Paul G. Fitchett, Eugenia B. Hopper, Maytal Eyal, Christopher J. McCarthy and Richard G. Lambert
Research funded by the Albert Shanker Institute found African-American teachers leaving teaching at higher rates than White counterparts even though the former are recruited in…
Abstract
Research funded by the Albert Shanker Institute found African-American teachers leaving teaching at higher rates than White counterparts even though the former are recruited in proportionally higher numbers. Thus, while recruitment efforts appear somewhat successful, schools and school systems fail to retain teachers of color. This “revolving door” of African-American teachers portends dire consequences for school communities, creating instability of staffing that potentially upend students’ opportunities for academic success. African-American female (AAF) teachers, considered a backbone of non-White communities, are particularly sensitive to teacher mobility and turnover. Studies, however, indicate that AAF teachers are more satisfied working in urban school contexts than other teachers, suggesting that they prefer racially congruent schools which share sociocultural attributes similar to their own, and view working conditions more favorably in such environments.
Teachers’ perceptions of the workplace can be used to gauge risk for occupational stress. Commonly referred to as the transactional model, teachers’ risk for stress can be assessed by the appraising workplace resources vis-à-vis workplace demands. Stress-vulnerable teachers are associated with lower professional commitment and increased occupational burnout. Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics 2007–2008 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), this chapter explored the intersections of risk for occupational stress, racial congruence, and professional commitment among AAF teachers. Findings from this chapter suggest interactions between racial congruence and AAF teachers’ perceptions of occupational stress and commitment to teaching. Implications for how these results might inform policy are discussed.
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Leila A. Halawi, Richard V. McCarthy and Jay E. Aronson
Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as a strategy to improve organizational competitiveness. Our purpose is to identify the relationship between KM and the firm's competitive…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge management (KM) has emerged as a strategy to improve organizational competitiveness. Our purpose is to identify the relationship between KM and the firm's competitive advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
We review the existing literature on KM and strategy formulation. We utilize the resource‐based view approach as a lens for fitting KM with strategic planning. The concept of strategy and KM integration is introduced.
Findings
We relate KM strategies to business strategy through a thorough review of the literature.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should investigate the circumstances under which KM can create a sustainable competitive advantage within the framework of the RBV. Another area involves the investigation of the degree of integration between the competitive strategy and KM strategy.
Practical implications
A very useful source of information for practitioners to refine their thinking about KM and the firm strategic resources. It offers the practitioner a framework for understanding strategy concepts while illustrating how we can derive business results from KM.
Originality/value
This paper offers practical help for corporate executives and practitioners embarking in a KM initiative or program.
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Silva Karkoulian, Leila A. Halawi and Richard V. McCarthy
As businesses continue to forge ahead in the twenty‐first century, knowledge management (KM) has materialized as a significant differentiator. The process of creating new…
Abstract
Purpose
As businesses continue to forge ahead in the twenty‐first century, knowledge management (KM) has materialized as a significant differentiator. The process of creating new knowledge, sharing, and preserving such knowledge, is crucial for achieving competitive advantage. To gain maximum benefit from new knowledge, it must be efficiently integrated into the organization within a continuous knowledge life cycle. In this respect, mentoring is becoming ever more effective as a means to facilitate knowledge creation and sharing and build intellectual capital. This study aims to examine how both formal and informal mentoring enhances KM in the Lebanese banking sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Professionals in the Lebanese banking sector were surveyed to measure their perception of the impact of mentoring on their willingness to share information within the organization on both a formal and informal basis. A Pearson correlation was conducted to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Results suggest that informal mentoring is highly correlated with KM; whereby the more employees practice mentoring willingly the more knowledge will be shared, preserved, and used within the organization. However, there was little support for formal mentoring.
Practical implications
The results suggest that management should be highly supportive of informal mentoring as a means to capture and retain organizational knowledge. They should design and reward informal mentoring processes within the organization.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the existing mentoring literature by empirically testing the relationship between mentoring and KM.
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Silva Karkoulian, Leila Canaan Messarra and Richard McCarthy
The goal of this research is to empirically assess whether knowledge management (KM) and learning organizations (LO) are distinct concepts and if so, to test whether KM enhances…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this research is to empirically assess whether knowledge management (KM) and learning organizations (LO) are distinct concepts and if so, to test whether KM enhances LO more or vice versa.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors propose an approach by which they first empirically assess the independence of those two concepts, then KM's fundamental processes, being knowledge acquisition, sharing, and utilization, are hypothesized to have a positive relationship with the different LO dimensions. Retail business employees working in organizations in Lebanon were surveyed. KM processes were first designated as dependent variables and then as independent variables. Bartlett's test, Pearson correlation, factor analysis, and regression analysis were used to test the hypothesis.
Findings
The results indicated that the two dimensions LO and KM are distinct and that KM enhances LO more than LO enhances KM.
Practical implications
This research extends the impact of knowledge management to include informal processes. It provides empirical evidence that managers should seek to implement formal and informal knowledge management processes into their organizational culture to enable a dynamic learning environment.
