Partnerships have the potential to create significant benefits for all participants provided that there is a mutual understanding of and respect for the inputs required and the…
Abstract
Partnerships have the potential to create significant benefits for all participants provided that there is a mutual understanding of and respect for the inputs required and the outputs sought from the arrangements by each party. The aim of this study was to explore the inputs required and the outputs achieved by partners as a function of the level of involvement required within the partnership arrangement. The study has investigated the extent to which the input criteria defined by the DTI and the output criteria defined by Kanter, within three health and safety initiatives involving homeworker‐employer, employee‐employer, and contractor‐employer partnerships varied, as a function of the level of partnership defined by Thompson and Sanders. The examination of the partnership arrangements within the three case studies demonstrated that the inputs were very similar whether the arrangements were classified as co‐operation, collaboration or coalescence, although the extent of the output criteria was greatest in the case of the coalescence partnership. The results illustrated the level of inputs required within a range of partnership arrangements in the context of health and safety management and the range of outputs that might be anticipated.
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Partnerships have assumed greater importance since organisations began to downsize and concentrate their resources on core activities. Effective partnerships depend on…
Abstract
Partnerships have assumed greater importance since organisations began to downsize and concentrate their resources on core activities. Effective partnerships depend on establishing adequate levels of trust and commitment between the partners in order for each partner to achieve complementary but different objectives. The success of partnerships is dependent on the alignment and maturity of the organisations’ cultures and it has been suggested, therefore, that potential partners should assess and take account of their organisational cultures before committing to partnership arrangements. An assessment framework has been proposed that provides a measure of the maturity and alignment of organisational cultures in partnership arrangements. The utility of the framework was assessed using organisational safety cultures within three organisational settings and using employee‐employee, employee‐contractor and company‐company partnership arrangements.
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Sarah A. Courchesne, Dave Stynen, Judith H. Semeijn and Marjolein C.J. Caniëls
Organizations are increasingly joining inter-organizational networks to foster sustainable employability for their employees. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations are increasingly joining inter-organizational networks to foster sustainable employability for their employees. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors and mechanisms central to their success as experienced by key stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
An explorative, qualitative approach was adopted, using four focus groups with network coordinators (N = 18) and HR professionals (N = 14). Fourteen Dutch inter-organizational networks were represented. Respondents were recruited through purposive and snowballing sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was applied using open coding to generate themes.
Findings
The results of this study outline environmental, structural, and inter-personal factors and mechanisms that contribute to the success of inter-organizational networks that aim to foster sustainable employability for their employees. The environmental factors and mechanisms consist of challenges stemming from the labor market. The structural factors and mechanisms include: a network’s flat structure, flat fee, lack of informal rules, the allocation of roles and expectations for stakeholders and shared network activities. Lastly, the inter-personal factors and mechanisms are: communication among stakeholders, establishing reciprocity, interaction and collaboration between stakeholders, the valuation of trust, a convivial culture and shared vision among stakeholders. The dynamics between these factors and mechanisms are compared to other forms of inter-organizational networks. Furthermore, several recommendations for network coordinators and practitioners regarding the development of networks are presented.
Originality/value
This study provides insights into the factors and mechanisms that are regarded by stakeholders as influencing the success of inter-organizational networks in their ability to foster sustainable employability for workers. We have identified a unique model that captures this new way of inter-organizational collaboration and builds on insights from literature on collaborative governance regimes, institutional fields and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Specifically, the model provides a framework that consists of environmental, structural and interpersonal factors and mechanisms for network success. This study increases our understanding of how collaborative efforts can be fostered beyond organizational boundaries and existing Human Resource Management practices.
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Colin W. Fuller and Luise H. Vassie
Partnership arrangements in industry have increased in interest because of the perceived business benefits that these alliances can bring to organisations. However, it has been…
Abstract
Partnership arrangements in industry have increased in interest because of the perceived business benefits that these alliances can bring to organisations. However, it has been claimed that it is important to align organisational cultures in order that these partnership arrangements are successful. This case study reports a benchmark assessment of employee and contractor safety climates in an offshore oil company that operated contractor partnership agreements in the North Sea. The study used a questionnaire in order to assess safety climates in terms of employees’ and contractors’ perceptions of safety management, workplace conditions and safety concerns. Factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to support the benchmark study in order to compare the employees’ and contractors’ beliefs in the organisation’s health and safety philosophy. The results obtained indicated that safety climates could be aligned in organisations that operate partnership agreements within a recognised health and safety management system. It is suggested that the approach presented is appropriate for benchmarking safety climates before and after partnership arrangements have been established in order to determine the level of cultural alignment that has been achieved.
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Over the past several decades, the need for safety on offshore oil platforms has attracted significant attention from all its stakeholders. This paper seeks to present a…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the past several decades, the need for safety on offshore oil platforms has attracted significant attention from all its stakeholders. This paper seeks to present a mathematical model that could be used to control unsafe conditions on oil platforms.
Design/methodology/approach
The model is based on the intuitive notion of safety underlying practices on an offshore platform. The theory of control system combines the human/operator factor gain, maintenance function effectiveness, the component safety quality assurance system, and the safety measurement system in a holistic manner to attain a controlled status of the oil platform.
Findings
It is observed that these components relate in a mutually interlinked system that guarantees maximum safety control if all the components are holistically managed.
Practical implications
Practically, the control of an offshore oil platform guarantees the lives and properties of those who utilize the oil platform.
Originality/value
The work is perhaps the first to advance a model of safety on oil platforms with the use of control systems. The work would be of value to safety managers, employees of oil companies and researchers interested in the control of accidents on oil platforms.
