Shared service center research: A review of the past,present, and future

More than 75% of Fortune 500 companies have established models of shared services with the aim of gaining superior performance by cost savings and service enhancements. Despite scholars' complaints about scant shared service center (SSC) research, this study shows that the actual shortcoming in this stream concerns a high fragmentation of the academic literature (e.g., we found 137 works in the initial search and 83 works in a refined screen). In this first comprehensive literature review, we synthesize peer-reviewed articles and classify them into 4 perspectives according to their research questions (i.e., determinant, process, control, and outcome). We identify 17 major research areas across these perspectives. Additionally, we provide information on methodologies and theories. On the basis of the literature synthesis, we discuss opportunities and gaps and propose an agenda for future research. Specifically, we suggest 3 potential research directions (i.e., direct relationships, mediating, and outcome effects) regarding SSCs during their operational maturity phase.     

An attention-based view of short-termism: The effects of organizational structure

Debates about short-termism in business tend to center around the role of shareholder pressures and managers’ incentives, while the role of organizational structure remains understudied. In our paper, we adopt an attention-based lens to elucidate the role of organizational structure in directing the attention of management towards pressures for short-term results at the expense of the long term. Specifically, we argue that greater scale of operations, hierarchy, bureaucracy, and workforce flexibility reduce slack resources available to senior managers and increase the complexity of information presented to them in different ways. As a result, the senior managers shift their attention to short-term pressures, which are more easily understood, at the expense of attention for long-term considerations. Analysis based on a survey of senior managers in 3221 private firms in the Netherlands provides support for our arguments.     

基于系统观的资源型城市经济转型初探

初步分析了资源型城市经济转型系统和基于系统观的经济转型思路,并指出进一步的研究方向。认为资源型城市经济转型是一个系统而繁杂的工程,受到宏观环境、区域经济状况、政府、企业、公众、城市能力及产业系统状况等因素的影响,资源型城市经济转型系统包括支撑力系统、牵引力系统、推力系统及压力系统,要用系统观的思想设计与实施资源型城市经济转型方案。     

网络嵌入性视角下基于知识的动态能力构建机制

基于知识的动态能力、网络嵌入性以及创新绩效之间的影响关系,本研究利用探索性案例的方法证实了多样性、信任、共同解决问题和承诺等不同网络嵌入属性分别对知识获取能力和知识整合能力具有显著的正向影响,证实了知识整合能力对创新绩效具有关键性的正向影响,从而建立了网络嵌入性——动态能力——创新绩效的理论框架,进一步打开了网络嵌入性作用机制的黑箱,为网络环境中的动态能力及创新研究的深入开展创造了条件。     

我国上市公司女性高管对企业并购绩效的影响研究

并购作为企业追求规模效益、提高经济效率、合理配置资源的有效战略,在经济转型期日益频繁地被企业采用。企业高管承担着制订和实施企业并购战略的使命,与企业并购行为能否提升其绩效有着紧密的联系。近几年来,大量女性开始进入企业高管团队,在企业管理团队中发挥着重要作用。本文以207家中国A股上市企业为样本,分析了女性高管对企业并购绩效的影响。研究结果显示女性高管比例以及女性高管在其他单位兼职均与企业并购绩效之间存在着正相关关系,能够显著提高企业并购绩效。本研究对企业高管团队的配置和建设具有一定的启示作用,为企业并购提供理论指导,进一步拓宽了现有高层管理团队的研究范围,对政府制定有关促进女性发展政策提供参考,同时也希望借此研究打破无形"玻璃天花板"阻碍,为女性高管的发展提供帮助。     

Green supply management and performance: a resource-based view

Abstract

This study develops and empirically tests, from the resource-based perspective, a conceptual framework linking green supply management and performance. The proposed model is tested using data from a sample of 126 automotive manufactures in China. The results suggest that both green purchasing personnel and green supplier selection have a significant positive effect on green supplier collaboration, and that building green collaboration with suppliers is significantly and positively related to both environmental and operational performance. Accordingly, knowledge and skill development of the purchasing function can be recognised as an important resource in building green supply capabilities and performance.     

