Showing papers in "International Journal of Management Reviews in 2013"

Green Human Resource Management: A Review and Research Agenda*

Abstract: The paper makes a case for the integration of the largely separate literatures of environmental management (EM) and human resource management (HRM) research. The paper categorizes the existing literature on the basis of Ability–Motivation– Opportunity (AMO) theory, revealing the role that Green human resource management (GHRM) processes play in people-management practice. The contributions of the paper lie in drawing together the extant literature in the area, mapping the terrain of the field, identifying some gaps in the existing literature and suggesting some potentially fruitful future research agendas. The findings of the review suggest that understanding of how GHRM practices influence employee motivation to become involved in environmental activities lags behind that of how organizations develop Green abilities and provide employees with opportunities to be involved in EM organizational efforts. Organizations are not using the full range of GHRM practices, and this may limit their effectiveness in efforts to improve EM.

Mechanisms for Managing Ambidexterity: A Review and Research Agenda

Abstract: Ambidexterity is of central importance to the competitive advantage of the firm, yet to date there is limited understanding of how it is managed. The theorization of ambidexterity is inadequate for complex, practical realities and, in turn, this hinders the way in which it can aid the management of ambidexterity in practice. This paper asks: What are the mechanisms for achieving ambidexterity? The authors use a systematic review to develop a research framework which integrates intellectual capital resources (organizational, social and human capital) across various levels of analysis (organization, group and individual). This review extends understanding of the generic mechanisms (i.e. temporal, structural and contextual ambidexterity) that dominate the literature. This allows for a more fine-grained understanding of how ambidexterity is achieved and enables avenues for further research to be identified.

ISO 9001 and ISO 14001: Towards a Research Agenda on Management System Standards*

Abstract: Management system standards, also called meta-standards, have been adopted by an increasing number of organizations across the world. Although these management system standards are based on the same type of management principles and institutional arrangements, the literature remains scattered, with diverse studies focused on specific standards and published in various journals. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the academic research on meta-standards through an integrative review intended to shed light on the main conclusions and substantial advances made in this area. This integrative review focuses more specifically on the two main meta-standards which have been adopted by more than 1.3 million organizations worldwide: ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. The paper contributes insights into the main streams of the literature and current knowledge gaps to be addressed in future research on the various issues related to meta-standards: global governance, diffusion processes, motivations, benefits of adoption and impacts on performance, internalization, integration, consultancy and auditing.

Speed in the Internationalization Process of the Firm

Abstract: While firm internationalization processes have been understood as being dynamic, the dimension of speed has rarely been the main focus of research efforts, which, until a decade ago, focused principally on explaining sequences of entry modes and choices of markets. The emergence of the study of international entrepreneurship has enhanced the role of speed, although this has usually been measured in terms of the time lag between a firm's foundation and its initial international action, with little attempt at defining and explaining the speed of the process once it is under way. This study reviews the concept of speed from an internationalization perspective, describes the multidimensional nature of the concept and sets out the different aspects that link timescales with the types of changes – continuous and discontinuous – that take place during internationalizing processes. The paper concludes with a research agenda as a guide for future work on considering the role of speed in the internationalization process.

Corporate Political Activity: A Literature Review and Research Agenda

Abstract: This paper reviews the diverse literature on corporate political activity (CPA) and develops a framework that details and integrates existing research in this field. A systematic analysis of extant CPA literatures is conducted to order them into domains that have implications for organizational performance. The paper is structured into three such domain emphases, which require further research investigation: resources and capabilities focus; institutional focus; and political environment focus. The contribution of each to an understanding of CPA in pursuit or defence of corporate competitive advantage is discussed. The authors also suggest that the internationalization of business, including the more recent emergence of developing country economies and companies, presents scholars with the challenge of understanding CPA in more varied institutional settings. CPA practices continue to expand as commerce goes increasingly global and, consequently, involves a wider array of political actors and institutions. The paper contributes by increasing the clarity of CPA classification, reflecting on the implications of a multi‐polar world for CPA research and advancing future agendas for scholars in this research community.

