The relevance of specific csfs for stakeholders during ERP implementation: an empirical study from Oman

The success of ERP systems implementation is affected by the extent to which stakeholders have been prepared for the project activities and its outcomes. Stakeholders’ preparation needs change as the ERP implementation lifecycle progresses and varies across stakeholder groups. Therefore a dynamic model is needed for such preparation. However such a model needs to reflect the relevance of different CSFs to different stakeholder groups at different stages of the ERP implementation life-cycle. This study examines empirical evidence from a survey conducted in Omani organisations to determine what these individual CSFs are and how they are distributed across the ERP implementation life-cycle for different stakeholder groups. The CSFs included in the survey were derived from a structured review of literature. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents representing different ERP stakeholders groups, all respondents had both experience and knowledge of ERP implementations. The survey data are analysed and the distribution of relevant CSFs across the ERP lifecycle for the different stakeholder groups are presente

Learning to learn: A case for developing Small Firm Owner/Managers

Purpose: The paper seeks to contribute to the management development debate by providing insight on the dynamics of organisational learning and human interaction in the SME firm. The paper sets out to consider how a practice based perspective of knowledge is useful in this regard. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is theoretical in its intent and adopts a social constructionist view of knowledge and learning. Using qualitative analysis the paper establishes a review of the current literature by highlighting the centrality of knowledge and learning. Findings: Literature has suggested that critical aspects of learning within the SME firm are based around contextualised action, critical reflection and social interaction. A limited number of studies account for how practice is configured and influenced, in terms of value, uniqueness and scope of what is known, and how these influences can vary depending upon the contexts in which knowledge is being used, and potentially used. Practical Implications: There is a strong recognition in many of the empirical studies of learning and its use in the SME firm, that knowledge is gained through practice as opposed to formal instruction. What current research does not reflect is the changing nature of knowledge research in the wider organisational community, which has focused its attention towards the situated nature of knowledgeable activity or knowing in practice. Originality/Value: The paper argues that learning through practice, with its focus on real world issues and lived experiences, which are contextually embedded in the owner-manager's environment, may provide a better means of successfully developing practitioner focused owner/managers

DETERMINANTS, MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF PERFORMANCE IN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered the backbone of economic growth, as they play a vital role in the economic development of any country, they contribute to the provision of job opportunities and act as suppliers of goods and services to large companies. Despite the role of SMEs in national economies, as well as their importance in promoting competitiveness and employment, the author believes that the SMEs performance determinants and their impact on performance measurement and management have not been sufficiently studied in Latvia. The aim of the research is to explore the SMEs performance determinants and their impact on performance measurement and management. The research is based on the analysis of scientific publications. General research methods are used in the research: information analysis and synthesis, logically – constructive, monographic, data grouping and graphical representation methods. As a result, the impact of the SMEs performance determinants on the measurement and management of SME performance are explored, and the conceptual framework for measuring and managing SME performance is developed

Pledging for New Conceptual Perspectives in Decision-Making Process

This paper works is a pledge for inclusion of alternative conceptual perspectives in decision making theory and practice. Actual decision science tools and leadership style do have applicability. However, their relevance and applicability are very much subjugated by the complexity, uncertainty and near unknowability of the decision-making context. New conceptual perspectives are required. We highlights the relevance of complex, chaotic environments and asymmetric information to decision processes. It is necessary to adopt new theoretical approaches and to help practitioners understand the reasons for decision failures.decision-making, decisional process

Pro-growth small businesses: learning 'architecture'

Internationally, a certain market failure has become apparent in terms of the effective engagement of small business owner-managers in business support programs, and in the wider concept of life long learning. There exists a cultural gap between support agencies and the small business sector's perceptions of the utility of formal support and learning interventions to the business performance of their business. Therefore, this paper extends knowledge and understanding within this context relative to what constitutes small business owner-managers' learning disposition, means, obstacles and organisation to be confronted and what form of new 'architecture' needs to be designed to support learning. A theoretical framework supports the analysis of findings from a research project based in Melbourne, Australia, which serves to illuminate pertinent issues towards informing more sensitised support interventions with respect to pro-growth small businesses. Specifically, the attribute of a learning culture was identified as a factor contributing to growth in small businesses, and may represent a distinguishing characteristic between effective and non-effective economic performers

