How are management fashions institutionalized? The role of institutional work

We explore how transitory management fashions become institutionalized. Based on the concepts of institutional entrepreneurship and institutional work, we postulate that fashionable management practices acquire permanence when they are anchored within fieldwide institutions. The building of such institutions requires various types of institutional work, including political work, technical work and cultural work. Based on a review of the empirical literature on various management fashions, we identify the actors engaging in these different types of works, and their skills. Our results suggest that the institutionalization effect is stronger if more types of institutional work are deployed and if the skill sets of the involved actors vary. We also argue that institutional construction in the case of management fashions is likely to take the form of decentralized `partaking' rather than being led by a single dominant institutional entrepreneur. We conclude with implications for the study of management fashions and the role of agency in institutionalization

Dynamic Capability Building through partnering: An Australian Mobile handset case Study

Dynamic capabilities are increasingly seen as an organisational characteristic for innovation and are regarded as a source of competitive advantage. In a quest for sustainability, service organisations are partnering with their stakeholders, and subsequently are aptly bringing innovation in services to market. Most of existing empirical research regarding dynamic capabilities seeks to define and identify specific dynamic capabilities, as well as their organizational antecedents or effects. Yet, the extent to which the antecedents of success in particular dynamic capabilities, contribute to innovation in service organisations remains less researched. This study advances the understanding of such dynamic capability building process through effective collaboration, and highlights the detailed mechanisms and processes of capability building within a service value network framework to deliver innovation in services. Deploying a case study methodology, transcribing interviews with managers and staff from an Australian telco and its partnering organisations, results show that collaboration, collaborative organisational learning, collaborative innovative capacity, entrepreneurial alertness and collaborative agility are all core to fostering innovation in services. Practical implications of this research are significant, and that the impacts of collaboration and the dynamic capabilities mentioned above are discussed in the context of a mobile handset case study

Towards Transdisciplinarity: Liminality and the Transitions Inherent in Pluridisciplinary Collaborative Work

Although the value of cross-disciplinary teams is widely accepted, relatively little attention has been given to the work that precedes addressing a team’s objective or stated problem, that is, the work required to negotiate their various disciplinary perspectives. This article considers how the notion of liminality, a cultural and social state of “betweenness,” might be used to conceptualize transitory stages in the development of pluridisciplinary groups and teams that are comprised of individuals from many diverse disciplines. It suggests how anthropologists can play a role in guiding and facilitating this particular domain of invisible work

