Um estudo de caso sobre as organizações que aprendem

Perante a actual envolvente, as organizações, para se tornarem competitivas, necessitam de recorrer a procedimentos, técnicas e instrumentos de gestão que assentem num processo de aprendizagem contínua. O objectivo deste artigo é, precisamente, conhecer e compreender melhor os procedimentos e mecanismos que a uma organização deve adoptar para se direccionar para o novo paradigma de gestão – as organizações que aprendem. Neste estudo propõe-se um modelo conceptual da “organização que aprende”, que assenta em quatro dimensões: (1) Cultura Organizacional, (2) Desenho Organizacional, (3) Partilha de Informação e (4) Liderança. Para validar este modelo, foi adoptada uma abordagem de investigação qualitativa que se aproximou de uma investigação-acção. Para o estudo, foi seleccionado um único caso – empresa YDream – e como métodos de recolha de dados adoptou-se: entrevistas, observação participante e análise documental. Neste estudo concluiu-se que uma organização, para alcançar o novo paradigma – organização que aprende, necessita de introduzir mudanças na sua política de gestão. A própria liderança deve entender e concordar colectivamente com a lógica de reestruturação organizacional proposta e que este novo desenho e cultura organizacional, bem como todas as implicações que possam advir, sejam explicadas e partilhadas claramente à totalidade dos colaboradores que fazem parte da organização. Para futuras investigações, nesta área do conhecimento sugere-se a realização de outros casos de estudo adoptando, em maior nível de profundidade, a metodologia investigação-acção. Trata-se de uma modalidade de investigação cujo objectivo é promover a mudança, invocada aqui, no campo organizacional.

Caso Natura: un buen lugar para trabajar

El siguiente trabajo analiza el caso Natura, empresa seleccionada por el instituto Great Place to Work®, como el mejor lugar para trabajar en Colombia (dentro de la categoría de empresas de menos de 500 empleados en el 2014) -- Inicialmente, se realiza una síntesis de las teorías existentes con relación al clima laboral y las características fundamentales que hacen de las empresas lugares de trabajo sobresalientes -- Luego, se realiza un trabajo de campo, que se compone de entrevistas a los empleados y observación del entorno, con éste, se pretende identificar los factores de éxito y buenas prácticas que contribuyeron a que la empresa obtuviera este reconocimiento -- Se obtuvieron resultados concluyentes que permitieron la elaboración de un caso de estudio sobre el cual se buscará su publicación, y será utilizado con fines académicos en asignaturas relacionadas con la administración

Governança de recursos de base comum e capacidade adaptativa de comunidades de fundos de pasto

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, 2015.

Tackling 'wicked' health promotion problems: a New Zealand case study

This paper reports on a complex environmental approach to addressing 'wicked' health promotion problems devised to inform policy for enhancing food security and physical activity among Māori, Pacific and low-income people in New Zealand. This multi-phase research utilized literature reviews, focus groups, stakeholder workshops and key informant interviews. Participants included members of affected communities, policy-makers and academics. Results suggest that food security and physical activity 'emerge' from complex systems. Key areas for intervention include availability of money within households; the cost of food; improvements in urban design and culturally specific physical activity programmes. Seventeen prioritized intervention areas were explored in-depth and recommendations for action identified. These include healthy food subsidies, increasing the statutory minimum wage rate and enhancing open space and connectivity in communities. This approach has moved away from seeking individual solutions to complex social problems. In doing so, it has enabled the mapping of the relevant systems and the identification of a range of interventions while taking account of the views of affected communities and the concerns of policy-makers. The complex environmental approach used in this research provides a method to identify how to intervene in complex systems that may be relevant to other 'wicked' health promotion problems.

‘We just call them people’: positive regard as a dimension of culture in group homes for people with severe intellectual disability

BackgroundA dimension of the culture in group homes is staff regard for residents. In underperforming group homes, staff regard residents as being not ‘like us’ (Bigby, Knox, Beadle-Brown, Clement & Mansell, 2012). We hypothesized the opposite pole of this dimension, in higher performing group homes, would be that staff regard residents positively.MethodThree in-depth qualitative case studies were conducted in higher performing group homes using participant observation, interviews and document review.ResultsConsistent pattern of staff practices and talk, as well as artefacts, demonstrated staff had a positive regard for residents, who were seen as being ‘like us’. Explicit and continuing attention was given to sustaining positive regard for residents in everyday staff practices and to turning abstract values into concrete realities.ConclusionsThis positive cultural norm was established, operationalized and embedded through structures, such as a formal policy about language, and processes such as peer monitoring and practice leadership.

