Transforming Public Organizations into Learning Organizations: A Conceptual Model

The concepts of organizational learning and learning organizations have gained popularity in recent organization theory literature as complementary subjects. So far majority of studies on these issues focused on the relationship between organizational learning and its ultimate consequences such as increased innovative capacity, increased productivity, and higher competitive advantage of organizations. Nevertheless, many researchers examined the processes of organizational learning from the standpoint of private enterprises, paying little attention to the dynamics of organizational learning in public sector. This paper is aimed to fill this gap by introducing and discussing the basic constituents of a novel conceptual model which demonstrates the relevant steps in transforming of public organizations into learning organizations.     

Governance in Organizations: A Cognitive Perspective

Governance in organizations according to traditionalagency theory is based on the premise that managersand employees do not have identical goals. As aconsequence, employees need to be monitored andcontrolled. If legal contracts are not sufficient forproper control, incentive contracts should be used. This paper argues that incentive contracts are notsufficient to solve governance issues in organizationsdue to problems in measurability and enforceability ofpresumed contract violations. Such problems arecomplicated by asymmetries in power, perspectives andaspirations between managers and employees. Acognitive argument is advanced suggesting that timeconstraints and bounded rationality render the idea ofmonitoring relatively ineffective. Governance ideasthat focus on communication flow and informationsharing are described. The role that other cognitiveelements such as memory play in a more comprehensiveand interdisciplinary framework for understandinggovernance relations is discussed.     

The Intervening Role of Innovative Climate: A Study of Middle Managers in Manufacturing Organizations in Iran

Based on a developed model, this study deals with an investigation on whether innovative climate is a variable that moderates the relationship among middle managers' technological innovation and organizational factors such as structure, strategic posture, and environment. We used path analysis framework to study this relationship. The respondents (N=158, n=96) were all the managers of large or medium manufacturing companies with headquarters in the province of Tehran in Iran. The study found that innovative climate has an intervening role in the relationship among organizational structure, strategic posture and environment, and middle managers' technological innovation. The results have implications for the executive and human resource management practices.     

Pluralism in Organizations: Learning from Unconventional Forms of Organizations

The bureaucratic organization is still regarded as the conventional organizational form, but is ill‐suited to an increasingly pluralistic world. Research on the variety of organizational forms has increased dramatically over the past three decades and offers the potential to understand better how pluralism is manifested and managed within organizations. However, this research remains fragmented. The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize research on unconventional organizations to explore how organizations resolve or attenuate the tensions related to pluralism. Drawing from research in leading management journals, it covers seven distinct literatures: ‘referent organization’, ‘temporary organization’, ‘pluralistic organization’, ‘meta‐organization’, ‘bridging organization’, ‘hybrid organization’ and ‘field‐configuring event’. For each literature, the authors trace the genealogy of the key concepts and review their distinct insights regarding organizational pluralism. They then synthesize and discuss their collective contributions and conclude with avenues of research for pluralism in organizations.     

Making Sense of Organizations in Public Management: A Back-to-Basics Approach

This article addresses some basic facts and ideas about organizations as a way of concluding the symposium. It identifies different types of organizations in terms of their legal-structural characteristics, and considers aspects of their legal power, ownership, financing, staffing, and outsourcing. It ends with some suggestions for further related research on organizations.     

Learning in Public Sector Organizations: A Theory of Action Approach

The importance of learning has since long been acknowledged for both business and public sector organizations. However, learning theory and research have tended to neglect the differences between these organizations, and to develop in separate and unrelated directions. To address these developments, this paper purports, first, to develop a theoretical framework that integrates various concepts from the fields of public policy learning and organizational learning, and that is specifically directed at public sector organizations. Second, the paper purports to illustrate the utility of this framework by applying it to policy-making in a Dutch municipality, the Pegasustown prostitution case.     

Conflict Management of Cooperative Organizations in Contemporary Iran: A Review Analysis

Emergence of conflicts-of-interests and of disputes in organizations, especially within and among work team systems, is inevitable. Cooperatives are self-governing organizations with democratic characters aimed at meeting the members’ needs and promoting social equity. Yet, internal organizational conflicts arise as conflicts-of-interests develop. Such conflicts can cause serious damages to the parties involved as well as harm the reputation of cooperatives as social and economic entities that tend to pursue social justice and fair distribution of income in society. This paper addresses conflict management in contemporary cooperative organizations. It is based on a preliminary research performed on factors causing conflicts in various types of cooperatives in Iran by analyzing 253 complaints made in 224 housing, consumer, transportation, producer procurement, and credit cooperatives within the central province of Tehran. It also offers some suggestions to improve conflict management within cooperative organizations.

