Mandated RFID and Institutional Responses: Cases of Decentralized Business Units

Using a theory‐building approach based on case studies, this research explores the responses of four decentralized business units to institutional pressure to adopt Radiofrequency Identification (RFID) technology. The institutional pressure emanates from the Department of Defense, and the affected decentralized business units operate in a large defense contractor. Institutional theory explains how organizations respond to external pressures to adopt new procedures, policies, and technologies. The case studies show how business units vary in their response to the RFID mandate and how different internal dynamics manifest. The responses range from complying faithfully, primarily concerned with satisfying the external constituent, to completely ignoring the mandate and focusing on internal efficiency initiative utilizing RFID. A number of propositions are developed to better understand the organizational responses to exogenous pressure to implement RFID. The paper concludes by proposing future research directions and issues that must be considered further.     

A Field Study of RFID Deployment and Return Expectations

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology promises to transform supply chain management. Building on previous research in information systems and supply chain management, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for RFID adoption and benefits, and tests the framework using data on u. s. firms. Our analysis suggests that there is a positive association between information technology (IT) application deployment and RFID adoption. We find that RFID implementation spending and partner mandate are associated with an expectation of early return on RFID investment, and a perceived lack of industry‐wide standards is associated with an expectation of delayed return on RFID investment. These results suggest that firms with broad IT application deployment and a critical mass of RFID implementation spending are more likely to report early returns from RFID deployments. This paper extends previous research to understand the relationship between organization characteristics and adoption and expected benefits of the emerging RFID technology.     

网络外部性、采购商策略与供应商采用RFID技术的决策

和条形码相比,RFID技术具有非常明显的优势,一些采购商正在宣传和推广RFID技术.以扩大应用该技术的供应商群体.但是由于成本、网络外部性等因素的影响,实际采用RFID技术的供应商并不多.供应商是否采用RFID技术的决策成为影响技术推广的关键因素.本文在两阶段模型中分析在竞争的市场条件下,分析面对不同时期和不同采用成本情况时,供应商采用RFID技术的行为.还将分析采购企业的命令式以及补贴式两种策略对供应商采用RFID技术的影响.     

以技术管理提升中小企业技术创新能力

随着经济社会发展和,当前形势下企业的技术创新环境和条件已发生了很大变化,根据文献资料并结合企业典型经验做法,从全面创新管理的视角,对中小企业技术管理提升技术创新能力的机制进行系统分析,以期为当前中小企业技术管理和创新提供参考,最后通过案例对比分析阐述了这种能力提升机制.     

Determinants of innovativeness in SMEs: disentangling core innovation and technology adoption capabilities

This paper studies innovativeness in SMEs from a set of innovation indicators at the firm level, capturing various types of innovation (product, process, organisational, and marketing innovations) and the level of innovativeness in these firm’s developments. The article identifies two separate dimensions in the innovativeness of Spanish SMEs, using factor analysis techniques. One dimension is associated with the capabilities for core/internal innovation and the other with the capabilities for the adoption of technology. The paper shows that significant differences exist in the personal and organisational factors that favour these two dimensions. The entrepreneur’s motivation, business planning, and cooperation in R&D activities constitute significant factors when considering the core dimension of a firechnology adoption. However, the use of external consultancy services seems to have no significant effect on the core dimension of the innovativeness of an SME, whereas it is a relevant factor for its technology adoption. Furthermore, it is shown that the entrepreneur’s education plays a more significant role in the core dimension of a firm’s innovativeness than in its capabilities for technology adoption. Depending on the policy objectives, these differences should lead to the application of specific policy approaches when an attempt to stimulate innovation in SMEs is made.     

Determinants and effects of formal target agreements: an empirical investigation of German firms

We investigate organizational determinants and performance effects of formal target agreements for employees based on the IAB establishment panel, a representative panel of German establishments. The results show that establishments with a high employee turnover rate, a large proportion of temporary workers, and a highly qualified workforce are significantly more likely to implement target agreements. Also, establishments with works councils installed are more likely to do so, controlling, among others, for firm size. Concerning organizational performance, we apply a first-difference and a fixed effects approach and find that establishments that implement target agreements achieve around 5 % higher total sales compared to firms that did not introduce this practice. Hence, organizations seem to benefit from the implementation of formal target agreements for employees.     

