The relationship between top management team innovation orientation and firm growth: The mediating role of firm innovativeness

Upper echelon theory and research on innovation have considered top management teams and their behaviour and characteristics as important factors that positively influence innovativeness and organizational outcomes. Yet, innovation research has mostly focused on individual new product projects, and their performance and impact on firm performance. Recent research has started to apply a more holistic view in terms of innovation, by considering firm-wide innovation instead of single new products. Upper echelon research has concentrated on direct relationships between top management team characteristics and organizational outcomes. But recent research calls for mediating effects of the relationship between top management team characteristics and organizational outcomes. Hence, this study introduces firm innovativeness as a mediator between top management team innovation orientation and firm growth. Focusing on small and medium-sized firms, which often represent highly innovative firms, results show that firm innovativeness fully mediates the relationship between top management team innovation orientation and firm growth. Implications and future research are discussed.

Firm-level strategic orientation and performance: a synthesis and extension of the knowledge base on entrepreneurial, market and learning orientation

Should a firm stay focused or should it rather adopt a broader strategic perspective? This dissertation summarizes and extends the existing knowledge base on entrepreneurial, market, and learning orientation. Building on multiple theoretical perspectives, empirical evidence from prior studies, as well as on survey and archival data collected in two economic contexts, performance effects from individual orientations, their dimensions and combinations are explored. Results reveal that the three strategic orientations are highly interrelated and that their relationship to firm performance is more complex than previously assumed.

The relationship between leadership practices and a medication safety regime

Errors in healthcare are commonplace and have significant impact on mortality, morbidity, and costs. Other high-risk industries are credited with strong safety records. These successes are due in part to a strong, committed organizational culture and their leadership. A consistent pattern of effective leadership behaviors; creating change, establishing a vision and strategic actions, and enabling and inspiring the organization's members to act, is present in these high-risk industries. This research examined the relationship between leadership practices and a medication safety regime. The hypothesis is strong leadership practices have a positive relationship with the degree of sophistication of a medication safety program (safety performance). Leadership was used as a surrogate for organizational culture and was measured in this research through the Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Practices Inventory. The Institute of Medicine's 14 Selected Strategies to Improve Medication Safety was used to measure the development of a medication safety regime. Leadership practices towards safety were assessed by surveying 2,478 critical care Registered Nurses in the greater Houston area. A response rate of 19% was achieved. Thirteen hospitals participated in the medication safety regime assessment. Data from 386 RN respondents from 53 institutions provided an overall description of unit (ICU) and organization (hospital) leader's practices towards safety. There is some recognition of the medical error problem and that leaders exhibit moderate levels of leadership practices to promote safety. There were no differences noted in unit and hospital leaders' behaviors, with the exception that unit leaders promote change and enable staff to act more often than hospital leaders. There were no statistically significant relationships between overall leadership, or individual leadership practices and the organization's safety performance. There was a significant relationship between leadership and safety performance when other factors in organizational culture were considered. Teaching and Magnet hospitals also exhibited stronger behaviors towards safety. Organizational culture, as measured by academic affiliation and Magnet recognition, is strongly related to safety performance as measured by the degree of development of a medication safety regime. ^

Future pandemic influenza control (FPIC) related strategic management plan based on the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza review of health policy decisions, their practice and implications

