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The policies of the Labour government in the UK place renewed emphasis on rational planning in the public sector. The government's assumption is that this approach to decision making will lead to improvements in performance. Although the theoretical costs & benefits of rational planning have been widely debated in the public administration literature, no systematic empirical research on the impact of planning on the performance of public organizations has been conducted. By contrast, the relationship between rational planning & the success of private firms has been investigated extensively. A meta-analysis & critical review of this evidence suggests that planning is generally associated with superior performance. However, important questions remain unresolved. For example, under what circumstances does planning work best, & which elements of planning are most important? Therefore, although it may be appropriate to encourage public agencies to consider carefully the potential benefits of planning, rational processes should not be imposed upon them. 1 Table, 107 References. Adapted from the source document.

The impact of the HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) epidemic on the functioning of companies has become a matter for concern in Africa, given that the continent has the highest rates of infection in the world. It is expected that economic activity will be affected, because HIV & HIV-related deaths are particularly prevalent among the most productive age groups. The disruption is most apparent in increased production costs &, to a lesser extent, in higher staff turnover. Rising absenteeism & staff turnover rates affect the transmission of skills & disrupt routines & the socialization of staff to the detriment of the smooth functioning of the workplace. Confronted with such constraints, companies have adopted a number of practical strategies, eg, excluding HIV-infected staff & job applicants, conducting HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns in the workplace, & curtailing social benefits, in particular access to care for employees. It is argued that exclusionary & cost-cutting strategies are incompatible with the need to preserve specific skills & the company's memory, both of which require measures designed to keep qualified employees at work as long as possible & hence to facilitate access to care. 2 Figures, 39 References. Adapted from the source document.

Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures, Tables and Boxes -- Acknowledgements -- 1 Introduction: The Psychology of Work Groups and Organizations -- Introduction -- Group dynamics -- The larger organization -- Summary -- Questions -- Part I: Group Processes and Outcomes -- 2 Performance and Decision-Making in Work Groups -- Introduction -- Definition and types of work groups -- Individual versus group performance -- Decision-making in groups -- Work group effectiveness in organizational contexts -- Some practical implications for groups at work -- Summary -- Questions -- 3 Conflict and Negotiation in Groups at Work -- Introduction -- The conflict process -- Conflict and work group effectiveness -- Conflict management and negotiation in the workplace -- Summary -- Questions -- 4 Group Creativity and Innovation -- Introduction -- The concepts of innovation and creativity -- Factors affecting organizational creativity and innovation -- Creativity-enhancement techniques -- Summary -- Questions -- Part II: The Larger Organization -- 5 The Concept of Organizational Culture -- Introduction -- What is organizational culture? -- The manifestation of culture at various levels of awareness -- The elements of organizational culture -- The use of qualitative and quantitative methods -- The relationship between organizational culture and organizational climate -- Summary -- Questions -- 6 Leadership and Organizational Culture -- Introduction -- Schein's theoretical account of organizational culture and leadership -- Trice and Beyer's approach to cultural leadership -- Transformational leadership and organizational culture -- Leadership and national culture -- Leadership, organizational culture and performance -- Summary -- Questions -- 7 Organizational Culture and Performance -- Introduction -- The strong culture hypothesis.

Abstract Author: Gosim Martin Onu Chukwu Title of Thesis: "Participatory evaluation: an action research intervention to improve training effectiveness" Background: The managers of Zenith Medical Centre, a Nigerian hospital, desired to experiment a change to a process of evaluation that could improve training effectiveness for all stakeholders. Concern about evaluating training for effectiveness is not new. The past 50 years have witnessed a growing number of evaluation methods developed by scholars and practitioners to provide human resource development (HRD) professionals with alternatives for measuring training outcomes. However, investigation on the uses of evaluation data to improve training outcomes from the perspectives of divergent stakeholders is limited. Participatory evaluation (PE) through action research (AR) intervention was particularly considered as a viable means of improving training effectiveness by increased use of evaluation data. Aims of the Investigation: The aims of the intervention were to deepen insight and understanding of PE from the perspectives of stakeholders, practically implement a change of the evaluation system and produce new knowledge for the action research community. Design/Methodology/Approach: The action research approach was used from a social constructionist perspective to engage training stakeholders in the organization as participants. This perspective required working in the participatory action research (PAR) mode. Therefore, the project followed a cyclical process model (CPM) of the AR iterative process of constructing, planning, acting and evaluating. The CPM model was to accommodate the quality principles for using theory to both guide issue diagnosis and reflection on the intervention. Data on participatory evaluation were generated through focus groups and one-on-one interviews and analyzed using template analysis. Findings: By identifying and discussing their stakes, contributions and inducements in training, participants were able to reflect on their own learning, gain insight into their own work situation by sharing experiences and these facilitated peer and management support. The results were deeper insight into training evaluation; change in behavior and perceptions; and the use of quality data to improve training design, delivery and participation. The participatory process also enabled participants to learn self-direction and self-management by becoming aware of discussing problems or issues of concern to them in the workplace, group coherence and social support. Profoundly, all levels of stakeholders tried actively to change their working conditions by participating in action research activities. Implications: The study has implications for research and practice in three perspectives: First-person implications of deepening the researcher's understanding and knowledge and providing professional development for his practice; second-person implications of deepening understanding and knowledge and providing improved day-to-day practice for the participants, practical solutions to the issue and organizational learning for the client; and third-person implication of providing specific knowledge for the wider action research community. Limitations: The research does not cover the political implications of the findings and opportunities they create for further research. It is limited to evaluation process while leaving out organizational decision making which is another factor affecting the utilization of evaluation data. Future studies should consider the question of what happens if the process of evaluation is right but the organizational politics or decision making structures hinders evaluation use. Word count: 50,881 (excluding appendices and references) Abstract: 503 Keywords: Action research; focus group; participatory action research; participatory evaluation

