Unit Management Teams Research Articles

CEO's characteristics and value creation from corporate spin‐offs

AbstractAn important corporate spin‐off procedure is forming the spun‐off unit's management team by a parent firm, especially the selection of the spun‐off unit CEO. Using 207 completed spin‐offs with announcement and execution dates between 1994 and 2018, we investigate whether the financial expertise of spun‐off unit CEOs is an essential determinant of post‐spin‐off performance other than spun‐off unit CEOs’ other observable characteristics, including their general managerial skills. We find that the abnormal announcement returns for appointing financial expert CEOs at spun‐off units are between 2.83 and 3.14 percentage points larger than those generated for appointing non‐financial expert CEOs. Furthermore, spun‐off unit CEOs with financial expertise significantly improve spin‐off firms’ access to external capital resources and subsequent operating performance. Overall, we conclude that spun‐off unit CEOs’ financial expertise is a critical determinant of the value creation of spin‐off procedures. Our paper contributes to a growing literature on CEOs, their characteristics, and their impact on firm performance.

Flourish or flounder: Do trust-centric management controls encourage knowledge sharing and team performance?

We examine whether combinations of trust-centric controls promote knowledge sharing behavior, and, in turn, team performance. Using multi-source data from 138 business unit management teams (534 total respondents), we find that in-team clan control and in-team monitoring are positively associated with team performance via knowledge sharing, while the relative emphasis on team-based incentives is not. We also find that team-based incentives and in-team clan control are substitutes, while in-team monitoring complements both team-based incentives and in-team clan control. These results show that trust-centric controls can encourage knowledge sharing; moreover, in-team monitoring is important to getting the most benefit from using team-based incentives or in-team clan control. However, firms can make substitution choices between in-team clan control and team-based incentives as they both encourage a shared purpose.

Hydrogen explosion incident mitigation in steam reforming units through enhanced inspection and forecasting corrosion tools implementation

Hydrogen (H2) explosion effects recently examined, are confirming the devastating loss scenarios to humans, environment, assets, and associated business interruption. H2 production is a core process in refineries used in further process steps. Steam reforming of natural gas or a mix with naphtha or LPG is a common hydrogen production technique, where the latest technologies have adopted enhanced metallurgies to minimize explosion risk and the associated maintenance cost following plant degradation owing to corrosion effects. However, corrosion rates are still high in specific areas of piping and process equipment. The aim of this paper is to present a methodology based on semi-quantitative RBI modeling according to regulations by API and recent EN standards, adopting a family of linear regression forecasting models that depict the yearly corrosion rate (per corrosion loop) of a hydrogen production steam reforming unit; this is done under different operating conditions (e.g., temperature, pressure, and fluid speed), metallurgy and other related physicochemical variables. The model is based on the examination of both ultrasonic wall thinning measurements and the examination of quantitative crosslinking total corrosion effects along with the physicochemical properties prevailing in different plant corrosion loops. The outcome of the regression analysis is an expansive family of multivariable equations describing, with a defined accuracy, the yearly corrosion rate and associated lifespan forecast per corrosion loop, and per examined part. These equations were further utilized in a custom-made database that can be used as an additional loss prevention tool by the hydrogen production unit management team. Evaluation results regarding the tool efficiency are presented in the following of this paper.

Challenges of Participatory Community Monitoring of Biodiversity in Protected Areas in Brazilian Amazon

Participatory community monitoring programs (PCM) have become an important methodological innovation for the management of biodiversity conservation in protected areas. Based on the participation of the local communities, they are presented as less costly programs than conventional ones. However, in practical terms, such programs pose serious implementation challenges. In this article, we identify the achievements, obstacles, and perspectives of four PCM implemented in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Based on bibliographical and documentary research, direct observations and in-person interviews with program managers and specialists, we qualitatively evaluated these programs with respect to participation, data production and retrieval, and financing. We found that the performances of these programs were not yet adequate to their protected areas management priorities and that they had not yet generated perceptible benefits enough to enhance community trust and full appropriation of the programs’ outcomes by resource users and by conservation unit management teams.

Management teams' regulatory foci and organizational units' exploratory innovation: The mediating role of coordination mechanisms

We further current understanding about the role of management teams in driving exploratory innovation by proposing that the regulatory focus of an organizational unit's management team is a key antecedent of the unit's level of exploratory innovation, and by clarifying the organizational coordination mechanisms through which this antecedent generates the unit's exploratory innovation. Our results, based on a survey of 748 managers from 69 organizational units of a large multinational semiconductor company, indicate that the promotion focus of a unit's management team relates positively to the unit's exploratory innovation. In contrast, prevention focus has a marginal negative effect. These effects are mediated by the management team's use of decentralization and connectedness. Our research advances theory development regarding the micro-foundations of organizational innovation and increases our understanding of how the views of a unit's management team are reflected in the unit's level of exploratory innovation and therefore impact the unit's chances of survival.

Risk factors and clinical analysis of candidemia in very-low-birth-weight neonates.

