Agility and Resilience as Sources of Competitive Advantages a Theoretical and Empirical Investigation

Today’s hypercompetitive global climate makes lasting competitive edge unsuitable. Firms face increasing complexity due to the rapid entry and growth of internationalizing firms from emerging markets, technological breakthroughs, discontinuous innovation, and the uncertainties surrounding unexpected shocks transmitted across world markets, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. In this research, I examine how firms have built and applied two adaptive abilities (agility and resilience) to respond to environmental changes and disruptions to create sustainable competitive advantage. An agile organization is simultaneously a resilient organization. Despite agility’s increased relevance in the academy and practitioners\u27 publications, its epistemological and ontological analyses are superficial at best. Specifically, supported by inductive and deductive analysis, I bring clarity to agility’s concept and its boundary conditions. Thus, I propose an integrative multilevel framework of the antecedents, the enablers, and the outcomes of the process of agility performance. Moreover, through in-depth interviews with executives, I explore how agility and resilience manifested in emerging market multinational firms (EMNEs) enhance their competitiveness by using both adaptive abilities in their international operations. The findings reveal that all organizations possess some degrees of agility and resilience simultaneously as two faces of the same coin. Furthermore, agility and resilience are interdependent, comprising five common domains

Understanding performance measurement from a social systems perspective

This thesis was previously held under moratorium from 3 December 2019 to 3 December 2021.Performance measurement (PM) systems fail to predict organisational outcomes reliably because organisations face futures so inherently unknowable that it is impossible to comprehend the full range of potential outcomes open to them. Organisations are complex, adaptive, social systems whose distinctive activity is decision-making. They are heterogeneous entities whose capabilities, behaviours, and circumstances are unique, emerging from their histories and previous decisions. Organisational reality is a social construct delivered through practice. This thesis investigates whether considering PM from a social systems perspective improves PM’s effectiveness. The argument made is organisations connect through social systems and operate through practice with people, processes, and their interactions fundamental to how they perform. A middle-range management theory is presented aimed at making organisations the best they can be with the resources available to them and in the economic circumstances they find themselves. It does this by understanding and reconfiguring the organisation’s social system using a structured approach to optimise business processes and performance measures based on a combination of emergent behaviour and practice. Given the reality of radical uncertainty the focus is not on predicting outcomes but on uncovering the explanatory mechanisms behind events caused by specific managed improvement interventions. Understanding the behaviour of dynamically interacting components is done using realist evaluation based on social interactions, emergent powers and social intervention mechanisms. This approach changed behaviours and performance outcomes in case study organisations. The use of an ‘inside-out’ social systems perspective, coupled to critical realism with its focus on explanation, enabled the causal relationships of importance to be identified and the performance ‘black box’ to be opened up. This research contributes to closing the PMM theory-practice gap by proposing the performance focus needs to be on the social system rather than the measures, that is, on the ‘means’ rather than the ‘ends’. It also offers a competing theoretical framework to organisational control theory for PMM, one grounded in social systems and practice theory. The social systems perspective is not considered specific to PM and potentially can be applied to all other business processesPerformance measurement (PM) systems fail to predict organisational outcomes reliably because organisations face futures so inherently unknowable that it is impossible to comprehend the full range of potential outcomes open to them. Organisations are complex, adaptive, social systems whose distinctive activity is decision-making. They are heterogeneous entities whose capabilities, behaviours, and circumstances are unique, emerging from their histories and previous decisions. Organisational reality is a social construct delivered through practice. This thesis investigates whether considering PM from a social systems perspective improves PM’s effectiveness. The argument made is organisations connect through social systems and operate through practice with people, processes, and their interactions fundamental to how they perform. A middle-range management theory is presented aimed at making organisations the best they can be with the resources available to them and in the economic circumstances they find themselves. It does this by understanding and reconfiguring the organisation’s social system using a structured approach to optimise business processes and performance measures based on a combination of emergent behaviour and practice. Given the reality of radical uncertainty the focus is not on predicting outcomes but on uncovering the explanatory mechanisms behind events caused by specific managed improvement interventions. Understanding the behaviour of dynamically interacting components is done using realist evaluation based on social interactions, emergent powers and social intervention mechanisms. This approach changed behaviours and performance outcomes in case study organisations. The use of an ‘inside-out’ social systems perspective, coupled to critical realism with its focus on explanation, enabled the causal relationships of importance to be identified and the performance ‘black box’ to be opened up. This research contributes to closing the PMM theory-practice gap by proposing the performance focus needs to be on the social system rather than the measures, that is, on the ‘means’ rather than the ‘ends’. It also offers a competing theoretical framework to organisational control theory for PMM, one grounded in social systems and practice theory. The social systems perspective is not considered specific to PM and potentially can be applied to all other business processe