This article discusses collaborative arrangements within the state and looks at their consequences for democratic accountability in networked governance involving public actors at different levels and in different policy areas. Applying an institutional perspective, it examines two such collaborations in Norway: work-related organized crime and vulnerable youths. It finds that horizontal collaborations incorporate local differentiation and expertise resulting in a 'collaborative culture' facilitating broader involvement and more deliberative processes. However, top-down mechanisms, organizational commitment, resource allocation, and monitoring are also important. The cases demonstrate a shift towards more informal, voluntary, and horizontal accountability existing in the shadow of hierarchy, constraining the collaborative arrangements' effectiveness and making them more complex and multi-layered.

As modern societies become more diverse and multicultural, the call for greater inclusion within organizations is getting louder. In response, many organizations have rushed to diversify, without fully understanding the implicit and explicit levels of diversity, the complexity of social identities, and the hidden and often unintended ways differences between members of in-groups and out-groups can lead to social exclusion. By providing a thorough overview of the concept of diversity, distinguishing between competing definitions and types of cultural and cognitive differences, Diversity and Organizational Development helps current and future leaders develop their diversity competency. Concepts of diversity management are explained as value-added activities that increase creativity and innovation, improve problem-solving and organizational flexibility, and aid in the recruitment and retention of top talent. Drawing upon interdisciplinary perspectives from business, economics, psychology, and sociology, this work offers a comprehensive approach to inclusive organizational development through which diversity and inclusion initiatives are supported by all facets of organizational operations and culture. Readers are shown how organizations can move toward the integrating stage of organizational development, during which members of all cultural and identity groups feel included, valued, and empowered through their contributions to organizational success. Making a case for inclusive development through organizational culture, this book further demonstrates how rituals, symbols, and language can create shared meaning among members of diverse organizations, powerfully influencing their effectiveness and strategic performance, while ultimately creating more satisfying workplaces.

Work teams must increasingly operate in complex environments characterized by multiple external actors beyond team and organizational boundaries. Although previous research demonstrates the importance of boundary spanning activities to team effectiveness, it reveals relatively little about the process of boundary spanning in these environments. In this article, we investigated the processes of boundary spanning across multiple external actors in 10 cross-organizational teams. We identified three sequences for reaching out to external actors: (a) moving inside-out from vertical actors inside the host organization to horizontal actors outside of the host organization, (b) moving outside-in from horizontal actors to vertical, and (c) staying-inside with vertical actors from the host organization. Our observations suggest that inside-out and outside-in sequences were more successful than simply pleasing the host organization. We build on our empirical findings to develop a process theory of how team boundary spanning activities across multiple external actors influence team effectiveness. Our research underscores the importance of a team's interactions with actors in its external environment beyond those in an immediate supervisory role and provides insight into the dynamics of boundary spanning in multi-organizational contexts.

Organizational learning and the learning organization are concepts that have attracted a considerable amount of attention over the last decade. The article provides an analysis and evaluation of the main perspectives on learning, particularly in relation to organizational change and effectiveness. The issues involved are illustrated by a brief examination and discussion of four comparative case studies of companies in the automotive industry: the Rover Group, Volvo AB, Tallent Engineering, and GKN Hardy Spicer. The article shows that the four companies attempted to introduce organizational learning in order to develop and maintain their competitiveness. It identifies the issues which appear to be of prime importance when introducing organizational learning. However, the article also maintains that, although organizational learning may be an important factor in building an organization's competitiveness, by itself it cannot and does not guarantee success.