Business Strategy Journal Article Review Template

Title

International human resource management strategies of Chinese multinationals operating abroad

Date of publication/volume and Issue

2013, Vol. 19,No.4

Author/’s name

Di Fan. Mike Mingqiong Zhang and Cherrie Jiuhua Zhu

Purpose

The primary objective of the study is to find out the primary characteristics of the SIHRM of Chinese Multinational corporations as well as to find out how the strategies enhance operation and investments in their global outlets. The authors set out to evaluate data from three Chinese multinational companies to find out the strategic international human resource management (SIHRM) in their global outlets overseas.

Theory

This article uses the model of SIHRM which was established to evaluate the impacts of HR policies, issues, and practices on the outcome of multinational corporations (Zheng 2013). This model takes a contingency perspective or a universalistic perspective. The contingency perspective stipulates on consistency between the organization strategy and HRM while the universalistic perspective stipulates on correspondence between the strategy and HRM. This model is ideal because it fits under the organizational conditions such as strong culture, and strategic stability in accordance with the hierarchical structure. This model works on the basis that multinational corporations operate in the defined industry and geographical boundaries and compete in low ambiguity. However, this model fails to establish HR efficiency within universal networks. There is a need for the development of SGHRM in order to cater for the needs of overseas operations by organizations.

Methodology

The authors used a qualitative approach to collect data where they employed the design of multiple case study due to the complexity of the internationalization process in the three Chinese Multinational Corporation.

This article is not cross-cultural because the findings in the three multinational corporations show that leadership in this corporations takes a traditional managerial philosophy even when operating overseas, where a consistent approach is maintained, on the same type of ownership, the same type of entry mode and similar host countries.

Data Analysis

The findings were analyzed through triangulation to ensure validity as well as the data was coded to ensure anonymity. The data collected from interviews was evaluated together with documentation from the company and internet data. This increased more accuracy.

Findings and Conclusion

The authors found out that these corporations tune their human resource management to their international business strategy mindset, to ensure the global presence and local responsiveness.

Despite having different strategies in their recruitment process, the three MNCs were found to adopt a consistent institutional environment that stipulates on similar entry mode, similar ownership and same home, and similar host countries for each corporation.

Contribution

This article contributes to the concepts of business strategy in that it creates a gap to study the patterns of behaviour in emerging economies and make a comparison on the behaviour of those in the developed countries. This opportunity will create a better understanding of the implications of SIHRM in international business.

Title of the Article

Organizational Culture And Strategy. How Does It Work? An Empirical Research

Date of publication/volume and Issue

JEL Classification : M14,L74,L20

Author/s Names

Vele Cristian-Liviu

Purpose

The main objective of the author is to find out if companies with a dynamic and supportive organizational culture have a higher probability of formulating and implementing strategies.  The articles focus is on the significance of having a vigorous organizational culture intended to provide sustainability to strategic initiatives in the organization. The author seeks to compare data from 8 companies of the Romanian construction industry to see if a good organizational culture is crucial to the success of implementing strategies in the organization to gain competitive advantage.

Theory

This article employs the use of Michael Porter Business Strategies model which stipulates on creating a competitive advantage for the business. It uses four strategies which include differentiation leadership, cost leadership, differentiation focus and cost focus (Porter 2014). Differentiation focus is involved with identifying either one or few target market segments while differentiation leadership is involved in creating competitive advantage across the entire industry. Cost focus involves These strategies are used to create a competitive advantage, but they do not focus on the internal factors within the organization.

Methodology

The author used two questionnaires In the eight companies to gather the data, due to the high volume of information to be collected.

Data Analysis

The author employed the use of Pearson (product-moment) correlation coefficient tool to statically analyze the data collected through the questionnaires which showed the strength of a linear association between organizational culture and strategy.

Findings and Conclusion

The findings showed that there was a strong correlation between a strategic process for competitive advantage and the presence of strong organizational culture. This research concluded that there is a need for an organization to ensure that the organizational culture is favourable enough to ensure that it supports a strategy set before the implementation process. When implementing new strategies to assist in gaining a competitive advantage there is a need for the organization, to first better the environment in which the strategies are to be developed, in this case, the organizational culture. Good organizational culture will assist the businesses to avoid internal problems and help solve some external issues as well. Excellent strategies are not the key to success if they are not combined with an excellent organizational culture.

Article’s contribution

This article sheds light on how to deal with changes in the organization caused by strategies and at the same time maintain a rich organizational culture. It portrays how the strategic process will gain success in the organization as well as portraying the role of managers in ensuring that the strategic process is incorporated into the organizational culture. This article is a benefit to members of the organization, as it portrays how employees should implement strategies in the organization to gain a competitive advantage in the market. Not only are resources required in the strategic process but also an active organizational culture is also crucial.

