This study presents a cross-temporal comparison of managerial ethics in China and the US. Althoug... more This study presents a cross-temporal comparison of managerial ethics in China and the US. Although it is well established that cross-cultural differences exist in business ethics and that culture and values in a society may evolve over time, little attention has been paid to the longitudinal changes in such cross-cultural differences that might have occurred over time. Building on three different perspectives on values evolution, namely, convergence, divergence, and crossvergence, we investigate whether and how cross-cultural differences in managerial ethical decision-making and the associated moral philosophy have changed in China and the US over the decade between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s. Our analysis reveals that the difference in Chinese and American managers' ethical decision-making evolved in many different directions over the decade, lending support to the crossvergence perspective. Interestingly, however, we discover that the divergence outlook prevails when it c...
Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, 2014
This study on informal support networks bridges the traditionally disparate disciplines of person... more This study on informal support networks bridges the traditionally disparate disciplines of personality theory and social network theory, and examines the impact of extroversion on the structure of support networks, as well as the relative contribution of network structure versus extroversion to a critical element of network effectiveness: trust. Two questionnaires measuring extroversion and social support network characteristics were administered to 113 university business students. Although no impact of extroversion was found on certain dimensions of network structure (e.g., size, diversity, behavioral aspects of strength of ties), introverts and extroverts differed in terms of affective aspects of strength of ties and embeddedness. Furthermore, although we failed to find a significant interaction effect of extroversion and embeddedness on trust, both extroversion and strength of ties predicted trust. In addition, extroverts' networks were characterized by higher levels of intimacy and trust, which may
The conceptualization of immigrant entrepreneurs has recently expanded to consider some of them a... more The conceptualization of immigrant entrepreneurs has recently expanded to consider some of them as a sub-type of self-initiated expatriates that move across national borders to engage in entrepreneurial activities and opportunities. Known as 'expat-preneurs', and in spite of their growing numbers, this segment of the immigrant entrepreneur population has received far less attention than other types of immigrants in the international and diaspora entrepreneurship literature, and even less attention in the self-initiated expatriate field of study. In this article, we seek to address the gap in empirical studies about expat-preneurs as an important, albeit underresearched, segment of the immigrant entrepreneur and self-initiated expatriate diaspora. While we acknowledge that there may be controversy as to how our entrepreneurship lens is accepted in the international entrepreneurship domain, we see particular value in engaging with the ongoing and emerging discussion within JIEN about what international entrepreneurship can be. To advance the study of expat-preneurs from a theoretical standpoint, we demonstrate empirically that aggregating various kinds of self-initiated expatriates without first ensuring that they are demographically comparable (i.e., that there can be different types) can potentially contribute to poor construct clarity and validity about this field of research in general. More importantly, it can diminish the important role of expat-preneurs in particular within the international entrepreneurship domain, for example, by ignoring that their motivation to engage in entrepreneurial activity differs from the majority of necessity-based diaspora entrepreneurs. To illustrate our point, we surveyed self-initiated expatriates in China, Hong Kong and Singapore and compared personal characteristics. We found differences regarding their age, position, time in current job in the host location, time as an expatriate, and time in the host location overall to suggest that not all self-initiated expatriates are the same. While we found no intergroup differences for educational level, gender, or marital status, clear distinctions emerged showing that expat-preneurs are different from company employed self-initiated expatriates. We 2 discuss theoretical implications arising from these findings.
International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 2006
In the context of balancing the dynamic tensions of duality and competing forces of convergence a... more In the context of balancing the dynamic tensions of duality and competing forces of convergence and divergence in global business management, this article examines various important company headquarters ‘upstream’ and local country unit ‘downstream’ processes and activities that must work in sync to build global synergies and effectively implement company strategy. Upstream processes and activities of global performance management considered here include strategic performance management integration and coordination, workforce internal alignment, knowledge management, and organizational learning. Downstream considerations include responsiveness to local conditions, sensitivity to cross cultural differences, establishment of the performance management relationship, and comprehensive training efforts.
