The disappearing data source: Ameliorating relations between academics and business

Growing corporate disillusionment with survey research has put a strain on the relationship between businessmen and academicians. The situation is becoming critical, and researchers may lose access to a rich data base if ways of alleviating the friction are not found. The authors look for causes (one is the sheer bulk of questionnaires received), and suggest approaches that researchers can take to elicit the support of businessmen. If the researcher is to enjoy the cooperation of practitioners, he must be aware of several points: the executive is a valuable resource; if he participates in a study he can legitimately expect that the results will be accurately reported; and his company must somehow profit from the study.     

The role of business ethics: where next? Is there a role for academics?

In his address to the conference Norman Bowie contrasted the business ethics climate in the US with that of the UK. He highlighted the adversarial nature of US corporate cultures and the heavy emphasis on compliance‐based programs, and contrasted this with the more collaborative relationships in the UK – and in Europe generally – which lead to partnerships with NGOs as a way to resolve ethical issues. However, the growing insistence that business ethics should pay is common to both business environments. Professor Bowie raised two further issues of concern. One was the increasing professionalisation of the business ethics 'business', and the other was the reluctance of students to opt for business ethics courses. Taking these factors together suggests that the role of academics in business ethics is shrinking fast.     

Faculty entrepreneurship and economic development: The case of the University of Calgary

The common perception of universities as merely institutions of higher learning is giving way to one where universities are viewed as engines of economic growth and development. This study documents the entrepreneurial activities of the faculty of the University of Calgary, as well as the impact the University has had and the impact its recent budgetary problems might have on such activities. Results indicate that nearly 100 new ventures with at least one full-time employee were started by faculty or were started as a consequence of significant faculty inputs. These ventures, in turn, have generated at least 723 new jobs in Alberta. Furthermore, our projections suggest that faculty entrepreneurs will create approximately 14 ventures per year in the near future. Implications for the role universities and governments should play to encourage faculty entrepreneurship are discussed.     

The study of business ethics: A case for Dr Seuss

This paper provides an example of how narrative literature can be used to teach management ethics within management education. The place of narrative literature in the study of organisations generally is considered, and it is suggested that such material can provide non‐traditional cases for teaching purposes. Dr. Seuss's The Lorax is chosen as an example of a story with which students can empathise. The 'case' is analysed using an ethical decision‐making framework. As part of this analysis a number of theoretically based ethical issues are discussed so as to illustrate the range and depth of ethical issues that can be raised by such a simple narrative. It is concluded that although The Lorax is not a novel, it contains a richness of texture which makes it very useful for management education. Arguments for the legitimisation of the use of narrative fiction in conjunction with traditional cases for management education are presented in conclusion.     

Religious minority in business history: The case of Old Believers

The role of the Old Believers (OB) in the development of Russian industry has been noted by many historians; however, empirical research on the topic is scarce. Using official censuses, archive sources, and industrial reports, the role of OB enterprises in the Moscow textile industry for the period 1832–1890 was examined. The analysis highlighted the rise and fall of the participation of OB in the textile industry, contrasting the findings of other researchers, which were often exaggerated. The findings can be explained by social networks and trust which arise from the minority status, whereas the relative decline is related to structural changes and preferences of OB to family-type of business.     

城市交通:会展经济发展"瓶颈"中的商机

近几年，全国掀起了会展场馆建设的高潮，且逐年增长。然而在盲目兴办会展场馆的同时，更多的问题应运而生，最为严峻的就是展览场馆给周边环境带来的负面效应，即对城市交通的巨大影响。交通运输已成为制约我国会展经济发展的“瓶颈”。     

The business case for commitment to diversity

Does an organization's commitment to diversity - as reflected by CEO commitment, human capital, corporate communications (internal and external), and supplier diversity - result in competitive advantage and superior financial performance? Diversity can bring new voices and perspectives into the strategy dialogue, help managers understand and address the needs of a demographically diverse customer base, and stimulate a wider range of creative decision alternatives. However, the anticipated benefits of corporate diversity efforts may also be accompanied by costs that can affect shareholder wealth. In a study comparing the financial performance of the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity to a matched sample, we find evidence that firms with a strong commitment to diversity outperform their peers on average. For commitment to diversity to become ingrained in corporate culture there must be visible and ongoing support from senior management, a clear articulation of the business case for diversity, line manager accountability, and training programs directed at communications, conflict resolution, and team building.     

