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1 – 10 of 17Radical changes and increasing competition in the global economy and markets lead enterprises to change their business policy and activities. This process demands the creation of…
Abstract
Purpose
Radical changes and increasing competition in the global economy and markets lead enterprises to change their business policy and activities. This process demands the creation of effective organizational learning mechanisms. This paper seeks to illustrate how three service organizations designed and utilized organizational learning mechanisms to introduce a successful, new corporate brand.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology was based on interviews and hard data collection. These techniques were found most appropriate for learning and understanding in‐depth organizational transformation processes.
Findings
Two main research findings can be noted. The first is that there are various mechanisms of learning organizations that can improve organizational performance and reputation. The second is that any organizational learning mechanism should be based on the on‐going active involvement of internal stakeholders (employees) both as individuals and as teams.
Originality/value
This paper provides a unique understanding of three dimensions of organizational learning (cognitive, structural and procedural) and their impact on designing a new corporate brand strategy. The research, conducted in three different service organizations, gives new significance to the notion of collaboration
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Yoram Mitki, Ram Herstein and Eugene D. Jaffe
The traditional approach to building a corporate identity relies on a managerial advertising view and is conducted mainly by external consultancy companies. The aim of this study…
Abstract
Purpose
The traditional approach to building a corporate identity relies on a managerial advertising view and is conducted mainly by external consultancy companies. The aim of this study is to introduce a different approach to building a corporate identity that is based on an effective learning mechanism focused on internal stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
In‐depth interviews with senior bank management were conducted to determine the way in which a new corporate identity was designed and implemented. In addition, written documentation relating to the process of managing the identity was examined as a case study of a subsidiary of an Israeli bank.
Findings
The case demonstrates that designing an effective learning mechanism based on internal stakeholders' participation is crucial for the assimilation of a new corporate identity. It has also meaningful impact on increasing profitability and improving satisfaction both among workers and clients.
Practical implications
On the basis of this case study, a practical framework of designing and implementing a corporate identity is presented, based on learning objectives and a learning mechanism. This conceptual framework can serve managers interested in adopting a systemic and holistic approach to building a sustainable corporate identity as well as researchers who may use the framework for the study of companies who are in the process of changing their identity.
Originality/value
The study provides an important insight to the process of designing of corporate identity in the banking industry and better understanding of learning mechanisms that foster its assimilation.
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Yoram Mitki, A.B. (Rami) Shani and Torbjörn Stjernberg
The purpose of this paper is to advance a framework for the exploration of system transformation that includes leadership roles, contextual mess and triggering events, designing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to advance a framework for the exploration of system transformation that includes leadership roles, contextual mess and triggering events, designing and managing sustainable learning mechanisms, managing a variety of balancing acts, creating shared understanding and, transforming shared understanding into action.
Design/methodology/approach
A five‐phased longitudinal research of one organization – Kibbutz Shefayim– during 12 years: semi‐structured interviews (60‐120 minutes each) with Kibbutz members representing a wide range of views and experiences in 1993; collecting and reviewing of Kibbutz internal “raw” documents that related to changes that occurred during the past 12 years, and; follow‐up semi structured interviews in 1998, 2001 and 2005. The interviewed members were asked to describe the nature of the changes that had taken place since the previous interview, including reasons, mechanisms, results and impacts.
Findings
The findings suggest that leading system change requires managerial orientation that is centered on balancing acts embedded in on going dialogue and the design of learning mechanisms. The paper advances a specific set of balancing acts and discusses their implications for leading system wide transformation.
Research limitations/limitations
This research was conducted within one organization. Further longitudinal replications in other Kibbutz‐based systems are under way.
Practical implications
The proposed view of leadership as a balancing act seems to capture the experience of many managers in the twenty‐first century. The findings suggest that some of the critical success factors for system‐wide transformation centers on the leaders' ability to sustain the following activities: continuous effort at bringing the outside forces into alignment with the internal forces; utilizing triggering events as levers for continuous change, and the purposeful design and management of learning mechanisms.
Originality/value
Adds to the literature on the exploration of system transformation and includes leadership roles, contextual mess and triggering events, designing and managing sustainable learning mechanisms, managing a variety of balancing acts, creating shared understanding and, transforming shared understanding into action.
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To present the role of innovative training in the design and assimilation process of a new corporate identity.
Abstract
Purpose
To present the role of innovative training in the design and assimilation process of a new corporate identity.
Design/methodology/approach
The article is based on a description of the design process of a new corporate identity and its assimilation by a hotel chain management company. Data were gathered by in‐depth interviews with members of the company's management, namely its CEO, marketing manager and human resources manager and five hotel managers. In addition, written material was analyzed, including business and operational reports.
Findings
The innovative training approach, which is based on continuous involvement of all organization members, is an effective mechanism for designing, building and adapting corporate identities in an era characterized by significant changes in the business‐marketing environment. This approach enables the company to rapidly assimilate the new identity and improve business results. The active involvement of internal stakeholders during the formulation stages of the organizational vision, and later, when determining the training mechanism for its assimilation, contributes to the satisfaction of both employees and clients, minimizes employee turnover, and enhances the organization's reputation.
Originality/value
This article illustrates how innovative training assists organization managements in designing and assimilating new corporate identities. It differentiates between supportive training and innovative training, indicating both the connection between innovative training and organizational learning and the contribution of the employees in implementing the corporate identity.
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Ram Herstein, Yoram Mitki and Eugene D. Jaffe
In recent years, the field of corporate identity management has grown substantially in importance in the hospitality industry. Managers of hotels have become increasingly…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, the field of corporate identity management has grown substantially in importance in the hospitality industry. Managers of hotels have become increasingly interested in learning methods that have been successful in communicating a new corporate identity. The purpose of this case study is to document the design and implementation of new corporate identity communication process.
