Do more structural holes lead to more risk propagation in R&D networks?

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Song ◽  
Naiding Yang ◽  
Yanlu Zhang ◽  
Jingbei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Risk Sharing ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Tie Strength ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Structural Holes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore how the number of structural holes influences the possibility of risk propagation in R&D networks; and second, to investigate how the specific context of tie strength and common cognition moderate the association between structural holes and risk propagation. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on how structural holes influence risk propagation under the specific context of relationship and cognitive dimension by drawing on social capital theory. Risk sharing and risk perception as mediating variables are employed in the proposed conceptual model. The authors issued questionnaires to managers and R&D personnel participating in R&D projects and collaboration in Shanghai and Jiangsu province through e-mail and face to face. The data were used to carry out multiple regression analysis to test hypotheses. Findings The results show that relationship between structural holes and risk propagation of R&D network is U-shaped. Risk perception and risk sharing partially mediate the relationship between structural holes and risk propagation. Tie strength significantly moderates the relationship between structural holes and risk sharing, but insignificantly moderates the association between structural holes and risk perception. Common cognition significantly moderates the associations between structural holes and risk sharing, and structural holes and risk perception, respectively. Originality/value This study provides a distinctive theoretical perspective for social capital and risk management. It also offers managers a clear understanding of how to reduce or to avoid risk propagation by jointly leveraging the number of structural holes, tie strength and common cognition.

Suppressing risk propagation in R&D networks: the role of government intervention

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1019-1043
Author(s):  
Yue Song ◽  
Naiding Yang ◽  
Yanlu Zhang ◽  
Jingbei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Government Intervention ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Divided Government ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
External Risk

Purpose This paper aims to explore what factors influence the possibility of internal and external risk propagation in R&D networks and investigate how government intervention moderates the associations between the influencing factors and risk propagation. Design/methodology/approach The authors divided government intervention into directive and facilitative intervention and adopted an empirical research approach in this study. They collected 228 questionnaires from managers and R&D personnel participating in R&D projects in Shanghai and Jiangsu province through e-mail and in person. The data were used to carry out multiple regression analysis to test hypotheses. Findings The results show that the probability and consequence of risks positively affect the possibility of internal and external risk propagation; risk perception and transformation ability negatively influence the possibility of internal and external risk propagation; both directive and facilitative intervention weaken the relationship between the probability of risks and internal risk propagation when they are high than low the association between transformation ability and internal risk propagation is weaker when directive intervention is high than low, whereas facilitative intervention presents the insignificant moderation effect on the relationships between risk perception ability and internal and external risk propagation. Originality/value This study provides a distinctive theoretical perspective for risk conduction theory, government intervention theory and risk management. It also offered managers and the government a clear understanding of how to reduce or avoid risk propagation by leveraging directive and facilitative government intervention.

Impact of organizational politics on employee work outcomes in higher education institutions of Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Asrar-ul-Haq ◽  
Hafiz Yasir Ali ◽  
Sadia Anwar ◽  
Anam Iqbal ◽  
Muhammad Badr Iqbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Job Stress ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Organizational Politics ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Employee Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Organizational politics has been a topic of conceptual and empirical interest for researchers and practitioners for many years. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between organizational politics and employee work outcomes in educational institutions. In addition, this paper also aims to assess the moderating role of social capital. Design/methodology/approach Employee perceptions about organizational politics and its impact on their work outcomes have been assessed empirically with a sample of 270 full-time employees in higher education institutions of Pakistan. The data have been collected from faculty members of five universities of Pakistan using survey method. SPSS and AMOS have been used to analyze the data and SEM has been used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results indicate a moderating effect of social capital on the relationship between perceived organizational politics and employee outcomes, and the most significant employee outcomes are job stress, job satisfaction and turnover intentions. The findings of the study support the view that organizational politics has negative association with employee job stress and turnover intentions. Research limitations/implications Higher education sector in Pakistan is facing certain challenges, which affect talent retention. The findings of this study will help the administration of higher education institutions to develop effective strategies to cope with the challenges of organizational politics, such as motivation, satisfaction and retention of their employees. Originality/value The study adds to the literature on organizational politics by highlighting and validating its adverse effects on employee work outcomes in the context of Pakistani higher education.

Impact of organizational citizenship behavior on job performance in Indian healthcare industries

