Ten Agile axioms that make conventional managers anxious

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Denning
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Profit Maximization ◽  
Performance Requirement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Incremental Value ◽  
True Purpose ◽  
Performance Teams ◽  
Hierarchical Management ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose While the principles of Agile management are simple, the implementation of the actual “Laws of Agile” is daunting to managers trained in the traditions and culture of hierarchical management. This article offers a context for the three laws. Design/methodology/approach Implementing Agile requires fostering a mindset that is fundamentally different from traditional preoccupations with profit maximization and hierarchical authority. Findings Agile is about generating instant, intimate, frictionless, low-risk, incremental value at scale. That’s the new performance requirement. Practical implications A growing number of companies, including those that have embraced the Agile mindset, believe the true purpose of a firm is to create customers and establish a sustainable relationship with them. Originality/value For leaders and managers this article offers radical insights. In an Agile organization, talent discovers strategic opportunities. Talent drives strategy. When the whole organization truly embraces Agile, instead of a steady state machine, the organization becomes an organic living network of high-performance teams. 10;

Optimal trade-in and third-party collection authorization strategies under trade-in subsidy policy

Kybernetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 854-872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiying Cao ◽  
Qiushi Bo ◽  
Yi He
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Profit Maximization ◽  
The Other ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Subsidy Policy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Third ◽  
Optimal Decisions ◽  
The Third Party ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to study whether the recycling of a third party competes with the trade-in service of a manufacturer, and explores the optimal trade-in and third-party collection authorization strategies for the manufacturer. Design/methodology/approach According to whether to authorize a third party to collect its used products, the manufacturer has two choices: one is not authorization (NA); the other is authorization (A). This paper uses profit-maximization model to investigate the optimal decisions of the manufacturer and the third party under NA and A, respectively, and then explores which choice is better for the manufacturer. Findings It is observed that there is a competition between trade-in service and third-party recycling when the durability parameter of the used product is relatively small. Moreover, when the durability parameter of the used product is relatively large, A is always better choice for the manufacturer; otherwise, NA is a better choice except for the case that the unit trade-in subsidy is low and the salvage of the used product is high. Practical implications These results provide managerial insights for the manufacturer and the third party to make decisions in the field of recycling. Originality/value This paper is among the first papers to study the competition between trade-in program and third party’s collecting program under government’s trade-in subsidy policy. Moreover, this paper presents the conditions under which the manufacturer should authorize or not authorize the third party to collect its used products.

Your winning business model agenda: four questions to shape growth

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladyslav Biloshapka ◽  
Oleksiy Osiyevskyy
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
The Other ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Growth Planning ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Defines clear steps for growth planning that support answers to the crucial question: How and where are you planning to scale up the business and what talent do you need to implement this? Design/methodology/approach As the “Business model value matrix” shows, having ‘happy customers’ is only one determinant of a business model’s success. The other essential block of diagnostic questions deals with the current state and prospects of the firm’s growth. Findings We found that companies that have found ways to keep their business models in a winner’s state can provide clear, evidence-based answers to questions about growth opportunities and risks, while their less successful peers have difficulty addressing the issues. Continuous collecting and analyzing of this information allows successful companies to embrace the strategy-as-learning model of development, built around active learning and proactive adjustment to evolving environment. Practical implications To develop a strategy for moving to and sustaining the Winner state, managers must clearly articulate and test a set of hypotheses about the mechanisms of their company’s growth. The first step on this path is related to obtaining a clear view on the factors that underpin the current financial performance. Originality/value High-performance cultures make sure that each manager has the clear answers to the questions of value, growth and digitization in order to learn, experiment and implement the company business model agenda. The unproductive cultures, on the other hand, are sustained by managerial teams that usually do not have the answers to these crucial questions, but are very good at political games.

Cooperation strategies for e-commerce platforms with seller classification

Kybernetes ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 1369-1386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya’nan Ji ◽  
Xiaoyan Xu ◽  
Yanhong Sun
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Pricing Strategies ◽  
Performance Requirement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pricing Decisions ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Strategy I

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the cooperation and pricing strategies for e-commerce platforms when considering seller classification. Design/methodology/approach E-commerce platforms serve to facilitate trade and generate revenue from the participants. By classifying the sellers in the market into two types (the individual sellers vs the professional sellers), the authors examine how the interaction between the two types of sellers affects the platform’s cooperation and pricing decisions. Specifically, the authors compare two cooperation strategies for the platform: cooperating only with the professional sellers (strategy I); and cooperating with both the two types of sellers (strategy II). Findings When the platform attractiveness for the professional sellers is high enough, strategy II is absolutely beneficial than strategy I; whereas when the platform attractiveness for the professional sellers is low and the performance requirement of the individual sellers is relatively high, strategy I will be more beneficial. Practical implications For a platform choosing strategy II, it should make effort to differentiate between the different types of sellers by the product or service quality. Originality/value The paper is among the first to study the cooperation and pricing strategies for the e-commerce platform with seller classification.

