Academy of Management Meeting Montreal 2010 July 21, 2010
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in conferences, organizational culture, organizational learning.Tags: Academy of Management, AoM, Chunke Su, Meikuan Huang, Miha Škerlavaj, Montreal
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Counting the days until the next big event: Academy of Management Meeting 2010 in Montreal. During August 6th-10th I’ll be attending the biggest event in management as well as presenting the paper Škerlavaj, M., Su, C. & Huang, M.: Effects of National Culture in Organizational Learning Culture: A Multilevel Study in 7 Countries. Below is the abstract:
The goal of this study is to theorize and empirically test a multilevel model of organizational learning culture in a context of four national cultural dimensions: power distance, individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance. Based on established conceptual foundations of organizational learning culture (OLC), defined as a set of organizational norms and values that support systematic, in-depth approaches aimed at achieving higher-level organizational learning, this study seeks to examine the cross-level interactions between national culture dimensions and two key organizational learning processes: the impact of information acquisition on information interpretation, and behavioral and cognitive changes as a result of information interpretation. Data were collected from 1333 companies in 7 countries with different national cultures, and analyzed by hierarchical linear modeling techniques. The results showed that while national cultural dimensions had no significant influence on the relationship between information acquisition and information interpretation at the organizational level, each of the four cultural dimensions moderated the effects of information interpretation on organizational behavioral and cognitive changes in different directions. This study contributes to current literature by demonstrating the theoretical and empirical viability in using a multilevel approach to understand how organizational learning culture develops in the context of national cultural dimensions.
Učeče se nevladne organizacije July 15, 2010
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in conferences, learning networks, learning organization.Tags: EduAkcija, intervju, Miha Škerlavaj, NVO, omrežje, učeča se organizacija, Zveza tabornikov Slovenije
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Pred kratkim sem slišal globoko izjavo, ki pravi: ‘Ni važno koliko znaš, temveč koliko ti je mar!’. Življenje me je do sedaj naučilo tudi to, da ko se srečata srce in znanje ponavadi nastanejo najboljše reči. Zato sem z veseljem podal svoje skromno mnenje o učečih se nevladnih organizacijah in pomenu mreženja za potrebe posveta Učeče se NVO (21.5.2010, Ljubljana) v organizaciji mreže EduAkcija in Zveze tabornikov Slovenije. Kratek video nagovor si lahko ogledate spodaj:
Poleg tega sem podal tudi kratko izjavo o posebnostih učenja v NVO, ki je bilo objavljeno v Biltenu EduAkcija, marec 2010.
Med uvajanjem konceptov učeče se organizacije v podjetja in nevladne organizacije je kar nekaj podobnosti in obenem tudi razlik. Skupno je recimo to, da je stalna težnja k učenju posameznikov, timov in organizacij dejansko edini trajen vir napredka naše družbe. Od razlik bi izpostavil vprašanje motivacije za učenje. Raziskave kažejo, da je aktivnih ‘učencev’ približno 10 odstotkov, pasivnih 80, takih, ki ga zavračajo pa še preostalih 10 odstotkov. Menedžerji podjetij lahko spodbujajo razvoj učečih se podjetij z orodji, kot so sistemi finančnega in nefinančnega nagrajevanja, vodenje z zgledom ipd. Za nevladne učeče se organizacije motivacija za učenje ni takšen problem, ker imamo tukaj opravka z pretežno aktivnimi in notranje motiviranimi kadri. Zato pa je po moji oceni eden izmed ključnih izzivov, kako vzpostaviti omrežja teh notranje motiviranih, a obenem tudi relativno slabo povezanih posameznikov in organizacij. Pozdravljam projekt eduAkcija, ki skuša odgovoriti na točno takšen izziv!
Networks for generating and for validating ideas: The social side of creativity June 1, 2010
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in creativity, innovation, social network analysis for management.Tags: creativity, exponential random graph modelling, innovation, Miha Škerlavaj, Robert Kaše, Sandra Ohly, social network analysis
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We have just published a journal article than connects social network analysis and creativity: Ohly, S., Kaše, R., & Škerlavaj, M.: Networks for generating and for validating ideas: The social side of creativity. Innovation: Management, Policy, and Practice, 12(1): 41-52.
In recent years, research has recognized that creativity is a social process. By
communicating with others, individuals get access to novel perspectives and unique
knowledge, and they can get political support for their ideas by ensuring that they meet
others’ standards. Based on the different function of idea-related communication, we expected
the structure of idea-generation networks to differ from that of idea-validation networks.
Specifically, we expected different effects of leadership status and tenure. Our results
indicated some differences in the structure of the two networks. This leads to the
recommendation that future research on idea-related communication and creativity needs to
distinguish the different phases of the creative process.
