Many public service institutions are constrained by their ownroutines and past practices, which in time affects the internal auditfunction. In the interests of service…
Abstract
Many public service institutions are constrained by their own routines and past practices, which in time affects the internal audit function. In the interests of service effectiveness recommends establishing an overseer of internal auditing matters to take the place of the statutory shackles which are currently binding. First, organizations must clarify their individual missions, if internal audit is to confirm its position as a constructive and purposeful function. Sees a need for market research and intelligence gathering and a widening of internal audit′s horizons. Concludes that public authorities must address the question of whose needs to assess and how.
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Christophe Haag and Isaac Getz
The quality of strategic decisions made at the helm of corporations matters a great deal. Predominantly, research on strategic decision-making has focused on CEOs as if they…
Abstract
Purpose
The quality of strategic decisions made at the helm of corporations matters a great deal. Predominantly, research on strategic decision-making has focused on CEOs as if they decide alone. Yet in reality, even the most powerful CEO makes strategic decisions together with an executive board. This chapter offers a theoretical explanation of strategic board decision-making through the emotional contagion between the CEO and board members.
Methodology/approach
We used both previous research and qualitative material – two case studies and interviews with several dozen CEOs of large corporations as well as the board members of one of them – to build our theoretical model.
Findings
Our inBoard Emotional Contagion Model (inBECM) specifies the following individual–collective emotional dynamics: After a strategic affective event has triggered an affective discussion within the boardroom, the emotionally intelligent CEO communicates verbally in order to – through an emotional contagion – homogenize board members’ emotional states leading to shared sense-making of the event and – potentially – to improved decision-making.
Research/ Social/Practical implications
Suggestions are made for the inBECM contribution to emotion theory. Implications are stated for the key role of emotion in improving board decision-making and strategizing.
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In an article, explanatory of the System of Permanent Analytical Control and of the methods of working, the Daily Mail has observed :—
David W. Parker, Rosina Kunde and Luca Zeppetella
The authors explore several aspects of communications theory to identify their relevance to managing a project-based productivity improvement intervention. The literature on…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors explore several aspects of communications theory to identify their relevance to managing a project-based productivity improvement intervention. The literature on communication accommodation theory, groupthink and trust appear to have important implications for improvements. The purpose of this paper is to develop a research methodology used in conducting empirical data collection in the field to test the developed conceptual framework. The authors emphasize the importance of management theory to project-based interventions. The focus of this work is summarized by the research question: “what facets of communication impact on the success of a project-based improvement intervention?”.
Design/methodology/approach
Following a focused literature review, learnings from specific research were used to identify a series of propositions. The scope of the work was established to limit the range of issues under review. Next, a conceptual framework was designed that allowed a case study to be tested with regard to validity of the propositions. Further testing will be undertaken in a single company.
Findings
There is clear evidence showing the relevance of effective communication when executing an intervention to seek performance improvement. In particular, understanding the need of stakeholders’ is paramount that allows the design of a communications strategy. Each phase in a project-based intervention requires different styles of communication. There is also a need to have varying degrees of trust. Total unchallenged trust invariably leads to groupthink that hinders critical decision making.
Research limitations/implications
The work contributes to the understanding of the application of communication theory to project-based interventions – that invariably aim at performance improvement initiatives. While currently the work is in the early stages of research, it does nevertheless show some useful early findings. Clearly further work is needed in international projects in the context of multi-cultural teams and external stakeholders.
Practical implications
With many interventions failing to meet their planned objectives there is a need to isolate possible reasons and to rectify or mitigate the causes. Project management and change management training should include a comprehensive understanding of management theories. This research will contribute to this knowledge base.
Social implications
Project-based activities are used in most walks of life; the need for excellent management is therefore important. Invariably interventions involve considerable capital investment and their success advances productivity of nations. Understanding and integrating communication theories to their management, therefore, has significant social benefits.
Originality/value
The importance of communications is identified in the project management literature and adjunct disciplines. Professional associations and leading bodies in performance and project management, while emphasizing the need for excellent communication, have not adequately addressed underpinning theories. There is little research focusing on communication accommodation theory, groupthink and risk in the context of project management. The authors’ have not been able to identify any research on an integrated framework that combines these theories with managing a project-based performance improvement intervention.
