Journal of Management Inquiry recent issues

Editor's Introduction

Phillips, N., Washington, M. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Management, Prophets, and Self-Fulfilling Prophecies

Dyck, B., Starke, F. A., Dueck, C. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

This article responds to the increasing calls in the literature for "new prophets and old ideals" on which to develop (Radical) management theory and practice that will help us escape the "iron cage" and the undue emphasis on materialism and individualism that characterizes conventional management. The authors examine teachings ascribed to Jesus in the biblical record, which have historically been used to support conventional management theory and practice, and show how they can be (re)interpreted from a less materialist—individualist moral point-of-view to support a radical view of management theory and practice. Implications for management theory and practice are noted.

Editor's Introduction

Jones, C. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Heading Toward a Society of Networks: Empirical Developments and Theoretical Challenges

Raab, J., Kenis, P. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

In the essay, it is first argued that Western societies are moving towards a society of networks, i.e. a society, in which the formal, vertically integrated organization that has dominated the 20th century is replaced or at least complemented by consciously created and goal directed networks of three and more organizations (whole networks). To substantiate this proposition we describe and analyze the development of organizational forms and the subsequent scientific efforts to grasp these developments theoretically and methodologically in the last 200-300 years. Second, the current state of network theory is briefly evaluated with regard to whole networks. In a third part, future research avenues concerning the development of theories that explain the coming into being, functioning, structure, governance and dissolution of whole networks (network theories) are discussed.

Toward a Network Society: Some Reflections on Dark Sides--Figurative and Literal

Ring, P. S., De Leo, F. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Part I of the article offers "traditional" academic comment on what Raab and Kenis (2009) do say in their article about the topics they address. Then, in ways that radically depart from the normal academic discourse in such cases, Part II discusses some things that they do not "say" but which need to start to become an integral part of "regular" academic discourse on these kinds of topics by focusing on the "dark" sides of a society of networks—dark, figuratively, and dark, literally.

Editor's Introduction

Jamieson, D. W. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Dynamics of Multiple Memories: Reflections From an Inquiry

Vakkayil, J. D. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

In this article, the author reflects on how a study on "organizational memory" in the context of software development firms in India brought forth a number of issues associated with choices in research. He proposes the conceptualization of organizational memory in heterogeneous, multiple kinds of ways, emphasizing its plurality and explores how this can be done along varied dimensions. He also demonstrates how these findings in turn influenced the ensuing doctoral work, including the framework chosen and the methodology adopted.

Editor's Introduction

Maitlis, S. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Work--Life Balance?: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Everyday Home--Work Dynamics

Cohen, L., Duberley, J., Musson, G. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Based on data generated in autoethnographic conversations among the three authors, in this article the authors critique the prevailing metaphor of work—life balance. They offer instead a conceptualization of the relationship between work and nonwork aspects of life that is more dynamic and less reductionist and in which emotions, as well as issues of autonomy, control, and identity, are integral features. These conversations elucidate home and work realms not as reified entities but rather as elastic constructions reinforced and also at times changed and redrawn in the course of the authors' interaction.

Editor's Introduction

Kieser, A. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

As If it Were Relevant: A Systems Theoretical Perspective on the Relation Between Science and Practice

Rasche, A., Behnam, M. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

This article discusses the concept of research relevance from a systems theoretical perspective. Based on the claim that many scholars still think of relevance as something that can be achieved and enhanced by choosing the "right" measures (e.g., "user-friendly" writing style), the authors argue that such a perspective obscures the self-referential status of "science" and "practice" as social systems in society. Our systems theoretical discussion, which is based on the work of German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, shows that, strictly speaking, science cannot produce relevant knowledge prior to application. Instead, practice has to make scientific knowledge relevant by incorporating it into the specific logic of its system. We argue that such an integration of knowledge is only possible by first acting as if the offered knowledge were relevant and to then modify and extend it according to the idiosyncrasies of the system. We characterize these as-if assumptions as fictions and show their significance for rethinking the concept of relevance.

