Business Commons^™

Proving Yourself: How Top Executives Relate Their Leadership Experience, Ellen S. O'Connor, Denise M. Lucy

Denise Lucy

We asked 30 top executives (CEOs, COOs, and Presidents) to describe their paths to and in office. Our purpose was to explore how executives practice leadership in the way they discuss their experience. We identified three structures that interviewees used: the full proof, a thesis statement backed by evidence; the narrative plot, a trajectory toward a goal; and the signature story, a defining leadership experience. We argue that structuration proves leadership; that is, full proofs and narrative plots communicate dependability and signature stories convey realism. We also constructed paradigmatic narratives or representative experiences of leadership, which suggest an experiential curriculum …

Top Management Support, Collective Mindfulness, And Information Systems Performance, Shaji A. Khan, Albert L. Lederer, Dinesh A. Mirchandani

Shaji Khan

Mindfulness is a cognitive process that facilitates the discovery and correction of errors that might escalate. This study applies mindfulness theory to examine the impact of top management support for information systems on collective mindfulness, and that of collective mindfulness on IS performance. It treated such mindfulness in five dimensions, and top management support and IS performance as uni-dimensional. Forty-seven chief executive officers responded to a survey asking their perceptions of the constructs. Top management support predicted four of the dimensions with the strongest effect on sensitivity to IS operations. A negative path from support to commitment to IS resilience …

Generational Growing Pains As Resistance To Feminine Gendering Of Organization? An Archival Analysis Of Human Resource Management Discourses, Kristen Lucas, Suzy D'Enbeau, Erica P. Heiden

Kristen Lucas

Guided by a feminist communicology of organization framework, we examine generational growing pains by analyzing discourses appearing in HR Magazine at three different points in time, which approximately mark the midpoint of Baby Boomers’, Gen Xers’, and Millennials’ initial entry into the workplace. We reconstruct historically situated gendered discourses that encapsulate key concerns expressed by human resource management professionals as they dealt with younger generations of workers: Personnel Man as Father Knows Best (1970), Human Resource Specialist as Loyalty Builder (1990), and Talent Manager as Nurturer (2010). We propose that frustrations expressed by older generations about Millennials may not be …

Workplace Dignity In A Total Institution: Examining The Experiences Of Foxconn’S Migrant Workforce, Kristen Lucas, Dongjing Kang, Zhou Li

Kristen Lucas

In 2010, a cluster of suicides at the electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group sparked worldwide outcry about working conditions at its factories in China. Within a few short months, 14 young migrant workers jumped to their deaths from buildings on the Foxconn campus, an all-encompassing compound where they had worked, eaten, and slept. Even though the language of workplace dignity was invoked in official responses from Foxconn and its business partner Apple, neither of these parties directly examined workers’ dignity in their ensuing audits. Based on our analysis of media accounts of life at Foxconn, we argue that its …

Americans, Marketers, And The Internet: 1999-2012, Joseph Turow, Amy Bleakley, John Bracken, Michael X. Delli Carpini, Nora A. Draper, Lauren Feldman, Nathaniel Good, Jens Grossklags, Michael Hennessy, Chris Jay Hoofnagle, Rowan Howard-Williams, Jennifer King, Su Li, Kimberly Meltzer, Deirdre K. Mulligan, Lilach Nir

Chris Jay Hoofnagle

This is a collection of the reports on the Annenberg national surveys that explored Americans' knowledge and opinions about the new digital-marketing world that was becoming part of their lives. So far we’ve released seven reports on the subject, in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2012. The reports raised or deepened a range of provocative topics that have become part of public, policy, and industry discourse. In addition to these reports, I’ve included three journal articles — from I/S, New Media & Society and the Journal of Consumer Affairs — that synthesize some of the findings and place …

Money Talks: Communication Patterns As Knowledge Monetization, Karl Joachim Breunig, Hanno Roberts

Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation JEMI

Thomas Mueller.Jpg

Dr. Thomas Mueller

No abstract provided.

