Low-level Management Research Articles

Leading and Working From Home in Times of COVID-19: On the Perceived Changes in Leadership Behaviors.

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, managers and employees in many organizations suddenly are forced to work from home. Although working from home (WFH) is not a new phenomenon, it is new in its current scale and scope because of COVID-19. Against this background, we investigate the effect of WFH during the COVID-19 crisis on changes in leadership behaviors, and associated changes in perceived manager quality and productivity, at different hierarchical levels in organizations. Based on the literature, we develop two predictions in opposite directions. On the one hand, implementing WFH may force managers to show less direction and control and especially more delegation. On the other hand, research into the effects of exogenous shocks such as COVID-19, suggests that managers may become more controlling and delegate less. Consistent with the first prediction, we find that managers perceive they execute significantly less control and delegate more. Employees also perceive a significant decrease in control, however they perceive on average no change in delegation. Furthermore, and in line with the second prediction, employees of lower-level managers even report a significant decrease in delegation. Finally, our results show that increased delegation is associated with increased perceived productivity and higher manager quality. Together, these results suggest that in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the effectiveness of WFH might be hampered by the fact that required changes in leadership behaviors, in particular in delegation, are difficult to realize in times of crisis.

Micro-level practices of bricolage during business model innovation process: The case of digital transformation towards omni-channel retailing

This qualitative research adopts a strategy-as-practice perspective to explore the roles of micro-level practices during a business model (BM) innovation process. Using the context of omni-channel retailing for empirical analysis, this research demonstrates that the capabilities required to successfully design and implement a new BM for digital transformation fall within the capacity of managers from middle and lower management levels to develop practices of bricolage. This research demonstrates that business model innovation (BMI) does not only occur through organizational level test-and-learn processes but also relies on micro-level practices of bricolage from lower-level managers within the organization. A BMI is a process in which implementation (top-down) and emergence (bottom-up) are intertwined. Indeed, some micro-level practices of bricolage may be used by top management in the design of the new BM to improve implementation phases.

Controllability of performance measures and managerial performance: the mediating role of fairness

PurposeThis study aims to examine the mediating role of the fairness of the performance evaluation system on the association between the controllability of financial and non-financial measures and managerial performance.Design/methodology/approachData was collected using an online survey questionnaire, with 220 responses received from middle and lower-level managers in Australian manufacturing organisations. Covariance-based structural equation modelling using software AMOS 25 was applied to analyse the data. Specifically, Anderson and Gerbing’s (1988) two-step approach was followed with confirmatory factor analyses first conducted to ensure that the measurement model was valid and reliable before running the structural model.FindingsThe findings reveal that the influence of managers’ controllability of performance measures on managerial performance is enacted through their perceptions of fairness. Specifically, the impact of controllability of financial (non-financial) measures on managerial performance is enacted through managers’ perceptions of distributive (interpersonal) fairness.Originality/valueThe empirical findings contribute to the literature investigating the empirical consequences of managers’ controllability of performance measures on performance evaluation processes, with the results revealing that the controllability of both financial and non-financial performance measures is positively associated with managerial performance via managers’ perceptions of different dimensions of fairness. Such results suggest that organisations, most of which do not prioritise the use of controllable performance measures in the design of their performance evaluation systems, need to reconsider the importance of the controllability of both financial and non-financial measures in the performance evaluation processes.

The Impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on Managers’ Sense of Coherence

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) disrupts the world of work, new technologies change the nature of individuals’ work and their tasks, and therefore it is necessary to determine how managers cope with these changes, specifically relating to their salutogenesis. There is a lack of research conducted on the salutogenesis of managers in times of the 4IR. The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of managers’ sense of coherence (SOC) in terms of the adjustments and developments of the 4IR, and their in-depth understanding of their SOC. This study employs a hermeneutical research design with a qualitative approach by using a semi-structured interview. The method used to analyze the data was content analysis. From the data analysis, the findings indicate that a majority of the managers tend to have an understanding of the 4IR and what implications of the 4IR will have on the world of work and their job description, the necessary resources to cope with the 4IR, and find the 4IR meaningful, therefore, managers have a strong SOC level during the 4IR. The recommendations for future studies suggest that research could be conducted how managers and lower-level managers’ SOC differ, which will provide insight into what different methods are required for the different level of managers.