Keywords: Idea generation, implementation, social network, social support, communication,
reciprocity
Management International Conference 2009 November 24, 2009
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in conferences, innovation, organizational learning.Tags: innovation, Jesús David Sánchez de Pablo González del Campo, Miha Škerlavaj, organizational learning, PLS, Spain
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I’m off to Tunisia, where I’ll be presenting a paper at the Management International Conference 2009 (Sousse). The paper is result of a collaboration with a colleague Jesús David Sánchez de Pablo González del Campo, University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). It is titled The Organizational Learning Process as Facilitator of Innovativeness. Below is the abstract:
Due to the relevance of innovativeness in the competitiveness and survival of a company in a constantly changing environment, we have questioned about how to facilitate innovativeness in organizations. Some recent literature presents organizational learning process as the key factor in order for innovation to occur. For this reason, we have tried to analyze the influence of organizational learning process on innovativeness using the partial least square (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling on data from 107 Spanish companies. We understand innovativeness as a combination of innovative culture and product/service and process innovation. Moreover, we have defined organizational learning as a continuous process with four phases. All of them must get to a high importance if firm wants to reach their aims with regard to innovation because the results of our research confirm a positive and significant relation between organizational learning and innovativeness as well as previous researches.
Global HR Forum 2009 November 9, 2009
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in change management, conferences, innovation, invited lectures, organizational culture, organizational learning.Tags: change management, culture, Global HR Forum 2009, innovation, learning, Miha Škerlavaj, Republic of Korea, Seoul
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Just came back from a marvellous event called Global HR Forum 2009, held in Seoul, Republic of Korea (Nov 3 – Nov 5 2009) where I was invited to give a speech on the role of learning -oriented and innovative culture as a tool for managing change. I have to say that I was amazed by impecable organization and genuine warmth of our Korean hosts. In addition to this, the largest award for every speaker is to experience such a true eagerness to learn as I have from the large audience of Korean CEOs, HR professionals, policy makers and consultants. There were also a plethora of excellent talks from great practitioneers, scholars, consultants and global decision makers. Everybody is kindly invited to have a look at the Global HR Forum You Tube Channel, where all the talks will be made available in few weeks time.
Invited speech @ Global HR Forum 2009, Korea August 26, 2009
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in change management, conferences, invited lectures, organizational culture.Tags: Global Human Resources Forum Korea 2009, innovative culture, learning-oriented culture, Miha Škerlavaj, organizational change management
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I am honoured to announce my invited talk at the Global HR Forum 2009, November 3-5, Seoul, Korea. This is the major South Korean HR conference, with expected 4,ooo decision-makers from global corporations, educational institutions and government. In prevoius years, it hosted renowed speakers such as Bill Clinton (Former President of USA), Lee Myung-Bak (President of the Republic of Korea), Bill Gates (Chairman of Microsoft), Jack Welch (Former CEO, General Electric) … to name just a few of them. Indeed, a privilige, honour and great responsibility. My speech will be on The role of innovative and learning-oriented culture for managing organizational change. 
Here is the abstract:
General introduction:
Organizational change is a ubiquitous phenomenon in business environments. It is part of (human) nature and can be managed. Changes however differ in terms of amplitude, frequency, level, and scope at which they occur. Within the context of current economic downturn, managing high-amplitude, frequent, organizational changes is crucial for survival and future growth of practically any kind of organization. I argue that the most effective approach to manage omnipresent organizational changes is to develop a strong and adaptive organizational culture that values learning and innovation.
Theoretical background:
The array of available change management theories and models is wide and goes back to classical ‘unfreeze-change-freeze’ model (Lewin, 1951), ‘formula for changes’ (Beckhardt & Gleicher, 1969), famous model ‘8S’ (Koter, 1995), theory ‘E&O’ (Beer & Nohria, 2000), metaphorical and practical model of ‘wind, sailboat, captain & the crew’ and ‘orchestrating vs. improvising change’ (Kassarjian, 1997), and learning organization (Senge, 1990). Their common denominator is that they all seek the best way to adapt, respond, or maybe even to induce organizational changes. In doing so, most of the authors mentioned either directly or indirectly stresses the importance of appropriate set of values organizational members share. Recent empirical research shows that organizational learning culture (Škerlavaj et al., 2007) and innovative culture (Škerlavaj, Song, & Lee, In press) improve organizational performance of modern enterprises.
Practical impact, applications and expected outcomes:
Hence, if we know that organizational culture that values learning and innovation leads to improved organizational performance by better managing change, question for modern managers is how to develop and/or reinforce such culture. This session will: (1) show managers several examples of best practices in developing learning-oriented and innovative organizational cultures (contingent upon industry, size etc.); and (2) provide them with a toolbox of metaphors, stories, innovation contests, leadership approaches, row models, mottos, etc. in order to overcome resistance to change, introduce and reinforce innovative and learning-oriented set of values among organizational members.
