联盟企业的战略导向与知识获取——控制机制使用的中介与干预作用

探讨了联盟企业的控制机制使用对于其战略导向与知识获取间关系的中介与干预作用.目的在于揭示不同控制机制使用对于联盟企业的战略导向与知识获取间关系的影响效果及作用机制.通过对389家联盟企业的实证研究发现,信任控制是市场导向与知识获取的中介变量,也是企业家导向与知识获取的正干预变量;契约控制是企业家导向与知识获取的中介变量,却不是市场导向与知识获取的负干预变量.该项研究结论对于发展战略联盟管理文献、促进联盟企业的知识获取具有重要的理论价值与实践指导意义.     

The business of education: a new paradigm

Business as usual is not the answer these days. But how do you create a new paradigm for academic educational and research endeavors? There is increasing pressure to separate the costs of providing care to patients from those of educating students and residents. It is evident already that we will not enjoy the flexibility of the past to cross-subsidize the academic effort. Presented here is a case study--a joint venture between Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel HealthCare created to sustain the academic mission, as distinct from its clinical business, and promote innovation in medical education and research through intellectual leadership, dedicated state-of-the-art facilities, and a focused development effort.     

Towards an integrative framework of innovation network for new product development project

The increasing complexity of product and radical changing environment lead companies towards innovation network (IN) collaboration. Although recent researches highlight the importance and benefits of innovation network (IN) to new product development (NPD), this subject is still developing and it has the potential to expand into new dimensions. However, there is a significant lack in the literature regarding holistic, systematic and integrated framework when it comes to manipulating the challenge of true NPD projects. The current researches mainly focus on the strategy level which provides less application guidance for NPD. Thus, in this work, the authors propose an integrative framework of innovation network for NPD based on the literature review. In addition, a case study of new refrigerator development reveals the feasibility and potentials of the overall framework to its broad usage in industry.     

Governance,boards and value co-creation: Changing perspectives towards a service dominant logic

In this multidisciplinary and conceptual paper, we use insights from new and challenging developments in the management and marketing literature to inform corporate governance research. We shed light on the role of governance and specifically boards of directors in value creation in small and medium enterprises. While corporate governance research mostly tends to emphasise the role of governance mechanisms such as boards in the protection and distribution of value, our research problematises such a narrow view and (re)conceptualises their role in value co-creation. By exploring the role of boards as resource integrators within a wider service ecosystem, we propose novel ways in which boards can become integral to firms’ value creation processes. In doing so, we develop a new logic for framing the boards’ tasks and suggest new directions for corporate governance research and practice. We apply an empirical conceptualisation strategy in order to make our findings more accessible.     

In search of optimal management of the purchasing–marketing interface for new product development

Abstract

Growing dependence on suppliers for production and innovation, together with increasing consumer demands, has prompted recent discussions of the importance of purchasing–marketing functional integration. However, empirical studies are needed to understand how to manage this interface within a new product development (NPD) context. This study, grounded in information processing theory, proposes a new model to classify integrating mechanisms as either information-sharing forums or optimizers. This model further postulates the greater capacity of optimizer mechanisms for improving NPD commercial and financial performance, as well as speed. The empirical results, obtained from a sample of 141 firms, show that forums only improve NPD speed, whereas optimizer mechanisms evoke better commercial and financial performance. This study therefore highlights the potential of different integrating mechanisms and contributes to the on-going debate about the very concept of functional integration itself.     

Capturing the benefits of industry 4.0: a business network perspective

Abstract

This study uses a business network perspective to investigate the industry 4.0 context with the internet of things (IoT) as its enabling technology and product-use data as its core network resource. A three-stage qualitative methodology (interviews, focus group, Delphi-based inquiry) was used to examine the case of an emergent IoT-based business network in the UK road transport industry to examine: (i) how aspects of product use data influence the benefit opportunities the data provide to the different network actors; (ii) how capturing of the benefit opportunities in a network context is impacted by key barriers; and (iii) how network capabilities can overcome these barriers to capture benefits from product-use data. The study, thereby, contributes to an understanding of the industry 4.0 context from a resource dependency theory perspective and provides concrete recommendations for management operating in this context.     

E-business services and business performance: a study of the telecommunications manufacturing industry

The development of information and communication technologies has significantly changed the business interactions as well as created new approaches for improving business performances. While the benefits from this development have been well documented in the literature, it also poses a significant challenge for companies in tracking or further improving e-business services. This article contributes to this body of knowledge by investigating the impact of e-business service dimensions on business performance in the telecommunications manufacturing industry. Based on 121 usable responses from a questionnaire survey of the UK telecommunication manufacturers, structural equation modelling is employed to identify the main e-business service dimensions which affect business performance significantly. The data analysis reveals that two e-business service dimensions significantly influence suppliers’ performance from the buyer's perspective. It also indicates the significant relationships between suppliers’ performance, buyer-perceived buyer–supplier relationship maintenance and the buyer's competitive advantage. The findings in this research not only help the supplier to understand which practices significantly improve its overall performance (as perceived by the buyer), but also assist the buyer in its supplier development efforts to improve its own business performance.     

