Global Business and Organizational Excellence 

About: Global Business and Organizational Excellence is an academic journal published by Wiley. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Multinational corporation & Corporate social responsibility. It has an ISSN identifier of 1932-2054. Over the lifetime, 588 publications have been published receiving 4391 citations.

Leadership and innovation: Learning from the best

Abstract: In surveys of most innovative companies, firms like Apple, Google, Microsoft, or Virgin regularly top the ranks, and stories of their emblematic leaders are recurring topics for management books and magazines. But what do Steve Jobs, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson have in common? What do they do that steers innovation in their companies? Are they the sole drivers of innovation leadership? And is there a direct link between the innovation capability of a firm and the charisma of its leader? After all, companies such as Toyota, 3M, Samsung, and Logitech are also recognized for their innovation capabilities, even though it would be more difficult to put a face on their innovation leadership. Learning from the experience of some of the most innovative companies, we describe the common traits that characterize innovation leaders but also show the multiple facets of innovation leadership. Innovation leadership involves different roles and abilities across organization levels and strategic orientations, and along the organization and innovation life cycle. Overall, innovation leadership is too diverse to be left to single individuals; it must be embedded in the organization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Workforce agility: Examining the role of organizational practices and psychological empowerment

Abstract: Despite broad recognition of the importance of agility in the workforce, little research has been conducted on the organizational characteristics and initiatives that engender it. Rooted in organizational and cognitive theory, a study of 524 employees in India's manufacturing and service sectors proposes that workforce agility is the result of specific organizational practices and psychological empowerment. Contributing to both management theory and practice, the findings show that an environment that encourages teamwork has the most influence in promoting agility, followed by programs that address reward systems, employee involvement, organizational learning and training, and information systems. In addition, the study found that agility is fostered by the psychological empowerment variable of impact, followed by self-determination, meaning, and competence.

Building effective virtual teams: How to overcome the problems of trust and identity in virtual teams

Abstract: This article explores some of the challenges faced when managing virtual teams, in particular the role played by trust and identity in virtual teams. It outlines why teams and virtual teams have become a valuable part of the modern organization and presents ten short case studies that illustrate the range of activities in which virtual teams can be found. Following this, the article examines some of the common problems encountered in virtual team working. It discusses two broad classes of solutions. The first are solutions that are essentially technical in nature (i.e., where changes to or improvements in technology would help to solve or ameliorate the problem); the second are more organizationally based (i.e., where the root of the problem is in people and how they are managed). The article concludes that both the technical and the organizational solutions need to be considered in parallel if an attempt to build an effective virtual team is to be successful. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The impact of COVID‐19 on franchising in emerging markets: An example from Brazil

Abstract: The outbreak of COVID‐19, the disease caused by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus, has had significant economic, political, and social consequences worldwide. The franchising sector, consisting mostly of retail and service businesses, is an example of an industry that has been deeply affected. The experiences of franchising stakeholders in Brazil highlight the strengths of the franchising model in such situations. This investigation, based on primary data from webinars with food service, education, retail, and business‐to‐business service companies in Brazil, coupled with reports from commercial and franchising entities, reveals how the COVID‐19 outbreak has affected the franchising sector. It illustrates the measures that were taken, the negotiations that take place between suppliers and landlords, the adaptation of business models, the effects on franchisor‐franchisee relationships, and the impact the pandemic has had on relationships with customers. The strategies adopted by Brazilian franchisors and franchisees suggest lessons for other franchising companies in similar situations, such as those in developing and emerging economies.

How social media is transforming employee communications at Sun Microsystems

Abstract: Sun Microsystems' CEO challenged his Global Employee Communications team to build communities within the company with social networking technology. Wikis, blogs, Facebook fan pages, and six islands on Second Life are just a few of Sun's new social media tools that employees use to learn, boost innovation, connect with executives and each other—and spread the good word about Sun. To achieve this quickly, the communications team collaborated across organizational boundaries, tapped grassroots social media efforts in other parts of the company, focused on a manageable number of short-term projects, and showed a willingness to experiment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.