Reynold James | Zayed University (original) (raw)
Papers by Reynold James
While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by ... more While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by B-Schools has provenly been worthless for over four decades, what's surprising is that there seems to be no end in sight to this predicament, attributed mostly to 'physics envy' and the bureaucratization of B-School research. This article enriches this debate by foregrounding the aspects of herding and autopoiesis that have been rather underplayed in the literature concerning the mostly worthless B-School research.
This qualitative research case study seeks to explore the reasons underpinning the relatively gre... more This qualitative research case study seeks to explore the reasons underpinning the relatively greater success that Indian origin ethnic entrepreneurs in the UAE have been enjoying for sustained periods-and across diverse industries-relative to their counterparts belonging to several other nations. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative research case study that draws from data gathered through 30 interviews of participants identified through expert sampling. Findings: Whereas the UAE treats all its ethnic entrepreneurs (EE's) alike and provides them with a level platform to operate from, the EE's from India have consistently been outperforming those from all other nations, particularly within the context of the UAE's large businesses spanning diverse industries. Three features seem to explain their success: their high tolerance for ambiguity; thriftiness; and intercultural competence. Originality: While on the one hand the UAE and the wider GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region have been witnessing frenetic ethnic entrepreneurial activity in the past decade, the research literature on the regions' ethnic entrepreneurship is extremely patchy. This case study serves to significantly bridge this gap, and is the first work (to our knowledge), that extensively explores the entrepreneurial trajectory of Indian EE's in the UAE, and the factors driving their success. Research limitations: Two key limitations were faced: first, the negligible research literature on ethnic entrepreneurship in the UAE, and related official statistics such as details (by ethnicity/nationality) of EE owned businesses, and second, the industry-wise break down of such businesses and their performance, as available in other developed nations hosting EE's. Resultantly, alternate sources of data have been utilised to complete this research. Practical implications: Given the UAE's national level institutionalised efforts to promote entrepreneurships amongst its citizens and wider populace, there are many implications that this study holds for existing and future entrepreneurs.
Annals of Reviews and Research, 2023
While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by ... more While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by B-Schools has provenly been worthless for over four decades, what's surprising is that there seems to be no end in sight to this predicament, attributed mostly to 'physics envy' and the bureaucratization of B-School research. This article enriches this debate by foregrounding the aspects of herding and autopoiesis that have been rather underplayed in the literature concerning the mostly worthless B-School research.
International Journal of Business Administration
The past half a century has witnessed a universal and publicly acknowledged bankruptcy of strong ... more The past half a century has witnessed a universal and publicly acknowledged bankruptcy of strong ethical and moral leadership within corporations and nations alike, aptly summed up by President Obama in 2009, as: “the attitude that’s prevailed from Washington to Wall Street to Detroit for too long; an attitude that valued wealth over work, selfishness over sacrifice, and greed over responsibility”. Given the deteriorating state of ethical and humane leadership within much of the current crop of leaders of industry and governments, there are a few valuable lessons to be learned from the life and work of Sheikh Zayed, the monarch of the UAE until recently. Most important perhaps, were his traits of selflessness, sharing, consensus building and striving untiringly to uplift those under his care, eventuating in the transformation of the UAE under his watch, from a state of impoverishment to one of prosperity. There is little difference between modern day CEO’s, monarchs and nations’ lea...
Education + Training, 2014
Purpose– Using the case of a cross-cultural setting, the purpose of this paper is to compare perc... more Purpose– Using the case of a cross-cultural setting, the purpose of this paper is to compare perceptions of students towards face-to-face learning and blended learning. A social constructivist perspective is used which implies that cultural data are in fact social constructs made on the basis of the participants’ own cultural thought patterns and the concepts and categories to which they are socialised within learning organisations. This paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Perceptual evidence forms the primary qualitative and quantitative data for this study. The paper uses social constructivist approach with empirical data in developing the notion that cross-cultural management is a process whereby people, through social interactions, acquire participative competence for working in cross-cultural settings.Findings– Perceptual data emerging from this study point out that considering the learning objectives of a cross-cultural context are paramount when en...
