The dynamics of managerial ideology: analyzing the cuban case

After the collapse of state socialism in Eastern Europe, management researchers devoted considerable energy to investigate ways to smooth transition to market economies. But one country of the former Soviet bloc, Cuba resisted transition and reaffirmed loyalty to communism. Little is known about management in Cuba on the managerial impacts of the combination of two major environmental forces: the American embargo and the Soviet Union collapse, both of which have challenged the sustainability of the communist regime. This study intends to approach one particular aspect of management in Cuba: the relationship between national ideology and management practice. To analyze these topics, direct qualitative data from focus groups with Cuban managers and management professors was obtained and complemented with documentary analysis. Results suggest that the dynamics of managerial ideology can be understood as the interplay of several processes operating at distinct levels: institutional, professional, organizational and individual. The study provides a nested, multi-level understanding of management and organization as parts of a wider institutional context, which is both a source of constraint and a non-tangible resource to be used by ideological bricoleurs. The interplay between the acceptance of ideology and its use as a practical resource is a potential source of change. As such, the same professional class (managers) may be both a source of continuity and a trigger of change - a finding that is line with institutional theorys claim that it is necessary to understand both institutionalization and de-institutionalization for understanding organizational change and continuity.Cuba, managerial ideology, institutional change, ideological bricolage

Writing new scripts: redefining managerial agency in Cuba

Transitional societies are faced with particularly challenging and pressing problems. These usually involve the passage from a centralised, socialist-based society, to a decentralised, market-based economy. This paper addresses a somewhat different case: that of Cuba. According to the official discourse, the island is not in a state of transition. On the contrary, it is assumed that the conquests of the revolution are there to stay. Nonetheless, significant changes are taking place. The market logic is being adopted in a growing number of cases, ranging from empresas mixtas to the weak signals of entrepreneurial activity. Drawing on a series of eight focus groups with a total of 106 Cuban executives and management scholars, this paper addresses the uniqueness of the Cuban case on the basis of the theory of structuration. The paper reports how the need to keep the faith is being added with the adoption of Western management practices, and how the interplay between planned and emergent change is sculpting transition through the redefinition of managerial scripts.Cuba, managerial scripts, agency, structuration theory, focus groups

What is an "exemplary workplace"? Evidence from Cuba

Management researchers and practitioners have developed a marked interest for the notion of “good companies to work for”, “exemplary workplaces”, “meaningful work”, “virtuous organization”, “truly healthy organizations” or “authentizotic organizations”. We complement the previous studies, conducted in the context of capitalistic economies, with an analysis of the representation of the “exemplary organization” in the context of a communist country, Cuba. An inductive study with 39 managers suggests that some elements of the exemplary workplace profile are heavily influenced by the local conditions (e.g., transportation system), whereas others may be viewed as probably general (social contribution). We also conclude that the balance between material conditions and social issues is a major determinant of how people evaluate the “exemplarity” of their organization.exemplary workplaces; meaning at work; Cuba

Market forces, strategic management, HRM practices and organizational performance, a model based in european sample

This study uses structural equation modeling to test a model of the impact of human resources management practices on perceived organizational performance, on a large sample of European companies. The influences of competitive intensity, industry attractiveness and strategic management are considered in the model, and their direct and indirect influence on organizational performance is assessed. The model produced an adequate fit and results show that strategic management does influence human resource practices. Human resource flexibility practices and performance management have a positive impact on organizational performance, while training was not found to have a significant impact. A direct positive impact of competitive intensity and industry attractiveness on strategic management was supported by the data, as well as a direct positive effect of industry attractiveness on perceived organizational performance.

