ARTICLE 1

Elements of a Continuous Cultural
Transformation Initiative

Résumé :

This paper reports on an Action Research project undertaken in a major childhood education organization characterized by extensive organizational change, financial stress, employee challenges and a major change in the leadership of the organization. An early childhood development center is a place where parents leave their children from the ages of 6 months (infants) until 12 years of age for educational enrichment and learning. The paper presents the background material on the organization at the beginning of the project; the change process described in some detail and the role of the Action Researcher. The paper defines and explores the role of the Action Research in a complex, multi-stage process of organization change.

par T. Coleman Doctoral Student
Benedictine University (USA)
Peter Sorensen PhD, Professor
Benedictine University (USA)
Therese Yaeger PhD, Professor Benedictine University
(USA)

ARTICLE 2

Using prosperity to construct an economic crisis: Alberta’s “bitumen” bubble

Résumé :

This paper addresses how measures of economic prosperity can be used to create an economic crisis. I undertake an ethnostatistical analysis of a speech by the Premier of Alberta to address how rhetoric is used to construct a “bitumen bubble” as an emergent crisis threatening the economic prosperity of Alberta. Textual practices, metaphors and exclusions are found to be key rhetorical practices that are used to construct the economic prosperity, the bubble and economic crisis. Construction of economic crises can thus be used to create political opportunities for organizational change.

par Robert P. Gephart Jr.
Professor of Strategic Management
University of Alberta School of Business
(Canada) ess (France)

ARTICLE 3

The Impact of Canadian Shareholder Activism: A Study of Governance Proposals

Résumé :

In recent years, the number of shareholder proposals at annual general meetings has risen in several countries. The objective of this study is to examine in the Canadian context the percentage of shareholder proposals implemented after they were proposed at annual shareholder meetings. The results tend to indicate that the implementation rate after two years, although low, varies according to the subject matter proposed and the type of shareholders involved.

par Sylvie Berthelot Professor
Faculté d’administration Université de Sherbrooke
(Canada)
Vanessa Serret Professor
Faculté de Droit, des Sciences Économiques et de Gestion
Université Bretagne-Sud
(France)
Stephanie Donahue Auditor KPMG (Canada)

ARTICLE 4

Does education equal knowledge? How much education is necessary for management success in the public sector: “A current challenge in organizational change and intervention”

Résumé :

The goal of this study is to identify the competencies and behavioral differences between the independent variables associated with levels of education and years of experience and to determine which level of either or combination of both are more important when determining which variable is more important when promoting or employing the best suited candidate for leadership roles in public sector agencies. This study will compare various competencies and behaviors of both male and female public sector managers by levels of education to determine if there are any significant differences that may hinder or enhance their ability to be effective and/or successful in their duties. These subjects age range 18 over 65 and less than one year to over thirty years of service. All were in management positions in state and local government.

par Henry E. Williams
Assistant Professor
Purdue University North Central
(USA)