We wanted to use the start of this editorial as an opportunity to thank our peer reviewers who have given up their time to support the Irish Journal of Management since Marian and I took over as co-editors-in-chief in January 2021. As mentioned in the last editorial (of issue 40(1) of the Irish Journal of Management), we would like to ensure ongoing recognition of peer reviewers of the Irish Journal of Management. Peer reviewers play an invaluable role in the academic publishing process. They act as a ‘critical anonymous friend’ by providing constructive feedback to help researchers to refine their ideas and extract greater contributions and impact from research. Peer reviewers also help ensure the validity, reliability and originality of research in order to maintain the integrity of science. At the Irish Journal of Management, all papers go through a double-blind peer review process to ensure articles will be of a suitable quality for our readership. We acknowledge that being a peer reviewer is an unpaid role and requires individuals to give up their time to support their discipline. Without this, the progression of science would be negatively impacted. Therefore, we want to say a big
In this issue we have five papers which starts with a thought leadership piece from Niamh Brennan, who reflects on current research and practice in order to explore the following research question “Do boards of directors act as groups of individuals or as teams?”. This article identifies that research on boards of directors as teams is embryonic. It undertakes an analysis of current research and reflects on practice, in order to highlight the importance of context. Key takeaways include that board effectiveness may need to take a contingency approach to allow adaptation of board dynamics according to context. The paper concludes that board effectiveness is enhanced in some contexts if boards act as groups of individuals however, in other contexts, effectiveness is enhanced if they act as teams.
We then have four research papers. Our next paper is by Mehmet Kiziloglu who explores the effect of organisational culture on organisation performance. Through their survey of 440 employees within the hospitality industry in the UK, it is found that organisations’ culture plays a key role for these types of firms and in turn plays an important role on their performance. In particular, this research highlights that adaptability and mission are key elements of a firm’s organisational culture which in turn influences a firm’s performance.
Our next paper is by Donie McGrath and Michelle O’Sullivan who examine the process and outcomes of legal complaints taken by employees against employers relating to reasonable accommodation provisions of the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015. Their findings highlight that an assessment of the impact of legislation should include both its design and its operation. Their review shows that the adjudication process retains a strongly medicalised approach. They conclude by suggesting that the low employee success rate of legal complaints may be due to a significant difference between employees’ perception of being treated unfairly in the workplace and specifics of the legislation which requires employees to have been treated illegally.
Our next paper by Jane Power, Bernadette Power and Geraldine Ryan examines whether signals arising from the firm’s use of non-equity finance (i.e., their use of personal investment, family/friend-connections, and debt finance), along with their innovation activities (measured by their innovation activity, R&D frequency, and patent numbers) impact on their ability to source equity financing. They draw on novel data of 153 indigenous equity and 141 indigenous non-equity financed high-tech firms and find that the firm’s use of non-equity financing plays a significant role for external equity. They also find that innovation activity has a positive impact on the likelihood that the firm will be equity financed, highlighting the importance of equity capital for innovation.
Our final paper by Natalia Gorupec, Nataliia Brehmer, Victor Tiberius and Sascha Kraus sought to measure and systemise Real Options research by using bibliometric methods. In particular, they draw on performance analyses and bibliographic coupling, in order to explore citations as a measure of the scientific impact. They provide a holistic review on Real Options research in business and management, and they present several suggestions for future research.
As always, all of the papers in the Irish Journal of Management are open access, therefore we hope that you enjoy this issue and share it widely with colleagues who may find this research interesting.
Professor Joan Ballantine, Ulster University
Dr Lauren Bari, University College Cork
Dr Gillian Barrett, University College Cork
Professor Mattias Beck, University College Cork
Dr Esmond Bernie, Ulster University
Dr Alicja Bobek, Trinity College Dublin
Dr Karen Bonner, Ulster University
Dr Patricia Bowe, South East Technological University Waterford (formerly WIT)
Dr Julie Brueckner, Dublin City University
Dr Sinem Bulkan, University of Reading, Henley Business School
Professor John Burgess, RMIT University, Australia
Dr Ronan Carbery, University College Cork
Dr Kieran Conroy, Queen’s University Belfast
Dr Yvonne Costin, University of Limerick
Professor Joseph Coughlan, Maynooth University
Professor Christine Cross, University of Limeick
Dr Marian Crowley-Henry, Maynooth University
Dr Kate Cullen, Maynooth University
Dr Deirdre Curran, NUI Galway
Dr Shirley Davey, Ulster University
Professor Paul Donnelly, TU Dublin
Dr James Duggan, Maynooth University
Professor Tony Dundon, University of Limerick
Dr Tomás Dwyer, IT Carlow
Dr Manuela Fabro, Technische Universität Berlin
Dr Matthias Filser, ZHAW: Zurcher Hochschule fur Angewandte Wissenschaften
Peter Geraghty, TU Dublin
Dr Louise Gorman, TU Dublin
Professor Brian Harney, Dublin City University
Professor Denis Harrington, South East Technological University Waterford (formerly WIT)
Dr Michael Hayden, Maynooth University
Dr Margaret Heffernan, Dublin City University
Dr Rachel Hilliard, NUI Galway
Dr Conor Horan, TU Dublin
Dr Briga Hynes, University of Limerick
Dr Stefan Jooss, University College Cork
Professor Felicity Kelliher, South East Technological University Waterford (formerly WIT)
Dr Aileen Kennedy, TU Dublin
Dr Jonathan Lavelle, University of Limerick
Dr Christian Martin, Maynooth University
Dr Jean McCarthy, University of Limerick
Dr Stephen McCartney, Maynooth University
Dr Orla McCullagh, University of Limerick
Dr Joe MacDonagh, TU Dublin (prev IT Tallaght)
Professor Anthony McDonnell, University College Cork
Professor Pauric McGowan, Ulster University
Dr Caroline Murphy, University of Limerick
Professor Rodney McAdam, Ulster University
Dr Emma McEvoy, Maynooth University
Dr Sara Melo, Queens University Belfast
Dr Lisa Messina, Queens University Belfast
Dr Kristel Miller, Ulster University
Dr Ziene Mottiar, Technological University, Dublin
Dr Sue Mulhall, TU Dublin
Dr Joanne Murphy, Queen’s University Belfast
Dr Nicola Mountford, Maynooth University
Dr Julius Nyiawung, Maynooth University
Philip O’Donnell, Dublin City University
Dr Deirdre O’Donovan, Munster Technological University
Professor Colm O’Gorman, Dublin City University
Dr Adegboyega Ogo, Maynooth University
Dr Bastian Rake, Maynooth University
Dr Andrea Reid, Ulster University
Professor Bill Roche, University College Dublin
Dr Gail Sheppard, Maynooth University
Janette Sheerman, Ulster University
Dr Ultan Sherman, University College Cork
Dr Simon Stephens, Letterkenny Institute of Technology
Professor Jim Stewart, Liverpool John Moores University
Dr Anne Sweeney, South East Technological University Waterford (formerly WIT)
Dr Lisa van der Werff, Dublin City University