Tony J. Watson and Julie Rosborough
The paper attempts to make generalisations about high performance work systems drawing on a study of the implementation of team working and the replacement of traditional…
Abstract
The paper attempts to make generalisations about high performance work systems drawing on a study of the implementation of team working and the replacement of traditional supervisors with team leaders in a company manufacturing and assembling bicycles. It is argued that the company followed what is believed to be a not uncommon pattern whereby employment practices follow a cyclical pattern of introducing innovations which go beyond standard or traditional ways of managing the human resource aspects of the organisation before reverting to those basic patterns as the tensions between the characteristics of the innovations and other pressures in and around the organisation manifest themselves. It can be argued that the key aspiration of the various attempts which are made to organise employment for ‘high performance’ is one of breaking out of this cycle. To utilise the metaphor of management as cycling, it could be argued that the hope of the management of Phoenix was that, instead of continuously riding their bicycle uphill and then downhill — so that no greater overall height above sea level is achieved — a breakthrough would occur whereby the rider shifts gear, makes a special effort, gets out of the foothills and thencefor‐ward rides along across a higher plateau. The company would thus now be performing at a higher level than its competitors or is, at least, be travelling on a similar plain to them so that it can stay in the race, as opposed to being left behind — possibly to die — in the foothills.
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the “manifesto” for organisational ethnography being put forward in the first issue of the Journal of Organizational Ethnography.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the “manifesto” for organisational ethnography being put forward in the first issue of the Journal of Organizational Ethnography.
Design/methodology/approach
The author draws upon several decades of personal experience of field research and ethnographic writing, in and around organisations, to suggest ways in which this type of research and publication can be advanced.
Findings
It is wise to see ethnography as much more than a research method; it is a way of presenting research – research which can be carried out using a variety of investigative methods in addition to the essential activity of intensive field research. To work fully within the spirit of ethnography, it is vital to set organisational activities within the broad societal order of which they are part. Ethnographic researchers should consider undertaking “everyday ethnography” (seeking ethnographic insights in the course of their daily lives) as an element of their studies.
Originality/value
The paper provides a clear and bold guide to the nature and practice of organisational ethnography based on extensive research and writing experience in the field.
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It is common in discussions about human resource management (HRM)to distinguish between “rhetoric” and what is regarded as aclearly separate “reality”. This is naïve in that…
Abstract
It is common in discussions about human resource management (HRM) to distinguish between “rhetoric” and what is regarded as a clearly separate “reality”. This is naïve in that it fails to recognize the way those researching the human aspects of management and those practically involved in it influence each other. It also fails to recognize the power of recent developments in social science theorizing which focus on the relationship between discourse and action. The concepts and language of HRM are perhaps most usefully seen as discursive resources which both managers and academic writers make use of – or refuse to make use of – in their occupational practices. Illustrates this argument with ethnographic material gathered in an organization in which many of those activities frequently labelled “HRM” occur but where the notion of HRM is not used. The dog does not bark.
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Nuria Nadal-Burgues and Eduard Bonet
The purpose of this paper is to present new aspects of the tension between creativity and productivity and improve the understanding on how research can be developed in very…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present new aspects of the tension between creativity and productivity and improve the understanding on how research can be developed in very restricted environments, such as the context of an organization managed using the methods of Project Management. And more generally, it introduces the rhetoric of judgment as a fundamental aspect involved in the development and specification of projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical approach is based on the phenomenological theory of human intentional action developed by Alfred Schutz, in which the notion of mental project is more flexible than that of project management. In it the concepts of subaction and repeated action are considered a combination of similar actions already performed. The Kantian notion of judgment is introduced to outline self-persuasion as a fundamental source of creativity.
Findings
The introduction of an extended notion of project and routine involving judgment expands the rational, generic and technical notion of project management. And the rhetorical aspect of judgment, at the individual level, establishes the possibility to deliver unexpected outcomes that are considered creative.
Originality/value
The proposed notions of project and routines mediated through the rhetoric of judgment present theoretical and practical progress in the subject of managing projects.
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Dave Crick, Shiv Chaudhry and James M. Crick
The purpose of this study is to investigate the need for an evolving business model that accounts for social, as well as business-related risks/rewards considerations, that is…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the need for an evolving business model that accounts for social, as well as business-related risks/rewards considerations, that is, for owner-managers with lifestyle as opposed to growth-oriented objectives.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodological approach undertaken involved in-depth interviews with the firm’s owner-managers, supplemental interviews with members of staff, observation, plus examining documents from secondary sources. Data gathering involved a period of three years to account for an evolving business model over time.