Workplace Dignity: Communicating Inherent, Earned, And Remediated Dignity, Kristen Lucas

Kristen Lucas

Concise Guide To Interviewing, Jeralyn L L. Faris

Jeralyn L Faris

Exchanging Preliminary Information In Concurrent Engineering: Alternative Coordination Strategies, Christian Terwiesch, Christoph H. Loch, Arnoud De Meyer

Arnoud DE MEYER

Successful application of concurrent development processes (concurrent engineering) requires tight coordination. To speed development, tasks often proceed in parallel by relying on preliminary information from other tasks, information that has not yet been finalized. This frequently causes substantial rework using as much as 50% of total engineering capacity. Previous studies have either described coordination as a complex social process, or have focused on the frequency, but not the content, of information exchanges. Through extensive fieldwork in a high-end German automotive manufacturer, we develop a framework of preliminary information that distinguishes information precision and information stability. Information precision refers to the …

Teaching Hrm And Managerial Skills With The 'Living Case' Exercise: An Evaluation, Cynthia D. Fisher, Carol A. Dickenson, James B. Shaw, Gregory N. Southey

Cynthia D. Fisher

Extract:The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate an innovative approach to teaching human resource management. The approach involves students working in small groups on a semester-long project in the form of an on-going case study (here after called the 'living case'). After setting up a simulated organisation complete with identification of strategies, structure and culture, students are required to make and defend a series of HR decisions in which they apply theory and classroom learning about HRM to their "real" organisation. The approach emphasises the context of HRM decisions and helps to develop a range of both …

The Role Of Interpersonal Communication In The Development Of Client Trust And Closeness In A Sme Professional Services Context, Les Kirchmajer, Paul Patterson

Laszlo Kirchmajer

This study develops and tests a model of effective interpersonal communication as an antecedent to client trust and closeness amongst small to medium enterprise (SJ\1E) professional services providerspersonal fmancial planners. A new multidimensional scale for interpersonal communications is developed and tested, resulting in the identification of three dimensions : Communications clarity (5 items),Social communications (4 items), and Information provision (7 items). Client trust is investigated also as a multidimensional construct with credibility trust and benevolence trust being the two dimensions used. Closeness is investigated as a unidimensional construct. The results suggest that there is a positive relationship between communications clarity …

An Examination Of Professional Services Quality As A Mediator Between Interpersonal Communication And Repurchase Intention, Les Kirchmajer, Paul G. Patterson

Laszlo Kirchmajer

This study examines the role of service quality (SQ) as a mediator between interpersonal communications and repurchase intention in the context of the relationship an individual client has with their personal financial adviser. A new multidimensional scale for interpersonal communications is developed and tested. Three dimensions were identified as: Communications clarity (five items), Social communications (four items), and Information provision (seven items). The results show the communications dimensions play a central role in sharing perceptions of service quality (SQ) and thus repurchase intentions.

The Ins And Outs Of Change Of Shift Handoffs Between Nurses: A Communication Challenge, John S. Carroll, Michele Williams, Theresa M. Gallivan

Michele Williams

Background: Communication breakdowns have been identified as a source of problems in complex work settings such as hospital-based healthcare. Methods: The authors conducted a multi-method study of change of shift handoffs between nurses, including interviews, survey, audio taping and direct observation of handoffs, posthandoff questionnaires, and archival coding of clinical records. Results: The authors found considerable variability across units, nurses and, surprisingly, roles. Incoming and outgoing nurses had different expectations for a good handoff: incoming nurses wanted a conversation with questions and eye contact, whereas outgoing nurses wanted to tell their story without interruptions. More experienced nurses abbreviated their reports …

“Keeping Up With The Quants” By Thomas H. Davenport And Jinho Kim, William Bleuel

William H. Bleuel

Graziadio Business Review, Volume 17, Number 2.

