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Grounded in a historical analysis of the processes of managerialization in Israel between the 1950s and the 1970s, this paper explores the ways in which well-integrated U.S. experts, in collaboration with their Israeli counterparts, retheorized and disarmed the well-institutionalized and antimanagerialist Israeli version of workers' participation in management. It demonstrates how through the bricolage of the radical local alternative with the U.S.-originated promanagerialist version of workers' participation in management, foreign intervention opened the way for the formerly unwelcome professionalization of corporate control in the country. In so doing, the importance of translation and theorizing are stressed as mechanisms of reproduction of geopolitical domination of the world system center over the periphery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, the same as her Western counterpart countries, has been experiencing educational decentralization over the last two decades. Such a policy shift, however, brings with it issues of “managerialism”, “accountability” and “competition”, all of which are becoming part of the common language in the educational lexicon. These newly imposed strictures have been theorized to influence teachers' daily practice in certain ways and also their views about their roles and responsibilities. It is said teachers have had to redefine their professionalism due to the invasion of this “audit culture” in education. However, research on this particular area has not devoted significant attention to the voices of teachers. This paper uses interview data from 75 teachers in Guangdong Province of China to find out whether policy changes have necessitated teachers to develop strategies to cope with new educational demands and challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents research examining the conditions under which private businesses implement 'workplace support practices' to facilitate job retention among workers hired from TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). Most welfare 'leavers' enter the workforce but many face personal and structural 'barriers' that are not adequately resolved or even identified until after they have been placed into jobs. Thus, private-sector businesses often function as de facto job readiness trainers although many are either unwilling or unable to fulfill this role. Policymakers must recognize this reality and develop strategies that facilitate employer engagement as partners rather than mere customers in implementing welfare to work programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper examines which factors affect organizational commitment among Dutch university employees in two faculties with different academic identities (separatist versus hegemonist, Stiles, 2004). The analyses of Web survey data reveal that in the separatist faculty decentralization, compensation, training/development, positional tenure and career mobility have significant effects. Age, organizational tenure, level of autonomy, working hours, social involvement and personal importance significantly affect the employees' organizational commitment in the hegemonist faculty. Participation, social interactions and job level are factors that are important in both faculties. The findings indicate that the set of factors affecting the organizational commitment of employees differs between the separatist and hegemonist faculties. The findings empirically support the argument that different configurations or ‘bundles’ of HRM practices (Delery and Doty, 1996; Guest, 1997) are suited for organizations with different identities. Explanations for the observed relationships, implications and limitations of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge for research and development (R&D) professionals management is to meet the corporate objectives for effectiveness, productivity and profitability with the needs of technical employees for motivation, reward and satisfaction. Despite the continuous upgrading of the strategic importance of knowledge and technology, human resource management paid little attention to the distinctive characteristics of those highly educated knowledge workers, especially in an international perspective. Based on a large scale survey of multinational enterprises' (MNEs') decentralized R&D laboratories in Greece, this paper offers insights on the perceived impact of intrinsic and extrinsic compensation on performance. Focused on three distinctive types of research implemented by MNEs, results record the existence of a multifaceted context of researchers' needs and satisfaction determinants, which is differentiated among the different roles of R&D laboratories. Our findings witness that in an EU peripheral economy, R&D professionals are motivated by extrinsic rewards and mainly by economic compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of empowerment has been used in the management discourse since at least the 1980s. As a normative model for the distribution of decision-making mandate and administrative and operative responsibilities, empowerment serves as a new shopfloor model or ideology for decentralized organizations of the new workplace. The practice of empowerment is, however, not very often empirically researched, causing a confusion about what empowerment implies in terms of shopfloor activities. This paper presents an extensive organization development programme at a Swedish telecommunication company. Rather than being an easily implemented model, empowerment appears as a complex, heterogeneous process in which the empowering of employees is embedded in local practices and workplace cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove a number of results on betweenness and closeness centrality and centralization. In particular, we prove the much used normalization expression for closeness centrality first given by Freeman (1979), correcting an error in the justification given in his paper. We explore the relationship between betweenness and the cutting number and use these results to prove and correct some centrality and centralization formulae first proposed by Borgatti and Everett (1997). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines "decentralization" as a management strategy on the quality of protected area management in Ecuador. Two cases are analyzed--the Cajas National Park and the Condor Bioreserve Watershed Protection Area--to see how decentralization influences conservation success. This study describes the recent agreement between the Ministry of the Environment and the Cuenca Municipality for the management of Cajas National Park, and the cooperative multi-sectoral partnership for the management of the Condor Bioreserve. Advantages and disadvantages of both alternatives are presented. Evidence shows that a critical component to effective decentralization is for the Ministry of the Environment to provide clear rules to the responsible third party managers of the protected areas, whether these third party managers are local governments or multi-sectoral groups. Recommendations are made to help guide future decentralization efforts. First, a clear distinction between a protected area manager and a resource user must be provided in the regulatory framework if conflicts of interest, which might ultimately undermine effective conservation, are to be avoided. Second, public organizations should be officially encouraged to become involved in protected area management. And third, the interrelationship of national and international nongovernmental organizations needs to be maintained or strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, using a sample of 150 Spanish companies of large size, aim to corroborate the postulates determined by the contingency models regarding the relationships between the organisational environment and the structural design parameters. Our basic aim is to establish the different relative importance of each of the elements characterising the environment to the design parameters. The results obtained show that the first relation to be clearly observed is that between level of complexity of the environment and the degree of organicity of the structure. However, such an evident relationship is not observed between the degree of dynamism of the environment and the level of organicity. As for the relation between degree of hostility of the environment and the design parameters analysed, the contingent hypotheses that predict that the degree of centralisation of the structure increases with the hostility of the environment are confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The management of European Union (EU) spending programmes has been the focus of sustained academic and practitioner criticism for many years. One of the fundamental problems has been with the centralist model of control prevalent within the European Commission's (EC) structures. With the demise of the Santer Commission in 1999, the impetus for change was given a fresh urgency through reports from the Committee of Independent Experts and the EC's 2000 reform White Paper. This article explores the nature and content of the reform agenda, focusing on its decentralizing consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the issue of order coordination between a supplier and multiple retailers in a decentralized multi-echelon inventory distribution system where the supplier provides a product to multiple retailers who experience static demand and standard inventory costs. Specifically, we propose and analyze a new policy where a manufacturer, who outsources production to an Original Equipment Manufacturer, offers a price discount to retailers when they coordinate the timing of their orders with the manufacturer's order cycle. We show that our proposed policy call lead to more efficient supply chains tinder certain conditions, and present a straightforward method for finding the manufacturer's optimal price discount in this decentralized supply chain. A numerical experiment illustrates the managerial implications of our model as well as conditions when a manufacturer should consider adopting such a policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the reform of staffing practices in China has been discussed in the literature, the rationale behind this reform and changes in this HR activity have received insufficient attention and warrant further examination. This article reviews staffing practices during and after Mao's regime, and reports the results of a survey of staffing practices in Chinese industrial enterprises. The research findings indicate that a free labour market is emerging in China, staffing practices are becoming more decentralized and selection criteria have focused more on job-specific information, such as personal ability and skills, rather than political factors. The empirical results also demonstrate that ownership form does have an impact on staffing practices. The paper concludes by arguing that staffing practices in China have revealed only some resemblance to those conducted in the Western market economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, administrative reform in a number of developing countries has been directed at achieving decentralisation of planning through the use of information systems. These experiments have not led to any significant improvement in planning and monitoring of development programmes. In this paper, we argue that a closer look at different approaches to decentralisation is useful in order to draw wider lessons about long-term impact. We trace the process of decentralisation adopted in two states of India, namely Gujarat and Karnataka. While both states are noted for their decentralisation efforts, the degree to which new work practices have become institutionalised has been influenced by differences in the structure of their planning apparatus and different approaches to the implementation of information technology for local-level planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will reflect on some of the key changes that affect design, at a time when this approach is more and more used by Governments and communities around the world to influence what next for our societies. By reflecting on my practice working in a UK based mental health charity to “embed design” in the organisation, the paper will present two key shifts that are happening in design when applied to societal challenges: a shift in meaning, as the design object changes and becomes more associated with practices of policy-making, public engagement and emancipation of marginalised actors; and a shift in agency, towards a new identity for designers and a new sensibility towards issues of power. Based on my practice and reflections I will conclude by presenting three key areas that need to be addressed in order to improve the role of design for next in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the management of the human resource agenda in international business. It begins by examining the critical question of how to balance the organizational need for co-ordination and control (integration) at the centre and the increasing pressures for sensitivity and flexibility (differentiation) at the subsidiary or unit level. A resource-capability (RC) view is then offered to re-examine the integration-differentiation (IN-DI) debate, proposing how firms might resolve some of the dilemmas inherent in IN-DI decisions by cultivating their stock of knowledge and expertise. This perspective also enables us to assess the underlying paradigmatic foundation upon which strategic decisions in international human resource management are based. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper involves an assessment of the impact of the New Zealand, Employment Contracts Act 1991 which envisaged the formal abandonment of legal centralization. Above all, conciliated agreements, arbitrated awards and exclusive rights of representation have been legally abandoned. Wider issues are raised of relevance to the neo-liberal case, the ‘New-Austrian’ view, the concept of subjectivist employment and some ethical problems which are all assessed in relationship to these fundamental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper treats the relationships between dimensions of size, technology and selected aspects of organizational structure in contractor firms operating in Turkey. It is proposed that the larger the organization, and the more advanced the technology employed, the higher the level of formalization, the higher the level of standardization, the higher the level of functional specialization and the lower the level of centralization. The data collected supported these propositions, except for the proposition about centralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management structures of public bodies responsible for supporting and funding research came under scrutiny after the publication of the science White Paper in 1993. The corporate organization of the Medical Research Council is described and discussed. Exploratory research in the MRC's 'ad personam' research units, examining centre/locality relations is reported; and the case is made for a decentralizing model, and the separation of the organization's 'funding' and 