bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Responsibility versus accountability in the Friedrich‐Finer debate
Authors: Jackson Michael 
Published: January 2009

PurposeTo consider anew the classic debate between Herman Finer and Carl Friedrich in the history of public administration that has shaped both the theory and practice of government since the 1940s in much of the Western world, and in other parts of the world influenced by the Western example.Design/methodology/approachA study of the original contribution of both Finer and Friedrich in their own times, which is then put into the current context of reducing the size of government.FindingsThe central argument is a distinction between accountability which means obeying orders and responsibility which means acting on a judgment of the greater good.Originality/valueThe paper reminds readers that accountability to a minister and responsibility to the public good may not always coincide.
75 years of lessons learned: chief executive officer values and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Tetrault Sirsly Carol‐Ann 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how chief executive officer values and ethics have been translated into what we now term corporate social responsibility in a stakeholder view of the firm.Design/methodology/approachTo fulfill this purpose, the reflections of early business scholars on top management's impact on corporate social responsibility are examined and linked to more contemporary views.FindingsIn response to stakeholder expectations of corporate social responsibility it is the chief executive officer's values and ethics, moderated by managerial discretion, that frame the firm's actions and ethics.Practical implicationsThe aspiring executive may evaluate the ethics of industries and firms against his or her own values to identify zones of greatest synergy, while the firm's executive search process can consider including an assessment of the fit of candidates' personal values.Originality/valueThis paper builds on the works of early management scholars to specifically link contemporary corporate social responsibility decision making with executive values.
Risk management applied to projects, programs, and portfolios
Authors: Sanchez Hynuk , Robert Benoit , Bourgault Mario , Pellerin Robert 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a review of recent risk management literature applied to projects, programs and project portfolios performed inside an organization with the aim of finding areas of opportunity to continue research and the development of current guides and methodologies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a review of recent literature published by international organizations and journals specializing in the field of project, programs, and portfolios.FindingsThe review shows that project risk management is a well developed domain in comparison to the program risk management and portfolio risk management fields, for which specifically written methodologies are difficult to find. The review also demonstrates the need to include better tools to perform a continuous control and monitoring process. Integrating a vulnerability approach is also necessary in order to consider the project, program or portfolio characteristics which mediate between consequences and the exposure to hazards and opportunities.Research limitations/implicationsThe review does not consider white papers or popular media.Originality/valueThe limitations found in current risk management methodologies show the challenges researchers must undertake to continue improving this domain for projects performed inside an organization. The paper exhibits the areas of opportunity where methodologies and guides can be further improved to evolve towards better management structures.
The project‐specific Formal System Model
Authors: White Diana , Fortune Joyce 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce a project‐specific version of the Formal Systems Model that can be used by project managers and other professionals to identify actual or potential weaknesses in a project's structure or processes and to look for difficulties in the relationships between the project and the context in which it is or will be taking place.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses research findings to show how the model was developed and to demonstrate the utility of the approach taken.FindingsA model that is based upon the Formal Systems Model but which is accessible to those who are not fluent in the language of systems thinking and not familiar with its concepts is developed and its utility is demonstrated. Its use in a real‐life project situation is also demonstrated.Practical implicationsThe model that is presented provides a robust means of helping project managers avoid failure.Originality/valueThis paper is based on primary research and provides the first full introduction to the project‐specific version of the Formal Systems Model.
