To lead or not to lead: that is the (courageous) question

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Javier Bajer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to challenge the constructs regularly used by organisations around the world for the development of leadership. Design/methodology/approach This is an opinion piece based on direct observation of hundreds of organisations over the years. Findings The regular approaches used for the development of leadership skills in organisations have consistently failed to deliver against its promise. Moreover, it is often the case that organisations pursue new “solutions” to bridge the leadership gap, often to discover that their new approach not only failed to develop the skills needed but also had the side effect of distracting vast amounts of attention. This paper describes what, if not the various taxonomies that describe, “good leadership” looks like really and how it delivers sustainable and effective leadership transformation. Originality/value This piece challenges the status quo, offering a more powerful way of connecting people with the purpose of their work, increasing the impact that individual leadership could have in the creation of value for all stakeholders, including themselves.

Author(s):  
Lotte Holck

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the affective entanglement of both researcher and practitioners in a study of workplace diversity with a transformative agenda.Design/methodology/approachEvents and experiences related to interventions in a municipal center are presented. The study is embedded in critical diversity research and applies engaged ethnographic methods.FindingsThe researcher reflects on how interventions designed to challenge the status quo faced difficulties while considering the impact of the research entry point, efforts to mobilize organizational members in favor of a diversity agenda and the micro-politics of doing intervention-based research.Practical implicationsThe study reflects on how “useful” research with an allegedly emancipatory agenda might not be considered favorable to neither majority nor minority employees. The notion of affectivity is applied to deal with the organizational members’ multi-voiced response to the change efforts, as well as how the researcher’s position as researcher-change agent critically shaped the fieldwork experiences and their interpretation.Originality/valueFew critical diversity scholars engage with practitioners to produce “useful” research with practical implications. In doing so, this paper contributes to critical diversity methods by exploring why presumably emancipatory initiatives apparently did not succeed, despite organizational goodwill. This involves questioning the implied assumption of the inherent “good” of emancipation, as well as notions of “useful research.”


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Plumley ◽  
Stuart W. Flint

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the competitive balance of the UEFA Champions League group stages. There are numerous financial and commercial benefits to clubs that participate in this competition. The current paper examines whether the seeding system operated by UEFA is hindering some lower ranked teams from qualification and, thus, the associated benefits. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected for all UEFA Champions League group stages between1999/2000 and 2013/2014. Data analysis techniques included Herfindahl-Hirschman Index to examine competitive balance and one-way ANOVAs to examine the impact of the current seeding system on club performance. Findings – The findings suggest that there are flaws in the ranking and seeding system used by UEFA, as results show that the competition is competitively imbalanced at the group stage. Additionally, clubs that are continually placed in the highest seeding pot historically tend to accumulate more points and finish in a higher position in the group, thereby giving them a better opportunity to progress further in the competition. Research limitations/implications – The study has implications for both the clubs competing in the Champions League, who will be affected by the seeding system, and UEFA themselves when considering the sporting integrity of their flagship competition. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper of its kind to examine competitive balance in this competition, and the paper contributes new knowledge that extends the research undertaken in the field previously.


2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Creaser

Purpose Library impact and how to evaluate it has been debated for a number of years. While the activity – the busy-ness – of the library is now routinely measured and described, the difference the library makes is less tangible and harder to measure. Libraries in all sectors and worldwide are grappling with this issue, and the purpose of this paper is to summarise international standards available to support them. Design/methodology/approach The first international standard concerning library impact, ISO 16439 Information and documentation – methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries, was published in 2014 after several years in development. Findings The standard describes a range of methods for assessing library impact which have been used across the world in a variety of libraries in all sectors. Originality/value This paper summarises the key methods described in the standard, and gives references for further reading.


2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 10-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Q. Yang

Purpose – This study aims to ascertain the trends and changes of how academic libraries market and deliver information literacy (IL) on the web. Design/methodology/approach – The author compares the findings from two separate studies that scanned the Web sites for IL-related activities in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Findings – Academic libraries intensified their efforts to promote and deliver IL on the web between 2009 and 2012. There was a significant increase in IL-related activities on the web in the three-year period. Practical implications – The findings describe the status quo and changes in IL-related activities on the libraries’ Web sites. This information may help librarians to know what they have been doing and if there is space for improvement. Originality/value – This is the only study that spans three years in measuring the progress librarians made in marketing and delivering IL on the Web.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronny Alexander Zayas-Mateo ◽  
Ángel Rafael Martínez-Lorente

Purpose ISO 9001 is applied by hundreds of thousands of companies throughout the world. For this reason, its effect on company results has been extensively studied. However, the results of those studies are inconclusive and sometimes contradictory. More in-depth research, with a new approach, is therefore necessary. The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether ISO 9001-certified companies suffered the effects of the financial and economic crisis of 2007–2008 to a lesser degree than non-certified ones. Design/methodology/approach A set of 179 companies certified by ISO 9001:2008 and 154 non-certified ones were analysed, as well as the accounting figures for net sales and operating income (EBIT: earnings before interest and taxes) from 2004 to 2012. Findings Companies from the industry and services sectors showed different results. Certified industrial companies achieved better outcomes than their non-certified counterparts. However, the deviations in outcomes were not significant for services companies. Research limitations/implications One limitation of this study is that companies’ official results are not always their true results. Another limitation is that having to do with the criteria followed to suppress extreme cases, which is always subjective. Furthermore, the implications of the results could be of use for those managers who are responsible for implementing ISO 9001 and for deciding whether obtaining the ISO 9001 certification would be beneficial to their companies. Originality/value This study constitutes a new approach for the assessment of the benefits of the ISO 9001 certification.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu-Ming Loh ◽  
Voon-Hsien Lee ◽  
Garry Wei-Han Tan ◽  
Keng-Boon Ooi ◽  
Yogesh K. Dwivedi

