Description:
Purpose – Using the case of a cross-cultural setting, the purpose of this paper is to compare perceptions of students towards face-to-face learning and blended learning. A social constructivist perspective is used which implies that cultural data are in fact social constructs made on the basis of the participants’ own cultural thought patterns and the concepts and categories to which they are socialised within learning organisations. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Perceptual evidence forms the primary qualitative and quantitative data for this study. The paper uses social constructivist approach with empirical data in developing the notion that cross-cultural management is a process whereby people, through social interactions, acquire participative competence for working in cross-cultural settings. Findings – Perceptual data emerging from this study point out that considering the learning objectives of a cross-cultural context are paramount when engaging in cross-cultural management curriculum and teaching design. Such social contexts, while complex and challenging, is often a perfect opportunity where cross-cultural competence can be developed. Originality/value – The value of the study lies in the original insights it offers into student experiences and the challenges to adopt a “one size fits all” strategy in a cross-cultural setting.
Description:
Public sector organizations have existed for thousands of years and have long been equated with bureaucracy. Andreski (1984, p.104) cites the Chinese and Roman empires as classic examples of bureaucracy, describing them as "administrative machines," while Gaebler (1996) states that bureaucratic structure originated with the Roman army around 2,500 years ago. This gave rise to the concept of a bureaucracy based on traditional military ideals and "good administration" (Hood 1991) and paved the way for the modernist concept of the bureaucracy. Traditional organizations depended on bureaucratic structures to ensure that work was completed efficiently by removing error and idosyncrasy and reinforcing conformity and obedience. Bureau-cratic, or mechanized, structures rely upon centralized decision-making, formalized rules, and highly specialized tasks (Taylor 1911, 1913 and Weber 1947, cited in Sadler 1999)
Description:
The previous chapter charted the exposition of my journey from hope to despair during my long career in the public sector. I articulated the pressure placed on men resulting from the organizational injunction of expecting me to conform to two contradictory paradigms- those of traditional bureaucracy with its attendant emphasis on process and procedure and NPM with its customer-centric and efficiency focus. The public sector workplace of today is very different from the one of several decades ago. While some change must be expected within any environment I have found that the changes to which I have been exposed as a result of the government's NPM policy represent a considerable departure from the conditions of old.
Description:
The higher education landscape is undergoing major transformation, with a significant impact on the work and family practices of academics and professional staff. The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the extent to which (1) time-related, (2) strain-related and (3) demographical variables impact on the work/family balance of academic and professional staff in Victorian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes. Our findings reveal that university employees experience greater work/family imbalance. The results of this research demonstrate how the three constructs contribute to work/family imbalance in academia, especially within the university sector. This paper is believed to be the first to explore work/family balance from an Australian cross-sectoral perspective. It provides an agenda for future theory and research to increase understanding of work/family balance from a cross-sectoral perspective.
Description:
This chapter synthesizes the argument discussed in previous chapters into a holistic account of the context wherein many public sector organizations in this country have moved toward a private sector model of operation. It addresses the concept of institutional isomorphism within the context of institutional theory and describes how many organizations struggle to relinquish the rsisk-averse behaviours and cultures that impede their adoption of mandated private sector practices. "From conclusion"
Description:
A dramatic transformation has taken place in the public sector worldwide as many governments have privatised many of their organisations and agencies. As a result, public sector employees worldwide have been exposed to contradictory pressures as their senior executive managers demand adherence to the traditional bureaucratic mechanisms for which they have always been known while concurrently attempting to conform to the economic reductionist principles of their private sector competitors. We argue that this has led to many staff, as well as the organisations in which they work, experiencing situations of double bind. Through the lens of autoethnography, this paper examines the double bind with which I, as an Australian public sector worker, am faced and some of the effects.
Description:
This book examines the processes for the inclusion of women, and the role of women employees in Nepals forestry bureaucracy. The book adopts a gender lens drawn from feminist institutionalism and is framed around the following four objectives: evaluating the effectiveness of current legislative and policy frameworks for the inclusion of women in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy; examining the dynamics of organizational culture, formal and informal institutions, and structure and agency in and around forest bureaucracy in Nepal; assessing power relations in forestry institutions focusing on influential participation of women forestry professionals in the bureaucratic structure; and gaining insights about the alternative space of feminist institutionalism in connection with women inclusive forest bureaucracy. Findings in the book inform and extend feminist institutionalism perspectives by applying it to a context which remains under explored, providing insider perspectives on the efficacy of public sector cultural change, especially as it relates to those areas within bureaucracies less in a position to adopt the changes mandated by society and principles of good governance. Radha Wagle is Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment in Kathmandu, Nepal. Soma Pillay is senior lecturer and researcher at Federation University Australia. Wendy Wright is Associate Professor of Conservation Biology at the School of Health and Life Sciences and Associate Dean of Research Training at the Graduate Research School at Federation University Australia.
