David Lamond

Teleworking: Frameworks for organizational research

Teleworking is a work practice that entails remote working for at least some of the time. Common arrangements include work done at home or in the field, by teleworkers in a range of occupations. As such, telework is one of the most radical departures from standard working conditions in the suite of flexible work practices now gaining widespread acceptance. In this paper, we develop an explanatory model of organizational adoption of teleworking. We do this as a means of integrating the current literature on the incidence of teleworking and to provide a theoretical grounding and framework for understanding differentials in the growth of teleworking in different organizations, industries and countries. We begin by developing an appropriate framework for conceptualizing teleworking. We propose a multivariate approach that is able to differentiate the various forms of teleworking. We then use this framework to develop a model and a series of propositions concerning the adoption of different forms of teleworking. Neo-institutional theory, as well as recent empirical evidence on teleworking informs this model.

The value of Quinn's competing values model in an Australian context

A variety of measures of organizational culture have been proposed and one widely used in Australia is that based on Quinns competing values model. To date, however, there has been no published research examining its validity and reliability when used with Australian organizations. This paper presents the results of a study of 462 managers’ perceptions of their organizations and concludes that Quinns measure is a useful one in an Australian context. It also suggests that Australian organizations may have cause to be concerned about the environments within which their employees operate.

Using consulting projects in management education

Examines the use of faculty‐directed management consulting projects as a core educational experience in an Australian MBA programme. Presents evaluations of the utility of such an approach from both the client and student viewpoint. Examines some of the difficulties, particularly as regards the intensive nature of the learning experience and the essential tension associated with trying to satisfy the needs of both students and project clients. Concludes that, on balance, it represents a valuable addition to the education armoury of a business school, providing for high quality learning and client recommendations.

A matter of style: reconciling Henri and Henry

During the twentieth century, much of the discussion about managerial behaviour centred on the difference between management functions and manager roles, with much of the debate centring on “Who is right, Mintzberg or Fayol?” Reports on a study, involving 523 Australian managers, which suggests both are right – Fayol gave us management as we would like it to be and Mintzberg gave us management as it is. In doing so, promulgates a set of new constructions of managerial behaviour – preferred managerial style (management as we would like it to be) and enacted managerial style (management as it is). Taken together, we now have available to us a more integrated theoretical base for research on management and managerial behaviour, and a measure that can be used to progress the required research.

On the value of management history: Absorbing the past to understand the present and inform the future

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the value of management history as a contributor to the development of the theory and practice of management and, to the extent that it is necessary to absorb the past in order to understand the present and inform the future, consider what happens to the knowledge base when the surviving “contributions” to the knowledge base are partial and, indeed, erroneous.Design/methodology/approach – The articles that constitute this special issue form the launching‐pad for this discussion, with the ideas presented here combined with previous research and commentaries on the issues raised.Research limitations/implications – In The Life of Reason, Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Managers looking for the “next big thing”, without being able to incorporate it effectively into their experience, and the experience of those who are long gone, are condemned to repeat not just the past, but also the mistakes of the past. Accor...

Treading the lines between self-interest, cultural relativism and universal principles: ethics in the global marketplace

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to introduce this special issue of Management Decision by exploring the themes of the issue and the contribution of each of the articles in the collection.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews notions of ethics, justice and responsibility. It then uses the framework developed through this review as the basis for an appreciation of the articles that constitute the issue.Findings – Finds that it is an important reminder to managers and employees who constitute the entities to which “responsibility” is generally attached, that responsibility, ultimately, is irreducible beyond the individual, who cannot simply “follow orders”.Originality/value – This article provides an introduction to, and suggests an overarching framework for, this special issue on questions we ask about ethics in a global marketplace.

Pedagogy in management history: the scholarship of representation

Purpose – This paper aims to reflect on some aspects of pedagogy in management history, using Boyers model of scholarship as a framework for consideration.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on Boyers model of scholarship, this paper considers how one might apply the notion of the “scholarship of representation” to ones teaching efforts in management history.Findings – Satisfied that ones conceptions of the past are developed in ways that, as far as possible, make them useful in creating ones future, one then needs to represent those conceptions in a meaningful way. This paper considers some of the issues of which those seeking to represent those conceptions must be cognisant.Originality/value – Learning from the lessons of management history depends, at least in part, on the quality of the scholarship of representation, which should be a combination of transmission and transformation.

If Management is ‘Common Sense’, Why is Sense in Management so Uncommon?

One of the more regular observations of management students and managers is that it (management) is all ‘common sense.’ We are left to ponder then, ‘if management is common sense, why is sense in management so uncommon?’ This question is prompted by observations of managers and their decisions and actions over a number of years and reflections about various models of management. It is also a question appropriately asked in light of ‘globalisation,’ which is currently fashionable. Can ‘sense’ in management ever be ‘common,’ or do we need to revise our understanding of what is a ‘sound, practical perception or understanding’ according to the contexts within which the perceptions take place?

The evolution of management from a trust to arm’s length model in family run businesses: The case of the diamond industry

Purpose The primary purpose of this paper is to fill the research gap regarding the evolution of managerial processes within (largely family) diamond industry firms, especially over the past seven decades. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data were gathered from interviews with 100 managers in the diamond industry in Israel, together with data from Israeli Government, industry and academic sources. Findings Over the recent life cycle of the diamond industry, with its changing structures and dynamics, participant firms have evolved through seven stages of engagement, from one based on trust and personal connections to more impersonal, standardized connections that exist today. Research limitations/implications In seeking to tell the story of industry participants as a group, the differences in behaviours between the family firms and the non-family firms have not explored. This should be the work of future research, which, if aimed at teasing out the results of this study, may help shed additional light on the strategic processes that occur within family firms. Practical implications Although the firms examined in this study were from one industry (and an arguably narrow cultural base), their development over time was not dissimilar to the experience reported in other industries and cultures. This suggests that the components of the evolution of the strategic process that ensues within family firms may be generalizable throughout cultures. In the absence of kin relationships, the importance of trust in their dealings cannot be overstated. Originality/value The findings demonstrate how one group of participants in the global diamond industry has responded to the changing economic, social and political contexts of their operations, where trust and personal connections have been replaced by more impersonal, standardized dealings.

There is Nothing so Practical as a Good Theory

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