Facilitation and Dialogue as Methods of Reflective Practice in Professional Education

Students may fear sharing their learning in public because classrooms are not traditional places where we teach skills needed for mutual understanding, such as facilitation and dialogue. This is a pedagogical challenge for planning, policy, and design fields because contemporary teaching requires collaboration among participants. We propose that learning to work collaboratively in the classroom has broader relevance for practice because it mirrors the learning that happens in organizations. To address this opportunity, we trained students in facilitation and dialogue. In this article, we discuss the design, implementation, and outcomes of this intervention.     

Intermediaries in the relevance-gap debate: A systematic review of consulting roles

A highly contested issue in management science is its relevance to practice. Despite third parties’ potentially significant role in changing the interaction between divided parties, the long-standing literature on the relevance gap has paid third parties little systematic attention. Drawing on a boundary-spanning perspective, and the concept of brokerage in particular, we review how the consultant role is discussed as an intermediary third party between management science and management practice. Based on a systematic literature review of 133 articles, we identify different intermediary consultant roles linking management science to management practice. Our findings detail how the practices associated with intermediary consultant roles performed by academics or practitioners relate to several key relevance criteria, how management knowledge flows when including intermediaries and how intermediaries in different roles relate to different audiences. Based on the findings, we develop a third-party model of intermediary consultant roles and knowledge flows. The model indicates the theoretical significance of third parties in shaping the interaction and knowledge flows between management science and management practice and has theoretical implications for understanding the persistence of the relevance gap. Regarding practical implications, we suggest how management scientists could target third parties as new key practitioner audiences. Considering third parties, and thus moving away from a two-party view, opens up promising directions for further research on the roles and role shifts of various intermediary actors and on how different intermediary audiences may appreciate different types of academic knowledge.     

The Multilevel Nature of Customer Experience Research: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda

Over the last three decades, customer experience (CE) has developed from a burgeoning concept to a widely recognized phenomenon in terms of both research and practice. To account for the complexity of consumption decisions, the CE literature encompasses both the rational information processing approach to consumer decision‐making and the experiential approach, which includes emotions, feelings and sub‐consciousness. The authors classify and examine CE research on two levels. Studies on static CE analyze experiences during touchpoints at one point in time, while studies on dynamic CE assess how experiences evolve over time. Furthermore, both static and dynamic CE research take place from two distinct theoretical perspectives: the organization and the consumer. As both theoretical perspectives essentially deal with the same phenomenon – the organizational perspective with the creation of CEs and the consumer perspective with the perception of customer experiences – there is potential for a productive symbiosis between them. The authors propose that connecting insights from both perspectives can contribute to a better understanding of what constitutes a CE for consumers and how firms can effectively manage it. First, the authors discuss the development of CE and argue that it has evolved into a broad and fragmented ‘umbrella construct’. Second, after distinguishing and defining static and dynamic CE, they systematically evaluate the state of knowledge in both the organizational and consumer perspectives. Finally, they develop an agenda for future research that integrates the consumer perspective into organizational CE research.     

A Manifesto for Information Management Research

This paper calls for major rethinking in information management research as we enter the second half of the 1990s and approach the 21st century. It argues that, should we not take up the challenges identified herein, it is likely that what little remains of the discipline ‘information management’ will be subsumed into the realms of computer science/engineering at one end of the spectrum, and strategic management and organizational behaviour at the other. It argues that while it is no bad thing that aspects of the topic are dealt with in these related fields, it is important that information management should be seen as a discipline in its own right. In order to achieve this recognition – indeed, in order to earn this recognition – major restoration is required. The paper seeks to begin a debate on this topic by presenting a manifesto¹ for reform in the field of information management by discussing a series of concerns regarding the focus, methods and quality of research in this field; its reference disciplines, and its international and cross-cultural considerations. This is not meant to be a comprehensive treatment of the issues by any means, but an attempt to present aspects of the topic that are of importance. By commencing the debate, it is hoped that the issues will become clearer, and action can begin to be taken. The list will doubtless be refined as the debate ensues.     