Description:
The purpose of this study was to examine the variables impacting on whistleblowing intentions in the public services of two developing countries, South Africa and Mauritius. In particular, this study considers the barriers to whistle-blowing and the effect of demographic and cultural values on the perceptions of these barriers. The study finds major differences between South Africa and Mauritius with minor differences in regard to gender and education.
Description:
Whistle blowing can be considered a key tool for fighting corruption, encouraging good governance, accountability and transparency in the public sector. Our main research objective was to gain a better sense of variables influencing employees’ intentions to blow the whistle within South African local government A survey document was sent to South African local governments. Respondents were required to indicate their opinions on a five point lickert scale. Principal component Factor analysis was applied to the data. The findings are consistent with previous research into whistle blowing. The need to blow the whistle is reduced if an organization’s control system is seen to have integrity and is perceived as a deterrent against maleficent behaviours.
Description:
While the recent literature on expatriation acknowledges the importance of host country support in expatriate assignment success, yet few studies have addressed how host country support may influence expatriate adjustment and overall success, especially in sub-Saharan Africa host country context. This study examines expatriates’ perceptions of support from local employees and its impact on expatriates’ adjustment and overall assignment success. Results show that expatriates perceived host country support as important in enhancing their adjustment to host subsidiaries as well as playing a significant role in their assignments success in general. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.
Description:
Purpose – Higher education is influenced, to an increasing extent, by changing student demographics. This requires educators to design and deliver learning systems which will enhance students’ learning experience with innovative, real world and engaging resources. The authors predict that transformations in the learning systems will increase as higher learning institutions seek to add educational value. The authors maintain that current pedagogies in cross-cultural education are insufficiently adapted to student learning-style needs. This problem is particularly noticeable in one cross-cultural setting. This study aims to explore games, as an alternate pedagogy, to enhance learning systems. Design/methodology/approach – Students’ feedback formed the primary qualitative data for this study. The paper develops a conceptual model which provides an organised framework to manage intercultural differences, using games. The Mapping, Bridging, Integrating (MBI) model creates an opportunity for students to appreciate differences and understand the model's implications for their careers in international management. Findings – Participants’ responses to the games were overwhelmingly positive. Participants’ responses indicated games as a preferred method for developing the intercultural competence, team work, decision making and self awareness skills essential for business and entrepreneurship. Practical implications – There is a growing need to consider and align the relationship between education, the increasing cultural diversity in student populations, and the learning and teaching styles of a changing student population in order to enhance the extent of expected knowledge transfer. Originality/value – In this study, the authors adopted a qualitative approach to trialling the use of games in a cross-cultural context with the view to reducing international cross-cultural barriers and developing skills in intercultural competence, self awareness, collaborative working and decision making. This study shows the need for alternative, more integrative models of education comprising elements of complexity that fit with an increasingly complex world.
Description:
Purpose – Higher education is influenced, to an increasing extent, by changing student demographics. This requires educators to design and deliver learning systems which will enhance students’ learning experience with innovative, real world and engaging resources. The authors predict that transformations in the learning systems will increase as higher learning institutions seek to add educational value. The authors maintain that current pedagogies in cross-cultural education are insufficiently adapted to student learning-style needs. This problem is particularly noticeable in one cross-cultural setting. This study aims to explore games, as an alternate pedagogy, to enhance learning systems. Design/methodology/approach – Students’ feedback formed the primary qualitative data for this study. The paper develops a conceptual model which provides an organised framework to manage intercultural differences, using games. The Mapping, Bridging, Integrating (MBI) model creates an opportunity for students to appreciate differences and understand the model's implications for their careers in international management. Findings – Participants’ responses to the games were overwhelmingly positive. Participants’ responses indicated games as a preferred method for developing the intercultural competence, team work, decision making and self awareness skills essential for business and entrepreneurship. Practical implications – There is a growing need to consider and align the relationship between education, the increasing cultural diversity in student populations, and the learning and teaching styles of a changing student population in order to enhance the extent of expected knowledge transfer. Originality/value – In this study, the authors adopted a qualitative approach to trialling the use of games in a cross-cultural context with the view to reducing international cross-cultural barriers and developing skills in intercultural competence, self awareness, collaborative working and decision making. This study shows the need for alternative, more integrative models of education comprising elements of complexity that fit with an increasingly complex world.
