Michael Harvey

Mentoring global dual-career couples: A social learning perspective

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:33 PDT

This paper explores the dimensions and means to implement a global dual-career expatriate couple mentoring program. The rationale is that learning from an experienced mentor mitigates the complexity of global assignments, leading to more successful completion of overseas assignments. We explored the impact of such mentoring programs on ‘nontraditional’ global managers, along with their trailing spouses. Social learning theory was used as the foundation for the development of such a mentoring program. To add to the contextual understanding of global assignments imposed on global dual-career couples, we explored the effectiveness of mentoring by investigating temporal (before, during, after expatriation) and genderrelated dimensions. Further, we analyzed the level of mentor involvement (personal, organizational, and professional) regarding psychosocial and career development.

A method for measuring destructive leadership and identifying types of destructive leaders in organizations

James B. Shaw et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:29 PDT

This study describes the development of a measure of the nature of destructive leadership in organizations. We then use scales developed from that measure in a cluster analysis to empirically derive a behavior-based taxonomy of destructive leaders. Data were obtained through a web-based survey that generated 707 respondents. Based on follower perceptions, the results identified seven types of destructive leaders using behavior-focused scales. An interesting discovery was that most of the types of destructive leaders identified were not “all destructive” but rather perceived as extreme on just one or two characteristics.

Corralling the "horses" to staff the global organization of 21st Century

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:24 PDT

Extract: Shakespeare's prophetic line from his play King Richard III: ''A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a Horse!'' has renewed meaning for human resource managers in global organizations. Staffing global organizations (e.g., finding an adequate number of qualified horses) has become significantly more difficult, given the complexity of competing in the global marketplace. Daniel Hanyzewski, Nike Inc.'s global staffing director, laments that Nike could grow its business significantly more if it could effectively staff global management positions. Globalization of business complicates the staffing in emerging markets. Where can one find managers who have experience in emerging markets, aren't too prohibitive from a cost standpoint, and at the same time are willing to relocate their families to the emerging markets for 20-25 years? That is the conundrum facing global human resource managers today.

Inpatriates' adjustment to home country headquarters: A social/cultural conundrum

William A. Williams et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:20 PDT

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine Trompenaars' cultural dimensions using reference point theory to propose the adjustment difficulties that inpatriates will experience when entering the home market/global headquarters organization culture.

Design/methodology/approach - Specifically, it examines means by which the organization may maintain the inpatriate's perspective while at the same time provide training/development to assist in integrating the inpatriate manager into the global management team.

Findings - The paper proposes that the inpatriate's origin plays a significant part in determining the difficulty of adjusting to the headquarter culture as well as to the general culture of the new home country. The need for reference points (internal, external and time) becomes vital in that each allows for a better understanding of the adjustment process.

Research limitations/implications - With regard to the two variables (macro and organizational culture) examined, it should be noted that cultural distance is not of sole importance in the adjustment process of the inpatriate. Additional factors to consider include job type, previous experience in home country of the organization, local support groups and other socialization tactics.

Practical implications - To facilitate the cross-cultural adjustment process, active attempts by human resource management staff must be undertaken to help ensure adjustment. Successful adjustment would allow inpatriates to provide valuable insight and contribute to the global organizations' success.

Originality/value - This paper adds value by providing a theoretically based framework for the adjustment of inpatriates that can be tested and modified by future researchers. Furthermore, it provides a guide to inpatriate adjustment so that their maximum value to the organization can be achieved.

