2,333 research outputs found
Open innovation strategies for overcoming competitive challenges facing small and mid-sized enterprises
No full textThe purpose of this dissertation is to explore how small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) can leverage open innovation to increase their economic viability and success in this modern, globalized post-industrial society marked by constant change and intense competition. To date, most open innovation research has focused exclusively on large companies, while neglecting the specific competitive challenges and strategies of SMEs. This dissertation evaluates the open innovation landscape from the vantage point of SMEs because these firms play a significant role in economies around the globe. Innovation is a crucial driver in their ability to survive, compete, and prosper. The dissertation author created three new models to explore the research topic. The first, the Holistic Model of Innovation, is useful to more fully understand the entire innovation landscape (both closed and open innovation as well as product and non-product innovations). This dissertation also presents the author’s SME Competitive Challenges Model, which identifies the main size-related competitive hurdles that SMEs face (i.e., challenges related to a lack of resources, limited dynamic capabilities, and excessive risk exposure). Additionally, the author presents his SME Open Innovation Strategies Model, which evaluates various open innovation strategies for overcoming these competitive challenges. This dissertation presents a series of propositions based on these new conceptual models and tests them by conducting a systematic review, several meta-syntheses, a case study, and multiple statistical meta-analyses with data from 34,676 SMEs across dozens of industries in 27 countries.SME OPEN INNOVATION 1
Open Innovation Strategies for Overcoming Competitive Challenges Facing
Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises
Brent T. Cornell
A Thesis
Submitted to the
Graduate Faculty
of
University of Maryland University College
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
of
Doctor of Management
Doctoral Committee: Dr. Dennis Winters
Dr. Sharon Hadary
Date Submitted: 7 December 2012 SME OPEN INNOVATION 2
Table of Contents
Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................... 8
Approach .................................................................................................................................... 8
Background/Context of this Dissertation .................................................................................. 10
Value of this Dissertation to the Field of Management ............................................................ 19
Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 20
Chapter 2: Literature Review .................................................................................................... 21
Structure of the Literature Review ............................................................................................ 21
Holistic Model of Innovation .................................................................................................... 25
Innovation Exploration ............................................................................................................. 27
Innovation Exploitation ............................................................................................................ 33
Collaborations in the Open Innovation Ecosystem ................................................................... 39
Summary of SME Open Innovation Strategies ......................................................................... 43
SME Competitive Challenges ................................................................................................... 46
Chapter 3: Conceptual Framework .......................................................................................... 59
SME Competitive Challenges Model ....................................................................................... 59
SME Open Innovation Strategies Model .................................................................................. 61
Chapter 4: Methods .................................................................................................................... 68
Evidence-Based Research ......................................................................................................... 68
Overview of Dissertation’s Evidence-Based Methods ............................................................. 71
Benefits of Conducting an Evidence-Based Systematic Review .............................................. 72 SME OPEN INNOVATION 3
Steps for Conducting this Systematic Review .......................................................................... 77
Synthesizing Using the Meta-Synthesis Technique .................................................................. 86
Protocol for Statistical Meta-Analysis ...................................................................................... 87
Expert Practitioner Review Panel ............................................................................................. 91
Chapter 5: Analysis and Discussion .......................................................................................... 93
Proposition 1 (SME Challenges) Findings ............................................................................... 93
Proposition 1 (SME Challenges) Conclusion ........................................................................... 98
Proposition 2 (Open Innovation Collaboration) Findings ........................................................ 99
Proposition 2 (Open Innovation Collaboration) Meta-Analysis ............................................. 110
Proposition 2 (Open Innovation Collaboration) Conclusion .................................................. 112
Proposition 2a (Vertical Collaboration) Findings ................................................................... 113
Proposition 2a (Vertical Collaboration) Meta-Analysis ......................................................... 115
Proposition 2a (Vertical Collaboration) Conclusion............................................................... 117
Proposition 2b (Horizontal Collaboration) Findings .............................................................. 117
Proposition 2b (Horizontal Collaboration) Meta-Analysis ..................................................... 120
Proposition 2b (Horizontal Collaboration) Conclusion .......................................................... 122
Proposition 2c (Knowledge-Intensive Collaboration) Findings ............................................. 123
Proposition 2c (Knowledge-Intensive Collaboration) Meta-Analysis .................................... 124
Proposition 2c (Knowledge-Intensive Collaboration) Conclusion ......................................... 126
Proposition 3 (Outward Open Innovation) Findings .............................................................. 126
Proposition 3 (Outward Open Innovation) Case Study .......................................................... 129
Proposition 3 (Outward Open Innovation) Meta-Analysis ..................................................... 132
Proposition 3 (Outward Open Innovation) Conclusion .......................................................... 133 SME OPEN INNOVATION 4
Proposition 4 (Inward Open Innovation) Findings ................................................................. 134
Proposition 4 (Inward Open Innovation) Meta-Analysis........................................................ 137
Proposition 4 (Inward Open Innovation) Conclusion ............................................................. 138
Proposition 5 (Combined Strategies) Findings ....................................................................... 139
Proposition 5 (Combined Strategies) Meta-Analysis ............................................................. 141
Proposition 5 (Combined Strategies) Conclusion ................................................................... 144
Chapter 5 Summary ................................................................................................................ 144
Chapter 6: Conclusions and Implications .............................................................................. 147
Summary of Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 147
Implications for SMEs ............................................................................................................ 150
Additional Implications for Global SME Open Innovation .................................................... 175
Limitations and Areas for Future Research ............................................................................ 186
Dissertation Summary ............................................................................................................. 188
Appendix A: Statistical Meta-Analysis Results ...................................................................... 194
References ................................................................................................................................. 203
SME OPEN INNOVATION 5
Table of Figures
Figure 1. Dissertation Approach ............................................................................................... 10
Figure 2. Closed and Open Innovation ..................................................................................... 13
Figure 3. Literature Review Topics ........................................................................................... 21
Figure 4. Holistic Model of Innovation ..................................................................................... 26
Figure 5. Summary of SME Open Innovation Strategic Alternatives ................................... 44
Figure 6. Summary of SME Challenges Found in the Literature .......................................... 47
Figure 7. Main Groupings of SME Challenges ........................................................................ 48
Figure 8. SME Competitive Challenges Model ........................................................................ 59
Figure 9. SME Open Innovation Strategies Model .................................................................. 62
Figure 10. Dissertation’s Research Methods ............................................................................ 71
Figure 11. Levels of Evidence .................................................................................................... 80
Figure 12. Sources of Evidence .................................................................................................. 83
Figure 13. Studies Included in this Evaluation ........................................................................ 85
Figure 14. Geographic Coverage of SMEs Evaluated ............................................................. 86
Figure 15. Summary of Meta-Analysis Findings ................................................................... 143
Figure 16. Continuum of Innovation Openness ..................................................................... 151
Figure 17. SME Open Innovation Footprint Example .......................................................... 154
Figure 18. Key Determinants of SME Innovation Openness Impacting the Probability of an SME Benefiting from Open Innovation .................................................................................. 174
Figure 19. SME Global Open Innovation ............................................................................... 177 SME OPEN INNOVATION 6
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my loving and supportive wife Dana. I would like to thank my dissertation advisors, Dr. Dennis Winters and Dr. Sharon Hadary, who devoted significant time providing me with guidance and direction. Additionally, I would like to thank the members of my expert practitioner review panel, Dr. Francesco Calabrese, Dr. John Corso, and Dr. Dorothea (Dolly) Greenwood Mastrangelo, who provided valuable feedback.
SME OPEN INNOVATION 7
Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) can leverage open innovation to increase their economic viability and success in this modern, globalized post-industrial society marked by constant change and intense competition. To date, most open innovation research has focused exclusively on large companies, while neglecting the specific competitive challenges and strategies of SMEs. This dissertation evaluates the open innovation landscape from the vantage point of SMEs because these firms play a significant role in economies around the globe. Innovation is a crucial driver in their ability to survive, compete, and prosper. The dissertation author created three new models to explore the research topic. The first, the Holistic Model of Innovation, is useful to more fully understand the entire innovation landscape (both closed and open innovation as well as product and non-product innovations). This dissertation also presents the author’s SME Competitive Challenges Model, which identifies the main size-related competitive hurdles that SMEs face (i.e., challenges related to a lack of resources, limited dynamic capabilities, and excessive risk exposure). Additionally, the author presents his SME Open Innovation Strategies Model, which evaluates various open innovation strategies for overcoming these competitive challenges. This dissertation presents a series of propositions based on these new conceptual models and tests them by conducting a systematic review, several meta-syntheses, a case study, and multiple statistical meta-analyses with data from 34,676 SMEs across dozens of industries in 27 countries.