Description:
There is a large body of literature which acknowledges that women play vital roles in protecting and managing forest resources around the world (Agarwal, 2010b; Colfer, 2013; FAO, 2006, 2007; Mai, Mwangi, & Wan, 2011; Sewell Jr, 1992). Despite their contributions to forest management, women are still largely excluded from decision making roles in forestry organizations, especially in developing countries (FAO, 2007). As a result, most of the forestry related decisions are made by males, resulting in the marginalisation of women’s interests in forest management and minimizing the potential contributions of women (ABS, 2013; Christie & Giri, 2011; Lidestav, 2010). The history of forest management in Nepal typifies this gender bias in forestry governance (Christie & Giri, 2011; Giri & Faculty, 2008). While men are actively involved in decision making processes within formal environmental organizations and institutions, women are more likely to be involved at informal and grass root levels, including as an unpaid labour force (Agarwal, 2010b). Before the introduction of community based forestry programs, the Nepalese Ministry of Forests and its subsidiaries (referred to here as the forest bureaucracy) was the major organization responsible for governing the forestry sector. After the introduction and advancement of community based forest management programs, and the entry of civil society, donor and other private sector organizations, the scope and nature of forestry governance has been extended in Nepal. Although, this shift in paradigm opened space for the entry of women into different forestry institutions, the under representation of women in forest bureaucracy (still a major part of forestry governance) still continues. Nepalese rural women have low literacy rates and little involvement in public spheres. As a result there is limited access, for women working at the grassroots level, to national level policy making, planning and implementation. It is usually assumed that professional women bring women’s issues and interests into forestry policy and programmes on behalf of grassroots level women. This representation is not always effective (Giri and Faculty, 2008, Agarwal, 2010b). Government forestry institutions represent the country in participating in different national and international forestry agendas including climate change. If ‘grassroots’ women’s agendas are excluded from decision making processes in regard to environment related agendas, the solutions proposed for environmental problems may be ineffective or only partially effective (WOCAN, 2012). This paper examines the existing legislative measures and institutional practices that facilitate or constrain the role of women in Nepalese forestry institutions. This study also investigates how the gendered institutional norms and values associated with forest-governing institutions, such as forest bureaucracies, shape the nature and extent of women’s involvement in decision making processes in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy. We use Feminist Institutionalism (FI) to examine the effect of the gendered nature of forestry institutions, policies and practices that shape the role of women in forest bureaucracy. We extend New Institutionalism (NI) by incorporating feminist perspectives to forestry governance. In exploring why the gender mainstreaming of legislative measures and practices has not been wholly effective, it is important to examine the informal norms and values within an institution. These act to shape both the behaviour of the individual and political outcomes. Since forestry is highly gendered sector based on different social norms and values, NI is considered a good approach to study those institutions. New Institutionalism is a cutting theme which crosses various disciplines, and holds the interest of historians, sociologists, economists, political scientists and social theorists (Goodin, 1996). New Institutionalism was constructed as a progressive version of older, descriptive approaches to institutionalism in order to understand the role of formal and informal rules which affect the political behaviour of individuals (Gherardi, 1996). This paper examines opportunities and challenges involved in: a) promoting women’s participation in forest governance; and b) establishing an influential role for women in forestry governance. To date, researchers using the approach of institutionalism have not adequately considered the gender perspective, especially within the context of developing countries (Tripp, 2007). This study will therefore extend NI further through theoretical and practical insights, relating gendered issues to NI and particularly its sub-branch, FI.
