Managers Of Organizations Research Articles

A hybrid MCDM approach to analyse the impact of multi-agent technology on total quality management in organisations

A hybrid MCDM approach to analyse the impact of multi-agent technology on total quality management in organisations

Organisational Capacity for Change and Its Relationship with Adaptability and Organisational Performance: Evidence from Bulgaria

This study aims to respond to calls for more empirical evidence concerning the factors and outcomes of organisational capacity for change (OCC). Quantitative data analyses on a sample of 200 employees and managers in organisations in Bulgaria were performed. Exploratory factor analysis extracted six OCC factors: transformational leadership, valence, organisational flexibility, previous experience with change, climate, and goals for improvement. Two hypotheses on the relationship of OCC factors and control variables with adaptability and organisational performance were tested through hierarchical regression analyses and were partially confirmed. Findings highlight the need for organisations to focus on transformational leadership, change process factors (previous experience with change, valence), organisational context factors (organisational flexibility, goals for improvement), and climate (for cohesion) to help build a capacity for implementing and sustaining multiple changes. Two of the OCC factors – climate and goals for improvement – do not have a statistically significant relationship to either of the outcomes in this sample.

Оперативное управление фитнес-клубом

Fitness center managers in Russia and the Far East, as well as the managers of organizations in other areas, face the problem of ineffective operations. Regional features such as remoteness, cultural diversity, and climatic conditions can affect the competitiveness of fitness services. Solutions to the problem can lie in the internal environment of the organization, including improving the management system and the activity planning system. In most Russian organizations, and fitness centers are no exception, tactical planning and the control and motivation of activities tied to it are carried out over relatively long time periods: a month, a quarter, a half-year, a year. However, in the conditions of the Far East, where a rapidly changing economic and social situation requires flexibility, the relevance of shorter-term planning increases. In the article, the authors present the results of testing the weekly operational management system in the activities of fitness centers in Russia. In particular, it is shown that it allows fitness industry organizations to expand their client base, increase sales revenue, and ensure an increase in salaries for employees responsible for sales. The findings may be of interest to managers of fitness centers in Russia and the Far East, in particular, those interested in improving the efficiency of management activities.

Learning Project management in organisations: a qualitative study on benefits for lifelong learning

Sustainable employability is a challenge to professional projection. The article explores how project management can support the sustainable employability of individuals through recontextualizing practice from organizational to educational environments, supporting the development of those transversal skills recognized as being connected to a lifelong learning mindset. The research approach was qualitative with an emergent design, structured in a first exploratory phase and a second explanatory one using case studies. Results relate to the core category "Learning Project management in informal contexts", topics of the exploratory phase, emerged from the analysis of experiences shared by expert project management professors with an average of 12 years of teaching experience in tertiary education institutions across five European countries and two Latin American ones. By examining the enabling and hindering factors within organizations, the article shows the role of project management in enhancing individuals’ employability through its integration within organizational contexts. This highlights its potential to foster innovative teaching approaches in higher education institutions and cultivate a lifelong learning mindset among students.

СОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ СИСТЕМЫ КОРПОРАТИВНОГО ОБУЧЕНИЯ СОТРУДНИКОВ ОТДЕЛОВ ПРОДАЖ В СФЕРЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОГО КОНСАЛТИНГА

The relevance of the paper is associated with the growing need for qualified specialists in the Russian labor market, which is characterized by a personnel shortage. Evidence shows that companies with corporate training systems gain a competitive advantage in the labor market, such as reducing staff turnover rates. The subject of the study is the corporate training system, as is a set of methodological and managerial solutions for the personnel training of sales managers in organizations working in the field of consulting. The purpose of the study is to develop scientific and practical recommendations for improving the company’s corporate training system, thereby reducing staff turnover at the stage of initial apprenticeship. The research methods are economic and statistical analysis and the analysis of academic and business literature, as well as data from employee surveys. One of the study's results, which has scientific novelty, is the initial training program for sales department employees developed by the authors, which integrates elements of microlearning and gamification into a standard corporate educational program. The authors conclude that it is necessary to build the company’s educational process considering current business realities and economic indicators, the importance of introducing modern tools, generational differences, and the expectations of trained employees.

