Organizational alignment: assessing the effect of CRM training on firm performance over time

The goal of the chapter is to provide an in-depth and comparative understanding of the instruments of organizational culture that exist and provide a review of academic research evidence on their performance in family firms. Furthermore, the chapter will provide an additional insight into a novel instrument for diagnosing organizational alignment – Vox Organizationis (the “voice” of the organization). The chapter will provide an introduction to family firms and the challenges and survival; comparative and critical review of existing relevant instruments of organizational culture and assessment of their implementation in measuring organizational culture in family firms and presentation of Vox Organizationis – an instrument based on a novel methodology for measuring organizational alignment, culture, and leadership values; and review of evidence and recommendations on its implementation in family firms. The chapter will provide the reader with an increased understanding of how and with which instruments to measure organizational culture and alignment in family firms.

Contingency theory suggests that a match among business-level strategy, organizational structure, and the competitive environment is necessary for high performance. This research asks whether manufacturing firm chief executives judge as “good” those strategy-structure-environment matches recommended by contingency theory. Knowledge of executive judgment is particulary important for two reasons. First, judgment—defined as an individual's understanding of relationships among objects—governs the strategic choices made by top managers. Second, prescriptive strategy theories recommend the judgments that executives “should” use, but there is little evidence specifically tying executive judgment to firm performance. Part of this research is essentially a “laboratory” study of executive judgment that was conducted in the field. Manufacturing firm chief executives' beliefs about cause-and-effect relationships among business-level strategy, structure, environment and performance were ascertained through a judgment task. The second part of the study was a field survey wherein other top executives of each firm reported on their firm's actual strategy, strategy making processes, structure, competitive environment and performance. Both the chief executives' judgments and the actual alignments were compared to the matches recommended as “best” by contingency theory. The hypotheses tested link the two parts of the study. Some predict relationships between judgment policies, realized alignments, and firm performance. Others attempt to identify factors that may lead to differences in executives' judgments. Results indicate that chief executive judgment is strongly related to the actual organizational alignment. Further, judgment policies that favor the strategy-structure-environment matches recommended by contingency theory produce higher performance than do other judgment policies. No support was found for either executive experience or quality of the firm's strategy making process as factors leading to executive judgment. These results suggest that the judgment of top executives is important to both organizational alignment and firm performance.

Several studies have been carried on the effect of training on employees’ performance in firms. However, the effect of training on the performance of universities’ administrative staff in Nigeria has not been adequately assessed. This paper identified the training types mostly used by the Administrative staff of The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, Nigeria, examined the factors affecting effective training and assessed the effect of training on the performance of the staff. The paper sought answers to research questions by employing survey design and purposive sampling technique to collect data from 68 respondents with the help of a 17-item structured questionnaire. The respondents consisted of the administrative staff of FUTA. Data for this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean score, standard deviation, mean ranking, and chi-square was used to test the hypothesis posed for the research at 5% significant level. Reliability test was carried out with Cronbach Alpha, while the validation of the research instrument was carried out by a senior lecturer in the Department of Business Administration, FUTA. The study revealed that training (On the Job and Off the Job) had a significant effect on the respondents’ performance; however, management did not release enough funds towards adequate training of the administrative staff. The paper, therefore, recommended more investment in training the staff in current skills and methods in order to cope with frequent changes in this contemporary world.

