Organizational Literature Research Articles

Developing Problem Representations in Organizations: A Synthesis across Literatures and an Integrative Framework

Organizational research has long suggested that when working with problems that are complex and ill-defined it is imperative for organizational members to understand and represent these problems in order to effectively address them. However, research on the topic has remained fragmented across different organizational literatures resulting in the development and persistence of ambiguities in our understanding of the activities that compose the process of developing problem representations, the temporal patterns through which they unfold, and the associated mechanisms and outcomes. In this paper, we review and synthesize research across seven different literatures—all of which examine different organizational contexts that involve complex and ill-defined problems—and offer a framework that integrates research across these different literatures. Our framework delineates the different activities constituting the process of developing problem representations, provides insights about different approaches to developing problem representations, elaborates our understanding of the mechanisms associated with the process, and broadens our understanding of the different outcomes of the process. In so doing, our review and framework not only offer clarity and coherence on the topic but also highlight new opportunities for theoretical and methodological advancements.

Towards a ‘Newer Normal’? A Bibliometric Analysis Examining Organisational Culture in the Post-COVID-19 Higher Education Landscape in the United Kingdom

Concern continues to grow over the changing nature of work that initially formed a ‘new normal’ within higher education institutions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation is now being further impacted by subsequent economic and political challenges in the sector, which in turn shifts the workplace towards an even ‘newer normal’. The purpose of this article is to: (1) methodically and logically review the extant literature and research linking the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic to the organisational culture of higher education institutions in the United Kingdom; and (2) based on a bibliometric analysis, to offer a road map for further empirical research in the future. Researchers have found that changing workplace norms, such as remote and hybrid working and other forms of flexibility in approaches to learning and the availability of delivery modes, have become increasingly common, which has changed the nature of working practices and underpinning aspects of organisational culture. Therefore, it now appears opportune to update existing knowledge on organisational culture theory within the United Kingdom higher education context to support policy development and enhance workplace practices in the post-COVID-19 period. From a theoretical perspective, this article contributes to organisational culture literature by assimilating a dataset of nascent studies generated through keyword search on Clarivate Analytics Web of Science that have examined the impact of COVID-19 on organisational culture in United Kingdom higher education institutions. This emergent dataset was analysed using VOS Viewer, with the results of subsequent quantitative bibliometric analysis identifying the main existing research fronts as well as potential research directions for the empirical development of organisational culture. Based on this bibliometric analysis, the main suggested future research agendas that need to be addressed linked to organisational culture in the UK higher education sector in the post-COVID period are: (a) to further examine changing cultural norms and expectations; (b) hybrid approaches to working; (c) academic identity; and (d) organisational culture and the changing psychological contract. Such research is important as the UK Higher Education sector now progresses towards an even ‘newer normal’.

Drivers of Cooperation in Innovation by Energy Firms in Spain

AbstractInnovation by energy firms is critical for facing the energy transition and the challenge of climate change. Innovation is a complex process, and firms increasingly resort to cooperation with other companies and institutions in their innovation activities. In the energy sector, suppliers have always played a very important role in the technological advances of this industry. The objective of this paper is to analyse the determinants for engagement in cooperation in innovation by energy firms. In this analysis, we distinguish by the type of partnership, whether suppliers or research organisations (universities and research centres). We consider the factors proposed by the industrial organisation literature and the reasons given for firms to innovate, to explain decisions to cooperate. For the empirical analysis, we use a sample of energy firms from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the period 2004–2016. To carry out the estimations we use binary models for panel data. In order to correct for endogeneity of the relevant variables, some of which are binary, we have relied on the panel data version of the special regressor method. Our results show the important role of incoming spillovers and innovation objectives related to reducing the environmental impact and meeting environmental regulatory requirements to explain cooperation in innovation by energy firms.

Digital Technologies in Client Relationships: Juxtaposing Organizational and Management Perspectives with Insights from Addiction Counseling Research

Digitalization is fundamentally reshaping the professional–client relationship and altering how professional services are organized, delivered, and used. However, understanding successful relationship-building practices in the digital era remains underdeveloped. We aim to address this gap in the following three steps. First, we map how digital technologies affect the professional–client relationship by reviewing the generalist organizational and management literature to identify four key contextual aspects as well as eight critical themes in that regard. Second, we identify critical generic practices to orchestrate professional–client relationships by reviewing leading addiction counseling research (a domain with indicative, sophisticated, and pertinent professional–client relationships). Thirdly, we juxtapose, synthesize, and consolidate the findings of the first two steps in a conceptual model that serves as a map to outline a future research agenda. We demonstrate our reasoning and the usability of the map by outlining four key tensions for future research in that regard.

