International Journal of Organizational Analysis Current Issue

Opportunity discovery, maximisation and advancement: a qualitative study from Vietnam’s car dealership industry

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

The purpose of this study is illuminate how company leaders operating in the car dealership industry manage opportunities and transformational steps to adapt to their highly competitive business environment. Embracing the underpinnings of entrepreneurial discovery theory and dynamic capabilities, the study is situated in Vietnam, an emerging market, and focuses on a company case.

Design/methodology/approach

Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with company leaders, including managers and directors, in an emerging market setting. Qualitative content analysis and data structure methods were used to analyse the data.

Findings

In recognising future opportunities, several strategic antecedents are prioritised, including modernising the supply chain and responding to competitors’ actions. Maximising opportunities primarily depends on hiring new staff, conducting more in-house training and investments. However, two paradoxes hamper this process: capacity constraints while growth continues and improving efficiencies while maintaining proven successful standards. The further development of staff and skills and the adoption of new technologies are key drivers of evolution. The analysis elucidated 10 dimensions, resulting in a proposed conceptual model.

Originality/value

The emanating dimensions and a resulting conceptual model constitute the study’s main demonstration of originality and value. They contribute to a deeper understanding of opportunity recognition and maximisation, and subsequent business evolution, and can guide future research endeavours in emerging market contexts in the car dealership or other industries. Similarly, the study’s findings add to the extant body of the literature, thereby partly narrowing an extant research gap.

Evidence-based management in practice: measuring the use of four core sources of evidence

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

This purpose of this empirical study is to develop and validate the Evidence-Based Management Source Utilisation Scale (EBM-SUS), a measure that captures the extent to which decision-makers draw on four core sources of evidence – scientific research, organisational data, professional expertise and stakeholder influence. The scale reflects both the use of individual sources (first-order factors) and an aggregated measure of overall utilisation (higher-order factor).

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were conducted with leaders from the Maltese public service (voluntary participation). Study 1 (n = 202) used exploratory factor analysis to uncover the scales’ underlying factor structure. Study 2 (n = 227) used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the measurement model and to examine relationships with two theoretically related constructs: risk aversion and conscientious decision-making.

Findings

The EBM-SUS measures demonstrated robust psychometric properties. All items loaded as expected on their respective constructs, and the higher-order factor effectively captured the shared variance among the four sources, supporting convergent and discriminant validity. Concurrent validity was also established through significant associations with conscientious decision-making and risk aversion, aligning with theoretical expectations in the EBM literature.

Originality/value

This study introduces a validated instrument for assessing the utilisation of four core sources of evidence in decision-making. It enables future research on evidence use by decision-makers, opening up research on evidence-based decision-making and deepening inquiry into decision-making practices in organisational contexts.

Working bodies, thinking minds: embodied cognition and attention in hybrid project work

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

This study aims to examine how embodied cognition and technological mediation shape attentional stability in hybrid project environments. It explores how temporal rhythms, ICT complexity and spatial context influence moment-to-moment cognitive composure during project work.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted with three experienced project managers. Wearable EEG data – capturing “EEG Calmness” as an indicator of attentional regulation – were integrated with contextual observations across home and office settings, different times of day and varying levels of ICT complexity. The study adopts an interpretive, ecologically grounded approach rather than hypothesis testing.

Findings

Across cases, attentional stability tended to peak in the morning and decline in the afternoon, with office environments providing greater cognitive buffering than home offices. Meeting difficulty had limited physiological impact, suggesting that experienced managers rely on embodied self-regulation to sustain composure. ICT complexity showed context-dependent effects, indicating that digital saturation interacts with spatial affordances to shape cognitive states.

Research limitations/implications

The small, theoretically sampled set of cases limits generalizability but offers analytic depth. Future research could extend embodied cognition analysis to team-level and longitudinal project dynamics.

Practical implications

Insights highlight the importance of aligning hybrid work practices and digital tool use with workers’ cognitive rhythms and spatial affordances.

Social implications

The study underscores the social dimension of cognitive well-being in hybrid work. By demonstrating that attention and composure are co-produced through organizational rhythms, technology and social context, it challenges the individualization of productivity. Promoting collective awareness of cognitive rhythms can reduce inequality between home- and office-based workers and foster more humane work cultures. Encouraging transparency and participatory use of physiological data strengthens trust and inclusiveness. Ultimately, the findings suggest that equitable and sustainable digital work depends not only on technological efficiency but on recognizing embodied, relational and ethical aspects of human attention within organizational life.

Originality/value

The study advances organizational research by integrating neuroergonomic indicators into qualitative inquiry, offering an ecologically valid view of embodied cognition in hybrid project work. It reframes attention as an organizational resource shaped by temporal, technological and spatial rhythms rather than solely individual traits.