Running in the Family – Paternalism and Familiness in the Development of Family Businesses

The study focuses on two features of family businesses (FBs), namely familiness and paternalism. These two concepts are inseparable in two ways: inseparable from family businesses and also from each other. Family businesses differ from one another in the degree of family involvement, leadership and management in the business. Paternalism as a leadership attitude is naturally present in FBs, especially in the founding stage of development. This feature provides the solid bases for establishing a strong and proud culture built around the personality and success of the founder. This characteristic however can become a major hindering factor upon succession. Through a review of the literature and the INSIST studies for Central Europe this study aims to identify the supportive and limiting factors of both phenomena and examine the case studies of the INSIST research project for signs of the existence of these supportive and limiting factors. It is found that the degree of familiness in these firms is a sliding scale and a lack of familiness is not a precursor for failure. Paternalism is found to be broken down into authoritarian, benevolent, moral and enlightened. After discovering studies claiming that paternalism is a stage in the process of leadership style changing from participative to autocratic (or vice versa) and that Central Europe and the current era of instability and uncertainty lead to employees preferring a more autocratic or paternalistic style, our findings suggest that there are more driving than restraining forces for family firms adopting a paternalistic style. Furthermore many cases appear to be on the path from an authoritative towards a more enlightened paternalistic leadership style either out of choice in the search to shake off the drawbacks of other types of paternalism or as part of a natural evolution of this particular leadership style within the context of this study.

Changes in Work from the Global Value Change Perspective The Case of Transformation Economies: Bulgaria and Hungary

The core aim of this paper is to evaluate to what extent were companies able to join to the global value chains (GVCs) through some selected company case studies.

The threat of autocracy diffusion in consolidated democracies? The case of China, Singapore and Australia

The majority of today’s authoritarian regimes have little hope of promoting autocracy beyond their own borders, let alone to consolidated democratic countries. However, China and Singapore are two prominent examples of non-democratic countries whose soft power arsenals have given them some global appeal beyond that enjoyed by most authoritarian regimes. But to what extent has China’s and Singapore’s power of example influenced consolidated democracies in terms that the latter wanting to replicate some political practices or even norms in these non-democratic regimes? In this article, we engage recent works to examine this question in relation to how Australians perceive the political example offered by China and Singapore. Focusing our analysis on several prominent polls conducted recently by the Lowy Institute for International Policy, we suggest that at present there is little evidence of a causal impact of the rise of authoritarian powerhouses such as China and Singapore on how Australians view democracy at home. Through these case studies, this article sheds some light on the theoretical as well as practical questions about the inherent impediments of authoritarian diffusion in consolidated democracies.

The unintended consequences of simplifying the sea: making the case for complexity

Many over-exploited marine ecosystems worldwide have lost their natural populations of large predatory finfish and have become dominated by crustaceans and other invertebrates. Controversially, some of these simplified ecosystems have gone on to support highly successful invertebrate fisheries capable of generating more economic value than the fisheries they replaced. Such systems have been compared with those created by modern agriculture on land, in that existing ecosystems have been converted into those that maximize the production of target species. Here, we draw on a number of concepts and case-studies to argue that this is highly risky. In many cases, the loss of large finfish has triggered dramatic ecosystem shifts to states that are both ecologically and economically undesirable, and difficult and expensive to reverse. In addition, we find that those stocks left remaining are unusually prone to collapse from disease, invasion, eutrophication and climate change. We therefore conclude that the transition from multispecies fisheries to simplified invertebrate fisheries is causing a global decline in biodiversity and is threatening global food security, rather than promoting it.

Capacity building for post disaster construction and demolition waste management: a case of Sri Lanka

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical framework for capacity building in post disaster construction and demolition (C&D) waste management at a national level to address the identified capacity gaps in managing disaster waste resulting from natural hazards.

Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered through pilot interviews, case studies and expert opinion surveys representing government, non-government and other sector organisations involved in post disaster waste management.

Findings – The study revealed unavailability of a single point of responsibility and provision for disaster waste in existing policies and capacity constraints in prevailing peace time solid waste management practices which were identified as major capacity gaps. Establishment of a regulatory body and enforceable rules and regulations with necessary levels of capacities was identified and presented in a theoretical framework comprising of seven identified areas for capacity building in post disaster waste management.

Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to disaster C&D waste as debris generated from totally or partially damaged buildings and infrastructure as a direct impact of natural hazards or from demolished buildings and infrastructure at rehabilitation or early recovery stages. Waste generated during reconstruction phase of post disaster management cycle is not considered as disaster C&D waste for purposes of this study.

Originality/value – The research enabled analysis of existing capacities and presents approaches for capacity building for identified gaps in post disaster C&D waste management to attain sustainable post disaster waste management for future resilience.

How does the act of writing impact on discursively mediated professional identities? A case study of three teachers

This paper explores the effects participation as writers has on the identities teachers take on when they are both writers who teach and teachers who write. This paper focuses on three interview participants and explores their encounters as writers as they engaged in the ‘risky’ business of being writers, within and beyond school. A narrative inquiry methodology is used to interrogate the data about the teachers’ lived experience of being writers while also being teachers of writing. ‘Participant narratives’ are used to present the data and to explore the impact being a writer has on participants’ discursively mediated identities.

