The Resource-based view (RBV) of the firm sees a firm as a bundle of resources, and proposes that organisational performance differences arise from firms possessing heterogeneous sets of resources. However, there have been a limited number of research studies that explore how firms come to possess a particular resource set. The Dynamic RBV postulates that firm resource heterogeneity arises from subjective managerial processes. More specifically, firms come to possess a heterogeneous resource system via two managerial processes: resource conceptualisation and resource management. This thesis follows the notion of the Dynamic RBV and examines a resource-developing managerial process using three empirical studies. The first study observes two group-based resource conceptualisation processes and identifies two different orientations towards the resource system being conceptualised; namely systemic vs. discrete orientation. Having a systemic orientation is found to enhance the structure of the group resource conceptualisation process and improve effectiveness of cognitive conflict. The second study is conducted to further explore the notion of the effectiveness of cognitive conflict, by incorporating the concept of mental model convergence as part of a group strategy decision process. The study, through observation of the strategy development processes of six groups, finds evidence of two processes of mental model convergence: first, a group-driven convergence process where members harmoniously converge their mental models through deeply embedded trust between the members; and second, an individual-driven convergence process where the convergence is achieved via active discussion and cognitive conflict between the group members. The last empirical study tests another notion developed from the finding of the first empirical study: the role of systemic understanding in managing a resource system. The study confirms that managers who develop a systemic understanding of the resource system engage in an effective resource management process by adopting proactive resource management behaviour, making less biased decisions, and achieving effective learning from their performance. Through the three research studies, the doctoral research postulates that managerial processes affect the development of a firm’s resource system.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how different dimensions of power influence knowledge integration throughout innovation processes in aerospace supply chains. The existing literature covering innovation in supply chain contexts has mainly focused on the resource-based view of power, on individual levels of analysis and has, to some extent, treated knowledge as something that appears to be easily transferrable, both within and across firms. Furthermore, various facets of power have been treated in isolation rather than in an inter-related fashion. The relationship between power and knowledge integration has also hardly been established in supply chain contexts. These are important issues that need to be addressed because knowledge is dispersed throughout supply chains in the aerospace industry and has to be drawn together to enable the development of existing and new products. Furthermore, different dimensions of power are recursively intertwined, and most management problems involve multi-level phenomena. Innovation and knowledge integration are also socially mediated and highly politicised processes, which are shaped and owned by internal and external stakeholders who periodically form part of these processes. This under-researched area will be addressed in this study by adopting a multi-dimensional framework of power, by examining multiple levels of interactions (the inter-organisational, intra-organisational, and intra-project levels) in supply chains and by acknowledging the politics of innovation and knowledge integration processes. The objectives of this study were achieved by building theory based on four case studies. Each case study is made up of one original equipment manufacturer and one or two suppliers who work together along the innovation process. 10 organisations formed part of this study. Data were collected through 67 semi-structured interviews and documents. The data were then analysed by using template and matrix analysis. The result of this study is a configurational view at three different levels of analysis that highlights generative and degenerative effects of different dimensions of power on knowledge integration. In total, 23 power/knowledge integration configurations were identified; seven at the inter-organisational level of analysis, ten at the intra-project level, and six at the intra-organisational level. Furthermore, a comparison of power/knowledge integration configurations across analysis levels is provided. This was used to identify commonalities and differences of configurations across analysis levels.

