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The CrossNational Study of Management and Organisation

The CrossNational Study of Management and Organisation Management and Organisation The Cross-National Study of Management and programmes if it is to be associated with increased effec­ Organisation tiveness. This latter conclusion is probably particularly valid in developing countries where managers generally are Roger Mansfield often less well trained and educated. There has also been considerable debate in the literature There can be no doubt that the particular political, econ­ on organisations concerning the effects of operating tech­ omic and social conditions which pertain in a given society nology upon structure. Again examination of the results will substantially affect the nature of the managerial task, from a range of different countries shows a rather confused the way organisations are structured and the extent to picture wih no clear cut support for either universalistic or which participation and consultation are used in work or­ the simpler contingency propositions concerning the rela­ ganisations. Within a single society such as Britain it is tionship between technology and structural variables. Gen­ often difficult to fully understand the peculiarities of that erally, however, it would seem that more pronounced rela­ society and the way they provide opportunities or con­ tionships are to be found in the industrially more advanced straints on managerial and organisational behaviour. countries such as Britain and France as compared to de­ Adopting a wider perspective and studying these pheno­ veloping countries such as Algeria, Bangladesh, or Iran. mena in a variety of different national contexts can often This may be the case partly at least due to the fact that make obvious such implications. On this basis a number of organisational structures in some developing countries researchers in the Department of Business Administration tend to be imposed in order to copy Western models or for and Accountancy at the University of Wales Institute of ideological reasons rather than designed in order to meet Science and Technology have carried out research on these the particular problems of the organisations concerned. phenomena in a variety of different countries. Although This latter consideration seems particularly relevant in many of the individual projects have been located solely in Algeria where discernable structural differences were individual countries, in combination they allow a broad found between companies created under French rule as comparative perspective to be utilised to aid in our under­ compared to those founded since independence. standing of such factors as the implications of decentralised On the other hand research management training in decision-making, implications of joint consultation and the developing countries seemed to yield remarkably similar efficacy of management development programmes. Re­ results to that in countries like Britain and the United search has now been carried out in a substantial number of States in terms of the effects of courses on participants. developed and developing countries and is currently being This was found to be the case for example in Iraq despite extended to a range of others differing in terms of culture, the highly centralised and state controlled arrangements economic and political conditions, ideological beliefs etc. made to provide such training in that country. One of the major issues which has been considered in a Overall then the results to date from this programme of number of projects is the relationship between decentrali­ comparative research show clearly the great complexities sation of decision-making and organisational effectiveness. of the issues involved. It is clear however that 'the logic of This has been studied in Algeria, Bangladesh, Britain and the immediate situation' in which managers and organisa­ France and the results compared with the work of other tional architects find themselves is likely to be only a partial researchers particularly in the United States, Mexico and influence on their decisions. They are also clearly effected India. Contrary to what might be anticipated from some at by societal factors reflecting cultural beliefs, dominant least of the literature the results provide no general support ideologies and a host of economic, social, political and for universalistic propostions of the sort that decentralisa­ historical factors which greatly complicate the decisions tion increases effectiveness. Nor do they support simple managers are called upon to make. contingency theory propositions such as decentralisation is The author is Professor and Head of Department of functional under conditions of high competition or uncer­ Business Administration and Accountancy at the Univer­ tainty and dysfunctional in stable situations characterised sity of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Friary by low market competion. Rather the picture which Building, 22 The Friary, Cardiff CF1 4JB. Further accounts emerges is very much more complex. Surprisingly of the research described here and other related projects decentralisation is more likely to be associated with effec­ can be found in International Perspectives on Management tiveness in developing countries than in developed ones. and Organisation edited by Roger Mansfield and Michael This seems to be true for both behavioural measures of Poole (Gower) which contains contributions from nine effectiveness such as employee satisfaction and low labour members of staff and graduate students in the Department. turnover as well as for economic measures of effectiveness such as profit or growth in sales revenue although the relationship tends to be more pronounced in the former case. One possible reason for this is that typically organisa­ tions in developing countries are less decentralised and hence it may be true that decentralisation only increases effectiveness up to a certain point. However, it seems clear from the results that these relationships are effected by contingency variables such as organisational size and market competition although not in the straightforward way predicted by most versions of contingency theory. It is also found to be the case that these variables and their relationship are effected by the legal requirements operat­ ing in a particular country concerning employee participa­ tion and the extent of management development activity. It seems likely that decentralisation typically increases the demands placed on middle and lower level managers and must be coupled with effective management development http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Management Research News Emerald Publishing