Candidemia is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality in preterm or very-low-birth-weight infants. The incidence and risk factors of candidemia in this population are poorly known in western China. A case-control retrospective study of candidemia was conducted from January 2012-November 2015 in the Liuzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital. Data were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Forty-eight confirmed cases of candidemia were identified during the study period, indicating an incidence of 106.9 per 1,000 admissions of very-low-birth-weight infants. Candida albicans was the most common pathogen and was isolated in 39.6% of infants with candidemia. The mortality rate of the case group was 10.4% versus 2.1% in the control group (P = .128). The multivariable logistic regression model identified that carbapenem use (odds ratio [OR], 11.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.28-39.54), total parenteral nutrition (OR, 10.16; 95% CI, 2.25-45.94), and prolonged hospitalization (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) were all associated with the risk of developing neonatal candidemia. Very-low-birth-weight infants are at a significantly high risk of developing candidemia. The local neonatal intensive care unit management teams should effectively focus on decreasing the overall use of carbapenems, improving catheter care, removing catheters early, and shortening hospitalizations to reduce the incidence of candidemia.

Advice networks in teams: The role of transformational leadership and members' core self-evaluations.

This article examines the team-level factors promoting advice exchange networks in teams. Drawing upon theory and research on transformational leadership, team diversity, and social networks, we hypothesized that transformational leadership positively influences advice network density in teams and that advice network density serves as a mediating mechanism linking transformational leadership to team performance. We further hypothesized a 3-way interaction in which members' mean core self-evaluation (CSE) and diversity in CSE jointly moderate the transformational leadership-advice network density relationship, such that the relationship is positive and stronger for teams with low diversity in CSE and high mean CSE. In addition, we expected that advice network centralization attenuates the positive influence of network density on team performance. Results based on multisource data from 79 business unit management teams showed support for these hypotheses. The results highlight the pivotal role played by transformational leadership and team members' CSEs in enhancing team social networks and, ultimately, team effectiveness.

Book Reviews

Toward phenomenology of groups and group membership - an introduction, H. Sondak Using existential-phenomenology to study a work team, R. Stablein Transitory interactions - fieldwork on the phenomenology of groups in organizations, A.B. Hargadon Why some teams emphasize learning more than others - evidence from business unit management teams, J.S. Bunderson, K.M. Sutcliffe Creating and reducing intergroup conflict - the role of perspective-taking in affecting out-group evaluations, A.D. Galinsky Terms of engagement - why do people invest themselves in work?, T.R. Tyler, S. Blader Why am I here? The influence of group and relational attributes on member-initiated team selection, Z.I. Barsness et al. Familiarity in groups - exploring the relationship between inter-member familiarity and group behavior, T.L. Rockett, G.A. Okhuysen Helping transnational team members to sense trust - a counterintuitive approach to leadership, G.M. Spreitzer et al. Getting and staying in-pace - the "in-synch" preference and its implications for work groups, S. Blount, G. Janicik Making sense of the phenomenology of groups and group membership, H. Sondak.

Management team learning orientation and business unit performance.

Although research has suggested that teams can differ in the extent to which they encourage proactive learning and competence development among their members (a team learning orientation), the performance consequences of these differences are not well understood. Drawing from research on goal orientation and team learning, this article suggests that, although a team learning orientation can encourage adaptive behaviors that lead to improved performance, it is also possible for teams to compromise performance in the near term by overemphasizing learning, particularly when they have been performing well. A test of this proposition in a sample of business unit management teams provides strong support. The results confirm that an appropriate emphasis on learning can have positive consequences for team effectiveness.

TEAM MEMBER FUNCTIONAL BACKGROUND AND INVOLVEMENT IN MANAGEMENT TEAMS.

This paper examines the relationship between a team member's functional background and two indicators of intra-team influence: centrality in the team's workflow and involvement in team decision-making. It is argued that a functional background that provides valued expertise or that is similar to the functional backgrounds of other team members will be associated with both forms of influence but that power centralization becomes a critical moderating variable when predicting decision involvement. So whereas functional expertise leads to decision involvement in decentralized teams, functional background similarity matters more for decision involvement in centralized teams. A test of these hypotheses in a sample of managers from business unit management teams provides strong support.

Dumfries

My work has four main strands – patient care, membership of the unit management team, clinical research and the College. At different times I can, or have to, place greater or lesser emphasis on any one of these areas – the result is a job virtually devoid of routine. Let me tell you about each area. I hope by doing so you will also learn a little about what is going on in psychiatry north of the border. You will know we arrange things rather differently from the rest of the United Kingdom.

A unit management team's second year of business

A unit management team's second year of business

A unit management team's second year of business

A unit management team's second year of business

Analysis of a unit management team's first year of business.

Analysis of a unit management team's first year of business.

Prevention in practice: what Wessex general practitioners are doing.

A random sample of 214 general practitioners in the Wessex region was invited to complete a postal questionnaire about the practice of preventive medicine and 90% replied. This inquired into their attitude and behaviour towards smoking and accident prevention, promoting exercise, and controlling obesity and hypertension. The results were generally encouraging. Most recognised their key role in health promotion and health education and their shared responsibility with other professionals. Many had made progress in smoking prevention and control of obesity and hypertension. Promoting exercise and accident prevention left room for improvement. The availability of information in patients' records to identify and monitor problem areas was particularly lacking. We conclude that further progress might be achieved by better training of general practitioners, and developing information systems orientated towards promoting health. The team approach in primary care needs to be strengthened. In particular extending the role of the health visitor and practice nurse may provide the support so vital for the successful outcome of preventive initiatives. Community unit management teams need to consider carefully how they may encourage advances in health promotion in primary care.