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This study aims to examine the cross‐cultural differences in equity sensitivity between the USA and Japan.

A sample of 390 Americans and 202 Japanese were surveyed to determine their equity sensitivities and how each group would likely respond to under‐payment scenarios.

The findings support the notion that the Japanese are in fact more entitled in their equity orientation than Americans. Furthermore, the Japanese were also significantly more likely to respond with overt actions to reduce their feelings of inequity.

Foremost among these limitations is the fact that the situation presented to the subjects was hypothetical rather than real. Since it would be considered unethical to manipulate subjects in real work settings a first person scenario approach was utilized consistent with other equity theory literature. While the scenario was easily identifiable by the student subjects, it is unknown if the findings from this research would apply to adults working in real world organizations.

The results may have important implications for international human resource strategies and practices. Equity sensitivity may affect perceived value of rewards (compensation), promotion (selection), and motivation (performance management) all of which are critical issues in the effective management of human resources. This study illustrates that cross‐cultural differences exist in regard to equity sensitivity and these differences may affect the efficacy of human resource strategies in global organizations.

This paper offers a significant contribution to the literature on equity sensitivity by testing the theory in a cross‐cultural setting.

While Porter's generic strategies are a widely accepted typology of strategic options for businesses, prior studies have not linked specific strategic practices with each generic strategy and explored the associations between the practices and overall organizational performance. The purpose of this paper is to propose and test the following two hypotheses: specific strategic practices (or tactics) can be identified which are associated with each generic Porter strategy; and there are specific strategic practices which are more strongly associated with higher levels of organizational performance within each generic strategy.

To test these hypotheses, a questionnaire was developed and administered to a sample of 226 working adults. A factor analysis and regression analyses were used to analyze the data.

Findings include a list of critical strategic practices significantly associated with organizational performance for each of Porter's generic strategies.

Future research would be advised to include a more geographically and randomly selected sample. Furthermore, the use of archival financial performance data is suggested.

Suggestions for managers crafting strategies and reinforcing supporting strategic practices based on the findings of this research are discussed.

This research has uncovered a core list of strategic practices which better defines each generic Porter strategy. The authors have also pinpointed an even smaller list of critical practices strongly associated with performance for each specific generic strategy.

The Japanese government is promoting a move towards a variety of generic business strategies based on the Porter Prize as a way to regain global competitiveness and end their long economic recession. The purpose of this paper is to report on the current state of Japanese business strategies to a practitioner audience based on the authors' previous academic‐oriented research.

A survey of 101 Japanese respondents was conducted to determine their relative use of Porter's generic business strategies. Examples of implementation are presented to illustrate use of the critical strategies.

The Japanese are using two of Porter's generic strategies, namely cost leadership and differentiation and they are using two variations of Porter's focus strategies.

As is typical with all survey research, the convenience sample of organizations used in this survey may not be representative of all Japanese organizations.

Managers, consultants and policy makers will gain insights into the impact national policy can have on corporate strategy. This understanding is important when conducting business in a global environment. More specifically, readers will gain a better understanding of how Japanese firms are presently implementing competitive strategies as a result of a Japanese national strategy to promote the use of Porter's generic strategies.

This article is a practitioner‐oriented translation of an academic research study. The value of the current article is to share findings with the practitioner community and present examples of strategic implementation to managers, consultants and policy makers in a less technical format than a typical academic journal.

To identify and cite examples of critical tactics for implementing Porter's generic strategies.

A survey of over 200 organizations was conducted to determine their relative use of tactics and organizational performance. Factor analysis and regression analyses were used to identify tactics that were strongly related to organizational performance. Examples of implementation are presented to illustrate use of the critical tactics.

A list of ten tactics were identified as significantly related with the generic strategies and higher levels of organizational performance.

As is typical with survey research, the convenience sample of organizations used in this survey may or may not be representative of all organizations. Also, when using regression analysis it is important to keep in mind that correlation does not necessarily mean causation. Therefore we are not certain that the significant tactics caused the higher levels of organizational performance.

