Thriving on adversity: entrepreneurial thinking in times of crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleksiy Osiyevskyy ◽  
Kanhaiya Kumar Sinha ◽  
Soumodip Sarkar ◽  
Jim Dewald

Purpose The paper provides evidence-based managerial advice for preparing the organizations to find successful pathways through crises by priming the managerial decision-making towards either entrepreneurial thinking or resource conservation, and hence cascading the inventive or rigid state of mind through all management levels. Design/methodology/approach The general review is based on summarizing the peer-reviewed academic studies of organizational decision-making and acting in crisis situations, illustrated using the turnaround cases of Corticeira Amorim (reinventing itself when faced with emerging technological threats) and Kiddiegarten School (adjusting to the pandemic shock of social/human nature) Findings This study reveals that a set of dimensions in the crisis situation’s cognitive framing determines the firm’s response to adversity, freezing it in a rigid state or unfreezing it to stimulate an organization-wide entrepreneurial search for turnaround strategies. If managers sense having a lack of time to deal with adversity, or a lack of predictability, they become paralyzed with threat-rigidity mechanisms, stubbornly pursuing the established methods of doing business, which often were the cause of crisis in the first place. Hence, in situations requiring an immediate response, the dual threats of urgency and unpredictability become cognitive blinders, preventing organizations from pursuing new opportunities, exposing firms to the risk of being too slow, eroding their competitive advantage and, ultimately, going out of business. Originality/value Integrating the insights of three decades prior research of the topic of managerial decision making in crisis situations, this study proposes the novel leadership framework allowing to stimulate entrepreneurial behavior in adverse contexts.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sascha Raithel ◽  
Alexander Mafael ◽  
Stefan J. Hock

Purpose There is limited insight concerning a firm’s remedy choice after a product recall. This study aims to propose that failure severity and brand equity are key antecedents of remedy choice and provides empirical evidence for a non-linear relationship between pre-recall brand equity and the firm’s remedy offer that is moderated by severity. Design/methodology/approach This study uses field data for 159 product recalls from 60 brands between January 2008 to February 2020 to estimate a probit model of the effects of failure severity, pre-recall brand equity and remedy choice. Findings Firms with higher and lower pre-recall brand equity are less likely to offer full (vs partial) remedy compared to medium level pre-recall brand equity firms. Failure severity moderates this relationship positively, i.e. firms with low and high brand equity are more sensitive to failure severity and then select full instead of partial remedy. Research limitations/implications This research reconciles contradictory arguments and research results about failure severity as an antecedent of remedy choice by introducing brand equity as another key variable. Future research could examine the psychological process of managerial decision-making through experiments. Practical implications This study increases the awareness of the importance of remedy choice during product-harm crises and can help firms and regulators to better understand managerial decision-making mechanisms (and fallacies) during a product-harm crisis. Originality/value This study theoretically and empirically advances the limited literature on managerial decision-making in response to product recalls.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vic Benuyenah

Purpose This study aims to expand the theory of organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) to include “exterior” behaviours. By advancing the work of Blake and Mouton (1964) and remapping the performance/OCB dimensions offered in the historical literature, a new holistic model of organisational performance is proposed. As a further step, a decision-making tool is proposed for managerial decision-making and to help predict employee performance. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a critical review and conceptual approach to explore historical OCB theories and task performance (TP) taxonomies. It then used Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid to construct a contemporary conceptual tool for managerial decision-making. Findings Despite the performance literature not lacking in quantity, a few of such research have led to a pragmatic managerial tool. The review reveals several confusions regarding the accurate classification of what actually constitutes OCB and what constitutes TP – this gap is filled by the introduction of the OCB model for managerial decision-making (OMMD). Research limitations/implications The current work expands our thinking on OCBs that can occur outside the organisation. These exterior behaviours can influence the organisation’s performance and must be managed just like any other performance metric. The OMMD, primarily based on OCB and TP, provides an initial framework for exploring different typologies of employees. Despite being based on several cogent performance literatures, the proposals have not been tested empirically. Practical implications Like the Blake and Mouton model, the new OMMD can be useful in estimating the proportions of employee OCBs and TP. Social implications Culture and social exchange theory can be seen as playing a role in separating TP from OCB. Originality/value This study extends the work of Bateman and Organ (1983) by suggesting that some work behaviours can occur outside the organisation. Besides, a decision-making proposal is offered based on the managerial grid framework (Blake and Mouton, 1964).


