Browsing by Author "Kakabadse, Nada K."
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Item 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, LindaThis 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.Item 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.Item 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.Item Open Access Bridging the politico-administrative divide(Cranfield University, 2003-03) Giacchino, Stephen; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Jenkins, MarkThis 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.Item Open Access Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO): that sacred and secret relationship(Emerald, 2006) Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Barratt, RuthThe 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.Item 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.Item 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 perforItem 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.Item 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, NickAbstract 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 confronItem 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, AlexanderPositioned 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-democracItem Open Access Directors' remuneration: the need for a geo-political perspective(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2004) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kouzmin, AlexanderThere 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.Item 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 worldviewsItem Open Access Exploring the belief systems of senior managers Antecedents of managerial discretion(Cranfield University, 2005-02) Galavan, Robert; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.Upper-echelons theory has been an extremely active stream of research for over two-decades and, as a counterbalance to the population ecology perspective, has provided evidence to support the position that managers influence firm outcomes. Upper-echelons theory posits that, as managers are boundedly rational and selectively perceptive, a behavioural component derived from their idiosyncratic characteristics should be evident in organisation outcomes. While extensive research has found support for these posited relationships, the operationalisation process subsumes the presumed micro psychological processes into a black-box. Adopting a realist perspective, this thesis goes beyond accepting that organisational outcomes are shaped by managers characteristics and explores the underlying generative mechanisms at work. While upper-echelons theory presumes that a process of selective perception explains the black-box processes, in the two-decades since its publication it has received little empirical attention. In this light, the selective perception literature is extensively reviewed, ultimately rejected, and an alternative model developed. Over time, both strategic choice and population ecology theorists have moved from their extreme positions of opposition and a theory of managerial discretion has been proposed to bridge the divide. This thesis builds and extends the concept of managerial discretion as an alternative framework to explain the black-box processes of upper-echelons theory. The theoretical model developed, proposes how, through the process of perceived, enacted, and actual discretion, managers characteristics shape outcomes. The model provides an extensive base for future research and this thesis tests the initial stage, exploring the relationship between managerial characteristics and perceived discretion.Item Open Access Gender diversity and board performance: women's experiences and perspectives(Wiley, 2015-02-06) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Figueira, Catarina; Nicolopoulou, Katerina; Hong Yang, Jessica; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Özbilgin, Mustafa F.Despite considerable progress that organizations have made during the past 20 years to increase the representation of women at board level, they still hold few board seats. Drawing on a qualitative study involving 30 companies with women directors in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ghana, we investigate how the relationship between gender in the boardroom and corporate governance operates. The findings indicate that the presence of a minority of women on the board has an insignificant effect on board performance. Yet the chairperson's role is vital in leading the change for recruiting and evaluating candidates and their commitment to the board with diversity and governance in mind. Our study also sheds light on the multifaceted reasons why women directors appear to be resisting the discourse of gender quotas.Item Open Access Impact of the use of HR internet applications on managers' satisfaction with the HR function(Cranfield University, 2002-07) Alleyne, Cheryl; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.This thesis explores the impact of the use of Internet applications, provided by the Human Resource (HR) ftinction as an internal supplier, on its internal customers' satisfaction at the managerial level with the HR function, using role theory to underpin the research. From a review of the literature on role, and the relevant fields of HR, internal marketing, and information and communication technology (ICT), a conceptual framework was developed. The study set out to fill a gap in knowledge and addresses the under-development in the HR field regarding HR's relationship with its customers, its use of technology to provide services, and the impact this has on customer satisfaction with the HR function. An exploratory theory building research methodology was adopted. The study follows a realist approach to social enquiry. Seeking to explain internal customer satisfaction, it is necessary to understand perspectives and social relationships between the key actors involved as customers and suppliers of HR Internet services. An exploratory case study was undertaken in a single organisation operating in the telecommunications industry. Sixty interviews, evenly divided between HR customers and HR suppliers, were conducted with middle/senior level managers. During the analysis phase the research sought out possible contrasts within the single case setting to highlight theoretical constructs. In addition, quantitative content analysis of the qualitative data was carried out to identify trends in data and to provide a more rounded understanding of the phenomena under investigation. This research identifies three overarching