scholarly journals Unfolding the simple heuristics of smart solution development

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuomas Huikkola ◽  
Marko Kohtamäki ◽  
Rodrigo Rabetino ◽  
Hannu Makkonen ◽  
Philipp Holtkamp
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Service Development ◽  
New Service Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Project Outcomes ◽  
Simple Rules ◽  
Stop Rules

PurposeThe present study intends to foster understanding of how a traditional manufacturer can utilize the “simple rules” approach of managerial heuristics to facilitate its smart solution development (SSD) process.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an in-depth single case research strategy and 25 senior manager interviews to understand the application of simple rules in smart solution development.FindingsThe findings reveal process, boundary, preference, schedule, and stop rules as the dominant managerial heuristics in the case and identify how the manufacturer applies these rules during the innovation process phases of ideation, incubation, transformation, and industrialization for attaining project outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to the new service development (NSD) literature by shedding light on simple rules and how managers may apply them to facilitate SSD. The main limitations stem from applying the qualitative case study approach and the interpretative nature of the study, which produces novel insights but prevents direct generalization to other empirical cases.Practical implicationsThe resulting framework provides guidelines for managers on how to establish formal and clear simple rules that enable industrial solution providers to approach decision-making in smart solution development in a more agile manner.Originality/valueThe study comprises one of the first attempts to investigate managerial heuristics in the context of SSD and puts forward a plea for further NSD research applying psychological conceptualizations to enrich the simple rules perspective.

Managing competence and learning in knowledge-intensive, project-intensive organizations

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Medina ◽  
Alicia Medina
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Public Organization ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Goals ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Product Service ◽  
Competence Management ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

Purpose Competence management should no longer be considered as disconnected activities with few relationships with the organizational goals. It is the viewpoint that competence management as a whole consists of different mechanisms and strategies that involve many functions in the organization and link strategy, product/service development, and innovation. The purpose of this paper is to explore how a public knowledge-intensive, project-intensive organization manages competence in relation to its organizational goals and to identify which mechanisms are involved in this process as well as the underlying factors of those mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted following a single case study approach using several sources of evidence in a public organization responsible for public transport in the south of Sweden. Findings A theoretical framework called the competence loop is used as a platform. The results expand the framework by identifying underlying factors constituting the mechanisms and categorizing those factors in organizational and social dimensions. Another contribution is the competence concept including the factors that generate new competence. Furthermore, the study highlights that organizational culture has an impact on efficient competence management. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in a public organization; similar studies should be conducted in other kinds of knowledge-intensive, project-intensive organizations. Originality/value The results provide support to practitioners when trying to understand how competence evolves, how to facilitate learning in organizations that are reliant on human resources, how to manage competence to achieve organizational success, and show the role of the project as a competence arena.

Success factors of new health-care services

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 693-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kostis Indounas ◽  
Aggeliki Arvaniti
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Service Development ◽  
New Service Development ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Related Service

Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide insights into the success factors of new-to-the-firm health services. Design/methodology/approach The study was based on the case study methodology with three leading health organizations. Findings The study’s findings indicate that the success factors of new health services are largely in line with the literature on new service development. Our study also revealed the significance of two factors that have not been identified by previous studies, namely, branding and doctors’ participation in the new service development process. Research limitations/implications Introducing a successful new health service into the market seems to require an emphasis on a variety of factors related to the company’s internal and external environment, while two important characteristics are the role of branding and doctors. Despite its acceptance as a scientific method, the case study approach that was selected limits the ability to generalize the results to the broader health industry. Originality/value The current study represents one of the first attempts to examine the above topic in a health-related service context.

Systematic risk-analysis to support a living maintenance programme for railway infrastructure

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-340
Author(s):  
Peter Söderholm ◽  
Terje Nilsen
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Mode Of Transport ◽  
Infrastructure Maintenance ◽  
Maintenance Programme

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an application of an effective risk-based methodology to support a living maintenance programme for railway infrastructure. Design/methodology/approach The overall research strategy is a single case study of switches and crossings at the Iron Ore Line in northern Sweden. The analysis was performed as a risk workshop guided by a methodology that integrates reliability-centred maintenance and barrier analysis. Findings The applied methodology is valuable to systematise and improve the existing maintenance programme, as well as supporting a continued living maintenance programme. Research limitations/implications The single case study approach may decrease the validity of the achieved results. However, similar case studies corroborate the results, which affect the validity in a positive way. Practical implications The resulting maintenance programme is effective, through compliance with external requirements, and more efficient, through improvements of tasks and intervals. Social implications An enhanced railway infrastructure maintenance programme contributes to improved safety, punctuality, and costs. Hence, railway becomes a more attractive mode of transport. Thereby, it also supports a safety performance of the railway that society is willing to pay for. Originality/value Significant improvements of the maintenance programme are achieved through adjustment of inspection intervals and tasks. The results also support the development of indicators, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

