Regulatory reforms and changing community expectations about organizational behaviour have increased the emphasis on the role of culture in organizational compliance. This conceptual paper proposes a framework that captures the complexities of the relationship between compliance and culture by drawing from two theories relevant to organizational culture: Neo-Institutional Theory and the Competing Values Model. By integrating elements of these theories, three core dimensions of compliance culture are identified: legitimacy, permeability and control. These core dimensions provide for a pluralist approach to theorising around compliance culture. In addition to its theoretical contribution, the paper concludes that there may be practical utility in linking organizational compliance outcomes with performance on the three core dimensions. It is also suggested that compliance culture profiles using these dimensions may be used to predict how organisations might need to respond to regulatory reforms.

The literature on knowledge transfer is confident in its assertion that a ‘stickiness’ pervades knowledge disclosure process. This phenomenon is often attributed to structural communication barriers but an equally valid explanation could stem from the individual feeling a sense of ownership of their knowledge which then engenders a reluctance to be open about their knowledge within a formal knowledge transfer process. We pursue this idea theoretically through notions of possessiveness and psychological ownership; and empirically by exploring the concept of willingness to disclose. Assuming willingness to be unidimensional a methodology is put forward that uses indicators to measures its direction. Using a sample of 1050 UK engineers we illustrate the direction of willingness on a reluctance–willing dimension. We argue that knowledge transfer requires management to examine more closely the stimuli that affect the process.

Considerable research attention has been devoted to understanding the importance of knowledge creation in organisations over the last decade. Research suggests that leadership plays an important role in knowledge-creation processes. Nonetheless, there is an important omission in knowledge creation research; namely, what are the underlying processes that underpin the implications of leadership for knowledge creation? This article aims to develop a theoretical model of leadership and knowledge creation by drawing on two contrasting leadership perspectives; that is transformational leadership and leader–member exchange (LMX), and the research on open-mindedness norms. Specifically, we argue why transformational leadership is related to knowledge creation, and also theorise how open-mindedness norms and LMX quality serve as underlying mechanisms to underpin the effect of transformational leadership on knowledge creation. We conclude with a discussion of implications of the model for theory and practice, and also suggest potential avenues for future research.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) represents behaviors that have increasingly strategic importance to many companies. CSR has been defined as a company's commitment to minimizing or eliminating any harmful effects on society and maximizing its long-term beneficial impact (Mohr, Webb, & Harris, 2001). The purpose of this paper is (a) to improve our understanding of how North American professional sport league executives view CSR and (b) to consider how CSR activities contribute to these leagues. Interviews with four senior league executives provide perspective as to the role and relevance of social responsibility in North American professional sport. The paper discusses the impact of leadership on CSR and relates the topics covered from institutional, strategic, and stakeholder perspectives.

Employers of business graduates require them to be effective communicators and team members in twenty-first century work environments. As a means of developing these skills, we believe group work is important to an undergraduate business teaching pedagogy preparing graduates for the challenges of modern workplaces. Student responses to a series of qualitative and quantitative focus group activities highlighted the ‘big issues’ encountered in group activities involving an increasingly internationalised and diverse cohort of students. These issues related mainly to communication within the group and the fear of social-loafers. These insights established the basis on which proactive strategies were introduced in a subsequent teaching period to nurture and advance the quality of the learning experience within a tertiary undergraduate business education setting. Given that reduced Government funding to Australian universities has prompted the management of institutions to look to full-fee paying international students to offset shortfalls in their operating budgets, this paper explores the particular impact of increasing numbers of English as a Second Language (ESL) students on the quality of, and student receptiveness to, group based study activities.

This paper aims to make a limited contribution to Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. An evaluation has been made of an empirically based personal narrative of the author's experiences, reflections and problems as an instructor of a management elective course at the undergraduate level. The paper examines the process of reflection, correction and learning from the perspective of the instructor and how the issue of race and origin of the student learners' can stimulate or hinder assimilation of knowledge within a classroom. The study reveals that it is essential for an educator to be critically reflective of his/her culture and that of his/her students to be able to assess their learning styles and adopt suitable and appropriate teaching pedagogies within the classroom. This paper draws attention towards types of teaching pedagogies, non traditional methods and aids and their effectiveness in educating students of diverse backgrounds. It provides insights about diversity within classrooms and its impact on teaching, pedagogies and learning styles of both educators and students, by portraying the journey of an educator and her process of self improvement.

In a sample of 243 women from a Midwestern healthcare organization, we found that the work-to-family interference (WIF) was positively related to intentions to quit. Significant relationships were found among work flexibility, WIF, and intention to quit. This relationship was supported, allowing us to conclude that employees who perceive personal control and autonomy in their work environment (as defined by how, when and where they work) will report lower levels of WIF and intentions to quit. The implications of these findings on future research and organizational practice are discussed.

