This paper explores strategic change communication, framed by the idea that managers can be viewed as rhetoricians. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss senior…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores strategic change communication, framed by the idea that managers can be viewed as rhetoricians. The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss senior managers' subjective experiences of rhetorical aspects of change management.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on a case study from ABB Sweden (a power and automation technology company). In‐depth interviews with senior managers, with vast experience of change management, constitute the empirical source.
Findings
The most important finding is the managers' overall reluctance towards rhetoric. According to the managers in this study, a rhetorician is an over‐enthusiastic person who “waves his arms when speaking”. To master the art of rhetoric is not believed to be of particular importance when managing strategic change.
Research limitations/implications
Senior managers' potentially negative attitude concerning rhetoric should be taken into account when researchers situate change management within a rhetorical frame.
Practical implications
Given the large interest in “efficient” communication, generally managers should be encouraged to overcome their reluctance towards rhetoric to improve their ability to “manage meaning” constructively.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to change management communication insofar as it gives voice to the individual manager. This voice indicates; in a time when rhetoric, storytelling, and charismatic leadership are making ground; that the understanding of rhetoric is much more limited than the general impression might suggest.
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Marja Flory and Oriol Iglesias
The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss a critical review of the role of rhetoric and narratives in management research and practice.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss a critical review of the role of rhetoric and narratives in management research and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
Conceptual implications are drawn from the analysis and discussion of the papers of this special issue, as well as from previous literature.
Findings
Managers and researchers will be unable to explore the potential of narratives and stories fully if, at the same time, they do not deeply comprehend the underpinnings of rhetoric.
Originality/value
The paper further discusses the role of rhetoric and narratives in management research and practice and also explores the relationships between rhetoric and narratives.
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Markus Hällgren and Marcus Lindahl
The purpose of this editorial is to reflect on the growing interest of situated project research.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this editorial is to reflect on the growing interest of situated project research.
Design/methodology/approach
The editorial is conceptual and relies on published work and the articles included in the special issue.
Findings
With this special issue it is found that practice‐based studies, also called Projects‐as‐Practice studies, interested in the everyday activities of project practitioners, are multi‐faceted and rich. What may also be seen is that practice‐based studies are not yet a coherent area. However, it is more important that practice‐based studies allow researchers to understand the organization less as an entity and more as a socially‐accomplished task.
Research limitations/implications
Several implications for research are offered, including the need for studies that emphasize the small details of organizing, and that practice‐based studies are not restricted to a certain methodology but depend on what a particular paper tries to accomplish.
Practical implications
With an ever‐growing stream of research focusing on projects the guest editors argue that it is about time to look into the details of organizing. This could be accomplished through a number of ways but in this special issue it is proposed that approaching traditional areas with a conscious naivety when asking the questions may do it. For the practitioner, the special issue offers important insights into how things are done in practice, which may be used as a mirror or reflection upon their own practice.
Originality/value
This editorial and special issue offer insights for any academic interested in understanding projects differently.
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Tomás Dias Sant'Ana, Paulo Henrique De Souza Bermejo and Maged Ali
The innovation ecosystem makes it possible to build a network strategy that allows organizations to collaborate and evolve together, especially in public organizations in which…
Abstract
Purpose
The innovation ecosystem makes it possible to build a network strategy that allows organizations to collaborate and evolve together, especially in public organizations in which the population’s expectation for better services is growing and resources are scarce. Thus, the theory of the innovation ecosystem is analyzed in this study to structure mechanisms for spending efficiency within the institutions of the Brazilian federal education network. This choice is justified by the need to explore the coordination of the innovation ecosystem applied in the university context.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was carried out using a qualitative approach. An action research methodology was used on the Ministry of Education of Brazil (MEC), focusing on 110 institutions of the federal education network (federal universities and institutes). Action research was applied in this study because of its capacity to generate knowledge and address practical problems, specifically those concerning the efficiency of public spending in the examined educational institutions.
