Showing papers in "British Journal of Management in 1998"

The Nature, Social Organization and Promotion of Management Research: Towards Policy

Abstract: This paper argues for the distinctiveness of management research and develops a perspective concerning management research policy. It argues that the key defining characteristic of management research is its applied nature, and that its central concern should be ‘the general (engineering) problem of design’. Because a key goal of management research is to improve the relationship between theory and practice, a fundamental concern lies with its diverse nature and the consequential difficulty of integration of sub-disciplines, as well as with the issue of the relevance and the application of findings. As a policy paper, it aims to introduce a limited number of analytical frameworks in order to develop a policy position, thus helping frame the debate concerning the role of management research. Specifically, it achieves this, first by exploring the ontology of management research, examining its form, features, peculiarities and idiosyncrasies using Becher's conceptual schema for exploring the nature of disciplines; second by identifying a requisite form of social organization to support management research activity using the Gibbons et al. taxonomy of knowledge production systems; and finally, by identifying some conclusions, research policy implications, and suggesting a set of policy propositions concerning the conduct of management research.

Attributes of Successful and Unsuccessful Acquisitions of US Firms

Abstract: Acquisitive growth strategies continue to be popular, in spite of increasing evidence that they often do not enhance the financial performance of acquiring firms and may adversely affect innovation. However, some acquisitions are associated with both increases in financial performance and a strengthened commitment to R&D while others experience decreases in both. Multiple theories have been offered to explain acquisitions and their outcomes, but few have received strong empirical support. This paper describes a multiple rater, multiple-case study of acquisitions that had highly favourable outcomes and others that experienced highly unfavourable outcomes. All twelve of the high performing acquisitions studied were found to exhibit the dual characteristics of friendliness during acquisition negotiations and resource complementarities between the two firms. Additionally, debt played an important role in the success (low to moderate debt) or lack of success (high or extraordinary debt) in 21 of the 24 acquisitions studied. Inadequate target evaluation was a factor in 11 of the 12 acquisitions with low performance. Importantly, the results of both sets of acquisitions suggested that a configuration of attributes affected post-acquisition performance. Other findings both supported and contradicted commonly held beliefs about acquisitions, as well as highlighted variables not typically associated with acquisition strategies. The study provides directions for future theory development and empirical research on acquisitions.

Presenteeism, Power and Organizational Change: Long Hours as a Career Barrier and the Impact on the Working Lives of Women Managers

Abstract: This paper discusses the results from a survey on the gendered impact of organizational change and the implications for workloads and working hours. These results suggest that restructuring leads to increased workloads and that the pressure of long working hours is associated with male-dominated organizations. Restructuring is also associated with ‘presenteeism’ (the tendency to stay at work beyond the time needed for effective performance of the job) as fear of redundancy and uncertainty over promotion opportunities lead to a need to demonstrate visible commitment. Such presenteeism was found to be gendered: it is associated with a competitive masculine culture, it is seen by women as a form of ‘male resistance’ to their presence as managers and it imposes heavy costs on women as they attempt to meet the conflicting demands of work and home. This paper suggests that organizational restructuring can produce dysfunctional outcomes such as ‘competitive presenteeism’ (whereby managers compete over who stays longest in the office) and that such outcomes have important gender implications. It concludes that gender mix is a defining feature in how well women fit into the organization and how easily they accommodate to changes in organizational structures and managerial work.

The Meanings of Career Revisited: Implications for Theory and Practice

Abstract: In everyday conversation, the term ‘career’ is generally understood to refer to the sequence of work-related experiences one has over the course of one's working lifetime. For many people, a career is distinct from a job, since it also conjures up images of steady, even logical, progression up organizational hierarchies. It is not simply about what one does for a living, but about what one has done, does now and might do in the future; the notion of career therefore embraces the dimension of time. In light of widespread organizational restructuring and economic uncertainty since the late 1980s, many of the taken-for-granted assumptions which have underpinned traditional notions of career, and in particular the organizational career, no longer seem valid. Both individuals and organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to conceptualize the idea of a logical, long-term sequence of work-related experiences; there is thus no longer a clear and mutual understanding of what the career means to both. This paper argues that individuals and organizations can meaningfully redefine the notion of career by reconsidering its broader, theoretical underpinnings.