Systemic approach to supply chain management through the viable system model and the theory of constraints

In today’s environment, Supply Chain Management (SCM) takes a key role in business strategy. A major challenge is achieving high customer service level under a reasonable operating expense and investment. The traditional approach to SCM, based on local optimisation, is a proven cause of meaningful inefficiencies – e.g. the Bullwhip Effect – that obstruct the throughput. The systemic (holistic) approach, based on global optimisation, has been shown to perform significantly better. Nevertheless, it is not widely expanded, since the implementation of an efficient solution requires a suitable scheme. Under these circumstances, this paper proposes an integrative framework for supply chain collaboration aimed at increasing its efficiency. This is based on the combined application of the Beer’s Viable System Model (VSM) and the Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (TOC). VSM defines the systemic structure of the supply chain and orchestrates the collaboration, while TOC implements the systemic behaviour – i.e. integrate processes – and define performance measures. To support this proposal, we detail its application to the widely used Beer Game scenario. In addition, we discuss its implementation in real supply chains, highlighting the key points that must be considered.     

The virtue of courage: From historical European roots to current management studies

This article discusses the concept of courage – stemming from the ancient European traditions of this virtue – systematically analyzing 45 management studies that deepen the role of such virtue in business organizations. From the analysis, three major themes emerge: 1) the concept of courage in organizations, 2) the concept of moral courage in organizations, and 3) the concept of collective courage of organizations. Moreover, findings show that management research on the virtue of courage has progressed over the years and that – notwithstanding its strong European roots – the studies involved in the conversation are mainly not based in Europe. The contribution of this article is threefold. First, it sheds light on a still under-researched virtue, pointing out its relevance in business contexts. Second, it clearly highlights that a shift is occurring in scholars' interest, as an organizational and collective perspective of moral courage is slowly emerging. Finally, it shows that management scholars mainly embrace Aristotle's view of the virtue of courage, discarding the Christian approach introduced by Aquinas.     

A Framework for Examining the Interface between Operations and Information Systems: Implications for Research in the New Millennium*

Even though much research has been published in operations and information systems, both functional areas find their roots in other disciplines. While operations management evolved from operations research in the 1960s, the field of information systems is of more recent vintage and traces its original roots to computer science. Both disciplines now naturally have come closer together as information and process-technology-based changes force manufacturing firms to become more efficient and customer focused. Market and technology-driven e-commerce initiatives that are likely to dominate business strategies in the future cannot be successfully achieved without a successful integration of operations and information systems. In this paper, we present a unifying framework that can be used to better understand the management of the functional interface between operations and information systems. We also categorize and highlight the contributions of the articles that appear in this special research focus issue. Finally, research directions that emerge from our understanding of this interface are outlined in an effort to stimulate further thinking and research that can advance our knowledge of this interface area.     

Supporting collaboration in humanitarian supply chains – insights from a design science project

Abstract

The growing number of large-scale relief operations and humanitarian aid initiatives is stretching the resources – financial, material and human – of humanitarian actors to their limits. Challenges to collaborate both within international humanitarian organizations, and among their direct and indirect supply chain partners often contribute to the inefficient use of resources, or ineffective operations. In this research, we discuss collaboration in humanitarian supply chains, and analyze causes of their dysfunctional operations. Furthermore, we develop an experiential learning approach that can sensitize humanitarian supply chain actors to causes of information distortion. The simulation approach was implemented in the field and instructional design cycles yielded insights into how staff apply their learnings under the specific conditions of humanitarian relief work.     

The contribution of network research to managerial culture and practice

Although research on social networks has gained significant influence in the academic world, several factors seem to have lowered its echo in the business world. It is still unclear how this fast-growing stream of research has translated into solid implications for managerial action and decision making. Based on a review of recent research, this paper attempts to provide evidence that network research does have practical relevance. We focus on five areas where network research has introduced new angles and renewed the understanding of how organizations should tackle management issues. We also suggest directions for future research, with the same objective of placing the emphasis on strengthening the contribution of the approach to management practices.     

Bridging Scholarship in Management: Epistemological Reflections

If the relevance gap in management research is to be narrowed, management scholars must identify and adopt processes of inquiry that simultaneously achieve high rigour and high relevance. Research approaches that strive for relevance emphasize the particular at the expense of the general and approaches that strive for rigour emphasize the general over the particular. Inquiry that attains both rigour and relevance can be found in approaches to knowledge that involve a reasoned relationship between the particular and the general. Prominent among these are the works of Ikujiro Nonaka and John Dewey. Their epistemological foundations indicate the potential for a philosophy of science and a process of inquiry that crosses epistemological lines by synthesizing the particular and the general and by utilizing experience and theory, the implicit and the explicit, and induction and deduction. These epistemologies point to characteristics of a bridging scholarship that is problem-initiated and rests on expanded standards of validity. The present epistemological reflections are in search of new communities of knowing toward the production of relevant and rigorous management knowledge.     