Visual Management Studies: Empirical and Theoretical Approaches*

Abstract: The field of visual research in management studies is developing rapidly and has reached a point of maturity where it is useful to bring together and evaluate existing work in this area and to critically assess its current impact and future prospects. Visual research is broadly defined to encompass a variety of forms, including pictures, graphs, film, web pages and architecture. It also incorporates work from several sub-disciplines (organization studies, marketing, accounting, human resources, tourism and IT), and includes research based on pre-existing visual material and studies that use researcher-generated visual data. The authors begin by considering the growing recognition of the visual turn in management research as a counterweight to the linguistic turn, while also discussing reasons for resistance to visual approaches. Next, they review research that uses visual methods to study management and organization and suggest that visual management studies may be categorized according to whether methods used are empirically driven or theory based. This categorization highlights the philosophical, theoretical and interdisciplinary underpinnings of visual management studies. It also enables the visual to be accorded a status equivalent to linguistic meaning, through dispelling the realist assumptions that have impeded analytical development of visual management studies to date.

Approaching the Conceptual Leap in Qualitative Research

Abstract: This paper reviews the literature on an important but mysterious phenomenon in qualitative research methodology: the conceptual leap that generates abstract theoretical ideas from empirical data. Drawing on epistemological, prescriptive and reflexive writings, conceptual leaps are described as constituted by both ‘seeing’ and ‘articulating’, as grounded in abductive reasoning, and as part of an ongoing dialectical process. Methods for approaching conceptual leaps and the conditions for their realization are discussed in the context of four dialectic tensions: between deliberation and serendipity, between engagement and detachment, between knowing and not knowing, and between self-expression and social connection. The literature review suggests that conceptual leaping is best portrayed as a form of bricolage, drawing resources from the different poles of the four dialectics. Moreover, written and verbal communication play important roles in enabling synthesis. The paper concludes by calling for greater openness and legitimacy for reflexive accounts, as well as further research into the process of discovery in qualitative research.

Workplace Bullying, Mobbing and General Harassment: A Review

Abstract: Research into workplace bullying has continued to grow and mature since emerging from Scandinavian investigations into school bullying in the late 1970s. Research communities now exist well beyond Scandinavia, including Europe, the UK, Australia, Asia and the USA. While the terms ‘harassment’ and ‘mobbing’ are often used to describe bullying behaviour, ‘workplace bullying’ tends to be the most consistently used term throughout the research community. In the past two decades especially, researchers have made considerable advances in developing conceptual clarity, frameworks and theoretical explanations that help explain and address this very complex, but often oversimplified and misunderstood, phenomenon. Indeed, as a phenomenon, workplace bullying is now better understood with reasonably consistent research findings in relation to its prevalence; its negative effects on targets, bystanders and organizational effectiveness; and some of its likely antecedents. However, as highlighted in this review, many challenges remain, particularly in relation to its theoretical foundations and efficacy of prevention and management strategies. Drawing on Affective Events Theory, this review advances understanding through the development of a new conceptual model and analysis of its interrelated components, which explain the dynamic and complex nature of workplace bullying and emphasize current and future debates. Gaps in the literature and future research directions are discussed, including the vexing problem of developing an agreed definition of workplace bullying among the research community, the emergence of cyberbullying, the importance of bystanders in addressing the phenomenon and the use of both formal and informal approaches to prevention and intervention.

Understanding the Self-initiated Expatriate: A Review and Directions for Future Research

Abstract: The study of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) has gained pace in the last decade, focusing on these individuals, their motivations, their behaviours and their relevance to the global workforce. Published works produced between 1996 and 2011 are reviewed. A thematic analysis indicates that key topics of focus in current research cover: characteristics of the self-initiated and their work-related experiences and management; comparative studies of company-backed versus self-initiated expatriation and the self-initiated as global talent flow. This paper identifies a need for clarification of the construct of SIEs, expands on the theoretical perspectives used to examine SIEs and offers a framework to facilitate coherence in the direction of future research and the application of knowledge to practice in this field of study.

