Performance management in hybrid organisations: A study in social housing

The nature and role of social housing across the European States is growing more diverse every decade. From the wide range of social housing as a percentage of total housing stock, the many different housing options provided, to the vast array of housing allocation mechanisms and differing levels of equity delivered by such mechanisms, social housing across Europe presents an increasingly complex social challenge. As such a one-size-fits-all solution to these challenges is unlikely to present itself, and researchers are therefore forced to focus on the specifics of a region or state—this is the case with this study.Within the UK, Housing Associations (HAs) have played a fundamental role within successive government social housing policies for at least three decades. However, through a succession of legislative changes, welfare reform and the deregulation of their non-profit social role, HAs have been fundamentally challenged, and are now exposed to competition from private registered providers.This study poses the overarching research question; what role does performance management play in the transition to a competitive hybridised social housing sector? Exploring this question, the paper analyses the effect of this transition through institutional isomorphism and considers specifically how a sample of English HAs sense uncertainty within the social housing sector and respond to the coercive, normative, and mimetic isomorphic pressures at play.This study finds the primary mechanism by which HAs appear to sense and respond to external changes within the sector is through their strategic performance measurement systems and metrics. Social, political, and competitive changes in the sector are ‘sensed’ as a misalignment within the existing strategic performance metrics, exerting isomorphic pressures on the organisational governance team to respond by realigning the performance metrics with the sensed changes. In this way, we posit that strategic performance measurement is linked to and plays a much more pivotal role, in the hybridisation of third-sector organisations than previously reported within the literature.Examples of such realignment include the increased use of benchmarking performance as a normative practice, and the replication of perceived best practice from the private sector to remain competitive and sustainable. Such changes reflect on an increasingly hybridised position for HAs, which now focus on improving business-critical activities, rather than simply producing performance data as a means of demonstrating good governance and compliance to their regulatory body.     

Portfolio decision-making genres: A case study

This article addresses the portfolio management practices and challenges of contemporary firms. Based on a review of the extant literature on project selection, termination and deletion decisions, we conducted an in-depth interview study with 19 key informants in 11 multinational firms. We identified three genres of portfolio management decision making: formalist-reactive, intuitive, and integrative. Each genre can be described by a unique set of portfolio management practices. For example, formalist-reactive firms rely on quantitative criteria while intuitive firms prefer qualitative criteria. In addition, each genre has to overcome a unique set of challenges. We discuss the three genres in detail and provide several implications for portfolio management decision making.     

Policy deployment: A case study analysis

Theaim of theresearch reported in thispaper wasto examine policy deployment in a business unit of the UK company operation of a major corporation, considered a world leader in business improvement. In this study, the application of policy deployment at an operational level was investigated to determine how managers deploy and manage direction, and assess the effectiveness of the catchball process. In the business unit studied, policy deployment could have a greater impact. For example, in deploying direction, cascade and catchball is used, however, the leadership, checks, control and communication elements could be more effective, and the respective shortcomings are described. A generic catch-reflect-improvescrutinize-pass (CRISP) approach to policy deployment is proposed by which vision, mission, goals, objectives, targets and means can be more effectively deployed.     

Validating cultural discrepancy: A case study

A total of 172 employees rated 15 cultural values; first as theyactually were manifested within the organization and secondly how theyshould be manifested. Differences between these ratings formed their Culture Discrepancy Scores. A discriminant analysis showed that for permanent employees, intent to stay on with the organization could be predicted from their Culture Discrepancy Scores. Correlational analyses indicated that for permanent employees, higher Culture Discrepancy Scores were predictive of: 1) rating the organization as a worse place to work, 2) being less likely to choose to work for the organization again, and 3) rating stress levels as unhealthy. For seasonal employees, higher Culture Discrepancy Scores were predictive of: 1) rating the organization as a worse place to work, 2) taking less pride in working for the organization, 3) rating the organization as less competitive in the industry, and 4) rating stress levels as unhealthy.     

Inventory management and cost-benefit analysis: A case study

This paper treats the problem of comparing various stocking and issuing policies for two radioactive isotopes, I-123 and I-131, which are used in nuclear medicine departments for the diagnosis of thyroid disease. The approach is based on using a combination of a cost-benefit analysis to compare the increased operating costs of stocking I-123 versus the increased disease risk of using I-131, and simulation to recreate the operation of a radio-pharmacy which stocks these drugs. The required inputs to the model include: (1) estimates of the disease risks associated with radiation absorbed doses from I-131; (2) estimates of the probability distributions of the appropriate latent periods; (3) empirical distributions of daily patient demand; (4) census data for estimating longevity and individual expected earnings and (5) cost data the stocking costs of the isotopes. The cost benefit results give issuing rules based on the age and sex of the patient, while the simulation is used to compare the effectiveness of the various ordering policies considered (the choice of a particular ordering policy may influence the risk of disease development).     

