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1 – 10 of 34Terry McNulty, Richard Whipp, Richard Whittington and Martin Kitchener
Attention to the realities of developing a market orientation has increased as managers endeavour to cope with the increasingly competitive contexts within which they operate…
Abstract
Attention to the realities of developing a market orientation has increased as managers endeavour to cope with the increasingly competitive contexts within which they operate. This paper considers, at the levels of organisation and individual, the transformation process within the industrial Research and Development and National Health Service sectors.
Terry McNulty and Richard Whittington
Examines how R&D can learn to market itself. Draws on fourintensive case studies of in‐house and independent laboratories to arguethat developing this capability requires…
Abstract
Examines how R&D can learn to market itself. Draws on four intensive case studies of in‐house and independent laboratories to argue that developing this capability requires pervasive organizational change, which goes beyond the introduction of marketing specialists and the creation of marketing departments. At least as important are: the development of the managerial process at all levels of the organization; the evolution of new organizational structures; more sophisticated financial management systems; and a decentralized approach to marketing, within which professional technologists act as “part‐time marketers”. Problems can arise owing to: personal conflicts which some technologists experience, whilst simultaneously attempting to satisfy client demands and their own professional standards and values; internal competition, which may adversely affect the activities of market intelligence generation, dissemination and responsiveness; and poor relationships between marketing specialists and professional technologists.
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The paper aims to show how resource‐based views of the firm inadequately address the strategic importance of acquiring and using symbolic capital within the wider discursive…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to show how resource‐based views of the firm inadequately address the strategic importance of acquiring and using symbolic capital within the wider discursive institutional environment.
Design/methodology/approach
A single case using publicly available data on the strategic activities of the oil and gas firm BP was constructed.
Findings
Combining case data with a review of literature on firm capabilities and organization studies, the paper identifies a previously unacknowledged foundational strategic capability: securing a licence to act. It finds BP strategists understanding this capability as the realization of credibility and authority arising from the conscious and skilled articulation of firm commitments and activities.
Originality/value
Generalising from the case, the paper argues for the importance to firm performance of an understanding of how capabilities evolve in relation to the use of symbolic capital within inherently complex institutional environments. This leads beyond a purely economic view of institutional settings to cover market‐based political and social interests.
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This article aims to discuss some of the most common ways in which business decisions are affected by cognitive biases. It focuses on the individual level of decision making and…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to discuss some of the most common ways in which business decisions are affected by cognitive biases. It focuses on the individual level of decision making and discusses how biases are deeply entrenched in the way that many decisions are made. It also discusses how flaws in decision making can escalate when executives are under pressure, over‐confident or part of a group.
Design/methodology/approach
This article draws on a range of research in cognitive and organizational psychology to show the potential effect of cognitive biases on corporate decision making.
Findings
The article argues that it is necessary to develop a better understanding of the effect of cognitive biases on executive decision making. Whilst research suggests that many aspects of decision‐making processes operate outside one's conscious awareness, it is suggested that these flaws may be easier to monitor and control when one is aware of their potential impact on corporate decisions.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates how a lack of awareness of the widespread operation of cognitive biases reduces the possibilities for good corporate governance.
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Penelope A. McNulty, Angelica G. Thompson-Butel, Christine T. Shiner and Terry Trinh
Stroke patients with low and very low functional movement are not usually considered suitable for rehabilitation. Without therapy the more-affected side will not improve and may…
Abstract
Purpose
Stroke patients with low and very low functional movement are not usually considered suitable for rehabilitation. Without therapy the more-affected side will not improve and may lose any residual function. Poor movement ability reduces independence and limits the social engagement of such patients. The purpose of this paper was to investigate whether Wii-based Movement Therapy was suitable and beneficial for stroke patients with low and very low movement ability.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 13 patients aged 22-77 years and three months to 21 years post-stroke completed the standardised 14-day protocol of Wii-based Movement Therapy. Therapy is a structured and targeted programme, tailored to the individual needs and deficits of each patient. Functional ability was assessed using a suite of tools. Increased use of the more-affected hand and arm in everyday life was assessed using the Quality of Movement subscale of the Motor Activity Log.
Findings
Functional movement of the more-affected hand and arm improved by 40 per cent on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment. Hand-use in everyday tasks more than doubled and improvements were also seen in lower-limb function, balance, and cardiovascular function. Qualitative improvements in psychological status were also noted.
Practical implications
The paper demonstrates that stroke patients with low and very low movement ability post-stroke can benefit from upper-limb rehabilitation. Wii-based Movement Therapy is a viable and effective option with high patient compliance.
