Jessica Pryce-Jones and Julia Lindsay
Change management, organizational, team and leadership development is often conducted through frameworks that do not meet expectations. This paper aims to look at how the science…
Abstract
Purpose
Change management, organizational, team and leadership development is often conducted through frameworks that do not meet expectations. This paper aims to look at how the science of happiness at work delivers strategic outcomes when used in a bottom-up and top-down approach.
Design/methodology/approach
While the idea that happiness is an important concept outside work is now prevalent, there is little research or practice to show how it can be used to drive organizational success or deliver return on investment. The case study shows how to deploy the approach in an organization-wide strategic intervention.
Findings
The science of happiness at work delivers return on investment and strategic outcomes when properly implemented.
Practical implications
This new approach is a powerful methodology which offers traction at individual, team and organizational level: it opens up a different evaluation and development methodology that positively fast-tracks change and growth.
Social implications
There is huge potential for making teams and organizations better places to work by using a simple, practical and aligned framework rooted in something that matters intuitively to everyone.
Originality/value
This paper provides an understanding of the theory and application of the science of happiness at work. It shows how strategic issues can be addressed within a short space of time and highlights the benefit of an approach which encompasses personal, social and organizational issues simultaneously.
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Maria Mathews, Dana Ryan, Lindsay Hedden, Julia Lukewich, Emily Gard Marshall, Judith Belle Brown, Paul S. Gill, Madeleine McKay, Eric Wong, Stephen J. Wetmore, Richard Buote, Leslie Meredith, Lauren Moritz, Sarah Spencer, Maria Alexiadis, Thomas R. Freeman, Aimee Letto, Bridget L. Ryan, Shannon L. Sibbald and Amanda Lee Terry
Strong leadership in primary care is necessary to coordinate an effective pandemic response; however, descriptions of leadership roles for family physicians are absent from…
Abstract
Purpose
Strong leadership in primary care is necessary to coordinate an effective pandemic response; however, descriptions of leadership roles for family physicians are absent from previous pandemic plans. This study aims to describe the leadership roles and functions family physicians played during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and identify supports and barriers to formalizing these roles in future pandemic plans.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with family physicians across four regions in Canada as part of a multiple case study. During the interviews, participants were asked about their roles during each pandemic stage and the facilitators and barriers they experienced. Interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis approach was used to identify recurring themes.
Findings
Sixty-eight family physicians completed interviews. Three key functions of family physician leadership during the pandemic were identified: conveying knowledge, developing and adapting protocols for primary care practices and advocacy. Each function involved curating and synthesizing information, tailoring communications based on individual needs and building upon established relationships.
Practical implications
Findings demonstrate the need for future pandemic plans to incorporate formal family physician leadership appointments, as well as supports such as training, communication aides and compensation to allow family physicians to enact these key roles.
Originality/value
The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to examine the leadership roles of family physicians, which have been largely overlooked in past pandemic plans. This study’s findings highlight the importance of these roles toward delivering an effective and coordinated pandemic response with uninterrupted and safe access to primary care.
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Julia Kornacker, Rouven Trapp and Katharina Ander
The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of the “globalisation” of management control systems (MCSs) by investigating whether and why budget control structures…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of the “globalisation” of management control systems (MCSs) by investigating whether and why budget control structures established in German headquarters (HQs) are transferred to their Chinese subsidiaries and whether and why these structures are (not) used as intended by the HQs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a field study comprising 23 multinational companies (MNCs). Following a dyadic research design, representatives of the German HQs and Chinese subsidiaries were interviewed. Data were collected during 58 semi-structured interviews with 78 management accountants and managers. Based on cross-case analyses, commonalities and differences were identified that provide insights into contextual influences that shape the way, in which global MCSs are de facto used at the subsidiary level.