Managers will gain the knowledge of how to better tailor their strategy implementation to more effectively implement whatever generic strategy they attempt to use. Managers should pay particular attention to the critical tactics associated with their generic strategy.

This article is a practitioner‐oriented translation of an academic research study. The value of the current article is to share our findings with a more practitioner‐oriented community and present the implications of our findings to managers and decision‐makers in a less technical format.

LIBRARIANS in Britain stand at the threshold of great possibilities. Having passed through the ages of the ecclesiastical library, the rich collector's private library, the academic institutional library, and the rate‐supported public library—all general libraries —they have reached the age of the special library. The next will be that of the co‐ordinated, co‐operative library service.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employee perceptions of diversity within the senior management, management and non‐management levels of their organizations and their perceptions of organizational performance.

Surveys were administered to 391 managers or professionals in 130 organizations located in the southeastern United States to determine their perceptions of diversity and performance within their organizations.

Regression analysis found strong support for the hypothesis that employee perceptions of diversity at the senior management level of an organization is positively related to perceptions of organizational performance. Likewise, there was support for the hypothesis that employee perceptions of diversity at the non‐manager level were positively related to perceptions of organizational performance.

The current study was based strictly on perceptual measures. Future research could also consider the use of more objective measures of diversity to gauge any potential differences between perception and reality. Considering that the sample was drawn strictly from the southeastern US, the conclusions may not be applicable to other cultures in other parts of the world.

Organizations need to be sure that they focus on initiatives that have a positive influence on employee perceptions of diversity within the ranks of senior management and non‐management.

This research sheds new light on the importance of employee perceptions of diversity within the various levels of employees in their organizations and organizational performance.

The purpose of this paper is to identify factors influencing extremely high or low research productivity for business faculty members.

Using data originating from a random sample of 236 faculty members across a wide range of accredited business schools and a web‐based survey, main effects are hypothesized and explored. The authors examine only extreme data points of high (and low) research productivity to focus on high‐performing research “stars.”

It is found that research “stars” hold higher academic rank, possess greater time management skills, individually place a high value on research, report higher time available to conduct research, enjoy higher institutional support in the form of graduate assistants and summer research support, have fewer course preparations, and work for departments with a similar priority placed on research.

The authors found that certain person‐ and situation‐level factors differentiate high and low performing faculty members’ research output.

The paper has implications for university administrators regarding recruiting, selecting, and managing faculty members’ research performance.

Research productivity and intellectual contributions continue to dominate much of higher education as a primary measure of faculty members’ success. One area that remains under‐explored in the business literature is what “makes a research star” and, to the contrary, what factors predict extremely low faculty research productivity? Shedding light on this research question provides practical benefits for universities by enabling administrators to better recruit, select, motivate, and develop productive faculty members.

This study examines the impact of reward practices on the relationship between an organizational strategy based on the principles of total quality management (TQM) and perceptions of firm performance. Major findings include: higher levels of firm performance were significantly correlated with greater use of TQM practices, but not with greater use of quality rhetoric in either formal strategic documents or informal strategic discussions; the use of extrinsic reward practices – including profit sharing, gainsharing, employment security, and comp time – exhibited a significantly positive moderating effect on the relationship between TQM and perceived firm performance. Regarding implications for practitioners, it is insufficient to include quality rhetoric in the formal and informal strategy. As the anecdotal literature has often advocated, the current research provides empirical support that management must “walk the talk” with regard to TQM efforts. Further, in order to realize even higher levels of firm performance, an organization should utilize reward practices which specifically complement its TQM‐based strategy.

E‐Teaching as the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education is of growing importance for educational theory and practice. Many universities and other higher education institutions use ICT to support teaching. However, there are contradicting opinions about the value and outcome of e‐teaching. This paper starts with a review of the literature on e‐teaching and uses this as a basis for distilling success factors for e‐teaching. It then discusses the case study of an e‐voting system used for giving student feedback and marking student presentations. The case study is critically discussed in the light of the success factors developed earlier. The conclusion is that e‐teaching, in order to be successful, should be embedded in the organisational and individual teaching philosophy.