Levels Of Organizational Performance Research Articles

Asian Women Managers: Participation, Barriers and Future Prospects

The economies of Asia have undergone a significant transformation over the past five decades as they moved from being primarily agrarian societies to more modern industrial states. What have these changes meant for women and, in particular, their position and progress in management? This contribution brings together the findings of the eight case studies presented in this collection. Using an explanatory model that incorporates individual, organizational and societal level analysis, women were found to be under-represented in management and faced considerable barriers in gaining management positions. Organizational factors underpinned many of these barriers but a range of cultural attributes contributed to this discrimination. Legislative changes were seen as one avenue to improve women's careers as were women's increased education levels, the changing approaches to human resource management, and a growing awareness of the inefficiencies and sub-optimal levels of organizational performance created by gender discrimination. This contribution concludes, however, that until there are major shifts in the role perceptions of women by individuals, organizations and society it is likely that change will occur only gradually and women will remain disadvantaged and under-represented in management

Performance and Equality in Public Sector Wages

The present paper describes how democratic values—reflected by work equality values—paired with the organizational performance characteristics—defined by the height of organizational inputs and outputs—affect gender differences in wages. It is suggested here that despite the democratic conception of the public sector's equal employment opportunities, variations in the organizational performance of 83 local authorities account for gender differences in wages. The study assumes that organizational inputs (type and level of resources) and outputs (type and level of provided services) generate gender differences in individual earnings, when controlling for human capital factors. The results show that variations in organizational performance affect women's but not men's wages. However, the effect of individual level (demographic, human capital and employment) characteristics, reflecting the meritocracy‐based and democratic nature of public sector employment rather than the level of organizational performance explains most of the variance in gender differences in wages. These results point to the slow shift from the principle of administrative values of democracy and equality to the adoption of performance‐related mechanisms in the determination of public sector wages.

Market-oriented organizations in an emerging economy: A study of missing links

The advantages of market orientation, entrepreneurship, and learning orientation to organizations have been evidently documented in Western economies. However, there has been little research into these practices and their impact on enhancing competitive advantages in emerging economies. This exploratory study, utilizing data from China's emerging economy, found that organizations with higher level of market orientation tend to be more learning-oriented, emphasize more on entrepreneurship, and be able to achieve higher level of organizational performance, than those with a lower level of market orientation.

Strategy‐managerial characteristics alignment and performance

Prior research of the influence of “upper echelon” managers has confirmed the importance of matching the characteristics of senior executives with the requirements of their organizations’ strategies. Firms that achieved higher levels of strategy‐manager alignment at both the corporate and business unit levels were found to have correspondingly higher levels of organizational performance. This study extends prior research of the strategy‐managerial characteristics relationship to the functional level of the organization. Specifically, based on a sample of 196 managers from 98 companies, this study investigates whether manufacturing units pursuing dissimilar strategies are led by manufacturing managers with dissimilar attributes, and whether the strategy‐manager alignment is related to the performance of the manufacturing unit. Results provide evidence to support these hypothesized relationships.

Internal Wage Structures and Organizational Performance

This paper considers whether a hierarchical or compressed wage structure is positively associated with relatively high levels of organizational performance. To date, there has been little empirical research in this area (especially in the UK). Thus we present an operational measure of a compressed/hierarchical wage structure, using UK manufacturing micro–data in five industrial sectors, and examine its relationship with labour productivity. We find that the wage compression argument holds in one sector but not for the majority of sectors and that taking into account other, intra–industry characteristics, namely size and ownership differences, further weakens the relationship.

The relationship between total quality management practices and their effects on firm performance

Recent research on total quality management (TQM) has examined the relationships between the practices of quality management and various levels of organizational performance. These studies have produced mixed results, probably because of the nature of the research designs used such as measuring TQM or performance as a single construct. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this study identifies the relationships among TQM practices and examines the direct and indirect effects of these practices on various performance levels. A proposed research model and hypotheses are tested by using cross-sectional mail survey data collected from firms operating in the US. The test of the structural model supports the proposed hypotheses. The implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed and further research directions are offered.

