Conflict for Mutual Gains?*

abstract This paper adopts Walton and McKersie's Behavioral Theory of Labor Negotiations to examine the outcomes of industrial relations negotiations to implement teamworking. Negotiations from 21 departments across two integrated steelworks are classified into four negotiation patterns, each producing different outcomes from teamworking for managers and employees. Managers secured lower manning and increased productivity in negotiations both in departments characterized throughout by cooperation and those characterized by conflict. However, mutual gains were secured only where union negotiators pursued conflict tactics during bargaining. In those departments where union negotiators adopted more conflictual bargaining tactics, more employees reported pay increases and greater satisfaction with teamworking agreements, compared with employees in more ‘cooperative’ departments. ‘Mixed’ bargaining approaches in other departments were less successful, particularly for union negotiators.     

Pre-defined and optional staging for the deployment of enterprise systems: a case study and a framework

The effective deployment of enterprise systems has been a major challenge for many organisations. Customising the new system, changing business processes, and integrating multiple information sources are all difficult tasks. As such, they are typically done in carefully planned stages in a process known as phased implementation. Using ideas from Option Theory, this article critiques aspects of phased implementation. One customer relationship management (CRM) project and its phased implementation are described in detail and ten other enterprise system deployments are summarised as a basis for the observation that almost all deployment stages are pre-defined operational steps rather than decision points. However, Option Theory suggests that optional stages, to be used only when risk materialises, should be integral parts of project plans. Although such optional stages are often more valuable than pre-defined stages, the evidence presented in this article shows that they are only rarely utilised. Therefore, a simple framework is presented; it first identifies risks related to the deployment of enterprise systems, then identifies optional stages that can mitigate these risks, and finally compares the costs and benefits of both pre-defined and optional stages.     

A longitudinal investigation on the factors affecting newcomers' adjustment: evidence from Japanese organizations

Using the longitudinal survey data of newcomers working for Japanese firms, this study demonstrates that the socialization tactics used by Japanese firms were positively related to the degree of socialization of newcomers, which eventually correlated positively with the time-series differences in organizational commitment and achievement motivation from the first year (T1) to the second year (T2) of their organizational entry, and negatively with the longitudinal change in turnover intention from T1 to T2. In addition, the results show that the newcomers' attitudes toward their pre-entry job search efforts, as with their entry (T1), had a negative influence on the change in value commitment from T1 to T2, indicating that those who rated their past job search activities as successful tended, as of their entry into the organization, to diminish their level of acceptance of their organization's values over a year. Findings are used to discuss how firms can effectively manage their entry-level employees to facilitate their adjustment and retention.     

Making Innovation Happen in a Megaproject: London's Crossrail Suburban Railway System

Isolated pockets of innovation can be found in projects—such as the novel solution used to redesign the Velodrome roof during the London 2012 Olympics—but there have been few, if any, systematic efforts to manage innovation in a megaproject. This paper presents the initial findings of an ongoing three‐year (2012–2014) action research project between Crossrail and researchers at Imperial College London and University College London. Action research is well suited to a setting where an intervention is required to diagnose and solve an organizational problem and produce scientific findings (Miles & Huberman, 1994; Van de Ven, 2007). Undertaken in collaboration with practitioners, the aim of action research is to transform the research setting through a process of critical inquiry and action. Our engagement with Crossrail aimed to formulate and implement an innovation strategy to improve the performance and outcomes of the project. We identified four stages—or windows of opportunity—to intervene to generate, discover, and implement innovation in a megaproject: (1) the bridging window during the front‐end when ideas, learning, and practices from other projects and industries can be used to create an innovative project process, organization, and governance structure; (2) the engaging window, when tendering and contractual processes can be used by the client to encourage contractors and suppliers to develop novel ideas and innovative solutions; (3) the leveraging window, when all the parties involved—clients, delivery partners, and suppliers—are mobilized to develop novel ideas, new technologies, and organizational practices to improve performance; and (4) the exchanging window at the back‐end, when ideas and resources for innovation can be (re)combined with those of other projects in the wider innovation ecosystem to improve performance. The first two stages had largely occurred when we became involved in the Crossrail project in 2012. Our intervention addressed the final two stages, when we assisted in the development and implementation of an innovation strategy. Core to this strategy was a coordinated mobilization of the innovative capabilities across the project supply chain. Though, to be successful, this approach had to be open enough to span organizational boundaries beyond the supply chain, reaching into the broader ecosystem. The four windows provide a valuable new heuristic for organizing innovation in megaprojects, pointing to areas where project managers can craft targeted innovation interventions and compare their efforts with those of others.     