A Review of Antecedents of International Strategic Alliance Performance: Synthesized Evidence and New Directions for Core Constructs

Abstract: This paper provides a systematic review of 165 empirical studies on the antecedents of performance in international strategic alliances. It provides the most detailed display of definitions, rationales, measures and findings currently available. Hence, this state-of-the art literature review creates an accessible pool of knowledge that is highly relevant for future research on international strategic alliances. Further, it draws on this knowledge pool to build a model which highlights the quite different rationales advanced by researchers to explain associations between the antecedents and performance. The model makes the different rationales explicit and will aid researchers in identifying tests that can be performed to examine the links between antecedents and performance as well as the mechanisms through which such associations operate. Finally, the synthesized evidence is used to suggest that researchers should give increased attention to achieving congruence between measures of antecedents and performance.

International Experience in International Business Research: A Conceptualization and Exploration of Key Themes

Abstract: International experience, the experience that firms accrue from operating internationally, is a key concept in explaining firm internationalization. This paper reviews the conceptualization of international experience in the international business literature. It highlights how prior research has identified three dimensions of the international experience construct (length, scope and diversity), thereby demonstrating that international experience should be treated as a multidimensional construct. In addition, intensity is presented as a fourth and novel dimension of international experience. The importance of this multidimensional conceptualization is highlighted in an explanation of why the international diversification and international experience constructs are not synonymous. In light of the importance of international experience in explaining firm internationalization, the authors explore how the source of the firm's international experience will determine the limits to its application in foreign markets. In particular, the authors distinguish between location-bound international experience and non-location-bound international experience as sources of firm-specific advantages (FSAs). The FSAs that the firm develops from its experience with equity and non-equity entry modes are presented as examples of specific FSAs developed within the firm's bundle of FSAs concerning internationalization. The paper concludes with some implications of the conceptualization of international experience for several issues of international business research as well as providing managerial implications.

Leadership Development in Organizations: Multiple Discourses and Diverse Practice

Abstract: Research on leadership development in organizations is abundant, as are the resources invested in developing their leaders. Although rarely made explicit, much of this writing and activity is driven by functionalist assumptions, with a primary concern for good design and enhanced corporate performance. Given the politically sensitive, culturally complex and institutionally embedded nature of leadership, as well as controversy over the way leadership itself is best defined and developed, the author argues that this reliance on a single perspective is potentially limiting. The aim of this paper is to enhance leadership development practice in organizations by proposing a fresh and theoretically informed approach for exploring the multiple meanings of leadership development. This is done, first, by clarifying the discursive assumptions underlying studies in this field and revealing the distinctive insights that arise from functionalist, interpretive, dialogic and critical discourses of leadership development; and second, by exploring how each of these discourses, or ‘readings’, might promote quite different approaches to leadership development in organizations.

Exploring the important role of organizational factors in IT buisness value: taking a contingency perspective on the resource-based view

Abstract: Despite the importance to researchers and practitioners of how information technology (IT) contributes to organizational performance, there is an ongoing debate about the extent of IT business value (ITBV) and how to measure ITBV. Recently, a number of researchers have applied resource-based view (RBV) and contingency theory to investigating ITBV, with mixed results. Researchers have started to recognize that ITBV is closely associated with the synergies created from IT and a variety of complementary organizational factors, which might be an alternative way to explain these mixed results. Through a review of the literature, this paper assesses the current level of knowledge in ITBV research. It identifies that significant progress has been made in the research domain, but that in-depth inquiry into ITBV is still needed. Based on RBV and contingency theory, a research framework has been developed. The framework suggests that firms might be able to gain significant performance improvements if IT resources are in alignment with additional organizational factors (i.e. organizational strategy, organizational process, organizational culture, organizational structure). The authors believe that this framework will be valuable in assisting researchers and practitioners in understanding the complex ITBV process.

Researching Tomorrow's Crisis: Methodological Innovations and Wider Implications

Abstract: The incidence and impact of crises, disasters and other extreme events appears to be increasing, thus heightening the significance of crisis research. The nature of such events – sudden, inconceivable, damaging, sensitive, unique – has encouraged unconventional methodological perspectives and practices. A review of these developments is timely. This article presents a bounded, temporally bracketed overview of the literatures exploring extreme events, structured around an ‘ideal type’ event sequence with six phases: incubation period, incident, crisis management, investigation, organizational learning and implementation of ‘lessons learned’. While not a traditional review, this approach serves to overcome problems associated with phenomena resistant to precise definition, and maps the structure of a field characterized by fragmentation, insular traditions and epistemological pluralism, generating a template against which crises can be explored. Crisis research appears to have overcome the problems associated with relying on retrospective research designs, accessing sensitive data, addressing novel ethical concerns, developing multi-level explanations and using single case studies to develop generalizable theory. The wider adoption of these approaches in ‘mainstream’ organization and management studies may prompt innovation and fresh insights in other areas, particularly where the temporal structure of events, the role of slow-moving causes, and conjunctural reasoning, play significant roles.

