CERES :: Browsing by Author "Kakabadse, Andrew P."

Browsing by Author "Kakabadse, Andrew P."

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Open Access
1% for 10%: Executive Strategies for Customer Care
(John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2006-03-01T00:00:00Z) Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Savery, Lawson; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Lee-Davies, Linda
This paper avoids the linear route to establishing where the biggest impact on customer service lies and instead examines the influences on the quality of the customer experience from all angles in an organization. From the culture and policies of the organization itself, to the front-line individuals and their managers, it is evident that customer satisfaction is influenced at many levels and this directly affects organizational success and competitive standing. The Cranfield Top Executive Leadership studies, across 12 countries, examine senior managers' commitment to customer focus. The sample's division, into three distinct groups according to their customer focus commitment levels, highlights a range of arguments about individual, management and corporate dedication to levels of customer satisfaction with hints at where these may conflict with each other. By taking a rounded look at the customer focus process from all its pivots within an organization, potential bottlenecks in the process are also highlighted. Most interestingly, it is concluded that there is actually little difference between the groups in pure quantitative terms, but it is that small difference indeed which makes all the difference to a substantial increase in positive customer experience.
Open Access
Applications of constructive developmental theory to the studies of leadership development : a systematic review
(Cranfield University, 2008) Florio, Linda; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
Purpose. The purpose of this dissertation is to present three main outcomes of the systematic review undertaken: - A synthesis of extant literature on leadership development from the angle of constructive developmental theory. - A review of the two approaches in constructive developmental theory most widely used in conjunction with studies of leadership development. - An integrative framework of the process and context of leadership development from the constructive developmental perspective. In exploring the directions of further inquiry, the framework is applied to the development of a transformational style of leadership in the settings of executive leadership development initiatives. Cont/d.
Open Access
Assessing top executive performance
(1988) Kakabadse, Andrew P.
Open Access
Auditing employee ownership in a neo-liberal world
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2010-08-31T00:00:00Z) Knyght, P. R.; Kouzmin, Alexander; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
Purpose - Employee ownership has attracted much attention across the globe. Whether affected by the global financial crisis (GFC), or not, this paper seeks to canvass what is known about employee ownership in neo-liberal political economies. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is a literature review, cross cultural analysis and critique. Findings - The findings indicate future research directions. Research limitations/implications - The paper suggests a reconsideration of organizational configurations for possible greater application in the future. Social implications - The paper hightlights the re- regulation of neo-liberal markets. Originality/value - The paper focuses on employee share ownership schemes.
Open Access
Balancing the multiplicity of different international joint venture (IJV) partners' agendas : IJV directors' contribution to board effectiveness
(Cranfield University, 2006-09) Petrovic, Jelena; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.
This research examines international joint Venture (IJV) directors' contribution to board effectiveness, utilising a role theoretical framework. The study was prompted by a view that academic debate was limited in its understanding of how directors of IJV boards contribute to board effectiveness whilst balancing the multiplicity of different partners agendas. I particular, the literature review reveals the tendency of the studies of the IJV board director role to describe behaviours that make up a role, at the expense of the actual processes entailed in full filling the role. I addition, the corporate governance (CG) studies have made large inferences from inputs such as board composition to outputs such as board effectiveness, with no direct evidence of the processes that presumably link the inputs to the outputs. Based on the findings from a qualitative exploratory case study of thirteen board directors from three Serbian-foreign joint Ventures based in Serbia, the research proposes _a model that captures the contribution to board effectiveness from a individual IJV board directors perspective. By revealing the actual processes that produce and are affected by IJV board director role outcomes, the study offers a explanation of IJV board director behaviour and opens what has been described as the black box of CG research. The research holds direct implications for role theory, and the IJV and CG literatures. It enhances understanding of IJV board director role, broadens the scope and relevance of role theory beyond the domestic company, extends the study of board director role in the CG literature to IJVs, and contributes to the studies of board dynamics and IJV boards which have been largely under-researched. The research also provides practitioners with a better understanding of the issues and nuances associated with governing of IJVs, as well as knowledge of IJV board director behaviour within the Serbian CG system.
