Katerina Lyroudi and Don A. Taylor
The 1990s may be viewed as the decade of economic globalization. The projected EEC integration in 1992 has already lead to an increase in direct foreign investment (DFI) and…
Abstract
The 1990s may be viewed as the decade of economic globalization. The projected EEC integration in 1992 has already lead to an increase in direct foreign investment (DFI) and acquisition activity in Europe. Many firms would like to participate in the new market that will emerge in 1992. In addition, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent reunification of the two Germanies have signalled a new era for Eastern Europe. These events will forge a new Europe of approximately 520 million people with nearly $5 trillion in combined gross national product, versus the $4 trillion economy of the United States and the $2 trillion economy of Japan.
Kerry D. Melton, John R. English and G. Don Taylor
Suggests that there is justification for the use of a new methodology for process diagnosis which is simple to understand and realistic to implement. The control of quality of a…
Abstract
Suggests that there is justification for the use of a new methodology for process diagnosis which is simple to understand and realistic to implement. The control of quality of a process typically requires that multiple process variables be monitored simultaneously. Due to the multi‐dimensionality of the data collected, process diagnosis is complex and the data often are not efficiently integrated to capitalize on the wealth of available information. A two‐phased diagnostic approach for process diagnosis and identification of suspect causes for this multi‐dimensional problem is introduced in Krishnamurthi et al. (1993). Provides an in‐depth analysis of phase two of the statistical process control (SPC) diagnostic approach. Specifically, simulation is used to generate different cause and effect scenarios to determine the effectiveness of the SPC approach in correctly diagnosing a process disorder. The analysis utilizes analysis of variance to estimate the effect of various process variables, process steps, and associated out‐of‐control conditions on the performance of the SPC approach and its ability to diagnose correctly an out‐of‐control condition. As a result of these findings, the critical means are plotted and the findings are presented. Additionally, a comparison between the SPC approach and parsimonious covering theory (PCT) is made. Concludes that for the process scenarios considered, which are of practical size, the more simple approach of the SPC diagnostic approach is recommended.
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THE NINETIENTH ANNIVERSARY of Sean O'Casey's birth and the recent acquisition by the New York Public Library of the papers of his literary estate afford an opportunity to view…
Abstract
THE NINETIENTH ANNIVERSARY of Sean O'Casey's birth and the recent acquisition by the New York Public Library of the papers of his literary estate afford an opportunity to view, once more, the remarkable achievements of a dramatist of universal distinction. A passionate believer in the cause of man's dignity and freedom, whose plays touched off riots and sparked off controversies, whose works wrung the beauty and passion and heartaches from the experiences of everyday life and ‘whose lips were royally touched’—to quote J. C. Trewin's recent colourful phrase—O'Casey was, with Shaw, one of the few incomparably great playwrights of the present century. Not without his detractors: one critic's jibe that O'Casey is ‘an extremely overrated writer with two or three competent Naturalist plays to his credit, followed by a lot of ideological bloat and embarrassing bombast’ is the kind of factitious reaction one expects from critically immature minds. Shaw's plays, at first, were slighted, but they survived, and today are flourishing; predictably, O'Casey's will enjoy a similar fate. O'Casey is a world dramatist in the widest sense, because he viewed the theatre in the same epic way as Shakespeare and the rest of the Elizabethans.
The purpose of this paper is to make a case for the co‐existence of Theories X and Y assumptions in everyone. The author does this by comparing the works of Douglas McGregor and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make a case for the co‐existence of Theories X and Y assumptions in everyone. The author does this by comparing the works of Douglas McGregor and Frederick W. Taylor, “the father of scientific management,” after having lived with their legacies for several decades as manager and consultant. The author shows how the striking similarities in their values diverged in practice and how the author learned to integrate their voices in himself.
Design/methodology/approach
Personal cases are used showing how the author learned to improve workplaces while tracing his roots from McGregor to Taylor and back, drawing on a few of more than 260 sources the author cited in Productive Workplaces (1987, 2004).