The aim of this thesis is to cast light on a group of senior managers currently working in Iraq. It investigates their personalsocial background. career patterns and decision-making styles in the light of the Western management standards. The thesis also tries to bring into the light how the Iraqi managers spend their time and what activities they exercise inside their firms. In addition. it attempts to show the contemporary social constraints or pressures which face managers in Iraq. The assumption is made that in order to understand management styles and the principal personal-social background and career patterns of a group of managers in a given country. prior understanding of their social and cultural values is vital. Without such prior understanding of the social and cultural context. the analysis and the interpretation of the managers' characteristics and their management styles will be incomplete. Thus, the point of departure is to start the analysis by careful examination of Iraq; its geography, social communities, religions, education, political and economic development. In addition, the analysis extends itself to cover the past and the contemporary attitudes toward men and women, time. manual work and toward the size of the family. The thesis then proceeds to discuss the principal characteristics of forty four Iraqi manuging directors. The results broadly indicate that most of the personal-social characteristics and career patterns of these managers are a reflection of their larger society. The same is equally true with their management styles. What already exists in the industrial firms studied also exists in the larger society; the links between industrial organisations and the Iraqi society in terms of social values and attitudes toward time. manual work. superiority of men over women. remain strong despite the fact that the society is undereoing considerable social and economic changes. So. too, the principal characteristics of the managers studied. whether in terms of their personal-social background. their career patterns or their decision-makine styles. are by and large similar to the general features of the society in large. The analysis also indicates that in order to work according to Western management standards. the Iraqi manager needs not only a long period of time, but also requires massive efforts to get rid of a heavy heritage of different but interlocking social pressures and constraints.

Spinoffs are companies based on university intellectual property established to commercialize university technology to the marketplace. The objective of this study was to examine the reasons for the rapid diffusion of spinoffs in the UK, as well as the potential effects of these companies on university resource acquisition. The study used two broad theoretical perspectives from the sociology of organizations: institutional theory and organizational ecology. It blended elements from other related perspectives such as organizational evolution and social exchange theory. Driven by the need to establish a full database of spinoffs for the first time, quantitative data collection and analysis techniques were predominantly employed. The emerging database comprised of nearly 9 million datapoints capturing the full population of university spinoffs (and their demographics) by all English and Scottish universities over a period of 15 years (1993-2007). Qualitative exploratory data collection methods were also used to supplement the design and structure of the study, including hypothesis formation. In total, 6 in-depth interviews with Technology Transfer Managers were conducted at a representative number of universities across England and Scotland. The study identified the role of certain environmental, institutional factors in shaping the decision by universities to adopt spinoff formation as a standard practice. Such factors were the role of networking, social compliance, industry associations, and media information providers. It also demonstrated that spinoff formation gradually but significantly enhanced university financial resources over time. The study finally discussed the process of coevolution of universities and spinoffs as distinct populations of organizations within the community of academic entrepreneurship. Specifically, the discussion moved towards building a new theory of “reciprocal legitimacy”.

Pay for performance (PFP) has been widely studies in the western context; however it has been paid very little attention with respective to China, especially in non-public sector knowledge-intensive industries. Research related to PFP has been strongly controversial. It is argued that the controversy surrounding PFP largely reflect that a well designed PFP programme must accompany effective implementation over time in order to run pay systems effectively. This thesis explores PFP design and implementation issues from a management perspective within the context of China focusing on four specific areas, namely; the importance of PFP in the current pay system; characteristics of PFP plans; implementation and functions of performance appraisal (PA) and line managers' involvement in PFP. A qualitative milti-case study apprach was applied to 12 non-public enterprises from investment, IT and pharmaceutical industries based in Shanghai consisting of more than 62 interviews with top managers, HR and line managers.