Open Access
A benchmark study and analytical framework, applying demography theory to research on NHS trusts' top management teams in times of change
(Cranfield University, 2000-11) Myers, A.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
Seminal research at the Camegie school sparked studies in the early 1980s by Pfeffer and by Hambrick and Mason. Their development of demography and upper echelon theory promised to explain organizational performance in terms of the demography of top management teams (TMTs), primarily the average length-of-service or tenure of team members. Later research brought in mediating and management processes, and intervening variables as explanations of performance. Building on this research, the present study surveyed TMTs in NHS Trusts, the data collection being conducted in the mid-1990s. At the time, the Trusts were new types of organizations, retreaded from earlier bodies (such as District Health Authorities) but with a remit to replace welfare subventions with enforceable contracts - so that funds came from buyers, and not allocations. A variety of pressures created a turbulent milieu for the Trusts, which were essentially organizations in transition. The research developed a methodology with an interplay of qualitative and quantitative techniques. The latter made use of a proven survey instrument, and developed a replicable framework for analysing and presenting the results - a benchmark for follow-up or longitudinal studies in the same field or across wider applications. The results brought out the importance of management processes, including those promoting coalitions and affective agreement, and those likely to lead to cognitive conflict and enhanced performance. Findings from the research provide a hierarchical profile of the factors influencing Trust and Management performance. The results create a new and substantive method of measuring heterogeneity and homogeneity in TMTs, and they form a basis for distinguishing high from low performers. Hypotheses on homogeneity and heterogeneity of groups, on management and mediating processes, on intervening variables, and on how sensitivities affect performance should enrich understanding of TMTs in organizations that are radically changing, within a rapidly changing environment.
Open Access
Bridging the politico-administrative divide
(Cranfield University, 2003-03) Giacchino, Stephen; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Jenkins, Mark
This thesis presents the findings and conclusions of research that was undertaken with the purpose of exploring the issues (or factors) that typically influence the successful, or unsuccessful, implementation of public policy initiatives in Malta. The research, which followed an inductive enquiry and a case study approach, was undertaken in three sequential and progressive steps (or ‘projects’). The objective of Projects 1 and 2 was to elicit the factors that are typically considered to influence failure and success in the implementation of policy initiatives in Malta. While Project 1 focused on a case study of failure, Project 2 considered a case study of successful policy implementation1. Both studies were based upon data collected through documentary research (172 records)2 and in-depth interviews (17)3 that were held with the key persons involved in the implementation of the policies under review. Twenty-six (26) factors of failure and twenty-one (21) factors of success were identified through the application of cognitive (causal) mapping techniques (Eden, Ackermann et al., 1992) and the general principles of data codification proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998). Using a survey of 136 persons4, Project 3 then established which of the factors elicited from the first two projects were generally considered to be critical for policy implementation in Malta. Focusing on these results, a number of propositions were then drawn with the objective of recommending measures that would improve the likelihood of successful policy implementation. The research concludes that the decisive factors influencing the successful or unsuccessful outcome of policy implementation in Malta are a function of the type and degree of commitment and leadership that are shown to a policy initiative. The research further suggests that success can be improved if the approach to the management of policies is based on the application of the principles of project management. The research makes a number of contributions to both theory and practice. Most notably, it proposes two conceptual models for framing and representing success and failure in policy implementation; it ascribes meaning to a number of clichéd concepts, particularly that of ‘(policy) commitment’; it identifies eight dimensions or requisites for effective (public sector) leadership; and it suggests a tool for guiding the selection of policy implementation leaders.