Retailers' professional and professio-ethical dilemmas: The case of Finnish retailing business

The main purpose of this paper is to put forth the concept of ethics, present ethical theories and, finally, consider some business ethics issues in the context of retailing practices. In the first part of this paper we seek to motivate the research task. The importance of conducting ethical analysis is stressed. In the second part of the paper several ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics are presented. This part serves as a basis for research interviews, e.g. it is possible to examine retailers' opinions about their professional virtues, and try to position these opinions in relation with utilitarianism and deontology. In the third part the empirical findings about the retailing business ethics are set forth. This part suggests that there prevails among retailers some kind of confusion about what are ethical issues and what is not ethical in their daily professional practices. To avoid this confusion four main principles were put forth by the Finnish retailers. The principles were: 1. Freedom versus rules; 2. Principles versus moralizing; 3. Boundaries versus transition; 4. Economy and moral versus subjective judgment.Tuomo Takala is a Senior Lecturer in Business Administration at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. He studied business economics and practical philosphy. His main research issues are: business ethics, social responsibility issues and environmental issues looked from ethical perspective. He also acted as Acting Professor in Business Administration in Jyväskylä. His previous publishing areas are:Publications from the Department of Economics and Management, University of Jyväskylä andScandinavian Journal of Management.Outi Usitalo is an Assistant in Marketing at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She studied business economics. Her research interests focus on consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction with market supply conditions, the consequences of marketing activities on consumer welfare, and the equity and effectiveness of retailers. She published inPublications from the Department of Economics and Management, University of Jyväskylä.     

The efficacy of talent management in international business: The case of European multinationals

The focus of this study is on the efficacy of talent management (TM) practices to the performance and operations of international businesses. There are relatively limited dedicated studies on the value and effectiveness of TM as an identifiable international practice and its contribution to international business. Anecdotal research and consultants' reports have argued for an increase in the return on investment where TM practices are aligned with the business strategy. Conceptually, human capital theory is adopted to explain investment in high potentials in addition to the resource‐based view, which help explain the development of internal sources of competitive advantage, which are rare, inimitable, nonsubstitutable, and valuable. This article builds on knowledge by qualitatively examining managerial experiences of TM practices within 17 European internationally operating businesses with employees ranging from 800 to 200,000. An exploratory qualitative approach is adopted, with semistructured interviews as the main data collection tool. Findings accentuate the significance of developing the most valuable source of competitive advantage—people. We argue that, if TM is effectively implemented can result in the development of unique competences, which can ease the burdens of cross‐border business challenges and lead to sustainable competitive advantage.     

Effects of gender and other factors on rank of law professors in colleges of business: Evidence of a glass ceiling

The matter of salary levels and professional advancement is much discussed and debated today in business and academe. This paper examines the matter of salary determinants for law professors in colleges of management in the U.S. with an emphasis on examining how gender might affect professorial salary and rank. By focusing on one discipline in today's academe and in a college having great student demand (management) coupled with a professed commitment to women's rights and by holding constant variables relevant to salary and rank, this study, addresses the matter of whether gender is a factor in determination of academic rank and salary. This study used correlation and path analysis in arriving at our conclusions. Our sample size meets statistically acceptable parameters. Our results corroborate earlier research which finds significant pay differences between women and men, but they show that at least for the sample of legal studies professors in this study, these pay differences are attributable to the number of years spent in academe. If women have only recently enjoyed opportunities for careers in this discipline, they do not have as much seniority, on average as men. Consequently, if universities pay salaries at least partly according to seniority, women's salaries are likely to be lower than men's salaries, as our study indicates. At the same time, however, even after controlling for seniority and other factors that might affect rank, there are still significantly fewer women in the higher ranks. These results point to the operation of a glass ceiling which restricts promotional opportunities for women in other fields.Prof. Bruce D. Fisher is a Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Formerly an attorney in the Office of General Counsel of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., Prof. Fisher has published in 42Rutgers Law Review 349 (1991), theCincinnat Law Review, theAdministrative Law Review, and numerous other legal and business publications. His degrees include BBA, '65; JD, '68; LLM, '74.Prof. Steve Motowidlo is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of Florida. He has a BA '69 and a Ph.D. '76. He has published numerous articles in theJournal of Applied Psychology and other academic journals. He consults extensively with industry.Mr. Steve Werner is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Human Resources at the University of Florida. He has a BA degree in mathematics '85, an MBA '86, and has worked in industry prior to pursuing his Ph.D. He has published in theColumbia Journal of World Business.     

