James March: a postmodern perspective on organization without management theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Universal Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Real ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Look Back ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Organization Study

Purpose In this paper, the authors look back at James March’s main contributions to the evolution of organizations and their decision-making. No other author in management science has been quoted as much. Yet, his view on these issues is often far removed from the dominant academic representations. This paper aims to evaluate the trace left by March for the future. His teachings remain of the utmost importance for both practitioners and academics in charge of modeling the real functioning of the organizations. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors look back at James March’s main contributions to the evolution of organizations and their decision-making. Findings On the basis of an in-depth analysis of his study, the authors discuss the main concepts to which he has dedicated his life as a researcher. Whether it is for innovation and the process of exploration associated with it or for the ambiguity that persists in learning cycles, March always shows us the ambivalence of the concepts. The strength of March’s study is to encourage us to remain cautious in the diagnoses for the development of the companies by not venerating too strongly the notions seen exclusively as virtuous, such as innovation or by not too quickly condemning situations perceived as harmful, such as ambiguity. It is, therefore, subjective and unpredictable, making the idea of a unified theory of management inoperative (Joullié, 2018). March’s way of thinking is deeply postmodern in the sense of Foucault (1961), who saw the world as a representation. Research limitations/implications For this kind of paper based on a James March study’s survey, the main limitation is the variety of research methodology mobilized. Empirical confirmation sometimes is missing or is too short. The study remains essentially speculative as to its influence on future research. Some concepts, such as the concept of effectuation, which is a direct extension of March’s study, deserve to be tested empirically and theoretically in greater depth to assess their robustness. Practical implications All managerial implications are concerned with organizational change. His teachings remain of the utmost importance for both practitioners and academics in charge of modeling the real functioning of the organizations. Social implications Providing a guideline concerning research in the management of organizations. A better understanding of the real functioning of how decisions happen in companies, how they change in the real world. Originality/value The authors show that, contrary to the great paradigms of management sciences (Burrell and Morgan, 1979) developed since Taylor’s founding study, which remains performative in essence, March’s study initiates a viscerally postmodern vision of the organization. The authors believe that his contributions are essential because they are not based on a normative attempt to propose a universal theory but provide a compass that is essential to understanding how the organization study.

scholarly journals Effective contracting for high operational performance in projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Kapsali ◽  
Jens K. Roehrich ◽  
Pervaiz Akhtar
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Fuzzy Set ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Contractual Incompleteness ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine combinations of contract clauses in order to ascertain which combinations correlate to high operational performance (OP). Design/methodology/approach Two hypotheses were formulated from contracting theory and tested on data collected from 45 projects. Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was used and validated with multiple regression and simulation. Findings The hypotheses were tested to determine whether combinations of classical, relational, and/or associational contract clauses correlate to high OP. The results show that whereas high OP correlates to combinations of relational and associational contract clauses, classical and relational clauses should not be combined. Research limitations/implications Directions are proposed to guide future research in order to produce a more nuanced testing of contractual complementarity. Practical implications The managerial implications of the findings include a more thorough understanding of the use of contract clauses and of which clauses managers should combine to achieve high OP. Originality/value This study contributes to the theory of contractual incompleteness and complementarity, specifically in the context of project contracting. The analysis produced two theoretical implications: first, that better performing contracts are created when combining relational and associational contract clauses; and second, that in projects, relational and classical contract clauses are not complementary with regards to realizing high OP.

scholarly journals Environmental determinants of destination competitiveness and its Tourism Attractions-Basics-Context, A-B-C, indicators

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (50) ◽  
pp. 425-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalita A. Manrai ◽  
Ajay K. Manrai ◽  
Stefanie Friedeborn
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Destination Competitiveness ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Tourism Attractions ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature and develop a model of the determinants, indicators and effects of destination competitiveness (DC), as well as several propositions. Design/methodology/approach This study thoroughly reviewed extant literature to develop a conceptual model and propositions. Findings Two key findings are listed below. First, 12 different environmental factors are identified and 12 propositions are developed linking these environmental factors to DC. Second, a new indicator of DC is developed, namely, Tourism Attractions-Basics-Context (TABC) model. The TABC model is simple and directly taps into the benefits tourists seek in a destination. Research limitations/implications Directions for future research are discussed in detail in the paper. Practical implications Managerial implications are discussed in detail in the paper. Originality/value The extant research on the topic of DC has been rather fragmented and incomplete in scope. The research presented in this paper addresses these limitations.

