Conflicting perspectives in a housing association

2018 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Kjærbeck ◽  
Marianne Wolff Lundholt
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Narrative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Counter Narratives ◽  
Action Analysis ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate employees’ conflicting perspectives on the business strategy in a Danish housing association through a narrative approach, in order to gain insight into the relation between master- and counter-narratives. The authors discuss the possibility of integrating counter-narratives as a resource in strategy processes. Finally, the usefulness and challenges of the applied narrative approach are addressed. Design/methodology/approach The study was undertaken as a case study of strategy communication in a private housing association. The empirical material consists of 16 qualitative interviews from all levels of the organization as well as recordings of meetings where management presents a new strategy to the employees. The study adopts a mixed methods interpretivist approach using focus groups and interviews as data and with a focus on narratives as sense-making resources. The applied method of analysis is based on narratology, sociological action analysis and the concept of “framing.” Findings Employees’ counter-narratives focus on practical problems regarding the implementation of the business strategy. They materialize through temporal structures and framing strategies through which employees’ perspectives are presented indirectly and with great care. In spite of their oppositional content, these counter-perspectives cannot be considered to be resistance; on the contrary, employees take great interest in solving the reported problems. Counter-narratives are seemingly useful resources in a form of “reality check” in the organization, in order to elucidate the implementation of the business strategy and make necessary adjustments. The research furthermore points to a more dialogical strategy communication where employees are involved earlier in the process rather than marginalized to “resistant bystanders.” Originality/value These findings give insight into the use of narratives as practical meaning construction in an organizational context, and in relation to strategy communication and change.

Becoming a PI: agency, persistence and some luck!

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn McAlpine ◽  
Gill Turner ◽  
Sharon Saunders ◽  
Natacha Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Mixed Mode ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Principal Investigator ◽  
Narrative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Perspective ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Cross National

Purpose This paper aims to examine the experience of gaining research independence by becoming a principal investigator (PI) – an aspiration for many post-PhD researchers about whom little is known. It provides insight into this experience by using a qualitative narrative approach to document how 60 PIs from a range of disciplines in one European and two UK universities experienced working towards and achieving this significant goal. Design/methodology/approach Within the context of a semi-structured interview, individuals drew and elaborated a map representing the emotional high and low experiences of the journey from PhD graduation to first PI grant, and completed a biographic questionnaire. Findings Regardless of the length of the journey from PhD graduation to first PI grant, more than a third noted the role that luck played in getting the grant. Luck was also perceived to have an influence in other aspects of academic work. This influence made it even more important for these individuals to sustain a belief in themselves and be agentive and persistent in managing the challenges of the journey. Originality/value The study, unusual in its cross-national perspective, and its mixed mode data collection, offers a nuanced perspective on the interaction between agency and an environment where the “randomness factor” plays a role in success. The function of luck as a support for sustained agency and resilience is explored.

When TM strategy is not self-evident

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 1204-1222
Author(s):  
Mickael Naulleau
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Conditions ◽  
Management Board ◽  
Organizational Issues ◽  
Congruence Analysis ◽  
One Year

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the talent management (TM) and talentship literature by exploring the key organizational conditions required to design a sustainable TM strategy. Design/methodology/approach The author carried out a one-year action research with the management board of a mid-sized French company that sought to implement a TM strategy. Immersion in the phenomenon studied allowed inductive exploration of a TM strategy design from the outset of its formulation and conceptualization. Data were collected from observations, interviews and focus groups with different stakeholders (management board, managers and employees) involved in TM strategy project, and were analyzed from a congruence model to interpret a posteriori the key organizational issues affecting TM strategy. Findings The findings highlight the need to go beyond simple TM alignment to business strategy, as talentship asserts. They offer an overview of key organizational issues influencing TM strategy: organizational inputs such as environment, history and identity, along with organizational components such as critical tasks, people, structure, management and culture and their mutual influences and dynamics. The lack of congruence among these key organizational factors hinders the ability to conceptualize, formulate and design TM strategy successfully. Research limitations/implications Due to its exploratory nature and the fact that it consists of a single case, this study encourages further contributions to the TM and talentship literature on organizational issues affecting TM strategy in other contexts. It also suggests a complementary approach with the decision-making literature to explore the conceptualization stage and the influences of managers involved in TM strategy more deeply. Practical implications The paper suggests an organizational diagnosis on organizational conditions and capabilities for designing TM strategy based on congruence analysis used in this case. It also proposes in addition to the talentship approach and congruence analysis, when key organizational conditions are met, a five-step process for guiding managers in making sounder decisions during TM strategy conceptualization. Originality/value The paper sheds light on key organizational conditions required to design TM strategy that have been overlooked in the TM and talentship literature. It thus questions the apparent practicability of TM strategy in any organizational context.

