Erik Lundmark

Effects of Quality Management According to ISO 9000: A Swedish Study of the Transit to ISO 9000:2000

Abstract The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of quality management in accordance with the ISO 9000 as viewed by both quality managers and other managers. We also consider the way companies carried out the re-certification process to ISO 9001:2000 and what consequences different approaches brought. The study is based on Swedish SMEs with an ISO 9000:1994 who had re-certified according to the ISO 9001:2000 standard. The strongest, most obvious and most valued effects of the ISO 9000 standard are clearer and more apparent working procedures and responsibilities. The most apparent problem is bureaucracy, which according to some managers can lead to reduced flexibility. The effects of the certification vary depending on how the certification project is conducted and how consultants are used.

Corporate social responsibility in financial services: A comparison of Chinese and East Asian banks vis‐à‐vis American banks

Purpose – This study compares the associations between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and brand value in the financial services industry in East Asia and the USA.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 84 major banks in East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan) and the USA is used to test the links between CSR and brand value using ANOVA and multiple regressions.Findings – Brand value is positively related to CSR for the entire sample, but is associated with distinctively different CSR factors depending on the geographic markets. In Japan and South Korea brand value is associated with a banks appreciation for its employees, while in China, brand value is linked to a focus on the community. East Asias culture is rooted in Confucianism, a philosophy that emphasises caring for the “greater good” (i.e. for the community) and for ones subordinates. In contrast, Americans are more concerned with “green” issues, and subsequently caring for the environment is associated with brand va...

Entrepreneurship as Elixir and Mutagen

Metaphors are powerful tools for sensemaking, sensegiving, and theory development, but they are often concealed in academic writing. This paper uncovers two metaphors underlying entrepreneurship discourse and research—elixir and mutagen. The elixir metaphor is uncovered by examining critiques of entrepreneurship research, and serves as a compact description of problematic aspects entrepreneurship scholars should be mindful of. The mutagen metaphor is uncovered by examining evolutionary frameworks, focusing on the role entrepreneurship plays in them. The paper illustrates how the mutagen metaphor can be used to reframe entrepreneurship, and uses the metaphors to interest, inform, and provoke.

Exploring the drivers of service quality perceptions in the tertiary education sector: Comparing domestic Australian and international Asian students

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to identify similarities and differences between domestic and international student’s expectations of their tertiary experience, as well as the way in which they evaluate the quality of the service that they receive from their tertiary provider. The paper develops an augmented model of service quality which is adapted to suit the tertiary education context. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a qualitative research approach. A total of six focus groups were conducted with a total of 36 International students and domestic students. All students were enrolled in the third year of an undergraduate degree at one large metropolitan university in Australia. The data were analyzed using qualitative analytic techniques and coded using NVIVO. Findings – First, the study found that there are significant challenges with regard to the use of student expectations as the foundation for assessing students’ service quality evaluations. This is because students were foun...

Untangling the Relationship between Human Resource Management and Corporate Entrepreneurship: The Mediating Effect of Middle Managers’ Knowledge Sharing

Abstract Although there is a growing body of literature linking human resource management (HRM) and corporate entrepreneurship (CE), there is still insufficient understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship. This paper focuses on middle managers’ knowledge-sharing behavior as an important mediator in the HRM–CE relationship. We test our hypotheses using data collected from 163 Malaysian middle managers. The paper finds that about a third of the relationship between High-Performance Human Resource Practices and CE can be accounted for by middle managers’ knowledge-sharing behavior. The findings provide quantitative empirical support for theoretical claims of the importance of middle managers’ knowledge sharing in fostering CE, and for the importance of HRM in fostering such knowledge sharing. The study contributes to the literature on the HRM–CE relationship by disentangling the underlying mechanisms and by providing empirical support for this relationship in a Malaysian context.

Decision-Making in Audiology: Balancing Evidence-Based Practice and Patient-Centered Care:

Health-care service delivery models have evolved from a practitioner-centered approach toward a patient-centered ideal. Concurrently, increasing emphasis has been placed on the use of empirical evidence in decision-making to increase clinical accountability. The way in which clinicians use empirical evidence and client preferences to inform decision-making provides an insight into health-care delivery models utilized in clinical practice. The present study aimed to investigate the sources of information audiologists use when discussing rehabilitation choices with clients, and discuss the findings within the context of evidence-based practice and patient-centered care. To assess the changes that may have occurred over time, this study uses a questionnaire based on one of the few studies of decision-making behavior in audiologists, published in 1989. The present questionnaire was completed by 96 audiologists who attended the World Congress of Audiology in 2014. The responses were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative approaches. Results suggest that audiologists rank clinical test results and client preferences as the most important factors for decision-making. Discussion with colleagues or experts was also frequently reported as an important source influencing decision-making. Approximately 20% of audiologists mentioned utilizing research evidence to inform decision-making when no clear solution was available. Information shared at conferences was ranked low in terms of importance and reliability. This study highlights an increase in awareness of concepts associated with evidence-based practice and patient-centered care within audiology settings, consistent with current research-to-practice dissemination pathways. It also highlights that these pathways may not be sufficient for an effective clinical implementation of these practices.

Supporting new spin-off ventures - experiences from a university start-up program

In the entrepreneurial society (Audretsch, 2009a, 2009b), universities have two important tasks: first to generate new knowledge and then to facilitate its practical application. To create and diss ...

Images of entrepreneurship: exploring root metaphors and expanding upon them

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of metaphors to theory development, metaphors’ influence on entrepreneurship theorizing has been largely unexplored. This is problematic because a field’s metaphors shape its underlying assumptions. This study takes stock of the entrepreneurship field through its metaphors by analyzing a corpus of highly cited entrepreneurship articles. We identify and explain eight root metaphors for entrepreneurship—parenthood, mutagen, conduit of knowledge, method, mindset, networking, exploration, and politics—underpinning the mainstream of the field. We then extend and combine the metaphors to develop a research agenda for building on the metaphors and moving beyond them.

Exploring Entrepreneurship as Misbehavior

Purpose – To explore the links between entrepreneurship and misbehavior. Approach – Conceptual development using cases as illustrative examples. Findings – The chapter finds that there is an overlap between the way misbehavior is defined and the way entrepreneurship is conceptualized in the literature. It also finds previous research, distinguishing between desirable and undesirable misbehavior based on the intentions or the outcomes of behavior, insufficient in relation to entrepreneurship as misbehavior. The reason is that for entrepreneurial ventures, the underlying intentions are often good, but the outcomes often not; and that making assessments of the outcomes of entrepreneurial ventures a priori is notoriously difficult. Assessing misbehavior based only on organizational level evaluations is likewise insufficient in relation to entrepreneurship. The reason for this is that support for the venture may be needed also from actors outside of the organization. Furthermore, what constitutes the organization is not always clear. Therefore, we argue that it is necessary to broaden the view of what institutions determine whether a venture classifies as misbehavior when analyzing entrepreneurship.

Does Reflection Help Students to Develop Entrepreneurial Capabilities

Recently, scholars have suggested that reflection is an important, or even essential, aspect of entrepreneurship teaching. However, there has been little empirical research on the links between reflection and entrepreneurial learning in a university setting. We test the relationship between reflection and learning in a sample of 125 entrepreneurship students. The results show that reflection supports the development of entrepreneurial capabilities as manifested in the change of Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC). We also find that previous startup experience and reflection are positively related to the baseline level of PBC. However, we find no evidence of vicarious learning through family business exposure. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.