Robert L. Swinth

Do Family-Owned Businesses Have a Strategic Advantage in International Joint Ventures?

In an increasingly turbulent global economic environment, companies are searching for winning ways of doing business internationally. One frequently discussed type of business is the joint venture. In this article, we argue that the likelihood of success for an international joint venture increases when both partners are family-owned businesses. These firms have shared values and goals that enable them to bridge cultural barriers more effectively than publicly held corporations.

Group Processes in Solving Complex Novel Problems: Implications for Executives' Decision Making

This study examined the group problem-solving process with 115 subjects in face-to-face groups responding to complex novel problems. A working theory of group problem-solving behavior in organizational settings was partially tested in a role-play task simulating top executive decision-making. Two problem-solving conditions were examined, a search condition (joint problem-solving) and a no-search condition (authority, impose and vote/mechanistic procedures). No significant differences were found between conditions with respect to (a) type of issue resolutions (integrative versus win-lose), (b) individual goal attainment, and (c) individual members acceptance. Surprisingly, the direction of the results for completely achieved goals was opposite from that predicted. The findings may have been a result of perceived role ambiguity attributed to the confederate group leader.

Power and Dependence between the Core and Rural Communities: Participating with Major Actors in Solving Local Problems.

The changing world system is causing core actors, such as multinational corporations and national governments, to reform their activities in rural communities. Since core organizations have more capacity to affect rural communities than rural communities have to affect core organizations, rural communities are impacted as the core goes through changes. Leaders and community development practitioners in rural communities need to develop strategies for coping with this dependence in order to retain the viability of their communities. This study presents several proposals for dealing with power differentials and finding solutions to local problems. People in rural communities should engage in discourse on these issues, join forces with people in other communities, work to change the system, interact jointly with core actors, and find ways to be more self-reliant in certain sectors.

The Organization of Hazardous Waste Production in the U.S.: Social and Ecological Performance

Hazardous waste is seen as a major environmental issue by the American public, yet the social and environmental problems created by the high levels of generation and accumulation of this waste have not been seriously addressed. In this paper, it is shown that the relationship between social/ecological performance and the production of hazardous waste is a commons. A focus on this dynamic of the hazardous waste domain is essential to the elimination, reduction, and disposal of waste. Current organizational strategies for addressing the conflict between performance and production are reviewed., The strengths and limits of attempting to maintain both adequate health/environmental protection and economic growth through joint organization of the principal actors from government, business, environmental, and other organizations is examined.

The Personal Responsibility Group

to belong to groups. In this article I argue that people do not have to subordinate themselves and that the group does not have to maintain control for each member to satisfy his or her personal goals. I offer a normative model-the personal responsibility group-in which individual preferences are put ahead of group preference and the group declines all control. I attempt to show how this can lead to positive outcomes for participants. I set forth two concepts to implement these views. First, when a group has tasks to perform, each person is free to choose the one(s) he or she will do, if any. Second, the choices and actions of each person are based on what each person regards as best. Ideally, the members are aware of the preferences of others and of the overall goals and interdependencies that link them, but are not bound by them. The group gives up control over the individual and the individual gives up the