Managing triadic supplier relationships in collaborative innovation projects: a relational view perspective

Purpose Suppliers are essential partners in innovation projects, as they own resources, knowledge assets and capabilities that complement those of buying firms. In today’s competitive environment, firms may choose to collaborate with suppliers beyond dyads, forming triadic or three-party relationships. Using the theoretical lens of the relational view (RV), this study aims to explore what type of triad configurations firms use to govern supplier relationships in collaborative innovation projects, how they choose to share resources and implications for project performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors use interview data from buyers and suppliers in six case studies of firms involved in ten collaborative innovation projects. The four constructs of the RV are used to observe how firms govern triadic relationships, combine complementary resources, invest in relationship-specific assets and manage information and knowledge exchange with and between suppliers in innovation projects. Findings Four archetypes of triadic relationships in innovation projects – labeled Triangle, A-frame, D-Frame and Line – are presented and characterized in terms of their structural and relational features. The authors discuss how each triad archetype is applicable to different innovation projects according to specific project characteristics. Originality/value This study is pioneering in its empirical examination of triadic relationships in collaborative innovation projects. It provides a novel typology of four archetypes of triad from the perspective of collaborative relationships with suppliers. Through applying the RV, it advances understanding of how triadic relationships are governed, how they invest in relationship-specific assets, how they combine complementary resources and how they exchange knowledge and information in each type of triad appropriate to different innovation project settings. To date, much of the extant literature has focused on dyads.

Application of the New Resource Approach to the Study of the Parameters of the Industrialization Economy

The processes of industrialization, reindustrialization and new industrialization differ not only in the content and mechanisms of implementation, but also in the set of resources required for their application. New industrialization as a process of quantitative and qualitative changes in the economy is based on a complex of resources. These resources are necessary, on the one hand, for the modernization of traditional industries, and on the other hand, for the formation of promising economic activities and industries. Keeping a balance between the resources used to achieve the goals of modernization and innovative development in order to achieve the goals of modernization and innovative development is one of the tasks of a methodological nature and requires the development of appropriate theoretical approaches and models. At the same time, the second most important task is the application of such theories and concepts that will provide a solution to the problems associated with the identification, assessment and description of the parametric characteristics and functions of resources in the system of industrial development of the domestic economy. To solve these problems, the article highlights the features of new industrialization; its differences from such phenomena as industrialization, deindustrialization and reindustrialization. It is substantiated that the use of the resource concept as a methodological basis for new industrialization will make it possible to determine the following: to draw up a typology of the resources of new industrialization; identify criteria for strategic and complementary resources of new industrialization; to identify the subjects of relations in the resource allocation system, as well as their specific functions. The article concludes that modernization processes are provided mainly by massive resources and complementary capabilities and competencies, while the processes of innovative and technological development within the framework of the new industrialization of the economy presuppose the presence of strategic, unique resources and competencies.

Business Value of ICT for Small Tourism Enterprises: The Case of Sri Lanka

<p>Researchers and practitioners believe that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) create business value in organisations. However in practice, organisations often struggle to demonstrate the benefits of ICTs. This difficulty in demonstrating the value of ICTs to organisations is not related to the technology itself, but rather the ways in which technology is used, and how it creates business value. There is an extensive body of literature which focuses on these issues. However, it is predominantly centred on large organisations in the context of developed countries. There is a lack of research on how ICTs create business value in small enterprises particularly in relation to developing countries. Hence, the business value of ICTs remains an important research topic for information systems researchers. The tourism industry is highly information intensive and the use of ICTs in tourism has become so widespread it is almost obligatory. While the benefits that larger tourism organisations gain from ICTs have been well researched, little is known about how ICTs can be utilised to maximise the business value of Small Tourism Enterprises (STEs). Understanding the value of ICTs for STEs is important as they have gained widespread recognition as a major source of employment, income generation and poverty alleviation in developing countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how ICTs can contribute to the business value of STEs. Using a combination of Barney’s Resource Based View of the firm (RBV) and an integrated model developed by combining the Business value of IT framework by Melville et al. and the tourism production system by Poon and Alford, this study examines how ICTs contribute to the business value of STEs. A post-positivist qualitative multi-case study was carried out using 35 STEs which represent the major tourist regions of Sri Lanka. Semi-structured interviews were the main method of data collection supported by document and website analysis. Data analysis was guided by template coding. The initial template developed using the dimensions identified from the literature was further analysed by integrating the themes which emerged from the research data. Data was analysed across cases, using a cross tabular design to compare categories and analyse within-group similarities and inter-group differences. The use of technological and human ICT resources alongside complementary resources in key business processes was examined in order to identify how ICTs were being utilised to gain business value for STEs in Sri Lanka. The combination of internal and external factors derived from the focal firm and the external environment proved to have a significant role in determining STEs’ ability to gain business value from ICTs. Further analysis of cases across four major tourism clusters revealed that business motives, strategies, and location were the main reasons for the varying levels of business value gained by small businesses in the country. The findings of this study indicated that ICTs do contribute to the business value of STEs in Sri Lanka by improving organisational performance in terms of both financial and non-financial gains. In accordance with the claims of RBV, the findings further confirmed that in order to gain business value, ICT resources need to be combined with complementary resources. The findings also identified the significance of strategic integration of online travel agents’ resources in order for STEs to gain the optimum business value from their own ICT resources. A key outcome of this study is the development of an integrated model of the business value of ICTs for STEs. In addition, this study contributes to the theoretical understanding of IT business value research in the context of small tourism businesses, particularly in developing countries. It also has implications for business owners and governments in terms of effective utilisation of firm resources, prioritization and allocation of resources to key projects and processes.</p>