This paper uses a case study of Toyota to analyse the transfer and hybridisation of lean producti... more This paper uses a case study of Toyota to analyse the transfer and hybridisation of lean production in a major motor vehicle manufacturing company located in India. Particular emphasis is placed on the dynamics of readjustment in relation to HRM practices. Using primary and secondary data in the form of interviews and company documentation, the paper traces the transplantation trajectory of the company over the ten year period between 1999 and 2009. Findings reveal that due to a range of contradictions in the initial configuration of the transplant the company undertook a sequential range of readjustment measures involving four strategies: localisation, imitation, hybridisation, and customisation. Several propositions are advanced with the aim of hypothesising which strategies are more likely to be successful in certain contextual situations.
Intercultural competency (ICC) has been an extensively researched area within the past decade, gi... more Intercultural competency (ICC) has been an extensively researched area within the past decade, given the broad consensus that this trait constitutes one of the key competencies of the 21st century manager. However, somewhat under-explored are aspects including the implications and effects that pedagogies such as blended learning have on the inculcation of ICC traits, specifically within the context of multicultural, multi-ethnic university level student groups in Australia, within which this research has been conducted. Drawing on social psychology, this exploratory study examines perceptual data on blended learning experiences within a cross-cultural higher education setting. Results suggest that intercultural competency is best learned through social exchanges, such as faceto-face rather than blended learning. Our findings provide support for the importance of context, which is significantly related to cross-cultural studies and curriculum development and design.
Entrepreneurship & the Social Sciences eJournal, 2016
Whilst the entrepreneurial play-field of the oil rich G.C.C [Gulf Cooperation Council] region has... more Whilst the entrepreneurial play-field of the oil rich G.C.C [Gulf Cooperation Council] region has several successful ethnic entrepreneurial (EE) ventures, and the extant literature on general entrepreneurship within this region is quite dense, the topic of what factors underscore the success of EE businesses has received scant attention. Our study attempts to fill this gap, and adds to the literature in this area, by attempting to isolate the factors contributing to the success of EE ventures in the GCC region. The proposed study uses qualitative methods, and shall adopt a grounded theory methodology. The results will provide potential as well as existing EE’s considering entrepreneurial activity in the GCC, with a few clear indicators of what critical success factors determine the chances of their undertakings succeeding in the region. These indicators shall hold implications for policy makers too.
This study argues that the success of international transference of Japanese lean manufacturing p... more This study argues that the success of international transference of Japanese lean manufacturing practices in general, and the Toyota Production System (TPS) in particular, is in varying degrees contingent upon the socio-cultural, historical, and environmental context of the host nations into which such transfer occurs. It contends that TPS is not simply a set of concepts, techniques, and methods that can be implemented by command and control. The specific cultural and environmental factors within Japan were central to the conceptualization, acceptance, and development of TPS in that country. In the course of transplantation of TPS practices from Japan into overseas affiliates, either an absence of due consideration, or disregard for a host nation’s unique socio-cultural and environmental factors (and the compatibility of these factors with the specific needs of TPS) could lead to unproductive organizational outcomes for the parent company. This theme is explored through an analysis ...
I wish to sincerely thank the following people who made it possible for me to complete my doctora... more I wish to sincerely thank the following people who made it possible for me to complete my doctoral study. Professor Bob Jones, my supervisor, for sharing with me his vast repertoire of research skills, knowledge, and experience, for his patience and maturity, for allowing me the freedom to manoeuvre, and whose just-in-time and on-the-job approach to guidance suited me well as an organisational person transitioning into academia. Being Bob's student has been a privilege. Dr Samir Shrivastava, for introducing me to academia, refining my perspective, immensely reducing my learning curve, constant intellectual and moral support, and for 'being there'. Dr James Latham, my associate supervisor, for his encouragement and varied inputs especially during field trips. Hayley, Natasha, and Peter, my family, for their many silent sacrifices and support all through The Coopers, for their unfailing backup when most needed Above all I owe this thesis to my parents who provided me with the platform that everything else rests on and for the value they attached to education.
