Creating sustainable relationships using the strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results framework, trust, and environmentalism: a research‐based case study

Abstract

New forms of organization development are moving from a classical diagnostic perspective to a dialogic perspective. This move includes a focus on exploring positive states of organizing, shared aspirations, and the design of preferred futures as key outcomes of a strategic change process. Training and development that applies the elements of the strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results (SOAR) framework allows for stakeholders to engage in a dialogue that represents the whole system, and builds trust and environmental management systems that can positively impact supplier performance. In this study, we examined the interrelationship between the SOAR framework, trust, environmental management systems, and supplier performance in respect of 71 program managers and customers from the Hass TCM Group, the largest chemical management services provider in North America.Hypothesis testing was carried out using correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, correlation analysis and Sobel's test for mediation. Our results support a combined framework in which the SOAR framework can be used to build trust and pro-environmental behaviors to train suppliers to develop collaborative relationships with customers.

HRD challenges faced in the post-global financial crisis period – insights from the UK

“…We tender that there was a pocket of evidence from participants, identified as those who worked within the profitable concern, where newer organic, dialogical approaches (such as those identified by Halm, 2011;Sprangel et al, 2011;Wolf, 2011) might be embraced. Possibly the question of whether positive changes in the economic climate might ease, or even encourage, attention towards the adoption of these types of approach could be posed.…”

“…Growth or not, if the status quo is retained, HRD remains silenced by the tension of choosing economic capital over labour needs (O'Donnell et al, 2006;MacKenzie et al, 2012). The re-balancing by the introduction of new dialogical, organic development approaches (Halm, 2011;Wolf, 2011;Sprangel et al, 2011) might redress holistic human development needs and further allow skill enhancement EJTD 39,2 alongside people focus. OLC may be then embedded (Camps and Luna-Arocas, 2012).…”

“…The need to build trust within the organisation through its environmentary management systems is necessity. The furthering of "workforce energy resources" (Halm, 2011) might then lead towards sustainable organisational survival (Sprangel et al, 2011;Camps and Luna-Arocas, 2012) and provide a more proficient use of human capital (Halm, 2011). The embracing of alternative development stances to meet the "real" needs of workers needs further regard for the future.…”

“…The consideration of writings by Halm (2011), Sprangel et al (2011 and Wolf (2011) may assist the illustration of any potential need to adopt alternative approaches. Halm's (2011) Life Giving Workforce Design (LGWD) is presented as a "blueprint" for virtuous values within an open system, which aspires to generate energy-stimulating human capital to achieve organisational objectives (Rothwell and Stavros, 2011).…”

“…As such, this quote might recognise a description of "employer branding"-based stances (Thompson, 2011) as opposed to more dialogical approaches (for example as advocated by Sprangel et al, 2011or Wolf, 2011. This illustration, from the focus group discourse, equally might be considered to link to LGWD (Halm, 2011), whose study centred on an organisation, which was growing with a liberated leadership base encouraging employee engagement.…”