Search results
1 – 10 of 12This chapter provides an introduction to the world of family companies and family constitutions from a legal perspective. It first studies the legal types of business…
Abstract
This chapter provides an introduction to the world of family companies and family constitutions from a legal perspective. It first studies the legal types of business organizations that family firms have chosen across time and jurisdictions. It then illustrates how early predecessors of family constitutions evolved in the late Middle Ages and what modern family constitutions look like in different countries today. Further considerations are devoted to the governance framework of family firms. The chapter concludes by exploring the potential legal effects of family constitutions under German company and contract law.
Details
Keywords
Anil Kumar, Michelle Salmona, Robert Berry and Sara Grummert
Digital transformation (DT) harnessing the potential of emerging technology creates opportunities and challenges for organizations worldwide. Senior executives view DT as a key…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital transformation (DT) harnessing the potential of emerging technology creates opportunities and challenges for organizations worldwide. Senior executives view DT as a key initiative for future competitiveness, a view shared by academic researchers. What may challenge the organization is that the vision may be present while preparedness may be lacking. Organizational preparedness depends on managers and employees charged with implementing DT and their perceptions on preparedness are often not aligned with senior executives.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, the authors explore the perceptions of managers and employees on DT preparedness in an organization by gathering data from 579 participants. This study uses an innovative approach to qualitative data analysis using interactive topic modeling.
Findings
Findings in this qualitative study provide valuable insights on the perceptions of these individuals and helps understand (a) how they view DT preparedness and (b) may behave in this context. In general DT is well understood, however managers are not keen to change work processes to take advantage of the new digital tools and there appears that generational gap is a barrier to successful DT.
Originality/value
Senior executives play a central role communicating the DT vision necessary to inspire managers and employees. As organizations continue to invest large sums of money to explore value creation for customers and stakeholders by leveraging digital technologies, the information systems (IS) discipline can take the lead by asking the question, what can be done to improve the understanding of DT implementation in an organization?
Details
Keywords
Abraham Ansong, Robert Ipiin Gnankob, Isaac Opoku Agyemang, Kassimu Issau and Edna Naa Amerley Okorley
The study analysed the influence of organizational justice on the duty orientation of employees in the mining sector of Ghana. Also, it examined the mediating role of…
Abstract
Purpose
The study analysed the influence of organizational justice on the duty orientation of employees in the mining sector of Ghana. Also, it examined the mediating role of supervisor-provided resources in the relationship between organizational justice and duty orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
The study obtained data through a self-administered questionnaire from 291 employees of a mining firm. The data were analysed and interpreted in light of the hypotheses using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique.
Findings
The findings revealed that organizational justice had a significant positive relationship with duty orientation and supervisor-provided resources. The results again established that supervisor-provided resources had a significant positive relationship with duty orientation. The study finally documented that supervisor-provided resources partially mediate the relationship between organizational justice and duty orientation.
Practical implications
We recommended that the management of the mining companies devote resources to developing organizational justice policies based on fairness in resource allocation, clear roles, employee feedback and effective information dissemination. Furthermore, supervisors should place priority on acquiring and dispensing resources as employees demonstrate their willingness to improve duty orientation.
Originality/value
The study contributes to knowledge in a novel research area. It adds to empirical evidence by highlighting the possible variables that may influence employees to engage in duty orientation.
研究目的
本研究擬分析於迦納的採礦部門裏,組織公平感對僱員職責導向的影響;研究亦擬探討主管提供的資源,如何在組織公平感與職責導向間的關係上起著中介角色。
研究設計/方法/理念
研究人員透過一間採礦公司291名僱員自我測試的問卷,取得研究所需的數據,繼而以偏最小平方結構方程式模式分析法,進行數據分析,並按照研究的假設,對數據進行闡釋的工作。
研究結果
研究結果顯示,組織公平感與職責導向和主管提供的資源之間存在顯著的正向關係;研究結果亦確定了主管提供的資源與職責導向之間存在顯著的正向關係。最後,研究結果證明了主管提供的資源,會一定程度調節組織公平感與職責導向之間的關係。
實務方面的啟示
我們建議採礦企業的管理層應根據資源的公平分配、明確的角色、僱員的回饋和有效的信息傳播,把資源專用於發展組織公平感的政策上;而且,當僱員展示他們願意改善職責導向時,主管應把獲取資源,並加以發放列為優先事項。
研究的原創性
本研究在一個新穎的研究領域裏,幫助我們增進知識;研究透過強調影響僱員參與職責導向的可能變數,增加有關的經驗證據。
Details
Keywords
Vladislav Valentinov and Constantine Iliopoulos
Transaction cost economics sees a broad spectrum of governance structures spanned by two types of economic adaptation: autonomous and cooperative. Stakeholder theorists have drawn…
Abstract
Purpose
Transaction cost economics sees a broad spectrum of governance structures spanned by two types of economic adaptation: autonomous and cooperative. Stakeholder theorists have drawn much inspiration from transaction cost economics but have not paid explicit attention to the centrality of the idea of adaptation in this literature. This study aims to address this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors develop a novel conceptual framework applying the distinction between the two types of economic adaptation to stakeholder theory.
Findings
The authors argue that the idea of cooperative adaptation is particularly useful for describing the firm’s collaboration with primary stakeholders in the joint value creation process. In contrast, autonomous adaptation is more relevant for firms interacting with secondary stakeholders who are not directly engaged in joint value creation and may not have formal contractual relationships with the firm. Accordingly, cooperative adaptation can be seen as vital for resolving team production problems affecting joint value creation, whereas autonomous adaptation addresses how the firm maintains legitimacy within the larger stakeholder environment.
