. Finally, organizations who adopted blockchain used cloud-based blockchain platforms and tools to overcome the constraints of their initial low levels of organizational readiness.

This is one of the first studies to identify specific TOE blockchain adoption factors. Further, the authors examine how the three most identified organizational adoption factors impact organizations decisions to adopt blockchain. Finally, the authors discuss how the resulting three patterns identified by examining the nature of blockchain and the characteristics of Ireland as a technology developed country.

In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.

Various aspects of managerial and professional employees in Australia are examined in an attempt to establish if the Australian experience is similar to that reported in other countries where “management” appears to have emerged as a third force between the employers and organised labour. It is argued that the new style manager is a younger, more highly educated “professional” but that the managerial function is also changing. A survey, conducted in Australia during 1985 of senior executives and 14 large scale organisations from both the public and private sector, provides the basis for this report of the changing characteristics of managerial and professional employees in Australia. Areas explored include the proportion of managers and professionals as a percentage of the labour force; particular characteristics which are emerging; education levels and qualifications; the process governing the movement of managers within the labour market; the effect of recent legislation on remuneration systems; and the degree of union membership among managers.