Organizational outcomes of corporate volunteering: the qualitative study

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify benefits of corporate volunteer programs gained on employee behaviors’ side. Specifically, the following research question is posed: what benefits of corporate volunteer projects are there observed by employees participating in them?Methodology/approach: The paper is based on a qualitative study conducted in the form of semi-structured in-depth individual interviews with employees participating in volunteer programs.Findings: The study shows that corporate volunteering leads to positive effects on employees, including increased work meaningfulness, competence development and strengthen interpersonal relationships at work. Simultaneously, the study suggests that work meaningfulness plays focal role in the overall process.Implications: Results of the study deliver practical implications for companies implementing corporate volunteering. Volunteer programs should be organized in a way giving employees full autonomy in crafting their projects. The programs should also support and intensify employee interactions and favor volunteer actions requiring wide range of skills.Originality/value: The study contributes to theory development in the field of both corporate social responsibility and organizational behavior. Specifically, it gives an insight on how responsible business practices may strengthen employees’ sense of meaningfulness of work and subsequently improve their competences and mutual relations

Purchasing software components at the dawn of market

Abstract This study explores the role and nature of purchasing and supplier relationship management in the specific, complex industry setting. The purpose is to develop concepts to describe, conceptualise and analyse the emerging software component market from the point of view of the industrial buyer. The theoretical discussion on the market is concluded with a framework consisting of two parts; one describing the main elements of the market from the buyer's perspective and another describing the dynamism of the market. The theoretical framework suggests that the elements of the market from the buyer company's perspective are (1) the own needs, (2) the industry demand, (3) the object of exchange, (4) the exchange mechanism, (5) the exchange counterpart and (6) the industry supply. In the dynamic part of the framework, the development of the software component market, i.e. the progression of the market process is understood through change of heterogeneity of supply and demand. The empirical part of the study includes an embedded single-case study where a buyer perceived COTS software component market is analysed. First, the elements of the case market are studied and variables describing these elements are identified. Following this, the dynamic part of the framework is used as basis for identifying alternative types of markets for the development of the COTS software component market. This is resulted in a typology of four market types from the purchasing perspective; (1) Co-operation projects, (2) Ideal market, (3) Competitive supply management and (4) Horizontal competition. It is argued that all these represent a different type of situation from the industrial purchasing perspective. Finally, it is suggested how the different elements of the market process represent themselves and how they can be used in managing purchasing and influencing the markets in each of these possible market types

The role of contractual design in the formation and development of business service relationships

This paper explores the role(s) of contracting in the formation and development of service exchange relationships. Based on review and synthesis of industrial networks and contracting theory, a preliminary conceptual framework is developed to argue that contracting can be conceived as a means of stabilising and changing/adapting service exchange relationships, particularly in terms of their associated activity and resource structures. A single, exploratory case study in the construction consultancy industry context is conducted to test the conceptual frame. Preliminary findings appear to provide some support for the main theoretical conjecture � contracting has a stabilising function since it facilitates a common understanding of service activity and resource requirements at the early stages of exchange relationship formation and it explicates and codifies the exchange object. At the same time, contracting fulfils a changing function by allowing for certain activity and resource adaptations during the exchange