Patterns of new service development processes in banking

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey Martovoy ◽  
Anne-Laure Mention
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Service Development ◽  
New Service Development ◽  
Service Concept ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Goals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to map the existing patterns in the development of services innovations in financial institutions. Design/methodology/approach – The data come from a dedicated survey of banks located in Luxembourg. Executives and innovation managers reported on banks’ innovation processes for the period of 2010-2012. Findings – The study unveils four patterns of new service development (NSD) processes. The problem-driven pattern starts with problem definition and represents a bank’s response to an issue. The proactivity-driven pattern commences with idea generation to explore a variety of alternatives. The market-driven pattern emphasises a profit rationale and starts with a business analysis. The strategy-driven pattern frames idea generation within the scope of business goals and starts with the development of a service concept. Most banks keep a balance between being open and closed to cooperation with external partners in the innovation process. Service concept development is the stage most open to the cooperation for innovation, while introduction to a market is the opposite. Research limitations/implications – The national context and small sample size are the limitations of this study. Promising research avenues include the extension of findings to other settings and understanding of the effects of NSD patterns. Practical implications – Banks adopt different approaches to the innovation process in order to pursue their innovation goals. Practitioners may use this knowledge in order to re-think the way they innovate. Originality/value – The unveiled mapping of NSD processes contributes to the understanding of the innovation in financial services. The findings will be valuable for innovation managers, scholars, and students.

Accessing resources for service innovation – the critical role of network relationships

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Rusanen ◽  
Aino Halinen ◽  
Elina Jaakkola
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Resource Access ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Resources ◽  
Different Types

Purpose – This paper aims to explore how companies access resources through network relationships when developing service innovations. The paper identifies the types of resource that companies seek from other actors and examines the nature of relationships and resource access strategies that can be applied to access each type of resource. Design/methodology/approach – A longitudinal, multi-case study is conducted in the field of technical business-to-business (b-to-b) services. An abductive research strategy is applied to create a new theoretical understanding of resource access. Findings – Companies seek a range of resources through different types of network relationships for service innovation. Four types of resource access strategies were identified: absorption, acquisition, sharing, and co-creation. The findings show how easily transferable resources can be accessed through weak relationships and low-intensity collaboration. Access to resources that are difficult to transfer, instead, necessitates strong relationships and high-intensity collaboration. Research limitations/implications – The findings are valid for technical b-to-b services, but should also be tested for other kinds of innovations. Future research should also study how actors integrate the resources gained through networks in the innovation process. Practical implications – Managers should note that key resources for service innovation may be accessible through a variety of actors and relationships ranging from formal arrangements to miscellaneous social contacts. To make use of tacit resources such as knowledge, firms need to engage in intensive collaboration. Originality/value – Despite attention paid to network relationships, innovation collaboration, and external resources, previous research has neither linked these issues nor studied their mutual contingencies. This paper provides a theoretical model that characterizes the service innovation resources accessible through different types of relationships and access strategies.

scholarly journals Incremental and radical open service innovation

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Myhren ◽  
Lars Witell ◽  
Anders Gustafsson ◽  
Heiko Gebauer
Keyword(s):  
Service Innovation ◽  
Group Development ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Team Development ◽  
Service Development ◽  
New Service Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open Service ◽  
Cross Case Analysis

Purpose Open service innovation is an emergent new service development practice, where knowledge on how to organize development work is scarce. The purpose of the present research is to identify and describe relevant archetypes of open service innovation. The study views an archetype as an organizing template that includes the competence of participants, organizing co-creation among participants and ties between participants. In particular, the study’s interest lies in how open service innovation archetypes are used for incremental and radical service innovation. Design/methodology/approach For the research, a nested case study was performed, in which an industrial firm with nine open service innovation groups was identified. Forty-five interviews were conducted with participants. For each case, first a within-case analysis was performed, and how to perform open service innovation in practice was described. Then, a cross-case analysis identifying similarities and differences between the open service innovation groups was performed. On the basis of the cross-case analysis, three archetypes for open service innovation were identified. Findings The nested case study identified three archetypes for open service innovation: internal group development, satellite team development and rocket team development. This study shows that different archetypes are used for incremental and radical service innovation and that a firm can have multiple open service innovation groups using different archetypes. Practical implications This study provides suggestions on how firms can organize for open service innovation. The identified archetypes can guide managers to set up, develop or be part of open service innovation groups. Originality/value This paper uses open service innovation as a mid-range theory to extend existing research on new service development in networks or service ecosystems. In particular, it shows how open service innovation can be organized to develop both incremental and radical service innovations.

