Search results

1 – 10 of over 69000
Article
Publication date: 14 June 2013

Therese Dille and Jonas Söderlund

The aim of this paper is to conceptualize time as an important dimension of institutions and, more specifically, to develop the analysis of institutions, time, and temporal…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to conceptualize time as an important dimension of institutions and, more specifically, to develop the analysis of institutions, time, and temporal misfits. The paper explores these matters in the context of an inter‐institutional project where actors, who represent different organizational fields and respond to different institutional requirements with regards to time and timing, need to collaborate.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper centers on three critical incidents taken from a study of a large‐scale telecom project in Norway. The paper is based on an analysis of public documents and 35 interviews with key stakeholders and managers in the focal project.

Findings

This research shows that temporal misfits are a critical, yet understudied, element of project organizing. The paper suggests and discusses three primary measures – detecting, correcting, and escaping – that project management makes use of to resolve temporal misfits among the actors involved. To advance the analysis of problems facing projects in institutionally‐bounded settings, the paper proposes a typology of temporal misfits (phase and tempo) and different types of complexity (analyzable and systemic).

Practical implications

Although purposeful in many instances, especially in collaborations across institutional boundaries, timing norms may cause profound organizational problems due to temporal misfits among the actors involved. The paper argues that project managers need to identify and be prepared for such organizational problem by being equipped with a repertoire of resolution strategies to handle them. New concepts and approaches are needed to identify and deal with temporal misfits among important stakeholders in projects.

Originality/value

A number of previous studies on project organizing have emphasized the critical aspects of studying institutions and time; but to date, no comprehensive efforts have been made to combine these ideas in empirical investigations. This study emphasizes the criticality of timing norms and temporal misfits to enhance our understanding of the linkages between projects, institutions, and time.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2015

Md. Emaj Uddin

Family socio-cultural values and its practices have pervasive effects on early age at first marriage in every society. The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare how…

1213

Abstract

Purpose

Family socio-cultural values and its practices have pervasive effects on early age at first marriage in every society. The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare how family socio-cultural values and its practices exert effect on early age at first marriage between Muslim and Santal couples in rural Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

First of all through snow-ball process and checking of marriage documents the author carefully identified 598 couples from Muslim and 560 from Santal who were married the first time between 1995 and 2005 years and whose age range was 12-48 years for husbands and 10-45 years for wives. Then, 585 pairs of couples (295 for Muslim and 290 for Santal) were randomly selected from the Talonda of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh. Data were collected, applying interview method with semi-structural questionnaire in family setting. Then the collected data were analyzed, using χ2 test and binary logistic regression (BLR) technique.

Findings

The frequency distribution showed that most of the Santal couples compared to the Muslim ones were married before the minimum legal age in Bangladesh. The results of χ2 test of the frequency distribution were significant at p<0.01 and p<0.05 level. In addition, results of BLR analysis suggested that early age at first marriage was significantly (p<0.01 and p<0.05) associated with family socio-cultural values studied. It is argued that ethnicity, family pattern, residence pattern, illiteracy and ascriptive occupational status were the risk factors to persist early marriage among the Santal couples than the Muslim ones in rural Bangladesh.

Practical implications

Although the findings are suggestive to understand differences in early marriage associated with family socio-cultural values between the ethnic couples, further cross-cultural study should be conducted on how socio-psychological factors affect early marriage between the ethnic groups. In spite of the limitations these findings may have implications in comparative social policy practice to prevent early marriage associated with changes in family socio-cultural values between the ethnic groups in Bangladesh.

Originality/value

The findings in the paper are original in linking between family socio-cultural theory, its related policy and practice to prevent early marriage between the ethnic couples in Bangladesh.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 35 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2004

Sharon Turnbull

This research builds on Jenkins' theory of time, identification and human nature through an empirical study of leaders' experiences in a large UK public sector organisation. By…

1418

Abstract

This research builds on Jenkins' theory of time, identification and human nature through an empirical study of leaders' experiences in a large UK public sector organisation. By applying Lewis and Weigart's typology of social time to the accounts of the leaders studied within this research, the study finds that the leaders' self‐ identities are constituted through the discourses of self‐time, interaction‐time and organisational‐time which are embedded, stratified and synchronised through social and organisational practices. In the leaders' narratives of career, work, life and family the research identifies dominant discourses of time compression and acceleration, as well as both cyclic and linear discourses of time. Each of these temporal constructs is found to be embedded in and manifested through the continuous construction and shaping of identity. The implications of these findings for our understanding of the contemporary working life of leaders and their careers and identities are discussed.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 19 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2013

Emmett E. Perry, Dennis F. Karney and Daniel G. Spencer

The purpose of this paper is to describe a model of team establishment that emerged from 64 teams comprised of mid‐career working professionals.

5874

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a model of team establishment that emerged from 64 teams comprised of mid‐career working professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 64 similarly configured 18 member teams assembled for work on the same day and, thereafter, worked on similar tasks. A single representative team was observed throughout its process of its formation‐establishment‐using participant observation and interviews. A case report describing the process was co‐constructed afterward. Individuals from remaining teams systematically compared/contrasted their experience with the case report. Qualitative analysis of 874 responses provides the basis for this paper.