There is no doubt that every corner of the manufacturing world is changing in important ways. Industries that were once dominated by North American and Western European companies are now global, and competition around the world is intense. No manufacturer can afford to be complacent about past successes and expect to survive. The pressures of competition are significant, and they are growing. In Mexico too, companies are becoming concerned by the increasing global competition they are facing. The most immediate threat is posed by the USA and Canada as a consequence of the establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Japanese competition is also increasing, and so too is the competition from the newly industrialised countries of Asia and Europe. Many Mexican companies which relied on cheap labour and had little outside competition are now threatened by technically more advanced companies. Manufacturers find themselves competing more intensely than ever before in international markets. This also means they face more intense competition in their own domestic markets from international producers. Of course, there is no blueprint for survival in the global market. But clear patterns emerge when one carefully examines the practices of those manufacturers regarded as "world class". A good deal of evidence suggests that the failure of some firms to survive in the global market is due to the mismanagement of people rather than to problems with technical systems per se. In particular, changes in manufacturing often are not accompanied by complementary changes in human resource management. Human resource management considerations such as Work Teams may be as important as other aspects of modern manufacturing, such as Just In Time (JIT) and Total Quality Management (TQM). Recognition of this issue is so widespread that most theorists see Work Teams (WT) as a critical link in the conversion to the modern manufacturing paradigm. This study investigates the impact of Total Quality Management (TQM), Work Teams (WT), and Just-In-Time (JIT) on the performance of Mexican manufacturing firms. The direction and magnitude of the impact is analysed for large, medium, small and Maquiladora industries. Findings of the study are intended to provide a clearer view of what impacts the performance of the companies. This overall theme is consistent with a long history of research on the integration of technology and organisation. Little empirical research has, however, investigated the effect of Work Teams, Just In Time manufacturing, and Total Quality Management programs as an integrated concept on the performance of manufacturing firms. Research to date has relied mainly on studying the effect of each factor as a stand-alone system on organisationsor case studies, which have frequently presented idiosyncratic practices or conflicting findings. Based on the model of Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award, and Mexican National Quality Award, a survey questionnaire was developed. It contained variables of the TQM, WT, and JIT practices which were measured on a five-point Likert type scale for all items to ensure higher statistical variability among survey responses- The respondents were asked to choose the grade (from 1 to 5) of implementing these practices in the last three to five years in their firms. The questionnaires were mailed to 230 large, 133 medium, 105 small, and 175 Maquiladora companies. The first section of the questionnaire gathered information on the quality improvement techniques practised by each firm based on a 68 questions on TQM, JIT, and WT, and the second section determined the outcome of the companies measured as the performance based on the perception of plant managers divided into 7 questions on operational results, customer satisfaction, and organisational climate. Reliability and validity tests were addressed in survey development and evaluation to provide confidence that the empirical findings accurately reflected the proposed constructs. While the reliability test permitted to the determining of the degree of systematic variance in the questionnaire, the validity test allowed labelling of this systematic variance. The findings reported here are based on questionnaire data collected covering 122 large, 60 medium, 56 small, and 60 Maquiladora manufacturing companies from different sectors. Given the purpose of the study, a principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to examine the interrelationships among the variables and then explaining these variables in terms of their common underlying dimensions (factors). In order to examine the impact of these variables on the performance of the companies, a canonical correlation analysis was done. The study showed that no stand-alone improvement technique had an impact on the performance. The only significant impact was found when TQM, lIT, and WT were practised simultaneously.

(Trade union recognition for the Swaziland Sugar Manufacturing and Refining Industry 1982 - 1992 from a human resources management perspective). This study has attempted to consider the complexities of labour relations and industrial conflict within a developing African country. A major case study was followed. The research covers the ten year period 1982 - 1992 and follows the interaction and conflict between management Representative of employers and trade union leaders in Swaziland's major strategic industry. The specific conflict issue was that of recognition by the employers of a trade union, as the sole collective bargaining agent for workers within the sugar manufacturing and refining industry. Both parties were constrained within the parameters of legislation more applicable to an industrialised nation than to a third world state. Interaction between participants in an industrial work place occurs within the ambience of the wider society but values, norms and ideologies are reflected individually and in the various sub-systems of that society. A prevailing ideology however pervades the total socio-economic and political system ordered through a framework of rules and regulations determined and approved by the governing elite. In one developing country, Swaziland, the authoritative framework for the industrial relations sub-system during the years 1982 - 1992, was based upon the Democratic Socialist ideology of Western industrially developed states, as catalogued and promoted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Organised labour's values and norms were identical to I. L. O. norms but the rank and file of the worker collectives in Swaziland rarely understood the concepts involved. Employers and managers marginally identified with the concepts but did not fully support their operationalisation. The hypothesis is that it was the impact of the respective values and norms of the employers and their representatives and union leaders which determined the processing of the conflict. The values and norms of industrialised society encapsulated in industrial relations concepts and the notion of collective bargaining embodied in Swaziland's labour legislation contributed little to the resolution of conflict over union recognition. Collective bargaining with its inherent compromise approach provided a model for conflict management and a forum for the exercise of attitudes and actions arising from individual and group values and norms; it did not provide guidelines for conflict resolution. Overt conflict was avoided but the underlying differences and the basic conflict itself were reinforced and prolonged for ten years. The study concludes with the suggestion that a locally developed conflict resolution strategy providing a structure for a consensus approach might have resulted in a long term collaborative environment for industrial relations. Such an environment could lead to economic stability and capital investment of benefit to employers and employees and of vital concern to a developing society.

