Robert Hugh Campbell and Mark Grimshaw
This paper aims to expose the behaviours through which modern professional people commonly obstruct information system (IS) implementations in their workplace. Users often resist…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to expose the behaviours through which modern professional people commonly obstruct information system (IS) implementations in their workplace. Users often resist IS implementations, and it has been established that this can cause an implementation to fail. As the initial analysis of an on-going research project, this paper does not yet seek to present IS resistance as a good or a bad thing, it simply identifies and codifies forms of IS resistance.
Design/methodology/approach
Inductive interviews with IS implementers threw light on 29 resisted projects across 21 organisations. Interviewees were introduced to established theories of attitude change from social and cognitive psychology then asked to reflect on their experiences of IS implementations using these theories as a lens.
Findings
Although it is not claimed that all approaches by which users obstruct IS implementations are identified here, we believe that those most commonly deployed have been uncovered. It is also revealed that such behaviours result from negative user attitudes and that their impact can be significant. They can emotionally or psychologically affect system champions and can often cause implementation projects to fail.
Research limitations/implications
Our method was based on an epistemic assumption that significant understanding is found in the experience and knowledge (tacit and explicit) of IS implementation experts. The paper’s contents are drawn from reflections on a combined 302 years of experience using attitude change psychology as a lens. Using this method, a range of obstructive behaviours was identified. Although it is claimed that the obstructive behaviours most commonly deployed have been unveiled, it is not probable that this list is comprehensive and could be appended to using alternative approaches.
Practical implications
This paper has significant implications for stakeholders in IS implementations. It enables project risks originating from users to be better identified, and it highlights the critical role that negative user attitudes can play in an implementation.
Social implications
This paper considers a common area of conflict in professional organisations, modelling its nature and effect. It also encourages system champions to consider user attitude cultivation as a critical part of any implementation project.
Originality/value
The contribution of this research is twofold. In the arena of user resistance, it is the first to focus on how implementations are resisted and is accordingly the first to identify and taxonomise forms of IS resistance. A contribution is also made to an ongoing literature conversation on the role of attitude in technology acceptance. This paper is the first to focus, not on user attitudes but on how negative attitudes are manifest in behaviour.
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Thomas F. Burgess, Paul Grimshaw, Luisa Huaccho Huatuco and Nicola E. Shaw
The purpose of this paper is to address the following research question: how do the interlocking editorial advisory boards (EABs) of operations and supply chain management (OSCM…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the following research question: how do the interlocking editorial advisory boards (EABs) of operations and supply chain management (OSCM) journals map out the field’s diverse academic communities and how demographically diverse is the field and its communities?
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies social network analysis (SNA) to web-based EAB data for 38 journals listed under operations management (OM) in the 2010 ABS Academic Journal Quality Guide.
Findings
The members of EABs of the 38 journals are divided into seven distinct communities which are mapped to the field’s knowledge structures and further aggregated into a core and periphery of the network. A burgeoning community of supply chain management academics forms the core along with those with more traditional interests. Male academics affiliated to the US institutions and to business schools predominate in the sample.
Research limitations/implications
A new strand of research is opened up connecting journal governance networks to knowledge structures in the OSCM field. OM is studied separately from its reference and associated disciplines. The use of the ABS list might attract comments that the study has an implicit European perspective – however the authors do not believe this to be the case.
Practical implications
The study addresses the implications of the lack of diversity for the practice of OM as an academic discipline.
Social implications
The confirmation of the dominance of particular characteristics such as male and US-based academics has implications for social diversity of the field.
Originality/value
As the first study of its kind, i.e. SNA of EAB members of OSCM journals, this study marks out a new perspective and acts as a benchmark for the future.
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In the continuation of the work previously described, experiments were conducted, according to the general plan already described, to determine the effects of benzoic acid and…
Abstract
In the continuation of the work previously described, experiments were conducted, according to the general plan already described, to determine the effects of benzoic acid and benzoates upon health and digestion. This investigation is of special importance because of the opinion held by many manufacturers, food officials, and consumers that benzoic acid and benzoates are probably the least harmful of the preservative substances employed. It is believed that for this reason there has been a very large increase in the use of these preservatives in the United States in the last few years, with a corresponding decrease in the amount of other preservative substances employed. It has also been claimed that there can be no reasonable objection to the use of benzoic acid by reason of its natural occurrence in many food products, either in traces or in considerable quantities. Among the products cited the cranberry occupies the most prominent position because of the notable amount of benzoic acid it contains. These considerations, however, had no determining influence on the choice of this substance for the experimental work, inasmuch as it was included in the original scheme which was prepared before the experimental work on preservatives previously reported was begun.
This introductory chapter provides the context for this edited collection: Care and Coronavirus: Perspectives on Children, Youth and Families which aims to understand care in the…
Abstract
This introductory chapter provides the context for this edited collection: Care and Coronavirus: Perspectives on Children, Youth and Families which aims to understand care in the context of COVID-19, the practices, experiences and potential futures of it for children, young people and families. In this chapter, the authors begin by exploring COVID-19 and its implications for children, young people and families. This includes a consideration of how particular discourses of childhood and youth often led to the marginalisation of children in care policy and practice during the lockdown periods. The authors then discuss interdisciplinary literature on care to identify directions in policy, practice and research, drawing attention to the political nature of care and the need for scholars of childhood, youth and family to engage with these critical and political approaches to care. The authors argue that developments in the field of Childhood Studies can be brought into productive dialogue with care to forge new ways of thinking through care and childhood. The final part of the chapter provides an overview of the ensuing chapters and concludes with the implications of this work for future research, policy and practice. The authors argue that COVID-19 heightened the attention paid to care and the ways in which care is vital for the maintenance of ourselves and the world around us, while also cautioning about the inequalities and the commodification of care that was revealed in these times. The authors end with a call for reflection on the failures and successes of caring during the pandemic and in its aftermath so we might plan a more caring, hopeful future.