Firm performance is essential for competitiveness, but many firms struggle with executing functional strategies, resulting in poor outcomes. In a dynamic market, strategic training is critical to maintaining superior performance, especially with growing global competition. Despite significant investments in employee training, the effect of strategic training on firm performance among HR consultancy firms in Nairobi, Kenya, remains underexplored. This paper aimed to examine the role of strategic training practices in firm performance. The study examined the effects of employee motivation to learn, the impact of perceived supervisor support and the effect of employee training attitudes on firm performance in HR consultancy firms. The study was grounded on learning organization theory. An explanatory research design was adopted, utilizing questionnaires to collect data from 185 human resource management consultancy firms in Nairobi. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods to draw meaningful insights. The study highlighted the crucial role of strategic training and employee commitment in enhancing firm performance. Additionally, motivation to learn, supervisor support, and positive training attitudes showed strong positive correlations with performance in Nairobi’s HR consultancy firms. The regression analysis indicates these variables explain 2.3% of the variance in firm performance (R² = 0.023). The motivation to learn (β=0.079, p=0.009), supervisor support (β=0.128, p=0.022), and training employee attitude (β=0.196, p=0.013) were found to be statistically significant predictors of firm performance. In conclusion, strategic training practices such as motivation to learn, supervisor support, and employee attitudes significantly enhance firm performance. The study recommends that HR consultancy firms in Nairobi prioritize fostering employee motivation through continuous professional development and training. Strengthening supervisor support via leadership programs and promoting positive attitudes toward training, aligned with employee career goals, will enhance both individual growth and firm performance.

Although there are many thinkers of training and its important role in improving firm performance, it has been criticized as a trend, or too costly and not transmitting the contents to the job. In fact, some studies have failed to find the impacts of training on firm performance. This paper intends to advance understanding of the effects of training on firm performance by reviewing theory and previous empirical studies on the relationship between training and firm performance. The paper aims to describe the important theoretical approaches and proposes a framework for analyzing training and firm performance concerns. Data from previous studies are used to review the effects of training on firm performance. The paper discusses and identifies the limitations of previous studies and directions for future research on this topic.

This article contributes to the debate on the efficacy of traditional forms of education versus vocational training. The effects of technical education (leading to an engineering degree or diploma) and vocational training in engineering on the performance of Indian firms are analysed using regression models based on the Cobb–Douglas production function, enhanced to incorporate education and training. Instrumental variable approach is used to establish the direction of causality. It is found that that when a larger share of workers in a particular sector has a college or university-level technical education or vocational education in technical fields, there is a positive impact on firm performance in those sectors. Further, higher education in a general field seems to consistently benefit the organised manufacturing sector, while some levels of school education appear to benefit the unorganised sectors. JEL codes: I-23; L-60; M-53

In the evolving landscape of business sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a critical strategic tool, especially in the financial sector. This study investigates the impact of CSR on firm financial performance (FP) within the banking industry of Pakistan, while examining the mediating role of innovation capabilities (IC) and the moderating role of financial technology (FinTech). CSR is conceptualized through environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions, and its influence on performance is assessed through both direct and indirect pathways. Drawing on dynamic capability’s theory, stakeholder theory, and the resource-based view, the study employs a quantitative, cross-sectional research design using data from 366 top management respondents from commercial banks. The findings indicate a significant positive relationship between CSR and firm performance, underscoring the strategic value of responsible business practices. Innovation capabilities were found to partially mediate this relationship, highlighting that CSR fosters internal knowledge sharing, stakeholder collaboration, and learning, which in turn stimulate innovation and lead to enhanced performance outcomes. However, contrary to expectations, FinTech did not significantly moderate the CSR–FP relationship. Although FinTech adoption showed a positive association with performance, its interaction with CSR lacked statistical significance, suggesting that the integration of CSR and FinTech is not yet strategically aligned in the sample firms. These results suggest that while CSR and FinTech individually contribute to firm performance, the synergy between them may require more deliberate organizational alignment. The study contributes to CSR literature by clarifying the internal mechanisms linking CSR to performance and calls for greater emphasis on innovation and technological coordination in CSR strategies. The findings offer practical insights for bank managers and policymakers seeking to leverage CSR for sustainable financial success through innovation-led initiatives.

Purpose Hospitality organizations, whether large or small, are complex entities requiring managers to work through frontline employees to manage every guest's moment of truth and meet their firms' goals and objectives. This study aims to test propositions that firms whose staffing policies and systems are aligned with their strategic goals and objectives to outperform those firms with poorer organizational alignment. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a survey administered in winter of 2005 to 200 hourly wage employees from each of four matched hotels. Some 479 completed surveys were returned yielding a 59 percent response rate. Findings Between-group differences in organizational alignment measures were statistically significant in the directions predicted. Specifically, subjects from the high organizational alignment hotels, on average, reported significantly higher organizational support, employee service commitment and employee satisfaction as compared to low organizational alignment properties. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study provide a strong indication that the workplace environment is a concept that employees are aware of which in turn influences their commitment and satisfaction. Practical implications This research provides managers with an assessment tool useful for ensuring that a firm is being effectively managed.