Purpose Most studies of expatriates have explored global careers as unfolding within assigned or ... more Purpose Most studies of expatriates have explored global careers as unfolding within assigned or self-initiated expatriation contexts in a predominantly linear fashion. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize that expatriates’ career progression is facilitated by frequent moves between domains, with an increasing overlap among assigned-expatriate (AE) and self-initiated expatriate (SIE) contexts. Design/methodology/approach Underpinned by findings from extant literature, the authors review and integrate studies of expatriation and careers to conceptualize an AE-SIE career continuum. Findings The authors debunk the idea that AEs and SIEs are a type of expatriate per se, but instead is indicative only of their career orientation in terms of where they choose to sit on the AE-SIE career continuum at any point in time. Specifically, individuals pursuing global careers in international labor markets include up to eight types of expatriate who retain varying degrees of AE vs SIE cha...
2011 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2011
This study represents the confluence of two research streams under the organizational change rubr... more This study represents the confluence of two research streams under the organizational change rubric: linear/nonlinear thinking style-that is the notion that people tend to be either linear, nonlinear or balanced thinkers-and innovative intentions and resulting behaviors in organizations. It was hypothesized that a balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style and the inclination towards more innovative intentions and resulting behaviors in organizations are strongly related. The results of an analysis of four French and American business course student populations (n = 73) found a significant relationship in the predicted direction between balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style and innovative intention measures. A second wave of data collection involved six sections of graduate project management classes with a majority of engineering students. The results of the combined sample (n=124) mirrored the first wave results. Balanced thinking style and occupation-free measures of innovative intentions were significantly related. Important implications of the results are discussed for crossfunctional innovative teams and directions for future work.
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2006
PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the nature and influence of entrepreneurs' a... more PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the nature and influence of entrepreneurs' advice networks on the innovative performance of their companies from both economic and social perspectives. Specifically, it aims to address three research questions: Does information typically flow both ways in advice dyads? How important is trust in these relationships? What is the ideal structure of an advice network?Design/methodology/approachAs part of a larger study, executives at 20 entrepreneurial software companies in the Greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, region of the USA were interviewed in person to determine the nature and structure of their advice networks.FindingsThe executives reported sharing business and technical advice with their contacts, both within and outside of their own organizations. Entrepreneurs who maintained diverse, uncommonly connected advice networks led organizations that were perceived as more innovative than those with more densely connected networks....
International Journal of Learning and Development, 2015
This exploratory study examined the nature of convergence versus divergence among perceptions of ... more This exploratory study examined the nature of convergence versus divergence among perceptions of 440 host country national employees in Thailand, Hong Kong, and PRC China related to widely recognized methods for conducting workforce training. Results revealed differences among five resulting major training method factors. In addition, the Hong Kong and PRC samples showed a more similar pattern, suggesting that shared Chinese ethnicity can have a stronger influence on perceptions of effective training practice than the pull toward convergence from globalization and exposure to Western practices. These results discourage assumptions of universal training method applicability and homogeneity among East Asian countries.
The primary purpose of this innovative professional development workshop (PDW) is to promote exce... more The primary purpose of this innovative professional development workshop (PDW) is to promote excellence in teaching by providing participants with ideas for effective and creative educational experiences in college and university classrooms and in the surrounding community environment. The goals of this workshop are threefold. First, this session will provide a forum for academy members to obtain and discuss new and creative ideas to enrich classroom environments, ultimately leading to increased student learning. Second, it will provide participants an opportunity to be involved in an active, experiential, and interesting workshop that is designed to motivate current and future faculty to incorporate innovative learning experiences into their curricula. Finally, it is designed to assist in fostering an increasing awareness of the importance of teaching excellence to the members of Academy. This innovative workshop will offer participants teaching ideas (assignments, activities, and ...
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Intercultural collaboration - ICIC '10, 2010
Abstract This paper broadens the conceptualization of MNC knowledge management to include the imp... more Abstract This paper broadens the conceptualization of MNC knowledge management to include the importance of active involvement in a liaison role by host country nationals (HCNs), particularly those working directly to with expatriates. Based on our field research ...
