You do not have to succeed,just do not fail: When do soccer coaches get fired?

This article deals with circumstances leading to the dismissal of a soccer coach. The article is based on results from the Premier League in England over 12 consecutive years. In this paper, we converted the scores of matches (win, draw, and loss) into an index based upon how results were perceived by club owners—those empowered with the decision as to whether or not to fire the coach. The index is based on the difference between the actual and expected results reflected by betting odds. We conclude that to ensure job preservation, the manager does not have to succeed—he just must not fail.     

Does the ideal entrepreneurial team exist?

Up until now, studies on entrepreneurs and their relationship to business performance have focused primarily on analyzing the entrepreneur as an individual. While studies have been conducted on the entrepreneurial team, their focus has centered on team size and degree of diversity - cultural, age, gender - leaving a gap in the analysis of the effect of a team’s competencies on the outcome of the ventures. This research aims to help fill this gap by using the psychometric instrument DISC. This research analyzes entrepreneurship by opportunity, evaluating the performance of 109 Colombian companies and the composition of their entrepreneurial teams. The results obtained provide the basis for better understanding of the make-up of entrepreneurial teams, considering the variances and interdependencies of the competency development level among their members. They reveal that identifying the similarity or heterogeneity in certain groups of competencies, as well as how developed they are, can have an impact on the ventures’ success. The cluster analysis carried out suggests that highly developed competencies associated with the ‘dominance’ dimension in the members of an entrepreneurial team are essential. These must be above-average in heterogeneous levels among the team members. They must also be accompanied by the ‘steadiness’ competency provided by the team-oriented partners, as well as an average, homogeneous level of competencies associated with ‘conscientiousness’ if the new business is to achieve good financial results in its early years. The ‘influence’ dimension did not play a significant role. The teams made up of more homogeneous partners obtained the poorest financial results. Furthermore, the study provides new perspectives for measuring business performance in a venture, as well as for evaluating the relationships between the entrepreneurial team's competencies and the company’s results in the first years of business. Accordingly, it offers inputs for future research.

     

How do performance feedback characteristics influence recipients’ reactions? A state-of-the-art review on feedback source,timing, and valence effects

One of the most important measures to stimulate individual performance is feedback, whose effectiveness highly depends on underlying feedback characteristics. Although an extensive body of research has stressed its importance, a conclusive overall picture on feedback characteristics effects is missing. However, synthesized knowledge is important when one is willing to implement feedback systems to effectively influence recipients’ reactions. To address this issue, we organize and summarize the findings regarding the main effects of feedback source, feedback timing, and feedback valence as well as regarding their interactions with the source, message, task, and recipients’ individual characteristics from different disciplines. Based on an analysis of 64 empirical articles, we show that main effects have been considered very context-specific and are often inconsistent, while the occurrence of certain source, message, task, and individual characteristics even inverts the generally assumed main relationships. Based on an extract of our findings, we provide specific research propositions and offer avenues for future research, which will be of value for researchers and feedback-providing practitioners.     

Why and how do firms reshore? A contingency-based conceptual framework

Much of the growing body of reshoring literature has focused on why firms reverse a prior location decision. While valuable, this work needs extending to how the decision to reshore is operationalised. Using a two-stage approach, this paper presents a conceptual framework that covers both why and how firms reshore. The framework also utilises contingency theory to identify the factors that influence these decisions. It is therefore claimed to be more comprehensive than others frameworks found in the literature. First, a systematic literature review deductively develops an initial framework. Second, a revised version of the framework is presented using evidence from a single, exemplar case of captive reshoring in the textiles industry. The case evidence identifies new factors and extends a typology of reshoring decisions proposed in the literature to more accurately reflect the dynamic, complex, and incremental nature of the onshore-offshore-reshore location and ownership decision.     

When do corporate social responsibility initiatives impact on customer-facing employees? Evidence from India and the Netherlands

The vast majority of the extant literature on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has focused on the macro (firm) level of analysis by examining the linkage between CSR and firm-level outcomes. As such, very few studies have focused on the micro (individual) level of analysis. Against this backdrop, the present study focuses on the individual level of analysis thereby contributing to the emerging psychology of CSR literature, which considers employees' perceptions of their employing organizations' social actions as more important than organizations' objective CSR performance (Rupp, Shao, Thornton and Skarlicki (2013), ‘Applicants’ and Employees’ Reactions to Corporate Social Responsibility: The Moderating Effects of First-Party Justice Perceptions and Moral Identity,’ Personnel Psychology, 66, 895–933). Moreover, the study is one of the first examining the role of context in employee attitudes toward CSR. In particular, it builds on the psychology of CSR (e.g. Rupp et al. 2013) literature to propose a research framework that delineates the moderating effects of satisfaction with payment, satisfaction with the job itself and individualism in the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) perceptions and customer-facing employees' behavioral outcomes. Data are collected from customer-facing employees in two major organizations in the Netherlands and India. Results suggest a complex interplay between CSP perceptions and the two facets of job satisfaction, and that national context is likely to moderate the contingent effects of CSP perceptions on customer-facing employees' behavioral outcomes.     