A small literature on the relationship between employee training and firm performance is currently emerging. This line of research is particularly promising given the underexplored potential of training to drive productivity, wages, and employment. Until recently, training was regarded as a costly and risky investment because workers may leave their firm after being trained. However, studies on labor and education economics have found that training results in high returns for firms and that the costs of training can be recouped in a relatively short time. These results follow from different econometric identification approaches, including a small but growing number of randomized controlled trials. Moreover, most training is of a general nature and therefore applicable in other firms, which is at odds with the original theory of training but consistent with novel models that emphasize labor market power. There are a number of possibilities for future research, including a better understanding of the heterogeneity and patterns of training contents and formats across firms and workers, the differentiation of the effects of training along such dimensions, the role of labor market competition in driving training, the extent to which the productivity effects of training are shared with employees, the role of labor market institutions (including minimum wage, collective bargaining, and occupational licensing) in the dimensions above, and the firm performance effects of training provided to unemployed job seekers (as opposed to employees). Evaluation of the public training programs developed during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and new forms of training in the context of the growth of remote work also merit further investigation.

Purpose: This study sought to establish the effect of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training on occupational accidents on performance of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study further sought to examine the moderating effect of management support on the relationship between employee training on occupational accidents and performance of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya.
 Methodology: The study was informed by entropy model and human factor theory. The study adopted the descriptive research design which used both quantitative and qualitative approach to determine the relationship between employee training and performance of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya. The unit of analysis was the six cement manufacturing firms in Kenya while the unit of observation was five cement manufacturing firms. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain the sample size of 344 respondents drawn from human resource management, production department and marketing department.
 Findings: The study established that occupational safety and health training had a significant and positive effect on performance of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study also established that management support had significant moderating effect on the relationship between occupational accidents and performance of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya.
 Conclusion: OSH training on occupational accidents had a positive and significant effect on the performance of cement manufacturing firms in Kenya. Through continued OSH training there was drastic decline in the number of accidents at the work place which was associated with straining of resources and low productivity.
 Recommendation: The study recommend that manufacturing firms should implement control measures which include safety videos, audios, regular OSH training and pamphlets on safety among others. The stakeholders should ensure regular inspection of safety control measures. The government should ensure timely review of safety policies by organizations and compliance to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Act (2007) Laws of Kenya.

This study examines the moderating effects of professional training on the relation between information technology (IT) investments and financial performance of audit firms in Taiwan. The organization-level financial performance includes productivity and profitability. Total IT investments are divided into software and hardware expenditures. Empirical results indicate that professional training positively associates with productivity significantly but insignificantly with profitability. IT negatively relates to productivity and profitability. Both productivity and profitability are improved by the interaction between IT and professional training, indicating that professional training mitigates the IT productivity paradox. This study takes training and IT into account simultaneously to empirically examine the moderator role of training in the organizational context in which IT is deployed. Evidences obtained thus contribute information to both IT and human resources management literatures. Taiwanese audit market structure is similar to that of many western countries, empirical results of this study possess global managerial implications.

This study investigates the effect of training and development (T&D) on firm innovation. Given the inconsistent findings on the performance implications of T&D and the lack of studies on the T&D–innovation relationship, we elaborate the multiple dimensions of T&D, intermediate employee outcomes, and boundary conditions to elucidate the pathways of T&D toward firm innovation. We specifically identify two distinct T&D dimensions, namely, firm investment and employees’ positive perceptions. The former and the latter, respectively, reflect top‐down and bottom‐up approaches. We suggest that these two dimensions indirectly affect firm innovative performance by enhancing employees’ competence and commitment. We further hypothesize that T&D‐related contingencies (i.e., employees’ voluntary participation and T&D evaluation) moderate the indirect effects of T&D on firm innovative performance. We examine the current framework by using multisource data collected at three time points over a 5‐year period from 325 Korean organizations. Our analysis confirms that the positive indirect effect of T&D on firm innovative performance through employees’ competence and commitment becomes stronger (a) when employees voluntarily participate in T&D and (b) when firms do not implement T&D evaluation. This study provides useful and valid theoretical explanations and practical insights into the design and implementation of T&D in firms.