Path(ological) Dependency? Core Competencies from an Organizational Perspective

Abstract: The development of the ‘resource-based theory of the firm’ has helped to reorient the field of strategic management towards a focus on the organizational processes and structures which produce ‘core competencies’. By challenging previous assumptions of market determinism this approach seems to open up the prospect of a greater dialogue with the theories and concerns of organization studies. This paper aims to determine the scope of such a dialogue by developing an appreciation and critique of the core competencies framework from an organizational perspective. In this context, the key feature of resource-based theories is seen to be their focus on organizational knowledge rather than decision-making processes as the engine of competitive performance. This focus has a powerful resonance with studies of knowledge in organizations, particularly those forms of knowledge which are linked to product and process design. However, despite the important shift towards a knowledge-based view of competition, the core competencies approach fails to follow the logic of its own argument as far as the organizational appropriation of knowledge is concerned. In their pursuit of an ontological model of competitive performance –defining the essential causes of firm competitiveness – resource-based approaches neglect the socially embedded qualities of organizational knowledge. As a result, the social construction of knowledge, encompassing the dilemmas posed by the employment relationship and the pitfalls of institutionalization, is neglected. Instead, a smoothly linear model is developed linking skills, competence and competitiveness. This mechanistic view is further reinforced by reliance on a command and control model of the management process. Organizational knowledge is not a biddable resource at the disposal of top management.

Managing organizational culture: compliance or genuine change?

Abstract: The issue of managing culture is of key importance within management theory and practice. A number of extant studies have found that attempts to ‘manage’ culture frequently degenerate into the enforcement of espoused behaviours. The objective of this paper is to provide empirical evidence and discussion of the consequences of management attempts to change culture. The paper reviews existing theory pertaining to organizational culture change and presents the desire to control as the rationale for management attempts to modify culture. After a brief discussion of the research design and methodology employed, the findings of a single case study are presented. The findings suggest that within the case study organization, a recent change initiative had resulted in changes to material manifestations, behaviours and in some cases values. However, it is noted that modifications to values could be the result of ‘instrumental value compliance’. The paper culminates with conclusions, implications and suggestions for further research.

Uncertainty, Contrariness and the Double-Bind: Middle Managers' Reactions to their Changing Contracts

Abstract: This article describes the emerging changes in psychological contracts being experienced by British middle managers in relation to their employing organizations, the middle managers' negative reactions to these changes and organizational responses to such negativity By analysing case studies of 16 organizations, a classification of changes to five elements of the psychological contract are identified: knowledge, motivation, goals and means, role behaviour and ethics By analysing the semi-structured interviews of 37 middle managers, selected from a much larger database for their obvious negative reactions, a continuum of such reactions is considered: uncertainty, contrariness and double-bind This consideration leads, then, to suggestions for further research

Safety Culture: The Prediction of Commitment to Safety in the Manufacturing Industry

Abstract: This paper reports one aspect of a large-scale study of safety culture in 13 companies operating in the manufacturing sector in the UK. The study is based on data collected from three different domains of measurement relevant to the description of safety culture: workplace assessments, a survey of employee attitudes to safety – including questionnaire and interview data – and company accident records. The data described in this paper concern the prediction of perceived commitment to safety from employees' attitudes to safety as reported in a self-administered questionnaire. Commitment to safety was used as a marker of the strength of the organization's safety culture. The data showed that employees' attitudes to safety could be modelled in terms of three factors: management actions for safety, the quality of safety training and their personal actions for safety. Their attitudes with regards to management actions for safety showed the strongest relationship to commitment to safety. These attitudes also predicted those regarding the quality of safety training and personal actions for safety. Interestingly, the latter were not related to appraisals of commitment to safety.

