This study aims to look at the performance, communication structure and media choice for swift teams (STs) formed with the purpose of recovering from operational emergencies in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to look at the performance, communication structure and media choice for swift teams (STs) formed with the purpose of recovering from operational emergencies in manufacturing. The problem-solving process associated with these ad hoc teams include an early stage, where the main goal is to restore the process to working conditions, and a later stage, longer in duration, where the root cause of the problem is found and eliminated.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on field data from an industrial manufacturing operation, the authors test hypotheses by means of regression models.
Findings
It was found that in the evolution from early to later stage, media usage shifts from highly synchronous to asynchronous and the structural characteristics of the teams' collaboration networks mutate as well. These effects are different when comparing high- vs low-performing teams.
Research limitations/implications
The study contains data for only one company, limiting the external validity of the conclusions. The sample was predominantly male. Participant attrition and other potential covariates not included in the study can be additional limitations.
Practical implications
More successful teams adapt their communication patterns more rapidly, going from an initially decentralized organization to a more centralized one. These changes in network patterns open a new view of ST’s success, based on network characteristics rather than on aggregate measures. The conclusions yield insights for interventions that may increase the success rates of these teams and reduce production line downtime.
Originality/value
The two stages in the operational emergency problem-solving process have to the authors’ knowledge not been addressed simultaneously in previous research, which is attempted in this paper as its main theoretical contribution. Moreover, previous studies dealing with ST’s success have only looked at aggregated measures impacting effectiveness and never to how their communication networks evolve along the path to problem resolution. The network view of the evolution of the ST from a relatively disorganized impromptu agglomeration of individuals to an effective problem-solving organization is to the authors’ knowledge first presented.
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This paper explores the changes in communication patterns when companies implement lean, and how those changes relate to implementation success.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the changes in communication patterns when companies implement lean, and how those changes relate to implementation success.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a multiple-site case study involving four business units of a manufacturing company in South America, including two repeated measurement instances separating 24 months for approximately 600 direct workers and 65 supervisors. The analytical models include social network analysis measures and Ordinary Least Squares regression.
Findings
When companies implement lean, (1) teams have a higher frequency of communication among members; (2) teams become more decentralized; (3) teams communicate more with supervisors and (4) supervisors communicate more amongst themselves and collaborate more. Also, (5) better performing teams change more pronouncedly.
Research limitations/implications
The study contains data for four business units but within only one company, limiting the external validity of the conclusions. The sample was predominantly male. Participant attrition and other potential covariates not included in the study can be additional limitations.
Practical implications
Lean implementations could be practically helped by managers by embracing and supporting the more intense communication patterns associated with lean success, and alternatively, they could proactively detect barriers in communication by measuring how these patterns change or fail to change and try to unlock communication by working on those barriers and supply communications infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration to try to boost the chances of success.
Originality/value
This is to our knowledge the first study measuring communication networks from the point of view of team members and low-level supervisors in lean implementations. This is also the first study showing that communication patterns change more rapidly in more successful teams, and also that communication pattern changes when implementing lean can be an indicator of success.
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William I. MacKenzie, Jorge A. Colazo and Robert F. Scherer
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation encourages business schools to exhibit alignment within their mission, strategies and outcomes to…
Abstract
Purpose
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation encourages business schools to exhibit alignment within their mission, strategies and outcomes to achieve success. The present study aims to explore the idea of mission alignment and how it may serve as an important moderator to the relationship between organizational resources and school performance as measured through business school rank.
Design/methodology/approach
Our study utilizes the AACSB International business school survey (BSQ) data to analyze the mission statements of accredited business schools and capture data on organizational resources. We also created an index of mission alignment to gauge congruency between the stated mission and strategic focus. Our performance measure was the U.S. News and World Report undergraduate business school programs ranking value.
Findings
Our results show mission alignment on its own has little direct impact on organizational performance. However, when mission statement alignment and resource allocations are combined, they interact to influence organizational performance.
Originality/value
Our research demonstrates that resource allocation decisions and mission alignment are two important attributes of an organization and that mission alignment has the potential to leverage an organization’s resources and capabilities to improve performance.