Marriage to the Same Kind: Organizational Political Ideology and Mergers and Acquisitions

This study contributes to the growing literature on organizational political ideology by positing that acquiring firms choose targets with similar organizational political ideology in their effort to retain employees post-merger. Using a sample of M&A announcements in the United States from 1996 to 2014, we find a positive relationship between the similarity of political ideologies of the merging organizations and the likelihood of M&A announcement. In addition, we find that our main relationship is stronger the more homogeneous the organizational political ideology of the acquirer, and the more the human capital intensity of the merging firms. In addition, we find support for the proposed mechanism that drives the main relationship. We thus introduce the concept of organizational political ideology into the debate over the influence of organizational values in M&As, and we extend the theoretical application of political ideology to settings with inter-organizational partnerships.

Introduction to Academy-Business Inter-Organizational Partnerships

This chapter explores organizational theory including inter-organizational behavior and several pro-social concerns for both individuals and organizations. A wide range of organizational theories support academy-business inter-organizational partnership functionality. Such theories include rational, natural, and open systems; identity and pro-social behavior; institutional theory; resource dependence theory; social exchange theory; stakeholder theory; and academic capitalism. Inter-organizational behavior is supported by network functionality as well as cross-sectional involvement by the federal and state governments. Inter-organizational partnerships are complex. Little research has been a focus specifically between higher education and companies. The academy-business inter-organizational partnership typology is introduced as a framework for exploring these relationships including concerns of philanthropic, transactional, symbiotic, and synergistic partnership dimensions.

Sustaining Long-Term Success of Academy-Business Relationships

This chapter reflects on the other chapters in the book with an emphasis on turmoil and flux in both higher education and business. Major concerns include self-preservation, resource management, and transformational purposes. Separately, the academy and for-profit realms are facing complex issues. Once involved in inter-organizational partnerships, maintenance of successful relationships is promoted through organizational learning, collaborative cognition, and ethics. Again, issues and viewpoints from each direction are summarized and discussed: a business perspective and the academy's perspective. With fewer than 50 years of attention in this area and minimal organized research, the need for more and deeper exploration and inquiry are paramount and outlined.

Homelessness and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the struggle of people experiencing homelessness (PEH) and presented new challenges to those serving this vulnerable population. To better understand and articulate how COVID has impacted both PEH and their ecosystem of support, we compared the national response - aggregated via a literature review of both gray and academic literature - to the statewide response in Indiana and the local response in Tippecanoe County. Local homelessness providers emphasized that organizational partnerships are key - policy changes in one organization can have malignant effect extending throughout and putting additional strain on other organizations within the local homelessness ecosystem Moreover, building community awareness and engagement with organizations serving PEH during normal times can have beneficial effects in times of crisis - calls to the community for help may prove to be more fruitful if they are to existing contacts and not de facto cold calls. Considering the problems elucidated by various homeless providers, certain governmental policies and provisions native to Tippecanoe County and Indiana could be beneficial to export elsewhere in the event of another public health crisis of this scope. Providers relayed that a close relationship with the local department of health and hotels helped expedite the placement and facilitate the extended stay of homeless COVID positive individuals.

A Process Evaluation on the Implementation of Cross-Organizational Intergenerational Partnerships

A collaborative group of organizations in the rocky mountain region of the U.S. implemented sixteen intergenerational programs with varying themes (i.e. mentorship, music and art therapy, baking, life stories, etc.). This two-year study used survey data and a focus group to understand successful approaches and challenges to implementing cross-organizational partnerships between adult-serving and youth-serving organizations. We utilized qualitative data through open-ended comments on program evaluations and a focus group discussion with leaders of seven community organizations. Questions in the focus group prompted participants to describe the process of initiating, developing, and sustaining partnerships. The three main themes were: the benefits of shared organizational values, outlining programmatic roles and expectations, and an ability to cope with negative partnership experiences. Insights about successful approaches to implementing cross-organizational partnerships, as well as the challenges of developing and sustaining such partnerships may be beneficial in similar settings.

Education versus Punishment? Silo Effects and the School-to-prison Pipeline

Objectives: This article examines the influence of social context on punishment decisions. To this end, we present a theoretical framework to identify outcomes that can occur when police and probation officers work in schools. Method: The proposed framework draws on organizational theory as well as scholarship on school discipline and punishment and the effects of placing officers in schools. It also draws from insights gathered from site visits, interviews, and focus groups conducted as part of a process evaluation of a school-based delinquency prevention program. We then present data from interviews and focus groups with 41 school-based safety staff to examine the plausibility of the hypothesized framework. Results: We find that officers’ goals interact with the goals of school-based actors to influence punishment-related outcomes. We also find that officers are not always the more punitive force in the schools and that placing officers in schools may have positive as well as negative effects for youth. Conclusions: The findings suggest that current accounts of officers in schools are incomplete. Dynamic interactions may occur within organizational partnerships and should be considered when seeking to understand punishment decisions not only in schools but also in other settings.

MAKING IT WORK: PEAK 2.0 PROGRAM EVALUATION RESEARCH

Research opportunities from our organizational partnerships allow us to pursue answers to questions about PCC outcomes that have largely been out of reach for the field. Our program evaluation research agenda includes groundbreaking, short-term clinical outcomes from older Kansans living in nursing facilities implementing increasingly levels of PCC, including a 49% lower prevalence of depression for residents in strong PCC adopting homes (Hermer et al., 2017; Hermer et al., 2018). Yet there have been several challenges to achieving these goals that are atypical to the common academic research process. This presentation will further highlight the clinical outcomes association with PEAK 2.0, our continued research partnership with the state, and highlight some of the unique opportunities and challenges large-scale research with a state organization presents.