scholarly journals The impact of middle management commitment on improvement initiatives in public organisations

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 924-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alhaqbani ◽  
Deborah M Reed ◽  
Barbara M Savage ◽  
Jana Ries
Keyword(s):  
Middle Managers ◽  
Quality Management System ◽  
Middle Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment ◽  
Public Organisations ◽  
Lack Of Commitment ◽  
Management Staff ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Top management commitment is considered a significant factor in improvement programmes, and many papers have been written about the role of top management commitment in implementing a quality management system. However, not considering other management levels’ commitment, such as middle management, may lead to issues in achieving organisational development. Public organisations that work through vertical structures may face a lack of middle management commitment, which might have a negative impact on lower and non-management staff commitment to improvement programmes. In this regard, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of middle management’s commitment towards improvement initiatives in public organisations. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical research with a mixed-method design used semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire to explore the current practices of continuous improvement (CI) and examine employees’ views from different management levels of the implications of current improvements in a Saudi public service organisation. Findings – The analysis indicated that the lower managers and non-management staff agree that, after the implementation of the quality management system, the organisation’s middle management showed a lack of commitment to that system. Moreover, this lack of commitment is recognised in the analysis of participants’ views of CI practices recorded in the questionnaire and interviews. This lack of commitment has caused poor employee commitment and thus a lack of problem solving in organisational departments. It is also responsible for a lack of employee involvement, the centralisation of decisions, deficiencies in terms of determining and applying training, inequality between employees and a lack of trust between employees and their managers. These issues could be managed and resolved through middle management and their commitment. Practical implications – Increasing middle managers’ awareness of the importance of their commitment to improvement initiatives can have an impact on employees’ commitment towards improvement initiatives, especially in those public organisations that have vertical/hierarchical structures. The level of commitment towards the implementation of improvement programmes needs further in-depth analyses to identify which factors influence public organisation leaders’ commitment to improvement programmes. Originality/value – The results of this study could motivate middle managers in public organisations to review their policies and to facilitate CI initiatives.

Reinvigorating the mission statement through top management commitment

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph I. Williams Jr ◽  
Daniel L. Morrell ◽  
John V. Mullane
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment ◽  
Unique Manner ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Conceptual Overview

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose that top management commitment to its organization's mission statement moderates the mission's effect of firm performance. The proposed model combines numerous aspects of top management commitment to give depth to the moderating effect. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a conceptual overview of the mission statement literature toward a theoretical model. Findings – The impact of mission statements on firm performance long has been studied and debated, without consistent results. This paper proposes that this is due to the presence of moderating influences, specifically the commitment of top management, that, if not properly studied, will affect empirical results. Practical implications – Practicing managers can unlock the power of the mission statement by involving the entire organization in the mission statement process, clearly and consistently communicating the mission's tenets, setting measurable operational targets from the mission statement, and periodically revising the mission to ensure it is current. Originality/value – The concept of a moderator is original in the mission-performance debate. Concepts from several key articles have been combined in a unique manner to develop the model.

A conceptual framework for a systemic understanding of barriers during lean implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen Puram ◽  
Michael Sony ◽  
Jiju Antony ◽  
Anand Gurumurthy
Keyword(s):  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Implementation Barriers ◽  
Lean Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment ◽  
Systemic Understanding ◽  
Industry Sectors ◽  
The Impact

PurposeMultiple organisations which have attempted to implement lean production/manufacturing/thinking have failed to achieve significant benefits. Practitioners and researchers have identified the barriers that hinder successful implementation. This study first consolidates such lean implementation barriers that are common across all industry sectors. Further, a systemic understanding of lean barriers is attempted by determining causal relationships between barriers and their relative causal strength.Design/methodology/approachBarriers to lean implementation were first identified from extant literature and categorised into broad barrier groups. These barrier groups were classified into four categories as specified by Liker's 4P model of lean–philosophy, people and partnership, processes and problem-solving. Additionally, interrelations between barriers, both within and among these four categories were determined.FindingsThe barriers classified under philosophy were the most critical as it affects the barriers in other groups. Similarly, barriers such as lack of leadership and top management commitment, lack of resources, shortage of lean consultants and trainers, lack of systemic understanding of lean and the need for its implementation, lack of lean expertise and training were found to be the most critical causal barriers.Research limitations/implicationsHighly critical barriers in terms of causality should be addressed with high priority, as effective measures against them may eliminate or reduce the impact of other barriers.Originality/valueThis study addresses the confusion regarding the high number of lean barriers in extant literature by providing a systemic understanding of the same. By exploring the interrelations among barriers, the most important causal barriers and barrier types (4Ps) are identified, the knowledge of which could improve lean implementation success. This is a novel attempt in the domain of lean.