Strategic Investment Decision Processes and Organizational Performance: An Empirical Examination

Abstract: The central question that this paper aims to answer is whether there is a relationship between organizational performance and the characteristics of strategic investment decision (SID) processes. To do so, it adopts an empirically derived nine-dimensional framework for classifying SID processes and employs a set of objective and perceptual measures of performance. The empirical results stemming from the process-performance relationship, suggest that higher performance is strongly related to more rational decision-making processes (DMPs); more financial reporting activities; broader participation both in terms of departments and in terms of hierarchical levels. Furthermore, our data suggest that long-term performance appears to be more strongly related to SID processes than short-term performance and the ‘structural’ characteristics of the DMPs (i.e. rationality, financial reporting) are mainly related to long-term objective performance, while such ‘behavioural’ characteristics of the DMPs, as problem-solving dissension, reveal some interesting associations with short-term performance. In light of these findings, implications for theory and future research are advanced

Business Characteristics of Male and Female Small and Medium Enterprises in the UK: Implications for Gender-based Entrepreneurialism and Business Competence Development

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to identify differences, if any, between the characteristics of male and female businesses and to establish whether female businesses do constitute a distinct entrepreneurial group. The paper presents the results of an ongoing study based on a national survey of nearly 6000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. Given that existing research tends to focus, in the main, on the pre-start up and start-up differences, this study aims to identify gender-based differences between male and female owned/managed businesses in their post-formation stage. A gender-based business competence development model is developed and a case is made for what is termed ‘gender-based entrepreneurialism’. It is argued given that established male and female businesses exhibit different characteristics, gender-based entrepreneurialism should be acknowledged and considered by policy makers within the SME sector. Female owned/managed businesses may require differentiated policies beyond the pre-start up and start-up stages for developing business competencies and to nurture their growth and development.

An Empirical Evaluation of Conflict in the Franchise System

Abstract: This paper articulates the theoretical rationale for conflict in franchising, operationalizes conflict through the measurement of franchisee satisfaction and labels empirically supported stratified satisfaction levels. Two propositions are advanced in relation to the drivers of conflict in franchise systems. The first proposition is underpinned by relational exchange theory, which postulates that franchisee–franchisor goal congruence is important to the fulfilment of the alliance efficiencies which motivate inter-organizational forms. Cooperation, communication, coordination and commitment, as perceived by the franchisees, are used in the context of a survey instrument to operationalize goal congruence. The second proposition involves franchisor-provided services. Transaction-cost analysis suggests that long-term contractual relationships must be flexibly interpreted and governed if the relationship is to be maintained over a series of transactions. We propose that the transactional intersection of the franchise system is in franchisor-provided services. The perceived importance and subsequent adequacy of delivery of these services established a tolerance zone within which transactions support and/or enhance the relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee. The empirical objectives of the study are accomplished utilizing a questionnaire sent to nine franchise systems, to which 621 franchisees responded. Three clear clusters of franchisee conflict emerged in near equal proportions. The propositions are supported and illustrated empirically and in CHAID tree diagram form.

Evidence of Managerial Short‐termism in the UK

Abstract: This paper considers an aspect of possible managerial short-termism in the UK. It discusses some potential motivations for that phenomenon and presents evidence which suggests that short-termism exists and is positively associated with managerial perceptions of capital market valuation practices. Two hypotheses were developed and tested using the responses concerning RD and that the extent to which managers behave as hypothesized above is positively associated with their perceptions of the level of emphasis placed by the capital market on measurements related to short-term reported earnings. The results obtained support the hypotheses. Overall, the evidence of the paper is consistent with the view that many finance directors of large UK companies are short-termist in their perceptions and that such short-termism is positively associated with their beliefs about the level of emphasis placed by the capital market on figures of reported earnings.

The 1996 Research Assessment Exercise for Business and Management

Abstract: A substantial component of government funding for university research in the UK is now based upon an evaluation of the quality of research being conducted in each university, on a subject by subject basis. This paper describes the processes involved in the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) for business and management studies. It is argued that the strength of the current process lies in the peer review of the quality of research outputs. In addition, some of the issues needing to be resolved in undertaking such an exercise are described and evaluated. Finally, based on the authors' exposure to the full range of management research currently being conducted in the UK, some suggestions are made regarding future research directions.

