The Diversity Paradox

The diversity paradox is an organizational emphasis placed upon one potential understanding of diversity which, paradoxically, deemphasizes alternative expressions of individual difference. An organizational focus on representations of gender, for instance, synchronously moves the focus away from sexual orientation; an focus on sexual orientation synchronously moves the focus away from age; and so on. The diversity paradox commonly manifests via six interrelated tenants. First, organizational discourses promote a fractionated understanding of what it means to be a diverse organization, resulting in a visible hierarchy of difference and the sense of false attainment among its leadership. Among organizational members, this false attainment results in neglected representation for certain minorities, as well as diminished alternatives for organizational life and an increased level of potential tokenism. The present article explores the diversity paradox in more detail, including its background, six primary tenants, and future recommendations.

Renovating Healthcare Facility Maintenance Planning: A Case Study From Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)

Purpose: This article documents the development and implementation of a new approach for health facilities construction and maintenance planning, the use of a Facilities and Clinical Coordination (FCC) Council, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC). Background: WRNMMC is preparing for the largest and most complex renovation project in recent Department of Defense history. There is sparse documentation demonstrating stepwise frameworks for the implementation of effective and efficient health facilities maintenance management tools and techniques. Method: This study discusses the development and evaluation of the FCC Council. Clarity to the literature sources guiding the development of the FCC Council is provided, followed by the survey approach undertaken to assess Council efficacy based on participants’ perceptions. Data are analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Our study suggests routine cross-functional synchronous FCC Council meetings improve perceptions of safety and communication, encourage teamwork, and are more productive when conducted using synchronous rather than asynchronous communication. Clinician participants strongly supported the face-to-face meeting approach and considered such meetings more effective as they are perceived to maintain staff and patient safety as a constant organizational focus. Conclusion: The FCC’s perceived effectiveness toward improving healthcare facilities maintenance planning centers on engaged leadership, the inclusion of diverse subject matter experts, and structured group facilitation. Our results inform health facilities planners of the value the FCC Council brings to an organization by helping to develop organizational buy-in for major facilities renovation projects.

Leading entrepreneurial sustainability initiatives in emerging economies

PurposeThis conceptual paper develops a theoretical framework to provide insights with respect to enhancing focus on entrepreneurial sustainability initiatives in the context of emerging economies. The unique idiosyncrasies of the institutional environment of emerging economies are identified along the concept of scripts.Design/methodology/approachSense-making and social identity theory are utilized to draw propositions along with the dimensions of the three stages of the sense-making process: enactment, selection and retention, in order to identify factors that are likely to motivate the next generation of business leaders in emerging economies to undertake greater levels of sustainability initiatives.FindingsWhen organizations face competing demands of meeting both social and financial goals, sense-making by next-generation leaders becomes relevant. Leaders with greater entrepreneurial orientation (EO) are more likely to take actions decoupled from local isomorphic pressures, such that they turn opportunities for sustainability into novel sustainable initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a framework to provide insights and directions for future research with respect to enhancing an organizational focus on sustainability initiatives in the context of emerging economies.

G Factor Injection and Activation into the Enterprise System in a Management Pioneer Vision: The Paccess' Way for the Governance of Complex Organizations

Introduction: This paper examines, through a biographical approach, the practical activities and overall theoretical corpus of Pacces, an Italian technician and pre-cursor of managerial economy and culture, focusing on his formula for governing the 1970s ‘macro-enterprises', a complex organization's emblem. The article then, through a long period of empirical research, investigates the applicability of this ‘recipe' to large modern companies. Aims of the work: This Article has three objectives: a) to fill a cognitive gap within the existing literature; b) to show, putting on an organizational lens, how some of Pacces' ideas were not only exceptional for his time but still current - confirming his extraordinary vision - and harbingers of important implications for the mana-gerial world; and c) to be a starting point for subsequent studies, stimulating intel-lectual debate and research proliferation. Methodological approach: Consists of two techniques: 1) analysis and critical ex-amination of the Pacces' opera omnia, with a focus on organizational theory; 2) empirical analysis, over a decade, on the applicability of the conceptual system to homogeneous companies (to those studied by the Author), conducted with quali-tative techniques, mainly participant observation and semi-structured interviews with Senior Management. Main findings: The study adds a unique contribution to the knowledge of the Au-thor's organizational thinking. The empirical research shows, moreover, how his intuitions are extraordinary and highly topical but remain rarely applied by the Ital-ian Companies. Originality: Originality therefore lies in the organizational focus, never used before in the Professor's study, and in the long managerial applicability test of the theo-retical-practical corpus. Tools, not only conceptual, indicated by the Theorist to improve organizational practices could be used by management in a continuous improvement perspective

Assessing industrial barriers of additively manufactured digital spare part implementation in the machine-building industry: a cross-organizational focus group interview study

