Leadership in Challenging and Changing Times: The Power of Transformational Network Leadership in Developing Organisational Resilience for the Bahrain Energy Industry, 2024
As the global demand for a greener economy increases, so too does the pressure on the world's ene... more As the global demand for a greener economy increases, so too does the pressure on the world's energy industry to transform its practices and comply with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Worldwide, energy companies are required to transit to significantly reduce the global economy's reliance on fossil fuels as the main source of reliable energy source. Additionally, the organisational complexity involved calls for more resilient energy companies to adapt and be more responsive to future energy transition challenges, including supplying more affordable, sustainable and greener energy. These challenges and changes to how we use energy also call for more suitable leadership approaches than what current transactionally-based research suggests. To find out the extent to which firms are adapting to the energy demands and challenges, the authors investigated leadership capacity and resilience development in nine Bahrain Energy companies through semi-structured interviews with its senior leaders. One of the study's key findings is that in addition to the need for organisational resilience within firms and across the sector, the Bahrain oil industry also needs transformational network leadership if they are to address the growing challenges and be sustainable. This paper contributes to Network Leadership Literature by identifying the types of Transformation Network Leadership practices and processes that will help the energy companies adapt to change and develop resilience in addressing UNSDGs.
The Changing Face of Work and The Workplace: Navigating the Nexus between Talent Mobility and Organisations’ Wider Social Good in Developing Economies, 2024
Despite talent mobility's explosion in the HRM and particularly the global talent management tran... more Despite talent mobility's explosion in the HRM and particularly the global talent management transformation research and literature, studies in this important area have not gone beyond the traditional use of Human Capital Theory and Knowledge-Based View (KBV) to capture the opportunities and challenges faced by organisations within a predominantly American and Anglo-Saxon context. The increasing demands to investigate and revisit the critical challenges posed to organisations from the neglected developing countries (e.g., Nigeria) has therefore led to this developmental paper. Drawing from HCT and KBV, the aim of the current exploration is to investigate 3 identified case studies in Nigeria and test the impact of traditional HCT and KBV aspects in each to ascertain the extent of the dynamic interplay between talent mobility, organisational success, tangible and intangible resource utilisation, and wider socio-ecological impacts in Nigeria. Based on HCT and KBV, we plan to empirically investigate the institutional and structural factors/challenges that enable and/or hinder the adoption of strategic talent mobility strategies for organisations' localised growth and innovation, and their wider competitiveness and contributions to socio-ecological development. To do so, we critique the HCT and KBV theories and the nexus of their application onto developing economies' transformational and human capability to see the extent to which developing economies' workplaces are strategically capable addressing the wider socioeconomic and ecological disruptions caused by talent mobility. We aim to develop a holistic framework highlighting which bundle of intangible and tangible resources can help institutionally weak firms to sustain their competitivity and thereby progress knowledge and understanding on how talent mobility can be a force for organisational and wider social good.
Polycrises of Change: Toward a Socio-economic-ecological adaptability framework for Managing Organisational Polycrises , 2024
Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic ushering multiple socio-political and economic crises for or... more Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic ushering multiple socio-political and economic crises for organisations and society, the current scholarly spike is constrained to what constitutes the crises and how organisations respond financially. This approach has missed fundamental capabilities on organisations' readiness for future crisis change. Drawing from the SMEs-in-Crisis literature, it is argued how Teece's (1997), and Eisendhardt ant Martin's (2000) Dynamic Capabilities Approach can be viewed within this burgeoning scholarship whose focus remains on identifying responses, rather than adopting a more readiness approach to disruptions. Six capability constructs have been developed from examining the crisis change literature to ascertain how organisations internally and externally prepare for further disruptive change. Theoretical developments before, during and post-COVID-19 provide the basis for this paper's four-staged 'Socio-economic-ecological adaptability framework' to fill the gap on how contemporary organisations become financially and people-ready for ongoing disruptive change. New and future research trajectories are considered.
Challenges and Enablers of Achieving Meaningful Socio-Organisational Transformation for Greater Good: A Reimagination of Romer’s and Solow’s Epistemological and Methodological Perspective , 2024
This conceptual paper examines existential threats to human, organisational and societal existenc... more This conceptual paper examines existential threats to human, organisational and societal existence and using significant contributions from an interdisciplinary theoretical and research field from Ecology to Business and Management and OTCD scholarship, it develops a theoretical framework called 'Ecosystemic Panarchy' for OTCD research. The new framework identifies five areas of societal-organisational-environmental sensitivities and proposes a threephase embedded approach for its implementation, namely 1) emergence, 2) acceleration, and 3) stabilization. These help to facilitate greater and scalar increases towards not only a fundamental paradigmatic shift in epistemological thinking from decreasing returns to one focusing on increasing returns on ideas-driven growth but also greater societal good. We extend Solow, Lucas, Romer, and Jones's models on experiential matrix theory, highlight some emergent properties of transformational business and societal processes and suggest areas of future research endeavour in this emerging field.