基于信息本质的不确定性机制的中国管理实践研究及评价——势科学视角

管理的本质是应对管理过程的不确定性,不确定性的内在机制是信息相互作用。无论是科学技术研究评价还是管理实践研究评价,都可以在不同抽象层次上进行,抽象层次越低,评价自由度越多,评价效果就越难以把握。信息层次上的抽象是人类期待的最高层次上的抽象。势科学理论研究揭示了信息的本质意义,为在高度抽象的信息层次上进行中国管理实践研究及评价提供了科学化路径。由多元化对称性评价要素构成的具有数学群结构的评价模型,具有最大的评价信息量和评价信息势,为中国管理实践研究的有效评价提供了理论模型。     

Towards better understanding and narrowing of the science–practice gap: A practitioner-centered approach to management knowledge creation

The lack of mutual communication and collaboration between academic research and management practice, and the limited implementation of the research findings in strategic and tactical decision-making in practice settings, known as the science-practice ‘gap’, remains an essential issue in management research. We challenge the primary focus on academics for the possibilities of bridging the gap by arguing that the picture remains incomplete without a closer look at the positions, perceptions, and attitudes of practicing managers toward the joint production of relevant management knowledge. Based on the inductive, grounded theory approach, we conducted a qualitative study of 47 practicing managers with different organizational and functional responsibilities across various industry sectors. Although practitioners perceived practice-engaged research design and execution, relevant management research, and benefits from complementary knowledge as enablers of fruitful science-practice collaboration, our emerging findings revealed limited trust, limited cognition, coping strategies, and heuristic information processing to be important barriers for practitioners that hamper the collaboration process. Relying on the cognitive and information processing framework and theory of the conservation of resources, we aimed to explain the antecedent of (un)successful collaboration on the practitioners' side, thus extending our understanding of the scholarship of integration.     

A professionalization framework to understand the structuring of work

The notion of professionalization is widely used both by managers and researchers. This use questions the traditional definition of profession. This paper reviews a book published in 1988 – The System of Professions – written by a sociologist, A. Abbott. Though this book had a strong impact in the field of the sociology of professions, it has remained unknown by many researchers in management science. His pragmatic approach to the concepts of profession and professionalization helps achieve better understanding of work structuring and as a consequence can be useful to address issues such as human resources management, organizational control or even the management of information systems.     

Voices and values: Linking values with participation in OR/MS in public policy making

It is now widely accepted that public policy development requires both an appreciation of public values and an ability to involve insights from local people. Operational research (OR) has made some contributions to public policy development, and there has been a call to use problem-structuring methods (PSM) in this environment. This growing need for greater use of OR/management science (MS) in policy making is due to its ability to work with insights that are sometimes hard to pin down. This paper presents some research about values and local people's voices in public policy making, which the authors believe present a challenge to OR/MS and to the use of PSM. The paper will describe a framework for understanding values and exploring insights into including local voices in policy making using PSMs. Key to the framework is in the emphasis on differences, rather than similarities, in value priorities. A case study in which local people as well as decisions makers and politicians were engaged in a process to decide the future of a local hospital will be described.     

The Consolations of Organization Theory

The call for greater relevance in management research leads us to examine the remedies offered by organization theory to organizational problems. In contrast to Starkey and Madan (2001), we argue that research engagement with other academic disciplines helps produce broadly useful knowledge. Installing practitioners in central places in the research process may focus research on short-run rather than deep-seated processes. We illustrate the relevance of organization theory through two examples of how apparently esoteric knowledge (produced through cross-disciplinary collaboration) can have surprising application. First we show how the social network perspective proved useful in rescuing a manager from the perils of unpopularity. Second, we show how deconstruction can uncover the institutionalized routines that disempower managers and workers. Neither the management training centers nor the web-based learning initiatives admired by Starkey and Madan are likely to deliver insights that address deep-seated processes of change within society. Collaboration with academics across the university can further our goals of research relevant to practitioners.