V. Nilakant

Agency Theory and Uncertainty in Organizations: An Evaluation

This paper evaluates agency theory as a theory of performance outcome. Agency theory attributes uncertainty in performance outcomes to moral hazard, adverse selection and the state of nature. This paper argues that by overlooking two critical sources of outcome uncertainty in organizations — incomplete knowledge about the effort-outcome relationship and lack of agreement about effort and outcome — the generalizability of the theory is strictly limited. Even in such settings where it is generalizable, principal-agent approaches to contract design are unrealistic to the extent that they presume that performance in organizations results exclusively from individual-contributor jobs, exagger ate the degree to which individuals are work-averse, and emphasize the quant ity of effort at the expense of the quality and type of effort. As a theory of performance, principal-agent approaches overstate the importance of opera tional effort and ignore the importance of facilitative effort such as team work.

Managing Succession in Family-Owned Businesses

Mark Fox is a doctrol student in the department of Managment, Univeristy of Canterbury, christchurch. New Zeland. V. Nilkant and R.T Hamilton are senior lecture and professor respectively in the same department. this paper is directed at those involved with family-owned business, families and busines which will inevitably face the stress of an inter generational transfer. The research lietrature is brought together to reveal the system of relationship through which such sucession must be mananged. suggestions fro improved managmement are offered and the paper concludes with a suggestion for the design of future research.

Adoption and persistence of TQM programmes – case studies of five New Zealand organizations

Abstract Despite the widespread popularity of quality management principles, a majority of organizations implementing these programmes do not persist with them, resulting in a high failure rate. A variety of explanations have been suggested to explain the short life cycles of these programmes. This paper is based on a qualitative case study of five organizations in New Zealand that introduced a quality management programme in the early 1990s. The purpose of the study was to explore the factors that influenced the success and continuity of these programmes. At the time of the study, only two out of the five organizations had persisted with their quality programmes. In the remaining three organizations, the programmes did not continue. Our study suggests a number of factors seem to influence persistence of quality programmes. Some of these factors are: compulsions for change; core philosophy; commitment of senior management; capability, experience and fit of TQM champion; collateral changes; and continuity of leadership.

Extending the 'size matters' debate: drivers of training in three business process outsourcing SMEs in India

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence training decision making in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indias IT‐enabled business process outsourcing industry.Design/methodology/approach – The research strategy employed is a case study. Data from semi‐structured interviews, organizational documents, and non‐participant observation are analysed.Findings – The inclusive theoretical approach uncovers novel explanations through the complex interaction that occurs between various internal and external factors that shape the nature and extent of training provision in SMEs in the context of a developing country. In SMEs, enterprise training can take a variety of forms – formal, informal, and incidental. The final training provision is shaped by high employee turnover, the complexity of the process, client specifications, and the presence of certain organizational capabilities.Research limitations/implications – Although a multi‐case embedded design was followed, the resu...

Management Succession and the Stages of Small Business Development

MEGAN CLIFFORD IS CURRENTLY employed by the Bank of New Zealand in Wellington and was previously a post-graduate student at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. Drs. V. Nilikant and R. T. Hamilton are staff members of the Department of Management at the University of Canterbuty. The main purpose of this paper was to confirm through replication the importance of management succession as a cause of organisation chage in family businesses and to do so within a general small business framework which assimilates what are usually and wrongly perceived as separate strands in the small business development process.

Discontinuous change in the New Zealand police service – A case study

In a country that has experienced over 15 years of politically driven change, the New Zealand Police Service (NZP) is now in the midst of an ambitious change programme called Policing 2000 (P2). Challenging traditional policing assumptions, P2 is a total quality management (TQM) approach that seeks alignment with an increasingly service orientated public by utilising state‐of‐the‐art technology and strategic management practices more akin to the private sector. Reports on an exploratory case study that investigated individual anticipatory reactions to organisational change. The findings provide insights into the factors necessary for the implementation of a discontinuous change programme; namely alignment of vision, culture and implementation.

The Role of Personality Testing in Managerial Selection

Despite widespread evidence of low predictive and construct validity, personality testing is increasingly being used for the selection of managers. Notes that selection practices based on personality testing are not embedded in an explicit theory of performance. Based on available research evidence it is argued that personality is likely to play a relatively minor role as a determinant of managerial performance. Presents results from a small survey of New Zealand recruitment consultants to show that personality testing is widespread in managerial selection, and that there is a tendency to overemphasize the importance of personality as a determinant of performance. This may be one reason for the ascendancy of personality testing in selection. Makes suggestions for improving the ways in which such tests should be used in selecting managers.

DYNAMICS OF MIDDLE MANAGERIAL ROLES: A STUDY IN FOUR INDIAN ORGANISATIONS

Middle level managers, a typical feature of large hierarchical organisations, are a critical resource for ensuring performance and growth. Few studies, however, have specifically examined the nature of middle managerial roles, their causes and consequences for organisational performance and change. This research is based on in‐depth case studies of four Indian manufacturing companies. The study examines the nature of middle managerial roles in these organisations and their impact on current performance and change. It also discusses factors which have led to the evolution of these middle managerial roles. The study concludes with suggestions for improving utilisation of middle management potential in such organisations.

The place of self-actualisation in workplace spirituality: evidence from Sri Lanka

The aim of this paper is to develop a self-actualising spirituality model. It examines the place of self-actualisation in the experience of workplace spirituality of Sri Lankan business leaders. The primary method of data collection was in-depth and face-to-face interviews with 13 Sri Lankan business leaders. Within the qualitative tradition and case study method, grounded theory and data triangulation were used to analyze the data. The findings suggest that when the business leaders experience workplace spirituality, they commonly project a need to grow, become and evolve towards the ideal (ought) self. This need is primarily driven by a desire to relate or connect to ones self. Findings suggest that self-actualising work arrangements offer a way to implement inclusive workplace spirituality, devoid of the challenges usually associated with the practice of religion-based workplace spirituality. Despite the geographical, cultural and social differences that exist between Sri Lanka and other cultures, this paper provides research implications for spiritual leadership and ethical decision-making in other cultural settings.

The Corporatization of Health Care: An Evaluation and An Alternative:

The corporatization of health care organizations has become a significant international trend. This paper examines that trend, comparing the development of corporate health care in the USA with the impact of the New Zealand health reforms. The paper traces the evolution of the organizations of health care systems and explains the emergence of the corporate form. We argue that the corporate model of work organization is unsuited to the complex and ambiguous nature of the medical task as it ignores inherent interdependencies. An alternative is needed which addresses work practices rather than just participation in decision making and is based on a concept of mutual interdependence and support in the execution of work.