Interpersonal practice in project marketing: how institutional logics condition and change them

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-734
Author(s):  
Bernard Cova ◽  
Per Skålén ◽  
Stefano Pace
Keyword(s):  
Business Ethics ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Relative Role ◽  
Institutional Logic ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Project marketing is the specific activity of companies selling projects-to-order. Interpersonal practice is known to be important in this type of marketing. While this interpersonal practice has been little studied, some previous research suggests that changes in the institutional macro environment have affected it. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to study today’s interpersonal practice in project business and how the institutional environment conditions it. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with marketing managers at project-based firms in different business sectors in France and Sweden. Data collection and analysis was informed by grounded theory. Findings The paper identifies three types of interpersonal practice in project marketing, referred to as the transactional, the work-based and the socializing. Changes in these are explained in relation to the three institutional logics identified in the data: the market institutional logic of business ethics, the corporate institutional logic of rationalization and the family institutional logic of gender equality. Research limitations/implications Future studies can continue and broaden this work as it regards how the institutional conditioning of interpersonal practice varies with context. Practical implications By clearly categorizing the three types of interpersonal practice and their relative role today, companies can orient the activities of salespeople, business developers and other project marketers. Social implications The paper highlights how business ethics and gender equality have changed interpersonal practices in project marketing. Originality/value The paper contributes to the current debate on project marketing by identifying three types of interpersonal practice and by illustrating how institutional logics condition and change these. The paper shows that extra-business activities are needed less than previous research has argued with regard to maintaining customer relationships in-between projects.

Remote monitoring in industrial services: need-to-have instead of nice-to-have

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 792-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadijeh Momeni ◽  
Miia Martinsuo
Keyword(s):  
Remote Monitoring ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Business Value ◽  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Services ◽  
Customer Information ◽  
New Business

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the efficient use of remote monitoring systems (RMS) to create business value for industrial services in manufacturing firms. A business view to RMS is a key prerequisite for the successful application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in industrial services. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted in six engineering companies. The main source of data was semi-structured interviews with 16 managers. Findings The findings highlight the role of RMS in enabling manufacturing firms to collect data from customers to complement their limited knowledge about their customers. The study demonstrates the business value of using RMS in industrial services and the necessity of capturing the business value through advanced IT technologies. Research limitations/implications The qualitative research design and choice of six target companies limit the findings to business-to-business manufacturing firms. Further, the focus is on the manager’s viewpoint. The findings imply new business value through an efficient use of RMS to complement direct customer contact. Practical implications The study draws attention to the skilled use of advanced RMS and information and communication technology as a prerequisite for the successful application of the IoT in manufacturing firms that provide services for complex solutions and customers dispersed globally. Originality/value The research shows that using information collected through RMS is an important factor in creating business value in a manufacturing firm’s customer relationships. The study contributes by integrating RMS into the customer information collection process to increase the amount, validity and quality of data.

Measuring social performance: reconciling the tension between commercial and social logics

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 205-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.K. Siti-Nabiha ◽  
Zubir Azhar ◽  
Salmi Mohd Isa ◽  
A.Z. Siti-Nazariah
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competing Demands ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Social Logics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of microfinance programs in three Malaysian development finance institutions (DFIs). Its main concerns revolve around how these DFIs measure and manage their social performance and how they reconcile their competing social and commercial objectives which are driven by particular logics. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes the ways in which the DFIs selected for this study measure and manage their social performance. The data were acquired from two sessions of focus group interviews, a series of semi-structured interviews, and extensive reviews of documentaries. The institutional logics perspective is used to explore the interplay between social and commercial logics in shaping the view and use of social performance measures in the three studied DFIs. Findings Although these DFIs have consistently offered formal microfinance programs to designated target groups, their ultimate focus has been on measuring financial as opposed to social performance. Hence, performance appraisal is mainly aligned with the breadth of outreach, rather than its depth. Nevertheless, there appear to be conflicts between the need to accommodate both breadth and depth, due to the competing demands of the two objectives. The rivalry between these two competing demands, which represents the interplay between social and commercial logics, is resolved through reconciliation, that is, by making one objective compatible with the other. Originality/value This paper examines the ways in which the DFIs in the study measure and manage their social performance, a topic that is, currently, not widely explored. This study contributes to advancing the knowledge on the link between institutional logics and organizational practices, particularly in understanding the extent to which the Malaysian DFIs assign importance to social performance when designing and offering microfinance programs.

