Robert A. Paton

Barrier impact on organizational learning within complex organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the manner in which employees access, create and share information and knowledge within a complex supply chain with a view to better understanding how to identify and manage barriers which may inhibit such exchanges.Design/methodology/approach – An extensive literature review combined with an in‐depth case study analysis identified a range of potential transfer barriers. These in turn were examined in terms of their consistency of impact by an end‐to‐end process survey conducted within an IBM facility.Findings – Barrier impact cannot be assumed to be uniform across the core processes of the organization. Process performance will be impacted upon in different ways and subject to varying degrees of influence by the transfer barriers. Barrier identification and management must take place at a process rather than at the organizational level.Research limitations/implications – The findings are based, in the main, on an extensive single company study. Althoug...

Consultation and reliability of information sources pertaining to university selection: Some questions answered?

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the information sources used by school leavers when selecting a university at which they wish to study and the perceived reliability of these sources of information.Design/methodology/approach – Using data from 306 pupils studying at various schools in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland it was revealed that applicants utilise mostly communication originating from the university itself, including the university prospectus and open days, and, they also classify such sources of information as being the most reliable.Findings – There are some differences in the perception of the various groups under investigation; for example, potential female applicants perceive most information sources to have greater credibility than their male counterparts believe. In addition, higher performers make more use of the available information sources and also place more value on their worth.Research limitations/implications – This study set out to explore aspects of student university s...

Performance appraisal‐cultural fit: organizational outcomes within the UAE

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore, within the UAE, performance appraisal, culture and associated outcomes. It builds upon a mainly Western literature to develop the case for aligning culture with appraisal to meet stakeholder expectations.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of managers was drawn from the Chamber of Commerce listing. Their views were sought on the extent to which they empathised with appraisal approaches. Opinions relating to organizational outcomes associated with the appraisal, combined with an exploration of culture issues, were canvassed.Findings – Results suggest: commitment will be influenced by the extent to which an employee perceives a personal organizational “fit”; an employees job satisfaction maybe positively linked to the extent to which they consider appraisal and culture to be aligned; and, there was an unexpected neutral effect relating to the impact of national culture.Research limitations/implications – This Westernised approach appears to have been fa...

Value co‐creation through collective intelligence in the public sector: A review of US and European initiatives

Purpose – On the basis of the Collective Intelligence Genome framework, which was developed to describe private, for profit ventures, this study aims to review the recent public sector initiatives launched by the American federal government and the European Union. The studys goal is to examine if, and how, the Genome construct would apply to not for profit.Design/methodology/approach – This paper builds on an existing classification methodology for collective intelligence initiatives and extends it to pubic sector initiatives.Findings – The findings suggest that, although the framework offers a generally good fit, it does not fully address all the factors at play and the paper proposes expanding the gene pool. In addition, it confirms that Collective Intelligence initiatives do indeed co‐create value and conform to the emerging services dominant logic concept.Originality/value – With the growing success of profit motivated internet‐based collaborative ventures, including Innocentive, VenCorps, Threadless...

Maintaining alignment over the long-term: lessons from the evolution of an electronic point of sale system

Research in both the organizational and information systems areas suggests that aligning information systems and dimensions of the organization improves performance. However, the dynamic nature of both information systems and organizations makes a close alignment more an aspiration than a state. This paper examines alignment from the perspective of the management processes through which companies may achieve and sustain alignment in dynamic environments. In so doing they may also develop core capabilities in managing IS innovation, which enable sustained competitive advantage. The paper traces the evolution of alignment in a company that used information systems to develop the business in new strategic directions, and shows how semi-structures contributed to this.

Site Selection Analysis in Tourism: the LOCAT Model

Site location analysis and retail location strategy can be considered critical factors and integral elements of an effective organisational business plan in the tourism industry. The LOCAT model attempts to measure the total attractiveness index of a particular site location on the basis of calculating the impact of its components (degree of accessibility, total catchment population, level of tourist product uniqueness and probability of tourist patronage). A practical example testing the degree of applicability of the model is also introduced. The results seem to indicate that the LOCAT model can be manipulated in order to anticipate future developments in the process of site location analysis in tourism and improve the managerial decision-making process.

Managing Change from a Gender Perspective

The management of change has received an inordinate amount of attention. Models, tools, guidelines and inspirational diatribes abound. Likewise, gender issues in the workplace have also come under a great deal of scrutiny. However there has been little or no research linking gender and change management. Given the increasingly influential role women play within organisations facing change, it is surely worth asking the questions: do men and women approach and manage change scenarios differently? And if so, do we have to modify the way in which we prepare for and manage change? This paper represents an initial, holistic, investigation of the above questions. The study raises many interesting issues for both the academic community and practising managers. From an academic standpoint the manner in which change is approached, the techniques and models employed to handle it, can be subject to varying interpretation, and acceptance, dependent upon gender. Practitioners may wish to note that change initiatives could be enhanced by ensuring the promotion of gender inclusive solution methodologies.

Delivering enterprise: A collaborative international approach to the development, implementation and assessment of entrepreneurship

Purpose – Industry, government and funding bodies have long called for the inclusion of entrepreneurship and enterprise within education provision at all levels: engagement with enterprise develops entrepreneurial skills, which in turn will enhance both the employability of the recipient and contribution to the knowledge led economy. This paper seeks to examine an innovative approach to the development, implementation and assessment of enterprise and entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach – The authors were directly engaged with a Scottish Enterprise programme between November 2006 and 2008 inclusive. The observations drawn from this time are part of an ongoing study, which has adopted an action research approach, to assess and deliver transferable skills. Findings – The programme delivers skills and economic benefits within an international setting. Enterprise agencies, universities and employers have come together to deliver a programme that generates economic benefit while enhancing participant and client capability. It does so by combining and addressing business and technology connectivity, experiential learning and reflective practice. Practical implications – This paper examines the rationale behind such initiatives and links this to the direct experience of programme development, delivery and assessment; the aim being to “unpack” the programme in such a way as to allow others to access the experience. This should in itself encourage discussion around the academic and pedagogical underpinnings of such enterprise offerings. Originality/value – The authors hope that this paper helps inform the policy debate (within government, funding and enterprise agencies and representatives of industry and commerce) by addressing the question: how best to engage with practice in a meaningful and enterprise led manner?

Managing change within IBM's complex supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to report on research to date concerning the creation of a hybrid model for managing performance and decision making with elements of an IBM supply chain.Design/methodology/approach – As part of a wider research programme this paper utilises survey, focus group and case analysis techniques to examine the supply chain interactions.Findings – A cross‐functional process‐orientated team was assembled to look at the end‐to‐end process logic, skills alignment, effective codified knowledge systems, and the prioritisation of change to overcome inhibitors of change originating from functional/IT‐focused processes/solutions.Research limitations/implications – The results of this paper have, as yet, not been validated beyond the process performance targets set by IBM. Validation across and within industry boundaries, based on survey and case analysis, is about to commence.Practical implications – Too often “management” play too active a role in the operational aspects of tea...

Competence-Based Management Awards in Higher Education?

This paper reports on a project set up to assess the feasibility of introducing a competence-based management award in a university business school. The school has a long-established Executive MBA programme-could it be adapted to use the potential benefits of competence-based development and what issues would need to be dealt with? To find out, we worked with an advisory group of major employers, and designed and ran a pilot competence-based Certificate equivalent to Year 1 of the 3-year part-time MBA programme. The lessons of this pilot, and the evidence arising from our work with members of the advisory group, are set out in this paper. They indicate that linking workbased learning with a recognized qualification is more difficult and costly than expected, and the paper shows how we now plan to overcome those difficulties.