bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distributed expert problem treatment as a model for information system analysis and design
Authors: Belkin N.J. , Seeger T. , Wersig G.
Published: March 2007

We discuss the functional analysis and design of a general information provision mechanism. Our basic assumptions are that information provision mechanisms are best considered as a part of a problem management system which includes user, mechanism and knowledge resource, that such mechanisms must necessarily be multi-functional, and that they will include both human and machine components. By analyzing how such a mechanism must operate in order to help the user to treat her/his problem, we identify a number of discrete functions which interact in complex ways. This leads us to discuss a particular approach to the modelling and design of problem treatment situations, distributed problem treatment. This ap proach assumes that problem treatment can be broken down into a number of separate entitites, each of which makes hypotheses about its particular area of responsibility, and com municates these results to the other entities of the mechanism. We demonstrate, by partial example, that the information provision mechanism fulfills the requirements of this approach, and that this approach appears able to provide a means for analysis and design of information provision mechanisms which retains the level of complexity necessary for the sorts of mecha nisms our assumptions imply. We suggest a possible architec ture for the information mechanism based on this approach.
Changes in the communication of chemical information I: Some effects of growth
Authors: Bottle R.T. , Rennie J.S. , Russ S. , Sardar Z.
Published: March 2007

The readability of scientific papers has decreased dramati cally in the past 100 years, but now appears to have bottomed out at the ' very difficult' level. Volume and price inflationary pressures on publishers have probably been responsible for other changes in journal characteristics between 1900 and 1970 such as increased printing density and number of words and characters per journal per year.
Publication & citation patterns in the literature of a high metabolism area: The case of superconductivity in 1970
Authors: Arunachalam Subbiah , Singh Udai N.
Published: March 2007

From an analysis of bibliographic data on 255 randomly chosen documents on superconductivity (1969-1970) and the citations to them in the international literature over the twelve- year period 1970-1981, we have attempted to identify the geographical origin, language, and journal-wise distributions of the papers, the citedness of these papers and the distribution of citations as a time series for the more often cited papers. We have also verified some of our conclusions based on publication data alone by checking with an analysis of the 1479 supercon ductivity documents covered in Physics Abstracts 1981. English is the lingua franca of superconductivity research. Not only was more than 85% of the 251 non-patent publications in our 1970 sample in English, but even among the 10% in Russian most became available in English translation soon after their original publication. The United States of America, the Soviet Union and Japan led the field with at least 101, 32 and 20 publications respectively; however, not one of the papers from the USSR and Japan could win more than 24 citations in the 12-year period following its publication, whereas at least 22 US papers were cited 25 times or more. In all, the 251 non-patent papers received 2526 citations for an average of about 10 citations per paper. There were 63 papers which were not cited even once; at the other extreme, 3 papers were cited more than 100 times each and 20 papers received between 30 and 100 citations. The distribution of the citations to the 23 highly cited (at least 30 times in 12 years) papers as a time series shows a distinct pattern of an initial stage of rapid rise in citations per year followed by a plateau and a subsequent decline. With a larger sample, we believe that it should be possible to discern sciento metrically valuable patterns in the time series data on citation distributions. The limited data that we have corroborate the point made by Narin, Frame and Carpenter that Soviet papers published in Soviet journals are predominantly quoted in Soviet journals and papers written by Soviet authors, but published in non-Soviet journals, are quoted largely in non-Soviet journals.
Online and the database producer
Authors: Aitchison T.M.
Published: March 2007

The development of the INSPEC Database for online appli cation is used as the basis for discussion of some of the major policy considerations. These include systems of indexing and other access points; the choice of online service provider (or providing one's own); the allocation of database costs between online services and printed products; pricing; downloading; and training. The impact of developments such as searching by end-users, electronic publishing, and full-text databases is briefly examined.
Library and information science literature: authorship and growth patterns
Authors: Bottle R.T. , Efthimiadis E.N.
Published: March 2007

The characteristics of library and information science litera ture were investigated by sampling issues of LISA, ISA, RZI. BS and CCA for the year 1983. Single author documents predominate with 69% of the total. English (71%) and Journals (71%) are the dominant language and format.

Currency has detenorated since earlier studies but literature coverage has increased. 1391 distinet journal titles were identi fied in the coverage of LISA, ISA, RZI and BS, but the overlap is very low with only 39 titles common to all four services. Most of the literature originated from North America (38%) and Western Europe (34%).

