Obsessive passion, competence, and performance in a project management context

Passion in hiking guides affects their group management skills and functional psychobiosocial experiences

Using the individual zones of optimal functioning model as a conceptual framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the interplay between passion, perceived group management skills, and functional emotion-related (psychobiosocial) experiences in hiking guides. The participants were 60 Italian hiking guides, 47 men and 13 women, aged 32-74 years (M = 57.25, SD = 10.49). They were asked to fill in an online questionnaire containing measures of harmonious and obsessive passion, perceived group management skills, and psychobiosocial experiences. Path analysis results showed positive indirect effects of both harmonious passion and obsessive passion on psychobiosocial experiences via group management skills. Additional results from moderated moderation suggest that high levels of obsessive passion, combined with low levels of both harmonious passion and perceived group management skills, are associated with lower intensity levels of psychobiosocial experiences. The findings contribute to increasing our understanding of the overall experience of hiking guides, and the important role they play in motivating people to engage in physical activity in a natural environment.

Modified total interpretive structural modelling of innovation implementation antecedents

Purpose

The paper aims to identify, analyse and develop a model for measuring the inter-relationship and interaction among the antecedents influencing innovation implementation. The extant literature has not widely studied the interactions and inter-relationships among the antecedents of innovation implementation. To fill this gap, the paper develops a hierarchical relationship framework between the identified antecedents of innovation implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study follows mixed method-based approach using two methodologies: modified total interpretive structural modelling (m-TISM) and MICMAC (Matriced’ Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement) analysis. m-TISM is used for the purpose of establishing the hierarchical relationship among the antecedents. MICMAC analysis is used to study the driver-dependent relationship. To identify the antecedents of innovation implementation, the paper follows a systematic search method found in the review articles. The article search was performed across different databases including Google Scholar, Web of Science, EBSCO and Scopus.

Findings

In this study, eight innovation implementation antecedents are identified. The analysis indicates that competency antecedents such as leader competency and employee competency, having high driving and weak dependence power, are at the lowest level in the hierarchical model, whereas, innovation implementation, having high dependence and low driving power, is at the highest level in the hierarchical model. Strategic resources act as a linkage variable.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study summarizes the extant literature to generalize the findings, the future studies can focus upon statistical validation of model by employing structural equation modelling to generalize the results.

Practical implications

The practitioners must emphasize on antecedents having strong driving power for successful implementation of innovation. The hierarchical model is proposed for implementing innovation successfully that will help organizations to be more competitive, productive and profitable.

Originality/value

In this study, m-TISM and MICMAC-based hierarchical models are proposed for implementing innovation successfully in organizations. It also provides the variables insights such as driver-dependent interrelationship between the identified antecedents.

The effect of the client–contractor relationship on project performance

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is first to examine the effect of client-led and contractor-led supply chain initiatives on project performance in the Indian construction industry and second to assess how the client-led supply chain initiatives complement the contractor-led supply chain initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the effects of the client-led supply chain initiatives (reward power and competence trust of the construction clients) and the contractor-led supply chain initiatives (contractor integration and calculative commitment of the contractor) on project performance in construction projects are examined. The data were collected from 346 construction professionals working in Indian construction projects using purposive sampling. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The contractor-led supply chain initiatives, in the form of contractor integration and the calculative relationship commitment of a contractor, were found to be strong mediators, indirectly affecting the project performance. On the other hand, the client-led supply chain initiatives, in the form of the reward power of the client and the competence trust of the client, directly influence the project performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study reports the inevitable bias on the part of participants, who responded to the survey either in the capacity of client or contractor, although they might have executed projects in both capacities. Future studies could benefit from the use of objective data instead of behavioral data.

Practical implications

This study helps construction firms understand how to demarcate the client and contractor roles in the construction supply chain to improve the project performance.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in its investigation of the influence of client-led supply chain initiatives and contractor-led supply chain initiatives on project performance.

Being Passionate to Perform: The Joint Effect of Leader Humility and Follower Humility

Although humility is an outstanding characteristic of many beloved and respected leaders, little is understood regarding the effect of leader humility on follower job performance. The current study examines how leader humility affects follower performance. Drawing on the self-determination theory, we suggest that leader humility, via follower harmonious passion, contributes to follower performance. With multiphase leader-follower paired data, we find that leader humility is positively related to follower performance, this positive relationship is partially mediated by follower harmonious passion, and the indirect effect of leader humility on follower performance via follower harmonious passion is stronger with a high level of follower humility.

Applying a Core Competence Model on Swedish Job Advertisements for IT Project Managers

Recruitments of IT project managers are costly and time-consuming, which makes it important to handle them effectively. IT project managers' key function in IT projects conveys that the prerequisites in such job ads become extensive and hard to satisfy because of overloaded descriptions. The organization's core competence (henceforth CC) requirements need to be decisive and explicitly expressed. Hence, each recruitment process should involve the defining of what the CC qualifications are. Advertisements were collected (2010-2013) and a CC lens was tested for assessment of CC criteria in order to get an indication of its value. The study's practical implication is an added understanding of the importance to discern what core competence/-s a specific project requires and furthermore to match those with the job requirements during the recruitment process. The implication for research is an inspiration for further development of methods for determining core competence criteria for recruiting IT-project managers.

Hybrid entrepreneurship: the importance of passion

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the motives behind individuals’ choice to have parallel business-employment careers (hybrid entrepreneurship) with a particular focus on passion (i.e. to work with something one is passionate about) as the main motive.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was administered to 262 Swedish hybrid entrepreneurs. Hypotheses proposed associations of the individual's age at business start-up and weekly hours spent on the business with passion as the main motive for the hybrid form. Logistic regression was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

– The results indicated that first, the ability to work with something one is passionate about is the top motive for combining employment with a side business; second, passion is more likely to be the main motive behind the hybrid form among individuals who are older at business start-up; third, passion is less likely to be the main motive behind the hybrid form among individuals who spend more time on the business.

Research limitations/implications

– The study focusses on passion as motive for hybrid entrepreneurship, and in doing so, it does not test the extent to which hybrid entrepreneurs experience passion.

Practical implications

– The results support the popular notion that passion drives people to have parallel business-employment careers. Findings indicating that passion as a motive is more common among those who are older at start-up and less common among those who spend more time on the business suggest the importance of acknowledging hybrid entrepreneurs’ various profiles when approaching them in research and practice.

Originality/value

– This is the first study on motives behind hybrid entrepreneurship.