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 780-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eeman Basu ◽  
Rabindra Kumar Pradhan ◽  
Hare Ram Tewari
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Organizational Citizenship ◽  
Organizational Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and job performance. It also examines the mediating role of social capital in influencing the relationship between OCB and job performance. Design/methodology/approach The study explores the dynamic relationship among the variables of OCB and job performance and social capital. Data were collected from 501 respondents working in 15 healthcare organizations in Kolkata, India, through questionnaire survey. Likert-type rating scales of OCB, job performance and social capital with sound reliability and validity were used to carry out the survey. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The results of the present study show that OCB significantly predicts job performance in healthcare organizations. Social capital found to be a significant mediator between OCB and job performance. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study have a number of implications for organizations in acknowledging and leveraging social capital and encouraging OCB to facilitate superior performance of employees. The generalization of the findings of the study should be restricted to the healthcare organizations in Kolkata due to its own style of functioning, workforce and work environment. The role of demographic variables in influencing the outcome measures has not been considered for the present study. Further research on these aspects may reveal more interesting results with regard to the dynamics among organizational citizenship behavior, social capital and job performance. Practical implications Employee-friendly management practices should be adopted in organizations to facilitate the formation of network building and development of social capital which serves as an asset to organizations and creates competitive advantage. Originality/value The research findings enrich our understanding of voluntary social participation and citizenship behavior of employees for influencing performance at work. The study also provides useful and unique insight on the benefits of networking in healthcare organizations particularly helping employees to cope with emergency situations. The findings as well as methodology used in this study are original and unique.

The effects of social capital on knowledge heterogeneity

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 1237-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Sheng Tsai ◽  
I-Chieh Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
New Product ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Epistemological Dimension

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the influences of social capital on knowledge heterogeneity in order to advance the understanding of the effects and to reconcile existing inconsistent findings. Design/methodology/approach Survey data collected from 105 new product development (NPD) projects were analyzed with regression-based methods. Findings The results indicated that trust, centralization and shared vision as the three social capital dimensions generally have negative impacts on the domain and presentation dimensions of knowledge heterogeneity. However, the three dimensions of social capital do not exhibit consistent influences on the tacitness heterogeneity (i.e. an epistemological dimension of knowledge heterogeneity). Research limitations/implications More research is needed to explore the role of social capital dimensions in developing a range of knowledge attributes of NPD teams, among which knowledge heterogeneity is one. The various dimensions of knowledge an NPD team possesses should have performance implications and deserve future investigation. Originality/value The study is one of the first documented attempts to demonstrate contingencies in the relationship between social capital and knowledge heterogeneity. The effect of social capital on knowledge heterogeneity should be understood at the level of dimensions of the two respective constructs.

Satisfaction with democracy and social capital in Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 614-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Daskalopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Multivariate Regression Analysis ◽  
Political Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Satisfaction With Democracy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Different Types ◽  
European Values ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Continuum

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different types of social capital contribute to the satisfaction with democracy (SWD) in Greece. Understanding the relationship between different variants of social capital and SWD allows one to situate the Greek democracy in the continuum of democracy types, from primary to modern. Design/methodology/approach The study uses microdata extracted from the European Values Surveys of 2002-2010 and multivariate regression analysis. Findings The results are compatible with a conception of the Greek political organization as a civil virtue democracy. A change in the nature of the relationship is observed after the recent economic crisis in the country. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the empirical knowledge regarding the relationship between different variants of social capital and SWD. Originality/value Using a typology approach, the micro-relationship between democracy and social capital is analyzed as embedded in a continuum of different democracy types. In addition, this is the first study that uses microdata to analyze the effect of social capital upon SWD in Greece. The results of the study provide valuable understanding of the social and institutional arrangements that might sustain Greece’s efforts to meet its overall developmental challenges.

Knowledge heterogeneity, social capital, and organizational innovation

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Sheng Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Shared Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Heterogeneous Knowledge

Purpose Observing across four comparative case organizations, the purpose of this paper is to identify two sources of contingency (i.e. construct and contextual contingency) for the relationship between knowledge heterogeneity and innovation. Design/methodology/approach The contingencies was explored by conducting a comparative case analyses with rich qualitative data extracted and interpreted from four case companies. Findings First, the construct contingency is examined by refining knowledge heterogeneity into three dimensions: domain, process, and context heterogeneity. Specifically, the author proposed that knowledge heterogeneity in domain is associated with innovation in an inverted U-shape, while heterogeneity in process and context dimensions both negatively influence innovation. Second, contextual contingency is studied. The author proposed that: trust positively moderates the relationship between knowledge heterogeneity and innovation; depending on the knowledge owner attributes, centralization positively or negatively moderates the relationship between heterogeneous knowledge and innovation; shared knowledge vision positively moderates the relationship between knowledge heterogeneity and innovation. Originality/value The influences of knowledge heterogeneity on innovation have yet been inconsistent. The present study set to reconcile such inconsistency with a solution of contingencies that intervene the heterogeneity-innovation relationship. These results offer useful references for future large-scaled, quantitative studies.

