Ruth McKay, Aareni Uruthirapathy and Yulia Pankova
Canadian organizations started addressing workplace bullying and harassment in the 1990s. Proactive organizations have written policies, trained managers and employees, created a…
Abstract
Purpose
Canadian organizations started addressing workplace bullying and harassment in the 1990s. Proactive organizations have written policies, trained managers and employees, created a complaint process and conducted surveys. The objective of this study is to examine how effective these efforts by Canadian organizations have been.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this research were collected through a survey administered to employees in Canadian workplaces (n = 1,000), including managers (n = 461). A stratified sample was used to facilitate a good representation of region, age, gender, sector and occupational level of working Canadians.
Findings
The survey indicated that some Canadian organizations continue to be negligent in addressing workplace bullying and harassment and that the problem is particular to large organizations, young employees and the private sector.
Research limitations/implications
The survey identifies that some Canadian organizations are still negligent in addressing workplace bullying and harassment. The problem is particular to large organizations, young employees and the public sector.
Practical implications
Senior and middle-level managers need to be aware that workplace bullying and harassment continue to occur in their work environment. Further, given that managers at times defer excessively to authority, the human resource (HR) department has a vital role in addressing workplace bullying and harassment. HR needs to establish a reputation among employees that their complaints will be taken seriously, and corrective actions will be taken.
Originality/value
This study examined the nature of workplace bullying and harassment in the Canadian context. The study found that organizations are still neglecting issues of workplace bullying and harassment and that there is a disconnect between what employees are experiencing and what senior management is professing is the situation. This disconnect is a continued liability for organizations.
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David Cray, Ruth McKay and Robert Mittelman
A dynamic global economy has increased the need for cross-cultural flexibility and cultural intelligence (CQ). While a large literature has examined various means to increase CQ…
Abstract
Purpose
A dynamic global economy has increased the need for cross-cultural flexibility and cultural intelligence (CQ). While a large literature has examined various means to increase CQ in student and expatriate populations, its importance for teachers in cross-cultural settings has been largely unexamined. This paper aims to use the experiences of a group of professors in an MBA programme in Iran to investigate the effect of their activity on their cross-cultural skills.
Design/methodology/approach
Using structured interviews and content analysis, the authors draw on the experiences of business faculty from a Canadian business school who helped deliver an MBA programme in Iran to investigate how their experiences in a country new to them were reflected in the components of CQ.
Findings
Using an established model of CQ, the authors find contributions to all three facets, knowledge, mindfulness and behaviour, indicating that such exchanges can be regarded as important for students and teachers alike in an international educational context.
Originality/value
With more and more teaching extending across cultural boundaries in both domestic and international settings, the capacity of instructors to read, interpret and react to the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of their students is an important factor in the success of these programs. To this point, at least within the business education literature, the influence of such encounters on the instructors involved has been neglected.
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Joy M. Pahl, Ed Chung, Iris Jenkel and Ruth B. McKay
The College of St. Germain is a private, liberal arts college in the U.S. Midwest. Several faculty members developed and launched an academic business and economics conference…
Abstract
The College of St. Germain is a private, liberal arts college in the U.S. Midwest. Several faculty members developed and launched an academic business and economics conference. Despite of a lack of funding from the college, and a general apathy among other colleagues, the conference became financially self-sufficient and grew each year, with increasing attendance and submissions from many international scholars. Part A of the case focuses on the beginning, planning, and growth stages of the conference, and culminates with the successful conclusion of the third annual conference and planning for the fourth conference. Part B focuses on the fourth and fifth conferences, and concludes with the surprising cancellation of the sixth annual conference. The case highlights the challenges and accomplishments of the conference chairpersons and the organizing committee, as well as management, marketing, and leadership factors that contributed to the ultimate demise of the conference.
Race and ethnicity continue to divide us. Accurate data on those divisions, their effects, and their causes are vital to understanding them and, where it is possible and desired…
Abstract
Race and ethnicity continue to divide us. Accurate data on those divisions, their effects, and their causes are vital to understanding them and, where it is possible and desired, healing them. The articles by Clyde Tucker and Brian Kojetin and by Ruth McKay and Manuel de la Puente describe the joint BLS‐Census efforts to develop questions on these issues for the Current Population Survey that will increase the accuracy of the counts and reduce negative emotional responses to the survey itself.
