Technological forecasting a criticism of the Delphi technique

The author criticises the “Delphi” method of forecasting technological developments by obtaining a consensus of opinion among experts. He argues that the problem is not to forecast what might happen, but rather to decide what should happen and he suggests improvements in the Delphi technique which would change it from an ad hoc method old crytal ball gazing” into a system for continuous consultation among “responsible organizations”.     

Planning in Ireland

Ireland's First Economic Programme was initiated and devised by Dr. T. K. Whitaker, then Secretary of the Department of Finance, and Head of the Civil Service during 1957 and 1958. He produced a planning system suited to the needs of the country, simple and unsophisticated. The First Programme restored confidence in the viability of the Irish Economy and its potential for growth. This article charts the course of planning in Ireland during the sixties. Dr. Garret FitzGerald is at present the Irish Shadow Minister of Education. He was Alternate Member of the General Purposes Committee of the National Industrial Economic Council from 1963–1969, and he is author of the book: “Planning in Ireland” published by P.E.P. and the Institute of Public Administration in 1969.     

Planning participation in public decision making

By posing as specialists in forecasting the future, by arguing the “inevitability of technological progress, and by hiding behind the skirts of public officials, planners in the public sector seek to exercise power without responsibility—power to determine the shape of life for the rest of us. The author attacks this myth of the all- seeing planner and in the process seeks to demolish some of the planners' unwarranted assumptions about “the year 2000”, the future of technology, the affluent society, the age of leisure, etc.     

Dimensions of work-home culture and their relations with the use of work-home arrangements and work-home interaction

This study examined the associations of work-home culture with (a) demographic and organizational characteristics, (b) the use of work-home arrangements, and (c) negative and positive work-home interaction, among 1,179 employees from one public and two private organizations. Substantial support was found for a 2-factor structure of a work-home culture measure differentiating between “support” (employees' perceptions of organization's, supervisors', and colleagues' responsiveness to work-family issues and to the use of work-home arrangements) and “hindrance” (employees' perceptions of career consequences and time demands that may prevent them from using work-home arrangements). This 2-factor structure appeared to be invariant across organizations, gender, and parental status. Significant relationships with organizational characteristics, the use of work-home arrangements, and work-home interaction supported the validity of these two cultural dimensions. It is concluded that if employers want to minimize work-home interference, to optimize positive work-home interaction, and to boost the use of work-home arrangements, they should create a work-home culture that is characterized by high support and low hindrance.     

Just-in-time purchasing: an empirical study of operational practices, supplier development and performance

This paper examines the role of supplier development in establishing and managing efficient buyer–supplier operational links. The paper develops and assesses a measurement instrument for “operational” and “supplier development” just-in-time purchasing practices, followed by an examination of the relationships between the two sets, and an investigation into whether the use of “operational” and “supplier development” practices has a bearing on higher plant performance. A plant-level survey was carried out on a sample of electronics and machinery plants. The study empirically:

• documents the close connection between the buyer–supplier operational link and the buyer’s practices for supplier development;

• demonstrates that recourse to supplier development programs and their nature depend on the kind of vendor–vendee operational connection;

• test whether different plant performance outcomes result from the implementing of different “operational” and “supplier development” practices. It demonstrates that better-performing plants exhibit more advanced design and logistic links with sources, more formalised vendor-rating and ranking procedures, greater use of organisational devices for supplier-organisational integration and place greater importance on supplier assistance and training.

Management training film on long range planning Made in association with the Society for Long Range Planning

This paper describes the thinking behind the making of a film on Long Range Corporate Planning. The author acted as Technical Adviser to EMI who have made the film “FOCUS THE FUTURE — introducing Long Range Planning”.     

Establishing corporate objectives at Solvay

A step by step account of the method used for determining corporate objectives at the Solvay Company, one of Europe's major chemical manufacturers, written by the Assistant Director of Long Range Planning. He emphasises the need for:

1. 1. a careful analysis of data to establish facts about the past and the probable future of the company and its environment.