PurposeThis paper explores the reasons behind the slow uptake of mobile payment (m-payment) from a switching intention (SI) perspective. The antecedents of SI from cash to m-payment were explored using an integrated conceptual model of the push-pull-mooring (PPM) framework and the status quo bias (SQB) perspective.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered survey was used to collect data, which are empirically tested using SmartPLS 3.0.FindingsThe push factor was found to have an insignificant effect on SI to m-payment whereas the pull factor was significant. Furthermore, the results revealed that the two mooring variables have contrasting results as trust is not a significant determinant of SI to m-payment while perceived security and privacy (PSP) is. Additionally, all SQB-related relationships were found to be statistically significantOriginality/valueThis study determined the factors that play vital roles in the consumers' decision-making to transition from cash to m-payment. This was done via a uniquely developed conceptual model that incorporated the PPM framework with the SQB perspective.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Zolkiewski

Purpose This paper aims to debate the challenges related to balancing relevance and ranking in management research. Design/methodology/approach This is a commentary on and review of challenges faced by twenty-first century management academics. Findings There is a chasm between managerial relevance and current managerial research; however, with academic buy-in, there are ways in which the chasm can be crossed. Research limitations/implications The implications of this are wide reaching for management researchers. They are challenged to consider different methodologies, strategies and dissemination avenues for their research. Practical implications Researchers need to consider not only collaboration with practitioners, as they pursue solutions to managerial problems, but also more inter-disciplinary research that addresses the wicked problems of management in practice. Social implications Solving the challenge of managerial relevance of business research has the potential to allow the contribution of business academia to be fully appreciated by practitioners. Originality/value The value of this thought-piece is that it challenges business and management academics to challenge the status quo and fight to make their research relevant to and valued by the business world.


2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 182-187
Author(s):  
Clare Southall

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the changing role of OD practitioners. Given the many significant challenges faced by organisations and their leaders, never has the role of OD been more important; it is vital that OD practitioners are able to identify the paradigm shift that is required if they are to provide the relevant challenge and support that organisations and leaders need. Design/methodology/approach – The OD role is explored through the Challenger pattern of behaviour known as Witnessing the Establishment – the ability, and the willingness, to see things as they really are, not as we wish them to be. The authors are often so much a part of the organisational system ourselves that the underpinning assumptions, beliefs, routines and rituals that exist are so transparent we can not see them for what they are. Findings – This paper focuses on one of the six patterns of behaviour identified in Challenger leaders in the book “Challenger Spirit: Organisations that disturb the status quo” by Khurshed Dehnugara and Claire Genkai Breeze, LID Publishing, 2011. Research limitations/implications – This is not an academic paper but instead a consultant/practitioner perspective grounded in day-to-day work with leaders and OD professionals in client organisations. Originality/value – A number of suggestions are given for applying the perspectives discussed, through a series of questions, diagnostic processes and models. These are directly applicable to OD practitioners themselves and can also form the basis of further conversations with the leaders and colleagues.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulcin Ozbay ◽  
Mehmet Sariisik ◽  
Veli Ceylan ◽  
Muzaffer Çakmak

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to make a comparative evaluation of the impacts of previous outbreaks and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the tourism industry. COVID-19 appears to have disrupted all memorizations about epidemics ever seen. Nobody has anticipated that the outbreak in late December will spread rapidly across the world, be fatal and turn the world economy upside down. Severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome and others caused limited losses in a limited geography, thus similar behaviors were expected at first in COVID-19. But it was not so. Today, people continue to lose their lives and experience economic difficulties. One of the most important distressed industries is undoubtedly tourism.Design/methodology/approachThis study is a literature review. In this review, a comparative evaluation between the impact of previous outbreaks and COVID-19 on the tourism industry has been made based on statistics and previous research studies.FindingsThe information and figures obtained show that COVID-19 and previous outbreaks have such significant differences that cannot be compared. COVID-19 has been one of the worst to live in terms of spreading speed, the geography where it spreads, loss of lives and negative effects in the whole area.Originality/valueIt is noteworthy that COVID-19 is very severe in terms of death cases and also its impacts on the economy compared to other pandemics. It remains to be argued that COVID-19 can also be a reference in terms of possible new outbreaks in the future, and is an effective actor in determining future strategies.


Subject Implications of the WRC-15 meeting on space. Significance The latest meeting of the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15), closed on November 27. The WRC-15 set out the basic principles for allocating international communications spectra for the next four years, affecting telecommunications operators in 193 member states. It also responded to growing demands for satellite-based airliner flight tracking. However, a number of uncertainties affecting some aspects of space-based communications, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) control systems, were not resolved. Impacts The ITU-led international regime will come under increasing pressure from commercial interests. It will also face challenges from political interests dissatisfied with the status quo. As a result the ITU system will struggle to maintain consensus on space-related issues.


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