Open Access
Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO): that sacred and secret relationship
(Emerald, 2006) Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Barratt, Ruth
The attention given to corporate governance has engendered little inquiry into one critical aspect of boardroom dynamics – the Chairman/CEO relationship. The reasons for the lack of attention to the Chairman/CEO dyad are highlighted, as well as the board and organisational performance reasons for maintaining role separation or entering into duality. Due to the poverty of understanding the effect of the Chairman/CEO relationship, a qualitative study was undertaken from which four themes emerged – Chairman’s role and contribution, nature of the Chair/CEO relationship, impact of the Chair/CEO relationship on board effectiveness, and the attributes of an effective Chairman. It is concluded that formative context is a determining factor in the development of this fundamental relationship which, in turn, has a profound impact on boardroom effectiveness.
Open Access
Chairman of the board: demographics effects on role pursuit
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
This paper aims to undertake a study of national configurational demographics in order to determine the spread of understanding of the chairman's role, performance and contribution.
Open Access
The chemistry factor in the Chairman/CEO relationship
(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2010-08-31T00:00:00Z) Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Knyght, P. R.
This paper reports a study into the nature, dynamics and effects of the ‘chemistry' of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) relationship. A qualitative, semi-structured interview, narrative analysis methodology over a twenty-eight month period was adopted. A sample of CEO's, Chairmen and Non- Executive Directors (NEDs) across the boards of nine corporations, agreed to participate in in-depth discussion. Personal narratives of the board director's experience, particularly from the perspective of enabling understanding of the ‘chemistry' of the Chairman/CEO relationship, were analysed in terms of boardroom and organisational effect. There are two elements to ‘chemistry', analytical interpretative capacity (sense making) and deep friendship (philos). Both emerge as primary to determining Chairman/CEO effectiveness and in combination nurture meaningful knowledge sharing as well as a desire for learning in the boardroom. Absence of either allows for a workable relationship, but with neither, the Chairman/CEO dyad and the organisation are harmed. This qualitative study draws attention to the criticality of sense making and philos as determinants of the quality of the Chairman/CEO relationship. The study results emphasise the critical nature of the Chairman/CEO relationship in determining boardroom and organisational effectiveness. Development of this dyadic interaction is considered to positively benefit boardroom dynamics and organisational perfor
Open Access
Coming attraction
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2009-03-31T00:00:00Z) Cornelli, Francesca; D'Aveni, Richard; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kanter, Rosabeth Moss; Reitzig, Markus; Trompenaars, Fons; Warren, Kim
What are the big business ideas that will shape tomorrow's agenda? In every issue of business strategy review we provide an update on what some of the world's leading thinkers are currently working on.
Open Access
Congruent, Divergent and Incoherent Corporate Level Strategies
(Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam., 2002-12-01T00:00:00Z) Bowman, Cliff; Ward, Keith; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
This paper draws together four related strands of theory to address the processes of corporate value creation. Specifically, contributions from resource-based theory, dynamic capabilities, corporate strategy and Mintzberg’s structure theory have been combined to derive four congruent resource-creating strategies: financial control, scale, leverage, and creativity. Mintzberg’s configurations approach is used to explore the organisational structures and processes associated with each strategy. It argues that choices with respect to corporate resource creation must be made as these four strategies require distinct, congruent organisational arrangements. When congruent strategies deliver diminishing returns, divergent strategies may be pursued. However, there is a risk of incoherence where a divergent strategy is poorly implemen
Open Access
Consultant's role: a qualitative inquiry from the consultant's perspective
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2006) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Louchart, Eddy; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
Many criticisms questioning the role and the efficiency of business consultants have been addressed. However, although a great deal of research has been carried out on business consultancy, little has been written on business consultancy from the consultant's viewpoint. In order to gain a detailed view of the situation from an internal consultant's perspective, an investigation of how business consultants perceive their role and contribution within their clients' organisations was undertaken. Drawing on different perspectives, this study aims to demystify the role of business consultants, and to ascertain how they perceive their role within their clients' organisations.