Findings

Teams formed very differently than expected. A highly dynamic and rapid process was seen. The model suggests interplay between ongoing assessment of the context and organizing for work while norms emerge and work is performed.

Research limitations/implications

Individual comparisons/contrasts with the case report, unlike the case report itself, were not the result of prolonged engagement, persistent observation, triangulation, and co‐construction processes. The research focus was on team development; implications for performance are not addressed.

Practical implications

Leaders can influence the speed of establishment through intentionality during the establishment phase. The rapid establishment process that emerged here may have application across a wider range of work settings—especially where members are experienced in working collaboratively.

Originality/value

The model of team establishment has likely application in other settings. The study also suggests the valuable insights that study informants can contribute to research.

Details

Team Performance Management: An International Journal, vol. 19 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-7592

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 April 2016

Natalina Zlatevska and Mark T. Spence

The purpose of this paper is to test whether individuals possess personal consumption norms and idiosyncratic reference points to which they target behaviour. These personal…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test whether individuals possess personal consumption norms and idiosyncratic reference points to which they target behaviour. These personal consumption norms are related to the amount of food consumed independent of industry influences, specifically the size of the package offered and the perceived healthiness of the food. We also examine the extent to which one’s commitment to adhere to their personal consumption norm (referred to as “commitment to norm”) influences food consumption volume.

Design/methodology/approach

Three experiments are presented, two involve estimates of food consumption and the third examines actual food consumption.

Findings

All studies demonstrate that participants can provide a personal consumption norm for how much food they would typically consume that is independent of manipulated industry influences and that actual consumption is significantly related to their personal consumption norms. Furthermore, commitment to norm is negatively related to the absolute difference between their personal consumption norm and the amount of food consumed; however, supporting evidence was only realized in the case of actual food consumption, suggesting that commitment to norm does not have an effect on the formation of intentions.

Research limitations/implications

The authors demonstrate that at a point in time, personal norms are fixed. However, it is possible that norms may be shaped by industry influences over time. The authors suggest further research into how these personal norms evolve over time, as well as assessing how these norms affect the likelihood of going from zero consumption to some positive amount.

Practical implications

Many studies indicate that marketers can easily influence food consumption volume. However, their ability to influence actual consumption volume is circumscribed by factors beyond their control, namely idiosyncratic personal consumption norms.

Social implications

Over time, it is likely that personal consumption norms have emanated from a variety of antecedents, almost certainly including prior industry experience and situational/social influences. Repeated exposure to external influences is likely to shift the personal norm reference point over time.

Originality/value

Personal consumption norms are carefully disentangled from industry influences and are shown to significantly relate to food consumption volume, independent (but not to the exclusion) of industry influences.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 50 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 February 2007

Phillip Samouel

The purpose of this paper is to assess empirically the presence of relational norms and the effect of time during the “transitory” and “established” phases of bilateral exchange…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess empirically the presence of relational norms and the effect of time during the “transitory” and “established” phases of bilateral exchange for small business enterprises. Relationship development has recently become a central research focus in business management literature and is currently gaining more prominence when addressing the small firm sector. To‐date conceptual work has concentrated on the development of business‐to‐business relationships through sequential time dependent stages, including empirical work on the dimensions of relational norms. However, little attention has been given to role of time in this process of relationship building.

Design/methodology/approach

The commercial setting is the UK brewing industry which is characterised by a few large suppliers (breweries) and many small retail buyers (public houses). The focal dyad for the study is the brewery‐public house relationship. Data was gathered through a telephone survey to: confirm the presence and structure of relational norms between trading partners; and assess whether time impacts the development of these norms.

Findings

For longer established bilateral exchange covariance based structural equation modelling confirmed the presence of relational norms as a higher order construct reflected by three dimensions: flexibility, information exchange and solidarity. Further, regression analysis supported a positive relationship between the length of the trading partnership and relational norms.

Research limitations/implications

The implication of this study is that trading partners should nurture relationships through its early developmental stage to ensure enduring successful partnerships. The study needs to be replicated using a longitudinal design and alternative dyadic relationships, e.g. franchising and dealership arrangements.

Originality/value

The research provides empirical evidence supporting business‐to‐business relationship conceptualisations underpinned by social exchange theory.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 May 2020

Jacqueline Eggenschwiler

Against the background of two decades of debates about responsible behaviour in cyberspace, this paper aims to examine the contributions of non-state actors to processes of…

Abstract

Purpose

Against the background of two decades of debates about responsible behaviour in cyberspace, this paper aims to examine the contributions of non-state actors to processes of cybersecurity norm-making. Specifically, it intends to dissect and critically appraise the work of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC), a multistakeholder consortium composed of 28 regionally-diverse scholars, CEOs and (former) policymakers. Inaugurated at the margins of the 2017 Munich Security Conference, the GCSC has been fairly active with regard to developing proposals for norms and policies to enhance international security and stability and guiding responsible conduct in the virtual realm.

