Shimon Dolan

Managing by values

The system of beliefs and values that shaped the model for management and organizations during the twentieth century is just not good enough today. In order to keep a business functioning well and competing successfully in markets that are increasingly more global, complex, professionally demanding, constantly changing and oriented towards quality and customer satisfaction a new model is needed. In this paper, we will propose that both management by instructions and management by objectives today give notoriously inadequate results. By contrast, description of a new approach, labeled management by values (MBV), seem to be emerging as a strategic leadership tool. The paper outlines this approach and discusses the implementation of MBV as a tool to redesign culture in organizations and prepare them for the next millennium.

Business Strategy, Work Processes and Human Resource Training : Are They Congruent?

This study examines the extent to which HR training (content and context) is contingent on business strategy (i.e. classified according to Miles & Snow typology) as well as the characteristics of the work process.

Emotional intelligence as predictor of cultural adjustment for success in global assignments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a new framework for assessing the human resource strategy for international assignment (IA) of managers.Design/methodology/approach – The approach posits the construct of emotional intelligence (EI) as a critical predictor for intercultural adjustment thereby leading to success. A theoretical model and the respective preliminary empirical test of a series of hypotheses pertaining to the relationships between several dimensions of EI, their impact on cross‐cultural adjustment and success of international managers overseas assignments, is presented. Analyses is based on cross sectional data of 67 cases (based on questionnaires), and on 39 cases with rectangular data where both supervisory input and questionnaires were used.Findings – A significant correlation was found between the interpersonal emotional component and specific performance. Thus the capacities of empathy, social responsibility and social relations may predict better performance in the specifi...

Exploratory Study of within-Country Differences in Work and Life Values The Case of Spanish Business Students

The goal of the article is to present the results of an exploratory study that analyses a sample of business students from two geographically separated regions (the North-East and the South-West) in Spain, to establish if different sub-cultures can be detected within one country, taking into account work and life values. Measures of culture (defined by a set of work and life values) were constructed, and data were obtained from 653 business students in these two distinct geographical locations. Results suggested in an indirect manner that the universal theory of culture as proposed by Hofstede and other colleagues was not entirely confirmed in the Spanish context. Variances along the set of eight value factors emerging as the underlying structure of culture (four work values and four life values) were widely spread, and significant differences in values were found for the two locations. Moreover, an individual difference, gender, was found to play a major role in attributing importance to various work and life values. Findings emphasize the importance of diverse sub-cultures within a single country (Spain), and the article explores the implications for management practices and research

Downsizing without downgrading: learning how firms manage their survivors

Provides a literature synthesis on the impact of downsizing on the survivors and examines the experiences of three large Canadian companies. Results confirm trends that are generally reported in the literature regarding the negative aspects of downsizing. It suggests that where the company had a clear strategy to implement the downsizing, which included scheduling and a well‐specified operational plan, the impact on those dismissed as well as the survivors was buffered. The use of a downsizing plan also mitigated the negative responses on behalf of the remaining personnel. On the other hand, when the company adopts a reactive approach towards the downsizing process, numerous problems associated with the survivors are reported. The firm that applied seniority to layoff decisions received more favorable responses than firms that used criteria other than seniority.

Trends and emerging practices in human resource management ‐ The Canadian scene

Focuses on new trends that have been identified for Canadian human resources (HR): the emergence of new roles for HR; new forms of partnerships, particularly in the labor‐management relations; globalizations in daily HR operations; work life issues; programs to tackle the shifting demographics; pressure to effect downsizing and cope with mergers and acquisitions; and pressures to demonstrate its usefulness to the organisation.

Job Demands Related Cognitions and Psychosomatic Ailments

Publisher Summary This chapter analyzes job demands related to cognitions and psychosomatic ailments. In the study presented in this chapter, relationship between extrinsic and intrinsic sources of stress and selected psychosomatic manifestations were empirically examined, while controlling for differences in personality, occupational, and cultural variables. Data was obtained from about 1200 hospital workers who were administered an occupational stress questionnaire. The multivariate statistical analyses indicate that both sources of stress increase all somatic complaints on the system studies: digestive, cardiovascular, visual, and musculoskeletal. A descriptive analysis also reports the relationships among the four personality types and occupational categories, as well as cultural variables. The study presented in this chapter points out the logical and empirical testing of occupational stress theories depending on several considerations that are not mutually exclusive. The study was designed to show that a more parsimonious approach might be more useful in developing models and theories in the domain of occupational stress. It is suggested that a great deal of information is revealed when the outcomes are studied in contrasting parallels, when the moderators are carefully selected and the sources of stress are classified using summary scales.