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Planned organizational change has been viewed from a variety of conceptual perspectives, and a plethora of variables that impact the change process have been proposed. However, few empirical studies have investigated the relationships thought to exist among change process variables. Drawing from questionnaire‐based data obtained from managers involved in the implementation of change, we evaluate three plausible change model configurations using multivariate methods. Findings from the study support a dynamic change process configuration over a direct effects model. Results, discussion, implications and direction for further research are offered.

The aim of this paper is to investigate follow‐up as a salient factor in achieving results from organizational self‐assessment.

Data were collected from 14 organizations involved in self‐assessment. Qualitative methods were used to analyze the follow‐up patterns in high and low achievers to discern key factors of follow‐up and their relationship to self‐assessment outcomes.

The paper finds that high achievers appeared to engage in a consistent set of follow‐up activities. These activities included top management team dialogue that set the tone for follow‐up, a planning process that generated a large, documented action plan, and incentive and monitoring‐based implementation controls using existing structure.

Small sample size limits the generalizability of the findings. Larger empirical studies could evaluate the strength of the relationships between the factors of follow‐up and outcomes. Future research should also investigate why some organizations undertake follow‐up while others do not. Plausibly, degree of follow‐up might relate to uncertainty facing the organization, or the extent to which managers understand organizational processes.

An organization can execute a picture perfect self‐assessment analysis and still realize little benefit if it does not effectively follow‐up on the findings. Effective follow‐up is driven by top‐management and cannot be delegated.

This paper extends the literature by elaborating the role of follow‐up in the self‐assessment process.

Self‐assessment is increasingly prevalent in many organizations. Although managers perceive self‐assessment as internally driven, the well‐known link between organizational activities and the external environment suggests that outside forces play a significant role. This investigation explores the external motivators of self‐assessment through a field study of 14 organizations. Five factors were found to link the conduct of self‐assessment to the external environment: availability of an externally developed or sponsored model, presence of a boundary spanning individual, affiliation with professional and trade associations, pressure from powerful external entities, and potential for external reward or recognition. These findings suggest that self‐assessment is driven significantly by forces external to the organization. How these external factors combine to form the context of self‐assessment may affect the outcomes of the project.

The purpose of this paper is to overcome evaluative limitations of previous studies to provide a more decisive test of the causal relationships implied in the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence (CPE) using a unique data source.

The authors employ partial least squares path modeling on blinded scoring data from Baldrige Award applicants. In addition, the authors conduct multi-group analysis to examine whether the hypothesized causal model is universal across different industry sectors.

The path analysis provided strong support for the CPE framework in its entirety. However, analysis of sector-specific subsets of the data did not confirm all relationships, suggesting the possibility of industry-dependent performance excellence frameworks and raising new research questions to be explored.

This research offers several pertinent implications for managers who seek to translate the theoretical CPE framework to actionable quality-improvement efforts.

CPE operationalizes many total quality management (TQM) concepts and provides guidelines to TQM programs. This study validates the CPE framework using the most relevant data set to date – the applicant scoring data. The authors are also the first to investigate the cross-industry differences in the relationships between the CPE constructs.

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.

Purpose – To develop a framework for studying financial incentive program implementation mechanisms, the means by which physician practices and physicians translate incentive program goals into their specific office setting. Understanding how new financial incentives fit with the structure of physician practices and individual providers’ work may shed some insight on the variable effects of physician incentives documented in numerous reviews and meta-analyses.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Reviewing select articles on pay-for-performance evaluations to identify and characterize the presence of implementation mechanisms for designing, communicating, implementing, and maintaining financial incentive programs as well as recognizing participants’ success and effects on patient care.

Findings – Although uncommonly included in evaluations, evidence from 26 articles reveals financial incentive program sponsors and participants utilized a variety of strategies to facilitate communication about program goals and intentions, to provide feedback about participants’ progress, and to assist practices in providing recommended services. Despite diversity in programs’ geographic locations, clinical targets, scope, and market context, sponsors and participants deployed common strategies. While these methods largely pertained to communication between program sponsors and participants and the provision of information about performance through reports and registries, they also included other activities such as efforts to engage patients and ways to change staff roles.

Limitations – This review covers a limited body of research to develop a conceptual framework for future research; it did not exhaustively search for new articles and cannot definitively link particular implementation mechanisms to outcomes.

Practical Implications – Our results underscore the effects implementation mechanisms may have on how practices incorporate new programs into existing systems of care which implicates both the potential rewards from small changes as well as the resources which may be required to obtain buy-in and support.

Originality/Value – We identify gaps in previous research regarding actual changes occurring in physician practices in response to physician incentive programs. We offer suggestions for future evaluation by proposing a framework for understanding implementation. Our model will assist future scholars in translating site-specific experiences with incentive programs into more broadly relevant guidance for practices by facilitating comparisons across seemingly disparate programs.

The Howard Shuttering Contractors case throws considerable light on the importance which the tribunals attach to warnings before dismissing an employee. In this case the tribunal took great pains to interpret the intention of the parties to the different site agreements, and it came to the conclusion that the agreed procedure was not followed. One other matter, which must be particularly noted by employers, is that where a final warning is required, this final warning must be “a warning”, and not the actual dismissal. So that where, for example, three warnings are to be given, the third must be a “warning”. It is after the employee has misconducted himself thereafter that the employer may dismiss.

The objective of this paper is to analyze and interpret some empirical results, obtained from an online survey, on the types of review and analysis approaches used by organizations in manufacturing, service, education, health care, and not‐for‐profit sectors and their relationships with business performance.

Data were gathered using an online survey to capture basic information about the organization and its performance, the types of measures used in each of the five Baldrige results item groups, types and frequencies of review of the data, and types of analyses conducted. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistical analyses and tests for significant differences.

The results suggest that a significant gap exists in the sophistication of analysis methods between higher and lower performing organizations in terms of customer, financial, and market performance, and that better performance is associated with more mature and sophisticated approaches to performance analysis.

Because of the exploratory nature of this study, the generalizibility of the conclusions is limited; however, the results of this study can be useful for developing more formal theories to understand management practices and business performance and, as a basis for more designing, research efforts validate the propositions suggested by these theories.

Managers should invest in effective performance measurement systems that include sound approaches for analyzing results and sharing information appropriately throughout the organization.

This work provides further validation of the quality management principle and Baldrige core value of “management by fact,” and offers practical advice for designing effective performance management systems.

There has been a substantial increase in the number of successful African Americans. However, many students, especially African American males, continue to encounter numerous academic obstacles. This chapter focuses on the factors (e.g., social, academic, personal, and familial) that African American males often have to navigate throughout their PreK-12 schooling. Hindrances, such as poverty, lack of academic readiness, poor school experiences, teacher quality, and peer influences, often negatively impact the academic progress of these students and their access to higher level or gifted instruction. In this chapter, the authors discuss strategies that best counter these factors and support and supplement gifted black boys’ educational experiences. Additionally, educational practice and policy recommendations are provided.