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1 – 10 of over 10000Fatma Zerah Tan and Gbemi Oladipo Olaore
In today’s business world, competition is no longer about resources accumulated, but the emphasis is now placed more on the actual accumulation and utilization of knowledge within…
Abstract
Purpose
In today’s business world, competition is no longer about resources accumulated, but the emphasis is now placed more on the actual accumulation and utilization of knowledge within the organization. Attention has shifted drastically from just acquiring wealth in the organization to an era where knowledge and learning within the organization becomes more critical and important to the organizational survival and continuous growth as put forward by this paper. This paper investigated the effect of organizational learning and effectiveness on operations, employee productivity and management performance. This paper aims to add to scholarly works and knowledge on organizational learning.
Design/methodology/approach
Random and stratified sampling techniques were used. Data collection was done with the use of a questionnaire and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical multiple regression.
Findings
The result from the data analyzed shows that there is a positive relationship between organizational learning and effectiveness, operations, employees’ productivity and management performance suggesting that organization learning impact is encompassing because it affects and influences the effectiveness and efficiency of all the staff at every level within the organization.
Practical implications
Organizations should strive and do everything possible to ensure organizational learning because this study is in an era where knowledge and learning within the organization are more critical and important to organizational survival and continuous growth.
Originality/value
The study demonstrates that the only way to fast-track growth in every sphere of the organization is to ensure organizational learning as it influences the effectiveness and efficiency of all the staff at every level within the organization.
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Bjarne Pareliussen, Marte Fanneløb Giskeødegård and Vilmar Æsøy
This paper aims to present the results from a case study that investigated interorganizational learning in a buyer and seller relationship in the context of the maritime industry…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the results from a case study that investigated interorganizational learning in a buyer and seller relationship in the context of the maritime industry. This examination emphasized unraveling how the buyer and seller in the case study interacted and transferred knowledge when using a new business model that relied on servitization. Furthermore, this paper also addresses and discusses work practices, and the relationship between intra- and interorganizational learning.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study entailing the introduction of digital technology and a new business model into the maritime industry was used as an empirical example of interorganizational learning. The case study was conducted over a period of over one year and focused on a buyer of freight ships and a seller of servitized technology used on the ships. The organizations involved were the ships, the shipowner’s office and the ship engine supplier. The primary data acquisition methods comprised semi-structured interviews and observations.
Findings
The case identified interorganizational learning within the organizations at the individual, group and organizational levels, but only a few learning signs could be viewed as bidirectional interorganizational learning that can create knowledge and competitive advantages for the organizations. This is explained by the interorganizational learning context and the organizations’ motivation for learning at a strategic level.
Originality/value
This paper addresses an identified need for empirical studies on how interorganizational learning unfolds within organizations and connects to intraorganizational learning. Interorganizational learning studies often examine partnerships and joint ventures, in which partners have entered into these relationships with learning as a specific goal. By choosing a case in which interorganizational collaboration is anchored in operational matters, the study demonstrates the importance of motivation and agenda when entering into partnerships, concerning how inter- and intraorganizational learning develops within organizations. Furthermore, approaching these levels from an interrelated and practice-oriented perspective challenges established success criteria for interorganizational learning.
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Olusegun Emmanuel Akinwale and Olaolu Joseph Oluwafemi
Personality profiling in today’s business world has become an essential organisational development practice targeted at identifying a set of employees' traits, which differentiate…
Abstract
Purpose
Personality profiling in today’s business world has become an essential organisational development practice targeted at identifying a set of employees' traits, which differentiate an employee from one another. Given the assumption that personality traits form an essential indicator of developing the potential of an individual workforce, possible to establish how employees function in a certain job role and their suitability for the particular tasks in an organisation. This study aims to explore the relationship between personality traits, assessment centres (ACs) quality and management development in Nigeria telecommunication organisation among its managers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed multi-stage sampling techniques and further stratified the hierarchy of the management and finally used a simple random sampling strategy on each stratum. A combination of 482 managers in Nigerian telecommunication organisations participated in this study. The study investigated 12 hypotheses and 1 mediating postulation. Multiple scales were adapted to measure dimensions of endogenous and exogenous variables along the path of mediating variables of the study. The study employed a cross-sectional survey approach to administering the research instrument across all the departments among the managers of the organisations. A structural equation model of assessment was used to analyse the data collected from managers of the telecoms organisations.