Despite advances in Big Data Analytics, its utilitarian discourse is yet to move beyond early cap... more Despite advances in Big Data Analytics, its utilitarian discourse is yet to move beyond early capture to focus on its post adoption impacts on firms' financial and non-financial performance, especially in Nigeria's manufacturing and service industries. This study advances BDA beyond organizational readiness for change by empirically and analytically focusing on the reality of 261 Nigerian professionals by drawing on business-to-business marketing, dynamic capabilities, and Technology-Organization-Environment theoretical frameworks to contribute a conceptual model (Figure 1) on factors which really impact on organizations' readiness to adopt BDA. Consequently, our study's findings were used to develop Figure 2, showing the direct and moderating nature of interactions between BDA and TOE variables on BDA adoption. However, whereas hypotheses three and four confirm top management's support and overall organizational readiness, paradoxically, this study's hypotheses five and seven contribute to existing BDA discourse by highlight that environmental, competitive pressure, including regulation do not support the adoption of BDA. Additionally, while external support (H6) was found conducive for BDA adoption, interestingly, hypotheses eight, nine and 10a were also found supportive of not only financial but also non-financial performance. However, contrary to current theorisation, hypotheses 10b was not supportive of non-financial performance. Our results contribute to BDA's business competitiveness and regulation.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between green HRM practices and employee... more The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between green HRM practices and employee behavior namely employee engagement in ready-made garment (RMG) industry, Bangladesh, an under-researched area. Further, this paper also proposes the research framework under the tenet of resource-based view (RBV) theory by identifying research gaps. The framework is proposed for the direct influence of green HRM factors on employees’ workplace behavior. Self-administered questionnaire is used to collect the data from non-managerial employees working in RMG sector of Bangladesh. This study uses partial least squares method to analyze the data. Results of this study show that ‘green employee participation’ and ‘green training and development’ are statistically significant to employee engagement. These results suggests that green HRM practices are important resources to make the employees engage towards their jobs which reflects the implication of RBV to examine green HRM-employee engagement relationship.
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, May 7, 2021
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the underperformance problem of four UK-based smal... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the underperformance problem of four UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from management's and employees' perspectives in order to advance knowledge on a neglected area in small business and management studies.Design/methodology/approachBased on performance management's theoretical frame of managerial/entrepreneurial, market shaping and system-wide resource (re)organisation and the microstories obtained from 85 surveyed employees and managers, the data are analysed using an interpretivist paradigm.FindingsThe key findings of the study highlighted the adoption of tough performance implementation measures by management, the development of learning initiatives, the adaptation of roles, the redefinition of what a performing employee meant and three areas for performance improving in all four SMEs. This study reveals the crucial role of personal, conversational agency and implementation attributes, which are neglected aspects in current performance management in small firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe drawbacks of the study centre on the limited nature of the survey sample and the fact that it is solely based within the UK. This suggests that the findings are not to be generalised to other contexts.Practical implicationsThe study identifies key employee and management behaviours, attitudes and lived experiences that need to fundamentally change in order to resolve the four SMEs' underperformance. In addition, an innovative environment encouraging inter-departmental agency collaborations and grassroots implementation are needed to effectively and holistically revive the four companies' performance.Social implicationsThe study's results highlight the impact of manager/entrepreneur/employee relations on the social aspects that could either facilitate or hamper micro- and macro-level performance. It is therefore critical that owner entrepreneurs are mindful of the impact that their actions/activities and practices could have on the social lives of their employees and partners and on the ultimate bottom line of business success or failure.Originality/valueStudies focussing on small businesses' underperformance in the UK are a rarity. The paper advances the traditional performance management literature by proposing employee learning and skills' developmental as non-tangible resources to complement managerial attempts. In addition, a “can do” attitude and a more holistic, organisational and individual approach to performance resolution is proposed to fill the performance implementation and theoretical gap faced by academics, employees, managers and owner entrepreneurs.
