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1 – 10 of over 18000The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of art and architecture by leadership as a driving force to effect change of perception of an organization's identity. While some…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of art and architecture by leadership as a driving force to effect change of perception of an organization's identity. While some claim life imitates art, from a management discipline lens the paper aims to state that art imitates life through introduction of a conceptual model.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review of organizational art and architecture, leadership, identity and change is undertaken and synthesized with Lewin's theory and concepts of force field analysis. Case studies from Africa, Europe and the USA are analyzed.
Findings
Organizational leadership uses art and architecture as a driving force to effect change in perception of identity. This is exemplified through evaluation of choices in the organizations examined.
Practical implications
This paper establishes a relationship between choices organizational leadership makes on art and architecture and how they can be used as a driving force to effect change in perception of identity and proposes a conceptual model for further study. This model opens potentially several new streams of research in management and organizational change disciplines.
Originality/value
There is a small subset of scholarship and studies in the fields of management and organizational change, with a scant amount focused on choices organizational leadership makes on art and architecture and how they can be used as a driving force to effect change in perception of identity. This paper attempts to initiate further research and empirical studies.
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Karma Sherif, Lucy Tsado, Weijun Zheng and Bosede Airhia
This article aims to explore how organizational architecture (OA) for an information technology organization can balance between exploring new information technologies (IT) that…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to explore how organizational architecture (OA) for an information technology organization can balance between exploring new information technologies (IT) that promise significant but uncertain growth opportunities, and exploiting already existing IT that guarantee immediate survival.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature on organizational architecture (OA) and the balance between the exploitation and exploration of knowledge is reviewed. Data collected from in-depth case study of a global IT consulting firm highlights the importance of OA in balancing exploitation and exploration.
Findings
Four elements of OA emerged as critical in balancing exploitation and exploration: embedding autonomous exploratory units within large exploitative sectors; creating organizational roles to integrate between exploration and exploitation; developing technology solutions that support the interplay between exploitation and exploration; and establishing a reward structure that fosters the cooperation between exploring and exploitative agents.
Practical implications
Results of the study suggest that the switch between exploration and exploitation is key to emerging dynamic capabilities in IT firms. It is important for organizations to define: strategic goals that highlight the importance of both exploration and exploitation for the organization; roles that specifically focus on exploration, exploitation and the coordination between the two capabilities, technologies that support both exploration and exploitation; and reward both capabilities. These four elements of the architecture interact together to support a structure of large exploitative units with embedded small explorative units to support recombination and innovation at the project, the department, and the organization levels.
Originality/value
There is limited research on the effect of organizational design on IT development capabilities. Organizational architecture that balances between exploiting stable domain knowledge and emerging new technologies is crucial in today's global and competitive environment. In this study, a new framework emerges that provides a starting point for future quantitative research on how OA can balance conflicting organizational capabilities for firms engaging in IT development. The paper provides a foundation for future studies to test five propositions on the effect of strategy, structure, roles, technology, and reward on the dynamic capabilities of exploitation and exploration.
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This paper aims to contribute toward the extension and further development of the social exchange theory. It provides conceptual insights on social networks in geographically…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute toward the extension and further development of the social exchange theory. It provides conceptual insights on social networks in geographically dispersed organizations, and how intra-organizational social interactions influence organizational behavior, employees relationship exchange inclination and innovation drive.
Design/methodology/approach
A thematic literature review method was used to conduct an extensive review of relevant literature.
Findings
Guided by the tenets of the social exchange theory, the authors’ analysis and discussions elucidate how intra-organizational social network architecture can be developed, supported and utilized to drive innovations in geographically dispersed organizations.
Research limitations/implications
A general limitation and perhaps also a strength of this type of conceptual paper is that it is a synthesis (thematic discursive analysis) of existing theory and published research. Thus, there are no primary empirical content. However, the issue of empirical evidence is nevertheless mediated by the fact that the discussions and argumentation process generate key propositions which could be validated in subsequent research endeavors. Also, the selection of relevant literature is restricted specifically to the topic of the study. The authors strived to ensure rigor through a robust and comprehensive literature review which was organized thematically according to all the key words in the main and sub-topics covered in Section 2.