Communication between Managers and Staff in the NHS: Trends and Prospects

Abstract: The importance of the role of communication in the success of individual performance in social and business life is now widely recognized. Within organizations, effective internal communication between managers and staff is vital to organizational success. This is particularly so during periods of change, when staff uncertainty increases and there is an increased need for greater amounts of information and more frequent communication. Staff in the NHS have recently experienced some quite dramatic changes in their working practices. This paper therefore examines the current state of communication within the NHS and the implications which this poses for the overall functioning of the organization. In particular, the relationship between communication and the motivation of staff is described. The nature of communication audits, the main research approach used to assesses communication effectiveness, is then delineated, and areas of the NHS chosen for analysis by this means are proposed. The results of a series of audits are summarized. Problems in information flow, use of information sources and channels, the timeliness of information exchanged, the extent to which people send information to each other and the quality of working relationships are identified. The implications of these findings for the NHS and general views of management are considered.

Towards Integrating Emotions into Strategic Management Research: Trait Affect and Perceptions of the Strategic Environment

Abstract: This paper describes an empirical investigation of the associations between trait negative affect and perceptions of the strategic environment. Data were collected from two samples of managers undertaking a distance learning MBA course (n = 59, n = 272). In the smaller sample, significant correlations were found between negative affectivity and perceptions of poor organizational performance and industry complexity. These results were replicated in the larger sample, after controlling for other variables. Additionally, negative affectivity was found to be related to perceived industry growth, and marginally related to perceived industry competitiveness.

The Limits of Flexibility: the Case of UK Television

Abstract: The organization of the UK television industry has undergone radical change in the last ten years in response to a concerted programme of regulatory change and rapid technological development. It has been seen by some commentators as an exemplar of flexible specialization and of further evidence that mass production methods have become increasingly obsolescent. Vertically disintegrated, flexibly specialized forms of organization are, on this view, best placed to cope with increasing product diversity, competition and uncertainty. This paper argues that the experience of television in the UK bears little resemblance to the model of flexible specialization. Indeed, the response of firms to changing product market conditions has not been to embrace vertical disintegration but to re-establish traditional organizational structures. Transaction-costs analysis, while providing a number of useful insights into the development of organizational structures within television, also fails to take account of the complex web of forces determining the degree of horizontal and vertical integration in the sector.

Self‐managed Teams: Assessing the Benefits for Small Service‐sector Firms

Abstract: In recent years the concept of the self-managed team has gained in popularity as Western nations have struggled to remain competitive in world markets. Claims that autonomous working can contribute significantly to enhancing employee productivity, product innovation and quality management appear mainly based on anecdotal evidence extracted from single-firm case studies. In an attempt to close identified theoretical and empirical gaps about autonomous working, a larger-scale quantitative assessment of self-managed teams in small UK service-sector firms was undertaken. Although the results confirm that self-managed teams can contribute to improving certain aspects of performance, the scale of impact seems much less than that suggested in many articles. Furthermore, in certain circumstances it appears that a move to self-managed teams in small service-sector firms may have a somewhat negative impact on certain aspects of organizational capability. The question is raised, therefore, whether autonomous working should be strongly advocated as an important contributor to enhancing the competitiveness of small service-sector firms.

Managers' Perceptions of their Identity: A Comparative Study between the Czech Republic and Britain

Abstract: After a period of more that 40 years of Communism, the Czech Republic is in the midst of an economic transformation. One aspect of this transformation is the development of a new managerial ethos, important to manage the current infrastructural changes and ensure that Czech organizations are able to compete in international markets. This paper reports research that examines what Czech managers think about themselves and their roles, and contrasts these perceptions with those of their British counterparts. Many of the concepts and development approaches being applied in the Czech Republic are closely related to concepts and development approaches in the West and have often been accepted unchallenged even though they are being applied in very different circumstances. The focus of this research was to understand how Czech and British managers view their jobs; how their different views relate to the techniques and approaches they adopt. The method chosen was discourse analysis applied to responses from a questionnaire, interviews and repertory grid technique. Using this approach a very different kind of understanding was gained in the way Czech managers think about management than has hitherto been assumed. The research takes a matched group of Czech and British managers and contrasts their respective views. Our findings give important new insights for management and management development practice for both the Czech Republic and Great Britain.

