Nathan S. Hartman

Supply chain bolt‐ons: investment and usage by manufacturers

Purpose – While past IT investment research has looked at a number of important factors, one issue that needs to be resolved in supply chain IT is the ability of different types of software to improve a firms productivity or sales. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to investigate which factors influence the number and types of supply chain bolt‐ons systems that are used by companies to improve system functionality.Design/methodology/approach – In total, 2,000 questionnaires and personalized cover letters were mailed to qualified individuals who were selected from APICSs active membership and employed in manufacturing firms in the USA and 187 useful responses (a 9.3 per cent return rate) were obtained.Findings – The results were encouraging and they indicated the use of bolt‐ons were most common in large firms, firms with defined plans and objectives, firms with existing ERP systems, and firms who believe that the application of best practices is of maximum importance. Most importantly, Bolt‐on ...

Individual task choice and the division of challenging tasks between men and women

Challenging experiences are considered important for career development, and previous studies have suggested that women have fewer o f those experiences in their jobs than men have. However, the nature and possible determinants of this gender gap in job challenge have hardly been empirically studied. In the present study, the authors examine (a) gender differences in individuals’ choice to perform challenging tasks and (b) gender differences in the allocation of challenging tasks in opposite-sex dyads. Results show that the men and women in the sample did not differ in their individual choice to perform challenging tasks, but after task allocation in opposite-sex dyads men ended up with more of the challenging tasks, whereas women ended up with more of the nonchallenging tasks. The authors discuss the possible consequences of these results for women’s career development.

A thematic analysis of a leadership speaker series

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the advice executives gave aspiring student leaders in one‐hour talks. The author was interested in understanding how well the aspiring student leaders interpreted the messages given by the executives.Design/methodology/approach – Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes across speakers. The themes were given to students in questionnaire format to determine if the students heard the same message.Findings – The themes identified within and across speakers suggested that their recommendations for leader development were relatively consistent. Themes included people orientation, relationships, communication skill, full commitment, accepting difficult challenges, ethics, and continued education. Participants were able to identify the presence of themes and did not project their individual differences onto the message when interpreting the speakers’ insights.Research limitations/implications – The findings suggested the researcher‐identified them...

Deliberate Faking on Personality and Emotional Intelligence Measures

This study examined the extent the Big Five personality traits and emotional intelligence can be faked. Using a student sample, the equivalence of measurement and theoretical structure of models in a faking and honest condition was tested. Comparisons of the models for the honest and faking groups showed the data fit better in the faking condition. These results suggest that faking does change the rank orders of high scoring participants. The personality dimensions most affected by faking were emotional stability and conscientiousness within the Big Five and the general mood and stress management dimensions of Bar-Ons Emotional Quotient Inventory–Short Form (1997) measure of emotional intelligence.

Music as a mirror: the “choosing my personal theme song” exercise

When asked to describe their strengths people rarely refer to their natural knowledge, skills, abilities, and talents. From this we may assume that many are unaware of their individual strengths or, at the very least, take them for granted. Music lyrics are particularly salient symbols available in the minds of students and can be powerful tools for learning more about themselves and others. This knowledge is valuable as they continue in their own personal evolution and discern greater distinctions between themselves and the world around them. The interactive exercise presented here uses music to help students “look in the mirror,” reflect on their observations, and increase their self-awareness.

Making the Right Impression, but Padding the Estimates

Jennifer was the type of employee who wanted to be seen as someone who was relied upon to get the job done and met management expectation. At work everyone knew Jennifer was a hard worker and Audrey her project manager was not surprised to see that Jennifer was the first member of her team to provide an accurate estimate for how long it would take to complete a market research report on a specific trend topic. While the other members had not provided their estimates for the research reports she wanted from them she felt Jennifer’s estimate was reasonable in part because she had a track record of getting her work done on time. Audrey was unaware that when Jennifer estimated it would take her two weeks to deliver her report Jennifer was very confident it could be easily completed within in one week. Jennifer padded her time estimate because she felt it was the best way to be sure she would not disappoint her manager, who was known for her disdain of employees who could not deliver work on time. So, by guaranteeing she would not deliver a late report to Audrey, Jennifer would be viewed as a one of the dependable employees.