scholarly journals Knowledge integration in multinational enterprises: The role of inventors crossing national and organizational boundaries

2022 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 101290
Author(s):  
Davide Castellani ◽  
Alessandra Perri ◽  
Vittoria G. Scalera
Author(s):  
Arun Kumar ◽  
Hari Bapuji ◽  
Raza Mir

AbstractScholars of business and management studies have recently turned their attention to inequality, a key issue for business ethics given the role of private firms in transmitting—and potentially challenging—inequalities. However, this research is yet to examine inequality from a subaltern perspective. In this paper, we discuss the alleviation of inequalities in organizational and institutional contexts by drawing on the ideas of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a jurist, political leader and economist, and one of the unsung social theorists of the twentieth century. Specifically, we focus on Ambedkar’s critique of the Indian caste system, his outline of comprehensive reform, and prescription of representational politics to achieve equality. We contend that an Ambedkarite ethical manifesto of persuasion—focussed on state-led institutional reforms driven by the subaltern—can help management researchers reimagine issues of inequality and extend business ethics beyond organizational boundaries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3237
Author(s):  
Pyounggu Baek ◽  
Taesung Kim

As ethical management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and corporate sustainability (CS) are increasingly permeating business discourse, contemplating the role of human resources (HR) in helping organizations with socially responsible management is a proactive acceptance of stakeholders’ expectations while reinforcing the field’s identity and contribution. In response, the we examined the HR policies and practices of 46 multinational enterprises (MNEs) listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World 2018/2019 to add new insights to the literature and inform the HR field on how to move forward with socially responsible HR. Content analysis and inductive conceptualization of the MNEs’ HR activities produced a triangular pyramid for socially responsible HR, constructed with eight major themes at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels. Building on the findings, we suggest implications for practice and research, and conclude with urging the HR community to demonstrate leadership in setting the agendas and facilitating change toward socially responsible management.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (22_suppl) ◽  
pp. 48-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ditte H. Holt ◽  
Gemma Carey ◽  
Morten H. Rod

Aims: This paper examines the role of organizational structure within government(s) in attempts to implement intersectoral action for health in Danish municipalities. We discuss the implications of structural reorganization and the governance structures that are established in order to ensure coordination and integration between policy sectors. Methods: The paper is based on 49 interviews with civil servants from health and non-health sectors of 10 municipalities. Based on participants’ experiences, cases have been described and analyzed in an iterative process consulting the literature on Health in All Policies and joined-up government. Results: Continuous and frequent processes of reorganizing were widespread in the municipalities. However, they appeared to have little effect on policy change. The two most common governance structures established to transcend organizational boundaries were the central unit and the intersectoral committee. According to the experiences of participants, paradoxically both of these organizational solutions tend to reproduce the organizational problems they are intended to overcome. Even if structural reorganization may succeed in dissolving some sector boundaries, it will inevitably create new ones. Conclusions: It is time to dismiss the idea that intersectoral action for health can be achieved by means of a structural fix. Rather than rearranging organizational boundaries it may be more useful to seek to manage the silos which exist in any organization, e.g. by promoting awareness of their implications for public health action and by enhancing the boundary spanning skills of public health officers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 595-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne Mengis ◽  
Davide Nicolini ◽  
Jacky Swan

In this article, we contribute to a processual understanding of knowledge integration in interdisciplinary collaboration by foregrounding the role of dialogue in dealing with epistemic uncertainty. Drawing on an ethnographic study of collaboration among scientists involved in developing a highly novel bioreactor, we suggest that knowledge integration is not a homogeneous process but requires switching between different knowledge integration practices over time. This is particularly notable in the case of ‘epistemic breakdowns’ – deeply unsettling events where hitherto-held understandings of the nature of problems appear unworkable. In such cases, it is not sufficient to deal solely with coordination issues; collaborators need to find ways to address generative knowledge integration processes and to venture, collectively, into the unknown. We demonstrate how this generative quest of knowledge integration is achieved through a dialogical process of drawing and testing new distinctions that allows actors to gradually handle the epistemic uncertainty they face.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stipe Belak ◽  
Ivana Ušljebrka

This paper discusses the role that the ERP system has in the radical and continuous change of business processes. The radical change in business processes entails a radical modification, more precisely the termination of the existing method of doing business. Such a dramatic change is needed when the performance of the organization has decreased dramatically, and in order to gain a competitive advantage. However, due to frequent changes in the market and pressures to lower prices, better the quality, provide faster delivery, and the like, the once achieved competitiveness can be sustained long term only through continuous adjustments and improvements of business processes. What follows is the importance to constantly monitor and analyze the business processes in order to properly address the changes. Since there are a multitude of business processes within an organization that are connected to each other, and which intersect the functional and organizational boundaries, their monitoring is enabled only through the integrated information system such as ERP. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to examine what is the role of the mentioned system during the implementation of the changes in the business process. The paper concludes that the ERP system acts as an initiator of a radical redesign of business processes, but also as a facilitator of both a radical redesign and a continuous improvement of business processes. Given that any business change demands an adaptation of the information system, what follows is that it is necessary to change the business processes simultaneously with the introduction/modification of the ERP systems.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 27-52
Author(s):  
Oleh Pasko ◽  
Inna Balla ◽  
Inna Levytska ◽  
Nataliia Semenyshena

The paper explores how companies from Central and Eastern Europe adopt assurance practices to provide accountability for sustainability. Drawing on modified coding rules from prior research, a conventional content analysis of 36 assurance statements companies from nine countries was conducted. The results imply differences in the content of reports, processes, and implementation of the standards. Exclusively large and multinational enterprises from the energy sectors domiciled in Poland and Hungary are a typical portrait of a company from the study’s sample, striving to issue and assure sustainability reporting. Of the nine countries represented in the study, sustainability assurance statements of companies from Poland, Hungary, and Romania tend to excel in terms of quality. The vast majority of assurance providers belong to the Big Four, who use ISAE3000 as opposed to AA1100AS. Yet, irrespective of the assurance provider type, stakeholders are neglected. It is argued that just transferring the experience of financial auditing to the field of sustainability, which, by and large, has taken place, is not an option. Authors state that following this route, we are heading in the wrong direction, and in technical terms, the wider proliferation of AA1100AS and its principles, with greater emphasis on reasonable assurance as opposed to the limited and enhanced role of stakeholders, are vital to get back on track. The paper contributes to the emerging literature on accountability standards and stresses the need to enhance sustainability-related assurance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Claire Berning

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between business and sustainable development, particularly the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) as possible driving force for achieving sustainability. By following an inductive case study approach and referring to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, the sustainable undertakings of the Chinese MNE Huawei are explored. Published data on Huawei’s website and online resources like annual reports, news announcements, sustainability and corporate social responsibility reports are used for this purpose. The main findings indicate that Huawei can promote sustainable development internationally on three different levels: (1) products/services, (2) business operations and (3) social contributions. Based on these findings, a systematic framework is derived to help illustrate possible and classify existing MNE’s sustainability activities, as well as the related main stakeholders. This paper is useful for scholars and practitioners alike as it shows the compatibility of success in business with sustainability, as well as the potential of MNEs to contribute to sustainable development.             Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals, business, multinational enterprises, emerging markets


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document