“Unfair to women”? Equal representation policies in Swedish academia

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Women Managers ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Context ◽  
Academic Organizations ◽  
Management Positions ◽  
Empirical Context ◽  
Vice Chancellors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight how women managers in Swedish higher education (HE) both support and resist policies about equal representation, and to discuss which factors influenced if, and how, these managers took on the role as change agents for gender equality. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on qualitative semi-structured interviews with 22 women in senior academic management positions (vice-chancellors, pro vice-chancellors, deans and pro deans) in ten Swedish HE institutions. Findings – The paper highlights how these women situated themselves in an academic context where gender relations were changing. They supported equal representation policies in their everyday managerial practice and also by accepting management positions that they were nominated and elected to on the basis of such policies. However, they also resisted these policies when they experienced a need to “protect” women from being exploited “in the name of gender equality”. Research limitations/implications – The paper addresses the call for research on the role of women managers in promoting, or preventing, change towards more gender balanced organizations. The paper builds on a small qualitative study with women only interviews. The study is therefore to be considered as explorative. Practical implications – The paper makes a contribution to the research literature in the area of gender and change in academic organizations. The findings highlight how policies have different consequences in different settings and that people use their own (different) experiences when interpreting the effects of these policies. The findings thus show the varying impacts equal representation policies can have on women. Originality/value – The discussion in the paper is situated in a unique empirical context characterized by demographic feminization and organizational restructuring. Most international literature on women in HE and in HE management is based on US or UK contexts. Swedish HE therefore provides an interesting setting. The analysis also addresses the call for more research that takes into account the multifaceted character of HE and that discusses disciplinary differences.

scholarly journals Understanding the experiences of asylum seekers

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Liebling ◽  
Shani Burke ◽  
Simon Goodman ◽  
Daniel Zasada
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Arranged Marriages ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Difficult Time ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the key issues of concern for asylum seekers in the UK by focusing on their in depth talk about their experiences, a so far neglected element in the current debate about asylum seeking. Design/methodology/approach – The study involved thematic analysis of asylum seekers’ accounts of their lives in their country of origin, their journeys to the UK and experiences following arrival. Nine participants took part in semi-structured interviews. Findings – Analysis resulted in seven themes; the importance of safety, negative experiences of the Home Office, support, emotional effects, significance of family, hopes for the future and the positive experiences of living in the UK. Research limitations/implications – Asylum seekers largely left their countries of origin to escape conflict, persecution, violence, arranged marriages and rape. They reported safety as a key concern and for this reason they were scared to return home. Practical implications – The research found Asylum seekers have fled traumatic situations and then have a difficult time in the UK. A more compassionate and supportive approach is needed. Policy recommendations are made with the aim of improving service responses. Social implications – The research demonstrates that the public understanding of asylum seeking does not match asylum seekers’ experiences and increased knowledge may help to improve this (mis) understanding. Originality/value – There is currently a lack of literature and empirical investigation of this subject area, so this research makes a contribution to the field of understanding asylum seekers’ experiences. The paper's focus is original and important combining asylum seekers’ accounts of their experiences following arrival in the UK. This subject is strategically important due to the pressing need to develop holistic and culturally sensitive research, which bridges and informs academia, more sensitive service responses and civil society.

scholarly journals European influence in ITU-R: the end of an era of dominance?

Info ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Ali El-Moghazi ◽  
Jason Whalley ◽  
James Irvine
Keyword(s):  
European Countries ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Allocation Mechanism ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
The World ◽  
Spectrum Policy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the European countries in Region 1 of the Radio Sector of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R). More specifically, the focus is on the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting to explore whether European influence is in decline. Design/methodology/approach – This article adopts in-depth case study of the 700-MHz issue. Qualitative data are drawn from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders who participated at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2012 meeting. Findings – This article concludes that the influence of European countries in the ITU-R in Region 1 has changed. The influence of Arab and African countries has increased, with that of European countries declining. However, European countries remain more influential than their African and Arab counterparts. Research limitations/implications – This article sheds light on an often overlooked but pivotal element of the international spectrum allocation mechanism. Originality/value – This article sheds light on important developments in the international spectrum policy that are largely overlooked in the current debate.

