HEC Montréal

About: HEC Montréal is a education organization based out in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Vehicle routing problem. The organization has 1221 authors who have published 5708 publications receiving 196862 citations. The organization is also known as: Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales de Montreal & HEC Montreal.

Roles, Authority and Involvement of the Management Accounting Function: A Multiple Case-study Perspective

Abstract: Recent techniques and shifts in the environment are often viewed as leading management accountants to adopt a business orientation. However, empirical evidence pointing to clear shifts in the role played by management accountants remains relatively scarce. From in-depth qualitative research based on 73 interviews in ten multinational companies, we identify four distinct styles of management accounting function: discrete, safeguarding, partner, and omnipotent. We show that each style can be associated with one main role: discrete control of managerial behaviour, socialisation of managers, facilitation of decision-making, and centralisation of power. From this in-depth analysis of management accountants' styles and roles we move on to discuss the authority they hold and the independence/involvement dilemma they face.

Ownership versus Management Effects on Performance in Family and Founder Companies: A Bayesian Reconciliation

Abstract: We employ agency theory to argue that the effects of family (and founder) ownership vs. management will be quite different: the former is expected to contribute positively to performance, the latter is argued to erode performance. Previous studies, due to problems of multicollinearity have been unable to distinguish these effects. Using a Bayesian approach that avoids these problems, we find that whereas family and founder ownership are associated with superior performance, the results for family and even founder management are more ambiguous. Our study is the first to assess the distinctive performance effects of family and founder presence in both ownership and management.

Combining multicriteria analysis and tabu search for dial-a-ride problems

Abstract: In the Dial-a-Ride Problem (DARP) the aim is to design vehicle routes for a set of users who must be transported between given origin and destination pairs, subject to a variety of side constraints. The standard DARP objective is cost minimization. In addition to cost, the objectives considered in this paper include three terms related to quality of service. This gives rise to a multicriteria problem. The problem is solved by means of a flexible and simple metaheuristic which efficiently integrates the reference point method for multicriteria optimization within a tabu search mechanism. Extensive tests were performed on randomly generated data and on real-life data provided by a major transporter in the Montreal area. Results indicate that the algorithm can yield a rich set of non-dominated solutions. It can also be employed to determine good trade-offs between cost and quality of service.

Introduction: What is Strategy as Practice?

Abstract: In recent years, Strategy as Practice has emerged as a distinctive approach for studying strategic management, organizational decision-making and managerial work (Whittington 1996 ; Johnson et al . 2003 ; Jarzabkowski et al . 2007 ). It focuses on the micro-level social activities, processes and practices that characterize organizational strategy and strategizing. This provides not only an organizational perspective into strategy but also a strategic angle for examining the process of organizing, and thereby serves as a useful research programme and social movement for connecting contemporary strategic management research with practiceoriented organizational studies. Strategy as Practice can be regarded as an alternative to the mainstream strategy research via its attempt to shift attention away from merely a focus on the effects of strategies on performance alone to a more comprehensive, in-depth analysis of what actually takes place in strategic planning, strategy implementation and other activities that deal with strategy. In other words, Strategy as Practice research is interested in the ‘black box’ of strategy work that once led the research agenda in strategic management research (Mintzberg 1973 ; Mintzberg and Waters 1985 ; Pettigrew 1973 ), but has thereafter been replaced by other issues, not least because of the increasing dominance of the micro-economic approach and a methodological preoccupation with statistical analysis. Because of its micro-level focus, studies following the Strategy as Practice agenda tend to draw on theories and apply methods that differ from the common practices of strategy scholars. In this way, Strategy as Practice research can contribute to the evolution of strategic management as a discipline and body of knowledge with new theories and methodological choices. It would, however, be a mistake not to link Strategy as Practice research to the broader ‘practice turn’ in contemporary social sciences. In fact, ‘practice’ has emerged as a key concept for understanding central questions about how agency and structure, and individual action and institutions are linked in social systems, cultures and organizations (Bourdieu 1990 ; Foucault 1977 ; Giddens 1984 ; de Certeau 1984 ; Sztompka 1991 ; Schatzki 2002 ). This practice turn is visible in many areas of the social sciences today, including organizational research (Brown and Duguid 1991 ; Orlikowski 2000 ; Nicolini et al . 2003 ). It is about time that we utilized this paradigm to enrich our understanding of organizational strategizing. ‘Practice’ is a very special concept in that it allows researchers to engage in a direct dialogue with practitioners. Studying practices enables one to examine issues that are directly relevant to those who are dealing with strategy, either as strategists engaged in strategic planning or other activities linked with strategy, or as those who have to cope with the strategies and their implications. By so doing, studies under this broad umbrella promise to accomplish something which is rare in contemporary management and organization research: to advance our theoretical understanding in a way that has practical relevance for managers and other organizational members. Like any emergent research approach, Strategy as Practice can either develop into a clearly defi ned but narrow theoretico-methodological perspective, or it can grow into an open and versatile research programme that is constantly stretching its boundaries. A key motivation behind this handbook is to

An experimental investigation of factors affecting consumers' perceptions of sales promotions

Abstract: This paper reports the results of an experimental study where four characteristics of premium‐based sales promotions were manipulated in the context of a computer purchase: the attractiveness of the premium, the extent to which it fits the product category, the reception delay of the premium, and the mention of its value. The results show that these factors had interactive effects on consumer reactions. Thus, although the attractiveness of the premium generally had a positive impact on consumer appreciation of the promotional offer, a promotion including an unattractive premium was nevertheless positively evaluated if the premium was a good fit to the product category. Sales promotions, including a premium that fits well the product category, were less likely to be perceived as manipulative. However, if the product‐premium fit was poor and the premium was not attractive, mentioning the value of the premium helped to reduce the perceptions of manipulation intent. It is concluded that more research is needed on this managerially relevant topic in light of the complex dynamics that appear to underlie the relationships between the characteristics of premium‐based promotions and consumer reactions.