The Limitations and Opportunities of Business Process Re-engineering in a Politicized Organizational Climate

This paper is concerned with the organizationalchange and project management issues raised by theimplementation of a business process re-engineering(BPR) approach in the politicized hospital context. This is a report of research in progress,focusing on the issues arising at the problem definitionand project planning stages of a BPR application in anoperating theaters department experiencing problems with scheduling and delays. The research designrelies on a case study approach, with the researcher asparticipant observer, as both an adviser to the projectteam and as field interviewer. The paper argues that an ambitious BPR agenda is compromised inat least two regards. First, the lack of precisionsurrounding the focus and methodology of BPR givespolitically motivated actors considerable influence with respect to defining terms of reference in wayswhich will shape potential outcomes in their favor.Second, the complexity and indeterminacy of the businessprocess or patient trail can also diluteredesign attempts. The principal limitations of theapproach thus concern the impracticality of embarking onrapid and radical change working from a blanksheet of paper with respect to organizational and job design. BPR, unlike other organizationdevelopment interventions, is not a contextsensitive approach. The role of project manageris critical in establishing a working balance betweenindividual, occupational, and organizational goals in a manner perceivedto be legitimate in the context. Effective BPR projectmanagement thus requires a combination of political andprocess analysis skills. The principal opportunities of BPR derive from its process orientation,which brings a fresh perspective to a traditionally andfunctionally fragmented organizational setting, andwhich presents a potentially valuable platform for anevolutionary approach to process improvement.     

Underlying Values and Consequences in Financial Services

The freeing of financial markets has brought with it increasing sophistication in regulatory regimes. Over time, a succession of frauds and financial scandals has emphasised some limitations of these complex regulatory schemes. This paper seeks to address the reasons for the events that have caused concern, and suggests that they are to be found principally in three categories: (1) the underlying values that drive financial services; (2) the assumptions and values of regulatory regimes, and (3) the increased opportunities to break or evade the rules. Some possible ways forward are sketched. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Culture and Organization: The Case of Transmanche-Link

The relationship between culture and organization has often been discussed, but rarely explored directly. This paper implements a cultural values instrument taken from Hofstede together with a behavioural instrument derived from Van de Ven to matched samples of British and French managers working on the Channel Tunnel project. The results largely replicate the findings of Hofstede regarding cultural values, but do not support the predicted implications for behaviour. In essence, the British were found to be more bureaucratic and more team-oriented than their French counterparts, who tended to be more fonceur and competitive. This indicates that the relationship between culture and behaviour might be more complicated than research to date suggests.     

家族企业可持续发展的路径选择研究

家族企业在全世界经济中占有重要地位。从各个不同角度研究家族企业可持续发展的理论问题,介绍家族企业可持续发展路径选择的SHEMP理论,并且探讨了此种路径选择与环境的关系:从宏观的角度进行家族企业可持续发展的PEST分析,进而提出在现有融资环境、诚信环境和职业经理人市场条件下,我国家族企业的选择路径。     

电子化供应链管理实施方法研究

首先总结e化供应链的特征,分析了e化供应链与传统供应链的区别,然后对e化供应链管理的实施模式进行了总结、分析和对比,在此基础上提出了基于Web Service的e化供应链的一体化解决方案,最后对基于该方案的e化供应链的实施过程进行了论述。     

冲突视角下运输订单商业竞争战略研究

运用图模型理论研究冲突视角下中欧班列运营过程中运输订单商业竞争战略,构建“渝新欧”班列运营商、“苏满欧”班列运营商和昆山IT企业之间的商业竞争冲突模型。利用TOPSIS法评估班列的运输效率,确定决策者偏好,通过计算均衡解获得符合各决策者利益的理性对策。借助灵敏度分析研究决策者偏好改变对模型冲突结果的影响。研究表明:在竞争中,运输效率较低的一方可以通过降低价格弥补自身劣势而获得订单;运输效率较高的一方只有通过降价才能获得订单。该研究为班列运营商提供利益冲突中的商业竞争战略,能为顾客企业选择高效合理的运输线路提供有效的战略决策,同时亦能为宏观调控者规范市场、提高市场运输效率提供有效的政策启示。     

