HRM Systems Effects as a Basis for Strategic HR Planning

The chapter illustrates how misalignment of Human Resource Management System (HRMS) creates risks of reduction in organizational performance and well-being of employees. The chapter starts with the analysis of reasons and consequences for choosing particular HRMS by firms and description of criterions to differentiate between the key alternatives: high-productivity, high-commitment and high-involvement-based HRMS. Then it illustrates possible options within an additive approach, which allows reproducing wider variety of HRMS, aiming at identical for organization HR strategy. It also shows how additive approach can intensify positive sides and mitigate the drawbacks of each HRMS in accordance with the organizational health concept. The final part illustrates how to deal with the situation when the most suitable HRMS is not available due to its lower legitimacy, suggesting models with alternative options, or applying additive approach

Climate Change and State Responsibility - Migration as a Remedy?

Konsekvenserna av klimatförändringarna blir allt tydligare och det finns en bred enighet om att det kommer att påverka små östater i en så stor utsträckning att det kan tvinga hela befolkningar att migrera. Då frågan om klimatbetingad migration till stor är del oreglerad, syftar denna uppsats till att undersöka om stater skulle kunna utkräva statsansvar för bristande åtgärder för att bromsa växthuseffekten, om ett migrationsprogram skulle kunna beviljas som en form av åtgärd, samt om en stat praktiskt skulle kunna utkräva sådant ansvar. Republiken Kiribati, en utvecklingsstat vilken utgörs av ett antal öar i Stilla havet, används i uppsatsen som fallstudie i bedömningen. De typografiska förhållandena gör staten särskilt utsatt för klimatförändringar. I takt med att anpassningsåtgärder, både på internationell och nationell nivå, kritiseras för bristande finansiering och för deras ineffektivitet, är det möjligt att de inte räcker för att mildra effekterna av en ökad havsnivå till följd av klimatförändringar, något som Kiribatis regering har förutsett, vilket har lett till att staten förbereder sig på en total omlokalisering av befolkningen. Doktrin har föreslagit ett flertal olika förslag på hur klimatbetingad migration kan regleras och ett flertal olika lösningar finns för att förbättra skyddet för denna kategori av migranter. Var förslag står inför ett flertal svåra utmaningar och för närvarande finns det ingen lösning på denna alltmer överhängande fråga. Att fastslå statsansvar för växthusgasutsläpp och kräva skydd för migranter som en åtgärd skulle därmed kunna vara en potentiell lösning på bristen på skydd för klimatbetingad migration. Fallet Kiribati är baserad på två yrkanden. För det första, yrkar staten på ersättning för anpassningsåtgärder till följd av den stigande havsnivån. För det andra, som en följd av att behöva förflytta hela sin befolkning, eftersträvar staten ett migrationsprogram. De internationella förpliktelser som undersökts består i FN: s ramkonvention om klimatförändringar (UNFCCC) och det tillhörande Kyotoprotokollet, liksom, internationell sedvanerätt i form av no-harm principen. För att fastställa statsansvar måste överträdelsen hänföras till staten. I förevarande fall kan det bestå i att stater har en skyldighet att se till att deras internationella åtaganden följs, och att de därmed har förpliktelser gällande nationella utsläppsmål. Vidare, måste en överträdelse av primärreglerna kunna fastställas. Då klimatförändringen är en konsekvenser av ett flertal staters kumulativa handlingar är fastställandet av en sådan överträdelse problematisk. I denna utredning har ett flertal stater undersöks och de mest lämpliga svaranden utgörs av de stater som antingen inte har ratificerat Kyotoprotokollet, och kan hållas ansvariga för att ha brustit mot sina UNFCCC åtaganden, eller de som inte uppfyllt sina QUELRO s och därmed agerat i strid med Kyotoprotokollet, eller under no-harm regeln. Vidare, för att yrka på åtgärder, måste det finnas ett kausalitetssamband mellan skadan och den yrkade åtgärden. Doktrin föreslår ett flertal olika metoder för hur kausalitet bör fastställas. De specifika egenskaperna av klimatförändringarna kräver ett tillvägagångssätt där orsakskedjan bygger på ländernas bidrag till de negativa effekterna på miljön snarare än ett direkt orsakssamband. Den ekonomiska skada som orsakats av behovet av ökade anpassning och skador på infrastruktur skulle kunna avhjälpas genom kompensation. Omlokalisering skulle kunna genomföras genom köp av obebodd mark för vidarebosättning och i ett sådant fall skulle en lämplig åtgärd vara kompensation. Dock är det mer problematiskt om staten yrkar på att dess medborgare bör tilldelas skydd i den svarande staten. Detta skulle dock kunna avhjälpas genom restitution eller som en form av kompensation. Vidare bör de jurisdiktionsfrågor som uppstår om Kiribati drar en stat inför rätta i en internationell domstol, beaktas. Därmed skulle ett rådgivande yttrande i ICJ vara en potentiell lösning för Kiribati. Slutsatsen kan därmed dras att skyddet för klimatbetingade migranter för närvarande är otillräckligt och att detta bör åtgärdas. Dock vilar statsansvarsreglerna på en grund som inte är väl anpassad för