The Political Economy of Circular Economies: Lessons from Future Repair Scenario Deliberations in Sweden

The dominant technocratic and neoliberal imaginary of a circular economy dependent on corporate leadership, market mechanisms, and changed consumer behaviour is here explored using the findings of deliberative stakeholder workshops examining diverse scenarios for the promotion of repair as part of a circular economy. Stakeholder responses to four scenarios—digital circularity, planned circularity, circular modernism, and bottom-up sufficiency—are described with reference to the ideologies, interests, and institutions involved. We distinguish two levels of discourse in the stakeholder discussions. The main narrative in which individualist and consumerist ideologies dominate, even within ideals of sustainability, reflects a conjunction of corporate, labour, and public interests in the market liberal social democratic state, with proposed interventions focused on the institutions of markets and education. A subaltern narrative present in the margins of the discussions challenges the consumerist and productivist presumptions of the market liberal political economy and hints at more transformative change. These conflicting responses not only cast light on the ways in which the political economy of contemporary Sweden (within the European Union) constrains and conditions current expectations and imaginaries of circularity, but also suggest ways in which the future political economy of circular economies might be contested and evolve.

The Impact of Female Directors on Board, and Female CEO on Firm Performance: Empirical Evidence from Emerging Economy

Purpose: As per agency theory prospective, board gender diversity enhances the corporate leadership structure which mitigates agency conflicts among stakeholders. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of female directors on board, and female CEOs on firm performance. We also uses board size, and board independence as board level control, while leverage, firm size, capital expenditure & tangibility as firm level control. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses a panel data starting from 2005 to 2020 on annual basis. To resolve endogeneity and unobserved heterogeneity problems in panel data analysis, study uses static (fixed effect, & random effect) and dynamic (GMM) estimation techniques in Pakistan. Findings: Result shows the positive impact of female directors on board and female CEOs on firm performance. These findings are robust under alternative measures of firm performance. Implications/Originality/Value: The study suggests that female representation and female CEOs are the important attributes to enhance firm performance. Additionally, females are performing a significant role through monitor and control for excellent corporate leadership structure. Furthermore, this is the first study of its kind which analyzes this relationship in the emerging equity market of Pakistan.

Strategic transformation to sustilience: learning from COVID-19

PurposeThe authors seek to stimulate and strengthen learning for both institutional and corporate leadership to transform society toward sustainability and resilience. The authors use sustainability in the broader socioecological sense, rather than meaning merely financial survival. Based upon experiences by various parties in dealing with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or (C-19) during 2020 and into 2021, we are all driven to ask, “Which lessons shall we learn?”Design/methodology/approachBased upon a brief review of environmental and management literature, the authors compare experiences with C-19 and those of socio-ecological sustainability to-date and distill both sources for optimism as well as pessimism in the face of technical and socio-political challenges.FindingsHistorical experiences are not particularly encouraging, but there are many opportunities for great improvements if institutional and corporate leaders choose to learn from both C-19 experiences and earlier efforts toward sustainability.Practical implicationsProcrastination by major industrialized economies in not taking major positive actions to control and reduce carbon pollution and other environmental damage is leading to human crises–hunger and thirst followed by migration, conflicts and healthcare system collapses. Organizational executives need to develop flexibility and embrace precautionary principles regarding many stakeholders if humanity is going to have a good chance of flourishing in the future.Originality/valueThe authors adapt the “wedding cake” model of Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and their relationships to the concept of “dynamic materiality” in both an organizational as well as a macro perspective. In addition, the authors introduce the word sustilience to describe an organization's combined ability to achieve “sustainability” through relatively stable conditions as well as the “resilience” to rebound after major external shocks.

INFLUENCE OF CORPORATE LEADERSHIP TRAITS ON EARLY ADOPTION OF ICT FARMING SYSTEMS BY FARMER UNIONS

The study sought to determine the effects of leadership trait towards promoting utilization of ICT farming systems for maize production in Zimbabwe. The study adopted qualitative approach and utilized 219 participants. The research also adopted an ordinal regression model to analyze the data. The study contributed the knowledge that leadership who are dominant, who are not flexible to change and conserved hinder the adoption of ICT farming systems for maize production just like leaders under small scale maize farmer union. In order to facilitate early the adoption which has taken place under the large scale maize farmer organization, farmer leadership, must possess radical, flexibility, and participatory traits to facilitate change and not inhibit change. In order to promote the early adoption of ICT farming systems in the maize value chain the farmer union leadership must be flexible and less dominance to change.

Characteristics of Leadership in Private University Organizations in Indonesia: A Conceptual Model [Karakteristik Kepemimpinan Organisasi Perguruan Tinggi Swasta di Indonesia: Sebuah Model Konseptual]