Keywords: Small and Mid-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Small Business Strategy, Global Open Innovation, Closed Innovation, Size-Related Competitive ChallengesSME OPEN INNOVATION: CHAPTER 1 8
Chapter 1: Introduction
The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) can leverage open innovation to increase their economic performance in this modern, globalized post-industrial society marked by constant change and intense competition. To date, most open innovation research has focused exclusively on large companies, while neglecting the specific competitive challenges and strategies of SMEs. This dissertation evaluates the open innovation landscape from the vantage point of SMEs. This topic is important to the field of management because SMEs play a significant role in economies around the globe and innovation is a crucial driver in their ability to survive, compete, and prosper.
This dissertation’s main line of argument is as follows: (1) SMEs encounter size-related competitive challenges (i.e., lack of resources, limited dynamic capabilities, and high risk exposure); (2) Open innovation can increase an SME’s exposure to others’ complementary resources and capabilities, increase its innovation outputs, increase financial returns, and lower an SME’s risk exposure; (3) Therefore, open innovation can assist SMEs with overcoming their size-related competitive challenges; (4) However, various contextual moderators can enhance (or hinder) the effectiveness of SME open innovation strategies in different situations.
Approach
This dissertation begins by providing the background and context of SME open innovation and the research questions in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 presents a literature review and the dissertation author’s holistic model of what the open innovation landscape consists of and how various types of innovations relate to one another (Holistic Model of Innovation). Next, based on the literature review and this Holistic Model of Innovation (which depicts the integration and relationships between both open and closed forms of innovation as well as product and non-SME OPEN INNOVATION: CHAPTER 1 9
product innovations) the dissertation evaluates the specific size-related competitive challenges that SMEs face in today’s turbulent, ultra-competitive environment compared to larger firms. Chapter 3 presents these challenges in the author’s SME Competitive Challenges Model. Then, the dissertation builds on these two models to develop the author’s third model of the various strategies that SMEs can utilize to overcome these challenges (SME Open Innovation Strategies Model). This model provides a framework to guide SMEs toward becoming more economically competitive. These three models build on one another and are all needed to fully examine the research questions presented at the end of Chapter 1. The author’s Holistic Model of Innovation (Chapter 2) is critical to fully comprehend the entire innovation landscape; the author’s SME Competitive Challenges Model (Chapter 3) is required to cognize the size-related challenges that SMEs face; and the author’s SME Open Innovation Strategies Model (Chapter 3) is needed to understand how SMEs overcome those competitive challenges. This dissertation’s author created these three models since no such frameworks were found to exist in the literature and the models are needed to fully explore the dissertation’s research questions that are presented at the end of Chapter 1.
Chapter 4 presents the evidence-based research approach used to evaluate the validity of this dissertation’s theoretical models and the associated Research Propositions 1 through 5. Chapter 5 provides a detailed account of the analysis and presents the research findings. Then, Chapter 6 summarizes the conclusions and discusses the implications for practitioners.
The overall dissertation approach described above is illustrated in Figure 1. SME OPEN INNOVATION: CHAPTER 1 10
Figure 1. Dissertation Approach
Background/Context of this Dissertation
Significant advancements in technology in the U.S. during the 20th century led to the Post-Industrial Revolution. Innovation has always been a vital economic driver, but the modern globalized post-industrial society in particular relies even more heavily on intellectual capital and is primarily focused on processing knowledge rather than on simply manufacturing goods as was the case during the Industrial Revolution (Bell, 1976). Contemporary organizations must now adapt and innovate much more quickly than they have ever had to in order to remain competitive. Peter Vaill (1996) explains that the modern business environment in the post-industrial society is in a turbulent state of “permanent white water,” where companies face constant uncertainty and discontinuity. Drucker (1985) stresses the importance of continual innovation as an essential ingredient for organizations to survive and compete in this era of constant change. SME OPEN INNOVATION: CHAPTER 1 11
In advanced knowledge-based economies, a large portion of a firm’s market value is often determined by its intellectual property; companies rely heavily on these intangible assets for economic competition and growth (Kaplan & Norton, 2004). Innovation is a critical success factor for a company’s endurance in today’s ultra-competitive global landscape (Dervitsiotis, 2010). To remain competitive in the 21st century, companies need to not only create new innovative products and services, but they must also continually innovate their business models to respond to constant changes in the environment (Hamel, 2007). They must also refine their business models in response to their own recent innovations (Kim & Mauborgne, 2005; Drucker, 1985).
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that innovation is the primary factor that determines a country’s long-term economic growth and increases in productivity, and that innovation is even more important to an economy than either capital or labor resources alone (OECD, 2008). Many societies around the world recognize the importance of innovation and most countries and economic regions have introduced legal intellectual property rights such as patents, copyrights, and trademark protections (Leiponen & Byma, 2009).
Competition can accelerate the pace of innovation across entire industries as firms compete aggressively with one another to lower their costs and to improve the functionalities and features of their products and enhance their services (Lafley & Charan, 2008). Ceteris paribus (all else being equal), innovative firms are commonly rewarded with increased profits derived from innovations in their products, services, and business models (Hamel, 2007). In the long run, the most innovative companies tend to have the largest market shares, are generally the most profitable, and are usually the most capable of surviving during economic downturns (Atun, SME OPEN INNOVATION: CHAPTER 1 12
Harvey & Wild, 2007). Chapter 5 of this dissertation quantifies the benefits that SMEs have received using different types of open innovation strategies in various industries and countries.
There are certainly many other factors besides innovation that affect an SME’s success (e.g., marketing effectiveness, operational efficiency, and product quality). This dissertation’s author does not view innovation by itself as a panacea that will guarantee organizational success. For example, a perfectly crafted innovation strategy can be useless if a company improperly manages its resources, makes incompetent managerial decisions, or if a company goes bankrupt from la
From the IBPP Research Associates. Venezuela: Sharon Reimel de Carrasquel
Get PDFThe author, Sharon Reimel de Carrasquel, discusses the recently held presidential election in Venezuela
Moving beyond member loyalty: An exploration of activism in professional associations
No full textNon-Profit Professional Associations (NPPAs) are working under an outdated membership model that does not adequately serve either the organization or its members in today's increasingly complex and globally diverse environment. A continued focus on maintaining member satisfaction and member loyalty is no longer sufficient as a variety of economic and competitive forces are coming together to challenge the value that members derive from the NPPA’s paid membership model. This dissertation proposes that NPPAs must address these challenges by increasing the value proposition for its loyal members and converting them into activists who hold an unwavering commitment to the ideals, values, and mission of the NPPA. Through an examination of the principles and theories of group membership and the inherent needs that people have to assimilate, distinguish, and socially define themselves through their participation in groups, this study will propose a model that creates sustainable value for both the NPPA and its members.Running Head: MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 1
Moving Beyond Member Loyalty: An Exploration of Activism in Professional Associations
Victor R. Carter-Bey
A ThesisA ThesisA Thesis A Thesis
Submitted to the Submitted to the Submitted to the Submitted to the Submitted to the Submitted to the Submitted to the
Graduate Faculty Graduate Faculty Graduate Faculty Graduate Faculty
of
University of Maryland College University of Maryland College University of Maryland College University of Maryland College University of Maryland College University of Maryland College University of Maryland College
in Partial Fulfillment of in Partial Fulfillment of in Partial Fulfillment of in Partial Fulfillment ofin Partial Fulfillment of in Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for the Degr The Requirements for the Degr The Requirements for the Degr ee
of
Doctor of Management Doctor of Management Doctor of Management
Faculty: Faculty: Faculty:
Dr. Sharon Dr. Sharon Hadary
Dr. Dennis Winters Dr. Dennis Winters Dr. Dennis WintersDr. Dennis Winters Dr. Dennis Winters Dr. Dennis Winters MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 2
Dedication
I primarily dedicate this project to my wife, Melissa Carter-Bey, whose unrelenting love and support allowed me to manage through this project over the last three years. I will forever be grateful to you for allowing me to invest the time, energy, and money to pursue this lifelong dream. I also dedicate this project to my three beautiful children, who are my reason for being — Sydney Carter-Bey, Julian Carter-Bey and Sean Carter-Bey. Thank you all for being such great sources of inspiration and relief as I worked through this project.
