Overcoming network overload and redundancy in inter-organizational networks:the roles of potential and latent ties

This paper builds on Granovetter's distinction between strong and weak ties [Granovetter, M. S. 1973. The strength of weak ties. Amer. J. Sociol. 78(6) 1360–1380] in order to respond to recent calls for a more dynamic and processual understanding of networks. The concepts of potential and latent tie are deductively identified, and their implications for understanding how and why networks emerge, evolve, and change are explored. A longitudinal empirical study conducted with companies operating in the European motorsport industry reveals that firms take strategic actions to search for potential ties and reactivate latent ties in order to solve problems of network redundancy and overload. Examples are given, and their characteristics are examined to provide theoretical elaboration of the relationship between the types of tie and network evolution. These conceptual and empirical insights move understanding of the managerial challenge of building effective networks beyond static structural contingency models of optimal network forms to highlight the processes and capabilities of dynamic relationship building and network development. In so doing, this paper highlights the interrelationship between search and redundancy and the scope for strategic action alongside path dependence and structural influences on network processes.

Impression management, myth creation and fabrication in private social and environmental reporting:insights from Erving Goffman

This paper explores the nature of private social and environmental reporting (SER). From interviews with UK institutional investors, we show that both investors and investees employ Goffmanesque, staged impression management as a means of creating and disseminating a dual myth of social and environmental accountability. The interviewees' utterances unveil private meetings imbued with theatrical verbal and physical impression management. Most of the time, the investors' shared awareness of reality belongs to a Goffmanesque frame whereby they accept no intentionality, misrepresentation or fabrication, believing instead that the 'performers' (investees) are not intending to deceive them. A shared perception that social and environmental considerations are subordinated to financial issues renders private SER an empty encounter characterised as a relationship-building exercise with seldom any impact on investment decision-making. Investors spoke of occasional instances of fabrication but these were insufficient to break the frame of dual myth creation. They only identified a handful of instances where intentional misrepresentation had been significant enough to alter their reality and behaviour. Only in the most extreme cases of fabrication and lying did the staged meeting break frame and become a genuine occasion of accountability, where investors demanded greater transparency, further meetings and at the extreme, divested shares. We conclude that the frontstage, ritualistic impression management in private SER is inconsistent with backstage activities within financial institutions where private financial reporting is prioritised. The investors appeared to be in a double bind whereby they devoted resources to private SER but were simultaneously aware that these efforts may be at best subordinated, at worst ignored, rendering private SER a predominantly cosmetic, theatrical and empty exercise. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

When creativity enhances sales effectiveness:the moderating role of leader–member exchange

This study extends research on creativity by exploring the boundary conditions of the creativity-job effectiveness relationship. Building on social exchange theory, we argue that the extent to which employee creativity is related to sales - an objective work effectiveness measure - depends on the quality of leader-member exchange (LMX). We hypothesize that the relationship between creativity and sales is significant and positive when LMX is high, but not when LMX is low. Hierarchical linear modelling analysis provided support for the interaction hypothesis in a sample of 151 sales agents and 26 supervisors drawn from both pharmaceutical and insurance companies. Results showed that sales agents who were more creative generated higher sales only when they had high quality LMX. An ad-hoc qualitative study provided a more detailed understanding of the moderator role played by LMX. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A study of dual cultures in dyadic relations

Elderly caregiving, a fact of life for millions of Americans, has gained significance with the increase in the elderly population. Over 25 million family caregivers in the US, most of whom are women rearing their own children, care for severely ill or disabled family members. The increased flow of women into the labor force has caused this traditional role to be entrusted to hired caregivers, mainly home health aides. ^ This case study describes and explains the dyadic experiences of elderly Jewish clients and their Jamaican home health aides in a mixed-culture environment. The inquiry was conducted with a purposive sample of four dyads, their case manager, and the placement officer, all of whom were selected through a home care agency in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Strategies of data collection including non-participant observation, interviews, document analysis, and researcher's journals. Data from verbatim transcription of interviews and field notes were coded, sorted into emic categories, and reduced as linkages were identified via cross-case comparison. Three major themes—mixed-culture experiences, relationship building and maintenance, and agency role perceptions—emerged from the interpretative analysis of the data. ^ Assertions from these findings include that dyads have established a range of relationships to meet their personal needs, expectations, and desires in these goal-driven relationships. Relationally, they have reached interactional synchrony with some achieving the ideal family-type bond. Cultural difference is but one of the many contextual variables in the home care environment, which has its own cultural norms and expectations. Conflicts transcend cultural difference and seemed more a factor of individual relational disposition. ^

La construcción de una relación con los espectadores en la continuidad televisiva

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo evaluar hasta qué punto las cadenas de televisión generalista en España adoptan estrategias de comunicación coherentes, sólidas y atractivas a la hora de construir una relación con los espectadores en su continuidad. Para ello, se aplica un análisis del discurso verbal a una muestra de piezas de continuidad televisiva de La1, Antena3, Telecinco y TV3. El análisis de las características enunciativas de las piezas muestra que, más allá de sus especificidades (en relación a la proximidad con los espectadores, su grado de directividad o su vinculación con ciertas identidades), los discursos de la continuidad de las cadenas requieren mayor coherencia y capacidad de diferenciación, más aún en un contexto de pérdida de prominencia social de la televisión generalista.

