Nina Rizun, Aleksandra Revina and Vera G. Meister
This study aims to draw the attention of business process management (BPM) research and practice to the textual data generated in the processes and the potential of meaningful…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to draw the attention of business process management (BPM) research and practice to the textual data generated in the processes and the potential of meaningful insights extraction. The authors apply standard natural language processing (NLP) approaches to gain valuable knowledge in the form of business process (BP) complexity concept suggested in the study. It is built on the objective, subjective and meta-knowledge extracted from the BP textual data and encompassing semantics, syntax and stylistics. As a result, the authors aim to create awareness about cognitive, attention and reading efforts forming the textual data-based BP complexity. The concept serves as a basis for the development of various decision-support solutions for BP workers.
Design/methodology/approach
The starting point is an investigation of the complexity concept in the BPM literature to develop an understanding of the related complexity research and to put the textual data-based BP complexity in its context. Afterward, utilizing the linguistic foundations and the theory of situation awareness (SA), the concept is empirically developed and evaluated in a real-world application case using qualitative interview-based and quantitative data-based methods.
Findings
In the practical, real-world application, the authors confirmed that BP textual data could be used to predict BP complexity from the semantic, syntactic and stylistic viewpoints. The authors were able to prove the value of this knowledge about the BP complexity formed based on the (1) professional contextual experience of the BP worker enriched by the awareness of cognitive efforts required for BP execution (objective knowledge), (2) business emotions enriched by attention efforts (subjective knowledge) and (3) quality of the text, i.e. professionalism, expertise and stress level of the text author, enriched by reading efforts (meta-knowledge). In particular, the BP complexity concept has been applied to an industrial example of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) change management (CHM) Information Technology (IT) ticket processing. The authors used IT ticket texts from two samples of 28,157 and 4,625 tickets as the basis for the analysis. The authors evaluated the concept with the help of manually labeled tickets and a rule-based approach using historical ticket execution data. Having a recommendation character, the results showed to be useful in creating awareness regarding cognitive, attention and reading efforts for ITIL CHM BP workers coordinating the IT ticket processing.
Originality/value
While aiming to draw attention to those valuable insights inherent in BP textual data, the authors propose an unconventional approach to BP complexity definition through the lens of textual data. Hereby, the authors address the challenges specified by BPM researchers, i.e. focus on semantics in the development of vocabularies and organization- and sector-specific adaptation of standard NLP techniques.
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Tobias Schoenherr, Ram Narasimhan and Piyas (P) Bandyopadhyay
– Taking a social network perspective, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the assurance of food safety via relational networking.
Abstract
Purpose
Taking a social network perspective, the purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the assurance of food safety via relational networking.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors consider both informal and formal relational networking, and explore a firm’s learning orientation, risk aversion and consumer pressure as potential precursors to such relational networking. It is further hypothesized that relational networking generates both industry and supply chain knowledge, which is suggested to be beneficial for contamination detection. The model is tested with survey data collected among food-producing firms in India, the world’s second largest food producer.
Findings
The authors find a positive influence of consumer pressure on both a firm’s learning orientation and risk aversion, which in turn affect both informal and formal relational networking. Informal networking further generated industry knowledge and was beneficial for contamination detection. Formal relational networking influenced supply chain knowledge, which in turn enabled contamination detection.
Originality/value
Recent food product-related safety breaches, which have, in the worst case, led to fatalities, illustrate the importance of food safety in supply chains. This study represents the first systematic investigation of relational networking in the context of food safety from the perspective of social network theory.
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Peter H. Gray and Darren B. Meister
Knowledge management (KM) research lacks a common conceptual core; it is cross‐disciplinary, addresses a wide variety of phenomena, and has difficulty distinguishing itself from…
Abstract
Knowledge management (KM) research lacks a common conceptual core; it is cross‐disciplinary, addresses a wide variety of phenomena, and has difficulty distinguishing itself from many related areas of research. The result is a fragmented field that is itself artificially split from the related literature on organizational learning. KM may be progressing through a predictable life‐cycle that could end in collapse of the KM concept unless researchers can develop more integrative core theories of learning‐ and knowledge‐related phenomena in organizations. The diverse body of organizational learning and knowledge management research provides an impressive foundation for the synthesis of such broader theories of learning and knowledge that are creative, new, and integrative.
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Anjali Bansal, Damini Saini, Muhammad Zafar Yaqub and Pragya Gupta
This study investigated leaders’ decision-making during crises. Using grounded theory research, we explored whether leaders’ use of either individualistic or collectivistic…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigated leaders’ decision-making during crises. Using grounded theory research, we explored whether leaders’ use of either individualistic or collectivistic decision-making styles is based on the context of a crisis. In addition, the authors looked into the components of building leaders’ efficacy during a crisis event and gauged their attitudinal and behavioral reactions to the crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted interviews with 30 C-suite executives during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to determine their responses to crises. The authors then used open, axial, and selective coding to examine their data, which was then extracted for representative themes and overarching dimensions. In total, The authors received 12 major themes largely summarizing into 6 overarching dimensions – context of decision-making, leaders’ efficacy, individualistic approach to decision-making, collectivistic approach to decision-making, process of decision-making, and outcomes.