International Journal of Educational Management
PurposeGroup work (GW) as a collaborative learning method for university students is a much-resea... more PurposeGroup work (GW) as a collaborative learning method for university students is a much-researched topic in the literature. However, a fairly neglected area is that of students' perceptions of the same. This study purports to bridge this gap in the extant literature via identifying the determinants of these perceptions.Design/methodology/approachUsing primary data gathered from a sample of 443 university students, the study applies the structural equation modeling (SEM) to estimate the impact of both personal traits and past experiences on the students' perceptions.FindingsThe SEM results reveal that students' perceptions of GW are determined by their relevant past experiences not by their personalities. This position is contradictory to other relevant studies undertaken thus far.Practical implicationsAccordingly, the study stresses the need for educators to create positive group experiences among students and to convert their past negative experiences into positive ...
Journal of Asia Business Studies
Purpose Given a specific job, this paper aims to examine if the tasks change when moving from one... more Purpose Given a specific job, this paper aims to examine if the tasks change when moving from one country to another, and if so, whether such changes are at least partly a function of environmental factors. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach (surveys and interviews) with professional-level expatriates based in the UAE. Findings The results indicated that the “same” job often required different tasks depending on the country. Given a matching job between home and host countries, 66 per cent of respondents indicated that the job was different and on average, 20 per cent of the job was perceived to be different. Environmental forces did account for meaningful task differences. Legal and regulatory forces were a particularly important driver of task differences. Practical implications It is important to consider potential task differences in connection with expatriate assignments. Attending to task differences can have a positive impact on staffing, development and mana...
The International Journal of Human Resource Management
Journal of Islamic Marketing
The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2013
ABSTRACT This paper argues that the successful international transference of Japanese lean manufa... more ABSTRACT This paper argues that the successful international transference of Japanese lean manufacturing practices in general, and the Toyota Way and Toyota Production System (TPS) in particular, is in varying degrees contingent upon the sociocultural, historical and environmental context of the host nations into which such transfer occurs. This has significant implications for human resource management policies and practices. The paper contends that lean manufacturing is not simply a set of concepts, techniques and methods that can be implemented by command and control. In the course of transferring lean practices from Japan into overseas affiliates, either an absence of due consideration or disregard for a host nation's unique sociocultural and environmental factors could lead to unproductive organisational outcomes for the parent company. This viewpoint is examined through a case study analysis of the Indian affiliate of the Japanese automobile industry giant Toyota Motor Corporation, namely Toyota Kirloskar Motors, located at Bidadi, near Bangalore, India.
In tandem with Vietnam's growing economic activity in recent years is the observable trend of Vie... more In tandem with Vietnam's growing economic activity in recent years is the observable trend of Vietnamese firms across various sectors increasingly adopting Japanese lean management principles and practices. Evidencing this is the ever increasing extent of lean related activity in the form of lean management and production workshops, seminars, and training and consulting activity across the nation, with the year 2013-christened by some-as the 'year of the lean concepts'. Whilst lean has its advantages, and with a coterie of scholars advocating that lean is an epoch making model, transferable like a technical object from any one geographic location into another and is devoid of context, there are others who advocate that the efficacy of lean-when transplanted outside of Japan-is contingent upon several contextual factors within the host nation. The extant literature on lean and on institutional transplantation reveals several cases wherein attempts to transplant the lean model into non-Japanese socio-cultural climes have resulted in outcomes ranging from minimal success to failure. This paper highlights a few contextual aspects that merit consideration by Vietnamese industries adopting lean practices, and in so doing, purports to tone down any unrealistic perceptions that managers and industrialists may harbor, about lean being a silver bullet that can overnight transform their firms into star performers.