Why Capable People Are Reluctant to Lead

This article explores reasons why capable individuals hesitate to step into formal leadership roles, despite having the skills and abilities to lead effectively. Through a review and synthesis of relevant psychological and organizational behavior literature, common factors contributing to reluctance are identified. Key psychological reasons include concerns about work-life balance under increased demands, as well as fears of failure or criticism in leadership positions. Social barriers include a lack of encouragement from senior leaders, ambiguity about leadership expectations, and politicized organizational cultures. To overcome reluctance, the article recommends practical strategies for organizations, such as providing leaders with support structures, coaching, and role modeling. Communicating realistic expectations and definitions of leadership, as well as fostering collaborative cultures, are posited to help motivate capable individuals to accept leadership potential. An industry case study example from Aflac illustrates how addressing work-life concerns can successfully tap new leadership potential.

Normal Accident Theory and Learning from Major Accidents at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

A review of NASA’s accident history through the lens of Normal Accident Theory (NAT) offers insights into the prospects for safety during the Artemis Program. NAT is applied to NASA’s four major human spaceflight accidents: the Apollo launch pad fire, Apollo 13, Challenger and Columbia. NAT predicts that in the complex and tightly coupled systems used for human spaceflight, an accident type known as the “normal accident”, is inevitable. These accidents are attributable to hidden system interactions that overwhelm the cognitive abilities of human operators and, thereby, escape detection. A review of the four official accident reports and supporting secondary analyses suggests NASA has had one such accident: Apollo 13. It was also the only major accident without injury and a successful recovery effort. NAT would categorize the other three as component failure accidents. Unlike normal accidents, component failure accidents are not inevitable. They stem from an organization’s failure to appropriately monitor, assess and mitigate the risk associated with a faulty component. In such cases, NAT would ask if production pressures, often rooted in scheduling and resource constraints, were a factor.Production pressures are ultimately imposed on organizations through the exercise of power. These pressures impede an organization’s ability to adequately assess risk and increase the likelihood of component failure accidents. The substantial organizational literature on NASA’s human spaceflight accidents has yielded potential remedies to help mitigate the risks associated with production pressure. This paper discusses these remedies and their potential safety benefits. It also proposes a modification to a safety governance mechanism recommended by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). The resulting changes could help NASA, and other organizations administering high risk technologies, further improve safety.

Employees' Behavioral Intention to Adopt Facial Recognition Payment to Service Customers

Facial recognition payment (FRP) is a crucial technology for digital transformation among merchants. However, few studies have explored employees' adoption of FRP. This study combined the status quo bias theory and the value-based adoption model to investigate the critical factors affecting employees' behavioral intention of FRP, including switching benefits, job insecurity, colleague opinion, top management support, and inertia. The results show that switching benefits, job insecurity, colleague opinion, top management support, and inertia are essential factors that determine employees' behavioral intention of FRP. Surprisingly, the perceived customer value negatively moderates the relationship between perceived value and behavioral intention. Furthermore, the authors provide rigorous endogeneity tests for the research model. Overall, this study contributes to the status quo bias and value-based adoption model theories and literature in organizations' digital transformation and offers valuable insights to eliminate resistance and encourage the active use of FRP.

OHL-ALL: a theory-informed and practice-orientated organizational health literacy equity approach

Abstract Background The OHL-ALL initiative was launched by Steno Diabetes Center Sjaelland and the Department of Public Health, Aarhus University and the OHL-ALL scientific group in cooperation with EUPHA-HL and M-POHL in November 2023. The OHL-ALL (Organizational Health Literacy for All) approach offers an opportunity to rethink and develop organizational health literacy (OHL) with an explicit normative basis for equity. The goal is to establish a theory-informed, practice-oriented, multifaceted, and implementable approach. In the OHL-ALL approach, we define equity as the normative anchor, and we suggest using the Capabilities Approach to embed improved equity in design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions. Methods The process of developing the OHL-ALL was guided by applying core ideas from Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach. Five intervention principles were derived from the existing organizational health literacy literature: organizational change, workforce responsiveness, user involvement and person-centered care, access and navigation and internal and external partnerships. After an international expert working group meeting in November 2023, we formed four work packages. Results At the EPH conference, a status of the progress in the four work packages will be presented: WP1. OHL-ALL Framework development based on capability, fairness, and equity. WP2. Initiatives and testing of the OHL-ALL framework. WP3. Evaluation of OHL-ALL (i) the capability approach and (ii) outcome domains. WP4. Plans for the future, including advocacy and outreach - ideally via a conference in 2026. Conclusions The OHL-ALL project presents a novel approach to advancing equity in health by improving users’ capabilities. Based on an explicit normative framework it is expected to offer theoretical and practical guidance for organizations that chose to implement a health literacy approach.

