Keith Alexander and Steve Marshall
Although it is easy to show that some buildings cost more to run and operate than others, few people take the trouble to collect evidence and make the comparisons — reflecting the…
Abstract
Although it is easy to show that some buildings cost more to run and operate than others, few people take the trouble to collect evidence and make the comparisons — reflecting the relatively low priority given to buildings in business. Reductions in costs can be significant to company profitability, yet it is a difficult matter to provide a convincing and fully costed argument for making changes to reduce future expenditure, especially where investment is required and where the benefits cannot be easily quantified. Indications are that significant savings are possible in most building costs in use. Indirect cost reductions may be achieved by reorganisation or by encouraging behavioural changes which will enable the building to be used to its full potential. However, direct cost savings may be made by changes to the physical fabric and positive steps can be taken in managing buildings to benefit from these changes and affect profitability. It has been possible to show through action research that the life cycle costs of buildings can be reduced by design, often at no overall capital cost With the availability of suitable tools the future, and its cost consequences, can become an influential factor in management decisions about the building stock.
Marshall Sashkin and Steve Franklin
Team building is a common thread throughout most organizationalchange and management development activities. As teams are built, theyshould evolve through three stages of…
Abstract
Team building is a common thread throughout most organizational change and management development activities. As teams are built, they should evolve through three stages of learning: (1) crisis problem solving, (2) productivity improvement to the current situation, and (3) anticipatory learning. Anticipatory team learning focuses on future‐oriented learning. It is based on three meta skills of team learning: (1) obtaining data, (2) constructing “rich information” and (3) turning rich information into “intelligence” for creating and sustaining peak performance and a higher commitment culture.
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Explores the Japanese kaizen philosophy and its application to manufacturing. The kaizen strategy is based on the process of gradual change bringing improvements to all area of…
Abstract
Explores the Japanese kaizen philosophy and its application to manufacturing. The kaizen strategy is based on the process of gradual change bringing improvements to all area of management and production. It is a people based system with standardisation being an essential feature. Describes a kaizen workshop held in the UK by the Kaizen Institute of Europe, with comments from the participants. Concludes with a brief history of the Kaizen Institute of Europe [KIE].
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Reviews the growth in importance of planned maintenance programming(PMP). Sets out the aims of computerising PMP at strategic and detailedlevels. Provides a detailed analysis of…
Abstract
Reviews the growth in importance of planned maintenance programming (PMP). Sets out the aims of computerising PMP at strategic and detailed levels. Provides a detailed analysis of successful systems characteristics. Lists considerations to be borne in mind and questions to ask before purchasing a system. Concludes that although the potential benefits of computerised PMP are great, careful consideration of the objectives and options is vital.
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Explains that sweeping structural reform combined with national change in attitude have dramatically altered the business environment in New Zealand. Yesterday, New Zealand was a…
Abstract
Explains that sweeping structural reform combined with national change in attitude have dramatically altered the business environment in New Zealand. Yesterday, New Zealand was a tale of faded prosperity and lost promise; today, it receives praise from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and The Economist as a role model for economic reform. Protectionism, interventionism and import substitution have been replaced by nearly complete economic freedom. As a key component of these reforms, liberalization of international and domestic trade is providing unprecedented opportunities and challenges for both multinational and local firms. Following a stage‐setting introduction to the country and its people, outlines the recent decade of economic rebirth, exploring the ramifications of the national restructuring on business strategies and decision making in the areas of market entry, importing and exporting, investment, human resource management and innovation. Explores major current issues affecting business, and examines policies on inbound foreign investment and immigration.
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Ethnography produces accounts; the critical reflection of accounts produces accountability. Ethnography requires accountability if meaningful conclusions and/or observations are…
Abstract
Purpose
Ethnography produces accounts; the critical reflection of accounts produces accountability. Ethnography requires accountability if meaningful conclusions and/or observations are to be made. Accountability requires ethnography if is to address lived experiences. Virno argues that the principles of “languaging” make ethnographies and accountability possible. This papers aims to describe an instance of the circularity of accountability and use this to explore Virno’s insights. Doing this helps us to see the connections between accountability and ethnography, and reflect on the nature of these interconnections.
Design/methodology/approach
Inspired by Paulo Virno’s philosophy, the authors assert that an ethnographer typically produces an account of a chosen “Other” in which this “Other” is held to account. But at the same time, the ethnographer needs to be held to account by the very same “Other” and by the “Other” of the (research) community. Furthermore, ethnographers are accountable to themselves. All these moments of accountability can endlessly circle, as responsibilization of the researchers by their Other(s) continues. For ethnography to function, this must be tamed as a (research) account ultimately has to be produced for an academic project to be considered complete. Drawing on Virno’s principle of the “negation of the negation” by the “katechon,” by the “katechon,” the authors propose a potentially valuable intervention that would enable ethnography – and by extension, ethnographers – to prosper.