Editor's Introduction

Gioia, D. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Academic Music Making in Vienna: A Commentary on Professional Meetings

Altman, Y. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Out of Whack

Vance, C. M. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:14:27 PDT

Editor's Introduction

Washington, M. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Regaining Lost Relevance

Lorsch, J. W. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

How has the study of organizations evolved since its inception before and after World War II, and how should its trajectory be changed? These are the central questions the author raises in this article. His basic argument is that the founders of this field of inquiry and their immediate disciples are concerned with building knowledge that was relevant to managers and leaders, in fact, to anyone concerned with improving organizations. However, in the intervening years, in spite of, or maybe because of the growing number of scholars involved, their research has lost its relevance to practice. The author lays out his view of why this has transpired and provides some thoughts of how this probably can be rectified. At the heart of his argument is the fundamental belief that we can have both rigorous and relevant research. One does not have to occur at the expense of the other.

Editor's Introduction

Washington, M. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Maestro Neeme Jarvi on Leadership: The Power of Innovation, Stakeholder Relations, Teamwork, and Nonverbal Communication

Strubler, D. C., Evangelista, R. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Neeme Jarvi is one of the most prolific living conductors in the world with more than 350 recordings. During his 15 years as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), he gained international reputation as an orchestra builder. When Jarvi took over the DSO, the demoralized and debt-ridden orchestra was floundering. Under Jarvi's inspiring and creative team-oriented leadership, the DSO was touring, recording, and out of debt within 2 years. Jarvi immigrated with his family to the United States in 1980 from then communist-controlled Estonia. He accepted a contract with Columbia Artists and has now given more than 1,200 concerts in 125 cities, conducting 72 orchestras. A graduate of the Leningrad Conservatory, he has held or currently holds posts with major orchestras in Estonia, Japan, Sweden, Scotland, and now New Jersey. His debuts were with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted nearly all of the major orchestras of the United States and Europe.

Editor's Introduction

Jamieson, D. W. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Academic Governance of Universities: Reflections of a Senate Chair on Moving From Theory to Practice and Back

Bradshaw, P., Fredette, C. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

This article, dealing with the topic of academic governance, is based on the experiences and reflections of a previous chair of a university senate. Grounded in recognition of the ever-increasing turbulence and complexity of the context of universities, it reveals some of the gaps and what gets silenced in the process and explores the paradoxical and inherently political nature of governance. Building on the current literature, the article attempts to extend and differentiate our conceptualization of governance and leadership as critical functions for university performance. In particular, governance is conceived of as the reframing, challenging, and questioning of the leadership vision and interpretation of reality and focuses on both external as well as internal trends over the long term and in ways that maximize responsiveness and strategic opportunities.

Reflections on Academic Governance

Feyerherm, A. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Reframing Shared Governance: Rediscovering the Soul of Campus Collaboration

Gallos, J. V. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

This article explores an alternative perspective to the traditional combative nature of faculty—administrative relations on university campuses. More specifically, it suggests a reframing of the role and purpose of faculty or university senates to capture the collaboration at the heart of shared university governance.

On Putting Theory Into Practice

Posner, B. Z. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Theory to Practice in Academic Governance: Not the Last Word

Bradshaw, P., Fredette, C. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Editor's Introduction

Maitlis, S. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Reputation Management in the Salvation Army: A Narrative Study

Middleton, S. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Leading theorists of the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm have argued that corporate reputation is an intangible resource for organizations. Despite this, there remains precious little research that documents how organizations manage their corporate reputations. This article presents a case study of Australia's most successful charity, The Salvation Army, and asks how it maintained an exemplary reputation despite allegations of sexual, mental, and physical abuse from children in its care during the period from the 1950s to 1970s? A strategy of narrative deconstruction is employed to make the argument that there are powerful underlying themes in The Salvation Army's narrative that protect the organization from reputational attack. It is argued that this narrative approach opens a new avenue for studying and understanding corporate reputations. A model of reputation management in The Salvation Army is developed from this analysis.

