Showing papers on "Resource dependence theory published in 2002"

Corporate lobbying in the European Union: the logic of access

Abstract: The complexity and diversity of European interest politics is exem- plie ed by the multitude of channels and targets that private actors use to lobby in the EU multi-level system. The aim of this article is to investigate the logic behind the apparent ad hoc lobbying behaviour of private interests. A theoretical framework is developed in order to explain the access of business interests to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The degree of access to these institutions is explained in terms of a theory of demand and supply of access goods. Access goods concern information that is crucial in the EU policy-making process. In order to gain access to an EU institution, business interests have to provide the access good(s) demanded by that institution. Organizational form is introduced as the innovative unit of analysis. It follows that associative business action is unconventionally studied in relation to two other organizational forms: individual company action and third- party representation.

A resource-based view of human resource management and organizational capabilities development

Abstract: The aim of this research work was to analyse the role of human resource management in the development of organizational capabilities and its influence on the firm's performance from a resource-based view. Our results, from empirical research on a nation-wide sample of Spanish savings banks, suggest that human resource decisions, integrated in a human resource system, have an important influence on the development of organizational capabilities and on the firm's performance.

Why Do Resource Dependent Countries Have Authoritarian Governments

Abstract: This article provides a theoretical and empirical investigation of the correlation between resource wealth and authoritarianism. Building on the rentier state literature, I argue that resource wealth facilitates the consolidation of an already established authoritarian government. Resource wealth also generates a breakdown of democratic regimes due to a combination of incumbency advantage, political instability, and political repression. There is strong empirical support for the theoretical argument. Controlling for GDP, human capital, income inequality and other possible determinants, I ?nd a robust and statistically signi?cant association between resource dependence measured by the ratio of fuel and mineral exports as a percentage of total exports and authoritarianism.

Exploring ASP as sourcing strategy: theoretical perspectives, propositions for practice

Abstract: Application service providers (ASPs) offer multiple users a subscription-based access model via the Internet to centrally managed applications. The appeals of ASPs are the per-user-pricing models, one-to-many access possibilities to applications, IT expertise and capabilities, and value added management services. This paper argues that although the ASP model offers an electronic outsourcing solution, there are in fact many similarities with more traditional IT outsourcing. Using four case studies from exploratory research into ASPs, we illustrate the applicability of a little used contingency model from the research literature that combines resource dependency theory, resource-based theory, transaction cost theory and agency theory. From this, we develop six major propositions that customers should bear in mind when considering an ASP option. Similar to outsourcing services, ASP sourcing offers some interesting benefits, but equally entails a set of risks that practitioners should carefully evaluate when considering the ‘netsourced’ ASP option.

The Integration of Subsidiary Political Activities in Multinational Corporations

Abstract: Just as the competitive activities of MNC subsidiaries exhibit differentiation as well as integration, so might MNC political activities. This paper combines the literatures on international business-government interactions and on multinational corporations, with resource dependence theory as a foundation. We develop and test hypotheses on factors that might influence the degree to which subsidiary political activities are integrated with affiliated organizations. We find that subsidiary strategic integration and the economic integration of the host country significantly influence integration of subsidiary political activities.

The impact of e‐commerce on supply chain relationships

Abstract: E‐commerce is such a new phenomenon that little research has addressed the effects it has on relationships in supply chains. A qualitative study was conducted with eight e‐commerce companies in order to construct theoretical relationships with which to develop a grounded theory of the impact of e‐commerce on managing supply chain relationships. The e‐commerce environment was perceived as highly uncertain, stemming from increased information visibility and dynamic market structures. A stronger emphasis on relationship management as part of business strategy enables managers to manage uncertainty better. Interestingly, increased information does not decrease the perception of uncertainty, but creates more uncertainty. As logistics is the function often involved with both information and relationship management within the supply chain, it may prove to be invaluable in helping firms succeed in this dynamic environment. Our research also found support for the application of transaction cost analysis and the resource dependence theory in explaining interorganizational relationship formation in e‐commerce.

