Book Reviews

The aim of this study is to examine how boundaryless career relates to competence development of managers in Finnish information and communication business sector (ICT) and paper business sector. The research was qualitative by nature and the used research method was a focused interview. The research group included 15 managers from three ICT companies in the field of software and 15 managers from three paper companies specialising in pulp, paper and paperboard manufacture. Managers were themselves responsible for updating their competence; continuous development of skills and knowledge enabled managers to make their own career decisions and manage their career. Career decisions directed the managers' further training needs. High competence level created shelter and self-confidence to managers. Managers were more committed to their competence related to the business sector than any particular organisation, and they wanted to combine work, family and hobbies in their lives as well. Only two Finnish business sectors were included in this study and the target was in the middle management level in organisations. Therefore, the study is not comprehensive. However, the results of the study give information concerning the relation between boundaryless career research and competence research in changing work environments.     

Identification of management development needs: a comparison across companies of different ownership – foreign,joint venture and local in Sri Lanka

This paper presents the results of an empirical investigation of seventy-eight human resource managers employed in seventy-eight wholly foreign-owned, foreign and local joint venture and wholly local-owned export-oriented clothing manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka. The study investigated human resource managers' views on whether organizations identify development needs of managers, and, if so, from what sources. The findings of the study shed light on the identification of management development needs and on differences across companies of different ownership. The data revealed evidence of the existence of the identification of development needs of managers in the industry. Organizational strategies, succession plans and performance appraisal give rise to identify development needs of managers, other than requests from both heads of divisions/immediate superior managers who like their subordinates to be developed and managers themselves who desire to develop. Further, the results of the analysis of variance revealed that in certain aspects there are significant differences in the identification of development needs of managers. The results and implications of the findings are discussed.     

Perspectives on line managers in human resource management: Hilton International's UK hotels

Although contextual factors act to encourage the devolvement of human resource management to line managers, recent research indicates that there is substantial potential for human resource specialists and line managers to share more effectively responsibility for their organization's human resource activities in business partnerships. The foundation for this is arguably commonality in opinions on the principles and practices of human resource activities. However, line managers and human resource specialists often have dissonant opinions on human resource management.

This paper explores line manager and human resource specialists' perspectives on line manager involvement in human resource management, theoretically and empirically. The primary work comprises a survey of the views of line managers and human resource specialists on devolving a range of human resource activities to line managers in a case organization, Hilton International's UK hotels. Differences between line managers' and human resource specialists' perspectives are found in five aspects: understanding and ownership of the company's service and HR strategy; line manager involvement in and rankings of HR activities; HR specialists' support of line managers; barriers to line managers' involvement in HR activities; and the competence of line managers in HR activities. Importantly, it is found that where there are divergent views across line managers and their HR specialist in their hotel there is poor hotel business performance and, conversely, convergent views are evident in the effectively performing hotels. These findings may have resonance for other organizations in devolving human resource management to the line and developing human resource business partnerships for business performance. It is proposed that three types of line manager buy-in are central to their active involvement in HR, namely: conceptual understanding of the rationale for their involvement; implementation effectiveness through HR role clarity and capability; and affective commitment in believing in the value of their involvement in HR.     

Meeting the environmental challenge: a case of win–win or lose–win? A study of the UK baking and refrigeration industries

The idea that what is good for the environment is good for business has come to dominate environmental thinking and provides one of the cornerstones of ecological modernization. Studies of this win–win philosophy have tended to concentrate on large companies. This study considers how the UK refrigeration and baking industries have responded to the main drivers for change. By eliciting managers' views of environmental issues through semi‐structured interviews, the problems and opportunities facing these two industries are explored. The responses were remarkably similar, given the different characteristics of the two industries. The interviews revealed that legislation maintains its pre‐eminence as a motivation for change. Win–win situations arising out of environmental legislation were found in some SMEs; however, for most the perception was one of lose–win. The demand for environmental products and processes, necessary for win–win, has yet to materialize. Companies, therefore, remain driven by the commercial, rather than the environmental, imperative. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Subordinates' perception of managers' transformational leadership style and satisfaction: a comparison of electronic manufacturing companies in Mainland China and Taiwan

Rapid economic growth has made leadership studies a significant subject in Asia. The present research compared subordinates' different perceptions of managers' transformational leadership style in Mainland China and Taiwan. Quantitative methodology was used in collecting 250 random samples from Shanghai and Taipei. Subordinates in Taiwan perceived that more managers had a transformational leadership style and also employees had higher satisfaction with managers' leadership style than those in Mainland China. The results of the present research would provide suggestions and directions for industrial managers seeking to display appropriate management behavior for an effective business environment.     