Editor's Introduction

Kieser, A. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Reflections on the Societal Conditions for the Pervasiveness of Entrepreneurial Behavior in Western Societies

Brandl, J., Bullinger, B. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Entrepreneurship has become an important issue in contemporary management practice and research. While there is much debate about the benefits of entrepreneurial behavior, its obvious pervasion in many areas of life remains largely unexplored. It is this persuasive power that inspired us to conceptualize entrepreneurship as a dominant institution in modern Western societies. In contrast to most institutional approaches which draw on entrepreneurial behavior for studying institutional change, our approach focuses on the societal preconditions for the dominance of entrepreneurship. We outline how entrepreneurship is manifested in ideals of modern Western societies, discourse and techniques of control and how individuals who are socialized into an entrepreneurial society, contribute to legitimize entrepreneurship and further its pervasiveness. Our analysis provides a framework for research on differences in the valuation of entrepreneurial behavior across societal settings, as well as for the study of mechanisms for the deepening of taken for-grantedness of entrepreneurship.

Editor's Introduction

Gioia, D. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

It's About Time!!!!: What to Do About Long Delays in the Review Process

Tosi, H. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

As anyone who has submitted papers for publication for any period of time knows, there are instances of unconscionable delay in getting reviews back for journals. In this note, some of these reasons are discussed and ways to resolve them are proposed. Perhaps the most radical suggestion is for a process in which reviewers are identified, while authors remain anonymous.

Foundations of a Sound Economy

Vance, C. M. — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:33:54 PDT

Editors' Introduction

Phillips, N., Washington, M. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Raging Against or With the Private Marketplace?: Logic Hybridity and Eco-Entrepreneurship

Mars, M. M., Lounsbury, M. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

The rise of market logics and the spread of neoliberal policies over the past couple of decades have led to resistance and countermobilization efforts by a variety of activists and concerned citizens—recall the vivid 1999 World Trade Organization (WTO) protests in Seattle. However, contemporary modernity is more complicated than such simple movement—countermovement imageries, and instead of witnessing a leveling of previous institutional configurations with new market-oriented ones, the blending or coexistence of multiple competing and/or complementary logics has become de rigeuer. Hence, in some cases, market logics can provide a foundation for action that supports the arguments and interests of those who stand opposed on principle to market creep. Highlighting how the environmental movement has come to embrace the market as well as activism via an exploration of student eco-entrepreneurship in university settings, we argue that both researchers and skeptics need to go beyond ideological commitments to appreciate the complicated diversity of action and empirical reality that exists at the interface of business and society.

Editor's Introduction

Barker, V. L. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Once Upon a Time There Was an Organization: Organizational Stories as Antitheses to Fairy Tales

Baruch, Y. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Comparing and contrasting fairy tales with organizational stories reveals that the two have very few elements in common. Nevertheless, this article shows how scholars can learn a lot from the differences and even from the absolute contrast between these two types of stories. Basically, organizational stories are antitheses of fairy tales. Fairy tales reside in the imagination realm, directed at child development and rooted in spiritual origins. Organizational stories are physical, directed at managers, based on facts, and subject to criticism. Fairy tales were developed with the passing of generations. Organizational stories either happen in the present or reflect the recent past. However, scholars can learn from both for the future, and there are certain comparable themes in both.

Editor's Introduction

Barker, V. L. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Philosophical Ties That Bind Practice: The Case of Creativity

Bailey, J. R., Ford, C. M., Raelin, J. D. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

This article examines how philosophical assumptions of practice can thwart the conception, adoption, and implementation of critical actions such as creativity. Delineating positivism and interpretivism, it is argued that the former treats the world as an objective system that can be studied through scientific methods, whereas the latter conceptualizes the world as an ambiguous social construction that cannot be readily apprehended via standard empirical inquiry. This distinction is not drawn to aim another invective against positivist science but to connect it to scientific realism and scientific instrumentalism, revealing iterative mutuality. With the cultural value afforded positivism and the formal training delivered in professional schools, practitioners largely adhere to positivist assumptions. Therefore, after identifying and briefly reviewing the creativity literature as it relates to organizational change and innovation, three contrasts are drawn to illustrate how underlying assumptions prevent practices necessary for effective introduction of creative ideas and actions.