Do people leave managers or organisations? An integrative review of employee turnover through the lenses of LMX and JD-R

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of the suggestion that “people leave managers, not organisations”. This is done through the synthesis of existing evidence on employee turnover through the lenses of leader–member exchange (LMX) theory and job demands–resources (JD-R) model. The aim is to understand how leadership influences turnover and how it compares with organisational factors.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrative review of 39 peer-reviewed studies from 2014-2025 was conducted focusing on organisational settings that link leadership or managerial behaviour and organisational factors to turnover intentions and decisions.

Findings

From the analysis conducted, leadership affects turnover primarily by increasing or eroding resources and shaping demands. Transformational, servant and ethical leadership behaviours are consistently associated with lower turnover intentions whereas toxic, abusive and transactional patterns relate to higher attrition. The literature also indicates that organisational factors (e.g. compensation, growth, workload, scheduling) remain significant predictors of employee turnover. The review refines the suggestion that “people leave managers” by indicating that more specifically, people leave when demands chronically exceed resources. In this regard, both leadership behaviour and organisational design jointly determine that balance.

Originality/value

This review integrates LMX within the JD-R architecture and specifies mechanisms (i.e. resource and demand pathways) and boundary conditions (i.e. demand–resource balance relative to leadership effects). This approach moves beyond either–or accounts of the binary “manager vs. organisation” claim on turnover decision. It also offers a sequenced and actionable agenda for implementation across human resource practice.

Executive and managerial insights into developing, launching and operating an expansion sport franchise

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the organisational development processes used by the National Hockey League’s most recent expansion club, the Seattle Kraken, during their launch and early operational phases. This paper specifically focuses on the organisational development processes used by upstart sport franchises during periods of environmental turbulence.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Seattle Kraken executives and managers involved in the organisation’s development, launch and subsequent operations during the franchise’s first several seasons. Participants included individuals from various functional areas. The empirical material was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key organisational strategies.

Findings

Three primary themes were established. In Targeted Talent Acquisition and Development, domain expertise was prioritised over sport-specific experience during personnel decisions. In Organisational Storytelling and Identity Construction, brand ambiguity was allowed to enable stakeholder co-creation of meaning. In Stakeholder Integration and Community Embeddedness, systematic stakeholder research was conducted before developing organisational initiatives. These processes shaped the development of organisational capabilities during the challenges inherent in building a new venture within the institutional framework of big-time professional sport.

Originality/value

While scholars have extensively studied brand development among sport organisations, limited attention has been paid to the organisational development processes used during franchise launches. This study contributes to understanding how professional sport organisations build internal capacities during their formative stages, thereby providing insights for practitioners who face similar organisational challenges during team launches, relocations or rebrands.

Redesigning performance management practices to boost innovative behaviours: the moderating role of remote work

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

Contemporary organizations face a growing need for innovation while work is becoming increasingly digitalized. In such a context, employees’ innovative work behaviour (IWB) is crucial. However, little attention has been given to whether and how human resource management (HRM) practices can sustain IWB in remote work. Thus, this study aims to explore the relationship between performance management (PM) practices and employees’ IWB when job is performed remotely.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on signalling perspective of HRM, this study applies regression analysis on data collected through an online questionnaire administered to a sample of 647 Italian employees testing the moderating role of remote work in the relationship between PM and IWB.

Findings

The findings show that result- and new-competence-based appraisal promote IWB, regardless of the extent to which work is performed remotely. In contrast, remote work nullifies the role of employee involvement in the goal setting process, as well as the influence of compensation-oriented PM and developmental performance management. Continuous feedback emerges as the key PM practice sustaining IWB among remote employees.

Research limitations/implications

This study shows that remote work represents a key boundary condition in the relationship between PM and IWB. More specifically, the findings indicate that only certain PM practices − such as result- and competence-based appraisal and continuous feedback sustain IWB when work is extensively performed remotely. However, the reliance on a convenience sample of Italian employees limits the generalizability of the findings, indicating the need for cross-national and longitudinal studies to examine these relationships across different remote and hybrid work settings.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that organizations seeking to foster employees’ IWB should redesign PM systems by prioritizing results and competence development over task-based control. In remote work contexts, continuous feedback appears particularly critical. In addition, compensation-oriented PM practices do not inhibit IWB, whereas involvement of employees in goal setting becomes non-significant.

Social implications

This study suggests that some PM practices, particularly continuous feedback, can contribute to mitigate drawbacks of remote work, like for instance social isolation and work-related stress, thus supporting more sustainable and inclusive forms of work.

Originality/value

This study advances the literature on PM and IWB by identifying remote work as a key boundary condition. It also extends existing research on remote work by showing that practices known to support remote workers’ well-being − such as result-based appraisal, competence-based appraisal and continuous feedback − may likewise foster IWB, basically generating a signalling effect that encourages employees to be proactive and to generate new ideas and ways of working. In doing so, this study also provides guidelines to companies to redesign their PM systems.