WORK PERFORMANCE AND WORK FROM HOME: THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT

Employee job performance has been associated with management since its inception as a scientific discipline. The goal of proper management of human activity is to achieve higher job performance. In its current form, job performance is not only associated with quantity, but quality as well. From the point of view of an organization's leadership, managers or supervisors within the work environment, in the past, leading their employees to better job performance was relatively easy. With the progress of science and technology, a gradual change connected with the introduction of information and communication technology can be seen and certain types of work started to shift significantly to the home environment. This trend was greatly accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic when, as part of interventions to prevent the spread of the virus, organisations had to react by introducing work from home wherever possible. Working from home is gradually becoming a working standard that is being used by more and more employers and employees. Many employers, also thanks to the pandemic period, have found that several kinds of costs can be saved by introducing work-from-home. On the other hand, working from home has become equally convenient for employees, bringing many advantages, but on the other hand also disadvantages, such as loss of social contact or more complicated teamwork. Of course, working from home brings other aspects, such as changing factors and the environment where work is realised, which is also connected to work performance. The aim of this paper is to identify, based on a literature review, key research themes related to work performance and working from home. To identify relevant literature, Web of Science database was selected while this research focuses on peer-reviewed publications published in English language up to April 2023. The total scope of the selected publications analysed based on the Prisma methodology is 14 research articles between 2008 and 2023. The published studies includes the following research directions: 1. Change in work performance in the context of the implementation of Covid-19 interventions, 2. Gender roles and their impact on work from home and work performance, 3. Mental and emotional aspects at home and the allocation of time for work, 4. The use of modern telecommunication technologies their impact on teamwork in the context of work from home. These 14 studies are found in several journals (n-11). The first study in the final set is from 2008. Based on a dataset taken from Web of Science (the keyword string "work performance and work from home"), a map of the keywords and the most cited authors extracted from that string was created. These maps are created using the analytical tool VOSviewer. Based on the publications analysed, the most frequently cited author was identified (Bakker A.B.) The findings of this study contribute to the literature related to work performance and working from home.

Designing a Model of Professional Ethical Ideals Based on the Dimensions of Organizational Structure and Managers' Thinking Styles in Islamic Banking at the Agricultural Bank of Iran

Objective: The objective of this research is to design a model of professional ethical ideals based on the dimensions of organizational structure and managers' thinking styles in Islamic banking at the Agricultural Bank of Iran. Methodology: This study is classified as applied research in terms of its purpose, and as a descriptive correlational study in terms of data collection methods. The statistical population includes two groups: the first group consists of 50 experts and professors in management and banking and ethics, who hold at least a doctoral degree and were selected through random sampling. The second group includes all senior managers, provincial managers, and top-ranking heads at the Agricultural Bank, totaling 430 individuals. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS23 and AMOS23 software, Pearson correlation coefficients, and structural equation modeling. Findings: The results showed that the direct effect of the exogenous variable of legal thinking style (p < .05, t = 2.11, β = .12), holistic thinking style (p < .05, t = 2.64, β = .13), free-thinking style (p < .05, t = 7.34, β = .57), autocratic thinking style (p < .05, t = 2.532, β = .16), organizational complexity (p < .05, t = 2.65, β = .32), formality (p < .05, t = 5.84, β = .21), and organizational centralization (p < .05, t = 5.99, β = .85) on the variable of professional ethical ideals in Islamic banking is positive and significant. Additionally, the direct effect of the exogenous variable of conservative thinking style on the variable of professional ethical ideals in Islamic banking is negative and significant (p < .05, t = 6.26, β = -.43). Conclusion: Support for and backing of producers and exporters, farmers, industrialists, and others should be a serious concern for banks. Therefore, it is recommended that Islamic banks fully comply with the policies of the Islamic government and the laws and regulations of the central bank, avoiding any form of sectionalism and profit-seeking outside these laws and regulations.

MODERN PROBLEMS OF DIGITALIZATION OF EDUCATION AND THEIR ECONOMIC PREREQUISITES

The article examines the dynamics of changes in educational relations (student — teacher — head of an educational organization) in the process of digital transformation. It is shown that the root cause of such changes is the commercialization of education. Digitalization acts only as a catalyst that has accelerated the ripening of the fruits of commercialization. In the context of distance learning, the “consumer” attitude of students towards education is strengthened by reducing the influence of academic discourse. Educators face the risk of losing full-time employment due to the transition to teaching through interaction with digital content. Managers of educational organizations are increasingly using management practices and sharing the values common in the commercial sector, as a result of which part of the costs of digitalizing education is being shifted to teachers. In general, the extension of purely economic efficiency criteria to the initially non-market, non-profit sphere of education leads to unbalanced results of digitalization of education and to an increase in existing contradictions.

