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1 – 9 of 9Renata Borges, Monica Bernardi and Renata Petrin
The purpose of this paper is to compare the factors that can influence the tacit knowledge sharing (KS) in two different cultures by investigating information technology…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare the factors that can influence the tacit knowledge sharing (KS) in two different cultures by investigating information technology professionals (IT) in Brazil and Indonesia.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey method was used and a standard questionnaire was applied. The sample size comprised 115 respondents from Brazil and 86 participants from Indonesia. A partial least squares analysis was used to assess the structural and confirmatory models and test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate that, in both cultures, IT workers who are committed to the organization are more likely to engage in tacit KS behavior. Similarly, strong social ties play an important role in the willingness to share tacit knowledge. Also, there are major differences between the organizational cultures; for instance, whereas Brazilians seem to be influenced by team-oriented cultures, Indonesians seem to be indifferent.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include the small sample size as only two cultures were chosen to assess the differences and the representation of just one professional category (IT).
Originality/value
This paper provides theoretical contributions as the literature lacks a macro-level analysis on the KS comparison between countries. The results advance the comprehension of tacit KS phenomenon by testing in a cross-country comparison the mediation effect of organizational commitment. To practitioners, this research presents important empirical contributions indicating how organizational culture, social environment, personality traits and employee commitment impact an individual’s willingness to share tacit knowledge with their coworkers.
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Maria Gabriela Miranda and Renata Borges
Technology-based incubators depend on high-level knowledge to constantly meet the demands of the market. Incubators offer a variety of specialized services to help startups…
Abstract
Purpose
Technology-based incubators depend on high-level knowledge to constantly meet the demands of the market. Incubators offer a variety of specialized services to help startups increase the chances of crossing the valley of death. These services include infrastructure, access to a professional network of mentors and an intensive support of a consultant team to help with managerial and legal challenges. Therefore, it is critical to incubators to develop both highly skilled teams of consultants and social environment that facilitates communication. The purpose of this paper is to understand how innovation-oriented social networks created within technology-based incubators are shaped.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected in five incubators participating connected to federal universities from the state of Minas Gerais. The network attributes collected in the survey were placed in a matrix form. The mapping and measurement of the relationships between individuals were developed using the Ucinet software. Ucinet enables the analysis of attributes (attitudes, behaviors and characteristics) characterized as relational (contacts, ties and relationships). The software also includes the Netdraw network visualization tool, which enables the creation of matrices and graphical network maps. The measurements of centrality, closeness and intermediation were analyzed to assess the intra-organizational social network.
Findings
The results indicate that although the flow of communication does not follow the formal hierarchy, the interaction between team members to spontaneously exchange ideas, information and experiences is rare. The workers are so concerned about their timely tasks, that they have few opportunities to exchange information and knowledge. The coordination is carried out by university professors, who also perform other tasks (e.g. teaching, research and administration activities) besides those related to the incubators. The results also suggest that in the technology-based incubators studied, besides dealing in an innovative environment, the distribution of tasks and responsibilities are still rigid and traditional.
Originality/value
By analyzing the degree of the relationship between team members, the proximity and the level of intermediation of co-workers, it is possible to see how the incubators workers interact, thereby identifying the flow of information. This study offers implications for theory and practice. To the theory, this study adds to the discussion of intra-organizational social network of technology-based companies in the Brazilian context. To practitioners, this research sheds light on the importance of the social network built within the organization to promote effective communication and knowledge sharing.
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Renata Borges and Camila Amaro Quintas
The objective of this research is to analyze in a multidimensional perspective the individual responses to organizational change, specifically about the implementation of a new…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this research is to analyze in a multidimensional perspective the individual responses to organizational change, specifically about the implementation of a new performance evaluation system, investigating some antecedents of the individual reactions to change.
Design/methodology/approach
Companies from the education industry were surveyed, and standardized questionnaires were applied. We obtained a sample size of 386 valid responses. The structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the measurement model and test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate positive reactions to the organizational change, without ambivalent responses. Employees' cognitive and behavioral reactions are influenced by the individuals' anticipation and past similar organizational change and do not depend on the perceived threat to social work life. The influence of group pressure and organizational readiness on cognitive and behavioral reactions differs in the direction that group pressure affects behaviors but not thoughts, and organizational readiness affects thoughts but not behaviors.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include the inadequate measures of individuals' emotional reaction, preventing this dimension from being tested.
Originality/value
This research provides theoretical contributions as the literature on organizational change lacks a multidimensional view on individuals' reactions to change. The main contribution of this study is to investigate how each of the individual and organizational antecedents of the employees' responses to the change influences the cognitive and behavioral reactions towards the change employing a multidimensional approach.