Findings
A model called the Innovation Ecosystem for Efficiency of Public Spending in Institutions of the Brazilian Federal Network of Education was developed. The model is composed of three layers: a core layer consisting of the MEC as a supervisory body that exerts influence over institutions, a platform layer consisting of four platforms and a development and application layer consisting of actors that interact with ecosystem activities.
Originality/value
As its main contribution, this study presents how public institutions, especially those linked to the area of federal education, can organize and articulate partnership designs to promote innovation and efficiency in public spending.
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Rolf Johansson, Anders Robertsson, Klas Nilsson, Torgny Brogårdh, Per Cederberg, Magnus Olsson, Tomas Olsson and Gunnar Bolmsjö
Presents an approach to improved performance and flexibility in industrial robotics by means of sensor integration and feedback control in task‐level programming and task…
Abstract
Presents an approach to improved performance and flexibility in industrial robotics by means of sensor integration and feedback control in task‐level programming and task execution. Also presents feasibility studies in support of the ideas. Discusses some solutions to the problem using six degrees of freedom force control together with the ABB S4CPlus system as an illustrative example. Consider various problems in the design of an open sensor interface for industrial robotics and discusses possible solutions. Finally, presents experimental results from industrial force controlled grinding.
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Tomas Wörlund Rylenius and Mo Hamza
This paper aims to challenge the view of Sweden’s climate leadership by problematizing its domestic climate adaptation governance and highlighting the need for a more holistic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to challenge the view of Sweden’s climate leadership by problematizing its domestic climate adaptation governance and highlighting the need for a more holistic view of adaptation. The paper highlights aspects that are troublesome for not only the built environment along coastlines but also the future of Sweden’s standing as a climate leader. The paper concludes with recommendations addressing the key areas of climate adaptation fragmentation in Sweden and calls for a more holistic view of adaptation, and one that takes into account resources, collaboration and coherence of governance vision.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a comprehensive analysis of internal governance processes in climate change adaptation. It is based on an extensive literature review and semi-structured interviews at the local level – i.e. municipalities – who have the primary responsibility for adaptation to climate change in Sweden.
Findings
Findings point to three-fold concerns. First, there is a lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities in adaptation among municipalities, regions and governmental agencies. Second, the gap between available finance and actual needs for climate change adaptation presents a major challenge when channels and pathways are not clear either. Finally, some adaptation strategies on both the local and national scales may be maladaptive in the long term.
Originality/value
Sweden consistently ranks highly in different climate performance indices and has acquired an international reputation as a climate leader. The paper challenges this narrative. Through a closer look the paper’s findings reveal a more fragmented picture of climate adaptation governance in the country with a myriad of unresolved questions and ad hoc solutions, where adaptation challenges are more pronounced and manifest in the built environment along the coastlines.
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Peter E. Johansson, Helena Blackbright, Tomas Backström, Jennie Schaeffer and Stefan Cedergren
The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding regarding how managers attempt to make purposeful use of innovation management self-assessments (IMSA) and performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding regarding how managers attempt to make purposeful use of innovation management self-assessments (IMSA) and performance information (PI).
Design/methodology/approach
An interpretative perspective on purposeful use is used as an analytical framework, and the paper is based on empirical material from two research projects exploring the use of IMSA and PI in three case companies. Based on the empirical data, consisting of interviews and observations of workshops and project meetings, qualitative content analysis has been conducted.
Findings
The findings of this paper indicate that how managers achieve a purposeful use of PI is related to their approach toward how to use the specific PI at hand, and two basic approaches are analytically separated: a rule-based approach and a reflective approach. Consequently, whether or not the right thing is being measured also becomes a question of how the PI is actually being interpreted and used. Thus, the extensive focus on what to measure and how to measure it becomes edgeless unless equal attention is given to how managers are able to use the PI to make knowledgeable decisions regarding what actions to take to achieve the desired changes.
