scholarly journals Purchasing’s tasks at the interface between internal and external networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-171
Author(s):  
Steffen Muxoll Bastholm ◽  
Kristin B. Munksgaard
Keyword(s):  
User Interface ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Relationship Management ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The strategic importance of the purchasing function increases, as its task become more dynamic in various interfaces with different suppliers. Changes in these customer–supplier interfaces pose specific challenges. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the purchasing function handles the interplay of interface changes. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a qualitative single case study design. Data are collected through observations and interviews conducted before, during and after a concrete change of interface taking place between a buying firm and its suppliers and customers. Findings Three main findings are identified to redefine the tasks of the purchasing function. The first concerns the new ways of defining the purchasing tasks. The main issue is to balance tasks with the simultaneous changes influencing other interfaces and relationships. The second is the division and alignment of tasks in intra- and inter-organizational networks with regards to who decides and coordinates what. Third, the inter-connected performance relates to how other actors perform their tasks. For the purchasing function, managing supplier interfaces influences and is influenced by how the firm simultaneously manages its user interface. Practical implications For management, a new way to evaluate the performance of the purchasing function is needed by including relationship management and interactive capabilities. Originality/value This study contributes with new insights into how managing the dynamics of changing interfaces requires interactively defined purchasing tasks, division and alignment of tasks and inter-connected performance vis-à-vis others in the wider network setting.

How non-executive strategy professionals in multi-business firms strategize

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pontus Wadström
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Strategy Formulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper expands theory on strategists by investigating how non-executive strategy professionals in multi-business firms strategize. In focus is the strategizing of two groups of non-executive strategy professionals: a corporate strategy team and eleven business strategists employed in each of the incorporated units.Design/methodology/approachA case study design was employed to explore privileged accessed data to gain first-hand in-depth qualities of strategists' work. The design was characterized by phenomenon driven immersed participatory insider research with retrospective reflection and theorizing. Data includes strategies, interview data, calendars, meeting minutes, workshop material and observational field notes.FindingsNon-executive strategy professionals in multi-business firms are either employed at the corporate center or in the peripheral businesses. Based on this location and their individual experiences they assume an exclusive content or an inclusive process strategizing orientation. In practice, the groups strategize tightly together.Research limitations/implicationsCase studies are useful in explorative research providing thick descriptions. While empirically rich, the results of this study are limited by the context of one single case. Future research is encouraged to confirm, contradict and refine the results presented.Practical implicationsThe insights from this study can help organizations regarding how to employ strategy professionals in multi-business firms.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to a recognized need to explore strategists' work. In contrary to the majority of existing research, focusing on senior management and/or strategy formulation, this paper highlighted non-executive strategy professionals' strategizing.

My 28-year journey with cannabis: from terminal disease to post-pharmaceutical healing

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-146
Author(s):  
Sarah Jane Godfrey
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Right To Health ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Medical Cannabis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Constitutional Right ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to convey the experience of medical cannabis users and growers in the UK. Design/methodology/approach Biography and personal ethnograpy. Findings Medical cannabis users are forced into cultivating their own medicine. Research limitations/implications Single case study. Practical implications There is an urgent need for policy change to enable medical cannabis users to access their medication easily and affordably. Social implications A rising number of people are denied their constitutional right to health by a misguided policy. Originality/value This study fills a major gap in the literature on medical cannabis growers.

Heritage and development outside the metropolis

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Heritage Management ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of heritage and participation to sustainable development in a postindustrial context. Special attention is paid to the problematic fields of attractiveness, growth and participation. New ways of working this field are called for. Design/methodology/approach – The study relies on retrospectiveparticipatory observation, citizen participation and document analysis. Findings – There is a complex relationship between experts and citizens/participants, and heritage and history are considered to be domains of experts. Therefore heritage projects have problems surviving the exodus of experts. Heritage is not perceived as asset for building new businesses by most citizens, but as values “out there”. Heritage may function as a meeting place, attracting different groups of people, but there are complex mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. A model and a method are put forward for uniting experts and citizens, and driving the integration of heritage in other sectors of society to create innovative sustainability processes. Research limitations/implications – A single case study, taking place under special conditions. However, both the results and the context correspond well with similar studies. Practical implications – Furthering of integration of heritage management and antiquarian actions in other societal sectors. Social implications – More stable networks of citizens/stakeholders and antiquarians. Originality/value – A fairly large project involving a multitude of stakeholders and societal interests.

