Accelerated Internationalisation: New Evidence from a late investor country

Recent studies are trying to adapt the explanation of the internationalisation process to new environmental conditions. By using cluster analysis and logit regressions in a sample of 271 Spanish export firms, this paper offers evidence of the existence of a group of firms that use a speed-up internationalisation process. The results obtained support the claim that substantial differences do exist between Fast and Gradual Internationalising firms. The firms included in the more international active group are characterised by: (1) a proactive attitude on the part of managers with regard to internationalisation activities, (b) a strategy based on marketing differentiation advantages and (c) strong relationships with clients and suppliers, which encourage or facilitate their international activities. These results may favour reflection upon what are the most important factors for achieving an active, international strategy and how to respond to these demands. From a politics perspective our research suggests several ways to stimulate the acceleration of the internationalisation process. Politicians must realise the importance of looking for ways of improving the promotion of business networks. The stimulation of relationships between firms will reduce the uncertainty associated with the risks of foreign operations and increase the international competitiveness of firms. Moreover, they should provide incentives for business leaders to adopt an increasingly positive attitude to the international market. Tax benefits and other incentives could be provided to increase the international work experience of managers and employees

Ex-Ante Business Model Evaluation Methods: A Proposal of Improvement and Applicability

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to choose the best method for ex ante business model evaluation, improve it and provide a framework to put it into practice. Design/Methodology/Approach: After an in-depth review, we chose the best method for ex ante business model evaluation, improved this method, and applied it to a real case study in which business models had been proposed for a Sustainable Smart District project. Findings: We analysed existing ex ante business model evaluation methods, justifying our choice of the best one. We improved this key question-based method by combining classic management tools and a new, promising procedure. We finally found a strong tool to improve business models before their implementation or, in other words, to improve business model design. Practical implications: The resulting methodology can be applied in a broad range of situations in which a set of business models needs to be evaluated and ordered before making decisions about their implementation. Accordingly, we think it represents a significant contribution to the field of business model evaluation. Social implications: We applied this methodology to a set of business models to be used in a new Sustainable Smart District. This term has gained momentum over the last few years because it is understood to be a good way to combat climate change. Originality/value: We refined and improved an existing methodology for ex ante business model evaluation making it more accurate and credible, and we applied it in the context of a relevant social field, such as the fight against climate change

An interpretive study on the role of top managers in enterprise resource planning (ERP) business value creation

This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on enterprise resource planning (ERP) business value by investigating organizational ERP development in view of the active involvement, vision, and direction of top management teams (TMTs). A top-down approach to ERP adoption and implementation was adopted with socio-material and social construction assumptions about the mechanisms that generate ERP business value. A single ERP case study was analyzed in an industrial setting by interpretive means, thus providing theoretically based, detailed and interesting insights. Our research suggests that ERP benefits emerge during the TMT’s encounters with the ERP system through pragmatic action and situated improvisations. Our findings suggest that ERP adoption is strongly influenced by TMT characteristics and social processes, while complementary process-change needs are perceived by the executive participation during implementation. We also suggest that when the ERP system goes live, a synergistic relationship termed TMT-IT imbrication will create the technological infrastructure perceived as ERP value. At this post-implementation stage, various TMT characteristics and processes are proposed that greatly influence top managers’ patterns of imbrication behavior. Several propositions are developed and summarized in a framework to enhance the current understanding of managerial agency in achieving business benefits from ERP systems. The paper concludes with implications for top managers and future research directions

An upper echelons perspective on information technology business value

This paper argues that information technology (IT) outcomes are more valuable to companies when their top management team (TMT) moves from flirting with IT to marriage. Previous research has demonstrated an association between top management support (TMS) and IT value. We extend the concept of TMS with the imbrication metaphor to define the construct of TMT-IT imbrication, which allows us to account for a tighter and continuous entwining of the TMT and IT to create IT value. Our definition of the TMT-IT imbrication construct embraces four dimensions: involvement, participation, attention, and use. In addition, with the support of upper echelons (UE) theory, we explore certain managerial traits, competences, and team processes that may be antecedents of this imbrication. As a result, our work provides a variance model and various propositions rooted in the logic of UE that contribute to research on IT business value

Executives' role in digital transformation

This conceptual paper revisits and updates the concept of top management support (TMS), which has been the long-established rationale for explaining the role of top managers in digitalization activities. In our view, the concept of TMS is grounded in technological determinism, accounts for attitudinal and behavioral aspects that appear to be little more than exhortation and accepts the occasional responsibility of top managers in technology management. We consider both the crucial role that top managers may play in the digitalization process and the fact that digital technologies have become pervasive in today’s organizations. Then, we develop a model by which top managers and digital technologies are cooperatively involved for digitalization. For that, we have looked through the theoretical lens of imbrication and attention perspectives to reconstruct the role of top managers in the digital transformation process. In our view, each imbrication layer can be viewed as a process where top managers form beliefs to act on digital opportunities for strategic action. Specifically, our model provides insights into how executives’ characteristics and social processes impact the likelihood of forming either beliefs about radical or incremental opportunities requiring strategic action. Additionally, we offer several hypotheses that enrich our knowledge of the relationship between top managers and the digitalization process