Should traditional principles that guide the design and management of performance appraisal syste... more Should traditional principles that guide the design and management of performance appraisal systems in Western countries be transferred to other countries such as those of the Pacific Rim? A general management survey on perceptions of national management style was given to 707 managers representing diverse industries from United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Results on eight survey items related to the design of performance appraisal systems revealed significant differences in the management styles of these ...
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2008
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of a balanced or versatile linear a... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of a balanced or versatile linear and nonlinear pattern of thinking style in contributing to effective innovative capability of individuals and their organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe relationship between these individual thinking style dimensions and the development of an innovative corporate culture that encourages linear/nonlinear thinking style balance and versatility, and how their mutual interaction may contribute to successful innovation management within organizations are considered.FindingsThe paper discusses how organizational leaders and other employees through collective development to a balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style can develop a corporate culture that in turn is supportive of organizational innovation.Research limitations/implicationsImplications for future research on organizational innovation are discussed involving composition of organizational executives and work group members relat...
One innovation that forever changed our world was the discovery of the dramatically new strength ... more One innovation that forever changed our world was the discovery of the dramatically new strength of materials obtained from the admixture of carbon and iron-resulting in steel. Both elements alone have their limitations in terms of material strength, but their unique characteristics in combination resulted in tremendous power that enabled the construction of our industrialized and post-industrialized worlds. We believe that in much the same way the useful concepts of talent management (TM) and knowledge management (KM) can be combined to form a powerful conceptual amalgamation contributing to an organization's success in our competitive global marketplace. For want of a more precise and scientific label, we call this combination simply 'smart talent management.' We hope that this book will prompt further examination of the benefits of this combined focus on talent and knowledge management, including the development of useful definitions. But in this early stage we define our concept of smart talent management as the combined use of the distinctly different concepts of knowledge management and talent management to resolve human performance problems and to achieve organizational objectives. Our little play on words refers not to the effective management of only the top performers (i.e., the smart employees), but to the effective/smart integration of knowledge management (i.e., the 'smarts') into the paradigm. Smart talent management means the smart or effective management of all human resources, who embody an organization's knowledge capital and capability in generating, acquiring, storing, transferring, and applying knowledge in support of company goals and objectives (competitive advantage). 'Smart' also corresponds to our emphasis of the strategic role of knowledge management in today's organizations, and particularly within the human resource management (HRM) function. Our further
... She received her PhD in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University. ... ite... more ... She received her PhD in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University. ... item dependent vari-ables contributing to differences between gender and education level, univariate F ... male managers due to their stronger interper-sonal skills and higher adaptability to ...
Journal of Teaching in International Business, 1991
A general survey on perceptions of national management style was given to 452 managers representi... more A general survey on perceptions of national management style was given to 452 managers representing diverse industries from the three Asian countries of Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand. Mean responses on eight of the survey items related to four traditional principles of managing training and adult learning revealed clear differences, suggesting important reservations in the cross-cultural transferability of these wi ely recommended principles.
This empirical study advances entrepreneurial cognition research by examining whether entrepreneu... more This empirical study advances entrepreneurial cognition research by examining whether entrepreneurs possess a high nonlinear (e.g., intuitive, creative, emotional) thinking style, as some studies and a common stereotype of entrepreneurs would suggest, or whether they possess a more versatile balance in both nonlinear and linear (e.g., analytic, rational, logical) thinking styles. As predicted, 39 entrepreneurs demonstrated greater balance in linear and nonlinear thinking styles than their professional actor (n = 33), accountant (n = 31), and frontline manager (n = 77) counterparts, though they did not significantly differ in thinking style balance from senior executives (n = 39). Unexpectedly, educational background was associated with thinking style balance, suggesting that years of formal education may contribute to one's versatility in utilizing both linear and nonlinear thinking styles. For the entrepreneur sample, linear and nonlinear thinking styles balance predicted years in current business after controlling for industry, number of employees, and demographic variables. Implications for future entrepreneurial cognition research and entrepreneurship education are discussed.
