Purpose This paper aims to represent an exploration of drivers of workforce agility under the lens of dynamic capabilities to advance the existing workforce literature on agility and strategic human resource management. Design/methodology/approach In-depth qualitative interviews with senior information technology professionals, managers, directors and leadership were conducted. Data coding and analysis followed the Gioia methodology to develop a theoretical framework. Findings The theoretical paradigm of workforce agility is seeing revisions. In the past it was solely connected to resource-based view theory, current literature superficially speaks of the link with dynamic capability but lacks comprehensive and strategic understanding. The research brings in the evolutionary change by viewing workforce agility directly under the lens of dynamic capability theory and recognizes workforce agility as a high-level strategy. Based on the analysis of the qualitative interviews this study has developed a conceptual heuristic of workforce agility drivers, interlinked with dynamic capabilities micro-foundations – “sensing”, “seizing”, and “continual renewal”. This paper conceptualizes workforce agility as a response to high pressures for the dynamic capability of the company, which requires reconfiguration and redeployment of external and internal human resources and an inherent need to bring some stability to the internal resources of the company. Originality/value There is a growing body of literature linking organizational agility with dynamic capabilities, which overlooks workforce agility. This study is theory-based research on workforce agility, which guides practitioners in making human resource processes more agile.
PurposeThis research examines the effects of the context on the relationship between work design, learning mechanism and total quality management (TQM). The exploratory study examines the differential effects in context on how human resources and their activities are strategically managed for achieving TQM. Two theoretical frameworks – activity theory and contextual learning theory – are concurrently used for analysis. Specifically, the manufacturing companies, the authors examine are (1) technology-intensive company which has bought technology from a global foreign establishment (MU1), (2) technology-intensive companies having their own technology (MU2) and (3) labor-intensive units (MU3) of varying organizational sizes.Design/methodology/approachThis case study-based research consists of 27 in-depth interviews with managers and employees of different hierarchies in each manufacturing unit. The authors interviewed them using semi-structured questions that were pre-validated by five senior HR experts from the manufacturing industry. Document analysis, multiple site visits and website content helped triangulation. The data are coded and analyzed using Dedoose software for qualitative research.FindingsActivity diagrams for each manufacturing unit provides task and interaction analysis. Within and cross-case analysis address complexity and challenges of contextual reality, influences on work design and learning mechanism. HRD executives must recognize that there may be well-differentiated learning behaviors that align with organizational strategy. The learning behaviors may not be well-differentiated and become very dynamic. This dynamism may be characterized by double loop and single-loop learning feeding into each other.Practical implicationsThis study provides substantial practical implications for HRD and other managers in the manufacturing sector.Originality/valueThe new theoretical framework adds to organizational behavior studies through multi-level and cross-contextual approach. It informs strategic combinations and interactions between internal and external context, and learning needs implicating work design and TQM.
Not every company has the same needs in adopting a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The authors compare four options for increasing system flexibility.T hese days, almost every CIO or IT manager is looking into service-oriented architecture (SOA). A year ago, The McKinsey Quarterly surveyed 72 senior IT executives about their investment priorities and found that 64 percent were planning to implement SOA in 2007. 1 Forrester reported in February 2007 that 62 percent of its surveyed companies from the North American and European regions are either using SOA or planning to do so within the next 12 months. 2 Interestingly, adopting SOA isn't the same as deploying a software application, which can be a one-time activity. Rather, it's a journey for an organization over a long period of time-an important detail for everyone involved to understand.Although a few vendors claim that SOA can be quickly and easily implemented with their products, the overall understanding in the industry is that SOA adoption is an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, process. Beginning the JourneyTechnically speaking, SOA is an architectural pattern that says that computational units (such as system modules) should be loosely coupled through their service interfaces for delivering the desired functionality. This pattern can be applied to the architecture of a single system (such as a quality management information or insurance claims management system) or the overall architecture of all applications in an en- 36IT Pro May/June 2008 P u b l i s h e d b y t h e I E E E C o m p u t e r S o c i e t y 1520-9209/08/$25.00
Information technology (IT) is a vital source of economic growth across developed and developing countries. Skill gaps are significant barriers to technology adoption by many industries; therefore, this chapter reviews research studies sampling IT professionals to identify a whole gamut of IT professionals' skills and competencies. This systematic literature review comprises of exhaustive search for articles through Scopus database with empirical evidence or theoretical models meant for working IT professionals. Critical analysis of prominent papers is done to bring forth existing research categories (typology) and furnish generic as well as specific skills and competencies. This study attempts to become a resource for integration of IT professional capability research and a comprehensive report for researchers, practitioners, educators, and institutions. Tables containing list of publishing journals, country- and industry-wise article distribution, and prominent paper methodology are provided.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.