Business Commons^™

Knowledge Management In Organisations : An Overview, Abhoy Ojha

IIMB Management Review

Within the last few years, the topic of knowledge management in organisations has generated a lot of interest in the corporate sector. While knowledge has always been important for the success of an organisation, it is only in the last few years that it has received so much attention. The selection of papers in the round table tries to capture the current state of the field with particular emphasis on knowledge management issues in the Indian context.

The Role Of Governance In National Development., Nathaniel C. Ozigbo

Bullion

One of the principal issues in the analysis of development is the extent to which the state and corporate organizations influence it. Prevailing ideas about the links among democracy, good governance and economic growth have come almost full circle over the past three decades. Governance is defined as the good government of society. Good government guides the country along a course leading to the desired goals, in this case development. The paper has focused on the various discussions about the conditions for good governance, which raises questions about the structure and functioning of the state, its relationship to society and …

Recreating The Corporation : A Design Of Organizations For The 21st Century By Russell L Ackoff, New York, Oxford University Press, 1999., Vijay Padaki

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Leadership And Power : Ethical Exploration, Edited By S K Chakroborty And Pradip Bhattacharya, Oxford University Press, 2001., R C Sekhar

IIMB Management Review

This book is a collection of essays by twenty-nine authors of very varied persuasions and professional backgrounds, nine of whom are on-Indians. Most of them have a common concern for the perverse and unethical use of power. Some of them also see visions of a positive use of leadership and power in the future.

Management Research On Fashion: A Review And Evaluation, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In recentyears there has been growing interest and debate amongst scholars with respectto the notion that management ideas are subject to recurrent swings in fashionin the same way that aesthetic aspects of life, such as clothing styles andmusical tastes, are characterized by surges of popularity and then decline. A numberof reasons for the increasing importance of management fashion as an area ofresearch have been identified. First, each wave of fashionable thinking inmanagement is seen as altering accepted definitions of the character of themodern organizational ideal with the consequence that few people who work inorganizations remain untouched by the consequence of …

Assessors' Use Of Personality Traits In Descriptions Of Assessment Centre Candidates: A Five-Factor Model Perspective, Filip Lievens, Filip De Fruyt, Karen Van Dam

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In assessment centres assessors are typically taught to note down behavioural observations. However, previous studies have shown that about 20% of assessor notes contain trait descriptors. Instead of regarding these descriptors as errors, this study examines their position in a personality descriptive taxonomy (i.e. the AB5C taxonomy, see Hofstee, De Raad, & Goldberg, 1992) and relates them to employment recommendations. To this end, assessor notes of 403 assessees (214 men, 189 women; mean age 33 years) were scrutinized for personality descriptors. Results show that assessors, as a group, use descriptors referring to all five personality domains with a preference for …

Dimension And Exercise Variance In Assessment Center Scores: A Large-Scale Evaluation Of Multitrait-Multimethod Studies, Filip Lievens, James M. Conway

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study addresses 3 questions regarding assessment center construct validity: (a) Are assessment center ratings best thought of is reflecting dimension constructs (dimension model). exercises (exercise model). or a combination? (b) To what extent do dimensions or exercises account for variance? (c) Which design characteristics increase dimension variance? To this end, a large set of multitrait-multimethod studies (N = 34) were analyzed, showing that assessment center ratings were best represented (i.e., in terms of fit and admissible solutions) by a model with correlated dimensions and exercises specified a correlated uniquenesses. In this model, dimension variance equals exercise variance. Significantly more …

Why Can't We Wait (To Spend) And The Law Of Unintended Consequences: Potential Negative Impact On Minority Employees From Well-Intentioned Organizational Compensation Practices, James R. Jones

Marketing and Management Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

In this time of increasing uncertainty about business viability and stability, many organizations are looking to gain control of their "bottom line" by strengthening the link between organizational outcomes and employee rewards. Long gone are the days of steadily and automatically increasing worker salaries as a hoped-for method of expanding productivity. Indeed, there is a school of thought that suggests that automatic pay increases act as a "demotivator" for many individuals. The more common approach currently is to utilize incentives (i.e., additional compensation/rewards given for performance beyond normal expectations) as a way of enhancing employee work motivation, thereby leading to …

Determination Of The Impact Of A Human Capital Decision Cost Model On The Economic Performance Measures Of A Technical Services Company, Jeffery A. Temple

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Human Capital has a major impact on cash flow management decisions in a Technical Services company. Decisions to hire or terminate employees to meet contract requirements affect the company's economic value. The objective of this research is to develop a model that assists management in establishing a starting point in making, as efficiently as possible, those decisions that impact employees' lives. To understand that impact, the operations and economic parameters of a Technical Services company are compared with those of a manufacturing company. This analysis establishes two · essential points for Technical Services organizations; first, that the capital investment decision …

The Influence Of Affective State And Social Loafing On Teams Over Time, Amy N. Cunningham