A model of information activity in organisations

This article describes a computer model of the information activity in an organisation and its evolution over time. The model can be tuned to particular organisations and used to explore the impacts of strategies for the introduction of new information technology. The model structure is described and its applications are outlined. Some conclusions are drawn on the usefulness of computer models in this context.     

Capital budgeting and lagrangian relaxation: A case study

This paper presents a new approach to the classical multiyear capital budgeting problem. Three basic operational principles, arising out of an actual implementation of such a model, are specifically addressed in this approach. These principles are: (1) all budgets except that of the first year possess a degree of flexibility; (2) the user favours a series of near optimal solutions to a single optimal solution; and (3) an effective low cost procedure for dealing with large problems is required. Using the particular example of capital budgeting in the area of highway maintenance, an algorithm is developed and computational results for a variety of problem sizes are presented.     

Satellite downlink scheduling problem: A case study

The synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology enables satellites to efficiently acquire high quality images of the Earth surface. This generates significant communication traffic from the satellite to the ground stations, and, thus, image downlinking often becomes the bottleneck in the efficiency of the whole system. In this paper we address the downlink scheduling problem for Canada׳s Earth observing SAR satellite, RADARSAT-2. Being an applied problem, downlink scheduling is characterised with a number of constraints that make it difficult not only to optimise the schedule but even to produce a feasible solution. We propose a fast schedule generation procedure that abstracts the problem specific constraints and provides a simple interface to optimisation algorithms. By comparing empirically several standard meta-heuristics applied to the problem, we select the most suitable one and show that it is clearly superior to the approach currently in use.     

Engineering change: A theoretical assessment and a case study

The competitive playground where nowadays firms struggle to survive has rapidly become unforeseeable: product life cycle has shrunk, becoming even shorter than in the past, and world-wide market is suffering for a strong customer differentiation which led to an increasingly wide product mix. In this industrial environment, the engineering change process is getting more and more attention throughout the branches of industry, as it appears as a critical process which seeps into the operations management core, thus influencing the overall firm's performances. A brief state-of-the-art in the area of engineering change is firstly presented. Then a proposal of classification and a new methodology for an effective engineering change process management are suggested. The new proposed methodology has been successfully applied to a real-life manufacturing system and the related case study is reported at the end of the paper.     

Post bureaucratic organisations and managers

Pressures to change in organizations administered on bureaucratic lines and using the production techniques of “scientific management” are deriving from certain intrinsic attributes of these systems and from changing attributes of the environment. These changes constitute attempts to introduce greater fluidity into organizational structures and attempts to diffuse power. To the extent that they are implemented they imply that future management will centre more on sociological and psychological data, will become more experimental and less directive in style, will focus more on organizational (as against departmental) concerns and will become more responsive to external groupings. They imply also that managers will be judged more by results than by the opinion of peers, that they will be more exposed to challenge and criticism, that they will be held responsible for the quality of the work experience of their subordinates and that their own careers will be less orderly.     

Leadership in organisations: Meta,macro and micro

The study of leadership suffers from too many definitions, not too few. Much of this confusion springs from the fact that there are two fundamentally different perspectives on leadership. From these arise three common usages of the word. This article suggests that we recognise this diversity and abandon the search for a unique definition.The first perspective views leadership as “influence on individuals” without using power or authority. This “meta” leadership relates individuals to their environment through “visioning” — a complex interaction of perception, articulation, conviction and empathy (PACE).The second perspective views leadership as the “shaking and moving” of an organisation to face the future, cope with change and achieve results. It includes both the creation of a successful organisation, through “macro” leadership, and the accomplishment of specific jobs or tasks, through “micro” leadership.These three types of leadership — meta, macro and micro — are examined from the two perspectives. It is suggested that all three should be exercised by managers at all levels - no matter how junior.     

National cultures and safety orientation: A study of seafarers working for Norwegian shipping companies

Up to now, little work has been conducted on safety in relation to national culture. This paper examines the association between national culture and the safety orientation of seafarers on Norwegian-owned vessels. Safety orientation is the result of cultural, organizational, and contextual factors that create attitudes and behaviours that in turn influence safety. In this study a safety culture/orientation questionnaire was designed and used to determine risk and safety characteristics. Survey data was collected from 2,558 seafarers from 27 countries. The sample used consisted of seafarers from the 10 countries for which there were more than 10 respondents. Five national (cultural) characteristics were calculated using Hofstede's Value Survey Model 94. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that (a) the number of nationalities represented on a vessel was related to their attitude towards safety issues, such that two-nation vessels obtain relatively negative scores regarding these issues, and (b) national culture was related to safety culture, such that high power distance, high uncertainty avoidance, and high individualism were positive for safety. The implications of these findings for practice and future research are discussed.     

