Martin L. Martens

Sticking it All Together: A Critical Assessment of the Group Cohesion–Performance Literature

Although group cohesion is a widely studied construct in the group dynamics literature, there is a considerable lack of consistency and agreement regarding the construct. This paper reviews the current state of the cohesiveness literature. Cohesion is now generally defined as the group members’ inclinations to forge social bonds, resulting in the group sticking together and remaining united. Unfortunately, the large number of definitions and measures used by researchers has created a literature that is inconsistent and confusing. This review focuses on the considerable research on the cohesion–performance relationship. The general consensus of this research is that there is a generally positive association between cohesion and performance, but the theoretical and operational mechanisms creating this association are unclear. This lack of clarity may be due to the wide range of measures and assessments of cohesion and the cohesion–performance association. Two underlying contentious issues within this aspect of the literature are whether cohesion is unidimensional or multidimensional and the appropriate level of analysis required for measuring the construct. The resolution of these inconsistencies requires researchers to take a step back toward grounding the research in broader theoretical frameworks, to determine whether the cohesion–performance association has an underlying common cause, and to use longitudinal studies that use more sophisticated analytical models.

Engaging small‐ and medium‐sized businesses in sustainability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how to meaningfully engage small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategies that improve the social and environmental sustainability of their businesses.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a conceptual review of the business case for sustainable development that has been offered to the business world. The paper describes the unique features of SMEs that indicate the need to reframe the case for socially and environmentally sustainable business practices for SMEs, and, using arguments discussed in the literature, we summarize the business case for sustainable development that has been specified for SMEs.Findings – SMEs need particular attention when it comes to business strategies for sustainable development, since the business case is not the same as for large firms. Furthermore, tools that are developed to support sustainability in SMEs need to recognize that these companies have different resources and profiles than larger firms.Research l...

An Institutional View of Process Strategy in the Public Sector

In their 2005 compilation, the strategy Process, szulanski, Porac and doz summarized the development of the process strategy field. they maintained that the field, though highly fragmented, has been held together by research choices around four theoretical issues: 1) the meaning of process, 2) the type of study, 3) the primary level of analysis, and 4) the locus of action. Past process strategy researchers emphasized emergence as process and detailed emergence via indepth, intraorganizational case studies of strategic decision making, often at the top management team level. current strategy researchers have chosen to view the strategy process as a more complex phenomenon, best studied at multiple levels of analysis with comparative cases or longitudinal analysis to capture a shifting locus of action. this chapter is part of this newer strain of process strategy research. strategy is conceptualized as being multidimensional, involving hot and cold issues as well as aligned and unaligned interests. the strategy process is also studied from multiple levels of analysis and via overtime qualitative (historical) and quantitative analysis in order to capture the shifting locus of action. However, unlike much strategy process research, our work is devoted to theorizing and testing concepts about process strategy in the public sector. In the wake of enron, Parmalat, Lehman brothers and the broader economic shocks experienced by the financial system, there has been a call by practitioners and strategists alike for more attention to strategy in the public sector (collins, 2001; dobbin and baum, 2000; economist, 2009). the public sector refers to the domain occupied by governmental, nongovernmental, and notforprofit organizations (Vago, 1994). the public sector also includes activities of private organizations that are formally regulated by a governmental organization (Landy and