A comparative innovation study of China, Japan and Taiwan

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H.A. Johnson ◽  
Michael Chuang
Keyword(s):  
Mainland China ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Historical Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Cultural Proximity ◽  
Indigenous Innovation ◽  
Successful Innovation ◽  
China Today ◽  
Innovation Indicators

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the two (arguably) most successful innovation‐based Asian economies with Mainland China (later referred to simply as China) in order to examine where China stands in terms of country‐level indicators of proactive innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilizes a historical case‐based analysis of the education systems of each of the economies of interest to explore the different paths towards higher education for each economy. Data were gathered from existing databases to obtain measures on a number of country‐level indicators of proactive innovation. These indicators measure the innovation, education and economic situations of the three economies.FindingsIt was found that the Taiwanese experience towards proactive innovation lies in between China and Japan in terms of progress on the innovation indicators. While the numbers for China's growth in education and areas of science and technology are staggering there is some evidence that the quality of the output needs improvement. Further research on Taiwanese‐based innovation efforts would help in this regard.Originality/valueGiven the push towards indigenous innovation in China today, benchmarking against competitive innovation‐based economies is important. The two economies chosen are not only Asian‐based but also well‐known for high‐quality innovation outcomes. As such, they represent excellent benchmark examples from which China may learn much about developing a proactive national innovation system. China would benefit from using Taiwan as an example of successful innovation at a regional level, given the cultural proximity and trajectory of the innovation‐based indicators.

scholarly journals Corporate debt maturity and economic development

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 669-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia Álvarez-Botas ◽  
Víctor M. González-Méndez
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Debt Maturity ◽  
Corporate Debt ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Bank Concentration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of economic development on the influence of country-level determinants on corporate debt maturity, bearing in mind firm size and the period of financial crisis. Design/methodology/approach The authors employ panel data estimation with fixed effects to examine the role of economic development in influencing the relationship between country-level determinants on corporate debt maturity. The paper uses a sample of 30,727 listed firms, belonging to 39 countries, over the period 2005–2012. Findings Corporate debt maturity increases with the efficiency of the legal system and bank concentration and decreases with the weight of banks in the economy. However, the importance of these country determinants is greater in developing than in developed countries. The authors also show that firm size in developed and developing countries influences country determinants of corporate debt maturity. Finally, the results reveal that the financial crisis has affected the debt maturity of firms differently in developed and developing countries, with the effect of bank concentration lengthening debt maturity, this effect being more pronounced in developing countries. Practical implications The findings provide useful insights to guide policy decisions providing access to long-term financing, as corporate debt maturity depends on economic development, institutional environment, banking structure and firm size. Originality/value This study incorporates economic development in explaining the relationship between country-level determinants and corporate debt maturity.

Social capital and national innovation system: a cross-country analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepehr Ghazinoory ◽  
Ali Bitaab ◽  
Ardeshir Lohrasbi
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
National Level ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose – In the last two decades, researchers have paid much attention to the role of cultural values on economic and social development. In particular, the crucial role of different aspects of culture on the development of innovation has been stressed in the literature. Consequently, it is vital to understand how social capital, as a core cultural value, affects the innovation process and the innovative performance at the national level. However, to date, the impact of different dimensions of social capital and innovation has not been properly portrayed or explained. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of four different dimensions of social capital (institutional and interpersonal, associational life and norms) on two of the main functions of national innovation system (NIS) (entrepreneurship and knowledge creation) based on over 50,000 observations in 34 countries. Design/methodology/approach – In this regard, national-level data from the World Values Survey database was employed to quantify social capital. Entrepreneurship is, in turn, assumed to consist of three sub-indexes and 14 indicators based on the Global Entrepreneurship Index. Knowledge creation is also measured through US Patent Office applications. Also, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling approach were used to build the measurement model and investigate the impact that each factor of social capital had on entrepreneurship and knowledge application, respectively. Measurement and structural models were built and their reliability and validity were tested using various fit indices. Research findings suggest the strong positive effect of institutional trust and networking on entrepreneurship. Also, interpersonal trust and networks were shown to have high influence on knowledge development at the national level. Norms appear to have naïve to medium negative effects on both functions. Findings – Research findings suggest the strong positive effect of institutional trust and networking on entrepreneurship. Also, interpersonal trust and networks were shown to have high influence on knowledge development at the national level. Norms appear to have naïve to medium negative effects on both functions. Originality/value – However, to date, the impact of different dimensions of social capital and innovation has not been properly portrayed or explained.

