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The economic literature stresses the importance of cooperation and the level of ICT use in order to get financially and commercially successful new products. However, it is doubtful whether this direct and significant relationship is also observed when: (a) the outcome measurement is strongly influenced by perceptions of managers, and (b) the product has different novelty degrees. The analysis of a sample of 330 Spanish companies that had developed new products in the past two years confirms the direct and moderating role of cooperation and the degree of ICT use in obtaining the maximum level of perceived and objective results. In addition, the novelty degree of the product affects not only the importance attached by the manager to each of the variables, but also their contribution to the maximum results — financially measured —. Finally, the findings can offer some strategic recommendations of great interest given the current situation of the economic cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an overview on the comply-and-explain system in relation to directors' duty to inform, which could be derived from the Standards of Conduct for Directors in section 8.30 of the Model Business Corporation Act (MBCA) in the U.S. It highlights the obligation of the directors of publicly held companies to explain to their shareholders how they are discharging their responsibilities that serves the best interests for the corporations. It adds that the meltdown in the economy and in financial markets has underscored the significance of corporate governance and directors' accountability to shareholders.

The policies and practices of corporations are shaped by their top management groups. The attitudes and values of these executives influence significantly whether or not those policies and practices are responsive to the expectations of the broader society. This article demonstrates not only a relationship between management values and corporate social responsiveness, but also that companies with strong social responsiveness generally enjoy better financial performance than their less responsive industry counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In its current form, the Deming management method contains a prescriptive set of 14 points that serve as guidelines for appropriate organizational behavior and practice regarding quality management. Despite the apparent effect of these 14 points on both the industrial world and the practice of management theory around the world, there is little evidence of the role of the Deming management method in the formalization and advancement of management theory. Although its impact on management practice is clear, neither its theoretical contribution nor its theoretical base has yet to be articulated. Yes, there is a theory of quality management underlying the Deming management method, but at present, this theory is presented in the prescriptive form of these 14 points. We propose and articulate a theory of quality management to describe and explain the effects of adopting the Deming management method. This theory is based on the conceptual synthesis of Deming's writings, literature on the Deming management method, observations of practice, and, more specifically, the results of a Delphi study involving a panel of experts on the Deming management method. We trace the development of this method, position it within the context of theory, describe our theory formulation process, propose and explain an underlying theory of quality management, and offer implications for practice and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that conservatism as a personal value among senior managers significantly affects corporate performance. A scale to measure conservatism was developed and its measurement properties were tested on several hundred executives. Empirical results were consistent with the hypotheses that conservatism among senior management teams is negatively associated with the firm's social responsiveness as well as certain aspects of financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on corporate image in public relations and advertising. It states that even if a company doesn't try to project an image of itself or its products, the public will still perceive an image of the company because of its products and actions. It mentions that several images may appear depending on each group that perceives the company. It mentions that perceptions of shareholders will be different depending on how large a block of shares the shareholder possesses. It comments on the development of corporate image, which depends on its policies and practices as well as public relations techniques.