УЧЕТ РИСКОВ ПРИ ПРОЕКТНОМ УПРАВЛЕНИИ В МАЛОЙ ПРОЕКТИРОВОЧНОЙ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ

The article discusses aspects of the management of a small design organization (SPO) with up to one hundred employees. It is noted that the principles and approaches in the management of small and medium-sized enterprises differ from the management of large organizations in the degree of implementation of digital management components. The main characteristics of a project in a small design organization have been identified. It is concluded that risk management should be in the area of increased attention and responsibility of managing managers of a small project organization, and be considered as an integrated project management function. The main stages of risk analysis arising from the activities of SPOs are presented. It is noted that the main goal of these stages is to identify and systematize possible sources of risk and factors for the implementation of risk events.

Exploring the impact of dynamic capabilities on entrepreneurial orientation in healthcare organizations: Findings from symmetric and asymmetric modeling

This work considers strategic flexibility (SF), structural flexibility (SX) and information acquisition (IA) as dynamic capabilities that promote entrepreneurial orientation in the health sector. Based on a quantitative survey carried out with managers of healthcare organizations in France, we demonstrate that IA positively impacts EO and that SF mediates the IA–EO relationship. The findings also indicate that SX moderates the effect of SF on EO. Our research has relevant theoretical implications because it extends the entrepreneurship literature through a novel focus on EO determinants in the healthcare sector. Practical implications for managers and decision-makers are also noted. The findings offer insights to healthcare care managers that will allow them to review the management method to fully involve and engage teams and to be more entrepreneurial.

Identifying factors affecting the selection of heads of city health centers in Iran: A phenomenological study.

Managers in the health care sector have the responsibility of accomplishing objectives and guaranteeing the excellence of services. To be chosen as a manager in a health organization, individuals must possess specific qualities and skills. Examining the process of selecting and appointing managers at the highest level of service provision might offer policymakers valuable insights into the importance of considering competences when choosing and appointing leaders of health centers. Hence, this study was conducted to identify the characteristics that influence the selection process of heads of city health centers in Iran. The present study employed a qualitative and phenomenological approach, utilizing interviews performed in the year 2023. The study sample consisted of health deputy from medical sciences universities, local health network managers, and heads of city health center. The participants were selected using a purposive selection method. A total of 16 male participants were interviewed, and the interviews were then analyzed using MAXQDA-10 software using the usual content analysis method. In this study, the factors affecting the selection of the heads of health care centers were classified into two general topics: individual factors and environmental factors, and eight sub-topics, including health literacy, experience, individual characteristics, communication skills, mental characteristics, legal issues, political factors, and cultural factors. The development of health literacy, specialized knowledge, and communication skills to coordinate and resolve organizational problems helps train competent managers. Top health system managers, who select health center managers, must understand political and cultural variables and regulate and steer their influence to select effective managers.

Intenção de turnover em empresas familiares: Efeito moderador do mecanismo stewardship e da liderança transformacional

ABSTRACT Purpose: This study evaluates the effect of moderating the transformational leadership style on the relationship between stewardship mechanisms and the turnover intention of department managers of family businesses. Originality/value: Employee turnover is a growing concern in family businesses, which value maintaining a harmonious organizational environment. Therefore, this study evaluates the importance of stewardship mechanisms and the transformational leadership style in reducing and containing employees’ turnover intentions in the organizational environment. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a sample of 114 department managers who work in the environment of Brazilian family businesses. For analysis, linear regression was performed to investigate the relationship between stewardship mechanisms and transformational leadership on turnover intention and the moderating effect of transformational leadership style on the relationship between stewardship mechanisms and turnover intention of department managers. Findings: The results elucidate the confirmation of the three hypotheses of the study, sustaining that when the company uses stewardship mechanisms, it significantly reduces the turnover intention of department managers in family organizations. It is also noteworthy that this reduction is even greater when the organization has leaders with a transformational leadership style, in which the behavior of these leaders towards their employees is guided by the social ties that are constituted by the trust and loyalty of employees in their leader. Additionally, the results state that the transformational leadership style negatively moderates the relationship between stewardship mechanisms and employee turnover intention.

Adapting lean manufacturing principles to the footwear industry: Kaizen, Kanban or a Mix?

This study presents the overview of Kaizen and Kanban implementation, as lean principles and highlights the achievements realised from deployment of the integrated initiatives for sustainable performance of organisations. Lean manufacturing includes various principles and techniques, with the same main goal: to banish waste and non-value-added activities at every production or service process and enhance customer satisfaction. To stay competitive, many Indian footwear manufacturers have sought to optimise their manufacturing processes to readily compete with overseas manufacturers. Therefore, this work highlights the barriers, pathways and potential innovations for sustainable Kaizen and Kanban implementation in organisations. It further brings out the integrated concept of Kaizen and Kanban, and the requirements for its holistic implementation. Methods such as process observations, interviews, plant tours and case studies were used for the investigation. The significant contributions through Kaizen and Kanban initiatives in the organisation, including just-in-time improvements, quality, inventory reduction, optimisation, teamwork and flexibility for sustained organisational development are elucidated and juxtaposed with existing literature. It pivots the approach advised by the various researchers, practitioners and censoriously appraises the desire for Kaizen and Kanban programmes in the organisation. Significantly, this study is valuable to researchers, project and quality managers, development professionals and operations managers in various organisations, especially the footwear industry.

