TY - JOUR A1 - Bolzern-Konrad, Britta A1 - Egger, Carolin A1 - Sumilo, Erika T1 - Competence Utilization for Innovation Capabilities – a Question of Trust? JF - Expert Journal of Business and Management, Volume 3, Issue 2 N2 - The purpose of this paper is to show how trust as an organizational value contributes to employee competence utilization in the case of innovation capability. Thus, it is the objective of this paper to analyze the positive impacts, but also potential limits of trust in business management. The research paper uses two different quantitative empirical studies drawn from German and Austrian midsized companies to empirically test this interrelation. As a result, the paper determines particular aspects of trust such as accountability, shared norms and the ability to take responsibility to be interrelated with the usage of employee competences and underlines a positive connection between product innovation performance and trust. However, the trust concept needs enriching elements to be balanced towards a feeling of mutual reliance and support creativity instead; inclusions of bridging social capital, elements of distrust and a pioneering spirit are to be mentioned here. KW - Creativity KW - Employee competence utilization KW - Innovation KW - Trust Y1 - 2015 SP - 90 EP - 104 PB - Sprint Investify ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bolzern-Konrad, Britta A1 - Sumilo, Erika T1 - Trust and employee competence utilization – empirical testing of a model T2 - Proceedings of the 15th European Conference on Knowledge Management 4-5 September 2014, Santarem, Portugal N2 - In today’s business practice, but also in academic research the aspect of trust has gained remarkable importance. The usage of resources is still often pictured on a short perspective. Especially the usage of human resources must be sustainable, based on long term balance of interests and supported by procedures and systems that anchor the anabolic balance of interest between company and employee (Moldaschl,2008). Within the management of competencies, culture and values, the "social capital" in terms of an "asset of mutual trust" plays and important role. If the "homo reciprocans" feels to be treated fair his own willingness to cooperate increases (Falk, 2002). Furthermore "Trust in human relations is a binding framework under insecurity and allows decisions and actions that would not be possible based on pure rational information and consideration" (Strasser/ Voswinkel, 1997). The question behind the research paper at hand is: "Is a culture of trust leading to higher employee competence utilization?" This is of relevance as "it is human capability and commitment that distinguishes successful organizations from the rest" (Storay, J. 2007), which is explicitly valid in times of skilled worker shortage. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a research approach to test the correlation between Trust and Employee Competence Utilization (ECU) ‐ embedded in a Business Excellence (BE) setting. Based on a short insight in the theoretical foundation of the basic model behind the empirical study and the subsequent operationalization of the variables the basic empirical methodology is described. With this the paper shows the process of focussing and bounding from the general theoretical relation of Trust and ECU to a specific research question and it’s correlating stepwise empirical approach. The paper at hand gives detailed insights in the logic of planning of the empirical test methods as well as the development of the derived interview lines and questionnaires. The findings of this paper broaden the research focus towards the complexity of the two variables, trust and ECU, but simultaneously introduce and suggest an empirical approach to lighten the possibilities of measuring both variables. First empirical results underline the concrete tangible approach towards a focussed structural equation model. As a next step the empirical results will be analyzed in detail and finally pictured in a validated Structural Equation Model. KW - Trust KW - Employee competence utilization KW - Business Excellence (BE) Y1 - 2015 SN - 978-1-910309-34-6 SP - 127 EP - 137 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bolzern-Konrad, Britta A1 - Sumilo, Erika T1 - Trust and employee competence utilization in a business excellence environment – operationalization of a model T2 - Conference Proceedings, ICARET, April 18-19, Chennai, India KW - Trust KW - Employee competence utilization Y1 - 2014 SN - 978-81-908980-6-5 SP - 67 EP - 71 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bolzern-Konrad, Britta A1 - Egger, Carolin A1 - Sumilo, Erika T1 - Values - soft issue or valuable capital? JF - Humanities and Social Sciences. Latvia N2 - The purpose of this article is to discuss different approaches in the values-based culture literature and identify research challenges and inconsistencies regarding the topic. From this, the authors develop applicable recommendations for scientists and managers. The study is based on an intense literature review on values, their definition, their measurement and management. These aspects are linked to each other in a further step. The authors link different perspectives on definition, measurement, analysis, and the management of values to a comprehensive picture. The measurement of values is seen to be a basis for the ability to be clear in communication, to monitor congruencies between beliefs and practices and to integrate personal values and the ethical framework of the company. The target of managing values is to be seen in a successful implementation into the organisation, as well as the P-O-fit (Person-Organisation fit) thought. In conclusion, the authors recommend to measure and to be aware of both, management values and employee values, in order to optimize the P-O fit and make values contribute to strategic goals. The article shows a way forward to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of organisational values for business managers and scientists. The authors develop a common threat for a coherent picture on the definition, the method of measurement and the approach to management of values, which contributes to applicable recommendations for scientists and managers. Moreover, the article provides a platform for further research and empirical testing. KW - Individual values KW - Organisational Values KW - Culture KW - Measurement methods KW - Management of values Y1 - 2013 SP - 74 EP - 90 ER -