Hazel Stuteley and Claire Cohen
The Beacon Project is an example of a successful multi‐agency intervention in a community fraught with social and economic problems. This article first summarises what happened…
Abstract
The Beacon Project is an example of a successful multi‐agency intervention in a community fraught with social and economic problems. This article first summarises what happened, and then, from the perspectives of organisational and complexity theory, analyses retrospectively the key lessons learnt. The project, which has received national and international recognition, focused upon a partnership between health visitors, residents and statutory agencies. Health visitors helped to forge relationships based on trust and respect, creating the receptive context for transformational change. It is possible that the fluid, ‘collateral’ organisation that was thus developed was capable of both understanding and tackling the complex inter‐organisational and social issues presented by the Estate.The main conclusions are that cohesion and improvement can be developed through facilitated dialogue rather than control and explicit leadership, and that shared vision among agencies, and the trust achieved through equal dialogue, can bring significant change and empowerment to communities.
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Describes the writer′s experiences as “author” of aprocedures manual for a large contract cleaning company. The seniormanagers were anxious to take control over what they saw as…
Abstract
Describes the writer′s experiences as “author” of a procedures manual for a large contract cleaning company. The senior managers were anxious to take control over what they saw as an unwieldy organization with unclear procedures that badly needed streamlining. The manual reflected senior managers′ need to set up an illusion of control over the organization; in its production process and in its style, it suggested both that a coolly analytical, rational and logical approach was being taken to organizational description and rationalization, and that it was morally right to follow the procedures described. Yet in fulfilling senior managers′ requirements, the manual did not reflect the mess of organizational procedures, and its smooth, “seamless” descriptions implied that employees had nothing original to add to organizational procedures. Concludes that procedures manuals might be seen as inimical to individuality, as a force for control by senior management, and as a means of inhibiting employee creativity.
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This case is appropriate for use in undergraduate and MBA courses.
Abstract
Study level/applicability
This case is appropriate for use in undergraduate and MBA courses.
Subject area
This case can be used in courses in business ethics, leading teams and organizations or business strategy. The focus of the case aligns well with discussions of managing up, navigating changes in top leadership and conflicts between executive vision and future company growth. Instructors that choose to emphasize the ethical approach could assign this case to explore tradeoffs between loyalty to current and future bosses.
Case overview
Associate Director of Forecasting Cindy March faces a multi-faceted dilemma as biotech firm Veracity’s acquisition date by pharmaceutical giant Makhola approaches. After a new competitor enters the market, March expects Veracity drug Sangren’s future revenue to drop to $600m in 2019, but the outgoing Veracity CEO refuses to accept a forecast of less than $700m. March suspects that the CEO is intent on handing over a financially successful company and is overly optimistic about Sangren’s ability to maintain market share. In two weeks, March is due to present a 2019 Sangren forecast to incoming Makhola leadership, who she anticipates becoming her direct boss after the acquisition. Should March present the inflated forecasts and accept the poor reflection on her professional abilities or should she refuse to present numbers she does not believe in?
Expected learning outcomes
By analyzing and discussing the case, students should be able to:Evaluate the potential business and ethical conflicts arising from decision-making based on both data and intuition. Synthesize an appropriate strategy for navigating tradeoffs between current and future leadership.Analyze the gender dynamics of male-dominated executive leadership structures and strategies for female employees to combat gender biases.
Supplementary materials
The Behavioral Science Guys, 2015. One Simple Skill to Curb Unconscious Gender Bias. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEHi4yauhu8&ab_channel=VitalSmartsVideoTeaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 6: Human resources.
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This article explores two questions. First, can literature be a useful material for the teacher of management? Second, how might this material be used? The article acknowledges…
Abstract
This article explores two questions. First, can literature be a useful material for the teacher of management? Second, how might this material be used? The article acknowledges the many difficulties for the teacher in using literature but also suggests that literature, if used with attention to its inherent complexities and nuances, can be illuminating for students. The article describes in detail an attempt, by the author, to evaluate the use of literature in a university management class. Conclusions centred on: the value of private reading; input of the teacher; perceived relevance of the literary text to management education.