This thesis examines management and organization theories and their relevance to the Museum and gallery context. In Part One management theories are examined to ascertain the development of management thinking and to establish the principles under which museums and galleries operate. This theme is developed to extend the concept of management expertise in museums and galleries to enable due consideration to be given to applications of management theory which are seen to be under-utilized yet appropriate to the changing environment in which museums and galleries currently operate. Thought is given to the attitudes and antecedents of the museum profession and their seeming reluctance to develop new management skills. The complexities of subject-specialists occupying key management positions within museums and galleries is discussed and the move to a more consultative approach to management is recommended. Part Two explores Organization Theory, its historical and contemporary view and its relevance to the museum and gallery context. An analysis of organizational structure questions the understanding by museum managers of the importance of appropriate structures to the successful and effective control of' museums and galleries. Following on from this is a detailed look at structural patterns and how best to understand and design appropriate structures within the environment of change currently affecting museums. To give guidance to this line of thought Organization Culture, Conflict and Change is examined to point out the importance of a cognizant approach to these subjects by senior museum professionals in order to provide the most appropriate structure within institutions which are required to function with historic collections in a competitive environment that has seen fundamental changes, generally, over the past twenty 11 years.

Social networks have been seen to have an effect upon the performance of both individuals and teams within organisations. This thesis aims to explore the effects of such social networks on the performance of individuals and groups in three cohorts of undergraduate students in management education. Information on the social networks of the three cohorts was gathered with the use of a roster choice questionnaire. The questionnaire listed each member of the cohort and required the individual to identify with whom he / she is friends and with whom he / she communicates regarding academic related issues. This data was used to investigate the social networks of the three cohorts, the placing of individuals within these networks, and interactions within and amongst self-assigned project groups. Further information was gathered regarding the project groups in the form of a peer group assessment. The students were asked to rate the members of their group on a Likert scale in terms of effort within the group, intellectual contribution, and overall co-operation with the other members of their work group. Within an educational context a student's performance is measured by their grades. The relationship between individual and group grades and the network and peer group assessment data was investigated. Results indicate that there is significant correlation between students' grades and the degree to which they are sought out for communication in all three cohorts. In the second and third year cohorts there was also significant correlation between grades and the 'in degree' of friendship. In the third year cohort there was evidence of significant correlation between students' grades and their `out degree' of communication. These results have implications for both educators and students. Educators should make students aware of the effects of social networks and encourage students to participate in their social networks by promoting group work, applying team building exercises and supplying the facilities in which students can socialise. Students should attempt to socialise within their cohort, become involved in both the friendship and communication networks that are available.

Understanding how firms gain competitive advantage is perhaps the central question faced by strategy researchers (Rouse and Daellenbach, 1999; Powell, 2001). An examination of competitive advantage within the context of new markets presents an important and interesting dimension of this problem. It offers the opportunity to examine the potential for different types of entrant to establish competitive advantage. While competitive advantage in new markets has been addressed from a number of different theoretical perspectives, the suggestion here is that a resource-based conceptual lens can better explain the nature of the competitive challenge facing firms. A theoretical model of competitive advantage in new markets is developed, which highlights the importance of a firm's resource and capability endowments at the time of market entry, although it is argued that the main challenge faced by firms is the ability to adapt, where this refers to a firm's ability to develop the capabilities that are critical for success in new markets. Empirical research is carried out in respect of two UK-based on-line sectors, the Internet Service Provider sector and the online broking sector. The results of the survey research provide further evidence and support for the role of initial endowments of resources and capabilities at the time of new market entry, while the main findings of the case study research develop theory in respect of capability development in both new and established firms, suggesting that the process of capability development is itself an evolutionary one.