“Care from the heart”: older minoritised women's perceptions of dignity in care

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roiyah Saltus ◽  
Christalla Pithara
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Social Markers

Purpose – Drawing findings from a large mixed-method study on perceptions of dignity, care expectations, and support in relation to older women from Black and minority-ethnic backgrounds, the purpose of this paper is to explore the interrelationships between life course events and the multiple roles adopted by women at different points in time that have shaped their perceptions of care and their care expectations in old age. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 32 semi-structured interviews were undertaken, allowing for the collection of data on the participants’ understanding of growing old, and the meaning and attributes of care and what care with dignity “looked and felt like”. The theoretical framework is guided by a life-course approach and grounded within an intersectionality perspective. The majority of the participants were migrants. Findings – Social markers such as ethnicity and cultural identity were found to influence the participants’ understanding and expectations of care with factors such as gender identity and integration in the local community also of importance. How women felt they were perceived and “recognised” by others in their everyday lives with particular focus at the time of old age with the increased potential of loss of dignity due to declining capabilities, raised the importance of the family involvement in care provision, and perceived differences in the attributes of paid and non-paid care. The notion of “care from the heart” emerged as a key attribute of care with dignity. Care with dignity was understood as a purposeful activity, undertaken with intent to show respect and to acknowledge the participants’ sense of worth and value. Practical implications – The implications of this study are relevant in the current debate taking place at the EU level about the lived experiences of ageing migrant groups and care expectations. Originality/value – The study highlights the importance of the social nature of dignity, how wider societal structures can impact and shape how care is understood for older women of migrant and minoritised backgrounds, and the need to explore migration and care across the life course.

scholarly journals Centrality and compatibility of institutional logics when introducing value-based reimbursement

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (9) ◽  
pp. 298-314
Author(s):  
Thérèse Eriksson ◽  
Lars-Åke Levin ◽  
Ann-Charlotte Nedlund
Keyword(s):  
Spine Surgery ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Professional Values ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
A Value ◽  
Professional Pride ◽  
Interdisciplinary Healthcare

PurposeUsing financial incentives has been criticised for putting too much focus on things that can be measured. Value-based reimbursement may better align professional values with financial incentives. However, professional values may differ between actor groups. In this article, the authors identify institutional logics within healthcare-providing organisations. Further, the authors analyse how the centrality and compatibility of the identified logics affect the institutionalisation of external demands.Design/methodology/approach41 semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from healthcare providers within spine surgery in Sweden, where a value-based reimbursement programme was introduced. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis with an abductive approach, and a conceptual framework based on neo-institutional theory.FindingsAfter the introduction of the value-based reimbursement programme, the centrality and compatibility of the institutional logics within healthcare-providing organisations changed. The logic of spine surgeons was dominating whereas physiotherapists struggled to motivate a higher cost for high quality physiotherapy. The institutional logic of nurses was aligned with spine surgeons, however as a peripheral logic facilitating spine surgery. To attain holistic and interdisciplinary healthcare, dominating institutional logics within healthcare-providing organisations need to allow peripheral institutional logics to attain a higher centrality for higher compatibility. Thus, allowing other occupations to take responsibility for quality and attain the feeling of professional pride.Originality/valueInterviewing spine surgeons, physiotherapists, nurses, managers and administrators allows us to deepen the understanding of micro-level behaviour as a reaction (or lack thereof) to macro-level decisions.

scholarly journals Institutional logics and practice variations in sustainability reporting: evidence from an emerging field

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeeshan Mahmood ◽  
Shahzad Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Practice Variation ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Practice Variations

