Towards sustainable development : a business management perspective on "greening" in the Korean chemical industry

The term, sustainable development, is not new in our society. However, understanding the concept of sustainable development is not without problems. What does the concept mean in business and management? It is observed that ecological issues are neglected by mainstream management academics and practices. Conventional strategic management and organisational study do not include the "green" ecological environment issues as part of business environment. If "green" ecological environment is a part of the business environment, how do decision makers, especially top level managers, perceive green issues in the business environment and how are these perceptions related to strategic management issues? This research focuses on answering the question by studying how top executives in the Korean chemical industry perceive the uncertainty caused by ecological issues and influence the effectiveness of implementation of corporate environmental management based upon Miles and Snow's (1978) strategic typology of corporate responses. The research employs three different methods, the questionnaire, the interview and the case study for data collection. These research methods are used to identify the levels of uncertainty which result from green issues in business environment, and the link between uncertainty and strategic management issues. The findings from this research show that top managers selectively perceive green issues in the business environment. Thus, business organisations seek to create their own environment to match with their strategy rather than be controlled by their environment. The findings support the "strategic choice" view by Child (1972) and Miles and Snow (1978). Selective strategic choice based upon top managers' perceptions produces different types of corporate environmental strategy which range from the reactive to the proactive

Managerial Problem-Solving Methods and Outline Specification for a Computer-Based Managerial Job-Management System

This thesis examines problem-solving theory and practice by managers and proposes a structure for computer-based job and problem management. Two principal models are advanced. The Problem-centred model reflects existing perceptions of the problem-solver analysing a specific issue but with further definition given of the main model components. The Role-centred model broadens the perspective to reflect the manager dealing with the totality of his current work units (tasks) amongst which problems form a sub-set. Whilst a work unit may not be 'problematic' it is linked with other issues both in terms of competition for resources and the causal relationships engendered by any resulting actions. The thesis describes a number of designed methods that have emerged in the last few decades including rational sequential approaches as well as self-contained methods which focus on a particular facet. Whilst the varied nature of most managerial problems precludes the adoption of a rigid phased approach, the individual phase components of the former and the specific foci of the latter may be relevant to some amongst the population of problems. Some of the failures in acceptance of the methods by practitioners can be attributed to an assumption that these are comprehensive rather than selectively relevant. Fieldwork provides additional insights into processes adopted in real-world problem-solving, main findings being fragmentation of a problem into sub-problems, the distinction between processes to solve problems and processes to administer the problem-solving process and the network of relationships between different problems. The desk-top PC is identified as currently the main tool for managers offering the most significant potential in terms of medium for methods design and delivery. The recently-emerging PIMs systems can provide the basis for job management but the functionality requires substantial expansion to include the problem-centred activities resulting in broad categories termed Search, Input, Output, Holding, Data and Relating. Executive Information Systems and Expert Systems provide increasingly relevant support within this overall framework, along with other tools and techniques. The main implication of the role-centred model is the requirement that problem-solving methods be embedded within a wider, holistic structure which reflects the manager addressing the totality of his current activities which are prioritised but also interrelated. Within this structure many existing methods, tools and techniques can be assimilated on a non-prescriptive basis as they can be viewed as selectively relevant to types of problem or individual activities within problem-solving processes

Retail change: a consideration of the UK food retail industry, 1950-2010.

The immense changes to have taken place in UK food retailing during the second half of the 20th century are detailed, explained and analysed, with constant reference to theories of retail change. The result is not just a history of UK food retail change post-1950, but a comprehensive evaluation and extension of retail change theory, with new driving forces and ideas elaborated, and a forecast of likely key developments to 2010. The thesis is based largely on the testimonies of key industry actors of the period, including past and present executives of leading food retail organisations, and followed an un-structured interview approach, allowing stories to be told without unnecessary constraint. The development of the industry is detailed and explained, drawing heavily on these testimonies, and this change is explained with reference to major factors with a direct hearing on the industry, such as government policy and socio-economic change. Because of the emphasis on witness accounts, the theories of retail change are analysed with a heavy focus on the people driving change, a refreshing change in a field where the historical nature of the subject tends to drive research towards secondary sources of data. The thesis contributes a better understanding of the forces driving the theories of retail change, and proposes an extension to the domain of application. The relevant elements of the theories of retail change are implemented to forecast likely developments in the UK food retail industry to 2010, which is complemented by an 'expert' Delphi forecast and a projection of current socio-economic trends