Costs, Benefits and Value Distribution – Ingredients for Successful Cross-Organizational ES Business Cases

This paper introduces my PhD research project on developing guidelines for creating successful business cases for Enterprise System implementations in network settings. Three important aspects that were found to be important in such business cases are: the costs, benefits and the value distribution within a network. Each of the three aspects is addressed in this paper and the relationships between them are pointed out. A research model is presented showing how all three aspects contribute to the main goal of defining successful business case guidelines

Navigating Enterprise Architecture (EA) Definition: A Story of EA Adoption in a Public Sector Organization

Enterprise architecture (EA) is a strategic approach to manage the digital transformation processes in large-scale organizations. Organizations aim at providing a holistic view of business, technology, and information by adopting EA. Although EA is now well established as a practical digital transformation facilitator, some organizations fail to achieve its benefits. Due to its diverse nature, a lack of shared understanding of EA is one highly cited challenge in its literature. Indeed, during the EA adoption, each actor tries to define EA in a way that fulfills her/his own interests. Therefore, there is a risk of failing to achieve the organizational holistic view in this condition. Through a case study in one large-scale public-sector organization in Norway, we illustrate how different EA stakeholders influence EA\u27s understanding. In addition, by adopting the organizational influence process theory, we explain the reason why EA failed in the studied case

Role of Cognitive Style of a Manager in the Development of Tourism Companies’ Dynamic Capabilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between cognitive styles of managers working in tourism companies and dynamic capabilities of these companies. Design – The research relies on a quantitative questionnaire. Methodology – To answer the research question, the bivariate (Pearson) correlation was applied. A number of 268 answers from people working in tourism were received. Findings – We found a positive correlation between different dimensions of dynamic capabilities of tourism companies. These capabilities are influenced by managers’ cognitive characteristics. The organizational culture plays a mediating role in the latter relationship. Implications for theory – The paper offers an alternative understanding of dynamic capabilities in tourism and hospitality; the paper also opens new paths for academic research on the impact of cognitive characteristics of managers on the dynamic capabilities of tourism companies. Implications for practitioners – Making accurate psychological portrait of the candidate can predict his/her behavior in certain situation, such as response towards environmental change using dynamic capabilities and when making the necessary changes to the organizational culture. Originality – This study proposes model of influence of a manager’s cognitive style on dynamic capabilities, whereby organizational culture moderates this relationship

Enterprise Risk Management: Review, Critique, and Research Directions

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. Many regulators, rating agencies, executives and academics have advocated a new approach to risk management: Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). ERM proposes the integrated management of all the risks an organization faces, which inherently requires alignment of risk management with corporate governance and strategy. Academic research on ERM is still in its infancy, with articles largely in accounting and finance journals but rarely in management journals. We argue that ERM offers an important new research domain for management scholars. A critical review of ERM research allows us to identify limitations and gaps that management scholars are best equipped to address. This paper not only identifies how management scholars can contribute to ERM research, but also points out why ERM research (and practice) needs management research for its development

So What? : HR Measurement as a Change Catalyst

[ Excerpt] There is unprecedented recognition among top managers throughout the world that people make the difference. Reading the professional business press, one would think that the battle for measuring the impact of human resources has already been won. Emerging flexible organizations are seen as requiring increased attention to vision, style, cooperation and teamwork (Ghoshal & Mintzberg, 1994; Halal, 1993). Business writers tout the essential role of world-class training that values people skills and fosters entrepreneurship (Dumaine, 1995; Rau, 1994). We even see the latest pair of best-selling authors, Michael Hammer and James Champy chiding managers that the biggest lie told by most organizations is that \u27people are our most important assets \u27, and calling for dramatically increased investments in people (Lancaster, 1995). It is also apparent that some of the most admired managers say managing people as their most important role. Jack Welch, of General Electric Corporation is quoted as saying Anybody who gets this [CEO] job has got to believe in the gut that people are the key to everything (Tichy, 1993). There is also growing evidence that organizational success is correlated with the existence of combinations of high-performance work designs and highperformance human resource practices (MacDuffie, 1995; Arthur, 1994; Huselid, in press)