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Alison Pullen and Anne Ross-Smith
This paper aims to review Ruth Simpson’s contribution to the field of gender and management.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review Ruth Simpson’s contribution to the field of gender and management.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper looks at Ruth Simpson’s body of work over her career through a conversation that took place between Pullen and Ross-Smith.
Findings
Ruth Simpson’s contribution to gender, class, work and organizations is discussed.
Originality/value
This piece remembers Ruth Simpson’s feminist scholarship to the field of gender and management.
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Two questions broadly drove this research: Donald Trump promised to fix the economy and create jobs, and he is ending or renegotiating trade treaties. Is he creating more jobs…
Abstract
Purpose
Two questions broadly drove this research: Donald Trump promised to fix the economy and create jobs, and he is ending or renegotiating trade treaties. Is he creating more jobs? How can Trump create a more inclusive economy? The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper closely examines Trump’s economic policies and draws from past Democratic and Republication track records to explain how Trump’s policies will contribute to greater income inequality.
Findings
By all measures, President Trump fails on measures of equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Originality/value
This original paper examines the implications of the Trump administration’s policies in the areas of tax cuts (for small- and medium-sized enterprises rather than large corporations), incentives to support small business growth, entrepreneurship training, education and skills training (to retool Americans), and infrastructure spending.
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Kyung-Shick Choi, Whitney Sanders and Claire Seungeun Lee
The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to diagnose and analyze the current state of child sexual violence in the Metaverse through thematic analysis, identifying patterns and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to diagnose and analyze the current state of child sexual violence in the Metaverse through thematic analysis, identifying patterns and empirically diagnosing issues and (2) to enhance cybercrime investigation capabilities and public safety training in Metaverse investigations in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
By using thematic analysis, the study examines online child sexual violence victimization cases in the Metaverse, collecting data through keyword searches in newspapers and court records.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides detailed policy recommendations for building trust between the government and citizens involved in the digital age.
Originality/value
The research endeavors harbor a dual focus: first, to meticulously dissect and comprehend the prevalent landscape of child sexual violence within the intricate realms of the Metaverse. Through rigorous thematic analysis, the authors endeavor to unearth underlying patterns, diagnose empirical realities and illuminate the pressing issues at hand. Second, the authors aspire to fortify the arsenal of cybercrime investigation techniques, bolstering the capacity for future Metaverse inquiries. Using thematic analysis, the study meticulously scrutinizes a dozen cases of online child sexual violence, meticulously gathering data from diverse sources such as newspapers and court records. The implications of the research extend far beyond academia, offering concrete policy recommendations to safeguard vulnerable denizens of the Metaverse.
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Jon Drabenstott, Sherman Hayes, Tjalda Belastock, John Laucus, David Cohen, Gary Ross, Barbara J. McNally, Jerilyn K. Oltman and Steve Marquardt
Contributors from five libraries address the expectations and realities of their automation projects, including: staff impact, costs and funding, time and schedules, users…
Abstract
Contributors from five libraries address the expectations and realities of their automation projects, including: staff impact, costs and funding, time and schedules, users, computer support, vendors, and consultants. Some keys to success include: very clear political objectives at the beginning of the project; careful definition of the project structure; a well‐prepared automation plan; carefully‐considered, contractual commitments with a vendor; and flexibility and adaptability.
Claire Heeryung Kim and Da Hee Han
This paper aims to investigate a condition under which identity salience effects are weakened. By examining how identity salience influences individuals’ product judgment in a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate a condition under which identity salience effects are weakened. By examining how identity salience influences individuals’ product judgment in a domain of trade-offs, the current research demonstrates that the utilitarian value of a product is an important determinant of the effectiveness of identity salience on product judgment.