Information, intelligence and resource advantage: A multi-market multi-theoretic call for research

Frank G. Adams et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:16 PDT

Market orientation has been cited as a source of competitive advantage that allows the firm to construct offerings superior to those of competitors by the effective collection and dissemination of and reaction to market intelligence. Previous work on market orientation has focused on the effort firms devote to market intelligence and the importance that firms assign to market oriented capabilities. However, there has been little attention to the sources from which firms draw market intelligence. This oversight bears particular importance in a world of global trade, where the ability to gather useful information relies on the ability of firms to establish and maintain relationships with trade partners who can provide accurate and relevant information on the customers the firm seeks to serve, the competitors against which it must contend, and various environmental conditions in which it must compete. Developed specifically for the inaugural issue of the International Journal of Transitions and Innovation Systems as a guide for authors, this conceptual paper suggests topic areas, streams of research, and specific research questions for leveraging information towards firm competitive advantage in global, emerging, and domestic markets.

"Marketing managers" in the context of global supply chains: Functional versus multiple IQ competencies

Glenn Richey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:12 PDT

Managerial scholars have suggested that 'g' score (i.e., intelligence) tests are not enough to assess and select the appropriate candidates for some jobs. Other dimensions can play just as important a role in employee performance. Thus, the purpose of this article is to expand our view in terms of criteria that may be used as it relates to global supply chain managers. We present a nine-base typology to assist researchers and managers in assessing the true dynamics of global supply chain manager intelligence. The typology of intelligence includes the dimensions of cognitive, social, political, emotional, structural, intuition, experiential, creative, and network. We build our model by using intelligence dimensions from management, industrial organizational psychology, marketing and organizational behavior, and perspectives that include relational contracting norms, relationship marketing, networking, and communications. We propose that global supply chain managers need all nine bases to perform well in the global business arena.

Intent of the next generation of family members: ‘hard keep’em down on the family farm’

Dell McStay et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:08 PDT

Will the next generation of family members be willing to enter an existing family business or start one of their own? This question would seem to have received some attention in the literature over the last two decades, but what has made those studies come into question in the last five years? The emergence of the next generation of adolescents who will be making their own decisions, whether to join their family’s business are to start a new family business themselves. This study examines the issue of willingness to enter into a family business or start a new business of next generation members. In addition, the study includes some cross cultural dimension in that, the study was conducted in Australia amongst a culturally diverse set of students in a private university (many of which came from family owned and operated businesses).

Impaired employees: Lessons learned from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:39:04 PDT

This article highlights the 'dark' side of employee psychological, cognitive, and behavioral disorders that could prove harmful to other employees, to groups within the organization, or to the organization itself. Using The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as a backdrop, we relate the attitudes and behaviors of the book's characters to destructive tendencies and syndromes that employees may exhibit, and which may wreak havoc on the firm; a description of the characters, the definition and manifestation of the maladies, and critical dimensions of each are presented. Finally, strategic components for addressing the employees' dysfunctional behavior are discussed.

Inpatriate marketing managers: Issues associated with staffing global marketing positions

Miriam Moeller et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:59 PDT

This article addresses the strategic role of an inpatriate marketing staffing approach in the development of a global marketing mind-set within global organizations. The premise lies in addressing the liability-of-foreignness concept, which, the authors suggest, impedes the inpatriate marketing manager’s integration process, from the individual level of analysis. Drawing from reference point theory, the article highlights potential hardships managers face with an analysis of the managerial and contextual liability of foreignness that inpatriate marketing managers may perceive in their transition from home countries to headquarter locations. Implications of identifying and attending to such hardships are important in light of the significance attributed to these semipermanent to permanent assignments across different cultural contexts.

Globalization and the inward flow of immigrants: Issues associated with the inpatriation of global managers

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:55 PDT

Assembling a diverse global workforce is becoming a critical dimension in gaining successful global performance. In the past, staffing has focused on control of the multinational organization as the primary goal when staffing overseas positions. As organizations globalize their operations, the goal of staffing is shifting from control to diversity, which in turn will provide the global organization with a means to gain/maintain competitive advantage. This diversity will be accomplished by integrating foreigners into the home country organization (i.e., inpatriation) through a permanent assignment. This article examines the inward flow of inpatriate managers by using social learning theory as a lens to better understand the means to integrate foreign managers into the domestic organization culture. The stages that inpatriate managers will go through (i.e., survival, integration, acculturation, and pluralistic integration) are explored to ascertain how to effectively utilize these global managers.

