Bruna Omizzolo Lazzarotto, Miriam Borchardt, Giancarlo Pereira and Caroline Almeida
Outsourcing-based performance practices establish goals for supplier performance and compensation. The management of contracts based on performance is complex as is the alignment…
Abstract
Purpose
Outsourcing-based performance practices establish goals for supplier performance and compensation. The management of contracts based on performance is complex as is the alignment of long-term relationship and indicators. The purpose of this research is to analyse the practices that contracting companies utilise to manage outsourcing contracts with performance-based compensation.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple case studies were conducted with five contracting companies. Nine performance-based outsourcing contracts were analysed.
Findings
The selection and evaluation processes have been neglected by the buyers associated with contracts that are over ten years old. The process of transferring activities relied on the knowledge of employees. Management practices based on indicators and the adoption of results-based compensation are commonplace in a number of contracts and are consistent with theory.
Originality/value
This paper identifies management practices that differ between what is expected from the theoretical framework and what is observed in the actual examined contracts. Opportunities for improvement have been identified mainly in the areas of supplier selection and activity transfer; the use of pilot tests and the reengineering of the outsourced processes are suggested.
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Says that, in recent years, public libraries have undergone budget cuts which have affected the services they provide. Shows these cuts have caused the public library service to…
Abstract
Says that, in recent years, public libraries have undergone budget cuts which have affected the services they provide. Shows these cuts have caused the public library service to be thrown into a financial crisis. Contributing to this crisis are local government restructuring with no additional money allocated for the transitionary period and also public libraries ineligibility to compete for national lottery funding. Discusses the standards a public library should have as well as government legislation affecting libraries, especially with regard to lack of funding. Includes two case studies of public libraries in different areas to show the differences in how different types of authority are affected.
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Thiago de Almeida Rodrigues, Caroline Maria de Miranda Mota, Udechukwu Ojiako and Fikri Dweiri
The purpose is to identify the main characteristics of dry ports (DPs) in Brazil, discussing the role of this logistic player, challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose is to identify the main characteristics of dry ports (DPs) in Brazil, discussing the role of this logistic player, challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, this study provides a structured framework to drive DP decision-makers, identifying and assessing a network of means–end objectives, which could be replicable to other contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This article approached initially a literature review and exploratory research to discuss the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil. The second step was to conduct a qualitative analysis following the value-focused thinking (VFT) approach in two case studies in Pernambuco state to assess the achievement of the main objectives.
Findings
This article identified that the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil are offering additional services with a cheaper storage cost, handling mainly import cargo and being connected to seaports through highways. Moreover, this study resulted in a framework to assess the objectives of DPs, which could be replicable in other contexts, improving the current operations of DPs.
Practical implications
The framework to assess DPs' objectives bridged the gap between the literature and the practice working as a tool to drive decision-makers to improve the current performance of DPs in Brazil. Additionally, the main issues, challenges and opportunities discussed provide managers, policymakers and DPs operators with valuable insights into this theme.
Originality/value
This paper is the first study to present a framework to assess the objectives of DPs as a valuable tool to drive decision-makers to improve DPs operations. From this study, lessons could be learned and the process described could be replicable in other countries.
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Thiago de Almeida Rodrigues, Udechukwu Ojiako, Caroline Maria de Miranda Mota, Alasdair Marshall, Maxwell Chipulu and Fikri Dweiri
We identify and further aggregate the most commonly engaged risk factors in dry port projects into dimensions. Noting the importance of developing a multi-perspective view of…
Abstract
Purpose
We identify and further aggregate the most commonly engaged risk factors in dry port projects into dimensions. Noting the importance of developing a multi-perspective view of risk, we further assess the priority, interdependency and heterogeneity of the identified risk dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
We identified 44 risk factors from the literature, which were aggregated via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) into 8 major risk dimensions. We employ a fuzzy-based decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) relationship map to articulate various relationships among the risk dimensions.
Findings
“Cost” emerged as the most important risk influencing the success of the dry port project, followed by “location,” “accessibility,” “infrastructural” and “operational,” which were also ranked prominently.
Originality/value
This study offers significant insights into the management of risk in dry port projects. By aggregating key risk factors into distinct dimensions, we develop a structured framework for effective risk assessment and management. The insights gleaned from the study extend globally as it serves as a concrete knowledge base to understand potential barriers to successful dry port projects.
