Redefining the Organizational Resilience Construct using a Frame Based Methodology : A New Perspective from the Ecology Based Approach

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Strategic Agility and Product Development in Emerging Markets : The Role of Employee Resilience and Self-efficacy as Microfoundations

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Value creation and change in social structures: the role of entrepreneurial innovation from an emergence perspective

Aim: Our aim is to develop a more complete understanding of how processes that entrepreneurs perform interact with wider society and the causal effects of society on entrepreneurial behaviour and vice versa. We aim to show how entrepreneurial agency is put into effect in relation to the disruption of social structure and social change. This has implications for innovation and entrepreneurship policy and practice, and for entrepreneurship theory. We also investigate the role of ‘value’ in these processes. Contribution to the literature Our central argument is that emergent forms (or ‘emergents’) may be short lived (ephemeral) but have causal power on the performance of the actors in the system of inter-relationships in the innovation ecosystem. The emphasis on inter-related social processes and ontological stratification provides theoretical development of extant entrepreneurship theory on new venture creation (by explaining process), effectuation (by linking individualism and holism) and opportunity recognition (by deconstructing opportunity into anticipation, ontology and process). Methodology The paper takes an 'emergence' perspective as a way to understand entrepreneurial processes that give rise to innovation. The anticipation of value and the inter-relationship with social and organisational structures are fundamental to this perspective. A longitudinal analysis of a case study of the development of a new business model within an entrepreneurial firm is described. The case is followed through seven phases in which the relationship between process and emergent ontological status is shown to have destabilising and stabilising effects which produce emergent properties. Results and Implications One methodological contribution is framing how to conceptualise the empirical evidence. Emergents have causal effects on the anticipations of value inherent in their particular system of innovation. This causality is manifest as the attraction of resource in the firm; the stabilisation of the emergent constitutes strategy in the enterprise. A key role of the entrepreneurs in our case study was the creation and maintenance of evolving ontological materiality, as meaningful to themselves and to those with whom they interacted. In simple terms, they made things meaningful to people who mattered

Designing services for sustainability : the case of home energy consumption

Tese de Mestrado. Engenharia de Serviços e Gestão. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

Dynamic Capabilities in Information Systems Research: A Critical Review, Synthesis of Current Knowledge, and Recommendations for Future Research

Over the past twenty years, the dynamic capabilities view (DCV) has gained prominence in the IS field as a theoretical perspective from which to explain competitive advantage in turbulent environments. While there are quite a few review studies of dynamic capabilities (DCs) in the strategic management domain, research on DCs in the IS area has not been synthesized nor critically analyzed. The result is that the role that IT plays in the DCV remains largely ambiguous, and the way we think and conduct IS research on DCs is unquestioned. Addressing this, we conducted a critical review of DCs in IS research based on 136 papers. Our review provides a synthesis of contemporary knowledge on DCs that emphasizes the role of IT in this research, and a critical analysis of the assumptions underlying this literature. In addition, we develop a minimum DC definition for future research as a solution to the conceptual issues that we uncovered via the critical analysis. We further leverage the remaining findings of our critical review by providing a detailed research agenda for future investigations on DCs by IS scholars

LEAN TRANSFORMATION: OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES, MANAGING PERFORMANCE, AND SUSTAINING SUCCESS

To remain competitive in a global market, many organizations are transforming their operations from traditional management approaches to the lean philosophy. The success of the Toyota Production System in the automotive industry serves as a benchmark that organizations continually seek to emulate in search of similar results. Despite the abundance of lean resources, many organizations struggle to attain successful lean transformation. To facilitate investigation of the failure mechanisms and critical success factors of lean transformation, this dissertation addresses the following research questions: (1) Why do transformations from traditional organizational philosophies to lean fail? (2) What are the critical factors for lean transformation success? (3) What is the role of an organization’s human resource performance management system during the lean transformation journey? This dissertation utilizes a multi-method, multi-essay format to examine the research questions. First, managers from organizations in various stages of lean transformation are interviewed to establish a foundational research framework. Subsequently, a theoretical model is empirically tested based on data gathered from a survey of industry professionals with expertise in lean transformation. Data analysis techniques employed for this dissertation include: Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression, case descriptions, and case comparisons. Very few studies of lean transformation investigate behavioral influences and antecedents. This dissertation contributes to practitioners and researchers by offering a refined understanding of the role that human resource performance management can play in the overall lean transformation process. In an effort to characterize organizational outcomes resulting from lean transformation, this research introduces a new construct, Lean Transformation Success, to the literature

IT Leadership in Transition - The Impact of Digitalization on Finnish Organizations