A Multidisciplinary Cognitive Behavioural Framework of Impulse Buying: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract: Impulse buying (IB) is one of the most fragmented concepts in the marketing and consumer literature. This has resulted in some contradictory findings and a lack of an overarching theoretical framework for understanding the IB process and its outcomes. Based on a systematic review of the literature published over the past 60 years, the authors synthesize various research perspectives into a comprehensive multidisciplinary framework of IB – linking antecedents, triggers, the buying act and post-purchase outcomes. The paper makes four specific contributions relevant to both academic researchers and practitioners. First, it provides a comprehensive understanding of IB as a process and outcome, by systematically reviewing the existing literature. Second, it specifically recognizes and discusses the triggers of IB, by drawing on literature related to the buying process, intentions and motivations. Third, this is the first meta-analysis review in the area. Finally, it considers the potential consequences of IB that lead to subsequent IB, and provides a framework for future investigation. This paper also addresses a problem of relevance to both academics and practitioners, proposing further research and managerial implications.

Revisiting Paradigm(s) in Management Research: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Paradigm Wars

Abstract: Kuhn's concept of paradigm and Burrell and Morgan's paradigms continue to exert considerable influence on contemporary thinking in business and management research. Indeed, recent contributions to the ‘paradigm wars’ have provoked scholars to remark upon the longevity of this debate. Consequently, this paper argues that it is timely to revisit the concepts of paradigm(s) and the controversy surrounding them. It begins by discussing how Kuhn's and Burrell and Morgan's paradigm(s) are underpinned by structural linguistics and how scholars have argued this is problematized by deconstruction. Next, the methodology describes the literature search, offers a brief introduction to rhetoric, and introduces the form of rhetorical analysis employed in this study. Moving on, a rhetorical analysis of key articles from the paradigm wars is presented. This develops understanding of this dispute by illustrating how it is inherently dialogic; arguments for paradigm incommensurability, paradigm integration, paradigm pluralism and paradigm dissolution are constructed to counter each other. The paper identifies three main rhetorical strategies employed by scholars in these arguments: constructing identities for individuals and groups by attributing assumptions, values and interests to them; transferring agency to concepts; and managing accountability for their claims. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the analysis for understanding of the paradigm wars, the concept of paradigm incommensurability, and the practice of reflecting on one's own metatheoretical assumptions. Finally, potential applications of rhetorical analysis to contemporary debates in management research are identified.

Work–Life Balance and Parenthood: A Comparative Review of Definitions, Equity and Enrichment*

Abstract: This review investigates the problems of definition and inequity with which the literature on parenthood and work–life balance is beset. It analyses research trajectories first within the established disciplines of organizational psychology and the sociologies of work and family practices, and then within the newer field of management studies. Gender, class and difference are singled out as troubling themes, especially in relation to fathers and impoverished parents. A tendency towards mono-disciplinarity is observed within organizational psychology and sociologies of work and family practices. The review offers explanations for the historic but narrow definition within organizational psychology and sociologies of work and family practices of work–life balance as affecting mainly heterosexual dual-career parent couples. The authors show how this narrow definition has led to inequities within research. They further identify as limiting the definition of work–life balance to be always ‘problematic’, rather than enriching, among employed parents. Consequently, a three-factor framework is recommended, through which future studies may address the problems of definition and equity in work–life balance literature, including: a broader definition of work–life balance to include marginalized parents; the defining of parenting and employment as potentially life-enriching; and a commendation of the transdisciplinary approach within management studies as poised to move debate forward.