面向“百度”搜索引擎优化算法应用规律分析

面向主流搜索引擎"百度",针对搜索引擎的经典排序算法,分析得出影响主流搜索引擎排序可能的相关因素:网页的关键词频率、关键词密度、Alexa排名、外部链接数量、PR值、出站链接数量。使用站长工具收集百度中靠前的网页的可能相关因素的数据,通过筛选过滤后,利用统计图来观察规律,再根据可能的规律使用相应方法进行检验和拟合,通过研究发现在百度靠前的搜索结果中,网页的关键字密度和PageRank具有规律性,这些结果为各类企业规划电子商务网站时,进行搜索引擎优化提供参考依据。     

A heuristic algorithm for capacity sensitive requirements planning

Available lot sizing rules for use in MRP (Material Requirements Planning) systems ignore capacity limitations at various work centers when sizing future orders. Planned order releases are instead determined by the tradeoff only between the item's set up and inventory holding costs. This limitation can cause unanticipated overloads and underloads at the various work centers, along with higher inventories, poorer customer service, and excessive overtime.This research explores one way to make MRP systems more sensitive to capacity limitations at the time of each regeneration run. A relatively simple heuristic algorithm is designed for this purpose. The procedure is applied to those planned order releases that standard MRP logic identifies as mature for release. The lot sizes for a small percentage of these items are increased or decreased so as to have the greatest impact in smoothing capacity requirements at the various work centers in the system. This algorithm for better integrating material requirements plans and capacity requirements plans is tested with a large scale simulator in a variety of manufacturing environments. This simulator has subsequently undergone extensive tests, including its successful validation with actual data at a large plant of major corporations.Simulation results show that the algorithm's modest extension to MRP logic significantly helps overall performance, particularly with customer service. For a wide range of test environments, past due orders were reduced by more than 30% when the algorithm was used. Inventory levels and capacity problems also improved. Not surprisingly, the algorithm helps the most (compared to not using it at all as an MRP enhancement) in environments in which short-term bottlenecks are most severe. Large lot sizes and tight shop capacities are characteristic of these environments. The algorithm works the best when forecast errors are not excessive and the master schedule is not too “nervous.”This proposed procedure is but one step toward making MRP more capacity sensitive. The widely heralded concept of “closed-loop” MRP means that inventory analysts must change or “fix up” parts of the computer generated material requirements plan. What has been missing is a tool for identifying the unrealistic parts of the plan. Our algorithm helps formalize this identification process and singles out a few planned order releases each week. This information comes to the analyst's attention as part of the usual action notices. These pointers to capacity problems go well beyond capacity requirements planning (CRP) and would be impossible without computer assistance.Our study produced two other findings. First, short-term bottlenecks occur even when the master production schedule is leveled. The culprits are the lot sizing choices for items at lower levels in the bills of material. “Rough-cut” capacity planning, such as resource requirements planning, therefore is not a sufficient tool for leveling capacity requirements. It must be supplemented by a way to smooth bottlenecks otherwise caused by shop orders for intermediate items. Second, the disruptive effect of large lot sizes is apparent, both in terms of higher inventories and worse customer service. Large lot sizes not only inflate inventories, but paradoxically hurt customer service because they create more capacity bottlenecks. The only reason why management should prefer large lot sizes is if set-up times are substantial and cannot be efficiently reduced. This finding is very much in step with the current interest in just-in-time (JIT) systems.     

