Showing papers in "Development and Learning in Organizations in 2010"

Employee learning orientation, transformational leadership, and employee creativity: the mediating role of employee creative self-efficacy

Abstract: We examined the relationship between employee creativity and job performance. Furthermore, we identified two learning-related personal and situational variables—employee learning orientation and transformational leadership—and examined their effects on employee creativity through employee creative self-efficacy. We found that employee creativity was positively related to employee sales and to supervisor-rated employee job performance. Employee learning orientation and transformational leadership were positively related to employee creativity, and these relationships were mediated by employee creative self-efficacy. We discuss the implications of these findings for creativity theory and research, as well as for management practice.

When does benevolent leadership lead to creativity? The moderating role of creative role identity and job autonomy

Abstract: The present study identified creative role identity and job autonomy as two moderators that influence the relationship between benevolent leadership, a leadership style that prevails in paternalistic contexts, and creativity. Using 167 dyads of supervisor and subordinate as a sample, we found that both creative role identity and job autonomy have significant moderating effects: When each moderator is high, the positive relationship between benevolent leadership and creativity is stronger; when each moderator is low, this relationship is weaker. Our results suggest that the effect of benevolent leadership upon creativity is dependent on the coexistence of important individual and contextual factors. Copyright # 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Organizational trust: a cultural perspective

Abstract: The globalized nature of modern organizations presents new and intimidating challenges for effective relationship building. Organizations and their employees are increasingly being asked to manage unfamiliar relationships with unfamiliar parties. These relationships not only involve working across different national cultures, but also dealing with different organizational cultures, different professional cultures and even different internal constituencies. Managing such differences demands trust. This book brings together research findings on organizational trust-building across cultures. Established trust scholars from around the world consider the development and maintenance of trust between, for example, management consultants and their clients, senior international managers from different nationalities, different internal organizational groupings during times of change, international joint ventures, and service suppliers and the local communities they serve. These studies, set in a wide variety of national settings, are an important resource for academics, students and practitioners who wish to know more about the nature of cross-cultural trust-building in organizations. • Incorporates the full range of different methodological approaches allowing readers to appreciate the utility and richness of qualitative methods • Presents a truly international perspective with studies of trust building in different national settings, including the United States, Britain, Germany, France, China, Ghana, Lebanon, Nigeria, and Turkey • Includes contributions from the leading trust scholars in North America, Europe and elsewhere in the world

Impact and scholarship: unlearning and practising to co-create actionable knowledge

Abstract: This essay explores what is impact, why it matters and how it may be demon- strated through management scholarship that integrates both rigour and relevance. Attention is drawn to the importance of understanding the dynamic nature of practice and practising as critical processes that set important foundations for extending both the questions we ask and the ways in which we ask the questions that shape scholarship. A central message from this analysis is the importance of unlearning asking questions with research users so that the knowledge co-created can be actionable. The author illustrates how these issues can support management scholarship to deliver the impact it can have and highlights the importance of capturing the process of co-creating knowledge and facilitating knowledge integration as two areas for future Management and Organ- izational Learning scholarship. Possible avenues in which Management Learning can support the demonstration of impactful scholarship are also proposed. Key Words: actionable knowledge; co-creation; impact; practice; practising; unlearning

When Web 2.0 becomes an organizational learning tool: evaluating Web 2.0 tools

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the link between Web 2.0 and organizational learning through a framework that assesses its adaptability as a learning tool.Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper using arguments from organizational learning literature.Findings – The authors show that, as learning tools, Web 2.0 tools should be able to create interaction, enable knowledge sharing, access pre‐knowledge, and generate and store new knowledge.Research limitations/implications – The constructs are stepping stones towards a complete learning organization.Practical implications – The proposed framework brings organizations closer to prioritizing and evaluating learning tools and aligning them to dynamic social interactions in the workplace.Social implications – The proposed framework can inform the development of policies and procedures concerning the use of Web 2.0 tools by employees in the workplace.Originality/value – The framework opens a new insight to the evaluation p...

Tacit knowledge sharing: techniques for putting a powerful tool in practice

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline techniques for developing and encouraging tacit knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approach – These techniques are drawn from research and practical experience in improving worker knowledge sharing.Findings – Some highly useful and broadly applicable ways to increase tacit knowledge sharing – when supported by an organizational reward system – are organizationally developed wikis, town hall meetings, and mentor programs.Originality/value – This paper provides specific suggestions on tacit knowledge sharing methods for increased organizational performance.