Design/methodology/approach
This research consists of two experiments. In Experiment 1, the authors examined whether identity salience effects were mitigated when the level of the perceived utilitarian value of an identity-incongruent product was greater than that of an identity-congruent product. In Experiment 2, the authors examined the effectiveness of internal attribution as a moderator that strengthens identity salience effects when the perceived utilitarian value of an identity-incongruent (vs. identity-congruent) product is higher.
Findings
In Experiment 1, the authors show that when the utilitarian value of a product with an attribute congruent (vs. incongruent) with one’s salient identity is lower, individuals do not show a greater preference for the identity-congruent (vs. identity-incongruent) product, mitigating the identity salience effects. Experiment 2 demonstrates that when individuals with a salient identity attribute a decision outcome to the self, they display a greater preference for the identity-congruent product even when its utilitarian value is lower compared to that of the identity-incongruent product.
Research limitations/implications
The research contributes to previous research examining conditions under which identity salience effects are weakened [e.g. social influence by others (Bolton and Reed, 2004); self-affirmation (Cohen et al., 2007)] by exploring the role of the utilitarian value of a product, which has not been examined yet in prior research. Also, by doing so, the current research adds to the literature on identity salience in a domain of trade-offs (Benjamin et al., 2010; Shaddy et al., 2020, 2021). Finally, this research reveals that when a decision outcome is attributed to the self, identity salience effects become greater. By finding a novel determinant of identity salience effects (i.e. internal attribution), the present research contributes to the literature that has examined factors that amplify identity salience effects [e.g. cultural relevance (Chattaraman et al., 2009); social distinctiveness (Forehand et al., 2002); different types of groups (White and Dahl, 2007)].
Practical implications
The findings provide managerial insights on identity-based marketing by showing a condition under which identity-based marketing does not work [i.e. when the utilitarian value of an identity-congruent (vs. identity-incongruent) product is lower] and how to enhance the effectiveness of identity-based marketing by using internal attribution.
Originality/value
By exploring the role of utilitarian value, not yet examined in prior research, the present research adds to the knowledge of the conditions under which identity salience effects are weakened. Furthermore, by finding a novel determinant of identity salience effects (i.e. internal attribution), the research contributes to the literature on factors that amplify identity salience effects.
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Judith M. Harackiewicz, Yoi Tibbetts, Elizabeth Canning and Janet S. Hyde
We review the interventions that promote motivation in academic contexts, with a focus on two primary questions: How can we motivate students to take more STEM courses? Once in…
Abstract
Purpose
We review the interventions that promote motivation in academic contexts, with a focus on two primary questions: How can we motivate students to take more STEM courses? Once in those STEM courses, how can we keep students motivated and promote their academic achievement?
Design/methodology/approach
We have approached these two motivational questions from several perspectives, examining the theoretical issues with basic laboratory research, conducting longitudinal questionnaire studies in classrooms, and developing interventions implemented in different STEM contexts. Our research is grounded in three theories that we believe are complementary: expectancy-value theory (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002), interest theory (Hidi & Renninger, 2006), and self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988). As social psychologists, we have focused on motivational theory and used experimental methods, with an emphasis on values – students’ perceptions of the value of academic tasks and students’ personal values that shape their experiences in academic contexts.
Findings
We review the experimental field studies in high-school science and college psychology classes, in which utility-value interventions promoted interest and performance for high-school students in science classes and for undergraduate students in psychology courses. We also review a randomized intervention in which parents received information about the utility value of math and science for their teens in high school; this intervention led students to take nearly one semester more of science and mathematics, compared with the control group. Finally, we review an experimental study of values affirmation in a college biology course and found that the intervention improved performance and retention for first-generation college students, closing the social-class achievement gap by 50%. We conclude by discussing the mechanisms through which these interventions work.
Originality/value
These interventions are exciting for their broad applicability in improving students’ academic choices and performance, they are also exciting regarding their potential for contributions to basic science. The combination of laboratory experiments and field experiments is advancing our understanding of the motivational principles and almost certainly will continue to do so. At the same time, interventions may benefit from becoming increasingly targeted at specific motivational processes that are effective with particular groups or in particular contexts.