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As more facilities managers consider themselves to be “professional”, the issue of ethical awareness within the conduct of facilities management practice cannot be avoided. This…
Abstract
As more facilities managers consider themselves to be “professional”, the issue of ethical awareness within the conduct of facilities management practice cannot be avoided. This article seeks to review the issues involved in raising ethical awareness amongst facilities managers. It examines the intimate relationship between professions and ethics, and highlights the main characteristics of ethical codes in related professions. It reviews the arguments for facilities management being a profession and examines the relationship between facilities management and business ethics. It illustrates ethical dilemmas for facilities management in the stakeholder debate and maps out an agenda for raising ethical issues in the profession.
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This chapter reviews work that examines the potential causes of inequality for women in employment in the UK. Amongst developed economies and based on mean hourly earnings, the UK…
Abstract
This chapter reviews work that examines the potential causes of inequality for women in employment in the UK. Amongst developed economies and based on mean hourly earnings, the UK has one of the highest gender pay gaps (ILO, 2018). The UK, therefore, illustrates some of the key theoretical and practical issues associated with greater gender equality that affect other countries to varying degrees. This chapter sets out key theoretical perspectives on gender inequality, summarizes important research, identifies research gaps and provides an agenda for future research. It highlights how there is no simple explanation for the disparities in pay between men and women; these disparities persist in the UK and elsewhere. Theories and empirical analyses, therefore, need to expand to identify other potential causes of gender inequality, extending ‘upwards’ to examine how the nature of firms varies across countries and ‘downwards’ to assess how union representatives influence equal opportunity policies in organizations.
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Colleen Hayes and Kerry Jacobs
The purpose of this paper is to revisit the issue of the entry of women into the Anglo-Australian accounting profession in the Second World War and provide insights on the role…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to revisit the issue of the entry of women into the Anglo-Australian accounting profession in the Second World War and provide insights on the role that gender, class, and ethnicity played in mediating women’s relations with the accounting profession in that period.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on the narratives of three women from diverse social backgrounds who entered the Anglo-Australian profession during this period.
Findings
The analysis indicates that while participants had the mindset needed for accounting work, the more removed the individual’s perceived social identity was from her perception of the dominant British, white, middle-class ideology of the profession, the less likely she was to embrace the opportunity to join the accounting profession. The distance was anchored in social (ethnicity and class) and historical forces. The study also finds that the appropriation of education and credentials ameliorated disadvantages accruing from gender and working-class status.
Practical implications
This study has implications for our understanding of the accounting profession and what is required to reduce the risks of marginalization in a contemporary setting.
Originality/value
The study provides a richer understanding of how class and ethnicity shape the female experience differently. The results also demonstrate that in times of social change, the processes of inclusion and exclusion are not confined to the deliberations of the accounting profession but also the individual. Whether the women valued accounting as an occupation depended on whether or not if offered them the freedom to achieve what they valued most. At the same time, however, the freedom to realize what they valued most was a function of class and ethnicity. Finally, the results demonstrate the capacity of unique experience to shape the perceptions, aspirations and actions of women.
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Bob Grimshaw and George Cairns
This paper is a consolidation of the keynote address given to the BIFM Annual Conference and Research Forum held at the University of Warwick in September 1999 in which the…
Abstract
This paper is a consolidation of the keynote address given to the BIFM Annual Conference and Research Forum held at the University of Warwick in September 1999 in which the authors sought to identify the underlying forces influencing FM’s global development. They argue that radical movements in demand side organisational structures are bringing about fundamental change in the relationship between businesses and their supporting infrastructure and that, if FM is to generate an ability to enhance business performance via the effective application of infrastructure resources, then it will have to be able to respond positively to this new landscape. This will involve re‐evaluation of the structure that supports FM development, including the system for producing FM knowledge, and implies new models that integrate research and practice.
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This chapter emphasizes the interconnectedness of legal frameworks, socio-cultural norms, and policy interventions in forging a more inclusive and just society for girls and…
Abstract
This chapter emphasizes the interconnectedness of legal frameworks, socio-cultural norms, and policy interventions in forging a more inclusive and just society for girls and women. Despite substantial strides, gender disparities still persist across the Western world, highlighting the need for targeted actions. The chapter explores the “glass ceiling” phenomenon, the wage gap, gender-based violence, emphasizing their persistence, and the imperative of transformative policies. Shifting focus to the East, the narrative navigates through distinct trajectories of women’s rights advocacy. Religious beliefs have historically reinforced gender inequality in some Eastern societies, shaping cultural norms and limiting women’s public participation. In the context of Islam, varying interpretations have led to differing perspectives on gender roles. The chapter showcases instances of progress, such as Saudi Arabian women gaining voting rights, while acknowledging enduring challenges like female genital mutilation and forced marriages. In the conclusion part, the chapter highlights the need for sustained efforts to dismantle barriers and elevate women’s voices, fostering a global landscape marked by gender equality and women’s empowerment.