The incremental value relevance of cash flows and earnings affected by their extremity

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 742-767
Author(s):  
Wael Mostafa
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Value Relevance ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Firm Valuation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Earnings Information ◽  
Unexpected Earnings ◽  
Incremental Value ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose In contrast to earlier studies, the most recent studies on the incremental value relevance of earnings and cash flows from operations find that both earnings and cash flows have incremental value relevance beyond each other. An interesting question that follows is whether these findings hold after controlling the extremity of earnings and cash flows. This study, therefore, aims to examine the incremental value relevance of earnings and cash flows in the following four cases: moderate earnings and moderate cash flows, moderate earnings and extreme cash flows, extreme earnings and moderate cash flows and extreme earnings and extreme cash flows. Design/methodology/approach To evaluate the incremental value relevance (information content) of earnings and cash flows for each of the four cases mentioned above, we examine the statistical significance of the slope coefficients for regression of returns on both unexpected earnings and unexpected cash flows from operations. Findings The results show that (i) both moderate and extreme earnings have incremental value relevance beyond both moderate and extreme cash flows, (ii) moderate cash flows have incremental value relevance beyond both moderate and extreme earnings and (iii) extreme cash flows lack incremental value relevance beyond moderate earnings; however, they (extreme cash flows) have incremental value relevance beyond extreme earnings. These results suggest that earnings and cash flows have incremental value relevance. However, only in cases when cash flows are extreme and earnings are moderate, cash flows do not possess incremental value relevance. In further analysis, we find that the value relevance for cash flows and earnings decreases when they are extreme and transitory. Moreover, the value relevance for cash flows increases when they are moderate (not extreme) and the other competing measure (earnings) is transitory and extreme. Practical implications The results support the idea that earnings and cash flows from operations complement each other in explaining variation in returns. However, when cash flows are extreme and less informative, investors rely more on earnings in firm valuation, especially when earnings are moderate. Because earnings are unlikely to persist to be permanent across the years, these results can be interpreted as indicating that cash flows and earnings information are used jointly by investors. Originality/value In contrast to previous studies, we control for the extremity of earnings and cash flows when evaluating the incremental value relevance of earnings and cash flows from operations.

Oh, what happiness! Finding joy and purpose through work

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Joan F. Marques
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Energy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Performance ◽  
The Real ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Critical Step ◽  
True Purpose ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The aim of this paper is reaffirming the real purpose of studying, working, and acquiring a decent lifestyle, which is happiness. Design/methodology/approach This paper includes reflections on workshops with professionals, coaching insights, and literature review. Findings Attaining happiness is not necessarily dependent on our employer but on our perception of our work. If our mind is at ease, and our outlook is positive, our work can be joy, and we can tread our personal path of happiness. Practical implications May serve as a source of self-reflection to readers and potential reconsideration of the reasons behind their professional performance: while earning money is important to pay the bills and care for our families, we owe it to ourselves to be happy while doing it. Finding contentment in our work is the critical step to enjoying it and, thus, being happy doing it. Social implications Individuals who focus on acquiring and maintaining their own happiness will be more likely to also exude positive energy to others, thus elevating the chances of these others to pursue happiness as well. Originality/value This is a call for refocusing on the true purpose of all our actions. While it is actually rather simple, we seem to keep losing focus and digress into converting means into ends, while disregarding the real end of all our actions, which is happiness.

Can we alter behaviours without “culture change”?

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 37-39
Author(s):  
Colin Coulson-Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Culture Change ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Multiple Objectives ◽  
Performance Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Units ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of the article is to share certain findings of a five-year investigation. Design/methodology/approach – It draws upon under-pinning research reports and analysis of early adoptions of what the evidence suggests is the most affordable route to high performance organisations. Findings – Many corporate culture change programmes are unnecessary if their purpose is to quickly change behaviours and can be problematic in organisations that need to embrace a diversity of cultures and a variety of approaches and behaviours across different functions and business units. Practical implications – Performance support can be a cost-effective way of changing behaviour, ensuring people remain current and competitive and delivering multiple objectives without requiring a change of culture or structure. Originality/value – The article suggests that a “new leadership” and shift of emphasis is required.

