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    Signing off for 2013...

    Phd Research Societal Wellbeing
    Unless something compelling occurs in the next few days, this blog entry is likely to be my last for 2013. Christmas is upon us, so it is time to pause.

    Christmas can mean different things to different people. For some, the deep spiritual significance of remembering the birth of Jesus is almost palpable. For others, Christmas is an opportunity to buy and give gifts, to eat and to catch up with family and friends. Yet others enjoy Christmas because it is "time off"—a holiday. However you spend Christmas this year, may it be a joyful time for you.

    Overall, I've had a good year. The opportunity to travel (to speak in Australia, Asia and Europe), to meet some wonderful people, and to spend time pondering some pretty tough questions to do with my research, has been amazing. While there have been several times during the year when I've felt becalmed, it's not until I've stopped in the last few days and looked back that I've realised just how far I've travelled. I hope it's the same for you as you take stock this Christmas season. Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout the year, I appreciate it.
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    The troublesome march towards e-everything

    Societal Wellbeing
    In seven days' time, the mayhem so commonly associated with the lead-up to Christmas will be over for another twelve months—although the busyness of preparing for holidays, Boxing Day sales and other distractions will no doubt replace the void.

    This year, more than ever before, I feel under siege, by the marketers of technology. The march towards e-everything is becoming a little tedious, and it's starting to get in the way of meaningful interaction and learning. I'm no luddite—my iPhone and Macbook Air are useful productivity tools—but I draw the line at e-readers, Google Glass and other gizmos. 

    A couple of days ago I caught up with a friend over breakfast. We met each other 15 years or so ago, when we worked at the same company, and we've kept in touch periodically since. While standing at the counter to order, I noticed several groups of people sitting at tables. The scene looked a little odd, and then it dawned on me. In each case, every person was looking down, at an electronic device. Humans are social beings. What happened to the art of conversation? Are electronics actually getting in the way of progress in some cases?

    The reading of books, and pondering of events, situations and possibilities is a case in point. Rosemary McLeod sums it up so well. Books are for reading, and the experience of reading is as much tactile and sensory as it is a journey of discovery. I can relate to McLeod on this point, and hope that none of the gifts under the tree bearing my name contain e-anything. I'd rather pick up a book, feel the pages and devour the story. Simply it's more relaxing.
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    Self-assured hubris in local government

    Governance Leadership Societal Wellbeing
    I have commented on the topic of governance in the local government sector several times in the past six months—because there have been many avoidable situations that merit closer scrutiny. Today, I want to provide a short comment on the responses of the mayors to the situations they have found themselves in, not the situations themselves. For example, the recent (mis)behaviours of Mayor Brown of Auckland and Mayor Ford of Toronto have been widely criticised, yet both mayors, somewhat defiantly, remain in office.

    When one knowingly breaks the rules of office once, some of the trust one has garnered to secure the office is eroded. When one knowingly does so a second or subsequent time, trust cannot survive. Actions have consequences. Sadly, this reality seems to have evaded the mayors in question. Their continued reluctance to be held accountable for their actions is staggering. Resignation is the only acceptable response. The people of Auckland and Toronto deserve better than to suffer through these continued displays of self-assured hubris (although the tide does appear to be turning in Auckland with plans of a no-confidence vote by a group of Councillors). When will the constituency or, more importantly, the mayors themselves, wake up and act?
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    ANZAM Conference: Opening keynote

    Conferences Societal Wellbeing
    The 27th Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) conference got underway this morning. The opening keynote was delivered by Dr Bob Brown, former leader of the Australian Green Party. His talk, Why Global Democracy is on its Way – Australia's Key Role, explored the issue of effective and sustainable management of the biosphere. Brown noted that we humans—all 7.5 billion of us—are dependent upon the biosphere, but it is not dependent on us.

    Brown's talk was interesting, in that it highlighted many relevant and important issues relating to sustainability. However, the rather thinly-veiled anti-business tenor of Brown's talk was somewhat naive. He appeared to ignore the societal well-being improvements achieved by high performing businesses over many generations, and necessity of interconnects between business sectors. For example, Brown opposed mining (citing environmental impact and limited employment opportunities) and promoted tourism (limited environmental impact and greater employment opportunity). These industries are actually connected, in that hydrocarbons are required to power the vehicles (planes and ships) needed to transport tourists to a given location. Brown's submissions would be considered extreme by many. Notwithstanding this, Brown set the scene and theme for the conference well.
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    ECMLG'13: Don't forget the stakeholders' interests

    Conferences Governance Performance Societal Wellbeing
    Marina Lovrincevic (University of Split, Croatia) presented a very interesting paper on the relationship between supervisory board efficiency and stakeholder orientation. In so doing, Lovrincevic exposed a chasm between the Euro-centric view of the sustainable purpose of the company (based on stakeholder theory) and the Anglo-American view (agency theory). 

    Lovrincevic's analysis, of empirical data from a sample of Croatian non-financial listed companies, asserted that supervisory boards are helpful to protecting the interests of the wider set of stakeholders. An interesting debate ensued, essentially comparing and contrasting the Friedman view (value maximisation for the shareholder) and the stakeholder view (value distribution). The audience seemed to agree that the paper provided an interesting platform for future research, particularly research to explore whether a modified view of stakeholder theory might provide a more complete basis for effective governance.
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    ECMLG'13: Culture and conflict in MNCs

    Conferences Performance Research Societal Wellbeing
    Selected views on the organisational culture of multinational corporiations

    Alena Safrova Drasilova (Masaryk University, Czech Republic) presented her research on conflict and culture in multinational corporations (MNCs). Drasilova surveyed people from 2509 branches of 335 MNCs, in an effort to understand the influence of headquarters culture on the culture of branches located  in the Czech Republic. The preliminary results indicated that MNCs headquartered in Europe displayed less conflict at the branch level than companies headquartered elsewhere.

    The discussion that followed the paper was extensive—clearly the paper stimulated the interest of the audience. One aspect of the discussion explored the notion of cultural alignment in a category Drasilova described as global (companies that identified themselves as not having a national head office—Bosch being German, or IKEA being Swedish, for example—but rather a pervasive culture in which the characteristics of the brand itself prevails over the location of the country—McDonalds, for example)

    It would be very interesting to understand if any linkages between culture/conflict and performance exist, particularly whether the presence or absence of conflict makes any difference. Drasilova said that no work had been undertaken yet, but that this is the next step in the research. I look forward to reading this next phase of work, because I suspect the approach she plans to take may well have parallels to my own work.