Factors influencing recommendation of sub-Saharan Africa travel products: A Hong Kong – Kenya importance-performance analysis

This study adopts an exploratory sequential mixed method approach to examine perceptions of Hong Kong travel agencies on factors influencing recommendation of Kenya travel products. First, we conducted 32 in-depth interviews with outbound travel practitioners to collect qualitative exploratory data. Based on 39 identified attributes, we then developed a questionnaire well-adapted to the outbound travel practitioners and study purpose. With survey data of 239 travel agency practitioners, we then conducted an importance–performance analysis to rate and analyze six identified factors: Catering and Ancillary Services, Shopping, Tourist Transport Provision and Infrastructure, Hotel Accommodation, Institutional Support, and Destination Image. The results suggest that in a resource-constrained situation, priority should be given to enhancing Tourist Transport Provision and Infrastructure. This article provides a starting point for further research on strategic tourism marketing and management within the underresearched Asia–Africa nexus

Identifying stabilizing and destabilizing factors of job change: a qualitative study of employee retention in the Hong Kong travel agency industry

This study aims to investigate and compare the congruent and incongruent perceptions of managers and frontline employees toward employee retention in Hong Kong travel agencies. An integrated model was developed using data from 32 interviews with 16 manager– employee dyads. Findings categorized stabilizing and destabilizing factors of job change into four themes: job nature, industry factors, organizational factors, and personal factors. Key factors influencing employee turnover include high customer contact, anti-social working hours, working environment, office location, supervisor and co-worker relations, remuneration, and career prospect. We conclude by reviewing the theoretical and practical implications for travel trade industry management with regard to formulating staff retention policies and closing the perceptual gaps to reduce frontline staff turnover intention

Clues, cues and complexity: unpackuing the concept of organizational surprise

We discuss why surprises, defined as events that happen unexpectedly or expected events that take unexpected shapes, are important to organizations and should be considered in the organizational literature. The concept of organizational surprises is unpacked on the basis of a typology built around the (un)expectedeness of issue and process. This typology uncovers the several types of surprising events that organizations may face, and contributes to the literature by suggesting that different surprises require distinct approaches.

Shopping for new glasses: looking beyond jazz in the study of organization improvisation

This article calls for research on organizational improvisation to go beyond the currently dominant jazz metaphor in theory development. We recognize the important contribution that jazz improvisation has made and will no doubt continue to make in understanding the nature and complexity of organizational improvisation. This article therefore presents some key lessons from the jazz metaphor and then proceeds to identify the possible dangers of building scientific inquiry upon a single metaphor. We then present three alternative metaphors Indian music, therapy and role theory. We explore the nature of these metaphors and seek to identify ways in which they differ from the jazz metaphor. This analysis leads us to identify not merely how these alternative metaphors fill the gaps left by the jazz metaphor but also how they complement the contribution from the jazz metaphor thus further strengthening theory-building in this genre. Ultimately, our understanding of organizational improvisation will be sharpened by more incisive theoretical analysis and empirical research.

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.

Clues, Cues and Complexity: Unpacking the Concept of Organizational Surprise

We discuss why surprises, defined as events that happen unexpectedly or expected events that take unexpected shapes, are important to organizations and should be considered in the organizational literature. The concept of organizational surprises is unpacked on the basis of a typology built around the (un)expectedeness of issue and process. This typology uncovers the several types of surprising events that organizations may face, and contributes to the literature by suggesting that different surprises require distinct approaches.N/

Employee advocacy in Africa:the role of HR practitioners in Malawi

Purpose: In recognizing the weakness of trade unions and the lack of an institutional framework designed to enforce employee rights in an African context, this study examines the extent to which HR practitioners are perceived to play the role of employee advocate.Design/methodology/approach: The quantitative data set is derived from a sample of 305 respondents (95 HR practitioners, 121 line managers, and 89 employees) from Malawi.Findings: Despite the challenges of the context, HR practitioners are perceived by key stakeholders (line managers and employees) to be playing the role of employee advocate. Standard multiple regression results indicate that the main factor contributing to the perception that HR practitioners are playing this role is their contribution to ‘motivating employees’.Research limitations/implications: The study was conducted in Malawi. Further research is necessary to explore the generalizability of the findings to other contexts.Originality/value: The findings provide an empirical base for future studies which explore perceptions of the employee advocacy role undertaken by HR practitioners in Africa

Integrating Chinese and African Culture into Human Resource Management Practice to Enhance Employee Job Satisfaction

Foreign enterprises find themselves working in multicultural environments. This is the case that most foreign organizations find themselves in when investing in African countries that calls for integrating different cultural values into the management of human resources in order to enhance job satisfaction consequently business performance. Since her establishment China has had good relationship with Africa both economically and politically in her endeavour to foster international relationships. China’s presence in Africa has been significant in terms of investments, transferring management practices and creating new integration of different cultural values. Research has shown that there are similarities between Africa’s Ubuntu culture and the Chinese Confucius philosophy that might form a strong pillar for Chinese investments in this part of the world. However, it is envisioned that there are inherent challenges faced by both Chinese and African practitioners that might call for revolutionary actions to untangle the barriers in other cultural dimensions such as work attitudes, trust, the place of work in one’s life and what employees’ value in work in this complex management transfer process. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Hofstede and Bond (1988) Confucian Dynamism values that have been widely used in studying culture’s influence in cross cultural management across the world and Asia respectively are used as a basis for comparing African and Chinese culture to reveal areas of convergence or divergence. It is generally recognized that culturally insensitive attitudes and behaviours stemming from ignorance or from misguided beliefs not only are inappropriate but also often cause international business failures. Therefore, it is argued that an awareness of cultural differences is essential for HR managers at headquarters as well as in the host location. Chinese firms operating in Africa could be more successful when they integrate Chinese and African cultures in managing HR activities like hiring, promoting, rewarding, and dismissal in order to influence employee job satisfaction in a host country in Africa.  This paper examines the transfer of Chinese management practices, integration of Chinese and African cultures in fostering a climate of job satisfaction among employees to enhance organization performance. This paper is aimed at setting a research agenda for further research in Sino-Africa business relationships. Key Words: China, Africa, Culture, Investment, job satisfaction, performance, value orientation

Developing human capital in Africa: carving a role for human resource professionals and practitioners

Africa is a continent with remarkable economic potential yet the least developed largely due to its inadequate human capital to transform this potential into social and economic development. The focus on provision of classroom education as the cornerstone of human capital development in Africa has not produced the desirable outcomes expected. We see an important role in this process within the workplace, and thus argue that the role of Human Resource (HR) professionals in Human Capital development in Africa deserves serious attention. The paper outlines why and how HR professionals can contribute to the development of Africa's human capital. It also highlights the challenges HR professionals will face and the competencies they will need to address the challenges. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research

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 millennium.N/