scholarly journals Creating and Implementing Standardized Management Innovation in a Large Organization

2021 ◽  
pp. 227797792199194
Author(s):  
Esa Hiltunen ◽  
Outi-Maaria Palo-oja ◽  
Markus Perkkiö
Keyword(s):  
Change Agents ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Management Innovation ◽  
Large Organization ◽  
Large Company ◽  
Standard Level ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Telecommunications Company

Management innovation represents one of the most important and sustainable sources of competitive advantage due to its context-specific nature. Still, current academic literature on management innovation and standardization is slightly limited. This intensive case study explores management innovation in a large European telecommunications company with the focus on standardization in managerial practices. The research data were gathered through interviews with managers from different levels of the case company. The results show that highly standardized management innovation is effective for reaching a standard level of management in a large company; it is also a prerequisite for further systematic development. Research questions: The purpose of this study is to gain insight into how standardization emerges in management innovation in a large organization by studying the construction and conduction of a managerial toolkit in a European telecommunications company. Links to theory: The theoretical framework is based on a study of management innovations and related processes by Birkinshaw et al. (2008) and a standardization study by Wright, Wylie & Sturdy (2012) in which the tasks of an internal change agent were divided into “ standardizing agendas” and “ standardizing methods”. Phenomenon studied: Adoption process of a standardized management innovation in a large company. Case context: The case company is a large European telecommunications company which operates in a highly competitive market where organizational excellence is extremely beneficial. The case study focuses on the case company management innovation process for creating a “toolkit” for day-to-day management in the retail sales channel. Research findings: The research findings gathered through systematic combining approach show that standardized management innovation is an effective tool for implementing managerial best practices from management fashions into organizational standards. Through adapting these learnings systematically to managers’ individual work, the good “standard” level of managing can be achieved in a large-size company. Reaching these standards also appears as a prerequisite for a further systematic managerial development in the organization. Discussion: This study contributes to management innovation research by highlighting planning and coordination in introduction and successful adoption of standardized management innovation. Planning communications, setting achievable timeframes and choosing the right implementers are important aspects of implementation. Clear guidelines help employees understand the ideological background of management innovation, and close interaction between change agents and store managers promotes the adoption of management innovation. A standardized management toolkit is an effective tool for putting external leadership ideologies, known as management fashions, into practice in a large organization. However, practical implementation requires comprehensive communication and preferably internal recruitment of change agents.

The generation process of internal-driven management innovation in companies in transitional economies

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 895-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Xue ◽  
Zhengang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Transitional Economy ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
Management Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Exploration Process ◽  
Theoretical Support ◽  
External Change Agents

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze how internal-driven management innovation (IDMI) takes shape, which highlights the objective-oriented and problem-oriented property of the innovation. Design/methodology/approach Based on a case study of a new practice called 11X integration strategy in Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited, a Chinese pharmaceutical group in Guangdong province, through applying Grounded Theory the authors get a concise systematic framework of generation process that is more practical and more understandable than the counterparts in current literature. Findings First, this paper uncovers five stages and two parallel sub processes in the generation process of IDMI. The sub processes involves practical exploration process (i.e. primary activities) carried out by the internal change agents and theoretical support process (i.e. support activities) carried out by the external change agents. Second, by adopting a process perspective the authors are able to demonstrate how the different activities in both types of processes are combined over time in an intertwined way. Research limitations/implications First, the case the authors studied is embedded in the context of China’s transitional economy, and the single case study limits us to make comparisons of the generation process of management innovation between different market economies. Second, the external-driven management innovation is still a field untouched. Third, in the research the authors explore the issues of how new management innovation is generated and implemented, but the authors do not systematically research on why different companies exhibit different levels of management innovativeness. Practical implications First, the findings suggest that firms should consciously and systematically invest in IDMI to create sustainable competitive advantage. Second, the process framework provides a clear guidance to the managers in Chinese state-owned enterprises who are engaged in developing or adopting management innovation. Third, the study indicates the managers in Chinese company should be aware of the importance of external change agents to IDMI. Fourth, this study could facilitate the enterprises to develop or adopt management innovation based on their real needs rather than just “jumping on the bandwagon” when adopting certain new management skills. Originality/value This study offers a new generation framework by identifying possible facilitators of IDMI that does not yet exist in extant literatures, and the two sub processes – the practical exploration process and the theoretical support process – deepen the understanding of the generation mechanisms of IDMI. Furthermore, the study contributes to reaching a better understanding of management innovation in the context of transitional economy such as China.

