The management of development— The next decade

In this article the author argues that the last decade of development has proved to be a myth. He suggests that the poor countries have probably been exploited during this period. He believes that ‘aid’ programmes have badly misfired. However he is constructively critical and puts forward guidelines for planning and action. While he acknowledges that the task is huge he believes that we have the potential, given the desire to achieve success.     

Strategic planning for the armed forces

The author points out that in most countries the defence department is a very large ‘business’. He claims that, although long-range planning in the Canadian Department of National Defence may not be perfect, it does follow the stages of traditional strategic planning. He describes these stages, pointing out some innovations which he feels could be of value to other government departments in other countries as well as to large corporations in the private sector. He emphasizes the importance of feedback and describes ‘capability components’ which have been developed in the Canadian defence department to replace the traditional thinking in terms of ‘Army, Navy, Air Force’. Each capability component focuses on the required output/result and has a sponsor who is responsible for developing plans for the long-term ‘state of health’ of his capability component. Overall, the author makes a strong case for forward-looking and results-oriented strategic planning.     

Mechanization in building construction projects: assessment and views from the practitioners

Abstract

While mechanization has been widely adopted in the current construction industry, little research has been done to assess the level of mechanization in building construction projects. The aims of this study are to propose a framework that can assess the level of mechanization in building construction projects, to develop a computer-based tool that can help assess mechanization levels, and to collect the views of industry practitioners regarding mechanization. To achieve these goals, a comprehensive literature review was conducted first, and based on which a six-layer assessment framework, namely Mechanization Index for Building Construction Projects, was proposed. After that, Mechanization Index Assessment Tool, a computer-based tool that can assess the level of mechanization in building construction projects, was developed. The developed tool was adopted in 14 construction projects in Singapore. Assessment results showed that the mechanization level of the projects was 48.54 percent out of 100, which is moderate. Results also reported that ‘site preparation’ and ‘underground piping’ were two work types that are more mechanized, while work types of ‘formwork’, ‘tiling’, and ‘painting’ were relatively less mechanized. Additionally, industry practitioners perceived that the mechanization levels in the current building construction projects and industry were moderate and more efforts should be put in this regard, especially from the perspective of the industry. This study is the first piece of research work that assesses the level of mechanization in building construction projects and thus, it contributes to the body of knowledge. Furthermore, the assessment tool developed can easily be used either by industry practitioners or by construction authorities to do mechanization assessment. Thus, this study contributes to the practice as well.     

Strategic management: lessons from success and failure.

Is Corporate Planning a failure or a success? In this article David Hussey assesses the research which has been done on the planning process and concludes that Corporate Planning obviously has the potential to improve business performance but for many reasons this potential has not been realized. He then examines the attempts which are currently being made to persuade managers to ‘think strategically’, to use portfolio analysis scenarios and other techniques of strategic analysis. He asserts that to succeed, the planner or the consultant in planning must use these and other analytical approaches to help managers ‘to change the perceptual boundaries of the strategic problem’ and generate strategies and action programmes which will enable them to compete successfully in world markets.     

From imagination to application: Making the case for the general method of theory-building research in applied disciplines

The author examines what factors determine leadership success in UK social enterprises. Despite the attention prompted by the UK government's ‘Big Society’ policies, this remains a relatively unexplored field in the leadership literature. Based on in-depth interviews with successful social enterprise chief executives, carried out between April and December 2010, this article challenges the dominance of competency models, based on purely behaviourist tradition. It examines the impact of personality, values, circumstance and career arc on the way these leaders perform in an attempt to take a fresh look at the interaction of traits, behaviours and situational flexibility in determining successful leadership in this type of organization. A number of key factors are identified and categorized as dimensions of ‘being’, ‘doing’ and ‘style’. Consistent contra-indicators are also identified, providing the basis for an approach to both leadership selection and development in this growing sector of the economy.     

Business forecasting: the good news and the bad

This paper records a personal view of the wide range of problems, philosophical and pragmatic, currently afflicting ‘business forecasting’. It is based on several years experience in both forecasting methodology development and direct project work with decision makers. The paper is not intended as a review of the current consensus, academic or otherwise but to engage in ‘constructive criticism’. In doing so the author has attempted to keep to the desired structure of ‘decision makers perception’, ‘methodology criticised’ and ‘development suggestions’ but the nature of the problem demands a more interactive approach which has resulted in fuzzy sets rather than distinct clusters of topics.     

Strategy and the “business portfolio”

In this article the author goes on to develop the conclusion reached in his previous article which appeared in the December edition of Long Range Planning. These conclusions concerned the requirements for strategic success for an individual business, here they are developed into their implications for strategy development in the typical multibusiness company.It is argued that relative competitive position and growth are the two fundamental parameters which must be considered in determining the strategy that an individual business should follow when viewed within the context of the company's overall ‘business portfolio’. The likely patterns of business strategy which will lead to overall corporate success are discussed and contrasted with those which can lead to disaster.The key is that strategies should be made to differ widely from business to business, as a function of the growth and relative competitive position of each business and the company's overall resource position particularly with respect to cash. The ‘across the board’ defensive measures which many companies have adopted in recent years as their response to the pressures of inflation and recession are therefore argued to be singularly inappropriate for the long term. The ‘business portfolio’ concept provides a superior approach for developing the differentiated strategic business objectives which are necessary for any company to make the most of its opportunities.     