Discussing strategy in heritage conservation

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Poulios
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Community Group ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Innovation ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of strategy in the field of heritage conservation, with a focus on a new conservation approach that promotes the empowerment of local communities and sustainable development: a living heritage approach. Design/methodology/approach – The approaches to heritage conservation are outlined: a material-based approach defines the principles of western-based conservation, a values-based approach expands these principles, while a living heritage approach clearly challenges the established principles. These approaches are, then, analysed from the perspective of strategy, and a living heritage approach is seen as an example of strategic innovation. The process by which ICCROM develops a living heritage approach at an international level is also examined. Findings – Choosing the “appropriate” conservation approach depends on the specific conditions of each heritage place. Yet, for the cases of living heritage in particular (with communities with an original connection with heritage) a living heritage approach would be more preferable. Living heritage approach can be seen as an example of a strategic innovation in the field of heritage conservation: it proposes a different concept of heritage and conservation (a new WHAT), points at a different community group as responsible for the definition and protection of heritage (a new WHO), and proposes a different way of heritage protection (a new HOW). Practical implications – A living heritage approach (presented in the paper) may potentially influence the theory as well as the practice of heritage conservation in a variety of parts and heritage places in the world, especially in terms of the attitude towards local and indigenous communities. Originality/value – Developing a new approach is, in a sense, developing a new strategy. In this context, the paper aims at bringing the insight of business strategy into the field of heritage conservation.

Organizational play: within and beyond managing

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virpi Tökkäri
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthetize qualitative research on play in the organizational context. Design/methodology/approach – Through a metasynthesis, the research premises and findings of 12 individual empirical studies were examined. Findings – The findings of the metasynthesis showed that the research on organizational play has focussed on three central themes addressing play as fun, pros and cons of organizational play, and management of play. In interpreting the findings, seven perspectives of organizational play are constructed as follows: authenticity, belongingness, experience, social activities, generating, functions, and artifacts. The perspectives are conceptualized into three dimensions of play as the orientation of being-in-the-world, play as meaning-making and enactment, and play as creations. Research limitations/implications – The sample consisted of 12 studies, which provided a limited insight into organizational play. However, following the guidelines of metasynthesis, the sample was appropriate and of good quality. The research suggests guidelines for further research into organizational play. Practical implications – Achieving psychosocial well-being at work and success in management requires understanding of essential personal and social processes, such as play. The findings provide knowledge that can be applied in management and other workplace practices. Originality/value – The study highlights the divergent perspectives of the organizationally important phenomenon of play. The paper contributes to a better understanding and the development of play in organizations.

Proposed re-conceptualization of IT business value benefits

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonal Daulatkar ◽  
Purnima S. Sangle
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Business Value ◽  
Factor Analyses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Measures ◽  
It Business Value ◽  
A Value ◽  
Business Alignment ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – Financial measures, available aplenty, of returns on investments in information technology (IT) are deemed insufficient in terms of inclusion of intangible benefits. The purpose of this paper is to re-conceptualize the IT business value (ITBV) benefits by Gregor et al. (2006) after a contemporary evaluation. Design/methodology/approach – IT experts have been administered the instrument to provide insight into the contemporary cogitation of ITBV benefits and factor analyses are employed to re-conceptualize the ITBV benefits. Findings – Of the four ITBV benefits, the statistical analysis suggests that Informational and Transactional benefits need to be re-conceptualized. It is affected through a systematic linking of parameters – business strategy, objectives, information systems (IS) strategy, IS role and IS-business alignment profiles in that order. Research limitations/implications – Operational definitions of re-conceptualized ITBV benefits have been presented which may be operationalized into components. Practical implications – The re-conceptualization provides managers with an enhanced understanding of ITBV in line with the alignment of IS with business objectives and strategy and guides managers to develop customized ITBV measures. Originality/value – The study employs factor analyses to analyse the ITBV benefits. It proves that the changing face of IT, wherein it is looked at as a value creator, needs an all-encompassing and contemporary envisioning of ITBV benefits. It also suggests an advanced typology based on further insightful IS literature.

