American Journal of Management

Exploring Collaborative Advantage: A Comprehensive Review and Synthesis of Research on Collaboration

Qian Xiao — 2025-02-08

The paper aimed to identify three influential factors that will impact collaborative performance. The first conceptualization of collaboration is discussed to illustrate the nature of collaboration. In the further examination, three factors of collaboration capability, timing of collaboration and relationship structure are discussed that, if manipulated well, contribute to collaborative advantage. In the end of the paper, implications of this research are discussed briefly.

The Impacts of Organizational Changes on Work Engagement and Quiet Quitting

Juan Ling — 2025-02-08

Change has become a constant theme in the world where all organizations face new challenges and opportunities that require them to constantly adapt and evolve. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of organizational agility and adaptability in the face of challenges and uncertainties. A recent Gallup poll revealed that most workers in the U.S. workforce are either quiet quitting or highly disengaged. This study aims to investigate the relationship between various organizational changes and the likelihood of work engagement, quiet quitting, and high disengagement. Drawing on a survey on 252 employees in various companies, we find that organizational changes including higher demand for competence, improved results monitoring, enhanced informal communication, and job redesign increased the likelihood of work engagement relative to quiet quitting and high disengagement. Furthermore, organizational and job characteristics such as perceived organizational support and job autonomy moderated the relationship between organizational changes and the likelihood of work engagement, quiet quitting, and high disengagement. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Simulation of Autonomous Industrial Vehicle Fleet Using Fuzzy Agents: Application to Task Allocation and Battery Charge Management

Juliette Grosset — 2025-02-08

The research introduces a multi-agent simulation that uses fuzzy inference to investigate the work distribution and battery charging control of mobile baggage conveyor robots in an airport in a comprehensive manner. Thanks to a distributed system, this simulation approach provides high adaptability, adjusting to changes in conveyor agent availability, battery capacity, awareness of the activities of the conveyor fleet, and knowledge of the context of infrastructure resource availability. Dynamic factors, such as workload variations and communication between the conveyor agents and infrastructure are considered as heuristics, highlighting the importance of flexible and collaborative approaches in autonomous systems. The results highlight the effectiveness of adaptive fuzzy multi-agent models to optimize dynamic task allocation, adapt to the variation of baggage arrival flows, improve the overall operational efficiency of conveyor agents, and reduce their energy consumption.

Texting While Driving: Computerized Eye Tracking as a Method to Assess Visual Distraction During Driving Simulations

Scott Litwiler — 2025-02-16

According to the National Traffic Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving claimed 3,308 lives in 2022. Few studies have used simulated driving experiences to directly assess the impact on gaze while driving with a cell phone distraction present. In this research, gaze was monitored using a commercial eye tracker mounted to a laptop computer while subjects watched a 10-minute video of normal daytime driving. There was a consistent decrease in objects of interest being observed while text messages appeared. A negative but not statistically significant relationship between the amount of media use (based on responses from the questionnaire) and the amount of time that subjects viewed each text was found (p = 0.072). However, as overall risk for poor driving increased, gaze related to other vehicles decreased (p = 0.014). These results reveal that having a cellphone while driving likely impairs one's ability to notice potentially hazardous conditions on the road that could lead to the harm of the driver or others.

Cultural Barriers of Poverty Alleviation in the Microfinancing of Market Women in the Effutu Municipality of Ghana

Shirley Dankwa — 2025-02-16

This study explored three main aspects: the awareness of microfinance’s role, the barriers to accessing microfinance services, and the effects of microfinance on poverty alleviation among market women in the Effutu Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. A qualitative approach and case study design were employed in this study. The population of the study was women traders in Effutu Municipality. Purposive and convenient sampling techniques were employed to select 15 participants. A semi-structured interview guide was the instrument used for data collection. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings of this study were that while microfinance has the potential to enhance economic stability and improve the quality of life of market women, significant barriers such as difficulties in securing guarantors, delays in loan disbursements, and cumbersome repayment processes limit its effectiveness. It is recommended that microfinance institutions strengthen their outreach programs through partnerships with local radio stations, community leaders, and existing beneficiaries to spread awareness about the availability of their services and benefits.

Ambush Marketing: Creativity vs. Controversy

Gerd Nufer — 2025-02-16

Ambush marketing, a tactic non-sponsors use to associate with major sporting events, raises ethical, legal, and strategic questions. This paper explores the phenomenon from historical, theoretical, and practical perspectives, highlighting its dual nature as a creative marketing tool and a controversial threat to official sponsorships. Drawing on case studies, it categorizes ambush marketing strategies into direct, indirect, and destructive forms, examining their effectiveness and consequences. While ambush marketing enables brands to leverage the visibility of events without official sponsorship costs, it challenges the exclusivity and financial stability of event organizers and sponsors. The discussion considers legal frameworks, consumer perceptions, and the broader impact on sports sponsorship markets. Ultimately, the analysis suggests a balanced approach to regulation, acknowledging ambush marketing’s potential to drive innovation while emphasizing the need for fair competition and protection of sponsorship rights. This paper contributes to a nuanced understanding of ambush marketing’s implications in the evolving landscape of sports marketing.

Thought Leadership on the Revolutionary Developments in Organizations

Ursula Brady — 2025-02-28

This study investigated thought leadership concerning organizational growth strategies. Internal Thought Leaders (ITL) and External Thought Leaders (ETL) we identified in the literature to be directly related to achieving revolutionary developments in organizations (RDO). We found that ITL are better suited for setting goals, aligning resources, and fostering innovations; on the other hand, ETL were better suited to advance organizational reputation. We explicate a progressive thought leadership framework that works best to sustain organizational growth strategies. This integrative approach can impact ethical decision-making, leadership styles, operation efficiencies and return on investments if done properly. Because thought leadership influences a collective mindset among workers, we were able to make several recommendations for managers seeking to influence their organizational growth strategies.