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Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered

Research output: Working paper

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Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered. / Ferdinand, J; Simm, D.
Lancaster University: The Department of Management Learning and Leadership, 2006. (Management Learning and Leadership Working Paper Series).

Research output: Working paper

Harvard

Ferdinand, J & Simm, D 2006 'Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered' Management Learning and Leadership Working Paper Series, The Department of Management Learning and Leadership, Lancaster University.

APA

Ferdinand, J., & Simm, D. (2006). Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered. (Management Learning and Leadership Working Paper Series). The Department of Management Learning and Leadership.

Vancouver

Ferdinand J, Simm D. Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered. Lancaster University: The Department of Management Learning and Leadership. 2006. (Management Learning and Leadership Working Paper Series).

Author

Ferdinand, J ; Simm, D. / Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered. Lancaster University : The Department of Management Learning and Leadership, 2006. (Management Learning and Leadership Working Paper Series).

Bibtex

@techreport{30de6763ec164d01a2086a0704972e30,
title = "Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered",
abstract = "This paper focuses upon the notion of the 'promising practice' which has recently been advanced as a potential resolution to the problem of the perceived gap in UK competitiveness. The promising practices in which such great faith is being stored include those of: TQM, JIT, BPR, quality certification schemes and lean manufacturing. Whilst accepting the underlying principles, the need for organization to engage in the acquisition, absorption and exploitation of knowledge, we proceed to problematise the current conceptualisation of promising practices by reference to the example of TQM. Resultantly, we argue that organizations that attempt to follow the advice based upon such a conceptualisation are likely to face difficulties. These include the scale of intervention, the temporal and financial costs involved, and the reliance upon codified knowledge. However, a final concern is perhaps the most demoralising of all. The notion of adopting TQM, or any other generic management philosophy as a promising practice, is incongruent with contemporary understandings of competitive advantage which hold that such advantage is gained via inimitability. Thus, we argue that it is unlikely for truly promising practices to be willingly shared and hence, we advance an alternative conceptualisation of a promising practice, that of Strategic Social Engineering, in an attempt to avoid the aforementioned obstacles.",
author = "J Ferdinand and D Simm",
year = "2006",
language = "English",
series = "Management Learning and Leadership Working Paper Series",
publisher = "The Department of Management Learning and Leadership",
type = "WorkingPaper",
institution = "The Department of Management Learning and Leadership",

}

RIS

TY - UNPB

T1 - Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered

AU - Ferdinand, J

AU - Simm, D

PY - 2006

Y1 - 2006

N2 - This paper focuses upon the notion of the 'promising practice' which has recently been advanced as a potential resolution to the problem of the perceived gap in UK competitiveness. The promising practices in which such great faith is being stored include those of: TQM, JIT, BPR, quality certification schemes and lean manufacturing. Whilst accepting the underlying principles, the need for organization to engage in the acquisition, absorption and exploitation of knowledge, we proceed to problematise the current conceptualisation of promising practices by reference to the example of TQM. Resultantly, we argue that organizations that attempt to follow the advice based upon such a conceptualisation are likely to face difficulties. These include the scale of intervention, the temporal and financial costs involved, and the reliance upon codified knowledge. However, a final concern is perhaps the most demoralising of all. The notion of adopting TQM, or any other generic management philosophy as a promising practice, is incongruent with contemporary understandings of competitive advantage which hold that such advantage is gained via inimitability. Thus, we argue that it is unlikely for truly promising practices to be willingly shared and hence, we advance an alternative conceptualisation of a promising practice, that of Strategic Social Engineering, in an attempt to avoid the aforementioned obstacles.

AB - This paper focuses upon the notion of the 'promising practice' which has recently been advanced as a potential resolution to the problem of the perceived gap in UK competitiveness. The promising practices in which such great faith is being stored include those of: TQM, JIT, BPR, quality certification schemes and lean manufacturing. Whilst accepting the underlying principles, the need for organization to engage in the acquisition, absorption and exploitation of knowledge, we proceed to problematise the current conceptualisation of promising practices by reference to the example of TQM. Resultantly, we argue that organizations that attempt to follow the advice based upon such a conceptualisation are likely to face difficulties. These include the scale of intervention, the temporal and financial costs involved, and the reliance upon codified knowledge. However, a final concern is perhaps the most demoralising of all. The notion of adopting TQM, or any other generic management philosophy as a promising practice, is incongruent with contemporary understandings of competitive advantage which hold that such advantage is gained via inimitability. Thus, we argue that it is unlikely for truly promising practices to be willingly shared and hence, we advance an alternative conceptualisation of a promising practice, that of Strategic Social Engineering, in an attempt to avoid the aforementioned obstacles.

M3 - Working paper

T3 - Management Learning and Leadership Working Paper Series

BT - Less is sometimes more: promising practices reconsidered

PB - The Department of Management Learning and Leadership

CY - Lancaster University

ER -