Considering the prevalence and importance of employee orientation training, this study investigates the long‐term impact of employee orientation training on employee and firm performance of multinational corporations in Kazakhstan. The study further investigates employees’ expectations of such learning opportunities to improve the effectiveness of orientation training. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey on 285 employees working in multinational corporations in Kazakhstan. Furthermore, four focus group discussions involving 20 employees from four organizations were arranged to identify employees’ expectations of the content of orientation training. The findings revealed a significant effect of orientation training on long‐term employee performance, such as job satisfaction, learning transfer, intrinsic motivation, and employee commitment, and firm performance, such as profitability, revenue growth, operational efficiency, product or service innovation, and customer satisfaction. The findings further identified gaps between new employees’ expectations and current orientation training content in the post‐Soviet transition economy context. Based on empirical evidence, the study provides some recommendations to improve the effectiveness of orientation training in the future. The findings contribute to the literature on workplace learning integrating the theoretical tenets and empirical evidence in a transition economy context. The study provides new insights about employees’ expectations of orientation training to improve their workplace performance.

Firm performance is vital for competitiveness, yet many organizations struggle with executing functional strategies despite robust corporate plans. In a dynamic market, strategic training is essential for sustaining superior performance. As global competition intensifies, consultancy firms must enhance their functional strategies to stay ahead. While past research highlights challenges like uncertain returns, poor corporate image, and resource constraints, the impact of strategic training, employee commitment, and firm performance among HR consultancy firms in Nairobi, Kenya, remains underexplored. This research aimed to examine the Moderating effect of employee commitment on the relationship between strategic training and firm performance in HR consultancy firms in Nairobi, Kenya. The study was based on the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory and employed an explanatory research design. Data was collected through questionnaires from 185 human resource management consultancy firms in Nairobi. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to derive meaningful insights. The findings showed that affective, continuous, and normative commitments significantly moderate the relationship between strategic training variables and firm performance. Affective commitment had a moderate effect (β=0.210, p=0.030, < .05), while continuous (β=0.595, p=0.000 < .05) and normative commitments (β=0.445, p=0.000 < .05), all had stronger and significant moderating effects. Thus, employee commitment significantly moderates strategic training’s impact on firm performance, emphasizing emotional attachment, financial investment, and moral obligation for success. HR consultancy firms should enhance employee commitment through supportive environments, career growth, job security, and ethical leadership to maximize strategic training effectiveness and improve overall firm performance.

This study examines the association between professional training, higher academic qualifications (educational levels) and operating performance of audit firms in Taiwan. We particularly focus on the curvilinear effects of higher academic qualifications on operating performance. We group the total sample into three categories: national, regional and local audit firms. Based on the theoretical framework in industrial economics, we establish a cross-sectional multiple regression equation to test our hypotheses. Both higher academic qualifications and professional training are positively related to the operating performance of audit firms. Professional training moderates the relation between higher academic qualifications and operating performance. Higher academic qualifications exhibit a curvilinear effect on operating performance with a reverse U-shaped relation for the national audit firms and a U-shaped relation for both regional and local audit firms. Due to data unavailability, some factors affecting the audit quality and operating performance are not included in our analysis, such as auditor teamwork, internal control system, operating policies and auditing procedures of audit firms. The findings that higher academic qualifications are positively associated with the operating performance of audit firms justify the educational policy of establishing institutes or graduate schools in accounting over the past two decades. Furthermore, audit firms skillfully exploit employees with higher academic qualifications to improve their operating performance. We are the first to document the moderating effects of professional training and the curvilinear association between higher academic qualifications and operating performance, contributing knowledge to related literature.