This cross-sectional study is based on the qualitative and quantitative research design to review health policy decisions, their practice and implications during 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic in the United States and globally. The ���Future Pandemic Influenza Control (FPIC) related Strategic Management Plan��� was developed based on the incorporation of the ���National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza (2005)��� for the United States from the U.S. Homeland Security Council and ���The Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector (2006)��� from the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Committee for use by the public health agencies in the United States as well as globally. The ���global influenza experts��� survey��� was primarily designed and administered via email through the ���Survey Monkey��� system to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic experts as the study respondents. The effectiveness of this plan was confirmed and the approach of the study questionnaire was validated to be convenient and the excellent quality of the questions provided an efficient opportunity to the study respondents to evaluate the effectiveness of predefined strategies/interventions for future pandemic influenza control.^ The quantitative analysis of the responses to the Likert-scale based questions in the survey about predefined strategies/interventions, addressing five strategic issues to control future pandemic influenza. The effectiveness of strategies defined as pertinent interventions in this plan was evaluated by targeting five strategic issues regarding pandemic influenza control. For the first strategic issue pertaining influenza prevention and pre pandemic planning; the confirmed effectiveness (agreement) for strategy (1a) 87.5%, strategy (1b) 91.7% and strategy (1c) 83.3%. The assessment of the priority level for strategies to address the strategic issue no. (1); (1b (High Priority) > 1a (Medium Priority) > 1c (Low Priority) based on the available resources of the developing and developed countries. For the second Strategic Issue encompassing the preparedness and communication regarding pandemic influenza control; the confirmed effectiveness (agreement) for the strategy (2a) 95.6%, strategy (2b) 82.6%, strategy (2c) 91.3% and Strategy (2d) 87.0%. The assessment of the priority level for these strategies to address the strategic issue no. (2); (2a (highest priority) > 2c (high priority) >2d (medium priority) > 2b (low priority). For the third strategic issue encompassing the surveillance and detection of pandemic influenza; the confirmed effectiveness (agreement) for the strategy (3a) 90.9% and strategy (3b) 77.3%. The assessment of the priority level for theses strategies to address the strategic Issue No. (3) (3a (high priority) > 3b (medium/low priority). For the fourth strategic issue pertaining the response and containment of pandemic influenza; the confirmed effectiveness (agreement) for the strategy (4a) 63.6%, strategy (4b) 81.8%, strategy (4c) 86.3%, and strategy (4d) 86.4%. The assessment of the priority level for these strategies to address the strategic issue no. (4); (4d (highest priority) > 4c (high priority) > 4b (medium priority) > 4a (low priority). The fifth strategic issue about recovery from influenza and post pandemic planning; the confirmed effectiveness (agreement) for the strategy (5a) 68.2%, strategy (5b) 36.3% and strategy (5c) 40.9%. The assessment of the priority level for strategies to address the strategic issue no. (5); (5a (high priority) > 5c (medium priority) > 5b (low priority).^ The qualitative analysis of responses to the open-ended questions in the study questionnaire was performed by means of thematic content analysis. The following recurrent or common ���themes��� were determined for the future implementation of various predefined strategies to address five strategic issues from the ���FPIC related Strategic Management Plan��� to control future influenza pandemics. (1) Pre Pandemic Influenza Prevention, (2) Seasonal Influenza Control, (3) Cost Effectiveness of Non Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI), (4) Raising Global Public Awareness, (5) Global Influenza Vaccination Campaigns, (6)Priority for High Risk Population, (7) Prompt Accessibility and Distribution of Influenza Vaccines and Antiviral Drugs, (8) The Vital Role of Private Sector, (9) School Based Influenza Containment, (10) Efficient Global Risk Communication, (11) Global Research Collaboration, (12) The Critical Role of Global Public Health Organizations, (13) Global Syndromic Surveillance and Surge Capacity and (14) Post Pandemic Recovery and Lessons Learned. The future implementation of these strategies with confirmed effectiveness to primarily ���reduce the overall response time��� in the process of ���early detection���, ���strategies (interventions) formulation��� and their ���implementation��� to eventually ensure the following health outcomes: (a) reduced influenza transmission, (b) prompt and effective influenza treatment and control, (c) reduced influenza related morbidity and mortality.^

Balanced scorecard to improve strategic management control at School of Mines and Energy, Universidad Polit��cnica de Madrid