Supply Chain Resilience: Antecedents and Driver in Global Competition

En el actual entorno altamente competitivo, las empresas de todo el mundo buscan formas innovadoras de incrementar la resiliencia de sus cadenas de suministro sin perder eficiencia operacional y ventaja competitiva. En esta tesis doctoral se analiza la creación de resiliencia atendiendo a dos aspectos. En primer lugar, estudiamos el novedoso concepto de sincromodalidad en el mundo del transporte y su efecto sobre la resiliencia y la eficiencia. En segundo lugar, examinamos el efecto que la Gestión de Riesgos en la Cadena de Suministro(SCRM) tiene sobre la resiliencia, cuantificando la reducción de eventos disruptivos.La sincromodalidad es un concepto de transporte novedoso que integra el uso de diversos modos de transporte en base a información en tiempo real. La sincromodalidad se entiende como un planteamiento operativo para mejorar los objetivos de desempeño en cuanto a eficiencia y resiliencia, con el potencial añadido de generar ventaja competitiva mediante la diferenciación logística. No obstante, el trabajo existente al respecto se encuentra todavía en una etapa incipiente, no existiendo todavía un consenso acerca de los mecanismos que propician el desarrollo de una cadena de suministro sincromodal. Asimismo, sus resultados no se han analizado empíricamente. Para salvar esta brecha, presentamos un análisis pormenorizado de sincromodalidad y de sus dimensiones subyacentes. Mediante la aplicación de una metodología en cuatro etapas, se desarrolla el constructo multidimensional de sincromodalidad, formado por 4 dimensiones (visibilidad, flexibilidad, integración y sistema operativo). Un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales confirma su relación con la diferenciación logística como medida de la ventaja competitiva. Este análisis supone un enfoque del concepto de sincromodalidad respecto a la literatura existente, para comprenderlo mejor desde una perspectiva de gestión de operaciones y sentar las bases de las capacidades de la cadena de suministro que deben desarrollar aquellas empresas que adopten la sincromodalidad.Utilizando esta investigación como punto de partida, analizamos los efectos que la implantación de la sincromodalidad tiene en la cadena de suministro, medidos en términos de eficiencia y resiliencia. Utilizando información proveniente de 157 empresas logísticas que trabajan con expedidores de carga que aplican actualmente la sincromodalidad en Europa, presentamos un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales para analizar la relación entre sincromodalidad, eficiencia y resiliencia. Además, adoptamos un enfoque configuracional y realizamos un análisis de clústeres para seguir avanzando en la comprensión del vínculo eficiencia-resiliencia mediante distintos contextos sincromodales medidos por las cuatro dimensiones de sincromodalidad identificadas. Nuestros hallazgos indican que las empresas que fomentan un entorno sincromodal en sus operaciones no sólo son más eficientes desde el punto de vista de la logística y el transporte, sino que además son menos propensas a las disrupciones. Sin embargo, los niveles de eficiencia y resiliencia difieren según el grado de sincromodalidad alcanzado por la cadena de suministro.En segundo lugar, el estudio de la resiliencia ha suscitado el interés de los investigadores por el análisis de determinadas prácticas de gestión de riesgos en la cadena de suministro, tales como la colaboración y la formalización de procesos. Con todo, son escasas las investigaciones que cuantifican los efectos de estas prácticas, lo que nos animó a examinar en qué medida la Gestión de Riesgos en la Cadena de Suministro (SCRM) colaborativa y formal puede contribuir a reducir la propensión a sufrir un evento disruptivo. Para estimar estos efectos, desarrollamos una metodología de efecto de tratamiento multivariable basada en análisis experimentales y la aplicamos a una base de datos global consistente en 1.461 encuestados procedentes de 69 países. Para terminar, analizamos el efecto moderador que tiene el tamaño de la empresa y el tipo de industria sobre el enfoque de gestión del riesgo adoptado para abordar distintas disrupciones. Nuestra investigación sugiere que los enfoques colaborativos de SCRM son máseficaces en grandes empresas manufactureras que operan en entornos de mercado volátiles, mientras que las estructuras formales de SCRM benefician sobre todo a pequeñas y medianas empresas que afrontan riesgos operativos.In the current highly competitive environment, companies around the globe are looking for innovative ways to increase their supply chain resilience while maintaining their operational efficiency and competitive advantage. In this dissertation, we analyze the creation of resilience focusing on two aspects. First, we study the novel transportation concept of synchromodality and its effect on resiliency and efficiency. Secondly, we explore the resiliency effect Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) quantifying the reduction of disruptive events. Synchromodality is a novel transportation concept that integrates the use of different transport modes based on real time information. Synchromodality is envisioned as an operational approach to improve performance targets in terms of efficiency and resilience, with the added potential to create a competitive advantage through logistics differentiation. However, the existing research is in an incipient stage, there is no consensus on the mechanisms that create a synchromodal supply chain and its results have not been empirically studied. To fill this gap, we present a thorough analysis of synchromodality and its underlying dimensions. Subsequently, using a four-stages methodology, synchromodality is operationalized as a multidimensional construct formed by 4 dimensions (visibility, flexibility, integration and operating system). A structural equation model confirms its relationship with logistics differentiation as a measure of competitive advantage. This analysis provides a holistic approach of the concept of synchromodality, advancing in its understanding from an operations management perspective and setting the foundations of the supply chain capabilities that companies pursuing synchromodality should develop. Building on the developed research of synchromodality, we analyze the effect that its implementation has in the supply chain in terms of efficiency and resilience. Based on data from 157 logistics companies involved with a shipper currently implementing synchromodality in Europe, we present a structural equation model that analyzes the relationship between synchromodality, efficiency and resilience. Additionally, we use a configurational approach and a cluster analysis to further advance on the understanding of the efficiency-resilience relationship based on different synchromodal contexts measured by the four identified dimensions of synchromodality. Our findings indicate that that companies that promote a synchromodal environment in their operations are not only more efficient from a logistics and transportation perspective, but they are also less prone to disruptions. However, the levels of efficiency and resilience will differ based on the level of synchromodality achieved by the supply chain. Secondly, the study of resilience has drove the attention of researchers towards the analysis of certain supply chain risk management practices, such as collaboration and process formalization. However, there is a lack of research presenting a quantification of the effects of these practices, which lead us to explore how collaborative and formal Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) can contribute to a reduction of the propensity to suffer a disruptive event. To estimate these effects, we develop a multivalued treatment effect methodology based on experimental analysis and apply it to global dataset of 1,461 respondents from 69 countries. To conclude, we analyze the moderation effect that firm size and industry type has on the type of risk management approach when dealing with different disruptions. Our research suggests that collaborative SCRM approaches are more effective on large manufacturing firms operating in volatile market environments, while formal SCRM structures benefits the most small and medium companies dealing with operational risks.<br /

Structuring the Front-End of Innovation: An Empirical Analysis of the Role of Perceived Contextual Factors on Intended Applications and Proficiency of Innovation Fields

