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This paper contributes to the resource dependence theory and corporate political activity literatures by distinguishing dependence from uncertainty and explaining how two different types of uncertainty have opposite effects on dependence management. We explain how some environmental factors increase the state uncertainty associated with firms' dependence on government jurisdictions, whereas other factors increase response uncertainty. We hypothesize that, due to the historical influence of the media and social movement organizations on politics, negative national media tenor and oppositional social movement organization resources increase state uncertainty (i.e., government's likely behavior toward firms becomes less predictable), strengthening the relationship between firms' dependence on jurisdictions and their use of political contributions in those jurisdictions. Further, we hypothesize that top management team turnover and politician turnover increase response uncertainty (i.e., the effectiveness of firms' efforts to manage their dependence becomes less clear), weakening the relationship between dependence and political contributions. We find support for our theory in an examination of state-level political contributions of firms in environmentally intensive industries from 2009 to 2016. Interviews with senior executives, political consultants, and senior government employees directly involved in corporate political activity help illustrate the hypothesized relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents a theoretical model of knowledge that focuses on organizations' knowledge-based systems and interpretive nature and how some organizations make more knowledge investments than others. Knowledge investments' impact with regard to costs, match between knowledge requirements and capabilities and value creation are discussed.

Taking a different tack from previous work on the performance effects of 'M-form' adoption, this study examined performance deterioration during reorganization periods and the subsequent time required for performance to recover to prereorganization levels. Prior strategy and implementation speed were found to affect both transition performance and recovery time. (Reprinted by permision of the publisher.)

We examine whether size-specific experience influences performance following large related, domestic acquisitions. Supporting a transfer theory of learning, our results suggest that although prior experience in making large, related acquisitions transfers positively to this focal situation, experience in making small related acquisitions hurts firm performance. We find that bidder-to-target dissimilarity in product offerings and geographic reach exacerbates the negative effects of experience in small related acquisitions. In contrast, perceived dissimilarity in organizational cultures curbs these negative effects. Moreover, retaining acquired top managers and engaging in less integration in large related acquisitions both aid acquirers in better drawing on experiences from smaller related acquisitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the authors discuss research they conducted on corporate boardrooms. They were interested in examining how effective boards of directors that were comprised of outsiders were. They note that prior research had indicated that various design structures had the effect of restricting the independence of board members, making the board ineffective. Their hypothesis centered on the notion that the existence of outsiders on boards increases the board's knowledge base, experience and the overall effectiveness of the organization. The authors also discuss some of the drawbacks of unitary leadership designs, noting that management is often placed in an awkward position where criticism does not feel welcomed.

In this article the authors discuss research they conducted on the diversification strategies used by multibusiness corporations. Two of the strategies that they identify include internal diversification that relies on the development of products or services and external diversification that relies on the acquisition of other firms. They hypothesized that multibusiness firms diversify into new business by using one of these two methods while avoiding mixing of the two strategies and that corporations that do mix strategies experience lower economic returns than corporations that avoid this method.

Advocates of corporate reform have long argued that the increased presence of 'outsiders' on corporate boards would result in better company performance with fewer unethical or illegal actions taken by the boards, and many corporations and regulatory bodies have adopted the practice of requiring at least two non-management members on boards of directors. However, the truth of the theory of outside directors has never been adequately tested. Using data from Fortune 500 companies that have committed illegal acts, it was found that there is no support for the hypothesis that adding outsiders to a company's board of directors will lessen the extent or degree of the firm's illegal activities, and no support for outside directors' contributing to the well-being of the company's shareholders was also not found.