Assessing the role of the self-concept on the destructive impact of obsessive–compulsive disorder in managers

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:51 PDT

Managers can have personal afflictions that may interfere with their role as managers in an organization. One of these maladies is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a condition frequently identified with excessive patterns of seemingly unnecessary behavior. OCD compels individuals to seek “perfection” in the accomplishment of primarily routine tasks. This overt routine of behaviors distracts individuals from accomplishing their goals and those they manage. This paper examines the role of self-concept as being central in identifying and understanding the characteristics of the behavioral disorder OCD and how to modify the self-concept to prevent disruption in the workplace. In addition, the paper explores how to measure OCD and the impact of maladies on peers, subordinates, and superiors in the organization.

I’ve learned ... that we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we pray for.
- My father

Socialization of inpatriate managers to the headquarters of global organizations: A social learning perspective

Miriam Moeller et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:47 PDT

Understanding the intricacies of managing the life cycle of international personnel is a conundrum that continues to perplex HR managers in the global business arena. Although the notion of adjusting to a socioeconomically and culturally distant environment has been explored extensively from the expatriate perspective, the critical issue to discern is the attention inpatriates need to facilitate successful, long-term integration into a novel setting. With regard to the relatively new staffing option of "inpatriation," the current literature seeks to acquire an understanding of the contextual implications vital for an adjustment process that allows for the successful and lasting incorporation of such individuals in the headquarters of global organizations. As a result of this gap, this article examines the relationship between institutional and individualized socialization tactics and sociocultural and psychological adjustments in conjunction with a proposed moderator effect of cultural distance that inpatriates may undergo. Overall, the article argues that the successful socializing of such individuals will in part depend on their set of psychological reference points during the acculturation stages.

HR guidelines for mitigating cross-border regional differences: Creating the foundation for a global mindset

Miriam Moeller et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:43 PDT

Aligning operant resources for global performance: An assessment of supply chain human resource management

R. Glenn Richey Jr. et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:40 PDT

Purpose: The intent of the paper is to develop the service marketing logic (S-D logic) strategy that is centered on service as a means to differentiate global strategy from those of competitors. The context of the paper is to examine S-D logic in global supply chains.

Design/Methodology: The paper is a theory driven conceptual piece.

Findings: Globalization emphasizes complex interconnected systems, while S-D logic emphasizes the importance of leveraging operant resources in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Both S-D logic and globalization apply in the supply chain context. This paper focuses on the global supply chain and the importance of leveraging service based operant resources. Because the focus of management has shifted from a domestic to a more complex, three-dimensional network, it is critical for practitioners and researchers to understand how to optimize service based operant resources in the global marketplace.

Practical Implications: Because the focus of management has shifted from a domestic to a more complex, three-dimensional global network, it is critical for practitioners and researchers to understand how to optimize service based operant resources in the global marketplace. We suggest that in this dynamic marketplace, both globalization and S-D logic are required to fully explain supply chain performance. Specifically, we suggest that managers develop a global ‘supply-chain management’ perspective allowing for the key operant resource – human capital – to create synergistic partner relationships and customer experiences resulting in superior performance.

Originality/Value: This is one of the first (if not the first) paper that examines S-D logic in a global context. This move forward from the domestic orientation of many/most of the recent literature provides the foundation for future global research into the S-D logic.