Sustainable Urban Development And Ecological Externalities: Russian Case

Inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities are included in Sustainable development Goals. The choice between environmental and social well-being is a very acute issue. It is necessary to take into account the interaction of three city dimensions: economic, ecological and social. The aim of the paper is to evaluate externalities in terms of population for 114 Russian cities all over the country considering all three dimensions.The methods are the analysis of statistical data by econometric methods and their processing including geographical visualization. The data was taken from the Federal State Statistics Service database. The main results are the followings. The methodology for evaluation of externalities and estimation a hypothetical «efficient city size» in terms of population for Russian cities has been elaborated. The access to high-paying jobs and the availability of social benefits is often associated with living or moving to cities or regions with an unfavorable environment. Some cities feature an extremely high growth rate, dense population and often a low level of management and economic development.Then there was demonstrated how to achieve a hypothetical «efficient city size» by means of environmental management and changes in city area. This should be helpful in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (especially the Goal 11) and some targets mentioned in the «New Urban Agenda». It is essential to pay attention to the function of a city and its spatial organization. Some other measures to rise efficiency were proposed as well.

PENGARUH KONFLIK PARTISIPASI ANGGARAN TERHADAP KINERJA MANAJERIAL DENGAN KEPUASAN KERJA DAN KOMITMEN ORGANISASI SEBAGAI VARIABEL INTERVENING (STUDI EMPIRIS PADA PERUSAHAAN PERBANKAN DAN PEMBIAYAAN DI KOTA BENGKULU)

This study aims to analyze the effect of budgetary participation conflict on managerial performance using job satisfaction and organizational commitment as intervening variables. The samples in this study consisted of 126 top level managers, middle level managers and lower level managers who participated in preparing the budgets. The data use analyzed using SEM (structural Equation Model). The results showed that the budgetary participation conflict has not negative significant effect on managerial performance, budgetary participation conflict has negative significant effect on job satisfaction, job satisfaction has not negative significant effect on managerial performance, budgetary participation conflict has negative significant effect on organizational commitment, organizational commitment has not positive significant effect on managerial performance, budgetary participation conflict through job satisfaction has not negative significant effect on managerial performance, budgetary participation conflict through the organizational commitment has negative significant effect on managerial performance.

Research on Subway Construction Monitoring and Warning System Based on Internet of Things Technology

Aiming at the problems that the low specification, underinvestment and the low professional level of risk management existed in the subway construction at present, analyzed the construction demand of monitoring and warning system for subway construction, a king of subway construction monitoring and warning system based on internet of things technology was proposed. Internet of things, wireless communication, cloud computing and other technologies was exploited to comprehensive sense and monitor of the construction site; Researched the personnel positioning system based on Mesh technology to realize wireless self-organizing network of transmit data and improve positioning accuracy and response speed; By combining the video monitoring with wireless sensing technology, real-time monitoring of field operations was realized, ensure the safety of workers’ lives and “zero hidden danger“ in the field working environment; Data push technology was used to achieve mobile video monitoring, stagewise and classified management, improve the flexibility of safety management.

Mesquite management in the Mezquital Valley: A sustainability assessment based on the view point of the Hñähñú indigenous community

Abstract The indigenous community of El Alberto (Ixmiquilpan, Mexico), in the Mezquital Valley, has applied numerous uses of the mesquite (Prosopis laevigata) resources in their daily life for decades. Our objective was to understand the relationship between the rural community and this leguminous tree, to determine how sustainable their management is. For this purpose, we applied the Framework for the Evaluation of Management Systems using Indicators (MESMIS, Spanish acronym). Twenty-one indicators were identified, and a qualitative index was established to assign a sustainability value. The results identified fuelwood, fertility, forage and shade as the principal uses of mesquite nowadays. The local indigenous community does not promote the propagation of this leguminous tree but rather rely on its natural regeneration. However, the rate at which they cut down and exploit mesquite is higher than the natural regeneration rate, reflecting a low level of sustainable management. Strong equity was registered. First, there is a passive process associated with the construction of irrigation channels for agriculture, which resulted in the deforestation of the mesquite. Second, there is evidence of an active process where members of the community decide to migrate abandoning their indigenous worldview, which, consequently, has impacted negatively on the mesquite resource. Change processes caused a shift in the community’s worldview and led to cultural erosion. In conclusion, changes must be made to the community’s current social ecological system to achieve sustainable management, such as building a strong feeling of community identity, evolution of the community’s uses, customs, quality and lifestyle, and their collaboration with the scientific community.

Political uncertainty and allocation of decision rights among business groups: Evidence from the replacement of municipal officials

A firm trades off information transfer costs and agency costs to determine the distribution of decision rights to lower-level management. Using the replacement of municipal officials as an exogenous shock of political uncertainty, we find a business group is more likely to delegate decision rights of cash resources to subsidiaries when political uncertainty is high. The association is only evident among non-state-owned-enterprises (non-SOEs) and not SOEs. Additional tests show that the delegation of decision rights is more pronounced among firms with weak internal control and those located in cities where local governments have replaced their party secretary. We also find that firm decentralization can enhance investment efficiency and the marginal value of cash in the presence of high political uncertainty. Overall, our findings support the decentralization theory, and provide causal evidence on how political uncertainty influences allocation of decision rights among listed firms in an emerging economy with large state ownership.