1545 journals were identified from Ulrich's Guides. The number of these 'surviving' journals exhibited exponential growth for the past 150 years. From this and other data the corpus of knowledge of library and information science is estimated as 5 x 105 documents.
The valuing of management information. Part IV: A practical approach
Authors: Carter M.P.
Published: March 2007

This article is the last in a series of four articles concerned with the valuing of management information. The first three articles examined the major approaches to valuation. This final article summarizes and links together these methods into a practical approach to the valuing of management information.

The article examines the types of management information and their place in organizations. Also examined is the point in time at which information can be valued. The methods of valuation discussed in the first three articles of the series are then linked into a practical methodology in the context of the types of information and their place in the organization.
Financial press comment and company size: a comparison of UK and German companies
Authors: Bottle R.T. , Erbach G.M.E.
Published: March 2007

The number of press comments (n) on German listed public companies was found to conform to the empirical expression n = ACb, where C is the market capitalisation, which was established previously for UK companies. The constant b is the same for both UK and German companies. Possible reasons why the constant A is different are discussed. The leading sources of financial press comment in the two countries are compared.
The Library and Information System of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: a brief overview
Authors: Gong Y.T.
Published: March 2007

Under the administration of the Commission on Publish ing, Library and Information Science (CPLIS), the Library and Information System of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (LISCAS) has obligations to serve the researchers of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Its administrative structure is sound, but service and automation are far from perfect, be cause of the combination of hardware and telecommunication constraints although it has achieved some progress, such as coordination work, standardization, networking and staff train ing. Information technology should be a priority in the long run to bring about further improvement.
The Searcher/Information Interface Project
Authors: Rowley J.E. , Butcher D.R.
Published: March 2007

The Searcher/Information Interface Project explores the interface between an information searcher and the sources that the searcher uses in order to gather information. A hypothesis is formulated: different search intermediaries with similar training and using the same search tools should obtain similar results when conducting an information search, and all searchers can be expected to trace and report 'core' documents. Reasons for formulating this hypothesis are given and a meth odology is outlined for testing the hypothesis. The methodol ogy involves making comparisons between the search output of a number of searchers working with the same topics, user profiles and sources. Results of a pilot study which tested the methodology and explored the viability of the hypothesis are given.
An experiment to assess the friendliness of error messages from interactive information retrieval systems
Authors: Buxton Andrew , Trenner Lesley
Published: March 2007

Error messages were provoked by making thirteen de liberate errors (if possible) on commercial information retrieval systems, online library catalogues, and information retrieval packages. These messages were examined for 'friendly' features —politeness, specificity, constructiveness, and helpfulness— and for 'unfriendly' features—the use of cryptic codes or vocabulary, or language which users might find threatening, domineering, or emotive. A mark was awarded for each friendly feature and deducted for each unfriendly feature. The new version of BLAISE-LINE and Dialog II came out with the best scores (+ 13 and + 11), followed by the Cambridge and York University Library catalogues (both + 10). The worst scores (- 30) were for ECHO and STATUS on Southampton Univer sity's computer. It is clear that systems are not as friendly as they could be. Programmers need to see error messages not just as the functional reporting of errors, but as a means of communicating with users to increase their efficiency.
Journal citation measures: a concise review
Authors: Todorov R. , Glänzel W.
Published: March 2007

A cross-citation matrix with journal titles in the rows and the columns is examined. Journal citation measures are re viewed within the matrix framework. Some limitations of tradi tional indicators such as immediacy index and impact factor are discussed. Time-related and other journal citation measures are also presented. Relations between journal citation mea sures, and objective and subjective ratings of scientific journals are briefly described and commented upon.
The Singapore vision: an information-based economy
Authors: Davies Jim
Published: March 2007

The major report recently issued by the Institute of En gineers, Singapore (IES) is highlighted as a key document in the strategy to revolutionize the Singapore economy by exploit ing IT to the full within a carefully delineated local context.

The National IT plan proposes seven main building blocks each with a strategic thrust which will serve as the overall impetus for the national IT movement. These are:

(1) IT manpower.

(2) IT culture,

(3) Information communication infrastructure,

(4) IT applications.

(5) IT industry.

(6) Climate for creativity and entrepreneurship.

(7) Coordination and collaboration.

