Drivers of organizational reorientations in planned economies

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 551-579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuaijiao Bai ◽  
Henrique Duarte ◽  
Dong Guo
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Punctuated Equilibrium Theory ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Period ◽  
The Military ◽  
Market Pressures ◽  
Critical Questioning

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to convey how the transition to market-based orientations by state-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly the military sector, represents a coevolutionary process between business and regulatory institutions that has an impact on both the military and civilian markets. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a longitudinal case study of a military SOE, the Aosheng Group, between 1951 and 2012 to understand the dynamics between institutions and organizations. A comparative analysis between the main stages of evolution was completed, and conclusions about the main patterns of organizational and institutional change were reached. Findings – The study reports evidence on the coevolutionary nature of change in big SOEs in China, demonstrating how institutional changes are bigger drivers in promoting reorientations than are market pressures. Within the framework of punctuated equilibrium theory, the determining role that managers may play in leading and implementing organizational reorientations is emphasized. Research limitations/implications – A triangulated methodology was employed to analyse a long period; however, its application to just a single case might be questioned in terms of generalizing any of the findings. Originality/value – The longitudinal perspective applied in this case study contributes to critical questioning as to how Chinese agencies define forms of control and the goals for SOEs under their jurisdiction and the importance of allowing managerial discretion to the assigned managers.

Absorbing in-bound knowledge within open innovation processes. The case of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 786-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Matricano ◽  
Elena Candelo ◽  
Mario Sorrentino ◽  
Aurora Martínez-Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Managers ◽  
Innovation Processes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the way companies involved in Open Innovation Processes (OIPs) routinize the procedure through which they can absorb in-bound knowledge, i.e. knowledge that comes from the outside and, in particular, from the crowd. In-bound knowledge passes through the phases of acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation. Thus, companies need to define mechanisms and paths – related to their potential and realized absorptive capacity –to manage and exploit it. Design/methodology/approach The present paper is based on a longitudinal case study, an OIP launched by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that has already been implemented for three times. Multiple direct interviews with FCA top managers have allowed rebuilding the routinized procedure through which the company absorbs in-bound knowledge. Findings To routinize the procedure of absorbing in-bound knowledge, the company has settled specific mechanisms and paths and has established some bottlenecks over the process of acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation of in-bound knowledge. These mechanisms and path, as well as these bottlenecks, are identified and descripted in the paper. Research limitations/implications Beyond the limitations linked to the use of a single case study, another limitation might be the reference to a big company in a specific industry. Anyway, with due caution, achieved findings can be referred to other industries as well. Originality/value This paper contributes to exploring if and how companies managing OIPs routinize the procedure through which they can absorb in-bound knowledge.

Is culture change a fad? Driving business results at Penna, ten years on

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-126
Author(s):  
Bev White ◽  
Gary Browning ◽  
Javier Bajer
Keyword(s):  
Culture Change ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Results ◽  
Sustainable Culture ◽  
Systemic Interventions ◽  
Successful Business

Purpose – Ten years ago Penna, the global HR services group, needed a radical business and culture re-invention if it was to survive. This article aims to tell the story behind Penna's journey and describe how a sustainable culture change intervention became the cornerstone of a successful business. Design/methodology/approach – This case study is the result of an initial ethnographical research followed by concrete and systemic interventions. Findings – The case study identifies four elements that sustained the business impact of a culture change program over a significant period of time. Originality/value – This longitudinal case study follows a culture change program in an organizational context over a period of ten years.

Purchasing behaviour and supplier base evolution – a longitudinal case study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dubois ◽  
Lars-Erik Gadde ◽  
Lars-Gunnar Mattsson
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Purchasing Behaviour ◽  
Time Periods

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to describe and analyse the evolution of the supplier base of a buying firm and the reasons behind these changes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a case study of the changes over 52 years in a sub-set of the supplier base of a firm manufacturing fork-lifts. Findings The study shows that some relationships feature substantial longevity. However, the duration of one-third of the total relationships is shorter than five years. There was considerable variation over time in the dynamics of the supplier base in terms of entries and exits of suppliers. Owing to this variation, research findings and conclusions in short-term studies are heavily dependent on the specific conditions at the time of the study. Finally, no less than one-fourth of the terminated supplier relationships were reactivated later. Research limitations/implications The study was designed in a time when purchasing was considered entirely from the perspective of the buying firm. Further studies, therefore, must increasingly emphasise the role of suppliers and the interaction in the buyer–supplier relationships, as well as the embeddedness in networks. Originality/value The findings of the study are unique in two ways. First, they are based on systematic observations over more than 50 years. Second, the study involves the purchases of 11 components representing different technical and economic features. The (few) previous studies are based on much shorter time periods and involves fewer suppliers/components. Moreover, the findings regarding re-activation of terminated relationships represent unique contributions.