Exploring Organizational Democracy from the Perspective of Public Managers: A Phenomenological Approach

Objective: This study aims to explore the experiences and perceptions of public managers in Iranian governmental organizations regarding organizational democracy. By adopting a phenomenological approach, the research seeks to understand the essence of organizational democracy from the perspective of those who have experienced it firsthand, highlighting the key themes and subthemes that emerge from their lived experiences. Methodology: The study employs a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach to capture the lived experiences of public managers. A non-random snowball sampling method was used to select 15 public managers from various governmental organizations in Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and the analysis continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes and subthemes. Findings: Four major themes emerged from the data: transparent and accountable management, independent organizations, personal fulfillment, and free and fair participation. Subthemes included the transition to democratic supervision, planning for civic participation, financial support for employees, fostering innovation, and integrating diverse values. The findings reveal a significant shift towards more democratic organizational practices, emphasizing transparency, employee empowerment, and participatory decision-making processes. Conclusion: The study highlights the critical role of transparency, participatory decision-making, and employee empowerment in enhancing organizational effectiveness and employee satisfaction within Iranian governmental organizations.

Presentation of an Antifragility Model in Iranian Financial Organizations through Thematic Analysis

The present study aims to propose a qualitative antifragility model for Iranian financial organizations. The research methodology, in terms of data collection and execution, is qualitative. To design the model, thematic analysis was employed. Subsequently, the validity of the model's dimensions was determined using content validity indices (CVI, CVR, and S-CVI). The statistical population of the study consists of managers of financial organizations and university professors in Iran. The theoretical saturation was reached after conducting interviews with 10 experts in the field related to the research topic. The research findings led to the identification of 79 codes and 19 themes, categorized into four main groups: (1) Random and Environmental Category, which includes components such as flexibility, financial crisis, resilient performance, agility, and adaptability; (2) Financial Performance Category, including components like cost control, financial performance of institutions, central bank independence, inflation volatility, and cash flow management; (3) Managerial Category, comprising components such as risk management, economic growth improvement, capital management, financial policies, and government relations; and (4) Organizational Category, including components such as innovation and creativity, adaptability, resistance and confrontation, integration, and service empowerment. Additionally, the model's validity results indicate that it possesses a high level of content validity.

Presenting a Model for the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Private Organizations with the Influence of Human Resource Management: Antecedents and Consequences

The present study aimed to propose a model for the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in private organizations influenced by human resource management, considering its antecedents and consequences. The research method was applied in terms of purpose and exploratory mixed-method (qualitative-quantitative) in terms of data collection. The statistical population of the study consisted of three sections: scientific documents, the qualitative section (experts), and the quantitative section (human resource managers of private organizations and companies in Tehran). The sample size in the qualitative section included 19 experts, who were selected using the principle of saturation and purposive non-random sampling. Additionally, in the quantitative section, 252 managers were selected through convenience sampling. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, and in the quantitative phase, a researcher-made questionnaire derived from the qualitative section was employed. In the qualitative section, validity was calculated through expert opinions, and reliability was assessed using inter-rater agreement and agreement between two coders, with the results indicating the validity and reliability of the qualitative data. Moreover, in order to determine the validity of the questionnaire, content and construct validity were utilized, and to assess reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability were employed, with the results indicating the validity and reliability of the tool. Data analysis in the qualitative section was conducted using thematic analysis with Maxqda 2022 software, and in the quantitative section, based on the research questions, descriptive and inferential statistical methods (one-sample t-test and confirmatory factor analysis) were applied using SPSS v23 and Smart PLS v8 software. The research findings indicated that the antecedents of AI application in human resource management include organizational strategy and vision, organizational culture, and resources and infrastructure. The consequences of AI application include improvement in the recruitment process, development of training, reduction of errors, increased accuracy, and the creation of competitive advantage. Furthermore, based on the identified antecedents and consequences, the research model was designed and demonstrated appropriate validity.