PurposeAlthough additive manufacturing (AM) has been demonstrated to have significant potential in improving spare part delivery operations and has been adopted to a degree in the aviation and automotive industries, its use in spare part production is still limited in other fields due to a variety of implementation barriers. The purpose of this article is to assess the significance of previously reported barriers in the context of the machine-building industry.Design/methodology/approachAdoption barriers are identified from the literature and formulated as hypotheses, which are verified with a set of focus group interviews consisting of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), AM service providers and quality inspection and insurance institutions. The results of the interviews are reported qualitatively, and the transcripts of the interviews are subjected to quantitative content analysis.FindingsThe article identifies distrust in quality, insufficient material and design knowledge among stakeholders and poor availability of design documentation on spare parts as the key barriers of adopting AM in the production of spare parts. The three key barriers are interconnected and training engineers to be proficient in design and material issues as well as producing high-quality design documentation will yield the highest increase in AM implementation in spare parts.Originality/valueThe article offers a unique approach as it investigates the subjective views of a cross-organizational group of industrial actors involved in the machine-building industry. The article contributes to the theory of digital spare parts by verifying and rejecting presented barriers of AM implementation and how they are interconnected.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Antecedents for Digital Transformation in the Workplace: A Conceptual Framework

The emergence of coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused us to reconsider our everyday lives around the world. While the ability to work from home is an advantage to many workers, other businesses lack the foundation of the technological infrastructure to give the capacity of “business as usual” without some compromises. The goal of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework on digital transformations antecedents of global workplaces and organizations post-pandemic outbreak. The study emphasized that the most effective transformations point to four antecedents; smart capital allocation for digital initiatives, engagement of appropriate digital tools, talent recruitment, and brand permission. The study concluded that the global pandemic has created a whole new experience for businesses and organizations around the world. Therefore, business executives cannot sit on their laurels any longer and they cannot put off a digital transformation organizational focus. Henceforth, taking the right decisions today would help ensure that businesses are better placed after the pandemic is over.

The Diversity Paradox

The diversity paradox is an organizational emphasis placed upon one potential understanding of diversity which, paradoxically, deemphasizes alternative expressions of individual difference. An organizational focus on representations of gender, for instance, synchronously moves the focus away from sexual orientation; an focus on sexual orientation synchronously moves the focus away from age; and so on. The diversity paradox commonly manifests via six interrelated tenants. First, organizational discourses promote a fractionated understanding of what it means to be a diverse organization, resulting in a visible hierarchy of difference and the sense of false attainment among its leadership. Among organizational members, this false attainment results in neglected representation for certain minorities, as well as diminished alternatives for organizational life and an increased level of potential tokenism. The present article explores the diversity paradox in more detail, including its background, six primary tenants, and future recommendations.

Teletrabajo, crisis de la Covid-19 y Administraciones Públicas: una mirada sociológica

Laburpena: Covid-19ak ekarritako krisiaren ondorioz lan-jarduerak izan duen beherakadari aurre egiteko tresna gisa ezarri da telelana. Krisialdian zehar izan zuen hedapena, duela gutxi arte lortutako barneratze eskasarekin kontrastatzen da. Hainbat azterlan hasi dira ebaluatzen konfinamenduaren eta telelanaren arteko konbinazioaren eraginak, eta langileen eguneroko bizitzako alderdietan izan dituen ondorioak nabarmendu dituzte. Emaitzek eragin positiboak eta negatiboak erakusten dituzte lan-osasunean, kontziliazioan, autonomian eta denboren kontrolean, eta berriz erakusten dute telelana lantzeko funtsezko gakoa erakunde-ikuspegia dela. Resumen: El teletrabajo se ha implementado como instrumento para hacer frente a la caída de la actividad laboral derivada de la crisis de la Covid-19. Su expansión durante la crisis contrasta con la escasa penetración lograda hasta fechas recientes. Diferentes estudios han comenzado a evaluar los impactos de la combinación entre confinamiento y teletrabajo, destacando los efectos que ha tenido sobre aspectos de la vida cotidiana de los empleados. Los resultados reflejan impactos positivos y negativos sobre salud laboral, conciliación, autonomía y control, de tiempos, mostrando una vez más que la clave fundamental para abordar el teletrabajo es un enfoque organizacional. Abstract: Teleworking has been implemented as an instrument to offset the fall in work activity caused by the Covid-19 crisis. Its expansion during the crisis contrasts with the low penetration achieved until recently. Different studies have begun to evaluate the impacts of the combination between confinement and telework, highlighting the effects it has had on aspects of the employees' daily lives. The results reflect positive and negative impacts on occupational health, work-life balance, autonomy and time control, showing once again that the fundamental key to approaching teleworking is an organizational focus.