scholarly journals An evaluation of performance arts in generating business value

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Harwood ◽  
Sophy Smith

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from research that explores the business value of a performance arts-based initiative in supporting change management through devising. Devising is a process that encompasses improvisation to generate social interaction within a community of practice. Design/methodology/approach A novel approach is reported on: a case study that includes interviews with key members of partner organizations, representing a business, a performance producer and a commissioning agency, participant observation of a member of the performance production film and the devising process. Findings Findings presented highlight phases of the devising process and the engagement with the creative practices employed. Findings highlight that benefits emerge through the reflexive nature of activities during the processes of creating the performance, as well as reflection on the final performance piece. Research limitations/implications Case study research is necessarily a qualitative design that is not generalizable to a broader population. Findings do, however, highlight potentially useful practices that may be further developed for future research. Practical implications Performance arts has pushed previously untested boundaries in employee engagement within the business, resulting in deep understanding between managers and employees on how value may be co-created and redeployed across the business. Originality/value The paper extends the application of improvisation by situating it within the creative practice of devising. This enables performance to be critically examined as an arts-based initiative within business contexts.

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phu Doma Lama ◽  
Per Becker

Purpose Adaptation appears to be regarded as a panacea in policy circles to reduce the risk of impending crises resulting from contemporary changes, including but not restricted to climate change. Such conceptions can be problematic, generally assuming adaptation as an entirely positive and non-conflictual process. The purpose of this paper is to challenge such uncritical views, drawing attention to the conflictual nature of adaptation, and propose a theoretical framework facilitating the identification and analysis of conflicts in adaptation. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on case study research using first-hand narratives of adaptation in Nepal and the Maldives collected using qualitative interviews, participant observation and document analysis. Findings The findings identify conflicts between actors in, and around, communities that are adapting to changes. These conflicts can be categorized along three dimensions: qualitative differences in the type of conflict, the relative position of conflicting actors and the degree of manifestation of the conflict. Originality/value The three-dimensional Adaptation Conflict Framework facilitate analysis of conflicts in adaptation, allowing for a critical examination of subjectivities inherent in the adaptation discourses embedded in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation research and policy. Such an inquiry is crucial for interventions supporting community adaptation to reduce disaster risk.


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elina Närvänen ◽  
Evert Gummesson ◽  
Hannu Kuusela

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a network perspective to the study of collective consumption. The authors examine the characteristics of heterogeneous consumption collectives formed around a Finnish footwear brand. The case is both theoretically and practically relevant. It differs from previous research by featuring consumer grassroot activities, face-to-face interaction and strong pre-existing social relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative case study research was conducted with different methods of data generation including interviews, participant observation and cultural materials such as newspaper articles and photos. Findings – A new concept of collective consumption network is introduced. Five kinds of consumption collectives are identified, including place focussed, brand focussed, activity focussed, idea focussed and social relations focussed consumption collectives. The strength of ties as well as the role of the brand varies within the collectives. Practical implications – Suppliers should find an appropriate network position, where they can enable and support shared value creation. Developing skills to identify and cultivate weak links as well as mobilize resources are important. Originality/value – The findings illustrate the heterogeneity and complexity of collective consumption. In particular, the paper discusses the way self-organizing and emergent consumption collectives and the supplier interact and integrate resources within the network.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stine Skaufel Kilskar ◽  
Jonas A. Ingvaldsen ◽  
Nina Valle

Purpose This paper aims to explore the relationship between the contemporary forms of manufacturing rationalization and the reproduction of communities of practice (CoPs) centred on tasks and craft. Building on critical literature highlighting the tensions between CoPs and rationalization, this paper aims to develop a nuanced account of how CoPs are reproduced in the context of rationalization. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study of a CoP involved in the production of automotive components was conducted. Following a change in ownership, the company was instructed to rationalize production according to the principles of lean production. Data were collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Findings The CoP of the case study reinterpreted, resisted and redefined the lean production practices according to the established norms and values. In collusion with local management, workers protected the integrity of the community by engaging in hypocritical reporting. While lower-level managers buffered the rationalization pressures, workers would “get the work done” without further interference. Research limitations/implications The critical research approach may be applied to a wide range of cases in which informal or professional work organization collides with change programmes driven by management. Future research is encouraged to investigate more closely how CoPs gain access to formal and informal power by enrolling lower-level managers in their joint enterprise and world view. Practical implications Managers should be aware that attempts to rationalize community-based work forms may lead to dysfunctional patterns of organizational decoupling. Originality/value This study is one of the first to empirically examine the relationship between CoPs and manufacturing rationalization.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 290-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilkka Sillanpää

