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Understanding change in public organizations: A systematic review and research agenda
No full textPublic organizations are continuously required to change in part due to shifting political and societal preferences. While there is extant research demonstrating how change can be managed in public organizations, there is a lack of understanding concerning the holistic and systemic nature of public-sector change. This article aims to integrate empirical research on public-sector change in order to provide a conceptual framework centered on unravelling its holistic and systemic nature. A systematic literature review on change in public organizations is conducted which draws on quantitative articles published in journals indexed in SSCI’s Public Administration category. A total of 124 articles were identified by this review. The second part of this work builds on the insights that were generated through an in-depth analysis of 40 papers of the final paper set. For this purpose, 100 factors were extracted that have significant relationships with either the context of change or its impact. Lastly the retained factors were projected on the criteria of the Six Batteries of Change model. This model offers a holistic framework that is proved to be a key driver to boost change, based on empirical research in 111 organizations with various backgrounds. The projection provides valuable insights regarding the rational and emotional side of change in public organizations, their context and impact. This leads to recommendations for future research that is needed to counter the current change paradigms
Revisiting Women Empowerment Through a Cultural Lens a In-Depth Analysis of Empowerment Methodologies in Horticulture in Rural Ethiopia
No full textAs previous research in international development has clearly demonstrated (see Banerjee and Prasad, 2008 for an overview), cultural values have an impact on the conceptualization of empowerment. In this paper we explore the implications of Power Distance as a cultural dimension for the use of participatory methodologies toward achieving women empowerment in rural areas in the Global South. Our critical analysis of cultural differences between the intervention facilitator (a Western-based NGO) and a rural community in SNNPR (Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Regions) in Ethiopia reveals how discrepancies in the perception of cultural values impacted the different stages of the intervention. These discrepancies ranged from the principles of facilitation (facilitation from the back and its paradoxical effects in such hierarchical contexts) to the focus on tools (on equality between individuals rather than focus on the family as the smallest unit). Discrepancies also surfaced from the selection criteria of participants (highly vulnerable groups; one spouse per family; number of participants from one community all of which prevented the impact of the intervention to be more powerful in the long run) and from how the participants are organized during trainings (the ratio of mixed vs. segregated groups and the criteria of group segregation - this can play a large role in regard to the potential openness of conversations and the creation of safe spaces to explore new identities which are the key to empowerment). Through all the stages of the intervention, we make suggestions on how to better implement such methodologies in the future, in a context-sensitive manner, by considering the cultural differences in assumptions and practices
Principles for organizations striving for sustainable degrowth: Framework development and application to four B Corps
No full textEconomic growth is generally seen as a central economic and political goal. The critique of this view has increased recently. In this context post-growth concepts, such as sustainable degrowth, emerged as an alternative paradigm focusing on ensuring human wellbeing within planetary boundaries. Since business activity is a key driving force behind economic growth, the role of corporate organizations in a transition towards a post-growth society is a particularly challenging question. It is still unclear, for instance, what business models for organizations approaching degrowth could look like. Therefore, our study aims to contribute to understanding guiding principles for organizations approaching degrowth. In this exploratory work, we use a two-step approach: First, based on a systematic literature review, we derive principles for a conceptual framework composed of business-relevant claims in the degrowth discourse in order to assemble and synergize fragmented findings. The resulting conceptual framework serves to describe and assess organizations with respect to their approximation to degrowth. Second, we apply the framework to four organizations certified as B Corps based on qualitative content analysis of interviews with corporate representatives and additional company data. Overall, our findings show that B Corps rather successfully implement numerous degrowth-approaching principles in their organization within our current economic system, while none of the organizations is seen as fully degrowth-conform. With our analysis we uncover significant tensions regarding growth-orientation and identify further needs for empirical and conceptual research
The effect of multi-sensor data on condition-based maintenance policies
Get PDFIndustry 4.0 promises reductions in maintenance costs through access to digital technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing and data analytics. Many of the promised benefits to maintenance are, however, dependent on the quality of the data obtained through sensors and related technologies. In this work, we consider the effect of access to different levels of deterioration data quality, resulting in partial information about the underlying state of the system being monitored, by means of sensors, on condition-based maintenance policies. The sensors may be either internal company sensors, or more informative external sensors of which access is obtained at a cost. We analyze the structure of the optimal policy, where the actions are either to perform maintenance, to pay for external sensor information or to continue system operation with internal sensor information only. We show that the optimal policy consists of at most four regions based on the believed deterioration state of the system. The analysis allows us to numerically investigate the decision maker’s willingness to pay for more informative external sensor information with respect to the level of external sensor informativeness, when compared to that of the internal sensor, and the cost thereof
Total reward statements: How to maximise the potential? Insights into the added value of total reward statements in reward communication