This study presents a cross-temporal comparison of managerial ethics in China and the US. Althoug... more This study presents a cross-temporal comparison of managerial ethics in China and the US. Although it is well established that cross-cultural differences exist in business ethics and that culture and values in a society may evolve over time, little attention has been paid to the longitudinal changes in such cross-cultural differences that might have occurred over time. Building on three different perspectives on values evolution, namely, convergence, divergence, and crossvergence, we investigate whether and how cross-cultural differences in managerial ethical decision-making and the associated moral philosophy have changed in China and the US over the decade between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s. Our analysis reveals that the difference in Chinese and American managers' ethical decision-making evolved in many different directions over the decade, lending support to the crossvergence perspective. Interestingly, however, we discover that the divergence outlook prevails when it c...
Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, 2014
This study on informal support networks bridges the traditionally disparate disciplines of person... more This study on informal support networks bridges the traditionally disparate disciplines of personality theory and social network theory, and examines the impact of extroversion on the structure of support networks, as well as the relative contribution of network structure versus extroversion to a critical element of network effectiveness: trust. Two questionnaires measuring extroversion and social support network characteristics were administered to 113 university business students. Although no impact of extroversion was found on certain dimensions of network structure (e.g., size, diversity, behavioral aspects of strength of ties), introverts and extroverts differed in terms of affective aspects of strength of ties and embeddedness. Furthermore, although we failed to find a significant interaction effect of extroversion and embeddedness on trust, both extroversion and strength of ties predicted trust. In addition, extroverts' networks were characterized by higher levels of intimacy and trust, which may
The conceptualization of immigrant entrepreneurs has recently expanded to consider some of them a... more The conceptualization of immigrant entrepreneurs has recently expanded to consider some of them as a sub-type of self-initiated expatriates that move across national borders to engage in entrepreneurial activities and opportunities. Known as 'expat-preneurs', and in spite of their growing numbers, this segment of the immigrant entrepreneur population has received far less attention than other types of immigrants in the international and diaspora entrepreneurship literature, and even less attention in the self-initiated expatriate field of study. In this article, we seek to address the gap in empirical studies about expat-preneurs as an important, albeit underresearched, segment of the immigrant entrepreneur and self-initiated expatriate diaspora. While we acknowledge that there may be controversy as to how our entrepreneurship lens is accepted in the international entrepreneurship domain, we see particular value in engaging with the ongoing and emerging discussion within JIEN about what international entrepreneurship can be. To advance the study of expat-preneurs from a theoretical standpoint, we demonstrate empirically that aggregating various kinds of self-initiated expatriates without first ensuring that they are demographically comparable (i.e., that there can be different types) can potentially contribute to poor construct clarity and validity about this field of research in general. More importantly, it can diminish the important role of expat-preneurs in particular within the international entrepreneurship domain, for example, by ignoring that their motivation to engage in entrepreneurial activity differs from the majority of necessity-based diaspora entrepreneurs. To illustrate our point, we surveyed self-initiated expatriates in China, Hong Kong and Singapore and compared personal characteristics. We found differences regarding their age, position, time in current job in the host location, time as an expatriate, and time in the host location overall to suggest that not all self-initiated expatriates are the same. While we found no intergroup differences for educational level, gender, or marital status, clear distinctions emerged showing that expat-preneurs are different from company employed self-initiated expatriates. We 2 discuss theoretical implications arising from these findings.
International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 2006
In the context of balancing the dynamic tensions of duality and competing forces of convergence a... more In the context of balancing the dynamic tensions of duality and competing forces of convergence and divergence in global business management, this article examines various important company headquarters ‘upstream’ and local country unit ‘downstream’ processes and activities that must work in sync to build global synergies and effectively implement company strategy. Upstream processes and activities of global performance management considered here include strategic performance management integration and coordination, workforce internal alignment, knowledge management, and organizational learning. Downstream considerations include responsiveness to local conditions, sensitivity to cross cultural differences, establishment of the performance management relationship, and comprehensive training efforts.