Each block is examined in turn and detailed recommendations are set out.
Textual and chemical information processing using parallel computer hardware
Authors: Willett Peter
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses the use of parallel computer hardware to increase the efficiency of processing in databases of text and chemical structures. After a general introduction to parallelism, two types of parallel computer are described: the ICL Distrib uted Array Processor and the INMOS Transputer. Experimen tal results are presented of the use of the DAP for cluster analysis, of the transputer for chemical substructure and maxi mal common substructure searching, and of both machines for text retrieval.
Comparative analysis of the penetrative capacity of synopses and of full papers unrelated to the synopses published in the same broad-scope agricultural journal
Authors: van der Heij Dirk G. , van der Burg Jan , Cressie Ian R.C. , Wedel Michel
Published: March 2007

As from 1984, synopses based on unpublished research reports have been published in the Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science (NJAS), in addition to full papers unre lated to the synopses.

To study readers' behaviour towards the synopsis, which is still a relatively uncommon vehicle of primary communication, both full papers ( n = 94) and synopses ( n = 67) published in NJAS in 1984-1986 were subjected to citation analysis. Self-ci tations ("autocitations," as opposed to "allocitations") were excluded from most analyses. On average, citation yields were significantly lower for synopses than for full papers. The citation yields vaned strongly between the three years.

The distribution of the journal's contents over the various subdisciplines of agricultural science explamed fairly well the capricious behaviour of citation yields over the years, but not the difference in yield between synopses and full papers.

Further, the coverage of NJAS papers by five major biblio graphic databases was analysed. AGRIS and SCISEARCH covered NJAS' contents integrally. Thirteen percent of all papers ( n = 21) covered by AGRIS and SCISEARCH only had not been cited at all. CHEMABS' coverage appeared to be fmrly consistent with the scope of this database (chemistry). However, BIOSIS' and CABI's coverage behaviour over the period in question appeared to be characterized by incon sistency and arbitrariness. Coverage by BIOSIS and CABI was significantly better for full papers than for synopses (BIOSIS 87% and 43%. and CABI 65% and 48%, respectively).

After correction for bibliographic coverage the citation yield was still lower for synopses than for full papers, but the difference was no longer significant. Two-thirds of the initial difference in citation yield between full papers and synopses could be attributed to differences in bibliographic coverage.

It is concluded that inconsistent bibliographic coverage procedures seriously undermine the penetrative capacity (and hence meaningfulness) of papers published in journals whose readers depend largely on bibliographic sources.
The automatic identification of stop words
Authors: Wilbur W. John , Sirotkin Karl
Published: March 2007

A stop word may be identified as a word that has the same likehhood of occurring in those documents not relevant to a query as in those documents relevant to the query. In this paper we show how the concept of relevance may be replaced by the condition of being highly rated by a similarity measure. Thus it becomes possible to identify the stop words in a cullectmn by automated statistical testing. We describe the nature of the statistical test as it is realized with a vector retrieval methodology based on the cosine coefficient of document-document similarity. As an example, this tech nique is then applied to a large MEDLINE " subset in the area of biotechnology. The initial processing of this datahase involves a 310 word stop list of common non-content terms. Our technique is then applied and 75% of the remaining terms are identified as stop words. We compare retrieval with and without the removal of these stop words and find that of the top twenty documents retrieved in response to a random query document. seventeen of these are the same on the average for the two methods We also examine the differences and conclude that where the user prefers one method over the other, the new method with the reduced term set is favored about three times out of four.
Construction and housing information needs in the Third World: an international survey
Authors: Choguill Charles L. , Silva-Roberts Ana Mercia , Wood Frances E.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the methodology and findings of an international survey carried out in 1989 on the existing information needs and technical facilities of professionals in the field of construction and housing (448 responses from 92 different countries) The survey armed at the determination of future information services, and five guidelines for future database development in the area were determined, each illustrated with respondents quotations. The guidelines are (1) there is a substantial demand for an information system which allows for information exchange between professionals in the area of construction and housing: (2) for this informa tion system to be fully effective, it must be client-oriented; (3) for the system to be relevant, two approaches were suggested —the establishment of a regular horizontal information flow and the establishment of regional institutions acting as centres for information dissemination; (4) the issue of cost must be tackled since it was identified as one of the major constraints on the widespread use of electronic equipment, (5) the devel opment of such an information system must be carried out in co-operation with existing efforts in the area of information on the building and construction industry
Information strategies for changing European living and working conditions
Authors: Wood Norman W.
Published: March 2007

The article outlines the work of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Con ditions against the author's perceived background of informa tion needs in a changing Europe. After a short description of the Foundation's role in the Community, there is a detailed examination of its information strategy for the complex Euro pean multilingual and multicultural markets. Measures of audience identification and selection, resource allocation and sharing, dissemination and, to some extent, assessment of the value and effectiveness of its information programmes, are discussed.
Techniques of data retrieval for scientometric research in the ISI citation indexes
Authors: Wissmann Christian
Published: March 2007