Plodders, pragmatists, visionaries and opportunists: career patterns and employability

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore individual approaches to career and employability through the career stories of a group of mid‐level to senior managers in career transition. Career patterns are identified and then compared with traditional, boundaryless and protean models of career. The study aims to consider the extent to which individuals in this group had adopted behaviours supportive of future employability as opposed to behaviours more in line with traditional careers.Design/methodology/approach – The research adopted an interpretive and qualitative approach. In‐depth interviews were conducted with people currently going through a career transition program. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed, coded and analysed using NVivo, a qualitative research software tool.Findings – Career patterns appeared to be shifting away from traditional careers and more towards protean and boundaryless models. There was evidence of increased responsibility for career self‐management and of...

Market orientation, NPD performance, and organizational performance in small firms

Abstract: Many studies have established relationships among market orientation, new product performance, and organiza-tional performance; however, few have examined these relationships in small firms. Where small firms have beenexamined, the results suggest that the relationships identified in large firms do not always apply in small firms.Previous research has linked market orientation with organizational performance, with several authors demon-strating that market orientation increases new product success and thereby improves organizational performance.Ensuring optimal newproduct performance is essential forsmall firms, particularlyin lightof the strong relationshipbetween new product success and a company’s health. However, given that the success rate of new products world-wide has been low, increasing understanding of what drives new product performance is critical. Measures of newproduct success can be grouped into five categories: (1) market-level measures; (2) financial measures; (3) cus-tomer-acceptance measures; (4) product-level measures; and (5) timing measures. In small firms, the most fre-quently used success measures are customer-acceptance and product-level measures; however, a link between thenew product measures used and organizational success has not been established. This paper presents a model linkingmarket orientation, new product performance, and organizational performance in small firms. The model was ex-plored using data collected from 106 small firms in Ireland. The results show significant relationships among marketorientation, new product performance, and organizational performance. However, when these relationships are ex-plored in more detail, it emerges that of the three measures used for market orientation only one—competitororientation—is significantly linked with new product performance. Additionally, of the five measures used for newproduct performance only two—market performance and financial performance—are linked with organizationalperformance. The findings of this study demonstrate that small firms report significantly lower levels of competitororientation than customer orientation or interfunctional coordination. However, competitor orientation is the onlydimension of market orientation that is significant in predicting new product performance. Small firms also performsignificantly better on product-level and customer-acceptance new product performance measures than on market-level, financial,ortimingmeasures.Thestudymakesfourrecommendationsforsmallfirms.First,small firmsshouldkeep a closer eye on their competitors, improving their understanding of what products competitors offer, whycustomers do or don’t buy competitor products, how they attract customers, and how satisfied customers are withcompetitors’ products.Second, they needto bemore aware of the impact that new products will have ontheir marketposition in terms of volume, sales growth, revenue, and market share. Third, small firms need to put more effort intomeasuring the financial performance of their new products, for example, development costs, contribution, profit-ability, and return on investment (ROI) or internal rate of return (IRR). Finally, small firms should attempt to bemore objective in efforts to satisfy customers and to avoid overfocusing on a small number customers to the det-riment of increasing market share.

Greening of business schools: a systemic view

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a model for the analysis of business schools as creators, disseminators, and adopters of knowledge on environmental management.Design/methodology/approach – A review of the importance of higher education institutions for sustainability, and more specifically, about their relevance for the creation, diffusion, and adoption of knowledge on environmental management is performed. Guided by this reflection, a model for analyzing the contributions of business schools for expertise in environmental management is proposed. This model considers that activities such as teaching, research, extension community, and university management are elementary for these schools. For each addressed topic, empirical evidence on how some business schools and universities are addressing the environmental dimension in its activities is presented.Findings – The paper's discussions lead the reader to a draft of the evolutionary stages of business schools' contribution for environment...

Experiential learning – a way to develop agile minds in the knowledge economy?

Abstract: Purpose – Technology development over the past 20 years has radically increased the options we have in developing skills. Today's “new frontier” requires fresh approaches to developing agile minds and workforce capability. Experiential learning, an age‐old approach refreshed by recent technology developments, provides a key element in this new approach. A new understanding of experiential learning is essential if we are to develop new, efficient and effective learning paradigms.Design/methodology/approach – This article explores the latest thinking and practice of twenty‐first century experiential learning and is based on work carried out over the past two years and presented at a private event in London in October 2009.Findings – The key finding is that most of our learning results from the experiences we have, from practice, from the opportunity to interact with others, and from taking time to reflect on these activities. In light of this, experiential learning and an “unknowingly prepared” mindset are ...

