Investigating the technology catching-up trajectory of Chinese Hi-Tech SMEs: an integrated framework from industry-, resource-, and institution-based view

Accepted for WLICSMB 2010Purpose This paper intends to review the literatures on the technology catching-up trajectory of latecomers in order to understand the innovation strategies of Chinese Hi-Tech SMEs (Gu & Tse, 2010; Xie & White, 2006; Chen & Qu, 2003; Lee & Lim, 2001; Kim, 1997). It also tries to construct an integrated framework to investigate their innovation strategies and the impact on organizational performance from the Industry-, Resource-, and Institution-based view (Peng, Wang, & Jiang, 2008). Design/methodology/approach The authors have reviewed papers published in the leading journals in the R&D field and proposed an integrated conceptual framework of innovation strategies of Chinese Hi-Tech firms based on Peng, Wang and Jiang (2008)’s institution-based view framework to examine the innovation strategy from Industry-, firm-specific Resource-based, and Institution-based View Originality/Value This paper pays attention to the institution factors in shaping Chinese SMEs to develop innovative capabilities. Chinese firms have comparative advantages, such as better comprehending Chinese local market, better understanding of local business environment comparing to MNEs. Our paper argues that by developing effective innovation strategies and improving innovative capabilities, Chinese SMEs will be able to survive from the severe competitions from state-owned enterprises and foreign firms in China

European smart specialization for Ukrainian regional development: path from creation to implementation

The focus of the research is to develop recommendations of smart specialization (SS) for Ukrainian policymakers using European approaches. The authors revealed that the main SS projects are presented in such sectors as agri-food, industrial modernization and energy. More than 12 EU countries were the plot for conducted analysis of SS, as a result of which the level of activity of each country was determined. The creation of consortiums, including SMEs, associations, universities and other participants, disclosed the successful way of SS realization. The structure of SME’s innovative potential in Ukraine was identified underlining their main characteristic features like types of innovations and innovative activity, differentiation according to enterprise size, their regional distribution. The authors explored lack of innovations on regional and national level and significant territorial disparities, which could be eliminated through policy implementation of regional SS. The existing legislative norms for possibility of SS implementation in Ukraine were analyzed due to correspondence with the EU ones. The analysis provides the opportunity to consider them only as general framework documents without any action plans and sectoral prioritization at all. The weak points of these law documents are emphasized. As a result of research, the authors developed recommendations presented by direct action plan for Ukrainian policymakers, which include such activities as underlining key priorities (especially ICT applicability in every SS project) and their correspondence with the EU ones; eliminating regional imbalances by focusing on innovation development and reorientation of some regions according to SS priorities; respecting regional existing capacities; providing organizational mechanism for cooperation of stakeholders and financial mechanism for SS support through the EU structural funds

Models of internationalisation: The New Zealand experience

This paper examines the models of internationalisation adopted by thirty firms from New Zealand. Analysis of the international model is based on five key dimensions: firm sector and size; international market scope; market entry and servicing strategies; and speed of internationalisation. Drivers and constraints to internationalisation are also considered in the analysis. Evaluation of these dimensions over time finds evidence of both traditional ‘stages’ and emergent ‘born (again) global’ models of internationalisation, and reveals that over one third of these firms experience dramatic change to their international activities and resources initiated by divestment or change of ownership. We refer to the alternative internationalisation trajectory adopted by these firms as the ‘transformational’ model of internationalisation. The paper makes a contribution to the extant literature by providing synthesis of the New Zealand internationalisation and by building on our understanding of how patterns of internationalisation from a small open economy are changing in response to global environmental pressures

Ecosystem evolution mechanism of manufacturing service system driven by service providers

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via the DOI in this record.To date, research has mainly discussed the definition and classification of producer services. Yet many companies require an integrated solution of products and producer services. The aim of this paper is to propose a model of the ecological evolution of manufacturing service systems (MSS) driven by service providers. This model adopts modular thinking to integrate dispersive producer services into an entire MSS, the process of which forms the ecological evolution of MSS. This paper applies ecological theory to build the ecological evolution mechanism of MSS. In this mechanism, the predator–prey relationship is used as a metaphor for the relationships between manufacturers and service providers in a MSS. A predator–prey model is built to simulate the ecological evolution of MSS. A predation cellular genetic algorithm is adopted to optimise this evolution. The proposed model and algorithm are demonstrated and validated by a case study of MSS in bicycle industry. This study contributes to theory by proposing and clarifying the mechanism for provision of services between businesses. The future research will focus on the application and empirical analysis of this mechanism derived from big data.This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 51205353], [grant number 71571161], [grant number 51475434]

Barriers to the implementation of enterprise strategic transformation based on path dependence theory: the case of Jiangsu High Hope Group