I also dedicate this project to my mother, Claressa Bey, who at an early age provided me life changing opportunities through education that not only shaped my character, but ultimately afforded me equally life changing gifts and memories which I will always cherish. I also dedicate this to my sister Vicki Morgan and my brother Vincent Carter-Bey for allowing me to set an example and be what I hope is a positive role model in their lives. I also want to dedicate this to the maternal rock of our family — my grandmother, Lottie Robinson — a woman of great courage and amazing strength. Finally, I also dedicate this to my extended family of in-laws who have inspired me with their love, support, and well wishes throughout this project.
MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 3
Acknowledgement
As most of this project was completed during my tenure with the Project Management Institute (PMI), I must thank PMI for its flexibility and patience as I worked to complete this project. A company that knows the value of professional and employee development, PMI is a world-class organization.
I must also thank Dr. Sharon Hadary and Dr. Dennis Winters for their passion, energy, frankness, savvy, intelligence, and support. Dr. Hadary and Dr. Winters are two of the most incredible and passionate educators that I have had the opportunity to work with and this project would not have been possible without their help, support, and guidance.
Finally, to my UMUC cohort which was so great to work with throughout this doctoral pursuit. You all were a great source of inspiration and I could not have asked for a better group with which to embark upon and complete this journey.
MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 4
Table of Contents
Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgement .......................................................................................................................... 3
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 4
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 7
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 8
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................... 9
Problem Statement: The NPPA Member Loyalty and Public Goods Issue ................................ 9
The member loyalty issue ...................................................................................................... 10
The public goods issue. ......................................................................................................... 13
Scope of the Research ............................................................................................................... 18
Purpose of the Dissertation ....................................................................................................... 23
Key Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 24
Research Question .................................................................................................................... 24
Propositions.............................................................................................................................. 25
Key Definitions ......................................................................................................................... 25
Organization of Dissertation Chapters ...................................................................................... 26
Chapter 1 Summary & Conclusion ........................................................................................... 27
Chapter 2: Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 28
Membership /Group Theories ................................................................................................... 28
Identification Theories .............................................................................................................. 31
Social-identification and interrelated theories. ...................................................................... 31
Organizational identification. ................................................................................................ 41
Consumer-company identification. ....................................................................................... 43
Branding and brand identity...................................................................................................... 48
Customer Loyalty...................................................................................................................... 52
Activism ................................................................................................................................... 57
Attitudinal Traits and Out-Group Grievances. ...................................................................... 59
Structural Availability and Network Ties (Prior History of Activism). ................................ 61 MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 5
Cost versus Benefit Analysis/Incentive Analysis. ................................................................. 64
Barriers to Participation. ........................................................................................................ 66
Chapter 2 Summary & Conclusion ........................................................................................... 67
Chapter 3: Conceptual Framework ............................................................................................... 68
The Model ................................................................................................................................ 68
Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs .......................................................................................... 70
Optimal Distinctiveness Theory ............................................................................................... 70
Theories on Why People Join Groups ...................................................................................... 71
Conflict between Self-Goals and Group Goals ......................................................................... 73
Resolving Self vs. Group Conflict: Social Identification ......................................................... 75
Social Identification Leads to Loyalty ...................................................................................... 76
Group Loyalty Leads to the Creation of In-group versus Out-group Bias ............................... 78
Organizational Identification .................................................................................................... 79
Creating NPPA Organizational Identifications through Branding ........................................... 80
Joining a NPPA Cause: Theories Behind the Decision to Serve as an Activist ....................... 83
Call to Activism is Propelled by In-group versus Out-group Conflict ..................................... 84
Factors that Move NPPA Members to Activism ...................................................................... 87
Benefits of Serving as a NPPA Activist ................................................................................... 88
Chapter 3 Summary and Conclusion ........................................................................................ 88
Chapter 4: Research Methods ....................................................................................................... 91
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 91
Description and Overview of Evidence Based Research Process ............................................ 91
Conducting the Systematic Review .......................................................................................... 95
Plan the Review ........................................................................................................................ 96
Locate the Studies ..................................................................................................................... 97
Appraise the Contributions ..................................................................................................... 102
Analyze and Synthesize the Information ................................................................................ 103
Report the Best Evidence ........................................................................................................ 107 MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 6
Expert Panel Review ............................................................................................................... 108
Chapter 4 Summary and Conclusion ...................................................................................... 109
Chapter 5: Findings ..................................................................................................................... 110
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 110
Findings...................................................................................................................................... 111
Linkages between Social Identification and Activism ............................................................ 113
Linkages between Organizational Identification and Branding .............................................. 115
Increasing the NPPA Member’s Organizational Identification .............................................. 117
Linkages between Organizational & Social Identification and Activism ............................... 118
Going Beyond Member Loyalty ............................................................................................. 122
Using Branding to Go Beyond Member Loyalty .................................................................... 124
The Role of Volunteerism and Co-Production in Moving Members Beyond Loyalty ........... 125
The Personal Benefits of Activism ......................................................................................... 125
Limitations .............................................................................................................................. 128
Role conflict. ....................................................................................................................... 128
Organizational claims. ......................................................................................................... 129
Unfair biases against out-groups. ........................................................................................ 129
Ability to overcome the public goods perception of NPPA membership. .......................... 130
Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 131
Chapter 6: Implications ............................................................................................................... 133
Implications for Management Theory .................................................................................... 133
Implications for Management Practice ................................................................................... 137
Discussion and Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 144
Appendix .................................................................................................................................... 150
References .................................................................................................................................. 161
MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 7
List of Figures
Figure 1. The top five issues CEOs are more concerned about now than they were last year. .....12
Figure 2. Areas of Engagement. ....................................................................................................19
Figure 3. Brewer’s Abscissa Model. .............................................................................................39
Figure 4. Aaker’s Branding Model. ...............................................................................................49
Figure 5. NPPA Social Identification and Activism Model . ......................................................69
Figure 6. Theories Behind the Decision to Join a NPPA. .............................................................72
Figure 7. Conflict between Self-Goals and Social Goals. .............................................................75
Figure 8. Social Identification Leading to Loyalty. ......................................................................78
Figure 9. The Constituents and Communicators of Identity. ........................................................81
Figure 10. Propelling Members to Activism . ..............................................................................87
Figure 11. Quality Ratings of the Chapter 2 Literature Using the Reay et al. (2009) Rubric . ..107
Figure 12. Concentric Social Identification Circles . .................................................................113
Figure 13. NPPAs as Stewards of Innovation . .........................................................................141
Figure A1. Reasons for Not Renewing . .....................................................................................150
Figure A2. Motives for Activism . ..............................................................................................151
Figure A3. List of UMUC OneSource Databases . .....................................................................152
Figure A3. List of All Sources from Literature Review . ..........................................................153 MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 8
Abstract
Non-Profit Professional Associations (NPPAs) are working under an outdated membership model that does not adequately serve either the organization or its members in today's increasingly complex and globally diverse environment. A continued focus on maintaining member satisfaction and member loyalty is no longer sufficient as a variety of economic and competitive forces are coming together to challenge the value that members derive from the NPPA’s paid membership model. This dissertation proposes that NPPAs must address these challenges by increasing the value proposition for its loyal members and converting them into activists who hold an unwavering commitment to the ideals, values, and mission of the NPPA. Through an examination of the principles and theories of group membership and the inherent needs that people have to assimilate, distinguish, and socially define themselves through their participation in groups, this study will propose a model that creates sustainable value for both the NPPA and its members.
Keywords: professional associations, membership, social identification, loyalty, activism MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 9
Chapter 1: Introduction
Problem Statement: The NPPA Member Loyalty and Public Goods Issue
Non-Profit Professional Associations (NPPAs) are mission-based organizations that advocate on behalf of the world’s professions. Through the promulgation of best practices and the development of product offerings, in the form of professional standards, research-based journals, certifications, professional education, and training, NPPAs set the standard of quality and the rules of practice within a given profession (Rusaw, 1995). While the development of such products and services is one of the NPPA’s primary objectives, another is to deploy these products into a culturally competitive marketplace with a membership-gaining efficacy that ultimately generates a sufficient level of income for the NPPA to thrive and focus on its mission. While on the one hand these products are being either sold or given to the NPPA’s dues paying members as a member benefit, on the other hand they are being either sold or given to the non-dues paying public as a means of advancing the NPPA’s underlying profession — thereby creating a conflict that is germane to this dissertation.