Agents or stewards? Linking managerial behavior and moral development

Abstract: The goal of this paper is to connect managerial behavior on the “agent-steward” scale to managerial moral development and motivation. I introduce agent- and steward-like behavior: the former is self-serving while the latter is others-serving. I suggest that managerial moral development and motivation may be two of the factors that may predict the tendency of managers to behave in a self-serving way (like agents) or to serve the interests of the organization (like stewards). Managers at low levels of moral development are more likely to behave like agents, while managers at higher levels of moral development are more likely to behave like stewards. I also argue that managers at the highest level of moral development may serve the interests of people other than the firm’s owners and thereby transfer wealth from the firm’s owners to third parties. Moral motivation is likely to be a factor that moderates the proposed relationships. Finally, I develop propositions that address the role of material incentives in controlling behavior of managers at different levels of moral development.

A talent development framework: tackling the puzzle

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a concise, robust talent development framework for summarizing and guiding the organizational activities pertaining to having the right people, at the right time, getting the right type of talent development experiences.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is the result of over 40 combined years of advising and working with executive education corporate clients on the assessment of talent development needs and plans.Findings – Four challenges underpin any approach taken to develop an organization's talent. Talent building endeavors should be business driven, future focused, integrated, and deliver measurable results. In response to these challenges, and based on our work with a number of corporate clients, we have created the talent development framework (TDF). It provides a lens through which to view, organize, and monitor talent development activities.Practical implications – The experience‐based framework presented here is immediately useful to thos...

Status in Management and Organizations

Abstract: List of figures List of tables List of contributors Foreword Preface 1. Introduction: the power of status Jone L. Pearce Part I. How Status Differences are Legitimated: 2. Divergence in status evaluation: theoretical implications for a social construction view of status building Bilian Ni Sullivan and Daniel Stewart 3. Maintaining but also changing hierarchies: what social dominance theory has to say James O'Brien and Joerg Dietz Part II. The Influence of Status on Markets: 4. The importance of status in markets: a market identity perspective Michael Jensen, Bo Kyung Kim and Heeyon Kim 5. On the need to extend tournament theory through insights from status research Michael Nippa Part III. The Role of Status in New Industries and Ventures: 6. The cultural context of status: generating important knowledge in nanotechnology Tyler Wry, Michael Lounsbury and Royston Greenwood 7. Venture launch and growth as a status-building process M. Kim Saxton and Todd Saxton Part IV. When Ascriptive Status Trumps Achieved Status in Teams: 8. Status cues and expertise assessment in groups: how group members size one another up... and why it matters J. Stuart Bunderson and Michelle A. Barton 9. The malleability of race in organizational teams: a theory of racial status activation Melissa C. Thomas-Hunt and Katherine W. Phillips Part V. Status in the Workplace: 10. Resolving conflicts between status distinctiveness in individual identity: a framework of multiple identity displays Kimberly D. Elsbach 11. Organizational justice and status: theoretical perspectives and promising directions Jerald Greenberg and Deshani B. Ganegoda Part VI. Developing Status and Management Knowledge: 12. The value of status in management and organization research Jone L. Pearce Index.

Situated and transformative learning: exploring the potential of critical reflection to enhance organizational knowledge

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss a combination of basic elements of two different and contemporary approaches to learning in enhancing knowledge in organizations.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based mainly on a literature review trying to combine elements of two different approaches of adult learning.Findings – Although situated learning and transformative learning start from different viewpoints, they can be combined in the making of the reflective practitioner and professionalOriginality/value – The proposal presented here shows that critical reflection can assist in developing a more effective gradual entrance for newcomers in a professional environment.

Building bridges for change: how leaders enable collective change in organizations

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to present multidisciplinary, research‐based insights into the challenges of changing behaviors at large‐scale in organizations and articulates practical approaches for leaders.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review of research and practices of social and organizational change was conducted and thematically summarized. The themes were discussed and revised with input from twenty global leaders and a dozen university researchers at a two‐day conference held at Harvard University's Learning Innovation Laboratory.Findings – Supporting changes of practice in organizations depends on a leaders understanding how to best affect collective behaviors. Emerging research from the fields of political science, social networking, and social change suggest that leaders can build three types of bridges that support large‐scale change: emotional bridges by creating strategic narratives, relational bridges by targeting social clusters, and structural bridges by leveraging pre‐existing s...

Improvisation and learning in organizations – an opportunity for future empirical research

Abstract: Since the mid 1990s improvisation in organizations has attracted increasingly more attention from scholars of organizations, but in Management Learning, articles investigating learning and improvisation in organizations are absent, even if reviews of the literature on organizational improvisation suggest close links between the two concepts. Hence, there appears to be room for scholars to pursue empirical studies of connections between improvisation and learning in organizations, and thus, the purpose of this article is to provide inspiration for production and publication of such studies in Management Learning. First, the article presents a commonly accepted definition of improvisation. Thereafter, it looks at connections between improvisation and learning in organizations, and it describes recent empirical research investigating relationships between learning and improvisation in organizations. It then addresses challenges facing scholars of improvisation and learning in organization, and finally, it id...