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Teams are a growing force in the workplace today. An interesting aspect of team research in recent years involves the maturation of teams over time and the processes teams go through as a novice team to a fully accomplished performing team. One impediment to team maturation and performance is social loafing. There were two goals in the present research and are presented in the following questions. First, do team members' effective states influence social loafing? Second, does team training affect affective state of team members, social loafing, and performance? These variables were investigated, using an interrupted time series design, as …

Raising Spirit In Institutional And Public Life, Jeff Coolidge

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article covers spirit and its role in invigorating and maintaining our institutions. It tracks the origin of spirit and describes the role of spirit in organizations along with its manifestations: vision and mission, each of which, the author explains, must be clearly defined and kept separate to maintain organizational spirit and effectiveness. He makes the case that spirit can be assessed and nurtured and considers it important for funders and other interested parties to do so. Such assessment must identify elements that could corrupt this spirit. While focusing on nonprofit institutions, he demonstrates where spirit and its effects are …

More Than A Motorcycle: The Leadership Journey At Harley-Davidson By Rich Teerlink And Lee Ozley, London: Harvard Business School Press, 2000., Rishikesha T Krishnan

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

When Things Go Wrong: Organizational Failures And Breakdowns Edited By Helmut K Anheier, New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1999., Abhoy K Ojha

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

The Construct Validity Of A Belgian Assessment Centre: A Comparison Of Different Models, Filip Lievens, Etienne Van Keer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study investigates the construct validity of a Belgian assessment centre through a comprehensive set of confirmatory factor analysis models. In particular, the general confirmatory factor analysis approach as well as the correlated uniqueness approach are fitted to the same data. Results replicate Sagie and Magnezy's (1997) finding that the correlated uniqueness model is appropriate to represent exercise effects in assessment centres, as a good fit and no estimation problems are obtained. In this model the dimensions explain 36% of variance, revealing evidence of convergent validity. Possibly, this is due to the careful design of this assessment centre. Evidence of …

A Comparative Study On Projected And Actual Manufacturing Times To Identify The Source Of Customer Delinquency, Zaki Kuruppalil

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was an investigation of the projected lead time and the actual lead time for a part manufactured at Tri-Industries Inc., Terre Haute, Indiana. The research was focused on a single part produced in Tri-Industries. The problem was that there is a difference in the projected lead time and the actual lead time of the part under investigation. The actual lead time was longer than projected lead time, which resulted in the company being delinquent in customer delivery. This investigation was conducted to find out the source for customer delinquency for a single part in Tri-Industries. The conclusion was …

Trends. False Consciousness And Contemporary Psychological Research, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

Most professional psychological organizations purport to create knowledge and provide services for human welfare. Yet these organizations may support research traditions that can very easily be exploited by political authorities working to maintain political power and exploit citizenry. The article discusses how the consciousnesses of psychologists in the psychological organizations purporting to do good can themselves be exemplars of false consciousness.

Short Term Effects Of The Retrenchment Exercise On Individual And Organisational Performance In The Uganda Civil Service: Part Ii, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

IBPP Note. The concluding segment of this article provides theory, empirical data, and analysis on some political psychological consequences of organizational retrenchment in a political bureaucracy within a country often unattended to by Western researchers. It was written by Dr. Peter Baguma, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Psychology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, and International Editor, IBPP. Dr. Baguma can be reached at [email protected].

Abstract. This study set out to assess the short-term effects of a retrenchment exercise on individual and organisational performance in the Uganda civil service. In all, 247 senior and lower rank employees from 6 civil service ministries were …

Short Term Effects Of The Retrenchment Exercise On Individual And Organisational Performance In The Uganda Civil Service: Part I, Peter Baguma

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This study set out to assess the short-term effects of a retrenchment exercise on individual and organisational performance in the Uganda civil service. In all, 247 senior and lower rank employees from 6 civil service ministries were administered a questionnaire that measured individual performance, factors hindering employee performance and suggestions on how performance could be improved, and organisational performance factors. The majority of participants reported retrenchment had positive or unknown effects on individual performance. Factors hindering employee performance were inadequate funding, lack of motivation, work overload, and lack of tools--to mention but a few. Providing a living wage, improved incentives, …

Trends. In The Kingdom Of The United Kingdom: The Psychology Of Post-Election Transition, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article was written by Mr. Dai Williams, a chartered occupational psychologist. He can be reached at Eos Life-Work, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom; email: [email protected]; website: http://www.eoslifework.co.uk.

In his article, Mr. Williams considers the personal impact of post-election transition periods in the United Kingdom.