The usefulness of the retrieval software of the hosts DIMDI, STN, DIALOG and ORBIT and the ISI CD-ROM for scientometric studies in Citation Index databases is exam ined. The frequency distribution of publications and citations. the co-author and co-citation analysis, and the method of bibliographic coupling are used for examples. Practical prob lems in the work with the online Citation Index are described.
Picture-queries and picture databases
Authors: Cawkell A.E.
Published: March 2007

I mean by a picture a beautiful dream of something that never was, never will be. Burne-Jones c. 1871
A local study of journal use
Authors: Wilson T.D.
Published: March 2007

This paper reports an investigation carried out some fifteen years ago and unpublished at the time. It presents a comparison between a local study of journal use, based on items selected for inclusion in Social Work Information Bulletin ( SWIB) and the indicators of importance derived from citation studies of the scholarly literature. Sadly, SWIB has been one of the victims of the cuts in local government expenditure that have been implemented over the past fifteen years. However, it is worth noting that SWIB was the last of a number of such services to cease publica tion and that it owed its comparative longevity in part to the evaluation reported and to a further evaluation of user reac tion to the service. The paper is offered at this late date for two reasons: first, because there has been some discussion of the issue in recent years, and, secondly, because the Editor of Journal of Information Science commented to the author on the extent to which research exists which does not get reported in the literature for a variety of reasons and which may yet have validity. It is believed that this paper may fit that description.
A new text compression technique based on language structure
Authors: Ibrahim Akman K.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes a new data compression technique which utilises some of the common structural characteris tics of languages. The proposed algorithm is designed to partition a word into its root and suffix(es), which are then replaced by shorter bit representations. The method uses three dictionaries in the form of binary search trees and one character array. The first two dictionaries are for roots, whereas the third one is for suffixes. The character array is used for both searching compressible words and coding incompressible words. The number of bits in representing a substring depends on the number of the entries in the dictionary in which the substring is found. The proposed algorithm is implemented in the Turkish language and tested using three different text groups with different lengths. The results indicate a compression of up to 47%.
Strategic issues in quality management: 2. Survey analysis
Authors: Johannsen Carl Gustav
Published: March 2007

Based on theoretical considerations of an earlier article in the Journal of Information Science [4], this paper focuses on to what extent and how business-oriented libraries and information centres in the Nordic countries have imple mented strategic quality management (SQM). For this purpose, an operational assessment model encompassing the relevant criteria for measuring SQM in library and information services (LIS) sector environments is proposed. Then, empirical findings from the 1995 Nordic SQM survey of business information services (corporate information centres, special libraries and academic libraries) are presented to highlight managerial problems and inconsis tencies and to identify target areas for future library management improvement efforts. The data analysis includes the application of advanced statistical techniques, such as factor and cluster analysis.
The progress of database development in China
Authors: Zhang Jin
Published: March 2007

In this paper, the author classifies the centralised databases in China; provides statistical data to illustrate the current state of development; analyses the distribution of users, the scope of searchable databases, their scale and sources, the online retrieval systems introduced from foreign countries, Chinese centralised database production and CD-ROM development. The paper also addresses some current issues in the development of databases in China, including pro duction structures, commercialisation, management, scale production, advertising and intellectual property protection.
Angola Coffee — or the Confrontation of an Organization with Changing Values in Its Environment
Authors: Hofstede Geert
Published: March 2007

A dramatic case description of events in a Dutch company which is put under pressure to change its policy illustrates how managerial behaviour is subject to the prevailing climate of opinion in society. The clash of interests both inside and outside the organiza tion and the mobilization of consumer opinion by external pressure groups compelled management to revise its policy position. The case is analysed from the point of view of the value systems of various actors inside and outside the company, and of the cultural specificity of the Dutch environment in which it took place. It is also considered as an example of 'garbage can' decision-making. Its consequences are explored for the management of both business corporations and civic action groups.
Societal Differences in Organizing Manufacturing Units: A Comparison of France, West Germany, and Great Britain
Authors: Maurice Marc , Sorge Arndt , Warner Malcolm
Published: March 2007