Findings
The research presents a decision-making framework clearly bifurcating situations with the need for individualistic and collectivistic decision-making. While, a high level of urgency and scarce resources encouraged leaders to adopt an individualistic approach in which most of the decisions were intuition-based and only high-level stakeholders were involved, the less time urgent and uncertain situation allowed leaders to put significant effort into building their own knowledge systems and involving others. In addition, leaders’ efficacy is understood in terms of their attitudes, readiness and reactions, which further elaborated upon their knowledge systems to allow them to excel in decision-making irrespective of the approaches they chose.
Originality/value
The research has implications for leaders in the decision-making roles to be effective during both individualistic and collectivistic decision-making.
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I met Anita Roddick in the early 1990s. I was a PhD student and her talk was so impactful that I clearly remember our interaction to this day. I enjoyed hearing her talk about her…
Abstract
I met Anita Roddick in the early 1990s. I was a PhD student and her talk was so impactful that I clearly remember our interaction to this day. I enjoyed hearing her talk about her inspiration for “The Body Shop” and how she stayed true to herself in creating her company – a company based on her strengths, values, and how she would want to be treated by a business. She shared stories about her family and her travels to source new products. In her talk, she described how she translated her personal values into The Body Shop’s vision, mission, and values. She created The Body Shop to do good in the world through sustainability, corporate social responsibility, ethical decision-making, and delivering products sourced from natural ingredients. These terms are familiar to us today, but they were not common in 1976 when The Body Shop launched. This chapter explores the strengths and personal values Roddick used to create The Body Shop.
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THE question of the advisability of exercising a censorship over literature has been much before the public of late, and probably many librarians have realised how closely the…
Abstract
THE question of the advisability of exercising a censorship over literature has been much before the public of late, and probably many librarians have realised how closely the disputed question affects their own profession.
Marxism‐Leninism has played an instrumental role in the achievementand consolidation of a hitherto unparalleled concentration of power bythe Communist Party of the Soviet Union…
Abstract
Marxism‐Leninism has played an instrumental role in the achievement and consolidation of a hitherto unparalleled concentration of power by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The key aspects of this ideology are: (1) the concept of a Vanguard Party led by professional revolutionaries which possesses the true Marxist class consciousness unattainable by the workers themselves; and (2) Lenin′s distinction between strategy and tactics. While the ultimate strategic goal is the worldwide overthrow of capitalism, the tactical steps by which this goal is to be achieved must continuously be adapted to the prevailing requirements of time, place and circumstances. There is no indication, so far, that perestroika represents the abandonment of the strategic goal of world revolution; rather, it is one more tactical response to the newest and most severe Soviet crisis. Like past “reforms”, it is aimed at saving the power of the Communist Party and the new class it has created.
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Ing-Long Wu and Jian-Liang Chen
This paper aims at defining a model to properly evaluate knowledge management (KM) value. Empirical studies have found little or no improvement in organizational performance…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at defining a model to properly evaluate knowledge management (KM) value. Empirical studies have found little or no improvement in organizational performance despite large KM investments.
Design/methodology/approach
The KM-driven performances are rooted in knowledge resources based on the knowledge-based view. Further, the KM-driven performances are mediated by business process capabilities. Organizational learning is critically complementary to KM for being a moderator to knowledge resources. A model was proposed for defining the performance with the relationships between these issues. A survey was conducted for collecting empirical data. Partial least squares was used for path analysis.
Findings
Knowledge resources lay a foundation on the KM-driven performance through the mediator of business process capabilities. Specifically, knowledge assets and process capabilities are two different but relevant drivers in a value creation process. The findings particularly provide evidence to explain the knowledge-based view and the mediator of business process capabilities.
Practical implications
While an organization owns important knowledge resources in the industry, it should dedicate its effort to the improvement of business process capabilities for well-achieving final performance. The KM-driven performance should be considered for both financial and non-financial indicators in a complementary manner.
Originality/value
Extant theories may provide inadequate methods to evaluate KM-enabled performance. This study attempted to define an effective model for this issue. This model empirically demonstrated its capability to work on this issue.
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Saurav Snehvrat, Sanjay Chaudhary and Siddharth Gaurav Majhi
Boundary-spanning managers need to recognize, learn and implement external knowledge while balancing the conflicts emerging from new and existing knowledge. The authors' study…
Abstract
Purpose
Boundary-spanning managers need to recognize, learn and implement external knowledge while balancing the conflicts emerging from new and existing knowledge. The authors' study explores how a paradox mindset (PM) and a learning focus [learning goal orientation (LGO)] promote two managerial capabilities: absorptive capacity (ACAP) and ambidexterity. The authors' study explores the inter-relationship between the mindsets and the capabilities required for innovative work behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use survey data from 113 technology/product managers employed in boundary-spanning roles in a large Indian automotive equipment manufacturing firm. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis and bootstrapping (using PROCESS MACRO) are used to test for direct and mediation effects respectively.
Findings
Both PM and LGO are found to affect individual ambidexterity (IA) via the mediation of individual absorptive capacity (IACAP). While IACAP partially mediates the relationship between PM and IA, there is full mediation in the case of LGO.
Research limitations/implications
The authors focus on a sample of managers from a single, large Indian automotive firm. Although single case studies can help provide novel conceptual insights and to test theoretical relationships, future research needs to confirm the authors' findings in different types of firms.
Practical implications
This study shows how a learning orientation and the ability to be energized from conflicts help boundary-spanning managers produce innovative outcomes.
Originality/value
The authors reveal fresh insights on how both ACAP and ambidexterity share the focus on learning and paradox management. The authors explicate how LGO and PM uniquely impact the critical capabilities of IACAP and IA for boundary-spanning managers.