技术创新速度对新技术购买行为的影响 ———两代未来创新的情况

通过引入第二代未来创新更好地实现了将技术创新的购买看作一系列实物期权的思想. 讨论了实物期权价值以及触发现有创新购买、跨越或升级到未来创新的状态临界值的求解方 法,在假定现有创新和第一代未来创新均出现情况下给出了购买时机的概率模型. 数字释例表 明,虽然技术创新速度对购买行为的影响在仅有一代未来创新情况下呈现明显的非单调特征, 但对第二代未来创新的预期将显著削弱甚至消除创新速度影响中的非单调特征,从而为直观 分析特别是实证结果提供了更好的理论支持     

CEO goal orientations,environmental dynamism and organizational ambidexterity: An investigation in SMEs

Scholars have suggested that we need to further investigate the antecedents of ambidexterity at the top executive level. We develop a motivational perspective on organizational ambidexterity proposing that the different types of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) goal orientations (learning, approach and avoidance) may facilitate or hinder ambidexterity, and that these effects are conditioned by the level of environmental dynamism. Using a sample of 156 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we find a positive effect of CEO learning goal orientation on ambidexterity, which is strengthened as environmental dynamism increases. Further, we show that CEO approach goal orientation negatively affects organizational ambidexterity and this effect increases in highly dynamic environments. Finally, CEO avoidance goal orientation is negatively related to ambidexterity only when environmental dynamism is high. These results have important implications for our understanding of CEOs’ motivational characteristics in relation to ambidexterity under diverse environmental conditions.     

含学习效应技术采纳时间的优化模型及模拟

针对企业技术采纳时间决策的问题,考虑企业内部学习效应和外部技术演进对企业技术采纳时间的影响,并重点考虑学习效应因素,建立了一个含学习效应技术采纳时间的优化模型;给出了企业技术采纳最优时间的决策准则;分析了企业最优技术采纳时间与固定采纳成本、市场容量、学习效率、外部技术进步率和需求弹性等因素之间的关系;模型模拟验证了模型的有效性和采纳决策准则的合理性.     

基于RFID技术的供应链投资决策及协调策略研究

本文以单制造商和单零售商组成的两级供应链为研究对象,基于链上成员是否投资RFID技术,考虑四种情景:供应链成员均不投资RFID,仅零售商投资RFID,仅生产商投资RFID及供应链成员共同投资RFID。采用Newsvendor模型建立四种情景时链上成员的收益模型,得出Stackelberg均衡解和供应链成员的最优期望收益,探讨了RFID技术投资对各情景时链上成员收益的影响,得到了供应链成员共同投资RFID时的协调策略。研究表明:当RFID标签成本和零售商库存不准确率在相应的阈值内,零售商或制造商单独投资RFID技术均能提升自身收益,同时对链上其他成员的收益存在"正外部性";此外,收益共享契约能够有效地协调链上成员共同投资RFID技术后的供应链,并且该协调思想丰富并拓展了供应链投资RFID技术的协调研究。     

Strategic technology alliance termination: An empirical investigation

There is growing consensus that overall alliance termination rates are high. However, despite this track record of termination and despite unsurpassed growth rates of strategic technology alliances, little is known about the reasons for their termination. Typically strategic alliances have been characterized as inherently instable, i.e. often involving unplanned and premature termination of the alliance by partnering firms indicating alliance failure. The literature on strategic technology alliances, however, proposes that alliance termination does not always indicate failure, but can be intended and can be a sign of strength. We examine these different perceptions by using a sample of 48 strategic technology alliances in different high-technology industries. The findings in the paper confirm that the rates of termination are rather high for strategic technology alliances. Overall, we found that in particular negative prospects about future cooperation, negative perceptions about joint benefits and the lack of a win-win situation had an impact on the decision to terminate a strategic technology alliance. Also, the fact that some companies opt only for short-term (not for long-term and renewed) cooperation seems to introduce a negative factor into the longevity of strategic technology alliances.     