Knowledge for Governance

This open access book focuses on theoretical and empirical intersections between governance, knowledge and space from an interdisciplinary perspective. The contributions elucidate how knowledge is a prerequisite as well as a driver of governance efficacy, and conversely, how governance affects the creation and use of knowledge and innovation in geographical context. Scholars from the fields of anthropology, economics, geography, public administration, political science, sociology, and organization studies provide original theoretical discussions along these interdependencies. Moreover, a variety of empirical chapters on governance issues, ranging from regional and national to global scales and covering case studies in Australia, Europe, Latina America, North America and South Africa demonstrate that geography and space are not only important contexts for governance that affect the contingent outcomes of governance blueprints. Governance also creates spaces. It affects the geographical confines as well as the quality of opportunities and constraints that actors enjoy to establish legitimate and sustainable ways of social and environmental co-existence

The Road to Academic Excellence : The Making of World-Class Research Universities

For middle-income and developing countries as well as some industrial nations a major challenge for building and sustaining successful research universities is determining the mechanisms that allow those universities to participate effectively in the global knowledge network on an equal basis with the top academic institutions in the world. These research universities provide advanced education for the academic profession, policy makers, and public and private sector professionals involved in the complex, globalized economies of the 21st century. In addition to their contribution to economic development, these universities play a key societal role by serving as cultural institutions, centers for social commentary and criticism, and intellectual hubs. The positive contribution of tertiary education is increasingly recognized as not limited to middle-income and advanced countries, because it applies equally to low-income economies. Tertiary education can help these countries to become more globally competitive by developing a skilled, productive, and flexible labor force and by creating, applying, and spreading new ideas and technologies. A recent study on how to accelerate economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa spells out the crucial contribution of tertiary education in supporting this endeavor (World Bank 2008). It observes that the key for success in a globalized world increasingly lies in how effectively a country can assimilate available knowledge and build comparative advantages in areas with higher growth prospects and how it can use technology to address the most pressing environmental challenges. The main chapters of this book are nine case studies that illustrate what it takes to establish and sustain research universities and help validate the analytical model outlined above, including the paths to building research excellence

A study of organisational response to the management of operational property assets and facilities support services as a business resource - real estate asset management. Vol. 1-2

The research was driven by three objectives: • to clarify the nature and strength of the link between strategic business planning and the contributory role of the corporate real estate assets; • to model the management processes that are necessary for a proactive approach to real estate provision and their ongoing management as operational facilities; and • to develop an integrated management development model for real estate asset management that is built on continuous improvement. The underlying aim of the study is to develop models and frameworks that justify and provide for the competencies necessary for the continuous alignmof the operational real estate assets to changing business requirements. The above research objectives were operationalised by investigating three related organisational variables - structure, processes and competencies. The main findings reflect a situation in which organisations are looking to optimise on all its business resources. The dynamics of the market place and the pace of technological development are forcing many organisations to look at their operational assets more closely. The evidence from the case studies organisations supports the following: Structure - It is not so much the positioning in terms of closeness to corporate management, but the level of influence that real estate/facilities executives have on the corporate decision making processes that relate to operational facilities issues. Processes - A proactive management approach must provide for procedures that incorporate the strategic business intentions in facilities dimensions and be in a position to provide solutions to business needs. Competencies - It is incumbent upon the real estate/facilities department to understand the nature of the business they are supporting and develop competencies that support the corporate strategic intent. The research proposes an integrated resource planning framework that incorporates the requirements of three principal business resources; people, technology and property. The proposed framework regards Real Estate Asset Management, REAM, as an integrative planning and management process that considers the outcome in operational facilities provision as matching the requirements of people, technology and property; to consciously create the desired workplace environment as defined by real estate variables (via the strategic facilities brief) and facilities services variables (via the service levels brief). The proposed framework was validated against a panel of experts practising in the field of real estate and facilities management. The contribution in knowledge in the field may be viewed in terms of a critical examination of the role of operational facilities as a business resource and the implications this has on the practice of real estate asset management in an organisational setting

Managerial accountability reforms in the context of the Greek public sector. Patterns of continuity and change, in organisational life : the case of the Hellenic Railway Organisation (OSE)

