Andrea Tomo

Employer Branding Management as a Strategic and Organizational Control Tool

The issue of employer branding has always had an intrinsic interdisciplinary content, since it builds a bridge for cross-fertilization between different disciplines (strategic marketing, strategic management, and human resources management). This paper presents employer branding as an approach based on effective strategic organizationalresources and a precise employer branding management process. In this paper, the target is to define a possible frame in order to interpret employer branding techniques as control and regulation mechanisms. Control in organizations has long been a topic of interest for researchers and practitioners, alike who generally recognize that control mechanisms are needed to ensure that organizations may achieve their goals. It has been carried out a field work on the Italian Aeronautical Meta district, that generates annual revenues equal to EUR 8.7 billion and employees 36,300 people, of whom approximately 10% are employed in the space sector. Through this field work, the intention aim is to understand if and how employer branding may create, enforce, and set up internal and shared meaning and values. In particular, stemming from the empirical research’s evidences, this paper tries to conceptualize employer branding as a factor to persuade and influence the way that organizational actors enact in a socially constructed context. In this effort, the aim is to understand how managers may affect meanings, values, goals, and opinions through an effective action on employer branding that can play a crucial role in affecting sense-making processes, meanings, interpretations of the symbolic environment. The paper therefore opens up to new horizons, since it embraces a new application for employer branding, considering it as a modern control system and proposing an innovative approach in managerial control, founded on organizational identity as a key concept in an organizational citizenship’s perspective.

Advancing Public Governance Research: Individual and Collective Dynamics in and Around the Boardroom

Abstract Purpose In recent years, increasing scholarly attention has been directed towards the field of governing bodies research. However, little attention has been paid to the behavioural perspective on studying public boards. Aiming to fulfil this gap this paper offers a review of the international literature addressing boards behaviour within the unique organizational setting of public sector. Design/methodology/approach Considering as behavioural studies those publications focusing on actors, processes, decision-making, relationships and interaction inside and outside the boardroom, 91 papers were analysed. Adopting the framework provided by Huse (2007), the papers are classified following four behavioural dimensions/blocks which are crucial to understand board dynamics: board members, interactions, structures and leadership, decision-making culture. Findings The literature review shows the increasing production – in the last years – on the theoretical issues related to the behavioural perspective in public governance literature. The most relevant part of these contributions addresses the theoretical dimensions of the board member’s characteristics and of structural leadership. Originality/value of the chapter The manuscript reveals the need to adopt a more organizational approach for studying the behavioural categories and levels of analysis proposed by public governance literature. Moreover, the article evidences some possible directions for future research that might further contribute to enrich the ‘behavioural governance perspective’ in public organizations.

Enhancing Employees’ Performance through Organizational Care Policies in the Health Care Context

Literature is increasingly recognizing that organizations must combine themes of care and concern with more established economic objectives. This conceptual study will expand on this literature by considering how expressions of organizational care toward employees, by improving their well-being, may influence their motivation, work involvement and, in turn, improve performance. In more detail, by extending the conceptual framework developed by Bonner & Sprinkle (2001), it is argued that managers should take into account the impact, not only of monetary and non-monetary incentives, but even of other caring policies, on employee motivation and performance outcomes. On this ground, this study develops a theoretical model on how organizational care may help employees in expressing their work potential and enhancing their performance. The model is developed within the health care context since its particular setting that strongly affects employees’ well-being.

Collaborative Governance: A Successful Case of Public and Private Interaction in the Port City of Naples

Abstract This study explores policies of collaborative governance between public and private actors through a specific case that sees the development of city areas previously abandoned or landlocked. It employs the case study methodology, analyzing the specific case of San Vincenzo’s Pier in the port city of Naples. The analyzed case reveals that a collaborative public–private approach might overcome typical bureaucratic-public hurdles to the development of cities, especially their abandoned areas. Cases of public–private collaboration have strongly increased in the last decade in order to overcome classic public failure and to develop a more participated form of governance; therefore, the research question is aimed to understand which are the possible policies to put in action for an effective collaborative governance among public and private actors. It offers practical implications for public managers by demonstrating that the development of policy networks, comprising both public and private actors, is necessary for developing new ideas and for overcoming typical limits of both private and public administrations.

Bureaucracy, Post-Bureaucracy, or Anarchy? Evidence from the Italian Public Administration

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to investigate whether the features characterizing the modern public administrations, their organizational models, and the activities carried out, are still rooted in the old bureaucratic approach. The research gathered data from a questionnaire administered to 156 Italian public officers, employees, and managers. The analysis consists of a correlation test and a regression test to verify the hypotheses related to the aim of the study. The research shows that, despite the changes driven by NPM reforms, the Italian Public Administration is still linked to a bureaucratic model. Findings also show that Italian public servants are highly motivated despite the activities they carry out are strongly standardized. Additionally, it clearly emerges that in some cases Italian public administrations are perceived by their employees as pervaded by anarchy. The article has both interesting academic and practical implications for the management of public administrations.

Using the job demands-resources approach to assess employee well-being in healthcare

Purpose: The aim of this study is to advance a model to assess the overall level of well-being within healthcare organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs a job demands-resources approach by considering the multilevel model of employee well-being as theoretical framework, integrated with personal resources and health indicators. A specific case is built in the Italian context, with empirical data gathered from three Italian paediatric hospitals belonging to the same healthcare organizations. Findings: Results show that the job demand-resource model may well explain differences in the work environment, and that personality enables coping with negative effects of work environment settings. Originality/value. The paper contributes to extending the literature on well-being and the management of healthcare organizations, by providing interesting insights on the multilevel model of employee well-being. It also has interesting academic and practical implications, since it tries to put forward a model to assess employee well-being and provides an empirical application of a well-known theoretical model.

Exploring Board Conflicts in Public Organizations: Sources, Nature, and Effects

Abstract Purpose The study aims to contribute to the literature on board behavior and performance in public sector organizations, by investigating conflicts as a fundamental and inevitable part of interactions between board members. Despite impressive advances in studying the behavioral dimensions of governing bodies, several gaps still remain in our knowledge, especially for public sector boards. These face specific challenges related to multiple, conflicting, and ambiguous goals. Methodology/approach Earlier studies identified four different types of conflict (affective, cognitive, interest, and authority conflicts). These were used to guide a systematic literature review considering the source and the nature of conflicts to classify and describe the state of knowledge on the topic. Findings Most academic contributions emphasized cognitive and interest conflicts, suggesting that solving them was essential to improve board performance and enable boards to create value. The results suggest the utility of broadening the perspective of the governing board role, moving beyond agency and institutional theory, taking into consideration resource dependence theory as an alternative perspective to investigate board roles and task expectations. Originality/value Understanding conflicts within public boards is an interesting challenge from several perspectives. First, it provides a deep look inside board decision-making processes using a behavioral perspective. Second, analyzing the nature and sources of conflict places boards in a better position to address complex political issues. Finally, resolving conflicts may lead boards to channel their energies into collaborative activities that stimulate best practices, facilitate mutual awareness, and generate commitment to cooperation inside and outside the boardroom.

E-Healthcare and the Co-Creation Approach: A Critical Perspective

This paper engages in a reflection on the concept of ‘E-health care’ by analysing it from the point of view of its value. What is the meaning acquired by the concept of value in this context? And are e-health care platforms able to create value for their patients? The Internet and the IT have incredibly changed how healthcare can be delivered. E-health programs have been, in fact, experimented in order to improve the quality of the care and patient outcomes. The aim of this paper is to understand, how e-healthcare platforms can generate value thanks to the active role of its users. Implications will be discussed and a model of value creation will be developed.