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.     

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.     

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”.     

Gap analysis key to super growth

Micheal J. Kami contributed substantially to the early development of Corporate Planning. He was responsible for establishing the long range planning system at I.B.M. (1959–1964) and at Xerox Corporation (1964–1967). For the Journal he decided to write “something short and simple as a contrast to the rather complicated operations research type articles that appear in the first issue. There is nothing wrong with complexity except that the key and vital issues in corporations are not decided in that way”. In this brief article he, explains the concept of “gap analysis” and explains how it may be used to force top management to make continual and realistic comparisons between their stated objectives and the forecast results of present plans.     

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”.     

Reconsidering the exploration of power distance: an active case study approach

In this paper, we present what we call an “active case study” and we theorize specifically on the relevance hereof for an exploration of power distance (as conceptualized by Hofstede (Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values, Sage, Beverley Hills, CA, 1980)). As Hofstede conceives it, the notion of “power distance” enables an understanding of the predominant ideas about inequality prevalent in a (national) culture, which in turn infuse work relationships. An active case study approach—as we elucidate in the paper—implies an acknowledgement on the part of those organizing the research of the manner in which their intervention might affect the way “respondents” experience their work relationships. We suggest that our proposed active case study approach offers novel possibilities for exploring power distance and should be added to the repertoire of approaches used to examine this in organizational life. We develop our argument in this regard by offering a detailed account of the application of this approach to a Taiwanese organization (the Kaohsiung Harbor Bureau in Taiwan).     

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.     

The Termination of State-Run International Trade Programs in California: Perspectives on Contributing Factors and Future Policy Options

The paper examines developments that led to the termination of California’s major state-run international trade programs managed by the now defunct Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency and provides perspectives on future policy options. Study findings indicate that what the academic literature refers to as “theory failure” and “implementation failure,” along with deficiencies in leadership and organizational culture, must be seen as the major reasons for the programs’ elimination.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Portfolio selection for managerial control

The paper formulates a decision problem where stocks are purchased to maximize the voting power of the portfolio. The statistic representing the voting power is derived from game theoretic solutions namely the “Shapley Value”. The tradeoff between the variance of the portfolio returns and the value of the voting power statistic is explicitly considered.     

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.     

Acquiring technological competencies through inter-organizational collaboration: An organizational learning perspective

Firms are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their technology strategies and are procuring know-how through a variety of collaborative methods including licensing agreements, joint ventures, minority investments, and equity acquisitions. This paper examines the relationship between an organization's learning capability and inter-organizational collaboration in acquiring technological competencies. Organizational learning is posited to be a mediating mechanism through which technological competencies are developed via varying levels of organizational interaction. A general model is developed which suggests an “efficient fit” relationship between an organization's ability to learn, characteristics of the technology, and mode of inter-organizational collaboration. The concept of a “learning gap” is introduced, and managerial implications are suggested. Finally, propositions are developed to facilitate future empirical research.     

Authentic leadership and positive organizational behavior: A meso, multi-level perspective

Authentic leadership (AL) and positive organizational behavior (POB) are two important emerging approaches in the organizational sciences. To date, published work on AL and POB has been primarily leader-focused and based on individual differences. In this article, after verifying this individual-level focus via content coding of AL articles, AL and POB are explicated and integrated using a meso, multi-level perspective. Essentially, viewed in terms of multiple levels of analysis, AL promotes various multi-level “primary” criteria and outcomes of POB that, in turn, enhances various multi-level “secondary” criteria and outcomes of performance. Direct effects of AL on performance at multiple levels of analysis also are plausible. Implications for future meso perspectives on leadership theory and research in general and on AL and POB in particular are discussed.     

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”.     

How Samsung organized for innovation

This study examines a Korean firm, the Samsung Corporation, to find out: What are the characteristics of the organizational innovations in the era of globalization? What are the consequences of the organizational innovations? What problems does the company face in implementing them? And what are the remedies to overcome those problems? The company has made efforts in three ways: 1. operating teams; 2. flattening of hierarchy; and 3. networking. These three innovations were interrelated and can be often observed in a single organization which is labelled a “Clustered Web” organization. The innovations faced problems and required time to be implemented. Remedies for those problems and implications are discussed.     

An integrated micro- and macrolevel discussion of global green issues: “It isn't easy being green”

Two key issues arising from globalization of world markets are the impact of business activities on the environment and threats to sustainable development. These issues are usually referred to as “green” issues. This paper presents a detailed discussion of global green issues in the context of a number of environments that include the socioeconomic, political, technological, and competitive arenas. The discussion is based on an attempt to integrate two conceptual models by Maslow (Maslow, A., 1954. Motivation and Personality. Harper & Row, New York) and Cateora (Cateora, P.R., 1983. International Marketing, 4th. ed. Irwin, Chicago, IL). The goal is to bring together both a microlevel perspective of the individual consumer and a macrolevel perspective of business through analysis in multiple environments that are affected by green issues. This integration is viewed conceptually as a recursive system of mutually reinforcing causes and effects at the micro- and macrolevels.The leitmotiv throughout the paper is that “it isn't easy being green,” either for consumers, activists, corporate leaders and managers, or public policymakers. Practical examples are presented to support and illustrate the discussion. The main finding is that a new approach is needed to business in general through a new dominant social paradigm (DSP) and to international business in particular in order to achieve both sustainable development and sustainable consumption. In conclusion, the importance of individual responsibility and action by consumers and managers alike is underlined.     

Comparing products using data envelopment analysis

Using an application of linear programming known as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a method is described to compare products which vary in excellence along a number of dimensions, and for each of which there might be a number of associated “costs”. The method is illustrated by comparing published benchmarks of 37 computer printers. Potential uses of a DEA analysis of products might be: to assist corporate buyers who may need to reconcile a diversity of present and future uses in one standardised purchase; in competitor analysis; in determining unexplored market niches; and as a normative model of product excellence against which product purchasing behaviour could be compared.