Originality/value
Similar to its significance for transaction cost economics, the distinction between the two types of adaptation equips stakeholder theory with a new systematic understanding of a potentially broad spectrum of firm–stakeholder collaboration forms.
Details
Keywords
Mira Holopainen, Minna Saunila and Juhani Ukko
Digital transformation shapes industries and influences the forms of collaboration between companies. This study aims to investigate digital business strategy as a key to…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital transformation shapes industries and influences the forms of collaboration between companies. This study aims to investigate digital business strategy as a key to facilitating collaboration beyond organizational boundaries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study focuses on the connection between digital business strategy and collaboration performance. The authors identify five types of digital business strategy elements based on the literature: development, objectives, resources, management capabilities, and digital leadership. The authors then studied the implications of these elements for collaboration performance using a survey. The study’s empirical data were collected from manufacturing and service companies, and 202 valid responses were received. The implications of the research elements were tested through regression analysis, which included the moderating effects of digitally enabled performance measurement.
Findings
The theoretical research framework identifies digital business strategy as a key determinant of collaboration performance, thus advancing the understanding of how companies can utilize digital business strategies and achieve enhanced collaboration performance. The results also show that the effect of digital business strategy on collaboration performance may be moderated by digitally enabled performance management.
Practical implications
The results suggest that management capabilities associated with digital strategy are a crucial element in positively influencing collaboration performance. Further, digital strategy-related resources can be better managed with digitally enabled performance measurement system, which is reflected in improved collaborative performance. Thus, companies should invest in management capabilities and connect their digital business strategies and performance measurement systems to develop collaboration in digital transformation.
Originality/value
The study is among the first to translate an empirical understanding of the digital transformation of small and medium-sized companies into a conceptual framework of a digital business strategy.
Details
Keywords
Niki A. Rust, Emilia Noel Ptak, Morten Graversgaard, Sara Iversen, Mark S. Reed, Jasper R. de Vries, Julie Ingram, Jane Mills, Rosmarie K. Neumann, Chris Kjeldsen, Melanie Muro and Tommy Dalgaard
Soil quality is in decline in many parts of the world, in part due to the intensification of agricultural practices. Whilst economic instruments and regulations can help…
Abstract
Soil quality is in decline in many parts of the world, in part due to the intensification of agricultural practices. Whilst economic instruments and regulations can help incentivise uptake of more sustainable soil management practices, they rarely motivate long-term behavior change when used alone. There has been increasing attention towards the complex social factors that affect uptake of sustainable soil management practices. To understand why some communities try these practices whilst others do not, we undertook a narrative review to understand how social capital influences adoption in developed nations. We found that the four components of social capital – trust, norms, connectedness and power – can all influence the decision of farmers to change their soil management. Specifically, information flows more effectively across trusted, diverse networks where social norms exist to encourage innovation. Uptake is more limited in homogenous, close-knit farming communities that do not have many links with non-farmers and where there is a strong social norm to adhere to the status quo. Power can enhance or inhibit uptake depending on its characteristics. Future research, policy and practice should consider whether a lack of social capital could hinder uptake of new practices and, if so, which aspects of social capital could be developed to increase adoption of sustainable soil management practices. Enabling diverse, collaborative groups (including farmers, advisers and government officials) to work constructively together could help build social capital, where they can co-define, -develop and -enact measures to sustainably manage soils.
Details
Keywords
Jean Grugel, Sarah C. Masefield and Alan Msosa
Health in low-income countries has become associated with the provision of minimum guaranteed public health services though Essential Health Packages (EHPs). How far do EHPs…
Abstract
Purpose
Health in low-income countries has become associated with the provision of minimum guaranteed public health services though Essential Health Packages (EHPs). How far do EHPs deliver the human right to health for all? This study addresses this question through qualitative research into access to health care for vulnerable communities, using Malawi as a case study. This study shows that there are significant accountability gaps and perceptions of weak service provision in Malawi’s EHP in relation to some particularly marginalised (and stigmatised) groups that limit the right to health and the promise of “health for all”.
Design/methodology/approach
This study extends the body of qualitative work on EHPs in general and on Malawi in particular by exploring the perceptions of key stakeholders in relation to inclusivity and the delivery of health policies to particularly vulnerable groups. To do so, this study adopted an approach based on interpretive epistemologies (Scott, 2014). This study conducted largely unstructured interviews with a range of health stakeholders, speaking to stakeholders individually, rather than through focus groups due to the potentially sensitive nature of the topic.
Findings
The findings of this study are as follows: limited inclusion of civil society actors and local communities; local communities and local policymakers feel frustration with the gap between the promises of consultation in the EHP and the reality, and the difficulties of not having effective channels of communication; and exclusionary health practices for particularly vulnerable groups.
Research limitations/implications
There are limitations based on the qualitative methodology, and in terms of the particularly vulnerable groups – the authors studied two such groups (people with disabilities and those who identify as LBTQ) but a wider survey of vulnerable groups is needed to extend and confirm the findings.
Practical implications
Greater attention to the health rights of vulnerable groups would improve access and services, even in the context of resource restrictions. This study suggests that a deeper engagement with human rights-based approaches would pay dividends in terms of increasing access to health in Malawi, even within the constraints of the EHP process. Furthermore, without this, there is the risk that discrimination and exclusion will become more embedded in health policies, rather than progressively minimised.
Social implications
Without addressing these issues, there is the risk that discrimination and exclusion will become more embedded in health policies, rather than progressively minimised.
Originality/value
This paper makes an important contribution to the growing literatures on EHP in sub-Saharan Africa and Malawi in particular and to the importance of listening to stakeholder perceptions. It provides original data on stakeholder perspectives of the challenges associated with universalising health care in resource-constrained countries. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is one of the first papers to focus on the rights of disabled and LBTQ people in relation to EHPs.
Details