Browsing by Author "Norburn, David"
Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Open Access Beyond intrapreneurship : The metamorphosis of large corporations(Cranfield School of Management, 1985-04) Norburn, David; Manning, Kingsley; Birley, SueIn the last two decades, companies have experimented upon the axes of centralisation and decentralisation, of formal and informal planning systems, and of 'tight' and 'loose' reins for effecting control. Concurrently academics have commentated upon these phenomena in an attempt to both conceptualise the process and to relate certain paradigms to corporate performance. Yet essentially, much of this commentary assumes models of organisation structures based upon a LINEAR approach to strategy formation which practising managers abandoned as a result of the trading turbulence of the mid-1970s. A mismatch therefore exists between theory and practice. Many companies, having heavily decentralised, are placing emphasis upon intra-company entrepreneurship (intrapreneurship) as a means of implementing ADAPTIVE strategies. However, we consider that intrapreneurship is but one option to larger corporations, and that a new approach to the strategy/structure relationship be considered ¬one which incorporates the third dimension of ownership and trades off corporate sovereignty and direct control within a federal context, for a spectrum of options, many external to existing ownership structures.Our model is essentially metamorphic implying cathartic change, not an incremental adaption more suited to LINEAR strategy. This paper therefore reviews the constraints of traditional strategy/structure relationships, proposes a model related to the anticipated trading conditions of the next decade, and recommends the removal of existing corporate legislation concerned with anti-trust and monopoly law.Item Open Access The chief executive : a breed apart(1987) Norburn, DavidItem Open Access Corporate Culture: A positive correlate with marketing effectiveness(Cranfield School of Management, 1984-12) Norburn, David; Birley, Sue; Dunn, Mark G.This study tests the relationship between the Peters and Waterman cultural criteria of customers closeness and corporate values, to scales of marketing effectiveness as developed by Kotler. Analysis of data collected from 54 mid-American companies suggests a positive association. Marketing effective companies appear to have distinguishing cultural profiles when compared to marketing ineffective companies.Item Open Access Corporate leaders in Britain and America : a cross-national analysis(1987) Norburn, DavidItem Open Access Item Open Access An empirical test of upper-echelon theory(Cranfield School of Management, 1986-01) Norburn, David; Birley, SueThis research tested the validity of Hambrick and Mason's (1985)upper-echelon theory which posits that the characteristics of top executives will explain, partially, finanical performance variations within industries. Data was obtained from 953 top managers, the dominant coalition of the largest 150 companies within five US industries - Dairy, Footwear, Tyres, Mobile Homes and Machine Tools. Results were generally supportive: managerial characteristics not only predicted performance variations within industries - the top performers having significantly different managerial profiles than poorly performing companies - but also that the characteristics of managers within high performing companies were similar across the five industries. This greatly increases confidence in prediciting superior organisations, and enables the management development function to improve the chances of commerical success of future top managers.Item Open Access European boardrooms and the American Law Institute proposals(Cranfield School of Management, 1985-10) Norburn, DavidIn May 1982, the highly prestigious American Law Institute (A.L.I.) proposed new rules to regulate the governance of large corporations. Although the furore of opposition from the world of business has still delayed the vote to accept these proposals, the interest aroused in both political and commercial arenas in an international context has been considerable. Not only would the proposals change contemporary strategic decision-making for most U.S. multi¬national corporations, but, if replicated in other countries would revolutionize the Boardroom. This paper analyses the implications of the A.L.I. proposals if implemented in a European environment. It argues that, if left to the business world, the proposals would be rejected on the criterion that companies would reduce their commitment to any risky project, particularly international ventures. In the academic sense, companies would sub-optimize their profile of strategic risk. Corporate economic performance would deteriorate in the medium-term. Conversely, since corporate law is made statute by politicians, not directors, the attraction of appearing to be societally empathetic makes it likely that many of the A.L.I. proposals will be the subject of international debate. Subject to this, it is vital for international corporations to put their own house in order, rather than encourage further political intervention. The paper concludes by proposing means to effect this proactive transition.Item Open Access Gogos, yoyos and dodos; Company directors and industry performance(Cranfield School of Management, 1984-02) Norburn, DavidThis research investigates the characteristics of 354 directors of Britain's largest companies. Three sections of independent variables were analysed: those relating to the economic environ; those relating to the domestic environ--family background and educational experiences; those relating to self concept. Directors were categorised according to the economic performance of their industries--GOGOs (industries in growth); YOYOs (industries in turbulence); and DODOs (industries in decline). Several differences emerged between the characteristics of directors and the economic success of their industries for which they were strategically influential.Item Open Access The Management Factor in Acquisition Performance(Cranfield School of Management, 1986-01) Norburn, David; Hall, Peter D.This paper reviews the "state of the art" of both theoretical development and empirical investigation concerning Mergers and Acquisitions. It classifies existing knowledge within three main areas: . pre-acquisition procedures - typologies of selection and decision making processes; . valuation activity - the, letermination of price and methods of payment; . success criteria - what should be measured. The review highlights the paucity of research as to the different effects of managerial behaviour and motivation upon acquisition outcomes, and therefore suggests a number of testable hypotheses in urgent need of investigation.Item Open Access Item Open Access The top management team and corporate performance(1987) Norburn, David