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Article
Publication date: 11 June 2024

Mahmud Al Masum and Lee Parker

This paper aims to investigate how the technical logics of a World Bank-led performance management reform interacted with the social, political and historical logics within a…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how the technical logics of a World Bank-led performance management reform interacted with the social, political and historical logics within a developing country (DC) regulatory organisation. The institutional environment both within and outside the organisation was considered to understand the performance management reform experience.

Design/methodology/approach

An interview-based, longitudinal, qualitative case study approach was used to locate accounting in its technical, social and political space. A large regulatory organisation in Bangladesh was investigated as a case study to reveal how traditional organisational practices and public sector norms mediated a performance management reform. Informed by the institutional logics (IL) and economies of worth perspectives, interviews were used to locate IL at macro-level and associated organisational actors’ strategic responses that ultimately shaped the implementation of a performance management system (PMS).

Findings

This paper reveals how accounting, as a social and political practice, influences accountability reform within a regulatory organisation. It provides an account of both the processes and resultant practices of an accounting reform initiative. While a consultative and transparent performance management process was intended to enhance accountability, it challenged the traditional organisational authority structure and culture. The new PMS retained, modified and adjusted a number of its characteristics over time. These adjustments reflected an amalgamation of the influence of institutional pressures from powerful constituents and the ability of the local agents (managers) in negotiating and mediating the institutionalisation of a new PMS.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper carry major implications for policy makers, particularly with respect to the design of future reform programs on PMS.

Originality/value

This paper offers a theoretical mapping of IL and its organisation-level interpretations and practices. Thus, the authors locate power and influence at field and firm levels. The findings of this study reflect historical, political and cultural backgrounds of the case study organisation and how these contextual forces were active in shaping the meaning of reform logics. Though the institutional environment and agents were unique to the case study organisation, this research offers a “process generalisation” that reveals how a best practice PMS was translated and transformed by the traditional organisational practices in a DC regulatory context.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2024

Cyrill Julian Kalbermatten

The paper aims to clarify how work-specific characteristics at both the individual and organizational level influence professional civil servants’ readiness for change during the…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to clarify how work-specific characteristics at both the individual and organizational level influence professional civil servants’ readiness for change during the implementation of reforms in public administration. We examine the influence of work characteristics at the individual and organizational levels, such as reform-related strains, organizational climate, and organizational professionalism, on the employees’ response to change. In addition, we also consider the interaction between these specific work characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

This article employs a quantitative multi-level analysis to examine the influence of individual and collective predictors of employees' readiness for change. For our analysis, we used data from the evaluation of a school reform in Switzerland aimed at aligning teachers' working conditions with those of other administrative employees. The survey conducted for the evaluation includes responses from 2,162 teachers.

Findings

Our study expands the understanding in public management research of work characteristics that either promote or reduce employees’ readiness for change in the public sector. Our findings suggest that the organizational level, in our case the school level, influences the individual’s response to change. Furthermore, the role of organizational professionalism in terms of a reform-related transformation of the identities, structures, and practices of the actors concerned is highlighted as a potential stressor and catalyst that reinforces the negative correlation between reform-related stress and willingness to change.

Practical implications

This paper offers insights into how public managers can effectively overcome challenges in the implementation process of public school reforms. This also includes the awareness among change agents that positively associated changes at the organizational level may have negative consequences at the individual level, due to the fact that they affect professional understanding, for example, which may cause the affected actors to respond with resistance.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the small number of multi-level research studies on the responses to change in public administration and answers the call for research to investigate the hurdles that may arise when implementing change. Further, the paper contributes to the literature on the impact of new public management (NPM) on the identity of professional civil servants.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 August 2024

Juliet Ann Musso, Christopher Weare and Robert W. Jackman

The goal is to illuminate the requisites for the implementation of performance management reforms in a public bureaucracy.