New aspects of human resource management and organizational behavior have emerged in recent years... more New aspects of human resource management and organizational behavior have emerged in recent years. As such, it has become imperative to facilitate proper educational initiatives for professionals entering these fields. Teaching Human Resources and Organizational Behavior at the College Level is an essential reference source for the latest empirical research on emerging teaching strategies for business-oriented frameworks. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics and perspectives such as talent development, curriculum development, and career competencies, this book is ideally designed for students, practitioners, and managers seeking current research on learning methodologies and conceptual developments in human resources management. Topics Covered The many academic areas covered in this publication include, but are not limited to: · Business Leadership · Career Competencies · Curriculum Development · Human Resource Analytics · Organizational Performance · Talent Development · Teamwork Table of Contents and List of Contributors Search this Book: Preface John Mendy Chapter 1 Key HRM Challenges and Benefits: The Contributions of the HR Scaffolding (pages 1-24) John Mendy Whilst HRM is responding to organizational challenges, HRM tutors have to deal with avoiding labour imposition (Mather et al., 2007) and ensuring... Key HRM Challenges and Benefits: The Contributions of the HR Scaffolding Chapter 2 Undergraduate Programs in the U.S: A Contextual and Content-Based Analysis (pages 26-57) Steven D. Charlier, Lisa A. Burke-Smalley, Sandra L. Fisher Given the importance of human resource management skills both in management education and business in general, an empirical review of undergraduate... Undergraduate Programs in the U.S: A Contextual and Content-Based Analysis Chapter 3 Creating University Spaces of Inspiration: Examining the Critical Link Between Leading and Lecturing (pages 59-101) Iain Densten Our review and research examines the power bases and influences university lecturers can deploy to motivate their students to learn. Lecturers are... Creating University Spaces of Inspiration: Examining the Critical Link Between Leading and Lecturing Chapter 4 Rethinking the Contribution of Organizational Change to the Teaching and Learning of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management: The Quest for Balance (pages 103-132) John Mendy One of the great attributes of acting as a Human Resource Manager is being reasonable. One may not know what is best for a company but one should be... Rethinking the Contribution of Organizational Change to the Teaching and Learning of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management: The Quest for Balance Chapter 5 Embedding Career Competencies in Learning and Talent Development: Career Management and Professional Development Modules (pages 133-171) Sue Mulhall, Mark Campbell The chapter researches theoretical positions and practical applications that enable educationalists to equip students with the knowledge and skills... Embedding Career Competencies in Learning and Talent Development: Career Management and Professional Development Modules Chapter 6 The Call to Teach Human Capital Analytics (pages 173-195) Clive Trusson The Human Resource Management profession has increasingly taken an interest in applying analytical techniques to data collected concerning... The Call to Teach Human Capital Analytics Chapter 7 Teaching Teamwork in University Settings (pages 196-210) Lesley A. Clack Teamwork is essential to the success of any organization, as well as to the success of employees. Particularly in multidisciplinary professions... Teaching Teamwork in University Settings Chapter 8 Putting Across Tangibility: Effectiveness of Case-Study-Based Teaching of Organisational Behaviour (pages 211-225) Dieu Hack-Polay This chapter examines a case study-approach to teaching organisational behaviour. It explains the effectiveness of the use of case study in teaching... Putting Across Tangibility: Effectiveness of Case-Study-Based Teaching of Organisational Behaviour About the Contributors Index Description | Table of Contents | Topics Covered | Author(s)/Editor(s) Bio | Indices Author(s)/Editor(s) Biography John is currently a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Full-Time MSc HRM. He is interested in Research, Teaching and Learning Methodologies, HRM and Organisational Behaviour, how to manage relationships between international graduates, home graduates and other employees and smart cities as learning cities. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, an Associate Editor of Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, Member of British Academy of Management and the European Academy of Management and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, UK. He teaches on Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes and supervises PhD candidates. He continues to publish in refereed journals and presents his work at international…
Leadership in Challenging and Changing Times: The Power of Transformational Network Leadership in Developing Organisational Resilience for the Bahrain Energy Industry, 2024
As the global demand for a greener economy increases, so too does the pressure on the world's ene... more As the global demand for a greener economy increases, so too does the pressure on the world's energy industry to transform its practices and comply with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Worldwide, energy companies are required to transit to significantly reduce the global economy's reliance on fossil fuels as the main source of reliable energy source. Additionally, the organisational complexity involved calls for more resilient energy companies to adapt and be more responsive to future energy transition challenges, including supplying more affordable, sustainable and greener energy. These challenges and changes to how we use energy also call for more suitable leadership approaches than what current transactionally-based research suggests. To find out the extent to which firms are adapting to the energy demands and challenges, the authors investigated leadership capacity and resilience development in nine Bahrain Energy companies through semi-structured interviews with its senior leaders. One of the study's key findings is that in addition to the need for organisational resilience within firms and across the sector, the Bahrain oil industry also needs transformational network leadership if they are to address the growing challenges and be sustainable. This paper contributes to Network Leadership Literature by identifying the types of Transformation Network Leadership practices and processes that will help the energy companies adapt to change and develop resilience in addressing UNSDGs.
