Boundaries and organizations: a few considerations for research

Vakkayil, Jacob

doi:10.1108/19348831211227837

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Paradoxically, they both enable a group to take action and limit the scope of that action (Berg and Smith, 1990). A discussion of boundaries also raises such questions as where one firm ends and another begins, whether, in a changing environment, there can be a clear and fixed demarcation between the two (Vakkayil, 2012) and whether organisations can now be more accurately defined as “boundaryless” (Ashkenas, 1999). Indeed, what makes boundaries interesting is that they are sites of creative action.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Manufacturing SMEs, network governance and global supply chains

Cragg¹,

McNamara

Descubes

et al. 2019

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how small manufacturing firms develop and manage relationships with global suppliers and distributors. In so doing the authors aim to contribute to knowledge about SMEs and supply chain management (SCM). Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted 12 in-depth case studies of SME final assemblers of machinery in the French farm equipment sector. Findings The most effective form of global supply chain governance used by successful SMEs is informal networks involving managers in similar complementary firms, which serve to concatenate links with foreign suppliers and distributors. Research limitations/implications The principal limitation of this research is that it is specific to one sector and therefore questions of transferability are raised. Practical implications The important implication for managers in manufacturing SMEs is that links with other complementary local firms in the same sector need to be developed, leveraged and valued. Originality/value The originality of this case research is that the authors draw on inter-organisational boundaries, power asymmetries and network governance to develop a conceptual framework for the study of SMEs and global supply chains. By focusing on the perceptions of boundary-spanning managers, the authors show how, in circumstances of demand uncertainty, soft network governance is an effective strategic choice.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, “boundary spanners” are individuals who connect organisations or units and perform two roles. First, they apprehend and interpret the external environment for internal dissemination and second they represent the organisation externally (Vakkayil, 2012).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manufacturing SMEs, network governance and global supply chains

Cragg¹,

McNamara

Descubes

et al. 2019

JSBED

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Although these studies illustrate that recent literature has indeed moved beyond one-dimensional and overly simplistic boundary conceptions, they often continue to reify boundaries, that is, they downplay the sequential and interconnected character of disparate, often-contested boundary enactments – an awareness of which, we contend, is crucial to fully understanding boundary-work processes. For instance, some scholars have explored how boundaries ‘operate’ (Vakkayil, 2012: 216) or scrutinized the ‘state’ of boundaries – for example, by observing the ‘[s]trong boundaries around a field’ (Zietsma and Lawrence, 2010: 190) and how these may remain ‘intact’ or become ‘compromised’ (2010: 209). Such accounts, even when empirically focused on the processes in which boundaries are negotiated, remain at risk of theoretically treating boundaries as ‘separated and disconnected from the process[es] that created them’ (Bakken and Hernes, 2006: 1601).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaged yet excluded: The processual, dispersed, and political dynamics of boundary work

2019

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What happens when people try to ‘transcend’ organizational boundaries and engage with so-called outsiders? Current boundary-work literature does not fully account for the processual, dispersed, and political dynamics triggered by such efforts. To address this shortcoming, this article builds on an ethnographic study of a professional care provider’s attempts to engage local citizens within one of its care homes. We analyze how actors negotiate the parameters of outsider engagement – that is, how they interactively (re-)erect and (re-)efface boundaries between actors (Who is engaged?), issues (What is their engagement about?), and positions of authority (Does local engagement affect central decision-making?). We contribute to extant theorizing by, first, explicitly scrutinizing boundary work’s temporal and spatial dynamics. Testifying to the importance of analyzing temporal sequences, we show how attempts at transcending boundaries intensified boundary work on multiple organizational platforms. Paradoxically, inclusionary efforts evoked exclusionary effects (and vice versa) as actors came to contest and, eventually, redefine ‘appropriate’ insider–outsider relations. Second, our analysis highlights how the political effectiveness of an inclusive and non-hierarchical approach still, ironically, depends on ongoing hierarchical support and managerial enforcement. Third, our article makes a case for the adoption of long-term, multi-sited methodologies when studying the everyday dynamics of boundary-work processes.

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“…Absorption and diffusion of knowledge or innovation within an organization is the role of boundary spanners (eg, nursing unit managers or project officers) [17] and knowledge brokers (eg, nurses in education or advanced practice roles) [92]. This important boundary work contributes to organizational interconnectedness, and intellectual and social capital; reflecting necessary conditions if knowledge is to move across structural, professional, and pragmatic boundaries [19,93]. Knowledge-seeking behavior is a subjective norm shared by individuals who participant in online communities [94] and loiter in information neighborhoods [95].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Health Care Professionals Belong to an Intensive Care Virtual Community: Qualitative Study

et al. 2019

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BackgroundClinical practice variation that results in poor patient outcomes remains a pressing problem for health care organizations. Some evidence suggests that a key factor may be ineffective internal and professional networks that limit knowledge exchange among health care professionals. Virtual communities have the potential to overcome professional and organizational barriers and facilitate knowledge flow.ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore why health care professionals belong to an exemplar virtual community, ICUConnect. The specific research objectives were to (1) understand why members join a virtual community and remain a member, (2) identify what purpose the virtual community serves in their professional lives, (3) identify how a member uses the virtual community, and (4) identify how members used the knowledge or resources shared on the virtual community.MethodsA qualitative design, underpinned by pragmatism, was used to collect data from 3 asynchronous online focus groups and 4 key informant interviews, with participants allocated to a group based on their posting behaviors during the previous two years—between September 1, 2012, and August 31, 2014: (1) frequent (>5 times), (2) low (≤5 times), and (3) nonposters. A novel approach to focus group moderation, based on the principles of traditional focus groups, and e-moderating was developed. Thematic analysis was undertaken, applying the Diffusion of Innovation theory as the theoretical lens. NCapture (QRS International) was used to extract data from the focus groups, and NVivo was used to manage all data. A research diary and audit trail were maintained.ResultsThere were 27 participants: 7 frequent posters, 13 low posters, and 7 nonposters. All participants displayed an external orientation, with the majority using other social media; however, listservs were perceived to be superior in terms of professional compatibility and complexity. The main theme was as follows: “Intensive care professionals are members of ICUConnect because by being a member of a broader community they have access to credible best-practice knowledge.” The virtual community facilitated access to all professionals caring for the critically ill and was characterized by a positive and collegial online culture. The knowledge found was credible because it was extensive and because the virtual community was moderated and sponsored by a government agency. This enabled members to benchmark and improve their unit practices and keep up to date.ConclusionsThis group of health care professionals made a strategic decision to be members of ICUConnect, as they understood that to provide up-to-date clinical practices, they needed to network with colleagues in other facilities. This demonstrated that a closed specialty-specific virtual community can create a broad heterogeneous professional network, overcoming current ineffective networks that may adversely impact knowledge exchange and creation in local practice settings. To address clinical practice variation, health care organizations can leve...

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Boundaries and organizations: a few considerations for research

Cited by 10 publications

References 56 publications

Manufacturing SMEs, network governance and global supply chains

Manufacturing SMEs, network governance and global supply chains

Engaged yet excluded: The processual, dispersed, and political dynamics of boundary work

Why Health Care Professionals Belong to an Intensive Care Virtual Community: Qualitative Study

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