In today’s business scenario, relationships cross organizational, industrial and national boundaries. Complex forms of Interorganizational Relationships (IORs) result from various interfirm exchanges like engineering, procurement, finance, development and operations. According to Eisenhardt (1985), Heide (1994), Jap and Anderson (2003), and Luo et al. (2011), the governance mechanisms of IORs guard against hazards of partner opportunism, market uncertainty, goal heterogeneity and contractual incompleteness, which lead to ineffective market transactions. According to Williamson (1975), opportunism is self-interest seeking behavior with motives of insidious cunning, duplicity and dishonesty. Mohammed Amine Balambo, Karim Benjelloun and Abdellah Houssaini, in their paper, “Antecedents and Forms of Opportunism in Interorganizational Relationships: The Moroccan Context”, deal with a total of 13 various forms of opportunism as research proposals. Interviews were conducted in 40 SMEs of Morocco and the variables that influence the manifestation of opportunism were identified. The authors have validated their conceptual research model related to Moroccan IORs. Important observations made from the data analysis include lower risk of opportunism possible among firms which are in close proximity and triggering of social or relational form of opportunism with adoption of trust and commitment.

Several obstacles are possible in organizations with regard to the smooth management of knowledge therein, and these obstacles may result from constraints that may not be noticed by the management. The obstacles relate to technology, content, procedures, organization and personnel. Sidharta Chatterjee, in the paper, “Managing Constraints and Removing Obstacles to Knowledge Management”, investigates the identity of obstacles to learning and knowledge management and the way they can be removed. Three hypotheses are proposed by the author based on general assumptions in this context. The study reports that knowledge managers should act as experts, teachers or executives and monitor, manage and educate the workforce; the constraining factors for knowledge management should be diagnosed, identified and removed.

In the paper, “The Key Competencies of Project Leader Beyond the Essential Technical Capabilities”, the author, Krishnakumar D Pandya, deals with competencies of a project leader for the success of the project. The paper examines the competencies other than technical capabilities desirable in a project leader. The author conducted interviews with experienced senior level corporate managers of MNCs in four areas of projects—engineering, banking and finance, research advisory, and information technology. It is reported that behavioral competencies are very much needed in project leaders for the success of projects due to existence of various constraints related to human and behavioral (soft) issues. The author has come up with three major categories of key competencies of project leader—personal capabilities, interpersonal skills and leading change.

Emotional intelligence in organizational development deals with developing people by understanding and assessing their behaviors, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Its application areas include human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service. Sangeeta Yadav, in her paper, “The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Organization Development”, attempts to understand the emotional intelligence of select superiors in an organization and the opinions of subordinates about their superiors and the way they are perceived by the superiors. The author applies knowledge and feelings on a combined or balanced basis by using a generalized four-step model—Understand, Learn, Assess and Review. Employees, their immediate heads and managers in an organization were contacted and their views on nine different issues were collected. It is found that there is a significant difference between the superior’s views and subordinate’s views. Based on the results, the author has come up with some recommendations.

-- Nasina Jigeesh
Consulting Editor