Multiple Understandings of Sustainability among Alternative Food Organizations in Geneva

Alternative Food Organizations (AFOs) seek to establish more sustainable practices in the food system. However, they might hold different conceptualizations of sustainability. Hence, we miss an overview of AFOs’ conceptualizations of sustainability that allows grasping their overall transformative potential. In this paper, we analyze a broad range of AFOs active in food production, distribution, and consumers’ advocacy to examine to what extent they share a common understanding of sustainability. Our empirical analyses focus on the Swiss canton of Geneva, we build on organizational survey data and detailed coding of the discourses published on their websites. We find that the environmental dimension of sustainability is more prominent and that weak and strong conceptualizations of sustainability are equally present in AFOs’ discourses. However, important differences appear between food producers and distributors. The former have a multidimensional and strong conceptualization of sustainability, while the latter focus on fewer dimensions and a weak conceptualization. In spite of these differences, AFOs interact within a small but heterogeneous network.

Writing Organizational Survey Items That Predict What Matters in Organizations

Organizational surveys are essential tools for gathering data in 21st-century organizations. This chapter provides a practitioner-oriented guide to developing survey content and items. In this chapter, the authors highlight the need to first determine highly specific survey project goals and deduce broad survey content domains based on those goals. They advise practitioners to build close relationships with employees and line managers to develop short survey tools that are organizationally relevant and predictive of organizational outcomes of interest (i.e., customer satisfaction, employee retention). Based on extant research evidence around item and scale development, they discuss response formats, survey length considerations, respondent literacy issues, and cultural as well as language considerations relevant to survey development. They conclude with ethical considerations and a brief summary.

Rediscovering the Art of Surveys for Organization Change

While many practitioners continue to promote the use of good strategic survey practice and measurement constructs, fewer highlight the use of surveys specifically for transformational interventions. In this chapter, the authors outline the use of a specific type of survey approach (i.e., surveys for change). Although surveys for change share many of the same elements as other types of organizational survey programs, there are key differences as well. The chapter begins with an overview of these types of surveys as a key organization development intervention and how recent technology trends and the democratization of survey methodology have negatively impacted their application over time. The differentiating characteristics of surveys for change are then discussed, followed by a case example that highlights their use in building an agile marketing function in a global consumer products organization. The chapter concludes with a call for building greater capability in this important survey practice.

ANALISIS BUDAYA ORGANISASI PADA LEVEL MANAJEMEN MENENGAH DAN MANAJEMEN BAWAH PT XYZ MEDAN SUMATERA UTARA

This study aims to determine how the organizational culture at the level of middle management and under management PT XYZ Medan, North Sumatra. This research uses quantitative methods with the type of survey research. The sample in this study were 39 people from the middle management level and 114 people from the lower management level. The author collected data using the Denison Organizational Survey (DOCS) questionnaire). DOCS comes from the Denison Model which emphasizes the four cultural dimensions in organizations that must be mastered so that organizations can run effectively. The results of the study identified that PT XYZ has a weak organizational culture due to the four dimensions of the Denison Model namely adaptability, consistency, involvement, and mission indicating an imbalance. The involvement dimension has the highest value while the adaptability dimension has the lowest value. Perceptions of organizational culture at the middle management level are better than those at the lower management level. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana budaya organisasi pada level manajemen menengah dan manajemen bawah PT XYZ Medan Sumatera Utara. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan jenis penelitian survey. Sampel dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 39 orang dari level manajemen menengah dan sebanyak 114 orang dari level manajemen bawah. Penulis mengumpulkan data menggunakan kuesioner The Denison Organizational Survey (DOCS) ). DOCS berasal dari Model Denison yang menekankan pada empat dimensi budaya dalam organisasi yang harus dikuasai agar organisasi dapat berjalan secara efektif. Hasil penelitian mengidentifikasikan bahwa PT XYZ memiliki budaya organisasi yang lemah dikarenakan keempat dimensi Model Denison yaitu adaptability, consistency, involvement, dan mission menunjukkan adanya ketidakseimbangan. Dimensi involvement memiliki nilai paling tinggi sedangkan dimensi adaptability dengan nilai paling rendah. Persepsi mengenai budaya organisasi pada level manajemen menengah lebih baik dibandingkan dengan level manajemen bawah.