2. 2. a “hierarchy of objectives” varying from the “grand design” to the specific project.

3. 3. objectives which are quantified and specific.

4. 4. a dialogue amongst management to set objectives which are realistic and acceptable to line executives.

The article is supplied with practical examples, taken from the chemical industry and business generally.     

Testing Karasek's learning and strain hypotheses on young workers in their first job

This study tests the core hypotheses of Karasek's job demand-control model: high job demands (workload) in combination with low job control (autonomy) increase strains (job dissatisfaction; strain hypothesis), whereas high job demands in combination with high job control increase learning and development in the job (here: learning new skills in the first job; learning hypothesis). These hypotheses are tested in two ways: (a) the mere combination of both job characteristics is associated with the expected outcomes, and (b) a statistical interaction between both job characteristics in predicting the outcomes is expected. A large dataset (n=2,212) of young workers in their first job was used to test all hypotheses. As young workers are presumably still in the process of adjusting themselves to their work environment, we expected that the effects of work characteristics on work outcomes would be stronger for this group than for more experienced workers. The results confirm both the strain and the learning hypothesis. We found a combined effect of both job characteristics, as well as a statistical interaction between both variables. The lowest level of job satisfaction was found in the “high strain” job, whereas the highest increase in skills was found in the “active” job. The consequences of these findings for theory and practice are discussed.     

Becoming a customer “owning” corporation

You know you “own” the customer when … You are their first choice. They look to you to solve their problems. They share confidential information with you. They talk to you about their plans. They accept your advice and ideas. You are involved early on in their decisions. They discuss options (as opposed to just price and discounts) with you. They give you feedback (good or bad) before you ask. They recommend others to you (and you to others). They trust you to take decisions on their behalf. They want you to succeed.     

A comparison of three weight elicitation methods: good, better, and best

This paper compares the properties and performance of three weight elicitation methods. It is in effect a “second round contest” in which the Bottomley et al. (2000) champion, direct rating (DR), locks horns with two new challengers. People using DR rate each attribute in turn on a scale of 0–100, whilst people using Max100 first assign to the most important attribute(s) a rating of 100, and then rate the other attributes relative to it/them. People using Min10 first assign the least important attribute(s) a rating of 10, and then rate the other attributes relative to it/them.The weights produced by Max100 were somewhat more test–retest reliable than DR. Both methods were considerably more reliable than Min10. Using people's test–retest data as attribute weights on simulated alternative values in a multi-attribute choice scenario, the same alternative would be chosen on 91% of occasions using Max100, 87% of occasions using DR, but only 75% of occasions using Min10. Moreover, the three methods are shown to have very distinct “signatures”, that is profiles relating weights to rank position. Finally, people actually preferred using Max100 and DR rather than Min10, an important pragmatic consideration.     

Why communities of practice succeed and why they fail

A specific form of intra-organizational networks – a community of practice (COP) – is increasingly regarded as an important structure within organizations. This network structure is well suited for the development and sharing of knowledge and practices across divisions. Our research explores the most salient reasons for the success and failure of such networks. An investigation of 57 COPs from major European and US companies led to the discovery of 10 “commandments” that lead to the successful development and sharing of best practices. It also identified five main reasons for failure.     

Pricing policies and corporate strategy

In this article, attention is drawn to the importance of pricing in the formulation of corporate strategies. The author compares traditional “cost plus” pricing with market oriented approaches, and argues the case for pricing policies to be given greater emphasis in corporate planning. He examines the role of the corporate planner in developing price strategies for existing products and for new products and recommends the formulation of product strategies based on greater price leverage.     

The role of culture in technology management research: National Character and Cultural Distance frameworks

Management research exploring the role of national culture on topics such as management style, strategy, and firm performance can broadly be divided into two categories. Studies that attempt to compare and contrast the impact of culture on organizations in different cultures have been labeled as “National Character” studies. These studies attempt to determine how specific cultural attributes affect actions, strategies and performance. The second type of culture study focuses on the interactions between two firms embedded in different national cultures. These studies look at the impact of “Cultural Distance” on the ability of organizations to successfully interact. It is this latter area which is becoming increasingly important to technology management in the “Flat World” of the 21st Century. Research propositions for technology management for each of the two frameworks are developed.     