Practical implications
The insights presented suggest that management should pay serious attention to organizational design – that is, not only from the conventional contractual obligations point of view, but rather, the increasing importance of social capital should also be given some priority when thinking of resilient ways to encourage collaborations and efficient knowledge management. In other words, intra-organizational social network architecture should be considered as organizational capability and utilized as a toolset for the SIHRM to harness knowledge flow and unleash innovation.
Social implications
As both bonding and bridging ties are not only critical for success of project teams but also intensify knowledge symmetry across different units of the organization, they are a major conduit for sustainable open innovation culture within organization. To develop competitive capabilities throughout the organization, it is important for the SIHRM to be involved in global networking, and as a network leader, the human resource management function must have an awareness of leading trends and developments in social networking. The ability to mobilize the appropriate resources and a sense of timing and context in implementing such architecture within the geographically spread organization is crucial.
Originality/value
The novel contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the study provides an implementable framework which scholars and practitioners could use to develop and test the actualization of an intra-organizational social network architecture in a geographically dispersed organization. Second, the study has provided some key propositions and a well-grounded direction for further research to inspire further development/extension of the social exchange theory.
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Andrew Griffiths and Joseph A. Petrick
While there exists a growing literature on corporate “green” strategies, there is a research gap about which corporate architectures and organizational change processes enable…
Abstract
While there exists a growing literature on corporate “green” strategies, there is a research gap about which corporate architectures and organizational change processes enable “green” strategies. This article addresses the research gap in an interdisciplinary manner by focusing on two questions: What conditions characterize ecological and humanly sustainable corporations? What alternative architectures can generate and institutionalize corporate sustainability? Three alternative architectures for sustainability are treated and three research propositions are identified to further future empirical research on specific architectures that link organization design and corporate sustainability.
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Business process modeling has been given great attention due to its crucial role in developing computer-based systems that support (and automate) organizational processes. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Business process modeling has been given great attention due to its crucial role in developing computer-based systems that support (and automate) organizational processes. In information systems, building the right process architecture is vital, since a poor division of organizational processes can lead to complex designs or incoherent structure. Moreover, process architecture acts as a “big picture” of what the organization does, and represents dynamic relationships between the existing processes, which, in turn, helps understand how the organization works (Ould, 2005). The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper discusses the derivation of a process architecture diagram (PAD) using the Riva method in detail, in contrast to the PAD developed using Architecture of Integrated Information Systems (ARIS). The information system selected as an example for this comparative study is in the context of academic libraries, embedding various yet generic library processes.
Findings
Organizational process architecture provides a basis for business management, based on specific framework supported by integrated tools and methods (Kozina, 2006). ARIS and Riva process architecture methods can be used to visualize and document organizational processes. Understanding the merits and weaknesses of each method is essential to identify possible areas of application.
Research limitations/implications
The processes selected were generic in most academic libraries not taking into consideration special personalized processes. These can be added though.
Practical implications
Both techniques are feasible and can be used to view and analyze library processes, allowing bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Originality/value
A number of process architecture methods are available, however, few studies focused on assessing these methods, and comparing some of them to find out how easy they are to be used in particular contexts, and whether they can be standardized.
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Mostafa Jafari, Peyman Akhavan and Elham Nouranipour
The main objective of this paper is to explore the role of knowledge architecture in an enterprise and to provide a model to architect enterprise knowledge based on the Zachman…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objective of this paper is to explore the role of knowledge architecture in an enterprise and to provide a model to architect enterprise knowledge based on the Zachman framework.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual article providing a knowledge architecture model for an organization based on the Zachman framework that discussed several perspectives from the knowledge management point of view and information technology. To confirm the validity of the model a questionnaire was designed, applied and then analyzed by some statistical methods.
Findings
The paper provides a conceptual knowledge architecture model that can be applied to Iranian organizations practically. The validity of this model is confirmed by polling the opinion of knowledge architecture experts.
Research limitations/implications
The lack of resources directly related to the subject of the research, the novelty of this kind of research in Iran and the lack of organizations which perform a knowledge architecture model in reality are the restrictions of this research. The authors' suggestion for further research studies is to execute the model and survey from foreigner experts.
Practical implications
The paper may be beneficial for enterprise architects in the knowledge area.