Determinants of voluntary assurance on sustainability reports: an empirical analysis

Driven by the ongoing discussion of corporate responsibility, growing numbers of companies have been publishing what have become known as sustainability reports. These reports have in part been subject to voluntary external assurance. Although the percentage of assured reports is significant, the market for this kind of assurance is still in an early stage of development. In this context the present article will ascertain the theoretical determining factors in the demand for voluntary external assurance and subject these in relation to the markets in Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain to empirical analysis. In the context of the development of hypotheses shaped by agency theory, the constructs of agency costs and signalling can be distinguished. Variables measuring these constructs will be examined. It can be shown that the type and scope of the reporting (i.e., the choice of the Global Reporting Initiative ‘application level’), the existence of a sustainability department, and the size of the company are associated with the demand for voluntary assurance. Additional control variables are examined. Here it appears that the demand for external assurance is highest in Great Britain. Finally, research opportunities in this field will be indicated and recent normative developments briefly sketched.     

Purchasing performance management systems: an empirical investigation

This article aims at further developing the purchasing performance management systems (PPMSs) body of knowledge, assuming the wider perspective of the adoption process rather than key performance indicators (KPIs) only. In particular, the research questions are focused on understanding what are the most adopted indicators, what are the key elements characterising the implementation process and what are the differences among different organisational levels and different purchasing categories. The literature provides a framework for classifying purchasing KPIs, identifying the implementation process and the PPMS architecture, thus supporting the empirical research protocol. Nine case studies of large multinationals belonging to different industries are conducted. Empirical evidence shows that companies are still adopting mainly an external perspective, by focusing on performance measurement efforts on suppliers. Widely adopted indicators mainly measure cost, time and quality. However, the purchasing department has acquired an important role within the organisation and new performance indicators have been created; flexibility, innovation and sustainability are becoming increasingly important.     

Offshoring practices of Danish and Swedish SMEs: effects on operations configuration

This paper examines how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) configure their operations on the global scale and how this affects their home bases in terms of operations requirements and priorities. In order to relate SMEs’ offshoring initiatives with their operations configuration attributes, we draw on the operations networks literature and survey responses from 675 Danish and 410 Swedish companies. On the basis of the survey results, we find that although the SMEs are less experienced and less advanced in their offshoring ventures than large companies, they are building dispersed operations networks. Although still in their infancy, these networks are, as expected, creating new demands for their home bases in terms of demands for formalisation of work processes, systems development and managerial capability related to orchestrating operations across national borders, but more fundamentally, it also challenges the strategic foundations of the home base. Based on these observations, we discuss future global operations management challenges, practices and priorities of SMEs.     

基于RFID技术的双供应链投资决策研究

本文考虑零售商主导的分别由一个供应商和一个零售商组成的两条竞争型供应链中,当两个供应商都未投资RFID技术、只有一个供应商投资RFID技术以及两个供应商同时投资RFID技术时,考虑供应商成本结构的差异,对比分析供应链的投资决策。由于模型解析解过于复杂,本文通过算例分析,着重考虑产品的替代率、RFID标签价格以及库存可获得率三个因素对供应链成员利润的影响。结果表明两条供应链对RFID技术的投资决策会因成本结构和产品替代率的不同而发生变化,其中在两个供应商生产成本差异较大且产品竞争强度较低时,生产成本较高的供应商更愿意投资RFID技术,而生产成本较低的供应商不愿意投资RFID技术,两个零售商则希望使用RFID技术,所以此时仅会有一条供应链上的成员达成一致,决定投资使用RFID技术。     

Additive manufacturing technology adoption: an empirical analysis of general and supply chain-related determinants