Practical implications
Given the results, it comes with a managerial responsibility to make sure that all managers who are supposed to be engaged in using the PI are given roles in the self-assessments that are aligned with the level of knowledge they possess, or can access.
Originality/value
How managers purposefully use PI is a key to understand the potential impact of self-assessments.
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Magnus Hansson, Hanna Gottfridsson and Sandra Raanaes
This paper aims to analyse the construction of gender in business media through identification of media discourses in terms of vocabulary and vocabulary structures.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse the construction of gender in business media through identification of media discourses in terms of vocabulary and vocabulary structures.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conduct critical discourse analysis and linguistic text analysis of media articles in two Swedish business magazines, focussing on vocabulary and vocabulary structures used to describe men and women as managers.
Findings
Media texts fall into traditional, gender-stereotyped patterns. The use of metaphors, choice of words and sentence structures construct and maintain stereotyped models of gender. The linguistic practices and use of specific and gender-biased vocabulary shape discursive practices, contributing to the construction and reconstruction of institutionalised gender-stereotyped patterns of behaviour and established social norms.
Research limitations/implications
The focus on vocabulary and vocabulary structures extends the technique and application of critical discourse analysis, enabling fine-grained analyses, in this case of media texts. This research also indicates a need for future studies that adopt a critical discourse analysis to take into account analytical procedures that shed light on micro-mechanisms that support the materialisations of gender inequalities.
Social implications
Texts that portray both men and women show gender bias that is deeply rooted in the vocabulary and vocabulary structures and thus help to reinforce established discursive practices and gender inequalities. Therefore, there is a need for a fundamental change in the media reports on managers.
Originality/value
The research contributes to the analysis of media texts and representations of men and women as managers by providing a detailed analysis of discursive practices that takes into account vocabulary and vocabulary structures. The findings show the deeply rooted structure of gender-stereotyped patterns in media texts.
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Markus Hällgren, Andreas Nilsson, Tomas Blomquist and Anders Söderholm
The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the consequences of the diffusion of generic project management knowledge.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically analyze the consequences of the diffusion of generic project management knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is conceptual in its nature, using short examples of four different areas (education, research, certification and practice) to show the diffusion of project management knowledge throughout these areas.
Findings
In this paper the authors argue that relevance may be lost at two levels. The first loss occurs when the practice of project management is transferred, through generalisation and standardisation, into what is generally known as “Best Practice”. The second occurs when “Best Practice” is transferred back to where it is applied (education, research, certification and practice).
Research limitations/implications
The risk of losing relevance has consequences for what one bases one's assumptions of the nature of projects upon. If the assumptions are based on standardized knowledge, without critically assessing its correctness, the likelihood of producing less relevant research is higher.
Practical implications
With the risk of losing relevance the authors argue that anyone involved in the areas of education, research, certification and practice needs to be cautious of how they perceive and work with the standards. There is a risk that the knowledge becomes even less relevant and students and practitioners are therefore less prepared for reality.
Originality/value
This paper is part of the literature critiquing the standardization of project management knowledge but it is distinct in terms of how the diffusion processes are perceived and utilized in a project setting.
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Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke, Seyi Segun Stephen, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa, Deji Rufus Ogunsemi and Isaac Olaniyi Aje
This first chapter of this book tends to bring into understanding the various definitions concepts, evolutions, characteristics and many more on smart cities. These are further…
Abstract
This first chapter of this book tends to bring into understanding the various definitions concepts, evolutions, characteristics and many more on smart cities. These are further explained across the other chapters of the book as to the roles and functionalities of smart cities in this modern world. This chapter starts with an introductory part that briefly describes what cities hold and the idea of inculcating smartness into it. Furthermore, various definitions were explicitly defined across other sections of the introduction. The objective of this book relates the reason and solution the book aims to offer into the construction industry as a system that is not only functional but also sustainable across various professionals of the construction industry. This chapter ends with concluding part that describes the totality of what have been discussed in the course of the chapter. The research book also contains reference for further reading.