We studied the situation in Spanish public universities regarding the use of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), as an instrument of control and strategic management. Also, we studied its application to the School of Mines and Energy at Universidad Polit��cnica de Madrid. The main advantage of the BSC is that improves the organizational structure of the workplace and the achievement of the objectives that ensure long-term success. First we review the strategy for success used in the Spanish educational system and specifically in the Spanish public universities. Then using the BSC and applying the main strategic lines for the successful management of the School of Mines and Energy at Universidad Polit��cnica de Madrid. The strategic lines affect all the college groups and the success of the BSC tool is to increase communication between the faculties, personal auxiliary, students and society in general that make up the university. First we performed a SWOT analysis (DAFO in Spanish) there are proposed different perspectives that focus the long-term strategic objectives. The BSC is designed based on the strategic objectives that set the direction through using indicators and initiatives, the goals are achieved up to the programmed schedule. In the perspective of teaching, objectives are set to update facilities and increase partnerships with other universities and businesses, encouraging ongoing training of staff and improved coordination and internal communication. The internal process perspective aims at improving the marketing, the promotion of the international dimension of the school through strategic alliances, better mobility for students and professors and improved teaching and research quality results. It continues with improving the image of the school between customer?s perspective, the quality perceived by students and the loyalty of the teaching staff by retaining talent. Finally, the financial perspective which should contain costs without harming the quality, improving the employability of students and achieve relevant jobs at teaching and research through international measurement standards.

Efficiency analysis of information technology and online social networks management : an integrated DEA-Model assessment

This paper analyses the relationship between productive efficiency and online-social-networks (OSN) in Spanish telecommunications firms. A data-envelopment-analysis (DEA) is used and several indicators of business ?social Media? activities are incorporated. A super-efficiency analysis and bootstrapping techniques are performed to increase the model?s robustness and accuracy. Then, a logistic regression model is applied to characterise factors and drivers of good performance in OSN. Results reveal the company?s ability to absorb and utilise OSNs as a key factor in improving the productive efficiency. This paper presents a model for assessing the strategic performance of the presence and activity in OSN.

Human resources policies for strategic csr. The experience of ree (Red El��ctrica de Espa��a)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies have a strong link with human resources policies. Not only because employees are one of the main stakeholders and because leaders��� style is directly related to the deployment of the strategy, but also, and with a growing importance, because a company culture aligned with CSR values could be a key competitive factor. The relationships among CSR values, employees��� commitment and productivity is one of the research lines of the GIOS (Grupo de Investigaci��n de Organizaciones Sostenibles, Sustainable Organizations Research Group). Employees��� commitment management is one of the main challenges managers face, particularly in companies with a high proportion of knowledge workers. Many pieces of research indicate the direct relationship between employees��� commitment and company success. In this paper the results of a case study in REE (Red El��ctrica de Espa��a) identify some key variables to demonstrate that relationship. Based on commitment construct with the duality of emotional and rational commitment, and on the REE employee satisfaction survey, a direct relationship with organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) variables appears. These OCB variables are an intermediate step with CSR values.From the results analysis of this survey a direct linear relationship can be seen between commitment and organizational citizenship behaviours. The relationships among emotional and rational commitment and OCB are examined separately with the conclusion being reached that there is a strong correlation in both cases. Moreover, the correlation between emotional commitment and OCB is somewhat stronger than that existing between rational commitment and OCB. it can also be seen how emotional commitment increases more strongly than rational commitment as organizational citizenship behaviours are gradually incorporated.

Cria����o de valor para o cliente: um estudo explorat��rio sobre programas de Key Account Management (KAM)