A resource-based view of Schumpeterian economic dynamics

Abstract: This paper seeks to offer a theoretical platform where the modern “resource-based view” of the firm might meet with evolutionary economics and the study of entrepreneurship, and with the economics of industrial organization. It does so by proposing the concept of the “resource economy” within which productive resources are produced and exchanged between firms. This is presented as the dual of the mainstream goods and services economy – where the “resource economy” captures the dynamic capital structure of the economy. The paper is concerned to bring out the distinctive principles governing resource dynamics in the resource economy, capturing competitive dynamics in such categories as resource creation, replication, propagation, exchange and leverage; evolutionary dynamics in terms of resource variation, selection and retention; entrepreneurial dynamics in terms of resource recombination and resource imitation, transfer and substitution; and industrial organizational dynamics in terms of resource configuration, resource complementarities and resource trajectories.

The creation of specialized police gang units: A macro‐level analysis of contingency, social threat and resource dependency explanations

Abstract: Specialized police gang units are a rapidly emerging form of concentrated social control. Prior research, however, into the creation of specialized gang units suffers from a number of theoretical and methodological shortcomings. These shortcomings make it difficult to understand which of several potential explanations can best account for the establishment of specialized police gang units. Three perspectives are examined that have been hypothesized by policymakers and academics to explain the creation of gang units: contingency theory, social threat theory, and resource dependency theory. Using data obtained from police departments and communities around the country, the explanatory power of measures derived from these three theories is explored, while controlling for several environmental and organizational influences.

The back-office of e-government (managing information domains as political economies)

Abstract: Many governmental organizations are setting up e-government initiatives to improve the delivery of services to citizens. Often, these initiatives require information exchange in networks of various governmental organizations in so-called back-offices. In this article, resource dependence theory and information property rights theory are used to analyze the complex mixture of cooperation and conflict that arises in these networks. The authors conclude that the use of novel process management techniques is a promising and fruitful alternative to the use of more 'traditional' project management techniques in the development of interorganizational, back-office information systems.

Amateur structures and their effect on performance: the case of Greek voluntary sports clubs

Abstract: This study applies an organizational perspective to the measurement of the structure and context of voluntary local sports clubs in Greece. Local sport clubs have rarely been an area of inquiry in terms of their organizational structure and context. This research firstly focuses on collecting and analysing data referring to measurements of contextual (e.g., organizational size, age and resource dependence) and structural (e.g., formalization, specialization, centralization) variables. Secondly, it examines whether the local sports clubs' contextual and structural development has an effect on their performance. The theoretical background underlying this research endeavour is drawn from the classical Weberian theory of bureaucracy as presented by Frisby's conceptual framework in order to be applicable in voluntary leisure service organizations. Forty-one local sport clubs composed the sample of this study. A member of their board of directors was interviewed following a specifically designed, highly structu...

Natural Resources and Civil War: An Overview with Some Policy Options

Abstract: This paper summarizes recent research on how natural resources contribute to violent conflict. Resource dependence promotes civil war in four ways: by harming a country’s economic performance; by making its government weaker, more corrupt, and less accountable; by giving people who live in resource-rich regions an incentive to form an independent state; and by helping finance rebel movements. It also discusses of policy options to mitigate these problems. These include: • removing OECD restrictions on the import of processed commodities; • reducing the volatility of resource revenues; • increasing the transparency of resource revenues, both internationally and domestically; • preventive diplomacy; • restricting the trade in conflict commodities and finance; • banning the sale of future rights to war booty; • restricting the payment of ransoms to kidnappers. It emphasizes that on most of these issues, action would have to be taken at a global

Firm-Stakeholder Networks: Organizational Response to External Influence and Organizational Philosophy

