Transforming New Ideas into Practice: An Activity Based Perspective on the Institutionalization of Practices

We develop an activity‐focused process model of how new ideas can be transformed into front line practice by reviving attention to the importance of habitualization as a key component of institutionalization. In contrast to established models that explain how ideas diffuse or spread from one organization to another, we employ a micro‐level perspective to study the subsequent intra‐organizational processes through which these ideas are transformed into new workplace practices. We followed efforts to transform the organizationally accepted idea of ‘interdisciplinary teamwork’ into new everyday practices in four cases over a six year time period. We contribute to the literature by focusing on de‐habitualizing and re‐habitualizing behaviours that connect micro‐level actions with organizational level theorizing. Our model illuminates three phases that we propose are essential to creating and sustaining this connection: micro‐level theorizing, encouraging trying the new practices, and facilitating collective meaning‐making.     

Inter-organisational Information Systems as Enablers of Organisational Flexibility

Many organisations seek flexibility, but its attainment is fraught with problems. Research argues that information systems (IS) can provide flexibility. This paper explores the relationship between one type of IS, inter-organisational systems (IOS) and flexibility. The first element of the research demonstrates that organisations do obtain flexibility from using IOS. In particular, IOS improve efficiency, responsiveness, versatility and robustness. Subsequently the research finds some support for the proposition that the technologies used for IOS provide flexibility. Certain organisational characteristics have a positive relationship with flexibility from IOS. These include (i) adopting IOS for offensive competitive reasons, (ii) integrating IOS planning with IS planning, (iii) integrating IOS planning with business planning, (iv) initiating adoption of IOS, (v) integrating IOS with internal IS software, (vi) possessing superior internal IT expertise, (vii) operating in a competitive environment and (viii) longevity of IOS use. The implications of these findings for managers and researchers are discussed.     

Fraud Classification Using Principal Component Analysis of RIDITs

This article introduces to the statistical and insurance literature a mathematical technique for an a priori classification of objects when no training sample exists for which the exact correct group membership is known. The article also provides an example of the empirical application of the methodology to fraud detection for bodily injury claims in automobile insurance. With this technique, principal component analysis of RIDIT scores (PRIDIT), an insurance fraud detector can reduce uncertainty and increase the chances of targeting the appropriate claims so that an organization will be more likely to allocate investigative resources efficiently to uncover insurance fraud. In addition, other (exogenous) empirical models can be validated relative to the PRIDIT‐derived weights for optimal ranking of fraud/nonfraud claims and/or profiling. The technique at once gives measures of the individual fraud indicator variables’ worth and a measure of individual claim file suspicion level for the entire claim file that can be used to cogently direct further fraud investigation resources. Moreover, the technique does so at a lower cost than utilizing human insurance investigators, or insurance adjusters, but with similar outcomes. More generally, this technique is applicable to other commonly encountered managerial settings in which a large number of assignment decisions are made subjectively based on ‘‘clues,‘’ which may change dramatically over time. This article explores the application of these techniques to injury insurance claims for automobile bodily injury in detail.     

Community Growth Around Nuclear Power Plants

This study analyzes the growth rates of 64 municipalities around 4 nuclear power plants in the Northeastern United States, as reflected by changes in equalized total real property market values from 1960 to 1976. Annual growth rates were inversely related to distance from the plant, and were higher after the plants became operational. Growth rates for the host municipalities were greater than those for the regions around them. Although it was not possible to isolate the specific effects of nuclear power plants on growth rates, the empirical results suggest that at least until 1976 there were positive growth effects in the host communities.     

The impact of the residency teaching model on the efficiency of the emergency department at an academic center

The residency teaching model is often cited as a source of inefficiency in the healthcare system. We build a simulation model of an Emergency Department (ED) at a large urban academic hospital. Using historical data and a natural experiment involving residents in the ED, we show that residents in fact increase throughput and lower service and waiting times compared to not being there at all.     

Timestyles: Role factor influences on the convergence and divergence of couples' complementary and substitute activity patterns

Using a role theory framework, this research focuses on convergence and divergence in complementary and substitute activities for husbands and wives. Hypotheses on the effects of children and wife's employment were assessed for a national sample of married men reporting on their and their wives' activities for a typical weekday and Saturday. Role factors are shown to have a significant impact on timestyles and the specific activities emerging as substitutes and complements.     

What Was Driving the 1982–88 Boom In Temporary Employment?

Abstract . The level of temporary help employment rose two-and-a-half fold between 1982 and 1988, was quite variable and had a disproportionately larger effect on employment flows. One conventional explanation suggests that changing demographic composition of the labor force in favor of groups preferring nontraditional employment arrangements fueled the temporary help boom. Demand-side views emphasize the volatility in labor demand, intensified price competition and the absence of employee benefit contributions. Empirical estimation confirms that demand-side forces predominate. Yet no labor supply variable is found to be positively associated with the extent of temporary employment. Cyclical fluctuation in output, intensified foreign competition and the magnitude of nonwage labor costs are all positively associated with temporary employment levels. The diminishing bargaining power of labor unions allows employers to exploit the labor cost savings of temporary hires, and the extent of paid time-off and the lack of flexibility in weekly hours of work play a weak role. The findings suggest why temporary job growth accelerated in the 1980s, as more firms employed a “core-periphery” human resource strategy. Public policy should adopt measures that attempt to limit the creation of temporary jobs to a level that accommodates the worker need for flexible annual work schedules.     

THE INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: STRATEGIES FOR ACTION IN HIGHLY-ORDERED CONTEXTS*

Writers in the management literature use one of three general concepts of culture: homogeneous organizational culture, heterogeneous subgroup cultures, and ambiguous cultures. In spite of their differences, each of these conceptualizations focuses attention primarily on the context in which the individual member of an organization acts, and suggests that the latitude for individual action increases as the orderliness of that context decreases. In doing so, the culture literature has underestimated the role of individual actors as active agents in their contexts, regardless of the degree of orderliness prevailing in them. By incorporating a more dynamic perspective of action into the cultural analysis of organizations, this article develops a framework which focuses attention on how individuals not only adhere to, but also depart from even highly-ordered organizational and subgroup cultures. This framework is then used to investigate managerial interactions during a planning meeting in HAPCO (a pseudonym), a Fortune 500 company. Two general conclusions emerge from these analyses. First, the normative force of HAPCO culture suppresses conflict, as well as the discussion of alternative ideas during decision-making meetings. Thus, this particular organizational culture severely limits the range of individual action. Second, even in large, highly-ordered organizations such as HAPCO, culture never completely dominates action because individuals comment critically on their situation. Consequently, individuals possess the capacity not only to adapt to, but also to challenge and depart from cultural rules. Four general types of strategies for individual action are empirically observed and conceptually distinguished.