The interplay between stakeholders,resources and capabilities in climate change strategy: converting barriers into cooperation

This article investigates how organizations deal with drivers and barriers to the adoption of low‐carbon operational (LCO) practices and, accordingly, we propose a framework for relationships with stakeholders to guide organizations in orchestrating stakeholders, resources and capabilities to meet the challenges and opportunities arising from climate change. Data was collected through interviews with experts working within companies participating in the Carbon Disclosure Program and the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program. Our findings show that the level of willingness of stakeholders influences how companies select mechanisms to deal with drivers and barriers to LCO practices. Our results, qualified by stakeholder relationships theory and the natural resource‐based view, introduce an analytical approach called ‘mechanisms of responses’ to understand how organizations deal with drivers and barriers in the context of climate change in order to guide companies to adopt LCO practices, strengthen co‐operation with stakeholders and develop the required organizational capabilities.     

Relationships Between Cultural Orientations,Shared Ethical Values,Job Characteristics,and Organizational Commitment for Turkish Industrial Sales and Retail Managers

This study examines the relationship between cultural orientations, shared corporate ethical values, job characteristics, and organizational commitment for Turkish industrial sales managers and retail managers, replicating and extending the study done by Hunt, Wood, and Chonko (1989). This comparative study found that organizational commitment is a positive function of both Turkish industrial sales and retail managers' personal attributes/characteristics, shared corporate ethical values within companies, and task identity, autonomy, variety, and feedback as main components of job characteristics. The perceived level of cultural orientations of managers, on the other hand, differs significantly between two groups: companies with bureaucatic orientations affect organizational of commitment of their employees negatively whereas innovative and supportive ones affect positively.     

A quantitative study of financing efficiency of low‐carbon companies: A three‐stage data envelopment analysis

This study set out to evaluate the financing efficiency of low‐carbon companies. Applying a three‐stage data envelopment analysis with the data from 85 listed companies in China's low‐carbon industries over the period 2011 to 2017, this study has found that the overall financing efficiency of low‐carbon companies was relatively high, and the pure technical efficiency was quite steady over the period. The overall financing efficiency of these low‐carbon companies on average tended to change with the scale efficiency. This study has also shown that the scale efficiency was the main constraint influencing the financing efficiency of low‐carbon companies in China over the period. Our results are robust and have significant implications for policy makers and corporate managers.     

Human resource managers' role consistency and HR performance indicators: the moderating effect of interpersonal trust in Taiwan

This study explores the consistency between human resource (HR) managers' roles and HR performance indicators. In particular it considers the moderating effects of interpersonal trust on the relationship between HR managers' roles and HR performance indicators. We selected 116 HR managers from the top 500 manufacturing companies in Taiwan as our sample, and hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test our hypotheses. The results showed that the HR managers' roles were consistent with HR performance indicators. Also, a high level of affective trust weakened the positive relationship between HR manager roles and HR performance indicators. Thus we suggested that Chinese companies should design HR performance indicators according to the roles HR managers play. Additionally, when HR managers are playing the role of a strategic partner or change agent, top executives should avoid high affective trust with HR managers.     

