A project management research framework integrating multiple theoretical perspectives and influencing factors

The increasing projectification of the business world corresponds with a high diversity of theoretical perspectives used in project management research. This diversity is reflected by a variety of influencing factors, which have been the subject of empirical studies. This article aims to systemize the different streams of research on the basis of a literature review and at developing a research framework by integrating multiple theoretical perspectives and influencing factors. We elaborate on the crosslinks between the perspectives and identify fundamental elements of a project management theory. The framework consists of three dimensions: design, context, and goal. Its purpose is to support the combination of different perspectives and the development of strategies for further research.     

Policy assessment of an EU wide flat area CAP payments system

While the evolution of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) until 2013 is clear, European Union (EU) budgetary pressures and the perceived unfairness of the distribution of CAP support across Member States has lead to uncertainty over the design of the CAP post 2013. One comprehensive reform option being considered is the implementation of an EU wide flat area payment (EUWFAP) system and a reduction of the total budget available for direct payments. It is hypothesised that the implementation of this policy proposal would lead to significant changes in the distribution of the EU budget and to the redistribution of agricultural production between the Member States, which could hinder the implementation of the proposal. This paper evaluates the rationality of the EUWFAP, based on the analysis of its budgetary and market impacts. Using the AGMEMOD 2020 combined model, the introduction of the EUWFAP in 2013 is compared with a baseline continuation of the current policy. Results suggest that there would be minor negative impacts on the agricultural production at the EU level, but that more substantial impact for some commodities, most notably beef, and could occur in the individual EU Member States. An important outcome of such a policy reform would be a substantial change in the budget allocation between Member States, which could help mitigate the budgetary tensions between the Member States.     

United we stand,divided we fall? Clustered firms’ relationships after the 2008 crisis

Abstract

Research on clusters or industrial districts within various schools of thought focuses on the relationships between clustered firms. We observed that the territory can produce sources of advantage, but also disadvantages, for firms. Using an exploratory and qualitative approach, the aim of this work is to determine what happened in the Spanish ceramic tile industrial district firms’ relationships after the 2008 crisis. The analysis has been performed in three of the dimensions in which these connections can take place: cooperation – horizontal and vertical cooperation, knowledge transfer and supporting institutions, along with innovation as a measure of performance. In order to examine these shifts, members of the firms and institutions in the cluster were interviewed, resulting in eight propositions for changes that may take place when the competition is intensified within a cluster, suggesting an analytical framework that could be tested in future research.     

Das Lebenswerk von Knut Wicksell

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Corporate social responsibility and sustainability reporting on the Internet

All material related to environmental and social performance on the corporate internet sites of 454 Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 1000 companies in 25 industrial sectors was analyzed using the Pacific Sustainability Index. Maximum scores for individual sectors were 20–75 percent of the total possible, highest in the largest and most environmentally sensitive sectors and ranging generally linearly, as shown by plotting score versus rank, down to nearly zero in every sector. None of the variation in score is explained by corporate revenue in the Asian and European firms in this sample (revenues greater than about $9 billion), but there is a very weak correlation between score and revenue for American firms of this size, and a stronger one when Fortune 1000 companies (all American) with revenues smaller than this are included, suggesting that, as corporate size reaches a certain threshold, sustainability reporting becomes independent of it. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

Zum Problem der Exportsubventionierung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Natural concentration in industrial research collaboration

Empirical work shows that networks of research and development alliances are asymmetric, with a small number of firms involved in the majority of partnerships. This article investigates the welfare‐relevant effects of such concentrated networks in a model of network formation in an oligopolistic market. We find that concentration is a typical characteristic of a socially efficient network when the costs of collaborative activity are significant. Moreover, expanding on prior work relating to strategically stable interfirm networks, we compare the stable and the efficient structures. Our findings suggest that real‐world networks might even exhibit too little concentration.     

Tourist segments' justifications for behaving in an environmentally unsustainable way

Misalignment of pro-environmental beliefs and environmentally unsustainable vacation behaviour can cause psychological tension to tourists. They manage this tension by finding justifications for their behaviour, rather than changing their behaviour. A recent study has systematized such justification; this systematics is used in the present study to investigate the existence of tourist segment sharing justification patterns. A finite mixture model with concomitant variables is used to analyse 2785 survey responses. Three segments are identified. The government blamers express strong interest in the environmental sustainability of their vacation, but deny both their responsibility and ability to make a difference. The struggling seekers would not book their dream vacation if it was environmentally unfriendly, yet do not feel in control of reducing negative environmental impacts of their holiday, which they fully acknowledge. The impact neglecters also state they would not book their dream vacation if it was environmentally unfriendly, but their main justification for taking – potentially environmentally harmful – vacations is denial of the negative environmental consequences of tourism. The existence of these differences in justification patterns indicates different approaches could counteract each of these segment-specific beliefs by inducing cognitive dissonance, shown in other contexts to induce behavioural change. Advice on approaches is given.