In an effort to sustain social responsibility initiatives, cause related marketing (CRM) has become more prevalent in the corporate marketing toolbox, due to the benefits realized by the sponsoring company, such as switching behavior by a desired consumer segment. The utilization of cause related sport marketing (CRSM) has also increased, as corporate entities position firms with high profile sport entities to obtain certain objectives. Little research has examined the impact of such programs on key business stakeholders, which this survey study attempts to address. Analysis of Variance results indicate respondents possessed positive opinions about the corporation's CRSM efforts, with significant differences existing between respondents with direct decision-making authority and those with limited or no decision-making authority on key items. Additionally, respondents expressed a more positive opinion toward continuing their business relationship with the corporation, or, for those respondents who were prospective clients, beginning a business relationship with the corporation.

This article presents both theoretical and empirical support for moving from a traditional governance research paradigm towards a more holistic research approach. This includes taking into account behavioural, contingency and evolutionary theories, in an effort to better understand governance processes and effective board behaviour. Specifically, the authors highlight the importance of three groups of relationships (board dynamics, board–management relationships and board–stakeholder relationships) as contributing to good governance practice. Whilst historically researchers have largely ignored the behavioural aspects of corporate governance, the authors have made an attempt to open the ‘black box’ of governance processes and practices, and illustrate with examples from three New Zealand companies how the development of these relationships are important for effective board functioning.

Re-visiting the ideas of some key educational thinkers and critical management theorists, this paper re-affirms the need for a critical pedagogy of organizational power and politics to foster deeper levels of reflection and ethical attitudes among undergraduate management students. While prescriptive pedagogical approaches can impart knowledge that may be useful to future managers, they often encourage a shallow and instrumental view of power in which profits are placed above ethics, and expediency above morality. As argued here, a critical pedagogy will encourage a more productive analysis of power-related phenomena in organizations, and will nurture attitudes and behaviours that can humanize management practice. The first part of the paper examines the key theoretical concepts of the proposed approach, the second discusses a set of themes emerging from a critical analysis of organizational power and politics in a management subject, and the third discusses common challenges encountered by academics committed to critical approaches.

This study explores the assessment preferences of 453 postgraduate business students in New Zealand, Australia, and Thailand using a survey linking motivational and educational preferences. This study compares the needs of Western students (Australian and New Zealand), Asian (Thai) and international students (predominantly Chinese and Indian students) in Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC). One major finding is that students from these three countries who are socially motivated prefer ‘cooperative learning’. Further, the study specifically shows that students from Thailand are more socially motivated than students from Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC) while International ANZAC students have the greatest desire for cooperative learning. It also shows that group assessment poses quite significant challenges for local ANZAC students and therefore, remedial intervention from universities is essential if group assessments are to remain relevant and useful in achieving meaningful teaching and learning outcomes.

Entrepreneurship is an integral part of sport but less is known about how different types of entrepreneurship facilitate innovation. The aim of this paper is to develop a theory of sports-based entrepreneurship that incorporates different sub-categories of entrepreneurship such as social, technological and international. Specifically, the article connects the entrepreneurship and sport management literatures by proposing a theory of sport-based entrepreneurship, which can be used as a theoretical framework for future research. In addition, the paper provides a unique insight for sports practitioners and public policy planners wanting to focus on entrepreneurial ways to manage sport-based organizations.

In the wake of recent financial scandals and in the context of the global financial crisis, corporate governance is especially significant. We examine the effect of corporate governance practices on the performance of 106 mid-sized firms in India, between 2005 and 2007. Our results confirm a significant relationship between CEO duality and firm performance. We also find that a small board is more effective and enhances the value of the firm. However, in the Indian context, we find that non-executive independent directors are failing in their monitoring role.

After nearly three decades of corporate restructurings and reorganizations, the modern firm has continued to resort to reduction-in-force (RIF) strategies. This article presents an overview and a brief historical analysis of some of the most popular RIF concepts that have been adopted by companies and governmental agencies on a global scale since the late 1970s. The research found that most RIF tools have their root in the core-periphery model. While some of the more ‘classic’ RIF strategies have remained popular, the paper showcases two contemporary practices, the traditional (non-selective) layoffs and stealth layoffs, that currently impact the corporate landscape. A discussion of modern-day restructuring and RIF practices is timely given the high levels of layoffs currently occurring in the global automotive, retail, and finance-related industries. In this paper, a particular focus is placed on presenting practical implications of the conduct of RIF for the firm, the managers, and the individual employees.

