bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
CONSTRUING THE BUSINESS PORTFOLIO: A COGNITIVE MODEL OF DIVERSIFICATION[1]
Authors: Ginsberg Ari 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTIn investigating the concept of diversification and its link to performance, strategy researchers have tended to emphasize economic, technological, or market characteristics that distinguish or relate one business to another. However, by ignoring the mental maps corporate‐level managers use to understand and manage strategic variety among their firm's businesses, strategy research has failed to produce an overall theory that links diversification to performance. Although the literature has begun to reaffirm the importance of developing a cognitive concept of diversification, researchers have been frustrated by the paucity of methods that are suitable for operationalizing the subjective characteristics of managerial mental maps into quantitative and reproducible measures. In addressing this deficit, this article proposes the use of the Repertory Grid, a set of procedures that facilitates elicitation and quantification of top managers' mindsets towards the firm's mix of businesses. After outlining the theoretical and methodological foundations of the Repertory Grid, the paper defines indices of grid structure and content and demonstrates the utility of grid data for assessing diversification.
THE SUBSTITUTABILITY OF STRATEGIC CONTROL CHOICES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY*
Authors: Snodgrass Coral R. , Szewczak Edward J. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTIn one stream of literature, organizational control has been observed to have two types ‐ bureaucratic and cultural ‐ and to be related to strategic adaptation. In another stream of literature, societal culture has been discussed as influencing the choice of organizational control types. This empirical study combines these two streams of literature. Drawing on Child (1981) we argue that the choice of organizational control types is a cultural choice. Within this context, the substitutability of one organizational control type for the other is examined using data from two culturally distinct sets of organizations ‐ Japanese and American. The results of canonical correlation analysis suggest that the substitutability hypothesis is supported in only a very limited sense and that the relationship between the two control types may be better viewed as balanced. Implications of these results for strategic managers are discussed.
PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS OF STRATEGIC COALIGNMENT: A METHODOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Venkatraman N. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTStrategic coalignment ‐ viewed in terms of internal consistency among key strategic decisions or the alignment between strategic choices and critical contingencies posed by either environmental or organizational contexts ‐ is an important theoretical perspective in strategic management. However, extant research is characterized by both poor clarifications of the theoretical meanings of coalignment as well as inappropriate statistical modelling. This article adopts a methodological orientation to examining a general proposition of the performance implications of strategic coalignment among three generic strategy dimensions: marketing, manufacturing and administrative. Such a proposition is evaluated using three seemingly complementary perspectives of statistical modelling: (a) interactionist; (b) profile‐derivation; and (c) covariation, and data collected from two hundred business units. The analysis and results generally support the proposition using two of three perspectives, thus raising critical methodological issues relating to multiple specifications of the statistical form of coalignment.
A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE OF BANK FINANCIAL CONGLOMERATES IN LONDON AFTER THE CRASH
Authors: Gardener Edward P. M. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThe deregulation of financial markets has led to severe challenges for bank management and banking strategy. Investment banking is a sector that has experienced important and well‐publicized changes. London's celebrated ‘Big Bang’ helped to stimulate new banking strategies that were characterized by the formation of so‐called ‘bank financial conglomerates’. The October 1987 stock market crash, however, has precipitated strategic and organizational crises for many of these banks active in securities business and capital market products. This article re‐examines investment banking strategies in London and some of the lessons associated with the crash experiences.
ASSESSING RATIONAL AND INTUITIVE STYLES: A HUMAN INFORMATION PROCESSING METAPHOR
Authors: Taggart William , Valenzi Enzo 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article has four distinct but related purposes. First, we describe the research setting for assessing human information processing style in terms of the rational‐intuitive complementarity. We highlight earlier management study that directly deals with this dimension. Then we review popular instruments for assessing style in rational‐intuitive terms.Second, we outline a conceptual model that elaborates the rational—intuitive styles of human information processing into three modes each. There are innovative management studies, and Eastern and Western philosophical bases for this model. We use this background to help synthesize three lines of neurophysiological research to formulate a six‐mode human information processing (HIP) metaphor. Third, we use the HIP metaphor to develop an HIP survey with a scale for each mode. This section describes how conceptual definitions are derived from the model with guidance from the rational‐intuitive term pairs and the survey item pool.Finally, we describe the statistical analysis of the reliability and validity of the six scales for the HIP survey. We use a criterion‐based factor analytic approach for isolating the scale items. Then, the HIP metaphor is used to predict associations among the scales in our study. We use a modified form of the multitrait—multimethod approach to test our predictions. Finally, this section summarizes the results of the predicted relationships among the variables on the self‐assessment tools used in this study. The study helps bring the rational—intuitive assessment of human information processing into the mainstream of management research.