Abstract

Purpose

The goal is to illuminate the requisites for the implementation of performance management reforms in a public bureaucracy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a configurational approach, qualitative comparative analysis, that identifies combinations of political and organizational conditions necessary and/or sufficient for success. The analysis applies the success factor identified in the literature in analyzing the experience of departments involved in a city-wide reform in Los Angeles. The analysis utilizes two rounds of survey data combined with case observations to evaluate the presence of these conditions. Cross-case comparisons employ Boolean logic to identify configurations associated with successful system implementation.

Findings

The analysis identifies several distinct configurations of conditions that appear in departments that implemented the reform. One emphasizes mayoral support, while others emphasize leadership in combination with other organizational capacities.

Practical implications

The analysis yields several insights for managers. First, no silver bullet such as strong leadership assures reform implementation. Second, there are multiple avenues to reform. An organization that lacks some prerequisites – such as leadership or metrics – may succeed in the presence of other features such as an innovative culture or external political support. Finally, the study provides a bracing council that even under favorable conditions, performance management reforms may fail to take root, for reasons that can be difficult to predict.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the importance of considering configurations of conditions rather than focusing on conditions independently. Also, it highlights the importance of equifinality, the notion that observed outcomes can have multiple causes, a perspective typically missing in correlational analyses.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 September 2024

Jan A. Pfister, David Otley, Thomas Ahrens, Claire Dambrin, Solomon Darwin, Markus Granlund, Sarah L. Jack, Erkki M. Lassila, Yuval Millo, Peeter Peda, Zachary Sherman and David Sloan Wilson

The purpose of this multi-voiced paper is to propose a prosocial paradigm for the field of performance management and management control systems. This new paradigm suggests…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this multi-voiced paper is to propose a prosocial paradigm for the field of performance management and management control systems. This new paradigm suggests cultivating prosocial behaviour and prosocial groups in organizations to simultaneously achieve the objectives of economic performance and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors share a common concern about the future of humanity and nature. They challenge the influential assumption of economic man from neoclassical economic theory and build on evolutionary science and the core design principles of prosocial groups to develop a prosocial paradigm.

Findings

Findings are based on the premise of the prosocial paradigm that self-interested behaviour may outperform prosocial behaviour within a group but that prosocial groups outperform groups dominated by self-interest. The authors explore various dimensions of performance management from the prosocial perspective in the private and public sectors.

Research limitations/implications

The authors call for theoretical, conceptual and empirical research that explores the prosocial paradigm. They invite any approach, including positivist, interpretive and critical research, as well as those using qualitative, quantitative and interventionist methods.

Practical implications

This paper offers implications from the prosocial paradigm for practitioners, particularly for executives and managers, policymakers and educators.

Originality/value

Adoption of the prosocial paradigm in research and practice shapes what the authors call the prosocial market economy. This is an aspired cultural evolution that functions with market competition yet systematically strengthens prosociality as a cultural norm in organizations, markets and society at large.

Details

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1176-6093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 September 2024

Rakesh Belwal, Shweta Belwal and Suhaila Ebrahim AlHashemi

Women’s employment has been a contentious issue in the Arab world. However, in today’s changing work conditions, workplaces, and the growth in education, women have increasingly…

Abstract

Purpose

Women’s employment has been a contentious issue in the Arab world. However, in today’s changing work conditions, workplaces, and the growth in education, women have increasingly occupied higher-level roles, and their presence in diverse industries has expanded. The study takes a holistic approach to female labor force participation (FLFP) in Oman, encompassing various theories and factors influencing women’s engagement in private sector jobs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research employed an exploratory design followed by a qualitative analysis based on a constructivist grounded theory approach. The study involved 170 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with women workers in Oman’s private sector. It explored work–family conflict (WFC), work–life balance (WLB), organizational and family support, and societal bias impacting female labor force participation.

