Managing across Cultures in a Big Four Consulting Firm

This case examines how a big four consulting firm reviewed the performance of two of its Asian practices. It explores how the review was conducted, the findings, and how the outcomes were communicated. It reveals the challenges faced by Western managers in telling Eastern managers they need to improve their performance. The case is about cross cultural management and organisational structure and control. It offers a fascinating insight into the Board Room of one of the world’s leading consulting firms

The impact of national culture on the standardization versus adaptation of knowledge management

This paper examines the affect of national culture on knowledge management for multinational companies (MNCs). MNCs often have to decide whether to standardise or adapt their operations. Previous research has found that national culture has an effect in a range of MNC operations, e.g. human resources, marketing. However, there has been limited research on the influence of culture on knowledge management. We combine these perspectives to develop a conceptual framework that explores the decision to standardise or adapt knowledge management practices based on differences in national culture. The study extends current theoretical perspectives on knowledge management by exploring the cultural conditions that may lead to an adaptation decision, and whether there is a relationship between factors affecting a firm’s decision to standardise or adapt and the outcomes of knowledge management

Accelerated Evolution of the Prdm9 Speciation Gene across Diverse Metazoan Taxa

The onset of prezygotic and postzygotic barriers to gene flow between populations is a hallmark of speciation. One of the earliest postzygotic isolating barriers to arise between incipient species is the sterility of the heterogametic sex in interspecies' hybrids. Four genes that underlie hybrid sterility have been identified in animals: Odysseus, JYalpha, and Overdrive in Drosophila and Prdm9 (Meisetz) in mice. Mouse Prdm9 encodes a protein with a KRAB motif, a histone methyltransferase domain and several zinc fingers. The difference of a single zinc finger distinguishes Prdm9 alleles that cause hybrid sterility from those that do not. We find that concerted evolution and positive selection have rapidly altered the number and sequence of Prdm9 zinc fingers across 13 rodent genomes. The patterns of positive selection in Prdm9 zinc fingers imply that rapid evolution has acted on the interface between the Prdm9 protein and the DNA sequences to which it binds. Similar patterns are apparent for Prdm9 zinc fingers for diverse metazoans, including primates. Indeed, allelic variation at the DNA–binding positions of human PRDM9 zinc fingers show significant association with decreased risk of infertility. Prdm9 thus plays a role in determining male sterility both between species (mouse) and within species (human). The recurrent episodes of positive selection acting on Prdm9 suggest that the DNA sequences to which it binds must also be evolving rapidly. Our findings do not identify the nature of the underlying DNA sequences, but argue against the proposed role of Prdm9 as an essential transcription factor in mouse meiosis. We propose a hypothetical model in which incompatibilities between Prdm9-binding specificity and satellite DNAs provide the molecular basis for Prdm9-mediated hybrid sterility. We suggest that Prdm9 should be investigated as a candidate gene in other instances of hybrid sterility in metazoans

An Aristotelian interpretation of practical wisdom: the case of retirees

This paper aims to improve understanding of the concept of practical wisdom. The theoretical lens used is Aristotle\u27s practical rationality or \u27phronesis\u27. Researchers argue that practical wisdom should be used as an organising framework for professional knowledge. Aristotle believed that practical wisdom as the highest intellectual virtue. Phronesis is the complicated interactions between general (theory) and practical (judgement). The contribution of this paper is to discuss the properties of practical wisdom and how they interact based on an interpretation of retirees\u27 knowledge. The paper summarises in-depth face-to-face interviews with nine retirees, i.e., nine separate case studies. A structured interview guideline based on a conceptual framework derived from literature was used to examine the nature of retirees\u27 practical wisdom. People with wisdom make better decisions. Whereas episteme\u27s technical knowledge may address complicated tasks, techne\u27s wisdom enables people to resolve truly complex tasks. Techne provides personal judgement which enables the professional to judge their actions from an external and internal perspective. Knowing that others and the individual themselves are happy with the quality of their work creates a morality that enables an inner calm and personal satisfaction leading to eudaimonia (feeling happy about life). People with wisdom behave differently. Phronesis\u27s cognitive properties create awareness of the knowledge that may be trusted to be seen to be behaving normally or appropriately in the organisation. The global population is ageing. This has implications for future workforce planning as experience is lost and capability gaps emerge. Retires may represent a valuable source of knowledge to help address this gap. The results are limited to nine individual case studies and four disciplines. The findings provide exciting opportunities for further research. The conceptual models may be further investigated with retirees in other disciplines

