Papers by James Fairfield-Sonn
Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Apr 1, 1985
Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Apr 1, 1987
ILR Review, 1985
organization. The book examines only one small aspect of this-paperwork simplification-a particip... more organization. The book examines only one small aspect of this-paperwork simplification-a participative process, described by Ben S. Graham, Jr., as "an organized application of common sense ... to enable people to see the work in ways they have not seen it before." It is a bottom-up approach that draws heavily on those who do the paperwork. This article is very practical and gives all the in's and out's of how to simplify paperwork. The physical resources and technology structure refers to the "assets which make things possible." Although Lehrer assumes in his paper that technology has been underutilized in making office workers more productive, he seems to promote technology for its own sake without due consideration to cost effectiveness. A second paper focuses on how to update current, large-scale, real-time computer operations, e.g., ticketing for Eastern Airlines. Many organizations concerned about the use of smaller personal computers at the workplace will be disappointed in the lack of treatment. The final structure discussed is the human resource structure. Here the articles are on human resource accounting-an idea whose time never came. The second article talks about changing human resources from fixed to variable costs-an idea whose time is just around the corner. This approach recognizes that work is not packaged neatly into 8-hour days and 40hour weeks so why should labor be packaged this way. Various options for leveling work and "re-packaging" purchased labor are discussed. The final article, on quality circles, focuses on the role of participation, which has been a theme throughout this book. Overall, I found the book useful. I would recommend it to someone beginning to think about improving productivity and to someone looking for the latest or most sophisticated approaches.
Human Resource Development Quarterly, 1998
American Journal of Business Education (AJBE), 2011
This paper examines several ways in which teaching effectiveness and student learning in an under... more This paper examines several ways in which teaching effectiveness and student learning in an undergraduate Business Statistics course can be enhanced. First, we review some key concepts in Business Statistics that are often challenging to teach and show how using real data sets assist students in developing deeper understanding of the concepts. Second, the paper examines some ways that typical learning issues faced by students taking such a course can be effectively addressed. Third, the paper describes how assessing what knowledge of statistics is retained after formal coursework is completed can provide both a rich source of feedback to improve Business Statistics courses themselves and to strengthen undergraduate business programs, in general.
Journal of Small Business Management, 1987
A STRATEGIC PROCESS MODEL FOR SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT To survive and grow in incr... more A STRATEGIC PROCESS MODEL FOR SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT To survive and grow in increasingly competitive markets, service firms have often been advised to develop a distinctive competence. For example, in Peters and Waterman's book, In Search of Excellence, they cite the success of Delta Airlines' creation of a "family atmosphere" and Disney Productions' "service-through-people." There is one area, however, which is often mentioned but rarely treated seriously as a potential source of competitive advantage. That area is training and development. Training and development may sometimes be viewed as a luxury or "necessary evil" by senior management. In addition, few senior managers have the time to become personally involved in such labor-intensive activities, so they do not see the direct benefits which can be gained from these efforts. It may also be the case that senior management overlooks or avoids this area because they do no...
This paper reports on the influence of waiving the GMAT requirement on academic performance as me... more This paper reports on the influence of waiving the GMAT requirement on academic performance as measured by grade-point-average at graduation for 833 University of Hartford MBA students who graduated between 2003 and 2009. In seeking to better understand what factors might be influencing graduation GPA, we examined a variety of traditional attributes. In addition, we examined the potential influence of GMAT Waivers on graduation GPA because there was some thought that students who waived this test might have lower graduation GPAs than those who took the examination. The results of this study indicated that the most important factor for determining MBA graduation GPA was an individual’s undergraduate GPA, with higher undergraduate GPAs being associated with higher MBA graduation GPAs. Marginally significant differences in graduation GPA were also found based on the number of credits waived at entry into the MBA program, with more credits being waived contributing to a higher graduatio...
THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, 2017
Given that the primary intent of the modern era Summer Olympic Games is to provide an outstanding... more Given that the primary intent of the modern era Summer Olympic Games is to provide an outstanding forum for international athletic competition, hosting the Games has been an alluring idea for many cities since they began in 1896. From their inception, however, the impact of hosting the Games has extended beyond athletics and in some cases led to results that were quite different from what was initially expected. Here, a political economy perspective is used to explore why the hoped for impact on a city as well as an associated increase in international business, may or may not have materialized.
Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability, Apr 22, 2019
... Thus, quality leadership is simply the best path to long-term, sustainable success. Yet knowi... more ... Thus, quality leadership is simply the best path to long-term, sustainable success. Yet knowing that quality is important to the success of an organization, in general, still does not answer the question, What level of quality should any specific firm pursue? ...
Journal of Organizational Change Management, 1993
Public Personnel Management, 1984
Simulation & Gaming, 2005
ABSTRACT
Simulation & Gaming, 2004
ABSTRACT
Managerial Finance, 1996
ABSTRACT Poland has undergone a dramatic shift in its economy during the 1980s and early 1990s by... more ABSTRACT Poland has undergone a dramatic shift in its economy during the 1980s and early 1990s by essentially moving from a command to a free market orientation. To realize the full benefit of this shift, however, Poland will need to do everything possible to exploit its current national competitive advantages. In this paper, we focus on the role small business development can play in this effort in light of the current social, legal, and financial conditions in the country. The paper concludes with a discussion of several intriguing strategic options that could be profitably pursued.
Group & Organization Management, 1996
Each year firms spend millions of dollars on training efforts to improve employees' attit... more Each year firms spend millions of dollars on training efforts to improve employees' attitudes toward quality. Yet a review of the literature reveals very little rigorous research has been conducted to evaluate how successful these programs have been. Therefore, to test the effectiveness of one training program, a Solomon Four Group field quasi-experiment was conducted. Specifically, this study examined whether
American Journal of Business Education (AJBE), 2011
Uploads
Papers by James Fairfield-Sonn