The Strategic Impact of Internet Technology in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Firms: Insights from a Knowledge Management Perspective

This paper conceptualises the strategic impact of new Internet technology in biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. It argues that competitiveness of modern, agile pharmaceutical businesses depend on their ability to create and commercialise new knowledge as much as on their ability to produce new products. Hence, knowledge production and intellectual property management provide a strong foundation for emerging, successful e-commerce strategies. The authors suggest Knowledge Management (KM) plays a key role in determining organizational performance levels and value creation. KM refers to technologies for processing information and generating and distributing knowledge, but also to organizational structures (such as virtual enterprise designs) that increase strategic fit and effectiveness of KM implementations. The Internet is seen as core technology enabling the creation of organizational networks (virtual teams; virtual customer-supplier communities). More specifically, this paper devises a new classificatory framework that categorises the strategic impact of Internet technology in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, which is based on three key dimensions: converting information into knowledge, the redesign of the innovation process, and knowledge-oriented organisational structuring. The authors extend their framework beyond the boundaries of the firm to include relationship with customers, suppliers, intermediaries such as specialist biotech companies and healthcare professionals.

The relationship of ethical decision-making to business ethics and performance in taiwan

This paper examines the relationship of ethical decision-making by individuals to corporate business ethics and organizational performance of three groups: (i) SMEs (small and medium enterprises), (ii) Outstanding SMEs (the Key Stone Award winners) and (iii) Large Enterprises, in order to provide a reference for Taiwanese entrepreneurs to practice better business ethics. The survey method involved random sampling of 132 enterprises within three groups. Some 524 out of 1320 questionnaires were valid. The survey results demonstrated that ethical decision-making by individuals, corporate business ethics and organizational performance are highly related. In summary, then, high levels of organizational performance were directly attributable to high levels of applied corporate and individual ethics. Furthermore, there is a demonstrable tendency for Outstanding SMEs to reject ethically unsound practices such as padded expense accounts, tax evasion and misleading advertising. The measurement criteria used to assess organizational performance, however, did not include an objective evaluation of financial performance.

Gender diversity in management and firm performance: the influence of growth orientation and organizational culture

This study examines the influence of gender diversity in management on firm performance. The management group examined was composed of all firm members considered to be managers and officials, a broader level of analysis than past management-level diversity research that has primarily focused on groups composed of top management team (TMT) members. Adopting contingency and configurational approaches, gender diversity's interactions with two key organizational variables—organizational culture and growth orientation—were evaluated against organizational-level performance measures. Supporting contingency theory and configurational theory, the results suggest that gender diversity's effects at the management level is conditional on, that is, moderated by, the firm's strategic orientation, the organizational culture in which it resides, and/or the multivariate interaction among these variables. These findings help reconcile conflicting results of past diversity–performance research by suggesting that an appropriately configured and supportive organizational environment may need to be in place before the beneficial aspects of gender diversity can be fully realized.

Performance implications of Porter's generic strategies in Slovak hospitals.

The aim of the study was to examine the use of Porter's generic strategies and their effect on performance in the context of the Slovak hospital industry. Using mail survey the study first identified the natural taxonomy of four strategic types of Slovak hospitals, based on their use of Porter's generic strategies in pure form and in combination. Next the study examined whether different strategic types were associated with different levels of organisational performance, while controlling for such variables as size and location, which have been argued to influence the hospital performance. The findings indicate that hospitals which follow a "stuck-in-the-middle" strategy, in general, have superior performance on all used performance measures, while hospitals that place only low emphasis on cost leadership, differentiation and focus, labelled "wait and see" in this study, perform the poorest. The study concludes that the research provided body of knowledge relevant for the Slovak hospital industry, that may be used by hospital managers in the strategy formulation process as well as by the researches in exploring the influence of different contingencies on hospitals' strategic orientation.