The impact of project team characteristics and client collaboration on project agility and project success: An empirical study

Although many companies pursue agile projects, extant literature reveals a lack of research on project agility determinants. This study examines the project team characteristics' impact on project agility and success using cross-sectional survey data from 292 agile projects. Using agile principles and complex adaptive systems theory, we find that project team autonomy, team diversity, and client collaboration have significant positive relationships with project agility. Project agility, in turn, has a significant positive relationship to project success. We measure project success by on-time completion, on-budget completion, specifications' attainment, and success rating by the project sponsor, client, and project team members. We find that project team members' adaptive performance partially mediates the relationship between project agility and success. These results guide agile project managers while facilitating team members to independently schedule their work, determine effective work methods, and develop innovative solutions. Moreover, they help agile managers recruit team members with relevant, diverse skill sets, domain knowledge, and expertise. Agile project managers must emphasize client collaboration in requirements gathering, designing, testing, and project reviews.     

Beyond the purely commercial business model: Organizational value logics and the heterogeneity of sustainability business models

The business model has been conceived as a commercial logic of value proposition, creation, exchange and capture. However, its underlying conceptual structure of an organizational value logic holds promise also for application beyond a purely commercial context, for partially commercial and even noncommercial organizations. This paper unlocks this potential by conceptualizing homogeneous and heterogeneous organizational value logics shaped by a variety of institutional logics. Homogeneous value logics are dominantly shaped by individual institutional logics, such as the value logic of businesses shaped by an institutional logic of the commercial market, or that of a churches shaped by an institutional logic of religion. Heterogeneous value logics, however, are co-shaped by two or more institutional logics. The application of these concepts is exemplified in the context of sustainability business models, which are built on a heterogeneous value logic that combines elements from commercial, sustainability, welfare and government logics. The paper contributes to the business model discussion by extending it to partially commercial and noncommercial organizations; by creating a conceptual space between value logics and institutional logics; and by proposing the meta-logic of value proposition, creation, exchange and capture, a novel analytical tool for the study of organizations shaped by plural institutional logics.     

Dimensions of ethical business cultures: comparing data from 13 countries of Europe,Asia, and the Americas

This paper reports the results of a survey-based study of perceptions of ethical business practices in 13 countries of Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Responses from more than 23,000 managers and employees were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and post-hoc comparisons, aimed at identifying homogenous sets of countries. Anglo countries (US, UK, Australia, and Canada) clustered together, and were joined by India in most cases. Japan and Italy formed a homogenous subset significantly different from all other countries. Countries of continental Europe, China, Mexico, and Brazil formed various mid-range groupings. The paper discusses some salient differences between groups of countries and presents implications for human resource management (HRD) practice and research.     

An exploratory study of the influence of the IS function and organizational context on business process reengineering project initiatives

To help evaluate the risk of process reengineering failure and enhance the prospect of its success, three potential sources of influence on BPR initiatives and success are examined in this study. These include the innovative capacity of the organization, IS maturity and strategy-IS interface. It was found that while factors related to IT maturity and influence such as experience in mainframe and client/server computing may facilitate the decision to reengineer, they are not critical in the later stages of the initiative. On the other hand, factors having significant relationships beyond the initial decision include variables pertaining to innovative capacity of the organization and strategy-IS interface. These findings suggest that technical IT competence as a critical enabler is necessary but not sufficient for reengineering success. Based on study findings regarding the innovative capacity of the organization, guidelines for reengineering risk assessment are proposed. In addition, implications of the findings, limitations of the study and opportunities for further research are also discussed.     

A call for action: The impact of business model innovation on business ecosystems,society and planet

The impact of business model innovation (BMI) on business ecosystems, society, and planet is of growing theoretical and practical importance for strategic management. Increasing sustainability pressures warrant a better understanding of the impact of companies’ BMI through a more comprehensive analysis of innovation and its consequences. We discuss four foci of innovation (BMI, sustainable BMI, ecosystem innovation, and sustainable ecosystem innovation) to broaden the conceptualization of innovation and its economic, societal, and natural environmental impacts. We call for scholarship examining the impact of BMI to advance knowledge through research on value destruction and the dynamics of BMI over time.     

