Monty L. Lynn

Service orientation in transitional markets: does it matter?

Firms with a strong service orientation – that is, those whose organizational policies, practices, and procedures support service excellence – often have a competitive edge in mature Western markets. In transitional economies, however – such as within the newly opened markets of Central and Eastern Europe – the impact of service orientation on current and future firm performance is largely unknown. Particularly, in areas where service quality has lagged, enhancing service orientation might catapult a firm’s competitive standing ahead of the pack. On the other hand, boosting service orientation in markets where demand continues to outpace supply may add unnecessary cost, and little visible short‐term gain. In this study, the SERV*OR scale, a measure of organizational service orientation, was administered to 105 employees from two Slovenian banks – a newly established private bank and a large, older, state‐supported bank. The private bank outperformed the state bank in service orientation and in financial performance, lending support to the idea that service orientation may enhance rather than detract from firm performance in transitional markets.

How to restore Bertalanffian systems thinking

Ludwig von Bertalanffy created general systems theory in an effort to counter the oversight and endangerment of humankind by disciplinary specialization. Bertalanffy desired for a holistic worldview and openness to replace overspecialization. Although widely cited and regarded, his concept prevailed only at a fictitious level, mostly as a tool inside specialization, which many scholars are neither able to overcome nor complement with interdisciplinary, creative co‐operation. Similarities (isomorphisms) are not enough. Here, a system of seven groups of systems thinking principles, which serve as a framework for restoring Bertalanffian systems thinking without his exaggerations is presented.

Organizational Buffering: Managing Boundaries and Cores

Organizations generally are more innovative, relevant, and responsive when they are exposed to market influences, yet they must regulate or limit the impact of outside influences to operate efficiently. This dynamic organization-environment tension has inspired the creation of several models of organizational buffering which delineate the systematic exposure and insulation of organizations from environmental uncertainty. We review three buffering paradigms — core, minimalist, and dispersed — and attempt to synthesize a model which weaves these perspectives together. The key to understanding functional and dysfunctional buffering lies with the organization’s requisite variety and continuous or discontinuous environmental change.

Connecting religion and work: Patterns and influences of work-faith integration

Religiosity can significantly impact human behavior yet little is known about how religious belief and practice integrate with work. Using the Faith at Work Scale, we surveyed Christian workers in the United States (n = 374) and found that work-faith integration was positively associated with faith maturity, church attendance, age and denominational strictness, and negatively associated with organizational size. Denominational groups varied in their degree of integration but displayed similar patterns across dimensions of integration. Work-faith integration was manifest most strongly in integration related to the self, and somewhat less so in areas related to others and in transcendent aspects of work. Respondents attributed spiritual disciplines and workplace mentors as salient influences of work-faith integration. Implications for workplace spirituality scholarship and management are explored.

Mission statements in Slovene enterprises

Purpose – The paper sets out to observe the absorption of strategic management practice in a leading Central and East European (CEE) economy, and to provide insight into institutional differences influencing the content of mission statements.Design/methodology/approach – The content of mission statements from large Slovene enterprises is compared with research on US mission statements.Findings – Mission statements in Slovene firms tend to emphasize customers, shareholders, and strategic suppliers significantly less often than do US firms. Corporate reputation, customer‐market scope and quality are also mentioned significantly less often in Slovene statements. Although some gaps between the theoretical ideal and corporate practice may exist in both settings, many differences may be explained by macroeconomic volatility, industry structure, and institutional environments.Research limitations/implications – Although the Slovene sample size is smaller than comparable US studies, it is an equivalent sample of ...

Democracy without empowerment: the grand vision and demise of Yugoslav self‐management

Under Josip Tito’s leadership, Yugoslavia broke away from Stalinistic central planning in 1948 and developed an economy‐wide system of worker self‐management. Its ideological focus was on leadership development and continuous learning among all employees, replacing owners and state bureaucracy with empowered workers at the helm of Yugoslav firms. Over time, the world’s largest experiment in empowerment went awry, however. A state‐supported neo‐Taylorism with a “thinking tank” and a separate “working tank,” evolved which represented little real empowerment. By the 1980s, self‐management had become an impotent bureaucratic formality behind a democratic facade. The dynamics within the rise and fall of Yugoslav self‐management provide lessons for understanding and managing empowerment efforts today.

Faith at Work Scale

The Faith at Work Scale (FWS) is a 15-item measure of faith and work integration, inspired by Judaeo-Christian thought. The valid and reliable single-factor scale draws on five dimensions of work and faith—relationship, meaning, community, holiness, and giving. Recently released, the FWS is being employed in multiple studies exploring the intersection of work and faith. The scale, its development, and its approach to workplace spirituality are described in this chapter, along with the findings of research employing the scale and potential directions for future research in workplace faith.

Value chain development with the extremely poor: evidence and lessons from CARE, Save the Children, and World Vision

CARE, Save the Children, and World Vision are combining value chain development (VCD) with gender and nutrition programming to alleviate poverty and food insecurity among the extremely poor. We explore what is unique about VCD with the extremely poor and how specific levers enhance productivity and profitability, equity, and empowerment. We offer evidence to date and lessons learned.

Congregational Aid: North American Protestant Engagement in International Relief and Development

Abstract A review of large North American Protestant congregations (n = 423) engaging in global relief and development, or ‘holistic mission’ (HM), suggests that half engage in HM activities per year, with the majority of those activities focused on human and physical sectors. Most activities are led by religious NGOs or missionaries and about half are short-term. A mix of proximity, poverty, population, and policy variables direct short- and long-term aid. Findings provide a benchmark for enhancing learning and partnerships among churches, NGOs, and development scholars, ultimately enhancing the efficacy of Protestant aid.

Extending the conversation: a network analysis of academic associations in workplace spirituality

Examining academic networks provides insight into boundaries and boundary crossing as well as knowledge diffusion. We examine four academic networks focused on business, spirituality, and religion to identify network boundaries and boundary crossing. Scholars tend to align with networks consistent with the nature of their employing institution, both in its relative emphasis on research and its religious affiliation. Network and religious differences contribute to the relative isolation of research communities, despite shared topical interests and reliance on similar scholarly sources. The use of normative authorities may limit networking, but the relative absence of weak network links across networks may underestimate similarities. Increased boundary crossing may enhance innovation across networks.