A framework to study strategizing activities at the field level: The example of CSR rating agencies

This paper responds to recent calls to bridge strategy and organization research by combining Strategy-as-Practice and Neo-Institutional Theory through re-theorizing the notion of strategic actor. We problematize the notion of strategic actor at the field level, and rely on insights from management and organization studies and sociology to advance a theoretical framework that conceptualizes organizations as social actors at the field level. We demonstrate our theoretical framework by drawing on corporate social responsibility rating agencies. We see corporate social responsibility rating agencies as supra-individual, social actors that are predisposed to assume an active role in defining and revisiting structural parameters within the society through their purposeful, meaningful actions and interactions. Our main contribution is to the development of the Strategy-as-Practice literature, achieved by re-theorizing the notion of strategic actor at the field level. This contribution responds to the micro-isolationism critique, and proposes a new focus for Strategy-as Practice research.     

Professional discretion and length of work experience: what findings from focus groups with care managers in elder care suggest

ABSTRACT

Research has explored how care managers in elder care – who often function as ‘street-level bureaucrats’ – regard professional discretion. The way in which length of work experience affects care managers’ use of professional discretion remains, however, unexplored. This article present findings from 12 focus groups with 60 care managers. By bringing attention to how care managers experience the needs assessment process, this article sheds light on how these ‘street-level bureaucrats’ struggle when they try to balance their clients’ needs against institutional frameworks and local guidelines. Length of work experience seems to play a role in how care managers claim to use professional discretion. Experienced care managers describe how they deviate from the guidelines at times in order to create an increased scope of action in their decision-making process. Those with less time in the profession describe greater difficulties in this respect. Findings suggest that research should explore if length of work experience plays a role in the actual way in which care managers assess needs and make decisions. As such, they contribute to our understanding of how needs assessment processes are navigated by professionals while also pointing towards the nature of professional discretion in gerontological social work.     

Initiative in work teams: adaptation and validation of the Personal Initiative at Group Level Scale / Iniciativa en los equipos de trabajo: adaptación y validación de la Escala de Iniciativa Personal a nivel Grupal

In this study, we conceptualize personal initiative as a collective construct and adapt and validate a scale to evaluate it with a sample of 308 Spanish participants belonging to 91 work teams. Personal initiative at group level is a behavioural syndrome in which the team shows an approach to work that is self-initiated, proactive, persistent, capable of modifying the atmosphere and pro organization. As a predictive variable, we analysed the climate for initiative as well as personal initiative at group level. The resulting variables that were analysed referred to organization and team performance, with the team productivity and innovation as the criteria, analysing radical innovation. The scale has suitable psychometric properties. The results show that there is a relationship between the two predictive variables. Furthermore, personal initiative at group level is related to team productivity, while the climate for initiative is related to innovation.     

Listening to Young People with Learning Disabilities Who Have Experienced,or Are at Risk of,Child Sexual Exploitation in the UK

This paper reports on a UK study which examined the identification of, and support for young people with learning disabilities who experience, or are at risk of, child sexual exploitation (CSE). CSE has received considerable attention in the UK, with evidence suggesting an increased risk for young people with learning disabilities. However, no study has specifically focused on this group, and their voices remain largely unheard. In‐depth interviews with 27 young people with learning disabilities were undertaken to explore how to meet their needs. This paper presents the young people's voices and identifies areas for improvements in policy and practice.     

企业组织创新与生产率关系的实证研究：以纺织业为例的讨论

本文结合国际创新实证研究新动态,在将创新定义扩展的基础上,以纺织业为例,分析组织创新对于企业生产率的影响。实证研究表明,在企业分规模、分经济类型和分地区的情况下,组织创新对于企业生产率的提高具有显著的影响,只是影响程度各有不同。因此,促进企业组织创新,拓展对创新观念的认识,从而提高企业生产率是应当考虑的企业增长路径之一。     

比较优势：湖南文化产业创新战略的立足点分析

湖南文化产业经过多年的发展,取得了一定的成绩,与其它地区相比,具有资源、人才、基础设施、消费需求和试验区政策等方面的比较优势。这些比较优势是湖南制定文化产业创新战略的立足点。     

江西省企业技术创新中新产品的发展态势

新产品在技术创新中的地位越来越重要,江西省新产品产值、新产品出口创汇今后三年中仍以大于10%的速度增长。尽管全省企业知识产权保护的意识明显加强,但国外专利数偏少（占0.63%）,具有自主知识产权的高精尖端技术不强。必须完善全省科技人才吸引和激励机制,加大力度引进高层次创新人才,加大力度落实科技创新优惠扶持政策,加大力度给予经费扶持。同时必须健全产学研紧密结合的机制,提升企业自主创新能力,增强企业技术集成与产业化能力。     

人才与项目匹配解析及其机制创新：湛江的证据

人才与项目的信息特征构建了人才与项目匹配的理论框架。对湛江人才与项目对接的实践及问题的分析表明：近几年,湛江项目实施受到人才与项目对接问题的影响,对人才建设及管理机制带来了挑战与风险。为此,需要对人才与项目匹配的机制进行创新。包括重新认识人才性质和转变人才建设观念、重视区域人才建设的战略规划、围绕项目所需人才实现人才政策创新、强化项目与人才的对接供求机制、构建人才测评和科学管理机制等。