Exploring an adaptability approach: how creative return processors impact firm performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Espinosa ◽  
James Stock ◽  
David J. Ortinau ◽  
Lisa Monahan
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Returns Management ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe authors explore complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory as an updated theoretical perspective for managing product returns that better matches the chaotic nature of recent consumer behaviors. CAS theory highlights the importance of agents who create and self-organize to help systems adapt in unpredictable environments.Design/methodology/approachThis research utilizes data collected from return managers in an online survey and applies regression analyses to estimate the influence of the focal variables.FindingsEmpirical evidence of the firm flexibility–firm adaptability link is established, and return processor creativity positively relates to this link. The firm flexibility–firm adaptability link fully mediates the relationship between return processor creativity and returns management performance and partially mediates the relationship between return processor creativity and relationship quality. Nonmediated effects were observed for turnover and revenue size.Practical implicationsManagers of returns who embrace an adaptability approach become facilitators of returns by supporting processor creativity. Enhancing the autonomy of processors in their day-to-day work increases the knowledge-creation capabilities of the firm, which helps the firm move forward and adapt in an uncertain environment.Originality/valueThis research presents empirical evidence of the underlying mechanisms of CAS theory in the product returns context by studying processor agents and argues that CAS theory better fits the current dynamics of the product returns environment. Further, this paper extends work by Espinosa et al. (2019) and Nilsson (2019) by studying how a specific human characteristic – creativity – impacts product returns management.

Decision-making approach for complex problems management in a scarce human resources environment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcilio Andrade ◽  
Dermeval Carinhana Jr
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Theory Of Constraints ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Physical Constraints ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This purpose of this study is to structure complex problems to be solved with greater efficiency, optimising the relationship between root causes (RC) relevance of the problem and utilisation of human resources to treat them, minimising the use of manpower in problem-solving activity and thus contributing to greater productivity within organisations. Design/methodology/approach The authors built an approach under the concepts of theory of constraints and multiattribute and multiobjective decision-making methods that were applied in a real complex problem of the low development of Brazilian space industry, by theoretical perspective. Also, the authors submitted it in a simulation environment to assess in which situations it is successful considering number of problem’s RC, system complexity and number of people in the system. Findings The approach was successful on the real case, finding the optimal relationship between the RC relevance and the number of people involved to treat them. For certain complex problem inputs configurations, simulation results reveal that the approach is reliable obtaining more than 95% chance of success in finding the optimal relationship, when comparing with traditional prioritising methods. Originality/value This approach introduces an unprecedented way to locate and evaluate non-physical constraints within a system, which is used to determine RC relevance, as well as an unprecedented way of defining a single optimal solution for structuring a problem, considering the relevance of RC and the use of human resources. The approach is useful for organisations in general which often need managing complex problems with few resources.

scholarly journals Follower emotional intelligence

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1239-1260
Author(s):  
J. Irudhaya Rajesh ◽  
Verma Prikshat ◽  
Paul Shum ◽  
L. Suganthi
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
One Step ◽  
Cognitive Speed ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of transformational leadership (TL) on follower emotional intelligence (EI) and examine the potential mediation role played by follower EI in the relationship between TL and follower outcomes (i.e. growth satisfaction in the job and job stress (JS)). Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained through survey using questionnaire collected from 908 employees who worked across six different sectors, i.e. manufacturing, IT, healthcare, hospitality, educational and public services in Southern India. The mediation model proposed in this study was tested using structural equation modelling and bootstrapping method. Findings The relationship between TL and Follower EI was significant. Follower EI was found to partially mediate the relationship between TL and followers’ growth satisfaction in job. Contrary to expectations, the follower EI did not significantly predict JS in this study and hence the follower EI did not mediate in the proposed model. However, follower EI and growth satisfaction in the job jointly mediated the relationship between TL and follower JS fully. Research limitations/implications Self-report bias about supervisors’ TL behaviours and followers’ own EI assessment and collection of data from the mono-source (subordinate self-report) might have impacted the results of this study. Moreover, some items were negatively worded and reverse coded as cognitive speed bumps to restrain the respondent’s tendency to rush through answering the survey questionnaire. Practical implications This study established a partial and joint mediation of follower EI on the relationship between TL and follower outcomes. Basing on these findings, this study highlights the need for the practitioners to better understand the importance of EI training for the leaders in the organisations for obtaining better outcomes in the followers. Social implications The study establishes the fact that the attunement of transformational leaders’ EI and follower EI help leaders as well as followers to guide their behaviour towards positive outcomes. Originality/value This study is among the first to examine the impact of TL on follower EI and the potential mediation of follower EI between TL and follower outcomes. From a theoretical perspective, this study is one step closer to fully understand the intervening process between TL and follower outcomes.

Social capital and economic performance of the Muslim world

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 601-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Tariq Majeed
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Social Solidarity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Approach ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The research on causes of economic performance has largely focused on economic factors. However, a simple focus on economic indicators cannot cause sustained equilibrium of economic performance. Social solidarity is of central importance in the fall or rise of a civilization. This study aims to analytically explore and empirically test the relationship of social capital with economic performance of the Muslim world using Islamic perspectives and an inclusive development approach. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a new index of “interpersonal safety and trust” to measure social capital. The empirical analysis is based on both cross-sectional and panel data methods of estimations. Findings The empirical findings of the study show that social capital is an important cause of economic performance in the Muslim world. The findings of the study are shown to be robust to different specifications, additional controls, econometric techniques and outliers. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is first study of its kindly that analytically explores and empirically tests the relationship of social solidarity with economic performance of the Muslim world using Islamic perspectives.

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