The present study aims to depict the continuity and change in the patterns of interaction and accountability in the Hellenic Railway Organisation (OSE), as these are influenced by the application of managerial accountability reform, in the context of the Greek public sector. In particularly the present study focuses upon the effects on inner organisational patterns of interaction and accountability from the use of strategic and operational plans, in the effort of the Greek State to keep the company’s executive officer accountable for his/her decisions and actions. Critical to the present analysis is the role of the European Union in the reformation process in the Greek railway industry. Structuration Theory was used to provide a theoretical framework to guide the empirical research. In the course of the thesis it emerges that the power of subordinates to control the reformation process and to hold superordinates accountable for their actions and decisions was critical to the creation of meaningful and accountable relations between organisational actors and their outer organisational context. The dialectic of control is seen by the present study as the key factor that allows an organisational system to maintain a level of managerial and operational independence from elements of the institutional environment, with contradictory and conflicting interests, which aim to influence managerial and operational strategies. Managerial and operational independence of organisational systems, from their institutional environment, is seen as a precondition in order for organisational actors to develop relationships of trust and responsibility and to re-rationalise and modernise the patterns of organisational action and accountability. The inability of the OSE to efficiently apply its modernisation project is seen as the outcome of organisational actors’ inability to maintain a level of independence from the institutional environment and to formulate meaningful and accountable relationships. For that reason operational plans and performance objectives have failed to be coupled in the ongoing relationship between organisational actors in the OSE and their institutional environment. The disaggregation of the OSE into a holding company and company’s current dreadful financial and operational conditions are seen as the unintended consequences of the organisational action

The drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility in the supply chain. A case study.

Purpose: The paper studies the way in which a SME integrates CSR into its corporate strategy, the practices it puts in place and how its CSR strategies reflect on its suppliers and customers relations. Methodology/Research limitations: A qualitative case study methodology is used. The use of a single case study limits the generalizing capacity of these findings. Findings: The entrepreneur’s ethical beliefs and value system play a fundamental role in shaping sustainable corporate strategy. Furthermore, the type of competitive strategy selected based on innovation, quality and responsibility clearly emerges both in terms of well defined management procedures and supply chain relations as a whole aimed at involving partners in the process of sustainable innovation. Originality/value: The paper presents a SME that has devised an original innovative business model. The study pivots on the issues of innovation and eco-sustainability in a context of drivers for CRS and business ethics. These values are considered fundamental at International level; the United Nations has declared 2011 the “International Year of Forestry”

IFPOC Symposium:Discovering antecedents and consequences of complex change recipients' reactions to organizational change.

IFPOC symposium: Discovering antecedents and consequences of complex change recipients' reactions to organizational change Chairs: Maria Vakola (Athens University of Economics and Business) & Karen Van Dam (Open University) Discussant: Mel Fugate (American University, Washington, D.C) State of the art Organisations are required to continuously change and develop but there is a high failure rate associated with change implementation success. In the past two decades, change researchers have started to investigate change recipients' reactions to change recognizing the crucial role of these reactions for successful change. This symposium aims at identifying and discussing the complex processes that underlie the relationships among antecedents, reactions and outcomes associated with organizational change. New perspective / contributions This symposium consists of five studies that extend our knowledge in the field by (i) providing an analysis of change recipients' reactions going beyond the dichotomous approaches (acceptance or resistance) (ii) revealing understudied antecedents-reactions and reactions-consequences patterns and relationships (iii) shedding light on the role of contextual factors i.e team climate and individual factors i.e emotion regulation on the adaptation to change. This symposium is based on a combination of both quantitative (i.e diary, survey) and qualitative (i.e interviews) research methodology. Research / practical implications This symposium aims to increase our understanding of the complex processes associated with change recipients' reactions to change. Discovering how these reactions are created and what are their results may reveal important contingencies that can explain how positive organizational outcomes during times of change can be stimulated which is beneficial for both researchers and practitioners

Qigong at Work: Where East Meets West

State of the Art Qigong is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC) and aims to balance body and mind. The roots of Qigong lie in China, where Confucian and Daoist scholars (500-400 B.C.) noted that one must learn to balance and relax one’s thoughts and emotions to avoid illness (Yang, 1997). In the Western world, Qigong is best known for its slow and coordinated movements. According to TCM, these movements will help regulate one’s ‘qi’, or life energy, through the body to improve the health and harmony of mind and body. During the practice of Qigong, one’s breathing, attention and movement are aligned. As such, Qigong is sometimes considered Mindfulness in movement (although there are many important differences). New perspectives / contributionsQigong has many positive outcomes on health and wellness. In both patient groups and healthy individuals, Qigong has been shown to improve psychological well-being, quality of life, immune function, balance and related risk-factors, and bone density (Jahnke et al., 2010). As such, Qigong offers a validated way to reduce the physical and mental activation that results from a person's work. While recent research has demonstrated how important it is to take short breaks at work, there is still little attention for Qigong exercises as a means to recover at work.Practical Implications In this presentation, we will explain and practice several Qigong exercises. These movements can be used at work (and at home) to recover from (hormonal) activation, ‘empty’ one’s head, and restore the body-mind balance. <br/