Description:
There is a large body of literature which acknowledges that women play vital roles in protecting and managing forest resources around the world (Agarwal, 2010b; Colfer, 2013; FAO, 2006, 2007; Mai, Mwangi, & Wan, 2011; Sewell Jr, 1992). Despite their contributions to forest management, women are still largely excluded from decision making roles in forestry organizations, especially in developing countries (FAO, 2007). As a result, most of the forestry related decisions are made by males, resulting in the marginalisation of women’s interests in forest management and minimizing the potential contributions of women (ABS, 2013; Christie & Giri, 2011; Lidestav, 2010). The history of forest management in Nepal typifies this gender bias in forestry governance (Christie & Giri, 2011; Giri & Faculty, 2008). While men are actively involved in decision making processes within formal environmental organizations and institutions, women are more likely to be involved at informal and grass root levels, including as an unpaid labour force (Agarwal, 2010b). Before the introduction of community based forestry programs, the Nepalese Ministry of Forests and its subsidiaries (referred to here as the forest bureaucracy) was the major organization responsible for governing the forestry sector. After the introduction and advancement of community based forest management programs, and the entry of civil society, donor and other private sector organizations, the scope and nature of forestry governance has been extended in Nepal. Although, this shift in paradigm opened space for the entry of women into different forestry institutions, the under representation of women in forest bureaucracy (still a major part of forestry governance) still continues. Nepalese rural women have low literacy rates and little involvement in public spheres. As a result there is limited access, for women working at the grassroots level, to national level policy making, planning and implementation. It is usually assumed that professional women bring women’s issues and interests into forestry policy and programmes on behalf of grassroots level women. This representation is not always effective (Giri and Faculty, 2008, Agarwal, 2010b). Government forestry institutions represent the country in participating in different national and international forestry agendas including climate change. If ‘grassroots’ women’s agendas are excluded from decision making processes in regard to environment related agendas, the solutions proposed for environmental problems may be ineffective or only partially effective (WOCAN, 2012). This paper examines the existing legislative measures and institutional practices that facilitate or constrain the role of women in Nepalese forestry institutions. This study also investigates how the gendered institutional norms and values associated with forest-governing institutions, such as forest bureaucracies, shape the nature and extent of women’s involvement in decision making processes in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy. We use Feminist Institutionalism (FI) to examine the effect of the gendered nature of forestry institutions, policies and practices that shape the role of women in forest bureaucracy. We extend New Institutionalism (NI) by incorporating feminist perspectives to forestry governance. In exploring why the gender mainstreaming of legislative measures and practices has not been wholly effective, it is important to examine the informal norms and values within an institution. These act to shape both the behaviour of the individual and political outcomes. Since forestry is highly gendered sector based on different social norms and values, NI is considered a good approach to study those institutions. New Institutionalism is a cutting theme which crosses various disciplines, and holds the interest of historians, sociologists, economists, political scientists and social theorists (Goodin, 1996). New Institutionalism was constructed as a progressive version of older, descriptive approaches to institutionalism in order to understand the role of formal and informal rules which affect the political behaviour of individuals (Gherardi, 1996). This paper examines opportunities and challenges involved in: a) promoting women’s participation in forest governance; and b) establishing an influential role for women in forestry governance. To date, researchers using the approach of institutionalism have not adequately considered the gender perspective, especially within the context of developing countries (Tripp, 2007). This study will therefore extend NI further through theoretical and practical insights, relating gendered issues to NI and particularly its sub-branch, FI.
Description:
During the early days in the public service, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were in the form of charts and graphs. This was to be my first experience with performance measurement and, although the use of performance indicators was confined to more senior management and did not affect me personally at the time, they were to be at the vanguard of a culture change that would eventually permeate the entire organization and the public sector in general. Experience with performance measure was, to me, the first evidence of aculture of continuous improvement and hinted at what I viewed as an attempt at a marked departure from the bureaucratic past.
Description:
Against the backdrop of significant migration changes and the further growth projected in the diversity of the workforce, we explore the experiences of the work life interface amongst migrant workers, from a cultural perspective. We seek to understand how different cultural settings influence such experiences. We aim to guide future research in this area of inquiry, especially as the workforce becomes increasingly multicultural. We report the results of a qualitative exploratory study through the lens of institutional anomie theory. Our findings and theoretical explanation lend strong support to understanding that the greater the gap in the cultural orientation of the worker’s home country and new country, the greater the disequilibrium and anomie in the work-family interface. This study also demonstrates that cross-cultural variables have a direct impact on the work-life interface experienced by people moving from one cultural orientation to another.
Description:
Public sector oganizations and cultural change uses a long-term perspective on privatization to explore trends in culture change within the public sector.
Description:
Over the years the new institutionalism in public sector analysis has contributed significantly to our understanding of the dynamics of public sector institutions. While it has moved research away from behavioural explanations to recognizing political and cultural contexts, the focus on public sector institutions has been minimal. This research examines, by self-report questionnaire from employees in two government organizations, how institutional mechanisms shape whistle-blowing intentions within the context of a developing country. Despite the country context, findings from this study are encouraging in that participants’ intentions to blow the whistle were found, generally, to be strong.