Findings
The outcome of the study was significant, 10 of the postulated hypotheses were found to be significant while 3 were not significant. The study revealed that a combination of openness to experience, conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness and extraversion personality have no significant relationship with the AC. Also, employees who are high in neuroticism like being emotionally unstable did not find a significant relationship with the AC. In a similar situation, the combined effect of all the big-five personalities was not significant in management development among the managers of the telecommunication industry. The AC is discovered to mediate between personality traits and management development. Individually, the big-five model finds a significant relationship with AC and management development, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The study is restricted to managers of the Nigerian telecoms industry alone and not all the entire workforce. It adopted cross-sectional analysis to make an inference on all the managers of the organisations. The implication is that the period of the view of a particular point in a sequence of the event may not be representative. Another implication is that the results from the cross-sectional design are for the relationship, and they do not indicate causation.
Originality/value
In practice, this study has shown that personality profiling is important to managing organisational behaviour to highlight a set of traits of employees suitable for peculiar roles. This study implies that personality elements constitute a vital signal of the potential development of the workforce. It helps to illuminate an individual functioning style in a certain task situation, therefore determining both professional and managerial suitability in performing a given role.
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Marian Crowley-Henry, Edward P. O'Connor and Blanca Suarez-Bilbao
This micro-level study unpacks the recruitment and retention of international professionals to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study highlights the influence of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This micro-level study unpacks the recruitment and retention of international professionals to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study highlights the influence of the founders' international experience when applying organisational-level (meso) policies and practices. With their insider experience as skilled migrants, we share how the founders in each of the SMEs mobilised career capital into human resource management (HRM) strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
Combining literature on SMEs and skilled migrants' careers, we draw upon intelligent career theory to illuminate the recruitment and retention of self-initiated expatriates and skilled migrants in SMEs. With three SME case studies as samples–one micro, one small and one medium-sized organisation in Ireland–we consider the influence of the founders' international experience in the design and application of formal and informal HRM strategies (at the organisational level) that are operationalised to recruit and retain international talent to/in these organisations.
Findings
The HRM practices in the three SME cases in this paper, each run by migrant founders, vary from formalised (for our medium-sized organisation), semi-formalised (for our small-sized organisation) to ad hoc and tailor-made (for our micro-sized organisation). These particular SMEs were often more receptive to hiring other migrants. The important role of the three SME case studies' skilled migrant founders and their own international career experiences was apparent in the particular HRM approaches they adopted. The relevance of intelligent career theory when applying micro-level findings at the meso-organisational level is shown.
Originality/value
The paper presents how the international experience of founder–managers, in turn, impacts on the HRM practices and policies that are implemented to recruit and retain international employees. The study highlights how both organisation size and founder-manager international experience influence the degree of customisation of HRM practices and policies in SMEs, specifically pertaining to the recruitment and retention of self-initiated expatriates and skilled migrant employees. The heterogeneity within the sub-categories encompassed under the umbrella label of SME is emphasised; validating our case study approach, where nuance and detail of the specific organisation can be shared.
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Douglas Aghimien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke and John Aliu
Digitalisation, which involves the use of digital technologies in transforming an organisation’s activities, transcends just the acquiring of emerging digital tools. Having the…
Abstract
Purpose
Digitalisation, which involves the use of digital technologies in transforming an organisation’s activities, transcends just the acquiring of emerging digital tools. Having the right people to drive the implementation of these technologies and attaining strategic organisational goals is essential. While most studies have focused on the use of emerging technologies in the construction industry, less attention has been given to the ‘people’ dimension. Therefore, this study aims to assess the people-related features needed for construction digitalisation.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted pragmatic thinking using a mixed-method approach. A Delphi was used to achieve the qualitative aspect of the research, while a questionnaire survey conducted among 222 construction professionals was used to achieve the quantitative aspect. The data gathered were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean item score, Kruskal–Wallis H test, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.
Findings
Based on acceptable reliability, validity and model fit indices, the study found that the people-related factors needed for construction digitalisation can be grouped into technical capability of personnel, attracting and retaining digital talent and organisation’s digital culture.
Practical implications
The findings offer valuable benefits to construction organisations as understanding these identified people features can help lead to better deployment of digital tools and the attainment of the digital transformation.
Originality/value
This study attempts to fill the gap in the shortage of literature exploring the people dimension of construction digitalisation. The study offers an excellent theoretical backdrop for future works on digital talent for construction digitalisation, which has gained less attention in the current construction digitalisation discourse.