The dues that the NPPA’s members pay are a considerable component of the NPPA income stream and NPPAs depend upon the income generated from membership dues to fund the organization’s operations (O’Neil & Willis, 2005). As an example, research from the American Society of Association Executives reports that the median proportion of total revenues that comes from NPPA membership is approximately 45% (“A Strong Showing,” 2012). While 55% of the NPPA’s income comes from a diverse product and services line and includes some of the offerings as earlier indicated such as training and research journals, the income from membership dues is one of the single largest income streams for NPPAs. While the depth and diversity of the NPPA’s product and service offerings mitigates some of the NPPA’s financial risks, the fact that MOVING BEYOND MEMBER LOYALTY 10
45% of the income typically comes from one category is a business risk. If one were to use the analogy of “putting all of their eggs into one basket”, the risk of having such a large percentage of the NPPA’s income in one singular category is that should membership acquisition or retention rates drop in a significant manner, one of the single largest income streams of the NPPA would consequently suffer. While product diversification would allow for the financial risk to be spread across a number of categories, the NPPA’s financial and business risks would persist given the disproportionately large size of the membership income stream relative to that of the NPPA’s other product offerings. This dissertation will look beyond diversification strategies, however, and make the argument that NPPAs must strengthen the membership offering and increase their overall member value proposition so that their members go beyond being loyal to the NPPA and commit themselves as activists who espouse to the values, principles, and mission of the NPPA. Taking this course of action will mitigate the NPPA’s overall financial risk by strengthening the value proposition of NPPA membership and encouraging all NPPA members, particularly those who are loyal, to continue serving as dues paying members.
The member loyalty issue. Before discussing any strategies that compel the NPPA’s members to go beyond being loyal, it is critical to first understand the role that loyalty plays in the NPPA business model. Loyalty is defined by Oliver (1999) as “a deeply held commitment to re-buy or re-patronize a preferred product/ser
How women lead: The 8 essential strategies successful women know
No full textBook Discussion: Authors Sharon Hadary and Laura Henderson discuss how they came to write this book, how their understanding of women's leadership strengths evolved based on research and experience, what strategies are key to women's success, and what continues to hold women back. They find that emerging research has the power to transform the conversation about advancing women in leadership from a matter of social justice to a matter of economic imperative that drives organizational performance. The question no longer is who leads better -- women or men -- but how to effectively combine women's and men's strengths to create the most effective leadership teams. This has implications for organizational leadership -- in practice and in education.How Women Lead
How Women LeadFounded in Research & Real-Life ExperienceSteeped in Inspiration & Practicality
Authors’ 20 Years of Research & Involvement in Women’s Global Leadership
Emerging Research
Personal Experiences
Interviews with Highly Successful Women
Women in Leadership:
Increased Profitability
Higher Performance
Better Problem Solving and Higher Productivity
Stronger Employee Commitment
These Findings Transform the Conversation!
In Business: Improved “Bottom Line”
For Women: Confidence to Lead from Their Strengths
For Men: Recognizing the Value and Utility of Women’s Leadership Strengths
Agenda
The 8 Success Strategies
Creating an Integrated Organizational Model
Implications for Education
8 Success Strategies
Lead Like a Woman
Own Your Destiny
Be the Architect of Your Career
Advocate Unabashedly for Yourself
Translate the Stories Numbers Tell to Drive Strategic Results
Create Exceptional Teams
Nurture Your Greatest Asset: You
Turn Possibilities into Reality
Foundation of Women’s Leadership
Women’s Leadership Strengths
Consultative, Inclusive, Collaborative
Create Teams
Results-Oriented
Decisive
Women Taking Charge of Their Destiny
Making It Work
Integrate Your Professional and Personal Lives
Invest in Yourself
Be a Change Agent – for Women and Men
Stay Open to Serendipity
Creating an Integrated Organizational Model
It’s the Numbers AND How You Use the Resources
Recognizing and Encouraging Different Styles as Effective Leadership
Creating Diverse Teams from the Top Down
Mentors are valuable; Sponsors are Critical
Implications for Education
Recognize Unconscious Biases in Textbooks and Curriculum
Using Up-to-Date Resources
Emphasizing in Curricula the Utility of Diverse Leadership Styles to Organizational Outcomes
Lead Boldly!Make A Difference!www.HowSuccessfulWomenLead.co
Dr. Sharon Feldman – Faculty Author Interview
No full textSharon Feldman, Professor of Spanish and Catalan Studies and Chair of the Department of Latin American and Iberian Studies discusses her new book, In the Eye of the Storm: Contemporary Theater in Barcelona. Barcelona is presently experiencing the most dynamic period in its modern theater history. This book describes some of the crucial moments and back stories, as well as some of the theatre companies and playwrights, that have shaped the theatrical life of the city of Barcelona in the aftermath of the Franco dictatorship
Letter from Sharon M. Tanihara, September 1990
No full textCorrespondence from Sharon Tanihara to Senator Daniel Inouye, Representative Norman Mineta, and Representative Robert Matsui regarding Tanihara's advocacy for amendments to the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and her opinions on restitution payments for individuals previously excluded from that bill.The Japanese American Archival Collection documents the people, places, and daily life of Japanese Americans, primarily those who lived in the once thriving community of pre-war Florin in the Sacramento region, as well as the conditions in American incarceration camps during World War II. The approximately 7,000 original items include personal and official letters, photographs, diaries, arts and crafts, newsletters, textiles, camps artifacts, yearbooks and other publications
Organizational change readiness: Effects of organizational structure and leadership communication in organizational change
No full textSimilar to other financial organizations, life insurance institutions are dealing with changes caused by the aging of the American population and technological advances. In addition, they are dealing with changes in the cultural and economic environment. Since multiple organizational change processes have failed to achieve the desired result, the topic of organizational change readiness needs to be addressed. This dissertation looks into organizational change models to identify the factors within an organization that help it to embrace change–to be change ready. This dissertation discusses the models of organizational change preparedness and change readiness with a focus on organizational leaders’ reaction to external environmental changes. The study found that organizational structure redesign and effective communication throughout the organization are two factors that assist with organizational change readiness. Using a systematic review of relevant literature and applying evidence-based research methodology, this dissertation found evidence supporting the arguments that organizational structural changes and effective communication assist leaders in making the desired changes that deliver the results they are looking for. This study focuses on specific factors within organizational change literature such as organizational change preparedness, organizational change readiness, organizational structural change, and the influence of effective leadership communication on organizational change.i
Organizational Change Readiness: Effects of Organizational Structure and Leadership
Communication in Organizational Change
by
Rajesh R. Krishnan
May 2018
Presented to the
Graduate Faculty
University of Maryland University College
In Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Management
Dissertation Committee: Dr. Claudine SchWeber
Dr. Sharon Hadary
ii
Abstract
Similar to other financial organizations, life insurance institutions are dealing with
changes caused by the aging of the American population and technological advances. In
addition, they are dealing with changes in the cultural and economic environment. Since
multiple organizational change processes have failed to achieve the desired result, the
topic of organizational change readiness needs to be addressed. This dissertation looks
into organizational change models to identify the factors within an organization that help
it to embrace change–to be change ready. This dissertation discusses the models of
organizational change preparedness and change readiness with a focus on organizational
leaders’ reaction to external environmental changes. The study found that organizational
structure redesign and effective communication throughout the organization are two
factors that assist with organizational change readiness. Using a systematic review of
relevant literature and applying evidence-based research methodology, this dissertation
found evidence supporting the arguments that organizational structural changes and
effective communication assist leaders in making the desired changes that deliver the
results they are looking for. This study focuses on specific factors within organizational
change literature such as organizational change preparedness, organizational change
readiness, organizational structural change, and the influence of effective leadership
communication on organizational change.