The impact of gender and ethnic diversity on REIT operating performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hogan ◽  
Daniel Huerta
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Middle Management ◽  
Operating Performance ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Return On Equity ◽  
The Board Of Directors ◽  
Managerial Positions ◽  
Funds From Operations ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between gender and ethnic diversity in managerial positions and Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) operating performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ two-stage Heckman correction models on an unbalanced panel of US Equity REITs for the time period from 2000 to 2015. The second-stage model uses multiple operating performance measures regressed on a dichotomous variable that indicates if the REIT promotes diversity in middle management in addition to a vector of control variables. Findings The results indicate that REITs that promote diversity in middle management with profit-and-loss responsibilities have lower operating performance than comparable counterparts. That is, gender and demographic diversity is negatively related to REIT performance as measured by return on assets, return on equity and funds from operations. Practical implications The analysis indicates that while gender and ethnic diversity is socially responsible and may provide many benefits, diversity among managers and decision makers has to be carefully implemented in order to achieve positive financial results. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by investigating whether diversity in leading managerial positions, other than in top officer ranks and on the board of directors, have an impact on REIT operating performance.

Analyzing supplier development program enablers using fuzzy DEMATEL

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
C.V. Sunil Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Development Program ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Supplier Development ◽  
Manufacturing Environment ◽  
Fuzzy Dematel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cause And Effect ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Manufacturing Company ◽  
Top Management Commitment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify, quantify and establish relationship (i.e. cause and effect) among various supplier development program enablers (SDPEs) in a specific manufacturing environment. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed methodology runs into four phases, i.e. defining supplier development program (SDP) environment, identifying relevant SDPEs, collecting experts’ qualitative opinions regarding SDPEs and analyzing the SDPEs using Fuzzy DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory). The fourth phase is programmed using Matlab 7.10.0 (R2010a). The proposed methodology is implemented in an Indian manufacturing company and the results are analyzed to provide directions for the company while implementing SDPs. Findings – The proposed methodology leads to the ranking of SDPEs, classification of SDPEs into cause and effect groups and establishment of interactions for each SDPE using impact relationship map. Of the 20 SDPEs considered in the analysis, “top management commitment” and “mutual visits by competent personnel from both sides” are the two most important SDPEs for implementing SDP in an Indian manufacturing company taken as a case study. The outcomes are verified by consulting the said company’s experts and their validity is confirmed. Research limitations/implications – Because the results obtained are specific to a manufacturing environment, they cannot be generalized. However, the proposed approach can be adopted for analyzing SDPEs in any manufacturing environment, provided the set of SDPEs is selected considering its priorities. Practical implications – The proposed methodology will identify the SDPEs to be managed for successful implementation of SDPs. Originality/value – The proposed methodology has the capability to rank the SDPEs and their interrelationships. This will definitely help supply chain managers to precisely choose and manipulate the SDPEs for successful implementation of SDP.