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Marianne Jaakkola, Soila Lemmetty, Kaija Collin, Minna Ylönen and Teuvo Antikainen
This study aims to increase the understanding of the starting points and presuppositions of organizational learning (OL) processes in a hospital’s surgical department based on the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to increase the understanding of the starting points and presuppositions of organizational learning (OL) processes in a hospital’s surgical department based on the existing theory of OL and to make visible the practical possibilities of the theory in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted as a case study. The data were collected from personnel of the hospital’s surgical department and consisted of 26 thematic interviews. The data were analyzed using qualitative theory-driven content analysis.
Findings
This study found different starting points for both employee-oriented and organization-oriented learning processes that could potentially progress to different levels of the organization: from individuals to a wider group or from a large group to an individual. The starting point of employee-oriented learning processes was depicted as everyday life problems or situations or was based on the person’s interest. The starting points of organization-oriented learning processes were described as achieving or maintaining the organization’s expected skill levels, pursuing continuous development or pursuing the organization’s specific development needs. Different kinds of presuppositions were also located within the OL processes.
Originality/value
This study produced new practice-based knowledge about the starting points of OL processes and their presuppositions. In health-care organizations, learning is especially important due to intensive and complex changes, and this study provides empirical evidence on how to enhance learning.
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Markus Kantola, Hannele Seeck, Albert J. Mills and Jean Helms Mills
This paper aims to explore how historical context influences the content and selection of rhetorical legitimation strategies. Using case study method, this paper will focus on how…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how historical context influences the content and selection of rhetorical legitimation strategies. Using case study method, this paper will focus on how insurance companies and labor tried to defend their legitimacy in the context of enactment of Medicare in the USA. What factors influenced the strategic (rhetorical) decisions made by insurance companies and labor unions in their institutional work?
Design/methodology/approach
The study is empirically grounded in archival research, involving an analysis of over 9,000 pages of congressional hearings on Medicare covering the period 1958–1965.
Findings
The authors show that rhetorical legitimation strategies depend significantly on the specific historical circumstances in which those strategies are used. The historical context lent credibility to certain arguments and organizations are forced to decide either to challenge widely held assumptions or take advantage of them. The authors show that organizations face strong incentives to pursue the latter option. Here, both the insurance companies and labor unions tried to show that their positions were consistent with classical liberal ideology, because of high respect of classical liberal principles among different stakeholders (policymakers, voters, etc.).
Research limitations/implications
It is uncertain how much the results of the study could be generalized. More information about the organizations whose use of rhetorics the authors studied could have strengthened our conclusions.
Practical implications
The practical relevancy of the revised paper is that the authors should not expect hegemony challenging rhetorics from organizations, which try to influence legislators (and perhaps the larger public). Perhaps (based on the findings), this kind of rhetorics is not even very effective.
Social implications
The paper helps to understand better how organizations try to advance their interests and gain acceptance among the stakeholders.
Originality/value
In this paper, the authors show how historical context in practice influence rhetorical arguments organizations select in public debates when their goal is to influence the decision-making of their audience. In particular, the authors show how dominant ideology (or ideologies) limit the options organizations face when they are choosing their strategies and arguments. In terms of the selection of rhetorical justification strategies, the most pressing question is not the “real” broad based support of certain ideologies. Insurance company and labor union representatives clearly believed that they must emphasize liberal values (or liberal ideology) if they wanted to gain legitimacy for their positions. In existing literature, it is often assumed that historical context influence the selection of rhetorical strategies but how this in fact happens is not usually specified. The paper shows how interpretations of historical contexts (including the ideological context) in practice influence the rhetorical strategies organizations choose.
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Joshua Maine, Emilia Florin Samuelsson and Timur Uman
Drawing on paradox theory, this study explores how ambidextrous sustainability relates to organisational performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on paradox theory, this study explores how ambidextrous sustainability relates to organisational performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations, and how this relationship is contingent on the organisational structure of these organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
The study relies on the data collected from Swedish municipal housing corporations. These data sources consist of a survey sent to the management team members in Swedish municipal housing corporations, financial and non-financial archival data on these corporations, interviews with the management team and board members, and observations of meetings involving the management team and board of directors at a Swedish municipal housing corporation. Quantitative data of the study were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and linear multiple regression analysis. Qualitative data were analysed employing deductive thematic analysis and were used to illustrate and discuss the results of the quantitative analysis.