Istraživanje stavova stejkholdera povodom održivog razvoja konferencijskog i kongresnog turizma - studija slučaja Srbija

Purpose - Scientific publications regarding business tourism, especially those which incorporate elements of sustainable development, still remain scarce in the existing literature. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine attitudes of local tourist organizations, travel agencies, catering establishments, chambers of commerce and other relevant stakeholders towards the sustainable development of conference and Congress tourism (CCT) in Vojvodina, Serbia. Methodology - In order to investigate the attitudes of stakeholders (n=174), the adapted sustainable tourism attitude scale (SUS-TAS) was used in this paper. Moreover, the responses of the directors (managers) of local tourism organizations to several open-ended questions, which make an integral part of the survey, are also presented. Findings - The research instrument proved to be reliable. Based on other applied analyses (t-test and ANOVA), the existence of numerous statistically significant differences in the responses in relation to gender, job position, sector of work, age and education were identified. Implications - Apart from theoretical contribution, this paper reveals what aspects of CCT are in stakeholders' main focus and what seems to be out of their radar. This should help defining necessary actions for further improvements of CCT. Lastly, study limitations and future research guidelines are discussed.

Discovering the Components of an Efficient Administrative System with a Focus on the Jihadi Management Approach and Organizational Justice in the Social Security Organization

Objective: The objective of this study is to discover the components of an efficient administrative system that also incorporates elements of jihadi management and organizational justice. Methodology: The philosophy of this research is interpretive, the approach is qualitative, the strategy is grounded theory with an emergent approach, and the analysis method is thematic analysis based on Glaserian coding. The study population consists of the managers of the Social Security Organization in Kerman province, which was selected as the statistical population. The sample includes 21 individuals with at least 10 years of relevant work experience and comprehensive knowledge of administrative efficiency processes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and theoretical sampling was employed to select participants. The reliability of the findings (validity and reliability) was ensured using the four criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln, including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Findings: The findings revealed 15 components and 80 categories. These components include administrative efficiency, an efficient culture, organizational justice, corruption control, commitment to jihadi values, high productivity, service quality, transparency and accountability, innovation and continuous improvement, jihadi management, performance management, governance, fair laws, fair behavior, and fair evaluation. Conclusion: The results indicated that these dimensions and components can be considered as the most important criteria for evaluating administrative efficiency and ultimately creating efficiency in the administrative system.

Human resource management and community health services outcome - unravelling relationships in public healthcare organizations

Introduction/Objective. Human resource management and related practices represent a broad research arena in the context of healthcare organizations. Adapting human resource management practices to current labor market conditions and achieving organizational goals in the domain of satisfactory health service quality represent significant current challenges and research gap. The aim of the study is to examine the relationship between human resource management practices and health service outcomes of public healthcare organizations. Methods. The research was designed as a cross-sectional study. A structured questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect primary data. The sample consists of 257 healthcare workers employed in healthcare organizations in the public sector. To assess the statistical significance of relationships in the research model, the method of PLS-SEM is used. Results. Our study revealed the competitive salary is negatively related to community health service results (CHSR) (? = -0.177, p < 0.05) of public healthcare organizations. Study results noted that employment security is positively related to CHSR (? = 0.296, p < 0.001), as well as to training and development (? = 0.359, p < 0.001). Conclusion. The results of the study noted theoretical implications through the contribution of human capital theory and resource-based theory of the firm. The identification of human resource practices that positively contribute to health services outcomes provides clear practical implications for managers of public health organizations.

The Circular Digital Cockpit: Towards an actionable framework for life cycle circularity assessment and decision

Digital solutions such as IoT, machine learning, big data, and simulation platforms are increasingly integrated into industrial practices but are not fully leveraged for enhancing circularity in the value chain. To address this, the Circular Digital Cockpit (CDC) framework is proposed to aid manufacturers and public authorities in transitioning towards circularity. The CDC is structured to analyze and improve organizational activities, incorporating Data Science, Digital Enterprise Architecture, and Circular Economy Strategies. It comprises two main parts. The first, "Measure, Understand, Prioritize", focuses on transforming lifecycle data into circularity indicators suitable for various organizational roles, like product and process managers. This helps in prioritizing improvement objectives both individually and organization-wide. The second part, “Act – Imagine, Simulate, Decide, Deploy –, Monitor”, guides each actor in developing and implementing actions aimed at circularity and sustainability goals. This involves assembling a global action plan and employing the Theory of Change methodology to assess and refine these actions based on their impact on circularity and sustainability. The CDC's adaptability and potential in enhancing circular practices across various industries and territorial levels are tested in diverse scenarios, including the remanufacturing of heavy vehicles, the maintenance of medical devices, and the management of bio-waste and construction waste.