The role of the lead firm in exploratory projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-339
Author(s):  
Fangwei Zhu ◽  
Mengtong Jiang ◽  
Miao Yu
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Lead Firm ◽  
Exploratory Innovation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The challenge of unforeseen uncertainties in exploratory projects requires the lead firm in a project alliance to effectively manage exploratory co-innovation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the types of capabilities a lead firm required in exploratory projects and how these capabilities enable the exploratory innovation of the project alliance. Design/methodology/approach A multiple-case study was done to provide empirical evidence for the rationale of the capabilities of the lead firm. The provided analysis used abductive reasoning of two typical exploratory projects in China. Findings This paper identifies two types of capabilities: innovation-related capabilities and network-related capabilities. Furthermore, a process model of the capabilities of the lead firm is developed that enables exploratory co-innovation in a project alliance. The capabilities of the lead firm input varied at four different stages. Practical implications Innovation-related capabilities and network-related capabilities could form the foundation for the lead firm in an exploratory project alliance. This will enable an exploratory co-innovation and collaboratively overcome the barriers of exploratory projects. Originality/value Although exploratory project attracts extensive attention for its unique characteristics and universal value, there is limited amount of research on the context of joint exploratory projects. This study starts from the role of lead firm in an exploratory project alliance, contributes toward the comprehension of the link between the lead firm’s capabilities and the process of exploratory co-innovation. The findings will be of value in supporting the management of exploratory innovation in a project alliance.

Implications of self-managing teams for the HRM function

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten Renkema ◽  
Anna Bos-Nehles ◽  
Jeroen Meijerink
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Healthcare Organisation ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeOrganisations increasingly implement self-managing teams (SMTs) to empower their employees. By drawing from the HRM process model and multilevel thinking, this paper explores how the HRM function changes in terms of actors and activities when introducing SMTs.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth, multilevel case study was conducted at a large healthcare organisation in The Netherlands, making use of 70 interviews, document analysis and observations.FindingsThe findings show that SMTs transform the HRM function by changing the responsibilities of teams, HRM professionals and line managers in the implementation of HRM activities. The analysis shows that many HRM responsibilities are devolved to SMTs, which are supported by the HRM department.Research limitations/implicationsThese changes in the HRM function influence the HRM implementation process and provide all actors with new roles and activities. Based on these findings, this paper presents an inductive model of HRM implementation.Practical implicationsThe findings help HRM practitioners to transform the HRM function when deciding to introduce SMTs.Originality/valueThis article is one of the first that empirically explores how the HRM function changes as a consequence of introducing SMTs. This is important because more and more organisations are adopting SMTs, while knowledge about the role of HRM is lacking.

Size does matter – span of control in hospitals

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Holm-Petersen ◽  
Sussanne Østergaard ◽  
Per Bo Noergaard Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Span Of Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frontline Leaders ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Centralization, mergers and cost reductions have generally led to increasing levels of span of control (SOC), and thus potentially to lower leadership capacity. The purpose of this paper is to explore how a large SOC impacts hospital staff and their leaders. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a qualitative explorative case study of three large inpatient wards. Findings The study finds that the nursing staff and their frontline leaders experience challenges in regard to visibility and role of the leader, e.g., in creating overview, coordination, setting-up clear goals, following up and being in touch. However, large wards also provide flexibility and development possibilities. Practical implications The authors discuss the implications of these findings for decision makers in deciding future SOC and for future SOC research. Originality/value Only few studies have qualitatively explored the consequences of large SOC in hospitals.

E­commerce structures for retail and service franchises

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhanna Kremez ◽  
Lorelle Frazer ◽  
Scott Weaven ◽  
Sara Quach
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Case Study Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Preliminary Model ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Order Fulfilment ◽  
Franchise Networks ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth investigation of e-commerce strategy implementation in mature franchise organisations from both franchisor and franchisee perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThis research employed a multiple case study method where the e-commerce strategies of two mature franchise organisations were investigated in depth. Franchising experts were interviewed to provide an additional dimension to this study.FindingsThis research found that e-commerce must be integrated with the overall business strategy for optimal franchise performance. Since all parties to the franchising relationship are affected by the introduction of e-commerce, both the franchisees’ and the franchisor’s interests must be considered when the strategy is being developed. In addition, the consumer’s perspective is central to how e-commerce is structured, and franchisees are best placed to know their customers’ needs because they are directly involved in operating their business and interfacing with customers.Practical implicationsA preliminary model for e-commerce structures in service and retail franchising has been developed that depends on the nature of the business, the distribution arrangements and the order fulfilment arrangements. The two main avenues in e-commerce structuring were centralisation and decentralisation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to knowledge through an in-depth investigation of the internal process of e-commerce implementation in franchise networks from both franchisor and franchisee perspectives.