Lean Six Sigma in consumer banking – an empirical inquiry

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1345-1369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijaya Sunder M. ◽  
L.S. Ganesh ◽  
Rahul R. Marathe
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The evolution of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) within the operations management theory has enjoyed significant success in both manufacturing and services. Though the applicability of LSS is evident in the services sector through various publications, academic research on the use of LSS in the Banking and Financial Services (BFS) is limited, and hence deserves greater attention. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the application of LSS in consumer banking in real-time setting. Design/methodology/approach A case study method is used to study the application of LSS in two consumer banks with stage 1 featuring identification of appropriate consumer banks where LSS projects could be undertaken, and suitable LSS readiness assessment was performed. In stage 2, LSS project opportunities were identified in the select banks through stakeholder engagement. Finally, in stage 3, LSS projects were executed for process improvements in a real-time setting. Findings The case studies provide evidence of the successful application of LSS in consumer banking and the associated multiple benefits. The extent of applicability and appropriate managerial implications in project management context are elaborated. An LSS project selection criterion is recommended as a part of the study. Further, the study explains five important managerial implications in BFS context, with an outlook for future research. Research limitations/implications Practitioner research shows that BFS organizations have changed their ways of working by adapting LSS over the last decade. However, the academic research concerning the applicability of LSS in BFS is apparently limited, and none of these are specific to “consumer banking.” This study serves as a strong foundation for future research in this area, which is at its nascence and upcoming in the researchers’ community. However, strong generalizations should not be made as this study is limited to two cases. Practical implications Since the cases are executed in the real-time setup of consumer banks, the paper has several practical implications. First, the paper confirms the applicability of LSS in consumer banking and concludes that LSS project management is merely a sub-set of LSS deployment. Second, LSS needs to be understood using a “systems thinking” perspective in order to move away from a narrow project-only approach. An LSS project selection criterion is recommended as a part of the study, which could serve as a managerial resource. Other managerial implications include effective management of stakeholders and change leadership as essential elements of LSS project management in banks. Originality/value LSS has been successful in the past few decades in the manufacturing and service sectors. However, its application in BFS is limited. This study illustrates the applicability of LSS in consumer banks, which deals with high volumes of data, customer bases and associated financial transactions.

Multi-response roles in emergency response personnel

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Linsdell ◽  
Colin Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Social Preferences ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the decision-making process of multi-role emergency response volunteers and their preferences for which agency they would choose to volunteer for in an emergency, utilizing the New South Wales Rural Fire Service as an example. Design/methodology/approach – Large-scale online survey data collection method, which enabled in depth analysis of responses. Findings – There are a large number of individuals who hold multiple volunteer roles and their decisions as to which service they would prefer to volunteer for is influenced by many complex factors. Research limitations/implications – Research in this topic is rare and future research should be undertaken on a wider scale involving both quantitative and qualitative methods. Practical implications – Findings will help policy makers and those responsible for providing emergency services with an understanding of the decision-making process of volunteers. Social implications – The results may help to promote understanding of a volunteers social preferences when engaged in work for emergency services. Originality/value – This is an area that has had little research undertaken in and is therefore quite an original piece of work that will have resonance for emergency services across the globe.