scholarly journals STUDI KASUS LABORATORIUM PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM DI SMAN 3 BANDUNG

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Achmad Dudin
Keyword(s):  
Religious Education ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Laboratory Management ◽  
Standard Level ◽  
Positive Assessment ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Relevant Education

AbstractIslamic Religious Education (Pendidikan Agama Islam/PAI) is provided by following the guidance that religion shall be taught to human beings with a vision of manifesting pious people who only afraid of Allah SWT and have noble morality, and aims to produce people who are honest, fair, virtuous, ethical, respectful, disciplined, harmonious and productive, both personally and socially. The demands of such vision promote the development of PAI laboratory in accordance with the relevant education level. This study aims to evaluate the PAI laboratory at schools from the point of view of standard level, utilization, assessment of learners and determinants of PAI laboratory management. The method deployed in this research is qualitative evaluative through a case study carried out at SMAN 3 Bandung commenced as of July until December 2016. The research findings indicate that the PAI laboratory of SMAN 3 Bandung has reached an adequate level of standard and utilization in the management of the said PAI laboratory. This can be understood by the existence of positive assessment by the students and some supports delivered for management factors of the PAI laboratory of SMAN 3 Bandung. Furthermore, in this study, it is recommended the need of maintaining and improving the level of standard, utilization, and supporting factors of PAI laboratory management, in order for it to function effectively and optimally. AbstrakPendidikan Agama Islam (PAI) diberikan dengan mengikuti tuntunan bahwa agama diajarkan kepada manusia dengan visi untuk mewujudkan manusia yang bertakwa kepada Allah SWT dan berakhlak mulia, serta bertujuan untuk menghasilkan manusia yang jujur, adil, berbudi pekerti, etis, saling menghargai, disiplin, harmonis dan produktif, baik personal maupun sosial. Tuntutan visi ini mendorong dikembangkannya laboratorium PAI sesuai dengan jenjang pendidikan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi laboratorium PAI di sekolah dilihat dari tingkat standar, pemanfaatan, penilaian peserta didik dan faktor penentu pengelolaan laboratorium PAI. Metode dalam penelitian ini adalah kualitatif evaluatif, dengan studi kasus di SMAN 3 Bandung pada bulan Juli hingga Desember 2016. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa laboratorium PAI SMAN 3 Bandung telah mencapai tingkat standar, dan pemanfaatan yang memadai dalam pengelolaan laboratorium PAI. Hal itu dapat di pahami dengan adanya penilaian yang positif dari siswa dan dukungan terhadap faktor pengelolaan laboratorium PAI SMAN 3 Bandung. Selanjutnya dalam penelitian ini direkomendasikan perlunya mempertahankan dan meningkatkan tingkat standar, pemanfaatan, dan faktor pendukung pengelolaan laboratorium PAI, agar fungsinya efektif dan lebih maksimal.

Adopting a management innovation in a professional organization

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1186-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Hellström ◽  
Svante Lifvergren ◽  
Susanne Gustavsson ◽  
Ida Gremyr
Keyword(s):  
Professional Competence ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Professional Organization ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Management Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Critical Practices ◽  
Professional Context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study critical practices when adopting improvement knowledge as a management innovation in a professional organization. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on an action research approach, in which practitioners and researchers are seen as a part of a participative community generating actionable knowledge. Research involved gathering data over a five-year period through more than 250 interviews and 25 focus groups. Findings – This paper identifies five critical practices for adopting a management innovation in a professional context: first, focussing on labeling and theorizing to create an organization’s own vocabulary; second, focussing on the role of internal change agents; third, allowing for an evolutionary adoption process; fourth, building new professional competence through the change agents; and fifth, adopting a research-driven approach to the adoption of a management innovation. Practical implications – For healthcare practitioners, this paper points to practices to consider when adopting improvement knowledge – for example, identifying the patient as the guiding principle and encouraging involvement and local change initiatives. For practitioners in other professionally driven organizations, this paper identifies critical practices for adopting a management innovation – for example, focussing on theorizing and labeling in order to create an organization’s own vocabulary related to the professional context. Originality/value – On a generic level, this paper contributes to the understanding of critical aspects when adopting management innovations in a professional organization. In a healthcare context, this paper points to the value of improvement knowledge for improving quality of care. Improvement knowledge is relatively new in healthcare, and this study provides an example of a hospital in which this management innovation helped transform the organization.