Legitimizing Diverse Uses for Qualitative Research: A Rhetorical Analysis of Two Management Journals

Abstract: This paper examines how management researchers rhetorically construct the theoretical purpose and contribution of qualitative studies. By means of a rhetorical analysis of qualitative studies published in the Academy of Management Journal and Journal of Management Studies, we identify three sets of rhetorical practices, or repertoires, in the period 1999–2011. These repertoires differ with regard to how they position and legitimize the use of qualitative research. The first repertoire, which we label ‘modernist’, bases the legitimacy of qualitative research on its exploratory and theory-building strengths. The second ‘revisionist’ repertoire accepts key assumptions of modernism, but allows for an expanded role for qualitative research. In contrast, the third ‘subversive’ repertoire is non-positivist and rejects the traditional theory-building/-testing dichotomy. Using the insights from our ‘rhetoric of science’ approach, we argue for the use of alternative repertoires that decouple qualitative research from the rhetoric of exploration.

How Do I Know Who You Think You Are? A Review of Research Methods on Organizational Identity

Abstract: The notion of organizational identity was introduced in management studies in 1985. In the following 25 years, a vibrant debate about how to conceptualize organizational identities and related themes (multiple identities, identity change, interrelations between identity, image and culture) does not seem to have corresponded to explicit reflections about specific methodological issues. In this paper, the authors inductively review research methods adopted by studies of organizational identity published in top-level journals, with the purpose of deriving insights about the current status of research practices, uncovering their often tacit ontological and epistemological assumptions, and stimulating discussion about their possible evolution.

Replication of Routines in Organizations: Existing Literature and New Perspectives

Abstract: Replication of existing routines in new contexts is an important value-creating strategy for organizations. In this paper we synthesize the state of research on replication and organize the literature around two broad themes: forward knowledge flows (i.e. from a replicator to a replicatee) and reverse knowledge flows. We show that theoretical assumptions of existing research leave important questions around the replication of routines unaddressed. More specifically, we identify research gaps in regards to micro-level processes of replication. We understand little about the performance of routines in practice and, related to that, the processes through which routines change during replication. Drawing on recent theorizing on organizational routines, in particular the relationship of the ostensive and performative aspects, helps us to unpack the micro-level processes of forward and reverse knowledge flows. This paper opens two new trajectories for research on replication: (1) a focus on the actions of individual actors in the enactment of organizational routines provides new possibilities for understanding how replication is an inherently political process, (2) conceptualising change as endogenous within the performance of routines offers a route to a more nuanced understanding of forms of change and deviation in the process of replication. The paper closes with a summary of major theoretical arguments, questions for further research, as well as implications for practitioners.

Research Methods and Research Practice: History, Themes and Topics

Abstract: Research methods and research practice provide relatively new foci for academic reflection and enquiry in the business and management field. There has been an increase in the number of forums and range of debates in the area. This paper provides a historical and thematic overview of the field as a means of contextualizing the other papers in the remainder of this special issue. Each paper covers one of a broad spectrum of issues about research methods and research practice: namely, measurement in quantitative research; theory development in qualitative research; visual methods; evaluation of concepts; issues experienced when researching extreme events; paradigm wars; and the changing pattern of coverage of qualitative research papers in leading journals.

New Directions for Measurement in Management Research

Abstract: Despite its importance, measurement has received less attention in the management sciences than it deserves. Currently, there is an over-reliance on a narrow set of methods of measuring cognitive, affective, motivational, attitudinal and individual difference constructs that are often of interest in behavioural management research. The authors argue that there is a need to expand the scope of the measurement methods commonly employed by management researchers and that a greater diversity of measurement methods would benefit the field by contributing to theory development and the pursuit of new areas of research. The goals of this review are twofold: (1) to increase awareness among management researchers of the alternative measurement methods that can capture many of the cognitive, affective, motivational, attitudinal and individual difference constructs of interest; (2) to critically evaluate how these methods can and should be used, with a focus on both the strengths and limitations of each method. This review focuses on three classes of measures: physiological and biological measures; experience-sampling measures; and implicit measures. These measures have had a tremendous impact on the research and theories of other fields such as marketing and economics, despite still being in their infancy. The authors believe that these three classes of measures have the potential to impact the nature and scope of management research and theory as well.