Local on-demand fabrication: microfactories and online manufacturing platforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-41
Author(s):  
Jose Orlando Montes ◽  
F. Xavier Olleros
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
Machine Shops ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
New Type ◽  
Experiential Research ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis article explores a particular on-demand fabrication unit, the microfactory (MF). It identifies and contrasts several MFs and proposes a taxonomy. This research also explores online manufacturing platforms (OMP) that complement certain MFs.Design/methodology/approachThis research implements a multiple case study (71 cases in 21 countries), triangulating data available on the web with interviews, virtual/physical tours and experiential research.FindingsThe results suggest that automation and openness are the main dimensions that differentiate the MFs. Using these dimensions, a taxonomy of MFs is created. MFs with relatively low automation and high openness tend to be innovation-driven microfactories (IDMFs). MFs with high automation and low openness levels tend to be customization-driven microfactories (CDMFs). And MFs with relatively low automation and low openness tend to be classic machine shops (MSs). There are two types of OMP: closed (COMPs) and multisided (MOMPs). MOMPs can be low-end or high-end.Practical implicationsIn a world where online platforms are becoming central to the reinvention of manufacturing, multisided online platforms and small fabricators will become strongly symbiotic.Originality/valueThis paper offers a clearer conceptualization of MFs and OMPs, which may help to better understand the reality of local on-demand fabrication. Moreover, it explores a new type of experiential research, which tries to describe and interpret firms through transactional activities. Many details of a firm that are difficult to capture via interviews and netnography can be revealed this way.

Boundary subjects and boundary objects in accounting fact construction and communication

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teemu Laine ◽  
Tuomas Korhonen ◽  
Petri Suomala ◽  
Asta Rantamaa
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Boundary Objects ◽  
Shared Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Partners ◽  
Pragmatic Constructivism ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to elaborate the concepts of boundary subjects and boundary objects in constructing and communicating relevant accounting facts for managing product development (PD). Boundary subjects as reflective actors benefit effective accounting enactment, by building a shared understanding about different actors’ roles and information needs, and by helping to respond to these needs with new boundary objects. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a longitudinal interventionist case study of a machinery manufacturer. The focus of this case study was the production ramp-up phase at the end of a PD program. Different actors’ needs were first collected and elaborated by interventionist researchers (boundary subjects). Then accounting prototypes (boundary objects) provided new means of communication. Findings The findings show that dealing with boundaries is crucial in accounting development. The role of boundary subjects was fundamental in the process of choosing, constructing, elaborating and communicating accounting facts. During this process, accounting prototypes integrated new accounting facts, the boundary subjects mitigated the boundaries and the boundary objects focused and restricted communication about accounting facts. Research limitations/implications The paper tests the pragmatic constructivism approach by examining accounting enactment under uncertainty and ambiguity. The study refines pragmatic constructivism in terms of boundaries, boundary subjects as actors and boundary objects. Practical implications The intentional use of boundary subjects and objects as communication platform could push a more active inclusion of business controllers as active business partners. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on accounting development by highlighting the use of boundary subjects and boundary objects as fundamental mechanisms in constructing and communicating accounting facts.

Science-industry R&D cooperation effects on firm’s appropriation strategy

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dario Milesi ◽  
Vladimiro Verre ◽  
Natalia Petelski
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Dimensions ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Similar Weight ◽  
Innovation Characteristics ◽  
Opposing Effects ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how science-industry R&D cooperation (SIRC) generates effects on the strategy developed by firms to appropriate the benefits of innovations. Given the plurality of cooperation patterns between firms and public R&D institutions and the variety of appropriation mechanisms used by firms to protect generated knowledge or to strengthen their market position, this paper investigates to what extent different forms of cooperation are associated with different effects on appropriation strategy. Design/methodology/approach As evidence of this, the authors carry out a multiple case study, covering nine biopharmaceutical Argentine firms whose innovation projects are developed in cooperation with public R&D institutions. Using critical dimensions identified by public-private R&D cooperation literature, the paper analyzes the characteristics of cooperation in the cases studied, looking for different patterns. Given the existence of various appropriation mechanisms identified by appropriability literature, the paper analyzes how firms use (or not) those mechanisms within the specific context of jointly generated innovation. Findings The paper shows that SIRC generates opposing effects on the various appropriation mechanisms used by firms, both challenging and strengthening them. Likewise, the identification of three cooperation patterns in Argentine biopharmaceutical sector, namely, contract R&D, internalization and coordination, allows appreciating how each pattern affects differently the appropriation mechanisms used by firms, being the coordination one, the most functional to the appropriation strategy of firms analyzed. Research limitations/implications The arguments presented here are necessarily limited to the biopharmaceutical Argentine sector, which is strategic to the country, for accumulated capabilities in scientific and business aspects. The analysis could be enriched by extending it to other industries with similar innovation characteristics and to other countries, where patents have a similar weight (emerging countries) or a different one (developed countries). Practical implications Innovation and public-private collaboration policies may benefit from the analysis presented here, which helps to assess advantages and challenges of different SIRC logics on firms’ appropriation issues and to considerate which aspects allow cooperation and appropriation combining in a more virtuous form. Originality/value There is no paper that explicitly examines the effects generated by different SIRC patterns on the appropriation strategy of firms, conceived as a combination of different mechanisms which may include patents but is not limited to them.

