Darwinism,organizational evolution and survival: key challenges for future research

How do social organizations evolve? How do they adapt to environmental pressures? What resources and capabilities determine their survival within dynamic competition? Charles Darwin’s seminal work The Origin of Species (1859) has provided a significant impact on the development of the management and organization theory literatures on organizational evolution. This article introduces the JMG Special Issue focused on Darwinism, organizational evolution and survival. We discuss key themes in the organizational evolution research that have emerged in recent years. These include the increasing adoption of the co-evolutionary approach, with a particular focus on the definition of appropriate units of analysis, such as routines, and related challenges associated with exploring the relationship between co-evolution, re-use of knowledge, adaptation, and exaptation processes. We then introduce the three articles that we have finally accepted in this Special Issue after an extensive, multi-round, triple blind-review process. We briefly outline how each of these articles contributes to understanding among scholars, practitioners and policy makers of the continuous evolutionary processes within and among social organizations and systems.     

Complexity theories and organizational change

Complexity theory or, more appropriately, theories, serves as an umbrella term for a number of theories, ideas and research programmes that are derived from scientific disciplines such as meteorology, biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. Complexity theories are increasingly being seen by academics and practitioners as a way of understanding and changing organizations. The aim of this paper is to review the nature of complexity theories and their importance and implications for organizations and organizational change. It begins by showing how perspectives on organizational change have altered over the last 20 years. This is followed by an examination of complexity theories and their implications for organizational change. The paper concludes by arguing that, even in the natural sciences, the complexity approach is not fully developed or unchallenged, and that, as yet, organization theorists do not appear to have moved beyond the stage of using it as metaphor rather than as a mathematical way of analysing and managing organizations.     

Implicit theories in organizational settings: A systematic review and research agenda of implicit leadership and followership theories

Implicit theories play important roles in many areas of human life. In this review, we focus on implicit leadership and followership theories, i.e. implicit assumptions of (good) leaders and followers, respectively. We provide a framework for categorizing the existing research in this field. We use this framework to show the current state of research and to illustrate the gaps in the literature. More precisely, we review which types of prototypes of leaders and followers have been studied, the effects of comparisons between the actual leader (respectively follower) with these activated prototypes as well as the contextual factors that influence prototype activation and prototype fit. We conclude by outlining implications for human resource management and for future research, thereby focusing on research questions that can be used to integrate the distinct paths in implicit leadership and followership theories.     

Charisma and organizational change: A multilevel study of perceived charisma,commitment to change,and team performance

What makes people perceive a leader as charismatic, and how do team leaders obtain performance outcomes from their followers? We examine leaders in times of organizational change and investigate the mechanisms through which leaders' change-promoting behaviors are associated with team performance. In a multilevel mediation model, we propose that the indirect relationship between change-promoting behaviors and team performance is sequentially transmitted through followers' perceptions of charisma and followers' commitment to change. A study of 33 leaders and 142 followers provides empirical support for the model, using multilevel structural equation modeling to analyze top-down relationships between leaders and followers and bottom-up relationships between followers and team outcomes. Results suggest that team leaders are perceived as more charismatic when they engage in change-promoting behaviors. These behaviors facilitate team performance through individual followers' perceived charisma and commitment to change.     

Turnover intention: the effects of core self-evaluations,proactive personality,perceived organizational support,developmental feedback,and job complexity

Despite extensive examination of predictors for turnover and turnover intention, most studies have focused on attitudinal and behavioural aspects of individual employees. Based on a study of knowledge workers in a Korean conglomerate, we investigated the effects of personal (i.e. core self-evaluations and proactive personality) and contextual factors (i.e. perceived organizational support, developmental feedback, and job complexity) on turnover intention. There were modestly negative but significant correlations between the contextual factors and turnover intention. In addition, core self-evaluations were found to be negatively related to turnover intention. Managers and human resource development professionals could play a pivotal role in retention of these knowledge workers by building better practices related to organizational culture, providing job redesign, and engaging in other employee developmental practices such as coaching.     

Institutional logics and organizational change: the role of place and time

Journal of Management and Governance - This paper investigates the case of a hybrid organization located in Northern Italy with the aim of providing an understanding of the role of the context,...     

基于核心要素创造视角的组织演化动力研究

通过对X公司核心要素创造过程的案例研究,分析了其随时间演化的方式、动力以及趋向和谐的途径.对组织核心要素创造过程的研究表明:(1)和谐主题(组织在特定时期的关键问题和核心任务)是组织创造核心要素的直接依据;(2)"和则"(能动诱导)与"谐则"(优化设计)是组织创造新核心要素所依据的内在机理;(3)和谐主题与双规则的互动展示了组织趋向和谐的途径.本文的贡献是,揭示了组织演化与变革的驱动力;提出复杂多变环境中战略管理应兼顾长期的计划和短期的问题、任务;实践方面告诉管理者如何通过改变组织体系来应对环境变化.     