Digitalization is transforming business models across industries. As information technology (IT) is becoming embedded in products and services, IT leadership has an increasingly dualistic role in supporting the organization and also serving its customers' changing needs. The ACIO research program studied how Finnish industry and public sector organizations utilize information technology in developing and managing critical business capabilities. The focus was on understanding and analyzing contemporary approaches to IT leadership. This research report summarizes some of the key research findings, providing scholars and practitioners with insights into and understanding of digitalization and changes in IT leadership in Finnish informationintensive organizations

Extensibility of Enterprise Modelling Languages

Die Arbeit adressiert insgesamt drei Forschungsschwerpunkte. Der erste Schwerpunkt setzt sich mit zu entwickelnden BPMN-Erweiterungen auseinander und stellt deren methodische Implikationen im Rahmen der bestehenden Sprachstandards dar. Dies umfasst zum einen ganz konkrete Spracherweiterungen wie z. B. BPMN4CP, eine BPMN-Erweiterung zur multi-perspektivischen Modellierung von klinischen Behandlungspfaden. Zum anderen betrifft dieser Teil auch modellierungsmethodische Konsequenzen, um parallel sowohl die zugrunde liegende Sprache (d. h. das BPMN-Metamodell) als auch die Methode zur Erweiterungsentwicklung zu verbessern und somit den festgestellten Unzulänglichkeiten zu begegnen. Der zweite Schwerpunkt adressiert die Untersuchung von sprachunabhängigen Fragen der Erweiterbarkeit, welche sich entweder während der Bearbeitung des ersten Teils ergeben haben oder aus dessen Ergebnissen induktiv geschlossen wurden. Der Forschungsschwerpunkt fokussiert dabei insbesondere eine Konsolidierung bestehender Terminologien, die Beschreibung generisch anwendbarer Erweiterungsmechanismen sowie die nutzerorientierte Analyse eines potentiellen Erweiterungsbedarfs. Dieser Teil bereitet somit die Entwicklung einer generischen Erweiterungsmethode grundlegend vor. Hierzu zählt auch die fundamentale Auseinandersetzung mit Unternehmensmodellierungssprachen generell, da nur eine ganzheitliche, widerspruchsfreie und integrierte Sprachdefinition Erweiterungen überhaupt ermöglichen und gelingen lassen kann. Dies betrifft beispielsweise die Spezifikation der intendierten Semantik einer Sprache

Networking dimensions and performance of event management ventures in Kenya

The role of networking in the sharing of knowledge and information is well documented. What is not clear, however, are the facets of networks that best drive firm performance, and whether or not the nature of business is a factor. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of networking dimensions on the performance of event management ventures in Kenya. The researcher conceptualised that performance of ventures was a function of networking dimensions such as network capability, network structure and network dynamics. The study adopted a covariance-based confirmatory research design that sought to confirm indicators of the four variables under study, and also to establish the causal link between networking dimensions and venture performance. A population of 313 ventures was targeted, from which a sample of 288 proprietors was drawn. Using Structural Equation Modelling as the principal analysis approach, the study established that networking dimensions positively and significantly predict events venture performance. Moreover, the measurement model confirmed that the customer and learning and growth perspectives were the main indicators of events venture performance.Keywords: event management, network capability, network dynamics, network structures, structural model, venture performanc

A Unified Field Leadership framework (UFL): Developing Employee Potential through Consistent Dual Strategy, Bionic Organization, and Quantum Thinking Processes

This study explores the relationship between leadership and employee potential development within unpredictable business environments, particularly focusing on private enterprises in Zhejiang Province, China. Addressing the gap in traditional leadership theories, which struggle in today's uncertain contexts, the research investigates the experiences of senior executives, middle-level managers, and employees, delving into strategic and organizational leadership and the balance between business and personal life. Based on interviews with 46 individuals from 9 companies, the study introduces the Unified Field Leadership (UFL) framework, a novel approach designed for uncertain environments. UFL integrates three key mechanisms: dual strategy, bionic organization, and quantum thinking, to develop employee potential. This framework, inspired by natural science principles, offers a multi- dimensional perspective, incorporating time, space, psychology, and environment, and aligns with ancient Chinese philosophy, particularly the Tao Te Ching. UFL, rooted in a high-dimensional cognitive framework, bridges science and ethics, addresses company vitality, employee creativity, and organizational evolution (VCE), and involves five alignments between enterprises and employees. These include alignments between business, management, and profit models; strategy, organization, and people's hearts; direction, motivation, and path; id, ego, and superego; and between conscience, knowledge-action unity, and unity of man and nature. This thesis contributes to leadership theory by introducing the three worlds framework, blending psychology, behaviour, and destiny. UFL addresses the limitations of existing leadership models, making it suitable for uncertain environments and useful for government application in leadership improvement, especially in family businesses and intergenerational succession. This approach aims to elevate leadership to scientific and ethical standards, unlocking employee potential and supporting broader objectives such as comprehensive personal and corporate development, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices