Alexis Downs

Emergent Strategy Development for Organizations

The professional field of strategic management distinguishes several different schools, among them the prescriptive and emergent approaches (Lynch, 2000). Although theorists distinguish different approaches (e.g., Idenburg, 1993; Mintzberg, 1987), in order to look more closely at emergence in strategic processes we highlight the distinctions between the rational planning and emergent schools, particularly in regard to issues of language and time.

School-to-Work Transition Programs Within Third-Party Government A Process-Based Organizational Analysis

The authors investigated third-party government, that is, the realignment of public sector agencies from “service providers” to “service managers.” Using a model developed in studies of multinational corporations, the authors examined key processes within school-to-work transition programs for students with developmental disabilities. The findings suggest substantial variations among processes in agencies providing transition services. Transition programs exhibited traditional, hierarchical, bureaucratic structures, as well as flattened, horizontal, and networked structures. The variation and flexibility apparent in these structures are consistent with changes in both the policies that govern the delivery of services as well as the practice of implementing person-centered planning.

The Tobin tax and Newcomb's paradox: Financial markets viewed from the perspective of Michel Serres

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine proposals for a Tobin tax to curb currency speculation in global markets.Design/methodology/approach – Financial markets are viewed from the perspective of Michel Serres.Findings – Managing volatility is really about managing relationships that can buffer governments against risk. The resolution of a paradox is embracing the paradox.Originality/value – The work of Michel Serres has not previously been used in analyses of global currency markets. His theory of parasitical relationships offers a novel response to proposals for a Tobin tax.