Originality/value
This research is significant in that up to this point the relationship between KM and LO has been posited and supported through anecdotal evidence and observation. This research provides empirical evidence of the relationship and forms the basis for further study in this area.
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Silva Karkoulian, Wassim Mukaddam, Richard McCarthy and Leila Canaan Messarra
Organizational downsizing, right sizing, layoffs, and restructuring that attempt to reduce labour cost and increase competitiveness, have generated considerable feelings of job…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizational downsizing, right sizing, layoffs, and restructuring that attempt to reduce labour cost and increase competitiveness, have generated considerable feelings of job insecurity among today's employees. Conversely, the rapidity of change in the Middle Eastern region, coupled with the unpredictability of economic conditions, the inevitable need to survive and the ever‐lasting craving for organizational success merge to aggravate the adverse effects of job insecurity. The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between job insecurity and powerlessness, management trust, peer trust and job satisfaction within Lebanon.
Design/methodology/approach
Employees working within medium‐sized organizations in Lebanon were surveyed to measure their perceptions of job insecurity, job satisfaction, powerlessness, and interpersonal trust. Statistical analyses were performed using Pearson correlation matrix and linear regression tests.
Findings
The study identified significant positive relationship between job insecurity and powerlessness, and negative relationships between job insecurity and management trust and job satisfaction. No significant relationship was found between job insecurity and peer trust.
Research limitations/implications
The study adds to the existing job insecurity literature by empirically testing the relationship between job insecurity and powerlessness, peer trust, management trust and job satisfaction within Lebanese organizations. The researchers hope that this study will assist managers in understanding the importance of earning their subordinates' trust and its implications on job insecurity which could also negatively affect job satisfaction. Also, the issue of powerlessness should be seriously considered by management since it triggers the feeling of job insecurity.
Originality/value
Western organizational behavior literature has given the topic of job insecurity significant attention. However, no scholarly research has yet examined the topic of job insecurity within the Middle East. This paper sheds light on important results regarding job insecurity and its consequences. Powerlessness predicts and aggravates job insecurity, and is affected by the nature of the job; trust in management has a negative effect on job insecurity, while peer trust has no influence. Also, job satisfaction is influenced by the perceptions of job insecurity.
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Leila Canaan Messarra, Silva Karkoulian and Richard McCarthy
The subject of cyber‐slacking has prompted many organizations to respond by enforcing or implementing policies that restrict internet access. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The subject of cyber‐slacking has prompted many organizations to respond by enforcing or implementing policies that restrict internet access. The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the impact of four internet monitoring policies on cyber‐slacking and work satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
Employees working in medium‐size organizations in Lebanon were surveyed. Chi‐square tests, correlation, ANOVA, and regression analysis were used to test the hypothesis.
Findings
Results indicated that having a free internet access had a positive relation with cyber‐slacking, leading to an increase in work satisfaction. The survey also indicated relationship with demographic factors.
Research limitations/implications
Although the research provides useful insight on cyber‐slacking and monitoring policies, it is nevertheless restricted to Lebanese companies.
Originality/value
This paper adds to the literature on cyber‐slacking by empirically testing the effect of different monitoring policies.
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Grace McCarthy and Richard Greatbanks
The purpose of this paper is to describe research which aimed to discover whether there were differences in leadership practices and perceptions of good leadership practice…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe research which aimed to discover whether there were differences in leadership practices and perceptions of good leadership practice between German and UK organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey based on analysis of self‐assessment documents submitted for the European Quality Award or its equivalents in Germany and the UK was distributed to 300 organisations in Germany and the UK. A response rate of 20 per cent was achieved. The survey was also distributed to 20 assessors.
Findings
There were more differences in perceptions of good practice between German organisations recognised for excellence and German organisations not using the Excellence Model than between German and UK organisations. In the UK, there were more differences between what was described as good practice and what was described as usual practice among organisations not using the Excellence Model than among organisations recognised for excellence. German assessors differed in their view of good practices from UK assessors and German organisations.
Research limitations/implications
The number of respondents was small, the organisations which chose to respond may not be typical and responses may not be accurate. A larger survey would help establish the generalisability of the findings. Focus groups would be particularly helpful in understanding the difference in perspective of the assessors.
Practical implications
An awareness of Anglo‐German differences is helpful for managers with cross‐border teams. The difference in assessor perceptions suggests that the training offered by the EFQM has not resulted in a common understanding.
Originality/value
The paper is valuable both to academics who are interested in cross‐cultural leadership and to practitioners wrestling with the issues posed by cross‐cultural teams.
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The delineation of the different international market‐entry decision models serves to inform international managers of the different alternative courses of action open to them…
Abstract
The delineation of the different international market‐entry decision models serves to inform international managers of the different alternative courses of action open to them. The entire spectrum of decisions emerging from short‐term to long‐term considerations, in addition to micro‐related decisions, are discussed. This paper evaluates the importance of these alternative courses of action and their decision criteria.