Bricolage in organizations

Theories of management and organization have traditionally overlooked the concept of bricolage. Focused on the rationality of resource allocation, scholars have missed the relevance of the skill of “inventing” resources from available materials. Changes in the nature of competition are, however, stressing the importance of speed and change as competitive factors in shifting environments. In these environments it may be impossible to search and wait for the presumably adequate resources. Bricolage, therefore, may be a relevant practice in these environments. This article discusses the concept of organizational bricolage by asking such questions as: What is bricolage? Why is bricolage a relevant practice? Why is bricolage so often ignored? How can it be facilitated?resources; resourcing; bricolage; improvisation

Organizational time: a dialectical view

We present twelve propositions constituting a contribution to a contingency view of time in organizations and synthesize apparently opposite perspectives of time. To articulate them, we relate the planning, action and improvisation strategic orientations to the dependent, independent and interdependent perspectives of the environment. Then, we relate these strategic orientations related to approaches to the problems of scheduling, synchronization and time allocation. Action strategies rely on event time to handle scheduling, use entrainment to synchronize with their environment and view time as linear. Planning strategies use even time to handle scheduling, impose their internal pacing upon the environment and view time as cyclic. Improvisation strategies use even-event time to handle scheduling, synchronize via internal-external pacing and hold a spiral view of time. Our argument strengthens the case for a more deliberate approach to time in organizations and favors a dialectical view of organizational phenomena.action, contingency, dialectics, improvisation, planning, synthesis, time

Sensitivity of galaxy cluster dark energy constraints to halo modeling uncertainties

We perform a sensitivity study of dark energy constraints from galaxy cluster surveys to uncertainties in the halo mass function, bias and the mass-observable relation. For a set of idealized surveys, we evaluate cosmological constraints as priors on sixteen nuisance parameters in the halo modeling are varied. We find that surveys with a higher mass limit are more sensitive to mass-observable uncertainties while surveys with low mass limits that probe more of the mass function shape and evolution are more sensitive to mass function errors. We examine the correlations among nuisance and cosmological parameters. Mass function parameters are strongly positively (negatively) correlated with Omega_DE (w). For the mass-observable parameters, Omega_DE is most sensitive to the normalization and its redshift evolution while w is more sensitive to redshift evolution in the variance. While survey performance is limited mainly by mass-observable uncertainties, the current level of mass function error is responsible for up to a factor of two degradation in ideal cosmological constraints. For surveys that probe to low masses (10^13.5 h^-1 M_sun), even percent-level constraints on model nuisance parameters result in a degradation of ~ sqrt{2} (2) on Omega_DE (w) relative to perfect knowledge.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, accepted by PR

Embedded model discrepancy: A case study of Zika modeling

Mathematical models of epidemiological systems enable investigation of and predictions about potential disease outbreaks. However, commonly used models are often highly simplified representations of incredibly complex systems. Because of these simplifications, the model output, of say new cases of a disease over time, or when an epidemic will occur, may be inconsistent with available data. In this case, we must improve the model, especially if we plan to make decisions based on it that could affect human health and safety, but direct improvements are often beyond our reach. In this work, we explore this problem through a case study of the Zika outbreak in Brazil in 2016. We propose an embedded discrepancy operator---a modification to the model equations that requires modest information about the system and is calibrated by all relevant data. We show that the new enriched model demonstrates greatly increased consistency with real data. Moreover, the method is general enough to easily apply to many other mathematical models in epidemiology.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

The age of emergence: toward a new organizational mindset

This paper discusses how new competitive landscapes invite organizational scholars and practitioners to adopt a new organizational mindset. The proposed new mindset does not negate the importance of the traditional functions of management, but invites a reexamination of how they are expected to function. The paper is organized as follows: (1) the traditional mindset is briefly presented; (2) the precipitating conditions for the new mindset are highlighted (e.g. hypercompetition, global standards, world class competitors) and the age of emergence concept introduced (3), standard approaches for dealing with the new economic order will be advanced (e.g. trust-based organizations, designs for innovation, network forms); (4) the new emergence mindset is presented as a dialectical alternative, linking the past and the future. The new emergence mindset is derived from a larger research project on how organizations can adapt to the age of emergence. The research involves theoretical research, case studies and field research (observation, interviewing). It is shown that some old concepts have been prematurely condemned in recent research. We argue in this paper that emergence age organizations need to synthesize old and new concepts in a dialectical manner, instead of getting rid of old concepts (control, planning, etc.). We believe that this view will provide a refreshing and realistic approach for the understanding of contemporary organizations in the millenium.