Patterns of Profit-sharing in Professional Firms^

Abstract: Examines the extent to which new forms of profit-sharing based on individual performance have been introduced in professional firms. Data on large law firms; Results showing that profit-sharing are limited in scope; Possible link with the more systematic control of the core of professional staff and more business-like methods of managing; Factors driving profit-sharing policies.

Business Ethics and Social Theory: Postmodernizing the Ethical

Abstract: This exploratory paper is concerned with the conditions of possibility of business ethics from the viewpoint of social theory. The paper begins with a description of the tensions between moral philosophy and pragmatic managerialism that largely constitute the field of business ethics. It then explores some of the elements of this field – focusing particularly on the identity of ethics, the difference between ethics and morals and the tension between stories of nostalgia and modernization. The following section frames the problem of ethics in terms of modern and postmodern epistemologies which then leads into a (postmodern) attempt to undermine the notions of ‘decision’ and ‘judgement’ that must be central to any (modern) conception of ethics. The paper concludes with some speculations on the relevance and irrelevance of contributions like this to thinking, teaching and writing business ethics.

Evolving Perceptions of Clinical Management in Acute Hospitals in England

Abstract: Clinical management is at the centre of organizational change in the contemporary British hospital sector, and throws up important questions about the relationship between medicine and management. Through the analysis of business planning as a key organizational process the interpretative frameworks which guide the perceptions of the roles of clinical directors and directorate managers can be understood. This paper presents empirical material from a study of an acute hospital trust going through a full business planning cycle, and traces the evolving interpretations of the nature, content and form of clinical management. It also provides insights into the changing face of the medical profession and its place within the health services domain.

UK International Joint Ventures with the Triad: Evidence for the 1990s

Abstract: This paper identifies and analyses some basic trends and patterns in international joint venture activity between UK firms and partner firms located in the Triad (North America, Western Europe and Japan) over the 1990–96 period. Several dimensions of UK international joint venture activity are examined: trends over time, geographic distribution of foreign partners, industry characteristics, the purpose of the venture, the number of partners and the UK partners' equity shareholding. The study serves to update and extend previous analyses of UK international joint venture activity with partners from developed market economies.

Evaluating the Applicability of the Miles and Snow Typology in a Regulated Public Utility Environment

Abstract: This paper examines and evaluates the applicability of the Miles and Snow organizational strategy, structure and process model to the electricity distribution and supply industry of England and Wales (ESI), and specifically the regional electricity companies (RECs). In the past such generic strategy models have principally been applied to industries that conform to the traditional free-market paradigm, and doubt has been cast upon their applicability in non-traditional environments. This paper argues in contrast that generic strategies are of considerable value in the regulated industries, especially those developing new strategies to address major change, such as the approach of full competition. As a feature of this process, the paper also examines some of the differences and similarities between the ESI and the traditional free-market paradigm. However, having argued for the use of such strategies, it is necessary to make various amendments to enhance the applicability of the model. These amendments and the characteristics of new generic strategies are described.

Configuration and Coordination at Subsidiary Level: Foreign Manufacturing Affiliates in the UK

Abstract: This paper develops Porter's (1986) well-known configuration/coordination paradigm for strategy at corporate level into a model that may be applied to identify and evaluate strategy at subsidiary level. Four strategy types are identified: detached subsidiary (corresponding to Porter's export-based corporate strategy), autarchic subsidiary (corresponding to the country-centred corporate strategy), confederate strategy (corresponding to high foreign investment with extensive coordination), and the strategic auxiliary (purest global strategy). Empirical data were obtained from a postal survey of 500 randomly chosen foreign manufacturing affiliates in the UK, of which 171 responded. The proposed strategy types were identified using cluster analysis and verified using analysis of variance. The four subsidiary strategy types were found to be separated by a number of operational variables including market scope, flows of material inputs and outputs, the nature of manufacturing technology employed and the degree of R&D complexity. The proposed framework was thus found to be useful and robust.

