Power is one of the single most critical concepts for understanding industrial relations management. Yet, despite having been subject to much scholarly attention, existing…
Abstract
Purpose
Power is one of the single most critical concepts for understanding industrial relations management. Yet, despite having been subject to much scholarly attention, existing research often implicitly assumes an organizational level of behavior or examines influence tactics within the confines of an individual-level dyad. This has led to a limited understanding of influence exercises involving a third person. Motivated to advance the understanding of this phenomenon, this study aims to explore how boundary spanners from a buying organization influence supplier representatives by involving a third person.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a longitudinal single case study design grounded in social control theory. Data consist of interviews, observations and documents collected over a period of 27 months in a global sourcing context.
Findings
The findings demonstrate how the influence agent from the buying organization can invoke a third person’s mediated and nonmediated social power base through either direct or indirect social control mechanisms. With these findings, this paper makes a novel theoretical contribution by developing a deeper understanding of underexposed social influence tactics unfolding in individual-level triads.
Practical implications
This study offers boundary spanning managers with practical insights into subtle and indirect forms of social influence with which they can influence external exchange partners.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to draw on social control theory to examine interpersonal influence tactics in buyer-supplier relationships. By integrating this theoretical perspective with extant research on social power, this study emphasizes the importance of considering how the influence agent mobilizes a third person’s social influence base.
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Martin Norlyk Jørgensen, Chris Ellegaard and Hanne Kragh
Boundary spanners link their internal organization with its external environment. In the present research, the authors study supply managers who build a bridge between a large…
Abstract
Purpose
Boundary spanners link their internal organization with its external environment. In the present research, the authors study supply managers who build a bridge between a large original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and its network of suppliers. The purpose of this paper is to explore how boundary spanners mediate between internal (buyer) and external (supplier) managers in supplier development (SD) initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a qualitative case method to study an OEM pursuing multiple SD initiatives with multiple suppliers simultaneously. Data consist of interviews and non-participant observations conducted over a period of 14 months.
Findings
The findings of this paper highlight the mediation tasks that emerge at the organizational interface in advanced SD undertakings. Based on the analysis, this paper demonstrates how the nature of three core boundary-spanning activities, information mediation, reaching compromises and strategic communication, differ in four general SD conditions.
Research limitations/implications
The present paper advances the understanding of individual-level buyer–supplier tensions in SD. It makes a theoretical contribution that sits in the intersection between boundary spanning and SD.
Practical implications
This paper increases managers’ knowledge of a range of required SD mediation activities and provides an overview of where they unfold.
Originality/value
This paper breaks new ground by creating knowledge that extends beyond four dominant trends in SD research: SD as organizational-level behavior, SD as a generic set of activities, SD as a single performance improvement area and SD as a dyadic management task.
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Tugrul Daim, Nuri Basoglu, Orhan Dursun, Ozcan Saritas and Pisek Gerdsri
The purpose of this paper is to review and analyse Vision 2023: the Turkish National Technology Foresight project. The paper aims to review the process of conducting the project…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review and analyse Vision 2023: the Turkish National Technology Foresight project. The paper aims to review the process of conducting the project, how it was implemented afterwards and how it compares to other national technology foresight projects
Design/methodology/approach
Through a literature search, a process framework was conducted. The analysis was then conducted in four phases. First a process review, second a comparative review, third content review and finally a post project review. Expert interviews and site visits to Turkish State Planning Organization and TUBITAK (Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey) helped the authors to collect the data on Vision 2023 including how it was established, which areas were involved and what the recommendations were. Finally an expert panel was organized as part of a recent Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering and Technology. This included experts involved in the project as well as leading researchers who have been analyzing this project. This panel helped to validate the results.
Findings
Processes used in the Turkish project were similar to the other national projects, however lack of political ownership and change in leadership had been blocking the recommendations coming out of this project from being implemented. A second effort is required to modify the results of the first one and to establish political ownership and leadership. Several other national projects had multiple rounds before solid actions were taken. Industry needs to be a part of the effort as the panelists indicated that several key corporations were missing in the first project.
Practical implications
The project provides comparative details on running national technology foresight projects. This should be useful for those responsible for planning similar projects.
Original/value
The paper reviews the project implementation process and what happened after the implementation providing feedback on what should have been done or should be done in similar foresight projects.
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Gisle Solvoll and Terje A. Mathisen
It is demonstrated how an analysis of airports’ cost structures and the calculation of long-run marginal costs (MCs) of serving passengers and airplanes can be used as a basis for…
Abstract
It is demonstrated how an analysis of airports’ cost structures and the calculation of long-run marginal costs (MCs) of serving passengers and airplanes can be used as a basis for setting airport charges according to the principles of welfare economics. Based on Norwegian data, the MC for an extra passenger (PAX) and extra air traffic movement (ATM) are used to set airport charges under the assumption that the charges should be equal for all airports in the country. When adjusting the estimates to meet revenue restrictions and comparing the estimates to current charges, we observe that PAX should be charged more and ATM less. This finding is in line with recommendations from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). When allowing charges to vary between airports, we demonstrate how a Ramsey pricing approach can be applied to set differentiated PAX and ATM charges, considering both the supply side (the competitive conditions between the airlines operating at the airports) and the demand side (the passengers’ price elasticity of demand).