Universities (PT) are complex organizations, due to their internal nature and in response to the demands of globalization and technological development. Leaders and leadership are key factors in the success of an organization in fulfilling its goals. Studies on leadership in university organizations (OPT) in Indonesia is still limited, even though leaders perform their functions depending on context. This means that leadership study from different cultures and other organizations (corporations) may not be readily implemented in private university organizations (OPTS) in Indonesia. A qualitative study on 13 leaders of private universities (PTS) aims to identify the leadership characteristics of private university organizations (OPTS); specifically, by portraying leadership functions and leadership styles played by individuals who are active leaders private universities (PTS). The phenomenological qualitative study conducted using grounded analysis presents a conceptual model with three important characteristics: (1) academic leadership; (2) community leadership; and (3) corporate leadership. The interpretation of academic leadership and community leadership relates to the tri dharma (three pillars) of universities (PT), for which the view has not been solidified among the participants at the institutional and individual levels. Meanwhile, from corporate leadership emerges several interpretations related to the adoption of performance-based strategy, succession planning, and qualifications. Facing extremely competitive external challenges, leaders of universities (PT) can consider Systems Theory framework that look at the internal components of organizations holistically, rather than part by part, such that unique leadership characteristics would emerge, such as entrepreneurial leadership with the interpretation of tri dharma that is not merely limited to the dichotomy between research and teaching universities. Perguruan tinggi (PT) merupakan organisasi yang kompleks, baik karena natur internal maupun akibat tuntutan sebagai dampak dari perkembangan teknologi dan globalisasi. Pemimpin dan kepemimpinan merupakan faktor kunci akan keberhasilan organisasi mencapai visinya. Kajian kepemimpinan di organisasi perguruan tinggi (OPT) terutama di Indonesia sangat terbatas, padahal pemimpin berfungsi tergantung pada konteks. Artinya, studi kepemimpinan dari budaya berbeda atau organisasi lain (korporasi) belum tentu dapat diimplementasikan dalam organisasi perguruan tinggi swasta (OPTS) di Indonesia. Studi kualitatif terhadap 13 pemimpin perguruan tinggi swasta (PTS) bertujuan untuk identifikasi karakteristik kepemimpinan di organisasi perguruan tinggi swasta (OPTS); secara spesifik berupa gambaran fungsi pemimpin dan gaya kepemimpinan yang diperankan oleh mereka yang tengah aktif memimpin perguruan tinggi swasta (PTS). Hasil studi kualitatif fenomenologi dengan analisis secara grounded menampilkan model konseptual dengan tiga karakteristik, yakni: (1) kepemimpinan akademik; (2) kepemimpinan komunitas; dan (3) kepemimpinan korporasi. Pemaknaan terhadap kepemimpinan akademik dan kepemimpinan komunitas terkait dengan tri dharma perguruan tinggi (PT), yang pandangannya tidak solid antar partisipan baik pada tataran institusional maupun individual. Sementara pada kepemimpinan korporasi muncul makna terkait adopsi strategi berbasis kinerja, program kaderisasi, dan kualifikasi. Menghadapi tantangan eksternal yang sangat kompetitif, pemimpin perguruan tinggi (PT) dapat mempertimbangkan kerangka systems theory yang melihat komponen internal organisasi secara keseluruhan, bukan bagian demi bagian, sehingga boleh jadi muncul karakteristik kepemimpinan yang unik seperti entrepreneurial dengan pemaknaan terhadap tri dharma yang tidak terbatas pada research atau teaching university semata.

Corporate Leadership Strategy Management Based on Entropy Coupling Algorithm

With the continued economic downturn, coupled with the slowdown of domestic economic development and fierce market competition, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises has become more and more difficult. Because the financial background and operating strength of small and medium-sized enterprises are far inferior to large-scale enterprises, coupled with the influence of global economic integration, many small and medium-sized enterprises have gradually closed down. Therefore, exploring the entropy coupling algorithm is of great significance to the role of corporate leadership strategy management. This paper studies the coupling conditions and coupling process of corporate strategy and business model, builds a new coupling model, and goes deep into the coupling model to study the cooperation mechanism between its internal modules and initially builds the company to break through the two major dilemmas at the same time. This paper uses entropy theory to evaluate corporate leadership strategy, constructs an evaluation index system based on entropy, determines the weight of each index, and calculates the entropy value. This paper uses the alpha coefficient to test the reliability of the questionnaire. The value range of α coefficient is [0, 1], and different values represent different reliability. Large enterprises as a whole are mostly in the highly coupled (41.80%) and moderately coupled (27.34%) stages; medium-sized enterprises as a whole are mostly in the highly coupled (39.50%) and moderately coupled (31.50%) stages; small enterprises as a whole are mostly in the moderately coupled (39.50%) and moderately coupled (40.72%), low coupling (33.20%), and high coupling (25.9%) stages; microenterprises as a whole are mostly in the low coupling (43.70%), moderate coupling (36.41%), and high coupling (30.51%) stages. The results show that the entropy coupling algorithm can improve the deficiencies in the leadership strategy and provide a practical and reliable path for carrying out leadership development projects.

Neglected influences of wisdom of Sun Zi’s Art of War on corporate leadership

The prevailing perspectives on Sun Zi’s Art of War are predominantly strategic and limit leadership to implemented actions. This study seeks to examine the framework of an understanding of leadership actions and wisdom of Sun Zi’s Art of War, including the values, ethics and morals. The qualitative design was used and semi-structured interviews were used in this study to answer the research questions. The inductive analysis on the participants’ responses shows that their wisdom or deep knowledge and understanding are dependent on moral influences (Dao) such as being patient, doing away with inner greed, honesty and fairness, morality and a strategic mindset. Specifically, the themes of the influences are pointed primarily to the ethics and moral dimensions and secondly to the strategic dimension. This study has implications for extending research of roles of ethics and morality of Sun Zi’s Art of War on leadership effectiveness. Keywords: Sun-Zi’s Art of War, ethics and morality, corporate leadership and inductive analysis.