Nidheesh Joseph and Abhishek Totawar
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of informal learning behaviors in increasing the social capital of organizations. The paper provides a brief overview of social…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of informal learning behaviors in increasing the social capital of organizations. The paper provides a brief overview of social capital and informal learning and proposes to interlink them for increasing knowledge capability of organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a review of social capital theory and informal learning behaviors, this article presents a conceptual approach for practitioners to deploy informal learning behaviors to increase social capital and subsequently, the knowledge capability of their organizations.
Findings
With the fast-changing global business scenario and limited availability of capital to invest in formal training behaviors, organizations continue to face difficulties in increasing their knowledge capability. This article suggests a simple, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy method of employing informal learning behaviors to build and sustain social capital and through it the knowledge capabilities of organizations.
Originality/value
There is currently limited research into the applicability of using informal learning behaviors in the field of social capital and knowledge capability building.
Details
Keywords
Nidheesh Joseph, Abhishek K. Totawar and Oliver Sam
Organisational researchers have always highlighted the role of leadership during crisis. However, anecdotal evidence shows that leadership often fails when the culture does not…
Abstract
Purpose
Organisational researchers have always highlighted the role of leadership during crisis. However, anecdotal evidence shows that leadership often fails when the culture does not back them during a crisis. Hence, actively initiating and developing a culture of excellence (CoE) become all the more relevant during a crisis. This paper aims to understand the role of CoE in building a resilient organisation. Furthermore, it aims to contribute to the understanding of building CoE practices in small businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews relevant literature and gathers evidence from VDart Inc, a digital talent management and services firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. A case study design based on retrospective and real-time data collection is performed to investigate CoE practices before and during the Covid-19 crisis.
Findings
The findings argue that, most often, the culture and not just the leadership determines the fate of an organisation undergoing crisis. From the case evidence, the authors identify reinforce the culture, invest in cultural custodians, seek order, keep them close and industry thought-leadership (“RISK-It”) CoE practices for fostering resilience in small- and medium-sized enterprises/businesses (SMEs) for managing crises.
Originality/value
The authors contribute to knowledge in fostering proactive resilience in small businesses, showing how SMEs should invest in building a CoE when their organisations are stable instead of searching for strong leaders and unique strategies during a crisis. Later, during the crisis, just by reinforcing their CoE using RISK-It CoE practices, leaders and managers would be able to leverage any turbulence to the advantage of their organisations.
Details
Keywords
Parijat Lanke, Abhishek Totawar, J. Raghuraman and Palanisamy Saravanan
Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are common in today's corporate world, yet nearly half of them fail. Among such failed M&As, hostile takeovers cover a large proportion. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are common in today's corporate world, yet nearly half of them fail. Among such failed M&As, hostile takeovers cover a large proportion. The purpose of this paper is to understand the puzzling evidence of a successful hostile takeover amid multiple red flags, including cultural clash. Towards that end, this study explores the case of a recent successful takeover of Mindtree Ltd. by Larsen and Toubro Ltd. and proposes the role of sensemaking and sensegiving and their interaction within the framework of context, employees and leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a secondary data-based case methodology to develop arguments and frameworks. The case study is built on multiple data sources, including newspaper articles, published reports, company data and company reports. This paper also uses public interviews given by the company heads during the process of the takeover. This paper also uses the Corley and Gioia method of qualitative data analysis using thematic coding.
Findings
This paper reports a framework based on a real-world case study. This paper explains that a successful alignment of sensemaking and sensegiving between the acquired firm's employees and new leadership could be an ingredient in managing a hostile takeover. The analysis also revealed eight aggregate dimensions of the data structure based on thematic coding analysis.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model can be further tested using empirical methods. This paper is limited in its access and analysis of only secondary data.
Practical implications
This paper provides novel implications in terms of sensemaking and sensegiving interaction for managers and executives.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to bring the role of sensemaking and sensegiving into the context of hostile takeovers. This paper would provide a new impetus from an interpretive perspective to research hostile takeovers and give novel insights for managers and executives.
Details
Keywords
Abhishek Kumar Totawar, Parijat Lanke and Ranjeet Nambudiri
This study investigates the indirect effect of organizational justice on key job outcomes, namely, job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment (OC) through employees’…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the indirect effect of organizational justice on key job outcomes, namely, job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment (OC) through employees’ quality of work-life (QWL) and psychological capital (PsyCap) by invoking the social exchange and conservation of resources theories.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used survey method. The data were collected from 440 respondents across two points in time.
Findings
We found support for a direct effect of organizational justice on employees’ satisfaction and commitment and found that QWL and PsyCap mediated the relationship between organizational justice and its outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The study offers insight into underlying mechanisms governing this relationship by positioning QWL and PsyCap as mediators. The findings contribute to the extant literature, including ratifying that justice perceptions strengthen positive job attitudes of employees.
Practical implications
The study discusses the implications for practice and makes a case for organizations to conduct audits to assess employee fairness perceptions.
Originality/value
This paper explores the underlying relationship between organizational justice and job outcome, and empirically examines the mediation QWL and PsyCap.
Details
Keywords
Pasquale Del Vecchio, Giustina Secundo and Antonello Garzoni
The paper aims to contribute to the advancement of the debate on digital innovation and entrepreneurship from a cross-generational perspective in the context of family businesses…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to contribute to the advancement of the debate on digital innovation and entrepreneurship from a cross-generational perspective in the context of family businesses. Specifically, the paper explores the contribution provided by the young generations of entrepreneurs to the digital transformation and resilience of family businesses during the pandemic emergence of COVID-19. Focusing on the need for a major understanding of digital resilience in the context of family businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises, the paper aims to provide theoretical and empirical contributions in replying to the following research question: How did young entrepreneurs contribute to the resilience and the digital transformation of their family businesses during COVID-19?
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology consisted of a two-stage qualitative investigation including a focus group managed in presence with the involvement of 24 young entrepreneurs and a self-administered online survey involving the family businesses belonging to the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria Puglia (South Italy) that has allowed to collect 47 replies, with a 32% response rate.
Findings
The paper presents evidence about the resilience of family businesses during the COVID-19 supported by the disruptive role of emerging digital technologies. Our analysis demonstrates that young entrepreneurs adopted different patterns of digital transformations, depending on the firm’s industry and the family firm’s digital maturity. Digital resilience in the context of the observed family businesses produced different benefits in terms of competitiveness, effectiveness of decision-making, visibility and communication and new opportunities for value creation; it occurred in several business areas, including production, logistics, sales and human resources management.
Practical implications
The study highlights the relevant role that younger generations can play in exploring innovation opportunities associated with digitalisation as well as in contributing to reinforce innovation and resilience capability of their family businesses through collaboration with external stakeholders and ecosystems.
Originality/value
The value of the research consists in the attempt to analyse the meaning and implication of digital innovation in the context of family business as a driver for their resilience capability. The Family Businesses Digital Readiness and Young Entrepreneurs Contributions Matrix presented into the study as an original contribution of synthesis of the evidence collected.