What Determines Managers' Perceptions of Cash Flow Forecasting Quality? Evidence From a Multinational Corporation

In this article, we develop and test a model of the determinants of managers' perceptions of cash flow forecasting quality in nonfinancial companies. We expect and find that managers' perceptions of the quality of cash flow forecasts are determined by the perceived quality of the input data, the effort invested in forecasting, and the efficiency of the related processes, and ultimately by a company's orientation toward financial goals. Our empirical analysis is based on data from a worldwide questionnaire survey at a multinational industrial company. While we find that managers assess forecasting effort lower and forecasting efficiency higher for direct cash flow forecasting than for indirect method forecasting, our analyses reveal that the variables in our model, the postulated relationships between them, and the estimated effect sizes are equally valid for both forecasting methods.     

我国采掘业环境会计信息披露问题探析

采掘业是国家重度污染行业之一,环境会计信息披露与采掘业企业的效益和可持续发展是息息相关的,所以企业应更积极的进行环境信息披露,从而有利于美化企业形象并使信息使用者做出正确的决策。文章以我国采掘业上市公司为例,通过分析上市公司环境会计信息披露的现状,揭示信息披露中存在的问题并提出了促进其发展的对策建议。     

全球金融危机下我国石油企业SWOT分析及应对策略

随着全球金融危机的蔓延,石油企业的经营环境发生了重大变化,其经营效益也受到了严重影响。本文运用SWOT矩阵分析法,对我国石油企业在金融危机背景下的优势、劣势、机会、威胁进行了全面分析,得出我国石油企业应加强国际合作与海外并购、调整优化产业结构、坚持技术进步和管理创新、积极争取国家的配套政策支持、提高可持续发展的能力,从而化危为机,以期在新一轮经济大发展中脱颖而出。     

Teamworking and change: managing the contradictions

This article examines managers' experiences of introducing a team‐based work system in a manufacturing firm, and their efforts to manage this. Drawing on a social constructionist view, findings are presented that point to the plurality of ‘world views’ held among managers responsible for the delivery of change and to the socially contested nature of teamworking. Implications of these findings are pursued, including the need for change agents and human resource development (HRD) specialists to build sufficient time for review and reflection into change programmes. This is central to developing more skilled approaches to balancing inherent tensions in the employment relationship and processes of change, and in creating opportunities for more fluid and open dialogue among different groups and individuals within management in order to enhance processes of learning and understanding.     

Investigating Managers' Exploration and Exploitation Activities: The Influence of Top‐Down,Bottom‐Up,and Horizontal Knowledge Inflows*

abstract This paper develops and tests hypotheses on the influence of managers' knowledge inflows on managers' exploration and exploitation activities. Based on a survey among managers of a leading electronics firm, the findings indicate, as expected, that top‐down knowledge inflows of managers positively relate to the extent to which these managers conduct exploitation activities, while they do not relate to managers' exploration activities. Furthermore, as expected, bottom‐up and horizontal knowledge inflows of managers positively relate to these managers' exploration activities, while they do not relate to managers' exploitation activities. We contribute to current literature on exploration and exploitation by focusing on the manager level of analysis, and by adding the importance of knowledge flow configurations to studies which investigate the impact of organizational factors on exploration and exploitation.     

A review of business models for decentralised renewable energy projects

The diffusion of renewable energy technologies has often been suggested as a means to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, but emphasis tends to be placed on large scale projects. Adoption of renewable energy at the local level provides opportunities for both distributed energy schemes and domestic microgeneration. However, alternative models of ownership, governance and operation are not well developed. Locally managed energy solutions need to respond to varied end users' requirements to ensure that needs are met, so understanding of different types of end users is a prerequisite to the development of robust business models. This paper presents a review of existing models of decentralised energy generation in which actors such as community groups, energy cooperatives, charities and municipalities participate as owners and coproducers. End users can become involved in the design, development and delivery of energy services in a variety of ways. The focus is active user engagement through coconstruction, coproduction and coprovision of energy services. The following categories will be reviewed with reference to current understandings of both sustainable entrepreneurship and social enterprise: (a) energy service companies (ESCos) as commercial actors that undertake management of these projects, (b) energy cooperatives and (c) municipal energy. This analysis is used to reflect on and refine understanding of the relationship between technical, financial and operational constructs in models of decentralised energy generation which can contribute to social and environmental gains.     

