Innovation drivers in Ecuadorian manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 510-539
Author(s):  
María Engracia Rochina-Barrachina ◽  
Jorge Antonio Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Innovation Strategies ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study which are the drivers of different types of innovations for manufacturing firms. The considered innovation types are product, process, organizational and marketing innovations. In addition, this study also aims to understand why most types of innovation (with the exception of organizational innovation) have decreased over time. Design/methodology/approach The two non-overlapping waves of the Ecuadorian National Innovation Activities Survey 2013 and 2015 (NIAS) are used. To identify the determinants of the different types of innovations and to check whether the decisions to innovate are correlated, a tetravariate probit model is used. Findings The results obtained point to some relevant differences in terms of the drivers of the different types of innovation. In addition, it is also evident that with the passage of time, certain problems that may be reducing the incentives to innovate have become more acute. Originality/value The study adds new empirical evidence to the literature on the role of investments in incorporated technology in innovation in developing countries. In particular, for Ecuadorian firms, the acquisition of incorporated technology in capital goods seems to be very relevant. This highlights the existence of a supply-driven innovation strategy. However, there is also room for innovation strategies driven by demand conditions.

Organizing work and activities to cope with age – the role of entrepreneurship for individuals aged 50+

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carin Holmquist ◽  
Elisabeth Sundin
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Organizational Form ◽  
Business Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurship Theory ◽  
Over Time

PurposeThe aim of this article is to discuss how age and entrepreneurship interact in the specific case of older (50+) entrepreneurs. Building on theories on entrepreneurship and theories on age and aging, the authors’ focus is on how such entrepreneurs relate to the building and running of a business organization. The authors discuss how entrepreneurship among the elderly plays out and how older entrepreneurs relate to the narratives on both age and entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThis research comprises quantitative as well as qualitative studies. The authors show that qualitative methods that unfold the process over time are necessary and essential to fully understand how and why entrepreneurs start their own business and/or continue to run it at older ages.FindingsThe authors find that the choice to become an entrepreneur at the age of 50+ (or to stay as one) is not a goal in itself, becoming an entrepreneur is a means to stay active in the labor market.Originality/valueThe study findings add to entrepreneurship theory by insights on the link between entrepreneurship and the labor market where the authors argue that becoming an entrepreneur at ages 50+ might be more a question of choice of organizational form than a question on a way of living or occupation. The authors also contribute to theories on age by showing that entrepreneurs aged 50+ choose entrepreneurship as a means to be able to stay in the labor market.

The moderating role of previous venture experience on breadth of learning and innovation and the impacts on SME performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanhaiya K. Sinha ◽  
Chad Saunders ◽  
Simon Raby ◽  
Jim Dewald
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Leadership Team ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of previous venture experience on the relationship between learning breadth and innovation breadth, defined as the range of innovation types within a firm, and the impacts on SME performance.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model was developed, and hypotheses were tested using step-wise multivariate regressions on survey data from 509 North American SME respondents.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the previous venture experience of a firm's top management plays a key role in enhancing the innovation breadth for a given level of learning breadth. There is a curvilinear relationship between innovation breadth and learning breadth, and increases in innovation breadth lead to increases in firm performance.Practical implicationsThe results indicate that organizations seeking higher performance returns by expanding their breadth of innovations need parallel attention on higher learning breadth in order to adequately capture the value from this broader set of innovations.Originality/valueThe paper contextualizes learning and innovation in the SMEs and argues that the consideration of diversity (breadth) of learning and innovation can help us understand their performance implications across industries. It also extends the effect of previous venture experience (PVE) of the leadership team in explaining performance. Beyond their ability to address external factors, PVE has a moderating effect on the relationship between learning and innovation breadth across the organization. Previous venture experience serves as both a guide and catalyst for investments in learning activities that lead to a broader range of innovation activities across the firm.

scholarly journals Fresh perspectives on customer experience

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 430-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet R. McColl-Kennedy ◽  
Anders Gustafsson ◽  
Elina Jaakkola ◽  
Phil Klaus ◽  
Zoe Jane Radnor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Advance Theory ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide directions for future research on: broadening the role of customers in customer experience; taking a practice-based approach to customer experience; and recognizing the holistic, dynamic nature of customer experience across all touch points and over time. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is conceptual identifying current gaps in research on customer experience. Findings – The findings include a set of research questions and research agenda for future research on customer experience. Originality/value – This research suggests fresh perspectives for understanding the customer experience which can inspire future research and advance theory and managerial practice.

