Richard C. Hoffman, Wayne H. Decker and Frank Shipper
This case illustrates the rationale for adopting employee ownership, and difficulties in implementing employee empowerment beyond investment. In the beginning it focuses on why…
Abstract
Synopsis
This case illustrates the rationale for adopting employee ownership, and difficulties in implementing employee empowerment beyond investment. In the beginning it focuses on why Jerry Pritchett, one of the co-founders of Pritchett Controls, decided to convert it to an employee-owned company. In the body of the case, it details the efforts of the company to operate under its new ownership structure in an increasingly competitive environment. Although Pritchett established employee owners, only selected High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) practices have been implemented. The issue that reader must grapple with is whether other HPWS practices should be adopted or not.
Research methodology
Primary data were collected by interviewing eight managers including the current and former CEO at two of the firm’s three locations. Secondary data were used to supplement industry and competitive information.
Relevant courses and levels
Human resources courses, especially those that focus on strategic human resource management, organizational development, and how high performance organizations can be built, would be most appropriate for this case.
Theoretical bases
The primary theoretical foundations for this submission are shared entrepreneurship and HPWS. Knowledge of leadership, employee ownership, human resources, corporate governance, organizational culture and strategy would also be helpful in analyzing this case.
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Wayne H. Decker, Thomas J. Calo and Christy H. Weer
The goal of this paper is to better understand affiliation motivation patterns among students interested in pursuing entrepreneurial/self‐employment careers as compared to…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this paper is to better understand affiliation motivation patterns among students interested in pursuing entrepreneurial/self‐employment careers as compared to students less interested in pursuing entrepreneurial careers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample included 424 college students enrolled in upper‐division business courses in a public institution in the Mid‐Atlantic region of the USA. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of four dimensions of affiliation motivation on entrepreneurial aspirations.
Findings
Interest in entrepreneurial careers was negatively associated with the need for emotional support and positively associated with the need for positive stimulation from other persons. Therefore, persons with entrepreneurial interests enjoy interacting with other people, but they are not emotionally dependent upon them. Neither the need for social comparison nor the need for attention varied as a function of entrepreneurial aspirations.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should distinguish among persons seeking different types of entrepreneurial and self‐employment opportunities, as well as compare business students both to students studying fields other than business and persons established in careers.
Practical implications
Knowledge of persons' affiliation motivation patterns may contribute to effective career counseling and career development.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to greater understanding of the distinguishing characteristics of persons aspiring to be entrepreneurs by assessing four subcategories of affiliation motivation rather than treating it as a one‐dimensional concept.
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Wayne H. Decker, Thomas J. Calo, Hong Yao and Christy H. Weer
The purpose of this paper is to determine whether Chinese and US students differ in preference for group work (PGW) and whether the factors contributing to PGW differ in the two…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine whether Chinese and US students differ in preference for group work (PGW) and whether the factors contributing to PGW differ in the two countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample included 412 Chinese and 423 US college students who completed a survey measuring cultural values and motives. Hierarchical regression and simple-slope analyses were used to examine main effects and interactions.
Findings
Overall, the US and Chinese students did not differ in PGW. Although US men exceeded US women in PGW, no gender difference occurred in China. PGW was positively associated with others focus (concern for what others think) and helping others in both countries, but the association was stronger in China. In China, but not in the USA, PGW was positively associated with extrinsic motivation and need for achievement. Therefore, despite the general acceptance of group work in the USA, participation in groups is not seen as critical in attaining rewards as it is in China.
Research limitations/implications
Other populations, including practicing managers, should be studied to better represent the workforce of each country. Also, other variables, including personality traits, may impact PGW.
Practical implications
Managers and educators should pay attention to how cultural values and motives of group members vary. Business education should offer more opportunities to increase exposure to cultural differences, including experience working in culturally diverse groups.
Originality/value
The study supports some traditional assumptions concerning the impact of culture upon PGW, but also suggests that a global business orientation can mitigate the impact of traditional national cultures.
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Stephen Graham Saunders, Mike Bendixen and Russell Abratt
The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the banking needs of urban informal poor consumers in South Africa. These consumers find it difficult to obtain access…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the banking needs of urban informal poor consumers in South Africa. These consumers find it difficult to obtain access to banking products.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of consumers was undertaken in a large informal settlement outside Johannesburg. A qualitative exploratory pilot study was undertaken first to gain a better understanding of these consumers and to develop a research instrument. Second, a quantitative analysis was undertaken among 200 households.
Findings
Banking products used by the sample are discussed as well as all their patronage motives. It was established that the majority of consumers did have a bank account and there was a significant association between having an account and various demographics such as income level, employment status and level of education.
Research limitations/implications
Each informal settlement may have unique characteristics and therefore it may be difficult to generalize the findings.
Practical implications
Banks will have to address the patronage factors of these consumers as they have very different needs when compared to middle and upper income customers. Specify strategies are recommended to bank management.
Originality/value
No study has been done on the banking needs of this segment of the market and very little is known about the urban informal poor in general. This paper gives insight into how banks can play their part in uplifting the poor in societies where they make up large segments of the population.
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Barrie O. Pettman and Richard Dobbins
This issue is a selected bibliography covering the subject of leadership.
Abstract
This issue is a selected bibliography covering the subject of leadership.
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Robert J. Kaminski and David W.M. Sorensen
Uses data on 1,550 nonlethal assaults recorded by Baltimore County Police Department. Examines factors that are associated with the likelihood of officer injury after an assault…
Abstract
Uses data on 1,550 nonlethal assaults recorded by Baltimore County Police Department. Examines factors that are associated with the likelihood of officer injury after an assault. Notes that factors affecting the probability of assault do not necessarily correspond with the factors that affect the likelihood of injury. Analyzes a broader spectrum of contributory factors than those addressed by other research. Finds inter alia that greater officer proficiency in unarmed defensive tactics may reduce their assault‐related injuries, since most incidents do not involve arms; that in‐service training should be biased toward less experienced officers who are at greater risk; that officer height is a significant variable; that many officers suffer multiple attacks; that domestic disturbances do not rank higher than other dangers, but that this may reflect the possibility that officers anticipate potential violence and take better precautions before attending the scene.
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Abstract
Purpose
Police procedural justice is essential in shaping police legitimacy and public willingness to cooperate, yet factors that affect police fair treatment of citizens are not fully understood. Using the data of the National Police Research Platform (NPRP), Phase II, this study examines the effects of three key organizational factors (i.e. effective leadership, supervisory justice and department process fairness) on officers’ procedural justice in police stops.
Design/methodology/approach
Innovatively, this study links police data with citizens’ data and conducts multilevel analyses on the effects of a host of citizen, officer, incident, and, importantly, agency characteristics on officer behaviors during over 5,000 police stops nested within 48 police agencies.
Findings
The results showed that the fairness of the departmental process had a positive effect on officer procedural justice, while the fairness of the supervisor was inversely associated with procedural justice on the street.
Originality/value
The linked data demonstrated that organizational fairness affected street procedure justice.