No full textThe whitepaper ‘Total Reward Statements: how to maximise the potential?’ is based on a quantitative and qualitative research project by the Centre for Excellence in Strategic Rewards. It offers an overview of the different aspects of the Total Reward Statement (TRS), based on the quantitative and qualitative results of a large-scale survey (N=193). Looking at the situation as is, 30% of our respondents offer a TRS to the entire workforce or to a part of the workforce. 82% of that group is (very) satisfied with the firm’s TRS. The main reasons for them to offer a TRS are to create employee awareness about the reward offering, to enhance appreciation of the reward package, and to shift the focus away from purely financial reward components to non-financial components as well. As an additional advantage, the TRS has a positive impact on attracting new recruits, retaining talents and engaging employees. Today, the majority of the TRSs are self-developed, are offered once a year, and are integrated in an online platform. The most popular reward components in a TRS seem to be base pay, bonus, company car, contribution to the pension plan, cost allowances, car allowance, home-work travel allowance, premium paid for hospitalisation insurance, disability insurance, guaranteed income insurance, long-term incentives and subscription to public transport. Possible drawbacks to implementing a TRS could be the time and monetary investment in the tool, the difficulties in data management, the fact that the TRS is a snapshot with a focus on the past, and the question concerning how far you can go with transparency. As for communicating about the TRS, it remains crucial to communicate regularly and creatively. As for the future, companies that are looking into implementing a TRS indicate that collaborating with a specialist provider is the preferred way to go. They would still opt for a periodical offering of the TRS and keep an online focus. Almost all of the respondents indicate that communication is unmistakeably one of the most important aspects in the TRS process. Based on examples from practice, there are 7 characteristics of a great TRS: • making the reward overview as visual as possible • keeping it short and impactful • adding tailored tips and information • showing a multi-year evolution • complementing it with a glossary • including the fairness aspect • providing the possibility to click through to receive additional informatio
The value of installed base information for spare part inventory control
No full textThis paper analyzes the value of different sources of installed base information for spare part demand forecasting and inventory control. The installed base is defined as the set of products (or machines) in use where the part is installed. Information on the number of products still in use, the age of the products, the age of their parts, as well as the part reliability may indicate when a part will fail and trigger a demand for a new spare part. The current literature is unclear which of this installed base information adds most value – and should thus be collected – for inventory control purposes. For this reason, we evaluate the inventory performance of eight methods that include different sets of installed base information in their demand forecasts. Using a comparative simulation study we identify that knowing the size of the active installed base is most valuable, especially when the installed base changes over time. We also find that when a failure-based prediction model is used, it is important to work with the part age itself, rather than the machine age. When one is not able to collect information on the part age, a logistic regression on the machine age might be a valuable alternative to a failure-based prediction model. Our findings may support the prioritization of data collection for spare part demand forecasting and inventory control
Vested digital leadership against the odds – Lessons learned in the public sector
No full textPublic sector organisations have achieved mixed results when it comes to digital transformation. Some organisations seem to be significantly faster in exploiting opportunities to improve public service delivery by means of digital technologies, whereas others – the majority – have struggled to keep up with the pace of developments in the digital era. Furthermore, the healthcare and economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has compelled public sector organisations to quickly adopt new digital practices to cater to emergency needs such as data centralisation, new service delivery, decision-making and remote ways of working. Amidst all this turmoil, some organisations seem to be able to cope better with the circumstances, or even to thrive in them. We found that public sector organisations that display vested digital leadership practices – practices that scale digital transformation to the entire organisation – dispose of mechanisms to cope with turbulence more successfully. They explore and exploit opportunities faster than their peers. In other words, they excel in organisational agility and show more resilience to shock
Le marketing relationnel
No full textQuel est le rôle du marketing aujourd’hui ? Comment connaître et tenir compte des nouveaux comportements des consommateurs ? Comment élaborer une stratégie marketing ? Quelles sont les actions à mettre en oeuvre ? Ce manuel met l’accent sur l’acquisition des méthodes et des compétences indispensables à tout étudiant qui s’intéresse à la discipline. Résolument actuel, il montre comment le marketing s’est élargi à de nouveaux champs (marketing culturel, social, territorial, durable…). Il intègre par ailleurs le digital, qui peut permettre de répondre aux nouvelles attentes des consommateurs. Cette 2e édition, entièrement mise à jour pour intégrer les évolutions les plus récentes, propose une vision à long terme du marketing et enrichit sa réflexion autour de deux tendances : le marketing relationnel et le marketing d’innovation. Ce manuel propose : des cas concrets pour introduire les concepts ; un cours en couleurs, illustré d’exemples et de visuels de campagnes ou de produits des plus grandes marques, pour acquérir les connaissances fondamentales en marketing ; des conseils méthodologiques et des éclairages professionnels pour traduire la théorie en pratique ; des exercices progressifs et variés (QCM, questions de réflexion) pour s’évaluer et s’entraîner
Governance Implications of Attracting External Equity Investors in Private Family Firms
No full textWhile research commonly assumes business-owning families are concerned about the preservation of control, more and more families seek cooperation with external investors to accomplish firm- and/or family level-goals. In this paper, we provide a conceptual configuration of the different governance scenarios that may arise when family owners attract outside capital. Combining two important family objectives - the objective to provide liquidity either to the family or to the firm, and the objective to cede or to retain long-term family control - we identify four scenarios with different governance implications and preferred types of external investors. Our analysis contributes to an increased understanding of the evolving structures of ownership in private family firms, the effectiveness and efficiency of governance arrangements in family firm-external investor cooperations and the increasingly heterogeneous private equity funding landscape
Choice for an Entrepreneurial Career: Do Cognitive Styles Matter?
No full textUpon graduation, students make the decision to either become an entrepreneur or an employee. Numerous studies have thus investigated personal and environmental factors that impact this decision. As cognitive styles have become more and more important in determining individual and organisational behaviour, and as they are presumed to provide new valuable insights over and above other personal factors, they provide the ideal focus to further explore this career choice. In this article, we aim to explore how creating, planning, and knowing cognitive style relate to entrepreneurial attitudes, intentions, and career choices. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour, in a first sample, we investigate the direct and indirect impact that cognitive styles have on entrepreneurial intention through attitudes. In our second sample, we look at how career preferences for entrepreneurship or a more traditional career as an employee are affected by cognitive styles. Using structural equation modelling analysis, this study finds evidence for the importance of creating cognitive style on entrepreneurial outcomes. Additionally, we find evidence for the relationship between planning cognitive style and wanting to be an employee. Knowing style does not lead to either preference. This paper extends the current knowledge on cognitive styles and entrepreneurship by analysing the impact of other cognitive styles than the predominantly used innovative styles and by also exploring its impact on important antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions, such as entrepreneurial attitude and career preferences