We use an incentive-compatible economic experiment and surveys in the field at a large financial services firm to identify the norms for on-the-job behavior among financial advisers and their leaders, and the normative expectations each group has of the other. We examine whistle-blowing on a peer, an incentive clash between serving the client and earning commissions, and a dilemma about fiduciary responsibility to a client. We find patterns of agreement among advisers, among leaders, and between the two groups, that are consistent with company guidelines identified ex ante. However, we also find measurable differences between what leaders expect and the actual norms of advisers. When there is such a mismatch we are able to distinguish miscommunication from ethical disagreement between leaders and advisers. Finally, we show that when advisers' personal ethical opinions do not match group norms, this mismatch is correlated with job dissatisfaction and lying for money in a second experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate America is institutionalizing ethics through a variety of structures, systems, and processes. This study sought to identify managerial perceptions regarding the institutionalization of ethics in organizations. Eighty-six corporate-level marketing and human resource managers of American multinational corporations responded to a mail survey regarding the various implicit and explicit ways by which corporations institutionalize ethics. The results revealed that managers found ethics to be good for the bottom line of the organizations, that they did not perceive the need for additional formalization of ethics, and that they perceived implicit forms of institutionalizing ethics (e.g., leadership, corporate culture, top management support) to be more effective than the explicit forms of institutionalizing ethics (e.g., ethics officers, ethics committees, ethics newsletters). Implications of the survey and future research directions conclude the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of survey studies on corporations' institutionalization of ethics has been done in the U.S. and Japan. Among them, one Japanese study suggests that company policy is the most influential factor in managers' ethical decision-making and behavior. This empirical evidence suggests that, in Japan, company efforts to institutionalize ethics are effective in improving business behavior. The author examines this by describing three case studies of Japanese managers' ethical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While cultural fit has been acknowledged to be a potentially important factor in mergers and acquisitions, the concept has been ill-defined, with no distinction drawn between the national and corporate levels of culture. By examining both international and domestic mergers, the present study assesses the relative role of national and corporate cultures. Fit in predicting effective integration between merger partners. The innovative, nonparametric co-plot method is introduced, and its main advantage--the simultaneous consideration of both variables and observations--is utilized to explore cultural fit in the two groups of mergers. The findings confirm that national and corporate culture are separated constructs with variable attitudinal and behavioral correlates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, a series of survey studies have been done to examine corporate managers' views of business ethics and various business practices (Baumhart, 1961; Brenner and Molander, 1977; Vitell and Festervand, 1987). This paper is a replication study conducted in Japan of those American studies. The results of the study suggest that Japanese managers tend to be more situational in their ethical orientation than Americans. The results also show that the company policy on ethics is the most important factor influencing Japanese managers' ethical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies of corporate social responsiveness (CSR) focus on the relationship between CSR and profit. Here, we use three perspectives (institutional theory, economic theory and agency theory) to explain CSR. Industry norms, market share and indicators of management reputation predict variance in CSR. The combined perspectives improve understanding of both CSR and the CSR-profit relationship in two ways. First, they suggest that CSR levels and their relationship with profit will vary by industry. Second, they suggest that stock market measures and accounting measures will respond differently to CSR measures. Stock market measures lead, while accounting measures lag, CSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business ethics is the continuing process of re-defining the goals and rules of business activity. In times of rapid change, spurred equally by technological innovation within the business community and by societal expectations in the larger community, participants who share in that process of re-defining goals and rules should be sensitive to professional differences. Lawyers and executives, for instance, while seeking a common societal good, will utilize measurably different goals and methods based on differences in leadership style, accountability to constituents and client relationship generally. Because of these differences, definitions of what is ethical will vary as well, spread across a spectrum of ethicality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is twofold; first, to provide a critical review of a number of approaches to corporate entrepreneurship and second, to do this by focusing on the role and fate of middle managers as corporate entrepreneurs. By concentrating on middle managers it is intended to highlight the contradictions that pervade the literature on corporate entrepreneurship. The article identifies three approaches to corporate entrepreneurship and examines how each provides different views and prescriptions for the middle manager as corporate entrepreneur. This article raises important issues for those seeking to implement entrepreneurial strategies or develop a general framework for innovation in large corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents research that examines employee attitudes towards their careers and their work among technical specialists employed within the management services department of a large British corporation. The study seeks to answer three main questions: first, to what degree do specialist staff with various career orientations differ in their attitudes towards work; secondly, what are the underlying dimensions of job satisfaction among management specialists; thirdly, what is the relative significance of various background variables (such as age, education, number of previous employers, length of service and seniority) in determining the level of job satisfaction among specialist staff.

This article examines need satisfactions of managers as factors in the economic development process in Libya. The study was undertaken in 1974, a year after the People's Revolution, when managers' security need satisfactions were expected to be at a low level because they could and were being dismissed by mobs on a moment's notice. The survey covered 176 top executives, estimated to compose about a quarter of that group in Libya. The sample included 118 Libyans distributed among government managers and public and private corporations and 58 aliens. The questionnaire contained items which measured need satisfaction, need fulfillment, and need importance. The importance of security needs was slightly greater than that of social needs but the difference was small. It was hypothesized that Libyan national managers' security needs would be less satisfied than those of alien managers because the latter could return to their home country. The data confirmed this hypothesis. In addition comparison with a similar survey of managers in other less developed countries showed that the Libyan nationals had much lower security satisfaction while their social satisfaction was greater.

Comments on the work of Everett E. Hagen on the nature of creativity and the functioning of the corporation. Attitude of executive officers; Discussion on the psychology of capitalism.

This article outlines three major areas in which organizational changes are required in order to maintain effective international business operations. These changes are concerned with meeting the threat of nationalism, developing local, national executives for overseas branches and internationalizing management while maintaining an integrated organization. The author presents various strategies designed to help U.S. international business enterprises achieve these goals and success in their overseas branches.

The article presents a critique on the understood theories behind corporate governance. The authors provide a definition of corporate governance, which is a system of administrative acts designed to decrease discord between employees by providing specific benefits. An analysis of the assumptions inherent within the principal-agent model is provided. The author argue that the principal-agent model is counter to effective management theory, which is, by nature, cultural. The authors present a socialized theory of corporate governance, which takes into consideration managerial motivations, communications, and opportunism.