Developing business buccaneers: employer expectations of emergent leaders

This study investigates employer expectations of graduates to inform pedagogical practice within a context of industry–university collaboration. Employers’ views of graduates as future leaders are explored through interviews, focus groups and a survey, with a regional sample of 146 managers. Findings show employers have different understandings and diverse expectations of leadership traits and generic competencies. Employers anticipate future graduates will need greater adaptability and flexibility for volatile business contexts; with some highlighting rule breaking that implies a buccaneer approach rather than responsible leadership. The dissonance between an academic aim to educate socially responsible, global citizens and industry demands potentially undermines the coherence of partnership. Consequently, this study casts doubt on implicit assumptions that practice-informed, industry–university, collaboration will deliver better leaders. The main implications are that educators need to clearly communicate to employers how university learning transfers into actual work practice, and for graduates to better articulate their broad capabilities. The research offers fresh insight into on educators’ responsibility to nurture critical thinking in graduates with the learning agility to question and responsibly navigate organisational rules. The study also contributes to the industry–university partnership debate by revealing the academic complexity of developing future leaders given the multiple lenses of practice-informed views.     

全球营销战略模型的检验指标创建及其应用

在继承国外学者有关全球营销战略的理论模型基础上，开发和创建了测度该模型的一整套指标体系，用以对60家全球型跨国公司（均为“财富全球500强”）在中国市场上实施的全球营销战略从内外部驱动力、战略表现和经营业绩方面进行相关性检验，对在华跨国公司全球营销战略的基本模式和运作特点作出评价，据此对中国企业参与全球竞争、发展跨国经营战略提出有针对性的管理建议     

Approximate solution of a profit maximization constrained virtual business planning problem

A virtual business problem is studied, in which a company-contractor outsources production to specialized subcontractors. Finances of the contractor and resource capacities of subcontractors are limited. The objective is to select subcontractors and distribute a part of the demanded production among them so that the profit of the contractor is maximized. A generalization of the knapsack problem, called Knapsack-of-Knapsacks (K-of-K), is used to model this situation, in which items have to be packed into small knapsacks and small knapsacks have to be packed into a large knapsack. A fully polynomial time approximation scheme is developed to solve the problem K-of-K.     

Value drivers of social businesses: A business model perspective

Hybrid organizational forms that combine commercial and welfare institutional logics play an increasingly important role in addressing the grand societal challenges we face today. Building on the literatures on hybrid organizations and social business models, we explore the characteristics of social businesses from a business model perspective. This study seeks to better understand the particularities and value drivers of hybrid social purpose in contrast to purely commercial business models. We follow a grounded theory approach and our findings are based on interview data from 17 social business firms. Building on social businesses' identified particularities, we propose four value drivers of social business models: 1) responsible efficiency, 2) impact complementarities, 3) shared values, and 4) integration novelties. We link our findings to the literature, contributing new insights into social businesses models and implications for practitioners.     

“造山”:以知识和学习为基础的企业的新逻辑

在知识经济时代经营的企业需有不同于以往任何时代的企业的新逻辑 .本文将这一新逻辑概括为以知识和学习为基础 ,并以地质史上的“造山运动”作比 ,对新企业观进行了全面框架性的研究 .新企业观的理论基础是知识与学习理论 ,新企业组织的典型模式是团队型组织 ,管理的实质在于通过知识的转化和联合获得能力提升 ,经营逻辑追求知识超越 ,从而全面回答了以知识和学习为基础的企业的主要特征     

营销能力对企业创新影响的正负效应——兼及对“Christensen悖论”的实证与解释

营销能力对企业创新具有何种影响是理论界存有争论的问题.营销学家认为具有正向影响;Christensen等认为具有负向影响.文章通过重新设计的研究模型和实证研究说明,营销能力对企业创新影响可能存在正向效应,也可能存在负向效应,这要由环境动荡性决定.根据所得结论,处于较低环境动荡性的企业,无论规模大小,只能不断提高营销能力和选择渐进式创新才能获得良好的创新绩效;而处于较高环境动荡性的企业,营销能力对创新会有双重影响效应,采用颠覆性创新是营销能力较弱的企业战胜大企业的一个有效策略.     

Improving the accuracy and operational predictability of project cost forecasts: an adaptive combination approach

Conducting an early warning forecast to detect potential cost overrun is essential for timely and effective decision-making in project control. This paper presents a forecast combination model that adaptively identifies the best forecast and optimises various combinations of commonly used project cost forecasting models. To do so, a forecast error simulator is formulated to visualise and quantify likely error profiles of forecast models and their combinations. The adaptive cost combination (ACC) model was applied to a pilot project for numerical illustration as well as to real world projects for practical implementation. The results provide three valuable insights into more effective project control and forecasting. First, the best forecasting model may change in individual projects according to the project progress and the management priority (i.e. accuracy, outperformance or large errors). Second, adaptive combination of simple, index-based forecasts tends to improve forecast accuracy, while mitigating the risk of large errors. Third, a post-mortem analysis of seven real projects indicated that the simple average of two most commonly used cost forecasts can be 31.2% more accurate, on average, than the most accurate alternative forecasts.