Editor's Introduction

Jamieson, D. W. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Defixation as an Intervention Perspective: Understanding Wicked Problems at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Stoppelenburg, A., Vermaak, H. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

This case study presents reflections on a research intervention conducted at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The subject was the practice of administration. Its objective became to understand its "wicked problems" and to create action principles. It was an analytical research effort as well as a learning intervention. Wicked problems are those that have a large impact on an organization's functioning and that persist regardless of numerous efforts to remedy them. They are characterized both by content and process complexity and are by no means exclusive to the Ministry. This paper focuses not so much on the content of the wicked problems, but on the intervention process which is described from beginning to end. Special attention is paid to intervention paradoxes. At the end of the paper we reflect on different ways to `defixate' intervention progress that seem relevant when dealing with wicked problems.

A Response to "`Defixation' as Intervention Perspective: Understanding Wicked Problems at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs"

Worley, C. G. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Reflections on Wicked Problems in Organizations

Marshak, R. J. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

A Response to "Reflections on Wicked Problems in Organizations"

Stoppelenburg, A., Vermaak, H. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Editor's Introduction

Jamieson, D. W. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

When "Aha Moments" Make All the Difference

Napier, N. K., Bahnson, P. R., Glen, R., Maille, C. J., Smith, K., White, H. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

What makes a seasoned group of faculty members sit up straight and learn something remarkable? It happens when the members go through a process to develop a new product and realize that what (should) happen is not what does happen and that the difference comes from the "aha moments" along the way. In this article, the authors track the development of a new venture start up—of a young entrepreneurial business school, lacking regional or national image, and the process faculty members experienced in creating a highly differentiated potentially brand-creating new executive MBA program. Specifically, they reflect on the design and development phase of "what happened" and "what really happened," which emerged through a series of "aha moments." Along the way, the program's designers and deliverers offer insights and lessons relating to the process itself and examine the application of management theories to a new academic venture.

Editors' Introduction

Jamieson, D. W., Trepo, G. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

A Passion for Giving, a Passion for Sharing: Understanding Knowledge Sharing as Gift Exchange in Academia

Berthoin Antal, A., Richebe, N. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

This contribution explores knowledge-based interactions among academics through the lens of gift exchange theory. Drawing from interviews conducted in France and Germany, it first reviews the diversity of contexts and reasons for knowledge sharing, then analyzes the processes and the implicit rules that govern them. The use of gift exchange theory brings to light several paradoxes inherent in interactions among members of the academic community, and it offers a fresh way of looking at power, status, and emotions in exchange processes.

Editor's Introduction

Gioia, D. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Where Is the Jury?: The Failures in the Scientific Evaluation Processes in Organizational Science

Donaldson, L. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

A key idea in social science is that the work by any one scholar should be carefully evaluated by other scholars, to form an impartial, authoritative, collective judgment. Thus, peers are supposed to act as a jury. However, often there seems to be no effective jury in organizational science. There is an absence of extended debate in which the details of theories and research are assessed and then a definitive, consensual judgment made. Colleagues often fail to adequately consider others' work, in part because of disinclination to entertain rival theories. Again, specialization means expert peer scrutiny is frequently missing. Conferences such as Academy of Management meetings typically fail to provide in-depth discussion or scrutiny. I illustrate some of the factors that militate against proper scientific evaluation with candid cases from my own research experience.

Did We Learn Enough from Enron?