Deviations and the breakdown of project management principles
Authors: Hällgren Markus , Maaninen‐Olsson Eva 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of how unexpected events (deviations) are handled and how the limited time available in a project affects the possibilities for reflection and knowledge creation. Since deviations will inevitably occur and they will substantially increase project costs, studies of them are imperative. When only a fraction of the project management literature has focused on the actuality of the project this study gives insights into the practice of project management.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on an exploratory, in‐depth case study of a power plant project found in an integrated provider of projects of this type. The projects were followed by participative observations during ten weeks of onsite visits.FindingsThe results show that in contrast to contemporary project management theories, the management of deviations was found to be primarily informal. The reason for this was two‐fold. First, there was not enough time to use formal procedures. Second, if the formal routines were to be followed, the window of opportunity would be lost, making the decisions that follow useless. Third, two types of reflection were noted: structured collective reflection and contextual reflection, the former corresponding to formal routines and the later to the solution of deviations which is seen as a trigger for spreading practices around the organization.Research limitations/implicationsThe research presented that projects should be studied from a practice point of view, where deviations might be a good starting point. Moreover, it is suggested that there is a need to broaden the studies of reflection to accommodate other organizational levels and time spans.Practical implicationsThe case has several suggestions for practitioners. First, small deviations should be paid attention to. Second, bureaucracy hampers flexibility and the organization should rather set up organizational structures, i.e. dual structures, to allow for a smoother process. Third, networks and confidence were found to be essential for the process. Finally, there is a need to pay attention to different time frames when managing deviations.Originality/valueThe paper develops a more intricate view of project organizing coming from the new Project‐as‐Practice agenda. Rather than focusing on what should be done, it focuses on what is done, which is a research area that needs further attention.
Work‐life balance: an exploratory study of supports and barriers in a construction project
Authors: Turner Michelle , Lingard Helen , Francis Valerie 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore employees' perceptions of work‐life balance (WLB) in an Australian infrastructure construction project, using semi‐structured focus groups.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 43 employees participated in the focus groups, representing 50 per cent of the project workforce at the time. Focus groups explored employees' experiences of WLB during the planning and design stage of the project, as well as their expectations for the management of WLB during the construction phase.FindingsProject culture, project resourcing and the schedule demands of the construction stage of the project were identified as barriers for WLB, while participants believed that the “project alliance” delivery model, flexibility of working hours and the project management team's support for WLB would facilitate WLB in the project.Research limitations/implicationsData were collected from one case study project which utilised an alliance delivery model. Therefore, the results cannot be generalised to the construction industry as a whole or to construction projects utilising an alliance delivery model. Data were collected from professional and white collar workers therefore the results cannot be generalised to blue collar workers. The research findings suggest new directions for future research in WLB related to project settings.Practical implicationsThe study will provide project managers with a better understanding of work‐life experiences of project teams and highlight the barriers and facilitating factors for WLB.Originality/valueWLB has been widely investigated in static work settings, however it is not well understood how research findings translate to project settings as little research has been conducted in this area.
The Delphi technique: a method for testing complex and multifaceted topics
Authors: Grisham Thomas 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide project management (PM) students with an example of the Delphi research approach that was applied to a recent doctoral research thesis. The objective is to provide both a description of the approach and an explanation of how it was successfully applied so that researchers in PM may become more aware and expand their perceptions of methodological options available to them.Design/methodology/approachThe paper sets out a literature review of the Delphi approach and explains this research method as it was experienced as a research tool. The paper also provides reflection on the experience of being a researcher undertaking a doctoral study.FindingsThe Delphi approach is one of many that may be selected for researching PM issues and problems. It is appropriate for researching complex issues where larger scale quantitative “hard data” fails to unearth richness in tacit knowledge to help the research understand subtle expert opinion. It does not offer the rigor of clinical testing or quantitative analysis, but it provides a scientific methodology that is well suited to issues that require the insights of subject matter experts. The use of Delphi in this context was successful in that the thesis was passed and so its use in this context may be now considered as proved through rigorous examination.Originality/valueThe paper provides a solid literature review that may be used or referred to by researchers wishing to adopt this research approach. It also describes the protocols and processes adopted in the doctoral study. Thus, this paper provides the opportunity for PM researchers to expand their repertoire of research tools. Practitioners may also benefit from this paper as it provides a useful approach to assess and validate expert knowledge that could be contestable in a range of practice situations.
The model client framework
Authors: Lingard Helen , Blismas Nick , Cooke Tracy , Cooper Helen 
Published: January 2009

PurposeClients of the construction industry, an important segment of the project management (PM) discipline, can make an important contribution to the occupational health and safety (OHS) performance of the construction projects they procure. This practice note aims to describe an initiative of the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner in Australia.Design/methodology/approachA model client framework was developed to assist Australian Government agencies to embed OHS into their procurement and PM practices.FindingsThe model client framework establishes principles for the management of OHS in construction projects and establishes processes for client involvement in OHS through the planning, design and procurement, construction and completion stages of construction projects. Within each project stage, key management actions are established for Australian Government agencies.Practical implicationsThe model client framework will enable Australian Government agencies to operate in a consistent framework and on a similar footing, with respect to the management of OHS in their construction projects. This practice note describes the key components of the framework.Originality/valueThe model client framework is the first comprehensive set of tools and resources to support construction clients to integrate OHS into their procurement and PM processes. The life‐cycle approach ensures that OHS information is transferred throughout the construction supply chain from the client, through the designer, constructor and ultimately to the end‐user. The Framework shows how the integration of OHS into all aspects of project decision making (led by the client) can significantly improve the OHS performance of construction projects.
The contribution of the project management office to organisational performance
Authors: Aubry Monique , Hobbs Brian , Thuillier Denis 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to summarise a doctoral thesis that has been defended in 2007 and to share scientific results on a recent organisational phenomenon, the Project Management Office (PMO), in a context where most of the literature is currently coming from consultants. The focus of this research bears on the PMO transformation process rather than on the description of their great variety. Results bring into question some established paradigms on PMOs.Design/methodology/approachThe methodological strategy is based upon a constructivist epistemology. Just as organisations are complex social entities, so too are the specific organisational project management structures that encompass PMOs. The methodological strategy is designed to understand such complexity. Results reported in the thesis are based upon a grounded theory approach where over 60 interviews from four large organisations were analysed to uncover the process of transformation of organisational project management.FindingsThere are two primary findings. First, a PMO should not be considered as an isolated island in the organisation, but rather as one part of an archipelago, defined as the organisational project management. Second, the organisation project management and specifically the PMO evolve continuously adapting to changes in their external or internal environment or as an answer to internal tensions.Originality/valueFrom an academic perspective, the originality of this research rests primarily on its non‐positivist epistemology to the study of PMOs and particularly with the mobilisation of a social conceptual framework. From the professional perspective, it provides PMO managers with a fresh look at their own configuration and it gives them means to understand their evolution through their particular history. Being able to do this reflection, managers making decisions on structural dimensions are more critical of the advices from outsiders.
Reconciling order and chaos in multi‐project firms
Authors: Geraldi Joana G. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the key findings of a doctoral thesis aimed at exploring how multi‐project companies reconcile order (efficiency, control, clarity) and chaos (creativity, trust, uncertainty, ambiguity).Design/methodology/approachThe research was focused on multi‐project firms in general and CoPS (Complex Products and Systems) producers in particular (companies involved usually as main contractors in construction and engineering projects). It followed three phases: Exploratory phase (literature review and interviews), Conceptualisation phase (abductive elaboration of the model based on field and longitudinal studies in a multi‐project firm), and Validation phase (deductive validation of the model through multi‐case study).FindingsThe thesis proposes a model to map order and chaos of companies, departments, projects or people based on the complexity faced by the tasks and the flexibility of the organizational structure to deal with it. The analysis of how departments moved in this map led to several findings, such as in the case of mis‐balance, higher flexibility is preferable to excessive control.Practical implicationsThe model provides project practitioners with a tool to evaluate and make sense of the degree of necessary project flexibility, and how this can and should change across the project and disciplines.Originality/valueThis paper assists practitioners and academics to reflect on organisational structures of multi‐project companies, how these vary over time and how to avoid the bureaucratisation or the chaotification of structures.
Review of China's agricultural and rural development: policy changes and current issues
Authors: Chen Xiwen 
Published: January 2009

PurposeSince the start of the twenty‐first century China has stepped into a new stage of harmonious urban‐rural development. Based on the brief review of policy changes since the new century, the purpose of this paper is to figure out the comprehensive policy framework, and analyze its background and reasons.Design/methodology/approachFirst, this paper offers a brief review of China's rural reform with focus on the policy framework and changes since the reform of rural tax and fee system in 2000. Next, the paper focuses on food security to discuss grain price increase and China's grain imports, then the current problems facing China's agricultural and rural development are discussed and countermeasures provided.FindingsThe paper finds that several policies have been implemented toward the coordination between urban and rural areas and toward the integration of urban and rural development. However, China's grain production is still facing big challenges, both from the increasing demand and the resource constraint. Therefore, food security should be given priority in future. China's current rural reform and development is also facing the problems such as slow growth of farmer's income, the impacts of migrant rural labourer on economy and society and the outflow of rural resources.Originality/valueThis paper reviews systematically major policies of China's agriculture and rural development, and analyzes the characteristics of and reasons for China's grain price increase. Meanwhile, the constraint of resources, especially land and water, is also studied in detail. The paper's analysis can provide important advice for future policy making.
A conceptual framework for supply chain governance
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyong , Aramyan Lusine H. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeChinese agri‐food chains consist of the millions of small scale farmers, who are not well structured and organized in the supply chain. Owing to market liberalization and globalization, one of the most challenging issues along agri‐food chains in China is becoming the issue of how to link these small‐scale farmers into the modern chains. Consequently, it is essential for both policy makers and private sectors to understand the governance structure in agri‐food supply chains. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for supply chain governance, including its antecedents and consequences, as well as a series of hypotheses for empirical testing.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework of chain governance is proposed in this study, where governance structure consists of two dimensions: contractual governance and relational governance. The study intends to propose a complementary relationship between contracts and relational aspects, such as trust, in the Chinese context. Future research is needed to empirically test this model.FindingsThe proposed conceptual model is unique, since the majority of the articles addressing this topic focuses on contract farming while limited research touches upon the issues of trust and relations. However, a combination of both contracting and relationships are seldom addressed.Originality/valueThis paper evaluates a novel concept of two dimensional governance structure in the agri‐food supply chain, where transaction cost economics theory and relational theory are combined to study the governance relationships between small scale producers in China and their buyers.
Business and financial risks of small farm households in China
Authors: Turvey Calum G. , Kong Rong 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between business risks and credit choices of 400 farm households surveyed in Shaanxi province in October 2007 in the Yangling district. More specifically, this paper investigates whether or not rural farm households in China balance business risks from agricultural production with financial risk from the use of debt.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a survey of 400 farm households in Shaanxi province conducted in October 2007. Four separate regressions are run using a credit measure as the dependent variable and measures of profitability, risk, risk aversion, and demography, and debt source (formal versus informal lending) as independent variables.FindingsThe model shows evidence of risk balancing. That is, there is strong evidence that Chinese farmers reduce credit use and financial risk, as business risks increase.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that Chinese policy makers could encourage the use of finacial leverage and prudent debt use by offering risk reducing programs such as crop insurance, weather insurance, or price insurance.Originality/valueThis paper uses a unique survey form to collect production risk data as well as gather information on credit use and sources. Data were collected so that risk measures could easily be computed using a triangular distribution. Furthermore, this is believed to be the first empirical validation of the risk balancing hypothesis.
Cross‐sectional analysis of food demand in the North Central, Nigeria
Authors: Elijah Obayelu Abiodun , Okoruwa V.O. , Ajani O.I.Y. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of socio‐economic variables on households' food demand. This paper derived the indirect utility function in terms of expenditure and price through the use of nonlinear demand quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS) model to estimate price, expenditure and elasticities of food items consumed in the North‐Central, Nigeria, and the impact of the socio‐economic variables on households' food demand.Design/methodology/approachThe primary data used came from random selection of 396 households between 2006 and 2007 through a stratified random sampling procedure from Kwara and Kogi states making up the North Central zone in Nigeria.FindingsAll own price elasticities of the six food groups analyzed (root and tubers – RT, cereal – CR, legume – LG, animal protein – AP, fruits and vegetable – FV, fats and oil) showed that they are price inelastic. The results of income elasticity show that AP consumption is the most sensitive to income changes, while fats and oil is the least sensitive to income changes. Factors that positively and significantly affected demand for LG, FV, AP, CR and RT were household size (HSZ), level of education, primary occupation, access to credit, presence of children ≤6 years mainly at P<0.01. HSZ (P<0.01) negatively affected demand for AP.Originality/valueThis paper is original and novel in that it examines the impact of socio‐economic variables on households' food demand. High‐income elasticities of demand for all the food groups in QUAIDS except fruits and vegetable, as well as fats and oils, suggests that income‐generating policies will foster higher levels of consumption for these commodities.