Ursula Glunk

Internationalization of Top Management Teams in Europe

One issue in the international business literature that has been virtually ignored is the internationalization of top management teams. This study examines the extent of national diversity in the composition of top management teams in two highly internationalized European countries, Sweden and The Netherlands. Results indicate that the national diversity of top management teams in these countries has not progressed to the same level as the internationalization of the companies at large.

Turnover at the Top:: Demographic Diversity as a Determinant of Executive Turnover in The Netherlands

The current study examines diversity-related causes of executive turnover. Based on an integration of Schneiders (1987) ASA model and Pfeffers (1983) organizational demography theory, it is hypothesized that individual demographic dissimilarity and team-level demographic heterogeneity are positively related to individual executive turnover. Results indicate that individual dissimilarity in age and TMT tenure are solid predictors of individual executive turnover. Furthermore, our test of cross-level hypotheses shows that a high degree of heterogeneity within the team does not increase the likelihood of individual executive turnover if individual dissimilarities are taken into account. The study reinforces the importance of top team demographic composition in explaining executive turnover.

Polarities in executive coaching

Purpose – This paper aims to show how polarity coaching can foster meaningful change among executive clients through sponsoring a deeper understanding and acceptance of interdependent opposites.Design/methodology/approach – The study explores what is required from the coach and the coaching relationship and how clients can be supported in overcoming polarity traps. A social constructionist and sense‐making approach to coaching is followed and the paper draws on relevant literature from the fields of psychotherapy, coaching, and dialogical change.Findings – It is shown that before engaging in polarity coaching it is important for coaches to become aware of the polarity tensions that are prevalent in their own work and to explore their personal preferences when facing these tensions. A coach who is able to hold interdependent opposites with ease in the coaching encounter will allow clients to experience transformation on a deeper level.Originality/value – The core of the paper is the polarity‐coaching model...

Mechanisms underlying nationality-based discrimination in teams: A quasi-experiment testing predictions from social psychology and microeconomics

This study examines mechanisms underlying nationality-based discrimination from two different perspectives: social psychology and microeconomics. The authors studied 91 teams in a binational setting that were offered a new team member. National composition of the team and nationality of the new member were manipulated. Overall, the study showed that discrimination based on nationality does exist in such a setting. A new member is more likely to be accepted when belonging to the majority nation represented in the team. The chances of acceptance do not increase if the newcomer belongs to the national group that is expected to perform better. Furthermore, the authors found a general tendency to close ranks when team members strongly identify with the team, when competition is high, and when success is attributed to team effort. The results underline the importance of understanding social-psychological mechanisms for explaining nationality-based discrimination in teams.