All together now? Exploring sales and marketing integration

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Snyder ◽  
Steve McKelvey ◽  
William Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Structural Alignment ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Vice Presidents ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sales And Marketing ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – Building on prior research in interactions between sales and marketing departments, the purpose of this paper is to investigate departmental alignment among professional hockey teams. By using a single industry sample, the authors are able to identify high and low performers, along with structural antecedents that lead to higher alignment (Rouse and Daellenbach, 1999). Expiring inventory, customer knowledge, and volatile demand enhance the need for alignment and suggest opportunities for innovative mechanisms to share information among departments (Mullin et al., 2007). Design/methodology/approach – Through the usage of Kotler et al.’s (2006) survey instrument, the authors survey NHL Vice Presidents of sales and marketing to assess levels of structural alignment. The authors further explores strategies for alignment through qualitative interviews of select team executives. Findings – The authors find examples of high alignment, achieved through structural elements of proximity, cross-functional tasks, financial incentives, and new technologies. The qualitative interviews provide insight into how organizations attempt to create high levels of alignment. Originality/value – These results help advance the literature by identifying high performers and going inside organizations for the source of a competitive advantage, thus following Rouse and Dallenbach’s (1999) approach for theory development. The authors also contributes by identifying strategies for practitioners to apply as they attempt to design optimal work structures.

Status-quo vs new strategy in intangibles

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Shakina ◽  
Angel Barajas ◽  
Petr Parshakov ◽  
Aleksei Chadov
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Behavior ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Investment Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Closed Form Solutions ◽  
Test Parameters ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Managerial Economics ◽  
A Company ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This study explores company strategies for intangibles. The authors investigate whether it is reasonable for companies to intensify intangibles when the current strategy is not intangible-intensive. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate a theoretical model to describe the strategic decision making in companies. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the Bellman-equation framework to find the conditions under which a change in strategy for intangibles is reasonable. Findings The results determine the parameters of returns on intangibles in different strategies, the optimal intangible stock and the influence of external economic shocks. The findings of the study demonstrate that many requirements have to be met to make intangible-intensive strategy beneficial for a company. Moreover negative shocks of crises force a company to postpone a new strategy on intangibles. Practical implications This research provides an insight into strategic behavior of companies under uncertainty. The theoretical findings demonstrate under which conditions companies should decide to switch to a strategy more intangible-intensive. This model can be used to empirically test parameters of different investment strategies of companies using structural estimation techniques. Originality/value This work contributes to the theory of managerial economics giving closed form solutions for the dynamic optimization of company behavior. The findings also show how this behavior might change when economic crises are faced or expected.

Retrospection and state of sports marketing and sponsorship research in IJSMS from 1999 to 2015

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Hyun Jin
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Knowledge Structure ◽  
Sports Marketing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose Based on the increasing significance and proliferation of sports marketing and sponsorship, it is important to explore the state of sports marketing and sponsorship research, assess the development of sponsorship-related research, and grasp its future directions. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to help scholars understand future research directions to improve our knowledge of sports marketing and sponsorship. Design/methodology/approach This study used content analysis that incorporated three multidimensional measures and applied social network analysis in order to identify the knowledge structure of sponsorship research. The authors conducted content analysis to assess the status of the nature of sports marketing and sponsorship in the International Journal of Sports Marketing & Sponsorship (IJSMS). The authors coded 282 articles published in the IJSMS from 1999 through 2015 using three multidimensional measures. Findings Analyzing research trends in specific academic fields helps improve and provide understanding of research practices and future research directions to improve knowledge, in this case about sports marketing and sponsorship. This study is the most up-to-date research trend study regarding sports marketing and sponsorship (December 2015). Compared with previous trend studies that have focused on research purpose, research perspective, statistical method, and subject area, this study offers a more detailed analysis based on a wider set of concepts such as game types, individual authors, affiliated organizations, countries of origin, etc. Furthermore, social network analysis was used to identify the knowledge structure of sponsorship research in the IJSMS. The study provides valuable insight into the challenges marketers and scholars face as they implement a more market-centric business strategy. Research limitations/implications The study aims to highlight the knowledge structure of sports marketing and sponsorship using social networking analysis. In order to highlight specific research area trends, the process of development should be explored together with the intellectual structure of sports marketing and sponsorship research using “Author Co-citation Analysis”. Such an analysis would provide the advantage of incorporating the development process into sports marketing and sponsorship research. Practical implications Marketers and researchers have long explored the effects of sponsorship, an alternative marketing strategy to commercial advertising that involves placement of brand images and logos on athletes’ uniform and equipment as well as on structural elements of sports venues. Sponsoring the Olympic Games or the World Cup enables marketers to leverage the exposure made possible at a global sporting event, producing favorable responses to sponsoring companies. From a marketing communication perspective, this study makes a valuable contribution to the literature by reviewing the diversity of articles and the knowledge structure of those articles. The results should benefit marketing studies by offering crucial strategic implications for marketers seeking to adopt future sponsorship strategies. Originality/value The results provide valuable insights that can improve the understanding of the knowledge structure of sports marketing and sponsorship and suggest planning and directions for research on similar topics. This study’s findings provide insight into the challenges marketers and managers of corporate sports marketing firms face as they implement a more market-centric business strategy.

