Deepak K. Datta

Human resource management and labor productivity: Does industry matter?

There has been growing interest in the degree to which human resource systems contribute to organizational effectiveness, yet limited research attention has been paid to the contextual conditions that moderate the efficacy of these practices. In this study, we examined how industry characteristics affect the relative importance and value of high-performance work systems. Findings indicate that the impact of these human resources systems on productivity is influenced by industry capital intensity, growth, and differentiation.

Strategic Decision Processes: Critical Review and Future Directions

This article develops an integrative framework of strategic decision processes based on a review of the past literature. The framework incorporates environmental, organizational, and decision-specific antecedents of process characteristics, and their process and economic outcomes. Key empirical studies are reviewed in the context of the framework and major patterns and contradictions are identified. Based on this review, useful implications for theory building, research methods and managerial practice are identified and several directions for future research are presented.

Causes and Effects of Employee Downsizing: A Review and Synthesis

As employee downsizing has become increasingly ubiquitous in recent years, the study of this phenomenon has assumed greater significance. This article develops an integrative framework that incorporates environmental and organizational antecedents as well as the implications of downsizing for individuals and organizations. Key empirical studies are reviewed and major patterns and contradictions are identified. The authors identify and discuss theoretical and methodological concerns related to the extant literature and provide recommendations for future research aimed at developing a better understanding of employee downsizing.

Effectiveness and Efficiency of Cross-Border Knowledge Transfer: An Empirical Examination

Based on a sample of 102 US organizations, this study examines the impact of knowledge characteristics, recipient learning intent, source attractiveness, and relationship quality on the effectiveness and efficiency of knowledge transfer from the international business affiliates of these organizations. Findings indicate that recipient learning intent and source attractiveness positively impact the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. In addition, recipient learning intent was found to have a positive effect on knowledge transfer efficiency. In particular, results highlight the strong positive impact that the quality of the relationship between the source and the recipient has on both the efficiency and effectiveness of cross-border knowledge transfer. The study also indicates that knowledge value is positively associated with recipient learning intent and that knowledge value, rarity and non-substitutability influence source attractiveness. Finally, findings suggest that the relationship between knowledge characteristics and knowledge transfer is partially mediated by recipient learning intent and source attractiveness.

Industry structure and CEO characteristics: an empirical study of succession events

Based on 134 CEO succession events in nondiversified, manufacturing firms, this study examines the relationships between industry structure and the characteristics of CEO successors. The paper also explores the performance implications of the fit between industry structure and CEO successors. Results indicate that industry structure plays an important, but not pervasive, role in explaining variations in newly selected CEOs. Specifically, the higher the level of industry product differentiation, the lower the organizational tenure, the higher the educational level and the greater the likelihood of a nonthroughput background in the CEO successor; the higher the industry growth rate, the lower the organizational tenure and age of the CEO successor. However, findings provide very limited support for the normative view that firms which match CEO successor characteristics to industry structure realize better postsuccession performance than those with lower levels of fit.

Relationships Between Type of Acquisition, The Autonomy Given to the Acquired Firm, and Acquisition Success: An Empirical Analysis

This study examines the degree of autonomy provided by acquiring companies to the management of acquired firms in the managing of post-acquisition operations as well as the relationships between such autonomy and the perceived success of the acquisition. Results show that in unrelated acquisitions the extent of autonomy is significantly greater than in related acquisition. Also, autonomy is positively associated with superior performance in unrelated acquisitions, but the relationship is not significant in related acquisitions. Implications for future research and management practice are discussed.

CEO Experiences: Effects on the Choice of FDI Entry Mode*

abstract Drawing on the strategic management and international business literatures, this study examines the relationships between the experiences of newly selected CEOs and their choice of foreign direct investment (FDI) entry modes. Based on a sample of 380 foreign market entry events involving acquisitions, greenfield investments, and joint ventures, our findings indicate that CEOs with less firm experience preferred acquisitions and greenfield investments to joint ventures and, older CEOs were more likely to opt for joint ventures over greenfield investments. In addition, CEOs with throughput functional experience favoured acquisitions over joint ventures and greenfield investments. Finally, CEO international experience was associated with a greater propensity to choose greenfield investments and acquisitions over joint ventures and also greenfield investments over acquisitions. The implications of the findings from the perspective of theory and managerial practice are discussed, along with possible directions for future research.

CEO Characteristics: Does Industry Matter?

This study examined the relationships between a comprehensive set of industry conditions and CEO characteristics utilizing data from a broad range of U.S. manufacturing industries. Pooled cross-sectional time series analyses indicated that industry conditions played a limited role in explaining variations in CEO firm tenure, educational level, functional background, and functional heterogeneity. Results of subgroup regression analyses indicated that although high performers appeared to align the studied CEO characteristics more closely to industry conditions than low performers, differences between the industry coefficients in the two groups are generally small.

Corporate Reputation: Do Board Characteristics Matter?

Our study draws on institutional and signalling theories to postulate relationships between board characteristics and corporate reputation. Based on a sample of 324 firms featured in Fortunes list of most admired corporations in the USA, our findings indicate that board characteristics significantly influence the assessment of firm reputation by the business community. Specifically, we found that firms with a greater proportion of outside directors and those with larger boards exhibited better reputation than those with smaller boards and a higher proportion of insiders. In addition, we observed an inverted-U relationship between the average tenure of outside directors and corporate reputation. However, contrary to expectations, our findings indicate a negative association between independent leadership structure (i.e. absence of duality) and corporate reputation.

Managing strategic issues in a turbulent environment

Abstract A major shortcoming of conventional Strategic Planning Systems (SPS) is their lack of sensitivity in coping with changing environments. On the other hand, Strategic Issues Management Systems (SIMS), which has been recently developed to respond to ‘weak’ signals and turbulent environments, lack some of the visionary, enduring, motivational qualities of the SPS. This article describes how the SPS and the SIMS can be integrated so as to complement thier individual strengths and mitigate their respective weaknesses. A process that can promote this integration is proposed.