COMING TO TERMS WITH THE FIELD: UNDERSTANDING AND DOING ORGANIZATIONAL ETHNOGRAPHY*
Authors: Rosen Michael 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article argues that ethnography is inadequately understood and recognized within administration science as a method for studying organizational culture. Ethnographic analyses of organizational cultures are largely absent from the administration science literature, primarily because such work derives from a social constructionist understanding of science. The knowledge of organizations thus provided is interpretive, denying the subject—object dichotomy inherent in mainstream empiricist applications of social analysis. In addition, whereas ethnographic analysis and writing is an appropriate method for studying culture, organizational ethnography is substantially different from ethnographic studies of whole (and largely foreign) societies. Formal organizations are both partial and specialized in comparison to general societal organization. The conceptual and practical toolkit the organizational ethnographer brings to the field and the writing table is thus tailored to this particular research arena, and is outlined here.
STRATEGIC FLEXIBILITY FOR HIGH TECHNOLOGY MANOEUVRES: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Authors: Evans J. Stuart 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTStrategic flexibility is proposed as an expedient capability for managing capricious settings, such as those confronted in technology‐intensive arenas. This article examines the historical evolution of the concept of flexibility and analyses its different senses by relating it to other concepts with a ‘family resemblance’. A conceptual framework is subsequently developed, which integrates the temporal and intentional dimensions of flexibility. Four archetypal manoeuvres, derived from the framework, are proposed as a means of attaining strategic flexibility. The deployment of these manoeuvres is exemplified by means of selected strategic engagements of firms in the computer peripherals arena. The article concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of the research.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE PHILOSOPHER‐KING? THE LEADER'S ADDICTION TO POWER
Authors: de Vries Manfred F. R. Kets 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis articles postulates the existence of a number of conscious and unconscious forces which make leaders reluctant to relinquish power. It is suggested that a major reason for the unwillingness to let go is the transferential effects of leadership. Both mirroring and idealizing transference reactions are discussed. In addition, there is the ageing factor which may contribute to the addictiveness of power, since ageing can evoke a strong need for compensatory strivings. the talionic principle ‐ meaning in this case the conscious or unconscious fear that the loss of power will be followed by some form of retaliation for previous acts ‐ may be another factor contributing to power's addictiveness. In this context the role of envy is emphasized. Finally, the existence of a ‘fear of nothingness’ is postulated, that is, a form of anxiety which leads to a need to defeat death by leaving some kind of legacy. It is suggested that holding onto power is linked to the fear that this legacy may be destroyed.
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT DECISION‐MAKING: COMPLEXITIES, POLITICS AND PROCESSES*
Authors: Butler Richard , Davies Les , Pike Richard , Sharp John 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article is a preliminary report on an investigation into the processes of investment decision‐making. Three case studies from three firms are presented which show disparities in a number of aspects of process, for example, the length of time taken to arrive at a decision, the number and intensity of disagreements and uncertainties encountered. Data were collected for these cases through semi‐structured interviewing from multiple informants in the three organizations, thereby permitting the use of analysis of variance techniques of the different perspectives given by informants. Perceptions of the effectiveness of the decisions were also gathered. One finding from the study is that the decisions with the lowest perceived effectiveness (in firm HE) also lost support from those involved in making the decision during the process, although the decision was eventually implemented. This decision also had the least agreement amongst informants as to the main sources of disagreements. Informants of all three decisions saw effect upon product quality and productivity, fit with business strategy and competitive position of the company as the most important factors to take into account in evaluating the decisions. In firm CG, however, there were disagreements as to how the investment should be evaluated. In the conclusions to the article a disucssion is given as to the nature of evaluation procedures in relation to the developing theory of information systems.
COMMODITY BUNDLING FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Lawless Michael W. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTCommodity bundling involves grouping related products together into a unified market offering. It is a familiar approach in a number of industries, yet strategic and structural implications are not well developed. This article presents a descriptive model of the potential advantages of commodity bundling, the fit between firm competences and customer needs, and the decision to bundle. Effects on adaptation, type of innovation, and organization structure are discussed. Managerial implications and research propositions from case studies of 16 corporations, and from strategy, marketing and economic theory are presented.
