Over recent decades boards of directors and corporate governance have become the subjects of much... more Over recent decades boards of directors and corporate governance have become the subjects of much research. Many definitions and concepts of corporate governance have appeared in the literature—more so as knowledge about companies; shareholdings; boards; management; board– management interactions; and, control has expanded. However, no singular concept of corporate governance appears to have been universally accepted. This deficiency is most likely because the ontological basis of the phenomenon/field is yet to be resolved. The empiricist concept in the literature, frequently cited in practice holds that corporate governance is a structure, a process, policy framework or some combination of all three. However, boards, board– management interaction and corporate governance seem to be “the product of a plurality of structures” (Bhaskar, 1989, p. 3) that can be associated hierarchically. Thus, the continued pursuit of a single immutable truth about boards; a one-size-fits-all theory of...
The philosophy of kaizen is widely believed to be central to Japan’s industrial success. In attem... more The philosophy of kaizen is widely believed to be central to Japan’s industrial success. In attempts to replicate that success, many non-Japanese industrial organizations have attempted to incorporate the visible tools and techniques of kaizen in their workplace but with only limited success to date. Why has kaizen been so successful in Japan but not in domains outside of Japan? To deepen our understanding of kaizen in Japan, a phenomenological study was conducted in middle-to-large sized industrial organizations to investigate how kaizen drifts within and beyond the bounds of the industrial organization. Detailed analysis of interviews with Japanese workers and managers determined that kaizen in Japan has a considerably deep meaning, and far beyond the widely accepted concept of continuous improvement. Kaizen is found to be an interplay of active and passive processes in genba that channel worker creativity and expressions of individuality into a bounded environment, or kaizen audi...
This study explores the relationship between institutional mechanisms and corporate social respon... more This study explores the relationship between institutional mechanisms and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in both Pakistan and New Zealand. Institutional factors are normally categorised as being either formal or informal. It is argued that a combination of formal institutions and informal institutions in any jurisdiction shape the adoption, or otherwise of CSR by business through its adherence to acceptable governance praxis. Corporate regulation in Pakistan is heavily influenced from elsewhere, especially from British common law. By contrast the institutional realities produce remarkably different outcomes in the two jurisdictions. This study examines which formal and informal institutions influence CSR disclosures, in that businesses disclose CSR practices in response to regulations; cognitive pressures that help people understand and interpret the practice correctly; and, cultural values enforcing the same practice. Quantitative content analyses of a sample of eight listed companies' annual reports were completed from each country. Reporting and disclosure practices were identified in both. Underlying institutions were then recorded as being recognised, acknowledged or inferred by the respective reporting business. The results highlighted that Pakistani companies disclose more about CSR than those analysed from New Zealand. This result is attributed to the recently developed corporate governance guidelines by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. The informal national institutions in both countries also play a vital role in the disparity of disclosures. This is not to suggest that New Zealand listed companies lag behind those in Pakistan with respect to their contribution to CSR initiatives, simply that the disclosure levels between the two favour those companies in Pakistan.
Over recent decades boards of directors and corporate governance have become the subjects of much... more Over recent decades boards of directors and corporate governance have become the subjects of much research. Many definitions and concepts of corporate governance have appeared in the literature—more so as knowledge about companies; shareholdings; boards; management; board– management interactions; and, control has expanded. However, no singular concept of corporate governance appears to have been universally accepted. This deficiency is most likely because the ontological basis of the phenomenon/field is yet to be resolved. The empiricist concept in the literature, frequently cited in practice holds that corporate governance is a structure, a process, policy framework or some combination of all three. However, boards, board– management interaction and corporate governance seem to be “the product of a plurality of structures” (Bhaskar, 1989, p. 3) that can be associated hierarchically. Thus, the continued pursuit of a single immutable truth about boards; a one-size-fits-all theory of...
The philosophy of kaizen is widely believed to be central to Japan’s industrial success. In attem... more The philosophy of kaizen is widely believed to be central to Japan’s industrial success. In attempts to replicate that success, many non-Japanese industrial organizations have attempted to incorporate the visible tools and techniques of kaizen in their workplace but with only limited success to date. Why has kaizen been so successful in Japan but not in domains outside of Japan? To deepen our understanding of kaizen in Japan, a phenomenological study was conducted in middle-to-large sized industrial organizations to investigate how kaizen drifts within and beyond the bounds of the industrial organization. Detailed analysis of interviews with Japanese workers and managers determined that kaizen in Japan has a considerably deep meaning, and far beyond the widely accepted concept of continuous improvement. Kaizen is found to be an interplay of active and passive processes in genba that channel worker creativity and expressions of individuality into a bounded environment, or kaizen audi...
This study explores the relationship between institutional mechanisms and corporate social respon... more This study explores the relationship between institutional mechanisms and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in both Pakistan and New Zealand. Institutional factors are normally categorised as being either formal or informal. It is argued that a combination of formal institutions and informal institutions in any jurisdiction shape the adoption, or otherwise of CSR by business through its adherence to acceptable governance praxis. Corporate regulation in Pakistan is heavily influenced from elsewhere, especially from British common law. By contrast the institutional realities produce remarkably different outcomes in the two jurisdictions. This study examines which formal and informal institutions influence CSR disclosures, in that businesses disclose CSR practices in response to regulations; cognitive pressures that help people understand and interpret the practice correctly; and, cultural values enforcing the same practice. Quantitative content analyses of a sample of eight listed companies' annual reports were completed from each country. Reporting and disclosure practices were identified in both. Underlying institutions were then recorded as being recognised, acknowledged or inferred by the respective reporting business. The results highlighted that Pakistani companies disclose more about CSR than those analysed from New Zealand. This result is attributed to the recently developed corporate governance guidelines by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. The informal national institutions in both countries also play a vital role in the disparity of disclosures. This is not to suggest that New Zealand listed companies lag behind those in Pakistan with respect to their contribution to CSR initiatives, simply that the disclosure levels between the two favour those companies in Pakistan.
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