Family-friendly workplaces in the public and private sectors

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

The study aimed to examine family-friendly practices of employers in Hungary and compared public and private sector organisations to better understand their approaches to promoting the work–life balance of employees.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional, quantitative survey was carried out between April and June 2023, involving 702 organisations certified as family-friendly workplaces in Hungary, of which 101 managers responded. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-squared tests to examine associations between sector and the prevalence of family-friendly practices.

Findings

The findings indicate sectoral variation in the implementation of family-friendly practices. Private sector organisations more frequently reported flexible working arrangements, whereas public sector employers more often reported traditional measures such as childcare services and child-friendly work environments. Teleworking was available in 87.3% of private organisations, compared with 67.4% of public organisations (p = 0.016). Similarly, part-time work was offered by 87.3% of private organisations and 63.3% of public organisations (p = 0.004). Conversely, on-site childcare (52.2% vs. 21.8%, p = 0.002) and child-friendly workplaces (58.7% vs 23.6%, p < 0.001) were more prevalent in the public sector.

Research limitations/implications

The study is geographically limited to Hungary and focuses mainly on certified family-friendly workplaces, which may not represent all organisations uniformly. However, it provides a basis for benchmarking international research on family-friendly workplace policies. In addition, it does not include a qualitative study to provide more in-depth insight or to capture the views of employees, but identifies further research directions in this way.

Practical implications

Based on these findings, organisations should consider implementing family-friendly policies that better promote work–life balance. The study recommends that the public sector extend flexible working arrangements and increase family benefits to improve recruitment and retention. Conversely, private sector employers should focus on developing childcare facilities on-site and fostering family-friendly work environments to support their employees’ needs effectively, thereby increasing job satisfaction.

Social implications

A better understanding of family-friendly workplace policies can help to raise awareness of the importance of promoting work–life balance. The implementation of these policies has the potential to improve the well-being of employees and contribute to wider societal goals, including gender equality, family stability and the development of a more sustainable society.

Originality/value

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of family-friendly workplace policies in the various sectors in Hungary, highlighting sectoral strategies and practical recommendations for better promoting work–life balance and organisational efficiency.

Advancing the role of temporal experience in relation to workplace thriving

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

This conceptual paper aims to explore organisational operating rhythms with a view to establishing a broader understanding of how they might be experienced in relation to wellbeing or thriving at both the organisational and individual levels. A model of operating rhythms is proposed, which integrates systems theory concepts alongside a new conception of individual and contextual enablers of thriving.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review is conducted on temporal workplace processes with the addition of wellbeing and thriving related terminology. This review was then used to synthesise perspectives from organisational analysis and positive organisational scholarship, providing new conceptual frameworks for understanding organisational temporal experiences in relation to thriving.

Findings

Identifying limited prior research on temporal rhythms in organisations and the relationship to thriving and wellbeing, a conceptual link between these variables is developed to encourage and support further research in this area. This proposed model includes systems theory perspectives and suggests that workplace rhythms shape the flow of information, feedback, learning and interpersonal interaction, influencing the conditions that support thriving. Implications of this conceptualisation of organisational temporal experience provide potential approaches for use within organisational contexts.

Originality/value

Two novel contributions are introduced. Firstly, a two-axis model that maps organisational rhythms along a continuum from strategic to operational (Y-axis) and intentional to emergent (X-axis). Secondly, the concept of a zone of interaction, where personal and contextual enablers of thriving intersect, is proposed as a lens to understand complex variables that, including operating rhythms, influence lived workplace experience at micro and macro levels.

Key factors for organising integrated social care for families with multiple and complex problems: an organisational empowerment perspective

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

This study aims to investigate which key organisational factors, such as leadership styles and organisational dynamics, contribute to effective and coordinated integrated social care for families facing multiple and complex problems.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study was conducted using four focus groups, including 28 unique participants. Participants included experts by experience, social workers, team managers, project leaders, general managers, policymakers and directors. Organisational empowerment was applied as a theoretical approach. The focus was on three levels of organisational empowerment: intra-organisational (internal structures and functioning), inter-organisational (collaboration between organisations) and extra-organisational empowerment (influence on the broader policy environment). The data were analysed thematically based on this approach.

Findings

A culture of trust and shared responsibility strengthens empowerment. Calm and supportive leadership plays a key role. Between organisations, relational trust, informal connections and shared learning are important. In addition, empowerment on a broader level is strengthened by a long-term vision, policy consistency and stability. At all levels, connecting leadership and a shared vision helps to reduce fragmentation. Integrated social care does not depend on structures, but rather on professional interactions.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted within the regional context of Amsterdam Nieuw-West. Future research can focus on how integrated social care, viewed from an organisational empowerment perspective, manifests itself in other settings.

Practical implications

Policymakers and organisational leaders should prioritise long-term, coherent policies, provide space for professional learning and create conditions that support boundary-crossing collaboration.

Originality/value

This study applies the organisational empowerment approach as a theoretical lens to understand integrated social care.