Originality/value
The paper may be of high value to researchers in the knowledge management field and to practitioners involved with KM adoption in the organizations. It gives valuable information and guidelines that hopefully will help the leaders and the senior knowledge management managers to accomplish KM through their organization successfully.
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The purpose of this paper is to report a study of architectural development and organizational meanings and uses of space in a Finnish university.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report a study of architectural development and organizational meanings and uses of space in a Finnish university.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws from actor‐network theory and Lefebvre's spatial‐social approach to shed light on the organizational assumptions of the various building phases and how current employees use and make sense of the architectural space in the case organization. The methods used include participant observation, interviews of employees and architects, and interpretation of planning documents, architectural statements and administrative representations of the complex.
Findings
It took over 30 years to build the campus. The original plans for the university buildings were substantially revised as architectural and organizational paradigms changed over time. However, regardless of the more recently built state‐of‐the‐art facilities, the early architectural design ideas have persisted as material‐social forces that participate in the ongoing production and reproduction of organizational space.
Originality/value
Despite of the recent surge of writings on organizational space and architecture, there are relatively few empirical studies done on the topic. In particular, analyses investigating the travel of design ideas from architectural planning to actual physical constructions and further to the everyday organizing practices of employees have so far been rare in organizational literature. This paper partially fills this gap.
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Mie Augier and Thorbjørn Knudsen
The purpose of this paper is to meet the challenge of modeling knowledge organization by introducing a new, unifying, way of thinking about the organization of knowledge. Building…
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to meet the challenge of modeling knowledge organization by introducing a new, unifying, way of thinking about the organization of knowledge. Building on ideas set forth in the behavioral theory of the firm we present a modeling framework in which the central idea is to represent the organization of knowledge as a structure that defines the flow of information among members with limited levels of cognitive skill. Such a structure is referred to as an architecture. The need to design architectures that help their members make less errors by rejecting bad alternatives and accepting good ones is an important but largely overlooked issue in knowledge management. The present article offers an approach to think about this issue in a systematic way. The use of the proposed modeling framework is illustrated through examples. The article omits a treatment of the technical details of the proposed modeling framework. A useful way of designing organizations that make less error is outlined. This paper advances a new way of thinking about knowledge organizations that may be relevant for both researchers and practitioners.
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The purpose of this paper is to advance the methodological self‐understanding of the emerging field of organizational space and architecture by employing concepts and frameworks…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to advance the methodological self‐understanding of the emerging field of organizational space and architecture by employing concepts and frameworks from multi‐paradigm and mixed methods research.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents a methodological re‐reading of a recent research process that analyzed the spatial and architectural dynamics in a Finnish university organization.
Findings
While the analysis of architectural meanings is often grounded in researcher‐participants auto‐ethnographic experiences, triangulating personal insights with other methods is important for the validity and richness of the subsequent description of spatial dynamics and its outcomes. Especially, the incorporation of architectural visions and representations into the analysis is argued to enhance our understanding of the emergence of particular social‐material collectives.
Originality/value
Although there is a steady stream of empirical studies on the meanings of organizational space and architecture, rigorous accounts of the methodological challenges of spatial analyses have so far been scarce. This paper aims to partially fill this gap.
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Andrew Barron and Stephen Stacey
This study aims to explore how firms can configure their organisational architectures in ways that limit ethical transgressions of their corporate political activities (CPAs).
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how firms can configure their organisational architectures in ways that limit ethical transgressions of their corporate political activities (CPAs).
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual work is informed by existing research into organisational architecture and ethical decision-making, combined with illustrative examples of firms’ political actions derived from secondary and primary data sources.
Findings
Findings suggest that the ways that firms assign decision-making authority and design performance management systems can, depending on their combined configuration, either help or hinder the promotion of ethical CPA practice.
Practical implications
The study provides practitioners with a useful tool for reflecting on the organisational levers they can pull to shield their firms from the financial and reputation damage associated with objectionable conduct in their political activities.
Originality/value
Whilst previous research studies emphasise the importance of statutory guidelines, self-regulation or corporate codes for promoting ethical CPA, this study argues that organisational design is an important yet overlooked antecedent of a firm’s ability to practice CPA ethically and responsibly.
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