The Changing Face of Work and The Workplace: Navigating the Nexus between Talent Mobility and Organisations’ Wider Social Good in Developing Economies, 2024
Despite talent mobility's explosion in the HRM and particularly the global talent management tran... more Despite talent mobility's explosion in the HRM and particularly the global talent management transformation research and literature, studies in this important area have not gone beyond the traditional use of Human Capital Theory and Knowledge-Based View (KBV) to capture the opportunities and challenges faced by organisations within a predominantly American and Anglo-Saxon context. The increasing demands to investigate and revisit the critical challenges posed to organisations from the neglected developing countries (e.g., Nigeria) has therefore led to this developmental paper. Drawing from HCT and KBV, the aim of the current exploration is to investigate 3 identified case studies in Nigeria and test the impact of traditional HCT and KBV aspects in each to ascertain the extent of the dynamic interplay between talent mobility, organisational success, tangible and intangible resource utilisation, and wider socio-ecological impacts in Nigeria. Based on HCT and KBV, we plan to empirically investigate the institutional and structural factors/challenges that enable and/or hinder the adoption of strategic talent mobility strategies for organisations' localised growth and innovation, and their wider competitiveness and contributions to socio-ecological development. To do so, we critique the HCT and KBV theories and the nexus of their application onto developing economies' transformational and human capability to see the extent to which developing economies' workplaces are strategically capable addressing the wider socioeconomic and ecological disruptions caused by talent mobility. We aim to develop a holistic framework highlighting which bundle of intangible and tangible resources can help institutionally weak firms to sustain their competitivity and thereby progress knowledge and understanding on how talent mobility can be a force for organisational and wider social good.
Polycrises of Change: Toward a Socio-economic-ecological adaptability framework for Managing Organisational Polycrises , 2024
Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic ushering multiple socio-political and economic crises for or... more Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic ushering multiple socio-political and economic crises for organisations and society, the current scholarly spike is constrained to what constitutes the crises and how organisations respond financially. This approach has missed fundamental capabilities on organisations' readiness for future crisis change. Drawing from the SMEs-in-Crisis literature, it is argued how Teece's (1997), and Eisendhardt ant Martin's (2000) Dynamic Capabilities Approach can be viewed within this burgeoning scholarship whose focus remains on identifying responses, rather than adopting a more readiness approach to disruptions. Six capability constructs have been developed from examining the crisis change literature to ascertain how organisations internally and externally prepare for further disruptive change. Theoretical developments before, during and post-COVID-19 provide the basis for this paper's four-staged 'Socio-economic-ecological adaptability framework' to fill the gap on how contemporary organisations become financially and people-ready for ongoing disruptive change. New and future research trajectories are considered.
Challenges and Enablers of Achieving Meaningful Socio-Organisational Transformation for Greater Good: A Reimagination of Romer’s and Solow’s Epistemological and Methodological Perspective , 2024
This conceptual paper examines existential threats to human, organisational and societal existenc... more This conceptual paper examines existential threats to human, organisational and societal existence and using significant contributions from an interdisciplinary theoretical and research field from Ecology to Business and Management and OTCD scholarship, it develops a theoretical framework called 'Ecosystemic Panarchy' for OTCD research. The new framework identifies five areas of societal-organisational-environmental sensitivities and proposes a threephase embedded approach for its implementation, namely 1) emergence, 2) acceleration, and 3) stabilization. These help to facilitate greater and scalar increases towards not only a fundamental paradigmatic shift in epistemological thinking from decreasing returns to one focusing on increasing returns on ideas-driven growth but also greater societal good. We extend Solow, Lucas, Romer, and Jones's models on experiential matrix theory, highlight some emergent properties of transformational business and societal processes and suggest areas of future research endeavour in this emerging field.
Despite advances in Big Data Analytics, its utilitarian discourse is yet to move beyond early cap... more Despite advances in Big Data Analytics, its utilitarian discourse is yet to move beyond early capture to focus on its post adoption impacts on firms' financial and non-financial performance, especially in Nigeria's manufacturing and service industries. This study advances BDA beyond organizational readiness for change by empirically and analytically focusing on the reality of 261 Nigerian professionals by drawing on business-to-business marketing, dynamic capabilities, and Technology-Organization-Environment theoretical frameworks to contribute a conceptual model (Figure 1) on factors which really impact on organizations' readiness to adopt BDA. Consequently, our study's findings were used to develop Figure 2, showing the direct and moderating nature of interactions between BDA and TOE variables on BDA adoption. However, whereas hypotheses three and four confirm top management's support and overall organizational readiness, paradoxically, this study's hypotheses five and seven contribute to existing BDA discourse by highlight that environmental, competitive pressure, including regulation do not support the adoption of BDA. Additionally, while external support (H6) was found conducive for BDA adoption, interestingly, hypotheses eight, nine and 10a were also found supportive of not only financial but also non-financial performance. However, contrary to current theorisation, hypotheses 10b was not supportive of non-financial performance. Our results contribute to BDA's business competitiveness and regulation.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between green HRM practices and employee... more The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between green HRM practices and employee behavior namely employee engagement in ready-made garment (RMG) industry, Bangladesh, an under-researched area. Further, this paper also proposes the research framework under the tenet of resource-based view (RBV) theory by identifying research gaps. The framework is proposed for the direct influence of green HRM factors on employees’ workplace behavior. Self-administered questionnaire is used to collect the data from non-managerial employees working in RMG sector of Bangladesh. This study uses partial least squares method to analyze the data. Results of this study show that ‘green employee participation’ and ‘green training and development’ are statistically significant to employee engagement. These results suggests that green HRM practices are important resources to make the employees engage towards their jobs which reflects the implication of RBV to examine green HRM-employee engagement relationship.
Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, May 7, 2021
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the underperformance problem of four UK-based smal... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the underperformance problem of four UK-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from management's and employees' perspectives in order to advance knowledge on a neglected area in small business and management studies.Design/methodology/approachBased on performance management's theoretical frame of managerial/entrepreneurial, market shaping and system-wide resource (re)organisation and the microstories obtained from 85 surveyed employees and managers, the data are analysed using an interpretivist paradigm.FindingsThe key findings of the study highlighted the adoption of tough performance implementation measures by management, the development of learning initiatives, the adaptation of roles, the redefinition of what a performing employee meant and three areas for performance improving in all four SMEs. This study reveals the crucial role of personal, conversational agency and implementation attributes, which are neglected aspects in current performance management in small firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe drawbacks of the study centre on the limited nature of the survey sample and the fact that it is solely based within the UK. This suggests that the findings are not to be generalised to other contexts.Practical implicationsThe study identifies key employee and management behaviours, attitudes and lived experiences that need to fundamentally change in order to resolve the four SMEs' underperformance. In addition, an innovative environment encouraging inter-departmental agency collaborations and grassroots implementation are needed to effectively and holistically revive the four companies' performance.Social implicationsThe study's results highlight the impact of manager/entrepreneur/employee relations on the social aspects that could either facilitate or hamper micro- and macro-level performance. It is therefore critical that owner entrepreneurs are mindful of the impact that their actions/activities and practices could have on the social lives of their employees and partners and on the ultimate bottom line of business success or failure.Originality/valueStudies focussing on small businesses' underperformance in the UK are a rarity. The paper advances the traditional performance management literature by proposing employee learning and skills' developmental as non-tangible resources to complement managerial attempts. In addition, a “can do” attitude and a more holistic, organisational and individual approach to performance resolution is proposed to fill the performance implementation and theoretical gap faced by academics, employees, managers and owner entrepreneurs.
New aspects of human resource management and organizational behavior have emerged in recent years... more New aspects of human resource management and organizational behavior have emerged in recent years. As such, it has become imperative to facilitate proper educational initiatives for professionals entering these fields. Teaching Human Resources and Organizational Behavior at the College Level is an essential reference source for the latest empirical research on emerging teaching strategies for business-oriented frameworks. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics and perspectives such as talent development, curriculum development, and career competencies, this book is ideally designed for students, practitioners, and managers seeking current research on learning methodologies and conceptual developments in human resources management. Topics Covered The many academic areas covered in this publication include, but are not limited to: · Business Leadership · Career Competencies · Curriculum Development · Human Resource Analytics · Organizational Performance · Talent Development · Teamwork Table of Contents and List of Contributors Search this Book: Preface John Mendy Chapter 1 Key HRM Challenges and Benefits: The Contributions of the HR Scaffolding (pages 1-24) John Mendy Whilst HRM is responding to organizational challenges, HRM tutors have to deal with avoiding labour imposition (Mather et al., 2007) and ensuring... Key HRM Challenges and Benefits: The Contributions of the HR Scaffolding Chapter 2 Undergraduate Programs in the U.S: A Contextual and Content-Based Analysis (pages 26-57) Steven D. Charlier, Lisa A. Burke-Smalley, Sandra L. Fisher Given the importance of human resource management skills both in management education and business in general, an empirical review of undergraduate... Undergraduate Programs in the U.S: A Contextual and Content-Based Analysis Chapter 3 Creating University Spaces of Inspiration: Examining the Critical Link Between Leading and Lecturing (pages 59-101) Iain Densten Our review and research examines the power bases and influences university lecturers can deploy to motivate their students to learn. Lecturers are... Creating University Spaces of Inspiration: Examining the Critical Link Between Leading and Lecturing Chapter 4 Rethinking the Contribution of Organizational Change to the Teaching and Learning of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management: The Quest for Balance (pages 103-132) John Mendy One of the great attributes of acting as a Human Resource Manager is being reasonable. One may not know what is best for a company but one should be... Rethinking the Contribution of Organizational Change to the Teaching and Learning of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management: The Quest for Balance Chapter 5 Embedding Career Competencies in Learning and Talent Development: Career Management and Professional Development Modules (pages 133-171) Sue Mulhall, Mark Campbell The chapter researches theoretical positions and practical applications that enable educationalists to equip students with the knowledge and skills... Embedding Career Competencies in Learning and Talent Development: Career Management and Professional Development Modules Chapter 6 The Call to Teach Human Capital Analytics (pages 173-195) Clive Trusson The Human Resource Management profession has increasingly taken an interest in applying analytical techniques to data collected concerning... The Call to Teach Human Capital Analytics Chapter 7 Teaching Teamwork in University Settings (pages 196-210) Lesley A. Clack Teamwork is essential to the success of any organization, as well as to the success of employees. Particularly in multidisciplinary professions... Teaching Teamwork in University Settings Chapter 8 Putting Across Tangibility: Effectiveness of Case-Study-Based Teaching of Organisational Behaviour (pages 211-225) Dieu Hack-Polay This chapter examines a case study-approach to teaching organisational behaviour. It explains the effectiveness of the use of case study in teaching... Putting Across Tangibility: Effectiveness of Case-Study-Based Teaching of Organisational Behaviour About the Contributors Index Description | Table of Contents | Topics Covered | Author(s)/Editor(s) Bio | Indices Author(s)/Editor(s) Biography John is currently a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Full-Time MSc HRM. He is interested in Research, Teaching and Learning Methodologies, HRM and Organisational Behaviour, how to manage relationships between international graduates, home graduates and other employees and smart cities as learning cities. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, an Associate Editor of Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, Member of British Academy of Management and the European Academy of Management and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, UK. He teaches on Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes and supervises PhD candidates. He continues to publish in refereed journals and presents his work at international…
Organizations and society are confronted with fundamental socio-political, cultural, and economic... more Organizations and society are confronted with fundamental socio-political, cultural, and economic challenges because of poorly construed and implemented Equality Diversity and Inclusion measures. Whilst Organizational Behavior research has adopted a traditional approach seeking to highlight the business case benefits and focused on quantifiable outcomes measurements, recent research has questioned this dominant, neoliberal capitalist-based strand, which has perpetuated managerial hegemonic power and employer-employee conflicts. Emerging Employment Relations scholarship has identified and added additional EDI categories including further neurodiverse, social and workplace groupings, and suggested further methodological tools, including intersectionality, institutional, relational, and agentic frameworks to repair the damages. Human Resource Management research has focused on how to implement standardized regulatory mechanisms related to Affirmative Action and Social Justice models on recruitment, pay and reward. However, such western-centric approaches, models, constructs, and analysis levels have exposed greater 'psychological' and workplace, individual and group inequalities, marginalized employees and highlighted the contested and contestable nature of EDI. Alternative, non-western calls intensify.
Organizations and society are confronted with fundamental socio-political, cultural, and economic... more Organizations and society are confronted with fundamental socio-political, cultural, and economic challenges because of poorly construed and implemented Equality Diversity and Inclusion measures. Whilst Organizational Behavior research has adopted a traditional approach seeking to highlight the business case benefits and focused on quantifiable outcomes measurements, recent research has questioned this dominant, neoliberal capitalist-based strand, which has perpetuated managerial hegemonic power and employer-employee conflicts. Emerging Employment Relations scholarship has identified and added additional EDI categories including further neurodiverse, social and workplace groupings, and suggested further methodological tools, including intersectionality, institutional, relational, and agentic frameworks to repair the damages. Human Resource Management research has focused on how to implement standardized regulatory mechanisms related to Affirmative Action and Social Justice models on recruitment, pay and reward. However, such western-centric approaches, models, constructs, and analysis levels have exposed greater 'psychological' and workplace, individual and group inequalities, marginalized employees and highlighted the contested and contestable nature of EDI. Alternative, non-western calls intensify.
Organizations have been significantly challenged by absurd practices to the point where people's ... more Organizations have been significantly challenged by absurd practices to the point where people's everyday experiences of what development means has become meaningless. Whilst Employee Relations and Organizational Psychology researchers tend to posit a relational approach, Organizational Behavior scholars suggest a contents and process-driven approach to minimize the harm. Alternatively, Human Resource Management scholarships tend to adopt a more practice-based approach. Despite the instrumentalized, measurement methods to surface the organizational, performance-orientated benefits of people development using various training measures at meso-organizational level, a more fundamental global level absurdity has been highlighted recently with the wasting of billions of dollars on climate change enunciations. Through three processes involving internalization, externalization and ideologization, this piece highlights how the absurd has been hypernormalized in workplaces by depicting the fantasmatic portrayal of official, public enunciations on development as opposed to staff's everyday realities. Trapped by workplace absurdity, the piece draws attention to negligent non-western contexts and theorizations as alternative possibilities.
This chapter discusses the theoretical foundations of absurdity in contemporary society and workp... more This chapter discusses the theoretical foundations of absurdity in contemporary society and workplaces. Absurdity arises from the absence of rationality, where observed practices paradoxically veer away from official discourse and institutional rhetoric. We discuss the definitions, dimensions, and foundations of absurdity and integrate it into an understanding of absurdity in relation to the normal, abnormal, and hypernormal. By discussing what absurdity is not, we also highlight how it is related to neighboring concepts. Moreover, absurdity does not exist in a vacuum but is penetrated by and hypernormalized through internalized societal ideologies. Hypernormalization, or the normalization of absurdity, was originally coined by Russian-born anthropologist Yurchak (Comp Stud Soc Hist, 45(3):480-510, 2003; Everything was forever, until it was no more: the last Soviet generation. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2005) to understand the split between ideological discourse and practice in the last decades of the Soviet Union. We extend the understanding of hypernormalization to describe how contemporary absurdities are normalized. Moreover, we explain how hypernormalization unfolds at collective, societal, or organizational levels.