Design/methodology/approach
This article describes a holistic process of designing a new corporate identity for a leading hotel management group, with a focus on implementation of its corporate communication process.
Findings
The case study described here suggests that corporate identity communication occurs at four levels – internal and external, formal and informal – and provides a strategic framework for any hotel chain management in implementing a new corporate identity.
Originality/value
This case study adds a new element to the process of communicating image/identity to internal and external stakeholders in the hospitality industry.
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The purpose of this case study is to trace the process by which the new management of an airline company sought to implement a premium service strategy and to assimilate this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this case study is to trace the process by which the new management of an airline company sought to implement a premium service strategy and to assimilate this strategy into its organizational culture, with the aim of positioning the company as a high‐quality airline with a place among the leading international airline companies.
Design/methodology/approach
In‐depth semi‐structured interviews with the chairman, CEO, marketing manager, service manager, human resource manager and employees from different units were held during a period of four months. In addition, documents (reports, industry analyses, newspaper publications, and periodical reports) relating to the change process were collected and reviewed.
Findings
The case study suggests that any attempt by an airline company to change its service culture and to reach high‐quality standards should be led by a planned strategy which fully involves employees, utilizing their knowledge and experience. This should be done through a well‐thought‐out process designed to ascertain customers' concerns and needs, the types of service changes required to meet these needs, and practical steps that can be taken to implement these changes.
Originality/value
This case depicts a unique process of creating a premium‐service culture based on the provision of high‐quality personal service both before the flight, during the flight and after landing.
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Ram Herstein, Yoram Mitki and Eugene D. Jaffe
The objective of this case study is to present the Israel Cancer Association's (ICA) focused approach to promoting the concept of fighting breast cancer, using an integrated…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this case study is to present the Israel Cancer Association's (ICA) focused approach to promoting the concept of fighting breast cancer, using an integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a field‐based case study. In‐depth interviews have been used for data collection with the CEO, marketing management and spokesperson. The case is presented in a chronological order and presents the move from a corporate identity based on monolithic approach to an endorsed corporate identity strategy.
Findings
Results of the new communication process showed that the percentage of people in the general Israeli public who perceive the ICA as an organization that has the objective to fight against breast cancer has increased by more than 20 percent since the campaign was launched. As a result of the association's focus over the past five years on promoting the fight against breast cancer, the amount of money it has raised among the general public and businesses has risen by 15 percent since the start of the new promotional campaign. Research data show that the percentage of women being checked jumped from 50 to 62 percent during this period.
Originality/value
This marketing approach has increasingly become the modus operandi of cancer associations throughout the world. These associations have moved from their out‐dated work patterns to IMC strategy approaches. Other non‐profit organizations pondering the issue of how to cope with a large number of objectives, on the one hand, and many target audiences, on the other hand, may find this framework useful.
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Ram Herstein, Yoram Mitki and Eugene D. Jaffe
The importance of corporate image management in the airline industry has increased substantially in recent years. More and more managers of airline companies have found themselves…
Abstract
Purpose
The importance of corporate image management in the airline industry has increased substantially in recent years. More and more managers of airline companies have found themselves changing their company's corporate image in order to ensure a more modern and updated identity. The purpose of this case study is to trace the new corporate image communication design and implementation phases of the privatization process of El Al airlines.
Design/methodology/approach
This article explores the transition process of a government‐owned airline with a popular‐national image to a private company with an exclusive‐national image, focusing on the implementation of its new corporate image communication process.
Findings
The case study described here suggests that the corporate image communication process of a company that has become a private entity should be holistic and takes place on four levels – internal and external, formal and informal.
Originality/value
This unique case study adds a new element to the process of communicating image to internal and external stakeholders in the airline industry and other service sectors that are becoming increasingly privatized. El Al airlines transitioned from government ownership to private hands, a process that required the implementation of drastic changes in terms of service quality management standards. It is quite rare to find companies in the airline sector that have undergone privatization.
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Yoram Mitki, A.B. (Rami) Shani and Zvi Meiri
The firm’s structural inertia seems to be a crucial roadblock in continuous improvement efforts. The management paradigm shift required in the transition towards a continuous…
Abstract
The firm’s structural inertia seems to be a crucial roadblock in continuous improvement efforts. The management paradigm shift required in the transition towards a continuous improvement culture is from individual‐based learning to system‐based learning. Explores the role of an organizational learning mechanism in overcoming the barriers for continuous improvement. Examines the implications of the creation of a parallel learning structure mechanism and its concomitant impact on continuous improvement in a paper mill firm over an eight‐year period. Concludes with the identification and discussion of some theoretical issues.
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During the past several years, many hotel management firms have changed their corporate identities. Such corporate identities are based primarily on one of the following three…
Abstract
Purpose
During the past several years, many hotel management firms have changed their corporate identities. Such corporate identities are based primarily on one of the following three approaches: monolithic, endorsed and branded. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of designing a corporate identity for a hotel chain management firm based on the transition from a branded corporate identity to an endorsement corporate identity.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes the transition from a branded corporate identity to an endorsement corporate identity as undergone by the Fattals Hotel Management Group, which manages a chain of 12 hotels. The paper examines the various stages of the process, from the decision to change the company's identity up to the final stage of examining the results.
Findings
The case presented here illustrates the extent to which assimilating the new identity requires the cooperation of all members of the organization and must be executed both vertically (top‐down and bottom‐up) and horizontally.
Originality/value
This case study, which presents differences between the various strategies adopted by the company during its identity change from one extreme approach to another, adds a new element to the process of creating and assimilating corporate image in the hospitality industry.
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