Nas ��ltimas d��cadas, a maturidade de alguns mercados, a globaliza����o e o crescente poder de barganha dos clientes aumentam ainda mais a necessidade das empresas em manterem e desenvolverem de forma eficaz seus clientes mais importantes. Neste contexto, ganham relev��ncia os programas de Key Account Management (KAM), iniciativas corporativas que tratam de forma especial os clientes mais importantes do fornecedor. Para obter o desempenho financeiro superior, o programa de KAM precisa criar valor para o cliente para posterior apropria����o de valor pelo fornecedor. Contudo, a maioria dos estudos enfatiza a apropria����o de valor pelo fornecedor, por��m poucas pesquisas investigam a cria����o de valor para o cliente em programas de KAM. Al��m disso, a maioria das pesquisas em marketing de relacionamento ainda foca muito nos impactos positivos do relacionamento. Dessa forma, �� importante analisar empiricamente como �� a implementa����o da cria����o de valor para o cliente em programas de KAM, identificando as principais dimens��es e os fatores cr��ticos. O objetivo do presente estudo �� analisar o processo de cria����o de valor para o cliente em programas de Key Account Management (KAM) e propor um modelo de cria����o de valor para o cliente segundo a perspectiva da empresa fornecedora. As an��lises e o modelo s��o elaborados a partir de um processo de investiga����o abdutiva, ou seja, a combina����o entre a fundamenta����o te��rica sobre o conceito de valor e programas de KAM e a an��lise de conte��do de 22 entrevistas em profundidade com especialistas em programas de KAM, profissionais de marketing/vendas que trabalham por pelo menos cinco anos com programas de KAM em grandes empresas no Brasil. O modelo proposto explica de forma integrada e sistem��tica como �� a cria����o de valor para o cliente em programas de KAM segundo cinco dimens��es (Desenvolvimento de relacionamentos; Entendimento dos direcionadores de valor; Desenvolvimento da proposta de valor; Comunica����o da proposta de valor; e mensura����o de valor), quatro moderadores (Orienta����o relacional do cliente; Formaliza����o do programa de KAM para o cliente; Abordagem do fornecedor: \"orientada ao cliente\" vs. \"orientar o cliente\"; e Fit estrat��gico entre o fornecedor e o cliente) e tr��s riscos (N��o entrega do valor b��sico para o cliente; Rotatividade do Key Account Manager; e Sentimento de injusti��a do cliente). Contribui-se com a teoria sobre o tema, ao incluir uma dimens��o espec��fica no modelo para desenvolvimento de relacionamentos do n��vel da d��ade (organiza����o-organiza����o) e indiv��duo (funcion��rio-funcion��rio), e ao abordar n��o somente aspectos positivos do relacionamento, mas tamb��m os aspectos negativos (ou riscos da cria����o de valor para o cliente). Contribui-se tamb��m para a pr��tica, ao prover uma vis��o mais ampla, sistem��tica e integradora dos diversos elementos da cria����o de valor para o cliente aos executivos das empresas que possuem programas de KAM, e ao recomendar pr��ticas organizacionais que servem como guias para a tomada de decis��o dos gestores de programas de KAM. Ademais, como a parte emp��rica do estudo �� baseada no contexto brasileiro, amplia-se o conhecimento sobre KAM no Brasil. Por fim, apresentam-se as limita����es do estudo com a agenda de pesquisas futuras

Human Resources (HR) in the Age of Technology: An Examination of the Relationship Between HR and Technology

Technology helps the Human Resources (HR) department drive for strategic relevance. These two departments are successfully collaborating on major projects in such business-critical areas as e-recruiting, self-service, training, compensation and talent management. Technology is critical in helping increase efficiency, increase attraction and retention, reduce administration and cut costs. In recent years, HR information systems (HRIS) have become more important than ever, this time as an essential part of a company's information security and knowledge fields. Ill-suited benefits and disorganized resources are history; now is the time for customized, dynamic plans and connected systems. Employees will appreciate the HRIS, business will benefit from the HRIS and the HR department will no longer have to be the ugly duckling of the company.

Microfoundations of strategic management: Toward micro���macro research in the resource-based theory

Over the last few years, a new stream of research has emerged in the field of strategic management which focuses on the analysis of its microfoundations. This line of research analyzes strategic topics examining their foundations rooted in individual actions and interactions. The main purpose of this paper is to examine this emerging literature of microfoundations, indicating its usefulness and main characteristics. Through a systematic literature review, this paper contributes to the field by identifying the main areas studied, the benefits and potential of this approach, and some limitations and criticisms. Moreover, the paper studies how the integration of micro and macro aspects in strategy research may be carried out, examining several works that use a multilevel approach. Some methodological approaches that may help to effect this integration are indicated. These aspects will be analyzed in relation to the resource-based theory.