Organizational politics and the strategic process

In this paper the relationship between organizational politics (OP), and company strategy and performance was explored. Data were collected from 55 manufacturing firms. Controlling for company assets and industry type, OP intensity was associated with various stages of the strategic process. In addition, it was negatively associated with overall company performance. These results were corroborated by canonical analysis. Another important finding was that the stage of company evolution moderates the OP-strategic process relationship. Finally, future research directions and implications for managerial behavior and ethics have been clarified.Dr. Shaker A. Zahra is Associate Professor of Strategic Management, Department of Management, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. His research centers on the role of board of directors in the strategic process, determinants of innovation in large corporations, and ethical issues associated with strategic choices.     

Unethical practices in competitive analysis: Patterns,causes and effects

Scholars and executives have expressed concern over the growing frequency of unethical practices in companies' conduct of competitive analysis — the process by which a firm gathers, analyzes, and interprets data about its rivals. This article reports the results of an exploratory study of 137 senior executives' perceptions of unethical competitive analysis practices, their causes, and their potential effect on industries, companies and individuals. The article discusses the implications of the results for developing guidelines to safeguard against ethical violations in competitive analysis.Dr. Shaker A. Zahra is Professor of Strategic Management at Georgia State University. He is author or coauthor of two books and over 130 journal articles, proceedings and professional papers. His research has appeared inStrategic Management Journal, Decision Sciences, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Long Range Planning, Journal of Business Venturing, Academy of Management Executive, Journal of Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, among others. Professor Zahra serves on the editorial review board of seven journals.     

The effect of international venturing on firm performance: The moderating influence of absorptive capacity

Companies have vigorously pursued opportunities for profitability and growth through international venturing. Yet, research evidence on the performance benefits of international venturing activities has been contradictory. Applying an organizational learning framework, we propose that the expected effects of international venturing activities on financial performance depend on companies' absorptive capacity. Data from 217 global manufacturing companies show that absorptive capacity moderates the relationship between international venturing and firms' profitability and revenue growth. These results urge executives to build internal R&D and innovative capabilities in order to successfully exploit the new knowledge acquired from foreign markets.     

Evidence on Caste Based Discrimination

Caste based quotas in hiring have existed in the public sector in India for decades. Recently there has been debate about introducing similar quotas in private sector jobs. This paper uses a correspondence study to determine the extent of caste based discrimination in the Indian private sector. On average low-caste applicants need to send 20% more resumes than high-caste applicants to get the same callback. Differences in callback which favor high-caste applicants are particularly large when hiring is done by male recruiters or by Hindu recruiters. This finding provides evidence that differences in callback between high and low-caste applicants are not entirely due to statistical discrimination. High-caste applicants are also differentially favored by firms with a smaller scale of operations, while low-caste applicants are favored by firms with a larger scale of operations. This finding is consistent with taste-based theories of discrimination and with commitments made by large firms to hire actively from among low-caste groups.     

Applying knowledge management implementation model in Water Resources Management Company by the purpose of continuous improvement

This research seeks to explore the current knowledge management （KM） practice in the Water Recourses Management Company （WRMC） according to Jashpar＇s knowledge management cycle which comprises four loops, including knowledge creation, knowledge organization, knowledge sharing and knowledge leverage. This research used a qualitative method, and data were collected through questionnaires. The 92 respondents were the staff of office. The data were analyzed through SPSS software. The findings of this research reveal that, the knowledge creation and knowledge organization were in good level, but knowledge sharing condition was not suitable, therefore, it has negative effect on leveraging knowledge, hence we tried to demonstrate a knowledge management implementation model using the knowledge management concept and taking advantage from the concept of excellence model by the purpose of continuous improvement. This paper suggests proper knowledge management implementation （KMI） is a managerial approach that can turn an organization to an agile one. In order to verify and validate the performed research, the planned model has been accomplished in the Hydropower Plant Department, Water Recourses Management Company, positive and acceptable results were obtained and organizations total factor productivity increase was achieved which was appreciated by the organization.     

