Methodological tools for managing intellectual resources: overcoming limited resource potential

Intellectual resources, in the form of human (labor) and information resources are increasingly important in an economic environment wherein firms limited resource potential impedes innovation. Their assessment, analysis, accounting and distribution are necessary for the effective implementation of innovation activities. However, Russias regions differ in the number of staff engaged in research and development and firm innovativeness. Furthermore, geography can present barriers to innovation that undermine firm competitiveness, which ultimately aggravates the socio-economic development of Russia. This problem can be solved by transforming the methodological tools used in the regional development strategy. Whilst each region is distinctive, the authors propose a methodology for assessing the minimum acceptable levels of available intellectual resources necessary for the implementation of an innovative project. This methodology considers activity at different project stages and can be scaled to any economic level and innovative project. The proposed method evaluates the minimum optimal distribution of intellectual resources necessary for the successful implementation of innovative activities, which are considered necessary for transforming the Russian economy and building resource potential. This methodology also allows to assess the sufficiency of available intellectual resources, create a system of metrics for their accounting and replenishment, and utilize intellectual resources across multiple innovative projects simultaneously.

Intrinsic speed capabilities and alliance partner attractiveness

This study focuses on the role of intrinsic speed capabilities, which refer to the ability to execute investment projects faster than competitors, in the attractiveness and selection of alliance partners. We predict that intrinsically faster firms have a higher likelihood of being selected as alliance partners due to the potential of accelerating the realization of future revenue streams of an alliance project as well as of preempting slower competitors. We also expect that intrinsic speed capabilities substitute for deficiencies in alliance experience and firm innovativeness. Using data on construction projects in the global Liquefied Natural Gas industry, we find empirical support for our theoretical expectations. Our results suggest that firm speed plays an important role in alliance partner selection and has the potential to facilitate the generation of future growth options for firms due to greater partner attractiveness in the market for alliance partners.

The impact of firm innovativeness on consumer trust in the sharing economy: a moderated mediation model

PurposeThis paper examined the relationship between firm innovativeness and consumer trust in the sharing economy. In addition, the authors examine the mediating effect of organizational legitimacy and the moderating effect of social worth.Design/methodology/approachTo examine the hypotheses, the authors collected data from 276 users of a sharing platform (Didi) in China to conduct empirical research. The “lavaan” packages in R and SPSS were used to analyze the data and test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results reveal that sharing platforms' innovativeness is positively related to consumer trust, and this relationship is mediated by organizational legitimacy. Furthermore, sharing platforms' social worth moderates the relationship between firm innovativeness and organizational legitimacy as well as the indirect effect of firm innovativeness on consumer trust via organizational legitimacy.Practical implicationsThis article proposes strategies that enable sharing platforms to increase consumer trust, which can also better promote the development of the sharing economy.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by focusing on the social attributes of the sharing economy. By building a more detailed model of consumer trust, this paper adds to the knowledge on the influencing mechanism of consumer trust in the sharing economy.

Strategic orientations, marketing capabilities and innovativeness: an adaptive approach

Purpose This study aims to investigate marketing capabilities that represent the marketing mix from an adaptive perspective: brand management, customer relationship management, price management and multi-channel management. Also, this study identifies how adaptive marketing capabilities (AMCs) enrich superior innovativeness and speed-to-market regarding innovation orientation and marketing orientation as the two critical functions. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based research was performed to test the proposed hypotheses. The data were collected from predominately marketing or research and development managers/senior specialists in 247 firms. Findings Strategic orientations that cover market and innovation orientation facilitate a firm’s AMCs, positively affecting its innovativeness and speed-to-market. Also, AMCs mediate the relationship between strategic orientations, and innovativeness, and speed-to-market. Further, this study confirms the complementary association of AMC-related variables in enhancing firm innovativeness and speed-to-market. Research limitations/implications This study is subject to the limitations inherent in survey design, particularly convenient sampling and single informants. Originality/value This study broadens understanding of dynamic capabilities theory by examining how marketing capabilities can be enhanced and examined from an adaptive perspective for firms. This study also presents a model for the potential relationships among strategic orientations, AMCs, innovativeness and speed-to-market.

Can a technology firm desire too much of a good thing? The double-edged sword effects of technology orientation on performance

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the underlying mechanisms that come into play in the relationship between technology orientation (TO) and performance in technology firms. In doing so, this paper explores how different levels of TO affect firm innovativeness, how different levels of firm innovativeness affect performance and the moderating role of risk-taking propensity in the relationship between innovativeness and performance. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 112 information technology firms. Control variables include firm size and age and industry effects. The model was tested using PLS-based SEM. Findings Results show that in technology firms, innovativeness plays a mediating role in the relationship between TO and firm performance, the relationship between TO and firm innovativeness is curvilinear, the relationship between innovativeness and performance is curvilinear and risk-taking propensity moderates the curvilinear relationship between innovativeness and performance. Originality/value The shape of the relationships in the mediating paths between TO, innovativeness and performance, is curvilinear (inverted U-shaped). Managers in technology firms focused on bolstering the TO and/or innovativeness should be cognizant of the fact that beyond a certain level, they might actually be doing more harm than good. Additionally, managers seeking to reinforce the relationship between innovativeness and performance need to be sensitive to the role that risk-taking propensity plays in this relationship.

The Impact of EA-Driven Dynamic Capabilities, Innovativeness, and Structure on Organizational Benefits: A Variance and fsQCA Perspective

Enterprise Architecture (EA) allows firms to create value on the firm and operational levels. This paper argues that firms’ EA-driven dynamic capabilities lead to innovative value-creating actions and, ultimately, improve organizational benefits. Hence, we propose a theoretical model that explains how these dynamic capabilities enable the innovativeness of firms. Moreover, we explain the contingent role of an organic firm structure and its relation to firm innovativeness. Data within this study is collected from 299 CIOs and IT managers. This study uses a variance-based approach and a complementary fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the model’s hypothesized relationships. Our study outcomes demonstrate a positive relationship between EA-driven dynamic capabilities and firms’ innovativeness as well as between innovation and organizational benefits. Our post-hoc analyses using fsQCA reveal various circumstances in which organic firm structure and valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutional (VRIN) firm resources are particularly relevant for firms to obtain high levels of firm innovativeness.

Customer Experience in Fintech

The purpose of this paper is to analyse customer experience (CX) in the fintech sector. Fintech is a dynamic and innovative field that fully benefits from advances in information and communication technology. The concept of customer experience is multidimensional, analysed from various perspectives, and with distinct valences in different industries. Based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) approach, we proposed a model in which customer experience in fintech is the result of customer’s evaluation of the stimuli proposed by fintech companies. Using partial least squares equation modelling (PLS-SEM), we tested a series of hypotheses and validated the proposed model. The results showed that perceived value, customer support, assurance, speed and perceived firm innovativeness are positively related to customer experience in fintech. In turn, customer experience is positively associated with loyalty intentions of the customer. Our paper contributes in identifying the dimensions, the determinants and the outcomes of customer experience in fintech, while from a managerial perspective, we demonstrate how fintech companies must integrate customer experience in their business models.