The effect of workplace spirituality on salespeople's organisational deviant behaviours: research propositions and practical implications

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaibhav Chawla
Keyword(s):  
Workplace Spirituality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Research Propositions ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Recent survey data suggest that salespeople's organisational deviant behaviours such as fudging an expense report, putting off work-related duties to attend to personal things etc. are growing uncontrollably out in the field. Directed towards the goal of mitigating these behaviours, this research attempts to apply the novel perspective of workplace spirituality. Jurkiewicz and Giacalone's value framework of workplace spirituality which consists of ten values (benevolence, generativity, humanism, integrity, justice, mutuality, receptivity, respect, responsibility and trust) is used to propose the theoretical linkages with salespeople's organisational deviant behaviours. The paper concludes with directions for further research, managerial implications and teaching implications. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a conceptual work, which derives research propositions from an extended literature review. Findings – It is proposed that the ten values (benevolence, generativity, humanism, integrity, justice, mutuality, receptivity, respect, responsibility and trust) of value framework of workplace spirituality negatively affect salespeople's organizational deviant behaviours. Research limitations/implications – Future research can extend the conceptual framework to salespeople's interpersonal and frontline deviant behaviours. Practical implications – First, this paper attempts to help sales managers to fight out the epidemic of deviant behaviours by suggesting that adopting workplace spirituality could reduce salespeople's organisational deviant behaviours. Second, by proposing negative effect on organisational deviant behaviours, this paper extends the list of potential benefits of workplace spirituality in sales organisation to suggest that adopting workplace spirituality could be a sound sales strategy. Originality/value – This is the first study in marketing literature which attempts to integrate workplace spirituality and salespeople's negative (deviant) behaviours.

scholarly journals Hypercompetition: a review and agenda for future research

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annesofie Lindskov
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Competitive Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Relevant Variables ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review and understand the dimensionality of hypercompetition, factors causing a hypercompetitive environment and the consequences of hypercompetition on markets. Thereby, the purpose of the study is to cover the main contributors in the research field of hypercompetition and explore their findings and different views on hypercompetition. Design/methodology/approach Systematically review 131 conceptual and empirical studies published or presented at a conference in the past 25 years, with the focus on the definitions, causes and consequences (or presumed effects) of hypercompetition. In the paper, I follow the well-known systematic literature review method by Tranfield et al. (2003). Findings The contribution of the study is to advance the knowledge of researchers and managers, in such a way that it becomes easier for them to select relevant variables to measure hypercompetition and identify strategies for gaining temporary competitive advantages in hypercompetitive environments. The construct of hypercompetition required a consolidation of commonalities in the definitions and characteristics used by scholars, to ensure that proper assumptions and variables are being used to measure hypercompetition in future research. Several ways to measure the effects of hypercompetition on firms, industries and individuals have been proposed, but the field still lacks of a clear definition on how to directly measure the construct. Practical implications In this paper, I highlight three managerial implications of hypercompetition as follows: action-based strategy, the determinants of hypercompetition and the importance for managers of accurately establishing their firm’s competitive situation. Originality/value Previous reviews in the area have either focussed on specific components or effects of hypercompetition. The present study collectively takes into consideration the definitions, causes and consequences of hypercompetition on firms, industries and individuals. The contribution of the paper is to indicate future opportunities and challenges within research on hypercompetition.

Oh, the places you’ll go!

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Chapa ◽  
Yong J. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
College Graduates ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Employees ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Psychological Gender ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore pre-employment college graduates’ relocation tendencies based on a research framework built upon gender and cultural theories. Design/methodology/approach Relocation decisions were analyzed based on 208 college graduates enrolled in public universities in Texas, USA. Findings The relocation decision-making by college graduates differ from that for corporate employees described in previous research. First, the willingness to relocate increases as the college graduates mature. Second, gender difference in the willingness to relocate is non-significant because of the same expected norms for both genders. Instead, psychological gender affiliation, such as self-perceived masculinity, makes a difference in relocation decisions. Third, family-related variables, such as marital status and parenthood, do not influence college graduates’ relocation decisions. Last, cultural groups do not exhibit any overall significant differences. Research limitations/implications The findings provide new and complementary knowledge over previous relocation studies. Practical implications The findings enhance the understanding of career choices made by college graduates in their early career, offering valuable managerial implications in crafting staffing strategies and improving human resource management for organizations in today’s fast-changing, vibrant multi-cultural environment. Originality/value The study is focused on pre-employment relocation decision-making by college graduates from different demographic backgrounds. The study fills a major research void in relocation studies by clarifying the relocation patterns of new employees graduating from college.