Title

Culture-driven governance: Why influencing behaviour is an essential governance strategy

Date of publication/volume and issue

June 2017

Author/s Names

Karen Gately and Ryan Gately

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to show the importance of governance in creating a good culture for the business. The author seeks to identify the risk of culture and the significance of top down and bottom up strategies in building a favourable workplace culture.

Theory

This article employs the use of two approaches that is the top-down approach and bottom-up approach. The top-down approach involves measuring operational risk in this case culture risk, through accumulating the impact of internal failures during business operations. The bottom-up approach focuses on evaluating individual risk. Both approaches are ideal for managing risk in the business. The top-down approach, however, may make employees feel demotivated because there is little control over what they are supposed to do. On the other hand, the bottom-up approach is disadvantaged in that a project might take longer to complete due to the time needed to incorporate the employee’s ideas (Mascini and Bacharias, 2012).

Methodology

Collecting secondary data from the internet by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Data Analysis

The data analysis was analyzed by critically reviewing the information from the internet.

Findings and conclusion

This article finds out that organizational culture is one of the key areas of risk in the organization. Also, stakeholders, customers, and employees look upon leaders to create organizational culture. The article concludes with the benefits of adopting both top down and bottom up approaches to creating a desirable corporate culture.

Articles contribution

This article largely contributes to business strategy because it talks about how leaders can adopt two approaches in developing a favorable organizational culture that is not an operational risk. A negative organizational culture leads to lack of success in the implementation of strategies in the organization. The evaluation of how leaders should have a positive impact towards governance and culture is beneficial in creating a healthy business environment.

Title

Managing Family Businesses in Small Communities

Date of Publication/ Volume and Issue

2001, Vol. 39 No. 1

Author/s Names

Nancy J. Miller, Harriet McLeod and Keun Young Ob

Purpose

This article aims to evaluate the differences in the management strategies of small family businesses. The first analysis was to identify the type of management strategy used in the family businesses and the second step was to pinpoint the similarities and differences in both business and personal characteristics amid the manager groupings.

Theory

This research focused on the use of Higgins management approach model that stipulates on how to study the behaviour of managers from a functional perspective (Bennett 2012). This approach states that there are various activities involved in the managing process. There are four primary functions designed to achieve the objectives of the organization. These activities range from planning, controlling. Organizing and leading. This approach helps to evaluate the management strategies. However, this approach does not provide practical solutions for the application of the management strategies.

Methodology

This study employed household-based survey to establish if there were people who owned a business at home. This involved contacting families directly from their homes rather than using purchased sampling lists. Data was also collected from the national family business survey in 1997.

Data Analysis

The author used a list of management strategies to evaluate the level and type adopted strategy by the business managers in the small family business. This approach involved cluster analysis and, univariate analysis

Findings and conclusion

The authors found out that there was a difference, where managers of the small family business had a higher probability of taking work home in hectic times than managers who operated in larger sized and medium communities. Findings recommended that management activities involved in design are not considered as unique from controlling activities.

Article’s contribution

This article contributed to business strategy in that it creates a gap to explore whether activities outlined by Higgins are appropriate to various small family-owned businesses operating in communities of different sizes.

Title

New Perspectives on Strategic Management Process

Date of Publication/ Volume and Issue

JEL classification : L1,M11,C41

Author/s Names

Pop Zenovia Cristiana and Borza Anca

Purpose

The primary objective of this paper is to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the process of strategic management and also the evolution of the process, for the purposes of assisting managers to achieve competitive advantage in the organization. This involves identifying the evolution stages of the strategic management process, each with its characteristics that managers can use to make their businesses better.

Theory

This article uses the theory of SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis is a model used to identify and analyze the internal and external factors that affect strategies or the organization itself (Cornelissen et al. 2012). It analyzes the internal factors through identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the business. External factors are evaluated through identifying the opportunities and threats likely to face the organization. This approach is beneficial to the organization because it offers multilevel analysis in the organization. However, this approach is ambiguous; it is more of a one –dimensional model.

The authoritative model is another theory used in this article. The authoritative model stipulates that a leader has control of all the strategies in the organization, and subordinates have no impact on the leader’s decision.

Methodology

N/A. This article is not cross-cultural

Data analysis

N/A

Findings and conclusion

This paper stipulates the advantages and disadvantages of strategic management application in business. Ongoing dialogue and employee participation in decision making in business is the primary advantage of the strategic management application. The disadvantage of the strategic management application is that it is an expensive process from a financial perspective of the business. This is due to the use of the special software program and also the need for specialization by employees in adopting this application.

Article’s contribution

This article significantly contributes to business strategy in that it provides the evolution stages of strategic management that are key in the developing business strategy. Additionally, this articles provides an opportunity to find out a unanimity in the field of strategic management.