Governing Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition in MNEs: Aligning Interests and Cognition Under Uncertainty*

abstract Entrepreneurial activities contribute to the innovativeness and performance of subsidiaries and their parent multinational enterprises (MNEs). Though a strong multinational presence can spur the discovery and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities, it also creates uncertainty that complicates the alignment of cognition and interest in the governance of MNEs' multi‐level entrepreneurial activities. We integrate economic and behavioural approaches to identify communicative, behavioural, and value uncertainties encountered in the MNEs' opportunity recognition phase. In addition, we discuss key contingencies that influence solutions to these uncertainties through delegation of authority, provision of incentives, promotion rules, and use of clan structures.     

Exploration,exploitation, and financial performance: analysis of S&P 500 corporations

The literature suggests that established firms need to balance their exploration and exploitation activities in order to achieve superior performance. Yet, previous empirical research has modeled this balance as the interaction of orthogonal activities. In this study, we show that there is a trade‐off between exploration and exploitation and that the optimal balance between exploration and exploitation depends upon environmental conditions. Using a novel methodology to measure the relative exploration versus exploitation orientation, we find an inverted U‐shaped relationship between the relative share of explorative orientation and financial performance. This relationship is positively moderated by the R&D intensity of the industry in which the firm operates. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soft Computing Techniques for Rainfall-Runoff Simulation: Local Non–Parametric Paradigm vs. Model Classification Methods

Accurate simulation of rainfall-runoff process is of great importance in hydrology and water resources management. Rainfall–runoff modeling is a non-linear process and highly affected by the inputs to the simulation model. In this study, three kinds of soft computing methods, namely artificial neural networks (ANNs), model tree (MT) and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), have been employed and compared for rainfall-runoff process simulation. Moreover, this study investigates the effect of input size, including number of input variables and number of data time series on runoff simulation by the developed models. Inputs to the simulation models for calibration and validation purposes consist two parts: I1: five variables, including daily rainfall and runoff time series (30 years) with lag times, and I2: twelve variables, including daily rainfall and runoff time series (10 years). To increase the model performances, optimal number and type for input variables are identified. The efficiency of the training and testing performances using the ANNs, MT and MARS models is then evaluated using several evaluation criteria. To implement the methodology, Tajan catchment in the northern part of Iran is selected. Based on the results, it was found that using I1 as input to the developed models results in higher simulation performance. The results also provided evidence that MT (R = 0.897, RMSE = 6.70, RSE = 0.33) with set I2 is capable of reliable model for rainfall-runoff process compared with MARS (R = 0.892, RMSE = 7.47, RSE = 0.83) and ANNs (R = 0.884, RMSE = 7.40, RSE = 0.43) models. Therefore, size (length of data time series) and type of input variables have significant effects on the modeling results.     

The international spillover of china’s monetary policy: a case study of a developing country

This paper aimed to investigate the evidence on the transmission of China’s monetary policy shocks to macroeconomic variables in Iran. Since 1990, China has become one of the main trading partners of Iran; therefore, it is expected that China’s macroeconomic shocks have some consequences on Iran’s Economy. In this study, a structural vector autoregressive model is used to explore such a transmission. The findings of the study reveal that the China’s monetary policy changes significantly affect the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as Iran’s CPI meaningfully increases with the expansion of China’s money supply. Furthermore, it was found that Iran’s other economic variables, including the real GDP, real effective exchange rate, and interest rate, do not significantly reflect the China’s monetary shocks; even though confirm the expected sign and direction.     

How do threshold firms sustain corporate entrepreneurship? The role of boards and absorptive capacity

As companies move from one stage of their cycle to the next, they often have to revamp their skills and build innovative capabilities to survive, achieve profitability, and stimulate growth. Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) activities give these firms a foundation for building and exploiting these capabilities. In turn, stimulating and sustaining CE requires the infusion of resources and new knowledge into the firm's operations, using multiple external sources. In this paper, we highlight the importance of boards of directors and absorptive capacity for gaining access to varied and current knowledge that enriches CE. We suggest that boards and absorptive capacity complement each other in fueling CE activities. Further, boards can sometimes substitute for poor absorptive capacity and vice versa, influencing the intensity of CE activities. Managing these complementarities (or substitutions) is crucial for sustaining CE initiatives and creating value from them.