Vance, C. M. — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:42:20 PST

Editors' Introduction

Lounsbury, M., Hirsch, P. M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Influencing Ideas: A Celebration of DiMaggio and Powell (1983)

Greenwood, R., Meyer, R. E. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Few papers achieve the success of DiMaggio and Powell's 1983 "The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields." The impact of the paper, as indicated by its citation count and its influence on a wide range of disciplines, has been extraordinary. Furthermore, the paper's influence continues to increase. Here we celebrate this exceptional paper and offer observations on how ideas become adopted, institutionalized, and sometimes translated in ways not necessarily intended by their authors. We also note the vagaries of the process by which journals assess the caliber of papers submitted to them—after all, this paper was initially rejected!

Editors' Introduction

Lounsbury, M., Hirsch, P. M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Directions for a Troubled Discipline: Strategy Research, Teaching, and Practice--Introduction to the Dialog

Jarzabkowski, P., Whittington, R. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

This Dialog responds to a growing debate about the relevance of business schools generally and the value of strategy theory and research for strategic management practice. The authors propose that academic theory and management practice can be better connected through management education. The academy researches practice, derives theory, and returns it to practice through the development of teaching materials and the teaching of current and future practitioners. The three articles in this Dialog examine how different approaches to strategy research inform strategy teaching and its application to practice. Joseph Bower explains the rise of business policy and the process research approach that informed that teaching tradition at Harvard Business School. Robert Grant responds by emphasizing the economic theory underpinnings of strategic management research and its impact on teaching. Paula Jarzabkowski and Richard Whittington conclude by proposing a strategy-as-practice perspective and suggesting ways to better incorporate strategy-as-practice research into strategy teaching.

The Teaching of Strategy: From General Manager to Analyst and Back Again?

Bower, J. L. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Courses in strategy are an outgrowth of the business policy course first taught at Harvard Business School in 1912. This article examines how the teaching of a course concerned with the development and implementation of the goals and policies of a firm changed during three periods in the postwar period: first, with the introduction of the concept of corporate strategy; second, with the evolution of faculty interest in a concept of competitive strategy more closely grounded in industrial organization economics; and third, with the development of a new course in entrepreneurial management more closely linked to business policy's concerns with the general management challenges facing the leaders of modern firms. This history of the course is linked to changes in information technology, financial markets, and the managements of firms as well as related changes in the markets for students and faculty.

Why Strategy Teaching Should be Theory Based

Grant, R. M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

The rivalry between business policy and strategy analysis that played out at Harvard Business School during the 1980s remains an unresolved debate in strategic management teaching. I argue that developing managers with the knowledge and insight needed to make sound strategic decisions and guide the development of their organizations is best served by strategy teaching that is rooted in theory. My argument is based on my observations of how complex business situations are understood by the actors involved and the basis on which they form their judgments. To the extent that complex strategic situations are perceived through a cognitive framework, it is better such frameworks are derived from empirically validated theory than from folk wisdom, the gospel according to Warren Buffett, or an atheoretic classificatory system (such as SWOT analysis).

A Strategy-as-Practice Approach to Strategy Research and Education

Jarzabkowski, P., Whittington, R. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

This conclusion to the Dialog proposes a strategy-as-practice based approach to bringing strategy research and education closer to practice. Strategy-as-practice rejects the choice, proposed in the previous articles, between theory and practice. The authors argue for strategy research based rigorously on sociological theories of practice. Such research complements the parsimony and generalizability of economics-driven theory, extending strategy research to incorporate the messy realities of doing strategy in practice, with a view to developing theory that is high in accuracy. The authors suggest that practice-based research can also inform strategy teaching by providing students with rich case studies of strategy work as actually practiced, analyzed through such sociological lenses as ethnomethodology, dramaturgy, and institutional theory. Strategy-as-practice research does not aim to give students parsimonious models for analysis or expose them to cases of best practice but rather to help them develop practical wisdom through a better understanding of strategy in practice.

