An integrated core competence evaluation framework for portfolio management in the oil industry

Drawing upon resource-based theory, this paper presents a core competence evaluation framework for managing the competence portfolio of an oil company. It introduces a network typology to illustrate how to form different types of strategic alliance relations with partnering firms to manage and grow the competence portfolio. A framework is tested using a case study approach involving face-to-face structured interviews. We identified purchasing, refining and sales and marketing as strong candidates to be the core competencies. However, despite the company's core business of refining oil, the core competencies were identified to be their research and development and performance management (PM) capabilities. We further provide a procedure to determine different kinds of physical, intellectual and cultural resources making a dominant impact on company's competence portfolio. In addition, we provide a comprehensive set of guidelines on how to develop core competence further by forging a partnership alliance choosing an appropriate network topology

Technology and Organization Settings in Knowledge Networks: An Empirical Research in the Banking Industry

This paper presents a theoretical and an empirical study of knowledge networks. This is an emerging phenomenon and a common form of work structure adopted also in the banking industry. Starting from the theoretical perspective, this work focuses on knowledge as an important factor in the modern economy of hyper-competition, needed not just to win, but also to play. In fact, the structure of economy has shifted from a product-based strategy to a knowledge-based business. Among numerous definitions of knowledge proposed in the literature, we share the hermeneutical one. Successively, this paper studies network phenomenon as a form of collaborative work based on communication and collaboration. We aim to demonstrate why network structure best allows knowledge sharing practices inside a firm. Finally, we propose a study on sixty banks, realized using structured and unstructured questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires try to analyse two main changing dimensions related to knowledge networks implementation: the organizational one and the technological one. We observe that a change toward a knowledge sharing culture and perspective is just in the early stage. Moreover, analysing the empirical results reached examining the sample, we demonstrate that banking industry can face many barriers to knowledge sharing practice through networks

ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY IN SUPPORT FOR ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS. AN INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY APPROACH

Technology and the accounting information systems are implemented in an organization with the aim of improving their efficiency. Companies spend large amounts of money on these tools every year in order to improve their organizational performance. The aim of this research is to determine the influence of SMEs’ technological alignment, information management and technological infrastructure on the performance of an institution (innovation and productivity) in which accounting information systems are used. An empirical study is conducted in enterprises belonging to the service, commercial and industrial sectors in Ciudad Victoria, México, with the help of the SmartPLS statistical tool. The results mainly show that technology has helped raise productivity (improvement in administrative activities, in decision-making and in the use of generated information)

Organizational Network Analysis

The integrated meta-model for organizational resource audit is a consistent and comprehensive instrument for auditing intangible resources and their relations and associations from the network perspective. This book undertakes a critically important problem of management sciences, poorly recognized in literature although determining the current and future competitiveness of enterprises, sectors and economies. The author notes the need to introduce a theoretical input, which is manifested by the meta-model. An expression of this treatment is the inclusion of the network as a structure of activities, further knowledge as an activity, and intangible assets as intellectual capital characterized by a structure of connections. The case study presented is an illustration of the use of network analysis tools and other instruments to identify not only the most important resources, tasks or actors, as well as their effectiveness, but also to connect the identified networks with each other. The author opens the field for applying her methodology, revealing the structural and dynamic features of the intangible resources of the organization. The novelty of the proposed meta-model shows the way to in-depth applications of network analysis techniques in an intra-organizational environment. Organizational Network Analysis makes a significant contribution to the development of management sciences, in terms of strategic management and more strictly resource approach to the company through structural definition of knowledge; application of the concept of improvement-oriented audit abandoning a narrow understanding of this technique in terms of compliance; reliable presentation of audits available in the literature; rigorous reasoning leading to the development of a meta-model; close linking of knowledge and resources with the strategy at the design stage of the developed audit model, including the analysis of link dynamics and networks together with an extensive metrics proposal; an interesting illustration of the application with the use of metrics, tables and charts. It will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students in the fields of strategic management, organizational studies, social network analysis in management, knowledge management, and auditing knowledge resources in organizations

International joint ventures research on Africa : A systematic literature review, propositions, and contextualization

This study reviewed the research on international joint ventures (IJVs) in Africa up to 2017. The authors performed a systematic search of peer-reviewed good quality research using the 6W procedure and ensuring the quality of the review by using the 5Cs quality criteria. The content analysis was focused on four research questions. A total of 22 relevant studies were found. Overall, only about one-third of the lead authors were affiliated with African universities. A majority of the studies were quantitative, and 78% of the studies were done for three countries: Ghana, Morocco, and Nigeria. There was either just one or no study on trust and conflict, partner selection, and human resource management (HRM). At the contextual level, it seems that the most important factor influencing IJV strategy and success is institutions. We therefore suggest a greater use of institutional theory. Finally, we present a summary conceptual framework and four propositions to guide future research.©2021 Wiley. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Oguji, N., Degbey, W. Y. & Owusu, R. A. (2021). International joint ventures research on Africa: A systematic literature review, propositions, and contextualization, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21993. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Version of Record online: 04 June 2018fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Organizational Network Analysis

The integrated meta-model for organizational resource audit is a consistent and comprehensive instrument for auditing intangible resources and their relations and associations from the network perspective. This book undertakes a critically important problem of management sciences, poorly recognized in literature although determining the current and future competitiveness of enterprises, sectors and economies. The author notes the need to introduce a theoretical input, which is manifested by the meta-model. An expression of this treatment is the inclusion of the network as a structure of activities, further knowledge as an activity, and intangible assets as intellectual capital characterized by a structure of connections. The case study presented is an illustration of the use of network analysis tools and other instruments to identify not only the most important resources, tasks or actors, as well as their effectiveness, but also to connect the identified networks with each other. The author opens the field for applying her methodology, revealing the structural and dynamic features of the intangible resources of the organization. The novelty of the proposed meta-model shows the way to in-depth applications of network analysis techniques in an intra-organizational environment. Organizational Network Analysis makes a significant contribution to the development of management sciences, in terms of strategic management and more strictly resource approach to the company through structural definition of knowledge; application of the concept of improvement-oriented audit abandoning a narrow understanding of this technique in terms of compliance; reliable presentation of audits available in the literature; rigorous reasoning leading to the development of a meta-model; close linking of knowledge and resources with the strategy at the design stage of the developed audit model, including the analysis of link dynamics and networks together with an extensive metrics proposal; an interesting illustration of the application with the use of metrics, tables and charts. It will be of value to researchers, academics, managers, and students in the fields of strategic management, organizational studies, social network analysis in management, knowledge management, and auditing knowledge resources in organizations

Agriculture as an asset class: reshaping the South African farming sector

International audienc

Collaboration and value creation in multi-partner R&D alliances: a longitudinal case study on the acuisost consortium

Esta tesis doctoral versa sobre el fenómeno de las alianzas multi-socio de investigación y desarrollo (i+d), que pueden definirse como acuerdos de colaboración entre múltiples organizaciones cuyo objetivo es desarrollar conjuntamente actividades de i+d. en particular, el contexto empírico de toda la investigación desarrollada en este tesis doctoral es un consorcio de i+d real: el consorcio ACUISOST. A través de un caso de estudio longitudinal basado en diferentes niveles de análisis de dicho consorcio, esta tesis doctoral contribuye al desarrollo de una visión más completa sobre los procesos de colaboración y de creación de valor en las alianzas multi-socio de i+d.Departamento de Organización de Empresas y Comercialización e Investigación de Mercado