Risk management in research and development (R&D) projects: the case of South Australia

A definition of the effective methods of risk management in R&D projects has remained elusive. Similarly, there have been calls to devise effective risk management methods in R&D projects. To develop this area further, the purpose of this study is twofold. First, it validates the veracity of claims about the urgency of introducing effective methods of risk management to R&D projects in South Australia based on nine unstructured interviews with experts. Second, the study presents the outcomes of two case studies that deployed the extended version of the failure mode and effect analysis, namely, the RFMEA method in a South Australian organisation, to investigate how the method can facilitate the identification of effective contingency plans to mitigate high-priority risks. The findings showed that the RFMEA method would be effective for project managers in dealing with risk management issues in R&D projects. The discussions presented will provide guidelines for practitioners in the industry.

Achieving growth in NAPLAN: characteristics of successful schools

Since 2008, Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have been assessed through the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). In 2015, the Office of the Chief Scientist commissioned a study into the processes used by schools that demonstrated successful outcomes in NAPLAN numeracy. A team of researchers across Australia conducted a total of 55 case studies in order to identify practices and policies that were consistent between successful schools. Data were gathered through surveys, classroom observations and interviews conducted with school leaders, teachers, students, and parents. Overall findings indicated there were a number of characteristics that were common to schools who achieved sustained growth in NAPLAN results. These characteristics included the development and implementation of policies that specifically supported numeracy learning and teaching, use of a variety of data sources to develop and refine mathematics teaching programs, team planning, strong numeracy leadership and a consistent school approach to teaching mathematics. This paper presents the findings from three case study schools as illustrative examples of how the identified characteristics were enacted in practice. The study has particular implications for policy makers and school leaders who may be seeking ways to develop consistent and effective mathematical practices in their own schools.

Film policy in practice: a case study of Scottish Screen’s funding schemes

This thesis examines cultural policy for film in Scotland, from 1997 to 2010. It explores the extent to which the industry is shaped by film policy strategies and through the agency of public funding bodies. It reflects on how Scottish Screen, Scotland’s former screen agency, articulated its role as a national institution concerned with both commercial and cultural remits, with the conflicting interests of different industry groups. The study examines how the agency developed funding schemes to fulfil policy directives during a tumultuous period in Scottish cultural policy history, following the establishment of the Scottish Parliament with the Scotland Act 1998 and preceding the Independence Referendum Act 2013. In order to investigate how policy has shaped the development of a national film industry, a further two case studies are explored. These are Tartan Shorts, Scotland’s former flagship short film scheme, and the Audience Development Fund, Scotland’s first project based film exhibition scheme. The first study explores the planning, implementation and evaluation of the scheme as part of the agency’s talent development strategy. The outcomes of this study show the potential impact of funding methods aimed at developing and retaining Scottish filmmaking talent. Thereafter, the Scottish exhibition sector is discussed; a formerly unexplored field within film policy discussions and academic debate. It outlines Scottish Screen’s legacy to current film exhibition funding practices and the practical mechanisms the agency utilised to foster Scottish audiences. By mapping the historical and political terrain, the research analyses the specificity of Scotland within the UK context and explores areas in which short-term, context-driven policies become problematic. The work concludes by presenting the advantages and issues caused by film funding practices, advocating what is needed for the film industry in Scotland today with suggestions for long-term and cohesive policy development.

Hybridity in contemporary commercial organizations: implications for employee trust

This study advances the concept of organizational hybridity (OH). By doing so, it takes into account the individual level of analysis often neglected in organizational theory. More specifically, it aims to understand the implications of organizational hybridity for employees’ trust in contemporary commercial organizations. Informed and guided by current literature, this study argues that the current literature on organizational hybridity fails to adequately address the consequences of hybridity for employees' behaviour. The empirical study was conducted in 2014 using data collected via semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The study was based on a comparison of two case studies in Nigeria: Alter Securities Limited and Barak Petroleum Limited. A total of forty (40) interviews were conducted; twenty (20) from each organization. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The main findings are that organizational hybridity in this study produced tensions that resulted in negative behavioural responses and employees’ distrust in the commercial hybrid organizations. However, employees’ identification with non-market orientated institutional logics such as family, philanthropic and religious logics is seen to facilitate their commitment, honesty, and trust in the organizations. Nevertheless, caution is required here as religious logics may also lead to an acceptance of unethical behaviour by employees. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on organizational hybridity by extending on Battilana and Lee’s (2014) framework, which highlights governance, leadership, organizational culture and intra-organizational relationships as core organizational attributes in the context of which issues may arise in commercial hybrid organizations. Furthermore, it addresses a gap in Besharov and Smith’s (2014) hybrid typology framework by providing an alternative line of argument focused on understanding how tensions manifest within commercial hybrid organizations. The key recommendations of this research underscore the need for commercial hybrid organizations to invest in mechanisms for improving employees’ trust so as to reap the benefits associated with trust. This could be achieved by involving employees in the decision-making process and clearly communicating the organizations’ values, so as to minimise the misinterpretation of the embodied institutional logics by employees.