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The purpose of this research is to study the effect of organizational innovation, in terms of the introduction of both new business practices and new methods of organizing workplaces, on firm growth, along with the moderating role of the firm size in this relationship.

A panel sample of 4,125 Spanish innovative firms taken from the Technological Innovation Panel for the period 2009 to 2014 was analyzed. Two-Step System-Generalized method of moments approach and instrumental variables approach with two-stage least squares have been used.

The findings remark the positive effect of organizational innovation on firm growth in case firms introduce both new business practices and new methods of organizing workplaces. Furthermore, the empirical evidences show that the firm size has a role, although partial, in moderating negatively the effect of introducing both new business practices and new methods of organizing workplaces on firm growth.

The study adds some new theoretical insights and empirical evidences into the literature related to the inertia theory in the perspective of the population ecology, incorporating it with the effect of firm size. Furthermore, the study may represent a further part of the complex literature puzzle that links organizational innovation to firm growth, and the inclusion of the moderating role of the firm size will partially provide a deeper understanding of this link.

El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar el efecto de la innovación organizativa, en términos de introducción de nuevas prácticas de negocio, nuevos métodos de organización del trabajo, en el crecimiento empresarial, junto con el papel moderador del tamaño de la empresa.

Se analiza un panel de 4.125 empresas innovadoras españolas pertenecientes al Panel de Innovación Tecnológica (PITEC) para el periodo 2009 - 2014. Se estimaron modelos por GMM en dos etapas y mediante modelos de mínimos cuadrados en dos etapas con variables instrumentales.

Los resultados subrayan el efecto positivo de la innovación organizativa en el crecimiento empresarial en el caso en el que la empresa introduzca nuevas prácticas de negocio y de organización del trabajo. Más aún, el tamaño de la empresa también juega un papel, aunque parcial, moderando negativamente los anteriores efectos principales.

El estudio aporta nuevos ideas teóricas y evidencia empírica a la literatura relacionada con la teoría de la inercia en la perspectiva de la ecología de las poblaciones, incorporando el efecto del tamaño de la empresa. Es más, el estudio representa un paso más en la compleja literatura que ha vinculado la innovación organizativa con el crecimiento empresarial. La incorporación del papel moderador del tamaño de la empresa puede ayudar a entender mejor esta última conexión.

Innovación organizativa, Nuevas prácticas de negocio, Nuevos métodos de organización del trabajo, Crecimiento empresarial, Tamaño empresarial, España

Revisión general

O objetivo desta pesquisa é estudar o efeito da inovação organizacional, em termos da introdução de novas práticas de negócios e novos métodos de organização em locais de trabalho, no crescimento da empresa, juntamente com o papel moderador do tamanho da empresa nessa relação.

Se analizou uma amostra de painel de 4.125 empresas inovadoras espanholas retiradas do Painel de Inovação Tecnológica (PITEC) durante o período de 2009 a 2014. Foram usadas a abordagem do Sistema GMM em duas etapas e a abordagem IV com 2SLS.

Os resultados mostram o efeito positivo da inovação organizacional sobre o crescimento da empresa, no caso das empresas introduzirem novas práticas de negócios e novos métodos de organização nos locais de trabalho. Além disso, as evidências empíricas mostram que o tamanho da empresa tem um papel, ainda que parcial, de moderar negativamente o efeito de introduzir novas práticas de negócios e novos métodos de organização dos locais de trabalho no crescimento das empresas.

O estudo acrescenta alguns novos conhecimentos teóricos e evidências empíricas à literatura relacionada à teoria da inércia na perspectiva da ecologia populacional, incorporando-a ao efeito do tamanho da empresa. Além disso, o estudo pode representar mais uma parte do complexo quebra-cabeça da literatura que liga a inovação organizacional ao crescimento da empresa e a inclusão do papel moderador do tamanho da empresa que fornecerá, em parte, uma compreensão mais profunda desse elo.