Leadership ambiguity in universities and K–12 schools and the limits of contemporary leadership theory

This paper explores the differences in context, assumptions, and behavior of leaders both in modern American universities and in elementary and high schools. The paper's main section examines the utility of five leadership theories (situational, charismatic, transformational, path–goal, and leader–member exchange [LMX]) in explaining leader behavior in each educational sector. We show that while each theory has some merit, none adequately incorporates the larger internal and external “system” pressures on leaders whose institutions are undergoing changes. The paper concludes with a recommendation for a reformulation of the leadership dilemmas in education that sets the five theories in a broader, systemic conceptual framework.     

The global “war for talent”

In this paper we examine the “global war for talent,” the factors that impact it, and organizations' responses to it. Using a comprehensive search of more than 400 contemporary academic and business press articles, the paper reviews relevant research and reassesses the “talent war.” We posit that the dominant approaches to the “talent war” based on a scarcity state of mind and action, often characterized by a tactical and exclusive top talent or “star” focus, are being challenged by the emergence of a more evolutionary paradigm. This new paradigm adopts more strategic, innovative, cooperative and generative approaches which we describe as creative ‘talent solutions.’ The paper also highlights implications for future research, teaching and development in the field.     

Should government and company planners influence each other?

With the National Plan of 1965, government planning in Britain got off to a poor start. Now, with the Governement's green paper, The Task Ahead, it seems about to be reborn. In this article the author argues the case for closer co-operation between planners in government and planners in business along the lines of the planning dialogue which occurs in NEDC. He answers critics who complain of government pressure on industry and the undue influence of business on government, and suggests that “consultative planning is essential if national plans to be made flexible and realistic, and if company plans are to be made with the national interest in mind”.     

When small is not enough: How to save entrepreneurs from themselves

This article goes beyond the traditional celebration of Entrepreneurship to focus on why Entrepreneurship is not enough. First, entrepreneurial companies that have overcome the start-up difficulties, must become “professionalized” in order to consolidate their gains and face a period of stable growth. This, as is well-known, is not easy. But there is another, even harder problem: in becoming “professional”, most companies lose the entrepreneurial spirit that made them successful in the first place. In an ever-changing world, with more and more international competition in the face of Europe's unification in 1992, a company that loses its entrepreneurial sparkle is just waiting for dismissal. This article analyzes the main causes of that “hardening of the arteries” and their proven remedies.     

Political leaders in the SYMLOG space: Perceptions of right and left wing leaders by right and left wing constituencies

Systematic Multiple Level Observation of Groups (SYMLOG) was applied to studying images of political leaders. Three left wing and three right wing Israeli leaders were evaluated by left and right wing voters along the SYMLOG's three dimensions—friendliness, task orientation, and dominance. It was found that right wing voters rated right wing leaders higher on friendliness and task orientation than left wing leaders. In a similar fashion, left wing voters viewed left wing leaders as more friendly and task-oriented than right wing leaders. Leaders of the right were viewed as more dominant than leaders of the left by left and right wing voters alike. Right and left wing voters assigned different SYMLOG types to right and left wing leaders. The dimension that distinguished between the various images was the dimension of friendliness. Whereas for right wing voters, all images of right wing leaders included a component of friendliness, none of these three images included an accented component of friendliness when rated by left wing voters. In a similar fashion, left wing voters saw two out of the three left wing leaders as including a component of friendliness, whereas none of the three left wing images included this component for right wing voters. Respondents from the right and the left rated their “ideal leader” as reflecting values of “dominance”, “friendliness,” and “task-orientation”. However, respondents saw leaders affiliated with their own political camp as closer to their image of the ideal leader on friendliness and task-orientation than leaders of the opposite political camp. Both right and left wing voters saw all political leaders as equally similar to their image of “ideal leader” on the “dominance” dimension regardless of that leader's political affiliation.