Exploring levers for agility and their inter-relations in the German energy industry via neo-configurational theory

Organisational agility describes firms’ ability to proactively and reactively handle external changes like the COVID and Ukraine crises. This thesis researches how levers like culture (in this thesis = mindset) or strategy impact agility. Existing research shows agility’s outcome but neglects its origin and its levers’ interactions. Since mindsets guide employees and leaders, research was requested for how organisational culture influences other levers’ effects. Therefore, this thesis developed a literature-based framework of levers, tailored it to the studied context, proposing that strategy, technology, linkages, and structures, filtered through employees’ and leaders’ mindsets, interact to lead to agility. Neo-configurational theory (NCT) provided the theoretical underpinning for lever inter-relations, basing this research in wider organisational theory. As critical realist work, the thesis recognised agility’s context-specificity and examined the recently turbulent German energy industry as exemplary context. 36 semi-structured interviews in 15 purposefully sampled companies were analysed in three steps: All data were thematically analysed. Fuzzy-values were derived using the Generic Membership Evaluation Template (GMET). The concluding fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) determined pathways to agility and non-agility, levers’ interdependencies, and mindset’s role. The results show that agility presupposes an implemented agile strategy (i.e. strategy filtering agility) but not necessarily a very agile culture, while non-agility comes with a very non-agile employee mindset (i.e. culture filtering non-agility). Three strategy-dependent paths to agility exist for energy companies: one builds on internal and external linkages, one on lacking technological capabilities with improvement spirit, and one couples agile employee mindsets with decentralised structures. Three employee mindset-dependent paths describe non-agility: one builds on lacking linkages and supportive leadership, one on lacking technological capabilities, supportive leadership and strategy, and one on lacking technology capabilities reflecting in inadequate structures. This thesis’ major methodological contributions are refining the GMET as new tool to transform qualitative data into fuzzy-values and further establishing fsQCA in management research. Academics gain a sound theoretical basis for agility in form of NCT and practitioners and academics a view on agility levers’ role, especially on culture and strategy. Utilities’ managers can use this to prioritise levers facing sudden changes

Managerial qualities and management development in the National Health Services

This research was initiated in order to establish the relationship between managerial meta-qualities and the learning style preferences of a senior manager having board level responsibilities. In this connection, the National Health Service (NHS) of the England and Wales was selected for the study. It is one of the largest organizations, complex in operations, having multiple objectives to attain. In the last three decades it is experiencing an on-going complex process of change due to political, economical, social and ethical reasons. Literature search found that no similar researches were completed before. This presumption was subsequently endorsed by those academics involved when consulted It is evident that previous researches have taken diversity from the two main concepts: managerial meta-qualities and learning style preferences since. Popular instruments were used to check the manager profiles, the metaqualities profile and the Learning style preferences profile. The hypothesis tested the relationships between the two key variables, and its significance. The null hypothesis suggests that there exist no relationships. Further, this research contributes knowledge on certain facts where there are necessities for further examination in the future. From the strength of the data it was concluded that having evidence for relationships in two combinations of the sub variables: Mental-agilityReflector and Self-knowledge-Theorist. No relationship found between the two key variables in its consolidated profile state. The observed relationships were quite significant for the high score group compared to that of low score group. Research results also used to predict a balanced learner profile using the pertinent learning style preferences profile. Finally it recommends further imminent researches in this area, certainly with larger sample base

Finnish Enterprise Agile Transformations : A Survey Study

Peer reviewe

The emergence and institutionalisation of the intercultural: navigating uneven discourses in a British university