Inovação organizacional, Novas práticas de negócios, Novos métodos de organização de locais de trabalho, Crescimento da empresa, Tamanho da empresa, Espanha

Revisão geral

As trade unions have continued to decline in membership and influence across the developed economies, so academic attention has turned to the prospects for renewal and a search for the conditions under which it might plausibly occur (Fairbrother, 2000; Martin & Ross, 1999; Turner, 1999). One leg of this search has been directed towards the changing context which unions face and has resulted in the prescription that unions must change their policies, structures and culture to accommodate a “new workforce” (Cobble, 1994; Heckscher, 1988; Wever, 1998). A second leg has been directed within unions themselves and has been concerned more with the internal processes through which renewal can take place (Fiorito et al., 1995; Hurd, 1998; Pocock, 1998). In the U.K., two distinctive theories of change in trade unions have emerged along this second line of inquiry, one of which, the “rank and file” model, holds that significant change occurs from the bottom-up and requires the mobilisation of members against a conservative leadership (Fairbrother, 1996). The other, the “managerial” model, claims the opposite is true and that renewal is conditional on effective systems of union management and occurs from the top–down (Willman et al., 1993). Both theories are venerable and in Britain their roots can be traced on the one hand to the Webbs and their conviction that effective unions required professional leadership and on the other to the apostles of industrial syndicalism (Fox, 1985, pp. 66, 256–260). They continue to structure debate, however, and the purpose of this article is to provide an empirical examination of each with regard to an issue, which seemingly is critical to the internal renewal of unions, the development of organising activity.

Although there is a large body of literature available on the foundations of workplace learning (WPL), little is known about designated research methods that systematically combine intervention, design and learning at work. The purpose of this study is to propose action design research as an alternative method for organizing WPL in general and facilitating pedagogically rich activities in particular.

This research used a case study approach to focus the action design research method and exemplify its utility through two case studies that emphasize WPL in general and how the method can be used to facilitate pedagogically rich activities in particular.

The results of the case studies indicate that the action design research method had a significantly positive effect on organizing WPL in organizations systematically, as well as creating a narrative that structures the research process and its outcomes.

The findings help scholars that are in need of organizing WPL research in a systematic way. The findings do also help practitioners in organizations to solve real-world problems and develop new knowledge jointly together with scholars. Consequently, the findings contribute to the existing literature by exemplifying how to facilitate pedagogically rich activities and disseminate the outcomes of doing so in a formalized way.

Multi-robots simultaneously coverage and tracking (SCAT) is the problem of simultaneously covering area and tracking targets, which is essential for many applications, such as delivery service, environment monitor, traffic surveillance, crime monitor, anti-terrorist mission and so on. The purpose of this paper is to improve the performance of detected target quantity, coverage rate and less deadweight loss by designing a self-organized method for multi-robots SCAT.

A self-organized reciprocal control method is proposed, coupling task assignment, tracking and covering, equipped with collision-avoiding ability naturally. First, SCAT problem is directly modeled as optimal reciprocal coverage velocity (ORCV) in velocity space. Second, the preferred velocity is generated by calculating the best velocity to the center of some robot detected targets. ORCV is given by adjusting the velocity relative to neighbor robots’ toward in optimal coverage velocity (OCV); it is proven that OCV is collision-free assembly. Third, some corresponding algorithms are designed for finding optimal velocity under two situations, such as no detected targets and empty ORCV.

The simulation results of two cases for security robots show that the proposed method has detected more targets with less deadweight loss and decision time and no collisions anytime.

In this paper, a self-organized reciprocal control method is proposed for multi-robots SCAT problem, which is modeled in velocity space directly, different to the traditional method modeling in configuration space. What is more, this method considers the reciprocal of robots that contributes to the better accomplishment of SCAT cooperatively.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the areas and logic of integration of different stakeholders using different methods and to analyse their applicability and challenges in practical projects. The main aim is to describe how these different methods impact value creation.

Action design research was carried out in a large hospital construction project where the first author acted as an “involved researcher” and the second author acted as an “outside researcher”. Two workshops were organised to evaluate the direct and indirect challenges and benefits of the applied four methods and to explain how different methods enable value creation.

All the studied methods provide good results in terms of usability and commitment to the aims of the project, thus delivering the direct benefits expected. Process, people and tools logic works well in this case project when applying the methods properly. Significant evidence was provided on secondary deliverables of the methods, and all analysed methods had a significant impact in the area of leading people, clarifying what “focus on people” means and how it is enabled.