Teaching and learning cooking skills in Home Economics

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 1067-1078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albina Granberg ◽  
Viktoria Olsson ◽  
Ylva Mattsson Sydner
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Home Economics ◽  
Mild Intellectual Disability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Cooking Skills ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore which elements of cooking skills Home Economics (HE) teachers in schools for students with mild intellectual disability (ID) consider important for their students to learn. Design/methodology/approach In total, 22 qualitative interviews with HE teachers of students with mild ID were conducted. The transcripts were analyzed thematically using the sociocultural approach on learning and knowledge as a theoretical framework. Findings The elements of cooking skills that were emphasized included mastering the language of cooking, measuring, following recipes, representing an instrumental and task-centered – knowledge on cooking. Practical implications The results of this study provide an insight into cooking lessons in HE in schools, not only regarding the focus that teachers give to cooking skills, but also to how cooking skills can be understood on a theoretical level. This has implications for both regular schools and schools for students with mild IDs since the elements that teachers consider important then guide what the students are given to learn. Teachers should be conscious that the planning of lessons should also be based on the students’ specific circumstances and context. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that provides knowledge about how HE teachers reason regarding which cooking skills they consider important for students to learn. HE is taught to both children and adolescents, and it is important to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the subject and how the teaching is organized, including cooking skills.

scholarly journals Inhibitors and facilitators of corporate real estate dynamic alignment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard Cooke ◽  
Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek ◽  
Theo Arentze
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Decision Model ◽  
Causal Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Real Estate ◽  
Alignment Process ◽  
Dynamic Alignment ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This paper aims to identify the importance of individual variables in the corporate real estate (CRE) decision-making process. Design/methodology/approach Nine experts received a posed scenario of a changed business strategy requiring a CRE reduction in individual interviews. Based on their suggested response, a decision network was modelled for each expert using the causal network elicitation technique, incorporating the utilities for decision variables and importance weights for attributes and benefits. The decision model offers a graphical representation of decision-benefit links for the decisions CRE managers make in such a period of decline. Findings Perceived facilitators of CRE dynamic alignment were identified by calculating lift ratios on their perceived importance of the attributes they mentioned during the interviews as nodes in the network that link decisions to benefits. Facilitators included CRE metrics and workplace strategy, while capital expenditure and landlords inhibit alignment processes. The research provides more granular insight into the variables used in CRE decision-making and the factors that facilitate or inhibit the dynamic alignment process. Research limitations/implications The research set a specific scenario for the experts to consider. That could be regarded as small but there was clear evidence of saturation of expert knowledge. Additional face-to-face interviews with the experts may have generated further details on the thought processes of the experts. Practical implications The research provides more granular insight into the variables used in CRE decision-making and the factors that facilitate or inhibit the dynamic alignment process. Thereby providing CRE decision-makers with key elements for a decision model. Originality/value The research technique, causal network elicitation technique, uses semi-structured interviews to create decision networks, which is a technique that has not been widely applied to CRE research. The research provides a granular view of what are important inhibitors or facilitators of dynamic alignment of CRE to business strategy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document