Findings
The authors apply Virno’s philosophical reflections to propose a positive feedback cycle between ethnography and accountability. Virno’s ideation centers on two key concepts: (i) the multitude of social relatedness and (ii) the ontology of the languaging of individuation. Hereby, a positive circle of causality between ethnography and accountability can be realized, whereby the authors can respect but also break the causal circle(s) of ethnography and accountability. This might be achieved via a reflection on Virno’s concept of the “katechon.”
Originality/value
The authors illuminate the accountability–ethnography dynamic, providing an illustration of the circularity of ethnography and accountability and showing how Virno provides us with tools to help us deal with it. Hence, ultimately, the paper focuses on the accountability as ethnographers.
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The purpose of this paper is to argue for the widening of attention in healthcare improvement efforts, to include an awareness of the humanity of people who work in the sector and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to argue for the widening of attention in healthcare improvement efforts, to include an awareness of the humanity of people who work in the sector and an appreciation of the part human connection plays in engagement around good quality work. Theoretical frameworks and research approaches which draw on action-based, interpretive and systemic thinking are proposed, as a complement to current practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes the early stages of an action research (AR) project, which used the appreciative inquiry “4D” framework to conduct participative inquiry in Hamad Medical Corporation’s ambulance service in Qatar, in which staff became co-researchers.
Findings
The co-researchers were highly motivated to work with improvement goals as a result of their participation in the AR. They, and their managers, saw each other and the work in new ways and discovered that they had much to offer.
Research limitations/implications
This was a small-scale pilot project, from which findings must be considered tentative. The challenges of establishing good collaboration across language, culture and organisational divides are considerable.
Practical implications
Appreciative and action-oriented inquiry methods can serve not only to find things out, but also to highlight and give value to aspects of humanity in the workplace that are routinely left invisible in formal processes. This, in turn, can help with quality improvement.
Originality/value
This paper is a challenge to the orthodox way of viewing healthcare organisations, and improvement processes within them, as reliant on control rather than empowerment. An alternative is to actively include the agency, sense-making capacity and humanity of those involved.
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Brian N. Rutherford and Ryan L. Matthews
The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of how the “seven steps of selling” are used within the modern international business environment and the degree to which…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of how the “seven steps of selling” are used within the modern international business environment and the degree to which international sales executives are able to identify and adapt to differences in global markets.
Design/methodology/approach
A phenomenological type of approach was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with international sales executives (based either in the USA or UK) that operated across multiple different regions of the world.
Findings
This study provides a holistic assessment of the international business-to-business sales process. This study outlines four key aspects of the sales process that differ from traditional domestic industrial selling. Then, the study suggests examining the international sales process as a stage-based approach, versus exclusively focusing on the sales process as a seven-step process. Third, the study focuses on differences between regions of the world.
Research limitations/implications
From an academic standpoint, this study highlights a number of avenues to pursue. In addition, this study underscores the limited volume of research focused on international sales force management, especially the differences within the sales process. Limitations focus on issues pertaining to the sales executives examined within the study.
Practical implications
Firms looking to enter or expand their international market presence will be able to use the results of this study focusing on the international sales process. Firms can apply the results of this study to build both initial and continuous training programs.
Originality/value
This study identifies aspects that occur during each stage of the international sales process to provide a detailed account of the activities that international salespeople are engaged in. Further, this study suggests that the stages of the sales process differ between transactional exchanges and strategic relationships. However, this study offers more insight on the development of strategic long-term relationships, as the majority of the sales executives focused on the strategic relationship development during the interviews. As a last step within this study, seven country-specific issues are described.
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Julian Birkinshaw and Maya Gudka
Many theories have been proposed to understand and improve the process of leadership development. One useful way to structure the literature is around three complementary…
Abstract
Purpose
Many theories have been proposed to understand and improve the process of leadership development. One useful way to structure the literature is around three complementary perspectives, briefly summarized as the “knowing, doing and being” dimensions of leadership. While the complementarities between these perspectives have been discussed, the mechanisms by which they are linked are less clear. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of experimentation as one such mechanism.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on interviews and prior literature, the authors argue that experimentation consists of two processes: task-prototyping focused on the work overseen by the leader and self-prototyping focused on how the leader relates to others. This study proposes a theoretical framework linking experimentation to action-taking (e.g. being entrepreneurial and taking on challenging assignments), which in turn links to leader effectiveness. The authors test the hypotheses on two groups of leaders (481 business school alumni and 310 financial services leaders).
Findings
The authors find evidence that both forms of experimentation provide significant explanatory power in understanding why some individuals engage in higher levels of action-taking than others. Additionally, their study confirms the central role of action-taking in leadership development.
Originality/value
Conceptually, this study distinguishes two dimensions of experimentation and their connection to action-taking, knowledge development and identity development. Empirically, the authors show that these two experimentation activities were significant predictors of action-taking, even after controlling for all other factors, and that action-taking (along with self-prototyping) was an important predictor of leader effectiveness. The results offer a practical framework for leadership and development professionals to use in designing and evaluating leadership development activities.