The role of spirituality in Islamic business networks: The case of internationalizing Turkish SMEs

This paper sets out to investigate the role of religion and spirituality in a business network context, with an empirical focus on the international business development of Turkish SMEs. By drawing on the concept of homophily and tie strength, we argue that, while religion can act as a bridge and thus create a multitude of weak ties within a business network, spirituality can deepen these ties and make them stronger through increased emotional intensity, intimacy and reciprocal service. The data were collected from participants in two Islamic business associations in Turkey. The results suggest that spirituality indeed drives members’ commitment to the network and the presence of spirituality has a distinctive effect on members’ contributions to and demands on the network. More specifically, members who treat their network membership as an extension of their spiritual practice tend to mainly benefit from intangible resources, while members who view their shared religion as an entry point into the network seem to benefit from both tangible and intangible network resources. The findings have several theoretical and practical implications, including the introduction of the spirituality concept into the discussion of homophily and tie strength in business networks, and the role of home networks in the internationalization of SMEs.     

The role of context in case study selection: An international business perspective

The extant methodological literature has challenged case selection in qualitative case study research for being arbitrary or relying too much on convenience logic. This paper aims to address parts of such criticism on the rigour of case selection through the presentation of a sampling framework that promotes contextualisation and thoroughness of sampling decisions in the study of international phenomena. This framework emerged from an inductive process following an actual case study project in international marketing and promotes the idea that context matters for sampling purposes, too. The proposed framework integrates methodological tools that complement the overarching principle of purposeful sampling and considers respective contextual challenges that the researchers encountered before and during fieldwork. It serves to highlight in an iterative fashion the role that context plays in the case selection process and the importance of contextualised sampling processes for qualitative case study research in international business.     

Aligning responsible business practices: A case study

This article offers an in-depth case study of a global high tech manufacturer that aligned its ethics and compliance, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability practices. Few large companies organize their responsible business practices this way, despite conceptual relevance and calls to manage them comprehensively. A communities of practice theoretical lens suggests that intentional effort would be needed to bridge meaning between the relevant managers and practices in order to achieve alignment. The findings call attention to the important role played by employees who broker understanding between managers and practices, and the boundary objects used to create shared meaning and engagement. They also highlight that an organizing logic is necessary but not sufficient to align practices. This study describes the dynamics of alignment and provides a practical road map for scholars and managers interested in understanding how responsible business practices may be collectively organized.     

Anglo-Saxification of Swedish business: working paper within the project 'Scandinavian Heritage'

An increasingly globalised world challenges old orders, structures and arrangements. This becomes especially apparent in the ?eld of international business, where mergers, acquisitions and foreign direct investment can trigger job cuts, divestment and the closing-down of traditional industries. For this reason mergers and acquistions are sensitive issues. When two companies from different countries merge, or when a ?rm is purchased by a foreign actor, a new dimension enters into the life of the companies. This is very likely to cause worry and unrest among employees. In such a situation con?icts and clashes may arise and old values and norms may be challenged by the new order. In this paper we examine that issue. A special focus will be given to the con?icts and clashes that can be the consequence of such an encounter between old and new. We shall exemplify this with a case concerning a Swedish company recently bought by an American competitor. The particular aspect of the problem that we are interested in is the in?uence of the new ownership on the ethical values and virtues of the Swedish company. We look speci?cally at the sense in which the changes in the ethical ?eld are expressions of a new Anglo-Saxon shareholder-oriented model, as opposed to a more traditional Scandinavian stakeholder model.     

Context and contextualization: The extended case method in qualitative international business research

This paper advances the extended case method (ECM), a powerful context sensitive case-based research strategy that is underutilized in international business (IB). Demonstrating how the ECM offers an alternative to established case-based methods, we show how the method's core postulate of ‘outward extension’ opens new opportunities for designing, conducting, and theorizing case research suited to the contextual novelty of IB. We propose an analytical pathway to provide practical guidance on how to implement and design for contextualized explanation, examining recent studies on international practice transfer to illustrate the choices, directions and redirections made possible by extending out – i.e., contextualizing.     

The virtues of dialogue between academics and businessmen

This article aims to understand the process of production of knowledge in the field of business organisation and in problems of administration. It argues that the acquisition of this type of knowledge is greatly assisted by the developments of dialogue between academics and industrialists. It looks at a method which has been applied in England during the period late 1940s to early 1970s in three academic seminars: the Seminar in Problems of Administration at the LSE (1947–1972); the Industrial Seminar at Birmingham University (late 1950s?1972); and the BPhil Seminar in Economics of Industry at the University of Oxford (1957–1974). By the mid-1970s, these three seminars had ceased to exist and left room for the rapid development of management studies, on the one hand, and the formalisation of industrial economics (game theory), on the other.