Beyond a single organization: challenges and opportunities in doing field level ethnography

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammar B. Zilber
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Field Level ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Ethnographic Field Work ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer a road map for carrying out field-level ethnography, focussing on the inter-organizational space collectively constructed and shared by communities of organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The argument is developed through a critical and integrated review of relevant literature. Findings – Field-level ethnographic work requires researchers to define the field they are exploring, locate their specific research site within it, capture the field through ethnographic practices that take into account the unique characteristics of this local field as a social phenomenon, and deploy various conceptualizations of inter-organizational spheres in order to enrich their analysis and interpretations. Practical implications – This paper offers practical insights for practitioners of field-level ethnography. Originality/value – As organizations are open-systems that reside and take part in much broader, inter-organizational spaces, the author makes a case for going beyond the more common practice of carrying out ethnographic field work in a single organization, to doing field-level ethnography. The paper discusses various theorizations of the inter-organizational sphere, suggest how to carry field-level ethnography in practice, and note its peculiar challenges.

Behind closed doors! Homosocial desire and the academic boys club

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Fisher ◽  
Sue Kinsey
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Field Work ◽  
The Political ◽  
Detailed Data ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Feminist Poststructuralist ◽  
Homosocial Desire ◽  
Men And Masculinities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to explore the nature and power of the academic boys club. In many organisations, the political significance of the boys club goes largely unremarked and unacknowledged. Yet, the way that male colleagues intimately relate to each other, sometimes called homosocial desire, is crucial to their success at gaining and retaining power at work. Design/methodology/approach – Feminist, poststructuralist, ethnographic, qualitative, and longitudinal data were collected over a five-year period from male and female academics in a British university. Findings – The boys club is still a powerful feature of British universities. Their apparent invisibility shrouds the manner in which they can and do promote and maintain male interests in a myriad of ways, including selection and promotion. These findings have resonances for all organisations. Research limitations/implications – Researching the intimacies between male colleagues requires time-intensive field work and insider access to men interacting with each other. Practical implications – Meaningful gender equality will not be achieved unless and until the more sophisticated forms of female exclusion are revealed and deconstructed. Originality/value – This research makes an unusual and crucial contribution to the study of gender, men and masculinities by providing longitudinal, rich, detailed data, observing men at the closest of quarters and then analysed by a feminist and poststructuralist gaze.

Seamless stages to sustainable growth

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 25-27
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – If practicing managers are to create a sustainability-focused culture, they will need some kind of road map to guide them and ensure that their efforts are properly targeted. This paper presents a model that can act as such a guide, directing companies and bosses in ways that ensure integration of mission, values, goals and strategy. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Innovation capability: a systematic literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Mendoza-Silva
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Innovation Capability ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeInnovation is considered an important stage in the process of competitiveness of companies. While there is an extensive literature in the management and innovation field that shows the characteristics that enhance a firm's ability to innovate, there is still no consensus on its determinants and nature. This study aims to advance the understanding of innovation capability (IC) by conducting a systematic review of relevant literature at the firm level.Design/methodology/approachThe study reviews the literature by applying the categorization and contextualization of qualitative strategies. The study gathered 137 peer-reviewed papers from Scopus and Web of Science databases.FindingsThe papers were analysed and synthesized into an integrated framework that links IC with its internal and external determinants, and its consequences. In doing this, this study proposes directions for future investigations that might enlighten a better understanding of IC.Practical implicationsThe study provides elements that can be useful during the design and implementation of innovative initiatives in a firm.Originality/valueThe paper jointly examines in the same model the nature, antecedents and consequences of IC. In the same vein, the framework provides the little-researched links between those themes in the IC literature.