From Asia to Africa: the international expansion of Hon Chuan enterprise

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Caleb Huanyong Chen ◽  
Allan KK Chan
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
International Business ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
International Expansion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Customer ◽  
Beverage Packaging

Subject area International Expansion; Emerging Markets; Corporate Strategy; Strategic Management. Study level/applicability Senior undergraduate; MBA; EMBA. Case overview This case focuses on the international expansion of Hon Chuan Enterprise, a beverage packaging and filling company headquartered in Taiwan. The company has set foot in Africa after its development in mainland China and Southeast Asia. Its 41st factory has just started production in Mozambique, Africa. The African base may help the company reach the turnover milestone of NT$20bn (approximately US$640m) in the next year. This NT$20bn turnover has been a target every year since 2013, but they have so far failed to reach it. As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in beverage packaging and filling, Hon Chuan to some extent relies on customers that own brands. After losing a key customer in mainland China, the company has experienced a three-year slump that forced the company’s president, Hish-Chung Tsao, to modify his strategy. Africa was the new battlefield bearing his ambition. His intention was not just to add another manufacturing base, but to develop its own beverage brands as an OBM. Yet, how could this be achieved in Africa? It would be a new journey full of challenges. Africa was more complex than other markets. The company’s first factory there had just been established, and its future was still unknown. Expected learning outcomes This case is appropriate for courses in international business, emerging markets, corporate strategy and marketing management. After studying the case, students should be able to understand international expansion of a manufacturing company in emerging markets; understand several key emerging markets of the world and learn what CAGE distances are; identify Hon Chuan’s success factors, challenges and necessary capabilities for future development and then comprehend why it is important to upgrade from OEM to OBM; and learn how to develop beverage brands in emerging markets. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 5: International Business.

Disharmony in New Harmony: insights from the narcissistic leadership of Robert Owen

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Humphreys ◽  
Milorad M. Novicevic ◽  
Mario Hayek ◽  
Jane Whitney Gibson ◽  
Stephanie S. Pane Haden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Historical Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Process Framework ◽  
Paradigmatic Analysis ◽  
New Harmony ◽  
History Approach

Purpose The purpose of this study is to narratively explore the influence of leader narcissism on leader/follower social exchange. Moreover, while researchers acknowledge that narcissistic personality is a dimensional construct, the preponderance of extant literature approaches the concept of narcissistic leadership categorically by focusing on the reactive or constructive narcissistic extremes. This bimodal emphasis ignores self-deceptive forms of narcissistic leadership, where vision orientation and communication could differ from leaders with more reactive or constructive narcissistic personalities. Design/methodology/approach The authors argue that they encountered a compelling example of a communal, self-deceiving narcissist during archival research of Robert Owen’s collective experiment at New Harmony, Indiana. To explore Owen’s narcissistic leadership, they utilize an analytically structured history approach to interpret his leadership, as he conveyed his vision of social reform in America. Findings Approaching data from a ‘history to theory’ perspective and via a communicative lens, the authors use insights from their abductive analysis to advance a cross-paradigm, communication-centered process model of narcissistic leadership that accounts for the full dimensional nature of leader narcissism and the relational aspects of narcissistic leadership. Research limitations/implications Scholars maintaining a positivist stance might consider this method a limitation, as historical case-based research places greater emphasis on reflexivity than replication. However, from a constructionist perspective, a focus on generalization might be considered inappropriate or premature, potentially hampering the revelation of insights. Originality/value Through a multi-paradigmatic analysis of the historical case of Robert Owen and his visionary communal experiment at New Harmony, the authors contribute to the extant literature by elaborating a comprehensive, dimensional and relational process framework of narcissistic leadership. In doing so, the authors have heeded calls to better delineate leader narcissism, embrace process and relational aspects of leadership and consider leader communication as constitutive of leadership.

The many faces of suzhi in the Chinese organization and society

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Upton-McLaughlin
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chinese Society ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mainland Chinese ◽  
Foreign Companies ◽  
Expatriate Managers ◽  
The Many ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to explore the Chinese concept of suzhi and how it relates to behavioral standards within mainland Chinese society and the workplace. The article provides a general discussion of suzhi and its inherent elements to act as a foundation for the education of expatriate managers and executives and for future research by Chinese human resource management (HRM) scholars. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the author's first-hand experience and observations from five years of living and working abroad in mainland China with Chinese companies and executives. Findings – The concept of suzhi in China is a reflection of multiple behavioral standards throughout China. And while suzhi's roots are in ancient Chinese culture and Confucianism, it is also subject to influence and change. Practical implications – The paper may serve as a foundation both for expatriate managers seeking to improve HRM practices in foreign companies in China and future scholars who wish to conduct further research on suzhi and Chinese behavioral standards as they can be applied to the workplace. Originality/value – This is an attempt to enlighten expatriate managers and executives in China on the concept of suzhi and its implication for HRM in China.