The CrossNational Study of Management and Organisation

Mansfield, Roger
Management Research News , Volume 4 (2): 1 – Jan 1, 1982
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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0140-9174
DOI
10.1108/eb027782
Publisher site
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Abstract

Management and Organisation The Cross-National Study of Management and programmes if it is to be associated with increased effec­ Organisation tiveness. This latter conclusion is probably particularly valid in developing countries where managers generally are Roger Mansfield often less well trained and educated. There has also been considerable debate in the literature There can be no doubt that the particular political, econ­ on organisations concerning the effects of operating tech­ omic and social conditions which pertain in a given society nology upon structure. Again examination of the results will substantially affect the nature of the managerial task, from a range of different countries shows a rather confused the way organisations are structured and the extent to picture wih no clear cut support for either universalistic or which participation and consultation are used in work or­ the simpler contingency propositions concerning the rela­ ganisations. Within a single society such as Britain it is tionship between technology and structural variables. Gen­ often difficult to fully understand the peculiarities of that erally, however, it would seem that more pronounced rela­ society and the way they provide opportunities or con­ tionships are to be found in the industrially more advanced straints on managerial and organisational behaviour. countries such as Britain and France as compared to de­ Adopting a wider perspective and studying these pheno­ veloping countries such as Algeria, Bangladesh, or Iran. mena in a variety of different national contexts can often This may be the case partly at least due to the fact that make obvious such implications. On this basis a number of organisational structures in some developing countries researchers in the Department of Business Administration tend to be imposed in order to copy Western models or for and Accountancy at the University of Wales Institute of ideological reasons rather than designed in order to meet Science and Technology have carried out research on these the particular problems of the organisations concerned. phenomena in a variety of different countries. Although This latter consideration seems particularly relevant in many of the individual projects have been located solely in Algeria where discernable structural differences were individual countries, in combination they allow a broad found between companies created under French rule as comparative perspective to be utilised to aid in our under­ compared to those founded since independence. standing of such factors as the implications of decentralised On the other hand research management training in decision-making, implications of joint consultation and the developing countries seemed to yield remarkably similar efficacy of management development programmes. Re­ results to that in countries like Britain and the United search has now been carried out in a substantial number of States in terms of the effects of courses on participants. developed and developing countries and is currently being This was found to be the case for example in Iraq despite extended to a range of others differing in terms of culture, the highly centralised and state controlled arrangements economic and political conditions, ideological beliefs etc. made to provide such training in that country. One of the major issues which has been considered in a Overall then the results to date from this programme of number of projects is the relationship between decentrali­ comparative research show clearly the great complexities sation of decision-making and organisational effectiveness. of the issues involved. It is clear however that 'the logic of This has been studied in Algeria, Bangladesh, Britain and the immediate situation' in which managers and organisa­ France and the results compared with the work of other tional architects find themselves is likely to be only a partial researchers particularly in the United States, Mexico and influence on their decisions. They are also clearly effected India. Contrary to what might be anticipated from some at by societal factors reflecting cultural beliefs, dominant least of the literature the results provide no general support ideologies and a host of economic, social, political and for universalistic propostions of the sort that decentralisa­ historical factors which greatly complicate the decisions tion increases effectiveness. Nor do they support simple managers are called upon to make. contingency theory propositions such as decentralisation is The author is Professor and Head of Department of functional under conditions of high competition or uncer­ Business Administration and Accountancy at the Univer­ tainty and dysfunctional in stable situations characterised sity of Wales Institute of Science and Technology, Friary by low market competion. Rather the picture which Building, 22 The Friary, Cardiff CF1 4JB. Further accounts emerges is very much more complex. Surprisingly of the research described here and other related projects decentralisation is more likely to be associated with effec­ can be found in International Perspectives on Management tiveness in developing countries than in developed ones. and Organisation edited by Roger Mansfield and Michael This seems to be true for both behavioural measures of Poole (Gower) which contains contributions from nine effectiveness such as employee satisfaction and low labour members of staff and graduate students in the Department. turnover as well as for economic measures of effectiveness such as profit or growth in sales revenue although the relationship tends to be more pronounced in the former case. One possible reason for this is that typically organisa­ tions in developing countries are less decentralised and hence it may be true that decentralisation only increases effectiveness up to a certain point. However, it seems clear from the results that these relationships are effected by contingency variables such as organisational size and market competition although not in the straightforward way predicted by most versions of contingency theory. It is also found to be the case that these variables and their relationship are effected by the legal requirements operat­ ing in a particular country concerning employee participa­ tion and the extent of management development activity. It seems likely that decentralisation typically increases the demands placed on middle and lower level managers and must be coupled with effective management development

Journal

Management Research News – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jan 1, 1982

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