Increasingly, innovation in services is brought to market by a network of firms, or alliance networks, asset orchestration, knowledge sharing capabilities, resources and competencies, and operated in a coordinated manner. Recent literature has recognized the evolutionary nature of dynamic capabilities in that managers may adapt their alliance networks dynamically to sustain competitive advantage, as well as identified a continuing gap in the lack of empirical studies on feedbacks between network environments, dynamic capabilities, and innovation performance. In addition, other literature calls for more quantitative research on examining dynamic capabilities in a network environment to provide a better understanding of how firms should direct their resources and capabilities to successfully respond to competition. This study contributes towards closing both gaps by empirically examining the cumulative and incremental effects of fostering and deploying different dynamic capabilities on services innovation, and by quantifying their impact, thus providing managers with a better account of how services innovation comes about in a service value network. It does so using empirical data from 449 respondents from a telecommunications service provider in Australia and its partnering organizations, using structural equation modelling.

The present study examined the contributions of mindfulness meditation practice on job burnout, a choice of stress coping styles, and job satisfaction. The online survey data were obtained from 93 meditation practitioners and 54 non-practitioners in Thailand (total n = 147). Results from partial least squares regression suggested that respondents who had regularly practiced mindfulness meditation tended to report lower burnout. In addition, they tended to adopt more problem-focused coping and less emotion-focused coping in order to deal with work-related stress. The author also found that regular mindfulness meditation practice also contributed indirectly to higher job satisfaction.

Despite the fact that the majority of studies have suggested that it is beneficial for organizational performance, some empirical evidence has generated contradictory results concerning these variables. For this reason, this research attempts to look in-depth at the relationships between trust and organizational performance, using organizational learning capability as an explanatory variable. To confirm the hypotheses, the structural equation technique was used on data from a survey carried out in Spanish firms with recognized excellence in human resources management. The results obtained show that, in these firms, organizational learning capability mediates in the relationship between trust and organizational performance.

This study examines whether a responsible downsizing strategy and employee-oriented leadership are complementary in strengthening firm performance after downsizing. This study investigated 154 firms that have used an organizational downsizing strategy with surveys and follow-up focus groups. Results of both the empirical evidence and qualitative data demonstrates that for firms adopting an employee-oriented leadership style, the level of responsible downsizing strategy is high and firm performance is significantly increased. Specifically, the results of the focus groups indicate that a responsible downsizing strategy deepens the loyalty and faith of employees to their employer. These theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Research into workplace bullying has only recently begun to investigate preventative measures. This paper continues that emphasis by examining the management of bullying in a sample of New Zealand organisations. In this study, the survey results from 252 occupational health and safety practitioners were analysed to examine how bullying is understood and managed, along with factors that predict preventative efforts. Results indicate that bullying was perceived to impact significantly on organisations, although the organisations had limited preventative measures in place. The findings confirm the importance of leadership and the establishment of an effective bully-free environment as preventative measures.

Our study develops a new conceptual framework in which guanxi practices (managerial use of interpersonal ties to benefit their organizations) are analyzed by their focus (resources flowing inward or resources flowing outward) and their base (familiar – based on friendship ties; or family – based on kinship ties). Using this framework, we highlight the linkage between costs and benefits from using guanxi in Chinese business organizations, and show how the linkage depends on the guanxi base. Finally, we show how guanxi focus and guanxi base importantly affect employee responses to the use of guanxi practices in their organizations.

This study examines the association between the use of three types of controls (input, behaviour and output) and Miller and Friesen's organisational life cycle (OLC) stages (birth, growth, maturity, revival and decline). Data were collected by a survey questionnaire from a random sample of 1,000 General Managers in Australian manufacturing business units. The results indicate that the extent of use of different controls is associated with OLC stages. Specifically, both behaviour and input controls were found to be used to a significantly greater extent than output controls in both the birth stage and the growth stage, while all three types of controls were used to a similar level in the maturity and revival stages. An examination of the extent of use of controls across OLC stages revealed that each type of control was used to a significantly greater extent in the growth and revival stages than the birth and maturity stages. The study contributes to the literature by linking management control system studies to OLC studies. Most importantly, the study assists Australian manufacturing business units in identifying the appropriate use of controls both in and across OLC stages.