Findings
The quantitative findings show that ambidextrous sustainability, i.e. the alignment between an explorative orientation and an exploitative orientation towards sustainability, has a weakly positive relationship with financial performance and a positive relationship with social performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations. The study further shows that a high level of the structural element “connectedness” weakened the relationship between the ambidextrous sustainability and financial performance of the organisation in the study. In contrast, a lower level of connectedness reinforced and strengthened this relationship. Our qualitative material illustrates how the quantitative findings could be explained by the interaction between the board of directors and the management team of these hybrid organisations.
Originality/value
The study shows how ambidextrous sustainability, employed for conceptualisation of the sustainability strategy in hybrid organisations, represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations, can impact on facets of performance (i.e. financial, social and environmental) differently. The study further highlights the importance of organisational structures in these relationships in a hybrid context.
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Ana Faizi, Ali Padyab and Andreas Naess
This study aims to address the issue of practicing information security risk assessment (ISRA) on cloud solutions by studying municipalities and large organizations in Sweden.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address the issue of practicing information security risk assessment (ISRA) on cloud solutions by studying municipalities and large organizations in Sweden.
Design/methodology/approach
Four large organizations and five municipalities that use cloud services and conduct ISRA to adhere to their information security risk management practices were studied. Data were gathered qualitatively to answer the study’s research question: How is ISRA practiced on the cloud? The Coat Hanger model was used as a theoretical lens to study and theorize the practices.
Findings
The results showed that the organizations aimed to follow the guidelines, in the form of frameworks or their own experience, to conduct ISRA; furthermore, the frameworks were altered to fit the organizations’ needs. The results further indicated that one of the main concerns with the cloud ISRA was the absence of a culture that integrates risk management. Finally, the findings also stressed the importance of a good understanding and a well-written legal contract between the cloud providers and the organizations using the cloud services.
Originality/value
As opposed to the previous research, which was more inclined to try out and evaluate various cloud ISRA, the study provides insights into the practice of cloud ISRA experienced by the organizations. This study represents the first attempt to investigate cloud ISRA that organizations practice in managing their information security.
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Norzanah Mat Nor, Siti Murni Mat Khairi, Herwina Rosnan, Roozita Maskun and Elaina Rose Johar
Studies on knowledge management (KM) and its effect on organisational innovation and firm performance have been carried out and subsequently proven. However, the consequence is…
Abstract
Purpose
Studies on knowledge management (KM) and its effect on organisational innovation and firm performance have been carried out and subsequently proven. However, the consequence is that KM programmes did not achieve the expected results that they were designed for. Considering the issue mentioned above, a KM shortfall and its underlying challenges seem to exist. The purpose of this study is to assess the current practices of KM, lesson learnt and KM challenges in Malaysian organisations from various types of industries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted with information gathered through a focus group of managers with different hierarchical levels, different types of companies, from multinational corporations to state organisations. This inductive approach was adopted to gain a grounded, rich, local and lived understanding of the process based on the case studies of eight Malaysian organisations that represent the major industries in the Malaysian economic sectors. Additionally, the information gathered was further supported with secondary data that consisted of a case study report of the eight organisations on their KM programmes’ implementation.
Findings
The overall results showed that the practice of KM in Malaysian organisations typically displays the following two challenges: (1) process and infrastructure issues and (2) cultural issues. Organisational culture remains the main obstacles faced by most of the organisations in adopting KM. As a lesson learnt, managers should also focus on the after-effect of KM programmes on soft human issues such as employees’ satisfaction and well-being.
Research limitations/implications
The authors believe that further research is required considering KM challenges and employee satisfaction or well-being to improve KM performance among different groups of employees through such methods as research survey.
Practical implications
The findings can act as a guideline for any organisations to address when adopting KM. Identification of the KM challenges provides the basis for organisations to attach considerable importance to employees’ satisfaction and well-being to enhance the chances of successful KM programmes. Managers should take a proactive approach in creating an appropriate atmosphere to cultivate KM culture among employees.
Originality/value
This study offers not only challenges in implementing and sustaining an effective KM system within organisations but also promotes moving the KM literature to the next stage where there is a lack of concern on KM implementation effect on “soft” human issues from the perspectives of employees. This is due to organisations tend to eradicate people’s performance in terms of employee well-being and satisfaction and to the author’s knowledge, this has been largely unexplored in previous research.
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