Conflict of values— the central strategy problem

There is growing evidence that the central strategy question for business is no longer ‘what business are you in?’ but‘why are you in business?’ The traditional answers to this question—‘to make profits’, ‘to grow’ and ‘to give an adequate return to the shareholder’, are all being questioned. In their place others are being suggested—‘to provide satisfying jobs’, ‘to help solve social problems’, ‘to assist in urban and regional development’.In this article, Bernard Taylor suggests that the conflict between business goals and social goals has become the central strategy problem. Business enterprises like other organizations tend to develop their own distinctive sub-cultures with their own value systems which may differ markedly from the values accepted in society generally. The more effective the selection, training and reward systems, the more these business values will be reinforced.But this can lead to difficulties when society begins to reject business values in favour of other social goals; particularly at a time when the power and autonomy of management is being challenged and Corporate Planning is being transformed from an internal dialogue between managers at headquarters and managers in divisions into an open debate involving public servants, employees and self-appointed representatives of community interests.     

Management and 1992 — Illusions and reality

Dr Butt Philip takes a refreshingly unsycophantic view of ‘1992’, pointing out that, away from the hype, a good deal of the Single European Market (SEM) programme has been in place for some time. Although the European Commission's timing and tactics over the SEM programme were shrewd, in Britain at least, the national campaign has been confusing.It is a company's business development and positioning in relation to 1992 that matters, and this involves both an internal ‘1992 audit’ as well as making sure it is well represented in Brussels.Although giving us cautionary good advice, the author feels a sense of Zeitgeist about the SEM programme and the federal Europe that it implies. Attitudes and institutions in business must be developed to achieve the destiny of European integration.     

Innovation as the source of long term economic growth

This paper concerns some economic aspects of innovation particularly as the source of long term growth. Economic history supplies many examples of the rejuvenation of economies which, at various points in time, could legitimately have been considered ‘ageing’. The author asks ‘Could Britain's turn come now?’     

Action learning and control theory

The essay is a kind of ‘product mix’ of two separate concepts, manifestly quite different but found ultimately to blend into a common message. The author found management literature over the past two decades somewhat difficult to assimilate, due perhaps to an engineering training where problems are always simplified into tangible models and laws. Control theory (or cybernetics), however, seemed to offer a way out of the difficulty, especially as psychologists were using control theory to take them beyond the range of the ‘conditioned reflex’, and the author was encouraged to try out cybernetic ideas in terms of human problems in management and industry. The development of ‘action learning’ as a pragmatic yet sophisticated technique has provided a challenge for the cybernetic model. It is thought that many readers, particularly those with an engineering or scientific background, might find this exposition in social cybernetics helpful in getting a comprehensive grasp of action learning.     

Urban management—Some models for policy making

Urban management has been the subject of much ‘integrative’ discussion and analysis, both in this country and abroad. Indeed, as the author suggests in this paper ‘the feeling is that there is a danger that planners might take on too broad a field and try to do too much’. This paper examines the notions of the planner's role within a ‘political’ decision-making process and examines a number of different models indicating their relevance, complexity and feasibility. By concentrating upon the relationship of the theories of planning with the political decision-making environment within which they are enacted, the author draws usefully upon the relevant literature and provides a comprehensive, persuasive, intelligent and, comprehensive view of the relevance of some theories and the irrelevance of others. This paper walks the narrow tight rope between the fallacious separation of policy formulation from policy implementation, whilst at the same time recognizing the distinction between these two aspects of the decision-making process. The author postulates a number of propositions relevant to a planning process of an optimal nature and, although treating some of the theory in a somewhat superficial manner, the analysis provides a useful addition to the body of planning knowledge. This paper pieces together a number of existing elements of planning theory within a theoretical and conceptual framework. This is an important contribution to planning theory, since it does not suggest that the planning process is merely a collection of techniques, but that it is a complex system for recognizing, regulating and ultimately reconciling human values.     

Labour Market Flexibility,Human Resource Management and Corporate Performance

Labour market flexibility is often portrayed as a key to the competitive success of the UK and US economies. We surveyed several hundred firms in the UK, and using the resulting data (on over 200 manufacturing firms) this paper investigates the relationships between firms’ use of flexible work practices, human resource systems and industrial relations on the one hand, and corporate performance on the other hand. The results suggest that ‘low‐road’ practices – short‐term contracts, a lack of employer commitment to job security, low levels of training and low levels of human resource sophistication – are negatively correlated with corporate performance. In contrast, it is found that ‘high‐road’ work practices –‘high commitment’ organizations or ‘transformed’ workplaces – are positively correlated with good corporate performance. It is also found that human resource management practices are more likely to contribute to competitive success where they are introduced as a comprehensive package, or ‘bundle’ of practices. Significant interaction effects between human resource systems, trade unions and flexible work practices add further support to the bundling hypothesis.     