Abstract: The role of the corporation in society is continually evaluated in a search for the balance between conduct aimed at maximizing economic profit and conduct aimed at maximizing social welfare. In this age of the postindustrial enterprise, theorists of firm behavior have suggested that the firm should be subject to forces of society, not separate from them. Although laws and regulations have delineated specific standards for compliance with societal expectations, voluntary compliance with societal expectations is an enigmatic phenomenon. Predicated on the unstable ground of ethical and instrumental rationales, the mechanisms that compel the firm to consider societal interests are not well understood. It is the goal of this study to examine the conditions that generate firm efforts to respond to societal interests. These interests are represented by particular groups called stakeholders. The conditions are derived from social influence external to the firm and from the philosophy held by the firm’s top management. This leads to the following questions:

Framework for Competency and Capability Assessment for Resource Allocation

Abstract: This paper proposes a decision process that engineering organizations can use to make human resource allocation decisions. This type of systematic approach will assist organizations in determining ...

State Governments and Research Universities: A Framework for a Renewed Partnership

Abstract: Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Acknowledgements Abstract Chapter One. Introduction and Overview Introduction Purpose of the Study Research Questions and Definitions Outline of the Book Chapter Two. Understanding Factors That Influence State Support for Higher Education: Theoretical Orientations Economic and Demographic Variables Political Factors Governance and Budgeting Formulas State Culture Institutional Characteristics and Strategies Literature Review Framework Organizational Theory Theoretical Orientations Rational Systems Theories Rational Choice and Bounded Rationality Theory Competitive Strategy Theory Political Systems Theories Strategic Contingency Theory Resource Dependency Theory Coalition BUilding Cultural Systems Theories Obligatory Action and Enactment Theory Symbolic Decision-Making Theory Insitutional Theory Theoretical Framework Chapter Three. Mixed Method Design and Analysis Sequential Mixed Method Design research Question and Definition of Terms State Support Public Research Universities Multiple Regression Analysis and Data Collection/egression Model Selection Findings and Conclusions Limitations and Implications for Qualitative Investigation Qualitative Methods Data Collection and the Positioned Subject Approach Limitations Three Campus Investigation Chapter Four. Ohio State University Introduction History Political Climate Higher Education Governance Campus Visability and Outreach Summary Chapter Five. University of Wisconsin-Madison Introduction History Political Climate Higher Education Governance Campus Visability and Outreach Summary Chapter Six. University of Georgia Introduction History Political Climate Higher Education Governance Campus Visability and Outreach Summary Chapter 7. Cross-Case Analysis Case Study Comparision and Conceptual Framework The Campus Commitment to Public Service Accountability Higher Education Gevernance Management and Coordination Economic Development Focus State Government Gubernatorial Support The Economy State History and Culture Chapter 8. A Framework for a Renewed Partnership Summary of Conclusions Implications for Policy and Strategy Research Universities Commitment to Public Service and Outreach Focus on Accountability Higher Education Governance Innovative Approaches to Economic Development State Government Investment in Higher Education History and Political Momentum Organizational Theory Conclusions Rational Systems Theories 'Data Driven' Rational Choice and Bounded Rationality Theory Competitive Strategy Theory Political Systems Theory 'Power Driven' Strategic Contingency Theory Resource Dependency Theory Coalition Building Cultural 'Values and Symbols Driven' Obligatory Action and