The concept of ‘emotional labour’ is concerned with occasions when feelings are managed to create publically observable emotions in organizational settings in ways that involve them being ‘sold for a wage’ and therefore taking on an ‘exchange value’ (Hochschild (1983: 7). Drawing on an in-depth literature review, this paper explore grounds for arguing that business academics in Australia are experiencing emotional labor. The authors consider the application of findings concerned with emotional labor in a variety of occupations in relation to the context of university business schools. More specifically, they discuss how two decades of increasing marketisation, commercialisation and service orientated university practices may have contributed to emotional labor in Australian university business schools. The paper draws two conclusions. Firstly, educational managers need to be better informed about the positive and negative implications of emotional labor so that they can develop appropriate strategies, guidelines and workplace environments at the organizational level. Secondly, that a review of the literature suggests that empirical research is warranted in order to address the question posed in the title of the paper.

This theoretical research endeavors to find common ground in the ostensibly inconsistent results of studies on the impact of cultural similarities and differences on strategic partnerships. Some findings suggested that partners have to possess similar cultural characteristics in order to achieve success while others showed that cultural distance had a positive effect on efficiency and the competitiveness of partnerships. This paper systematically analyzes the equivocal evidence of influence of both commonalities and differences on partnerships' outcomes, highlighting conditions under which they can be either beneficial or dysfunctional. Several propositions are formulated in regard to the role of qualitative and quantitative differences in both organizational and national cultures. Further, the theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly significant for a wide range of organisations and for the managers that work within them. This is particularly true in the sport industry, where CSR is now an important area of focus for sport organisations, sport events and individual athletes. This article demonstrates how CSR can inform both theoretical debates and management practice within sport organisations. It does so by focusing on stakeholder theory, which overlaps considerably with CSR. In this article, stakeholder theory is used to examine three major CSR issues: stakeholder definition and salience, firm actions and responses, and stakeholder actions and responses. These three issues are considered in the context of the UK football industry. The article draws on 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews with senior representatives from a number of different organisations. These include the director of a large professional football club; a chief executive of a medium-sized professional football club in addition to the supporter-elected director; and the vice-chairman of a small professional football club. Additional interviews were undertaken with five representatives from national supporter organisations, two board members at two large supporter associations, two representatives from the Football League, one representative from the Independent Football Commission, and a prominent sports journalist. The analysis of the interview data illustrates ways in which CSR can be implemented by sport organisations through stakeholder management strategies. The article concludes that stakeholder theory has both conceptual and empirical value and can be used to illuminate key issues in sport management.

The importance of teams has been largely recognized in recent management and entrepreneurship research. This article critically reviews the literature of entrepreneurial and management teams by comparing the key concepts, and the development and foci of research from the SME performance viewpoint in particular. The comparison reveals that entrepreneurial teams differ from management teams, and so the concepts should not be considered interchangeable. Such teams also operate largely in different contexts, however, both having different roles for management and a significant impact on firm performance. Moreover, the review suggests that entrepreneurial and management teams are often groups rather than teams and they are more common than previously believed, though there is much variation in their prevalence by industry sector and firm size.

With rising unpredictability of the business environment, the strategy–structure–performance construct is being questioned afresh. But cutting edge research evidence is still difficult to come by. One of the possible reasons is that few researchers are adopting new and innovative methodologies. This paper carries out a paradigmatic and methodological review of research on the topic for the last 10 years after classifying published research into three broad categories of enquiry. The study finds that contrary to expectations, the logical positivistic/empiricist paradigm of enquiry into the one way linear causality in the strategy–structure–performance relationship was still the favorite among researchers and may explain the lack of breakthrough contribution of recent research. This paper makes a case for more research on the challenging two-way causality using innovative designs and archival data, and suggests some future directions for research.

The interplay of the board of directors (BOD) and the chief executive officer (CEO) in strategy-making has been the subject of some debate in the literature. Some experts argue the BOD should take a strong role in strategy-making while the alternative point of view is that the CEO is the key man or woman. In a qualitative study with 16 interviews of leading Australian industry figures, the CEO is found to be the key player in modern strategy-making. The findings identify how the BOD, individual directors and the CEO can combine to add value to the organization, in particular how these organization members can team up and interact to achieve a faster, more flexible strategy cycle. The modern organization focus needs to be on giving more emphasis to the empowerment, interaction and creativity of the CEO and top management team. The BOD should focus on questioning, criticizing, refining and enabling the strategy proposed by the professional managers. However, the study indicates these findings are subject to exception and variation in relation to factors including specialist knowledge, track record of performance, personality attributes, personal power, and political and influencing skills. The major focus of attention of the BOD and CEO is the strategic-thinking related activities in strategy-making. Strategic planning still has an important role in formalizing strategy content, usually in a regular cycle.