klimatförändringars specifika karaktär, främst gällande svårigheterna att fastställa ett orsakssamband och oklarheterna gällande UNFCCC:s bindande verkan. Dock skulle ett etablerande av statsansvar utverka en viktig prejudicerande effekt i förhandlingarna om skyddet av klimatbetingade migranter. Avhandlingen belyser därmed en problematisk aspekt i folkrätten, det vill säga, det faktum att den är begränsad till staters samtycke. Då klimatförändringen är ett resultat av industrier som fyller en viktig ekonomisk funktion, kan staters incitament att bromsa växthusgasutsläppen ifrågasättas.The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly clear and there is broad agreement on the fact that it will affect small island developing states to a large extent, to which it may force entire populations to relocate. As the issue of climate induced migration is largely unregulated, this thesis therefore seeks to examine if states could claim state responsibility for climate change, if a migration scheme could be awarded as a form of remedy and if a state could succeed in bringing forward such a case. As a small island developing state located in the Pacific Ocean, the Republic of Kiribati is used as a case example in the assessment. Its typographical conditions makes the state particularly vulnerable to climate change. As adaptation measures, both on an international and national level, are criticised for the lack of funding and for their inefficiencies, they might not suffice to mitigate the effects of climate change on Kiribati whose government has foreseen the risk of a total relocation of the population. The topic of climate induced migration is largely discussed among scholars, debating on, inter alia, the causes of migration and the number of migrants. Several different solutions are proposed to enhance the protection of the category of migrants, facing various challenges, and currently there is no solution to the increasingly imminent issue. Establishing state responsibility for climate change and claiming a migration scheme as a remedy, could thereby be a viable solution to increase the protection of climate induced migrants. The case of Kiribati is based upon two claims. Firstly, the state seeks compensation for adaptation measures due to the rise in sea level. Secondly, as a consequence of the need to relocate its entire population, the state seeks a migration scheme to do so. The international obligations examined in the thesis is the climate change regime, consisting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, as well as, international customary law, in the form of the no-harm rule. In order to establish state responsibility, the breach must firstly be attributable to the state. In the present case it can be argued that states have an obligation to ensure that their international obligations are adhered to, and that they thereby must legislate and ensure compliance with certain emission targets. Secondly, a breach of the primary rules must be established. As climate change is a consequences of cumulative actions by multiple states this might pose as a legal hurdle. Several different states are examined and possible respondent states are argued to be the ones who either have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, and could be examined under the rules of the UNFCCC, or the ones which failed to meet their QUELRO’s which could then be in breach of the Kyoto Protocol or under the no-harm rule. Moreover, in order to claim a remedy there must be a chain of causation. Public international law proposes different approaches to how causality should be established. The specific characteristics of climate change call for an approach where the chain of causation is based upon states’ contributions to the adverse effects to the environment. The financial damage occurred through increased adaptation and damage to infrastructure could be remedied through compensation. Relocation could be implemented through the purchase of uninhabited land for resettlement and thereby compensated. Thus, if claimed that the citizens of the state should be awarded protection in the respondent state, such a claim would entail difficulties. However, it is argued that it could be remedied through restitution or as a form of compensation. Moreover, if Kiribati was to launch a contentious case at the ICJ, several jurisdictional issues would arise and an advisory opinion could thereby be a viable solution. It can thereby be concluded that as the protection for climate induced migrants at present is insufficient and that there is a need for a larger inclusion. Thus, establishing state responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and claiming remedies would prove difficult, mainly due to the issue of causation and the uncertainties regarding the binding force of the primary obligations. However, if established, it could form an important precedent in negotiations on the protection of climate induced migrants. The thesis thereby highlights the many inefficiencies of public international law, of which the most important one is the fact that it is based on the consent of states. As climate change is a result of industries, which play an important economic purpose, the incentives of states to mitigate the issue can be questioned