Despite experiencing immense growth in the past decade, additive manufacturing (AM) technologies—colloquially known as 3D-printing—are still rarely used in industrial fabrication. Being at the interface between technology, innovation, behavioral science and operations management research, this paper identifies multifaceted factors that determine the decision to adopt AM technologies for the production of industrial parts. A review of the relevant literature revealed eight potential factors. These can be classified into four interdisciplinary categories: technology-related factors, firm-related-factors, market structure-related factors, and supply chain-related factors. Special focus is placed on the impact of supply chain-related issues, because there are indicatives that these aspects have an influence on the decision to adopt AM technologies since AM may offer distinct opportunities for both, the supply- and demand-side of a firm’s operations. No work in the field of manufacturing technology adoption has examined the role of such inter-organizational factors before. The results of an empirical study among 195 firms indicate that demand-side benefits and compatibility are the main determinants of AM technology adoption. This suggests that not only intra- but also inter-organizational factors should be considered when investigating the adoption of technological innovations. Furthermore, it is carved out that the adoption of AM technologies has an interdisciplinary nature.     

中小企业债权治理评价与成长性研究——来自中国中小上市公司的经验证据

债权治理处于公司治理体系的内核,债权治理评价是公司治理系列评价的重要受体。本文在对国内外文献进行评述的基础上,构建中国中小上市公司债权治理评价指数,并籍此从偿债能力、债务融资、资产期限、债务期限四个纬度对205家中小上市公司样本的治理状况进行分析评价,并从不同企业特征因素的视角,对债权治理状况进行分组研究。同时,匹配中小上市公司成长性评价体系,对两类指数进行综合相关性和回归研究。结果显示债权治理总体状况偏低,不同所有制下有较大差异,债权治理与公司成长性呈倒U型关系。高偿债、低债务融资均不利于公司成长,债务期限和资产期限结构的不平衡使其对成长性影响不显著。公司规模、公司质量和实际所得税率是影响债权治理水平和公司成长性的重要特征因素。     

A process-oriented perspective on differential business value creation by information technology: An empirical investigation

The relationship between information technology investments and firm value as an area of inquiry has sustained interest among IS researchers over the past decade. More recently, some have challenged the notion differential value among firms through Information Technology (IT) as it evolves into a ubiquitous utility-like set of technologies. This study examines the relationship between IT and business value from a process-oriented perspective, and also helps to identify the underlying links between IT and its differential business value to firms. By drawing upon economic and organizational theories, this paper develops a process framework to assess the intermediate organizational process capabilities and overall performance of firms that effectively deploy and use IT. Using data from over 80 firms, the study finds empirical support for the differential business value created by IT along a number of process oriented dimensions. These findings are discussed as these results set an optimistic tone for IT as a major causal driver of differentiation.     

Organizational context, climate and innovativeness: adoption of imaging technology

Managers make decisions to adopt technological innovations within an organizational context. This research explores the role of organizational climate as it affects the impacts of organizational context on innovativeness. Context refers here to organizational size, slack resources, and organizational age. We analyze three known climate dimensions as moderator variables: risk orientation, external orientation, and achievement orientation. Data describe the adoption of medical imaging technologies by 70 hospitals. Climate measures come from several technology decision-makers within each organization. Technology measures of radicalness and relative advantage are ratings by five outside experts in the use of these 68 technologies. The study also includes the traditional measure that counts the overall number of innovations adopted. Innovativeness is a multi-dimensional composite variable composed of radicalness, relative advantage, and number of innovations adopted. As expected, results show that organizational size and slack are positively related with innovativeness. Hierarchical regression analyses indicate that the climate measures of risk orientation and external orientation interact significantly with the context dimensions of organizational size and organizational age. The model developed and tested in this project explains over 50% of the total variance in innovativeness.     

Integrating sustainable supply chain practices with operational performance: an exploratory study of Chinese SMEs

Abstract

With growing regulatory and market pressure to implement green practices, SMEs are facing enormous challenges to simultaneously improve operational and green performances of their supply chains. The paper aims to understand the green practices adopted by Chinese SMEs in the packaging sector in order to assess the impact of these practices in improving the operational performance. Case study-based research methodology is adopted and semi-structured interviews are conducted to collect data from seven SMEs in this study. Both in-case and cross-case analyses are performed to understand the green practices being adopted with the focus on improving the operational performance. The findings of this study indicate that although most SMEs understand the importance of green practices, they have limited knowledge to integrate these practices to improve operational performance. Integration and alignment of green activities with the operational improvement measures are identified as critical factors to develop an efficient green supply chain.