工业结构调整与节能减排推进——以广东省为例

节能减排,一方面制约着我国沿海一些产业类型的发展,给整体沿海经济发展带来全面压力,但另一方面又给沿海经济带来了产业结构调整与升级的契机.通过我国沿海和广东省的工业实践,印证了世界工业发展深化的一般规律,即工业深化能够推进节能减排的原理.     

Strategies for Developing an Environmentally Sustainable Supply Chain: Differences Between Manufacturing and Service Sectors

This research illuminates the debate on whether there are differences between the manufacturing and service sectors in the matter of developing a sustainable environmental supply chain. Over the past 5 years a survey has been conducted with 800 large European companies, of which half are in the manufacturing sector and half in the service sector. The hypotheses within the survey are related to strategies for developing an environmental supply chain. They were derived from a literature review and were tested by means of a chi‐square test. The survey questionnaire enabled the respondents to give some viewpoints about the hypotheses. In this way, strategies for developing the supply chain such as ISO 14001, the Eco‐Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), auditing, waste management systems, reverse logistics, environmental indicators, remanufacturing and reuse have been investigated. Results show interesting and unexpected differences between manufacturing and service sectors that can lead to further research, practical implications and even suggestions for the surveyed companies. For instance, the viewpoints of manufacturing and service industries differ over ISO 14001 and EMAS implementation in the supply chain. In addition, service industries approach the implementation of auditing, reverse logistics, reuse and remanufacturing in a way different from that of manufacturing. Other strategies are considered essential by both sectors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Front‐line managers as agents in the HRM‐performance causal chain: theory,analysis and evidence

Research on the link between HRM and organisational performance has neglected the role of front‐line managers, yet it is these managers who are increasingly charged with the implementation of many HR practices. Using an employee survey in 12 ‘excellent’ companies we explore the extent to which employee commitment towards their employer and their job are influenced by the quality of leadership behaviour and by satisfaction with HR practices. Both have a strong effect on employee attitudes. The article concludes with a case study of a planned effort to improve front‐line managers' skills in people management.     

Leadership development in selected leading Thai companies

This research examined leadership development (LD) and leadership development programs (LDPs) in three selected Thai businesses. The research purpose was to identify and explore the features, leaders' competencies, activities and programs, key elements, and critical issues of LDP in these organizations. A case‐study approach was employed as the research method. The data were collected through company documents, questionnaires, and interviews of managers who were directly responsible for leadership development in their organization. Three levels of LDPs were commonly found among the studied companies: those organized for supervisors, managers, and executives. Leaders' competencies were derived from the companies' vision, mission, and values, business drivers, and top management judgment. Development activities included formal training, development activities, and self‐initiative undertakings. Common key elements of LDPs were support from top management, adherence to human resource development (HRD) and business strategic plans, and emphasis on coaching and mentoring. The critical issues included top management trust in employees' abilities; competence and independence of local internal staff; evaluation of LDP effectiveness; level of engagement by potential company leaders; and costs of building, executing, and evaluating LDP.     

Green supply chain practices and company performance in Portuguese manufacturing sector

Green supply chain management is an important organizational approach to reducing strain on the environment. Many companies are under pressure from customers, media, governments, and investors, among others, to implement green practices. This exploratory paper investigates the relationships between internal and external green practices of eight Portuguese companies from different industrial sectors and their impact on economic and environmental performance. The relationship was analyzed based on the data collected from 22 semi‐structured interviews with general managers, procurement and environmental/safety managers, and through secondary data collected from reports, websites and companies' internal documentation. The analysis identifies the most important green practices considered by managers, as well as the performance measures that are most appropriate and most widely used to evaluate the influence of green practices on corporate performance. A conceptual model was derived to assess the influence of green practices on focal company economic and environmental performance. The results support four of five propositions of this research, and it is possible to conclude that the companies believe that with the adoption of green supply chain practices, they can be more competitive in the market. Due to the scope of the green practices, the relationship between green practices and economic performance was inconclusive. Internal and external green supply chain practices contribute to improved environmental performance because for all companies, there is a positive relationship between green practices and environmental performance in terms of energy, water consumption, waste, and air emissions reduction.