The literature has largely tended to consider organizations as distinct from societal processes and institutions, and to emphasize convergent and 'culture-free' elements of organization. By cross-national comparisons of closely matched factories in France, West Germany, and Great Britain, this paper shows that more pervasive differences exist than are usually recognized. Organizational processes of differentiation and inte gration can be seen to consistently interact with processes of educating, training, recruiting, and promoting manpower, so that both develop within an institutional logic that is particular to a society, and bring about nationally different shapes of organiza tion. Organizational differences can thus be considered as linked to different extents and dimensions of professionalty. Comparisons show that a multidimensional concept of professionality is called for, in contrast to the one-sided emphasis on the social status and formal knowledge dimension usually found in the literature.
Processes of Decision Making in a Trade-Union Branch
Authors: Ursell Gill , Nicholson Nigel , Blyton Paul
Published: March 2007

Whether the loci of power are to be found within the rank and file membership or the branch leadership in a British trade union are investigated by focussing upon the decision-making processes attendant upon four decisions. Comparison of the processes characterizing different decisions reveals significant shifts in the loci of power within the branch structure. Some decisions are shown to favour more bureaucratic handling with minimal membership participation, while others tend to draw authority away from the branch leadership. Tendencies to bureaucratic elitism are shown to be inhibited by (a) the leadership's dependence upon membership support for the implementation of many decisions, and (b) ambiguities and tensions in the formal organizational structure which are revealed under conditions of extreme pressure. Attention is also paid to the theoretical issue of whether decision type can be seen to affect organizational structure, or vice versa.
Implementation Structures: A New Unit of Administrative Analysis
Authors: Hjern Benny , Porter David O.
Published: March 2007

This article argues that a multiorganizational unit of analysis, an implementation structure, should be used when describing and evaluating the implementation and administration of programmes.

Programmes are implemented by clusters of parts of public and private organizations. An implementation structure is the administrative entity which programme implementors use for accomplishing objectives within programmes. An organizationally rooted analy sis is therefore inadequate to rationalize the activities surrounding programme imple mentation.

This article defines implementation structures and argues the advantage of using a multiorganizational analytic perspective over the perspective of single organizations.
Interorganizational Networks: A Case Study of Industrial Location
Authors: Dunkerley David , Spybey Tony , Thrasher Michael
Published: March 2007

The recent interest in the literature on interorganizational relations is briefly reviewed and the so-called 'political economy' perspective is suggested as a helpful approach in conceptualizing the environments of organizations as a network in continuous negotia tions. A case study is presented of the negotiations between the British Government and the Ford Motor Company over the siting of a major engine plant in South Wales. The case study highlights the importance of choice and manipulation of environments; the extent to which organizations can control their environments; the importance of under standing organizational power; and the market position of the organization.
The Management of Hard Times: Budget Cutbacks in Public Sector Organizations
Authors: Jick Todd D. , Murray Victor V.
Published: March 2007

Writing on organizational change to date has been implicitly predicated on an assump tion of organizations either growing or remaining stable in size and resources. However, the most likely future for most organizations, especially those in the public sector, is one of cutback and decline. The major changes such organizations face are those related to how to survive on less money. On this particular matter, comparatively little is known though interest is, perhaps understandably, starting to grow among organization theor ists and, to a much lesser extent, among organization researchers.

The present article reviews the existing literature on organizational decline in public sector organizations. It makes a conceptual distinction between (a) the strategic deci sion responses regarding what to cut, if one must cut. and how to prevent having to make further cuts, and (b) the behavioural responses within the organization to the cuts that are made. A second major distinction is made between the 'objective' conditions of funding reductions and the way they are perceived and interpreted by the dominant coalition in the focal organizations. A number of influences related to the organization's environment, internal design, key personality differences, and other variables are identified and discussed in terms of their influence on these subjective interpretations of reality. Finally, a few thoughts are offered on: (a) the as yet completely unstudied question of the long-term effects of repeated cutbacks and (b) the problems of undertak ing research in the whole area of organizational decline.
Research Note: Bureaucracy in Hospitals: An Empirical Test of Hall's Theory in One Organizational Type
Authors: Pool Jan Jozef
Published: March 2007

In a study in six general hospitals in The Netherlands, Hall's dimensional model of bureaucracy was tested for its applicabilitv in one type of organization. A pilot study with a group of staff nurses provided a reliable version of the original questionnaire translated and adapted to the hospital organization. But an individual analysis showed that the dimensional model had only a partial empirical basis, and the assumed indepen dence of the six dimensions was not confirmed. In a second study, the number of dimesions was reduced to five. Here data were also analysed at group level. The conclusion was reached that the dimensions of hierarchy of authority, impersonality, and rules/procedures can be reliably measured. Again independence was not found. It is suggested that in this type of organization. bureaucracy can better be approached as an integral concept. The scale has an acceptable degree of validity. Before firm conclusions on the applicability of the dimensional model can be drawn, further research in other homogeneous groups of organizations will be needed.
Participation and Legitimacy Conflict at West German Universities
Authors: Kort-Krieger Ute , Schmidt Peter , Kort-Krieger Ute , Schmidt Peter
Published: March 2007