The Critical Resource Theory of Fiduciary Duty

Abstract: This Article proposes a new theory to unify the law of fiduciary duty. The prevailing view holds that fiduciary law is atomistic, arising for varied reasons in established categories of cases (such as trustee-beneficiary and director-shareholder) and ad hoc in relationships where one person trusts another and becomes vulnerable to harm as a result. By contrast, the critical resource theory of fiduciary duty holds that every relationship properly designated as "fiduciary" conforms to the following pattern: one party (the "fiduciary") acts on behalf of another party (the "beneficiary") while exercising discretion with respect to a critical resource belonging to the beneficiary. Relying on insights from the property rights theory of the firm, this critical resource theory holds that the primary purpose of the law of fiduciary duty is to combat opportunism within relationships that fit this pattern. The beneficiary initially protects against opportunism through self-help denying or threatening to deny the fiduciary access to the critical resource that is an essential platform for opportunistic behavior in these settings. Fiduciary law supplements self-help by depriving the fiduciary of the benefits from opportunism. By requiring the existence of a critical resource at the core of all fiduciary relationships, the critical resource theory assists courts in differentiating fiduciary relationships from relationships in which harm is caused merely by misplaced trust. The critical resource theory also justifies the varying intensity of fiduciary duties across fiduciary relationships: Where self-help is effective, fiduciary constraints are relatively weak, and where self-help is weak, fiduciary constraints are relatively intense. Three additional implications of the critical resource theory of fiduciary duty are also developed: (1) The critical resource theory implies that fiduciary duty and the contractual obligation of good faith and fair dealing are close cousins, both imposing loyalty obligations of varying intensity to combat opportunism; (2) the critical resource theory affirms the capacity of parties in a fiduciary relationship to contract out of fiduciary duties; and (3) the critical resource theory explains why restitution is the usual remedy for a breach of fiduciary duty.

Breakthrough board performance: How to harness your board's intellectual capital

Abstract: To date, corporate governance research agendas have tended to concentrate on one particular role that a board performs. For instance, agency theory concentrates on the monitoring role, resource dependence theory concentrates on the board providing access to resources and stewardship theory concentrates on the board’s advice‐giving or strategic role. While these approaches provide practitioners with useful guidelines regarding issues such as board independence, we contend that practitioners need to take care not to act on the recommendations from a single theory in isolation from the others. To address this concern, we provide a model of board effectiveness that uses the construct of board intellectual capital to integrate the predominant theories of corporate governance and illustrate how the board can drive corporate performance. We further contend that boards that wish to improve their performance need to review their intellectual capital. We conclude by linking the model to a practitioner‐focused framework that identifies four key areas on which a board must concentrate to develop its intellectual capital.

New perspectives in organizational analysis

Abstract: The evolution of organizational studies comprises different and contrasting approaches. The organizational theory has not yet formed a unified field of concepts and interpretations about what is at risk in organizations. The objective of this paper is to present some of the new approaches to organizational analysis: resource dependence, populational ecology, structural contingency, new institutional economy and new institutionalism. These approaches serve as important theorical references for the evolution and systematization in contemporary organizational studies, providing a deeper understanding on how to analyze organizations.

University Governance and Finance: The Impact of Changes in Resource Allocation on Decision Making Structures

Abstract: When trying to account for changes that take place over time in the structure of any organisation, social scientists often use a conceptual framework known as resource dependency theory. This theory assumes that organisations survive only if they are able to react to changes that occur in the world around them in order to obtain the resources they need to stay in operation. Since they have the capacity for independent action, organisations are not passively shaped by their environment; they sometimes are also able to influence it.

Ny situation - ny organisation. Gatutidningen Situation Sthlm 1995-2000

Abstract: New organizations emerge in times of social change. Their survival depends on their ability to mobilize resources in an environment defined by an old order, and thus they must adapt to it. Since new organizations learn how to adapt by mimicking already succesful organizations, their structure tend to become increasingly similar to the structure of those organizations. The thesis tells the story of the emergence of Situation Sthlm, a Swedish street paper that was started in 1995. It was part of a global movement of street papers and represented an organizational type that so far had been unknown in modern Swedish society. Its uniqueness was based on the fact that it produced a paper that was sold on the street by homeless vendors, and on its combination of newspaper production and sales with social work. In the beginning Situation Sthlm tried to mimic the successful British street paper The Big Issue. But the ambition to cater to the needs of Stockholm's homeless, and the need to mobilize local resources eventually forced the organization to change in order to fit in with already established local organizations that was active in the field of homelessness. The thesis shows how the organization managed to change and adapt to the local resource structures while at the same time preserving its core activities as a street paper and gaining the neocorporative advantages of the field. The thesis attempts to synthesize a number of theoretical concepts into a dynamic theory of social change, including resource dependence, neocorporative organizational fields, institutional isomorphism, emulation, autonomous and relational resources as well as metaphorical forms of organizational adaption (octopoidenss, gluttony, monstrosity, credulity, hypocrisy). Data from three areas of Situation Sthlm's operations are used: The publication, the social work, and organizational development. It was collected between 1999-2002 through complementary use of interviews, observations and unobtrusive methods, and covers the period between 1995-2000.