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David Max and Nir Mualam
This paper examines the phenomenon of mixing public floors within private development, shedding light on underlying rationales, the acceptability of integrating different uses…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the phenomenon of mixing public floors within private development, shedding light on underlying rationales, the acceptability of integrating different uses, and the various challenges associated with the management and creation of these mixed-use, mixed-ownership buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
The topic is reviewed by examining the opinions and perceptions of expert planners and developers using a triangulation of qualitative interviews data and quantitative and qualitative analysis of survey results, cross-referenced with some grey literature in the form of planning tribunal decisions.
Findings
Findings suggest that the allocation of public floors is made in response to the shortage of land in high-demand areas with the aim of densifying development and making it more efficient. Experts were generally open to the concept of a private–public floorspace mix, noting that certain public land uses are better than others when combined as floorspace within private structures. Furthermore, the findings highlight managerial obstacles as well as issues with the process of allocating public floors in new plans.
Practical implications
The findings can be used to provide guidance for municipal authorities and developers looking to make the most of their available land, ensuring that both the public and private domains can coexist as cities continue to grow and become more densely populated in the future.
Originality/value
Few studies have reviewed this type of public–private mix, while highlighting challenges in their creation and management. The Israeli case-study in the paper showcases a unique context where high growth rates, increasing densification, and vertical development all spur development in this direction.
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Abstract
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Simon Friis and Ezra W. Zuckerman Sivan
The purpose of this theoretical chapter is to rework a promising but limited theory of the foundations of reciprocity. Reciprocity is often attributed to an “internalized norm of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this theoretical chapter is to rework a promising but limited theory of the foundations of reciprocity. Reciprocity is often attributed to an “internalized norm of reciprocity” – a deeply felt moral obligation to help those who have helped us in the past. Leifer's theory of local action develops a radically different and compelling foundation for reciprocity – one in which the impetus for reciprocity is a thinly veiled battle for status. We rework the theory to offer a new one that addresses its limitations. The key idea is that the impetus for reciprocity is the desire to signal that one intends to create joint value rather than to capture it from the counterparty.
Approach
Our analytical approach rests on close examination of a puzzling and underrecognized feature of social exchange: people who initiate social exchange routinely deny giving anything of value (“it was nothing”) while the receiver inflates their indebtedness to the giver (“this is too much!”). We refer to this negotiation strategy as reverse bargaining and use it as a window into the logic of social exchange.
Contribution
We develop a more general theory of how people manage the threat of opportunism in social exchange that subsumes local action theory. The key insight is that people who initiate social exchange and seek reciprocity must balance two competing objectives: to ensure that the person receiving a benefit recognizes a debt she must repay; and to mitigate the receiver's suspicion that the giver's ulterior motive is to capture value from the receiver.
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Chemistry as an applied science suffers from the fact that its necessarily close connection with various branches of industry is ill defined and generally very unsatisfactory in…
Abstract
Chemistry as an applied science suffers from the fact that its necessarily close connection with various branches of industry is ill defined and generally very unsatisfactory in character. One result of this is that those who have made chemistry their profession find themselves more often than not in the position of having to subordinate their professional instincts to the temporary exigencies of some particular branch of trade and to find their professional status called in question and criticised by those who are not in the profession itself and who have no right to criticise.
In this chapter, I reflect on the impact my Estuary English accent has had on me, both personally and professionally as a former social worker, now social work academic, and the…
Abstract
In this chapter, I reflect on the impact my Estuary English accent has had on me, both personally and professionally as a former social worker, now social work academic, and the impact it appears to have on others. From parental chastisement for dropping my ‘T’s, attributions of being ‘Cockney’ and ‘Essex’, with associated assumptions made about my educational background, class and indeed my very moral character. My accent appears at times, to disrupt some peoples' presuppositions – about who or what I am. I discuss some of the linguistic features of my accent and some ‘critical accent incidents’. I reflect on the challenges of managing academia as someone with an accent that I argue, is underpinned by gendered and classist assumptions. I argue why a critical focus on accentism remains important, generally and within social work education. The chapter utilises theory from a wide range of disciplines, including cultural theory, linguistics, education studies and autoethnography.