Showing papers in "Journal of Management Studies in 1981"

Toward a new contingency approach: the search for organizational gestalts

Abstract: Approaches that suffer from specification error and unwarranted generalizations are predominant among students of organizational adaptation and have resulted in fragmented and conflicting findings. The simplistic assumptions about organizations implicit in these approaches constrain the predictive power of findings and often prevent insights. It is argued that there exist complex Gestalts among environmental, organizational, and strategy-making variables, and that these Gestalts are relatively few and very different from one another both in terms of the scores of, and relationships among, variables. The Gestalts are expected to allow a richer, more complex, and multifaceted characterization of the process by which organizations adapt and change. They may also constitute enough structure in the data to yield more predictive findings. Some methodological approaches for identifying Gestalts are discussed [1].

Specialization of environmental scanning activities among upper level executives

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to introduce new evidence of the extent to which, and circumstances under which, upper-level executives specialize their environmental scanning activities according to their hierarchical levels and functional areas. Results suggest that neither of these two role variables is closely or consistently related to the focus or overall amount of scanning. Patterns differed across the three industries studied.

The intersubjectivity of issues and issues of intersubjectivity

Abstract: This paper describes research concerned with assisting groups in organizations handle their complex, ill-structured policy issues in ways which we believe are significantly different from many typical policy analysis projects. It is our belief that many systems research, operational research and management science projects have concentrated on ‘objective’, usually quantitative data at the expense of losing their clients' interest and commitment. Our work is concerned with taking account of intersubjectivity in policy analysis and evaluation. It is orientated to the construction of models that will be owned by our clients because they recognize as legitimate, and explicitly take account of, the subjective and particular knowledge of individuals within organizations. They also explicitly take account of the interaction of shared and individual knowledge as a group comes to define an intersubjective group issue.

Individual reactions to a merger of two small firms of brokers in the re-insurance industry: a total population survey

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe the attitudes to the merger of all the staff of the newly merged firm, with a view to discovering something more about the merger process. The paper begins with a brief description of the industry and is followed by a history of the merger. Then comes an analysis of the questionnaire administered by the researcher to all members of the firm. The analysis shows that there are four crucial stages in the merger: the Planning stage, at which the details of the merger have to be worked out; the Anxious stage, during which the people concerned are apprehensive about the merger; the Merger itself; and the Evaluation stage, at which what has been done is weighed in the balance of cost-effectiveness. The paper ends with an attempt to add a new dimension to the dynamics of organization change, showing the interrelationships of the Harrison model, and suggesting possible routes through it.

Perceived determinants of high and low productivity in three occupational groups: a critical incident study [1]

Abstract: A critical incident study examined the factors perceived by employees to cause high and low productivity. One hundred and fifty-two employees from one firm, working in managerial, clerical, and professional jobs were interviewed. The interview responses were coded into factors within each of three broad categories: external events, agents, and personal traits. Generally, goals, deadlines or schedules, workload, and task interest were the most frequently mentioned events. The self, the organization, and the immediate supervisor were most often cited as agents. The most frequently mentioned personal traits were: satisfaction, pride, frustration, and desire for recognition. The implications of these findings for various schools of management thought are discussed.

Conceptualizing the goal and system models of organizational effectiveness —implications for comparative evaluation research

Abstract: The lack of comparative evaluation research on organizational-effectiveness models is the primary focus of this discussion. Problems in conceptually and operationally defining evaluation models, such as those in the goal and system model classes, are the proposed reason for this lack of comparative research. In this paper, goal and system models are formally defined in terms of their historical origins, underlying criteria and differing methods of application. A goal and system model classification continuum is also presented. Five comparative evaluation research questions are proposed and their implications for research are discussed. From a theoretical perspective this paper attempts to go beyond the sound foundation laid by Campbell (1977) in his discussion of these two schools of thought on organizational effectiveness.

Participation as a means of organizational control

Abstract: Participation was considered as part of the structure of organization. For a sample of thirty-one organizations, representative participation was found to be related to the formalization whereas participation in the process of management (that is, participation which involves the individual directly) was found to be related directly to specialization and inversely to autonomy. These results are shown to be compatible with the view that participation represents an extension of organizational control over employees rather than the view that participation is a means of employee influence over upper level management. Organizational control is achieved through establishing a framework for participation which limits the issues that can be raised and the influence that can be exerted upwards.

Organizational analysis: an integration of the macro and micro approaches

Abstract: This article [1] suggests that the macro and micro approaches to organizational analysis represent different perspectives of the management of organizations. Differences and crossover points in the two approaches are discussed in terms of research focus, unit of analysis, and application. An integrative approach is presented in a framework which brings together key aspects of the macro and micro schools of thought. Data from a preliminary test are presented, and it is suggested that our understanding of organizations and their management may be enhanced when a holistic perspective is utilized.

Consumer demand and marketing action plans for family planning in bangladesh

Abstract: Attempts to identify and analyze the demand for family planning in order to facilitate the formulation of action plans directed toward the effective development and expansion of the family planning products market in Bangladesh. A sample of 800 fertile couples was drawn by means of a multistage stratified sampling plan. Demand for family planning is hypothesized to be determined by the following factors: pressure of unwanted children; fecundity of wife; cost of family planning; attitude toward family planning; and family income. An economic analysis can be made of a couples desire for a certain number of children in which children are perceived as economic goods which yield utility to the family but also compete for family resources. These couple characteristics influence the desire for children: education of husband education of wife occupation of husband kinship ties family income sex distribution of children and number of child deaths. A multivariate analysis was performed in order to identify the variables or variable combinations which best explain the structure of family planning demand. Concepts of market segmentation are used to classify couples into meaningful segments based on knowledge attitudes and practices relating to family planning in order to apply differential marketing efforts. Education of wife was the most significant determinant of demand. Only in families in which the wife was uneducated was husbands education important. Thus female education is essential for effecting a structural change in the reproductive behavior of Bangladesh couples. However this is a long term nonmarketing measure and more feasible short term alternatives are suggested.