Effectiveness of full range leadership development among middle managers

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1161-1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teerapun Chaimongkonrojna ◽  
Peter Steane
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Effective Leadership ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Leadership Behaviors ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Full Range Leadership ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the Full Range Leadership Development Program (FR-LDP) of middle managers of a furniture company in Thailand and explore how they experience the leadership development phenomenon. It addresses the fundamental question of how effective leadership behaviors occur and are sustained. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 31 middle managers completed a six-month multi-methods development program of three alternating training sessions and on-the-job practice. A 360-degree feedback survey of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X Short, comprising 284 questionnaires of “leaders” and “raters,” was used to measure the change in effective leadership behaviors and the overall leadership outcome. A sub-sample of 20 participants from these managers was selected for in-depth interviews at the end of the intervention. Semi-structured interviews and critical incident analysis was applied to understand the leadership experience of these managers. Findings – The study revealed that leadership behavior and overall outcome performance had improved over the course of the FR-LDP. The program did contribute positively to individual learning. Sustained effectiveness was not due solely to the development or intervention process, but also on individual objectives and action, together with supervisor interest and support. Research limitations/implications – The study provides a valid, in-depth insight into leadership in Thailand, which has practical application. However, the size of the sample may not be sufficient for broad generalizations in other cultural contexts or environments. Originality/value – The study extends the understanding of how middle managers develop transformational leadership in Thailand. The study contributes to how middle managers learn what they need to know, how they get to know it and factors that influence their practice of transformational leadership in their workplace. The findings provide to organizations options on resources, talent retention and sustaining organizational performance.

Top management commitment and lean team members’ prosocial voice behaviour

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Abdul Latif ◽  
Jan Vang
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Employee Voice ◽  
Value Stream Mapping ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment ◽  
Six Dimensions ◽  
Prosocial Voice

Purpose Top management commitment (TMC) and prosocial voice behaviour in Lean teams are vital for the successful Lean implementation. This study aims to investigate how TMC influences Lean team members’ prosocial voice behaviour and how such changed voice behaviour affects the outcome of Lean implementations. Design/methodology/approach The authors have used a qualitative research methodology to examine six dimensions of TMC (communication, involvement, support, empowerment, encouragement and monitoring) in two ready-made garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh. Operational performance was measured by efficiency, quality, value stream mapping, single-minute exchange dies and 5S scores. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) was assessed by acceptable head and back positions, machine safety, use of masks and housekeeping. Findings The findings reveal that TMC influences Lean team members' voice behaviour positively and, thereby, company's performance. Six dimensions of TMC are all critical for mobilizing prosocial voice, which then improves productivity, OHS and enhancing employee capacity and job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications This research involved two sewing lines in two RMG factories in Bangladesh. Cross-sector and large-scale international quantitative research is also needed. Practical implications This research shows how TMC and Lean problem-solving teams can mobilize employee voice. Originality/value Employee voice is a central issue in the implementation of Lean. To the best of the author’s knowledge, for the first time, the authors show how the six dimensions of TMC influence Lean team members’ voice behaviour in the workplace and thereby how prosocial voice affects team performance.

The influence of an interactive use of management control on individual performance: mediating roles of psychological empowerment and proactive behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Matsuo ◽  
Takami Matsuo ◽  
Kohei Arai
Keyword(s):  
Middle Managers ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Middle Management ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Proactive Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Level

Purpose Although middle managers play important roles in forming strategies and generating innovation, few studies have explored the influence of management control systems (MCS) on employees’ behaviors or performance at the middle-management level. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect an interactive use of MCS has on individual performance at the unit level. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal, multisource and multilevel survey was conducted among 373 nurses in 20 units at a Japanese public hospital. Findings The multi-level analyzes indicate that middle managers’ interactive use of MCS has a direct and indirect positive influence on individual performance, through proactive behavior, as well as through psychological empowerment and, subsequently, through proactive behavior. Research limitations/implications As the present study collected data from nurses at a Japanese hospital, it is necessary to conduct research in other countries using different occupations to verify the findings. Practical implications Organizations need to be aware that the interactive use of MCS can be an effective tool for empowering and motivating employees. Originality/value The present study contributes to the literature by clarifying the mechanisms of how the interactive use of MCS influences employees’ psychological and behavioral outcomes at the middle-management level.

