http://hdl.handle.net/10149/56655 Sat, 18 May 2013 18:49:47 GMT 2013-05-18T18:49:47Z http://hdl.handle.net/10149/251433 Title: Ethics of the good: an Aristotelian-Thomistic approach to corporate governance and ethical decision-making Authors: Arjoon, S. (Surendra) Abstract: This integrating essay is based on an Aristotelian-Thomism in exploring ethical decisionmaking and corporate governance mechanisms to address issues of corporate deviant behaviour, and ultimately, human flourishing. Eight (8) peer-reviewed journal articles analyse the causes of moral failings of corporate governance and ethical decision-making mechanisms, and propose to address these ethical deficits: (1) Virtue Theory as a Dynamic Theory of Business proposes a meta-theory of business that links the concepts of virtues, the common good, and the dynamic economy, (2) A Communitarian Model of Business: A Natural Law Perspective offers a communitarian view of business in defining the business organisation as one that incorporates its social purpose that acknowledges the primacy of people over profits, (3) Corporate Governance: An Ethical Perspective makes the distinction between ethical and legal compliance approaches to corporate governance in arguing the necessity and importance of the former approach as a basis for an effective legal compliance culture, (4) Striking a Balance between Rules and Principles-Based Approaches for Effective Governance: A Risks-Based Approach highlights the drawbacks of an excessively heavy reliance on rules-based approaches to corporate governance, (5) Ethical Decision-Making: A Case for the Triple Font Theory offers a comprehensive, systematic, practical approach to ethical decisionmaking that attempts to integrate virtue ethics into act-oriented normative ethical theories, (6) Reconciling Situational Social Psychology with Virtue Ethics attempts to reconcile the virtue ethicssituational social psychology debate, (7) Slippery when Wet: The Real Risk in Business identifies factors that contribute to corporate deviant behaviour from both an individual and organisational perspectives, and (8) An Aristotelian-Thomistic Approach to Management Practice argues that an Aristotelian-Thomistic humanism better promotes human dignity as it corrects the dysfunctional aspects and ethical deficits than its utilitarian naturalistic humanism counterpart. The failure to integrate an Aristotelian-Thomistic understanding of the virtues and natural law ethical principles of subsidiarity, solidarity, human dignity, and the common good into business practice threatens the stability and survival of the firm since they are required to correct the dysfunctional aspects and ethical deficits of certain aspects of market behaviour. Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10149/251433 2012-10-19T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10149/237391 Title: Tasks and characteristics of end users during the open innovation processes on the social web Authors: Plum, A. B. (Alexander) Abstract: The present thesis aims to deduce tasks and characteristics of end users during the open innovation process on the social web. The social web with its communities, forums and blogs affords new prospects as well as unknown challenges for companies, and at the same has increasingly influenced academic research during the last few years. Especially research regarding communication behaviour on the social web as well as social web technologies has currently progressed well. However, in innovation research, social web technologies are currently primarily used to integrate users into the company’s innovation process, for example through company user toolkits or company innovation communities. In those cases users were excluded from their normal social web environment and integrated into a company’s environment, a sort of laboratory environment. Despite this, the present research project will use the natural behaviour, comments and discussions of users within their social web environment to develop and apply a new mixed-method approach with the aim to deduce tasks and characteristics of innovative end users on the social web. To apply the mixed-method approach within a longitudinal case study and to deduce statements and regularities regarding the innovation process on the social web, it was possible to analyse the end user developer online forum of one of the leading open source CRM software technologies. Based on this analysis, the assumptions from an extensive literature analysis could be verified and extended: it could be shown that the expected single innovative user does not exist. In fact, the process from the initial idea to an innovation requires different users with different characteristics and different points of view. They will be deduced, explained and presented within the present thesis. Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10149/237391 2012-03-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10149/182001 Title: Social Marketing Strategies for Combating HIV/AIDS in Rural and/or Disadvantaged Communities in Mexico, Uganda, and the United States Authors: Massingill, R. E. (Ruth) Abstract: With more than 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, and an infection rate that is increasing rather than falling among high-risk groups, the 30-year history of the AIDS epidemic has been characterised as ‘islands of success in a sea of failure.’ Given the lack of a medical cure for the disease, the world has looked to social marketing campaigns to promote behaviour change that would decrease infection rates. Under the best of circumstances, change is difficult, and health behaviour change, especially when it relates to sex and politics, is even more challenging, so social marketers have a difficult task that calls on every technique at their disposal. There is an increasing expectation that HIV/AIDS social marketing interventions will yield measurable results, and that involves fully understanding the AIDS landscape, marketing theory and practice, and the evolving medical picture relating to the pandemic. This research explores links between social marketing and HIV/AIDS while mapping their marketing connections to both the conventional and alternative medical communities. To better understand the HIV/AIDS landscape, early research focused on three diverse countries— Mexico, Uganda, and the United States—selected for their significant cultural, economic, and political differences. Given the multiple social perspectives and fields of knowledge involved in this project, a transdisciplinary approach using mixed research methods was selected. Mixed methods for collecting and presenting data included case studies, content analysis, semistructured interviews, a quantitative survey, and in-depth reaction interviews. Through analysis of 18 social marketing campaigns in the three countries selected for study, the content, focus, purpose, and implications of the controlled public dissemination of HIV/AIDS information were examined. Key informants with professional and academic credentials in the areas of marketing, advocacy, and HIV/AIDS medicine were interviewed to learn rationales behind the campaigns and to explore political and economic factors that affect HIV/AIDS health activism. The last major phase of information gathering surveyed more than 340 patients at a clinic in Houston, Texas, to ascertain their knowledge and perceptions about HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention information. After the survey data was compiled, reaction interviews from key informants provided additional input. Informed by this wealth of secondary and primary research, an Integrated Social Marketing Conversation (Marcon) Model was created to demonstrate that social marketing campaigns should be localised and customer centred, with participants engaging in an ongoing conversation at every stage. The communication model offers valuable guidelines for more effective dissemination of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment information to high-risk, high-interest target audiences such as HIV-positive people and the organisations that work with that subculture. Because this research crosses so many boundaries and addresses an actual need, it should be of interest to a wide variety of individuals and organisations in both academic and professional fields. From marketers to medical practitioners to activists associated with HIV/AIDS issues, this project’s findings will apply to their concerns. Also, HIV/AIDS organisations — both government agencies as well as private groups — should find information in this work that addresses their ongoing efforts. While investigating existing models for HIV/AIDS communication, it became evident that most research and communication models have focused on how HIV/AIDS prevention programmes are working and what is effective, but little has been done in regards to treatment options and information. For that reason, the integrated social marcon model presented in this thesis is an important addition to the body of practical literature on this topic. Finally, the volatility of the issues examined here and the contacts made during five years of work offer multiple possibilities for follow-up research and fieldwork with opportunities to make a positive contribution in the battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10149/182001 2011-04-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10149/112660 Title: Is talent management just old wine in new bottles?: the case of multinational corporations in Beijing Authors: Chuai, X. (Xin) Abstract: Talent Management (TM), as a new managerial concept with regard to Human Resource Management (HRM), has increasingly gained concern and attention from the academic as well as business world, but there are many gaps and omissions left for further theoretical development and empirical study. Hence, understanding the differences between TM and HRM becomes necessary. Given an absence of clarity in the literature, the aim of the present study is to gain a thorough understanding of TM among Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in Beijing, to explore to what extent this managerial idea represents anything new, and to find out why organisations adopt TM. A case study method was selected as the main research methodology. The study was undertaken in Beijing, and the target companies were limited to four MNCs, respectively from the IT (two organisations), health care and education industries, and three consultancy companies. The theoretical perspective largely draws upon the literature on TM, management fashion and institutional theory. Findings show that the topic of TM has been enthusiastically pursued. However, there is not a single concise definition shared by all the case study organisations, even though different strands of understanding regarding TM are explored in this study. The thesis has also explored what is distinctive about TM, and the factors and purposes influencing the adoption of TM in China. Through comparing HRM with literature and empirical findings relating to TM, this thesis has found that TM seems to presage some new approaches to the management of the people resource in organisations, rather than a simple repackaging of old techniques and ideas with a new label. Meanwhile, this thesis strongly challenges the idea that TM is another struggle by HR professionals to enhance their legitimacy, status and credibility. Therefore, TM should not be considered as ‘old wine in new bottles’, at least with respect to the case of MNCs in China. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10149/112660 2008-12-01T00:00:00Z