A conceptual model for predicting overseas market entry order decisions

I investigate the factors that influence firms’ order of entry into overseas markets. The existing literature identifies a range of firm and industry characteristics that influence the timing entry decision. I extend this research by developing a holistic conceptual model that explains how these factors interact to create conditions leading to first, second and late mover strategies. The paper argues that the factors combine to create strategic scenarios for each entry order. I undertake a four-step process to explain how managers may use this conceptual model to plan appropriate entry order decisions for each scenario. A key to the process is the ‘operationalisation’ of these factors through a measurement framework. By applying the measurement framework to a two-dimensional decision matrix, managers may be able to quantify the timing decision leading to more informed and confident overseas entry decisions

Measuring the impact of knowledge loss

The impact of knowledge loss on the firm is a largely unexplored area of strategic management. This paper reports the findings of an in-depth case study of an organisation within the Australian Department of Defence. The study examines the nature and impact of knowledge loss within the construct of social capital. Of particular interest were the relationships between individuals’ activities, their levels of knowledge, and their motivation and ability to share this knowledge. The paper proposes a method to parameterise the knowledge resource variable. Findings suggest that the impact of knowledge loss may be traced directly to reduced capability in strategic activities at the organisational level, and indirectly to ineffectiveness and inefficiencies at the individual level

Designing a knowledge management system for social services not-for-profit organisations

This article discusses knowledge management system design for SSNFPOs. The transfer of best practice knowledge management to SSNFPOs is not easy. SSNFPOs have different strategies and ways of doing business compared to \u27for-profit\u27 organisations. Sector reforms in disability services, aged care, and child services in Australia threaten to disrupt social value as new for-profit rivals enter and pursue economic value. In response, the case study organisation (CSO) has been working with the research team to consider how knowledge management might help it become a stronger organisation and ensure its survival and growth in the reformed sector. The research was informed by discussions involving the CSO\u27s management and the research team over an 18 month period. A general framework for designing knowledge management for SSNFPOs was developed. It involves six theoretical platforms, along with problems associated with theory and practice, how knowledge management may address these problems, and measures of impact

Measuring the impact of knowledge loss: more than ripples on a pond?

The impact of knowledge loss on an organization is a largely unexplored area of strategic management. This article reports the findings from an in-depth case study of an organization within the Australian Department of Defence, which suggest that lost human capital may produce decreased organizational output and productivity; lost social capital may reduce organizational memory; lost structural capital may diminish organizational learning; and lost relational capital may produce disrupted external knowledge flows. The study contributes a conceptual framework that measures the impact of knowledge loss on surviving employees

Improving integrated reporting: A new learning and growth perspective for the balanced scorecard