ANALISIS BUDAYA ORGANISASI PADA LEVEL MANAJEMEN PUNCAK DI PT X MEDAN SUMATERA UTARA

ABSTRACTBased on the objective in this research, the autor deeply want to know is the organizational culture that existed at PT X Medan North Sumatra. This research use quantitative methods with survey type. Author collected data using The Denison Organizational Survey (DOCS) and interviews. The Denison Organizational Survey (DOCS) is derived from Denison Model that emphasizes the four dimensions of culture. Data collection and interviews carried out by the top management. The results of research identified PT X has a weak culture. The results of the questionnaire revealed an imbalance between the four dimensions of Denison Model. Involvement dimension have the highest value while adaptability dimension with the lowest score. In top level managemen perceptions of organizational cultur has good category. ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui budaya organisasi pada level manajemen puncak PT X Medan Sumatera Utara. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan jenis survey. Penulis mengumpulkan data menggunakan kuesioner The Denison Organizational Survey (DOCS) dan wawancara. DOCS berasal dari Model Denison yang menekankan pada empat dimensi budaya dalam organisasi yang harus dikuasai agar organisasi dapat berjalan secara efektif. Pengumpulan data dan wawancara dilakukan pada jenjang manajemen puncak. Hasil penelitian mengidentifikasikan bahwa PT X memiliki budaya yang lemah. Sebab, keempat dimensi Model Denison yaitu adaptability, consistency, involvement, dan mission menunjukkan ketidakseimbangan. Dimensi involvement memiliki nilai paling tinggi sedangkan dimensi adaptability dengan nilai paling rendah. Persepsi mengenai budaya organisasi pada level manajemen puncak pada kategori baik.

Beyond Formal Access: Organizational Context, Working From Home, and Work–Family Conflict of Men and Women in European Workplaces

Working from home has become engraved in modern working life. Although advocated as a solution to combine work with family life, surprisingly little empirical evidence supports that it decreases work–family conflict. In this paper we examine the role of a supportive organizational context in making working from home facilitate the combination of work and family. Specifically, we address to what extent perceptions of managerial support, ideal worker culture, as well as the number of colleagues working from home influence how working from home relates to work–family conflict. By providing insight in the role of the organizational context, we move beyond existing research in its individualistic focus on the experience of the work–family interface. We explicitly address gender differences since women experience more work–family conflict than men. We use a unique, multilevel organizational survey, the European Sustainable Workforce Survey conducted in 259 organizations, 869 teams and 11,011 employees in nine countries (Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom). Results show that an ideal worker culture amplifies the increase in work family conflict due to working from home, but equally for men and women. On the other hand, women are more sensitive to the proportion of colleagues working from home, and the more colleagues are working from home the less conflict they experience.

Evaluating Institutional Capability of Nepali Grassroots Organizations for Service Delivery Functions

Grassroots organizations are well situated to deliver the services and implement the development activities at community level in Nepal. The development of grassroots organizations on the one hand enables the effective service delivery while it enhances community governance system on the other. This study analyses the institutional capability of grassroots level organizations in relation to their service delivery and the study is based on primary and secondary data. One hundred and ten grassroots level organizations were chosen for organizational survey, and three focus group discussions were employed to supplement survey data. The Composite Index (CI) method was employed to analyze the data that shows overall capability of grassroots organizations remained efficient (CI = 0.77). Empirical findings indicate that many grassroots organizations were more committed to work as agents of change through institutional norms, rules and values. Nevertheless, some grassroots organizations were facing institutional crises, influenced by socio-economic power structure, and resource paucity. Following the discussion of results, this study recommends governance measure for efficient capability of grassroots organizations.Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Vol.11, 2017; 60-95

Implementation uptake: organisational factors affecting evidence-based reform in community corrections in the United States

As community corrections organizations adapt to changing times, probation/parole agencies work to reform both organizational policy and practice. However, reform is much easier planned than implemented. With little or no formal training on strategic implementation, most community corrections agencies face a complex web of inter- and intra-organizational dynamics and contexts that make implementing reform challenging and sustaining reforms nearly impossible. Using survey and interview/observational data from both adult and juvenile probation in two U.S. states, this chapter examines organizational factors such as culture/climate, cynicism and commitment as key internal issues to consider prior to implementation of reform and during reform uptake. Using dual methods reveals while organizational actors respond similarly on organizational survey response measures, the observational data detail a more nuanced story for understanding implementation. Specifically, findings suggest a need for new training approaches, continued leadership development and improved communication at all organizational levels.