Findings
Putting theories into practice for the author involved not only devising new policies, procedures, and structures but also going on a never‐ending journey of self‐discovery. Second, theories X and Y may have originated in McGregor's own projections on his father, just as Taylor's scientific management may be understood as an expression of his Quaker roots. Third, the tension between X and Y in all of us is a reality to appreciate, not a battle requiring that we take sides.
Originality/value
The author offers this paper as a corrective to two popular myths from his years as a manager/consultant. One is that “Theory Y” managers are superior to “Theory X types” when they often may be the same people. Two is that Taylor is the boogey‐man who corrupted workplaces by forcing people into mindless jobs. In fact his systems were eagerly embraced by countless others and paradoxically coexist today, even in workplaces whose managers believe passionately in human capability.
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Joanne Taylor, Theophilus Akanji, AbdulAziz Al Shaikh, Fran Collison and Pamela Whitehall
The purpose of this paper is to identify whether barriers and solutions to food safety management identified in the UK hospitality businesses between 2002 and 2005 have broader…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify whether barriers and solutions to food safety management identified in the UK hospitality businesses between 2002 and 2005 have broader global relevance. It is the first paper in a themed issue of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes presenting international food safety management challenges and solutions.
Design/methodology/approach
In‐depth interviews, supported by documentary analysis, in restaurants and hotels in Barbados, Dubai, Nigeria and Oman.
Findings
Recent research in Barbados, Dubai, Nigeria and Oman supports the findings of parallel UK research between 2002 and 2005, showing that the barriers to food safety management are likely to have global relevance, and also the potential for global solutions.
Practical implications
The paper will be of value to practitioners, researchers and other stakeholders involved in the food industry.
Originality/value
This paper presents a collection of in‐depth, discovery‐based research studies in a diverse range of countries.
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The purpose of this paper is to answer the question as to why until 2004 there had been no systematic, effective implementation of HACCP in the hospitality industry anywhere in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to answer the question as to why until 2004 there had been no systematic, effective implementation of HACCP in the hospitality industry anywhere in the world. It is the third article in the second Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes issue of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management presenting a new method of HACCP for the hospitality industry and proof of its utility.
Design/methodology/approach
In‐depth narrative interviews, supported by documentary analysis, were carried out in 22 hospitality businesses in Greater Manchester.
Findings
The research techniques find 21 practical and psychological barriers to success at knowledge, attitude and behavioural levels. These are investigated in depth in order to develop a model for overcoming the problems and achieving tangible improvements in food safety and HACCP in the hospitality industry.
Originality/value
The research techniques chosen for the project documented in this paper overcome the methodological limitations of most previous research in the area. Using an in‐depth psychological perspective they have uncovered important barriers not previously considered.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide a transcript of Fredrick W. Taylor's 1907 lecture on his “task” system of management.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a transcript of Fredrick W. Taylor's 1907 lecture on his “task” system of management.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper shows its advantages over traditional personal initiative styles, suggesting that managers should not allow employees to think for themselves but make sure they simply carry out tasks as instructed. Demonstrated this by using as an example pig‐iron handlers at Bethlehem Steel Company. Relates how he established scientific principles to ascertain the maximum load a man could carry and the optimum wage.
Findings
Instead of asking if workers felt able to move heavier loads, by telling them he only employed “high‐priced men”, he found plenty of willing employees.
Originality/value
The paper offers an example of how primary sources can be of critical importance to management scholars, not just management historians.
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Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and…
Abstract
Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and non-economic activities. Researchers have increasingly focused on the adoption and use of ICT by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the economic development of a country is largely dependent on them. Following the success of ICT utilisation in SMEs in developed countries, many developing countries are looking to utilise the potential of the technology to develop SMEs. Past studies have shown that the contribution of ICT to the performance of SMEs is not clear and certain. Thus, it is crucial to determine the effectiveness of ICT in generating firm performance since this has implications for SMEs’ expenditure on the technology. This research examines the diffusion of ICT among SMEs with respect to the typical stages from innovation adoption to post-adoption, by analysing the actual usage of ICT and value creation. The mediating effects of integration and utilisation on SME performance are also studied. Grounded in the innovation diffusion literature, institutional theory and resource-based theory, this study has developed a comprehensive integrated research model focused on the research objectives. Following a positivist research paradigm, this study employs a mixed-method research approach. A preliminary conceptual framework is developed through an extensive literature review and is refined by results from an in-depth field study. During the field study, a total of 11 SME owners or decision-makers were interviewed. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo 10 to refine the model to develop the research hypotheses. The final research model is composed of 30 first-order and five higher-order constructs which involve both reflective and formative measures. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to test the theoretical model with a cross-sectional data set of 282 SMEs in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire issued to SMEs selected by applying a stratified random sampling technique. The structural equation modelling utilises a two-step procedure of data analysis. Prior to estimating the structural model, the measurement model is examined for construct validity of the study variables (i.e. convergent and discriminant validity).