'performing' elements. Pressures for change, to deliver accountability, and to reflect the growth of organizational distinction between 'purchasers' and 'providers' elsewhere in public services—from which this public service area seems currently immune—are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creation of functioning public administration systems in Eastern Europe is made difficult by the need to tear down the centralized, state-owned economy of the past 45 years, deal with existing fiscal and security crises, and build new administrative systems and analytic capabilities. This paper suggests that the core of such an effort should be a focus on public expenditure management improvements through innovative training and technical assistance. In Latin America, too often aid was focused on supplying information technology without attempts to overcome obvious constraints to demand for its use. Comparative analysis of public administration systems in both regions reveals the same problems of (1) over centralization of management and intergovernmental relations which destroys decision-making legitimacy, and (2) legalistic and compliance-oriented administrative systems which destroys incentives to manage effectively. To avoid these problems in Eastern Europe, technical assistance should stress incentives for decentralized management, and more flexible fiscal controls at the center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interdependence of national economies implies externalities in policy making, and these externalities lead to inefficient outcomes when policy makers are decentralized and independent. These externalities have been well documented from a theoretical point of view. This paper reports our attempts to discover when and if policy coordination matters, using the Liverpool World Model, which exhibits strong spillover effects for monetary policy and would therefore, we thought, yield very different results from those of earlier researchers. However, strong spillover effects do not guarantee that cooperative policies will differ much from the uncooperative; other aspects of the game's structure can be equally important. Indeed, we found many plausible game situations in which the uncooperative and cooperative solutions are so close together as to be operationally indistinguishable, given the precision with which central banks seem to be able to control their money supplies. We also found situations in which coordination makes a big difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the degree of coherence in the elements of organizational structures. Over the last twenty years of empirical studies on organizational structures, the assumption about the concept organizational structure as unitary and not resolvable into elements has been discarded. The present paper introduces the concept and some results of empirical studies on the degree of coherence of organizational structures and the practical implications of investigations performed from this viewpoint. If an organization is to attain its assumed goals, its members must cooperate, and the division of labor demands coordination and integration of their activities. If, however, the desired influence is to be exerted on parts of the organization in order to make the whole organization attain the assumed goals, it is indispensable to set up rules of mutual contingency and mutually assign the component parts of the organization. Intraorganizational order is established in the course of processes that eventually not only assign a place to each member of the organization but also determine permanent behavior patterns of individuals and groups of people who occupy different positions.

The present report is an attempt to explain the progress in a research project which has already been going on for many years and which is at present being reappraised. The objective has been and is at the moment to investigate, in ever greater depth and detail, the situation that has been briefly exposed in this paper. Collaborators are urgently sought to help with indepth studies of the problems of particular companies, the communication systems, and the development of relationships in the decision-making process between head office and the foreign subsidiary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purchasing department is now considered by many firms to be a vital link to the success of a firm because of its greater role in managing the supply chain. Therefore, critical to the ongoing viability of the firm is good purchasing performance. Certain, less controllable factors act as constraints on a purchasing organization, including the external environment, technology and the size of the firm. In addition, certain dimensions of organizational structure determine the performance of the firm and the purchasing function. These dimensions include centralization, formalization and organizational size. Based on the existing literature, there appear to be significant relationships between centralization and formalization, and centralization and job specialization, in addition, the research suggests that formalization is positively related to performance; structure is but one element that affects performance; and performance is positively related to a department's reward/measurement system. This paper develops a conceptual framework to examine the dependent relationship between purchasing performance, the structure of the purchasing unit, and environmental influences using literature from sociology, organizational behaviour and marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health worker retention in rural and underserved areas remains a persisting problem in many low and middle income countries, and this directly affects the quality of health services offered. Objective: This paper explores the drivers of long-term retention and describes health worker coping mechanisms in rural Uganda. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study explored the factors that motivated health workers to stay, in three rural districts of Uganda: Kamuli, Pallisa, and Kibuku. In-depth interviews conducted among health workers who have been retained for at least 10 years explored factors motivating the health workers to stay within the district, opportunities, and the benefits of staying. Results: Twenty-one health workers participated. Ten of them male and 11 female with the age range of 33–51 years. The mean duration of stay among the participants was 13, 15, and 26 years for Kamuli, Kibuku, and Pallisa respectively. Long-term retention was related to personal factors, such as having family ties, community ties, and opportunities to invest. The decentralization policy and pension benefits also kept workers in place. Opportunities for promotion or leadership motivated long stay only if they came with financial benefits. Workload reportedly increased over the years, but staffing and emoluments had not increased. Multiple job, family support, and community support helped health workers cope with the costs of living, and holding a secure pensionable government job was valued more highly than seeking uncertain job opportunities elsewhere. Conclusion: The interplay between the costs of leaving and the benefit of staying is demonstrated. Family proximity, community ties, job security, and pension enhance staying, while higher costs of living and an unpredictable employment market make leaving risky. Health workers should be able to access investment opportunities in order to cope with inadequate remuneration. Promotions and leadership opportunities only motivate if accompanied by financial benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]