Findings
The findings from an instrumental case study demonstrate the need to adapt a firm’s business model in the light of changing circumstances. Additionally, in the context of owner-managers with lifestyle as opposed to growth-oriented objectives, to account for social in addition to business-related considerations in planning activities.
Originality/value
The originality of the study is to incorporate a longitudinal case study in to the entrepreneurial marketing literature. Specifically, this offers implications for business support organisations that advise prospective owner-managers; that is, in respect of the need for effective planning in formulating an evolving and enduring business model. Implications also highlight in a business sense, that turnaround of a poorly performing firm may be possible, for example, to overcome initial inadequate marketing planning. However, for owner-managers with lifestyle as opposed to growth-oriented objectives, a combination of both business and social factors need consideration to maintain a work/life balance. A venture that relies on personal and business relationships may not be viable if the partners cannot work together, no matter if the venture is performing well.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide longitudinal case history data from an investigation into the practices of an enterprising individual associated with two firms in the UK…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide longitudinal case history data from an investigation into the practices of an enterprising individual associated with two firms in the UK tourism industry. The first business had to be closed down despite the partners employing turnaround strategies to recover from a lack of planning, since an effective work/life balance was not achieved; the second has proved to be more successful due to entrepreneurial learning in overcoming earlier errors.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology involved multiple in‐depth interviews with the key business owner and his partners in the two respective businesses together with supplementary interviews with staff and viewing documentation for triangulation purposes.
Findings
The findings based on a longitudinal case history suggest that some enterprising individuals may learn from certain past mistakes but could still need others to support particular business practices for them to succeed. The results also suggest that, even if a badly performing business can be turned around, owner/managers must be aware of the potential social costs that can be incurred in implementing strategies. As such, it demonstrates the need to learn from experiences and plan for social as well as work‐related issues to maintain a work/life balance, particularly in a “lifestyle” business.
Practical implications
The implications of the findings suggest that advisors (including university teaching) involved with assisting entrepreneurs make them aware of the need for effective planning. In particular, that the widely reported hard work and long hours involved in running a business can take a toll on personal lives and the work/life balance of enterprising individuals must be managed.
Originality/value
The main aspect of originality of the paper comes from the study of social costs of running an entrepreneurial venture, but the longitudinal nature of the study provides a further aspect of originality in this field of research.
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Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and…
Abstract
Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and shows that these are in many, differing, areas across management research from: retail finance; precarious jobs and decisions; methodological lessons from feminism; call centre experience and disability discrimination. These and all points east and west are covered and laid out in a simple, abstract style, including, where applicable, references, endnotes and bibliography in an easy‐to‐follow manner. Summarizes each paper and also gives conclusions where needed, in a comfortable modern format.
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The paper is centred through an examination of a short piece of recorded talk between managers and shop stewards within a UK National Health Service (NHS) Trust, relating to the…
Abstract
The paper is centred through an examination of a short piece of recorded talk between managers and shop stewards within a UK National Health Service (NHS) Trust, relating to the manner in which one of the shop stewards attempted to get the managers to accede to a request he made for changes to the wording of a section of the Trust’s disciplinary procedure. In examining this piece of talk, the paper first contextualises the Trust through the decentralisation process of the early 1990s. The decentralisation process clearly did not introduce formal negotiation into NHS units, but instead increased the scope of formal negotiation encounters. The paper argues that there was an increased importance for persuasion as the need to gain others’ assent on industrial relations matters at the local level was significantly increased. The paper analyses the dynamics of one particular negotiating encounter between two managers and two shop stewards. In analysing this, the paper focuses through rhetoric. In coming through a rhetorical framework, the paper highlights the need for managers, when negotiating, to be alert to the implied elements of the arguments of those across the negotiating table. Concludes by also understanding the rhetoric of the encounter in the light of the marketisation of the NHS during the 1990s.
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Tony Polito, Kevin Watson and Robert J. Vokurka
The aim of the discipline of Operations Management is to gain competitive advantage. Onemore recent and lesser‐known Operations Management technique that is finding greater…
Abstract
The aim of the discipline of Operations Management is to gain competitive advantage. One more recent and lesser‐known Operations Management technique that is finding greater acceptance is the Theory of Constraints (TOC). This paper illustrates the use of a specific TOC technique termed “The Thinking Processes” to solve an airline industry case toward improved competitive outcomes.