2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 811-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Muhammad Siddique ◽  
Hinna Fatima Siddique

Purpose This paper aims to examine managerial decision-making approaches, their antecedents and consequences in the Arabian Gulf context. Using recent survey data, the study offers a critical assessment of prevailing myths about decision-making styles in the Arabian Gulf. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from a sample of 432 managers working in public and private sector companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A combination of statistical techniques including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and hierarchical regression analysis was used to test research hypotheses. Findings The findings of this study question the myth that UAE or Gulf managers mostly pursue consultative and participative styles of management. Most UAE managers continue to practice an autocratic and a pseudo-consultative style of decision-making, undermining the value of employee input in the decision-making process. The data revealed a strong negative relationship between autocratic management style and a range of personal and organizational outcomes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, performance and innovative human resource management practices pertaining to work-family life balance and diversity programs. Most employees perceived autocratic management style as a major source of job stress, absenteeism and turnover. Socio-demographic characteristics of managers and their work organizations, considered as antecedents of decision-making styles, played a limited role in shaping decision-making approaches or their consequences. Globalization and associated socio-cultural changes that UAE and other Gulf region countries have experienced over the past two decades seem to have only a marginal impact on decision-making styles. Research limitations/implications Use of perceptual survey data places some constraints on the generalizability of our findings. Future research may address this issue with multiple data sources including an in-depth case study. Practical implications The findings of this research should be of special interest to both domestic and multinational companies in seeking alignment of their management approaches with the emerging competitive business environment in UAE and other Gulf countries. Theoretically, the paper documents the value of the continuum theory of managerial behavior in UAE and the Arabian Gulf context. Originality/value The study represents a first major effort to develop and test a comprehensive conceptual model of antecedents and consequences of managerial decision-making styles in UAE, which may be extended to other countries in the Arabian Gulf region. The value-added contribution of the study may be seen in its critical analysis of prevailing beliefs and assumptions about management practices in the Arabian Gulf.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Diantha D’Costa ◽  
Virginia Bodolica ◽  
Martin Spraggon

Learning outcomes Upon completion of this case study analysis, the course audience is expected to achieve four learning outcomes. In particular, students should be able to conduct a comprehensive organizational diagnosis to uncover the peculiarities of managing a family business; analyze the specific challenges faced by family-owned enterprises in the context of emerging markets; evaluate the succession management practices in family organizations and design a profile of a successful successor; assess the effectiveness of managerial decision-making and provide recommendations for securing the sustainability of a family firm. Case overview/synopsis This case study unveils the tumultuous story of Vishwanath Shetty, an ambitious entrepreneur who transformed his small venture into a profitable family business with operations in Middle East, Asia and Africa. Since the early establishment of Qontrac International in 1989, he relied on the ownership and management participation of several members of his and his wife’s families. Over the years, Vishwanath was successful in pursuing a strategy of continuous growth and geographic diversification by taking advantage of the business opportunities in several regions and opening up branches in Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ghana and India. Yet, almost three decades after its launch, the company was confronted with a number of family, growth and succession management challenges that endangered its survival in the long run. The Shetty family experienced a serious rift due to financial reasons, the performance of the two branches managed by siblings declined, and the old firm structure and management style did not fit well with the newly enlarged and geographically dispersed Qontrac International. To deal with these organizational issues, Vishwanath was faced with an additional dilemma of securing the support of a suitable intra-family candidate who could join the family business and become his successor. By describing the strategic events and family dynamics that shaped the evolution of Qontrac International over time, the case provides an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of managerial decision-making in the context of family firms and provide viable recommendations for ensuring firm survival and longevity. Complexity academic level Upper-level undergraduate audience Graduate audience (in Master of Global Entrepreneurial Management program). Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code Strategy.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Serhat Simsek ◽  
Abdullah Albizri ◽  
Marina Johnson ◽  
Tyler Custis ◽  
Stephan Weikert