Book chapter published with Springer August 12, 2009
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in book chapter, organizational learning.Tags: Croatia, Miha Škerlavaj, multi-group structural equation modeling, organizational learning, organizational performance, Slovenia, Vlado Dimovski
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Fresh from the oven, a book chapter Škerlavaj, M., Dimovski, V. (2009): Organizational Learning and Performance in Two National Cultures: A Multi-group Structural Equation Modeling Approach was published in a book King, W. (2009): Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management, Annals of Information Systems Series, Springer.
This chapter examines the impact of organizational learning on organizational performance in two countries. Using a multi-group structural equation modeling approach on data from 203 Slovenian and 202 Croatian companies, it tests the impact of the organizational learning process on financial and non-financial performance (NFP). The results show consistent findings between both countries under investigation (which vary only in terms of effect strength). First, the organizational learning process connects information processing with behavioral and cognitive changes. Second, organizational learning has a very strong direct impact on NFP (reflecting performance from employee, supplier, and customer points of view). Third, the effect of organizational learning on financial performance (measured in terms of return on assets and value added per employee) is also positive and strong, but indirect and exhibited through NFP. Finally, no direct effect on financial performance has been observed in any of the two cases. This paper advances the theory and practice of organizational learning by uncovering one specific aspect of the context in which organizational learning processes occur. It is the first of its kind to control for the contextual variables of national culture and economic development regarding the organizational learning – performance link.
Transactional and transformational leadership impacts on organizational learning June 1, 2009
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in journal, leadership, organizational learning.Tags: Hugo Zagoršek, Miha Škerlavaj, organizational learning, transactional leadership, transformational leadership, Vlado Dimovski
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We have just published a new SSCI ranked article – Zagoršek, H., Dimovski, V. Škerlavaj, M. (2009): Transactional and Transformational Leadership Impacts on Organizational Learning, Journal of East European Management Studies, 14(2): 144-165. Here is the abstract:
This study empirically relates two important areas of management research: the full-range theory of leadership and the organizational learning process. Specifically, this contribution addresses three issues: (1) the impact of transformational leadership and (2) transactional leadership on the organizational learning process, and (3) whether the influence of transformational leadership is stronger than the influence of a transactional type of leadership. For measurement purposes, the article combines the Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) with the Organizational Learning and Information Management Processes (OLIMP) measurement instrument. Building upon data from 753 employees in Slovenia at the organizational-unit level and applying a structural equation modelling methodological framework, the results indicate that transformational leadership has a strong impact on all four constructs of organizational learning: information acquisition; information distribution; information interpretation; and behavioural and cognitive changes. A direct impact is evident only regarding information acquisition and behavioural and cognitive changes, while leadership styles have an indirect effect on information distribution and information interpretation. The magnitude of the total effect ranges from .61 to .79. Interestingly, contingent reward leadership has an equally strong and positive impact on organizational learning, with effect magnitudes similar to those for transformational leadership. This finding provides empirical confirmation of the contingent perspective on leadership and learning (Vera/Crossan 2006) which claims that the most effective strategic leaders will be those best able to function in both transformational and transactional modes, depending upon the situation.
In memoriam: We would like to dedicate this article to Hugo Zagoršek (1977-2008), who tragically passed away shortly after the completion of this work.
UK tour May 20, 2009
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in conferences, invited lectures.Tags: Cardiff University, EURAM 2009 Lierpool, John H. Powell, Juani Swart, Miha Škerlavaj, Robert Kaše, University of Bath
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Just got back from a 10-day business trip over UK. It started with EURAM 2009 in Liverpool, where we hosted a most succesful track on Knowledge renewal in social networks. It was followed by ‘research seminar Organizational learning: Why and how?’ at Cardiff University and University of Bath, which are home of two of the top five UK business schools.
Uporabite socialni kapital vaše organizacije April 3, 2009
Posted by mihaskerlavaj in journal, social network analysis for management.Tags: inovativnost, Miha Škerlavaj, MQ, organizacijska omrežja, socialni kapital, Združenje Manager, znanje
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V reviji MQ Združenja Manager je v aprilski številki 10/2009 objavljen moj članek z naslovom Uporabite socialni kapital vaše organizacije. Prispevek v bistvenih poudarkih predstavlja možnosti analize in managementa organizacijskih omrežij kot sodobnega managerskega orodja. Njegov namen je tudi populariziranje inovativne rešitve v časih, ko raziskovalci, managerji in celotna družba iščemo odgovore kako naprej in kako na bolje.
Pomemben del odgovora na to vprašanje se skriva v ustreznem strukturiranju odnosov med člani organizacij. Le ustrezno aktiviran socialni kapital lahko poveže človeški kapital (znanja in zmožnosti) posameznikov v konkurenčno prednost podjetja osnovano na intelektualnem kapitalu. Tekst članka je na voljo na tej povezavi.