Using CEO Succession to Integrate Acquired Organizations: A Contingency Analysis

Abstract: The study proposes that organizations engaged in related acquisition may encourage CEO succession as a mechanism for integrating acquired organizations. Further, we suggest that the risk of CEO succession at the time of acquisition will vary based on the need for integrative action and the power of acquired organizations. Results show that CEO succession is more likely when the participating organizations have incompatible types of ownership and when acquired CEOs have longer tenure than their counterparts. Conversely, the probability of CEO succession is lower among larger acquired organizations. Performance of the acquired organization does not affect the relationship between related acquisition and CEO succession.

The Impact of the Multi-divisional Structure on Organizational Slack: The Contingency of Diversification Strategy

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between multi-divisional (M-form) structure and organizational slack. Findings based on longitudinal analysis data from 62 firms indicate that M-form implementation increases the firm's capacity to manage absorbed slack in the cases of vertically integrated and related diversified firms, and unabsorbed slack in the case of unrelated diversified firms.

Professional Temporary Agencies, Women and Professional Discretion: Implications for Organizations and Management

Abstract: There are a disproportionate number of professional women working through temporary agencies. We develop a theory wherein this gender skewness in temporary-agency employment results from the differences in perceptions of control at work between men and women working through large traditional organizations. Our theory suggests that if control is perceived to be less for women than for men in large organizations, then women will tend to populate other work arrangements, like temporary agencies, in order to enhance their control. Propositions are tested via a unique data set comparing the responses of employees from both a London temporary accountancy agency and a large London accountancy firm. Our results are consistent with a lack of control driving professional women from large firms to temporary agencies, and neither rely on preference differences nor familial obligations.

UK Privatization: Its Impact on Procurement

Abstract: This study is concerned with changes in procurement and supply chain management in UK privatized companies. In most cases, privatization requires the organization to develop a completely new approach. This is because of the change in ownership and the new competitive environment into which the company moves. Part of this reassessment of the business by senior management can be expected to include procurement. The paper focuses on the nature and direction of the changes in procurement associated with privatization, based on research into the privatized sector in Britain. The method adopted involves an extensive questionnaire completed by 28 major companies privatized in the UK, followed up by interviews with twelve of these companies. Questions centre on the following key areas: changes in the structure of procurement, procurement strategy, the role and profile of procurement within the company, attitudes to outsourcing and supplier performance and changes in approach to assessing the performance of the procurement function. Our results indicate extensive change. Although cost reduction is often a driver of these changes, as the companies strive to reduce costs to meet City expectations and best practice in the private sector, another consideration is the contribution that procurement can make to the overall strategy of the company, so as to gain and maintain competitive advantage.

Application of TQM Principles in the International Technology Transfer Process of Industrial Production Plants: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract: This paper attempts to illustrate the application of the principles in Total Quality Management (TQM) to the International Technology Transfer (ITT) processes used in industrial production plants. Disaggregated analysis of the ‘technology transformation’ process is deployed to highlight the application of TQM. AT&T's ‘customer–supplier’ model of quality is introduced to explain the interactive roles of the parties involved. It argues that the existing literature deals inadequately with the issues raised and discussed in this paper. A conceptual ITT-TQM model is proposed. Such a model should ensure proper assimilation of imported technology and permit continuous improvement of the processes leading to the customer satisfaction. It is suggested that the success of the model depends on the ‘win-win-win’ strategies of the supplier, the process owner and the customer. Examples from various sources are presented to reinforce the argument. In addition, international standards such as the ISO 9000 standard and frameworks for TQM such as the US Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the European Quality Award (European Foundation for Quality Management) are posited as necessary to ensure quality technology transfer.

Still Searching for Excellence? International Accounting and the World's Most Outstanding Companies

Abstract: This paper measures the effect of accounting policy choices in the context of Davis, Flanders and Star's (DFS) (1991) league table of the world's most outstanding companies. Our study is an investigation of the robustness of the research underlying Kay (1993). The sensitivity of the rankings to the three major conventions that are used in calculating added value are examined: depreciation policy, the estimation of the cost of capital inputs and consistency of international generally accepted accounting principles. The key finding is that the degree of disruption caused by international accounting differences is likely to be the most material. It is equivalent, in this study, to a 60% increase in the cost of capital or an 80% change in the depreciation lives of fixed assets. After adjusting towards consistent international accounting, we now find that four Japanese companies appear in the top ten. Before adjustment there were none.