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AFTER THE 1994 ELECTION, TWO KINDS OF STORIES BEGAN TO APPEAR DESCRIBING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE NEW REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY AND BUSINESS GROUPS. ONE KIND DEPICTED BUSINESS LEADERS ANTICIPATING TAX RELIEF AND RELAXED REGULATION. AS THE GOP MAJORITY ASSUMED POWER EARLY IN 1995, ACCOUNTS IN THIS VEIN TOLD OF BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES MOVING AT WILL WITHIN THE CORRIDORS OF POWER, BRAZENLY REWRITING STATUTES IN THEIR FAVOR. THE SECOND TYPE OF ARTICLE PAINTED A DIFFERENT PICTURE. IT PORTRAYED BUSINESS LEADERS AND LOBBYISTS AS ANXIOUS ABOUT THE NEW POLITICAL ORDER CREATED BY THE ELECTION. BUSINESS LEADERS VOICED FEARS THAT REPUBLICAN PLANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT, CUT TAXES, AND SLASH CORPORATE SUBSIDIES, PUT THE LONG-TERM HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY AT RISK. CONCERNS WERE ALSO EXPRESSED OVER THE POLITICAL TACTICS EMPLOYED BY REPUBLICAN LEADERS. ALTHOUGH THE TWO KINDS OF STORIES SEEM AT ODDS, BOTH CAPTURE FACETS OF HOW BUSINESS HAS RESPONDED TO THE REPUBLICAN TRIUMPH.

AbstractMany destructive business leaders drive their companies into bankruptcy and dissolution, never to be heard from again in the business press. However, it is useful to study these organizations to prevent the same, or similar destructive business from taking on, and destroying, additional businesses. In this article, we describe one type of organization that follows the model of religious cults, which we call secular business cults. Building on Padilla et al., we describe an SBC toxic triangle of (1) Padilla et al.'s societal factors, (2) additional business factors, and (3) antisocial actors that set the stage for the SBC's emergence. We then describe the characteristics of the SBC's operations, such as an ultrastrong culture, formalized manipulation, manipulative hierarchical relationships, competition, and operations efficiency tools, and the frequent overcommunication of deceptive messages. It is our hope that this unique perspective on organizations will inspire research into an overlooked area of unethical behavior in businesses today. In our Part II paper on the topic, we intend to extend the idea of SBCs to manipulative businesses, which are essentially reorganized, well‐established and legally‐complying revisions of SBCs, and then to manipulative industries and societies.

Purpose
– Using 12 case studies, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of business analysis techniques in BPR. Some techniques are used more than others depending on the fit between the technique and the problem. Other techniques are preferred due to their versatility, easy to use, and flexibility. Some are difficult to use requiring skills that analysts do not possess. Problem analysis, and business process analysis and activity elimination techniques are preferred for process improvement projects, and technology analysis for technology problems. Root cause analysis (RCA) and activity-based costing (ABC) are seldom used. RCA requires specific skills and ABC is only applicable for discrete business activities.


Design/methodology/approach
– This is an exploratory case study analysis. The author analyzed 12 existing business reengineering (BR) case studies from the MIS literature. Cases include, but not limited to IBM Credit Union, Chase Manhattan Bank, Honeywell Corporation, and Cigna.


Findings
– The author identified eight business analysis techniques used in business process reengineering. The author found that some techniques are preferred over others. Some possible reasons are related to the fit between the analysis technique and the problem situation, the ease of use-of-use of the chosen technique, and the versatility of the technique. Some BR projects require the use of several techniques, while others require just one. It appears that the problem complexity is correlated with the number of techniques required or used.


Research limitations/implications
– Small sample sizes are often subject to criticism about replication and generalizability of results. However, this research is a good starting point for expanding the sample to allow more generalizable results. Future research may investigate the deeper connections between reengineering and analysis techniques and the risks of using various techniques to diagnose problems in multiple dimensions. An investigation of fit between problems and techniques could be explored.


Practical implications
– The author have a better idea which techniques are used more, which are more versatile, and which are difficult to use and why. Practitioners and academicians have a better understanding of the fit between technique and problem and how best to align them. It guides the selection of choosing a technique, and exposes potential problems. For example RCA requires knowledge of fishbone diagram construction and interpreting results. Unfamiliarity with the technique results in disaster and increases project risk. Understanding the issues helps to reduce project risk and increase project success, benefiting project teams, practitioners, and organizations.


Originality/value
– Many aspects of BR have been studied but the contribution of this research is to investigate relationships between business analysis techniques and business areas, referred to as BR dimensions. The author try to find answers to the following questions: first, are business analysis techniques used for BR project, and is there evidence that BR affects one or more areas of the business? Second, are BR projects limited to a single dimension? Third, are some techniques better suited for diagnosing problems in specific dimensions and are some techniques more difficult to use than others, if so why?; are some techniques used more than others, if so why?

Business History and International Business are cognate subjects. There are few, if any, studies of international business that do not require a proper study of context. International business decision making must be made relevant by a considered evaluation of the circumstances surrounding that decision. This often means putting it into its historical context. The contributions that the study of international business can make to business history are the input of appropriate theory and appropriate research methods. The best international business theory can illuminate the seemingly disparate s

Business Ethics and Ethical Business is a brief yet remarkably comprehensive introduction to the thought-provoking field of business ethics. The text is organized into three parts that cover the role of business in society, the ethics of internal management, and the challenges of international business. It introduces the standards essential in business ethics, explores a wide range of issues using concrete examples, and provides analytical tools for guiding ethical decisions in the real world.