While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by ... more While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by B-Schools has provenly been worthless for over four decades, what's surprising is that there seems to be no end in sight to this predicament, attributed mostly to 'physics envy' and the bureaucratization of B-School research. This article enriches this debate by foregrounding the aspects of herding and autopoiesis that have been rather underplayed in the literature concerning the mostly worthless B-School research.
This qualitative research case study seeks to explore the reasons underpinning the relatively gre... more This qualitative research case study seeks to explore the reasons underpinning the relatively greater success that Indian origin ethnic entrepreneurs in the UAE have been enjoying for sustained periods-and across diverse industries-relative to their counterparts belonging to several other nations. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative research case study that draws from data gathered through 30 interviews of participants identified through expert sampling. Findings: Whereas the UAE treats all its ethnic entrepreneurs (EE's) alike and provides them with a level platform to operate from, the EE's from India have consistently been outperforming those from all other nations, particularly within the context of the UAE's large businesses spanning diverse industries. Three features seem to explain their success: their high tolerance for ambiguity; thriftiness; and intercultural competence. Originality: While on the one hand the UAE and the wider GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) region have been witnessing frenetic ethnic entrepreneurial activity in the past decade, the research literature on the regions' ethnic entrepreneurship is extremely patchy. This case study serves to significantly bridge this gap, and is the first work (to our knowledge), that extensively explores the entrepreneurial trajectory of Indian EE's in the UAE, and the factors driving their success. Research limitations: Two key limitations were faced: first, the negligible research literature on ethnic entrepreneurship in the UAE, and related official statistics such as details (by ethnicity/nationality) of EE owned businesses, and second, the industry-wise break down of such businesses and their performance, as available in other developed nations hosting EE's. Resultantly, alternate sources of data have been utilised to complete this research. Practical implications: Given the UAE's national level institutionalised efforts to promote entrepreneurships amongst its citizens and wider populace, there are many implications that this study holds for existing and future entrepreneurs.
Annals of Reviews and Research, 2023
While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by ... more While the academic literature reveals that significant parts of management research generated by B-Schools has provenly been worthless for over four decades, what's surprising is that there seems to be no end in sight to this predicament, attributed mostly to 'physics envy' and the bureaucratization of B-School research. This article enriches this debate by foregrounding the aspects of herding and autopoiesis that have been rather underplayed in the literature concerning the mostly worthless B-School research.
International Journal of Business Administration
The past half a century has witnessed a universal and publicly acknowledged bankruptcy of strong ... more The past half a century has witnessed a universal and publicly acknowledged bankruptcy of strong ethical and moral leadership within corporations and nations alike, aptly summed up by President Obama in 2009, as: “the attitude that’s prevailed from Washington to Wall Street to Detroit for too long; an attitude that valued wealth over work, selfishness over sacrifice, and greed over responsibility”. Given the deteriorating state of ethical and humane leadership within much of the current crop of leaders of industry and governments, there are a few valuable lessons to be learned from the life and work of Sheikh Zayed, the monarch of the UAE until recently. Most important perhaps, were his traits of selflessness, sharing, consensus building and striving untiringly to uplift those under his care, eventuating in the transformation of the UAE under his watch, from a state of impoverishment to one of prosperity. There is little difference between modern day CEO’s, monarchs and nations’ lea...
Education + Training, 2014
Purpose– Using the case of a cross-cultural setting, the purpose of this paper is to compare perc... more Purpose– Using the case of a cross-cultural setting, the purpose of this paper is to compare perceptions of students towards face-to-face learning and blended learning. A social constructivist perspective is used which implies that cultural data are in fact social constructs made on the basis of the participants’ own cultural thought patterns and the concepts and categories to which they are socialised within learning organisations. This paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Perceptual evidence forms the primary qualitative and quantitative data for this study. The paper uses social constructivist approach with empirical data in developing the notion that cross-cultural management is a process whereby people, through social interactions, acquire participative competence for working in cross-cultural settings.Findings– Perceptual data emerging from this study point out that considering the learning objectives of a cross-cultural context are paramount when en...
