Bruno Dyck

Passing the baton - The importance of sequence, timing, technique and communication in executive succession

Abstract The extensive literature on executive succession gives only scant attention to the actual process of succession. To better understand the dynamics of the succession process, the analogy of a relay race is suggested, where success is influenced by four factors: sequence, timing, baton-passing technique, and communication. These four factors are used as a framework for a longitudinal examination of a failed executive succession in a small, family-owned manufacturing firm. In-depth examination of the attempted succession showed that the four themes are helpful in working toward the development of a general theory of executive succession.

The Formation of Breakaway Organizations: Observations and a Process Model

Two qualitative studies examined the processes leading to the formation of breakaway organizations, which result when groups leave existing organizations to form new organizations. In the first study, analysis of interviews at 11 organizations in which group exit occurred revealed that the process unfolded in six stages: relative harmony, idea development, change, resistance, intense conflict, and exit. Five trigger events—introduction of conflicting ideas, legitimizing them, alarm, polarization of views, and justification—moved the participants through the group exit process. Study 2, conducted in three organizations in which group exit was avoided, revealed a trigger harmonizing event instead of a polarization event and a final dissonant harmony stage, instead of exit. Implications for the exit/voice/loyalty/neglect paradigm, the group studies literature, and organization theory in general are discussed.

Aristotle’s Virtues and Management Thought: An Empirical Exploration of an Integrative Pedagogy

This paper develops and explores a pedagogical innovation for integrating virtue theory into business students’ basic understanding of general management. Eighty-seven students, in 20 groups, classified three managers’ real-time videotaped activities according to an elaboration of Aristotle’s cardinal virtues, Fayol’s management functions, and Mintzberg’s managerial roles. The study’s empirical evidence suggests that, akin to Fayol’s functions and Mintzberg’s roles, Aristotle’s virtues are also amenable to operationalization, reliable observation, and meaningful description of managerial behavior. The study provides an oft-called-for empirical basis for further work in virtue theory as an appropriate conceptual framework for the study and practice of management. The results indicate that virtue theory may be used to re-conceive our fundamental understanding of management, alongside its capacity to weigh moral judgment upon it. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Conventional versus Radical Moral Agents: An Exploratory Empirical Look at Weber’s Moral-points-of-view and Virtues:

Max Weber’s work suggests that conventional management theory and practice is underpinned by a moral-point-of-view that places relatively high emphasis on both materialism and individualism. He calls for the development of radical management theory and practices to serve as a counterpoint. Both the conventional and radical moral-points-of-view are associated with specific virtues and practices. Weber suggests that, from a conventional moral-point-of-view, four primary virtues—mercy, submission, obedience and non-worldliness—give rise to specialization, centralization, formalization and standardization. In contrast, from a radical moral-point-of-view, these same four primary virtues are expected to give rise to sensitization, dignification, participation and experimentation (Dyck and Schroeder 2005). Our study contrasts and compares a sample of conventional and radical managers, to provide an empirical look at these expected differences, as well as testing for differences in their personal and spiritual virtues. Implications are discussed.

Coping with the Sudden Loss of an Indispensable Employee: An Exploratory Case Study

Using real-time longitudinal survey and interview data, the authors assessed explicit and tacit knowledge flows within a small manufacturing firm for an indispensable employee (IE). They then compared those flows to the flows for a replacement employee (RE) who took over after the IE became ill. As expected, they found that (a) explicit and tacit knowledge outflows to coworkers were greater for the IE than for the RE, and (b) tacit knowledge inflows from coworkers were slightly greater for the RE than for the IE. Explicit knowledge inflows from coworkers were not consistently greater for the RE than for the IE. Surprisingly, the loss of the IE did not have a negative impact on the firms productivity.

Corporate spiritual disciplines and the quest for organizational virtue

The burgeoning literature in organizational ethics points to the need for a better understanding of how to enable virtues in organizational settings. Moreover, there has been an increasing call to replace conventional management theory and practice with new approaches to managing based on virtues. We draw on a classical spiritual disciplines literature to develop a four‐phase process model that facilitates organizational virtue and moral agency. We illustrate the model, and buttress support for the sequential nature of its constituent parts, by using a four‐step “friendly disentangling” approach associated with servant leadership. We contend that practicing the four corporate spiritual disciplines serves to change the character of organizational culture and individuals in positive directions. We conclude with a discussion of how the four corporate spiritual disciplines correspond to Management 2.0 and Multistream management, and to the four classic functions of management.

Build in Sustainable Development and They Will Come: A Vegetable Field of Dreams

Describes three approaches to incorporating sustainable development into the agri‐food system. Presents the argument that long‐term sustainable development demands trans‐formational change, whereas stop‐gap sustainable development measures can be introduced on an add‐on piecemeal basis. Rooted in strategic choice theory and the punctuated equilibrium paradigm, focuses on how ideology influences organizational design, and compares the current agri‐food system with Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) and the Seikatsu Club. The current agri‐food system protects the environment by regulating the use of environmentally‐unfriendly agricultural practices and chemicals. The Seikatsu Club provides economic incentives for farmers to emphasize sound ecology. CSA values ecological and economic concerns equally, with an additional emphasis on social justice. Discusses implications for future study of changes that incorporate sustainable development.

Agency, Stewardship, and the Universal-Family Firm: A Qualitative Historical Analysis

This article introduces the idea of a nonkinship-based Universal-family firm, an organizational form we developed based on interpreting historical writings in their socioeconomic context. We analyzed Luke’s gospel with an eye toward drawing implications for the stewardship agency debate in the contemporary family business literature. Our article makes contributions at two important levels. In addition to introducing and developing theory about the Universal-family firms, we also contribute to the methodological toolkit of family business scholars by providing a template for using historical documents to challenge, enhance, and develop theory.

Upheavals in Congregations: The Causes and Outcomes of Splits

In spite of the increased research on congregational conflict, much remains to be learned about the causes, processes, and outcomes of such conflict. In the research reported here, the causes and outcomes of congregational conflict were examined in 11 self-governing congregations that had experienced such an intense conflict that some members from each congregation had left the parent and formed a new breakaway congregation. Thus, 22 congregations now exist where only 11 existed before. Data showed that governance and doctrinal issues were the primary reasons for congregations to split apart. Members who remained at the parent congregation were more likely to perceive the conflict as authority-based, while those who left to form the breakaway were more likely to perceive the conflict as doctrinally-based. In the period immediately following the split, the parent congregations continued to experience some difficulties, but the breakaways prospered. Over time, however, the performance of parent and breakaway congregations converged. Implications for future research and for congregational growth and performance are analyzed.

MANAGEMENT, PROPHETS, AND SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES

This article responds to the increasing calls in the literature for “new prophets and old ideals” on which to develop (Radical) management theory and practice that will help us escape the “iron cage” and the undue emphasis on materialism and individualism that characterizes conventional management. The authors examine teachings ascribed to Jesus in the biblical record, which have historically been used to support conventional management theory and practice, and show how they can be (re)interpreted from a less materialist—individualist moral point-of-view to support a radical view of management theory and practice. Implications for management theory and practice are noted.