Showing papers in "Problems and perspectives in management in 2007"

Designing balance into the Democratic Project: contrasting Jeffersonian Democracy against Bentham's Panopticon Centralisation in determining ICT adoption

Abstract: Positioned in a critical realist perspective, this paper examines the impact of systematic and institutional distortion to communication and the use of information and communicative technology (ICT) for control over citizen participation within the Liberal-democratic process. The paper contrasts the Jeffersonian vision of democracy against Bentham's Panopticon dystopia and reviews comparative models of democratic processes. In so doing, it is argued that the role of ICT, the role of pressure groups and concentrated media ownership and control pose significant issues for E-democracy, in particular that of less unfettered communication within the context of Liberal democracy. It is concluded that a new constitutional organ is required to enhance genuine participation within the Panopticon proclivities emergent in E-democracy

Employment Relations: Integrating Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management

Abstract: Incorporating Human Resource Management policies within the regulatory and institutional framework that governs contemporary industrial relations has always been problematic. This paper details the nature and causes of this problem, noting the different conceptual and practical understandings that underpin each form of labour management when being applied in organisational settings. It then looks at a range of industrial relations realities confronting managers when trying to apply HRM practices, and how these practices might be accommodated within the context of such realities as a means of improving organisational effectiveness. In so doing it delineates four approaches an organisation might take in its relations with trade unions when bargaining and concluding labour contracts, and which of these are consistent and inconsistent with the coexistence of HRM and industrial relations practices. It then looks at the issue of workplace change involving trade unions and collective bargaining in terms of three categorical models—the management-driven model, the trade union gatekeeper model, and the management-union alliance model, the intention again being to show which are consistent and inconsistent with the coexistence of these different forms of labour management. The paper concludes by drawing on these conceptual models to outline the issues and policies that need to be considered when applying HRM practices within an industrial relations setting.

Samsung's Competitive Innovation and Strategic Intent for Global Expansion

Abstract: Samsung Electronic Company (SEC), founded in 1969, has reigned as not only the largest manufacturing company in Korea, but also one of the leading global competitors worldwide. SEC can be considered as one of very few companies that “manage to go beyond mere imitation of global competitors, leverage resources, accelerate the pace of organizational learning and manage to attain seemingly impossible goals” ( Hamel and Prahalad, 1989), that is to become a global market leader. SEC’s case of management and performance record is introduced in this paper to illustrate how effective management approaches that match its core strategic intent generate lasting outcomes in a company. Hamel and Prahalad’s four approaches to competitive innovation are used as a framework to discuss SEC’s management strategies.

Where in the world is the market? : The income distribution approach to understanding consumer demand in emerging countries

Abstract: Finding, measuring and capturing market opportunities in emerging countries are critical tasks for multinational con- sumer goods companies. Central to these tasks is the need to collect and analyze income distribution data within a globally coherent framework and to move beyond income metrics based on national averages. This article describes a new framework and dataset that achieves this goal and demonstrates how income distribution data, combined with consumer and marketing data, can be incorporated into simple demand models such as the Bass diffusion model or the Golder-Tellis affordability model to understand market dynamics. Our analytical effort is the first example of income distribution data being used to assess market opportunities in emerging countries. We find that demand models based on the number of people within various income brackets at national or local levels are superior to models based on average income. We further find that combining income distribution data with pricing, marketing spending, consumer behavior and distribution coverage data makes it possible to measure which factors drive demand at the brand level — even in hard-to-analyze countries.

Management Teaching and Learning: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Abstract: Among the major goals of the educational system in the United States are the development of creativity and originality amongst individuals. On the other hand, in collectivistic nations such as Japan and Thailand, a social system has evolved that avoids conflict and promotes harmony. The Japanese system is rather unique and warrants a more detailed explanation. While Australia falls in between the United States and Japan, surprisingly it is closer to the Asian countries than to its Anglo counterpart. Hence, while American business practices and management education are admired around the world, applying these models without adapting to local cultures is both unrealistic and dysfunctional.

The current value of the mathematical provision: a financial risk prospect

Abstract: The paper addresses the question of the calculation of the current value of the mathematical provision and moulds it in a deterministic and stochastic scenario, using a proper term structure of interest rates estimated by means of a Cox-Ingersoll-Ross model. It provides a complete and original year-by-year evaluation model for the business performance, and a closed solution for the current evaluation of the reserve, together with a comprehensive insight into the dynamics of the reserve connected to the selection of a defined term structure of interest rates. Moreover, the calculation of the VaR of the mathematical provision is prospected as risk measure useful to appreciate also the evaluation rate risk. Future research prospects concern the selection of the stochastic process used to describe the dynamics of the interest rates and the possible managerial and regulatory application of a VaR measure. The modelling has been applied, as an exemplification, to a life annuity portfolio but it can be easily replicated for any kind of policy and any kind of portfolios even non homogeneous.