The adoption of innovation in collective action organizations.

Abstract: This study used a quantitative/qualitative methodology to explore how collective action organizations (CAOs) remain open to organizational change and innovation. It examined the adoption of inclusion—a recent innovation in the field of disabilities—by local chapters of The Arc Michigan (a disabilities CAO). We found considerable variability in the adoption of inclusion by local Arc chapters. This variability was significantly related to the ecology surrounding these chapters. Local Arc chapters that had adopted an inclusion philosophy had significantly different internal and external environments from those that had not adopted inclusion. Our qualitative findings make it clear, however, that innovative Arc chapters were not the passive recipients of these internal and external influences. These chapters were proactive players in defining and shaping the nature of their internal and external environments. Strategies that were related to a chapter's ability to remain open to innovation included (a) a change orientation, (b) a conscious philosophy or vision, (c) a proactive strategy for achieving chapter goals and overcoming barriers to change, (d) the creation of a supportive organizational network, and (e) avoidance of resource dependencies that required them to engage in activities that were inconsistent with the innovation. These findings provide a framework by which CAOs can maintain an openness to innovation and remain on the forefront of social change.

Outgrowing Resource Dependence: Theory and Evidence

Abstract: Many policy makers are concerned about dependence on resource exports. This paper examines three changes that reduce this dependence: (i) accumulation of capital and skills; (ii) changes in protection policy, particularly reductions in the burden of protection on exporters; and (iii) differential rates of technical change. Developing countries as a group have made enormous progress in diversifying their exports away from resources in recent decades, a development that appears to have been aided by accumulation of capital and skills and by dramatic reductions in the cost of protection to exporters, but slowed down by technological advances that favored agriculture.

Determinants of is outsourcing decision:development of an integratedmodel and test

Abstract: There has been considerable research interest on the determinants of outsourcing of Information Systems. However, most of the past studies are quite fragmented and no comprehensive study and model exists. Based on four theoretical models (resource-based theory, resource dependence theory, transaction cost theory, and agency cost theory), we propose an integrated model of IS outsourcing determinants. The model contains nine constructs. The relationships between the constructs are validated using survey data from companies in Hong Kong. Based on the results, we derived a reduced model of IS outsourcing determinants. Our results show that market uncertainty of IS resources and outsourcing agency factors affect significantly the outsourcing costs. Furthermore, we find that market structure and IS outsourcing costs (agency costs and transaction costs) affect IS outsourcing decisions.

Stakeholder Influence Strategies and Value Creation by New Ventures

Abstract: New ventures bring the founders' visions to fruition, creating positive benefits for entrepreneurs and stakeholder groups. Simultaneously, these efforts may disrupt and destroy existing means of production, distribution, and consumption thus imposing- costs, or even creating negative values for stakeholders. This paper describes the types of value that are likely to be created and destroyed, and examines the value-related interactions between stakeholders and new ventures. We draw upon entrepreneurship literature, stakeholder theory, and the resource dependence perspective to develop a framework illustrating these interactions, then we explore the effects of stakeholder salience and dependence on influence strategies that new ventures may employ under conditions of low agreement of value goals, and suggest propositions for different influence strategies and value outcomes.