A Comparison Of Supply Integration And End-To-End Communication Theory And Practice - An Australian Perspective, Fadi Kotob, Lee Styger

Lee Styger

The concept of supply chain integration and end-to-end communication are well established in supply chain theory. Typically, because of the depth of publications, an axiom has developed that all supply networks are fully integrated and have end-toend communication protocols. Recent research into Australian supply networks has highlighted a somewhat different scenario, where many networks are fragmented and lack the connectivity that would be expected. This paper offers a comparison of theoretical supply chain management and the actual practices found in Australian businesses. As a result of this grass root research, a scenario is offered that suggest there is a significant …

Novos Serviços De Informação E Comunicação: Um Quadro De Referência Estratégico, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Norbert Mundorf, Ruby Roy Dholakia

Nikhilesh Dholakia

From the late 1960s onwards, the range of information and communication services available to residential consumers and business users in the technologically advanced nations has been growing. The future of information services will depend on the strategic and structural interactions of firms specializing in content, conduits and components.

Web-Mediated Communication (Wmc) And Social Interaction: A Social Psychological Approach, Koo Won Suh, Helen Hasan, Paul K. Couchman

Helen Hasan

It can be argued that social interaction is a critical factor in understanding Web-mediated communication. While the concept and domain of social interaction has been studied in several disciplines they are underdeveloped in the current Web-enabled environment. This paper adopts a social psychological point of view of conceptual and operational issues in relation to social interaction. Through a review of the literature, two domains of social interaction are identified: task and socio-emotional interaction. The literature review also addresses some problems in defmition related to socio-emotional interaction. In an attempt to fill the gap between conceptual and operational defmitions of social …

Technology Engineering And Management In Aviation Chapter:The Evaluation Of Wireless Communication Devices: To Improve In-Flight Security Onboard Commercial Aircraft., Lori Brown, Liang Dong, Anthony Cerrullo

Lori J. Brown

As computer and information systems technology advances, industries such as aviation stand to benefit from the overwhelming new advances in hardware, software, and best practices. Technology Engineering and Management in Aviation: Advancements and Discoveries details the essential new developments in technology and management in the aviation industry. Specific and important advances in navigation, air traffic control, and environmental impact all make their way into this volume, which also focuses on management policies keeping up with new technology. This volume is a vital reference for practitioners, management, students, and all those interested in the field of aviation. This chapter will study …

Decision Making Concerning The Acquisition And Use Of Information And Communication Technology (Ict) In Medical Practices, Robert Macgregor, Peter Hyland, Charles Harvie

Associate Professor Peter Hyland

A number of studies both within medical practices as well as the wider small business sector suggest that gender plays a role in both decision-making and the running of the business. Yet despite these apparent differences, the role of gender in the adoption of ICT in medical practices has remained largely ignored. This paper presents a study of 196 GPs (128 males, 68 females) who have adopted ICT in their practice. The results of this study show that the perception of drivers of ICT adoption and use in medical practices appear to differ depending on the gender of the GP. …

Let's Stick Together: The Finance Function As Glue, Mark E. Pickering

Mark E Pickering

Finance can play a valuable role in helping align the different organisational departments more closely to achieve a common goal. This article indicates some of the causes of friction between departments and provides suggestions as to how finance executives and managers can contribute to greater alignment.

Dispersed Leadership: Exploring The Impact Of Antecedent Forms Of Power Using A Communicative Framework, Ray Gordon

Ray Gordon

This article presents an account of a police organization's attempt to implement what senior officers described as a dispersed leadership initiative. A communicative framework is used to show how a particular historically constituted discourse is embedded in the communicative actions of those officers who participated in the study. Analysis of the effects of this discourse reveals how the organization's dispersion of leadership, although on the surface representing a new and successful endeavor, is rendered problematic by what the article terms antecedent forms of power.