Tourism in peripheral regions: a Swedish policy perspective

To be successful as a motor in the development of declined regions, tourism must be integrated in a carefully planned regional development policy which has clear objectives. Regional development policy in Sweden is reviewed in the context of the northern peripheral areas of the country. The objectives were first economic and relied on the trickling down effect from the core. With the crisis of the 1970s the focus shifted to ‘quality of life’. Regional policy became more active with tourism as a sort of motor in the development plans. Most of the activities failed due to heavy dependence on investment in large public and private enterprises. The focus has now shifted to a more endogenous mode of development and, as a means to this, the restoration of the ‘brain balance’ through inward migration to the declined peripheral regions. The parameters for a tourism policy which would be a significant factor in creating an attractive region for tourism and for an inward migration which would play its role in a wider development process are set out.     

我国住房发展规划指标体系构建研究

规范合理的规划指标体系对住房发展规划的科学陛、可操作性具有重要意义。针对当前我国住房发展规划指标体系尚未建立的问题，结合我国基本国情，在充分考虑住房政策导向和住房发展理念、综合平衡住房民生属性与发展属性的基础上，提出我国住房发展规划指标体系的构建原则与思路，并初步构建了指标体系的基本框架，明确了各项指标的内涵、属性及其与规划目标、不同层次规划的对应关系。     

绩效管理浅析

绩效管理是“以人为本”理念下促进人与企业融合的理想的工具,企业的管理者通过发现员工的绩效表现来了解管理的效果,文章主要对绩效管理的一些基本定义进行初步的探讨。     

The application of change management theory to HR portal implementation in subsidiaries of multinational corporations

HR portals are complex information technology (IT) applications that can be accessed by all employees of a given organization. By placing more applications and information online, HR portals reduce the reliance employees have on HR personnel. Given this relational change, from human to computer, the HR portal implementation process must take into account the challenges of both change management and technology acceptance. By integrating change management theories with IT user acceptance models, this article adds to HR's collective knowledge of ways to effectively implement HR portals. In addition, this article describes the cross‐national challenges that exist when a global firm attempts to implement an HR portal around the world. Thus, this article will present a model that (1) integrates change management theories and IT user acceptance models and (2) illustrates the ways in which change management plans may need to be adapted to be effective in various subsidiaries. A case study of Hewlett‐Packard's (HP's) worldwide implementation of their @HP Employee Portal in the Italian subsidiary of HP illustrates the key issues of these theories. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

做好南疆富余劳动力转移就业安置工作的几点见解

为履行企业社会责任,做好南疆富余劳动力转移就业安置工作,五建党委认真落实新疆维吾尔自治区党委、政府及集团党委要求,认真谋划、精心准备、积极行动。公司党政领导亲自挂帅成立专门领导小组,召开多次专题会议落实用工单位和就业岗位,相关部门做好宣传引导、培训教育,各基层单位做好就业人员接收上岗、管理服务等工作,以保证圆满完成任务。     

Gainsharing: A few questions,and fewer answers

Gainsharing is an important organization development intervention, yet many of the basic questions have not been answered. This paper addresses these questions by developing a conceptual model and using the model to review the case study literature on gainsharing. The plans varied in terms of structural factors, implementation factors, and situational factors, and a majority were successful. Gainsharing impact was found in five key areas: organizational effectiveness, individual quality of work life, ideas and innovation, labormanagement cooperation, and pay. Relevant research is briefly reviewed and several unanswered questions are identified for future research.     

The final outcome of charitable bequest gift intentions: Findings and implications for legacy fundraising

Charitable bequest gifts are important to charities but evaluating legacy fundraising activities is problematic. These activities may not generate bequest income until many years later. Thus, many charities focus on generating reports of current plans or intentions for bequest gifts. Such approaches depend on the link between these reports and ultimate bequest transfers. However, this link is not well documented. This study presents the first multi-organisational results linking ultimate estate distributions with lifetime legacy giving plans or intentions reported to charities. Ten Australian charities provided data from those dying in 2014–2017. Among 700 decedents who had confirmed the presence of a planned bequest gift to the charity, 35% generated no estate gift. This lost gift rate varied from 17 to 60% across different organisations. The average loss rate was 24% when the charity had at least one communication with the decedent within 2 years of death, and 48% otherwise. Among 264 people reporting to the charity that they were “intending” or “considering” an estate gift but not confirming it, 89% left no gift at death. Among 507 people only requesting information about making a bequest gift, 95% left no gift at death. These results suggest the importance of moving donors to the point of planned gift confirmation and then maintaining relationships until the end of life. However, marketing remains challenging given that 58% of the 2,682 total bequest gifts received by these organisations came from decedents who were not donors during life.     