Editor's Introduction

Lounsbury, M., Hirsch, P. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Reconceptualizing the Competition-- Cooperation Relationship: A Transparadox Perspective

Chen, M.-J. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Although competition and cooperation individually have received much consideration in the strategy field, researchers have given little attention to the fundamental issue of interplay between the two concepts. Nor has a framework been proposed for examining how competition and cooperation interrelate. Given the notion that competition and cooperation exist in a paradoxical, either/or relationship, reexamination of the idea of paradox itself is imperative. This paper converges Western and Eastern ideas to address the need to transcend conventional perspectives of paradox. It proposes a new concept, transparadox, a hybrid of the either/or and both/and perspectives that characterize, respectively, Western and Eastern thought. The transparadox perspective provides an expansive framework within which the range of competition—cooperation interrelationships may be examined. The introduction of three conceptions of competition—cooperation relationships (independent, or binary, opposites; interconnected opposites; and interdependent opposites) provides researchers with platforms for future theoretical development and empirical study.

Editors' Introduction

Lounsbury, M., Hirsch, P. M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Balancing Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian Contradictions Within Organizations

Nair, A., Ahlstrom, D. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

This article describes how institutions get infused with competing logics and analyzes how such competing logics might aid the design of contemporary organizations. It does so by exploring the contrasting views of American founders Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson on the issues they confronted in the years leading up to and after the United States' independence from the British. Their views have had a lasting influence on the character and efficacy of the U.S. government. Although Hamilton and Jefferson contemplated issues related to the governance of the United States, the authors argue that their writings offer insights that can be useful to students of organizational design. They identify four influential ideas from the writings of Hamilton and Jefferson and discuss their implications for organizational design.

Editor's Introduction

Arand, N. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

From Utilitarian Morality to Moral Imagination: Reimagining the Business School

Patriotta, G., Starkey, K. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

In this essay, the authors take Jim March's Journal of Management Inquiry essay on the nature of scholarship as their starting point to assess the contribution of the business school in promoting a "utilitarian morality" model of education where knowledge is valued, not for its intrinsic worth, but because of the consequences it produces. In particular, the authors consider the role of historical, institutional, and market forces in shaping the missions, values, and views of knowledge that business schools purport to achieve. They conclude by suggesting how we might reimagine the business school through the lens of moral imagination.

Editor's Introduction

Barker, V. L. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Getting "More Bang for the Buck": Symbolic Value of Monetary Rewards in Organizations

Mickel, A. E., Barron, L. A. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Practitioners view monetary rewards as an important and powerful motivational tool. Yet organizational research has focused primarily on the economic value of these rewards. In this essay, the authors challenge this view by suggesting that monetary rewards also acquire symbolic meaning via the organization's distribution practices. They contend that the presence of symbolic meaning adds symbolic value to the economic value of the reward, which increases the reward's overall perceived value. They argue that the increased perceived value of the reward can lead to desired organizational outcomes. Conversely, the authors argue that the absence of symbolic meaning can lessen the overall perceived value of the reward. This increases the likelihood of undesired organizational outcomes. These ideas have implications for organizational scholars' theories about monetary rewards and for how practitioners distribute monetary rewards in organizations.

Editor's Introduction

Sommer, S. M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

A Tale of a Peripatetic Professor: An Interview With Craig C. Lundberg

Shay, J. P. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Craig Lundberg reflects on his academic journey academic journey that began nearly 50 years ago. He begins by providing insights into his formative early life experiences and the importance of mentors; from his thesis advisor who inspired him to become a professor to the scholars that continue to inspire his research today. Lundberg's teaching, service, and research anecdotes may provide valuable lessons for us all. Perhaps most important, Lundberg shares his unabated concerns for the future of management education and offers advice for professional associations, administrators, and budding scholars. The interview is followed by comments from two of Craig's mentors: John Hennessey and Karl Weick.