Purpose Most studies of expatriates have explored global careers as unfolding within assigned or ... more Purpose Most studies of expatriates have explored global careers as unfolding within assigned or self-initiated expatriation contexts in a predominantly linear fashion. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize that expatriates’ career progression is facilitated by frequent moves between domains, with an increasing overlap among assigned-expatriate (AE) and self-initiated expatriate (SIE) contexts. Design/methodology/approach Underpinned by findings from extant literature, the authors review and integrate studies of expatriation and careers to conceptualize an AE-SIE career continuum. Findings The authors debunk the idea that AEs and SIEs are a type of expatriate per se, but instead is indicative only of their career orientation in terms of where they choose to sit on the AE-SIE career continuum at any point in time. Specifically, individuals pursuing global careers in international labor markets include up to eight types of expatriate who retain varying degrees of AE vs SIE cha...
2011 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2011
This study represents the confluence of two research streams under the organizational change rubr... more This study represents the confluence of two research streams under the organizational change rubric: linear/nonlinear thinking style-that is the notion that people tend to be either linear, nonlinear or balanced thinkers-and innovative intentions and resulting behaviors in organizations. It was hypothesized that a balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style and the inclination towards more innovative intentions and resulting behaviors in organizations are strongly related. The results of an analysis of four French and American business course student populations (n = 73) found a significant relationship in the predicted direction between balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style and innovative intention measures. A second wave of data collection involved six sections of graduate project management classes with a majority of engineering students. The results of the combined sample (n=124) mirrored the first wave results. Balanced thinking style and occupation-free measures of innovative intentions were significantly related. Important implications of the results are discussed for crossfunctional innovative teams and directions for future work.
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2006
PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the nature and influence of entrepreneurs' a... more PurposeThe purpose of this article is to examine the nature and influence of entrepreneurs' advice networks on the innovative performance of their companies from both economic and social perspectives. Specifically, it aims to address three research questions: Does information typically flow both ways in advice dyads? How important is trust in these relationships? What is the ideal structure of an advice network?Design/methodology/approachAs part of a larger study, executives at 20 entrepreneurial software companies in the Greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, region of the USA were interviewed in person to determine the nature and structure of their advice networks.FindingsThe executives reported sharing business and technical advice with their contacts, both within and outside of their own organizations. Entrepreneurs who maintained diverse, uncommonly connected advice networks led organizations that were perceived as more innovative than those with more densely connected networks....
International Journal of Learning and Development, 2015
This exploratory study examined the nature of convergence versus divergence among perceptions of ... more This exploratory study examined the nature of convergence versus divergence among perceptions of 440 host country national employees in Thailand, Hong Kong, and PRC China related to widely recognized methods for conducting workforce training. Results revealed differences among five resulting major training method factors. In addition, the Hong Kong and PRC samples showed a more similar pattern, suggesting that shared Chinese ethnicity can have a stronger influence on perceptions of effective training practice than the pull toward convergence from globalization and exposure to Western practices. These results discourage assumptions of universal training method applicability and homogeneity among East Asian countries.
The primary purpose of this innovative professional development workshop (PDW) is to promote exce... more The primary purpose of this innovative professional development workshop (PDW) is to promote excellence in teaching by providing participants with ideas for effective and creative educational experiences in college and university classrooms and in the surrounding community environment. The goals of this workshop are threefold. First, this session will provide a forum for academy members to obtain and discuss new and creative ideas to enrich classroom environments, ultimately leading to increased student learning. Second, it will provide participants an opportunity to be involved in an active, experiential, and interesting workshop that is designed to motivate current and future faculty to incorporate innovative learning experiences into their curricula. Finally, it is designed to assist in fostering an increasing awareness of the importance of teaching excellence to the members of Academy. This innovative workshop will offer participants teaching ideas (assignments, activities, and ...
Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Intercultural collaboration - ICIC '10, 2010
Abstract This paper broadens the conceptualization of MNC knowledge management to include the imp... more Abstract This paper broadens the conceptualization of MNC knowledge management to include the importance of active involvement in a liaison role by host country nationals (HCNs), particularly those working directly to with expatriates. Based on our field research ...