SOME EVERYDAY RITUALS IN MANAGEMENT CONTROL*
Authors: Golding David 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article examines the way in which observed rituals in management activity appear to contribute to the accomplishment of management control. It argues that any examination of organizational activity involving a dimension so ethereal as ritual is bound to be problematic. It is nevertheless an important feature of organizational life and, therefore, a fruitful framework for understanding complex organizations. The article suggests that in the particular organization studied, issues of management control are expressed in various ways which reflect a chain of command, being alternatively brought into sharp focus and then blurred. It is suggested that this can be seen to represent activities which involve considerable components of what ethnomethodologists might call ‘artful practice’.
STRATEGIC CONSEQUENCES OF EXECUTIVE SUCCESSION WITHIN DIVERSIFIED FIRMS
Authors: Wiersema Margarethe F. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTSystematic investigation of leaders and their influence on organizations has been a major area of research interest. In examining the upper echelon‐organizational outcome linkage, researchers have come to focus on the issue of executive succession. This focus has been due in large part to an emerging theoretical perspective that managerial differences may explain much of the variance in organizational outcomes. The purpose of this study is to ascertain whether or not top management succession affects subsequent corporate strategy. This article extends previous research efforts by longitudinally examining the linkage between executive succession and the extent of corporate strategic change across a sample of Fortune 1000 diversified firms. The findings confirm that the nature of executive succession has substantial consequences for corporate strategy. Firms have a greater likelihood of experiencing significant changes in strategy when they choose successors from outside the organization; firms that select their key executives by promoting from within are more likely to experience significantly less change in their corporate strategy. The results of this longitudinal investigation of the strategic outcomes of succession have significant implications for those in a position to select successors to the executive ranks.
STAKEHOLDER‐AGENCY THEORY
Authors: Hill Charles W. L. , Jones Thomas M. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTTaking agency theory and stakeholder theory as points of departure, this article proposes a paradigm that helps explain the following: (1) certain aspects of a firm's strategic behaviour; (2) the structure of management‐stakeholder contracts; (3) the form taken by the institutional structures that monitor and enforce contracts between managers and other stakeholders; and (4) the evolutionary process that shapes both management‐stakeholder contracts and the institutional structures that police those contracts.
INTEGRATING MARKETING AND R&D PROJECT PERSONNEL WITHIN INNOVATION PROJECTS: AN INFORMATION UNCERTAINTY MODEL*
Authors: Souder William E. , Moenaert Rudy K. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTTechnological innovation within the firm can be modelled as a process of uncertainty reduction. The four major sources of uncertainty are user needs, technological environments, competitive environments, and organizational resources. Reducing these uncertainties is the responsibility of the marketing and R&D functions within the firm. Because these functions are reciprocally interdependent, their success in reducing uncertainty requires integration and collaboration between them. A contingency framework is developed which shows the effect and the determinants of interfunctional information transfer. It is argued that the synergistic results of integration can best be understood as a within‐role increase of uncertainty reduction, and a between‐role convergence of functional uncertainty reduction. The implications of the model are discussed.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE BRITISH ECONOMY IN THE 1990s: MRS THATCHER'S LEGACY
Authors: Evans Steve , Ewing Keith , Nolan Peter 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThe authors challenge the view that the UK Conservative governments during the 1980s achieved important advances in industrial performance through the abandonment of corporatist policies that allowed management to regain the initiative and push through changes in work organization. The article takes issue with the idea that collective labour institutions necessarily impair economic efficiency, and it points up important connections between Thatcher's offensive against organized labour and the enduring weaknesses in human capital and technology.The article has three sections: the first examines labour markets and industrial relations; the second analyses government regulation; and the third assesses trends and prospects for the future, with emphasis on employment flexibility and labour productivity. The authors conclude with some comments on future prospects in the context of Britain's fuller integration in Europe.
PLANNING FOR PERSONNEL?‐HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RECONSIDERED*
Authors: Kerfoot Deborah , Knights David 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article provides an in‐depth case study of a UK mutual life insurance company with the pseudonym Pensco. The case is presented partly to illustrate some theoretical and empirical weaknesses within the managerialist literatures on human resource management (HRM), and in those academic critiques which perceive it to be all ‘hype’and no substance. Our concern is not with the questin of whether Pensco ‘fits’an HRM model, but with examining changes in management practice, their effects on the nature of management control and the growth of self‐discipline throughout the company's hierarchy. Focusing on two management techniques regarding the development of ‘team’spirit among company employees, we see these changes as coinciding with the emergence of a language, if not directly the practice, of HRM which has come to pervade management in this and other contemporary organizations.