Focus on people can be achieved through different operative methods if applied in the right way. It is necessary to select the most suitable methods based on all the direct and indirect deliverables.

This case project offered a platform to analyse integration methods in a real-life project using the collaborative contract method. The authors were able to participate in the analysis by taking action from the very beginning of the project in terms of training, learning, continuous development and coaching of these methods and evaluating the applicability.

The U.S. labor movement is in decline and a crisis of national leadership has emerged over conflicting prescriptions for labor's revival. Union leaders have seemingly established consensus on the need for change, but disagree about the nature of needed reform, and methods for accomplishing meaningful changes that might address the long-term crisis.

This paper strives to inform and advance debates on these issues. Two national union surveys conducted in 1990 and 1997 provide the primary evidentiary base. Given their critical role in this study, measures from the surveys and certain aspects of the surveys are scrutinized. These surveys span the “Sweeney Insurgency” and the early years of the Sweeney AFL-CIO administration. Although both surveys have supported previous cross-section based studies, no published work has expressly focused on the change and stability within national unions or the longitudinal potential these data collectively provide. Using this potential to reexamine relations between union structures, strategies, and performance, this paper seeks to establish an evidentiary base to inform the current debate about union reforms and their likely consequences. In addition, suggestions for future research on unions and approaches to studying unions are offered.

The concept of an “organizing model” of trade unionism has shaped union strategies for revitalization in a number of countries in recent years. This article examines the transfer of “organizing unionism” to the UK in two ways. It presents findings from a survey of unions to identify the extent to which the organizing model is influencing national recruitment policy and presents case studies of three union campaigns which have drawn upon the organizing model, in an attempt to assess its strengths and weaknesses in a UK context. The survey results indicate only limited take‐up of the organizing model, though there is a group of vanguard unions which have embraced it with enthusiasm. The case studies demonstrate some success in applying the model, though identify employer resistance and internal opposition as significant constraints.

To take full advantage of the unprecedented availability of information on networks and digital systems, professionals need to be comfortable finding information relevant to the tasks at hand. This study was conducted at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research to investigate scientists’ personal information management (PIM) practices.

A qualitative research approach was used. Critical incidents were collected to probe information about PIM activities. The PIM-related critical incidents were gathered through extended conversations in the form of semi-structured interviews.

Extended conversations revealed that scientists were aware of the importance of information organization and management. They collected and received information from various sources regarding their tasks and saved part of the information for future use. Scientists organized saved information into named folders using the categories of projects, clients and planning. The files were updated by regular deletion and cleaning. Different strategies were used to retrieve the information. These included searching by keywords and file names, and browsing using the folder structure. Scientists have used various PIM tools. They reported that time pressure, information overload and anxiety due to information fragmentation were major challenges in PIM.

This study recommends a compilation of guidelines to assist scientists in the efficient management of personal information. As there are only a few studies currently available in the literature on scientists’ PIM, this study makes a valuable contribution to the relevant professional literature.

This paper presents the algorithm of construction work graphic schedule which considers the proper sequencing problem. Describes the algorithm step by step, i.e. the construction work organisation methods with zero couplings between realisation means, work fronts, and their combination. It also shows the calculation process of limit possible minimum by considering technical and organisation limits. In the second part of the paper, the practical example which shows the method and the optimisation algorithm for the work organisation method with zero couplings between realisation means is presented.

This study discusses the problems of organising competitive intelligence activities in a corporate organisation. Traditionally in many large corporations the collection, interpretation and analysis of competitive information has been assigned to a specialised intelligence or competitor analysis unit in order to exploit the synergy created by centralisation. This organising mechanism has, however, serious shortcomings that are considered in this study. It is debated that this centralised and systematic approach to managing and exploiting competitive information ignores the actual ways that managers and other knowledge workers utilise information resources in their work processes. An empirical study was made in a multinationally operating Finnish forest industry company in order to examine, what kind of competitive information managers and other knowledge workers need in their work processes, what were the most valuable information sources and how this information was actually utilised and communicated inside the corporation. The results of this empirical study are discussed. Some guidelines are provided to improve the process of coordinating and combining both systematically and unsystematically collected competitive information into a coherent organisational mechanism.