Positive and negative valence influencing consumer engagement

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Heinonen
Keyword(s):  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Positive And Negative Valence ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The current service landscape is increasingly dynamic, and consumers’ engagement in market-related behavior is constantly changing. Developments in technology further influence this continuous dynamism. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that may cause different engagement valence, especially as only some consumers actively engage in online platforms. The purpose of this paper is to characterize factors that positively and negatively influence consumer engagement and suggest theoretical and managerial implications for the different factors that determine consumer engagement. Design/methodology/approach This paper conceptualizes factors that influence consumer engagement based on their characteristics (behavioral, emotional, and cognitive) and the type of influence (positive or negative). The study uses customer-dominant logic of service, which focuses on emancipated customers and idiosyncratic customer logic, rather than on provider-orchestrated customer experiences of brands, firms, or offerings. An abductive research approach is used to qualitatively explore consumer engagement in the context of online interest communities. Findings The study identifies the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive factors that positively and negatively determine consumer engagement in the context of online interest communities. Research limitations/implications Through the focus on customer logic, the study provides a detailed and nuanced view of factors that influence consumer engagement. Future research is needed to explore how this framework can be applied to other online communities and different service contexts. Practical implications The paper provides insights into the presence of an interest area in consumers’ lives. The study indicates how firms may be involved in consumers’ lives and how firms may create successful customer relationships based on consumer engagement. Originality/value This study enhances previous research in four ways: by characterizing factors that determine engagement, paying particular attention to its negatively valenced factors and examining the interplay of the factors that positively and negatively influence engagement, by describing consumers’ connection to the interest area instead of positioning the brand as the link between the consumers and the provider, and by discussing the theoretical and practical challenges associated with understanding and managing consumer engagement.

Adoption, use and management of process mining in practice

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Grisold ◽  
Jan Mendling ◽  
Markus Otto ◽  
Jan vom Brocke
Keyword(s):  
Process Mining ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Process Selection ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Managerial Level ◽  
Process Managers ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study explores how process managers perceive the adoption, use and management of process mining in practice. While research in process mining predominantly focuses on the technical aspects, our work highlights organizational and managerial implications.Design/methodology/approachWe report on a focus group study conducted with process managers from various industries in Central Europe. This setting allowed us to gain diverse and in-depth insights about the needs and expectations of practitioners in relation to the adoption, use and management of process mining.FindingsWe find that process managers face four central challenges. These challenges are largely related to four stages; (1) planning and business case calculation, (2) process selection, (3) implementation, and (4) process mining use.Research limitations/implicationsWe point to research opportunities in relation to the adoption, use and management of process mining. We suggest that future research should apply interdisciplinary study designs to better understand the managerial and organizational implications of process mining.Practical implicationsThe reported challenges have various practical implications at the organizational and managerial level. We explore how existing BPM frameworks can be extended to meet these challenges.Originality/valueThis study is among the first attempts to explore process mining from the perspective of process managers. It clarifies important challenges and points to avenues for future research.

Distributor orientation and channel profitability for manufacturing-centered SMEs

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Chiquan Guo ◽  
Yong Wang ◽  
Ying Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Distribution Channel ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Competitive Intensity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strong Positive Relationship ◽  
Relationship Outcomes ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to explore how the distributor orientation of manufacturing-centered small and medium-sized enterprises (MCSMEs) influences relationship building outcomes, distributor satisfaction, and channel profitability. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the moderating role of competitive intensity and coordinative culture in the association between distributor orientation and relationship building outcomes. Findings Empirical results from 115 MCSMEs reveal a strong positive relationship between distributor orientation and distributor satisfaction. The findings also show a positive relationship between distributor orientation and channel profitability. Furthermore, although competitive intensity strengthens the positive relationship between distributor orientation and the two relationship building outcomes, coordinative intensity weakens the positive relationship between distributor orientation and the two relationship outcomes. Practical implications Managerial implications and future research opportunities were discussed. Originality/value The research contributes to the literature on the management of small and medium-sized enterprises and offers practical implications for manufacturers and distribution channel managers.

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