The estimates show cognitive evaluation as an important antecedent for expectation which is shaped primarily by the entrepreneurs’ beliefs (perception) and also influenced by the owners’ innovativeness and culture. Culture further influences expectation. The study finds that facilitating condition, environmental pressure and country readiness are important antecedents of expectation and ICT use. The results also reveal that integration and the degree of ICT utilisation significantly affect SMEs’ performance. Surprisingly, the findings do not reveal any significant impact of ICT usage on performance which apparently suggests the possibility of the ICT productivity paradox. However, the analysis finally proves the non-existence of the paradox by demonstrating the mediating role of ICT integration and degree of utilisation explain the influence of information technology (IT) usage on firm performance which is consistent with the resource-based theory. The results suggest that the use of ICT can enhance SMEs’ performance if the technology is integrated and properly utilised. SME owners or managers, interested stakeholders and policy makers may follow the study’s outcomes and focus on ICT integration and degree of utilisation with a view to attaining superior organisational performance.
This study urges concerned business enterprises and government to look at the environmental and cultural factors with a view to achieving ICT usage success in terms of enhanced firm performance. In particular, improving organisational practices and procedures by eliminating the traditional power distance inside organisations and implementing necessary rules and regulations are important actions for managing environmental and cultural uncertainties. The application of a Bengali user interface may help to ensure the productivity of ICT use by SMEs in Bangladesh. Establishing a favourable national technology infrastructure and legal environment may contribute positively to improving the overall situation. This study also suggests some changes and modifications in the country’s existing policies and strategies. The government and policy makers should undertake mass promotional programs to disseminate information about the various uses of computers and their contribution in developing better organisational performance. Organising specialised training programs for SME capacity building may succeed in attaining the motivation for SMEs to use ICT. Ensuring easy access to the technology by providing loans, grants and subsidies is important. Various stakeholders, partners and related organisations should come forward to support government policies and priorities in order to ensure the productive use of ICT among SMEs which finally will help to foster Bangladesh’s economic development.
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Jolene H. Bodily and Kristin J. Behfar
Hasn’t everyone at some point felt as if the universe was conspiring against his or her success? This case narrative tracks the story of Emmett Taylor, an operations manager for a…
Abstract
Hasn’t everyone at some point felt as if the universe was conspiring against his or her success? This case narrative tracks the story of Emmett Taylor, an operations manager for a bottling company, as a snow and ice storm bears down on his southeastern U.S. plant. Taylor is already plagued by stress caused by all facets of his life-family, work, and personal health-and this storm is no exception. The story offers an opportunity to discuss time, energy, and priority management; individual behavior from a type-A personality; work-life balance; organizational behavior; and leadership. This case is a suitable substitution for the classic best-selling Darden case “John Wolford” (UVA-OB-0167).
Joseph Blase and Jo Blase
This article, the first empirical study of its kind, presents findings from a larger qualitative study of principal mistreatment of teachers. A grounded theory method was used to…
Abstract
This article, the first empirical study of its kind, presents findings from a larger qualitative study of principal mistreatment of teachers. A grounded theory method was used to study a sample of 50 US teachers who were subjected to long‐term mistreatment from school principals. The authors discuss descriptive, conceptual, and theoretical findings about principals’ actions that teachers define as mistreatment. In addition, the inductively derived model briefly looks at the harmful effects of principal mistreatment and abuse on teachers, psychologically/emotionally and physically/physiologically. Implications of study findings are discussed for administrator and teacher preparation, for school district offices, and for further research.