Findings

The low FLFP in Oman’s private sector is a complex issue shaped by various interconnected challenges. Our qualitative analysis synthesizes a conceptual framework that highlights WFC and WLB as pivotal factors behind low FLFP, as women in the private sector face long work hours, low salaries, and high responsibilities. Our study confirms that these women receive substantial familial support in dealing with WFC but lack organizational support and family-friendly policies (FFPs).

Practical implications

Addressing the low participation of women in Oman’s private sector labor force necessitates comprehensive strategies encompassing legislative measures, cultural shifts, and organizational reforms. Implementing these strategies creates an environment where women feel empowered to participate and actively thrive in the private sector workforce.

Social implications

This study indicates the presence of some serious social issues, such as society’s bias, lack of support for working women, and the gender gap in the private sector workforce, which has broad implications and significance for Oman. The study indicates the positive role of support women receive from their families, organizations, and Oman labor law and what could improve their participation further.

Originality/value

This study addresses the limited research on challenges encountered by women in Oman’s private-sector workforce. Our research addresses this gap by answering key questions, collecting and interpreting data, and developing a comprehensive conceptual framework. This framework aims to elucidate the factors contributing to women’s reluctance to pursue private-sector employment, considering the diverse issues they confront.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 September 2024

Angela Rella and Filippo Vitolla

This study aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in efficiency measurement within higher education (HE). Specifically, it seeks to gather all relevant articles on…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in efficiency measurement within higher education (HE). Specifically, it seeks to gather all relevant articles on the topic and subsequently categorize these studies using a flowchart based on two core aspects of the topic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs bibliometric and content analyses to conduct a systematic literature review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) framework is used to identify the search protocol, followed by analyses to classify and categorize articles.

Findings

The bibliometric analysis identifies prominent themes, methodologies and literature gaps. The content findings highlight key insights on higher educational institution (HEI) efficiency, including organizational structures, services and operational activities.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the existing knowledge by synthesizing global literature on HEI’s efficiency. Utilizing the flowchart developed by the authors, the study captures the state-of-the-art based on two critical aspects: methodologies and content. Insights from the analysis and subsequent classification of previous literature provide valuable directions for future research.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 September 2024

Lynn McAlpine, Andrew Gibson and Søren Smedegaard Bengtsen

Increasingly governmental policy around PhD education has resulted in greater university oversight of programs and student experience – often through creating central PhD Schools…

Abstract

Purpose

Increasingly governmental policy around PhD education has resulted in greater university oversight of programs and student experience – often through creating central PhD Schools. While student experience is well researched, the experiences of Heads of these units, who are responsible for creating student experience, have been invisible. This exploratory Danish case study begins such a conversation: its purpose to examine the perceptions of five Heads of PhD Humanities Schools, each responsible for steering institutional decisions within Danish PhD policy landscapes.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach integrated three distinct analyses: a review of Danish PhD education policies and university procedures, each university’s job specifications for the Heads of the Schools and the Heads’ views on their responsibilities.

Findings

The Heads differentiated between their own and today’s PhD student experience. They had held prior leadership roles and fully supported institutional regulations. They cared deeply for the students under their charge and were working to achieve personal goals to enhance PhD experience. Their leadership perspective was relational: enhancing individual student learning through engaging with multiple PhD actors (e.g. program leaders) – when possible at a personal level – to improve PhD practices.

Originality/value

This study contributes an expanded perspective on how PhD School Heads constitute their roles by empirically linking: macro-national policies and institutional regulations and individuals’ biographies to their support of the PhD regimes – with implications for academic leadership generally. The authors argue research into PhD School leadership is essential, as it is such individuals who create the organisational settings that students experience.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 May 2023

Kai Hänninen, Jouni Juntunen and Harri Haapasalo

The purpose of this study is to describe latent classes explaining the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies. Innovativeness is a driver of competitive…

16393

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe latent classes explaining the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies. Innovativeness is a driver of competitive performance and vital to the long-term success of any organisation and company.

Design/methodology/approach

Using finite mixture structural equation modelling (FMSEM), the authors have classified innovation logic into latent classes. The method analyses and recognises classes for companies that have similar logic in innovation activities based on the collected data.