How Governance Misalignment and Outsourcing Capability Impact Performance

Notwithstanding the popularity of outsourcing as a business strategy, the performance benefits realized through outsourcing efforts are observed to be mixed in practice. This leads to important unresolved questions regarding why some firms are able to derive substantial value from their outsourcing initiatives while other firms are left disappointed. This study joins an emerging literature integrating transaction cost economics and capabilities‐based perspectives to develop a deeper understanding of the drivers of outsourcing performance. I develop a theoretical model that examines the independent and joint influence of governance misalignment (i.e., deviation from transaction cost's predicted mode of governance) and a firm's outsourcing capability on the performance of outsourced processes. I test the theoretical model using a dataset of 172 outsourced and 156 in‐house processes. The finding that governance misalignment corresponds to inferior process performance supports transaction cost's discriminating alignment hypothesis. Interestingly, I also find that a retained technical expertise (TE) and outsourcing knowledge management routines (OKMR; both contributors to a firm's outsourcing capability) positively influence outsourcing performance both directly and via their relationship with governance misalignment. While a retained technical expertise and outsourcing knowledge management routines each positively influence outsourcing performance, they do so in distinctive ways. These findings have important managerial implications and make a significant theoretical contribution. Specifically, this study demonstrates that the notion of a governance misalignment is firm‐specific, conditional on the governance capabilities of the organization. This insight underscores the value of integrating transaction cost logic with capabilities‐based perspectives.     

从中国管理实践的情境中发展理论——基于整合的观点

随着中国经济的快速发展,围绕中国企业的管理研究成为近年来国际研究的热点,但如何建立和发展符合中国企业实际的管理理论是目前海内外学者面临的一个重要问题。在分析当前中国管理理论发展研究现状的基础上,提出了将中国实际与主流管理理论相整合的理论发展观,并在此基础上对未来理论研究的方向进行了展望。     

The risk implications of diversification: Integrating the effects of product and geographic diversification

The risk implications of product diversification have received considerable attention from scholars. However, our understanding of the effects of geographic diversification on risk is more limited. Relying on resource-based theory to frame our arguments, we argue that despite some similarities, the two types of diversification have differing effects on firm risk. We first establish the risk reducing effects for product diversification. We then integrate the unique aspects of geographic diversification that serve as a boundary condition to the RBV perspective, arguing for the risk increasing effects of geographic diversification. Finally, since many firms pursue both forms of diversification simultaneously, we explore the joint effects of both product and geographic diversification. We test our hypotheses in a longitudinal model on a sample of S&P 500 firms. Our findings suggest that total product diversification, as well as related diversification reduce risk, while total geographic diversification increases risk. Furthermore, our data provide evidence of a complex combination of joint effects of these two forms of diversification. These findings offer a more complete understanding of the risk effects of corporate diversification.     

Does managerial ability influence the quality of financial reporting?

The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of managerial ability on the quality of their financial reporting. Using a large bank sample from nine different countries and for the time period 2004–2010, we expect that bank earnings quality and accounting conservatism increase with more able managers that disclose more accurate earnings and who report higher information about banks’ future earnings and cash flows.The results confirm that managerial abilities play a significant role in the quality of financial reporting in banks, and that capable bank managers are less likely to manage earnings opportunistically. This study is timely and relevant given the recent emphasis on earnings quality of banks over the last few years, and the criticisms of managerial abilities after the financial crisis. The evidence from this study can help standard-setters and regulators to better understand the business practices and accounting behavior of banks in the light of managerial abilities.     

The role of guanxi in buyer–supplier relationships in Chinese small- and medium-sized enterprises – a resource-based perspective

This paper examines the role of guanxi (personal relationships or connections) in buyer–supplier relationships in Chinese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), through exploratory research that gained access to companies actually using guanxi. The resource-based view provided a systematic approach for analysing the role of guanxi in terms of its potential to be a source of sustained competitive advantage. Business guanxi connections were identified as possessing the potential to be considered an organisational resource. This study identified several valuable attributes of guanxi at the organisational level. However, the guanxi-based advantage can only be sustained under certain conditions. SMEs should create an organisational environment that encourages their employees to actively establish and maintain guanxi connections within the company and beyond. However, companies in China need to recognise that firms that possess superior technological skills or capabilities have a stronger bargaining power, as they are able to deliver quality at competitive prices over the long run.     

大数据中的管理问题: 基于大数据的资源观

作为重要的战略资源,大数据中包含诸多关键的管理问题． 文章首先评述了基于不同视角对大数据的认识． 然后,从管理的视角看大数据,指出大数据是一类重要的战略性信息资源,并从复杂性、决策有用性、高速增长性、价值稀疏性、可重复开采性和功能多样性等6 个方面探究了大数据资源的管理特征． 最后,提炼并探讨了大数据资源的获取问题、加工问题、应用问题、产权问题、产业问题和法规问题等6 个方面的关键管理问题     

Managing value appropriation in buyer–supplier relationships: The role of commercial decision resources

The resource-based view explains firms’ value appropriation in buyer–supplier relationships by pointing to sustained differences in economic efficiency across firms. Firms with more efficient resources create more value than competitors, which in turn provides a “protective cushion” against competition. However, just as firms may differ in the economic efficiency of their resources and in the value they create, they may also differ in their information processing and how successful they are at value appropriation. Building on the literature on decision-making under uncertainty in psychology, I argue that firms may increase their value appropriation in exchange relationships by investing in commercial decision resources that allow for more effective information processing in commercial decisions. Examples of commercial decision resources include IT-based systems for product costing and tracking customers/competitors, the design of commercial organization, control systems, and commercial experience and skill.     