The global economy has gained momentum in recent years, with advances in technology and digitalization leading to shorter product life cycles, increased competition, and transformed industries. These circumstances call for the need for constant innovation. Organizations are required to act and adapt quickly to technological changes, dynamic markets, competitive threats, and rapidly altering customer needs, without losing focus of their established business. Two notions are important for organizations in this setting: (1) reaching ambidexterity and (2) structuring the front-end of innovation. Ambidextrous companies, which own the ability to balance between innovation activities that exploit current competencies (exploitation) and those that explore new competencies (exploration), are more successful than companies which concentrate on only one of these activities (Gibson & Birkinshaw, 2004; He & Wong, 2004; Jansen, Van Den Bosch, & Volberda, 2006; Katila & Ahuja, 2002; C. Kim, Song, & Nerkar, 2012). However, both exploration and exploitation require the allocation of resources, causing a trade-off, which makes it difficult to perform the combination of both (Greve, 2007; Levinthal & March, 1993). Previous research does not focus on how organizations can adapt their innovation activities in order to reach ambidexterity (Cantarello, Martini, & Nosella, 2012; Judge & Blocker, 2008; Z. Wei, Yi, & Guo, 2014). Managing innovations poses an increasingly daunting task for organizations, demanding different requirements regarding the innovation management process. Managing innovation through a structured innovation process facilitates the creation and planning of innovation to transform ideas into marketable products. The first stage of this process – the front-end of innovation – is of significant meaning, since activities in the front-end of innovation are strongly linked to innovation success (Dwyer & Mellor, 1991; Markham, 2013; Moenart, De Meyer, Souder, & Deschoolmeester, 1995; Reid & de Brentani, 2004). The creation of value and competitive advantage takes primarily place in the front-end of innovation, and the actual costs of mismanagement can only be discovered at later stages (Markham, 2013; Reid & de Brentani, 2004; P. Smith & Reinertsen, 1991). A concept to foster ambidexterity and structure the front-end of innovation described mainly by practitioners are so-called innovation fields (Cooper, Edgett, & Kleinschmidt, 2004; Crawford, 1980; Hambrick & Fredrickson, 2001; Khurana & Rosenthal, 1998; Reid & de Brentani, 2004; Talke, Salomo, & Rost, 2010). Innovation fields establish guidelines that determine search strategy, scope, depth, and locus of innovation search by setting search boundaries. Literature describes different types of applications for innovation fields such as strategic purposes, ideation, lifting synergies, technology intelligence and portfolio extension. With innovation fields, organizations (1) can structure the front-end of innovation and align corporate objectives to innovation activities and (2) have an instrument at hand to facilitate the shift of resources and to prioritize innovation activities according to the balance between exploitation and exploration, thereby fostering ambidexterity. However, research on innovation fields is scarce, thus, the objective of this dissertation is to examine how and why perceived contextual factors influence the intended application and perceived proficiency of innovation fields in the front-end of innovation. The theoretical foundation is based on the theory of organizational learning. A research framework is derived from acknowledged literature, focusing on (1) strategic orientation, (2) organizational context and (3) external environment as main contextual factors influencing the intended application of innovation fields. An explorative research design is followed, composed of an embedded single case study design using a mixed-methods approach. As a case, a corporate R&D division of a Germany-based company is selected. First, a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews is conducted, followed by a quantitative survey to get a more comprehensive picture of the role of perceived contextual factors influencing intended innovation field applications and proficiency. Based on the underlying empirical research, distinct differences regarding perceived contextual factors and their influence on intended innovation field applications and proficiency have been identified. Notably, the perceived contextual factors vary across the different types of applications for innovation fields. Overall, the strategic orientation and external environment have a strong influence on the intended innovation field applications and proficiency, while organizational context only play a minor role. Furthermore, the findings substantiate the use of different types of applications for innovation fields in the front-end of innovation. This study contributes to theory by creating a research framework linking perceived contextual factors to intended innovation field applications and proficiency. Finally, this dissertation delivers a comprehensive description of innovation field applications. The findings enhance the existing body of knowledge regarding innovation research, specifically regarding the front-end of innovation and innovation fields as well as organizational learning. Besides the advancement of scientific knowledge, managerial implications are drawn for the application of innovation fields in a corporate context

Hoshin Kanri and Lean Accounting: an integrated framework. The case of Unox S.p.A

la tesi descrive gli strumenti a supporto del processo decisionale strategico e l'efficacia del loro utilizzo in maniera integrata. Viene proposto il caso aziendale Unox S.p.A.openTesi non accessibile fino a 17 Giugno 2019 per motivi correlati alla proprietà intellettuale dell'autor