Personal management and quality of life: A study of men and women in two cultures

In this study path analysis is applied to the relationships among personal management, resource satisfaction, sense of control, and quality of life. Analysis of survey data from men and women of two cultures provides empirical support for: the conceptual model of resources as inputs; management behavior as throughputs; and satisfactions as outputs. Cultural versus economic effects are analyzed. Management is shown to be related to productivity in all cultural groups. Management behavior directly and indirectly contributes to resource satisfaction, and through increased sense of control contributes to quality of life.     

Task analysis of healthcare delivery: A case study

Human error and medical error are highly known as contributors to patient safety [Institute of Medicine (IOM), November 1999. To err is human: building a safer health system. Available at: http://www.nap.edu/openbook/0309068371/html/11.html (accessed 05.03.07); Institute of Medicine (IOM), March 2001. Crossing the quality chasm: a new health system for the 21st century. Available at: http://www.nap.edu/openbook/0309072808/html (accessed 05.03.07); Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), 2007. Failure mode, effect, and criticality analysis (FMECA) worksheet. Available at: http://www.jcaho.org (accessed 24.06.07)]. A study was performed to identify the process flow affiliated with elder patients transitioning through different continuums of emergency and non-emergency care. This research is part of a larger research effort to develop and implement a web-based healthcare system that enables hospitals and nursing homes to share patient information resulting in increased knowledge of a patient's medical history, decreased errors and enhanced patient safety. Future research efforts for this study are also presented.     

Product innovation through module dynamics: A case study

The modularity of products is progressing in many industries. This paper uses a case study to analyze the process of integrating personal computer (PC) and numerical control (NC) machine tools, and conceptualizes as module dynamics the product innovation that works in modular products. Module dynamics refers to the process of product innovation that occur in highest-order modules of modular products and that is achieved through a two-stage process of partitioning and integrating modules.     

Coordination in collaborative manufacturing mega-networks: A case study

Collaborative manufacturing networks are becoming popular. Today, the scale of these networks can be enormous, and include a complex myriad of partners from numerous companies and organizations spanning several countries and even continents. This paper explores how these partners successfully coordinate projects through an investigation of one such “collaborative manufacturing mega-network” or CMMN in the commercial aerospace industry. The case is analyzed with the aid of the literary state-of-the-art, and a number of organizational, structural, and cultural issues are discussed including mass customization. Finally, some of the most important factors for the successful CMMN are presented.     

Managing testing activities in telecommunications: A case study

This paper examines ways of managing testing more efficiently and effectively. The importance and the workload of testing have been growing constantly in the telecommunication industry, as a result of shorter product lifecycles and decreased time-to-market. At the same time, the complexity of products has increased with a decrease in physical dimensions. Managers face enormous challenges in developing knowledge and effective testing processes. This case study proposes the application of two models, a testing optimization model and an extended V2M2 (Verification Validation Maturity Model) model, for managing the value of testing. In the empirical part of the study, the present state of testing management is examined.     

Pan-European groupings: A case study in paint manufacture

This complete Case Study, including Teaching Notes, won the 1991 EFMD Case Writing Competition Prize on a European theme, as well as receiving much praise from the judges. The Case concerns a group of four different European paint manufacturers co-operating in an EC Economic Interest Grouping to improve their economic position in European markets. The co-ordination of raw material purchasing policies was the first area of joint action; they obtained significant discounts straight away. Then they could begin to think about competing together against the big paint multinationals established in Europe. Later, talks started on joint investment and technology transfer.Lluis Renart and Francesco Parés have written a stimulating Case Study with Teaching Notes of value to business students and managers wishing to test out their analytical abilities.     

Aligning manufacturing strategy and levels of automation: A case study

Research has shown that alignment between manufacturing strategy and decisions regarding automation are often of an ad hoc nature, i.e. the support for automation decisions is poor. Support tools to find an appropriate level of automation are thus needed in order to achieve more efficient and robust production systems. The methodology presented in this paper contains five sub-processes where the chosen level of automation is aligned with the manufacturing strategy. Together they form an automation strategy, which secures a desired direction of the firm and also supports robustness and reliability of the manufacturing system due to the holistic approach chosen.