Should traditional principles that guide the design and management of performance appraisal syste... more Should traditional principles that guide the design and management of performance appraisal systems in Western countries be transferred to other countries such as those of the Pacific Rim? A general management survey on perceptions of national management style was given to 707 managers representing diverse industries from United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Results on eight survey items related to the design of performance appraisal systems revealed significant differences in the management styles of these ...
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2008
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of a balanced or versatile linear a... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of a balanced or versatile linear and nonlinear pattern of thinking style in contributing to effective innovative capability of individuals and their organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe relationship between these individual thinking style dimensions and the development of an innovative corporate culture that encourages linear/nonlinear thinking style balance and versatility, and how their mutual interaction may contribute to successful innovation management within organizations are considered.FindingsThe paper discusses how organizational leaders and other employees through collective development to a balanced linear/nonlinear thinking style can develop a corporate culture that in turn is supportive of organizational innovation.Research limitations/implicationsImplications for future research on organizational innovation are discussed involving composition of organizational executives and work group members relat...
One innovation that forever changed our world was the discovery of the dramatically new strength ... more One innovation that forever changed our world was the discovery of the dramatically new strength of materials obtained from the admixture of carbon and iron-resulting in steel. Both elements alone have their limitations in terms of material strength, but their unique characteristics in combination resulted in tremendous power that enabled the construction of our industrialized and post-industrialized worlds. We believe that in much the same way the useful concepts of talent management (TM) and knowledge management (KM) can be combined to form a powerful conceptual amalgamation contributing to an organization's success in our competitive global marketplace. For want of a more precise and scientific label, we call this combination simply 'smart talent management.' We hope that this book will prompt further examination of the benefits of this combined focus on talent and knowledge management, including the development of useful definitions. But in this early stage we define our concept of smart talent management as the combined use of the distinctly different concepts of knowledge management and talent management to resolve human performance problems and to achieve organizational objectives. Our little play on words refers not to the effective management of only the top performers (i.e., the smart employees), but to the effective/smart integration of knowledge management (i.e., the 'smarts') into the paradigm. Smart talent management means the smart or effective management of all human resources, who embody an organization's knowledge capital and capability in generating, acquiring, storing, transferring, and applying knowledge in support of company goals and objectives (competitive advantage). 'Smart' also corresponds to our emphasis of the strategic role of knowledge management in today's organizations, and particularly within the human resource management (HRM) function. Our further
... She received her PhD in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University. ... ite... more ... She received her PhD in organizational behavior from Case Western Reserve University. ... item dependent vari-ables contributing to differences between gender and education level, univariate F ... male managers due to their stronger interper-sonal skills and higher adaptability to ...
Journal of Teaching in International Business, 1991
A general survey on perceptions of national management style was given to 452 managers representi... more A general survey on perceptions of national management style was given to 452 managers representing diverse industries from the three Asian countries of Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand. Mean responses on eight of the survey items related to four traditional principles of managing training and adult learning revealed clear differences, suggesting important reservations in the cross-cultural transferability of these wi ely recommended principles.
This empirical study advances entrepreneurial cognition research by examining whether entrepreneu... more This empirical study advances entrepreneurial cognition research by examining whether entrepreneurs possess a high nonlinear (e.g., intuitive, creative, emotional) thinking style, as some studies and a common stereotype of entrepreneurs would suggest, or whether they possess a more versatile balance in both nonlinear and linear (e.g., analytic, rational, logical) thinking styles. As predicted, 39 entrepreneurs demonstrated greater balance in linear and nonlinear thinking styles than their professional actor (n = 33), accountant (n = 31), and frontline manager (n = 77) counterparts, though they did not significantly differ in thinking style balance from senior executives (n = 39). Unexpectedly, educational background was associated with thinking style balance, suggesting that years of formal education may contribute to one's versatility in utilizing both linear and nonlinear thinking styles. For the entrepreneur sample, linear and nonlinear thinking styles balance predicted years in current business after controlling for industry, number of employees, and demographic variables. Implications for future entrepreneurial cognition research and entrepreneurship education are discussed.
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Papers by Charles Vance