Front-line responses to customer orientation programmes: a theoretical and empirical analysis

Programmes designed to strengthen customer orientation among front-line service workers represent one of the most common forms of culture change initiatives within service organizations. Despite their importance to contemporary management theory and practice, we know relatively little about how employees react to interventions of this kind, and why they react as they do. The paper aims to address this gap in the literature. It does this through an analysis of front line reactions to a major customer care initiative in one of the largest supermarket chains in the UK. Using data from a large-scale employee survey carried out in seven stores, we first propose a general typology of employee responses to customer care programmes. We then examine some typical employee profiles associated with the main types of response. The analysis is placed within a wider theoretical context consisting of a critical overview of the main theories which might help explain the nature of general and individual reactions to culture change programmes. To this end, we address and draw upon a variety of literatures and debates linked to various aspects of organization and management, industrial psychology, training and development and critical discourse analysis.     

ERP systems success: an empirical analysis of how two organizational stakeholder groups prioritize and evaluate relevant measures

Organizations worldwide are adopting enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. A number of studies discuss the implementation and success of such systems, but our study of the literature indicates that discussions about ERP systems success from the perspectives of key organizational stakeholders are not easy to come across. This study is designed to fill this gap in research. Using surveys in Finland and Estonia, we obtained empirical data from 66 respondents in 44 diverse, private, industrial organizations. Our objective was to determine whether differences exist between two organizational stakeholder groups, i.e. business managers and IT professionals, concerning how each group believe ERP success measures and dimensions are prioritized and evaluated in their respective organizations. Prior literature suggests that differences exist between the two groups with regard to how each perceives organizational information technology (IT) issues. Our study indicates that no significant statistical differences exist between the two groups with the exception of one dimension of ERP success, i.e. vendor/consultant quality. The implications of our findings for both practice and research are discussed.     

Predictors of organizational citizenship behavior in relation to environmental and health & safety issues

Abstract

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) in relation to the environment and health and safety, commonly shaped by individual and voluntary initiatives, are essential factors for a smooth and efficient organization in firms. Our research explores the factors affecting OCBs related to environmental and health and safety issues in a Multinational Enterprise (MNE) operating in the oil & gas sector. More in detail, we tested the influence of personal attitudes, self-efficacy, organizational support and social norm on OCBs related to environmental and health and safety issues. The results show that personal attitudes and self-efficacy positively influence OCBs related to environmental and health and safety issues and those factors are influenced respectively by perceived organizational support and social norm. Moreover, we found that attitudes play a full mediation between social norm and OCBs related to environmental and health and safety issues and that organizational support on organization citizenship behavior for the environment and health and safety that is partially mediated through the perceived self efficacy. Finally, the results of our investigation are contextualized in the theoretical and managerial frameworks pointing to a number of avenues for further research.     

Work organization, preferences dynamics and the industrialization process

In this article, the industrialization process can be regarded as the transition from traditional to modern and more coercive work organizations. Workers are heterogeneous (autonomous or non-autonomous) and according to their preferences they choose between these two organizational forms. In addition, preferences evolve through intergenerational transmission mechanisms. This setting allows for a reciprocal interplay between the evolution of workers' autonomy and the industrialization process that generates multiple development paths. Thus, the initial degree of autonomy within the workforce may have long-run implications for the level of industrialization. Finally, taking into account a complementarity between autonomy and incentives to invest in human capital, we conclude to a non-monotonic impact of workers' autonomy on the growth process.     

Understanding Truck Driver Need‐Based Segments: Creating a Strategy for Retention

Research on truck driver retention addresses how traditional variables impact drivers’ decisions to stay with a particular carrier, yet many of the traditional research methods have been called into question. Additionally, research is sparse on understanding whether unique driver need‐based segments exist. Therefore, the authors present a theoretical framework and examine an exploratory study for incorporating numerous constructs that pertain to a driver’s intention to drive for a firm. Empirical results indicate that drivers’ value pay, personal safety, and time at home are most important when deciding to remain with a firm. In addition, three unique truck driver need‐based segments were identified. The authors offer retention recommendations based on the specific needs of each segment.     

组织学习与创新能力——中国案例研究

在目前竞争日益激烈,变化日新月异的外部环境下,一个企业的组织学习能力已成为其能否生存的必备条件之一。但关于组织学习的文献大多都局限在发达国家中的一些大型企业。而即便在西方与日本,对于组织学习的定义存在着明显的分歧。中国作为世界上最大的制造业和服务提供国,受到了越来越多的关注,理解中国企业中组织学习活动已经成为研究组织学习和创新能力之间关系的一个新起点。本研究通过案例调查对不同行业典型企业的中高层管理人员进行访谈,得出一系列中国企业有关组织学习和创新能力的特征。研究发现中国企业组织学习的内涵在于将组织管理者推向一个更为重要的位置,更重视管理者知识与能力的获取对于企业竞争优势与创新能力的贡献。这既不同于西方发达国家普遍认为组织学习在于个体知识的获取,也不同于日本把整个组织内的知识获取和共享置于重要地位。这个视角的研究能够丰富我们对全球范围内不同文化背景下组织学习的理解,也可以成为对传统占主导地位的西方和日本模式的有益补充。     

How durable is sustainable enterprise? Ecological sustainability meets the reality of tough economic times

Today's business leaders are pressed to achieve ecological (eco) sustainable enterprise, but must do so with fewer resources. Given a protracted global recession, our concern is that the motivation for eco-sustainability may not be as strong as hoped for, nor as swift or durable as expected. To create a more explicit discourse on eco-sustainability activities during a recession, we set forth a framework to help business leaders examine their strategic perspective based on their organization's identity. We describe how this may influence how leaders broach change within their organizations, taking a surface or deep approach to achieve eco-sustainability. The intent is to highlight the importance of honestly assessing the firm's purpose and to work toward a more relational orientation in the new economy. To establish eco-sustainability during this recessionary period, we believe a middle path is needed, adopting a blended perspective. To this end, we offer three practical steps to begin this effort: reflection on the firm's values, development of relationships, and cultivation of different forms of change.