Multi-organizational Context Research Articles

A Simulation-Game for Resilience Assessments in a Payment System Disruption Scenario

This paper presents a quantitative agent-based simulation model of the everyday payment system used to simulate the business and consumer consequences of loss of functionality, or disruptions of the payment system for the food and fuel retailing markets as well as the bank sector in order to address resilience. The simulation model is used in a gaming simulation approach that couples a role-playing game with the simulation model in order to provide crisis management team-training to decision-makers in a multi-organisational context. Drawing primarily on resilience engineering and crisis response, the concepts of core values, coping strategies, and resilience value networks were used to guide the design of the simulation model. The ultimate aim of this study is to explore the collaborative responses from the key actors during the disruption scenario in order to evoke and facilitate collective resilience.

The role of (dynamic) capabilities in the transformation of a multi-organizational setting

This paper analyzes the role of dynamic capabilities in the transformation of a multi-organizational setting. I conduct an embedded multi-case study in which the cases represent critical transformational events in the history of a shopping center. The five critical transformational events, which have exerted substantial influence on the organizations operating in the context, are concerned with the construction of new premises, modernization of existing premises, and the introduction of new services. I analyze and classify related (dynamic) capabilities of individual organizations, resulting in aggregated outcomes that determine the evolution of the entity. Applying an abductive case research strategy, I then generate five distinct theoretical results on the effects and the interconnectedness of the multi-organizational context, the individual organizations, and their dynamic capabilities.

Managerial skills shortages and the impending effects of organizational characteristics

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of skills shortages, namely, skills scarcity and skills deficiencies among managers, and its relationship with organizational characteristics.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a quantitative approach and data were collected from 243 managers working in China. Multivariate analysis of variance and box plots were employed for data analysis.FindingsThe results revealed that organizational characteristics were found to have a significant positive impact on managers’ skill levels, and hard-to-fill vacancies caused by skills shortages were found in all types of organizations. Existing and deficient skills were also identified as affecting all organizations.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that organizations would benefit from the adoption of a system supporting internal retention, training and development and external recruitment to close the skills gaps.Originality/valueThis is an empirical study that provides an insight into the skills shortages from a multi-organizational context. It highlights the effects of organizational characteristics in relation to skills shortages and provides a foundation to support the skills needed in the context of national and global organizations.

Guiding interventions in a multi-organisational context: combining the Viable System Model and Hierarchical Process Modelling for use as a Problem Structuring Method

This paper describes the development and application of an innovative Problem Structuring Method to guide interventions in the way in which the UK Ministry of Defence delivers infrastructure projects and services. This method uses an adaptation of the Viable System Model to structure a set of stakeholder assessments that leads to the building of a Hierarchical Process Model. The resultant model, which appears readily transferrable to other multi-organisational contexts, represents the functions required for a specified system to be effective in its environment and affords insight into the processes and capabilities that require intervention—either to increase performance (addressing weaknesses) or to increase understanding (addressing uncertainty). The paper also describes a number of methodological learning points identified through the use of a structured approach to evaluation, which again appear to be readily transferrable to other multi-organisational contexts.

Action research contextualizes DEA in a multi-organizational decision-making process

The theory of participatory action research (PAR) grew out of the practice of problem-solving in groups and organization by involving the participation of all pertinent stakeholders in decision-making process through empowerment. The ontological assumption is that “the world out there” is defined by the participating stakeholders as they understand and perceive it. The actionable knowledge thus produced is mostly used subjectively in the hope of a favorable organizational change or a transformation for betterment. On the other hand, Management Science/Operations Research (MS/OR) is more concerned with epistemological objectivity in identifying and defining managerial issues and finding solutions. In this paper we shall show that MS/OR can benefit from and contribute to PAR in complex decision making contexts. This kind of mutual benefit will be illustrated through a study reported in the area of R&D planning. It will be shown that PAR “contextualizes” problem structuring whereas MS/OR “optimizes” the consensual decision-making process in a multi-organizational context.

Understanding multi-methodology: Evaluating the perceived impact of mixing methods for group budgetary decisions

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a multi-methodology intervention intended to support a budget prioritisation decision by a multi-organisational group tasked with tackling the problem of teenage pregnancy in an English borough. The intervention approach involved the combined use of cognitive/causal mapping and a multi-criteria decision analysis method to develop and prioritise a number of projects aimed at alleviating issues associated with teenage pregnancy. The paper describes and discusses the process of developing and applying the intervention approach, and provides an evaluation of its perceived impact by the client group. Drawing on the rich seam of data gathered over the course of our work with the multi-organisational group, we explore the varying degrees of impact that the mapping and multi-criteria evaluation methods achieved during and after the intervention. Analysis of the intervention data suggests that both methods were perceived to facilitate a different way of thinking and learning. In addition, we find that the mapping and multi-criteria evaluation methods successfully addressed participants' democratic and rational concerns. However, despite these reported positive effects, the full recommendations of the intervention were not implemented. An attempt is made to explain this outcome in terms of both the multi-organisational context within which the intervention took place and the nature of the group task. Directions for further research are then proposed.

A SOA-based framework for e-procurement in multi-organisations

The lack of standard platform for application-to-application interaction between the procurement systems of subsidiary organisations of a multi-organisation limits transparency of procurement procedures, and uniformity in the procurement patterns and practices, even when there are cross-cutting concerns. In this paper, an SOA-based e-procurement framework is proposed for effective e-procurement in a multi-organisational context. The e-procurement framework leverages SOA's inherent capability for addressing problems of heterogeneity, interoperability and dynamic requirements. An empirical case study showed that the framework is effective for achieving the corporate goal of promoting transparency, and enhancing uniformity of corporate procurement management in a multi-organisational context.

Conducting Case Research in a Multi-Organizational Project Context

This paper presents the case research methodology developed and adapted while conducting several in-depth process case studies of multi-organizational R&D projects, each of which involved a triad consisting of a diverse set of organizations. This research adapted and improvised upon existing organizational level case research methodologies, while applying them to the multi-organizational project context The paper covers the research objective, the definitions used, the research questions, the choice of the case study methodology, selection of cases, the process of data collection, and the process of case development and analysis including the improvisations made on existing case research methodology. However, the basic theoretical and contextual rationale for undertaking this research, and its results, are outside the scope of this paper. Teaching cases with decision problems in interesting and new multi-organizational contexts are currently being developed from the research cases developed in this study.