Assessing Sustainable Development Goal Alignment in Local Food Systems: Insights from an Automated Text Analysis of the Organizational Literature

There is growing interest in assessing local food systems to guide efforts toward sustainability and aligning these assessments with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the complexity of portraying local food systems poses numerous challenges for local communities, and automated text analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) offer promising solutions. This study tested the use of an automated textual analysis to assess the alignment of the Mauricie region’s food system in Quebec, Canada, with the SDGs. The analysis examined 35 organizational documents from the region using an automated text analysis based on a list of keywords for each SDG. Initially, the analysis revealed that several initiatives in the Mauricie region covered specific SDGs quite well, such as eliminating hunger (SDG 2). Areas such as health and well-being (SDG 3) received moderate attention, while SDGs such as life below water and on land (SDGs 14 and 15) were less emphasized. When these results were presented to regional stakeholders, these stakeholders reported that the findings did not closely reflect their perceptions of the food system. This study confirms the potential of automated textual analysis and AI in assessing local food systems and underscores the parameters and challenges of accurately portraying sustainability in local food systems.

The influence of organizational atmosphere and psychological capital on work performance: The moderating role of psychological contract

This study explores the interconnected roles of organizational atmosphere, psychological capital, work engagement, and psychological contract on the work performance. Structural equation modeling and moderated mediation analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized relationships. Methodologically, the study employed a stratified random sampling of 369 faculty members across various disciplines. Key findings reveal that both organizational atmosphere and psychological capital have a significant positive impact on work engagement, which in turn, enhances work performance. Work engagement acted as a mediator in these relationships. Moreover, the psychological contract was found to moderate the relationship between work engagement and work performance, indicating that the engagement-performance link is stronger when employees perceive their psychological contract has been fulfilled. The implications of this research are multifaceted. Theoretically, it contributes to organizational behavior literature by integrating psychological contracts into the engagement-performance narrative. Practically, it provides actionable insights for university administrators, suggesting that investments in a supportive organizational atmosphere and the development of faculty psychological capital are likely to yield improvements in engagement and performance. The study also underscores the importance of effectively managing psychological contracts to maximize employee output.

Politico-Administrative Culture and Public Service Reform in Post-Independence Kazakhstan

Classical organizational management literature draws clear parallels between organizational culture and climate and effective use of power and influence as key to successful policy implementation of reforms in public sector organizations. On the other hand, the public policy literature, in particular, policy transfer as a strand within policy studies, emphasizes the role of the national context, more specifically, ‘facilitators’ and ‘constraints’ of ‘‘politico-administrative culture” within the national context, as crucial to understanding processes of transfer, convergence, and diffusion of public policy. There is a plethora of studies by Western scholars of public management who have successfully utilized these theoretical underpinnings to study the effectiveness of public service reforms in mature policy environments such as the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, and others. However, the public policy and comparative public management literature only offers a limited number of case studies from developing, middle-/upper-middle countries, which rely on concepts of organizational management in addition to narratives on the impact of policy learning from global doctrines, such as Weberianism, New Public Management (NPM), and New Public Governance (NPG), and national politics, on the implementation of administrative reforms in those contexts. Kazakhstan, as a resource-affluent post-Soviet country and a bastion of modernization and ‘open government’ in Central Asia or the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the post-Soviet era is a case in point. Based on ethnographic research consisting of interviews with elite academics, civil servants, and think-tank activists, as well as reviews of OECD and government strategy reports in Astana, the findings point to a potential abatement of the impact of context constraints such as large power distance and collectivist behavior by context facilitators such as those surrounding the use of ‘trilingualism’ and public diplomacy towards reforms in Kazakhstan particularly in recent years.

New people, new policy: How personnel renewal in the party executive affects party policy change. The case of Austria

The party organization literature has long acknowledged that changes in a party’s internal power structure bring about changes in leadership personnel. However, empirical assessments of how such personnel changes relate to party behavior are rare. We explore personnel renewal in the party executive as a driver of party policy change and argue that focusing on these processes provides for an encompassing perspective on the connection between intra-party power and party behavior. Building on the party change literature, we theorize on personnel renewal in the party executive as a potential stand-alone driver of party policy change as well as on its interplay with other explanatory factors and test empirical implications based on all major Austrian parties (1949–2019). Findings suggest that personnel renewal in the party executive has a profound effect on party policy and that these personnel changes are in part driven by party performance.