This paper uses a case study of Toyota to analyse the transfer and hybridisation of lean producti... more This paper uses a case study of Toyota to analyse the transfer and hybridisation of lean production in a major motor vehicle manufacturing company located in India. Particular emphasis is placed on the dynamics of readjustment in relation to HRM practices. Using primary and secondary data in the form of interviews and company documentation, the paper traces the transplantation trajectory of the company over the ten year period between 1999 and 2009. Findings reveal that due to a range of contradictions in the initial configuration of the transplant the company undertook a sequential range of readjustment measures involving four strategies: localisation, imitation, hybridisation, and customisation. Several propositions are advanced with the aim of hypothesising which strategies are more likely to be successful in certain contextual situations.
Intercultural competency (ICC) has been an extensively researched area within the past decade, gi... more Intercultural competency (ICC) has been an extensively researched area within the past decade, given the broad consensus that this trait constitutes one of the key competencies of the 21st century manager. However, somewhat under-explored are aspects including the implications and effects that pedagogies such as blended learning have on the inculcation of ICC traits, specifically within the context of multicultural, multi-ethnic university level student groups in Australia, within which this research has been conducted. Drawing on social psychology, this exploratory study examines perceptual data on blended learning experiences within a cross-cultural higher education setting. Results suggest that intercultural competency is best learned through social exchanges, such as faceto-face rather than blended learning. Our findings provide support for the importance of context, which is significantly related to cross-cultural studies and curriculum development and design.
Entrepreneurship & the Social Sciences eJournal, 2016
Whilst the entrepreneurial play-field of the oil rich G.C.C [Gulf Cooperation Council] region has... more Whilst the entrepreneurial play-field of the oil rich G.C.C [Gulf Cooperation Council] region has several successful ethnic entrepreneurial (EE) ventures, and the extant literature on general entrepreneurship within this region is quite dense, the topic of what factors underscore the success of EE businesses has received scant attention. Our study attempts to fill this gap, and adds to the literature in this area, by attempting to isolate the factors contributing to the success of EE ventures in the GCC region. The proposed study uses qualitative methods, and shall adopt a grounded theory methodology. The results will provide potential as well as existing EE’s considering entrepreneurial activity in the GCC, with a few clear indicators of what critical success factors determine the chances of their undertakings succeeding in the region. These indicators shall hold implications for policy makers too.
This study argues that the success of international transference of Japanese lean manufacturing p... more This study argues that the success of international transference of Japanese lean manufacturing practices in general, and the Toyota Production System (TPS) in particular, is in varying degrees contingent upon the socio-cultural, historical, and environmental context of the host nations into which such transfer occurs. It contends that TPS is not simply a set of concepts, techniques, and methods that can be implemented by command and control. The specific cultural and environmental factors within Japan were central to the conceptualization, acceptance, and development of TPS in that country. In the course of transplantation of TPS practices from Japan into overseas affiliates, either an absence of due consideration, or disregard for a host nation’s unique socio-cultural and environmental factors (and the compatibility of these factors with the specific needs of TPS) could lead to unproductive organizational outcomes for the parent company. This theme is explored through an analysis ...
I wish to sincerely thank the following people who made it possible for me to complete my doctora... more I wish to sincerely thank the following people who made it possible for me to complete my doctoral study. Professor Bob Jones, my supervisor, for sharing with me his vast repertoire of research skills, knowledge, and experience, for his patience and maturity, for allowing me the freedom to manoeuvre, and whose just-in-time and on-the-job approach to guidance suited me well as an organisational person transitioning into academia. Being Bob's student has been a privilege. Dr Samir Shrivastava, for introducing me to academia, refining my perspective, immensely reducing my learning curve, constant intellectual and moral support, and for 'being there'. Dr James Latham, my associate supervisor, for his encouragement and varied inputs especially during field trips. Hayley, Natasha, and Peter, my family, for their many silent sacrifices and support all through The Coopers, for their unfailing backup when most needed Above all I owe this thesis to my parents who provided me with the platform that everything else rests on and for the value they attached to education.