scholarly journals An Action Research Case Study of the Facilitators and Inhibitors of E-Commerce Adoption

2009 ◽  
pp. 236-247
Author(s):  
Orla Kirwan
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Academic World ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Retail Business ◽  
Research Findings

This research has studied an established Irish retail business as it takes its first tentative steps into the e-commerce arena. Although the adoption of e-commerce is widely studied in the academic world, only a small percentage of these studies focus on the small to medium size enterprise (SME) retail sector. SMEs account for 97% of Irish companies and employ up to 800,000 people (Chamber of Commerce Ireland, 2006). While examining the SME’s adoption of e-commerce, the factors that affected the adoption process were specifically identified and understood. This was achieved by conducting an action research case study. Action research merges research and practice, thus producing exceedingly relevant research findings. This chapter demonstrates how the research was undertaken, and also discusses the justification, benefits, and limitations of using action research. The research concluded that the adoption of e-commerce within the SME sector tends to be slow and fragmented, the presence of a ‘Web champion’ is paramount to the success of the project, and Internet adoption is faster with the recognition of a business need. It also supported the evidence that a SME is more likely to adopt e-commerce when the SME owner has a positive attitude towards IT.

scholarly journals Conceptual Model for the Vulnerability Assessment of Springs in the Indian Himalayas

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Denzil Daniel ◽  
Aavudai Anandhi ◽  
Sumit Sen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Western Himalayas ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Indian Himalayas

The Indian Himalayan Region is home to nearly 50 million people, more than 50% of whom are dependent on springs for their sustenance. Sustainable management of the nearly 3 million springs in the region requires a framework to identify the springs most vulnerable to change agents which can be biophysical or socio-economic, internal or external. In this study, we conceptualize vulnerability in the Indian Himalayan springs. By way of a systematic review of the published literature and synthesis of research findings, a scheme of identifying and quantifying these change agents (stressors) is presented. The stressors are then causally linked to the characteristics of the springs using indicators, and the resulting impact and responses are discussed. These components, viz., stressors, state, impact, and response, and the linkages are used in the conceptual framework to assess the vulnerability of springs. A case study adopting the proposed conceptual model is discussed for Mathamali spring in the Western Himalayas. The conceptual model encourages quantification of stressors and promotes a convergence to an evidence-based decision support system for the management of springs and the dependent ecosystems from the threat due to human development and climate change.

The idea of destination brand licensing and the question of its effectiveness

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-312
Author(s):  
Michal Zemla
Keyword(s):  
Financial Stability ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Proper Definition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Destination Brand

Purpose – Destination branding is one of the most popular topics among tourism destinations researchers and practitioners however recent research revealed that it doesn’t have a clear concept. The purpose of presented paper is to enhance the destination branding theory by introducing some new elements taken from other popular concepts used in destination management into destination branding theory. The concept of destination brand licensing was undertaken as a response to several critical arguments raised against the existing idea of destination branding. However the concept is not completed and practical examples presented so far need scientific background to prepare some guidelines on successful procedure for implementing destination brand licensing. The aim of the paper is pointing out some crucial elements which are conditions for effective implementing of destination brand licensing. Design – Five main areas were discussed, namely: the proper definition of the product, the brand name, the nature of cooperation and network, financial stability and the scope and the nature of promotional actions. The structure of the paper follows this division. After introduction and presentation of destination branding and destination brand licensing concepts further chapter are devoted the five presented problem areas. At the end, there is a chapter in which effectiveness of destination brand licensing procedure is discussed. Approach and methodology – The paper is theoretical with limited use of case study approach. Within the frame of those five areas several dilemmas and potential problems were presented on the basis of several practical implementation examples of destination brand licensing ideas from different European countries. Research findings and originality – Apart from the five problem areas, three overall effectiveness indicators were proposed. These are: increased volume of tourism movement, improvement in destination image and enhancement of local stakeholders for better cooperation. However both, problem areas and indicators should be perceived as initial proposal and further discussion is expected.

