Thorvald Haerem

Comparing Organizational Routines as Recurrent Patterns of Action

This paper demonstrates that patterns of action are a fruitful basis for an empirical science of organizational routines by analyzing data from the invoice processing routines in four Norwegian organizations. Invoice processing is a highly institutionalized activity, governed by accounting rules and subject to audit. These four organizations use the same technology for the same task, yet the patterns of action generated by the routines are significantly different. We analyze the patterns in terms of individual events, pairs of events, and whole sequences of events, and at two different levels of abstraction. We discuss the implications of this approach for theories of routines as genes, and for an empirical science of organizational routines.

The (N)Ever-Changing World: Stability and Change in Organizational Routines

This paper uses data on invoice processing in four organizations to distinguish empirically between two competing theories of organizational routines. One theory predicts that routines should generate patterns of action that are few in number and stable over time, and that atypical patterns of action are driven primarily by exceptional inputs. The competing theory predicts the opposite. By modeling the routines as networks of action and using a first-order Markov model to test for stationarity, we find support for the competing theory. The routines generated hundreds of unique patterns that changed significantly during a five-month period without any apparent external intervention. Changes did not appear to reflect improved performance or learning. Furthermore, we found that exogenous factors (such as large invoices from unusual vendors) are not associated with atypical patterns of action, but endogenous factors (such as the experience of the participants) are. We also found that increased automation can increase variation under some circumstances. These findings offer empirical support for endogenous change in organizational routines and underscore the importance of the sociomaterial context in understanding stability and change.

Using Workflow Data to Explore the Structure of an Organizational Routine

This book showcases advanced empirical research that applies the concept of organizational routines to understanding organizations and how they change and evolve.

Applying an organizational learning perspective to new technology deployment by technological gatekeepers: A theoretical model and key issues for future research

Organizations often under-utilize expensive information technology (IT) enabled work processes that automate routines or processes that were previously carried out manually. One reason for this phenomenon may lie in the types of decisions made by technological gatekeepers, who are key individuals charged with deploying new technologies in organizations. From an organizational learning perspective, technological gatekeepers are more likely to perform successfully when they make appropriate decisions about exploring or exploiting the routines associated with a new technology. The factors that influence gatekeepers’ decisions about exploration or exploitation, however, are still largely unexplored. In this study, we present a model based on the basic technology acceptance model (TAM) to examine this issue. We use concepts from the literatures on organizational learning, expertise, and cognitive styles to elaborate on the constructs in our model, and examine how these literatures can inform our understanding of technological gatekeepers’ decisions. The goal of this paper is to accelerate micro-level research on new technology deployment in organizations by identifying some key issues and propositions for future studies.

How elite athletes reflect on their training: strong beliefs – ambiguous feedback signals

Elite sport organizations invest considerable efforts in continuous evaluation of training and development. A key challenge is to promote athletes’′ reliable learning. This requires critical reflection. In this paper we look at how highly successful elite cross-country skiers reflect on their training. The theoretical framework of organizational mindfulness and reliable learning directs attention to three key mechanisms that influence reflection: socialization, sensemaking and interpretation. We identified an inherent tension in the way athletes are socialized into elite athletes. On the one hand, they internalize strong beliefs in key success factors. Such beliefs serve as a normative framework that provides commitment and enthusiasm. However, strong beliefs may weaken the athletes’ ability to notice ambiguous feedback signals in complex training situations. We found four different styles of reflection, but only one of them is consistent with requirements for reliable learning.

Guest editorial for the special section on Technology acceptance, usage, and competitive advantage