PREDICTING CORPORATE PERFORMANCE FROM ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE*
Authors: Gordon George G. , DiTomaso Nancy 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article investigates the relationships of culture strength and two substantive cultural values with corporate performance. Culture strength is measured by the consistency of responses to survey items across people and the two cultural values are measured by items on the survey that relate to either adaptability or stability. The data, from management surveys of 11 US insurance companies in 1981, were correlated with asset and premium growth rates from 1982 to 1987. Results indicate that both a strong culture regardless of content and a substantive value placed on adaptability are associated with better performance for two to three subsequent years on both criterion measures. The results support the findings of Denison (1990) that strength of culture is predictive of short‐term performance. The present results, however, suggest a more complex contingency model than that proposed by Denison.
STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AS A SOCIAL PROCESS
Authors: Eden Colin 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article argues that the development of strategy in organizations will be more effective if it is seen as predominantly a social rather than analytical process. Using the notion of organizations as negotiated order, it is suggested that designed Group Decision Support Systems can play an important role in facilitating the negotiation of strategy. Six ‘support systems’are discussed, and the implication is that planners might see themselves as facilitators managing both ‘socially negotiated order’and ‘negotiated social order'.
INDUSTRY AND STRATEGIC GROUP DYNAMICS: COMPETITIVE STRATEGY IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY, 1970–84
Authors: Fiegenbaum Avi , Thomas Howard 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article focuses upon dynamic aspects of strategic groups in the context of the US insurance industry from 1970–84. It examines the longitudinal structure of industry strategic groups and identifies the strategic patterns followed by these strategic groups over time. the mobility rates of firms between strategic groups are also assessed. It appears that three dominant groups are present throughout the period of the study while other group positions emerge and disappear over time. the evidence suggests that the quantum theory of strategic adaptation (i.e. dramatic and concerted change) satisfactorily models the processes of strategic group change. And, a low level of firm mobility is found to exist between strategic groups consistent with the presence of inertia and mobility barriers.
FROM TRANSACTION COST TO TRANSACTIONAL VALUE ANALYSIS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STUDY OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES*
Authors: Zajac Edward J. , Olsen Cyrus P. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article examines interorganizational strategies from a transactional value, rather than transaction cost, perspective. It argues that the transaction cost perspective has at least two major limitations when used to analyse interorganizational strategies: (1) a single‐party, cost minimization emphasis that neglects the interdependence between exchange partners in the pursuit of joint value, and (2) an over‐emphasis on the structural features of interorganizational exchange that neglects important process issues. We propose instead a transactional value framework for analysing interorganizational strategies that addresses (1) joint value maximization, and (2) the processes by which exchange partners create and claim value. We discusses the implications of the present approach for the study of interorganizational strategies and for the transaction cost perspective itself.
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND DETERMINISM: SUSTAINING THE CONVERSATION*
Authors: Mahoney Joseph T. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article suggests that strategy research should concern itself with continuing the conversation of the field rather than insisting upon a place for universal methodological criteria within that conversation. It attempts to sustain the dialogue begun by Bourgeois, Bowman, Jemison, Huff, and others, who recommend the pragmatic approach of methodological and theoretical pluralism as the best way forward in increasing empirical content. the article draws heavily on the philosophical writings of Dewey, Kaplan, and Rorty and the methodological essays of economists such as Boland, Caldwell, and McCloskey in an effort to persuade others in the strategy field that ‘good science is good conversation’.   … once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversation in it, ‘and what is the use of a book,’thought Alice, ‘without pictures or conversation?’    Lewis Carroll (1865, p. 5)
STRATEGIC ORIENTATION, STRATEGIC PLANNING SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORMANCE*
Authors: Veliyath Rajaram , Shortell Stephen M. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTThis article examines the differences in strategic planning system characteristics such as planning implementation, market research competence, key personnel involvement, degree of assistance provided by the planning staff and innovativeness of strategies between the Prospector and Defender strategic archetypes. the study also tests whether deviations from a defined ideal profile of strategic planning system characteristics has implications for performance within each strategic archetype. the findings reveal significant differences in strategic planning system characteristics between Prospectors and Defenders, as well as suggest negative performance implications for deviating from a defined ideal profile of strategic planning system characteristics among Prospector organizations.
LEADER STYLE IN STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: AN INTEGRATIVE FRAMEWORK*
Authors: Nahavandi Afsaneh , Malekzadeh Ali R. 
Published: May 2007

ABSTRACTBy means of reviewing existing literature about the role of leaders in determining organizational strategy, an integrative analytical framework is developed. the framework considers the leader to be key to both the formulation and implementation of strategy. It further identifies factors that moderate the leader's impact on strategy. Hypotheses are presented along with implications for future research regarding the role and impact of leadership.