This study attempts to verify if occupational groups demonstrate distinct learning styles and learning context preferences, and to assess the implication of any systematic differences for corporate training. Subjects were 140 members of seven occupational groups from a support component of a...

Supply chain management is becoming critical as firms recognize that competition is shifting from company versus company to supply chain versus supply chain. Two important factors in building successful supplier relations are (1) defining criteria to select and evaluate suppliers and (2)...

This paper examines the sources of competitive advantage from a cross-functional perspective and presents a dynamic, general model of the tangible and intangible factors that lead to superior firm performance. We argue that superior performance results from the development of a complex,...

Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform activities that are usually handled by internal staff and resources. By using a well-managed outsourcing agreement, companies can gain in markets that would otherwise be uneconomical. This study was designed to explore why...

Strategic management research and practice suggest that consistent decision making across functional lines of a business can improve profitability. Using a survey database of 123 manufacturing firms, three unique strategies are identified in this study which reflect emphasis on different...

Organizational members responded to four open-ended questions about the organizationÕs culture at two times, six years apart. Results of a content analysis of the responses indicated that organizational values remained stable, despite extensive changes in the top leadership of the organization...

This paper examines self-directed work teams (SDWT) from a social psychological perspective. It is asserted that SDWTs, and other types of work teams, are part of a continuum of teamwork and member autonomy. Also, SDWT development is related to social psychological concepts of group formation....

A procedure to assess organizational effectiveness is proposed in this paper. An OE ÒmenuÓ of options is set out by which organizational performance can be measured. By using such a menu, managersÕ decision making, planning, and communicating with internal and external constituencies can be...

Executives generally desire more power because it is useful. Business firms likewise try to gain power over each other. Yet power also has costs that should be considered and managed. There are costs of acquisition, storage, and maintenance of the resources that supply power, as well as costs of...

In todayÕs rapidly changing sales environment, successful salespeople must acquire skills that give them a competitive advantage. Emotional intelligence (EI), defined as perceiving, interpreting, and reacting to oneÕs own and othersÕ emotions, is offered as one critical skill that will allow...