Discussing feedback system thinking in relation to scenario evaluation in a balanced scorecard setup

Since the emergence of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) at the beginning of the 1990s, literature has intensively discussed the problems of the cause-and-effect relationships, the time-delay elements between measures and perspectives and the concepts of feedback loops. This article focuses on the use of the System Dynamics Modelling approach to deal with these three problems, an approach first suggested by Forrester back in 1958. The wide scope of application of BSC as a decision-supporting instrument continues to spur the interest in BSC. We have used an actual case as inspiration on which our model construction and our simulation scenarios are based. Our findings suggest that the idea of linking BSC and System Dynamics together based on properties of the systems dynamic nature seem to be both a natural and a relevant development. Furthermore, our simulations demonstrate the ability to: (1) provide a scheme for the translation of the strategy into operational terms and at the same time (2) offer possibilities for the decision maker to be able to evaluate the plan–do–review results based on the feedbacks, specifically in a risk evaluating context.     

Shades of gray: effect of external work arrangements on firm performance under operational and strategic contingencies

This study builds on recent research on the external workforce by examining the effects of (1) temporary work (2) independent contracting, and (3) consulting on firm performance, considering the client firms’ tasks, the qualification requirements for carrying out these tasks, and its strategic context. The findings are based on a survey of 261 firms in the German manufacturing industry. At the operational level, the results indicate that the difficulty of the tasks to be performed by external workers influences their performance. Whilst temporary work and consulting are better suited for simple tasks with low qualification requirements, independent contracting increases firm performance when appointing individuals to perform complex tasks. At the strategic level we research effects by two strategic orientations; one generally increasing the internal innovation performance (innovation orientation), the other generally increasing the performance of external relationships (alliance orientation). The innovation orientation here reduces the negative effect of temporary work, whereas a high alliance orientation precipitates a positive effect of consulting on firm performance. This paper demonstrates that clients’ task requirements and their alignment towards innovation and alliances have a significant influence on the benefits to the firm conveyed by highly qualified externals.     

Validating the Job Crafting Questionnaire (JCRQ): A multi-method and multi-sample study

Job crafting presents a set of proactive behaviours in which employees may engage to alter the job content or their relations with others at work. In recent years, several measures have been developed to capture job crafting. In the present study, we test the validity and reliability of an existing Job Crafting Questionnaire (the JCRQ) in four studies: first, we test the scale validity of the JCRQ in a Spanish diary study (Spain, N?=?164, diary occasions 820). Second, we test the scale validity across two Western (Spain, N?=?164 and UK, N?=?109) and two Eastern cultures (China, N?=?170 and Taiwan, N?=?165). Third, we test the test–retest reliability in a Spanish three-wave longitudinal sample (N?=?191). Finally, we test the criterion validity using data from the four countries. Results confirm the presence of five independent job crafting dimensions: increasing challenging demands, decreasing social job demands, increasing social job resources, increasing quantitative demands and decreasing hindrance job demands. The JCRQ shows acceptable test–retest reliability, scale and criterion validity across the four studies.