Designing Training Program to Solve Competencies Gap in Non-Managerial Level, Low Management Level, and Middle Management Level at PT Frolant

Competencies gap is now becoming a common problem in Indonesia. Research done by the World Bank in 2019 shows that one of the reasons for the competencies gap is limited opportunities for on-the-job training, only 5% of the workforce reported receiving formal training. One of the companies in Indonesia that experiences a problem of competencies gap is PT Frolant. PT Frolant is a manufacturer of instant food and drinks in Indonesia. The problem of competencies gap is shown from the low internal readiness of the company, employees don’t have the competencies required by the company, especially competencies for higher positions of Supervisor and Manager. The proposed solution to solve the competencies gap problem in PT Frolant is by designing new training programs. The process of designing a new training program included conducting training need analysis, design training based on competency, and using the Kirkpatrick Model to evaluate the training program. The research findings show that the company needs to do several improvements in order to create a training program that can solve the problem of the competencies gap. Those including aligning competency standards with organizational goals and organizational design; use several tools to be better in identifying employees with competency gap; differentiate between soft skill and hard skill or between strategic knowledge and operational knowledge in designing training; and perform all four steps of Kirkpatrick Model in evaluating training. Designing training programs based on competencies aims to help PT Frolant improving employee performance that will further improve company performance.

Designing Training Program to Solve Competencies Gap in Non-Managerial Level, Low Management Level, and Middle Management Level at PT Frolant

Competencies gap is now becoming a common problem in Indonesia. Research done by the World Bank in 2019 shows that one of the reasons for the competencies gap is limited opportunities for on-the-job training, only 5% of the workforce reported receiving formal training. One of the companies in Indonesia that experiences a problem of competencies gap is PT Frolant. PT Frolant is a manufacturer of instant food and drinks in Indonesia. The problem of competencies gap is shown from the low internal readiness of the company, employees don’t have the competencies required by the company, especially competencies for higher positions of Supervisor and Manager. The proposed solution to solve the competencies gap problem in PT Frolant is by designing new training programs. The process of designing a new training program included conducting training need analysis, design training based on competency, and using the Kirkpatrick Model to evaluate the training program. The research findings show that the company needs to do several improvements in order to create a training program that can solve the problem of the competencies gap. Those including aligning competency standards with organizational goals and organizational design; use several tools to be better in identifying employees with competency gap; differentiate between soft skill and hard skill or between strategic knowledge and operational knowledge in designing training; and perform all four steps of Kirkpatrick Model in evaluating training. Designing training programs based on competencies aims to help PT Frolant improving employee performance that will further improve company performance.

KINERJA ORGANISASI PENGELOLA TINGKAT MASYARAKAT DALAM PEMANFAATAN DAN PEMELIHARAAN HASIL PROGRAM SANIMAS DI KELURAHAN KAPALO KOTO KOTA PADANG

This research is motivated by environmental pollution because many people do not yet have access to proper domestic wastewater sanitation. Kapalo Koto Village is one of the priority villages in handling sanitation in Padang City. The results showed that of the four variables proposed by Wibowo, it can be concluded that the Performance of Community Level Management Organizations in the Utilization and Maintenance of the Results of the SANIMAS Program in the Kapalo Koto Village Padang City has not yet reached its maximized. Utilization and maintenance activities of the SANIMAS Program result in the Kapalo Koto Village experienced several obstacles. Caused by several indicators that have not been maximized, such as the capability of low Community Level Management Organizations, sources of funding from beneficiary community contributions for program maintenance and development are not collected. The implementation of utilization and maintenance activities is still not routinely carried out. Continued monitoring is not conducted regularly and evaluation activities are not carried out annually. However, if seen from the benefits generated by the SANIMAS Program it has an impact on reducing pollution to the residential environment, thereby causing an increase in the level of public health. Keywords: Performance, Management Organizations, SANIMAS Program

Different Perspectives on BDA Usage by Management Levels

ABSTRACT Adopting theoretical foundations of the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and technology task fit theory, this study investigates how business managers in different management levels determine BDA use. The major findings suggest that low-level and middle-level managers decide the use of the BDA system from different perspectives. Low-level managers consider individual performance more important in their decision while the middle-level managers believe in organizational readiness and relational knowledge. Also, the relationship between data integrity and data compatibility is greater for the lower-level, while that between data timeliness and data compatibility is more substantial for the middle-level. Concerning the effect of data quality on individual performance, the middle-level perceive data compatibility and data accuracy as more important than the lower-level managers.