技术资产与配置能力的绩效影响研究:基于中国新兴企业的实证分析

本文旨在研究企业资源与绩效之间的关系。我们把企业资源分为两种类型:主要资源和辅助资源。主要资源包括技术资产和配置能力,直接对企业的竞争优势产生影响;辅助资源包括内部人力资本、企业间合作和管理愿景,辅助资源对主要资源的形成产生影响。通过对548家中国新兴企业的实证研究,结果表明技术资产与配置能力都能显著地增强企业的绩效,而且技术资产多的企业倾向于拥有较高的配置能力。另外,绝大部分的辅助资源对技术资产和配置能力的形成产生显著的积极作用。     

大数据中的管理问题:基于大数据的资源观

作为重要的战略资源,大数据中包含诸多关键的管理问题.文章首先评述了基于不同视角对大数据的认识.然后,从管理的视角看大数据,指出大数据是一类重要的战略性信息资源,并从复杂性、决策有用性、高速增长性、价值稀疏性、可重复开采性和功能多样性等6个方面探究了大数据资源的管理特征.最后,提炼并探讨了大数据资源的获取问题、加工问题、应用问题、产权问题、产业问题和法规问题等6个方面的关键管理问题.     

高新技术企业创业能力、创新类型与融资方式关系研究

创新是企业实现竞争优势的主要方式,而企业创业能力和资本来源是实现创新的保障。本文利用我国164例中小型高新技术企业,检验创业能力、创新类型和融资方式之间的关系。结果表明,机会能力与突破性创新、风险资本融资程度呈正向关系,而运作能力与渐进性创新、债务融资程度呈正向关系,突破性创新方式与风险资本融资程度呈正向关系,与债务融资程度呈负向关系,而渐进性创新与债务融资程度呈正向关系,与风险资本融资呈负向影响关系。     

A resource-based view on SMEs regarding the transition to more sophisticated stages of industry 4.0

The integration of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the concept Industry 4.0 represents one of its main challenges, as they play a vital part in industrial value chains that shall be digitized from suppliers to the end customer. However, what the implementation stages for Industry 4.0 in SMEs should be as well as the respective resources for achieving the next stage are scarcely understood. In response, this paper proposes a framework using a resource-based review for Industry 4.0 implementation according to the stage of development in SMEs, created between researchers, policy makers, and 354 manufacturing SMEs in the province of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain). The paper applies a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative (interviews) and quantitative elements (survey data). The results are used to develop a model with four stages of SMEs that are characterized by having distinct preconditions and conditions for Industry 4.0. Thereupon, the required measures to achieve the next stage of Industry 4.0 implementation are derived. This highlights Industry 4.0 for SMEs as a process with different stages toward achieving sustainable competitive advantage and offering insight into how the different resources operate. The high importance and advanced position regarding industrial value creation and SMEs in Gipuzkoa allows to generalize and transfer the findings to other European regions.     

新制度主义对战略管理的理论意义

新制度主义导致对战略管理研究的主导逻辑和范式的重大修正,对此予以理论探讨。基于新制度主义理论与战略管理理论的内在联系,旨在探索基于新制度主义的战略管理理论的新思维、新范式。新制度主义导致对战略管理主导逻辑的超越,包括合法性机制、组织场域和制度化。整合制度基础观与管理认知观,以此提出管理认知的制度特性和中介作用,探讨战略管理研究基于新制度主义的新范式。进而探讨在中国情景下,新制度主义理论如何应用于企业战略管理研究。     

Cognitive antecedents of business models: Exploring the link between attention and business model design over time

A firm's ability to conceive performance-enhancing business models (BMs) has become a cornerstone of competitive advantage. There is consensus that external triggers spur such BM change, but the literature has remained silent on the role of internal and cognitive antecedents such as managerial attention. In our inductive case study of four corporate spin-offs, we find that top management teams (TMTs) with a specific set of attention patterns are more likely to develop performance-enhancing BM designs. However, our findings provide evidence that specific attention foci are not sufficient to enhance particular BM designs, as it is also a matter of the intensity of attention. We further find that, over time, TMTs attention patterns shift and cause changes in BM designs. The emergent theoretical framework highlights that attention is an antecedent in explaining BM designs.