Supply chain integration and coordination for international sourcing in the context of China’s processing trade

2018 ◽  
Vol 118 (9) ◽  
pp. 1730-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingu Kang ◽  
Kihyun Park ◽  
Ma Ga (Mark) Yang ◽  
Mark H. Haney
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Processing Trade ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
International Sourcing ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Simple Assembly

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how a foreign invested manufacturing company’s (FIMC) components sourcing process evolves in order to improve its supply chain outcomes in the context of China’s processing trade. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the theory bases of the international sourcing process and supply chain integration, this study utilizes a single-case-study approach with a small- to medium-sized FIMC engaged in China’s processing trade. Findings This study identifies three stages of the components sourcing process: simple assembly stage, components localization stage and supply chain integration stage. In addition, the case study suggests that the type of processing trade evolves from processing with supplied materials to processing with imported materials as the sourcing process proceeds through the three stages and the internal and external environments change. Originality/value To our knowledge, this paper is the first to focus on an FIMC’s components sourcing process in the context of China’s processing trade. It contributes to a better understanding of how FIMCs progress through the components sourcing process and apply different types of processing trade in China to maximize their supply chain outcomes.

Exploring the social innovation process in a large market based social enterprise

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 1399-1414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine Vézina ◽  
Majdi Ben Selma ◽  
Marie Claire Malo
Keyword(s):  
Social Transformation ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Investment Fund ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Large Market ◽  
The Social

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the organising of social innovation in a large market-based social enterprises from the perspective of dynamic capabilities and social transformation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses the process by which Desjardins Group launched the Desjardins Environment Fund as the first investment fund in North America to integrate environmental screening. It uses longitudinal single case analysis and a theoretical framework based on Teece’s three dynamic capabilities.FindingsResults show that dynamic capabilities can be conceived as stages in the process of social innovation. Sensing refers to the capability to identify a societal demand for social transformation. Seizing capability is about shaping societal demand into a commercial offer. Reconfiguring concerns organisational innovation to integrate actual and new knowledge through innovative routines. Microprocesses of both path dependency and path building are in action at each of the three stages.Practical implicationsThis paper shows that managing dynamic capabilities is central to social innovation in the context of a large social business and provides genuine managerial input via an analysis of the microprocesses at work in the social innovation process.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the operationalization of Teece’s dynamic capabilities model. In mobilising a framework in the field of management of innovation, it contributes to the understanding of the process of social innovation and develops the organisational mechanism for multiscalarity of social innovation as a condition for social transformation.

scholarly journals Introducing an innovation promotion model for construction projects

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Fernando ◽  
Kriengsak Panuwatwanich ◽  
David Thorpe
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Relationship Enhancement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Project Outcomes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Comprehensive Study

PurposeThis study aims to investigate and model the complex dynamics of innovation enablers in construction projects aiming to develop a framework identifying actions for clients to promote innovation.Design/methodology/approachThrough a comprehensive literature review, a conceptual model was previously derived to explain the client-driven enablers in promoting innovation. This was tested using the data from 131 Australian construction projects. Statistical analysis was conducted on the data using factor analysis and correlation analysis to test the model, which was validated using the case study approach. The testing and validating aspects are explained in this paper.FindingsThe constructs of the recommended model are idea harnessing, relationship enhancement, incentivization and project team fitness.Research limitations/implicationsThe difficulty of analyzing the complex dynamics happening within projects in relation to innovation has been a barrier to progress research in this area. The introduction of this model would pave the way for researchers to explore this area with ease.Originality/valueAs revealed in the detailed literature review undertaken, this is the first time that a comprehensive study has been conducted to identify client-led innovation enablers for construction projects. The results would benefit industry practitioners to achieve enhanced project outcomes in construction projects through innovation.

Networked interdependencies and interaction in a biotechnology research project

IMP Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 460-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Janusz ◽  
Agata Bednarek ◽  
Leszek Komarowski ◽  
Pawel Boniecki ◽  
Per Engelseth
Keyword(s):  
Network Structure ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Project Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Marketing ◽  
Biotechnology Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal the interdependencies involved and how interaction takes place in the context of a project organization as a network of academic and business actors. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on relationships between business and academia and applies a single case research strategy. Data are collected through a series of theoretically sampled in-depth interviews including company observations. The single case study provides a rich narrative of the network structure and processes involved in establishing, implementing and completing a research project in Poland. The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing Group network approach focusing on resource combinations that emerge in a network structure characterized by interdependency and integration is applied to analyze interaction in this project-organized network. Findings Change in interdependencies, interaction and integration are analyzed individually, and in conclusion in relation to each other. While supply chain management literature postulates that integration is a management goal, a driver of successful business, this study points out that integration is an outcome of interaction in a context of changing interdependencies. This means that managerial focus should rather be driven to understanding the nature of network interdependencies, their path of change and how interaction is carried out in this emergent context. Originality/value The study aims to help better understand the potential for research project cooperation by explaining how businesses and research units can cooperate through an understanding that integration is a complex phenomenon, focusing on how management may better support services production through careful consideration of that integration is developed through considerations of interdependencies as context of interaction in the varied business cultures a project network comprises. Project management is more a learning process than a planning process.

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