The Identification of Risks and its Criticality in the Nigeria Construction Industry

Failure in project delivering can be attributed to many risk events in the Nigerian Construction Industry. This risk could be as a result of the dynamic, sensitivity, and complexity of the construction Industry towards its environment, socio-political, economic, technology, and cultural variables in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the low level of Risk Management in Nigeria construction Industry, and the little understanding and knowledge of the subject by Project Stakeholders prompt this study.
 A quantitative method of research was carried out, and among the sixty (60) questionnaires administered to clients, consultants, and contractors in the Nigerian construction industry, thirty-one (31) valid responses were obtained. The questionnaires were designed on the twenty (20) types of risks that were identified by construction professionals which were categorized into five namely; Government and Politics; Finance and Economical; Management and Technology; social and Cultural; Natural and Environmental Risks. And, findings made revealed that economic and financial risks surpass all other types in the Nigeria Construction Industry.

FAKTOR PENENTU KESENJANGAN ANGGARAN

An important aspect in the budgetsetting process is the tendency for budgeting managers to create budgetary slack. However, there is a limited study investigating the budgetary slack in non-profit oriented organization, such as local government. Therefore, this study address the gap in the literature by investigating the effect of budget participation and trust on budgetary slack. Besides, this study also analys the moderating effect of regulation understanding on the relationship the determinants (budget participation and trust) and budgetary slack. Final sample of this study is seven-eight (78) respondents who represented the lower level manager in organization. Structural equation model (SEM-PLS) is applied. The result show that only one hypothesis is accepted and other are rejected. the significant hypothesis is the effect of trust on budgetary slack. This study has practical and theoritical implication and it discussed in detail. Keywords : budgetary participations, trust, regulation understanding, budgetary slack

Strategic Planning and Management in Small Municipalities in Mississippi – Implementation, Perceived Benefits, and Determinants of Use

Many municipalities use strategic planning and management, but there is a limited understanding of the use of these processes among small municipalities. This study examines the use of strategic planning and management across municipalities in Mississippi and studies the factors associated with that use. An analysis of over 38 municipalities shows low levels of strategic planning and management. The findings support the expectations of the capacity-performance paradigm, where financial, technical and administrative capacity, as well as goal clarity and leadership commitment, are associated with the use of strategic management.

National Resilience As A Determinant Of National Security Of Ukraine

The purpose of this study is theoretical and methodological substantiation, deepening of conceptual provisions and development of scientific and practical recommendations for the formation of an integrated sector of national security and defense based on the principles of national resilience. The relevance of this study is due to the need to build national resilience to address the main problems of national security of Ukraine. The main components of national security and resilience development of the country on the basis of global indices are considered, the main patterns and key problems of national security of Ukraine are highlighted. Studies have found, which is a condition for providing national security is the formation of an appropriate level of internal resilience of the state, the basis of which is economic resilience, the rule of law, modern infrastructure, education and medicine. It is established that Ukraine is characterized by a low level of management in the public administration system, a high level of corruption, low efficiency of government decisions, non-compliance with current legislation in various spheres of life. it is proved that it is necessary for the formation of an integral sector of national security and defense a balanced combination of the capabilities of the main elements of the national security system and the objects of national resilience. Priority areas for building national resilience have been identified for Ukraine: creation of a multilevel risk assessment system; improving strategic planning, analysis and crisis management; developing the resilience potential of local communities and regions. A formalized model of an integrated national security system is proposed, based on the principles of resilience of regional security parameters of all regions of Ukraine and a resource-oriented approach to the transition of the existing state of regional security to the desired state.

Assessment of management decisions as a factor in the sustainable functioning of an enterprise

The cost of managerial labor, especially managers of the top, middle and lower levels of management, is estimated by various methods, the article proposes to assess through the tension, intensity and complexity of labor by levels of management. This is especially important in times of crisis, when it is required to actively seek better conditions for the enterprise, to organize the work of subordinates in accordance with the new requirements. With an increase in costs and a decrease in the effectiveness of the management staff, in particular, the risk of bankruptcy and a significant decrease in the competitiveness of the enterprise in such conditions of instability increases rapidly. The criticism of macroeconomic indices is carried out and a microeconomic analysis and a method for assessing the intensity, intensity and complexity of labor at different levels of management are proposed. It is known that the most significant costs that have reserves for reduction are personnel costs, including management costs. Based on the analysis of the correlation and mathematical dependence, the ratio of wages by levels of management on a contract basis was determined based on the minimum established level of wages at the enterprise.