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Benson Honig, Tomas Karlsson and Gustav Hägg
This chapter explores the advantages of newness and positive aspects of resource constraints, critically departing from assumptions of resource constraints and liabilities of…
Abstract
This chapter explores the advantages of newness and positive aspects of resource constraints, critically departing from assumptions of resource constraints and liabilities of newness. The chapter is based on a multiple case study consisting of nascent entrepreneurial processes from inexperienced entrepreneurs with severely constrained access to resources. Six theoretical concepts (legitimacy, fashion, flexibility, networks, bootstrapping, and motivation) are developed in the frame of reference. Empirical data is collected on a rich variety of sources, including longitudinal data in the form of weekly logbooks, business plans, theoretical reflections, and additional collected data during the process. Based on this data, the analysis shows that while these entrepreneurs face resource constraints and liabilities of newness, they also use strategies to leverage their constraints and novelty as an advantage in advancing their venturing efforts.
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A. Caroline Tynan and Jennifer L. Drayton
It is contended that the theory and practice of qualitative research is an integral part of a comprehensive marketing course. Both postgraduate and undergraduate students of…
Abstract
It is contended that the theory and practice of qualitative research is an integral part of a comprehensive marketing course. Both postgraduate and undergraduate students of marketing may be expected to be familiar with, and have experience of, qualitative techniques. Focus groups are arguably the most frequently employed qualitative technique, and as such are used as a starting point for the study of qualitative research. Their accepted advantages of speed, flexibility and economy, together with the rich data generated, make qualitative methods eminently suitable for student research, with its attendant limitations on time and money. A detailed practical guide to the procedures for planning, conducting and analysing focus groups is presented.
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Caroline Hartmann, Chu Chen and Mario Hayek
The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of risk-taking attitude as an important antecedent to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of risk-taking attitude as an important antecedent to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use regression models on a sample of 2,136 publicly traded US companies over a 10-year period.
Findings
Corporate risk-taking encourages the pursuit of CSR initiatives and internal (i.e. board strength) and external (i.e. financial analysts) corporate governance mechanisms strengthen that relationship.
Originality/value
While pursuing CSR initiatives involves financial and reputational risks that are evident by the variability in the outcomes (e.g. firm value) of firms that have historically undertaken CSR initiatives, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to theoretically explain why risk-taking is an important antecedent to CSR and empirically test that relationship.
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Rebecca Jean Emigh and Dylan Riley
In this chapter, we review the historical development of elite theory, and then we propose a way forward beyond it. Elite theory emerged as a critique of democracy in the late…
Abstract
In this chapter, we review the historical development of elite theory, and then we propose a way forward beyond it. Elite theory emerged as a critique of democracy in the late 19th century. Although it used historical materials illustratively, it tended to be ahistorical theoretically because its primary aim was to demonstrate the perdurance of elites even in conditions of mass suffrage. Lachmann was the first scholar to develop elite theory as a truly historical and explanatory framework by combining it with elements of Marxism. Even Lachmann's theory, however, remained inadequate because it did not rest on a fully articulated theory of power. In this introduction, we suggest a “relational power theory” as a remedy to this situation, and we use it to formulate a general heuristic for the study of elites, nonelites, and their interrelationships. To illustrate its utility, we show how it can illuminate the chapters in this volume (though they were not necessarily written for these purposes).
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This chapter investigates the experiences of doctoral students and supervisors in the doctoral process, focusing on the potential impact of imbalances in the distribution of…
Abstract
This chapter investigates the experiences of doctoral students and supervisors in the doctoral process, focusing on the potential impact of imbalances in the distribution of power. In this respect, there are troublesome manifestations of excessive faculty entitlement that appear to be a source of inequality and injustice. These phenomena call into question the crucial relationship of support expected of doctoral students, as thesis supervisors have a fundamental role to play in guiding them towards the doctorate and ensuring their successful entry into the research community. Looking at the issue from the angle of the theory of social fields, I examine instances of dysfunction in supervisory experiences. Such problematic practices tend to conform to the relationships and traditions that sustain and (re)produce the practices of the academy, constraining the establishment of what Bakhtin describes as a dialogical relationship, between doctoral students and supervisors. I examine this problem from my own experience, both as a doctoral student and as a supervisor. I approach the question by combining self-study and narrative inquiry to make use of the data from my experience to analyse the issues raised during the supervision of doctoral programmes. I connect accounts drawn from literature, real-life testimonies and a corpus of discussions and notes to explore the manifestations of excessive faculty entitlement in the form of asymmetries and difficulties that can negatively impact the quality of supervision.