Executives\u27 role in digital transformation

This conceptual paper revisits and updates the concept of top management support (TMS), which has been the long-established rationale for explaining the role of top managers in digitalization activities. In our view, the concept of TMS is grounded in technological determinism, accounts for attitudinal and behavioral aspects that appear to be little more than exhortation and accepts the occasional responsibility of top managers in technology management. We consider both the crucial role that top managers may play in the digitalization process and the fact that digital technologies have become pervasive in today’s organizations. Then, we develop a model by which top managers and digital technologies are cooperatively involved for digitalization. For that, we have looked through the theoretical lens of imbrication and attention perspectives to reconstruct the role of top managers in the digital transformation process. In our view, each imbrication layer can be viewed as a process where top managers form beliefs to act on digital opportunities for strategic action. Specifically, our model provides insights into how executives’ characteristics and social processes impact the likelihood of forming either beliefs about radical or incremental opportunities requiring strategic action. Additionally, we offer several hypotheses that enrich our knowledge of the relationship between top managers and the digitalization process

An interpretive study on the role of top managers in enterprise resource planning (ERP) business value creation

This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on enterprise resource planning (ERP) business value by investigating organizational ERP development in view of the active involvement, vision, and direction of top management teams (TMTs). A top-down approach to ERP adoption and implementation was adopted with sociomaterial and social construction assumptions about the mechanisms that generate ERP business value. A single ERP case study was analyzed in an industrial setting by interpretive means, thus providing theoretically based, detailed and interesting insights. Our research suggests that ERP benefits emerge during the TMT’s encounters with the ERP system through pragmatic action and situated improvisations. Our findings suggest that ERP adoption is strongly influenced by TMT characteristics and social processes, while complementary process-change needs are perceived by the executive participation during implementation. We also suggest that when the ERP system goes live, a synergistic relationship termed TMT-IT imbrication will create the technological infrastructure perceived as ERP value. At this postimplementation stage, various TMT characteristics and processes are proposed that greatly influence top managers’ patterns of imbrication behavior. Several propositions are developed and summarized in a framework to enhance the current understanding of managerial agency in achieving business benefits from ERP systems. The paper concludes with implications for top managers and future research directions

La influencia de las características y percepciones directivas en los nuevos modelos de internacionalización

En las economías desarrolladas y con el actual escenario competitivo, las pymes de los sectores industriales maduros están sometidas a una serie de fuerzas económicas que limitan su capacidad para subsistir. Factores como el endurecimiento de la competencia proveniente de los grandes productores asiáticos (China, India, Pakistán) y de los países de Europa del Este, el incremento espectacular del poder de negociación de los distribuidores o la desaparición del canal minorista y de los mercados referenciados en dólares (Camisón, 2001, Pla-Barber, et. al, 2007) han generado una alarmante disminución de empresas y empleos en estos sectores. Frente a este panorama poco alentador, existen soluciones que pueden favorecer las oportunas respuestas. Una de las estrategias que históricamente han utilizado las pymes para contrarrestar estas situaciones negativas ha sido la expansión internacional, sobre todo a través de la exportación en mercados cultural y geográficamente cercanos (Johanson y Vahlne, 1977). Sin embargo, se ha constatado en diferentes trabajos (Barker y Duhaime, 1997, Barker y Mone, 1998, Pearce y Robbins, 2008) que en estos sectores para hacer frente al nuevo entorno «globalizado e hipercompetitivo» son necesarias estrategias internacionales mucho más complejas que, en algunos casos, suponen plantearse la esencia misma de la empresa, aquello a lo que se dedica y, por tanto, son ajustes mucho más difíciles de implantar porque normalmente suponen cambios en los «límites» o «fronteras» de la empresa

Ambidexterity in micro and small firms: Can competitive intelligence compensate for size constraints?

Ambidexterity has been linked to firm structures that are typical of organizations with a larger size. However, further research is needed to analyze whether the effect of firm size on ambidexterity is contingent on other aspects. We argue that micro and small firms that have developed some competitive intelligence routines (CIRs) may foster ambidextrous behavior and compensate for the limitations arising from a smaller size and lack of resources. We test our proposal on a sample of 200 firms in the furniture sector. Our results show that CIRs compensate for size constraints in that size is no longer a relevant variable to increase ambidextrous behavior in firms that achieve higher levels in these routines. Our results provide new and important insights into how ambidexterity may be fostered in small firms that lack resource slack or the ability to use separate units to develop knowledge exploration and exploitation activities.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The authors appreciate the financial help of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Research project ECO2016-80002-R) as well as the support provided by AIDIMME