The Effects of Teaching Reflection Diaries on In-Service High School Teachers in Japan

Relay Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 80-99
Author(s):  
Naoya Shibata
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Teachers ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Teaching Beliefs ◽  
Experienced Teacher ◽  
Female Teachers ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Illustrative Case Study

Although teaching reflection diaries (TRDs) are prevalent tools for teacher training, TRDs are rarely used in Japanese secondary educational settings. In order to delve into the effects of TRDs on teaching development, this illustrative case study was conducted with two female teachers (one novice, and one experienced) at a Japanese private senior high school. The research findings demonstrated that both in-service teachers perceived TRDs as beneficial tools for understanding their strengths and weaknesses. TRDs and class observations illustrated that the novice teacher raised their self-confidence in teaching and gradually changed their teaching activities. On the other hand, the experienced teacher held firm teaching beliefs based on their successful teaching experiences and were sometimes less willing to experiment with different approaches. However, they changed their teaching approaches when they lost balance between their class preparation and other duties. Accordingly, although teachers’ firm beliefs and successful experiences may sometimes become possible hindrances from using TRDs effectively, TRDs can be useful tools to train and help teachers realise their strengths and weaknesses.

scholarly journals Sustainability and Stakeholder Awareness: A Case Study of a Scottish University

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4186
Author(s):  
Abdulhakeem Raji ◽  
Abeer Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Theory ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Voluntary Exercise ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

This paper adopted a case study approach to investigate the sustainability practices of a Scottish university in order to understand if sustainability forms part of its central policy agenda. As such, the paper focuses on the levels of awareness and disclosure of their sustainable practices, measuring the impacts and effectiveness of those initiatives. This paper introduces signaling theory to explore the idea that appropriate communication via integrated thinking can close the gap between the organization and its stakeholders. We believe that the provision of this relevant information will lead to better communication between the organization and its stakeholders, supporting a signaling theory interpretation. Therefore, we are suggesting that integrated thinking is an internal process that organizations can follow to increase the level of disclosure as a communication tool with stakeholders. From the literature reviewed, four themes were identified (definition of university sustainability, sustainability awareness, disclosure framework within universities, and level of accountability). The research adopted a pragmatic view and conducted individual interviews with participants belonging to three stakeholder groups (members of the university’s senior management, the governing council, and the student union executive). Although this study focused on just one Scottish university, it should still provide some insight for the better understanding of the underpinning issues surrounding the sustainability accountability practices of Scottish universities in general. The research findings indicated that the university prioritized only two sustainability dimensions—economic and environmental—and that the university still perceived sustainability as a voluntary exercise. Additionally, it is evident that the university had no framework in place for measuring its sustainability delivery—and therefore had no established medium of communicating these activities to its stakeholders. Moreover, research findings showed that the social and educational context of sustainability was lacking at the university. The university has done little or nothing to educate its stakeholders on sustainability.

Optimizing preventive maintenance over a finite planning horizon in a semi-Markov framework

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Sánchez Herguedas ◽  
Adolfo Crespo Márquez ◽  
Francisco Rodrigo Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Maintenance ◽  
Recurrence Relations ◽  
Direct Calculation ◽  
Planning Horizon ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Mathematical Solution ◽  
Accumulated Reward ◽  
Finite Planning Horizon

Abstract This paper describes the optimization of preventive maintenance (PM) over a finite planning horizon in a semi-Markov framework. In this framework, the asset may be operating, and providing income for the asset owner, or not operating and undergoing PM, or not operating and undergoing corrective maintenance following failure. PM is triggered when the asset has been operating for τ time units. A number m of transitions specifies the finite horizon. This system is described with a set of recurrence relations, and their z-transform is used to determine the value of τ that maximizes the average accumulated reward over the horizon. We study under what conditions a solution can be found, and for those specific cases the solution τ* is calculated. Despite the complexity of the mathematical solution, the result obtained allows the analyst to provide a quick and easy-to-use tool for practical application in many real-world cases. To demonstrate this, the method has been implemented for a case study, and its accuracy and practical implementation were tested using Monte Carlo simulation and direct calculation.

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