Chinese restaurant employees’ perceptions of their nationals abroad: a comparative study

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar Moufakkir ◽  
Yvette Reisinger
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Cultural Distance ◽  
Third Space ◽  
Service Encounter ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chinese Restaurant ◽  
Cultural Proximity ◽  
Restaurant Employees ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Service Gap

Purpose This study aims to further an understanding of hospitality employees’ perceptions of their customers in the context of service encounter by utilizing the concepts of contact hypothesis and cultural distance in a multi-ethnic environment. The study compares perceptions of Chinese immigrants working in restaurants of their British patrons (from a remote culture) and Chinese patrons (from a proximate culture). The service encounter takes place in the London Chinatown. The dynamics of Chinatown as a “third space” adds complexity to service encounter and employee perceptions. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 118 Chinese restaurant employees in the Soho area of the London Chinatown. Perception questions were based on interviews undertaken in an earlier phase of the research. A paired t-test was run to identify significant differences in the Chinese restaurant employees’ perceptions of the Chinese and British patrons. Discriminant analysis was performed to determine which perception variables discriminated the most between the two patron groups. Findings Despite cultural proximity, the perceptions held by Chinese restaurant employees of their nationals were negative compared to the perceptions of British patrons. Out of 16, in 15 areas of measurement, there were significant differences in the Chinese restaurant employees’ perceptions’ of their Chinese and British guests. Six variables that discriminated the most between the two groups of guests were no tips, not polite, loud, no compliment, messy and demanding. Research limitations/implications Research in ethnic and minority quarters, such as Chinatown in London, may suffer from “recall bias”, or in this case from making the difference between customer groups. Also, the Chinese are not a homogeneous group. For example, despite cultural similarity with mainstream culture, cultural and behavioral characteristics may exist between residents from the South, North and Hong Kong. Practical implications The cultural diversity of the industry’s employees necessitates managing cultural diversity effectively, especially in the sectors that rely heavily on guest–employee interaction. Perceptions affect attitudes and behavior. Training programs about perception and its roots may bridge the service gap in high-contact service encounters. Originality/value This study provides a ground for future empirical research into understanding the immigrant employees’ perceptions of their guests, nationals versus non-nationals and the ways for improving these perceptions. Taking the example of Chinatown as a dynamic “third space” is another approach to understanding the effects of “ethnoscape” on encounters in a more globalized village.

Intergenerational hybrid products in periods of discontinuous change

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilian Gatti Junior ◽  
Alceu Salles Camargo Junior ◽  
Paul Varella
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Discontinuous Change ◽  
Historical Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Hybrid Products ◽  
Organizational Inertia

PurposeThis study examines the role of hybrid products employed in companies' innovation strategy within three American industrial sectors: tires, typewriters and photography cameras.Design/methodology/approachThe authors selected historical cases that enabled us to present the role of hybrid products in periods of discontinuous change. Different sources are employed in this study: papers, books, cases, working papers, videos, manuals and product catalogues, companies' annual reports, company websites, advertising, collectors' websites and museums, in addition to press and other media reports.FindingsThe authors’ historical case analysis points to two forms of hybrid products. (1) Exploitation-hybrid, which incorporates significant elements from the existing dominant design and aims at extending the revenue-generating opportunities of the existing products. (2) Exploration-hybrid, which works as an offensive strategy, as the firm uses the exploration-hybrid to promote a gradual and controlled adoption of new technology by reducing risks and the cost of change for the customer.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ proposed definitions strengthen the idea that hybrids are not only a reflection of organizational inertia (exploitation-hybrid). Hybrids can also mean a more proactive stance in the strategy of developing and adopting new technology (exploration-hybrid).Originality/valueThis study acknowledged hybrid products as a learning instrument that materialized the organizational ambidexterity, favoring at the same time exploitation, generally attributed to organizational inertia, and the exploration of new segments of customers or the use of new technologies.

