…From the Editor

Abstract

Memories of the opening ceremonies of the XXIII Olympic Games in Pyeonchang, South Korea, were still fresh in my mind when I first read the trailblazing assessment by Igor Gurkov, Alexandra Kokorina, and Zokirzhon Saidov of the ceremonial launch of 56 manufacturing plants in Russia (page 6). As the authors point out, such celebratory events offer savvy leaders an extraordinary—yet often overlooked—opportunity to showcase their accomplishments and help cement relationships with employees and the greater community, including investors and government officials. Longstanding trusted relationships lie at the heart of the venerable Place de Bordeaux system for selling some of France's finest wines (page 14). Although this arrangement may seem anachronistic in today's direct-to-consumer environment, Stéphane Ouvrard and Ian Malcolm Taplin explain that the leading players in this exchange continue to derive value from their traditional way of doing business. Relationships of the personal kind are the focus of Sam Sarpong's insightful study of husbands and wives in Ghana who are employed by the same firm, and the effect of close connections between home and work life on coworkers (page 21). Mangers may be surprised to learn that facilitating such arrangements can benefit their organization, as well as employees, especially in areas where qualified staff is difficult to attract and retain. Noting the impact of work-related stress on employees’ health and job performance, Russell Hodgson, Elinor Morgan Graham, and Amanda McGough report the findings of their three-year study of the impact of a mindfulness program at the Tees, Esk, and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom (page 29). Teaching those in demanding positions the techniques of mindfulness, they report, can help cut absenteeism and boost their effectiveness on the job. Quantifying the impact of any kind of improvement initiative, particularly in the service industry, can prove daunting given the sea of data that is now so readily available. As Mark Heymann explains (page 39), managers who make the effort to assess the causes and effects underlying the absolute numbers in their reports will uncover the essential information they most need to guarantee quality and efficiency. Change of any kind calls for effective strategic performance measurement (SPM). After applying the situation actor process-learning action performance (SAP-LAP) framework to investigate the interaction among seven aspects of organizational performance at two leading Indian oil companies (page 47), Mohammad Akhtar and Sushil propose a dynamic model that managers can use to ensure that their strategy fully exploits their organization's potential. In so doing, they also lay the groundwork for many a future celebration.