Unpacking the relation between learning orientation and product innovation: Does strategic flexibility matter?

Abstract Learning orientation emphasizes the importance of learning from any experience. It is grounded on commitment to learn, shared vision, open‐mindedness, and knowledge sharing. Organizational knowledge management literature based on social complexity theory posits that learning orientation makes companies generate new knowledge through spontaneous multi-level iterations and self-organization. Challenges related to the current business environment requires companies to constantly adjust to remain competitive. Still, the mechanisms making learning-oriented companies more capable to develop innovative product have been scantly explored. Pertinent literature actually conjectures this relationship as spontaneous, directed, and unmediated. Moreover, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)rarely represent the context of analysis of research on this topic. Frequently lacking resources to systematically pursue product innovation, SMEs rely on solutions deriving from the combination of internal knowledge and external sources; thus, these companies depend on learning orientation principles to remain innovative. In this vein, the research aims to understand how learning orientation allows product innovation in SMEs through the achievement of strategic flexibility. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse data from 300 British SMEs. The results demonstrate the mediating role of strategic flexibility in the relationships between learning orientation and product innovation. The importance of innovation culture also emerged.

Undersea cable security in the Indo‐Pacific: Enhancing the Quad’s collaborative approach

Undersea communication cables carry the bulk of global communications, intelligence, and financial transactions daily. They are increasingly threatened, and Australia, Japan, India, and the US have begun coordinating cable security activities in the Indo-Pacific as the Quad. This article investigates the Quad’s role in undersea cable communication security, and analyzes its motivations, strengths, and the challenges it faces thereby illuminating the Quad’s evolving position in international security and its role in global governance. In doing so, it evaluates the Quad’s significance in addressing emerging security threats in the Indo-Pacific, attempts to fill critical gaps in policy formulation, and contributes to theories of informality and global governance. It begins by outlining threats to undersea communication cables. Second, it details the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience within the context of an informal intergovernmental organization literature. Third, it provides recommendations for policy formulation in undersea cable security and explores the Quad's potential for improving connectivity, resilience, and security. Finally, the article emphasizes the need to tailor policies to India’s unique position within the Quad and explores proactive measures like floating Quad-supported cable repair ships. These recommendations offer insights for policymakers to bolster global communication infrastructure, resilience, and provide public goods amidst multipolarity and great power rivalry.

Faces of Power in Organizations: Foundations, Applications, and Extension

Questions of power are core to organizations, organizing, and the conduct of the organized. Organizational research, however, often avoids addressing questions of power in the direct, explicit, straightforward fashion that their theoretical importance would warrant. Mainstream management and organization studies, including work and organizational psychology and organizational behavior, typically limit themselves to basic and narrow conceptualizations of episodic interpersonal power. Building on broader theorizing in political and social science, an integrative literature review has introduced the ‘four faces of power’ to organizational research a decade ago. Albeit frequently referred to, applications of this model seem rare. However, a systematic assessment of the literature is lacking. Against this backdrop, objectives of this contributions are three-fold: First, an overview of foundational theories and taxonomies for the study of power in organizations is provided. Secondly, a semi-systematic review of the uptake of the ‘four faces of power’ taxonomy in the organizational literature is presented. After seven identified applications are summarized, the current state of knowledge and further research needs are discussed. Finally, an extended version of ‘six faces of power’ is suggested. Envisioned is a perspective that puts power into the foreground of organizational research.

Hybrid Copresence: Issues of Re-Spatialization of Remote Work in Coworking Spaces

The re-spatialization of work in coworking spaces alters the social experience of teleworkers by involving two copresences associated with distinct organizational and spatiotemporal contexts: a remote copresence with the company and a physical copresence in the coworking space. Each can be experienced to different degrees between social isolation and perceived proximity. Nevertheless, the current literature does not provide an opportunity to make sense of the combination of copresences. From this perspective, data collected during an organizational ethnography conducted within two networks of coworking spaces were analyzed. The results show that the re-spatialization of work in coworking spaces generates a hybrid copresence that can be experienced in four ways: (reinforced) isolation, ubiquity, (guilty) compensation, and (frustrated) refocusing. The characteristics of these distinct situations and the possible evolutions from one to the other are explored and explained. The results are discussed in relation to the evolution of work in a post-COVID-19 era that seems to encourage the development of more hybrid practices and spatialities. Contributions to three fields of organizational literature are made: organizational space, telecommuting and distantiated forms of work, and coworking spaces. Managerial implications are also discussed around reflections on a more hybrid and multi-spatialized organization of work practices in organizations.