Purpose – Supply chain (SC) performance measurement – the process of qualifying the efficiency and effectiveness of the SC. The purpose of this paper is to create a SC measurement framework for manufacturing industry, define which data should be measured and verify the measurement framework in the case company’s SC. Design/methodology/approach – There is a review of the current understanding of supply chain management and literature related to SC performance measurement and the study creates a framework for SC measurement. This research is qualitative case study research. Findings – This study presents the main theoretical framework of SC performance measurement. The key elements for the measurement framework were defined as time, profitability, order book analysis and managerial analysis. The measurement framework is tested by measuring case SC performance. Research limitations/implications – In the study, a performance measurement framework was created for the needs of manufacturing industry. Suggestions for future research are multiple case study in different manufacturing industry areas and positivistic-based SC performance research. Practical implications – The measurement framework in this study offers guidelines for measuring the SC in manufacturing industry but the measurement framework could be used in different areas of industry as well. Originality/value – The SC performance measurement framework is tested and a valid framework for SC performance measurement in manufacturing industry.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 883-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Tacon

Purpose If social capital is understood as the ability to access resources through social ties, it is clearly important to understand how people form social ties and what types of ties they form. Research has sought to do this, but it has seldom directly examined how organisations shape these processes and outcomes. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach In-depth, comparative case study research was conducted at two voluntary sport organisations in the UK, involving 23 in-depth interviews and participant observation over a 15-month period. Findings The case studies showed how key organisational practices structured, in meaningful ways, people’s opportunities for interaction and the nature of that interaction, shaping the ways in which they formed ties and exchanged resources. The organisations fostered the formation of both strong and weak ties, but also “compartmentally intimate” ties. Research limitations/implications The research challenges individualistic, rational choice accounts of tie formation, highlighting the role of organisations as brokers. In addition, interviewees’ accounts challenge well-accepted distinctions between strong and weak ties, by demonstrating the importance of ongoing, context-specific interaction. Originality/value This research offers a rare, direct insight into the role of organisations in shaping people’s ongoing social relationships. In doing so, it problematises existing conceptualisations of social capital and social ties and highlights an alternative, organisationally embedded, process-based perspective on social capital.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0887302X2110551
Author(s):  
Dina Smith

The purpose of this qualitative case study research was to explore how elements of and barriers to authenticity impact the level of authenticity achieved in Regency reenactors’ gowns. Interviews with ten female Regency reenactors and participant observation were conducted. Participants displayed categorical differences in their commitment to historical knowledge and willingness (interpretive attitude) and ability (skill) to replicate primary historical sources. Overall, the results confirmed that reenactors negotiate their desire for authenticity with personal needs and limitations when creating reenactment dress but contradicted the idea that authenticity is a function of developing historical knowledge. Reenactors’ interpretive attitude, which was often influenced by skill level, was more influential than historical knowledge in pursuing and achieving authenticity. This research resulted in the revision and integration of The Historic Styles of Dress Design Considerations Model into the Authenticity Continuum, creating the Updated Authenticity Continuum, which may be used in future research reenactment and related topics.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Chi Chen ◽  
Cheng-Chieh Wu ◽  
Scott Miau

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the impediments and proposed solutions during the e-invoice implementation and promotion. Design/methodology/approach – A participant observation-based case study research approach was utilized to examine the process and challenges for enabling the national e-invoice service. Findings – The e-invoice evolution process is summarized into three phases: the paperless phase, the diffusion phase and the cloud-enabled phase. The co-evolutionary adaptation process was drawn to highlight the broader issues of constructing a national-level information system. Research limitations/implications – Although this research is limited from the perspective of Taiwan, it provides a good illustrative example of e-invoice implementation. Originality/value – The findings can provide preliminary understanding of how an integrated e-invoice platform can enable the development of smart government. This paper also highlights issues of legal, technical, political and organizational challenges in e-government development.


