Scandinavian Journal of Management Studies最新文献

Starting from the current political discussion of privatization, a comparison is made between private and public organizations, focusing on the degree of bureaucracy and the processes of decision-making and leadership in the organizations. The comparison is based on empirical data published in the literature of organizational research, including some fresh material from a recent comparative study of strategic decision-making in British and Swedish organizations. On the basis of these empirical data, it is concluded that many of the arguments put forward in the discussion of privatization do not seem to be grounded in facts, and that the results of organizational research do not confirm the great differences that are said to exist between private and public organizations.

A distinctive feature of some manufacturing workplaces has been that the negotiated order of day-to-day operations is dependent on the consent of a workplace-level collectivity of workers. Despite Lysgaard's (1961) stimulating contribution very little empirical research exists on this topic. This article discusses potential criteria which could be used in the identification of workers' workplace organisations. Instead of overt institutional mechanisms the differentia specifica of a workers' workplace organisation is linked

• 1.

  (1) to the existence of leadership over and above lower-level collectivities,

• 2.

  (2) to the existence of a factory consciousness which distinguishes workers' workplace organisations from other local collectivities and

• 3.

  (3) to the ability to mobilise the resources of the members to joint action which serves as an ultimate power base of the collectivity.

This study deals with organizational responses to the revolutionary environment, which is one with radical, sudden, unpredictable, multidimensional and rapid changes. A conceptual and theoretical model is developed to facilitate a better understanding of the way in which organizations adapt to these environmental changes. The impact of the environmental changes on the organizational entities is explored, as well as the organizational responses to such changes. The various alternatives that successful organizations have used in order to survive and cope with the environmental changes are explained. The rearrangement of vested interest groups and the configuration of the power systems in the organizations, and the relationship of these systems with power systems in society, are discussed.

Recent management theories introduce a distinction between strategy as intended and strategy as realized. This point is discussed here with reference to the development of the production system of the Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo. The observed difference between intended and realized strategy is explained in terms of networks. Firms are linked together in networks, and the interactions between them provide opportunities while also limiting the available scope. The “official story” of the Volvo company is compared with a description of the way in which the realized strategy evolved. Particular attention is paid to the description of the competitiveness of the company as it accords with the network approach, which is the present focus of interest.

How does one choose between paradigms? Is there a neutral language that can be used in translating descriptions of phenomena from one frame of reference (functional organization) to a sensible description within another frame of reference (local integration)?

The empirical content of this problem complex is illustrated through a case study of the organizing efforts of two actors in an experiment with a new principle of local coordination across departmental frontiers in a professionally sectorized structure. The analysis of the material focuses on how the respondents try to make sense of the processes they initiate and participate in, and what role a sophisticated accounting system played.

By shifting frames of reference the actor, in this case a change agent, can construct decision packages that are meaningful also to actors in the old organizational structure. Agreements, after political processes, across jurisdictional frontiers are confirmed through changes in the budget/accounting system.

When governments make choices on behalf of their citizens fewer private choices can be made. If there were no ambiguity it would be possible for government to plan effectively but as soon as task knowledge changes, uncertainty and ambiguity results, and government must resort to other forms of regulation. Four ideal types of regulation are considered. A contingency model is developed with task ambiguity and industry concentration as the contingency variables. De-regulation and privatization may be seen as an attempt by government to increase private choice. Examination of the British telecommunications and bus transport industries suggests that this comes about to some extent. But two hybrid forms of regulation are also considered in relation to these two cases which permit a greater private choice than pure planning but which also allows government to maintain a degree of overall control.

Hierchical systems help us to economize on a particular scarce organizational resource, namely management capacity — i.e. on skill, knowledge and social competence. Managers perceive geographical distance as a problem since it increases Diversity and Uncertainty in the flow of information. The Roman Empire and the Early Church were two worldwide organizations that adopted fundamentally different strategies towards distance. The Empire tried to extinguish or suppress Diversity and Uncertainty by way of a centralized and repressive bureaucracy, thereby economizing on scarce management capacity. The Early Church increased its management capacity by adopting a decentralized structure and putting very strong ideological stress on unity. It is suggested in this article that bureaucracy is well suited to the control of simple physical actions. Ideology, on the other hand, is better adapted to organizations in which performance depends on the application of management capacities at all organizational levels.