The impact of on-site mentoring on expatriate socialization: a structural equation modelling approach

While the literature on expatriate adjustment has focused on the importance of back-home mentors and their instrumentality for future career advancement, this research explores the importance of on-site mentors for the effective socialization of expatriates into their current overseas assignments. Using a sample of 179 expatriates located in nineteen countries, this paper presents a structural equation model illustrating the relationships among mentoring received, expatriate socialization and socialization outcomes. Amount of mentoring received positively impacts on expatriate socialization, which in turn positively influences job attitudes, intention to finish the expatriate assignment and expatriate understanding of global business issues. Using Hofstede's typology of national cultures, this research also suggests that the international context of the overseas assignment affects how much on-site mentoring expatriates receive. Specifically, expatriates are more likely to receive mentoring in small power distance, weak uncertainty avoidance and individualistic cultures.     

Organizational achievement values,high‐involvement work practices,and business unit performance

This study examines the relationships among organizational achievement values, high‐involvement work practices (HIWP), and business unit performance. Specifically, we examine whether HIWP mediate or moderate the effect of achievement values on retail store performance. Using data collected at three points in time from more than 1,000 employees, we found support for the mediation model. The article concludes with directions for future research and implications for management practice. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

中国乡城流动人口社会网络复杂性特征分析

借助社会网络等非正式制度方式实现再社会化是乡城流动人口融入城市生活的主要途径之一。对流动人口社会网络的分析不仅可以揭示其网络结构特点,也将为进一步研究流动人口再社会化过程提供理论基础。采用深圳市流动人口专项调查中的整体网络数据,借助复杂性科学,尤其是复杂网络的研究方法,系统分析了乡城流动人口社会支持网络与讨论网络的复杂性特征。在乡城流动人口社会网络中广泛存在小世界现象和无标度特性等复杂网络特征。复杂性科学可以为分析诸如乡城流动人口这样的复杂系统提供有效方法,也是拓展复杂性科学,尤其是复杂网络应用领域的有益尝试。     

Medical foundations: one model for hospital-physician alignment

Some states that enforce a corporate practice of medicine prohibition have created medical foundation statutes allowing hospitals or health systems to own corporations providing physician services. Medical foundations may be useful in the coordination of care through employed or contracted physicians. Medical foundations that qualify as a tax-exempt entities have lower risks associated with tax-exempt rules as long as payments to physicians are reasonable and don't result in private inurement.     

Causes and effects

Most companies make charitable donations, but few approach their contributions with an eye toward enhancing their brands. Those that do take such an approach commit talent and know-how, not just dollars, to a pressing but carefully chosen social need and then tell the world about the cause and their service to it. Through the association, both the business and the cause benefit in ways they could not otherwise. Organizations such as Avon, ConAgra Foods, and Chevrolet have recognized that a sustained cause-branding program can improve their reputations, boost their employees' morale, strengthen relations with business partners, and drive sales. And the targeted causes receive far more money than they could have from direct corporate gifts alone. The authors examine these best practices and offer four principles for building successful cause-branding programs. First, they say, a company should select a cause that advances its corporate goals. That is, unless the competitive logic for supporting the cause is clear, a company shouldn't even consider putting its finite resources behind it. Second, a business should commit to a cause before picking its charitable partners. Otherwise, a cause-branding program may become too dependent on its partners. Third, a company should put all its assets to work, especially its employees. It should leverage the professional skills of its workers as well as its other assets such as distribution networks. And fourth, a company should promote its philanthropic initiatives through every possible channel. In addition to using the media, it should communicate its efforts through the Web, annual reports, direct mail, and so on. Cause branding is a way to turn the obligations of corporate citizenship into a valuable asset. When the cause is well chosen, the commitment genuine, and the program well executed, the cause helps the company, and the company helps the cause.     

Some simple mathematical models for adoption processes: The case of the comprehensive school reform in Norway

This article reviews simple mathematical models which have been or may be used for adoptation processes. Each model's role in the explanation process is analyzed.

The case of the spread of the comprehensive school reform in Norway is used to ilustrate an adoption process. The logistic, or chain-reaction model, and a normal model for independent adoption are emphasized. The fit of the curves for the provinces and the whole country favors the logistic model. Evidence of a “neighborhood effect” at the micro-level also points to a communication process.

     

Organizational Routines as Sources of Connections and Understandings

Organizational routines are increasingly identified as an aspect of organizations that allows them to achieve the balance between adaptability and stability. We contribute to this discussion by showing that the connections that organizational routines make between people contribute to both stability and the ability to adapt. We argue that the connections between people that are formed as they engage together in organizational routines are important for developing understandings about both what needs to be done in a specific instance of performing a routine and about the goals of the organization that routines presumably help accomplish. Together the two sets of understandings influence organizational performance by affecting the ability of organizations to adapt to changing circumstances. These arguments lead to a general recognition of the importance to organizations of connections and the suggestion that the connections, themselves, may be an important outcome of organizational routines.