PurposeThis paper aims to deepen the understanding of logics and practice variation in sustainability reporting in an emerging field.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts the institutional logics perspective and its conceptualization of society as an inter-institutional system as a theoretical lens to understand reasons for the presence of and variation in sustainability reporting. The empirical findings are based on analysis of 28 semi-structured interviews with significant social actors, and extensive documentary evidence focusing on eight companies pioneering sustainability reporting in Pakistan.FindingsThis paper confirms the presence of multiple co-existing logics in sustainability practices and lack of a dominant logic. Sustainability reporting practices are underpinned by a combination of market and corporate (business logics), state (regulatory logics), professional (transparency logics) and community (responsibility logics) institutional orders. It is argued that institutional heterogeneity (variations in logics) drives the diversity of motivations for and variations in sustainability reporting practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper offers a deeper theoretical explanation of how various logics dominate sustainability reporting in a field where the institutionalization of practice is in its infancy.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the conditions that influence the logics of corporate decision-makers will provide new insights into what motivates firms to engage in sustainability reporting. A broader understanding of sustainability reporting in emerging fields will foster its intended use to increase transparency, accountability and sustainability performance.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to relatively scarce but growing empirical research on emerging fields. Its major contribution lies in its focus on how multiple and conflicting institutional logics are instantiated at the organizational level, leading to wide practice variations, especially in an emerging field. In doing so, it advances the institutional logics debate on practice variations within the accounting literature.

scholarly journals Sunday is the new Saturday

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 960-984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hina Khan
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ancillary Benefits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Considerable Support

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers, family-run small businesses (small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)) and their employees’ perceptions and attitude towards reform of the Sunday Trading Act in Britain.Design/methodology/approachA multi-method approach was employed to collect data in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 family-run small business owners/managers, 25 employees and 30 consumers. A survey was also conducted amongst 385 consumers and 279 employees. A convenience sampling method was used to collect data. Interview data were analysed by using content analysis and survey data were analysed by using descriptive statistics.FindingsThe results demonstrate considerable support for extending Sunday trading hours. Most of the arguments against the reform were found to be redundant. The findings suggest that in contemporary Britain, the restricted Sunday trading hours are perceived to be outdated and inconvenient.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings demonstrate that a paradigm shift is needed to meet and understand the changing market conditions. This exploratory study is limited to the UK. Future research will be extended to other European countries.Originality/valueThis is the first academic study to investigate the current debate regarding the deregulation of the Sunday trading hours. This study highlighted the psychographic changes and socio-economic demand in the marketplace. Sunday trading offers different types of benefits to consumers, employees and SMEs. The study proposed an original model that categorised these benefits into three major levels: primary benefits, ancillary benefits and ultimate benefits.

Managing competing logics through situational irony

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 649-678
Author(s):  
Erik Wikberg ◽  
Niklas Bomark
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Institutional Logic ◽  
Organizational Field ◽  
Organizational Fields ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Project ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the literature on how actors manage competing logics in an organizational field. The authors do so by introducing the concept of organizational irony to the literature on how to manage competing logics, and analyze a collaborative cultural project encompassing actors subjected to competing institutional logics. Design/methodology/approach – The case study is built on qualitative data from in-depth interviews, newspaper articles and observations. Findings – The authors describe and analyze a cultural project encompassing actors subjected to competing institutional logics and show how they responded to institutional pressures in their environment with the use of organizational irony. Thereby, the actors could collaborate with actors subjected to a competing institutional logic and still maintain adherence to their respective institutional logic. Research limitations/implications – Most studies of how to manage competing logics asserts that one logic will prevail over a competing one, either through “battles” or gradual dominance (Reay and Hinings, 2009). This study supports and adds to Reay and Hinings’ (2009) finding that actors also can collaborate and maintain adherence to their respective logic under such circumstances. In particular, it supports two identified mechanisms of how this can be achieved, namely, to separate decisions and to jointly innovate in experimental sites. It also adds to these mechanisms by showing that this can be done through the use of organizational irony. The authors only study one cultural project in one organizational field. It remains unclear if these findings are common in other cultural projects or in other organizational field, and the authors therefore encourage other researchers to extend or challenge the findings of this study. Practical implications – The authors believe that the analysis and findings can be useful for politicians to take into account and address either to minimize the risk of organizational irony or on the contrary encourage it as a source of reflexive critique of society and cultural politics. The authors also believe that the response of organizational irony to institutional pressures broadens the acting space of cultural actors, provide media and critics with an analytical tool to analyze and deconstruct practices that otherwise would risk to be silenced or neglected. Finally, the authors believe that an analysis of organizational irony has the potential to make people attend to contradictions and multiple meanings in the artworks under study in a novel way. Originality/value – The paper provides an intriguing and complex empirical case to demonstrate how actors manage competing logics in an organizational field through the production of organizational irony. The authors believe that its theoretical contributions and practical implications can inspire future research on how paradoxes can be managed through the use of organizational irony in other projects and organizational fields.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document