被信任的代价:员工感知上级信任、角色负荷、工作压力与情绪耗竭的影响关系研究

在组织管理中,上行信任和下行信任都是对员工情绪、态度有重要影响的信任类型,而下属对上级信任的感知(Felt trust)是近年来才兴起的另一种重要信任类型,被认为是唤起员工知觉的重要前提。员工感知被上级信任主要包含上级对下属的依赖(Reliance)感知、上级对下属的信息透露(Disclosure)感知。本文借助351份三阶段纵向数据样本,研究发现:(1)下属感知到上级的依赖与下属感知到的角色负荷(工作压力)显著正相关;下属感知到上级的信息透露与下属感知到的角色负荷(工作压力)显著正相关;(2)下属感知到的角色负荷和工作压力在以上关系中发挥中介作用;(3)规范强度在感知上级依赖与下属的角色负荷感知(工作压力感知)之间起调节作用,即下属所在组织对服从上级、忠诚于上级越强调,也即规范强度越强,感知上级依赖与下属的角色负荷感知(工作压力感知)之间的作用越会得到增强;规范强度在感知上级信息透露与下属的角色负荷感知(工作压力感知)之间起调节作用,即下属所在组织对服从上级、忠诚于上级越强调,也即规范强度越强,感知上级信息透露与下属的角色负荷感知(工作压力感知)之间的作用越会得到增强。研究结果对于"被信任也可能付出代价以及为什么会付出代价"的问题提供了一个新的解释,也使管理者真正清楚"信任作为一种策略用于管理员工,对员工而言未必总是好的,也有可能引致员工的工作压力和角色负荷,甚至情绪耗竭"。     

A Systems Perspective on Forgiveness in Organizations

Despite the widespread interest in forgiveness across a diversity of disciplines, the study of forgiveness has been strongly influenced by a psychological (i.e. individual-level) approach. Although this has provided many fruitful insights, it has also resulted in a fragmented literature that has underemphasized the multilevel and contextual nature of this phenomenon. Drawing upon a broad multidisciplinary approach, we provide a singular definition of forgiveness and integrate research on forgiveness into a multilevel systems approach. In doing so, we demonstrate that a deeper understanding can be realized by conceptualizing forgiveness as a part of a system of interconnecting psychological, social, structural, and cultural relations. By embedding forgiveness into context, our systems perspective provides novel insights into the factors that facilitate and constrain forgiveness at multiple levels of analysis, how the interplay between contextual levels can shape forgiveness at lower levels (e.g. individual level), and how examining forgiveness in organizational contexts can highlight the importance of examining other outcomes (e.g. reconciliation, peaceful co-existence, and détente) as well as facilitate the development of actionable theory.     

The Negative Effects of Social Capital in Organizations: A Review and Extension

Numerous studies have examined the positive effects of social capital in organizations, whereas the possible negative effects have attracted considerably less scholarly attention. To rectify this imbalance, this paper first undertakes a rigorous review of the published scholarly empirical evidence pertaining to the negative effects of social capital in organizations through a search of Web of Knowledge and Scopus, and then enumerates six potentially negative effects arising from increased levels of social capital. The review focuses on negative effects arising from bonding social capital and those arising from dense networks and closure, advancing new theory to elucidate the generative mechanisms that give rise to the proposed negative effects. Finally, the authors identify potential moderators of the negative effects thus theorized. Using the lens of social identification theory, the authors argue that dysfunctional identification processes restrict the processing of information and stimulate over‐commitment to established relationships, diluting in turn the dialectical process, and inhibiting individual learning within organizations, culminating in groupthink, the postponement of structural adjustments, the non‐rational escalation of commitment, and the blurring of firms’ boundaries. This review thus furthers the agenda of a more balanced inquiry into the effects of social capital in organizations.     

