Browsing by Author "Parker, H"

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    An analysis of corporate board networks in South Africa
    (2009) Durbach, I N; Parker, H
    In this paper we analyse the networks created from directors sitting on the boards of companies in South Africa. We consider two projections of this network: a director network, in which only directors are present and two directors are linked if they sit together on one or more common boards; and a firm network, in which only firms are present and an edge indicates that the two firms share one or more directors. We describe these networks in terms of the statistical properties that they possess, and compare them to theoretical values obtained under various random network models. The network analysis is the first to be applied to a relatively small emerging economy like South Africa. We find that many of the features previously found to hold for highly-developed countries also apply here, suggesting that corporate networks may be fairly robust to stages of economic development.
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    Community structure and centrality effects in the South African company network
    (2013) Durbach, I; Katshunga, D; Parker, H
    This paper conducts a search for community structure in the South African company network, a social network whose elements are South African companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Companies are connected in this network if they share one or more directors on their respective boards. Discovered clusters, called communities, can be considered to be compartments of the network working relatively independently of one another, making their distribution and composition of some interest. We test whether the discovered communities of companies are (a) statistically significant, and (b) related to other attributes such as sector membership or market capitalization. We also investigate the relationship between the centrality of a company’s position in the network and its market capitalization.
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    Conflict reduction in cross-functional projects in South African automotive firms
    (2008) Mueller, T; Parker, H; Ross, A
    Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore whether certain organisational control mechanisms can reduce conflict associated with cross-functional projects. Methodology: This is an exploratory study and individuals who had recently engaged in a cross-functional process improvement or change implementation project at automotives firm in South Africa were surveyed. The information collected from the survey was analysed using exploratory factor analysis and correlation analysis. Findings: The results of this study indicate that of the three control mechanisms examined, formalisation in project structure had the strongest association with a reduction in conflict. Reward systems that reward both the team as well as the individual were also found to have a significant association with a reduction in conflict. Use of performance measurement systems aimed at achieving strategic alignment did not have an association with conflict reduction in the organisation. Implications: These findings yield the following implications for management practice. Firstly managers need to be conscious that initiatives such as process improvement projects that require individuals from different functions to work together can often result in conflict. Secondly, this conflict can be reduced by formalizing roles and responsibilities and decreasing ambiguity in the project. Thirdly, design of reward systems that incentivise both the cross-functional team as well as the individual can also help to reduce conflict. Contribution and value: This study has shed light on the role of certain organisational control mechanisms on reducing conflict associated with cross-functional projects. It has also contributed to our understanding of how formalisation in project structure influences conflict in comparison to how performance measurement and reward systems influence conflict.