When do investors reward acquisitions and divestitures? The contrasting implications of normative and behavioral economic theories

We evaluate whether a contingency theory that combines a signaling hypothesis with behavioral economic theory can elucidate the discrepancy between positive expected returns to acquisitions and divestitures and the mixed‐to‐negative investor reactions observed in practice. We argue that, because of bounded rationality, uncertainty avoidance, and inertia, major organizational change is generally motivated by the detection of problems in an organization. Accordingly, although investors may view acquisitions and divestitures as positive corrective measures for low performers, such initiatives by high performers often signal problems that were heretofore unknown to the market. We contrast our results with predictions based on normative theories.     

When do Non‐Family CEOs Outperform in Family Firms? Agency and Behavioural Agency Perspectives

Family firms represent a globally dominant form of organization, yet they confront a steep challenge of finding and managing competent leaders. Sometimes, these leaders cannot be found within the owning family. To date we know little about the governance contexts under which non‐family leaders thrive or founder. Guided by concepts from agency theory and behavioural agency theory, we examine the conditions of ownership and leadership that promote superior performance among non‐family CEOs of family firms. Our analysis of 893 Italian family firms demonstrates that these leaders outperform when they are monitored by multiple major family owners as opposed to a single owner; they also outperform when they are not required to share power with co‐CEOs who are family members, and who may be motivated by parochial family socioemotional priorities.     

How do extended benefits affect unemployment duration? A regression discontinuity approach

This paper studies a targeted program that extends the maximum duration of unemployment benefits from 30 weeks to 209 weeks in Austria. Sharp discontinuities in treatment assignment at age 50 and at the border between eligible regions and control regions identify the effect of extended benefits on unemployment duration. Results indicate that the duration of job search is prolonged by at least 0.09 weeks per additional week of benefits among men, whereas unemployment duration increases by at least 0.32 weeks per additional week of benefits for women. This finding is consistent with a lower early retirement age applying to women.     

Empowered to do what? Why?

This article reviews an approach to leverage business process reengineering and employee empowerment for not only cycle time and cost reduction opportunities, but also a more exciting and expanded role for the employee. It promotes the reduction of simple, routine tasks, and refocusing the improved skill level of today's employees on higher value adding activities.     

When is a move a migration?

"This paper extends the traditional theory of urban location to derive a consistent model of inter- and intra-regional mobility. It demonstrates that the two are behaviorally distinct. Workplace and residence relocations tend to be 'substitutes' in intra-regional mobility but are 'complements' in inter-regional mobility. Previous empirical papers have neglected the theoretical foundations of intra-regional mobility. In consequence, they have made four types of analytical compromises: defined 'migration' as any change in residence location, used job changes as proxies for workplace mobility, neglected commuting distances, and used estimation techniques that do not reveal the underlying behavior."     

Why do banks acquire non-banks?

This study focuses on the reasons for and the implications of banks?? decisions to acquire non-bank financial service firms (non-banks). The choice to acquire non-banks is driven by both external forces such as deregulation and regulatory capital and by internal forces such as a diversification strategy and efforts to enhance revenue and return to equity holders. We find that whereas the impact of acquiring non-banks increases their non-interest income, it also increases their non-interest expense. The net effect of choosing non-bank acquisitions lowers their subsequent return on assets, market value, and stock returns, as well as increasing their risk. However, the non-bank acquisitions do significantly increase the acquiring banks top executives?? subsequent compensation. We conclude that non-bank acquisitions are driven by both regulatory and strategic forces within the banking industry. However, such acquisitions manifest into agency problems.     

When Does Aftermarket Monopolization Soften Foremarket Competition?

This paper investigates firms' abilities to tacitly collude when they each monopolize a proprietary aftermarket. When firms' aftermarkets are completely isolated from foremarket competition, they cannot tacitly collude more easily than single‐product firms. However, when their aftermarket power is contested by foremarket competition as equipment owners view new equipment as a substitute for their incumbent firm's aftermarket product, profitable tacit collusion is sustainable among a larger number of firms. Conditions under which introduction of aftermarket competition hinders firms' ability to tacitly collude are characterized.     

Too much inventory? How do you know?

How much inventory does a company need to support its business goals? Companies must consider what effect their inventory investment decisions have on the strategic direction of their business. Too often, a company's investment decisions are carried out not by the company's strategists, but by individuals who are unaware of the strategic direction of the business.     

When do high‐level managers believe they can influence the stock price? Antecedents of stock price expectancy cognitions

Stock based rewards are often used to motivate high‐level managers to take actions to increase the stock price of the firm. However, numerous constraints may weaken the perceived link between individual effort and stock price appreciation for many recipients. This study introduces a new construct, stock price expectancy, which we define as individuals' perceptions of influence over their firm's stock price. We examined its antecedents in a sample of 349 high‐level U.S. managers and found that employment at corporate headquarters, firm size, hierarchical level, and contact with investment analysts predicted stock price expectancy perceptions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Are we properly training future HR/IR practitioners?: A review of the curricula

Researchers and practitioners have suggested that the agenda for HR/IR has changed. The present study identifies essential competencies for HR/IR practitioners, and evaluates whether college programs are adequately developing these competencies. The results suggest that overall programs are doing an adequate job, but could still be more progressive in competency development.