This thesis provides an ethnographic account of the institutionalisation of intercultural communication, intercultural studies and the umbrella label of ‘intercultural’ within a large British university. The study finds that the spread of the term ‘intercultural’ has been prolific, but the concept of ‘intercultural’ is polysemic and kept strategically vague within the university. The theoretical positions taken by social actors (university staff and students) who encounter and use ‘the intercultural’ is varied and uneven. The hegemonic position frames the ‘intercultural’ as compatible with the values and dominant discourses of the neoliberal university which ‘the intercultural’ must be seen to serve to become part of the institution. This position is evident, for example, in cases where ‘the intercultural’ is mobilised as a marketing tool to suggest it is a key to providing increased student employability and capacity for competing in a globalised world. In this version, ‘the intercultural’ is largely understood as essentialist and it is complicit with a wider methodological nationalism used to naturalise categories such as ‘international’ and ‘home’ students. While this may allow ‘the intercultural’ to gain institutional space, it paradoxically threatens to render the concept devoid of theoretical value. A counter position taken by some social actors stresses the need for greater criticality which avoids the essentialist traps posed by a structural-functionalist approach to the intercultural. This study is relevant to current arguments which emphasise the need for a paradigm shift in the application of ‘the intercultural’ and it suggests that the daily exigencies of the University and its discourses serve as an impediment to a conclusive shift. This raises the question of whether a nuanced approach to the intercultural is possible within a neoliberal university and suggests there is not only a need for a paradigm shift for ‘the intercultural’, but for universities as well

An empirical study of emerging digital culture and digital attitudes in an established company

Purpose: This study intends to uncover factors that can accelerate digital transformation in established companies. This study examines the relationship between generic culture, digital culture, digital literacy, attitudes to change and perceived performance in digital transformation. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire with 383 employees. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings: This study shows that digital culture, legacy culture, and digital literacy significantly influence employee attitudes towards digital transformation and perceived performance. Additionally, digital literacy mediates the relationship between digital culture and employee attitudes towards digital transformation. Furthermore, employee attitudes towards digital transformation significantly impact their perceived performance. Research limitations/implications: Generalizability may be necessary given the case study approach's small sample size. Hence, more research is required to collect more representative samples. Practical implications: This study contributes to literature by providing empirical evidence on the importance of digital culture, legacy culture, and digital literacy for successful attitudes towards digital transformation. The findings of this study can be used to develop strategies for organizations undergoing digital transformation. A well-defined business culture supporting digital transformation is critical. Organizations should encourage employees to adapt and become accustomed to an innovative environment to boost performance. Accelerating digital transformation can also be done by enhancing digital technology competence and refining employees' attitudes toward digital transformation in the internalization process. Originality/value: Most studies have neglected the dynamic role of corporate culture in accomplishing digital transformation in favour of focusing more on technology. This study thus intends to fill this gap by uncovering how corporate culture and the employees' readiness can drive digital transformation

Study of lifestyle and physical activity patterns of British and Kuwaiti 15-16 year old boys

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DX207528 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

A Model Health-Related Elementary Physical Education Program for Saipan: Teachers\u27 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was significant differences in changes of knowledge, attitudes, and practices between elementary school teachers who took part in an in-service physical education training program and those who did not take part. The in-service training program utilized a model health-related physical education program. The setting for the study was a school district on Saipan whose teachers were required to teach physical education. Teachers in five of nine public elementary schools were placed in the in-service training program. A questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices, was administrated as a pre- and post-test. A second post-test, utilizing only the practice section, was administrated eight weeks after the first post-test. This quantitative study utilized a treatment and control group. The treatment group took part in an eight-week in-service training program using a model health-related physical education program to provide the in-service training. The control group did not receive the in-service training. This researcher visited each of the five treatment group schools once a week for eight weeks. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the change in scores for knowledge, attitudes, practices, and total score between the independent variables, number of sessions attended for the in-service training, gender, grade level taught, number of years of teaching experience, and number of personal exercise days per week among participating teachers. The best fitting regression model was employed to estimate what relationships existed between the change of scores for the four dependent variables and the independent variables. Results showed a statistically significant, positive relationship between the number of in-service training sessions attended and change in knowledge score. The more sessions attended produced a higher knowledge score. Results also showed a weak but statistically significant relationship between grade levels taught and change in attitudes toward the teaching of physical education. However, the remaining independent variables of gender, number of years taught, and number of personal exercise days per week showed no treatment effect on any of the change of scores. In conclusion, it is evident that elementary teachers who attended an in-service training program improved their knowledge in teaching physical education. However, elementary teachers\u27 attitudes and practices toward the teaching of physical education did not improve. This implies the need for physical education pre-service and on-going in-service training programs for all elementary school teachers on Saipan