The Effects Of Structure, Communication And Trust Between Marketing And R&D During New Product Development, Elias Kyriazis, Graham Massey

Elias Kyriazis

The ability to effectively manage cross-functional working relationships (CFRs) during innovation is a key success factor in developing successful new products. However, empirical evidence suggests that CFRs during new product development are often problematic, resulting in extremely poor relations between managers, and the development of unsuccessful new products. This paper adds to our existing knowledge on the Marketing/R&D CFR by examining the effects of structural factors, communication behaviours, and interpersonal trust on the dependent variable perceived relationship effectiveness. Our findings reveal that trust has potent positive, direct effects on this CFR. Further, bidirectional communication and quality of communication also have …

A Theory Of Happiness-Wealth Relationship With Status-Sensitive Communication, Amnon Levy

Amnon Livermore

Personal happiness might not solely depend on the individual's level of wealth but also on the individual's level of sincere social capital. This paper argues that if sincere interpersonal communication is sensitive to economic status disparities, the accumulation of personal wealth beyond the community's average erodes the individual's sincere social capital. A measure of sincere social capital that is based on such sensitivity is constructed. Its consideration leads to the depiction of the individual's happiness-wealth relationship as an inverted U-shaped curve that peaks at personal wealth that is greater than the community mean.

Effective Virtual Teams For New Product Development, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

At present, the existing literature shows that the factors which influence the effectiveness of virtual teams for new product development are still ambiguous. To address this problem, a research design was developed, which includes detailed literature review, preliminary model and field survey. From literature review, the factors which influence the effectiveness of virtual teams are identified and these factors are modified using a field survey. The relationship between knowledge workers (people), process and technology in virtual teams is explored in this study. The results of the study suggest that technology and process are tightly correlated and need to be considered …

The Effect Of Virtuality On Individual Network Centrality And Performance In On-Going, Distributed Teams, Priscilla Arling, Mani Subramani

Priscilla Arling

For distributed teams to succeed, individuals must interact successfully within team social networks. To understand individual performance in distributed teams, we consider a multi-dimensional view of individual virtuality and its relationship with centrality in the team’s face-to-face network and ICT network. We leverage social network theory and hierarchically analyze data from 254 individuals in 18 teams. We find that members with higher dispersion are less central in the face-to-face network while those with higher ICT use are more central in the ICT network. Centrality in the ICT network, but not centrality in the face-to-face network, is positively related to performance. …

Markov Chain Models Of Negotiators’ Communication, Mara Olekalns, Philip L. Smith, Laurie R. Weingart

Mara Olekalns

This entry into the Encyclopedia of Peace Psychology provides an overview of the application of markov chain modelling to the analysis of communication patterns in negotiation

Effect Of Organizational Change On Employee Job Involvement: Mediating Role Of Communication, Emotions And Psychological Contract, Rana Rashid Rehman

Rana Rashid Rehman

The purpose of the current paper is to provide a conceptual framework for studying the impact of organizational change on employee job involvement while communication, emotions and psychological contract plays mediating role in this relationship. The current study conceptualize that organizational change followed by effective communication generate the positive emotions which ultimately increase the employee job involvement where as organizational change with ineffective communication causes negative emotions which results in low employee job involvement. The study also founds that organizational change may break the psychological contract between employee and employer which reduces the employee job involvement.

Slippage In The System: The Effects Of Errors In Transactive Memory Behavior On Team Performance, Matthew Pearsall, Aleksander Ellis, Bradford Bell

Bradford S Bell

[Excerpt] Although researchers have consistently shown that the implicit coordination provided by transactive memory positively affects team performance, the benefits of transactive memory systems depend heavily on team members’ ability to accurately identify the expertise of their teammates and communicate expertise-specific information with one another. This introduces the opportunity for errors to enter the system, as the expertise of individual team members may be misunderstood or misrepresented, leading to the reliance on information from the wrong source or the loss of information through incorrect assignment. As Hollingshead notes, “information may be transferred or explicitly delegated to the ‘wrong’ individual in …

Work Teams, Bradford S. Bell, Steve W. J. Kozlowski

Bradford S Bell

[Excerpt] Teams serve as the basic building blocks of modern organizations and represent a critical means by which work is accomplished in today's world. Therefore, significant research during the past few decades has been focused on understanding work team effectiveness. This entry looks at the history of this research and what it says about team types, team composition, team development, team processes, and team effectiveness.