Editor's Introduction

Jamieson, D. W. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Learning From the Toxic Trenches: The Winding Road to Healthier Organizations--and to Healthy Everyday Leaders

Gallos, J. V. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

This article offers an insider's look at the power and consequences of high levels of workplace emotion in order to deepen understanding of the workplace relationships and practices needed for individual and organizational success. It begins with a definition of terms, illustrating the linkages among toxic emotions, organizational effectiveness, leading, and change. It explores insights and strategies for managing the dynamics and proposes five steps for sustaining healthy leaders in an increasingly pressurized work world. The article advocates new models for education and training, as well as renewed attention to the development of theories and structures that promote individual and organizational health.

Editor's Introduction

Washington, M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Win Friends and Influence People: Relationships as Conduits of Organizational Culture in Temporary Placement Agencies

Hill, V., Carley, K. M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Organizational culture research has primarily focused on organizations characterized by permanent, full-time employment relationships. The workplace is increasingly characterized by multiple employment relationships. It is not clear that current understandings of culture capture what occurs in these organizations. Employing participant observation and survey methods, the authors use a grounded theory approach to explore the transmission of cultural values and practices in a temporary placement agency, an organization characterized by multiple employment relationships. The authors find that successful purveyors of cultural values are characterized by how well they are liked and their perceived importance to their coworkers' success rather than traditional means of culture management, such as policy and hierarchical authority.

Editor's Introduction

Pratt, M. G. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

The Dynamics of a Variably Coupled Social System: The Case of Les Compagnons du Devoir

Kleymann, B., Malloch, H., Redman, T., Angot, J. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

This article aims to expand the use of the coupling metaphor in organizational analysis by introducing a conceptual link between coupling and systems closure. The authors present a case study of Les Compagnons du Devoir (CdD), an ancient French Compagnonnage, or workers' brotherhood. This organization has managed to survive for at least 700 years; it is believed to be the oldest extant form of labor organization. The authors analyze the CdD as a highly institutionalized system displaying variable couplings and facing significant changes in its sociocultural environment. These features have been highlighted by recent attempts to internationalize the CdD. The authors distinguish between induced change and change by erosion and discuss how, given certain coupling configurations, an organization has persisted in an almost unchanged state while the world around it evolves.

Editor's Introduction

Washington, M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Theatrical Performance as Unfreezing: Ties That Bind at the Academy of Management

Taylor, S. S. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

The author conceptualizes the staging of a theatrical play within the main session of the Academy of Management as an organizational intervention intended to facilitate unfreezing as a first step in bringing about change. He suggests that the theatrical performance facilitates Schein's three requirements of unfreezing: It creates disconfirming data through second-order observation and by creating a common language, it facilitates anxiety or guilt through the social sharing of emotion, and it creates psychological safety through catharsis and communal audiencing. The author illustrates this based on cast and audience responses to a play, called Ties That Bind, that was performed at the 2002 annual meetings of the Academy of Management in Denver as an all-academy symposium.

Editor's Introduction

Usdiken, B. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

Why Have the Leading Journals in Management (and Other Social Sciences) Failed to Respond to Climate Change?

Goodall, A. H. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

The effect of climate change on business is likely to be substantial. It might be expected, therefore, that the scholarly field of business and management would be centrally engaged with the challenges that global warming will bring. Yet, in this article, the author shows that the most cited management journals have barely published an article on the topic. Similarly, low numbers of articles appear in the prestigious journals in economics, sociology, and political science. Why have the top journals failed to respond? The author proposes five possible explanations. Among these five explanations, the author emphasize the existence of an undesirable delay between ideas appearing first in peripheral publications and then in the elite journals.

Editor's Introduction

Gioia, D. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

22 Things I Hate: Mini Rants on Management Research

Abrahamson, E. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST

This article does not present one long rant about the state of our field. Rather, it articulates a series of 22 mini rants—short rants that do not exceed 116 words in length. The mini rants range from theory generation; to the positioning of articles in our field; to hypothesis generation; to data, methods analysis, and results; to academic writing; and to our field in general. The shotgun approach presented by mini rants serves as a device to maximize the number of potential thoughtful, or even rant-like, responses to each of the author's mini rants.

Mission Impossible IV: The Postmodern Ultimatum

Vance, C. M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:36 PST