Showing papers on "Resource dependence theory published in 1994"

Human Resource Management and Organizational Performance

Abstract: The idea of a transformed or high-performance work system has attracted considerable attention in the United States as an alternative to traditional, mass-production forms of work organization. This article examines the relationships between indicators of high-performance work organizations that are available in the National Organizations Study, on one hand, and measures of organizational performance, on the other. The authors find that characteristics of high-performing work organizations tend to cluster together into a system of organizations. Moreover, the results indicate that human resource policies and practices often identified with high-performing organizations do, in fact, enhance organizational performance.

Institutional Analyses of Organizations: Legitimate but not Institutionalized

Abstract: We review institutional theory to assess the direction of theory and research on institutional structures and processes. Our primary goal is to suggest an overall frame within which a coherent and interrelated body of theory and research might develop that would address institutional processes underlying stability and change of organizational structure. We select two theoretical threads, phenomenological and neo-functional approaches to organizations, and weave these in with rational choice to develop a coherent explanation of the conditions under which similar structures diffuse across organizations facing very different environments (or have very different structures when facing the same environment). We argue that resource dependence theory already provides a parsimonious explanation of why organizational structure becomes so similar across organizations facing similar environments; institutional theory has little to add to this scenario, except perhaps for a theory of organization-level ingratiation. Social does not imply non-rational, and socially-embedded does not mean unanalyzable. It is costly for each organization to de novo create its own structure, yet it also generally costly for an organization to adopt structure that is ill-suited to its main tasks and which may thus lower its performance. An efficient strategy for an organization, then, is to evaluate structures carefully by observing the effects of these structures in other organizations it deems similar, making an independent decision about whether or not to adopt those structures depending on assessment of the risk that adoption entails. There is a built-in bias toward stability of structure, since assessment is costly itself, leading to the often observed inertia of organizations. But at the same time, given renewal in the competition set, such a strategy may lead to organizational failure.

Family power studies: some major methodological issues

Abstract: Traditionally, the study of family power concentrates mainly on the spousal household decision-making wherein researchers argue that the balance in marriage is influenced by the comparative "valued resources" of the spouses. The underlying assumption of this argument is drawn from the "resources theory of marital power" (Blood and Wolfe, 1960) which suggests that comparative pragmatic resources (such as income, education, and occupational status) of husband and wife are significantly important in providing leverage to spousal decision-making. A positive link between women's economic participation and their decision-making in the family has been suggested by many researchers (McKinly, 1964; Scanzoni, 1970; Bahr, Bowerman and Gecas, 1974). Findings from several empirical studies in developed countries such as France (Michel, 1967), Yugoslavia (Buric and Zecevic, 1967), Germany (Lamouse, 1969; Lupri, 1969), and the United States (Kandel and Lesser, 1972; Bahr, 1974) generally supported such contentions. Further tests of resource theory in other cultures such as India, Denmark and Sweden, showed that a husband's resources had no correlation with his decision-making power (Rodman, 1972). In the United States and France, however, resources of a husband had a positive relationship with decision making, whereas in Greece and Yugoslavia the husband's power was found to be negatively correlated with his education. Rodman argued that the influence of pragmatic resources on marital power varies from society to society due to interaction of comparative resources and cultural expectations. This explanation of Rodman came to be known as the "theory of resources in cultural context". He also believed that in a society where cultural norms dictate strong male authority, socioeconomic resources of the wife will have little or no effect on marital power. Both the resource theory and the theory of resources in cultural context have been tested widely in developed and developing countries but the

On Different Planes: An Organizational Analysis of Cooperation and Conflict Among Airline Unions

Abstract: In this study of the tumultuous labor relations in the airlines during the late 1980s, David Walsh presents a full-blown theory of interunion relations. Organizational theorists will find some sophisticated applications of network and resource theory to labor unions, organizations they seldom deal with, while industrial relations scholars will have a new way of looking at union solidarity and airline labor relations.

Interorganizational systems as an uncertainty reduction strategy: a resource dependence perspective

Abstract: This paper explores the environment alteration property of interorganizational systems. Propositions about the relationships between environmental characteristics and IOS use are derived from the Resource Dependence theory.

The institutional and organizational implications of integrating natural resource management and production-oriented research

Abstract: This paper discusses some of the organizational and institutional implications for national agricultural research systems (NARS) of integrating natural resource management and environmental concerns into their agricultural research agendas. Integrating these concerns adds significantly to the responsibilities of NARS at a time when there is already a heavy demand on their shrinking research resources. NARS face the difficult task of maintaining a balance between production-oriented research and environmental concerns. This paper discusses the implications for NARS of four key issues related to organizational and institutional change: cross-sectoral planning as the key to integrating environmental and development goals; information as a key requirement for the planning process; a participatory, decentralized approach in both planning and implementation as a key to success; and institution building as an essential objective in all sectors related to agriculture.

In Between Markets and Hierarchies - Networking Through the Life Cycle of New Biotechnology Firms

Abstract: Resource dependence and transaction cost theories focus on organizations as mitigating their dependence on the task environment through various strategies. However, these theories have contradicting predictions as to the conditions under which network alliances are formed. New Biotechnology Firms (NBFs) provide an example of knowledge-organizations, operating under uncertainty and competitive environmental constraints, yet highly dependent on external resources. The event history analysis (EVA) of NBFs (N=554) shows that although avoidance of formation of alliances is associated with death, the formation of at least one inter-organizational alliance for each age year of the firm has an inverse U shape. The life cycle dependence argument is further supported when an analysis conducted on only self-standing NBFs shows a higher and longer dependency on external alliances. These findings suggest an integration of the two theories into a firm life cycle network theory within the domain of population ecology survival theories.

In Between Markets and Hierarchies - Networking Through the Life Cycle of New Biotechnology Firms Author:

Abstract: Resource dependence and transaction cost theories focus on organizations as mitigating their dependence on the task environment through various strategies. However, these theories have contradicting predictions as to the conditions under which network alliances are formed. New Biotechnology Firms (NBFs) provide an example of knowledge-organizations, operating under uncertainty and competitive environmental constraints, yet highly dependent on external resources. The event history analysis (EVA) of NBFs (N=554) shows that although avoidance of formation of alliances is associated with death, the formation of at least one inter-organizational alliance for each age year of the firm has an inverse U shape. The life cycle dependence argument is further supported when an analysis conducted on only self-standing NBFs shows a higher and longer dependency on external alliances. These findings suggest an integration of the two theories into a firm life cycle network theory within the domain of population ecology survival theories.