Effects of leadership and accounting capacity on accountability through the quality of financial reporting by public organisations in Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yen Thi Tran ◽  
Nguyen Phong Nguyen ◽  
Trang Cam Hoang
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Financial Reporting Quality ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Public Organisations ◽  
The Impact

Purpose By drawing on the institutional theory and contingency theory, this study aims to examine the effects of leadership and accounting capacity on the quality of financial reporting and accountability of public organisations in Vietnam. Furthermore, this paper is to determine the impact of financial reporting quality on accountability. Design/methodology/approach The research model and hypotheses have been tested by partial least squares structural equation modeling, with 177 survey samples obtained from accountants and managers working in the public sector in Vietnam. Findings The research results indicate that leadership and accounting capacity have a positive effect on financial reporting quality; leadership and accounting capacity positively influence accountability; and the quality of financial reporting has a positive impact on accountability. Research limitations/implications The research results provide empirical evidence of the direct impact of leadership and accounting capacity on financial reporting quality and accountability of public organisations in a developing country. Moreover, the current work also provides important evidence for the impact of financial reporting quality on accountability. Practical implications Public sector organisations must realise that leadership and accounting capacity play a vital role in the accounting reform process. Public institutions likewise need to pay attention to develop accounting capacity and promote leadership. Moreover, the results respond to the continuing call for increased citizen trust in public organisations. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the chain from leadership, accounting capacity, financial reporting quality and accountability in the context of public sector organisations in an Asian transition market.

Barriers in implementing lean manufacturing in Indian SMEs: a multi-criteria decision-making approach

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Piyush Jaiswal ◽  
Amit Singh ◽  
Subhas C. Misra ◽  
Amaresh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Quality Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Quality ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interrelationships among the Lean manufacturing (LM) adoption barriers in Indian SMEs. This issue has its own importance as LM has become the inescapable requirement for small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) because of the increased concerns about quality, cost, delivery time and rapidly growing competition in the manufacturing sector and in India it is opposed by many factors/barriers. To act for the eradication of these barriers, we need to systematically analyze them. Design/methodology/approach Based on the available literature and consultation with the experts, the authors identified 16 LM barriers for Indian SMEs. The authors analyzed the interdependencies among the barriers and prioritized them using integrated Grey-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (grey-DEMATEL) approach. Findings The findings show that limited financial resources, fear in adopting new technology, lack of top management commitment and poor leadership quality are the most critical barriers for LM diffusion in Indian SMEs. Research limitations/implications The present research is based on the experts’ inputs, which may be subject to individual biases. In developing countries, such as India, geographical influences are also possible, which are neglected in this study. Practical implications This study provides significant insights that can help SMEs to focus on critical cause group barriers to accelerate the LM penetration. Originality/value The authors have proposed a Grey-DEMATEL-based LM barrier evaluation framework. Here, the authors analyze the interrelationships among the barriers for LM and segregate them in cause and effect groups.

scholarly journals The politics of sensemaking and sensegiving at work

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathrine Filstad
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Style ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Middle Management ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate how political activities and processes influence sensemaking and sensegiving among top management, middle management and employees and to examine its consequences for implementing new knowledge. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected in a Norwegian bank using in-depth interviews with middle managers and financial advisers. Observations of meetings, informal conversations and verbatim notes were also used in data collection among top managers. A practice-based approach was used as an analytical lens. Findings – Top managers' political activities of excluding others from the decision process affect their sensemaking and resulted in sensegiving contradictions between spoken intent and how to change practice. Middle managers' political activities were to accept top managers' sensegiving instead of managing themselves in their own sensemaking to help financial advisers with how to change their role and practice. As a result, middle managers' sensemaking affects their engagement in sensegiving. For financial advisers, the political processes of top and middle managers resulted in resistance and not making sense of how to change and implement new knowledge. Research limitations/implications – A total of 30 in-depth interviews, observations of five meetings and informal conversations might call for further studies. In addition, a Norwegian study does not account for other countries' cultural differences concerning leadership style, openness in decisions and employee autonomy. Originality/value – To the author's knowledge, no studies identify the three-way conceptual relationship between political activities, sensemaking and sensegiving. In addition, the author believes that the originality lies in investigating these relationships using a three-level hierarchy of top management, middle management and employees.

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