Testing for linear and quadratic effects between price adaptation and export performance: The impact of values and perceptions

Managerial perceptions are essential in explaining strategic decisions. It is, therefore, surprising that despite the number of studies that have examined the impact of managerial characteristics in exporting, little research has been reported in the export literature that investigates the importance of managers' perceptions on strategic decisions and resultant performance outcomes. To address this gap in the literature, the authors examine the key determinants of managers' psychic distance as well as its influence on international pricing decisions, and this in turn, on the export performance of SMEs. We also examine the quadratic effects of price adaptation on export performance. This is particularly relevant since price adaptation and export performance have been assumed in the literature to have a linear relationship. The results show that managers' perceptions have a significant impact on pricing decisions and resultant performance outcomes. Our findings also indicate that price adaptation has an inverted U-shaped relationship with export performance

A Roadmap for Acquisition of Legacy Parts Through an On-demand Solution Aimed at the Energy Sector on the Norwegian Continental Shelf - A Case Implementation

\section{Abstract} Equinor has initiated a Field Life Extension (FLX) project to prolong the end-life operational capabilities of their installations by innovative methods, including Stafjord A. One of these innovative methods is to implement an on-demand solution for re-supplying the installation with spare parts manufactured through alternative methods, such as additive manufacturing (AM) and rapid casting. However, due to the age of specific components, the documentation for design, material specification, and manufacturing may be missing, i.e., legacy parts. The main aim of this thesis is to map the path from notification of a potential failure of a legacy part to the installation of a near-identical part. The life extension implies that mechanical equipment, such as valve bodies for the fire deluge systems must maintain their integrity throughout the expanded life cycle. Unfortunately, this component has exceeded its life expectancy by twice. Hence, increased degradation and risk for potential accidents introduce the need for acquiring new valve bodies. A literature review investigated the challenges and requirements for implementing the on-demand solution for legacy parts. Standards and manufacturing methods have been studied and compared. An Analytical Hierarchy Process was used to analyze the input from experts within AM and rapid casting. Finally, a case review processed the valve body through the Reverse Engineering Process (REP) activities. A roadmap is proposed based on regulations governing the manufacturing of mechanical components used on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). Furthermore, requirements for implementing the on-demand solution for legacy parts are described, including a proposition for an explicit criticality assessment for metal AM. A recommendation for operational part-monitoring and identification linked with a digital warehouse of the corresponding part is made to finalize the proposed roadmap for acquiring legacy parts on the NCS. The Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) reveals that rapid casting outperforms metal AM for valve body manufacturing. In addition, metal AM and rapid casting are benchmarked regarding realistic cost and lead time procurement limitations. The results include the AHP output and indicate that the cost of ordering the valve body favour rapid casting, but the lead time for metal AM is lower than rapid casting. The total cost for metal AM per part is nearly equal to the cost of the initial requested batch of 26 valve bodies produced by rapid casting