International Journal of Educational Management
PurposeGroup work (GW) as a collaborative learning method for university students is a much-resea... more PurposeGroup work (GW) as a collaborative learning method for university students is a much-researched topic in the literature. However, a fairly neglected area is that of students' perceptions of the same. This study purports to bridge this gap in the extant literature via identifying the determinants of these perceptions.Design/methodology/approachUsing primary data gathered from a sample of 443 university students, the study applies the structural equation modeling (SEM) to estimate the impact of both personal traits and past experiences on the students' perceptions.FindingsThe SEM results reveal that students' perceptions of GW are determined by their relevant past experiences not by their personalities. This position is contradictory to other relevant studies undertaken thus far.Practical implicationsAccordingly, the study stresses the need for educators to create positive group experiences among students and to convert their past negative experiences into positive ...
Journal of Asia Business Studies
Purpose Given a specific job, this paper aims to examine if the tasks change when moving from one... more Purpose Given a specific job, this paper aims to examine if the tasks change when moving from one country to another, and if so, whether such changes are at least partly a function of environmental factors. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach (surveys and interviews) with professional-level expatriates based in the UAE. Findings The results indicated that the “same” job often required different tasks depending on the country. Given a matching job between home and host countries, 66 per cent of respondents indicated that the job was different and on average, 20 per cent of the job was perceived to be different. Environmental forces did account for meaningful task differences. Legal and regulatory forces were a particularly important driver of task differences. Practical implications It is important to consider potential task differences in connection with expatriate assignments. Attending to task differences can have a positive impact on staffing, development and mana...
The International Journal of Human Resource Management
Journal of Islamic Marketing
The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2013
ABSTRACT This paper argues that the successful international transference of Japanese lean manufa... more ABSTRACT This paper argues that the successful international transference of Japanese lean manufacturing practices in general, and the Toyota Way and Toyota Production System (TPS) in particular, is in varying degrees contingent upon the sociocultural, historical and environmental context of the host nations into which such transfer occurs. This has significant implications for human resource management policies and practices. The paper contends that lean manufacturing is not simply a set of concepts, techniques and methods that can be implemented by command and control. In the course of transferring lean practices from Japan into overseas affiliates, either an absence of due consideration or disregard for a host nation's unique sociocultural and environmental factors could lead to unproductive organisational outcomes for the parent company. This viewpoint is examined through a case study analysis of the Indian affiliate of the Japanese automobile industry giant Toyota Motor Corporation, namely Toyota Kirloskar Motors, located at Bidadi, near Bangalore, India.
In tandem with Vietnam's growing economic activity in recent years is the observable trend of Vie... more In tandem with Vietnam's growing economic activity in recent years is the observable trend of Vietnamese firms across various sectors increasingly adopting Japanese lean management principles and practices. Evidencing this is the ever increasing extent of lean related activity in the form of lean management and production workshops, seminars, and training and consulting activity across the nation, with the year 2013-christened by some-as the 'year of the lean concepts'. Whilst lean has its advantages, and with a coterie of scholars advocating that lean is an epoch making model, transferable like a technical object from any one geographic location into another and is devoid of context, there are others who advocate that the efficacy of lean-when transplanted outside of Japan-is contingent upon several contextual factors within the host nation. The extant literature on lean and on institutional transplantation reveals several cases wherein attempts to transplant the lean model into non-Japanese socio-cultural climes have resulted in outcomes ranging from minimal success to failure. This paper highlights a few contextual aspects that merit consideration by Vietnamese industries adopting lean practices, and in so doing, purports to tone down any unrealistic perceptions that managers and industrialists may harbor, about lean being a silver bullet that can overnight transform their firms into star performers.