factors from the data which appear to be important for improving the level of manager satisfaction with both the HR Internet application (HRIA) and the HR function. The first is the quality of HR leadership, followed by effective communication, and the management of expectations which encompass the relationship management process between HR and its internal customers. In addition, two groups of factors were identified as being important to the nature of participants' expectations and feelings of satisfaction. The first was found to influence expectations and included organisational context, current role, personal characteristics and experience, while the second group of factors could also be used by the HR leadership both to align HR customer and supplier expectations and to make them more realistic. A model illustrating the findings was developed, together with propositions for testing the model in later research.Item Open Access Inside Out(Blackwell, 2006) Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kaspurz, AntjeIs insider trading the high crime that we have been led to believe? Andrew P. Kakabadse, Nada K. Kakabadse and Antje Kaspurz interviewed more than four dozen members of three international exchanges. What their survey revealed, and what they concluded,may come as a surprise.Item Open Access International joint venture (IJV) directors contribution to board effectiveness: Learning from the literature(Emerald, 2006) Petrovic, Jelena; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the governance of international joint ventures (IJVs). Through focusing on IJV boards and top teams, examination of the current debate regarding the IJV director’s contribution to board performance and effectiveness is undertaken and, in so doing, directions for future research are identified. The literature review reveals that little consideration has been paid by researchers to the work of the IJV board and the role and contribution of IJV board directors to board effectiveness. Further, it is concluded that current understanding of IJV board functioning and the ways in which directors of IJV boards contribute to board effectiveness remains incomplete. Apart from highlighting the need for further study into the role and contribution of IJV board directors to board effectiveness, the paper suggests ways in which IJV director contribution and performance could be explored further.Item Open Access Leadership and the art of discretion(Blackwell Publishing, 2005) Kakabadse, Nada K.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.Contemporary leaders exercise discretion in context. Nada Kakabadse and Andrew Kakabadse contextualiseItem Open Access Role and contribution of the non-executive director : implications for corporate social responsibility in the boardroom(Cranfield University, 2005-06) Barratt, Ruth; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.This research examines the role and contribution of the Non Executive Director (NED) within the corporate board. The literature identifies the NED as a boundary spanner. Boundary spanners are believed to be essential to the fulfilment of the firm's corporate responsibility mandate. The research specifically examines the ability of the NED to influence corporate responsibility practices within the board, whilst balancing the divergent expectations of different constituents. Previous research examining the role of the NED has failed to take account of the context in which the role is performed. Therefore an interpretive framework is developed, to examine the individual subjective perceptions of the NED, from within the role. Through a qualitative interpretation of 25 in-depth interviews, with individual NEDs, the dynamic context of the boardroom emerged as a key moderator of the their ability to make a contribution. The boundary spanning role prescribed for the NED by some theorists emerged as problematic. The research suggests that despite NEDs' personal expectation that they should represent a range of constituents, within the boardroom their ability to fulfil this role is often limited by the presence of groupthink. NEDs appear to set aside their personal beliefs in order to maintain the status quo within the group. As a result of their unfulfilled role expectations many NEDs appear to experience role conflict. This research contributes to our understanding of the actual role of the NED within the corporate board, and specifically the NED's ability to perform a boundary spanning role. The research also informs business and society literature, by examining how boards currently deal with issues of corporate responsibility. Finally, the research contributes to both group and role theory, by developing current understanding of how the complex dynamics of the group affect the individual's ability to contribute.Item Open Access Role as a mechanism for rotating leadership in a group(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2009-06-30T00:00:00Z) Sheard, A. G.; Kakabadse, Andrew P.; Kakabadse, Nada K.Purpose - This study seeks to propose that executives need to be prepared to adopt roles as a mechanism for rotating leadership if those groups of which they are a part are to perform to their full potential. Design/methodology/approach - A validated framework provides insight into the leadership roles executives can adopt when part of formal, informal and temporary groups. The methodology adopted is qualitative, focusing on the application of previously developed frameworks. Findings - Adopting a role is found to enable the rotation of leadership within a group, which in turn facilitates development of the group. Research limitations/implications - A one-organisation intensive case study of a multinational engineering company engaged in the design, development and manufacture of rotating turbomachinery provides the platform for the research. The frameworks will require validating in organisations of different demographic profiles. Practical implications - The concepts advanced and implications discussed provide an insight into the role-based nature of leadership. The practical steps individual executives can take to adopt a role, and in so doing develop the group of which they are a part, are highlighted. Originality/value - This paper is an investigation into, and study of, the process by which executives adopt roles as a mechanism for rotating leadership within a group. In so doing, it is suggested that executives contribute more positively to the development of the groups of which they are a part by being more adaptive and responsive to changes in their surrounding context.