Author(s):  
Anuj Dixit ◽  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
Sunil Kumar Dubey

Purpose This paper aims to review the healthcare supply chain (HSC) literature along various areas and to find out the gap in it. Design/methodology/approach In total, 143 research papers were reviewed during 1996-2017. A critical review was carried out in various dimensions such as research methodologies/data collection method (empirical, case study and literature review) and inquiry mode of research methodology (qualitative, quantitative and mixed), country-specific, targeted area, research aim and year of publication. Findings Supply chain (SC) operations, performance measurement, inventory management, lean and agile operation, and use of information technology were well studied and analyzed, however, employee and customer training, tracking and visibility of medicines, cold chain management, human resource practices, risk management and waste management are felt to be important areas but not much attention were made in this direction. Research limitations/implications Mainly drug and vaccine SC were considered in current study of HSC while SC along healthcare equipment and machine, hospitality and drug manufacturing related papers were excluded in this study. Practical implications This literature review has recognized and analyzed various issues relevant to HSC and shows the direction for future research to develop an efficient and effective HSC. Originality/value The insight of various aspects of HSC was explored in general for better and deeper understanding of it for designing of an efficient and competent HSC. The outcomes of the study may form a basis to decide direction of future research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 84-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Marasquini Stipp ◽  
Márcio Lopes Pimenta ◽  
Daniel Jugend

Purpose The aim of this paper is to characterize how innovation may happen through cross-functional teams (CFT) in an organization of the public sector. Design/methodology/approach A case study helped to characterize several behavior patterns, team structures and respective links with generating innovation in internal processes and public answering contexts. Findings The results highlight that formal-temporary teams present a higher capacity to generate incremental innovation in products, whereas permanent-informal teams have a higher capacity to generate innovation in the internal processes and public answering contexts. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this research relate to the fact that this is a single case study, and although it is an important case to examine innovation and CFTs, by its very nature, it is not possible to extend and generalize the obtained data to other organizations. The evaluation of its propositions was merely qualitative, and future research is needed to validate its characteristics. Practical implications Several settings of CFTs are presented, as well as their ability to generate different types of innovation, such as the computerization of documents, petitions and papers, which decreases the time to answer the taxpayer. Moreover, CFTs can help to create products, such as computer programs that can be used not only locally but also in several public organizations related to tax management. Originality/value The field research provides the perceptions of the respondents regarding CFT characteristics that can lead to specific types of innovation, as well as the types of products or services that can be generated by these processes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariachiara Barzotto ◽  
Giancarlo Corò ◽  
Mario Volpe

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to explore to what extent being located in a territory is value-relevant for a company. Second, to understand if a company is aware of, and how it can sustain, the territorial tangible and intangible assets present in the economic area in which it is located. Design/methodology/approach – The study presents an empirical multiple case-study, investigating ten mid-/large-sized Italian companies in manufacturing sectors. Findings – The results indicate that the sampled manufacturing companies are intertwined with the environment in which they are embedded, both in their home country and in host ones. The domestic territorial capital has provided, and still provides, enterprises with workers endowed with the necessary technical skills that they can have great difficulty in finding in other places. In turn, companies support territorial capital generation through their activities. Research limitations/implications – To increase the generalisability of the results, future research should expand the sample and examine firms based in different countries and sectors. Practical implications – Implications for policy makers: developing effective initiatives to support and guide a sustainable territorial capital growth. Implications for managers and investors: improving managerial and investors’ decisions by disclosing a complete picture of the enterprise, also outside the firm boundaries. Originality/value – The study contributes to intangibles/intellectual capital literature by shedding light on the importance of including territorial capital in a company’s report to improve the definition of the firm’s value. Accounting of the territorial capital would increase the awareness of the socio-economic environment value in which companies are located and its use.


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