Street food, hawkers and the Michelin Guide in Singapore

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 790-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan C. Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Street Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Cultures ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of the contemporary relevance of the Michelin Guide as efforts are made to extend its reach in Asia. The focus is on recent endeavours by the producers of the restaurant guide to represent local conditions by acknowledging the importance of street food and hawkers. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is that of a case study based on analysis of published material about the inaugural Singapore Michelin Guide and its consequences. Findings The Michelin Guide confronts challenges in retaining its authority and establishing itself in new Asian locations. The Singapore edition indicates attempts at responsiveness to distinctive circumstances through the recognition of street food and hawkers, but questions can be raised about the appropriateness of their inclusion and rating. Research limitations/implications Despite the absence of primary data, important topics about food and dining landscapes and modes of restaurant reviewing and grading are explored. A research agenda for the future is also proposed. Practical implications Attention is given to the impacts of the guide for individual enterprises, suggesting positive and negative outcomes of endorsement. Social implications Findings enhance understanding of the place of food and dining within societies and the influence of restaurant guides. Originality/value The paper offers an Asian perspective on and fresh insights into the role of local food cultures as well as the meanings and functions of the Michelin Guide.

Fiat and Chrysler, negotiating for survival

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Caputo
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Shareholder Perspective ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – This is a story on how a corporate negotiation can be the turning point for survival. This case study is unusual in the business arena, as it is based on the role of external parties for the success of a strategic negotiation between corporations. It shows how an agreement was fundamental from a management/operational perspective, but impossible from a shareholder perspective. Yet, only thanks to the intervention of external parties that a successful agreement lead to the survival of the corporation. Practical implications – This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – This briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

A spiritual perspective on Senge’s five disciplines: harmony and Alibaba

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 521-533
Author(s):  
Carry Mak ◽  
Robin Stanley Snell ◽  
Jacky Hong
Keyword(s):  
Learning Organization ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Mastery ◽  
Five Disciplines ◽  
Senge's Five Disciplines ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate Peter Senge’s ideas from the perspective of the spiritual ideal of harmony/He (和). Design/methodology/approach Following a literature review of the conceptualization of Senge’s fifth discipline and harmony, an appreciative case study of Alibaba is adopted to demonstrate the role of harmony in guiding the transformative application of the five disciplines of the learning organization. Findings In developing as a learning organization, Alibaba is portrayed as having embraced three levels of harmony: person-within-oneself, person-to-others and person-to-nature harmony. The authors identify three equivalencies between Senge’s disciplines and the traditional Chinese ideal of harmony. First, personal mastery and metal models correspond to developing person-within-oneself harmony. Second, team learning and shared vision entail developing person-to-others harmony. Third, systems thinking aligns with person-to-nature harmony. Practical implications The case study demonstrates various approaches that can be used to foster the development of person-within-oneself, person-to-others and person-to-nature harmony within an aspiring learning organization. Originality/value This paper shows how core values of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, distilled into the Chinese ideal of harmony, can encourage the cultivation of learning organizations.

Two routes of service modularization: advancing standardization and customization

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Gremyr ◽  
Aku Valtakoski ◽  
Lars Witell
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Module ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate service modularization in a manufacturing firm, identifies service modularization processes and examines how these processes change the service module characteristics. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a longitudinal case study (2008-2017) of a manufacturing firm. The development of six service modules was analyzed using data from interviews with key informants, informal meetings and internal documentation. Findings This study suggests five service modularization processes, and that service module characteristics, such as standardization and interconnectedness, change in different ways depending on the service modularization processes used. It further identifies two service modularization routes that each combine the service modularization processes in unique ways with replication as a key process to improve both standardization and customization. Practical implications This study elaborates a framework for service modularization, which can serve as a guideline for developing service modules. It also highlights the differences between product and service modularization, suggesting that the role of service module characteristics such as standardization and customization is specific for services. Originality/value This longitudinal case study (2008-2017) provides empirical evidence on service modularization and extends existing knowledge on service modularization processes and how they influence service module characteristics.

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