Keywords: organizational change readiness, change preparedness, organizational
structure, organizational change models, leadership, communication, Contingency
Theory, Organizational change capacity, diffusion of innovation, Dynamic
Capabilities, life insurance
iii
Acknowledgments
First, I would like to thank my wife Carlean and my daughter Maya. Without their
support and understanding, the long-term process of completing a doctoral degree would
have been impossible. Next I would like to thank two individuals who have been my
inspiration in my quest to learn something new and to keep dreaming for something
better. My late mother-in-law, Linda O’Neill, you showed me through your life that the
steps to greatness are to never cease to learn and to always remain humble. Dr. Dennis
Winters, you are an inspiration to me and showed me that we should never stop learning.
You showed me that human brains are special and that the more we push them, the better
they get. None of this would have been possible without the unconditional love and
support of my parents; dear papa and mummy; I am nothing without you two.
I would like to acknowledge University of Maryland University College, its
graduate faculty, and support staff for creating such a marvelous program and making it
such a stupendous success. It is a hard journey for working professionals to go after the
terminal degree, and this program and the folks behind it make it all possible. My special
thanks to my dissertation committee–Dr. Claudine SchWeber and Dr. Sharon Hadary–for
being so supportive throughout this process. I would like to thank my cohorts; I have
learned a lot from every single one of you. Marina and Monica, thank you for always
figuring out a way to help me get through the day-to-day aspects of the UMUC process;
the program and the students are lucky to have you. I would also like to acknowledge a
dear friend and the editor of this dissertation, Dr. Lauren DiPaula for taking the time
away from your busy schedule to work with me.
iv
Table of Contents
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi
List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1
Introduction ....................................................................................................................1
External Environmental Forces............................................................................... 5
Organizational Changes .......................................................................................... 7
Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................9
Research Question .......................................................................................................10
Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................12
Introduction ..................................................................................................................12
Organizational Change.......................................................................................... 13
Organizational Change Models............................................................................. 19
Change Readiness ................................................................................................. 29
Research Question .......................................................................................................36
Arguments and Propositions ........................................................................................37
Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................40
Summary ......................................................................................................................42
Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................43
Methodology Overview ...............................................................................................43
Brief explanation of the dissertation and research question ................................. 45
Application to the current study ............................................................................ 48
v
The Systematic Review......................................................................................... 49
Refining the Evidence ........................................................................................... 61
Subject Matter Experts .......................................................................................... 63
Chapter Summary ................................................................................................. 65
Chapter 4: Analysis and Findings ......................................................................................67
Introduction ..................................................................................................................67
Research Findings and Overall Conclusions ........................................................ 68
Organizational Structure and Organizational Change .......................................... 72
Leadership and Communication ........................................................................... 79
Limitations of the Study...............................................................................................85
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................86
Chapter 5: Conclusions and Implications ..........................................................................89
Introduction ..................................................................................................................89
Implications for Management ......................................................................................90
Planning the Change Process ................................................................................ 92
Organizational Structure during Change .............................................................. 93
Leadership Communication during Change ......................................................... 96
Opportunities for Future Research .............................................................................102
Dissertation Summary ................................................................................................103
References ........................................................................................................................106
Appendix: Tables .............................................................................................................116
vi
List of Tables
Table 2.1. Organizational Change Models ....................................................................... 20
Table 3.1. Article selection – Organizational Change Preparedness .............................. 116
Table 3.2. Organizational Structure and Organizational Change ................................... 123
Table 3.3. Leadership Communication and Organizational Change .............................. 126
Table 3.4. Article Quality Evaluation ............................................................................. 131
Table 4.1. External Forces and Organizational Change ................................................. 134
Table 4.2. Organizational Structure and Organizational Change ................................... 136
Table 4.3. Communication and Organizational Change ................................................. 138
vii
List of Figures
Figure 2.1. The Six-Box Model ........................................................................................ 22
Figure 2.2. The Star Model ............................................................................................... 23
Figure 2.3. The Congruence Model .................................................................................. 25
Figure 2.4. The Causal Model........................................................................................... 27
Figure 2.5. The Change Readiness Model ........................................................................ 32
Figure 2.6. The Conceptual Framework ........................................................................... 41
Figure 3.1. Chart—Organizational Change Preparedness—Journals .............................. 51
Figure 3.2. Flow Diagram - Organizational Change Preparedness .................................. 54
Figure 3.3. Chart —Organizational Strategy and Change - Journals ............................... 56
Figure 3.4. Flow Diagram - Organizational Structure and Change .................................. 57
Figure 3.5. Chart - Communication and Change - Journals ............................................. 59
Figure 3.6. Flow Diagram - Communication and Change ................................................ 60
Figure 3.7. Flow Diagram - Quality Evaluations of Articles ............................................ 63
Figure 4.1. Change Readiness Framework - Original ....................................................... 86
Figure 4.2. Change Readiness Framework - Revised ....................................................... 88
BEING CHANGE READY 1
© 2018 Krishnan
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction
As of 2014, there were over 15.3 trillion. Surprisingly, the 35 million underinsured households that
BEING CHANGE READY 5
© 2018 Krishnan
already own life insurance have the largest life insurance gap—$9.3 trillion (Leary et al.,
2014, p. 38).
Life insurance organizations understand that there is a market out there, but the
changes in customer and sales force demographics bring in challenges they have not
faced before. Market conditions, specifically the low interest changes, are forcing
organizations to look into different products that are not as resource draining as the
current ones. Technological advances provide some new options to the organizations
while making it easier for competitors to enter the market. The next few sections of the
paper will look into these opportunities in a bit more detail.
External Environmental Forces
External environmental changes are forcing life insurance organizations to adapt
and continue to be viable. In the next few sections, some of the different external forces
will be explained.
Historically, life insurance companies made a profit by making prudent
investment decisions. Various regulatory organizations dictate the investment vehicles an
insurance organization could use as they want to ensure that insurance companies could
pay the customer as promised when they need the money. Due to stringent solvency
laws, life insurance companies are not allowed to heavily invest in risky investment
vehicles. In additi
Anatomy of Corporate Decline: A Symbolic Interactionism Approach to the Manager's Observations, Understanding and Response
No full textThe onset or inception of organizational decline has been largely bypassed in management
research over the past two decades, even though understanding this fundamental typology is key
to mitigating organizational failure, while also providing important insight regarding how
managers respond to phenomena that they may neither expect or understand. Understanding
how managers observe, decide, and act in times of uncertainty, and how organizational culture
and other factors may shape that environment, are important for scholars and practitioners alike
to understand. This dissertation argues that corporate decline has largely been misunderstood
from the perspective of onset or initiation; that the manager's decision-making process in times
of decline must be considered in relation to the actual causes and factors associated with decline,
and that the fundamental definition of organizational decline must be revised in light of advances
in our understanding in management over the past three decades. This qualitative empirical
descriptive study reviews literature regarding organizational decline with emphasis on the onset
of decline, presents an equation for understanding a firm's propensity for decline, provides a
revised definition of organizational decline, and examines the decision-making process of
management when faced with decline based on symbolic interactionism theory.Running Head: CORPORATE DECLINE
Anatomy of Corporate Decline: A Symbolic Interactionism Approach to the Manager's
Observations, Understanding and Response
A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Management
Ronald J. Buikema
University of Maryland University College
December, 2012
Doctoral Committee: Dr. Dennis Winters
Dr. Sharon Hadary
Date Final Version Submitted: 6 December, 2012
2
CORPORATE DECLINE
ABSTRACT
The onset or inception of organizational decline has been largely bypassed in management
research over the past two decades, even though understanding this fundamental typology is key
to mitigating organizational failure, while also providing important insight regarding how
managers respond to phenomena that they may neither expect or understand. Understanding
how managers observe, decide, and act in times of uncertainty, and how organizational culture
and other factors may shape that environment, are important for scholars and practitioners alike
to understand. This dissertation argues that corporate decline has largely been misunderstood
from the perspective of onset or initiation; that the manager's decision-making process in times
of decline must be considered in relation to the actual causes and factors associated with decline,
and that the fundamental definition of organizational decline must be revised in light of advances
in our understanding in management over the past three decades. This qualitative empirical
descriptive study reviews literature regarding organizational decline with emphasis on the onset
of decline, presents an equation for understanding a firm's propensity for decline, provides a
revised definition of organizational decline, and examines the decision-making process of
management when faced with decline based on symbolic interactionism theory.
Keywords: organizational decline, organizational culture, symbolic interactionism theory
3
CORPORATE DECLINE
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I want to thank my wife Kim for her continued love and support throughout the dissertation
process. Having now gone through the process myself, I would also like to apologize to her for
all of the things that I said to her, well-meaning but misunderstood, as she completed her own
dissertation. I just didn't know how truly challenging this process would be. As usual, you were
right and I was wrong. I would also like to thank my dissertation committee, both Dr. Dennis
Winters and Dr. Sharon Hadary. I can't imagine having two more supportive, dedicated
individuals, available at any time, filled with the enthusiasm of teens, complemented with the
wisdom of mature souls. I would also like to thank the staff and faculty at the University of
Maryland University College (UMUC) Doctor of Management Program. You have been at the
forefront of advances in education, are clearly attracting some of the finest scholars in the field,
and your approach to education and learning is inspirational, truly setting the standard. I would
also like to note the support of the staff at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
Laboratory. Your continued support for my continuing education throughout the entire doctoral
process is certainly appreciated.
I would also like to note the continued support of my mother in-law, Ila Roberts, and my
sister in-law, Michele Roberts, providing family support and understanding day in, day out. I
would also like to acknowledge my father in-law, Dr. James Roberts, who passed on before this
dissertation was completed. You are my role model and inspiration, and I have never known a
finer man. Finally, I lost my best friend during this process. Ishy passed with just months left in
the final academic year. He brought me encouragement, love, and inspiration; he spent countless
hours with me late into the night, sitting on the table next to me, or purring in front of the
keyboard. These are hard days without him.
4
CORPORATE DECLINE
Image 1, Prince Ishikawa and the author
5
CORPORATE DECLINE
DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this dissertation to Mr. Milton Whitmore, my sixth grade teacher. He
served as an inspiration for countless hundreds of students throughout the years, and taught me
the value of education, respect for your fellow man, and the importance of possessing a thirst for
knowledge. He also let us listen to the Detroit Tigers 1968 World Series afternoon games on the
radio, and for that, I am also most appreciative (Detroit beat St. Louis, 4-3, bouncing back from a
3-1 deficit).
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Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................2
Acknowledgement.............................................................................................................3
Dedication........................................................................................................................5
Table of Contents..............................................................................................................6
Executive Summary...........................................................................................................9
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Problem..........................................................................11
Problem Statement..............................................................................................14
Statement and Significance of the Problem..........................................................16
Importance of the Study......................................................................................17
Purpose and Objective.........................................................................................19
Research Question...............................................................................................19
Rationale.............................................................................................................21
Summary.............................................................................................................24
Chapter 2: Literature Review............................................................................................26
Corporate Decline, Background and Framework...................................................27
Research Methodologies/Conceptual Development...............................................37
Theoretical Framework...........................................................................................46
Relevant Research in Other Fields..........................................................................50
Research Gaps/Challenges......................................................................................54
Summary of Literature Review...............................................................................58
Chapter 3: Conceptual Framework....................................................................................60
Justification for the Study ......................................................................................61
Areas of Research...................................................................................................62
Foundational Theories............................................................................................65
Incremental Research Approach.............................................................................71
Data Collection.......................................................................................................74
Sources of Data.......................................................................................................75
Data Analysis and Interpretation............................................................................76
Deficiencies in Existing Literature.........................................................................77
Variables..................................................................................................................78
Ethical Issues Associated with the Study and Conceptual Framework..................80
Equation of Organizational Decline, Propensity.....................................................81
Definitions...............................................................................................................82
Definition of Organizational Decline......................................................................82
Tempo......................................................................................................................83
Summary...................................................................................................................86
7
CORPORATE DECLINE
Chapter 4: Methodology...................................................................................................87
Evidence Based Review.......................................................................................105
Reference Sources................................................................................................106
Methodology........................................................................................................107
Findings................................................................................................................112
Results by Category..............................................................................................114
Use of the Expert Panel........................................................................................120
Comments from Reviewers...................................................................................122
Additional Dissertation Feedback.........................................................................125
Modifications based on Scholar-Practitioner Feedback.......................................128
Summary...............................................................................................................129
Chapter 5: Analysis and Presentation of Findings.........................................................130
How.......................................................................................................................131
Findings Through the Lens of Symbolic Interactionism Theory..........................132
Findings Through the Lens of Communication Theory........................................141
Revising the Definition of Decline........................................................................143
Independent Variables of Organizational Decline................................................146
Precursors, Observables, Categorization and Significance...................................147
Understanding the Anatomy of Decline...............................................................152
Analysis of Causal Linkages................................................................................159
Findings Associated with Organizational Culture and Cultural Diversity...........160
Understanding Corporate Coping.........................................................................166
Understanding the Propensity of Decline.............................................................166
Understanding the Concept of Tempo and the Time Derivative..........................168
Introduction to the Axioms of Decline.................................................................170
Conclusion............................................................................................................172
Chapter 6: Implications and Conclusions......................................................................175
Overview..............................................................................................................175
Review of the Purpose of the Study.....................................................................181
Review of the Research Question.........................................................................182
Significance of Findings.......................................................................................184
New Understanding Regarding Organizational Decline......................................186
Implications for the Field of Management...........................................................186
Recommendations for Practice of Future Research.............................................187
Limitations of the Study.......................................................................................191
Summary...............................................................................................................193
References......................................................................................................................195
Glossary..........................................................................................................................209
Dissertation Approval....................................................................................................213
8
CORPORATE DECLINE
List of Figures and Tables
Image 1: Prince Ishy and the author....................................................................................4
Figure 1: Symbolic Interactionism Theory Graphic Description.....................................67
Figure 2: Transactional Model, Communication Theory..................................................70
Figure 3: Threads Applied for Incremental Research Approach.......................................72
Figure 4: The OODA Loop................................................................................................73
Figure 5: Graphic Depiction of the Conceptual Framework.............................................85
Figure 6: Organizing Scheme, Chronological Approach..................................................90
Figure 7: Model of Symbolic Interactionism..................................................................135
Figure 8: Relationship of Categories of Friction to Coping Mechanisms.......................151
Figure 9: Boyd's Theory..................................................................................................152
Figure 10: Practitioner's Approach to Organizational Decline........................................153
Figure 11: Graphic Depiction, Anatomy of Corporate Decline.......................................160
Figure 12: Formula for the Propensity of Decline...........................................................167
Figure 13: Time Derivative, Decision-Making/Organizational Decline..........................169
Figure 14: Novice Linear Perspective of Writing a Dissertation.....................................179
Table 1: Comparative Chart of Thread #1 and Thread #2.................................................74
Table 2: Organizational Decline Evidence Based Review.................................................110
Table 3: Organizational Decline, Summary of Findings..................................................113
Table 4: Categories of Friction.........................................................................................149
9
CORPORATE DECLINE
Executive Summary
Organizational decline, a condition which more corporations and organizations face over time
than not...remains a conundrum, misunderstood on its origins, marginalized for its potential
impact, and rarely recognized as significant at its inception. Instead, scholars and practitioners
have focused on what works...not what doesn't work. Even in the study of decline, the
preponderance of research is focused on how to recover, how to turn around the failing firm.
That may help to explain why the understanding of the roots of the problem still remains elusive.
Scholars and practitioners simply haven't focused on that area. The topic of organizational
decline is somewhat vexing. After all, there may be no one golden nugget, no one key finding
that explains or identifies decline in all cases. But that is not really the issue.
This qualitative empirical descriptive study is focused on understanding what causes decline,
how the causes are observed, how management responds to decline, and how the resources of the
firm are applied to mitigate or obviate its occurrence. It addresses key issues or organizational
culture, particularly associated with the firm's ability to observe, decide, and act in the face of
information and actions that, by nature, are beyond the normal, for normal means that the firm is
either stable or steadily improving. Decline is the equivalent of a disease for the corporation. It
can kill slowly, or it can kill fast, but the corporation will not survive if it is not addressed.
Symbolic interactionism theory, complemented by communication theory serve as the lenses
to view organizational decline. They were chosen because they are theories that are based on
what individuals understand from what is observed, how managers process that information, and
then how they translate what is believed to be understood by others, for further processing and
translation. These two theories help scholars combine both understanding challenges with seeing
and understanding decline (i.e. we may think that what we see is associated with what we know
10
CORPORATE DECLINE
(status quo), not something new, such as decline), as well as how we respond to decline.
Communications theory complements our study by associating how we translate our
understanding that the firm is in decline with the other managers and employees who must also
understand and respond accordingly. Our findings, based on evidence-based research of other
studies on the inception of decline, lead us to revise the definition of organizational decline that
has been used for over three decades. Then we must develop a formula for the propensity of
decline, providing a means for scholars and practitioners to conduct comparative analysis of the
manifestation; and the association of decision-making in relation to the time of decline itself via
application of the time derivative.
This study is guided by three research questions. First, what does the onset of decline look
like? Second, what is the general state of the firm that makes it vulnerable to decline in the first
place? And third, how does management respond when faced with decline? This study argues
that observable factors directly associated with decline are frequently misunderstood or
misinterpreted, that the tempo of decline as it pervades the firms is underestimated and that
responses to decline are generally too little, too late.
11
CORPORATE DECLINE
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Problem
...little empirical research has investigated the individual and organizational
factors characteristic of declining organizations.
- Cameron, Kim, & Whetten (1987, p. 225)
No one sets out in business to fail. Business represents to many opportunity, growth,
advancement, and success. The giants of business are lauded and treated almost as rock stars.
They visit with heads of state. They write bestselling books on their secrets to success. They
lecture at the world's most prestigious schools of business and are sought out for their sage
advice. This is what today's MBA student wants to study in many respects: success. This is
what the mid-level manager with unlimited potential wants to emulate - success. All firms,
however, do not succeed. Luo and Mann (2011), two economists with the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, examined high technology businesses started in the California Silicon Valley since
2000 and found that for firms starting in 2000, less than 20% survived by the ninth year, and
only 50% lasted even four years (Luo & Mann, 2011). If we have focused academic research for
so many years on how firms succeed, why do so many continue to fail? Clearly, there are many
complex reasons that firms fail, but it is surprising that the research on failure or decline is far
surpassed by the study of success. We have just as much to learn about managers, organizational
culture, and decision-making from the study of firms that have failed as those that succeed.
This study is based on the premise that scholars and practitioners have largely avoided asking
substantive questions regarding organizational decline either for lack of interest or lack of
understanding. Studying and understanding organizational decline is in fact fundamental to
understanding organizational success, because firms that r
Working smarter: The case for knowledge management in global health
No full textKnowledge is generally of very little value to an organization if it is not shared. The ability of the management of an organization to collect and integrate as well as to apply knowledge is key to an organization’s ability to meet its goals and to achieve better outcomes. The aim of this research was to answer the question, “Can knowledge management effectively address the health care delivery challenges faced by global health care service delivery organizations?” Health service delivery organizations can experience long wait times, ineffectiveness in the service delivery process, and difficulty with reaching those who require services. This study, which used an array of secondary research, was conducted with the aim of determining sustainable solutions to the challenges that confront global health service delivery organizations. Such research indicates that, in global health service delivery, the application of knowledge management strategies has not been actualized and that there is need to incorporate knowledge sharing methods (communities of practice and e-learning) to health service delivery outcomes. Further, a successful knowledge sharing platform, using communities of practice and e-learning, not only affords global health organizations ways of exchanging information but also creates a culture of learning, whereby learning is viewed and used as an accepted part of a health worker’s job.Running head: WORKING SMARTER
Working Smarter: The Case for Knowledge Management in Global Health
Heather Lynn Smith
A Dissertation
Submitted to the
Graduate Faculty
of
University of Maryland University College
In Partial Fulfillment, of
The Requirements for the Degree
of
Doctor of Management
Dissertation Committee:
Sharon Hadary, DM
Walter Cason, DMWORKING SMARTER
ii
Abstract
Knowledge is generally of very little value to an organization if it is not shared. The ability of the management of an organization to collect and integrate as well as to apply knowledge is key to an organization’s ability to meet its goals and to achieve better outcomes. The aim of this research was to answer the question, “Can knowledge management effectively address the health care delivery challenges faced by global health care service delivery organizations?” Health service delivery organizations can experience long wait times, ineffectiveness in the service delivery process, and difficulty with reaching those who require services. This study, which used an array of secondary research, was conducted with the aim of determining sustainable solutions to the challenges that confront global health service delivery organizations. Such research indicates that, in global health service delivery, the application of knowledge management strategies has not been actualized and that there is need to incorporate knowledge sharing methods (communities of practice and e-learning) to health service delivery outcomes. Further, a successful knowledge sharing platform, using communities of practice and e-learning, not only affords global health organizations ways of exchanging information but also creates a culture of learning, whereby learning is viewed and used as an accepted part of a health worker’s job.
Keywords: knowledge management, knowledge sharing, communities of practice, e-learning,
health care, and service delivery organizations
WORKING SMARTER
iii
Dedication
I dedicate this work to my beloved mother – Donna Lynn Smith – for always supporting me, because you have been the driving force in my life and my career. Without your love, none of this would matter. Throughout my life, you have actively supported me, listened to my frustrations, and gave me a shoulder to cry on during those stressful exams and the dissertation writing process. You have been a driver in helping me to find and realize my potential and to make this contribution to our world.
I also dedicate this dissertation to all my family and especially my late-Grandfather Clarence Dishman, Sr. and late-Grandmother Rosemary Dishman, who were not able to see me complete this journey. Thanks family for being there during this arduous journey. WORKING SMARTER
iv
Acknowledgements
To my committee, Dr. Sharon Hadary and Dr. Walter Cason, I am extremely grateful for your assistance and suggestions throughout my dissertation work. I am fully indebted to you both and Drs. Bryan Booth, Leslie Dineaur, and Laura Witz for your understanding, wisdom, patience, enthusiasm, and encouragement, and for pushing me further than I thought I could go.
To the staff in the UMUC DMGT program, thank you---especially Marina Caminis and Monica Graham, for always listening, giving words of encouragement, and answering my zillions of questions and requests for help.
Thank you to all my friends (especially Kevin, Mohamed K., Crystal, Diana and James, Renee, and Lee) for helping me survive all the stressful moments these last several years and not letting me give up. To my classmates and cohorts, who were more than just colleagues but became friends, I thank you for the advice, the fun times at residencies, and the listening ears-Wendy, Joe, Mohamed E., Rosette, Tom M., Tom S., and Felicia.
Also, I must acknowledge all the friends and colleagues I met at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Thanks for going easy on me at work, especially when I was clearly sleep deprived from working through the nights on my dissertation. Also, thanks to a wonderful editor, Sharon Lynn Bear, PhD., who kindly helped with technical APA formatting and questions.
WORKING SMARTER
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1
Background of the Problem .................................................................................................1
Statement and Significance of the Problem .........................................................................3
Importance to Management and Academics ........................................................................7
Research Question ...............................................................................................................8
Methodology ........................................................................................................................8
Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................8
Organization of the Dissertation ........................................................................................10
CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................................................12
Organizational Learning ....................................................................................................12
Concept of Organization Learning.........................................................................12
Organizational Learning in the Not-for-Profit Sector ............................................14
Types of Learning Processes .................................................................................15
Health Not-for-Profit Organizations: Characteristics and Learning Challenges ...18
Organizational Culture ...........................................................................................19
Knowledge Management ...................................................................................................21
Types of Knowledge ..............................................................................................22
Elements of Knowledge Management ...................................................................23
Knowledge Sharing Methods .............................................................................................26
Communities of Practice ....................................................................................................26
Concept of Communities of Practice .....................................................................26
Benefits ..................................................................................................................28 WORKING SMARTER
vi
E-learning ...........................................................................................................................30
E-learning Models ..................................................................................................31
Benefits of E-learning ............................................................................................32
Trends and Challenges in E-learning .....................................................................32
Organizational Performance ..............................................................................................33
Summary ............................................................................................................................35
CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................36
Theory and Practice of Evidence-Based Research ............................................................36
Evidence-Based Research Framework ..............................................................................40
Scholarly Research Approach ............................................................................................40
Retrieving and Mapping Current Research........................................................................41
Search Strategy ......................................................................................................41
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria ............................................................................42
Narrative Synthesis ................................................................................................45
Expert Panel ...........................................................................................................47
Summary ............................................................................................................................48
CHAPTER 4. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ..........................................................................49
Introduction ........................................................................................................................49
Presentation and Summary of the Findings .......................................................................50
Organizational Environment ..................................................................................51
Knowledge Sharing Environment ..........................................................................51
Addressing the Research Question ....................................................................................52
Discussion of Findings .......................................................................................................52 WORKING SMARTER
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E-learning ...............................................................................................................54
Communities of Practice ........................................................................................56
Conclusions ........................................................................................................................57
Proposition 1: Operationalization of Communities of Practice .............................57
Proposition 2: Operationalization of E-learning ....................................................58
CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS .............................................................60
Conclusions ........................................................................................................................60
Implications for Management ............................................................................................61
Limitations and Areas for Future Research .......................................................................62
Summary ............................................................................................................................63
REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................65
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Components of evidence-based decision making ..........................................................37
Figure 2. Research protocol ...........................................................................................................44
Figure 3. Narrative syntheses process ............................................................................................47
Figure 4. Knowledge sharing conceptual framework for global health service delivery
organizations ...................................................................................................................52
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION This chapter presents an introduction to and overview of the dissertation. The chapter begins with the background, followed by the statement and significance of the problem and its importance to management and academics. The chapter continues with the research question, methodology, and theoretical framework and concludes with the organization of the dissertation. Background of the Problem
In developing countries, millions of individuals die prematurely from preventive illnesses despite emerging health interventions and research findings related to the reduction of the number or prevention of many of these deaths (Rowe, de Savigny, Lanata, &Victoria, 2005). The World Health Organization (WHO; 2017) reported that half of all preventable deaths in developing countries were the result of communicable diseases, maternal and child health-related matters, such as conditions that arise during pregnancy and childbirth, and lack of adequate nutrition as well as respiratory infections, which resulted in approximately 3.2 million deaths in 2015 alone (WHO, 2017). Other health challenges in developing countries included non-communicable diseases (NCDs) or chronic diseases. In 2015 alone, NCDs caused 37% of all deaths in the developing world (WHO, 2017). In 2015, 1.4 million individuals died from diarrhea-related diseases, 1.4 million from tuberculosis, and 1.1 million from HIV/AIDS (WHO, 2017).
Children in developing countries are especially vulnerable to deaths from preventable diseases or illnesses. According to the WHO (2014), approximately 6.6 million children under the age of 5 die every year from preventable illnesses. Further, nearly one in ten babies are born preterm, i.e., before 37 weeks of pregnancy, and complications from preterm births alone result WORKING SMARTER
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in more than one million deaths each year (WHO, 2014). Many of these deaths could be avoided if health workers had access to emerging health knowledge as well as to affordable interventions such as vaccines, medications, and clean water and sanitation (WHO, 2014). Due to limited or no access to knowledge or interventions, in their efforts to save lives, overworked and overwhelmed health professionals in developing nations often rely on their ingenuity and best judgment (Sombie, Meda, Ky-Zerbo, Dramaix-Wilmet, & Cousens, 2005).
Global health and service delivery in developing or resource-constrained countries involve a large network of actors, from the global, regional, and national levels down to the front lines, who work toward saving and improving people’s lives (Knowledge for Health Project [K4Health], 2016). For these actors to meet their goals and achieve the greatest health impact, they need access to up-to-date research and know-how related to the understanding of diseases and treatments (Bolarinwa, Salaudeen, & Akande, 2012; K4Health, 2016). Global service delivery organizations, however, experience challenges with how to best share new health care knowledge and interventions to improve health care service delivery and overall health outcomes (Bolarinwa et al., 2012).
According to Abidi (2008), the inability of health care workers to access and apply new health knowledge results in the delivery of subpar services to clients. It also can lead to medical errors and greater health costs for the providers and patients as well as result in an environment in which limited organizational learning or innovation occurs (Montani & Bellazzi, 2002). Thus, there is a growing need for global health service delivery organizations to integrate and communicate knowledge across their networks (Abidi, 2008; Bolarinwa et al., 2012).
In developing countries, where individuals are dying from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, access to health knowledge is limited because the procedures for harnessing WORKING SMARTER
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knowledge, and the technological systems to share knowledge, have not been instituted or learned locally (Bailey, 2003). Knowledge management, a process that helps organizations to harness, create, and share knowledge efficaciously (Albers, 2009; Hussain, Lucas, & Ali, 2004), can improve coordination and enhance learning and application of new knowledge (Bolarinwa et al., 2012; K4Health, 2016).
Global health service delivery organizations often operate in multiple countries and manage host-country health facilities and sub-organizations that help them to carry out their functions. It may prove difficult, however, to execute processes effectively and efficiently if there is no way to create, store, share, or transfer existing and new knowledge. Challenges stem from the health care professionals’ inability to explore and exploit relevant knowledge (MAQ, 2004). Many directors of health facilities struggle with keeping staff up to date on the latest developments in health service delivery approaches because they often do not have additional financial resources to access expensive medical journals (MAQ, 2004). Other challenges include the reluctance of health center directors to send staff with heavy caseloads to seminars in which health knowledge is shared and the inability of health professionals to share lessons learned across facilities or projects, especially when these innovative approaches are often not documented, or team members have moved on, which results in their taking invaluable knowledge with them (MAQ, 2004).
Statement and Significance of the Problem
Within the health care field, new data, research findings, best practices, and programmatic guidance are constantly emerging. Yet, among global service health delivery organizations that operate in distant, isolated, or resource-challenged posts, this new knowledge does not effectively flow up and down the health system, resulting in ineffectiveness and WORKING SMARTER
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inefficiency in service delivery. When health care professionals are faced with challenges in accessing new knowledge, innovations in service delivery can go unnoticed or unused, depriving patients of the latest medical advances. Some of the barriers to sharing new knowledge within these organizations include a limited or lack of a formal and informal network through which to share, discuss, and create new knowledge and the absence of appropriate internal and external systems or processes to facilitate the sharing of new practices and information at all levels of the health service delivery stream.
Within global health organizations, knowledge and content are often stored in multiple locations and transferred via methods and processes that have not been streamlined. To address these challenges, global health service delivery organizations need to consider the implementation of innovative tools and techniques to help enrich service delivery and boost effectiveness (Karaszewski, 2008; Ohkubo, Harlan, Ahmed, & Salem, 2011). Bailey (2003) maintains that implementing knowledge management can create more efficient health systems because health outcomes are improved when health workers have the information needed to make decisions. Bailey also noted, in contrast, that several studies have shown that negative health outcomes are engendered by the lack of correct and readily available information. Bailey posits that, within global health organizations, there is a “failure to make the transition from information to action in the form, for example, of new treatment guidelines or government policy” (para. 4).
According to Smith and Lumba (2008), knowledge management involves the acquisition, sharing, application, and creation of knowledge throughout an organization. Implementing knowledge management demands that organizations are cognizant of where knowledge exists, so that it can be shared (Bordoloi, 2012). For example, knowledge may be stored within WORKING SMARTER
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information or document management systems and held by technical experts, divisions, headquarters, in-country offices or facilities, and other means. Similarly, several forms of knowledge and/or information storage exist, including electronic materials, intranets, and research papers (Wang & Noe, 2010).
By implementing knowledge management approaches, and using evidence-based information, global health organizations can improve service delivery (Guah & Currie, 2004; Pawlowski & Bick, 2011). According to Pasteur, Pettit, and van Schagen (2006), organizations must know and fully understand the most strategic options for sharing or transferring knowledge or information with the appropriate individuals at the right time. These strategic options may include the use of training, communities of practice (CoPs), e-learning, and other knowledge sharing interventions. Finally, organizations need to agree on a middle ground between organizational knowledge and the organization’s need to be most effective in reaching its goal
Peter Jaeger, The Shadow Line
No full textPeter Jaeger’s The Shadow Line literally and figuratively shadows Joseph Conrad’s 1917 novella The Shadow Line by reading the original and re-writing its non-identical twin.
Peter Jaeger has produced poetry, criticism, hybrid creative-critical research, and artists’ books. His most recent publications are John Cage and Buddhist Ecopoetics and A Field Guide to Lost Things. He is Professor of Poetics at Roehampton University.
Robert Hampson is Chair of the UK Joseph Conrad Society, the author of three monographs on Conrad, including Conrad’s Secrets, and the editor of a number of Conrad’s works. He has written several books of poetry and is Director of the MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway.
MA BIBLIOTHÈQUE was established by artist and writer Sharon Kivland in 2013. The publications are modestly yet attractively produced, usually printed in small editions, and include the seriesThe Good Reader, to which Kivland invites others to reflect on reading (forthcoming are works by Vanessa Place, Kate Briggs, Sarah Wood, and Annabel Frearson). Afterword by Robert Hampso
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