“Speaking truth to power”: analysing shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 510-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Tregidga
Keyword(s):  
Power Relations ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Senior Management ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transformative Potential ◽  
Perceived Impacts

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the act of shadow reporting by a social movement organisation as a form of shadow accounting within a sustained campaign against a target corporation. Situated within a consideration of power relations, the rationales underlying the production of the shadow report, and the shadow reports perceived value and limits as a shadow accounting mechanism, are investigated. Design/methodology/approach A Foucauldian approach to power/knowledge and truth is drawn upon in the analysis of a single case study. Alongside a consideration of the shadow report itself, interviews with both the preparers of the report and senior management of the corporation targeted comprise the main data. Findings The paper provides an empirical investigation into shadow reporting as a form of shadow accounting. While a range of insights are garnered into the preparation, dissemination and impact of the shadow report, key findings relate to a consideration of power relations. The perceived “truth” status of corporate accounts compared to accounts prepared by shadow accountants is problematised through a consideration of technologies of power and power/knowledge formations. Power relations are subsequently recognised as fundamental to the emancipatory potential of shadow reporting. Research limitations/implications Results from a single case study are presented. Furthermore, given the production of the shadow report occurred several years prior to the collection of data, participants were asked to reflect on past events. Findings are therefore based on those reflections. Originality/value While previous studies have considered the preparation of shadow reports and their transformative potential, this study is, the author believes, the first to empirically analyse the preparation, dissemination and perceived impacts of shadow reporting from the perspectives of both the shadow report producers and the target corporation.

Unmasking conflict in vertical coopetition

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anni Rajala ◽  
Annika Tidström
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
And Task

Purpose The purpose of this study is to increase understanding about vertical coopetition from the perspective of interrelated conflict episodes on multiple levels. Design/methodology/approach The empirical part is based on a qualitative single case study of a coopetitive buyer-supplier relationship in the manufacturing sector. Findings Conflicts in vertical coopetition evolve from being merely functional and task-related to becoming dysfunctional and relationship-related, as the level of competition increases. The nature of conflict episodes influences the development of vertical coopetition, and therefore, the interrelatedness of conflict episodes is important to acknowledge. Practical implications Although a conflict is considered functional within a company, it may still be dysfunctional as far as the coopetitive relationship with the buyer or seller is concerned. Competition may trigger conflicts related to protecting own technology and knowledge, which may lead to termination of the cooperation, therefore coopetition should be managed in a way that balance sharing and protecting important knowledge to get advantages of coopetition. Originality/value The findings enhance prior research on vertical coopetition by offering new perspectives on causes of conflicts, their management, outcomes and types. The value of taking a multilevel approach lies in the ability to show how conflicts occur and influence other conflicts through the interrelatedness of conflict elements on different levels.

scholarly journals Purchasing’s tasks at the interface between internal and external networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-171
Author(s):  
Steffen Muxoll Bastholm ◽  
Kristin B. Munksgaard
Keyword(s):  
User Interface ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Relationship Management ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The strategic importance of the purchasing function increases, as its task become more dynamic in various interfaces with different suppliers. Changes in these customer–supplier interfaces pose specific challenges. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the purchasing function handles the interplay of interface changes. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a qualitative single case study design. Data are collected through observations and interviews conducted before, during and after a concrete change of interface taking place between a buying firm and its suppliers and customers. Findings Three main findings are identified to redefine the tasks of the purchasing function. The first concerns the new ways of defining the purchasing tasks. The main issue is to balance tasks with the simultaneous changes influencing other interfaces and relationships. The second is the division and alignment of tasks in intra- and inter-organizational networks with regards to who decides and coordinates what. Third, the inter-connected performance relates to how other actors perform their tasks. For the purchasing function, managing supplier interfaces influences and is influenced by how the firm simultaneously manages its user interface. Practical implications For management, a new way to evaluate the performance of the purchasing function is needed by including relationship management and interactive capabilities. Originality/value This study contributes with new insights into how managing the dynamics of changing interfaces requires interactively defined purchasing tasks, division and alignment of tasks and inter-connected performance vis-à-vis others in the wider network setting.

