Determinig the Effect of Organizational Culture on Small and Medium Enterprises Performance: A SEM Approach

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship of organizational culture on small and medium enterprise (SME) performance, underpinned by contingency theory, and the structural equation modelling (SEM) for data analysis. Their relationship receives a considerable scholarly attention in the literature, but few studies have been conducted among Nigerian SMEs.  SMEs are considered as important to the economic growth of Nigeria and they served as the major source of employment and significantly contribute to the the gross domestic production. Based on the theoretical consideration, a model was proposed to examine this relationship. A quantitative method was used with a total of 640 questionnaires, self – administered to the owner/managers of SMEs in Nigeria. A total of 511 questions was duly completed and returned representing 79.8% response rate. The study finding is in support of previous studies who have suggested the negative relationship of organizational culture and firm performance in many organizations. The finding from this study will benefit SME owner/managers, regulatory agency ie small and medium enterprise development agency of Nigeria, it will also help in policy formulation and will serve as a frame of future reference

The acquisition of knowledge in public organizations: the perspective of employees

Background. The importance of learning in and by organizations has since long been recognized by academic and practitioner scientists for both business and public sector organizations. In particular in the last decades interest in organizational learning has been growing. There are important reasons for considering the acquisition of knowledge in public service organizations. Research aims. The paper reviews the state of research evidence in the field. The main question of this study is how important it is for employees in public sector to acquire the knowledge and use their full potential in the workplace and whether these organizations Methods. The main source of empirical data is carried out by the authors of the study in public sector organizations. Key findings. The study was conducted using a questionnaire survey. The research shows high expectations related to knowledge acquisition opportunities in the workplace and partial fulfilment of these expectations by the subject organizations

Um estudo de metodologia mista sobre soft e hard skills: a perspetiva dos estudantes e de empresa contratadora

Com as mudanças provenientes da automatização, as aptidões comportamentais como a criatividade, a adaptabilidade e a capacidade de colaboração serão cada vez mais importantes para o sucesso organizacional. A combinação de soft e hard skills faz-se de uma importância significativa no presente e no futuro. Mais especificamente, é destacado que sem as hard skills não é possível haver desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias, pelo que a coexistência e desenvolvimento de soft e hard skills é fundamental, em especial em países de cultura baseada na relação, como Portugal. Nessa conformidade, a presente investigação teve como objetivo geral avaliar a perspetiva dos estudantes e de um profissional de recursos humanos em relação às soft e hard skills. A investigação foi levada a cabo por meio da aplicação de uma metodologia mista, sobretudo, a aplicação de inquéritos a estudantes do ensino superior (n=82) e uma entrevista realizada com uma técnica de recursos humanos de uma instituição financeira portuguesa. Os resultados sugerem que no passado as empresas se focavam muito em recrutar candidatos com elevadas capacidades técnicas, sem dar atenção a competências pessoais e interpessoais, o que muitas vezes originava graves problemas, como por exemplo, ao nível da socialização e liderança. Somando-se a isso, foi possível verificar uma relação de conformidade entre as visões da comunidade de estudantes do ensino superior, da profissional da área de recursos humanos entrevistada e aquilo que está presente na literatura relativa ao tema em questão.publishe

Market orientation, knowledge management, entrepreneurial orientation and performance of Nigeria SMEs

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between market orientation, knowledge management, and entrepreneurial orientation on the performance of Nigerian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with the moderating and mediating effects of business environment and organizational culture respectively. Literature was extensively reviewed in management and other related fields for better understanding of past, present and future needs in the study area. Although their relationships have generated considerable scholarly interest, few studies have actually been conducted among SMEs in Nigeria. SMEs are essential to economic growth in Nigeria and they are a major source of employment and contribute significantly towards the gross domestic products. Based on a theoretical consideration, a model was proposed to examine these relationships. A crosssectional survey design was adopted and the unit of analysis was the organization, which is SME performance in Nigeria; and the owner/managers of SMEs were the respondents. The study employed systematic random sampling technique in data collection, with a sample size of 640 SMEs. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data collected using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for window version 20. Hence, both multiple regression and hierarchical regression analysis were used. The findings of this study reported that knowledge management and entrepreneurial orientation have direct significant positive relationship with firm performance, while market orientation was not found to be a predictor of SME performance in Nigeria. The result of hierarchical regression (moderation test) established that business environment was not found to moderate the relationships between market orientation, knowledge management, entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. The findings of mediation test indicated that organizational culture partially mediated the relationships between knowledge management, entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. Finally, study implications for theory and practice, limitations, conclusions as well as direction for future research were provided and discussed

An Application of “Organization Development Tools” in Identifying Chinese University Students’ Learning Styles of English Language: A Case Study of Comprehensive English Subject at the College of Oriental Languages, Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages, People’s Republic of China

The purpose of this research is to improve Chinese university students’ performance in four aspects, namely sense of responsibility, academics in students’ grades, engagement and self-esteem by using student-centered learning approach at the College of Oriental Languages (COL), Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages (ZYUFL). Changing students’ learning styles should be implemented with careful consideration. With that in mind, a new learning process and teaching model were designed in order to improve the teaching and learning quality. Two different groups were investigated, namely the experimental and control group. Research strategies such as open-ended and structured interview, observation by score criterion and a questionnaire were used and some secondary data collected. Research interventions, team building, coaching, appreciative inquiry, whole brain literacy and Kolb’s experiential learning cycle were applied during the organization development intervention (ODI) phase in the Comprehensive English Class. After the traditional lecture-dominated and student-centered approach in two different groups, it was clearly indicated that interventions had a positive influence on students’ learning styles: feeling, thinking and doing styles. With regards to the four aspects of performance examined, it was easy to see that students showed higher scores in terms of sense of responsibility, self-esteem and engagement in the experimental groups after ODI. The fourth aspect, academics showed the highest level of improvement while there was no significant difference in any of the variables of the control group at the post-ODI phase.