With the deepening of economic globalization and the improvement of the trade structure mode, China has gradually become a global trade power, enjoying increasing space for the development of its foreign trade enterprises. However, under the comprehensive influences by external factors, China's foreign trade enterprises are faced with huge pressure to survive. Foreign trade enterprises in the new situation must continue to carry out strategic transformation in order to survive and develop. However, in the dynamic environment, the traditional enterprise strategic transformation is faced with serious path dependence, which leads to obvious inertia, which seriously hinders enterprise strategic transformation implementation and even leads to transformation failure. Existing studies only focus on enterprise strategic transformation, whereas this thesis discusses the inertial factors that hinder enterprise strategic transformation implementation from the perspective of path dependence. In other words, this thesis incorporates the theory of path dependence into the theory of strategic transformation, and probes into enterprise strategic transformation from the perspective of path dependence. Proceeding from theory and demonstration and with Jiangsu High Hope Group as the research object, this thesis studies the path dependence factors that hinder Jiangsu High Hope Group's strategic transformation implementation. Relevant suggestions on addressing path dependence barriers to the case company's strategic transformation are put forward from five aspects, namely, enterprise structure, enterprise employees, enterprise core competencies, enterprise culture and external environment, in view of the fact that the case company’s path dependence hinders its strategic transformation implementation.Com o aprofundamento da globalização económica e a melhoria do modo de estrutura comercial, gradualmente, a China tornou-se em uma potência comercial no mundo, desfrutando de um espaço cada vez maior para o desenvolvimento de empresas de comércio exterior (ECE). No entanto, sob as influências abrangentes de fatores externos, as ECE da China enfrentam uma pressão enorme para sobreviver. Na situação nova, as ECE devem continuar a realizar a transformação estratégica (TE) para sobreviver e se desenvolver. Entretanto, no ambiente dinâmico, a TE da empresa tradicional é confrontada com uma séria dependência de trajetória (DT), o que leva à inércia óbvia, o que prejudica seriamente a implementação da TE da empresa, até leva ao fracasso da transformação. Os estudos existentes concentram-se apenas na TE da empresa, enquanto esta tese discute os fatores de inércia que impedem a implementação da TE na empresa a partir da perspetiva da DT, ou seja, esta tese incorpora a teoria da DT na teoria da TE e investiga a TE da empresa a partir da perspetiva da DT. Partindo da teoria e da investigação empírica e tendo como objeto de pesquisa o Grupo Jiangsu High Hope, esta tese estuda os fatores de DT que impedem a implementação da TE do Grupo. As conclusões mais relevantes sobre como lidar com barreiras de DT para a TE da empresa em causa são apresentadas em cinco vertentes, nomeadamente, a estrutura empresarial, os colaboradores de topo de empresa, competências essenciais da empresa, cultura empresarial e o ambiente externo. Este caso lustra bem em como a DT da empresa constitui dificuldade de implementação da TE

Enterprise Systems Adoption and Firm Performance in Europe: The Role of Innovation

Despite the ubiquitous proliferation and importance of Enterprise Systems (ES), little research exists on their post-implementation impact on firm performance, especially in Europe. This paper provides representative, large-sample evidence on the differential effects of different ES types on performance of European enterprises. It also highlights the mediating role of innovation in the process of value creation from ES investments. Empirical data on the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Knowledge Management System (KMS), and Document Management System (DMS) is used to investigate the effects on product and process innovation, revenue, productivity and market share growth, and profitability. The data covers 29 sectors in 29 countries over a 5-year period. The results show that all ES categories significantly increase the likelihood of product and process innovation. Most of ES categories affect revenue, productivity and market share growth positively. Particularly, more domainspecific and simpler system types lead to stronger positive effects. ERP systems decrease the profitability likelihood of the firm, whereas other ES categories do not show any significant effect. The findings also imply that innovation acts as a full or partial mediator in the process of value creation of ES implementations. The direct effect of enterprise software on firm performance disappears or significantly diminishes when the indirect effects through product and process innovation are explicitly accounted for. The paper highlights future areas of research.Enterprise Systems; ERP; SCM; CRM; KMS; DMS; IT Adoption; Post-implementation Phase; IT Business Value; Innovation; Firm Performance; Europe

Evolution of Technological Capabilities: A study of Indian products based Telecom start-up firms

New technology based start-ups play a very important role in developing the economy of a country. However, product based B2B start-ups in India are rare and existing ones have to undergo several challenges in commercializing. Present study explores the evolution of technological capabilities that enable commercialization among such early stage start-ups by adopting a multiple case based (four independent start-ups) inductive methodology with Indian telecom start-ups as the context. We have identified architectural design, algorithmic implementation and product adaptation as components of technological capability of such start-ups. We explore the link between knowledge acquisition, telecom specific knowledge and capability evolution in present work in a regulated and knowledge intensive context. Finally, we put forth a three stage framework mapping the evolution of technological capabilities among telecom start-ups, as well as identify regulatory bodies, standard making bodies and social network as facilitators in the capability evolution process.