Leaders, followers and problem solving in organisations

The distinction between management style and leadership style has been confirmed in this research by examining the working relationships between leaders and followers in 6 separate sites of a computer systems organisation. The relationships between 4 areas of organisational outcome, (performance/effectiveness, job satisfaction, anxiety, and depression) and the perceptions of the leadership styles of the follower's most significant manager and the organisational environments of culture and climate were studied. A systemic model of these relationships has been constructed and elaborated. From a follower perspective, 4 distinct leadership factors are articulated. One factor is concerned with the future of the organisation (Visioning) while another factor is concerned with managing within the organisations (Organising & Resourcing). The results highlight the weak conceptual and structural distinctions between the facets of Transformational Leadership and Transactional Leadership in the literature. e. g. Bass, Avolio & Jung (1995) and thus support Kotter (1982,1990,2001) and House & Shamir (1993). The leadership factors of managers deemed to be "most significant" and the organisational environment are related. In particular, the factor of Organising & Resourcing is related to Teamwork in the organisational environment while the leadership factor of Visioning is related to the organisational culture in terms of the variables of Mission, and Communication, and the organisational climate variables of Work Goals, Work Demands, and Work Supports. These results support the views that one of the main purposes of leadership leadership is to form and maintain the organisation culture. (Bennis, 1989; Bennis & Nanus, 1985; and Schein, 1985,1990,1997). Also, significant managers with the style called People Orientation have a direct impact on the well-being of their subordinates. In particular, People Orientation is negatively related to anxiety and depression, while organisational culture, via the variable of Mission is also negatively related to anxiety, and Teamwork, and Mission are both negatively related to depression. The results imply that solutions to stress that do not address the leader/follower relationship and neglect the need for a mission and teamwork ethos in the organisation culture are misdirected and prone to failure. The results further show that leadership style is not related to the follower's cognitive style (adaption or innovation) on the KAI. Cognitive style is however related to Work Demands, thus it appears that follower's construe the tasks and problems in line with their cognitive preferences confirming that the KAI is heavily associated with ideation. The practical implications are: 1) Followers see a distinct difference between the visionary elements of leadership and the organising and resourcing components of management. Followers also identify a process of communication that is common to both management and leadership as well another important factor labeled People Orientation. 2) Managers with this style of people orientation have a direct link to the feelings and well-being of followers as measured by anxiety. Increases in the style of People Orientation are likely to be linked to reduced state anxiety and reduced depression in followers. Individual performance/effectiveness is largely accounted for by Work Goals with the moderating effect of the combination of KAI and teamwork rather than the direct impact of management. 3) Followers in this research seem to be in a developmental dilemma where their need for support and encouragement from management can inhibit them from solving problems in line with their preferred cognitive styles. In such circumstances, behavioural outcomes may be different from the norm and thus paradigm breaking for both the relationship with the manager, and with the organisation

Why Are Electronic Invoice Processes Risky? - Empirical Analysis and Discussion of Risk Factors

Electronic invoice processes are characterized by various software solutions, legal uncertainty, heter-ogeneous demands, lack of know how, and information system infrastructure incompatibilities. Due to this complexity and the uncertainty that companies face, a holistic map of risk factors of e-invoice processes is required. Companies must be conscious not only about potential opportunities but also about potential risks before they change their business processes and their information systems’ archi-tecture. Potential risk factors are identified theoretically and empirically evaluated with a quantitative expert survey that investigates risk probabilities and potential losses associated with these factors. The empirical analysis reveals that the investigated factors are valid and reliable. After conducting an ex-plorative factor analysis, 37 statistically significant risk factors are grouped into ten risk dimensions: process organization, standard, environment, project management, strategy, acceptance, system, pro-cess execution, security, and change management

Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Kirton Adaption-Innovation Theory in High-Performance Organizations

Research on high-performing nonprofit boards has indicated a positive relationship between a board\u27s strength and an organization\u27s effectiveness; however, how boards achieve success remains relatively unknown. The Kirton adaption-innovation (KAI) theory was used to examine board members\u27 cognitive styles in relationship to facilitating problem solving and decision making. This nonexperimental, quantitative study included archived nonprofit board data from 2 American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) studies that had addressed the high performance of boards and factors associated with organizational success. A total of 102 randomly selected, high-performing nonprofit board members completed the KAI Inventory, which was used to measure cognitive style on a continuum; participants also answered questions from the second ASAE study to indicate board performance. Correlational and regression analyses were used to determine whether cognitive style on problem solving and decision making predicted high performance of boards. Results showed that cognitive style was not a significant predictor of problem solving; however, participants with an innovation cognitive style provided answers to the decision-making performance questions that were noticeably lower than participants who were classified as adaption. Findings might be used by nonprofit board members to enhance individual growth, increase organizational agility, and improve problem solving for effective decision making to ensure nonprofit board excellence