新常态下供销社经营模式的转型与创新研究

随着我国新型四化的深入推进,农村经济建设迈入了新阶段。在新常态下,供销社的迫切任务是加快转型升级,切实提高为农服务能力。因而这就要求我们既要把握好传统业务,又要善用改革和创新的思维开拓新型业务,用业务经营发展促使供销社转型升级。面对我国经济发展新常态,供销社过去长期积累起来的服务“三农”的宝贵经验遇到了很大的挑战,在经营过程中所暴露出的经营方式、手段等方面都存在着很多弊端,进而阻碍了供销社的生存与发展。供销社要想走为农服务的道路,转型与创新势在必行。基于经济发展新常态,分析供销社在发展中存在的突出问题;研究供销社进行转型与创新的必要性;最后归纳总结供销社经营模式的创新途径。     

网络拟古世情小说对当下意识形态的民间再构

近年来,在网络通俗小说创作中涌现出大量的拟古世情小说。这类小说往往以宏大的故事布局和对优秀女主人公的塑造,吸引了众多阅读者的目光。这些女主人公群像,不仅反映出汉民族文化传统的审美眼光,也寄托了根源于以家族、财富为中心的社会价值期待,还与当下价值评判体系中的女性群体的自我期许相吻合。这些拟古世情小说在完成言情小说的爱情故事构形和实现娱情的休闲功能以外,也因为广大阅读群体逐渐步入或即将步入中产阶层而发生相应的变化,重新赋予女性作为稳定家庭、增长财富、养育子女、传承家风的核心力量的社会意义,她们洁身自好,对爱情专一,勇于面对困难,乐于奉献,担当责任,胸怀宽广。这些新型的“高大全”形象,表达出女性主义的新倾向：女性的成长和幸福的获得,更重要的在于女性内在的精神力量,与传统的气节、操守有关的人格因素,以及家教和门风。这使得网络平台的民间话语表达,具有更为包容传统以及融合其合理因素的价值取向,也与当下主流意识形态遥相呼应。     

农户兼业、生产性服务与水稻种植面积决策——基于11省1646户农户的实证研究

本文基于全国11省1646户农户调研数据,构建实证模型分析了农户兼业、生产性服务与水稻种植面积之间的关系。结果表明,在兼业农户比重和平均兼业水平都很高的背景下,兼业导致的“劳动力流失效应”在纯农户和兼业农户的种植面积决策中均有所体现,并且在一兼农户中表现最为显著,而“投资效应”仅体现在纯农户的种植面积决策上。接受生产性服务有助于提高各类农户的种植面积,能够缓解种稻劳动力流失对种植面积造成的负面影响,同时能够缓解一兼农户农业收入比重下降对种植面积造成的负面影响。由此,加强粮食产业生产性服务体系建设、加大纯农户粮食生产补贴力度等是稳定我国水稻生产的重要举措。     

Who killed change management?

A story is told here of an investigation into change management's apparent death, provoked by the dubious business novel Who Killed Change [Blanchard, K., J. Britt, P. Zigarmi, and J. Hoekstra. 2009. Who Killed Change? Solving the Mystery of Leading People Through Change. London: Harper Collins Publishers]. The story is told over eight chapters inviting you to investigate competing explanations for the death of change management using the structure of the story arc: stasis, trigger, quest, surprise, critical choice, climax, reversal and resolution. An annoying voice (sometimes interior monologue and at other times dialogue) of another reader keen to inform and frame your understanding of the status of change management remains ever present. The case is solved with the story's resolution providing insights into advantages of investigating over literature reviewing, the problematic/masculine nature of murder metaphors, the academic potential of story arcs and the mystery which characterises organizational change.