This article summarizes the results of a research project on the organizational aspects of the legitimacy crisis at West German universities during the late 1960s. Theories on bureaucratization and professionalization were used to deduce relevant propositions. These were tested by causal analysis and decomposition into direct and indirect effects. The results exemplify problems arising when using the results of empirical research to guide policy recommendations. Proposals are put forward to integrate empirically tested causal models and action research into research strategies.
Successful and Unsuccessful Phases of the Corporate Life Cycle
Authors: Miller Danny , Friesen Peter H.
Published: March 2007

An empirical study of successful and unsuccessful phases of the life cycle revealed two very significant differences. First, successive successful phases showed gradual and continual increases in the sophistication of their information processing and decision making methods. Unsuccessful phases showed no such continuous development. Second, successful phases revealed few differences in innovation-related variables, while unsuccessful phases demonstrated more significant differences, alternating between greater extremes of innovation and stagnation.
The Management and Power Structure of Chinese Enterprises during and after the Cultural Revolution; with Empirical Data Comparing Chinese and European Enterprises
Authors: Laaksonen Oiva
Published: March 2007

During the history of Communist China, the management and structure of enterprises have undergone great changes, reaching their culmination during the Cultural Revolution and afterwards under the new administration which followed the late Chairman Mao-Zedong. The main shifts in recent years have been: from the use of ideology in guiding organizations towards the use of economic rewards; a move towards decentralization of enterprise management; and one towards a limited free market system in the economy.

The paper is divided into two main parts. First we analyse the development of the power structure in Chinese enterprises since the Cultural Revolution, and in the second part we study how the changes in the power structure appear in the influence of different interest groups in decision making at the end of 1980, comparing the results of the IDE study of European enterprises with interview and personally administered questionnaire data collected in China. On the whole, European personnel appear to exercise more influence than do their Chinese counterparts.
Uncertainty Reduction and the Threat of Supplier Retaliation: Two Views of the Backward Integration Decision
Authors: MacMillan Ian C. , Hambrick Donald C. , Pennings Johannes M.
Published: March 2007

The article examines the decision to vertically integrate backwards from two perspec tives : the extent to which vertical integration relieves the uncertainty of supply for a firm facing a variable demand function; and the threat that existing suppliers will retaliate if such vertical integration is attempted. Data from the PIMS data base are used to show that while the uncertainty reduction theory is strongly supported, there is value in complementing the theory by also taking potential retaliation into account: the results provide evidence that buyers will be discouraged from backward vertical integration if both the likelihood and the severity of retaliation are high.
Contingency Theory and Culture: A Study of Matched English and the Indian Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Tayeb Monir
Published: March 2007

This paper reports on some of the findings of a cross-national study of organizational structure and management style conducted in England and India which, among other things, examines the validity of the model advocated by the proponents of the contingency perspective. The model, although it gains considerable support from some of the findings, is found to be inadequate in many respects. Differences are found between firms in the two societies and in relationships among variables that are not explicable by the conventional contingency model, but are consistent with differences in socio-economic conditions and with employees' cultural traits. The English and Indian cultures are contrasted.
A Cycle of Organizational Strategy: The Adaptation Process in U.S. Regulatory Agencies
Authors: Withane Sirinimal
Published: March 2007

This paper proposes a conceptual framework and examines the pattern of strategy- making in regulatory organizations. It analyzes longitudinal data on eight United States agencies. The paper suggests that strategic changes are triggered by various strategic, organizational and environmental variables, and concludes that there is a distinct cycle of strategies in American regulatory agencies. This cycle is progressive, moving from defensive through analytical to growth strategies.
Strategy Formulation: The Impact of National Culture
Authors: Schneider Susan C.
Published: March 2007

To formulate strategy, organizations need to identify and prioritize strategic issues. This process involves scanning, selecting, interpreting, and validating information. This paper argues that national culture can affect this process because it influences the nature of the relationship of an organization with its environment as well as relationships among people within an organization. Implications for research and practice are suggested.
On the Naming of the Rose:* Interests and Multiple Meanings as Elements of Organizational Culture
Authors: Young Ed.
Published: March 2007