Organizational equilibrium and organizational change: two different perspectives of the multinational enterprise

This article contrasts traditional models of MNE organizational design against newer models, represented by transnationalism and heterarchy. The important characteristics are fundamentally different. Traditional models tend to be models of equilibrium, while the newer models are largely models of change. With the intent of reconciling the two theories, it is argued that the new change-oriented models are most applicable at the micro levels of MNEs, while traditional equilibrium models are more applicable at the macro levels.     

Stepping stones,step change,and climate change: Why muddling through is insufficient

Part One of this two-part series on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts to reinvent environmental regulation described the key elements of a new, performance-based environmental management system and illustrated why new economic and environmental problems demand the immediate design and implementaion of such a system. This installment identifies some of the sociopolitical factors in the United States that favor incremental modifications to the current system rather than the addition of the more modern performance-focused system.     

Implicit theories of leadership: Stability and change over two decades

Much has changed in the last 20 years, but have people's naïve conceptions of leaders changed as well? Paralleling Offermann et al.'s (1994) study of the content of implicit leadership theories with new samples, the present study investigates ILT stability and change across a 20-year period. Results indicate that, as in 1994, Sensitivity, Dedication, Tyranny, Charisma, Strength, Masculinity, and Intelligence were confirmed as ILT factors. Analyses revealed a new factor, Creativity, and the rearranging of some characteristics across factors. The nine-factor, 46-item scale was confirmed with an independent sample, yielding superior fit indices to the eight-factor solution. This supports the view of ILTs as having both remarkably stable elements despite organizational and societal changes as well as contextually-sensitive elements. Open-ended characteristics had no references to females despite reference to males, as in 1994; thus, “think leader, think male” appears to persist in terms of naïve conceptions of leadership.     

Training and organizational commitment among nurses following industry and organizational change in New Zealand and the United States

This survey study examines the relationship between employee attitudes related to training and organizational commitment among a sample of nurses in New Zealand and the United States. The magnitude of recent restructuring to New Zealand's public health system allows for an examination of employee attitudes towards training and organizational commitment in comparison to nurses from similar sized hospitals in the United States. Results show that perceived access to training, supervisory support for training, motivation to learn from training and perceived benefits of training were positively related to the affective and normative components of organizational commitment. Several significant differences were found on both training and organizational commitment variables between New Zealand and the United States. The findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical application to human resource development (HRD) outcomes and the management of HRD in health care settings.     

No going back: A review of the literature on sustaining organizational change

Why do some organizational changes persist, while others decay? The sustainability of change can be defined broadly as the process through which new working methods, performance goals and improvement trajectories are maintained for a period appropriate to a given context. However, sustainability has received limited attention, although the concept reflects Lewin's concern with ‘refreezing’ ( Lewin. K. 1951 . Field Theory in Social Science: Selected Theoretical Papers by Kurt Lewin, UK edition published 1952, ed. D. Cartwright, London: Tavistock). In an uncertain environment, working practices that fail to adapt are targets for change, and stability has been regarded not as a condition to be achieved, but as a symptom of inertia, a problem to be solved. This paper reviews the emerging literature, seeking to develop a provisional model of the processes influencing change sustainability and decay, as a platform for further research. This review suggests that sustainability is dependent on multiple factors, at different levels of analysis: substantial, individual, managerial, financial, leadership, organizational, cultural, political, processual, contextual and temporal. The relative significance of those factors cannot be determined a priori, raising questions concerning the properties of the sustainability process with regard to different types of change in different contexts.     

转型背景下组织复杂性与组织效能关系研究

通过对468家中国企业的实证研究,探讨了组织复杂性与组织效能的关系.研究结果表明:组织的结构复杂性及目标复杂性与组织效能具有倒U型曲线关系,组织的战略复杂性与组织效能有正相关关系;环境复杂性对组织的结构复杂性与组织效能的关系及组织的目标复杂性与组织效能的关系有正向调节作用,对战略复杂性与组织效能关系的调节作用不显著;此外,环境动态性对组织的结构复杂性与组织效能的关系有负向调节作用;对组织的战略复杂性与组织效能的关系及组织的目标复杂性与组织效能关系的调节作用不显著.该结论验证了当前转型经济背景下的企业组织复杂性对组织效能的复杂作用关系,揭示了中国转型经济的不确定环境对企业组织复杂性产生的影响.     