Talent management: key questions for learning and development

Abstract: Organisations are increasingly putting emphasis on talent management as a means of delivering long term competitive advantage through their people. In a recent survey by Cranfield School of Management 60 per cent of businesses said talent management was essential to the bottom line. However, this survey showed a major disconnect between word and deed it found that only 49 per cent of UK businesses were implementing talent development programmes. This gap presents an opportunity for learning and development professionals to make a real difference to their organisation. It means proactively focusing in on some key questions: • What does talent management mean? • Why talent management for your organisation? • What role should Learning and Development play? • What role does the talented individual play? • How do you encourage broad thinking about development?

Professional development: assuring quality in e-learning policy and practice

Abstract: Purpose – The paper reports on findings of research into the institutional and individual influences on engaging in professional development (PD), reflecting on how PD might be made available in ways which could support quality in e-learning. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents findings of a research project exploring factors influencing engagement in e-learning PD within New Zealand tertiary education institutions. The research comprised an online survey of 408 individuals in three polytechnics and two universities and 40 qualitative interviews ascertaining beliefs, experiences and practices of staff regarding e-learning PD. Findings – The survey and interviews suggest there are numerous factors which both help and hinder quality of engagement in e-learning PD. Most PD engaged in by staff is informal. Engagement in formal PD is influenced by organisational structure, co-ordination, poorly developed and/or implemented e-learning policy, differences in managerial support, and individual beliefs and time allocation. Research limitations/implications – The research is conducted in a small number of tertiary institutions and may not be applicable to private or work-based training organisations. Practical implications – Understanding impacts and influences on individual uptake and experiences of PD provides insights into the sorts of institutional practices and policies likely to improve quality in e-learning and in e-learning PD. Originality/value – By focussing on staff experiences, this paper provides important insights into practical considerations informing the development of e-learning quality enhancement and assurance strategies.

Becoming a leader: a co-produced autoethnographic exploration of situated learning of leadership practice

Abstract: The article examines the development of situated leadership practice through an autoethnographic study of the first three months of being in the role of a chief operating officer. The argument for using an autoethnographic approach is in response to the dearth of in-depth research on the development of leadership practice from a relational, social and situated perspective. The article makes a contribution to management learning by exploring aspects of situated curriculum within a manager’s legitimate participation influencing the development of situated leadership practice.

Fostering employee innovation: leveraging your “ground level” creative capital

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue for the importance of allowing operational or ground level employees to participate in the process of organizational innovation.Design/methodology/approach – The paper looks at various examples of employee innovation. It suggests five ways of enacting active empowerment of employees.Findings – Participation of operational or ground level employees in the innovation process can be facilitated through active empowerment. Active empowerment can be fostered through sharing accurate information, active listening, encouraging employees to take risks, using failure as a learning tool, and fostering mutual trust.Practical implications – Organizations can enhance the overall innovation process by empowering employees to participate in the process. This approach leverages creative resources that may, otherwise, remain untapped.Social implications – Leveraging employee innovation through active empowerment will not only enhance the overall organization, but will also e...

To grow or not? Growing small service firms

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether entrepreneurs realised their growth aspirations for their service sector businesses after five years. Growth in sales turnover and employee numbers is explored, as well as entrepreneurs' perspectives of how they achieved growth (or why they did not). There have been few examples of longitudinal research which compares entrepreneurs' growth aspirations with actual growth, and fewer still that focus on service businesses.Design/methodology/approach – Twenty‐six entrepreneurs are interviewed in New Zealand in 2001 and re‐interviewed in 2006. Face‐to‐face interviews are used in the first instance, and the follow‐up interview is conducted by telephone.Findings – Twenty‐one entrepreneurs aspired growth in terms of either sales or employees (most aspired growth in both). The majority achieved growth in sales through having a good reputation, attention to customer service, diversification and employing good staff. Fewer entrepreneurs achieved their asp...

Early organizational involvement (EOI): creating successful transitions from higher education to the work place

Abstract: Purpose – This purpose of this paper is to present EOI as an mechanism for higher education to better prepare students for the ever changing workforce, a collaborative effort from higher education and organizations is needed to support the transition of students from the classroom into industry.Design/methodology/approach – This viewpoint provides a mechanism to enhance the student outcomes from work related learning (WRL) programs, supported by student reflection. This paper presents one such WRL program that provides a vehicle for EOI to enhance student learning outcomes.Findings – The positive learning outcomes through student reflection on their experience in the program endorses EOI as a mechanism for students' early professional development.Practical implications – Involving organizations earlier in higher education transition programs enables both students and perspective employers to maximize opportunities for learning and development. Engaging organizations through EOI will ensure WRL programs be...