Much of the recent literature relating to organizational culture reveals two themes. On the one hand, managerial accounts depict organizations as fostering solidary senti ments, with all participants accepting and upholding joint values. Alternatively, other studies describe organizations as comprising potentially divided interests, which utilize collective values for sectional advantage. An assumption common to both perspectives is that organizational events have single, fixed meanings to all parties. Organizational culture, it seems, is about either pervasive unity or pervasive division. Using empirical materials, it is argued that sentiments and events celebrating the unique identity of machinists in one firm were simultaneously the vehicle for the assertion of boundary and division between interests within this group. Organizational events and processes were capable of multiple interpretation. This theme prompts some concluding generaliza tions, which suggest that organizational culture is defined specifically by processes of constraint between intra-group interests.
Organizational Foundings in the Cooperative Sector of Atlantic Canada: An Ecological Perspective
Authors: Staber Udo
Published: March 2007

This paper examines, from an ecological perspective, the founding frequencies of three organizational forms of cooperatives in Atlantic Canada from 1940 to 1987: worker cooperatives, consumer cooperatives and marketing cooperatives. The findings show that cooperative foundings are sensitive to institutional change as well as to the level of prior foundings, deaths, and population density. The pattern of these effects, however, varies across organizational forms, suggesting substantial differences in the ecologies of populations of cooperatives.
The Role of Values in Defining the 'Goodness' of Theories in Organizational Science
Authors: Miner John B.
Published: March 2007

Previous analyses indicated that the goodness of a theory as perceived by knowledgeable scholars had no relationship to the theory's scientific validity or usefulness in application. Additional analyses utilizing the same data now indicate that humanistic values played an important role in this finding. Scholars with strong humanistic values are particularly prone to nominate humanistic theories. When only scholars with weak humanistic values are considered, the perceived goodness of a theory and its validity are positively related. The implications of these findings for the evaluation of theories in organizational science are discussed.
Normative Action Research
Authors: Babüroglu Oguz N. , Ravn Ib
Published: March 2007

This paper presents an argument for an enrichment of action research method ology. To the current state of action research, we add a constructivist epistemo logical argument, as well as a crucial inspiration from some futures-oriented planning approaches. Within the domain of social/organizational research, the futures perspective implies that knowledge of the social/organizational world must be based upon images of desirable futures, so-called 'futures theories', not causal descriptions of a problematic present. Futures theories identify ends and means for individual and organizational development. They are generated jointly by the stakeholders of a system and the involved action researchers and are tested every time that the prescriptions for action contained in them are followed by a system's stakeholders.
Towards an Interaction Theory of Organizational Actors
Authors: Geser Hans
Published: March 2007

Organizations can be conceptualized as social actors capable of interacting with each other as well as with individual actors. A correlative interaction theory has to take into account the many ways in which organizations are different from human individuals. First of all, organizations are constituted by actions; they have no existence and identity apart from their activities, and they are held strictly respon sible for almost everything they do.

Second, organizations are transparent actors; their internal structures and proces ses can be observed by outsiders so that they can be submitted to external supervision and social control. Finally, organizations are differentiated actors; they can make use of their internal segmentations by participating simultaneously in many different interaction processes and by committing different sub-units to contradictory values and rules.
Masculinity and Women Teachers at Christian Brothers College
Authors: Angus Lawrence B.
Published: March 2007

In this paper I attempt to fill partially a gap identified by Mills (1988) who claims that, despite the emergence of a strong body of literature on organizational culture, gender has remained 'at best' a marginal theme in this literature. Draw ing upon notions of agency and structure, I report a case study of aspects of the construction of masculine subjectivities in a Catholic boys' school, and of the encounter of women teachers with its organizational culture. Such a focus is particularly revealing of the institution's gender regime. I examine gender as an aspect of background rules and hegemonic culture as they are mediated within the institutional context of the school. Finally, I consider the responses of the women to their encounter with the institution in terms of feminist possibilities for organizational reform.
Individual Perceptions of Organizational Cultures: A Methodological Treatise on Levels of Analysis
Authors: Hofstede Geert , Bond Michael Harris , Luk Chung-leung
Published: March 2007

Data from a survey study of organizational cultures in 20 organizational units in Denmark and the Netherlands were re-analyzed at the individual level, after elimination of between-unit variance. A factor analysis showed individuals' values to be composed of six dimensions, and individuals' perceptions of their organiza tion's practices of another six dimensions, entirely different from the dimensions found earlier to apply at the organizational level. The scores on these new dimen sions are related to various demographic characteristics of the respondents. This case is used for a methodological treatise stressing the need to choose the proper level of analysis for the problem at hand, a need which is too seldom recognized.
A Constructivist Framework for Understanding Entrepreneurship Performance
Authors: Bouchikhi Hamid
Published: March 2007