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Terje A. Mathisen, Finn Jørgensen, Pål A. Pedersen and Georgina Santos
A substantial part of airports’ revenues relates to charges covering the costs of services supplied by the airport. Charges are imposed on carriers, which in turn pass them or a…
Abstract
A substantial part of airports’ revenues relates to charges covering the costs of services supplied by the airport. Charges are imposed on carriers, which in turn pass them or a percentage of them, on to passengers. In the present chapter, special attention is given to regional airports characterized by low traffic volumes, enabling only one or a few carriers to serve each destination. A classic economic model is presented to analyze how the pass-on rate depends on supply and demand characteristics and market structure. Some illustrative examples assuming combinations of common specifications for market characteristics are also presented, showing pass-on rates ranging from 50% to more than 100%. Consequently, market structure and characteristics of carriers and passengers are decisive for how passengers experience changes in airport charges. The differences between the optimal charge from the perspectives of the airport and the welfare of society are specifically addressed. It is demonstrated that knowledge of the pass-on rate in the monopoly cases may be sufficient to infer how the mark-up will be affected by a change in marginal costs. Consequently, the understanding of the pass-on rate is relevant for airport owners and for decision-makers when considering the welfare of passengers and other politically stated goals.
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Over 100 years ago, the bureaucratic compact and five professions were established: city/county management, city planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, and…
Abstract
Over 100 years ago, the bureaucratic compact and five professions were established: city/county management, city planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, and architecture. In exchange for merit employment and independence from politics, these professions offered expertise and related values. To understand those values and changes in the compact from the 1900s to today, codes of ethics from the five professions were examined. Anticipated changes were a movement from traditional public values to business values including New Public Management. However, findings show traditional values persisting over time (e.g. public interest), but not many New Public Management values (e.g. innovation). Modern values do appear and expand professionalsʼ responsibilities into environmental protection, sustainability, and human rights, which influence what these professions offer as they seek to uphold their end of the bureaucratic compact.
A. Paula Rodriguez Müller, Jaume Martin Bosch and Luca Tangi
This study aims to systematically explore the anticipated realisation of public values through blockchain technology (BCT) within the European public sector. Its purpose is to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to systematically explore the anticipated realisation of public values through blockchain technology (BCT) within the European public sector. Its purpose is to offer a comprehensive analysis of BCT implementations, focusing on the various expected public values and understanding how these expectations shape the adoption of BCT in public administration across Europe.
Design/methodology/approach
This research involves a qualitative analysis of 165 BCT use cases across European governments at the national, regional and local levels. The study employs a public values lens, categorising the expected public values into three clusters: internal, external and relational.
Findings
The results indicate that most cases focus on external transformation, aiming to improve public service provision and enhance citizen satisfaction and engagement by increasing public trust, efficiency, accountability and transparency. For the internal dimension, the results emphasise security, efficiency and cooperativeness as expected public values in adopting BCT. Finally, fewer cases highlight expectations related to relational public values, such as citizen involvement and democratic participation.
Originality/value
This research offers new insights into BCT in the public sector through a public values lens within the European context. It examines the expected public values arising from BCT adoption, providing insights for policymakers and practitioners considering BCT integration in daily operations. This study emphasises the need for further empirical research to explore BCT’s potential in realising these expected public values and to evaluate the trade-offs and disruptive impacts on public administrations.
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This chapter proposes that enterprise education when applied to vocational education should be reconsidered according to a capability approach. This approach aims to improve…
Abstract
This chapter proposes that enterprise education when applied to vocational education should be reconsidered according to a capability approach. This approach aims to improve students’ active participation and also their ability to make informed choices. Moreover, we believe that enterprise education needs an underpinning learning theory which can account for the collective nature of learning, innovation and movement across organisations. This new theoretical framework can be expansive learning. This chapter describes a case study carried out in 2014 in an Italian vocational course in hospitality. It documents the implementation of the theory of expansive learning for enterprise education within a series of workshops and evidences how a capabilities approach has been effectively utilised. During work experience, vocational students belong simultaneously to diverse activity systems such as school and work, which creates discontinuities in action and interaction. The basic principle of the workshops is that with the help of the researcher, vocational students, teachers and work tutors discuss the issues that students are having during work experience.
This chapter begins with a discussion on the role of enterprise education in vocational education, and continues by showing how the capability approach can contribute to education and entrepreneurship. The third section explains why and how the theory of expansive learning can underpin entrepreneurship education and how it was utilised in the model of workshops which incorporate enterprise education theory. Section four describes the case study in an Italian vocational secondary institute. The data presented includes excerpts of discussions during the fourth workshop, the student’s answer to the final questionnaire and the follow-up after two years. The conclusion draws out the learning mechanisms which characterised the workshops, what the students learnt in term of enterprise education and how the workshops are connected to a capability approach.