The diffusion of management ideas within the MNC: under the sway of the corporate immune system

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Kristiansen ◽  
Roger Schweizer
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Multinational Company ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Development Practice

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to the multinational company (MNC) literature by studying the diffusion of a management idea within an MNC and its interaction with the MNC’s corporate immune system (CIS). Design/methodology/approach The qualitative single case study draws on evidence of how a management idea augments within an MNC and changes its development practice. Findings The study identifies four phases of the diffusion process and presents the interaction between the management idea and the CIS in each phase. Practical implications The more subsidiaries within an MNC that take the initiative to adopt a management idea, the harder will it become for the headquarters (HQ) to reject it. Thus, to ensure that changes in management practices are based on informed and, ideally, deliberate decisions, managers should critically evaluate management ideas immediately at inception. Originality/value The study breaks new ground by explaining how the CIS reacts to the diffusion of management ideas in MNCs.

“Speaking truth to power”: analysing shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 510-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Tregidga
Keyword(s):  
Power Relations ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transformative Potential ◽  
Perceived Impacts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the act of shadow reporting by a social movement organisation as a form of shadow accounting within a sustained campaign against a target corporation. Situated within a consideration of power relations, the rationales underlying the production of the shadow report, and the shadow reports perceived value and limits as a shadow accounting mechanism, are investigated. Design/methodology/approach A Foucauldian approach to power/knowledge and truth is drawn upon in the analysis of a single case study. Alongside a consideration of the shadow report itself, interviews with both the preparers of the report and senior management of the corporation targeted comprise the main data. Findings The paper provides an empirical investigation into shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting. While a range of insights are garnered into the preparation, dissemination and impact of the shadow report, key findings relate to a consideration of power relations. The perceived “truth” status of corporate accounts compared to accounts prepared by shadow accountants is problematised through a consideration of technologies of power and power/knowledge formations. Power relations are subsequently recognised as fundamental to the emancipatory potential of shadow reporting. Research limitations/implications Results from a single case study are presented. Furthermore, given the production of the shadow report occurred several years prior to the collection of data, participants were asked to reflect on past events. Findings are therefore based on those reflections. Originality/value While previous studies have considered the preparation of shadow reports and their transformative potential, this study is, the author believes, the first to empirically analyse the preparation, dissemination and perceived impacts of shadow reporting from the perspectives of both the shadow report producers and the target corporation.

Unmasking conflict in vertical coopetition

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anni Rajala ◽  
Annika Tidström
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
And Task

Purpose The purpose of this study is to increase understanding about vertical coopetition from the perspective of interrelated conflict episodes on multiple levels. Design/methodology/approach The empirical part is based on a qualitative single case study of a coopetitive buyer-supplier relationship in the manufacturing sector. Findings Conflicts in vertical coopetition evolve from being merely functional and task-related to becoming dysfunctional and relationship-related, as the level of competition increases. The nature of conflict episodes influences the development of vertical coopetition, and therefore, the interrelatedness of conflict episodes is important to acknowledge. Practical implications Although a conflict is considered functional within a company, it may still be dysfunctional as far as the coopetitive relationship with the buyer or seller is concerned. Competition may trigger conflicts related to protecting own technology and knowledge, which may lead to termination of the cooperation, therefore coopetition should be managed in a way that balance sharing and protecting important knowledge to get advantages of coopetition. Originality/value The findings enhance prior research on vertical coopetition by offering new perspectives on causes of conflicts, their management, outcomes and types. The value of taking a multilevel approach lies in the ability to show how conflicts occur and influence other conflicts through the interrelatedness of conflict elements on different levels.

