Reference is often made to the concept of groupthink in books on organizational behaviour intended primarily for students of management. Yet the few examples of its occurrence…
Abstract
Reference is often made to the concept of groupthink in books on organizational behaviour intended primarily for students of management. Yet the few examples of its occurrence that are adduced are by now rather archaic or rely on the original case researched by Janis. This paper seeks to remedy this deficiency by considering two recent cases of possible groupthink in British corporate management at BA and Marks & Spencer. A notable feature of groupthink was that it tended to take place in conditions of concurrence‐seeking. In conditions that might induce such behaviour, senior management of both BA and Marks & Spencer announced globalization strategies in the early 1990s. Taking its cue from a previous study of groupthink by McCauley, the main body of the paper uses content analysis of press reports on management at BA and Marks & Spencer in the 1990s to suggest that groupthink was present, causing blocked management communications and leading to the fall in reputation and stock market valuation of these two companies.
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Spain has the highest unemployment rate in Western Europe, 21 per cent. The research focuses on whether trade unionism has a future in Spain (the figure is currently between 15…
Abstract
Spain has the highest unemployment rate in Western Europe, 21 per cent. The research focuses on whether trade unionism has a future in Spain (the figure is currently between 15 and 25 per cent of the employed labour force).
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Colin Gill, R.S. Morris and Jack Eaton
There is a substantial literature describing the various methods of job evaluation, all of which are essentially concerned to rank different jobs in a pay hierarchy according to…
Abstract
There is a substantial literature describing the various methods of job evaluation, all of which are essentially concerned to rank different jobs in a pay hierarchy according to rational criteria. Also, the aims and effectiveness of job evaluation schemes in terms of labour cost containment and as an aid to economic growth have been extensively discussed and evaluated. Moreover, in an era of incomes policies and the relative decline of industrywide bargaining, commentators have explored the feasibility of national job evaluation or alternative procedures for the consolidation of consistent acceptable differentials or ‘relativities’ between different work groups and industries at the level of the economy.
Business format franchising has vast job creation potential. A 1984 survey commissioned by the British Franchise Association predicted that at least 280,000 jobs will be created…
Abstract
Business format franchising has vast job creation potential. A 1984 survey commissioned by the British Franchise Association predicted that at least 280,000 jobs will be created in the next five years in the UK as a result of franchising. Reasons for its growth include the lack of theoretical work involved, “being your own boss”, and the potential for large profit margins. In this context, the British government's insistence that real jobs can only come from creating marketable goods and services is somewhat exasperating. However most franchises are fast‐food outlets, the market for which is now beginning to look saturated.
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Many people are looking for a change in their working environment—concerned about such widely divergent problems as job satisfaction, security of employment, the introduction of…
Abstract
Many people are looking for a change in their working environment—concerned about such widely divergent problems as job satisfaction, security of employment, the introduction of democratic decision making and the responsibilities of industry and commerce to the wider social spectrum. Such concern is likely to be accelerated in the next decade by changes brought about by micro‐processor technology. However, commercial change is usually the result of entrepreneurial activity, which is often assumed to be a purely capitalistic activity. This article introduces the concept of producers' co‐operatives and highlights the place of entrepreneurship. This has evolved in an unusual way in the Mondragon Co‐operatives of Northern Spain.
With another big increase in the unemployment figures for school and college leavers Education and Training visits one of the worst hit regions to talk to the people who are…
Abstract
With another big increase in the unemployment figures for school and college leavers Education and Training visits one of the worst hit regions to talk to the people who are trying to solve the problem.
Clive Bingley, Allan Bunch and Edwin Fleming
TRY THIS for starters in 1982: ‘The concept of the electronic journal is one which involves using a computer to aid the normal procedures whereby an article is written, refereed…
Abstract
TRY THIS for starters in 1982: ‘The concept of the electronic journal is one which involves using a computer to aid the normal procedures whereby an article is written, refereed, accepted and published. With the help of suitable software an author may enter a text into a system, and the editor, referees, and ultimately the users, as well as himself, can have access to the text at their computer terminals.’
AT this time of the year it is customary to look back over past achievements. We are in no mood to do this. 1976 is no year to remember with any kind of nostalgia. In many…
Abstract
AT this time of the year it is customary to look back over past achievements. We are in no mood to do this. 1976 is no year to remember with any kind of nostalgia. In many industries it had a history of almost never‐ending strife. No sooner was one dispute ended than another began. So often, too, a small handful of men have rendered a whole workforce — or a proportion of it far larger than their own numbers would seem possible — out of action.
To provide a theoretically grounded exploration of the family's role in the decision to expatriate independently.
Abstract
Purpose
To provide a theoretically grounded exploration of the family's role in the decision to expatriate independently.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative study drawing on data collected in interviews with 30 British faculty working in universities in Singapore, New Zealand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Data analysis was performed using computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (NVivo).
Findings
Family played a strong role in the decision to expatriate independently, particularly spouse and children. Yet, extended family remaining in the home country were also implicated. Moreover, participants drew on previous family experiences and history to explain their decision. The concept of the “significant” other was useful in explaining these findings.
Research limitations/implications
As an exploratory study the sample size was appropriate. However, a larger study might present further themes and/or allow generalization. Alternative family forms were not well represented but they were identified as deserving further attention.
Practical implications
Given their centrality in the respective decision‐making process family should be taken into account when managing self‐directed expatriates. Moreover, rather than problematizing it as an encumbrance to be managed, families are allies who stand to gain as much from expatriation as the candidate to whom the position is offered.
Originality/value
The paper extents beyond the traditional corporate assignment model to consider self‐directed expatriate academics. It also answers call for more theoretically grounded studies of expatriation by drawing on interpretive interactionism. A further value is that it draws on contemporary career theory as a useful framework to recognise the embeddedness of the family in expatriation as a career decision.
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Ryoko Yamaguchi, Veronica Hankerson Madrigal, Cyntrica N. Eaton and Jamika D. Burge
There is a critical need to understand how to attract Black girls and other girls of color to the science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science (STEM+CS) field…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a critical need to understand how to attract Black girls and other girls of color to the science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science (STEM+CS) field. This study aims to look at the design and implementation of a CS learning ecosystem that supports girls of color in acquiring critical CS skills starting in middle school.
Design/methodology/approach
This mixed-method case study included 53 girls, between the ages of 11 and 13, in four US middle schools. Study methods included the analysis of a pre-program student survey, longitudinal interviews and focus groups, weekly observations and computing artifacts.
Findings
Program participants were interested in CS, were confident in their ability to learn CS, had prior coding and CS experience and had parents and teachers who encouraged them to learn CS. But some students showed dependent learning behaviors while engaging in CS activities. These included relying on instructors and being reticent to make mistakes–behaviors that limit learning. The CS learning ecosystem supported students as they shifted from applying dependent learning approaches to applying independent learning approaches. Instructors sustained a growth mindset and supported productive struggle as students learned CS skills.
Originality/value
A CS learning system supported equitable learning experiences and helped students develop independent learning behaviors that led to deeper engagement in CS.