Vorschau

VORSCHAU

Vorschau 3 | 2011     

Wirtschaftswissenschaften: zu wenig Pluralität der Methoden und Forschungsrichtungen?

The authors discuss the merits of including pluralist methods, theories and paradigms into the traditionally mainstream. They also evaluate the progress made by German faculties in this regard. The pluralism debate is in itself plural. There are numerous international and Germany specific dimensions and associated critiques of mainstream economics. Different approaches to economic policy must be organised in a manner which guarantees theoretical and paradigmatic pluralism — on which economic policy proposals ought to be based. Another view focuses on the educational effect and states that the mental frames of economics students are subject to manipulation; the foundation of their thinking is narrowed and recontextualised in an emotionally and politically highly charged semantic environment.     

Environmental analysis units and strategic decision-making: A field study of selected ‘leading-edge’ corporations

In response to increasing environmental change many corporations have developed specialized environmental scanning units. Previous research reveals conflicting findings regarding the viability of these units for introducing environmentally relevant information into strategic decision processes. A field study was conducted on 10 ‘leading-edge’ corporations. The results show continuing experimentation with alternative administrative structures and the vulnerability of units that are not tightly linked with strategic planning processes.     

Environment,strategy, organization structure and performance: Patterns in one industry

This paper reports the findings of an empirical field study of savings and loan associations. The investigation centres upon whether combinations of environment, strategy, and organization structure of “high”-performance firms differ from combinations associated with “low”-performance firms. Results show that such combinations differ, both statistically and with respect to their basic character. There is also evidence that norms held by managers of competing institutions and the nature of relationships between organizations and populations served to influence the vigour and form of interfirm rivalries and, in turn, organizational performance.     

Internet use for corporate environmental reporting: current challenges—technical benefits—practical guidance

The huge opportunities of using the internet for corporate reporting are arranged in a comprehensive system of technical benefits. In order to give a tangible example and describe practical use thoroughly, the benefits are focused on environmental reporting but they can be transferred in major parts also to financial, social or sustainability reporting—seen as a currently emerging trend towards integrated financial, environmental and social reporting. In more detail, the system of internet‐specific benefits is illustrated by four main categories: benefits concerning the underlying purposes of publishing reports, benefits concerning the entire reporting process, benefits concerning the report contents and benefits concerning the report design. In terms of corporate reporting, professional internet use will enhance the way in which companies give information, communicate and manage their business internally and externally, benefiting all members involved that are reporting companies, addressed key target groups and other stakeholders such as standard setting institutions and benchmarking organizations. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment     

Environmental analysis: The applicability of current theory

It is suggested that senior-level executives and corporate staff are under mounting pressure to develop better means for assessing organizational environments. This comes at a time when there is little agreement about the concept of environment, relevant perspectives from which it should be viewed, and how to organize for its evaluation. Alternative ‘models’ for environmental analysis are examined, and theoretical issues and their administrative implications are discussed.