Erland Yhland and Leif Johansson
THE breakdown of any kind of machinery always causes additional expense, not only because repairs are costly, but also because of the loss of operating time and production…
Abstract
THE breakdown of any kind of machinery always causes additional expense, not only because repairs are costly, but also because of the loss of operating time and production. Bearings are a particularly critical component and their serviceability is usually essential for the operation of any machine into which they are fitted. Thus it is important that bearing damage should be detected early enough to replace the bearing during a scheduled servicing period, and that unscheduled servicing of the machine should be prevented. This is particularly so where safety is a factor, as in aircraft engines, and certain parts of the process industries.
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the findings of the follow‐up studies of successful school principals in six countries – Australia, Denmark, England, Norway, Sweden…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the findings of the follow‐up studies of successful school principals in six countries – Australia, Denmark, England, Norway, Sweden, and the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were categorized according to stakeholder expectations, the concept and practice of leadership, and the sustainability of leadership.
Findings
The synthesis revealed that several similar factors contribute to sustained successful leadership, although there were also differences that appeared to be associated with two groupings of countries – Australia, England and the USA on the one hand, and the Nordic countries, on the other.
Originality/value
The paper brings together data gathered from the same schools five years apart and facilitates a better understanding of the sustainability of successful school leadership.
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Thus, this volume reports on our empirical studies, our model development, and the results of our scenario simulations. It further presents our experience from the…
Abstract
Thus, this volume reports on our empirical studies, our model development, and the results of our scenario simulations. It further presents our experience from the micro-simulation approach and discusses the results of our simulations.
THE VALUE OF ABSTRACTS AND THEIR USE ‐ Being in possession of the “right” information is vital in maintaining competitiveness in the modern business age. There is a mass of…
Abstract
THE VALUE OF ABSTRACTS AND THEIR USE ‐ Being in possession of the “right” information is vital in maintaining competitiveness in the modern business age. There is a mass of information “out there” in the environment, so coping with it, managing it effectively, and selecting from it that which is useful, would appear to be the key to success.
The use of competitor analysis is a rapidly growing area of business activity, especially among major corporations, across the world. The old military stratagem “know your enemy;…
Abstract
The use of competitor analysis is a rapidly growing area of business activity, especially among major corporations, across the world. The old military stratagem “know your enemy; through knowing your enemy you can beat him/her”, has found new life in the contemporary business environment. Surveys carried out in Europe and the USA in 1989 found that two‐thirds of competitor analysis departments were less than three years old. Competitor analysis is becoming increasingly seen as a key component in strategy formulation, in particular, in forming marketing strategy.
Gerry Larsson, Leif Carlstedt, Jens Andersson, Lars Andersson, Erna Danielsson, Ann Johansson, Eva Johansson, Ingemar Robertsson and Per‐Olof Michel
The aim was to describe the development of a theoretical model for leader evaluation and development, an instrument based on this model, and a strategy for large scale…
Abstract
The aim was to describe the development of a theoretical model for leader evaluation and development, an instrument based on this model, and a strategy for large scale implementation in the Swedish armed forces. The model rests on an interactional person by situation paradigm. It emphasises “developmental leadership”, which is inspired by transformational and functionalistic leadership approaches. The developmental leadership questionnaire (DLQ) was operationalised from the model and refined through structural equation modelling. The model and the DLQ will be used for three purposes: yearly evaluation of all personnel in the Swedish armed forces; yearly planning dialogues between each employee and his or her nearest supervisor; and a tool for leadership training. The implementation strategy includes an initial course in developmental leadership for all colonels. This is followed by the selection and training of local trainers, who, in turn, initiate the comprehensive programme locally. The system should be fully implemented by 2005.
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Bo Bergman, Bengt Klefsjö and Lars Sörqvist
The aim of this paper is to investigate the development of the quality movement in Sweden since the mid-20th century. The authors are convinced that a summary of the Swedish…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the development of the quality movement in Sweden since the mid-20th century. The authors are convinced that a summary of the Swedish quality journey so far will offer important lessons for further quality improvements in Sweden and elsewhere.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors study how the quality movement has been included in the industrial agenda and how it has been adopted in student curricula and in research. The authors have a focus on how business leaders have learnt, adopted, adapted and innovated with respect to quality development. often in collaboration with academia.
Findings
Although the quality movement has fit well with the Swedish culture and that successful corporate leaders have successfully used the specific cultural characteristics there is still a lot to be learnt with respect to the public sector, where the ideas from the quality movement have problem to overcome institutional barriers.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to the Swedish context.
Practical implications
There is a serious need to revitalize the public sector by getting leaders and politicians to understand the need for systematic quality improvement.
Social implications
If future Swedish achievements with respect to healthcare and other social welfare elements are to once again become world-class, the public sector needs to be open-minded and collaborate with the industrial sector and academia to find cost-effective strategies for making quality improvements. However, the private sector must also be alert not to be overtaken by some highly active Asian countries.
Originality/value
Swedish large companies have been very successful in applying quality leadership – however, in the public sector, this has not been the case. Suggestions for improvement are made.
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Desalegn Abraha and Akmal S. Hyder
The method applied to carry out the study of the transformation of strategic alliances in emerging markets is discussed in this chapter. Specifically, this chapter discusses how…
Abstract
The method applied to carry out the study of the transformation of strategic alliances in emerging markets is discussed in this chapter. Specifically, this chapter discusses how the whole study is conducted, i.e. the identification and development of the research issues, the research aim and problem, the development of the conceptual framework, the development of the research method, how the empirical study is analyzed and conclusions are drawn. The specific research strategy applied to conduct the current study is a longitudinal research approach. A short discussion on how the ECE countries are classified into various groups is conducted in the current chapter and a detailed discussion on the classification of ECE countries into different groups is also conducted in chapter eight. Moreover, the logic for adopting a longitudinal research strategy to conduct the current study of the transformation of strategic alliances is also justified. The identification and choice of the case companies, the logic followed in the development of the questionnaire and how much and to what extent the questionnaire is modified are also discussed in detail. The identification of the interviewees, the execution of the interviews and the transcription of the interview materials and the structuring of the cases are also discussed in detail.
The role of public procurement as an instrument to stimulate innovation has been increasingly emphasized by European policymakers. This perspective raises demand for the…
Abstract
The role of public procurement as an instrument to stimulate innovation has been increasingly emphasized by European policymakers. This perspective raises demand for the understanding of public procurement as an activity taking place in a variety of different procurement contexts and as an act of innovation. Accordingly, this paper proposes a taxonomy of public procurement and innovation, combining interactive learning and evolutionary perspectives on innovation processes to account for the broad range of different ‘interaction environments’ or ‘resource interfaces’ in which government or public sector organizations may act as lead users of innovations. On this basis, the taxonomy draws practical policy implications for the design of programmes and initiatives for the public procurement of innovations.