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a new learning and growth perspective for the balanced scorecard (BSC) that includes more specific measures of integrated thinking and value creation to help improve integrated reporting (). Practical, relevant definitions of these historically vague concepts may improve intangible asset disclosures (IAD) and increase uptake of the framework. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is conceptual. The authors use organisational learning to theorise about the learning and growth perspective of the BSC, within the context of the practice of IAD. Findings: Several criticisms of IAD, theframework and the BSC have acted as barriers to implementing theframework. The improved version of the BSC\u27s learning and growth perspective, presented in this paper, addresses those criticisms by redefining the concept of integrated thinking (learning) and more fully connecting that learning to future value creation (growth). The model is designed to be used in tandem with theframework to operationalise integrated thinking. A new BSC strategy map illustrates how this revised learning and growth perspective interacts with the other three BSC perspectives to create long-term shareholder value through the management and growth of knowledge within an organisation. Research limitations/implications: Organisational learning is an important source of competitive advantage in the modern knowledge economy. Here, the authors encourage further debate on how to report and disclose information on intangible assets, driven by a new conceptual strategy for organisational learning that fully supports the BSC\u27s capacity to help integrated thinking and future value creation for theframework. Practical implications: From its roots as a performance measurement system, the BSC has become a widely used strategy execution tool. Theframework has struggled to gain traction, but still has value in exploring intangible assets and its disclosure from a systems thinking perspective. The model is designed to bring an explicit understanding of how to improve integrated thinking for theframework facilitating better measurement, management and reporting of human and structural capital. By doing so, the new model enables a firm to use the BSC to engage withmore effectively, which should also be useful for practitioners given the widespread use of the BSC. Originality/value: The analysis of the BSC\u27s learning and growth perspective reveals two dichotomies - one between resources and growth, and another between systems and capability. The revised perspective resolves these dichotomies with clear, forward-focused measures of learning and intangible asset growth, and multiple vertical and horizontal connections between the perspective\u27s four constructs. The authors demonstrate practical paths to value creation through a range of strategic impacts

Measuring the impact of knowledge loss: a longitudinal study

Purpose: Knowledge loss caused by employee exit has become a significant corporate risk. This paper aims to explore how to measure the impact of knowledge loss. The paper is based on empirical evidence from a five-year longitudinal study. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a longitudinal change project for a large Australian Research Council Linkage Project grant in the period 2008-2013. The method was a single case study using a critical realism paradigm. The project was a transformational change programme which aimed to help make the partner organization a learning organization to minimize the impact of knowledge loss. The partner organization was a large Australian Government Department, which faced the threat of knowledge loss caused by its ageing workforce. The sample was 118 respondents, mainly engineering and technical workers. A total of 150 respondents were invited to participate in the study which involved an annual survey and attendance at regular training workshops and related activities, with a participation rate of 79 per cent. Findings: The results found that knowledge loss has most negative impact in terms of organizational problems including low productivity (morale), strategic misalignment of the workforce (capability gaps), resource cuts (stakeholders unhappy with performance), decreased work quantity and quality (inexperienced employees), work outputs not being used (customers mistrust), longer time to competence (learning cost) and slow task completion (increased search cycle time). The second most significant impact was increased sense of risk associated with work activities and declining capacity to manage the risk. The third main impact was decreased organizational knowledge base: knowledge loss creates knowledge deficit which is unlikely to be filled over time, as shown by the knowledge accounts of surviving employees which remained stable overall. The two remaining measurement constructs - psychological contract and learning organizational capacity - improved, which suggests that the negative impact of knowledge loss may be addressed with appropriate knowledge management. Research limitations/implications: The research is based on a single case study in a public sector organization. While the longitudinal nature of the study and the rich data collected offsets this issue, it also presents good opportunities for researchers and practitioners to test the ideas presented in this paper in other industry contexts. The complexity and range of the constructs, concepts and scale items is acknowledged. Tables have been used wherever possible to help the reader access the findings. Practical implications: Knowledge loss is perhaps the greatest corporate risk facing organizations today. This paper provides a method to measure the impact of knowledge loss. Managers may use this to assess the significance of the risk and use this as a business case to take action to minimize the impact of knowledge loss. Originality/value: Prior research has found knowledge loss has caused decreased psychological contract, lost organizational memory, inefficiency and ineffectiveness and declining capability; however, these concepts are discussed in broad terms only. This paper addresses the need for measurement concepts which helps us understand the nature of the impact of knowledge loss. Five knowledge loss concepts are developed: knowledge resources, psychological contract, learning organization capacity, risk management and organizational problems. The results are based on a large-scale longitudinal study providing empirical evidence of change over a three-year period, situated within the context of a research intervention, i.e. knowledge management programme