BIM for client organisations: a continuous improvement approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 402-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mubarak Al Ahbabi ◽  
Mustafa Alshawi
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Structured Approach ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a continuous improvement approach for clients to improve their performance and to maximise the benefits gained from building information modelling (BIM) over time. The role of client organisations is considered to be very important to accelerate the implementation of BIM. To do this, they need to clearly understand the implementation mechanisms; determine the level of change required within their organisations; and evaluate how best they can achieve this change. The paper’s concept is based on identifying BIM requirements and documenting them in an Employer Information Requirements (EIR) document based on their capability and maturity to deliver and manage BIM. Design/methodology/approach – The continuous improvement approach is based on introducing gradual details to the client’s EIR, depending on the capability and maturity of the client organisation and their supply chain. The approach uses BSI B/555 maturity levels as a baseline for improvement. Findings – A structured approach for client organisations is presented. This helps them to gradually improve their performance towards BIM implementation, taking into consideration their capability and maturity level. Originality/value – The proposed approach is new to industry and could contribute to the efforts of the industry in reaching higher BSI B/555 maturity levels with minimal risks.

The effect of task conflict on outsourcers’ long-term orientation toward suppliers: the moderating role of formal control and Chinese guanxi

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuting Li ◽  
Mark H. Haney ◽  
Gukseong Lee ◽  
Mingu Kang ◽  
Changsuk Ko
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Task Conflict ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Formal Control ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of manufacturing firms’ long-term orientation towards their suppliers in the context of outsourcing relationships in China. Design/methodology/approach Based on survey data collected from 224 manufacturing firms in China, this study examines the hypothesized relationships. Findings The results show that task conflict has a negative effect on long-term orientation, both Chinese guanxi and formal control are useful governance mechanisms to enhance long-term orientation, and the negative effect of task conflict on the long-term orientation weakens as Chinese guanxi between a manufacturer and its supplier increases. Originality/value This study contributes to a better understanding of conflict management in outsourcing relationships in China.

Rethinking the literature on “multiple embeddedness” and subsidiary-specific advantages

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Ferraris
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Complex Phenomenon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Entire Network ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Country Specific

Purpose – This paper aims to synthesize the literature on embeddedness of MNE subsidiaries, rethinking the concept of “multiple embeddedness” in order to clarify the importance of the subsidiary-specific advantages. Design/methodology/approach – A new and innovative framework based on four key relationships: home country-specific advantages (CSAs)-Headquarters (HQ); HQ-subsidiary; subsidiary-host CSAs; and subsidiary-HQ. This framework is used to discuss the complex phenomenon of “multiple embeddedness”. Findings – The framework proposed sheds light on the subsidiary's need to develop and sustain over time its subsidiary-specific advantages (SSAs) and, where possible, to “upgrade” these SSAs and to integrate them across the entire network of the MNE. The framework is based on two pillars. The first one is the “creation and development” of firm-specific advantages (FSAs) (in the home country) and SSAs (in the host country); the second one is the “transfer” of these advantages from the parent to the subsidiary and vice versa. In addition, several interesting interrelations are found between the four main relationships, and the central role of the recombination capabilities and the importance of distance are highlighted. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first to develop a framework incorporating all the relevant relationships in multiple embeddedness. The framework is innovative and “embeddedness” is analyzed in a novel way, as many studies only partially analyze this complex phenomenon and neglect one or more of these relationships.