Findings
The study provides evidence for different receptions at the subsidiary level. While the budget control structures established in the German HQs guide managerial decision-making in some cases, they get modified or even rejected in others. The findings suggest that these receptions are particularly contingent on the perceived utility of budget control structures among the locals, which is interrelated with the perceived predictability of future developments. In particular, the findings suggest that HQs may impact the paths of travel, given that an ex ante adjustment of global budget control structures may reinforce the reproduction of practices at the local level. The decision to adjust the structures is contingent on organisational characteristics.
Research limitations/implications
The paper encourages further research on the contextual influences that impact how MCSs established at the HQ level are used at the subsidiary level. The paper focuses primarily on environmental peculiarities, which are potentially less important for management control devices other than budget control. Thus, the generalisability of the findings of this paper to other management control devices may be limited.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that MNCs should consider how foreign employees receive global MCSs established at the HQ level and take the locals’ perception of the utility of structures into account. Adjusting global structures without undermining them may reinforce their reproduction at the local level.
Originality/value
Based on a field study approach, the paper provides the first cross-case analysis that sheds light on the contextual influences on the ways, in which global budget control structures are used in foreign subsidiaries. Moreover, the simultaneous consideration of the HQ and subsidiary levels allows for an exploration of the complex interplay between actions and perceptions at the different levels. Eventually, the paper provides first evidence on the globalisation of management control structures within a setting with considerable economic, political and cultural disparities. The paper encourages and serves as a point of departure for further research culminating in a framework comprising important drivers of the globalisation of MCSs at different levels (e.g. environmental, organisational, individual).
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Julia A.M. Reif, Katharina G. Kugler and Felix C. Brodbeck
Managing business processes means establishing and maintaining their regulatory power, i.e., their capacity to guide and shape the practice of users and stakeholders. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
Managing business processes means establishing and maintaining their regulatory power, i.e., their capacity to guide and shape the practice of users and stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the regulatory power of standardized business processes can be established and managed.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on a theory of standardization and on qualitative data, the authors suggest a “model of self-reinforcing business process management.”
Findings
Business process management consists of several phases (process design, process implementation, process application and process follow-up). A cyclical perspective on how these phases work together to create process legitimacy as presented in the model of self-reinforcing business process management can foster better understanding of the self-reinforcing dynamics of business process management.
Research limitations/implications
The paper offers starting points for interdisciplinary research on business process management. The proposed model should be further examined with regard to its usefulness for overcoming tensions and dynamics associated with standardization.
Practical implications
The model of self-reinforcing business process management provides a guideline for managers involved in planning, implementing, applying, or improving business processes or further areas of change-related organizational governance.
Originality/value
By modeling a cyclical sequence of business process management and highlighting the role of different kinds of legitimacy, the authors integrate functionalist and social perspectives on business process management in one model.
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Total hip replacement is a common and expensive procedure. Any attempt to shorten the length of hospital stay safely is desirable. Proposes a scoring system specifically designed…
Abstract
Total hip replacement is a common and expensive procedure. Any attempt to shorten the length of hospital stay safely is desirable. Proposes a scoring system specifically designed for this patient population, to determine the optimal timing of safe discharge and post‐acute care placement. Discusses its implications for the quality of patient care.
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What kinds of support do interstate rivals provide to domestic actors in ongoing civil wars? And how do domestic actors utilize the support they receive? This chapter answers…
Abstract
What kinds of support do interstate rivals provide to domestic actors in ongoing civil wars? And how do domestic actors utilize the support they receive? This chapter answers these questions by comparing Iranian and Saudi military and non-military (mediation, foreign aid and religious soft-power promotion) support to the Houthis and to the Government of Yemen (GoY) during the Saada wars (2004–2010) and the internationalized civil war (2015–2018). It also focuses on the processes through which the GoY and the Houthis have utilized this support for their own strategic purposes. This chapter applies a structured, focused comparison methodology and relies on data from a review of both primary and secondary sources complemented by 14 interviews. This chapter finds that there were less external interventions in the conflict in Saada than in the internationalized civil war. During the latter, a broader set of intervention strategies enabled further instrumentalization by domestic actors, which in turn contributed to the protracted nature of the conflict. This chapter contributes to the literature on interstate rivalry and third-party intervention. The framework of analysis is applicable to civil wars that experience intervention by rivals, such as Syria or Libya.