E-recruitment and training comprehensiveness: untapped antecedents of employer branding

2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sovanjeet Mishra ◽  
S. Pavan Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Organisational Development ◽  
Training Process ◽  
Employer Branding ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Training ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Modelling Approach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight e-recruitment and training comprehensiveness as the untapped antecedents of employer branding (EB) in the relevant literature, which might enhance the employer’s knowledge and lead to organisational development.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts an exploratory conceptual modelling approach based on the extant literature from 1964 to 2017 using the databases of Emerald, EBSCO, Scopus, Proquest, JSTOR and search engines such as Google Scholar to ensure the reliability of the literature.FindingsThis paper suggests that e-recruitment and training comprehensiveness might be the untapped antecedents of EB as compared to traditional recruitment and training process explored in earlier studies.Research limitations/implicationsThe viewpoint can be further refined through academic conceptualisation and empirical validation.Practical implicationsThis paper lays a conceptual foundation in the emerging area of EB. Ideas expressed herein can be approached by academicians.Originality/valuePast studies have not explored e-recruitment and training comprehensiveness as the antecedents of EB. This work provides knowledge that candidly contributes to the conceptualisation of e-recruitment and training comprehensiveness. Further, this research has the potential to help academicians to understand the antecedents of EB leading to organisational development.

Assessing the objectives of dry ports: main issues, challenges and opportunities in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago de Almeida Rodrigues ◽  
Caroline Maria de Miranda Mota ◽  
Udechukwu Ojiako ◽  
Fikri Dweiri
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Second Step ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Dry Ports ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose is to identify the main characteristics of dry ports (DPs) in Brazil, discussing the role of this logistic player, challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, this study provides a structured framework to drive DP decision-makers, identifying and assessing a network of means–end objectives, which could be replicable to other contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis article approached initially a literature review and exploratory research to discuss the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil. The second step was to conduct a qualitative analysis following the value-focused thinking (VFT) approach in two case studies in Pernambuco state to assess the achievement of the main objectives.FindingsThis article identified that the main characteristics of DPs in Brazil are offering additional services with a cheaper storage cost, handling mainly import cargo and being connected to seaports through highways. Moreover, this study resulted in a framework to assess the objectives of DPs, which could be replicable in other contexts, improving the current operations of DPs.Practical implicationsThe framework to assess DPs' objectives bridged the gap between the literature and the practice working as a tool to drive decision-makers to improve the current performance of DPs in Brazil. Additionally, the main issues, challenges and opportunities discussed provide managers, policymakers and DPs operators with valuable insights into this theme.Originality/valueThis paper is the first study to present a framework to assess the objectives of DPs as a valuable tool to drive decision-makers to improve DPs operations. From this study, lessons could be learned and the process described could be replicable in other countries.

White box, black box and self-organization

Kybernetes ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Kasianiuk
Keyword(s):  
System Identification ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Open Systems ◽  
Black Box ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Cognitive Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Adaptive ◽  
Adaptive Processes ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present two system identification models – “white box” and “black box” – as useful tools that help understand self-organization processes within and outside the organizations facilitated by leaders. Every leader is presented as a “systems designer” who plays a fundamental role in the process of self-organization, both within and outside the organization under study. Design/methodology/approach – First, “white box” and “black box” system identification models are presented as a basis for an integrated model of the “system” and its “environment.” Next, the ideas of “closed” and “open” systems as the prerequisites of self-organization processes are described. Finally, two basic leadership tactics as well as their combination are characterized and discussed. Findings – Two system identification models give a complementary view to the reality, as they combine both reductionist and holistic perspectives. The argument presented in the paper shows that there is a far reaching complementarity of the two system identification models. Practical implications – Since leaders need to comprehend complex adaptive processes taking place in the organizations and in their environment, they search for the best strategy to approach this task. The tactics presented in the paper could serve as a cognitive tools that help approach the reality leaders are immersed in. Originality/value – The paper utilizes two categories that are well recognized in systems theory and cybernetics, combines them with the idea of self-organization and puts it all in the context of leadership. It provides an integrated, yet relatively simple cognitive scheme that may be of theoretical and practical use.

