Clive Smallman

Risk and organizational behaviour: a research model

We live in times of increasing dynamism in the natural, social and business environments; with such dynamism comes fear, uncertainty and doubt. As a result the discipline of risk management is in the ascendancy. In a recent influential report the UK’s Royal Society called for research into the role that organization design plays in risk management. Defines a theoretical framework that is being used to investigate a part of that relationship: the link between risk management strategy and organizational behaviour. Organizations are identified with either a proactive or a reactive approach to risk management. The research issue is whether the “choice” of approach is dependent on organization structure or is it independent? Does structure determine the approach or does the approach determine the structure? What other factors play a role? The critical factor of risk perception in managers and its impact on implementation strategy is considered. The types of risk strategy an organization follows and its structure are defined using various measures of distinct factors. By establishing the nature and cause of relationships between the measures and factors, the relationship between organizational approaches to risk and organization structure may be identified. Describes a method for evaluating this relationship.

Understanding Business Failure: Learning and Un‐Learning From Industrial Crises

Crisis management theory, developed through the study of industrial disasters and socio-technical failures, is applied to three cases of business failure. The principle objective of the research reported in this paper was to identify whether or not successive failures could have been avoided through organizational learning from similar prior events and what factors might have contributed to or prevented learning. The research also aimed to establish whether or not theoretical frameworks for analyzing and understanding industrial disasters and socio-technical failures are applicable to business failures. n nUsing detailed case analyses of the failures of Johnson Matthey Bank, the Bank of Credit and Commerce International and Barings, the paper illustrates a series of remarkable similarities in these business failures. It also demonstrates an apparent inability of the management involved in the later failures to learn from what had happened before. Organizational culture is singled out as the main contributing factor in these failures. This paper, in part, proves the case for applying industrial crisis management theory to business failure.

Euromanagement competences in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises: a development path for the new millennium?

Having noted the importance of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe, this paper describes the derivation of a competence list for the development of Euromanagement in SMEs. The potential of the model is illustrated with reference to two small scale surveys, one in Bradford, UK and the other in the Rhone‐Alpes region of France.

Communication and cultural distortion during crises

The paper starts with a description of a risk management model more suited to the current business environment. Key to the introduction of the model is the success of organizational communication and culture. Aspects of culture are explained using cultural theory. This is followed by a discussion of the critical role of communication, and the theory of the social amplification of risk is presented and analysed. From here the paper moves to the development of a framework explaining communications behaviour during crisis. The notions of structural distortion and communications degradation during crises are used to explain behavioural (cultural changes) distortion. Total risk management is presented as a notional solution to these problems.

The hybrid manager: a review

One of the key dilemmas facing senior managers is IT investment. Much rides on it, yet it often fails to deliver. The usual cause of failure is cited as “human error”. Yet senior managers are perhaps expecting too much of IT managers, who are often technologists forced into management (in furtherance of their careers). Recently, much has been made of the potential of “hybrid managers”, individuals who combine computer literacy with business acumen and a flair for management. Offers a review of the status and potential of the hybrid manager and includes a sketch of the training required to help develop the necessary skills.

Read all about it ‐ risk trends in the media: a research note

Describes a study of trends in the use of keywords (risk, hazard and crisis) in the media having accessed a large commercial on‐line database for this purpose. Allowing for several assumptions, finds mainly rising trends in the usage of each of the keywords, and in the proportion of articles classified under related categories (insolvency, terrorism, environment/ecology, and air transport crash).

Managers in the year 2000 and after: a strategy for development

The paper considers the need for an evolution in managerial skills in the twenty‐first century, and considers the required change in the nature of business schools and management development. Considering the history of management development in the UK and overseas, the paper uses the case study of the Bradford Management Centre in developing strategies to meet this challenge.

Offshore Safety Management Systems: Current Practice and a Prescription for Change

Safety performance on the UK continental shelf is normally of a high standard, although there are still many “minor” accidents. However, a comparative analysis reveals that major disasters in the North Sea have forced up fatality statistics, indicating that there is a need for improvement. The Cullen Report on the Piper Alpha disaster and the ensuing Safety Case Regulations are evaluated in light of safety performance. While the regulations are a major step in the right direction, apparently there are gaps in the provision. Such gaps cannot be filled solely by following the principles of total quality management. Problems with the regulations include the fundamental approach to public inquiries, the problems of objective versus prescriptive regulations, technological bias, the behaviour of management and management systems, communication problems, difficulties with quantitative risk assessment, key concepts within the regulations (ALARP and acceptance), change management, the nature of safety management s...