Temporality in business networks: The role of narratives and management technologies

This paper addresses the nature of temporality in business networks. Approaches to temporality generally employ a dualistic approach: time can be understood as social and natural, tensed and untensed, subjective and objective, kairos or chronos, agency and structure. We examine these two approaches and suggest that the problem for situated actors is how to cope with and negotiate with these dualities. This is particularly salient in cases of innovation, when actors attempt to bring about their particular versions of the future facing acute problems of uncertainty. The innovation literature highlights the role of narrative in helping actors to negotiate uncertainty and construct spaces for action in a world of continuous flow. The emphasis on narrative tends to obscure the role of management technologies in anchoring narratives into existing routines and procedures as well as relate these technologies to the untensed world of chronos. Management technologies help stabilise entities and relationship amongst entities in what otherwise is a chaotic world of events and flux.     

低碳经济

“低碳经济”一词首次出现在2003年英国政府发表的《能源白皮书》中，其中有《我们未来的能源：创造低碳经济》一文，迅速成为全球流行的概念。     

中国启动新循环

对许多发展中国家而言，中国经济繁荣的冲击正形成一个完整的循环。去年，中国超越美国，成为巴西最大的贸易伙伴。这两大发展中国家或许正在开辟一条全新道路，有可能成为未来十年规模最大的全球经济结构调整之一。     

Placing Knowledge Management in Context

ABSTRACT We welcome the increased emphasis on practice‐based theories of knowing as an alternative to the more representational, knowledge‐as‐object approaches which have characterised many organizational attempts at ‘knowledge management’ to date. Building on the findings of a short empirical study into the ‘knowledge management’ initiatives of a global software organization, which highlighted the value of rich context in the generation of meaning, we seek to shed some light on a perceived confusion about the nature of organizational context. We show such context to be an inseparable part of knowing, which it creates and by which it is defined, and re‐use Blackler's (1995 ) taxonomy of ‘knowledge types’ to illustrate the relational interaction between shared and deeply personal components of context. Finally, we use these insights to suggest a way in which organizations may be able to derive more value from their investments in internal initiatives by increasing their ability to support knowing – and hence the generation of meaning – amongst their employees.     

A framework for understanding individual response to regulation

Regulations to encourage behaviour change are often used by governments to achieve policy objectives. The success of regulations depends on the commitment of individuals to change behaviour in ways that comply with regulatory obligations. Understanding and predicting the motivation of individuals to change their behaviour is critical in assessing the likely effectiveness of proposed regulations. In this paper we present a novel framework for understanding and predicting the motivation of an individual to comply with regulations. The framework is based on two central ideas. The first idea uses the involvement construct to predict the motivation of individuals to comply. The second idea separates the influence of the regulation on individuals’ motivation to comply from the influence of the underlying policy issue on the motivation of individuals to comply. Through application to a case study we show the framework’s merit in predicting an individual’s possible behavioural responses to a regulation and how it assists regulatory agencies develop strategies to enhance compliance.     

Innovation and Pet Food SMEs in the United Kingdom

The market for prepared pet food in the United Kingdom (UK) is worth just over $2.3 billion a year. As a consequence, the pet food industry needs to be responsible, efficient, and at the forefront of technology. This research investigates the technological and industrial environment for innovation, which currently exists in the UK pet food industry. It draws primarily on existing research and secondary data sources including organisations such as the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association. The pilot study involved a detailed analysis of the issues regarding technological innovation in the pet food industry in the UK. In particular the results of the study have been analysed in detail using a “cross indicator analysis.” The research reveals that pet food SMEs in the UK are key players in the pet food industry and are willing to innovate to enhance their product lines even if at a moderate level.     

Controversies and conceptual development Examining public entrepreneurship

The role of entrepreneurship in the public services remains controversial. In this article we present an initial framework for understanding public entrepreneurship based on a typology of entrepreneurship and an initial classification of relevant public service processes and outcomes. Each aspect is illustrated by case study evidence taken from the West Midlands Ambulance Service, and is integrated into the theoretical literature on entrepreneurship. When applied to this case, the framework helps to differentiate two types of entrepreneurial action. The first type is conducted away from the core service and is governed by commercial considerations, the second is linked to the core statutory service and is governed by bureaucratic obedience. We argue a feature of public management is the requirement to operate across differing ‘orderings of life’ where contradictory rules apply. The acceptability of entrepreneurship depends on whether managers can recognize and distinguish between the rules governing these spheres.     

Certified and uncertified skills and productivity growth performance: Cross-country evidence at industry level

We analyse the relationship between human capital and productivity growth using a five-country multi-industry dataset together with a measure of human capital which accounts for both certified skills (educational qualifications) and uncertified skills acquired through on-the-job training and experience. We find evidence of positive human capital effects on growth in average labour productivity, particularly when using our composite human capital measure. We also find some tentative evidence that multi-factor productivity (MFP) growth is positively related to the use of high-skilled labour. However, externalities of this kind are largely confined to industries which make intensive use of university graduates.