Lean Six Sigma in policing services

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 935-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiju Antony ◽  
Bryan Rodgers ◽  
Inness Coull ◽  
Vijaya Sunder M.
Keyword(s):  
Six Sigma ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Learning Points

Purpose This paper is based on a single case study carried out as part of a change programme but is used as a reflective tool to draw on some of the wider organisational learning which can be considered when implementing, reviewing or re-energise a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Programme. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach has been used and referenced throughout the paper with references to literature to support the wider learning points drawn which are then applied to any continuous improvement (CI) programmes. Findings The paper presents a range of learning points which are drawn from a successful deployment of LSS within a change project carried out as part of an overall programme in Scottish policing services. Research limitations/implications The points are drawn from a single case study which was deployed within a wider change programme and is supported by wider literature but is used as a vehicle for informing strategic considerations within an organisation. Originality/value This case study is drawn from policing services in the public sector which alone is an area that has not been significantly studied. It is used to explore wider implications in terms of strategic alignment, organisational performance and project management and presents the argument that the design of a CI programme is much wider than the implementation of LSS itself.

Analyzing the formation of a paradoxical organizational identity

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1227-1241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Felix
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Identity ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
Optimal Distinctiveness ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose This study aims to understand the construction process of an organizational identity in a hybrid organization. Design/methodology/approach The author developed a single case study based on in-depth interviews, non-participant observations and document analysis in a credit cooperative. Findings After periods of changes in organizational identity (from idealism to pragmatism), the formation of a paradoxical organizational identity was observed in which the core value became a central polarity between idealism and pragmatism; after periods when members engaged in actions that promoted resistance or change, they framed past events in a story of stable dynamics between idealism and pragmatism; and pro-distinctiveness and -similarity forces in relation to other organizations were reconciled in a quest for optimal distinctiveness that simultaneously enabled the development of uniqueness and adequacy. Originality/value This is the first study to adopt a paradox perspective to analyze the identity of a cooperative.

Case studies in humanitarian logistics research

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Vega
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Humanitarian Logistics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Research ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Chain Of Evidence ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeConsidered a strong method for exploratory investigations, case study research has become part of the mainstream approach, particularly in the field of humanitarian logistics (HL) and supply chain management. Nevertheless, similar to other logistics and SCM-related fields, rigor is not at its best. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for crafting case study research in HL, based on an analysis of published case study-based research.Design/methodology/approachThe study classifies and compares the use of case studies in HL research, based on criteria developed from the methodology literature including purpose, type and volume of data, and type of analysis.FindingsWhile case studies become more frequent, the results point out a lack of rigor, particularly regarding chain of evidence and the use of frameworks for case study rationale and analysis.Research limitations/implicationsThe study proposes a framework for case study design, based on four “check questions” that can help researchers to go through the process of crafting a case study.Practical implicationsThe study provides practitioners with more understanding of case studies in HL research, which they can use when calling for or evaluating such studies in their organizations.Originality/valueThis paper offers an initial framework for conducting case studies in HL.

Learning crisis unit through post-crisis: characteristics and mechanisms

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 198-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hela Chebbi ◽  
Aline Pereira Pündrich
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Learning Cycle ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Oil Company ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Mixed Framework

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the characteristics that a crisis unit should have to achieve effective learning after crisis. Literature has identified many relations between learning organizations and crisis; yet, there is a dearth of research on specific studies about crisis units and their post-crisis learning features. Thus, this paper aims to fill such a gap by giving some practical answers to this question: How can the crisis unit reduce defensiveness phase and extend openness and forgetfulness while learning after the crisis? Design/methodology/approach – This research mobilizes a framework composed by three theoretical grids: the post-crisis learning cycle (Kovoor-Misra and Nathan, 2000); the characteristics of a learning organization (Senge, 1990); and the mechanisms of crisis learning (Mitki and Herstein, 2011). A qualitative investigation is conducted to study a crisis within an oil company (PON). Findings – This paper shows that the duration of the learning cycle depends not only on the organization context but also on the characteristics of the crisis unit. Along with the cognitive, structural and procedural mechanisms, which contributed differently in each phase, the mixed framework allowed operationalizing Senge’s dimensions. Research limitations/implications – The elaboration of a single case study could be considered as a limitation, although it allows a deeper analysis of events within the organization. Practical implications – This paper pinpoints the characteristics that organizations should have as well as the learning mechanisms they should use during each phase of the post-crisis learning cycle. Originality/value – This paper analyzes crisis units as learning structures, which has not been seen yet in known literature.

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