Exploring the influences on classroom-based contact via shared education in Northern Ireland

Initiatives in intercultural education have frequently involved the promotion of contact between members of different groups as a means of improving intergroup relations. Experience from Northern Ireland suggests, however, that such schemes have often been organised and delivered in such a way that opportunities for sustained, high-quality contact are limited. This paper considers processes of contact in one relatively recent initiative, “shared education”, which involves collaboration between separate schools to deliver classes to Catholic and Protestant pupils in mixed groups. Employing qualitative methods of observation and interviewing to capture participants’ experiences of contact, the research explores the influences on the quality and frequency of cross-group interaction in the shared class. With findings highlighting the subject and pedagogy, teacher’s approach and classroom arrangement as key factors, the study offers suggestions for policy and practice to enhance opportunities for contact and relationship-building in mixed classes.

The relationship between building characteristics and the chemical composition of surface films found on glass windows in Brisbane, Australia

Films found on the windows of residential buildings have been studied. The main aim of the paper was to assess the roles of the films in the accumulation of potentially toxic chemicals in residential buildings. Thus the elemental and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compositions of the surface films from the glass windows of eighteen residential buildings were examined. The presence of sample amounts of inorganic elements (4.0–1.2 × 106 μg m−2) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the films (BDL - 620.1 ng m−2) has implications for human exposure and the fate of pollutants in the urban environment. To facilitate the interpretation of the results, data matrices consisting of the chemical composition of the films and the building characteristics were subjected to multivariate data analysis methods, and these revealed that the accumulation of the chemicals was strongly dependent on building characteristics such as the type of glass used for the window, the distance from a major road, age of the building, distance from an industrial activity, number of smokers in the building and frequency of cooking in the buildings. Thus, building characteristics which minimize the accumulation of pollutants on the surface films need to be encouraged.

Why trust the Head? : key strategies for transformational school leaders for building a purposeful relationship of trust

Trust is widely recognised as one of the key qualities that a successful leader needs to bring about change within their organization. Browning’s study aimed to identify practices which a school leader can effectively use to inspire, build, and maintain trust between themselves, their staff and Chair of governing body. The study was undertaken in two phases. Phase One was the identification of four highly trusted transformational leaders from the Australian independent schooling sector. Phase Two was a multicase study of the four school leaders. The findings provide practical advice for school leaders wishing to have a positive impact on the outcomes of the students in their school.

Building health promoting work settings : identifying the relationship between work characteristics and occupational stress in Australia

Occupational stress is a serious threat to the health of individual workers, their families and the community at large. The settings approach to health promotion offers valuable opportunities for developing comprehensive strategies to prevent and reduce job stress. However, there is evidence that many workplace health promotion programs adopt traditional, lifestyle-oriented strategies when dealing with occupational stress, and ignore the impact that the setting itself has on the health of employees. The aim of the present study was to address two of the barriers to adopting the settings approach; namely the lack of information on how psycho-social work characteristics can influence health, and not having the confidence or knowledge to identify or address organizational-level issues. A comprehensive occupational stress audit involving qualitative and quantitative research methods was undertaken in a small- to medium-sized public sector organization in Australia. The results revealed that the work characteristics ‘social support’ and ‘job control’ accounted for large proportions of explained variance in job satisfaction and psychological health. In addition to these generic variables, several job-specific stressors were found to be predictive of the strain experienced by employees. When coupled with the results of other studies, these findings suggest that work characteristics (particularly control and support) offer valuable avenues for creating work settings that can protect and enhance employee health. The implications of the methods used to develop and complete the stress audit are also discussed.

Building a symbiotic relationship between academia and industry: expectations and observations of construction management graduates

Construction management graduates are employed in job functions such as building and civil engineering contracting, construction and project management consulting, client organisations (public and private) and developer organisations. Considering the diversity of employment opportunities for construction management graduates, they increasingly need to have a portfolio of skills to work effectively and efficiently with other professions in the industry. In exploring this, the objective of the research presented in this paper is to determine if construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of their employers. In considering the competitive forces impacting the construction industry, the authors of this paper sought to establish whether construction managers are able to identify those key skills needed for the future success of the industry. In turn, this information is considered critical for the successful formulation of curricula. Therefore, to establish whether construction management graduates are meeting the expectations of contractors, a survey was distributed to managers to establish their expectations and observations of recent graduates. The survey results indicate that managers are generally satisfied with the skill level of graduate students. The survey also highlighted several important skills that were considered to be lacking in graduates. cknowledging that there is always a need to improve the skill level of graduates, the authors propose a number of recommendations that are considered to improve the content construction management curricula.

The relationship between building adaptation and property attributes

Using a database of building adaptation and property attributes this research examined every adaptation event in Melbourne's CBD between 1998 and 2008. The importance of property attributes was derived using a principal component analysis and a weighted index of optimal decision making attributes was proposed; the Preliminary Assessment Adaptation Model (PAAM). The findings indicate the relationship between property attributes is more complex than hitherto held. Overall physical attributes were found to be more important than others such as economic, environmental, legal and social attributes; however physical attributes alone are not important and are closely related to other attributes.

Strategic facilities management system in relation with building performance; the significance and relationship

Healthcare design frequently involves complex concepts that are difficult to measure and evaluate because the building require a modern, quality, functional and therapeutic environment. For this specific reason, facilities management has become a very important support system to ensure smoothness in healthcare business. Facilities management in healthcare building is a complicated system involving multiple layers of administrative division and sub-divisions. Building performance such as building impact, function and quality prove to have significant impact on strategic facilities management. This paper will do an extensive review of strategic healthcare business management as a holistic approach and examine how facilities management can effectively manage their division with consideration and understanding of building performance. The correlation between strategic facilities management and building performance will be identified and a framework for strategic FM system with regards to building performance will be developed.

China and Latin America and the Caribbean: building a strategic economic and trade relationship

Includes bibliography