Design/methodology/approach

With a view to engaging in a differentiated analysis of the Commission’s activities, this paper asks: How do non-state actors such as the GCSC contribute to processes of cybersecurity norm-making, i.e. what are their roles and responsibilities, and how effective is their engagement? Since the end of the Cold War, non- state actors have become an issue of great interest to scholars of International Relations and International Law. However, in the context of cybersecurity, their normative engagement has not been scrutinised extensively. This paper seeks to address this gap.

Findings

Based on a review of secondary literature and case materials, this paper finds that, within a relatively short period of time, the GCSC has managed to exert discernible discursive and political influence over discussions on responsible behaviour in cyberspace and deserves recognition as a shaper of transnational cybersecurity governance. However, while fairly successful across the dimensions of output and outcome, the Commission has struggled to effect far-reaching systemic change (impact).

Originality/value

In light of significant contestation and fleeting governmental appetite for enacting red lines in the virtual realm, this paper seeks to critically appraise the contributions of non-state actors to processes of cybersecurity norm-making. The motivation to do so stems from two sources: empirical observations that non-state protagonists have become more involved in issues concerning responsible conduct in cyberspace, and realisations that, so far, academic research has offered little examination of their ideational engagement. Exploring the case of the GCSC, this paper argues that non-state actors have to be taken seriously as normative change agents in cybersecurity governance-related contexts.

Details

Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5038

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 February 2019

Jacinta Nzinga, Gerry McGivern and Mike English

The purpose of this paper is to explore the way “hybrid” clinical managers in Kenyan public hospitals interpret and enact hybrid clinical managerial roles in complex healthcare…

1997

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the way “hybrid” clinical managers in Kenyan public hospitals interpret and enact hybrid clinical managerial roles in complex healthcare settings affected by professional, managerial and practical norms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a case study of two Kenyan district hospitals, involving repeated interviews with eight mid-level clinical managers complemented by interviews with 51 frontline workers and 6 senior managers, and 480 h of ethnographic field observations. The authors analysed and theorised data by combining inductive and deductive approaches in an iterative cycle.

Findings

Kenyan hybrid clinical managers were unprepared for managerial roles and mostly reluctant to do them. Therefore, hybrids’ understandings and enactment of their roles was determined by strong professional norms, official hospital management norms (perceived to be dysfunctional and unsupportive) and local practical norms developed in response to this context. To navigate the tensions between managerial and clinical roles in the absence of management skills and effective structures, hybrids drew meaning from clinical roles, navigating tensions using prevailing routines and unofficial practical norms.

Practical implications

Understanding hybrids’ interpretation and enactment of their roles is shaped by context and social norms and this is vital in determining the future development of health system’s leadership and governance. Thus, healthcare reforms or efforts aimed towards increasing compliance of public servants have little influence on behaviour of key actors because they fail to address or acknowledge the norms affecting behaviours in practice. The authors suggest that a key skill for clinical managers in managers in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) is learning how to read, navigate and when opportune use local practical norms to improve service delivery when possible and to help them operate in these new roles.

Originality/value

The authors believe that this paper is the first to empirically examine and discuss hybrid clinical healthcare in the LMICs context. The authors make a novel theoretical contribution by describing the important role of practical norms in LMIC healthcare contexts, alongside managerial and professional norms, and ways in which these provide hybrids with considerable agency which has not been previously discussed in the relevant literature.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2004

Andrea H. Tapia

The central purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that managers of several IT companies, during the dot‐com bubble, used the myths that were readily available in the wider…

1972

Abstract

The central purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that managers of several IT companies, during the dot‐com bubble, used the myths that were readily available in the wider American culture of the time to motivate and manipulate their employees. These managers motivated their employees to put in long hours at the worksite, to be continually on‐call, to intensify their work pace, and to self police their co‐programming teams. The methods used were qualitative social research including interviews, observations, self‐reported organizational charts and time diaries. This is a single case study conducted during a specific period of time. The implications discussed in this paper may provide insight to the managers of IT personnel who seek to motivate their employees to greater efficiency. This paper adds to a discussion on the role of myth in managing IT personnel.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 April 2016

Lisa Schuster, Krzysztof Kubacki and Sharyn Rundle-Thiele

This paper aims to investigate whether application of a community-based social marketing (CBSM) principle, namely, increasing the visibility of a target behaviour in the…

2149

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether application of a community-based social marketing (CBSM) principle, namely, increasing the visibility of a target behaviour in the community, can change social norms surrounding the behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

A repeated measures quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation’s Walk to School 2013 programme. The target population for the survey were caregivers of primary school children aged between 5-12 years old. The final sample size across the three online surveys administered was 102 respondents.

Findings

The results suggest that the programme increased caregivers’ perceptions that children in their community walked to and from school and that walking to and from school is socially acceptable.

Originality/value

The study contributes to addressing the recent call for research examining the relationship between CBSM principles and programme outcomes. Further, the results provide insight for enhancing the social norms approach, which has traditionally relied on changing social norms exclusively through media campaigns.

Details

Journal of Social Marketing, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-6763

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 69000