Does umbrella branding really work? Investigating cross-category brand loyalty

Numerous studies on the drivers of brand extension success found evidence that parent-brand characteristics and the fit between parent brand and transfer product are the main and most influential factors driving brand extension success. However, the ability of a brand to transfer its brand loyal customers from the parent to the extension category has been widely neglected. Brand loyalty can be regarded as a consequence of the underlying assumption of customers transferring their quality perceptions, their brand knowledge, and their experience with the brand from one category to the other. We find empirical evidence that consumers who are loyal to the brand in the leading (parent) product category show a higher probability to be loyal to that same brand in another (extension) category compared to those consumers who are not loyal in the leading category. Moreover, as the overall success of the extension includes positive retroactive effects of the extension product on the parent product or brand, the arising question is whether there are differences between extension product categories regarding their attachment to the parent category and their ability to stimulate brand loyal purchases in the parent category, i.e., speaking of ‘leader’ and ‘follower’ categories in terms of brand loyal purchase behavior. This might even hold true for the relationship of any two categories the brand competes.     

Gauging the unique developmental strategies towards human resource at Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco’s unrivalled upstream oil operations over the years would not have been possible without an unparalleled commitment towards the development of people. The human resource department of Saudi Aramco was successful in creating a healthy and productive environment by shifting the focus from ‘administration’ to being a ‘strategic partner’. The purpose of this paper is to identify and illuminate the human resource developmental strategies that are aligned with core business practices leading to exceptional performance at Saudi Aramco. As an academician, the author believes that this paper will provide an insight into gauging human resource development strategies for any aspiring firm and can be referred for further research.     

Predicting Advancement to Senior Management from Competencies and Personality Data: A Seven-year Follow-up Study

This study tracked the career progress of general managers over a seven-year period. The main aim was to identify those competencies (skills, abilities, values) and personality characteristics assessed seven years ago which are associated with current success and rate of advancement. The sample consisted of 72 out of 100 managers who had been assessed on the Henley General Management Course in 1988/89. Comparisons were made between their current salary and responsibilities and the equivalent data gathered in 1988/89. Factor analysis revealed two main criteria of success: current seniority and rate of advancement. Correlations were computed between these two factors and assessments of competencies (by the managers and their boss) and their personality profiles derived from the occupational personality questionnaire. The sample was also divided into discrete groups of ‘high fliers’ and ‘low fliers’, based on their respective rate of advancement. Almost all of the ‘high flier’ group are now directors, and receive an average salary of £80 000 (compared to the mean for the total group of £29 000 in 1988/89). Ten characteristics differentiated the ‘high-fliers’. These included: willingness to take risks; an exceptional ability to manage and motivate staff; a need to achieve really demanding targets and a strong competitive streak.     

European high technology manufacturing: Choices on the path to manufacturing excellence

The author is concerned to point out that advanced manufacturing technologies have their main impact on ‘manufacturing deliverables’, particularly quality, delivery and cost. It is these deliverables that interest companies in their attempts to compete globally by using high technology strategies.The technologies themselves - computer aided design, computer numerical control, or optimised production technology, for instance, can be categorised into ‘high-tech’ or ‘lo-tech’. But the division is somewhat artificial, and the way forward may be pragmatic.     

Decision Making,Risk and Gender: Are Managers Different?

This paper explores differences in the nature of decisions taken by males and females. Women are playing an increasingly important role in business management and managers are ultimately tested and evaluated in terms of their success in making decisions. Consequently any difference in the character and quality of decisions taken by male and female managers will have important implications for organizations. This paper reviews the literature, and reports two pieces of empirical work which investigate the connections between gender and decision making. The decision-making characteristics of males and females in a ‘non-managerial’ population in which the majority of individuals have not undergone formal management education are contrasted with a ‘managerial’ population of potential and actual managers who have undertaken such education. It is argued that women are often excluded from managerial positions of authority and leadership due to stereotypes, which have been constructed by observing ‘non-managerial’ populations at large. The paper concludes, however, that these stereotypes may not apply to managers as in the ‘managerial’ sub-population males and females display similar risk propensity and make decisions of equal quality.     

Country-portfolio analysis— Assessing country risk and opportunity

The author illustrates how the basic concept of product-portfolio analysis, now in common use in strategic management, can be used as a country-portfolio analysis to identify growth rate in international markets. He identifies the ‘Baby’ countries, ‘Star’ countries, ‘Cash-Cow’ countries and ‘Dog’ countries; the factors behind the matrix, i.e. population structure, political stability and product patterns; and concludes with the recommendation for the secure way or the way to high growth potential.     

Key issues in managing information

In this article data, information and state of knowledge are described and then related to the decision-making process. The theme that data is a valuable commodity needing management is then developed. Then follows a section on computers, organizational policies and central and distributed processing. Some contractual aspects relating to procurement are described. Examples are given of actual applications in British industry, followed by discussion of two different issues, namely privacy and computer crime. The author draws the conclusion that ‘information’ per se is a personal, corporate and management asset which needs proper understanding and management in the computer era.