Open Access
Deliberative inquiry: Integrated ways of working in children services
(Springer Science Business Media, 2011-02-28T00:00:00Z) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Lee-Davies, Linda; Johnson, Nick
Abstract In striving for greater integration of children services across a number of government and non government agencies, this paper examines the effect of drawing on deliberative inquiry as the lever for realising greater alignment across agencies. The paper discusses the need for improvement in UK local government children's services and then offers a review of the dialogue based inquiry approaches. In so doing, the paper highlights the Socratic mode of inquiry, emphasising the dual strategies of penetrative questioning, elenchus, and the process of founding new knowledge through working through confusion, aporia. This paper then reports how a London borough realised sustained change through the adoption of deliberative inquiry. The study achieved successful integration through the penetrating and contextually sensitive dialogue the inquiry participants generated, allowing them to develop the capability for realising effective organisational change. The paper concludes that deliberative inquiry facilitates individuals to speak their concerns in a manner that prompts ‘consensually accepted beliefs' to emerge through paying equal attention to the motivation of the inquiry participants, as well as to the reality of the contextual demands they need to confron
Open Access
Designing Balance into the Democratic Project: Contrasting Jeffersonian Democracy against Bentham's Panopticon Centralisation in determining ICT adoption
(2007-01-01T00:00:00Z) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kouzmin, Alexander
Positioned in a critical realist perspective, this paper examines the impact of systematic and institutional distortion to communication and the use of information and communicative technology (ICT) for control over citizen participation within the Liberal-democratic process. The paper contrasts the Jeffersonian vision of democracy against Bentham’s Panopticon dystopia and reviews comparative models of democratic processes. In so doing, it is argued that the role of ICT, the role of pressure groups and concentrated media ownership and control pose significant issues for E-democracy, in particular that of less unfettered communication within the context of Liberal democracy. It is concluded that a new constitutional organ is required to enhance genuine participation within the Panopticon proclivities emergent in E-democrac
Open Access
Directors' remuneration: the need for a geo-political perspective
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2004) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kouzmin, Alexander
There are many ways to construct an incentive program. However, most compensation plans tend to be focused on profitability and profitability-related accomplishments with little or no incentive for corporate social responsibility. Director's compensation continues to climb with the United States leading and Britain following modestly behind. The question as to where fair pay ends and over-compensation begins – and what that means for the community – is rarely raised. In order to understand the impact of fair and over-compensated director's pay on other stakeholders, a geo-political perspective is proposed that builds on knowledge of existing theories of the firm.
Open Access
A dynamic theory of leadership development
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2009-12-31T00:00:00Z) Mostovicz, E. Issac; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
Purpose - This paper aims to offer a dynamic theory of leadership development. Design/methodology/approach - The paper examines selected leadership literature through the lens of theory building-blocks. It identifies the role of the ideal goal in leadership and its importance in developing the psychological aspect of leadership. Findings - The paper posits that leadership is a developmental process, which is based on the type of choice a leader makes. While choice implies that two good options are always available from which to select, one should make choices in accordance with the leader's worldview, looking for affiliation (i.e. the Theta worldview), or looking for achievement (i.e. the Lambda worldview). Consequently, leaders need to recognise that the choices they make for organisational activities have to fit their own worldview. Pursuing the fit between one's worldview and planned organisational activities ensures that leaders continuously improve their ethical behaviour. The paper concludes with the presentation of a dynamic theory of leadership, which is based on the assumption that one can only strive toward truly ethical leadership with the knowledge that this goal is beyond human capacity. Research limitations/implications - Being a theory-based exploration, the paper does not provide empirical examples of how this theory might be applied in practice. Originality/value - The paper provides an example of a dynamic theory, introduces the concept of Theta and Lambda worldviews
Open Access
The dynamics of third dimensional power in detemining a pre-orientation to policymaking : an exploratory study of transitional elite interactions in the post-Cold War period
(Cranfield University, 2009-02) Richardson, Ian; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