PurposePredictive analytics and artificial intelligence are perceived as significant drivers to improve organizational performance and managerial decision-making. Hiring employees and contract renewals are instances of managerial decision-making problems that can incur high financial costs and long-term impacts on organizational performance. The primary goal of this study is to identify the Major League Baseball (MLB) free agents who are likely to receive a contract.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the design science research paradigm and the cognitive analytics management (CAM) theory to develop the research framework. A dataset on MLB's free agents between 2013 and 2017 was collected. A decision support tool was built using artificial neural networks.FindingsThere are clear links between a player's statistical performance and the decision of the player to sign a new offered contract. “Age,” “Wins above Replacement” and “the team on which a player last played” are the most significant factors in determining if a player signs a new contract.Originality/valueThis paper applied analytical modeling to personnel decision-making using the design science paradigm and guided by CAM as the kernel theory. The study employed machine learning techniques, producing a model that predicts the probability of free agents signing a new contract. Also, a web-based tool was developed to help decision-makers in baseball front offices so they can determine which available free agents to offer contracts.


2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 934-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianpaolo Abatecola

Purpose – Over the last 30 years, specific investigations into self-reinforcing processes in managerial decision making have been gaining momentum within the mainstream literature of management. However, to date, it is claimed that understanding these processes properly still requires additional research efforts. Thus, the purpose of this conceptual paper is to follow this claim. Design/methodology/approach – The paper tries to inform the conversation about self-reinforcing processes in managerial decision making through adopting lenses drawing from the biological philosophy of organizational change. In particular, the co-evolutionary approach to organizational change, with a focus on CEOs, and/or top management teams (TMT), is adopted. Findings – As its core contribution, the paper proposes that self-reinforcing processes in the CEOs/TMTs’ decision making can occur because of the emergence (and subsequent consolidation) of co-evolving heuristics. On this basis, the paper also prospect potential avenues for future integrations in this field. Originality/value – As the paper concludes, advancing the general understanding of self-reinforcing processes in managerial decision making can represent an important opportunity for the research and practice of management in general, but also for some management sub-domains, such as that of behavioural strategy, in particular.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arunachalam Narayanan ◽  
Rafay Ishfaq