scholarly journals Driving internationalization through business model innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Cavallo ◽  
Antonio Ghezzi ◽  
Bertha Viviana Ruales Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
International Entrepreneurship ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Business Model Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
A Company ◽  
North Western

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how a firm may innovate its business model to internationalize. Design/methodology/approach Owing to its novelty and to the depth of the investigation required to grasp the mechanisms and logics of business model innovation aiming at internationalization, a single case study has been performed related to a company located in North-Western Colombia. Findings The study provides detailed empirical evidences over the mutual connection and complementarities among value mechanisms of business models. Moreover, this study suggests that BMI fosters internationalization to scale, which, in turn, will require additional changes to match new customer needs as they emerge. Also, the study shows an extension of the action–space of lean startup approaches, intended as scientific approaches to international entrepreneurship. Originality/value This study connects business model innovation and internationalization as few studies have done before.

Metamorphosis of a kibbutz industry: an Israeli case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaffa Moskovich ◽  
Yuval Achouch
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethnographic Interviews ◽  
The Social ◽  
A Current ◽  
Organizational Literature

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on a current trend in kibbutz industries, and to examine the numerous changes at Millennium Industries. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was carried out documenting the organizational biography of Millennium Industries. Ethnographic interviews were held with kibbutz members employed by the organization, former CEO’s and with other workers. Findings – The research describes the life cycle of the plant from its beginnings, through its maturity, its growth until its decline. It also explains the organizational failure of the plant, in terms of its background and the difficulties of managing a kibbutz industry in an era of global economy. The causes of its decline stem mainly from a kibbutz-style management based on non-professional involvement of the community in business, and incompatible with the rough competition of capitalistic markets. The plant was finally sold to a private investor, thereby losing its identity as a kibbutz plant. Research limitations/implications – As a single case-study this research cannot pretend to statistical generalization of the findings but linked to the kibbutz and the organizational literature, findings seem to allow generalization of theoretical propositions concerning evolution of the kibbutz industry (an analytic generalization according to Yin, 2013). Originality/value – While the kibbutz society and its industry are involved in deep changes for the two last decades, very little research was made on kibbutz industry. This paper should contribute to actualize the social knowledge about these specific and interesting phenomena.

Lean Six Sigma in policing services

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 935-940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiju Antony ◽  
Bryan Rodgers ◽  
Inness Coull ◽  
Vijaya Sunder M.
Keyword(s):  
Six Sigma ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Learning Points

Purpose This paper is based on a single case study carried out as part of a change programme but is used as a reflective tool to draw on some of the wider organisational learning which can be considered when implementing, reviewing or re-energise a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Programme. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach has been used and referenced throughout the paper with references to literature to support the wider learning points drawn which are then applied to any continuous improvement (CI) programmes. Findings The paper presents a range of learning points which are drawn from a successful deployment of LSS within a change project carried out as part of an overall programme in Scottish policing services. Research limitations/implications The points are drawn from a single case study which was deployed within a wider change programme and is supported by wider literature but is used as a vehicle for informing strategic considerations within an organisation. Originality/value This case study is drawn from policing services in the public sector which alone is an area that has not been significantly studied. It is used to explore wider implications in terms of strategic alignment, organisational performance and project management and presents the argument that the design of a CI programme is much wider than the implementation of LSS itself.

Blended learning adoption: a case study of one of the oldest universities in Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 990-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Previtali ◽  
Danila Scarozza
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Faculty Satisfaction ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Clinical Interviews ◽  
Main Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the determinants of blended learning adoption in universities by focusing on faculty’s satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology is based on a case study of one of the most ancient University in Europe. The authors administered a questionnaire to the professors that used blended technologies, and the authors conducted clinical interviews with some of the key people involved in the implementation process. Findings The paper allows to identify the main factors that impact on faculty’s satisfaction. Student-related issues seem to be the most important factors influencing faculty satisfaction, while instructor-related issues and especially institution-related issues definitely seem to be less important. Research limitations/implications The study is focused just on a single case study. Further researches could explore a wider application of this research approach to several universities and different countries. Originality/value This study is one of the first that analyzed blended learning adoption in historic universities.

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