The differing perspectives of decision makers in a newly‐amalgamated municipality may hinder the reduction of costs or introduction of efficient organizational change. Accepting…
Abstract
The differing perspectives of decision makers in a newly‐amalgamated municipality may hinder the reduction of costs or introduction of efficient organizational change. Accepting differences may be essential, at least initially, to achieve efficiencies. During amalgamation the pursuit of uniformity of services in combination with a weak and/or chaotic change process (lack of committee structure, poor information, vague deadlines, shifting relationships and assertion of power) may undermine efforts to obtain efficiencies.
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To propose a conceptual framework that facilitates the benchmarking of strategic processes necessary for entrepreneurial survival and success.
Abstract
Purpose
To propose a conceptual framework that facilitates the benchmarking of strategic processes necessary for entrepreneurial survival and success.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on extant literature on entrepreneurial survival, this paper considers the chaotic and emergent nature of the entrepreneurial organization and how benchmarking can contribute to a newly established firm's chances for survival and prosperity. The paper incorporates the concept of a sustainable competitive advantage in the discussion, and offers organizational culture as being the imperfectly imitable element which will contribute to the entrepreneurial firm's success.
Findings
Four key processes are identified that contribute to entrepreneurial viability – cooperation, sharing founder's vision, time management, and developing organizational competencies – and suggestions are offered for developing appropriate benchmarks for these processes. The paper also highlights two instruments that may be useful in this endeavor.
Research limitations/implications
The paper draws attention to the usefulness of benchmarking processes and not just metrics in fostering entrepreneurial survival. Key processes are identified, and suggestions are provided for researchers to begin work on developing the necessary benchmarks.
Practical implications
The paper not only offers a theoretical discussion of the usefulness of benchmarking processes as opposed to focusing only on outcomes, but also helps the practitioner to implement such benchmarking activities by highlighting practical instruments for this purpose.
Originality/value
This paper brings to bear literature from several streams of research. It takes benchmarking from its metric‐oriented focus to a more process‐focused approach, and applies it in the context of entrepreneurial survival.
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Ed Chung and Kim Whalen
This article is premised on the idea that social networks represent an important, but often overlooked, unit of analysis in management and entrepreneurship studies. The concept of…
Abstract
This article is premised on the idea that social networks represent an important, but often overlooked, unit of analysis in management and entrepreneurship studies. The concept of embeddedness, emphasizing the significance of social relationships, is of particular relevance as more and more frequently minorities and immigrants engage in small businessownership. This article borrows from the ethnicity and social network traditions, and offers that an analysis of the ethnic homogeneity of an entrepreneur's strong and weak social ties would be fruitful in gauging entrepreneurial success.
Women entrepreneurs are a vital contributor to today’s economy, employing one from every four employees in the USA. Yet, there is still a dearth of research on women…
Abstract
Women entrepreneurs are a vital contributor to today’s economy, employing one from every four employees in the USA. Yet, there is still a dearth of research on women entrepreneurs. This study examines a particular group of women entrepreneurs largely ignored by the literature: entrepreneurs over 50 years old. It focuses on women who do not have a family, or whose children have grown up. Given the aging population this group will increase in numbers and impact on gross domestic product and employment statistics. This paper explores the characteristics of this unique group of entrepreneurs and considers if gender is implicit in the organizational structures of the businesses established by these women.
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Brennan Day, Ruth Burnice Mckay, Michael Ishman and Ed Chung
The modern industrialized world was completely caught off guard by the recent SARS outbreak. Fortunately, for most organizations, the impact has been short lived, but management…
Abstract
The modern industrialized world was completely caught off guard by the recent SARS outbreak. Fortunately, for most organizations, the impact has been short lived, but management has been provided with a reminder of the impact of the external environment in a world of ever increasing globalization. As seen with the SARS outbreak, a lack of preparedness can have devastating effects on business and warrant inclusion in a business definition of a crisis. This paper uses the recent SARS epidemic as a background to highlight the importance of crisis planning, particularly in emerging economies, and suggests how organizations can address these concerns.
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Brennan Day, Ruth Burnice McKay, Michael Ishman and Ed Chung
Important lessons can be learnt from the recent SARS epidemic, which reminds us that despite technology and science, the world is not entirely secure from such outbreaks. In…
Abstract
Important lessons can be learnt from the recent SARS epidemic, which reminds us that despite technology and science, the world is not entirely secure from such outbreaks. In addition to health issues and the toll of human suffering, SARS caused much distress within the business community, especially those companies with operations in emerging economies. We look at what lessons can be and have been learnt from the epidemic, and offer a modified framework of crisis management planning to help businesses deal better with similar epidemics in the future. We are also disheartened that very little concrete action seems to have been implemented to foster contingency planning by businesses, despite the financial impact and crisis brought on by SARS.