Findings

Through FMSEM analysis, the authors have identified three latent classes that explain the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies – LC1: the internal innovators; LC2: the non-innovation-oriented introverts; and LC3: the innovation-oriented extroverts. These three latent classes clearly capture the perceptions within the industry as well as the different characteristics and variables.

Research limitations/implications

The presented latent classes explain innovation logic but is limited to analysing Finnish companies. Also, the research is quantitative by nature and does not increase the understanding in the same manner as qualitative research might capture on more specific aspects.

Practical implications

This paper presents starting points for construction industry companies to intensify innovation activities. It may also indicate more fundamental changes for the structure of construction industry organisations, especially by enabling innovation friendly culture.

Originality/value

This study describes innovation logic in Finnish construction companies through three models (LC1–LC3) by using quantitative data analysed with the FMSEM method. The fundamental innovation challenges in the Finnish construction companies are clarified via the identified latent classes.

Article
Publication date: 28 July 2023

Shaista Fatima and Anurag Bhadur Singh

The current study gives a quantitative analysis DT literature over the past ten years in domain of management and business where the field has witnessed a proliferation in…

Abstract

Purpose

The current study gives a quantitative analysis DT literature over the past ten years in domain of management and business where the field has witnessed a proliferation in studies. The study's primary areas of concentration were analyzing historical trends and identifying prospective future research opportunities in the field. Due of the way, it approaches innovation and problem-solving, design thinking has garnered a lot of interest from both academics and practitioners. Promoters and detractors, however, tend to have quite different perspectives on the program's core qualities, practicality and results.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a bibliometric approach to a systematic literature review, where the analyses and visualizations are carried out using R Studio (Biblioshiny package) and VosViewer software. The study was conducted on 518 documents extracted from the Scopus database. To identify past research trends in the field, performance analysis based on productivity and/or impact of the research constituents was carried out to understand the intellectual structure of the field.

Findings

The study's findings indicated that few areas have received the most attention, which are presented as seven themes. While the emerging themes in the field include areas such as service design, service innovation, customer experience, innovation management, project management and 21st-century skills.

Practical implications

The studies are going deeper by breaking down concepts or processes and analyzing one aspect at a time, codesign and prototyping are such subareas within the realm of service or new product design and development.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind where a literature review has been conducted covering design thinking in the area of business management and accounting.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 31 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 August 2024

Tiina Pesonen, Juhani Sulander, Hanna Tiirinki, Pekka Räsänen, Merja Sahlström, Ilmo Keskimäki and Timo Sinervo

Integrated care is the leading approach to developing health and social care services in Finland. After the national health and social care reform, the importance of assessing…

Abstract

Purpose

Integrated care is the leading approach to developing health and social care services in Finland. After the national health and social care reform, the importance of assessing integration has been emphasized. The aim of this study was to pilot the SCIROCCO tool, which assesses integration maturity, in Finland. The SCIROCCO tool was translated and adapted to the Finnish health and social care context. The feasibility and utility of this tool for assessing the maturity for integration across health and social care in Finland were evaluated using empirical pilot data collected among employees of selected well-being service counties. The study also provided baseline information on the maturity of integration after the national health and social care reform.

Design/methodology/approach

Employees (n = 111) of different personnel groups in health and social care services in four well-being service counties assessed the maturity of integration using a web-based survey. A pilot study design was used.

Findings

The SCIROCCO tool was found to be useful for assessing the maturity of integration in health and social care within the well-being service counties. However, the tool requires further development to be fully adapted to the Finnish health and social care system and to assess integration across sectors. The results emphasize the need to understand the perspectives of different personnel groups on integration and to consider them in the development work.

Originality/value

This was the first study conducted in Finland that provided valuable insights into the assessment of integration across the health and social care sectors. This study establishes the foundation for future research and development in the field of integration assessment.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Keywords

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