In the contemporary political setting, the emergence of transnationalism represents a significant challenge to traditional state-centred depictions of international relations and raises many questions concerning its purpose, legitimacy and effects. This study is concerned with one aspect of the transnational debate: the dynamics of power that drive consensus formation within informal, and collaborative, elite transnational networks. Situated in debates related to international relations, political economy, policy science, political sociology and social network theory, this study identifies the role played by transnational elites in articulating, as well as interpreting, structural determinants of policy. In short, transnational elite interactions are responsible, often unconsciously, for the legitimisation of pervasive social constructs within the wider elite community. The process of legitimisation within such settings is highly contested and, as a consequence, power relations are critical to our understanding of eventual consensus. Utilising Steven Lukes’s (1974) third dimensional form of power, this study considers the discrete mechanisms of preference formation at play within transnational elite networks. Exploring processes of socialisation, acculturation, familiarisation and fraternisation within such communities, the complex, and highly personal, demands of elite membership are revealed. The study suggests that these demands have a considerable bearing upon the nature and substance of consensus formation activity within elite networks. It also makes clear, however, that any resulting consensus is far from absolute and highly idiosyncratic. This qualitative study is the first of its kind concerned with the interactions of transnational elites. It reports the findings of interviews conducted with sixteen members of the Atlantic transnational network – arguably the most powerful and interconnected of all transnational networks. In presenting an analysis of the first-hand accounts of these individuals, and exploring the dynamics of power within such a context, this study represents an original contribution to knowledge in the field.
Open Access
Economic theories of the entrepreneur: A systematic review of the literature
(Cranfield University, 2007-09) Brown, Christopher Russell; Kakabadse, Andrew P.
Economic theories of the entrepreneur have received more attention recently in the entrepreneurship literature. Different concepts and ideas are typically borrowed from various economists to create new, or expand upon existing, theories. This has created a somewhat fragmented literature, and I found no evidence of a previous systematic (or comprehensive literature) review of any economic theories of the entrepreneur. The many different economic theories of the entrepreneur over time and a renewed interest in researching entrepreneurship within an economics framework led to my research questions: What are the different economic theories of the entrepreneur? What are the main themes and sub themes of these economic theories? The aims of my systematic review were: (1) to provide a literature scoping section that gives an overview of the economics and entrepreneurship fields which lead to my research question; (2) to develop a systematic review protocol which outlines the various stages of the review process which will answer the review question; and (3) to carry out the review by locating and synthesizing the relevant literature. The process proved beneficial as evidenced by the comprehensiveness of the findings. The most influential school of economics on the field of entrepreneurship is arguably the Austrian school, with Israel Kirzner as the main developer of an economic theory of the entrepreneur. Most of the current themes in the entrepreneurship literature come from his theory and future research in entrepreneurship appears to be moving forward with ideas from the Austrian school. I have synthesized the results from the systematic search and identified 7 major recurring themes in the literature: entrepreneurial opportunity identification and exploitation; discovery; knowledge; uncertainty and risk; the market as a process; disequilibrium; and alertness. Taken together, these themes provide a clearer picture of the economic function of the entrepreneur.
Open Access
Effectiveness of French management: analysis of the behaviour, attitudes and business impact of top managers
(1994) Myers, Andrew; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Gordon, C.; Alderson, Siobhan
The findings in this paper are based on the results of a postal survey of 168 top level managers in French organisations. Demographic variables, behavioural characteristics and measures of business impact have been linked in order to discover whether organisational infrastructure concerns, educational achievements of top management, or the behaviour of top management, or a combination of these, influence the business performance of French private sector organisations. The results show that the level of qualification attained does not indicate whether French senior managers will perform effectively, nor is the configuration of organisation structure significant for effective management. Crucial, however, are the attitudes and behaviour of senior managers, who are identified as significantly impacting on group and organisational performance. It is considered that four areas of management are pertinent to the continued growth and development of French senior managers, namely enhancing the ability to respond positively to feedback, enhancing interfacing skills, effective use of consultants and assisting managers to be high achievers.

Browsing by Author "Kakabadse, Andrew P."

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