The final chapter brings the chapters together and discusses the red threads and lessons learned ... more The final chapter brings the chapters together and discusses the red threads and lessons learned from the various chapters and case studies. In particular, it summarizes the observations and findings from the various empirical contributions in the book and synthesizes these contributions into new understandings of absurdity, the abnormal, and its normalization. The chapter also engages with the personal reflections of the authors writing the book and developing the ideas presented in the book. It discusses ways forward, including research that can be conducted in the future on the basis of the book, as well as more practical interventions and work that can be designed on the basis of the theorizing and analysis of absurdity and hypernormalization.
Numerous scandals and miscarriages of justice in the UK illustrate how, despite catastrophic fail... more Numerous scandals and miscarriages of justice in the UK illustrate how, despite catastrophic failures, organizational and political leaders are rarely held to account for the harms they have caused. This chapter will use the lens of hypernormalization to theorize this problem of impunity. It will explore how compelling narratives and complex bureaucratic systems, 'Kafkaesque' in nature, are deliberately constructed to obscure and cast doubt. These surreal and absurd systems, which enable impunity, are sustained through the reproduction of particular forms of corporate speak. The discussion also contributes to the wider debate about the limitations of contemporary democratic institutions, including those in the workplace, to hold those in power to account. The chapter ends by imagining the types of social transformation required to address these problems of impunity and injustice.
This chapter fuses critical institutionalism and literary analysis, along with autobiographical a... more This chapter fuses critical institutionalism and literary analysis, along with autobiographical autoethnographic anecdotes, to formulate an account of absurdity in the English public sector. The lesser-known work of the renowned Polish satirist Sławomir Mrożek 'Chocolates for the Director' (original: Czekoladki dla Prezesa) is explored and utilized as a framework to exemplify institutional farce. Mrożek's work encapsulated the hypernormalized 'fake world' public organization practices typical of Soviet-era Poland, and his literary style and role characterizations are studied in this chapter. The account considers the realm of bureaucratic practices and rituals in contemporary England; the author's own reflections of studying the National Health Service ethnographically and working within it and in Higher Education are drawn upon, including in the 'old normal' and the pandemic eras. The chapter stays faithful to the literary genre of absurdism and offers no solutions.
This chapter presents four steps through which resistance to hypernormalization emerges: problema... more This chapter presents four steps through which resistance to hypernormalization emerges: problematizing, resisting, imagining, and transforming. We contribute to the literature by showing how these four steps may offer a way out of hypernormalization in society and workplaces. First, problematization is needed in society and workplaces to expose absurdity for what it is and what effects it has on social practice. A wider acknowledgment and recognition of absurdity is the first necessary step for change. Second, resisting against absurdity provides a way to bring about necessary change in response to the status quo pertaining to hypernormalization's core functioning. Third, imagining is a necessary way to achieve change as the formulation and articulation of alternatives is a crucial step in the process. Finally, transformation refers to the key processes following the articulation of alternative imaginaries: it defines how change is materialized in society and workplaces, and the ways through which change may unfold. We present an example of an academic transformation initiative within work and organizational psychology, the Future of Work and Organizational Psychology (FoWOP) network that strives to bring about change in academic institutions.
Workplace inequality is an ongoing employment and social problem. Attempts in Human Resource Mana... more Workplace inequality is an ongoing employment and social problem. Attempts in Human Resource Management (HRM)-related fields to explain the contributory factors to inequality have stabilized, legitimized, and perpetuated the unquestioning adoption of equality, diversity, and inclusion practices in staff hiring, training and development, pay, and reward. This has led
The final chapter brings the chapters together and discusses the red threads and lessons learned ... more The final chapter brings the chapters together and discusses the red threads and lessons learned from the various chapters and case studies. In particular, it summarizes the observations and findings from the various empirical contributions in the book and synthesizes these contributions into new understandings of absurdity, the abnormal, and its normalization. The chapter also engages with the personal reflections of the authors writing the book and developing the ideas presented in the book. It discusses ways forward, including research that can be conducted in the future on the basis of the book, as well as more practical interventions and work that can be designed on the basis of the theorizing and analysis of absurdity and hypernormalization.
Migration Practice as Creative Practice: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Migration. , 2021
Purpose: The experiential contributions of migrants has been depicted in previous studies as unde... more Purpose: The experiential contributions of migrants has been depicted in previous studies as underperformance and failure. This chapter offers a new approach called Resilience Network Orientations that re-orientates and repositions the entrepreneurial behaviours of migrants into resilience studies. Previous research adopting case study methodology missed this link between migration and resilience.
Design/methodology: A case study methodological approach involving migrants’ employment trajectories from different parts of the world constitutes the article’s data. By critiquing McWilliams and Smart’s (1993) ‘structure-conduct-performance’ framework, I propose Resilience Network Orientations as a way to integrate structures, opportunities and networks. This approach offers resilience as an alternative perspective to the classical migration discourse of underperformance.
Originality/value: The study found that migrants’ negative employment perspectives are multifaceted whereas Resilience Network Orientations (RNOs) provides a novel methodological alternative highlighting the social and materialistic benefits for migration studies. In order to get out of the underperformance trap that the ‘SCP’ triad has normalised minorities’ efforts in, this article uses case study accounts to shift the migration discourse to one that features a multiplicity of inter-personal, inter-cultural, inter-organisational and inter-continental resilience network capacities.
HRM professionals’ reliance on using teamwork, organisational planning and managerially- controll... more HRM professionals’ reliance on using teamwork, organisational planning and managerially- controlled appraisal measures within the framework of High Performance Organisation (HPO) and High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) has outlived its useful applicability and sustainability in today’s SME crisis-ridden environment. This chapter highlights the gap between the HRM discipline, whose measures to resolve the organisational performance problem have instead resulted in a deepening of the performance crisis in resource-constrained SMEs and an urgent need to address such a fundamental problem through the creation, development and sustenance of more innovative measures. A critique of HPO and HPWS’s structural and systemic approach to solve the effective organisational performance implementation gap led to an additional discovery, which is how to solve the performance problem competently and sustainably such that SMEs have a more strategically viable future. The study’s interpretivism paradigm backed up by a survey of 85 management and staff respondents in a longitudinal study spanning 7 years in the UK highlighted 6 important themes. These were combined to develop a new ‘Strategic Workforce Resilience Management Model’ as a way to solve the SME performance quagmire. This fills the performance implementation and strategic sustainability gaps and introduces resilience characteristics into the way HRM professionals should be managing the performance problem. The limitations, the implications and future research areas are discussed.
Keywords: HRM, performance, management, staff, resilience, model
The international dimension of entrepreneurial decision making: cultures, contexts, and behaviours, 2021
Previous Business and Management studies’ decades’-long focus on an economic utilitarian approach... more Previous Business and Management studies’ decades’-long focus on an economic utilitarian approach has neglected human-centric issues such as staff and management resilience building and socio-cultural competence capacity in addressing SMEs’ performance-related challenges during internationalisation. Such prolonged omission in the debates has partially led to the wrong measures being adopted and SMEs’ unsustainability when they trade across borders. By critiquing and applying High Performance Organisation Theory’s characteristics of management planning, commitment, productivity, compliance and collaboration onto SMEs’ internationalisation, this chapter highlights the dual theory-practice gap of people-centric and economic barriers which have contributed to the fundamental management and staff performance challenges faced by SMEs. To contribute to both the SME internationalisation literature and resolve this gap, this chapter proposes an ‘Internationalising HRM’ framework consisting of four interdependent cardinal principles which highlight four aspects that are crucial in resolving SMEs’ internationalisation challenges namely competency, R & TD, social and resilience capacity. Each of these aspects highlights what the economic utilitarian approach of HPO Theory has missed over the years and develops a framework that can help SMEs’ managers and decision-makers to address both the economic as well as human elements that are vital for a more sustainable SMEs’ internationalisation. The chapter also contributes to facilitating a more resilient SME internationalisation culture as it shifts the focus from economics to people given the increasing need for smaller firms’ member to develop sustainable resilience to perform in the longer term. This perspective is new and should be included in international HRM, Strategic HRM and SMEs’ entrepreneurship. Implications of the study’s findings, its framework and future research areas are highlighted.
Keywords: High Performance Organisation Theory, SMEs, international, HRM
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Papers by John Mendy
Design/methodology: A case study methodological approach involving migrants’ employment trajectories from different parts of the world constitutes the article’s data. By critiquing McWilliams and Smart’s (1993) ‘structure-conduct-performance’ framework, I propose Resilience Network Orientations as a way to integrate structures, opportunities and networks. This approach offers resilience as an alternative perspective to the classical migration discourse of underperformance.
Originality/value: The study found that migrants’ negative employment perspectives are multifaceted whereas Resilience Network Orientations (RNOs) provides a novel methodological alternative highlighting the social and materialistic benefits for migration studies. In order to get out of the underperformance trap that the ‘SCP’ triad has normalised minorities’ efforts in, this article uses case study accounts to shift the migration discourse to one that features a multiplicity of inter-personal, inter-cultural, inter-organisational and inter-continental resilience network capacities.
Keywords: Resilience Network Orientations, migrants, employment, structure, underperformance
Keywords: HRM, performance, management, staff, resilience, model
Keywords: High Performance Organisation Theory, SMEs, international, HRM