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Pamella Drummond, Fernando Araujo and Renata Borges
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the large case of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation in Latin America, performed between 2011 and 2015 in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the large case of enterprise resource planning (ERP) system implementation in Latin America, performed between 2011 and 2015 in a Brazilian, multinational, publicly traded company. Using the organizational change literature as background, this research analyzes the barriers and factors of success by comparing the perspectives of ERP implementers and end-users, identifying success factors and barriers of this project. A conceptual framework is developed.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study method was used to conduct an in-depth analysis of the interviews that captured the complexity of this process. The change management project team had exactly 11 implementers, of whom ten were interviewed, and 45 end-users, of whom 20 were interviewed.
Findings
The results suggest that end-users and implementers have opposite perceptions regarding the role of previous experience, organizational processes, capacity for change, leadership behavior, and the interaction of business units. In general, implementers presented a more critical perception of the change processes. Conversely, implementers and end-users agreed that business needs and cultural values facilitated the ERP implementation, whereas organizational structure and geographic dispersion constrain it.
Research limitations/implications
This research could have analyzed the results by region or by production line.
Originality/value
The major contribution of this research is to offer a conceptual framework to analyze different views about the same project. This study deepens the understanding of ERP implementations by adding studies from other countries and different cultures. For practitioners, this case study aims to offer the experiences and perceptions that implementers and end-users had about the largest ERP implementation system in Latin America.
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The transmission of tacit knowledge is crucial to organizations to ensure that individual expertise will be passed throughout a team or department, rather than centred in one…
Abstract
Purpose
The transmission of tacit knowledge is crucial to organizations to ensure that individual expertise will be passed throughout a team or department, rather than centred in one employee. It is especially important among information technology (IT) professionals because, in addition to technical knowledge, they deal considerably with a combination of cognition and previous experience to solve daily problems, and implement and develop new systems. The purpose of this paper is to examine how organizational, individual, and environmental factors influence tacit knowledge sharing among IT professionals.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the author examines how organizational, individual, and environmental factors influence tacit knowledge sharing among IT professionals. To test the hypotheses, the survey method was chosen and a standard questionnaire was applied. The author obtained a sample of 143 respondents and employed a partial least squares (PLS) analysis to assess the structural and confirmatory models.
Findings
The results indicate that hardworking, responsible, and introverted employees tend to share their tacit knowledge when they feel they are in a supportive and team‐oriented environment, are not overly threatened by competitiveness, and experience good social interactions in the workplace.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this study is its small sample size, which may not capture all relationships. Future research can overcome this limitation and consider the role of organizational commitment and trust as possible mediators.
Originality/value
To practitioners, this study offers information on how organizations can encourage employees to share tacit knowledge. This research provides some support for the assumption that IT professionals should be managed under particular organizational rules by proposing that IT workers have a strategic role regarding the transmission of tacit knowledge.
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Employee response to organizational change impacts on its overall effectiveness. Firms can develop greater understanding by identifying various individual and company-related…
Abstract
Purpose
Employee response to organizational change impacts on its overall effectiveness. Firms can develop greater understanding by identifying various individual and company-related factors with most scope to influence how employees are likely to react.
Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.
Findings
Employee response to organizational change impacts on its overall effectiveness. Firms can develop greater understanding by identifying various individual and company-related factors with most scope to influence how employees are likely to react.
Originality/value
The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.
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Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…
Abstract
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.
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Andre Fregolente, Irene Junqueira and Priscilla Yung Medeiros
This paper aims to explore the relationship between identity construction and consumption motivation of the socially active and wealthy Brazilian older adults, applying a new…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the relationship between identity construction and consumption motivation of the socially active and wealthy Brazilian older adults, applying a new approach that focuses on important circumstances and life events retrieved through storytelling.
Design/methodology/approach
Using in-depth semi-structured interviews with socially active and wealthy older Brazilian consumers, this study adopts “Noting, Collecting and Thinking about Things” (NCT) and two-cycle coding methods to explore the qualitative data.
Findings
The results indicate the need to explore identity construction and consumption motivation in an integrated matter. Life circumstances and events help explain older consumers’ identities and its impact on main consumption motivations, which include self-expression, a need for social contact and relationships, attachment, detachment, nostalgia, knowledge appreciation and technology affinity, among others. An integrated approach allows for the identification of new consumption motivations.
Practical implications
The main consumption motivations identified in this study help delineate some new marketing strategies targeted to older consumers, such as taking into account the importance of building relationships with older customers, adopting family references to promote products and services, taking into account the value older customers place on technology usage and being connected with current matters and treating the elderly as a heterogeneous group, among others.
Originality/value
This paper focuses on an attractive and yet unexplored segment of older consumers in the literature, contextualizing their identity and consumption motivations in an integrated fashion, rather than studying these concepts in isolation. New marketing strategies targeted to the older consumers are identified.
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