Moderating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between organizational justice, job autonomy and organizational cynicism

Organizational cynicism is viewed as a general or specific attitude that is characterized by frustration, anger and also a tendency to distrust individuals, groups and organizations. It is not only detrimental to employees but also to organizations. Hence, this study emphasized on the factors that influence organizational cynicism. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to investigate the level of organizational cynicism among the respondents, to examine the relationship between organizational justice, job autonomy and organizational cynicism, and to analyse the moderating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between organizational justice, job autonomy and organizational cynicism. This study utilized the survey method, through the distribution of questionnaires to a sample of 504 Immigration Officers from the Security and Defence Unit of the Immigration Department of Malaysia (IDM). Statistical techniques such as factor analysis, reliability test, correlation test, multiple regression and hierarchical regression analyses were employed in analysing the data. The multiple regression analysis indicated that organizational justice and job autonomy were significantly and negatively related to organizational cynicism. As for the moderating test of organizational culture, the study revealed that bureaucratic culture has a significant moderating effect on job autonomy and organizational cynicism. Meanwhile, innovative culture significantly moderated the relationship between interactional justice, job autonomy and organizational cynicism. This finding depicted that the interaction effects of bureaucratic culture and innovative culture are partially supported. On the other hand, the result showed no interaction effect on supportive culture. The implications, limitations and direction for the future study are also discussed

Managing knowledge in project-based organizations: A cultural perspective

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The Talent Age

Treball final de Grau en Administració d’Empreses. Codi: AE1049. Curs acadèmic 2014-2015Purpose: The purpose of this document is to explore the dimensions, dynamics and implications of talent management in organizations. In order to do so, the document first seeks to clarify the nature of talent, identifying its key attributes, challenges and applications. The document then examines and develops approaches to talent management in organizations, and how to acquire, retain and leverage talent effectively. Design / methodology / approach: This document represents a theoretical review of talent, starting from the need to understand what it is, how to manage it, how and where to develop it in the organization. The document pays reference to existing literature related to talent, talent management and talent development, obtained from the database of the University Jaume I. Findings: The world of work has undergone dramatic and profound changes. As a consequence, in order to successfully overcome new challenges emerging across virtually all sectors and continue to yield growth, organizations must strive to attract, retain and develop talent in their ranks. The literature highlights the importance of organizational learning and new organizational models as enablers of commercial success. Originality / value: The document aims to unify and rationalize approaches to talent, talent management, organizational learning and new organizational models

Intra-organizational knowledge transfer process in Vietnam's information technology companies

Intra-organizational knowledge transfer has attracted much attention of researchers and practitioners in recent years since knowledge transfer has been considered as a critical determinant of an organization’s capacity to confer sustainable competitive advantage. Despite extensive research on knowledge transfer issues, the effect of knowledge transfer on organizational performance still has not been fully examined or attracted adequate empirical testing. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate organizational factors influencing intra-organizational knowledge transfer, and examine the relationship between knowledge transfer process, its antecedents and organizational performance. Drawing on several theoretical streams, an integrated theoretical model of intra organizational knowledge transfer together with 13 hypotheses were developed and tested in the context of IT companies in Vietnam. To achieve the objectives, a triangulation of quantitative and qualitative studies was applied. A quantitative survey was employed to test hypotheses in the conceptual model derived from relevant literature. Data were collected from a survey of 218 managers and technical staff working in 36 IT companies located in Hanoi and HoChiMinh City. Multiple regression techniques were used to analyze the data. A case study research was conducted with the aim of illustrating the intra organizational knowledge transfer process within a company operating in a transition economy like Vietnam. Data for case study were mainly collected by interviewing managers and technical staff during a one-month field study in the FPT Software Solutions Company. The main findings showed that intra-organizational knowledge transfer is most affected by organizational culture, incentive system and organizational structure. Adaptability and solidarity are two culture values enabling the transfer process. A transparent and flexible incentive system motivates individuals to exchange and apply knowledge in their daily work. High level of centralization creates difficulties for social interaction and reduces autonomy and active involvement of employees, vi which are essential for successful knowledge transfer. High formalization facilitates the knowledge transfer process by providing a clear direction for employees and enhancing communication flow through an extensive monitoring and reporting requirement. The frequency of using IT tools did not significantly influence the intra organizational knowledge transfer process after other independent variables were added in the regression model. This suggests either that IT tools may not directly itself is not enough to ensure successful knowledge transfer. Therefore, to facilitate knowledge transfer process, it is important to foster knowledge-sharing attitude through providing greater opportunities for deeper involvement of users in the system. Although the knowledge transfer process was found not to mediate the relationship between its antecedents and organizational performance, the process itself moderately predicts organizational performance. This suggests that intra organizational knowledge transfer process should be considered as one of the factors contributing to company performance. The research has filled gaps in existing literature in several ways. Firstly, it extends our understanding of the important facilitators of intra-organizational knowledge transfer process. Secondly, it attempts to integrate both soft and hard organizational factors to create a comprehensive model of intra-organizational knowledge transfer. Thirdly, it clarifies the role of the intra-organizational knowledge transfer process in improving the company’s performance in a transition economy. Overall, the results of the study contribute to the advancement of research in the area of intra-organizational knowledge transfer and provide practical implications for managers of IT companies in Vietnam by shedding light on determinant factors of knowledge transfer process and examining the link between knowledge transfer process and firm performance