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S.A. Oke, A.O. Johnson and O.O. Omogoroye
The purpose of this paper is to present a new approach in viewing the control of safety at crude oil exploration platforms.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a new approach in viewing the control of safety at crude oil exploration platforms.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach utilized in this work is the fusion of artificial neural network and fuzzy logic. The approach is adopted in view of the better presentation of solutions to the safety control problem that neuro‐fuzzy exhibits. It is better than the individual application of either artificial neural network or fuzz logic to the problem at hand. The model captures uncertainties and imprecision that are prevalent in the quantification or data gathering stage of safety control measurement.
Findings
It was demonstrated that the application of neuro‐fuzzy is feasible. The results seem applicable to similar settings with similar system characteristics.
Practical implications
Since more confidence is obtained with the use of this more effective tool, there is improvement in decision making based on reliance on the model. Thus, the improved quality of decision made would positively affect lives of workers at the oil platforms or the materials or equipment used for exploration purposes.
Originality/value
The work is original in that it is the first time the neuro‐fuzzy methodology would be applied to offshore oil platform safety control.
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Dong‐Young Kim, Vinod Kumar and Uma Kumar
The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for assessing the comprehensive performance of supply chain partnership (SCP).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for assessing the comprehensive performance of supply chain partnership (SCP).
Design/methodology/approach
Using the literature review approach, the paper proposes a framework to assess the performance of SCP. The framework is based on the self‐assessment dimensions and approaches of the business excellence model developed by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). The proposed framework could be implemented not only in entire supply chains, but also in a dyadic relationship.
Findings
Identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement begins with assessing the level of SCP. The proposed framework focuses on assessing two dimensions of SCP – efforts and results – that will offer practitioners both balanced insights and valuable information. This framework also highlights assessment dimensions that could help qualified assessors to produce consistent judgments and evaluate multiple aspects of SCP. The framework includes practical indicators to help measure outcomes, such as cost efficiency and flexibility.
Originality/value
This paper sheds light on the assessment dimensions based on the EFQM model. Assessors can conduct an objective and standardized assessment using these multiple dimensions. This paper expands the traditional concept of SCP performance into both tangible and intangible performance by emphasizing output and outcome.
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Thamaraiselvan Natarajan, Sridevi Periaiya, Senthil Arasu Balasubramaniam and Thushara Srinivasan
The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse the typology of employee branding in an airline company using fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering to improve the quality of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyse the typology of employee branding in an airline company using fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering to improve the quality of employee brand (EB).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from employees of Air India, Chennai division, using a questionnaire and analysed using FCM to find the optimum cluster number. The nature of each cluster was analysed to know its type.
Findings
The results prove the presence of four types of EB, namely, all-stars, injured reserves, rookies and strike-out kings in the aviation company. It is proven that employees in all-star have high level of knowledge of the desired brand (KDB) and psychological contract (PC), those in injured reserves have high KDB and low PC, rookies have low KDB and high PC and strike-out kings have low KDB and PC.
Research limitations/implications
The results of this study are limited to the Air India employees. This study contributes to employee branding by empirically substantiating the proposed typology using FCM. It proposes the need to analyse organisations individually before comparisons.
Practical implications
The management must focus on the quality of training and development programmes to enhance the position of rookies and strike-out kings. It must also receive regular feedback from injured reserves and strike-out kings to evaluate their perception of PC.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to empirically prove the typology of employee branding and to implement FCM in clustering employees for enhancing the EB’s quality.
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Kathryn Mearns and Jon Ivar Håvold
Since its introduction in 1992, the balanced scorecard (BSC) has rapidly gained in importance throughout the world. Harvard Business Review even selected it as one of the most…
Abstract
Since its introduction in 1992, the balanced scorecard (BSC) has rapidly gained in importance throughout the world. Harvard Business Review even selected it as one of the most important management tools of the past 75 years. This paper takes the performance indicators used in an offshore health‐and‐safety benchmarking study carried out by Aberdeen University on 13 offshore installations operating on the UK Continental Shelf and relates them to the BSC framework. The results from the benchmarking study are discussed from the perspective of suggesting which indicators should populate each perspective of the BSC: financial, customer, internal business and learning and growth. In addition the paper includes the results of interviews conducted with senior managers in the UK and Norwegian oil and gas sector, about use of the BSC in general and with regard to health and safety performance indicators in particular. Reasons for including occupational health and safety in the BSC and reports/papers covering occupational health and safety indicators and the BSC are discussed.
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Pyounggu Baek, Jihyun Chang and Taesung Kim
The purpose of this paper is to examine the fundamental premises (i.e. perspectives on organizations and intrinsic research contributions) embodied in the literature on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the fundamental premises (i.e. perspectives on organizations and intrinsic research contributions) embodied in the literature on organizational culture and offer insights into where organizational culture research should be headed now and going forward.
Design/methodology/approach
This research provides an integrative review of organizational culture research and investigates commonalities and differences in terms of the fundamental premises between North America and Europe.
Findings
The findings include that the modern perspective was most pervasive (87 percent) in both regions, with Europe slightly more open to varied perspectives such as symbolic and postmodern ones; approximately 70 percent of the studies were geared toward organization-level contributions, less than 10 percent toward individual-level contributions, and less than 20 percent toward mega-level contributions as the underlying research intent; and (c) in terms of the perspective-contribution combination, the pair of modern perspective and organization-level contribution was most dominant in both regions, while the individual-level contribution was paired with no other perspectives than the modern one.
Research limitations/implications
This research suggests that the research community shape a whole new discourse on organizational culture and recommends several promising research avenues.
Originality/value
By engaging in fundamental discussions on how an organization has been perceived and what purpose it has meant to deliver, this research offers an overarching view of where we stand currently and possibly where we should be heading in terms of organizational change management.