Research on Network Lending Risk Analysis Based on Platform Efficiency

Optimizing the financial risk control mechanism is very important for small and medium-sized enterprises. It is an important foundation for lending companies to continue to operate steadily and ensure the safety of credit assets. Only by optimizing the financial risk control mechanism can small and medium-sized enterprises develop better and healthily. This study designs the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model (CCR and BCC) to evaluate the relative credit risk of the enterprise. According to the selected core indicators, comprehensive technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency of each lending platform are calculated. In order to further explore the efficiency status of each lending platform and the reasons for its inefficiency, the efficiency pedigree was drawn according to the pure technical efficiency value and scale efficiency value of the platform. The main reason for the low efficiency of online loan platform was the low management level. Therefore, we need to improve the comprehensive management level of the platform, and strengthen the risk management control to improve the operation efficiency of the online loan platform. Finally the related policy proposal was put forward.

Entrepreneurial Leadership and Organisational Performance of SMEs in Kuwait: The Intermediate Mechanisms of Innovation Management and Learning Orientation

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of innovation management and learning orientation as the mechanisms playing the role of an intermediate relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kuwait. Background: SMEs are currently among the principal economic instruments in most industrialised and developing countries. The contribution of SMEs can be viewed from various perspectives primarily related to the crucial role they play in developing entrepreneurial activities, employment generation, and improving innovativeness. Developing countries, including Kuwait and other countries, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have recognised the key role played by SMEs as a strong pillar of growth. Consequently, many governments have formulated policies and programmes to facilitate the growth and success of SMEs. Unfortunately, the organisational performance of SMEs in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, remains below expectations. The lagged growth could be due to a lack of good managerial practices and increasing competition that negatively impact their performance. Numerous researchers discovered the positive effect of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance. However, a lack of clarity remains regarding the direct impact of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance, especially in developing countries. Therefore, the nexus between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance is still indecisive and requires further studies. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey and descriptive design to gather data within a specific period. The data were collected by distributing a survey questionnaire to Kuwaiti SMEs’ owners and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) via online and on-hand instruments. A total of 384 useable questionnaires were obtained. Moreover, the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Contribution: The current study contributed to the existing literature by developing a moderated mediation model integrating entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. The study also investigated their effect on the organisational performance of SMEs. The study findings also bridged the existing significant literature gap regarding the role of these variables on SMEs’ performance in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, due to the dearth of studies linking these variables in this context. Furthermore, this study empirically confirmed the significant effect of innovation management and learning orientation as intermediate variables in strengthening the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance in the settings of Kuwait SMEs, which has not been verified previously. Findings: The study findings showed the beneficial and significant impact of entrepreneurial leadership and innovation management on SME’s organisational performance. The relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and SMEs’ organisational performance is fundamentally mediated by innovation management and moderated by learning orientation. Recommendations for Practitioners: The present study provides valuable insights and information regarding the factors considered by the government, policymakers, SMEs’ stakeholders, and other authorities in the effort to increase the organisational performance level and facilitate the growth of SMEs in Kuwait. SMEs’ owners or CEOs should improve their awareness and knowledge of the importance of entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. These variables will have beneficial effects on the performance and assets to achieve success and sustainability if adopted and managed systematically. This study also recommends that SMEs’ entrepreneurs and top management should facilitate supportive culture by creating and maintaining an organisational climate and structure that encourages learning behaviour and innovation mindset among individuals. The initiative will motivate them towards acquiring, sharing, and utilising knowledge and increasing their ability to manage innovation systemically in all production processes to adapt to new technologies, practices, methods, and different circumstances. Recommendation for Researchers: The study findings highlighted the mediating effect of innovation management on the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership (the independent variable) and SMEs’ organisational performance (the dependent variable) and the moderating effect of learning orientation in the same nexus. These relationships were not extensively addressed in SMEs of developing countries and require further validation. Impact on Society: This study aims to influence the management strategies and practices adopted by entrepreneurs and policymakers who work in SMEs in developing countries. The effect will be reflected in the development of their firms and the national economy in general. Future Research: Future research should investigate the conceptual research framework against the backdrop of other developing economies and in other business settings to generalise the results. Future investigation should seek to establish the effect of entrepreneurial leadership style on other mechanisms, such as knowledge management processes, which could function with entrepreneurial leadership to improve SMEs’ performance efficiently. In addition, future studies may include middle and lower-level managers and employees, leading to more positive outcomes.