Business Value of ICT for Small Tourism Enterprises: The Case of Sri Lanka

<p>Researchers and practitioners believe that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) create business value in organisations. However in practice, organisations often struggle to demonstrate the benefits of ICTs. This difficulty in demonstrating the value of ICTs to organisations is not related to the technology itself, but rather the ways in which technology is used, and how it creates business value. There is an extensive body of literature which focuses on these issues. However, it is predominantly centred on large organisations in the context of developed countries. There is a lack of research on how ICTs create business value in small enterprises particularly in relation to developing countries. Hence, the business value of ICTs remains an important research topic for information systems researchers. The tourism industry is highly information intensive and the use of ICTs in tourism has become so widespread it is almost obligatory. While the benefits that larger tourism organisations gain from ICTs have been well researched, little is known about how ICTs can be utilised to maximise the business value of Small Tourism Enterprises (STEs). Understanding the value of ICTs for STEs is important as they have gained widespread recognition as a major source of employment, income generation and poverty alleviation in developing countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how ICTs can contribute to the business value of STEs. Using a combination of Barney’s Resource Based View of the firm (RBV) and an integrated model developed by combining the Business value of IT framework by Melville et al. and the tourism production system by Poon and Alford, this study examines how ICTs contribute to the business value of STEs. A post-positivist qualitative multi-case study was carried out using 35 STEs which represent the major tourist regions of Sri Lanka. Semi-structured interviews were the main method of data collection supported by document and website analysis. Data analysis was guided by template coding. The initial template developed using the dimensions identified from the literature was further analysed by integrating the themes which emerged from the research data. Data was analysed across cases, using a cross tabular design to compare categories and analyse within-group similarities and inter-group differences. The use of technological and human ICT resources alongside complementary resources in key business processes was examined in order to identify how ICTs were being utilised to gain business value for STEs in Sri Lanka. The combination of internal and external factors derived from the focal firm and the external environment proved to have a significant role in determining STEs’ ability to gain business value from ICTs. Further analysis of cases across four major tourism clusters revealed that business motives, strategies, and location were the main reasons for the varying levels of business value gained by small businesses in the country. The findings of this study indicated that ICTs do contribute to the business value of STEs in Sri Lanka by improving organisational performance in terms of both financial and non-financial gains. In accordance with the claims of RBV, the findings further confirmed that in order to gain business value, ICT resources need to be combined with complementary resources. The findings also identified the significance of strategic integration of online travel agents’ resources in order for STEs to gain the optimum business value from their own ICT resources. A key outcome of this study is the development of an integrated model of the business value of ICTs for STEs. In addition, this study contributes to the theoretical understanding of IT business value research in the context of small tourism businesses, particularly in developing countries. It also has implications for business owners and governments in terms of effective utilisation of firm resources, prioritization and allocation of resources to key projects and processes.</p>

Global Supply Chains as Drivers of Innovation in China

China’s manufacturing and innovation capabilities are directly related. Availability of complementary resources in rapid prototyping, test production, and components and the ability to deploy innovations at scale increasingly lead high-technology firms, including startups, to consider China as a developmental base across sectors from big data to cloud computing, smart grid, renewable energy, and alternative energy vehicles. Entry into global value chains (GVCs) has led to vast transfers of knowledge, creating human resource capabilities that continuously facilitate the upgrading of Chinese firms. China’s most advanced industries were all those characterized by active participation in GVCs. China’s entry into GVCs has differed significantly from the experiences of other emerging economies, arguably affording China greater innovation benefits. This is directly related to China’s institutional environment of “structured uncertainty.” Structured uncertainty shaped the pattern and impact of entry into GVCs, dictating which regions entered GVCs, when, and how, with long-term knowledge transfer effects.

The Missing Link: Cre Pigs for Cancer Research

The Cre/loxP system is a powerful tool for the generation of animal models with precise spatial and temporal gene expression. It has proven indispensable in the generation of cancer models with tissue specific expression of oncogenes or the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Consequently, Cre-transgenic mice have become an essential prerequisite in basic cancer research. While it is unlikely that pigs will ever replace mice in basic research they are already providing powerful complementary resources for translational studies. But, although conditionally targeted onco-pigs have been generated, no Cre-driver lines exist for any of the major human cancers. To model human pancreatic cancer in pigs, Cre-driver lines were generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated insertion of codon-improved Cre (iCre) into the porcine PTF1A gene, thus guaranteeing tissue and cell type specific function which was proven using dual fluorescent reporter pigs. The method used can easily be adapted for the generation of other porcine Cre-driver lines, providing a missing tool for modeling human cancers in large animals.

Evaluation of University-Based Platforms in Support of Social Entrepreneurship

The study reports on the operationalization of social entrepreneurship programs that are implemented by two university-based platforms in Turkey. Both initiatives have strategically come together with multiple partners (e.g., for-profit and nonprofit businesses and local governmental agencies) in order to achieve more than what they can accomplish on their own. Resource sharing with the partners, nature of social problems, and program outputs and outcomes were used for exploring the working principles of the two programs. The data collection included secondary data, participant observations, semi-structured interviews with program partners and beneficiaries, and a site visit. The social entrepreneurship ecosystem in the given context was found to be growing yet with gaps in support systems for scale-up projects and impact investing. The findings suggest that the two programs varied in their partnership arrangements, funding, scope, and outputs consistent with their program goals. Identifying the unmet needs in the ecosystem, knowing the platforms' strengths and capabilities, and matching with partners that have complementary resources are found to be effective strategies of the platforms. The study argues that universities are not fully utilizing their vital position to contribute to the improvements of the ecosystem, and more can be achieved by integrating the programs with teaching and research and increasing their specialization in various social issues (e.g., gender equality).