Exploring the “social failures” of Islamic banks: a historical dialectics analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zayyad Abdul-Baki ◽  
Ahmad Bukola Uthman
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Banking System ◽  
Profit Maximization ◽  
Islamic Banking ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Muslim Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Dialectical Analysis ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to argue that the current environment in which the Islamic banking system is situated is not ideal for the system’s pursuance of its socioeconomic ideals, thus necessitating the system’s shift from pursuing falah to maximizing profits. Design/methodology/approach The paper theorizes and conceptualizes this shift from falah to profit maximization using two complementary theories – systems theory and institutional theory – to prove that such a shift is not unexpected. The paper further adopts a dialectical analysis that is somewhat historical to analyse the shift. Findings The measure of the Islamic banks’ performance in terms of their social ideals is misplaced, as the environment in which they currently operate does not support such goals. Thus, stemming from the theoretical base, the Islamic banks’ pursuance of profit maximization instead of falah should not be unexpected. The paper concludes that despite the unfavorable environment, the social ideals of the Islamic banking system may still be met, to an extent, through investment in microfinance and awqaf. Research limitations/implications The paper adopts document analysis for sourcing data majorly from prior studies. Hence, the authors do not conclude that the analysis herein is applicable to all Islamic banks. Secondly, as the authors could not get a complete historical account of the Islamic banking system’s development, some aspects of the dialectical analysis – contradiction and change – have been discussed in a general fashion. Practical implications The need for Islamic banks in the current environment, especially for the Muslim population, cannot be over emphasized; however, the achievement of falah given this current environment may be daunting. Originality/value The current analyses of the shift of Islamic banks from pursuing falah to pursuing profit maximization are not well-defined, as they lack a proper theorization of the challenges faced by Islamic banks. This paper fills this gap.

Does management innovation need a new change model?

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-40
Author(s):  
Stephen Denning
Keyword(s):  
Stock Price ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Shareholder Value ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Change Model ◽  
Management Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Continuous Innovation ◽  
Hierarchical Management ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Believing that the goal of maximizing shareholder value as reflected in the stock price and the management methods of hierarchical bureaucracy combine to cripple the capacity of the firm to innovate, the author offers a new management model. Design/methodology/approach – Assuming that the goal of the change process is to foster continuous innovation of products and processes to serve customer needs, the author lays out a roadmap for leaders seeking to move beyond maximizing shareholder value and re-engineering bureaucracy. Findings – Any new management model should align with the concept that the best way to serve shareholders’ interests is to deliver value to customers. Practical implications – Practices like self-organizing teams, platforms, networks and ecosystems enhance and magnify the value of what employees themselves want to do. Instead of hierarchical management having an adversarial relationship with employees, managers can have a collaborative trusting relationship where institutional and personal goals coincide. Originality/value – The article offers leaders a rationale for instituting a combination of managerial, social and political approaches, with change platforms that are allied to an inspiring social and political change movement.

scholarly journals High-performance teams and job involvement: exploring the linkage to augment quality in Indian education and research

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 250-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Happy Paul ◽  
Umesh Kumar Bamel ◽  
Peter Stokes
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Indian Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Indian Higher Education ◽  
Performance Teams

Purpose Indian higher education (HE) is arguably “in the doldrums.” Conformity to minimum standards and requirements combined with ever-eroding quality is the serious threats. Many researchers have suggested adopting a functional approach in universities and developing greater autonomy and accountability to improve the situation. The purpose of this paper is to deliberate on the introduction of an integrated way of making teachers more involved in their profession with the intention of enhancing the quality of education and research. Design/methodology/approach The paper’s argument conceptualizes the possibilities of the Indian HE system benchmarking the concept of high-performance teams (HTPs) as practiced in the industry. Findings Taking the support from the extant literature, it is proposed that working in HTPs have the potential to elevate the involvement level of the faculty. Furthermore, it is suggested that through the implementation of HTPs in educational settings, teachers would also be able to develop their competencies in relation to research activities. Originality/value The model presented in the study has the potential to be empirically tested for its validity and reliability, which opens vistas for future research.

Consumer value creation through WhatsApp use

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-471
Author(s):  
Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas ◽  
Jorge Guadalupe-Lanas ◽  
Ekaterina Zabelina ◽  
Andrés Palacio-Fierro ◽  
Margarita Velín-Fárez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Role Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Value ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand in-depth how consumers create value in their lives using WhatsApp, the leading mobile instant messaging (MIM) application. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the perspective of customer-dominant logic (CDL) and uses a qualitative multimethod design involving 3 focus groups and 25 subsequent in-depth interviews. The research setting was Ecuador, a Latin American country. Findings Analysis and interpretation of the participants’ stories made it possible to identify and understand the creation of four types of value: maintaining and strengthening relationships; improving role performance; emotional support; and entertainment and fun. In addition, the present study proposes a conceptual model of consumer value creation as it applies to MIM. Practical implications Understanding the way consumers create value in their lives using MIM is important not only for organizations that offer MIM applications, but also for those companies that develop other applications for mobile phones or for those who wish to use MIM as an electronic word-of-mouth vehicle. Originality/value The current study is one of the first to address the topic of consumer behavior in the use of technologies from the perspective of CDL; this perspective enables an integrated qualitative vision of value creation in which the consumer is the protagonist.

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