Strategy implementation and organizational change: How formal reorganization affects professional networks

Strategy implementation is difficult, particularly as it often requires changes in formal organization structures. Prior research has shown that change in the formal structure may affect employee networks. Yet, we know relatively little about how such changes affect different network ties. This paper considers how formal structural change affects senior managers’ ability to maintain their intraorganizational networks. The hypotheses are tested on sample of 884 work-related relationships of 96 partners in a global professional services firm. This firm had recently implemented a new strategy, which led to a change in the product-market focus and the resulting formal structure. Our findings reveal that the characteristics of a specific network tie determine whether it is affected by formal structural change. In particular, we find that network ties that are highly embedded in the social structure are more likely to be affected by change in the formal structure. In contrast, ties that are relationally embedded are less likely to be affected by change in the formal structure. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results. In particular, the findings may have consequences for the success of strategy implementation and strategic transformation efforts.     

The compressed work week as organizational change: behavioral and attitudinal outcomes

The results from recent studies on the compressed work week have been compiled and categorized in order to provide some basis for generalizing the effects of the work schedule on employee attitudes and behavior. It appears that attitudes toward the compressed week are favorable, with some generalization to job attitudes. Performance outcomes are ambiguous, although there are no reported decreases; fatigue seems to be the only negative aspect of the longer day. An examination of mediating variables suggests more complex relationships between the implementation of the compressed work week and potential outcomes. These relationships are described and directions are indicated for future research.     

Prioritization of sustainable supply chain practices with triple bottom line and organizational theories: industry and academic perspectives

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices on triple bottom line (TBL) measures from the perspective of organizational theories. This study identified five SSCM practices using a comprehensive literature review and feedback from industry experts. These five practices were prioritized using a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP). The results from FAHP analysis were further confirmed by conducting semi-structured interviews in five electronics parts/components manufacturing organizations. This study also prioritized theoretical drivers of SSCM adoption based on the consideration of three organizational theory perspectives – Institutional Theory; Resource-Based View, and; Social Network Theory. The results indicate that the economic dimension was the most important measure for implementing SSCM while sustainable design was the most important SSCM practice for achieving the TBL. The study also found that Institutional Theory is the most important theoretical driver for implementing SSCM. The research findings provide insight for management to allocate necessary resources and to develop effective strategic directions for the implementation of SSCM practices.     

Ascertaining the effect of planned organizational change on the work environment

In a dynamic environment, organizations often are required to effect major changes in operations. The success of such changes invariably depends upon numerous factors one of which is how the change affects the work environment. Therefore, in planning organizational change it is important to consider the work environment and to objectively evaluate changes in the work environment in a timely fashion so that corrective actions may be formulated if needed. Such framing and monitoring of the organizational change facilitates successful implementation of the organizational change. This paper suggests a measure which may be used in evaluating an organization's work environment. A case is discussed.     

Strategic development as a means of organizational change: Four case histories

This article summarizes the work which is being undertaken in strategic decision making by the Management Advisory Unit of the Chemical and Allied Products Industry Training Board. It sets out the process used, the scope of the unit's activity—including four outline case histories, and a view of some general findings of ‘the state of the art’ in the chemical industry based on industry sector and in-company projects, research and experience.     

Reflexive sensegiving: An open-ended process of influencing the sensemaking of others during organizational change

In this paper, we contribute to the understanding of how managers engage in efforts to influence the sensemaking of others without prescribing a specific redefinition of organizational reality, and doing this while trying to empower their subordinates. Through observations of leadership conferences and interviews, we followed an attempt to establish a new management philosophy in the Swedish police. The aim of the initiative was to facilitate the development of independent co-workers with little or no hierarchical support. The results show how managers utilize reflexivity in sensegiving to facilitate participants’ sensemaking. We suggest the following definition for reflexive sensegiving: a multivocal process aiming to influence how the sensemaking and construction of meaning evolves. Reflexive sensegiving has four distinctive features: open-endedness, low control over cues given, several sources of cues, and the encouragement of complexity and ambiguity. Our contribution, which has conceptual and theoretical consequences, is centred around new outlooks on the content, agent(s), and process of sensegiving.     

Developmental leadership and organizational citizenship behavior: Mediating effects of self-determination,supervisor identification,and organizational identification

The authors investigate three levels of self-identity in the workplace—self-determination, supervisor identification, and organizational identification—for their mediating effects on developmental leadership and organizational citizenship behaviors. Data from 469 supervisor–subordinate dyads in two Chinese firms show that supervisor identification is the strongest mediator, self-determination is the second, and organizational leadership is the third. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.