Implementing manufacturing innovations: Critical choices of structure and staffing roles

The implementation of manufacturing process innovations is explored through a case study that focuses on the steps taken to develop and implement a successful proprietary, computer-based parts planning process by a firm in the aerospace industry. The issues of the case are analyzed using a conceptual framework that considers successful implementation to be a function of the nature of the innovation, the appropriate configuration of organizational structure, and the existence of a constellation of critical staffing roles. Implications for human resource management are discussed as well.     

The scholarly exchange of knowledge in Operations Management

A number of studies have investigated the quality of journals in Operations Management. This research steps back from these studies and investigates the exchange of ideas within Operations Management journals and between other management disciplines (Management, Marketing, and Finance) during the last decade (1998–2007). Journal citation metrics provide a measure for the exchange of scholarly ideas. Operations Management (OM) journals show a willingness to cross-pollinate ideas with other management disciplines. But, they also tend to have a higher level of self citations and lower level of within discipline citation exchanges when compared to other management disciplines. As a result, Operations Management journals may reflect methodological silos in the field that could potentially dampen scholarly exchange. In general, increasing the diversity of scholarly exchanges within Operations Management, and conducting more cross-disciplinary research with other management disciples should improve the scholarly development of Operations Management.     

传统进度管理方法存在的问题与关键链管理体系

关键链管理理论在工程建设项目中得以应用可以有效地解决传统进度管理中存在的工期估计较长和延期的现象。本文首先分析了传统管理方法的缺陷,然后着重阐述了关键链管理理论实施的思路和步骤。     

A comparison of American and international prototypes of successful managers

In the present study, similarities and differences between prototypes of successful managers were examined across four cultural groups: Americans, Europeans, Asians, and Latin Americans. Managers from the hospitality industry (N = 366) used an 84–item attribute inventory to rate a successful middle manager. In addition, Americans' stereotypes of ethnic managers were compared with prototypes held by managers from those ethnic cultures. Specifically, American managers' perceptions of Asian and Hispanic managers were compared against Asian and Hispanic/Latin American managers' prototypes. A high level of correspondence in prototype characteristics was found across the four cultural groups. In addition, American‐defined ethnic manager stereotypes also contained profiles similar to cultural prototypes. However, important differences were also detected on many managerial characteristics. Implications of the findings for cross‐cultural congruence and areas for future research are discussed.     

Income Level and the Value of Non-Wage Employee Benefits

With continuing increases in the cost of medical insurance and other “fringe” benefits, payroll cost for monetary and non-monetary aspects of compensation is a significant factor for most organizations. While this is not a new phenomenon, relatively few studies in the empirical literature have examined the role of fringe benefits in employee compensation plans. Especially in under researched areas, it is imperative that researchers utilize ideas and theories from other disciplines to further our knowledge. Accordingly, this paper borrows the concept of elasticity from the economic literature to help explain and understand employee perceptions of two of the most common, costly, and important benefits—medical insurance and retirement plans. Specifically, the relationship between the current income of employees is analyzed in relation to employee perceptions of the value and importance of benefits. Results suggest that employees do not value medical insurance and retirement plans in the same manner. This result is interpreted in terms of the change in the marginal utility of the specific benefit.     

试论提高大学生就业能力的主要经验和做法

大学生就业能力存在就业观念偏差,社会化程度偏低以及职业规划意识薄弱等问题。提升大学生的就业能力从内容上包括加强就业人格的养成、加强社会适应性以及加强知能储备与运用的能力,从形式上要把职业指导作为系统工程早规划早投入、要从学生主体的角度出发进行阶段性培养。