Structural Capital and Innovation Capabilities

2010 ◽  
pp. 194-208
Author(s):  
Elsa Mercedes Alama Salazar
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Organizational Knowledge ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Organizational Capital ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
Effective Development

Organizational knowledge, as well as their different manifestations, may play a critical role for effective development of the firm processes and products (Kogut and Zander, 1996; Teece, 1998; Alegre and Lapiedra, 2005). The present work explores the influence that the different manifestations of organizational knowledge, or structural capital, show on the innovation capability of professional service firms. To achieve this purpose, in a first section an exploratory factor analysis is carried out. From it, the main blocks of organizational capital are obtained. In the next step, the basic hypotheses about the positive influence of these types of structural assets, on firm innovation are presented.

scholarly journals How do high performance work systems influence organizational innovation in professional service firms?

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Fu ◽  
Patrick C. Flood ◽  
Janine Bosak ◽  
Tim Morris ◽  
Philip O'Regan
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Work Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performance Work Systems ◽  
Hrm Practices

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how a system of human resource management (HRM) practices, labelled high-performance work systems (HPWS), influences organizational innovation in professional service firms (PSFs). In this study, innovation in PSFs is seen as an indicator of firm performance and is calculated as the revenue per person generated from new clients and new services, respectively. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative data were collected from 195 managing partners, HR managers or experienced Partners in 120 Irish accounting firms. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The analysis results indicate strong support for the mediating role of employees’ innovative work behaviours in the relationship between HPWS and two types of PSFs’ innovation performance. Practical implications – Managers need to effectively adopt and implement innovation-based HRM practices to encourage and support employees’ creative thinking and innovation. Through the adoption and utilization of these practices managers can enhance the firm’s innovation and its performance. Originality/value – This study contributes to our understanding of the link between HRM and firm innovation by explicating a pathway between these variables. This study also generalizes consistent findings on the HRM-firm innovation relationship to a different context, i.e. PSFs.

scholarly journals Segmentation of quantity surveying professional services for focus strategy and diversification

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-308
Author(s):  
Michael Adesi ◽  
De-Graft Owusu-Manu ◽  
Frank Boateng
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantity Surveying ◽  
Focus Strategy

Purpose Notwithstanding that numerous studies have focused on strategy in quantity surveying (QS) professional service firms, there is a paucity of investigation on the segmentation of QS professional services. The purpose of this study is to investigate the segmentation of QS services for diversification and a focus strategy formation. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts the positivist stance and quantitative approach in which a simple random sampling technique was used to select participants. In total, 110 survey questionnaires were administered to registered professional QS, out of which 79 completed questionnaires were returned for analysis. Findings The paper identifies three main QS service segments characterised by low, moderate and high competition. In addition, this study found that the concentration of traditional QS services in the building construction sector is due to the unwillingness of QS professional service firms to diversify into the non-construction sectors such as oil and gas. The diversification of QS services in the low competitive segment requires the adoption of agile approaches. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to numeric analyses and so would be complemented by qualitative research in the future. Practical implications This paper is useful to QS professional service firms interested in diversifying their services into the non-construction sectors to enhance the pricing of their services. Originality/value Segmentation of QS services is fundamental to the formulation of focus strategy for non-construction sectors such as oil and gas and mining to enhance the pricing of QS professional services.

scholarly journals Fragmented fields: Professionalisms and work settings in Italian management consultancy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Maestripieri
Keyword(s):  
Professional Service ◽  
Specific Work ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Management Consultants ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Management Consultancy ◽  
Professional Service Firm

Abstract Management consultancy has long been a contested terrain in the sociology of the professions. Although the professionalism of management consultants has always been emphasized by practitioners themselves, the lack of a strong community of peers has been an impediment to their professionalization. In this article, I argue that professionalism is not the outcome of a process of regulation and institutionalization but that it has to be conceived a discourse comprising norms, worldviews, and values that define what is appropriate for an individual to be considered a competent and recognized member of this community. Given the diversity characterizing the field, there are multiple discourses surrounding professionalism of management consultants, and these discourses are shaped by work settings. Work settings are a combination of the type of organization professional partnership or professional service firm and the employment status (employee or self-employed). Drawing on the empirical evidence from various work settings (professional service firms, professional partnership, and self-employment), I investigate four clusters of practitioners identified in 55 biographical and semi-structured interviews conducted with management consultants in Italy. Four types of professionalism emerge from the clusters. Organizing professionalism is the sole professionalism that appears in all work settings. Other discourses (corporate, commercialized, and hybrid professionalism) are context-dependent and more likely to be found in specific work settings.

How do non-innovative firms start innovation and build legitimacy? The case of professional service firms

2021 ◽  
Vol 137 ◽  
pp. 614-625
Author(s):  
Elisa Villani ◽  
Christian Linder ◽  
Christian Lechner ◽  
Lina Muller
Keyword(s):  
Professional Service ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Professional Service Firms ◽  
Innovative Firms
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