Corporate Training Programmes: Lessons For Colleges And Universities, Aaron W. Hughey

Counseling & Student Affairs Faculty Publications

Employee training programmes have long been considered one of the keys to corporate success. The primary focus of this article is on what higher education professionals can learn from their counterparts in business and industry with respect to training in a collegiate environment. The elements of a successful training programme are discussed along with how the process can be adapted by colleges and universities. The distinction between training and education is explained, with a discussion of why 'soft skills' training initiatives are often less effective than skills-based approaches. The critical role of the training coordinator in facilitating a programme is …

Fuzzy Areas And Firm Boundaries, Pradeep Banerjee

IIMB Management Review

The manner in which firms function has been studied by academic economists for some time now. Adam Smith, the doyen of economists, incorporated his evaluation of producing units in his Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of Wealth of Nations (1776). The other famous economist, Alfred Marshal also studied the operation of the market and firms that functioned in it. Marshal is credited with having laid down an important part of the methodology of microeconomics, a branch of economics that takes up the study of firms as part of its routine.

Private Sector Banks : Shaping Up, Amol Maheshwari, Shweta Jhajharia

IIMB Management Review

An important factor influencing the development of private banks was the presence in the early 90s of bothpublic sector banks (PSBs) andforeign banks, with their specificdisadvantages. While thePSBs were often wanting in their quality of service, the activities of foreign banks were (and still are) restricted by the government. Private banks thus cornered the niche where the service-demanding consumer was willing to pay a higher price. By developing a retail focus, they also ensured that their deposit base was firmly established and diversified enough, before they moved on to larger businesses.

The Transformation Of Management By Mike Davidson, New York: Macmillan Press, 1995., Maj Gen V Uberoy

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Equilibrium Spells Death : Applying Chaos Theory To Organisations, Saurav Mukherji

IIMB Management Review

Organisations have long been viewed as open systems consisting of inter-connected components having multiple levels of interdependencies that work together by exchanging resources within themselves and with the environment. Treating organisations as complex systems, organisational designers tried to match the structural complexity of organisations with a complex
environment and technology. However, in the light of some important discoveries in other fields regarding the nature of complex systems, it may be worthwhile to re-examine some of the basic assumptions made.

Foreign Country Priorities In The Internationalization Process: A Measure And An Exploratory Test On British Firms, Timothy Adrian Robert Clark, Derek S. Pugh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

After a critical analysis of the psychic distance aspect of the Uppsala model of internationalization and empirical studies to test it, this paper proposes a measure to enable comparison between target foreign countries in the priority given them in the internationalization process. An International Priority Index is developed for each target country, and used as the dependent variable in a model to analyze the effects of the independent variables of size of market, affluence of market, geographical distance and cultural distance on foreign country priority choice of home country firms. The measure and the model are given a first test …

The Relationship Of Internal And External Commitment Foci To Objective Job Performance Measures, Mark A. Siders, Gerard George, Ravi Dharwadkar

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Prior research reports of a weak commitment-performance relationship can be attributed to inconsistency in conceptualization and measurement of the constructs. In this study, we differentially relate attitudinal commitment to internal (organization and supervisor) and external (customer) foci to objective measures of job performance. Results suggest that both internal foci are related to organizationally rewarded job performance and that the external focus influences job performance relevant to and rewarded by customers. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Organizational Demonization: The Fbi As Sinner, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes several descriptive attributions that might "explain" the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) not providing all available information relevant to criminal cases to parties legally authorized to receive such information.

The Perceptions Of Women Superintendents Regardlng Their Leadership Practices And Uses Of Power, Susan Katz

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In public schools a limited number of women have attained the position or superintendent. Limited resemch exists that focuses on understnnding the position from n woman's perspective. The purpose of this study, then, was to understand how women public school superintendents describe their leadership practices and uses or power in leading their school districts. The study was both quantitalivc and qualitative in methodology. The problem under study was approached from the conccpltial framework or five leadership practices. Challenging the Process, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Enabling Others to Act, Modeling the Way, and Encouraging the Heart are the practices that Kouzes …

Humor And Leadership: A Gender-Based Investigation Of The Correlation Between The Attribute Of Humor And Effective Leadership, Bonnie S. Bolinger

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was lo dclcnnine if 1hcrc is a correlation between the atlribute of humorous and effective leadership as perceived by subordinates and supervisors and whether it differs by gender. Eleven attributes, including humorous, were identified by a review of the titerature as being those most often associated with effective leaders. Department of Management chai1versons within American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business accredited schools within the United Stales were selected as subjects of the study. Both faculty members reporting to these individuals and the deans of the schools who oversee their work were surveyed. These people …

How Does The Retail Clerk Make Sense Of His Environment, Tyler L. Watson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The retail clerk is a common feature of today's society. However, the role of the retail clerk has been largely overlooked from the sociological perspective. More precisely from the ethnomethodological perspective. Currently most of the body of research on the retail clerk is from the business perspective and sheds little light on what it is like to be a retail clerk. This study was designed to gain access to the other side of the retail scene, that is, the side of the retail clerk. Most Americans are already familiar with the store but do not know how things are experienced …