Organizations as Actors: Microfoundations of Organizational Intentionality

The article addresses the topic of “group agency” with respect to large organizations. It undertakes to analyze some of the concrete micro- and meso-level processes (microfoundations) through which large organizations arrive at collective “knowledge” and “action.” The article makes use of the theory of strategic action fields to analyze processes of knowledge and the implementation of organizational intentions. The article describes some of the dysfunctions and disunities that should be expected from these individual-level processes, including principal–agent problems, conflicts of interests and priorities among organizational actors, loose coupling among subunits, and outcomes that are influenced by powerful outsiders. It argues for a limited conception of “ bounded localistic organizational rationality” in which organizations have limited coherence, unity, and consistency over time in their beliefs and actions.

Rede e território: reflexões sobre a rede agroindustrial do tabaco, circuito espacial de produção e círculos de cooperação na região sul do Brasil / Network and territory: reflections on the tobacco agro-industrial network, spatial circuit (...)

<p>Atualmente a principal característica estrutural da atividade agroindustrial é a afirmação de uma racionalidade organizacional que simultaneamente valoriza a especialização, a articulação e a interconexão de distintos atores sociais que se localizam e operam no território desde diferentes níveis escalares. Tal compreensão permite pensar a organização e funcionamento dos complexos agroindustriais a partir do conceito de rede, e estimula também refletir sobre a dinâmica relacional entre rede e território. A reflexão aqui proposta aborda o uso do conceito de rede na compreensão analítica e metodológica, das relações existentes entre um dado complexo agroindustrial, que se organiza e funciona sob a forma de uma rede, e o território. Buscamos avançar empiricamente essa reflexão cotejando-a com a constituição e funcionamento da rede agroindustrial do tabaco na região Sul do Brasil, através da análise de seus circuitos espaciais de produção e círculos de cooperação.</p><p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>Nowadays the main structural characteristic of the agro-industrial activity is the affirmation of an organizational rationality that simultaneously valorizes the specialization, the articulation and the interconnection of distinct social actors that are located and operate in the territory from different scalar levels. Such comprehension permits to think the organization and functioning of the agro-industrial complexes through the network concept, and also stimulates to reflect upon the relational dynamics between network and territory. The reflection that is proposed here approaches the use of the network concept in the analytical and methodological comprehension of the existing relations between certain agro-industrial complex, which is organized and functions under a network form, and the territory. We seek to advance empirically in this reflection, comparing it with the constitution and functioning of an agro-industrial<strong> </strong>tobacco network inSouth Brazil, through the analysis of its spatial production circuits and cooperation circuits. </p><p><strong>Key-words</strong>: Network, Territory, Agro-industrial Complex, Tobacco, South Brazil.</p><p> </p>

Determinants of successful implementation of donor-funded projects in Uganda

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine, empirically the relationship between organizational rationality, knowledge management (KM), risk management and successful implementation of donor-funded projects in Uganda. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from 195 project managers of donor-funded projects both managed within government systems and those outside government using a questionnaire. Zero-order correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were employed to analyze the data. Findings – The paper has two major findings: all the predictor variables are positively and significantly related to successful project implementation; and the relationship is strong enough to cause a 23 percent (R²) increase in the explanatory power in the presence of control variables. Research limitations/implications – The study focussed on selected donor-funded projects in Uganda and this limited the generalization of the findings. Moreover, there was also limited availability of local empirical literature with respect to implementation and performance of donor-funded projects. Practical implications – The results suggest that organizations that embrace organizational rationality, risk management and KM succeed in project implementation. Originality/value – There are many studies that investigate the practices adopted by organizations that implement donor-funded projects, however, this is the first study to the authors’ knowledge that examines the relationship between KM, rationality, risk management and successful implementation of donor-funded projects in Uganda.

Impact of Board Heterogeneity Composition on Firm Risk

There has been scant research exploring the implications of board heterogeneity for board's functioning and subsequent corporate outcome of stability in firm performance. A number of hypotheses are developed based on a multi-theoretic approach incorporating board resources, board dynamics, and board independence. Results of testing the hypotheses reveal that board heterogeneity in organizational tenure, functional experience, and educational specialty is related to the stability of returns. Furthermore, increased ownership position by directors and institutional investors strengthens the relationship between board heterogeneity and stability of returns. The results of this study suggest that board heterogeneity increases organizational rationality and further the stability in firm performance through its more effective control and counsel functions to management.