Aflac: the importance of communication and innovation when transforming employee operations

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 250-253
Author(s):  
Teresa White
Keyword(s):  
Career Success ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Working Through ◽  
The Future ◽  
A Company ◽  
Career Direction

Purpose This purpose of this study is to provide a case study for how the company strives to provide its employees with “new ways of working” through a culture of transformation and advancement. Design/methodology/approach To demonstrate how Aflac effectively executes with strong results, Teresa focuses on three specific programs: Aflac’s Career Success Center, Upskilling Employees for the Future and Reverse Mentoring Programs. Findings To date, 2,000+ Aflac employees have participated, with 1,300 obtaining promotions or changing their career direction to something more suited to their goals and talents. Originality/value The importance of transformation and advancement within a company.

Unmasking conflict in vertical coopetition

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anni Rajala ◽  
Annika Tidström
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
And Task

Purpose The purpose of this study is to increase understanding about vertical coopetition from the perspective of interrelated conflict episodes on multiple levels. Design/methodology/approach The empirical part is based on a qualitative single case study of a coopetitive buyer-supplier relationship in the manufacturing sector. Findings Conflicts in vertical coopetition evolve from being merely functional and task-related to becoming dysfunctional and relationship-related, as the level of competition increases. The nature of conflict episodes influences the development of vertical coopetition, and therefore, the interrelatedness of conflict episodes is important to acknowledge. Practical implications Although a conflict is considered functional within a company, it may still be dysfunctional as far as the coopetitive relationship with the buyer or seller is concerned. Competition may trigger conflicts related to protecting own technology and knowledge, which may lead to termination of the cooperation, therefore coopetition should be managed in a way that balance sharing and protecting important knowledge to get advantages of coopetition. Originality/value The findings enhance prior research on vertical coopetition by offering new perspectives on causes of conflicts, their management, outcomes and types. The value of taking a multilevel approach lies in the ability to show how conflicts occur and influence other conflicts through the interrelatedness of conflict elements on different levels.

How to make positive changes to re-engage and motivate employees after a company downturn

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-108
Author(s):  
Marta Rebull
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strong Sense ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
A Company

Purpose What motivates people to work? When jobs are abundant, salaries are competitive, companies are out-perking themselves and the workforce is fickle – is that really motivation? And, how do you continue to motivate employees in a company that struggles with its mission and is experiencing a significant downturn and disengagement? The purpose of this study is to look at the measures Softonic, one of Spain’s most successful tech companies, had to take to motivate, re-engage and give employees a strong sense of purpose after the company suffered a significant downturn. Design/methodology/approach Taking an honest look at the situation and tacking head on. Creating a whole new playbook that relies on: Leadership by Example, Ownership and Empowerment, and Development and Recognition. Findings When you create a culture of transparency, break down the barriers and empower your employees to reach beyond their limits; they will re-engage and motivate. Originality/value This is a case study detailing how new management re-engaged and motivated the workforce of Softonic after a severe company downturn.

scholarly journals Driving internationalization through business model innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Cavallo ◽  
Antonio Ghezzi ◽  
Bertha Viviana Ruales Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
International Entrepreneurship ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Business Model Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
A Company ◽  
North Western

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how a firm may innovate its business model to internationalize. Design/methodology/approach Owing to its novelty and to the depth of the investigation required to grasp the mechanisms and logics of business model innovation aiming at internationalization, a single case study has been performed related to a company located in North-Western Colombia. Findings The study provides detailed empirical evidences over the mutual connection and complementarities among value mechanisms of business models. Moreover, this study suggests that BMI fosters internationalization to scale, which, in turn, will require additional changes to match new customer needs as they emerge. Also, the study shows an extension of the action–space of lean startup approaches, intended as scientific approaches to international entrepreneurship. Originality/value This study connects business model innovation and internationalization as few studies have done before.

Embracing the future while storing the past: the Joint Library Facility story

2016 ◽  
Vol 65 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 420-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wyoma vanDuinkerken ◽  
Joanne Romano
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Electronic Materials ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Library Services ◽  
Storage Facility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
Print Materials

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the Joint Library Facility services and how Medical Science Libraries have embraced the Resource in Common model to save service copies for their patron’s use while allowing libraries to reclaim critically needed space and develop library services that better meet the needs of their patrons. Design/methodology/approach The paper begins with a description of the Joint Library Facility and its targeted users. It will discuss how this unique library storage facility shares ownership of its material with other libraries to reduce duplication of low-use print items on library shelves. Findings Although electronic materials are more popular with library patrons, there is still scholarly value in keeping low-use print materials as service copies. Originality/value This paper is a case study of a unique library storage facility that shares ownership of its material with other libraries. Its findings will help other libraries plan and implement their own shared print repository.