Integrating Big Data in “e-Oman”: opportunities and challenges

Info ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 79-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuti Saxena ◽  
Sujeet Kumar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Government ◽  
Time Basis ◽  
Privacy And Confidentiality ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to integrate Big Data in e-government in Oman, also known as “e-Oman”, wherein Big Data might be better harnessed to tackle real-time challenges. Design/methodology/approach Besides a description of the concepts of e-government and Big Data in general, the paper underscores the dimensions of “e-Oman”. Following a qualitative approach, the paper asserts how integration of Big Data in “e-Oman” may be useful by invoking examples from four short case studies across different sectors. Findings The paper supports the integration of “e-Oman” and Big Data wherein besides providing smooth public services, the government is encouraged to forge inter- and intra-ministerial collaboration and public-private partnership. The paper probes through the challenges and opportunities in effecting this integration. Practical implications The paper provides a platform for the policymakers to conceive of a synchronized programme for integrating “e-Oman” and the Big Data generated by it. This integration would go a long way in building upon the economy of Oman, besides providing better public services to the individuals and businesses on a real-time basis. Social implications The paper does throw light on the issues of privacy and confidentiality of data available with the government. There are challenges of cybercrime as well. Therefore, the paper posits that a robust fool-proof infrastructure should be instituted by the government for effecting integration of e-government and Big Data. Originality/value This paper seeks to fill the gap in extant literature which remains scant on the integration of e-government with Big Data. This is especially true in the case of Oman where not a single study has been presented to probe this issue. Given that “e-Oman” is expanding its scope over the years, this paper foresees the concomitant opportunities and challenges in the integration of Big Data in “e-Oman”.

What cliff is your business headed for? Are you listening and are the right people talking?

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-5
Author(s):  
Paul Ballman
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Right ◽  
Solution Focused ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Emissions Testing

Purpose This paper addresses one particular type of cliff edge – “Unknown Knowns” that organizations are often headed for and suggests ways in which it can be avoided. Design/methodology/approach The paper reports lessons learned through the author’s experience and draws on relevant literature. Findings Apparently unforeseen cliffs are actually well known about, deep in the organization, well ahead of time and either nobody is talking or nobody is listening. Practical Implications People need to change their cultures to ensure that the “Cassandras” (people who can be seen as “negative” and problem rather than solution focused) are genuinely listened to. Originality/value New scandals break every month. At the time of writing, the latest is Volkswagen (VW) emissions testing, itself a classic example of an unknown-known cliff.

Sibling rivalry among anti-corruption agencies in Taiwan

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernie Ko ◽  
Yu-Chang Su ◽  
Chilik Yu
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sibling Rivalry ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fiscal Constraints ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the multiple anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) in Taiwan and their conflict resolution. The birth of the Agency Against Corruption (AAC) in 2011 created the unintended consequence of sibling rivalry with the elder Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB). Design/methodology/approach – A historical background of these agencies is discussed and followed by an analysis of the diversified conflicts among the prosecutor’s office, the AAC and the MJIB. The empirical sources of this study include 17 in-depth interviews with government officials both at ministerial level and field level, scholars and NGO representatives. Findings – The redundancy of ACAs in Taiwan is a fact, which is extremely difficult to change in the foreseeable future in the light of current political and fiscal constraints. This paper concludes that the conflicts among multiple ACAs and their operational weaknesses will not fade away after a mere directive from their superior, the Ministry of Justice, unless genuine cooperation is put into place in various individual cases. Practical implications – This paper provides a road-map for decision makers to improve collective anti-corruption performance. Taiwan’s AAC serves as the latest example testing the efficacy of the multiple specialized ACAs. Originality/value – This pioneering study provides insights into Taiwan’s anti-corruption policy and practices. More investigative studies should be conducted on the effectiveness of multiple ACAs in other countries.

“Doing good” while serving customers

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip T. Roundy
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Social entrepreneurship represents an unconventional, but increasingly prevalent, activity in developed and emerging economies. Social entrepreneurs devise novel business models that blend business and social missions with the aim of (co-)producing value with two primary stakeholder groups, beneficiaries and customers. Although interactions between social entrepreneurs and their beneficiaries are well-studied, the relationship between social ventures and consumers has received almost no extended attention. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative, partially-inductive approach based on interviews with 40 social entrepreneurs, a study of how social entrepreneurs market their ventures to consumers was conducted. Findings Findings reveal the ways in which marketing is relevant for social entrepreneurs, the unique challenges and opportunities entrepreneurs face in their interactions with customers, and the tactics entrepreneurs use to understand and educate their consumers. Originality/value The study’s findings contribute to work on social entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship and marketing interface and have practical implications for social entrepreneurs.

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