Dependence, trust, and 3PL integration: an empirical study in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 927-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baofeng Huo ◽  
Chen Liu ◽  
Haozhe Chen ◽  
Xiande Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Performance Model ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Process Coordination ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate relationships among dependence, trust, and integration in the Chinese 3PL context. 3PL integration is manifested in two key dimensions: information sharing and process coordination. Design/methodology/approach This study develops a dependence-trust-3PL integration-performance model and tests it using structural equation modeling with survey data collected from 361 companies in the Greater China area (i.e. mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). Findings The results show that switch dependence is indirectly related to information sharing and process coordination through goodwill trust, while goal dependence has direct links with both integrative behaviors. The authors also found that only goodwill trust mediates the relationship between dependence and integrative behaviors, while ability trust does not mediate any relationships. Finally, the analysis validated the direct link between process coordination and financial performance, but did not find a significant link between information sharing and financial performance. Originality/value Different from most previous studies on similar topics, this study examines the impacts of different types of dependence and trust on different 3PL integration dimensions. As a result, the findings are more specific and have direct relevance to effective 3PL relationship management in China.

Validation of organizational innovation as a creative learning process

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 643-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishant Kumar ◽  
Ali Yakhlef ◽  
Fredrik Nordin
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Organizational Legitimacy ◽  
Management Innovation ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Validation Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creative Learning ◽  
Successful Innovation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Previous studies on innovation tend to view innovation as consisting of a creative phase of novel and useful ideas, and a non-creative, or at least a less creative phase, as this considered to be the mere implementation and validation of the initially created ideas. In contrast, this paper aims to stress on the significance of the process of validating a new idea as being a creative, learning, exploratory process that shapes the degree of novelty of the innovation as a whole. Design/methodology/approach In driving this argument, this study deductively builds on a theoretical pre-understanding derived from extant literature related to management innovation and organizational legitimacy, and inductively draws on information gleaned from three in-depth case studies. Findings The study shows that the validation phase in the innovation process is a creative process, rather than just being a set of activities that relate to the mere execution of the created ideas. Viewing the validation process as an exploratory search for new knowledge, this study establishes a relationship between the form of knowledge mobilized, vertically within an organization or horizontally from outside, and the form of legitimation required. Validation based on internally generated knowledge is effective in terms of achieving pragmatic (efficiency-driven) objectives. Inter-organizational knowledge inflows are associated with cognitive legitimacy – a form of legitimacy that leads to changes in the stakeholders’ beliefs about a the product. In contradistinction, horizontal, socio–cultural inflows of knowledge are likely to improve on the product itself, thereby generating more traction for validation. Research limitations/implications This research is based on data collected from three firms only. Practical implications The idea developed here can provide business organizations a better understanding of the validation process of management innovations. This study suggests that successful innovation often requires managers to be prepared to seek knowledge beyond the confines of their own organizations. Originality/value This study contributes in three ways: it submits that there is a dynamic interplay between the moments of creation and validation, which is largely shaped by the novelty of the mobilized knowledge, depending on whether it is internal top–down or external horizontal; relatedly, the effectiveness of validation is shaped by the novelty of the knowledge garnered to justify the initial ideas; and the present paper has extended Suchman’s (1995) framework by linking the effectiveness of the various forms of legitimacy to the source of knowledge mobilized in the validation process.

scholarly journals Evaluating the individual- and country-level variations in tax morale

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 816-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin C. Williams ◽  
Besnik Krasniqi
Keyword(s):  
Tax Compliance ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Social Actor ◽  
Actor Model ◽  
Tax Morale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual

Purpose Recently, a small but burgeoning literature has argued that tax non-compliance cannot be fully explained using the conventional rational economic actor approach which views non-compliance as occurring when the pay-off is greater than the expected cost of being caught and punished. Instead, a social actor approach has emerged which views tax non-compliance as higher when “tax morale”, defined as the intrinsic motivation to pay taxes, is low. To advance this social actor model, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the individual and national heterogeneity in tax morale, which is crucial if tax compliance is to be improved. Design/methodology/approach To do this, the authors report data from the 2010 Life in Transition Survey on tax morale in 35 Eurasian countries. Findings Logit econometric analysis reveals, on the one hand, that there is higher tax morale among middle-aged, married, homeowners with children, with a university degree and employed, and on the other hand, that there is higher tax morale in more developed countries with stronger legal systems and less corruption, and higher levels of state intervention in the form of both taxation and expenditure. Research limitations/implications Rather than continue with the rational actor approach, this paper reveals that how an emergent social actor approach can help to more fully explain tax non-compliance and results in a different policy approach focused upon changing country-level economic and social conditions associated with low tax morale and thus non-compliance. Practical implications These results display the specific populations with low tax morale which need targeting when seeking to tackle tax non-compliance. Originality/value This paper provides a new way of explaining and tackling tax non-compliance in Eurasian countries.

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