Strangers in a Strange Land: Shock,Disappointment, and Adjustments Experiences of Expatriates in Central Asia

Increasing globalization is driving an increase in diversity and interaction. A more mobile and international workforce frequently requires that individuals try to understand the norms of their “new” society. This paper provides a preliminary exploration of the types of issues and concerns raised by expatriates working in a new foreign environment. In particular, the paper uses a hybrid survey/interview methodology to identify specific issues raised by expatriates working in Kazakhstan, Central Asia.

基于CMM的软件研发组织竞争能力模型

软件开发市场的开放竞争环境,使软件项目招标有可能在大范围内得到软件研发组织的响应。参照CMM软件研发组织能力成熟度等级划分,提出竞争能力决定于客观上的能力适应度和主观上的经济适应度,且二者共同形成软件研发组织竞争能力的观点。通过建立竞争能力模型,分析指出不同等级软件研发组织对不同规模的软件项目具有不同的竞争能力,以及不同等级软件研发组织在市场策略上应当关注的重点。     

An Exploratory Study into Failure in Successful Organizations: The Case of Marks & Spencer

Marks & Spencer (M&S) was one of the world’s great retailers, enjoying legendary and iconic status, being often held up as one of the best managed and admired businesses in the world. Its ‘fall from grace’ has been spectacular and dramatic and the company is currently fighting for its life. Based on extensive in‐depth interviews with company managers and utilizing a case‐study approach, this paper provides an exploratory study into failure at M&S and presents this in the context of the wider literature on organizational and managerial failure. It concludes that whilst external factors in the various trading environments affected the business, there were internal aspects of the crisis which exacerbated the situation and the problems.     

Explaining Suicide in Organizations: Durkheim Revisited

Drawing on Durkheim's concept of anomie, we address the under‐explored phenomenon of anomic suicide in contemporary organizations and discuss the consequences of solidarity for organizations and society. The relations of social solidarity to issues of identity and insecurity are explored through the cases of France Telecom Orange and Foxconn. Remedial implications for organizing, considered as community building, are discussed. Durkheim wrote not only about anomic but also altruistic suicide. We will also analyze examples of this type of suicide. Some tentative suggestions are made for how to organize to minimize the incidence of suicidal violence in organizations.     

从服务层面探讨非盈利组织的管理思维与战略启示

随着服务管理时代的到来,非盈利组织在社会经济和生活中起着非常重要的作用,故被称为第三部门,而政府部门和私人企业则分别称为第一、第二部门.但由于政府部门是由各地方政府建立和管理的,从严格意义上说,它们也是非盈利服务组织,所以政府部门有时被称为"政府非盈利组织",而其他的各种非盈利组织则统称为"私人非盈利组织".从服务层面上探讨了政府和私人非盈利组织的定义、类型与功能,重点分析了这两种非盈利组织的基本特征和管理思维,并就如何对我国的非盈利组织进行服务管理提出了一些可供有关部门决策借鉴的战略启示.     

Using CEO Succession to Integrate Acquired Organizations: A Contingency Analysis

The study proposes that organizations engaged in related acquisition may encourage CEO succession as a mechanism for integrating acquired organizations. Further, we suggest that the risk of CEO succession at the time of acquisition will vary based on the need for integrative action and the power of acquired organizations. Results show that CEO succession is more likely when the participating organizations have incompatible types of ownership and when acquired CEOs have longer tenure than their counterparts. Conversely, the probability of CEO succession is lower among larger acquired organizations. Performance of the acquired organization does not affect the relationship between related acquisition and CEO succession.     

Social Enterprises as Hybrid Organizations: A Review and Research Agenda

The impacts of the global economic crisis of 2008, the intractable problems of persistent poverty and environmental change have focused attention on organizations that combine enterprise with an embedded social purpose. Scholarly interest in social enterprise (SE) has progressed beyond the early focus on definitions and context to investigate their management and performance. From a review of the SE literature, the authors identify hybridity, the pursuit of the dual mission of financial sustainability and social purpose, as the defining characteristic of SEs. They assess the impact of hybridity on the management of the SE mission, financial resource acquisition and human resource mobilization, and present a framework for understanding the tensions and trade‐offs resulting from hybridity. By examining the influence of dual mission and conflicting institutional logics on SE management the authors suggest future research directions for theory development for SE and hybrid organizations more generally.