The Corporate Office as a WorkPlace: A Pandemic-Spanning Exploration of Organizational Place in Context

Past studies of the impact of the physical work environment on workers have generated mixed results in the organizational space literature. We apply an alternative perspective on how the workspace influences grounded in theorizing on place rather than space. Focusing on the corporate office, we explore the notion that organizations are best positioned to influence employees when they transform their work spaces into work places. Through a qualitative case study, we first uncover a time-spanning placemaking strategy that designers (i.e., organizational leaders) and users (i.e., employees) execute together to infuse place into organizational space. We also uncover place meanings that emerge in the corporate office, and describe outcomes of placemaking. Next, focusing on the longitudinal nature of our exploration which spanned both sides of the COVID-19 pandemic (pre-pandemic; lockdown; hybrid work), we reveal how place evolves with changing work contexts. Thus, our theoretical contribution is twofold: exploring place (including placemaking, place meanings, and place effects) in an under-explored work environment—the corporate office, and showcasing place as a dynamic phenomenon that responds to contextual forces. Practically, our findings illustrate the role place plays in the modern, virtual and physical, workplace. Potential challenges are discussed.

Fostering employee autonomy through rewards: a self-determination theory perspective

Purpose This paper aims to explain and determine the effect of rewards on employees’ autonomy by investigating the mediating effect of enabling controls on their relationship. Design/methodology/approach A three-wave survey strategy has been used to collect data from the alumni of a French business school. Structural equation modelling has been used for measures validating and hypotheses testing. Findings The study reveals a positive relationship between rewards and autonomy, mediated by enabling controls. Practical implications The study guides the process of administrating rewards to employees in a way that maximizes their autonomy, highlighting the crucial role of supervisors through enabling controls. Originality/value The study strives to create consensus regarding the long-existing debate on the effect of rewards on employees’ autonomy with the help of organizational theory literature. By considering the role of enabling controls, it provides a unique, cohesive framework to illustrate the intertwined relationship between the constructs.

The role of non-economic goals in academic spin-offs

AbstractActing as a crucial link between academia and the business world, Academic Spin-Offs (ASOs) play a key role in translating innovative technologies from academic discoveries into commercial applications. Despite their potential for technological advancements, ASOs often struggle with challenges in financial performance and growth. Traditional explanations attribute these challenges to a lack of commercial resources and competencies. However, since ASOs often demonstrate prolonged survival, such explanations may not fully explain the paradox in ASOs’ outcomes. This paper offers a novel perspective, highlighting how non-economic goals, deeply ingrained in the academic context in which ASOs originate, shape their behavior and outcomes. These goals, related to the dimensions of control, identity, and emotions, go beyond financial gains, reflecting concerns that are specific to the academic environment. Integrating the organizational goals literature with insights from academic entrepreneurship research, we present a conceptual model describing the origins and nature of these goals and explain how they can help shedding light on some paradoxes in ASOs’ development, growth, and performance events. Our model bears significant implications for the academic entrepreneurship literature and related public policy.

Narrative review of value frameworks in urothelial carcinoma and positioning of enfortumab vedotin

Aims Evaluate existing oncology value frameworks in terms of their methodology, structure, characteristics, and functionality using the example of enfortumab vedotin, an approved therapy for urothelial carcinoma. Methods A search of PubMed, grey literature, and official websites of relevant international organizations was performed from January 2022 to March 2023. Results Six frameworks were identified and analyzed, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s assessment framework, European Society for Medical Oncology’s Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Evidence Blocks, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s DrugAbacus, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s assessment framework, and the Drug Assessment Framework. Comparisons across frameworks were challenging, owing to differing approaches, objectives, perspectives, methodology, and criteria. Based on the results of the EV-301 study (NCT03474107), the European Society for Medical Oncology’s Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale assigned a score of 4 out of 5 to enfortumab vedotin administered after chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Evidence Blocks enabled assessment of enfortumab vedotin compared with other treatments for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, resulting in the positioning of enfortumab vedotin as a preferred regimen after chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Conclusions Application of value frameworks in oncology can contribute to informed value-based decision-making. However, comparisons across frameworks should be made with caution and limited to the same lines of treatment. Enfortumab vedotin may contribute to optimizing outcomes in patients previously treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma.