1,720,964 research outputs found
Performance measurement design within its organisational context — evidence from China
Full text linkThis paper presents an action research study that looks at the design of a performance measurement system in a large Chinese state-owned enterprise, focussing on how change happens. A stakeholder analytical framework is developed to bridge the gaps in western-developed models when they are applied in a Chinese context. Analysis revealed the factors determining the nature of change and shaping the performance measurement system. Political constraints and the unavailability of key databases act as barriers to change, while user participation and embedding existing practice both contribute to reducing resistance and promoting continuous improvement. Reinforced by Chinese culture, these factors result in an evolutionary pattern of change. The study shows that the performance measurement system of the case company has fulfilled symbolic functions to signal strategic focus and to influence decision-making
Strategy and management control in embracing market-political paradox: the case during institutional transitions in emerging economies
No full textThis study focuses on the management of market-political paradox within the context of institutional transition in emerging economies and how management control systems (MCSs) can be used to engage and communicate such a strategy. A case study is conducted in a Chines state-owned enterprise where Economic-Value-Added is introduced to promote shareholder’s value maximization while firm size is still important to meet the political demand. A spatial focus strategy was identified which requires subsidiaries to engage both forces but with different focuses. It provides critical insights on how diagnostic, interactive, beliefs, and boundary control have been employed to visualize and engage the paradoxical strategy in the organization, where the interwoven of ‘either/or’ dilemma and ‘both/and’ paradox brings ambivalence and uncertainty into decision-making. The study extends our understanding of managing organizational paradox and the relevance of MCSs in it, which enriches our knowledge with insights on indigenous Chinese management practices
Performance measurement and target-setting: achieving balance in a Chinese state-owned enterprise
No full textSubjectivity is often eyed with suspicion in a commercial world. This project investigated how subjectivity was applied in the strategic performance measurement system (SPMS) of a large Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE) where both market and government forces coexist long term. Its innovative five-dimension SPMS integrates financial and non-financial with subjective and objective measures. The same dimensions were applied across its strategic business units (SBUs) to communicate firmwide that meeting multiple demands was an inherent aim of SOEs, and to be embraced by all the SbUs.However, the weightings for each dimension varied across the SBUs and over time, reflecting the dynamic strategic position of each unit. For firms with multiple, simultaneous and often competing demands, our case study shows how the use of subjectivity in measures and weightings can keep a multi-dimension SPMS stable yet flexible. The study also reveals innovative mechanisms used in participative target-setting. These show how using subjectivity in incentive formulas can transform difficult bargaining into greater cooperation between superiors and subordinates. These could be particularly important for multi-divisional firms with activities in many different areas.Using objective and subjective measures together, maintaining stability while embracing flexibility, and accepting ‘push’ alongside ‘pull’, our case study celebrates paradox management. It suggests that a finely calibrated SPMS that simultaneously integrates opposing forces in a system can be particularly beneficial for organisations operating in complex and dynamic environments. Considering the nature of Yin and Yang withina particular mechanism and integrating duality into systems, we bring Chinese wisdom into management control practice
Economic value added adoption in Chinese SOEs-a case of evolutionary change
No full textLed by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), the Chinese government has adopted a residual income (RI) index since 2010 when assessing the performance of the 129 state owned enterprises (SOEs) under direct administration of Central Government, known as central SOEs, after a three-year trial.This study explored how actors interact during the new index adoption process. The actors include SASAC as an agent of state interests and the scheme promoter, and the management of SOEs at both group and business unit level.The project aims to: establish the evolution of performance measures in Chinese central SOEs and explore the motives behind explore the effects of RI adoption on strategic, managerial and operational decision making at both group and business unit level analyse the relationships and the interactions between actors during RI implementation.A case study approach is used to interview key officials in charge of performance evaluation, the chief financial officers (CFOs) and the business unit managers of four case companies
The characteristics and dynamics of management controls in IJVs: evidence from a Sino-Japanese case
No full textThis paper examines the characteristics and dynamics of management controls in international joint ventures (IJVs) from multiple-dimensional perspectives. Adopting an in-depth case study method in the instance of a large automotive IJV formed between two Chinese and Japanese partners, the study seeks to improve on existing models by accounting for the three dimensions of management controls: mechanism, focus, and extent, and examining their interrelationships and dynamics. It offers the first observation on how, at the post-formation stage, parents may adjust the extent of control over specific activities or the tightness of a control mechanism to reflect environmental changes without unsettling their overall control structure; thus, a balance between stability and change is achieved. A shared but split control style is identified, supplementing previous descriptions of management style in IJVs, within which two partners share control access over the entire range of activities with broad control focus, but each possesses tight control only over certain specific activities
Management controls in automotive international joint ventures involving Chinese parent companies
No full textIs there an expectations gap in the roles of independent directors? An explorative study of listed Chinese companies
No full textThis paper investigates whether an expectations gap exists in the control, strategic and resource provision roles that independent directors play in the corporate governance of listed Chinese firms and the factors that affect their performance of these roles. For this purpose, we interviewed Chinese executive directors, independent directors, institutional investors and stock exchange regulators. We find a performance gap but no reasonableness gap with respect to the control and strategic roles. The results suggest that the performance gap may be attributed to such factors as the ill-defined roles, independent directors' limited amount of time commitment and their lack of competence and objectivity. Interestingly, there is disagreement over the protection of minority interest as the objective of the control role. We find no consensus on the desirability, reasonableness and effectiveness of independent directors' resource provision role, perhaps because of a pejorative interpretation of this role as an exercise of guanxi
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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