Enterprise logistics and supply chain structure: the role of fit

AbstractThe emergence of the extended manufacturing enterprise, a globally dispersed collection of strategically aligned organizations, has brought new attention to how organizations coordinate the flow of information and materials across their supply chains. This paper explores and develops the concept of enterprise logistics [Greis, N.P., Kasarda, J.D., 1997. Enterprise logistics in the information age. California Management Review 39 (3), 55–78] as a tool for integrating the logistics activities both within and between the strategically aligned organizations of the extended enterprise. Specifically, this paper examines the fit between an organization's enterprise logistics integration capabilities and its supply chain structure. Using a configurations approach, we test whether globally dispersed network organizations that adopt enterprise logistics practices are able to achieve higher levels of organizational performance. Results indicate that enterprise logistics is a necessary tool for the coordination of supply chain operations that are geographically dispersed around the world. However, for a pure network structure, a high level of enterprise logistics integration alone does not guarantee improved organizational performance. The paper ends with a discussion of managerial implications and directions for future research.

High performance teams and a climate of community

This paper presents an empirically based study of an organisation’s attempt to improve from its existent structure of team working to a higher level of organisational performance through the development of enhanced, or high performance, teams. The research findings are contextualised by brief reviews of the literature in three areas: the contribution of people management to organisational performance, leadership and team working. It is argued that there is a convergence of theoretical development towards what is conceptualised in this paper as a climate of community. The empirical research took a multi‐method approach to examine the development from teams to high performance teams, which focused on “soft” processual inputs, but which had to have both qualitative and quantitative outcomes. The analysis revealed three factors which were crucial to development: transparency, checkability and a climate of community.

The Relationship Between Mission Statements and Firm Performance: An Exploratory Study

This paper examines the relationship between mission statements and firm performance using a sample of 136 large Canadian organizations. Previous writings suggest that mission statements are essential for superior organizational performance results. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this claim. The data from the present study demonstrate that mission statements and some of their specific characteristics are selectively associated with higher levels of organizational performance. The paper concludes with several propositions to guide future research.

Adapting to the Changing Environment: A TheoreticalComparison of Decision Making Proficiencyof Lean and Mass Organization Systems

In this paper weexamine the adaptability of the Japanese style lean organization system and the traditional American style mass organization system under changing environments. From an organizational design perspective, key structural aspects of the two organizations are modeled in a problem solving context using computational methods. Organizational-level performance in terms of decision making accuracy and severity of errors is measured as an indicator of organizational adaptability under conditions where the task environment shifts between predictable to unpredictable or vise versa. Our study shows that both organizations have their respective advantages under different task environments and that they adapt to environmental shifts in different forms. Specifically, when the time pressure is high the lean organization system‘s performance is virtually identical to the mass organization system, even though the lean organization systemAEs members are more proactive. When the time pressure is low, the mass organization system shows a much faster adaptability when the environment shifts to a predictable one but it is also more vulnerable when the environment shifts to an unpredictable one. In contrast, the lean organization systemAEs response to the changing environment is characterized by its slower adaptability. When the environment shifts to an unpredictable one, the lean organization system shows a gradual improvement till reaching a high level. When the environment shifts to a predictable one, however, the lean organization system shows a gradual decrease of performance. Our study further shows that the lean organization system, with its strong team decision making emphasis, can be more successful in avoiding severe errors when compared with the mass organization system, even under a predictable task environment.

A comparison of artificial and human organizations

Formal models can facilitate the development of organizational theory. The complex, adaptive, non-linear nature of human endeavor makes computational models a particularly useful type of formal model for exploring organizational behavior. Researchers, however, rarely contrast such models with empirical data. Further, researchers tend not to contrast such models with other such models. This paper presents results from the artificial organization project and demonstrates how contrasting models with each other and with empirical data can facilitate the development of more veridical organizational models. Specifically, this paper examines whether certain organizational models, differing only with respect to the cognitive limitations of, and adaptability or general intelligence of the agents are better or worse predictors of the behavior of similar organizations composed of humans. It is shown that, not only do different agent models predict different levels of organizational performance, they also predict different relative standings for different organizational structures. Finally, the adequacy of organizations composed of simple computational agents for predicting the behavior of organizations composed of humans appears to increase as the complexity of the organizational structure increases.