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Julia Kelly, Alasdair Goodwill, Nick Keene and Su Thrift
This pilot study investigated three historical risk factors for pathological arson identified in Jackson's Only Viable Option theory (Jackson, 1994), which views the act as an…
Abstract
This pilot study investigated three historical risk factors for pathological arson identified in Jackson's Only Viable Option theory (Jackson, 1994), which views the act as an adaptive response to circumstances that are difficult to tolerate and which the individual does not have the necessary skills to resolve by appropriate means. Twenty men with mild learning disabilities were recruited from inpatient forensic services. It was hypothesised that there would be a greater incidence of risk factors among individuals with an index offence of arson than those without, and that risk factors would significantly predict an index offence of arson. Significant differences were found between the groups for perceived inability to effect social change and childhood experiences of fire, but not for the family problems under investigation. However, the sample size was too small to draw reliable conclusions on the predictive ability of the risk factors. The findings suggest that perceived inability to effect social change and childhood experiences of fire are risk factors characteristic of men with learning disabilities who have set fires, lending support to elements of Jackson's theory and providing opportunities to develop evidence‐based practice. However, the underlying causes of these risk‐factor characteristics remain unclear. It is hoped that the present study will help inform the choice of risk factors under investigation and improve the design of a larger study.
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Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the…
Abstract
Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the Afro‐American experience and to show the joys, sorrows, needs, and ideals of the Afro‐American woman as she struggles from day to day.
The purpose of this paper is to describe a study which investigated the diverse needs of multiple stakeholders in an adapted sex offender treatment programme (ASOTP) and then…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a study which investigated the diverse needs of multiple stakeholders in an adapted sex offender treatment programme (ASOTP) and then evaluated a pilot programme set up to respond to the identified needs efficiently and effectively. The paper reports on an innovative approach to delivering ASOTP in secure learning disability services. It aims to address many of the criticisms and concerns of conventional closed format programmes, particular in the climate of value for money and payment by results.
Design/methodology/approach
The multiple views of stakeholders were identified by means of questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews in order to ascertain the key issues necessitating change. Stakeholders included purchasers of Partnerships in Care Learning Disability Services (PiC LDS), referred clients, internal and external clinicians involved in their care, group facilitators and, in some cases, clients' families or advocates. A rolling format ASOTP (based on the content of the Prison and Probation Service ASOTP) was designed and piloted to address highlighted needs, including time frames for the commencement and completion of treatment.
Findings
Initial feedback obtained by means of structured interviews and discussions with all stakeholders has been positive. In particular, participants have shown an increase in motivation, knowledge, and, unexpectedly, enhanced levels of risk disclosure. Facilitators have reported increased satisfaction and decreased stress levels. These findings are tentative in light of the small numbers involved and the absence of a randomised control trial.
Research limitations/implications
This study has a number of implications for future research in terms of improving treatment effectiveness by means of increasing knowledge retention and enhancing risk disclosure, as well as a reduction in facilitator burnout.
Originality/value
The programme was tailored to respond to individual treatment needs within a group setting whilst ensuring programme integrity and effective risk management within a forensic learning disability service.
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The need for effective industrial sales‐force motivation is emphasised and the theoretical relating to Herzberg's theory is discussed. Previous empirical studies are reviewed and…
Abstract
The need for effective industrial sales‐force motivation is emphasised and the theoretical relating to Herzberg's theory is discussed. Previous empirical studies are reviewed and the results of a 1985 investigation of British industrial salespeople's views on motivation and dissatisfaction are analysed. Implications concerning the Dual Factor Theory and industrial salesforce management are examined.