Administrative Theory and Practice in Developing Countries: A Synthesis

Creating and sustaining competitive advantage through the adoption and implementation of innovative technologies is a strategic imperative for all learning organizations. Despite this, manufacturing companies in developing countries such as Zimbabwe are confronting challenges in implementing e-business practices. Against this background, the objective of this study was to understand organizational factors influencing e-business adoption in Zimbabweâ€™s manufacturing sector. The study was motivated by the need to appreciate factors that facilitate or inhibit the adoption of e-business in the context of developing countries such as Zimbabwe. A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 118 companies registered by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries in 2015. Regression analysis was used to test the posited hypotheses. Results revealed that manufacturing companies in Zimbabwe differ significantly in their inclination to adopt and implement e-business strategies. Innovation orientation, financial resources, perceived usefulness and size of the firm were found to be positively associated with e-business adoption. The study also found that technological resources did not have a statistically significant relationship with e-business adoption. The study furthers current debate on e-business adoption by identifying the drivers of e-business adoption in the manufacturing sector in the context of a developing country. The importance of this study lies in its contribution to theory and practice. In terms of theory, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on organizational factors influencing e-business adoption and provides avenues for further studies. In practice, the findings of this study add to the insights of managers in the manufacturing sector in developing countries, which influence the adoption of e-business practices.

Download Full-text

Knowledge, Innovation and Economic Growth: The Theory and Practice of Learning Regions. Frans Boekema, Kevin Morgan, Silvia Bakkers, and Roel Rutten, eds.;Illegal Cities: Law and Urban Change in Developing Countries. Edesio Fernandes and Ann Varley, eds.

Urban Geography ◽

10.2747/0272-3638.23.2.198 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 198-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Edward J. Malecki ◽

Ramya Ramanath

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Urban Change ◽

Knowledge Innovation

Download Full-text

Corporate Social Responsibility in Developing Countries

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199211593.003.0021 ◽

2009 ◽

Cited By ~ 81

Author(s):

Wayne Visser

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Corporate Social Responsibility ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Crucial Role ◽

Regional Level ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Future Research ◽

Corporate Social

This article maps out the crucial role and responsibilities for business in fighting poverty and acting responsibly in developing countries. It begins by proposing different ways to categorize the literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in developing countries. It then reviews the research which has been conducted at a global and regional level, before considering the main CSR drivers in developing countries. Finally, it proposes a model of CSR in developing countries, before concluding with a summary and recommendations for future research. What is clear from this article is that CSR in developing countries is a rich and fascinating area of enquiry, which is becoming ever more important in CSR theory and practice. And since it is profoundly under-researched, this enquiry also represents a tremendous opportunity for improving the knowledge and understanding about CSR.

Download Full-text

Ridley's Prefectoral Administrative Function and the Case of Environment Canada

Political Studies ◽

10.1111/j.1467-9248.1991.tb01397.x ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

pp. 708-719

Author(s):

M. Paul Brown

Keyword(s):

Ideal Type ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Environment Canada ◽

Regional Director ◽

Sliding Scale ◽

Type Concept ◽

Administrative Decentralization ◽

Administrative Theory ◽

Regional Board

This study tests the relevance of Ridley's ideal-type concept of the prefectoral administrative function in a departmental setting in Canada. It follows the pursuit of administrative decentralization within Environment Canada, a complex department which has thus far introduced three prefectoral administrative mechanisms – a Regional Board, a Regional Director and a Committee of Regional Executives – for this purpose. The sliding scale of authority which Ridley associates with the prefectoral administrative function makes eminent sense of the Environment Canada experience. The wider analytical reach of Ridley's concept of the prefectoral administrative function, and hence the greater theoretical relevance of the system in administrative theory and practice, is confirmed.

Download Full-text

A change navigation-based, scenario planning process within a developing world context from an Afro-centric leadership perspective

SA Journal of Human Resource Management ◽

10.4102/sajhrm.v9i1.265 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chris A. Geldenhuys ◽

Theo H. Veldsman

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Strategic Planning ◽

Developing Country ◽

Planning Process ◽

Organisational Change ◽

Scenario Planning ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Management Tool ◽

Research Approach ◽

Unique Contribution

Orientation: In the hyper turbulent context faced currently by organisations, more flexible strategic planning approaches, such as scenario planning which take into account a more comprehensive range of possible futures for an organisation, will position organisations better than conventional forecast and estimates that depend only on a single, linearly extrapolated, strategic response.Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate how scenario-based planning (a strictly cognitive management tool) can be combined with organisational change navigation (a practice addressing the emotionality of change) and how this integrated process should be aligned with the prerequisites imposed by a developing country context and an Afro-centric leadership perspective in order to make the process more context relevant and aligned.Motivation for the study: The integration of organisational change navigation with conventional scenario based planning, as well as the incorporation of the perquisites of a developing countries and an Afro-centric leadership perspective, will give organisations a more robust, holistic strategic management tool that will add significantly more value within a rapidly, radically and unpredictably changing world.Research design, approach and method: The adopted research approach comprised a combination of the sourcing of the latest thinking in the literature (the ‘theory’) as well as the views of seasoned practitioners of scenario planning (the ‘practice’) through an iterative research process, moving between theory and practice, back to practice and finally returning to theory in order to arrive at a validated expanded and enhanced scenario-based planning process which is both theory and practice ‘proof’.Main findings: A management tool incorporating the change navigation and the unique features of developing countries and Afro-centric leadership was formulated and empirically validated. This management tool is referred to as a change navigation based, scenario planning process (CNBSPP).Practical/managerial implications: CNBSPP is available for use by organisations wishing to apply a strategic planning tool that fits within a developing country context and an Afro-centric leadership approach.Contribution/value add: The research makes a unique contribution to the current level of knowledge by integrating two disciplines usually practised independently of one another, namely scenario-based planning and organisational change navigation. It also embedded the process into a different context of application, that is, the developed world as viewed from an Afro-centric leadership perspective.

Download Full-text