PurposePrevious research has shown that firms are struggling to incorporate collaboration among supply chain partners. This paper presents a new approach to incorporate collaboration using metric-alignment. The analysis provides key insights regarding the usefulness of this approach to synchronize decision-making that leads to reduced bullwhip effect, less backordering and lower supply chain costs.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a large-scale behavioral study comprising 556 participants in multi-echelon supply chain games. Supply chain decisions from these experiments are evaluated to study the impact of metric-alignment on managerial decision-making and the corresponding effects on the overall supply chain performance.FindingsResults show that the metric-alignment approach offers an informal and self-enforced governance mechanism that changes managerial decision-making behaviors and improves supply chain performance. Results also show this approach to yield operational and financial benefits for all supply chain partners in the form of reduced bullwhip effect, less backordering and lower supply chain costs.Originality/valueThis is the first behavioral study of its kind that evaluates a new approach to incorporate collaboration in supply chains using metric-alignment. This approach avoids the shortcomings of current industry practices of using monetary penalties, such as on-time in-full (OTIF) mandates in supply contracts. The study shows that metric-alignment approach can improve overall supply chain performance while offering mutually beneficial rewards for all supply chain partners.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heikki Moilanen ◽  
Mirje Halla ◽  
Pauli Alin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of decision making of managers of intermediary organizations in university-industry (UI) collaboration by probing managerial perceptions of openness in that context. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted 11 semi-structured interviews of managers of intermediary organizations in the context of UI collaboration. Using Grounded Theory, the authors analyzed how the managers talked about openness. Findings – The authors found that the managers perceived openness in four distinct ways: first, openness as driven by management of the relationship, second, openness as driven by bringing people together, third, openness as a driver of co-creation and fourth, openness as a driver of beneficial results. From these findings the authors induce a framework for perception of openness. Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on a relatively limited data set, which is a limitation of the study. Future research should study whether differences in perception of openness exist among different contexts or partners of UI collaboration. Practical implications – The findings can potentially provide useful guidance to managers in UI collaboration as to how better understand the important concept of openness in that context. Originality/value – This study addresses the lack of research on managerial perceptions on openness in the context in UI collaboration. Probing managerial perceptions of openness provides us with better understanding of managerial decision making in UI collaboration. The study contributes to scientific discussions on managerial perceptions of openness and to discussions on managerial decision making in UI collaboration.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aparna KH ◽  
Preetha Menon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to integrate impostor syndrome and leadership research to identify antecedents of impostor syndrome, their impact on sustainable leader behaviors. The paper also postulates the moderating effect of mindfulness and leader member exchange on impostor syndrome and sustainable leader behaviors, respectively. Design/methodology/approach The paper relies on an integrative approach of literature review on impostor syndrome and leadership. After identifying gaps in impostor syndrome research and its intersectionality with the constructs of contextual leadership theory, an integrative conceptual framework was formulated incorporating antecedents, consequences and moderators of impostor syndrome. Findings Three antecedents of impostor syndrome were identified from the literature, namely, gender, family/social role expectation and personality traits. Additionally, this paper also unearths contextual factors as yet another antecedent to impostor syndrome. Negative impact of impostor syndrome on leader behaviors such as managerial decision-making, innovative work behavior (IWB) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) were established by connecting those to the three primary characteristics of impostor syndrome, namely, low self-efficacy, fear of failure and perceived fraudulence, respectively. Finally, the paper also posits the moderating role of leader member exchange and mindfulness and proposes mindfulness training as an effective intervention for impostor syndrome. Research limitations/implications This being a conceptual paper will benefit from empirical studies that corroborate theoretical posits. The scope of studying the effect of impostor syndrome on sustainable leader behavior was limited to three major variables, namely, managerial decision-making, IWB and OCB. Thus, it calls for a more elaborate model of impostor syndrome including other relevant leader behaviors. Practical implications The model when applied in organizational context addresses the need for mindfulness training to reduce the effect of impostor syndrome among leaders. Leaders will exhibit sustainable behaviors when provided with the right kind of training. Originality/value The study attempts to integrate the two independent constructs, impostor syndrome and leadership to establish a novel and meaningful connection and throws light to the unaddressed antecedents, consequences and moderators of its impact on sustainable leader behaviors. From learning and development practitioners’ perspective, it also signifies the effectiveness of mindfulness training among employees’ personal and professional development.


2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 265-273
Author(s):  
Ashok Sridhar ◽  
Michael Corbey

The main objective of this paper is to compare two key approaches in the !eld of Customer Accounting (CA), namely Customer Pro!tability Analysis (CPA) and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). While CPA is a retrospective analysis of past accruals that represent the results of doing business with a customer over a certain, mostly single-period of time, CLV is a predictive measure of future customer-related cash "ows over a certain (multi-)period of time. This paper draws on the state-ofthe- art knowledge in the Customer Accounting (CA) literature to identify the impacts of CPA and CLV on managerial decision-making. It also offers recommendations as to the scenarios in which these metrics should be deployed in order to arrive at meaningful managerial decisions, and highlights their collective limitations.


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