Analysing organizational performance in village co-operatives

This article attempts to explain levels of organizational performance in Indian village co-operatives using insights from some thirty recent case studies. It suggests that underperformance in co-operatives can be traced to failures in one or more of the five interacting sub-systems that a co-operative is composed of as a human organization: namely, governing structure, operating system, critical linkages, patronage system and the micro-environment.The article then argues that while isolated examples may be found of co-operatives which are successful because of their managers or their particular context for sources of large-scale improvements in the general performance of co-operatives, we would have to look to major improvements in the design of co-operative systems and the macro-environment within which they operate. Finally, the article lists a set of design principles emerging from the framework evolved in the paper.The basic fieldwork underlying this paper was undertaken by the authors and students of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). The authors acknowledge the support provided by IRMA for undertaking this field research.

EFFECTS OF DECISION MOTIVE AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE LEVEL ON STRATEGIC DECISION PROCESSES

The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of how the performance level of an organization and the CEO's perceptions of a strategic issue affect the processes employed toward the development of recommendations for solutions. Two of the most important mechanisms mentioned in the strategic decision‐making literature are the CEO's subjective labeling of strategic issues and the performance level of the organization. These two variables were examined in this study. Superintendents from 220 school districts and presidents from 68 community colleges were asked through a questionnaire to report what processes they employ in recommending solutions to strategic issues described in a case study. A MANOVA procedure was used for the statistical analyses. The findings generally support the existing literature that contextual factors play an important role in the way leaders of organizations attempt to tackle strategic issues. Overall, results provide a clearer picture of the relationship between organizational performance level, the CEO's decision motive, and the processes used in finding solutions to strategic issues.

Mechanisms governing organizational performance in complex decision-making environments

The present experiment tested level of organizational performance as a function of perceived self-efficacy, task complexity, assigned and self-set goals, and analytic strategies in managerial decision-making in a stimulated organization. Organizational performance and analytic strategies were assessed across 16 trials and self-reactive influences operating through perceived selfefficacy, self-set goals, and acceptance of assigned goals were assessed at several points in the simulation. Assigned challenging goals had a positive effect on level of performance in the low complexity condition but not in the condition of high organizational complexity. The latter finding was explained in terms of the temporal and social complexity of the linkages between managerial effort and collective accomplishment and the multifaceted nature of goal-setting in complex social environments. The self-reactive influences had comparable effects on managerial performance across the differing levels of goal assignment and organizational complexity. In path analyses, perceived self-efficacy was positively related to effective use of analytic strategies for discovering optimal managerial rules and level of personal goals. Both perceived self-efficacy and analytic strategies contributed to managerial success in raising organizational performance. Self-set goals also contributed to performance in the earlier trials of the simulation but not in the later trials, following a change in task demands which reduced the generalizability of prior standards.

Impact of conceptions of ability on self-regulatory mechanisms and complex decision making.

Tested the hypothesis that induced conceptions of ability as a stable entity or as an acquirable skill would affect self-regulatory mechanisms governing performance in a simulated organization. Ss served as managerial decision makers in which they had to match employees to subfunctions and to discover and apply managerial rules to achieve a difficult level of organizational performance. Those who performed the challenging managerial task under an entity conception of ability suffered a loss in perceived self-efficacy, lowered their organizational goals, and became less efficient in their analytic strategies. Ss who managed the organization under an acquirable skill conception of ability sustained their perceived self-efficacy, set challenging organizational goals, and used analytic strategies effectively. These divergences in self-regulatory factors were accompanied by substantial differences in organizational performance. Path analysis revealed that perceived self-efficacy had both a direct effect on organizational performance and an indirect effect through its influence on analytic strategies. Personal goals also affected organizational performance through the mediation of analytic strategies. The relation of prior organizational performance to subsequent performance was mediated entirely by the combined influence of the self-regulatory factors.

The impact of grand strategy and planning formality on financial performance

AbstractAn empirical study involving 97 manufacturing firms that averaged $20 million in annual sales yielded a strong positive correlation between the degree of planning formality and firm performance. Additionally, interactive analysis disclosed that this relationship pervaded various grand strategies; the implication being that formalized strategic planning was consistently a positive factor associated with high levels of organizational performance.