Originality/value
The patients in this study became less disabled. Improving movement ability of stroke survivors will not only increase their independence in activities of daily living but will also reduce the burden of care on patients, their families and the community.
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Kowoon Kim and Mary Ann Von Glinow
The purpose of this paper is to add to the understanding of the international work experiences of lesbian and gay self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) with a particular focus on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to add to the understanding of the international work experiences of lesbian and gay self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) with a particular focus on the effects of different contexts on their disclosure decisions. In doing so, this study responds to the call for more empirical and extensive studies of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) expatriates.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on in-depth analysis of four interviews of lesbian and gay SIEs.
Findings
The findings presented in this paper support three contextual determinants – personal, organizational, and country-level context. These contextual determinants significantly influence lesbian and gay SIEs’ disclosure decisions and their overall international work experience.
Originality/value
Given the rapid globalization and dynamic business environment, workforce diversity has become a business imperative over the past few decades. Diversity in today’s workforce includes not simply gender and racial diversity, but also age, culture, sexual orientation, religion, education, and disabilities as primary categories of diversity. Moreover, new technologies require highly skilled labor the world over, exacerbating existing global talent shortages. These advancements in technology, accompanied by massive shortfalls in skilled labor, have expanded the pool of potential expatriates to include those non-traditional ones who have been excluded from international assignments. Particularly, as LGBT rights to equal employment opportunity and their potential contributions to international assignments have been increasingly recognized worldwide in recent years, attention to LGBT expatriates has grown exponentially. Nevertheless, neither their experiences as lesbian and gay SIEs in international assignments nor the effects of contexts on those experiences, including disclosure decisions, have yet to be fully explored. In this sense, this paper provides a contribution to the deeper understanding of lesbian and gay SIEs in multidimensional contexts of an international assignment. Although the study examined lesbian and gay expatriates, results suggest insights into the entire LGBT expatriate community.
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Organizational crises can wreak havoc in an institution. When such crises ensue, leaders are tasked with decisions that often need to be made quickly and effectively. When not…
Abstract
Organizational crises can wreak havoc in an institution. When such crises ensue, leaders are tasked with decisions that often need to be made quickly and effectively. When not responded to adequately, consequences can include leader regrets of improper response, high costs to the organization, loss of leadership position, or even arrests or jail time for a leader. This chapter describes all these repercussions as it summarizes the Jerry Sandusky case and highlights the crisis that took place on the campus at Penn State University. In illustrating the University leaders’ response to the crisis, leadership lessons learned from the case were gleaned. They include increased transparency, greater reflectivity, ethical decision-making, and periodic assessment of organizational culture.
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One of the primary responsibilities of a board of directors is to assess management practices and to make sure that the organization is being run in a fashion that is consistent…
Abstract
One of the primary responsibilities of a board of directors is to assess management practices and to make sure that the organization is being run in a fashion that is consistent with the interests of shareholders. This responsibility becomes especially important when the firm is performing suboptimally. The current paper integrates corporate governance theory with attribution theory to examine the processes by which board members attribute poor firm performance to either external or internal causes. A framework is presented that suggests that inside directors and outside directors differ significantly in the constraints they face and in the ultimate attributions they make. Facing primarily social constraints, such as loyalty to the CEO and fear of retaliation, inside directors are more likely to consistently attribute poor performance to industry or environmental factors, as opposed to top management. Facing primarily cognitive constraints, outside directors will use specific informational cues to attribute poor performance either to industry/environmental factors or to top management. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.
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Alexei Koveshnikov and Miikka J. Lehtonen
We draw upon stress theory and utilize the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate how various coping strategies employed by expatriates affect their psychological stress…
Abstract
Purpose
We draw upon stress theory and utilize the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate how various coping strategies employed by expatriates affect their psychological stress, subsequently influencing their expatriation satisfaction and intention to withdraw from the host country.
Design/methodology/approach
We utilize structural equation modeling to analyze a sample of 453 expatriates residing and working in the United Arab Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings
Our analysis shows that the effects of different coping strategies on expatriates vary. Depending on the nature of the strategy, they can have either positive or negative effects. While coping via problem-focused and denial strategies decreases expatriates' stress, coping by distancing increases it. Social support-seeking is not found to be an effective stress-coping strategy. In terms of implications, the problem-focused strategy leads to the most positive outcomes, whereas distancing leads to the most negative outcomes.
Originality/value
Our study provides significant theoretical and practical insights into expatriates' coping mechanisms within the context of natural crises.
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