Ideas in conflict: a case study on tensions in the process of preparing sustainability reports

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Frostenson ◽  
Sven Helin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Preparation Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand conflicts in sustainability reporting (SR) preparation. Design/methodology/approach In the preparation of SRs, the logic of financial rationality is often assumed to take precedence over the logic of sustainability. Based on an explorative qualitative case study of a large Swedish retailer, the paper problematizes this view. Over a reporting cycle, employees and consultants involved in the preparation process are interviewed. Conflicting ideas about SRs are identified and analyzed through the lens of institutional logics. Findings The study identifies five tensions in SR preparation. These tensions relate to conflicting ideas of what an SR is, how it should be written and how it should be used. Among findings, a conflict of logics can be found as the basis of at least one tension. However, tensions may also emerge within a shared sustainability logic. Research limitations/implications A contribution of the study is that it sets its finger on the actual fieldwork with SRs. The study shows that it is unreasonable to claim that SRs are “self-evidently” captured by management according to financial rationality. Possibly, the nature of the studied firm, a company within the pharmaceutical and health sector, implies a stronger sustainability logic than in other firms. Practical implications According to the study, the results of an SR preparation process are highly dependent on the sometimes conflicting ideas of preparers and others within the company. It is of high importance to identify and clarify such conflicting ideas already in the beginning of the process, to link the SR to the corporate social responsibility strategy of the firm, and to involve top management in the process. Originality/value The study identifies underlying tensions in SR preparation. It also introduces a theoretical framework that makes it possible to analyze tensions in the preparation process.

HR analytics

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 9-11 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
It Infrastructure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
A Company ◽  
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 It was suggested that the future of HR analytics depends on integration within a company. There needs to be an updated and inclusive IT infrastructure for centralized data storing. HR analytics will move from simple statistical reporting to evidence-based predictive decision-making. It was also found that the future of HR analytics might mean it ceases to exist as a separate function, if it is subsumed in a centralized analytics function, overarching all business disciplines. 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.

Using interviews to improve relationships with library partners: a case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bridget Farrell
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Employees ◽  
Learning Commons ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Commons ◽  
The Creation

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how interviews of learning commons partners were used to improve communication and collaboration between the library and its partners. Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted with representatives from each of the eight partners that have service desks in the library. The interviews’ transcripts were studied to search for ways communication and collaboration between the library and its partners could be improved. Findings – The passing of time, addition of new library partners and the hiring of new employees since the opening of the learning commons at Draughon Library have created some gaps in communication between the library and its partners. Interviews with representatives from the library’s partners revealed ways communication needed to be improved and provided insight as to how the library and its partners might collaborate in the future. Originality/value – Much of the literature on library partnerships focuses on the creation of collaborations, but does not elaborate on ways to keep lines of communication open and encourage continued collaborative work once partnerships are already in place. Information gleaned from the interviews highlights concerns that may occur at other libraries with learning commons, as new partnerships develop and time passes since the initial creation of the commons.

Notions for the successful management of the supply chain: learning with Carrefour in Spain and Carrefour in China

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Cambra‐Fierro ◽  
Rocío Ruiz‐Benítez
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Successful Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Strategies ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper proposes a framework that considers some key concepts to design and manage supply chains in both national and international contexts. For a better understanding, it is intended to illustrate this framework with the case of Carrefour in both Spain and China.Design/methodology/approachIn the form of a case study the paper explains global strategies in both countries. The paper also discusses similarities and differences in the supply chain management in both contexts.FindingsThe paper found application of core SCM concepts to a leader distribution firm. “Thinking global and acting local” is also pertinent to application in the management of supply chains.Practical implicationsManagers may identify key processes and consider the possible contributions of each to the efficiency of their own chains. This case study could be also used as an example of the successful management of the supply chain of a company leader in its sector.Originality/valueThe present paper illustrates a leader company based on real data.

The Air Mauritius story: how HR can impact company culture

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 2-7
Author(s):  
Ron Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Culture ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
A Company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how HR can quickly impact, create and develop a company’s overall culture of service. When HR leaders seek to guide their companies through essential cultural changes, they can earn a seat at the table. Design/methodology/approach – Once a struggling airline, Air Mauritius took steps to overhaul its culture. This case study outlines the steps taken by the airline and explains how HR leaders can use those steps to play a more vital role in their companies. Findings – HR leaders should seek to make key cultural changes within a company, as they can lead to substantial measurable results. By creating a service culture, Air Mauritius returned to profitability, earned a 4-Star Skytrax rating and improved employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Originality/value – By shining a light on a unique company and its island home nation, this case study provides valuable advice to HR leaders on how they can use cultural changes to play a more significant role in their companies.

Heritage and development outside the metropolis

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Heritage Management ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of heritage and participation to sustainable development in a postindustrial context. Special attention is paid to the problematic fields of attractiveness, growth and participation. New ways of working this field are called for. Design/methodology/approach – The study relies on retrospectiveparticipatory observation, citizen participation and document analysis. Findings – There is a complex relationship between experts and citizens/participants, and heritage and history are considered to be domains of experts. Therefore heritage projects have problems surviving the exodus of experts. Heritage is not perceived as asset for building new businesses by most citizens, but as values “out there”. Heritage may function as a meeting place, attracting different groups of people, but there are complex mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. A model and a method are put forward for uniting experts and citizens, and driving the integration of heritage in other sectors of society to create innovative sustainability processes. Research limitations/implications – A single case study, taking place under special conditions. However, both the results and the context correspond well with similar studies. Practical implications – Furthering of integration of heritage management and antiquarian actions in other societal sectors. Social implications – More stable networks of citizens/stakeholders and antiquarians. Originality/value – A fairly large project involving a multitude of stakeholders and societal interests.

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