A central question in the strategic management literature is one of how organizations achieve and maintain sustainable competitive advantage. While scholars in this area have explored this issue from many different perspectives, our understanding of the relationship between technology acceptance, usage, and competitive advantage is still incomplete. The papers in this special section (some of which were originally presented in a session on this topic in INFORMS 2008) focus on this issue. They present studies situated in an international context, underscoring the importance of technology to competitive advantage across different national contexts. They examine a rich array of technologies or technological infrastructures that have a bearing on the success of individuals and organizations, pointing to the complex relationship between technology and business outcomes. We present a brief summary of the papers below. The study “From IT deployment capabilities to competitive advantage: An exploratory study in China” by Jun Tian, Kanliang Wang, Yan Chen, and Bjorn Johansson uses a survey of Chinese firms to examine how organizations can deploy acquired information technologies to support and shape business strategies and value chain activities. The paper identifies three building blocks of IT deployment, namely strategic IT flexibility, business—IT partnership, and business—IT alignment, and empirically examines how these three constructs directly or indirectly influence competitive advantage. The study “ICT infrastructure for innovation” by Bendik Bygstad builds on a case study of the Norwegian company, Norwegian Corp., to examine how the concept of an enterprise service bus, applied at different levels, can provide insights into the innovation process both within and across different business units of an organization. The study illustrates how technologies can influence the development of organizational structures. The study “Knowledge management technology for organized crime assessment” by Petter Gottschalk presents a knowledge management technology stage model. This study examines how police organizations use information and communication technologies in intelligence and investigative work, and highlights the challenges these organizations face in applying and using new technologies to improve their functioning. The study “Successful and unsuccessful multicommunication episodes: Engaging in dialogue or juggling messages?” by JeanineW. Turner and N. L. Reinsch uses a critical incident technique to explore multicommunicating by individuals. Turner and Reinsch define multicommunicating as the act of engaging in more than one conversation at a time, and find that some technology pairings appear more conducive to multicommunicating than others. The respondents in their study provide a number of reasons why some episodes of multicommunicating are successful while others are not. D. Rau (*) :W. Zheng Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA e-mail: drau@niu.edu

Reconfigure An organization design exercise

Background. Organization design is a subject that is covered in business school courses such as strategy implementation, organizational theory, and organizational behaviour. However, students somet...Background. Organization design is a subject that is covered in business school courses such as strategy implementation, organizational theory, and organizational behaviour. However, students sometimes perceive organization design concepts as abstract. Aim. To develop and pilot a simulation that may improve participants’ understanding of two key organization design concepts - work process interdependency and coordination cost. In addition, to develop an approach that may contribute to better operationalization of these concepts in future research. Method. Participants are divided into groups representing departments and are then asked to reconfigure the groups while considering both benefits (reduced coordination costs) and costs (of reconfiguration). The exercise is supported by a MicrosoftExcelTM tool, quantifying the concepts of interdependency and coordination cost. Results. The pilot application of the simulation achieved its pedagogical aims. The participants performed somewhat better than anticipated (some possible causes are discussed). Conclusions. Experiential simulations can be used to convey complex organization design principles to students and managers. They may also be used to study the capacity of individuals and groups to take into account multiple interdependencies in optimizing a design at the individual, group and system level. Recommendation. Simulations should be used to enhance the pedagogical value of organization design lectures (or seminars for employees in organizations).

The Influence of Centralization and Extent of Cross-Functional Team Usage on Senior Managers’ Risk-Related Perceptions

Despite the importance of managing risk taking in organizations, we know relatively little about how organizational design influences the risk-related perceptions of key organizational decision makers such as senior managers. This study examines how two basic organizational design variables—the extent to which organizations use cross-functional teams (CFTs) and the centralization of decision-making authority—interact to influence senior managers’ perceptions of the extent to which risk taking is supported within their organizations, in a new product development context. Regression results from a survey of 102 senior managers of various organizations in the United States and Norway find that extent of CFT use positively influences senior managers’ perceptions of organizational support for risk taking at low to moderate levels of decision-making authority. At high levels of senior manager authority, risk-related perceptions are not only more positive but also largely independent of the extent of CFT use.

Connecting the dots in counterterrorism: The consequences of communication setting for shared situation awareness and team performance

Valaker, Sigmund; Haerem, Thorvald; Bakken, Bjorn T.. Connecting the dots in counterterrorism: The consequences of communication setting for shared situation awareness and team performance. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management 2018 ;Volum 26.(4) s. 425-439

Better Late than Never? Communication Media and Adaptive Team Performance

Research results on the relation among communication media, performance processes and outcomes have been mixed. This paper reports an initial exploratory study examining these factors by looking at...