Interfirm networks and search-transfer problem: the role of geographic proximity

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 923-940
Author(s):  
Dong Wu ◽  
Xiaobo Wu ◽  
Haojun Zhou ◽  
Mingu Kang
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Transfer Problem ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Geographic Proximity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interfirm Networks ◽  
Interfirm Network ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper represents an empirical study of how geographic proximity influences the search advantage and the transfer problem of interfirm networks.Design/methodology/approachBy using the data collected from 226 Chinese manufacturing firms, this study examines the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe authors’ findings suggest that (1) geographic proximity is an important antecedent for promoting knowledge transfer, whereas it lowers the degree of knowledge novelty; and (2) geographic proximity also moderates the effects of interfirm networks on knowledge novelty and knowledge transfer.Originality/valueThis study contributes the literature of interfirm network and provides practical implications by addressing the ways in which manufacturing firms can promote knowledge transfer and acquire novel knowledge.

Know yourself and find your partners

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 1333-1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jongseon Lee ◽  
Nami Kim
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
The Other ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Exploration And Exploitation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Strategy ◽  
Organizational Collaboration ◽  
Efficient Option

Purpose This paper aims to examine whether balancing exploration and exploitation rather than emphasizing one over the other leads to better performance. This study also examines the effects of different kinds of external collaboration on a firm’s performance in relation to the firm’s current innovative direction that shows firms’ internal weighting of exploration or exploitation. Design/methodology/approach Data on Korean manufacturing firms collected from the Korean Innovation Survey were used to test the hypotheses. This study suggested the concept of innovative direction (θ) to examine current innovation capabilities about how much the firms focused on exploration or exploitation. The directionality of exploration or exploitation has not been reflected in previous measures of ambidexterity. Factor analysis and hierarchical regression were used to test hypotheses. Findings The findings suggest that balancing exploration and exploitation is beneficial for a firm’s performance, and explorative collaboration is more beneficial for firms internally emphasizing exploitation. However, it showed that for exploration-oriented firms, exploitative collaboration does not supplement exploitative activities. Research limitations/implications Inter-organizational collaboration helps to develop ambidexterity that leads to better performance. Because inter-organizational collaboration involves substantial costs and is time-consuming, selecting and maintaining partners has to be conducted carefully. Based on the currently pursuing innovative directions, firms can make more appropriate decision for finding external cooperative partners with much of efficiency. When firms find collaborative partners, it is the first thing to look inside themselves. Originality/value Previous studies mainly focused on the selection and balance of the partnership between exploration and exploitation without considering the role of an internal innovative strategy firms are currently pursuing. Identifying firms’ current states and finding partners that can supplement any deficiencies provides the most efficient option for the ambidextrous organization. Consideration of inter-organizational collaborations based on the analysis of internal conditions will be fruitful for the study of ambidexterity.

Rethinking professional collaboration and agency in a post-pandemic era

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 337-341
Author(s):  
Paul Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Teacher Leader ◽  
Professional Collaboration ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
Over Time

PurposeThis paper explores the role of professional collaboration and agency during the global COVID-19 pandemic and possible lessons for the future from the perspective of a teacher, leader and postgraduate researcher.Design/methodology/approachThis essay explores the complex role of collaboration and agency in responding to the challenges arising during the global COVID-19 pandemic utilizing research as well as the author's lived experience.FindingsThe author finds that through a renewed emphasis on effective professional collaboration and agency, not only are there opportunities to embed lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also scope to work towards education systems that reflect the complex global socio-political contexts communities may find themselves in and the evolving needs that result from them.Originality/valueThis paper offers insights into the work of teachers and school leaders, the increasing complexity of their roles over time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering what this might mean for the future.

User engagement in social media – an explorative study of Swedish fashion brands

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Geissinger ◽  
Christofer Laurell
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Explorative Study ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Media Applications ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to add to the literature by exploring how curvilinear manifestations of user engagement can be explained in the setting of fashion-oriented social media. Design/methodology/approach – This study analyses how ten Swedish fashion brands have been integrated in expressions of user engagement in social media. In total, a material of 11,173 user-generated contents from different types of social media applications over a period of 12 weeks was collected and analysed. Findings – The results of this paper show that user engagement fluctuates considerably over time in social media. It also shows that the degree of engagement varies between different forms of social media applications. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature on fashion marketing and user engagement by adding empirical support for the suggestion that expressions of engagement found in social media are curvilinear in their nature. It also concludes that highly involved and engaged users, instead of being brand activists, tend to be variety seekers in the studied setting that when taken together represents an emerging managerial challenge for the fashion industry and particularly fashion firms.

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