Business Horizons最新文献

While the negative effects of downsizing on survivors have been well documented, in the context of teams, these negative effects are less understood, even though they can potentially be magnified. In this article, we combine research findings in teams with the experiences of team members who survived a recent episode of downsizing. Our intention was to confirm the negative repercussions of downsizing both for survivors and for the organization, as well as to provide prescriptions for buffering these effects within teams. Specifically, we extend previous research by documenting the negative association of downsizing with turnover from teams and from the organization, and we explore how downsizing might disrupt or damage the relational, psychological, and productive bonds that make teams valuable to organizations. When downsizing is unavoidable, we offer leaders of team-based organizations prescriptions to consider before, during, and after downsizing. Our prescriptions are intended to contribute to restoring trust, reestablishing a safe environment, and reforming the social, productive connections that allow teams and their members to flourish.

When employees speak up with improvement-oriented ideas or raise concerns about detrimental or harmful aspects of the work environment, organizations benefit and so do voicing employees. Despite the proven benefits, employees generally hesitate to speak up, and many managers are not receptive to employee voice. What can leaders do to overcome these challenges and harness the power of employee voice? We draw on research examining constructive forms of employee voice behavior to illustrate its value, explain how to maximize its effectiveness, and describe what voicing employees can do to ensure their voice is heard.

This study provides an initial examination of data from a passion project of Tim Baldwin, known as the Kelley Career Progress Study (KCPS). The KCPS is a longitudinal study designed to track Kelley School of Business students and their subsequent career outcomes. As originally intended, the study was set to track students 30 years into their careers. With the unfortunate passing of Professor Baldwin, we sought to provide an initial analysis to honor his memory. Using information gathered beginning in 2002 and subsequent LinkedIn data from 2020, we provide observations focused on occupational attainment. Specifically, we describe first occupations attained along with later occupations and find that after 18 years, a majority of students had attained a managerial-level role. We further examined the level of occupational prestige associated with first and last occupations and related factors such as geography, initial job, and obtaining an advanced degree. Importantly, student characteristics like intelligence, gender, and race, as well as undergraduate grade point average, were not associated with managerial attainment or occupational prestige. We conclude with some advice for graduates and with suggestions for further research as the KCPS continues.

A thriving company culture is the foundation on which a company’s success is built. Company leaders are the guardians of this culture with the crucial responsibility to maintain and evolve the culture and values to meet the company’s needs as it scales. Current research touches on the importance of company culture, but there is little in the existing literature that describes how to lead amid times of scaling a business when the culture needs to evolve. In this article, we draw from our own leadership experiences, as well as the experiences of employees at scaling companies, to provide a framework for leaders on how to build, maintain, and adapt a positive company culture during different stages of company growth. The goal is to minimize the growing pains associated with the inevitable changes that occur during the scaling process.

Transforming any organization’s culture is daunting regardless of sector, but a government agency faces even greater challenges. This article documents the multiyear journey of the Indiana Department of Revenue, which went from operating as a typical government bureaucracy to becoming a premier tax administrator and being recognized as one of the top 100 workplaces in the US. The Indiana Department of Revenue’s cultural transformation and successful implementation of a multiyear system and business modernization project provide informative lessons on undergoing a cultural transformation, including successfully leading a complex change initiative. I also explored how Pfeffer’s people-centered practices of successful businesses can be applied to a government agency.

In today's rapidly evolving world, the need for effective training and development programs is more urgent than ever. The biggest challenge to training research stems from the advancement of technology such as artificial intelligence. This article is organized into three sections. First, I present an overview of integrating emerging technology—artificial intelligence—in the workplace. Second, I discuss strategies to keep up with rapidly changing work environments for effective and timely training transfer. Third, I conclude with future directions for training transfer in the era of artificial intelligence. This study does not focus on “what we know” in training transfer research. Rather, it emphasizes future directions and offers recommendations for improving training and training transfer through the advancement of technology and by facilitating dynamic work environments. The recommendations aim to develop more effective training programs that will lead to significant and sustainable improvements in employee performance, productivity, and organizational outcomes.