This paper outlines a constructivist framework for understanding the outcomes of the entrepreneurial process. The core thesis of the paper is that, taken alone, neither the personality of the entrepreneur nor the structural characteristics of the environment determine the outcome. Rather, it is argued that the outcome of the entrepreneurial process is emergent from a complex interaction between the entrepreneur, the environment, chance events and prior performance. The framework is illustrated with evidence from biographies of six entrepreneurs involved in successful processes.
Ownership, Strategy and Performance: Is the Dichotomy Sufficient?
Authors: Gedajlovic Eric
Published: March 2007

Do ownership characteristics moderate strategy, or is ownership a strategic vari able in itself? This is the research question that motivates this study. In order to shed light on this issue, Berle and Means' (1932) separation of ownership and control thesis as well as Demsetz and Lehn's (1985) symmetrical model of owner ship are empirically evaluated in the Canadian context. The findings indicate that neither framework is sufficient to explain the strategic conduct and profitability of firms operating in Canada. It is suggested that a broader based approach incorporating government and foreign ownership distinctions would be more promising avenues for future research than those which solely consider Berle and Means' (1932) dichotomy.
Dominant Forms of Economic Organization in Market Economies
Authors: Whitley Richard
Published: March 2007

The identification of distinctive and effective forms of economic organization in East Asia has emphasized the close connections between dominant social institu tions and ways of co-ordinating economic activities as well as the interrelations between firm and market characteristics in separate business systems. Differences in major institutions thus generate significant variations in how firms and markets are structured and operate. These variations suggest that an important element in the analysis of market economies is the comparison of firm-market relations across institutional contexts. This requires their key characteristics to be identi fied. These can be summarized under three main headings which constitute the components of business systems: the nature of firms as economic actors, the nature of inter-firm relations in markets and the nature of authoritative co ordination and control systems within firms. Thirteen major characteristics form the basic dimensions of business systems, which vary as the result of differences in state structures, financial systems, cultural conventions and other key institutional features. Interdependences between these characteristics restrict the variety of business systems that become established in market economies and suggest that five major kinds can be identified on the basis of institutionalized patterns of risk-sharing and firm self-sufficiency: centrifugal, partitioned, collaborative, co ordinated and state-dependent. These types of business system highlight the dif ferent patterns of economic organization, and some of their institutional connec tions, which have developed in Europe and other industrialized societies.
CEO Attitudes as Determinants of Organization Design: An Integrated Model
Authors: Lewin Arie Y. , Stephens Carroll U.
Published: March 2007

This paper argues that micro-level individual properties may be expressed in choices of macro-level organizational features. In particular, we believe that social-psychological attitudes of chief executive officers and general managers are a critical contingency in organization design and strategy that has not been developed sufficiently in previous studies. When actual organization designs devi ate from contingency-theory prescriptions, individual properties of top managers may account for within-industry variation. These attitudes include need for achievement, Machiavellianism, locus of control, egalitarianism, trust in people, tolerance for ambiguity, risk propensity, and level of moral reasoning. A compre hensive theory and summary propositions are deduced from related research. The theory includes prediction of the circumstances that facilitate and impede top managers' abilities to design organizations according to their preferences.
Research Note: Hofstede's Consequences: A Study of Reviews, Citations and Replications
Authors: Søndergaard Mikael
Published: March 2007

An analysis of applications and replications of the work of Geert Hofstede was based on a collection of citations of published and unpublished material. Four types of usage were found: citations, reviews, empirical replications, and as a paradigm. The role of Hofstede's work is illustrated by the number of citations, the widespread usage of Hofstede's culture types beyond citation as well as con firmation of the results and validation of the dimensions by empirical research.
The Tie-pology
Authors: Schreuder Hein
Published: March 2007

Research on the nature and significance of organizational dress has been very productive recently, following the publication of my seminal piece 'Suitable Research: On the Development of a Positive Theory of the Business Suit' in 1985. In this paper, I expand the research domain in two directions. First, the subject matter of Organizational Dress Research (ODR) is broadened to include the organizational tie. Second, the research methods employed are enriched by the addition of a typological approach. Hence, both substantive and methodol ogical issues are addressed in this paper. This allows me to spell out, in the conclusion, a rich agenda for further research.