Improving the probabilities of success of expatriate managers in the global organisation of the 21st century

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:35 PDT

As globalisation begins to accelerate, the need for personnel to staff organisations will reach a critical juncture. Two issues appear to be heading for conflict: 1) the need for adequate supply of global managers; 2) the need to change the staffing regimen of the past to meet the needs of the evolving global organisations. While there has been an ongoing debate in the academic literature about the effectiveness and the rate of success of expatriate managers, it is increasingly clear that that selection, training/development, compensation, performance appraisal of expatriate managers will have to change to reflect current environmental/political circumstances. We address the modifications that need to be made to the historic/traditional concept of expatriation to include creative solutions and means of implementing them as a way for expatriate managers to fit the staffing requirement of the 21st century global organisation. One might say, that it could be 'a last ditch' effort to improve the probabilities of success of expatriate managers in global organisations.

Developing effective global relationships through staffing with inpatriate managers: The role of interpersonal trust

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:31 PDT

International human resource managers are progressively encountering new challenges pertinent to the manageability of multiculturalism when staffing global positions. The literature indicates that trust in the global organization context increases subsidiary acquiescence to and cooperation with the headquarters, making this concept an important component in developing inpatriates' relationships with the headquarters organization. The purpose of this article is to examine a range of antecedents to trust building, distinguish between two different types of trust, affective vs. competence-based, and examine key outcomes of inpatriates' trust building in global organizations. Reference point theory is used as the foundation for an analysis of the deliberate choice of the inpatriate manager and parent organization alike to adjust to new organizational conditions. In addition, it provides guidance in examining the effects of assignment longevity. The authors propose that through the development of competencies such as trust building, an organization is better able to implement global learning and talent management and in turn develop more effective and ongoing global relationships based on trust.

A multi-level model of global decision-making: Developing a composite global frame-of-reference

Michael Harvey et al. — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:22 PDT

As organizations globalize their operations, managers are finding that making decisions in a global context is more complex. This research develops a multi-level model that examines the influence of group, organizational and society points of reference on managerial decision-making. Reference Point Theory (RPT) is employed as a foundation for a multi-level global decision-making process. The basic premise of RPT is that global managers need to match global environmental conditions with certain reference points. Yet the more dynamic the environment, the greater the risk associated with misinterpreting the appropriate reference points for making global decisions.

Academic experience: Introduction to issues

Michael Harvey — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:26:40 PST

Destructive leadership in family businesses: Modelling social exchange between generations

David Robinson et al. — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:42:55 PDT

The purpose of this article is to address the effects of social exchange, in particular leadership communication, between the current leader of a family business and the prospective future leader when one is the parent and the other, a next-generation offspring. In light of previous literature that identified seven personal characteristics of the family business leader that could contribute to the occurrence of destructive, counterproductive behaviours, a model has been formulated that examines the probable effects of destructive leadership on the respective welfares of each generation of leaders and examines the resultant willingness of the next generation, i.e., son or daughter, to contribute their time and effort to the firm. The use of a 'communication compass' is proposed as a way of ensuring that the communication patterns between generations is perceived as appropriate to enable both the leader and the follower to benefit in the long run.

Global dual-career exploration and the role of hope and curiosity during the process

Michael Harvey et al. — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:42:54 PDT

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use hope theory as a foundation from which to understand the global dual-career exploration phenomenon. Additionally, the concept of curiosity is explored as a triggering mechanism for dual-career couples to explore and learn about career options in a global context.

Design/methodology/approach – Hope theory is used to provide theoretical support for the proposed conceptual model.

Findings – It is concluded that hope and curiosity are important elements for dual-career couples to leverage in order to reduce stress, maintain marital status, and allow the trailing spouse to resolve the potential dramatic and negative impact on their career path.

Practical implications – Both hope and curiosity have been argued to have developmental aspects, meaning that individuals can nurture and strengthen their level of hopefulness and curiosity. Organizations which aid individuals in developing these abilities will likely increase the probability that their global employees will successfully complete their foreign assignment.

Originality/value – The paper explicitly examines dual-career exploration as it occurs in a global context. More specifically, it takes the perspective that global dual-career exploration is a continuous and adaptive process in which individuals who are hopeful and curious will be more successful in exploring and adapting to career options.