The myth of self-managing teams: A reflection on the allocation of responsibilities between individuals, teams and the organisation

Concepts that include the participation and empowerment of workers are becoming \ud increasingly important nowadays. In many of these concepts, the formal responsibility is delegated to teams. Does this imply that the normative responsibility for the actions of teams is also delegated? In this article we will reflect on the difference between holding a person accountable and bearing responsibility. A framework is elaborated in order to analyse the accountability and responsibility of teams. In this framework, the emergence of a collective mind, and the organisational factors that influence the extent to which teams have the possibility of acting in a responsible way play an important role. It shows that teams can bear responsibilities that could never be carried by a group of individuals. The framework is used to analyse two sample cases with self-managing teams in production facilities. The authors discuss the implications for the theory and practice of self-managing teams and the allocation of responsibility between individuals, teams and the organisation

Organizing product-oriented environmental management from a resource-based perspective

More and more the biophysical environment is being acknowledged as a critical business concern, while the environmental performance of products is becoming increasingly important to all parts of the product chain. Systematical attempts to decrease the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle could contribute to a firm's sustainable development potential, since product-oriented environmental management (POEM) addresses different themes of sustainable industrial development. POEM is defined as an approach to organizing a firm in such a way that improving the environmental performance of its products and processes becomes an integral part of both operations and strategy

Organizing NPD networks for high innovation performance:the case of Dutch medical devices SMEs

This research examines which combination of network characteristics (the network configuration) leads to high innovation performance for small and medium sized companies (SMEs). Even though research has paid significant attention to the relation between the external network and the innovation performance of SMEs, research has not yet clearly demonstrated which configurations most affect innovation in particular contexts. The context of the research is the Dutch medical devices sector. This sector is selected because collaboration with external partners for new product development means becomes increasingly important due to the complexity of the products and the fragmentation of the market. In addition the sector is characterized by very strict regulations. These regulations are the cause of the time and cost consuming product development process. In triangulation with quantitative survey data (N=60), qualitative data was gathered through semi-structured interviews in these same companies (N=50), which resulted in a response rate of 61,9%. The systems approach was used to construct the successful network configuration that is related to high innovation performance. By using this approach we are able to simultaneously address multiple network characteristics. Correlation statistics between the Innovation Performance and the Euclidean Distance showed that the more a companies’ network configuration differed from the successful network configuration, the lower the Innovation Performance of that company. Contrary to what we hypothesized from literature, the results of the social systems approach indicate that the network configuration that is related to high innovation performance includes high levels of resource complementarity and goal alignment, and low levels of trust and network position strength. Instead of the social way of networking, both our quantitative and qualitative findings show that a “businesslike” approach which is focused and consistent is related to high innovation performance

Cycles and Diamonds: How Management Consultants Diverge and Converge in Organization Design Processes

Divergence and convergence are both important elements of organizational design processes. This is often stated in the normative design literature, but it has hardly been studied empirically. How do designers of organizations diverge and converge in practice? Do they first develop alternatives and then choose the best one? Do they go through one or more successive cycles? And what makes them choose a certain route? In an in-depth study of management consulting, we identified five different routes for diverging and converging in practice: one route for simple situations and four routes for complex situations. These routes differ in their sequence of activities, in their use of alternative solutions, and in their focus on content or on politics. It is shown that most design processes appear diamond-shaped, with a divergent and a convergent side, but that these diamonds are often coloured or even fake, especially in socio-politically complex situations. Pseudo-divergence, i.e., the process of apparent divergence in public, is widespread

Ethical dilemmas in performance measurement

In this article we discuss the ethical dilemmas facing performance evaluators and the "evaluatees" whose performances are measured in a business context. The concepts of role morality and common morality are used to develop a framework of behaviors that are normally seen as the moral responsibilities of these actors. This framework is used to analyze, based on four empirical situations, why the implementation of a performance measurement system has not been as effective as expected. It was concluded that, in these four cases, unethical behavior (i.e. deviations from the ethical behaviors identified in the framework) provided, at least to some extent, an explanation for the lower than expected effectiveness of the performance measurement procedures. At the end of the paper we present an agenda for further research through which the framework could be further developed and systematically applied to a broader set of cases

CSR perception as a signpost for circular economy

Purpose: This paper aims to identify managerial implications for multinational corporations (MNCs) with regard to circular economy (CE) by using data on corporate social responsibility (CSR) perception in different types of market economies owing to diverse institutional contexts. These managerial implications can contribute to the linking of CSR and CE strategies for MNCs. Design/methodology/approach: This is an empirical study with a mixed-methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative research elements. The varieties of capitalism (VOC) approach with its two kinds of market economies – liberal market economy (LME) and coordinated market economy (CME) – builds the theoretical foundation. Findings: All three guiding hypotheses of the quantitative research part are confirmed, which are: there is a differing perception of CSR in the two kinds of VOC; LME corporations adopt a shareholder value perspective; and CME corporations adopt a stakeholder values perspective. Furthermore, the qualitative research part has identified several key success factors for strategically conducting CSR in nexus with CE. Practical implications: The mentioned key success factors become managerial implications for MNCs aiming at strategically conducting CSR. Due to several crossing points between (strategic) CSR and CE, those implications are largely also eligible for CE. Originality/value: The paper helps to propel empirical findings into a more up-to-date discourse of debate. By emphasizing that the institutional background is likely to have an effect on how CSR is perceived in different kinds of market economies, the research offers a proposition how to use CSR perception as a signpost for CE and fuel future research into this direction

Organizing product-oriented environmental management from a firm’s perspective

Environmental characteristics of products are increasingly investigated. Much research focuses on environmental implications of design decisions and on methods to determine and influence products’ environmental impacts. Less attention is paid to the organizational consequences of such insights. This paper aims to contribute to this discussion by describing and analyzing organizational aspects of product-oriented environmental management (POEM) from an individual firm’s perspective. Important motives for firms to engage in POEM are addressing stakeholder interests and obtaining a competitive advantage. Specific capabilities are required to organize POEM. In the process of building such capabilities, managerial decision-makers play an important role. Two case studies from the chemical industry provide interesting viewpoints on the organization of POEM: creating sufficient flexibility, a broad involvement across functions, and a managerial ability to identify and build the required capabilities are proposed as important factors in the process of organizing POEM