Organizational Ambidexterity Building via IT-enabled Strategic Learning and Business Learning: A Evolutionary Journey of Huawei

Organizations are commonly bothered by paradoxical pursuits, which make them demand on the development of organizational ambidexterity with dual exploitation and exploration abilities. This paper drawing on the organizational learning perspective, aims to uncover how the interaction of Information Technology (IT) and two distinguished organizational learning processes (i.e., strategic learning and business learning) dynamically contribute to the construction of organizational ambidexterity. To address this key research question, we studied an outstanding Chinese high-tech firm (Huawei) by revealing its evolutionary journey. We described how the IT-driven strategic learning leads to strategic transformation, while business learning results in the organizational stability in a certain period. Continuous exploration and exploitation constructed organizational ambidexterity. Specific strategic learning and business learning activities and methods were identified. This study not only fills the gap of the missing of IT artifacts in organizational learning and ambidexterity literatures but also offers valuable insights for other firms

Cyclic oxidation behaviour of N-type (Zr,Ti)Ni(Sn,Sb) and P-type (Zr,Ti)Co(Sn,Sb) thermoelectric materials

In this study, the fabricated Hf-free N-type (Zr,Ti)Ni(Sn,Sb) and P-type (Zr,Ti)Co(Sn,Sb) thermoelectric materials were subjected to cyclic oxidation testing at 500 °C for 10, 30, and 50 cycles. The oxidation behaviour of the materials was systematically investigated by evaluating mass gain to study the oxidation kinetics and by analysing surface morphology, phase constitution and elemental distribution to investigate the oxidation mechanism. The results indicated that both of the materials were severely oxidised during the cyclic oxidation testing, and the mass gain followed the parabolic kinetics and the parabolic rate constant (kp) being 0.006165 mg2cm−4s−1 and 0.000109 mg2cm−4s−1 for the N-type and the P-type TE materials, respectively. Alternated multilayers of Ni3Sn4+SnO2+(Zr,Ti)O2 and CoSb + SnO2+Sb2O4+(Zr,Ti)O2 were identified on the surface of the N-type and P-type materials, respectively, after the cyclic testing, which would deteriorate the thermoelectric performance of the materials. The outcome of this study strongly suggests that it is essential to improve the oxidation resistance and the thermal stability of the N-type (Zr,Ti)Ni(Sn,Sb) and P-type (Zr,Ti)Co(Sn,Sb) thermoelectric materials for high-temperature applications

Processing conditions and mechanisms for the plasma defect-engineering of bulk oxygen-deficient zirconia

In recent years, the utilisation of oxygen-deficient zirconia (ZrO2-α), commonly referred to as black zirconia, has garnered considerable attention due to its potential applications for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), gas sensors, biomedical implant materials, and photocatalysis. However, current methods employed to manufacture ZrO2-α exhibit noticeable limitations regarding their scalability, environmental sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. Our recent work has successfully demonstrated the feasibility for bulk conversion of conventional white zirconia into oxygen-deficient black zirconia through direct current (DC) plasma treatment (i.e. plasma blackening). This study elucidates the conditions for plasma blackening and provides a unique mechanism for the bulk transformation of zirconia. A systematic investigation of different plasma technologies (DC, active-screen plasma), treatment configurations (contact conditions, cathode material, and cathode potential), and treatment parameters (voltage, temperature, duration) uncover the crucial variables that influence the feasibility and rate of the reduction process. The reduction of zirconia is shown to initiate from localised contacting points at the cathode-facing surface and grow, with a hemispherical shape, towards the anode-facing surface. A series of development stages are proposed for the process, namely: bulk oxygen vacancy conductance, surface activation, oxygen vacancy generation and a moving cathode front. The findings of this study provide insights into the underlying mechanisms involved in the bulk-reduction of zirconia and help to pave the way towards future scalable and cost-effective generation of oxygen-deficient zirconia

A Coevolutionary Journey of Strategic Knowledge Management Alignment: A Chinese Case

Although knowledge has emerged as the strategic resource of the firm in the increasingly turbulent and dynamic environment, it is underestimated how knowledge management (KM) contributes to sustained competitive advantage of the firm over time. Drawing upon a coevolutionary view of alignment, this study examines a strategic KM coevolutionary mechanism in which KM strategy, processes, and infrastructure dynamically align with the changing competitive strategy; in turn, the KM derived competitive advantage drives the firm to pursue a more superior position in its niche. To trace the coevolutionary mechanism, we conducted a case study in Li-Ning Company, which experiences 20 years’ development and has become a leading sports goods company in China. Two strategic transitions result in the corresponding changes of its KM strategy, KM processes and infrastructure. The cumulated knowledge helps the firm upgrade from an imitator to a prospector with balanced performance portfolio. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed

R&D modes and firm performance in high-tech companies: A research based on cross-boundary ambidexterity and network structures

This paper draws on the cross-boundary ambidexterity theory to propose that four different R&D modes impact firm performance differently and that cooperative network structure moderates the above relationships. The theoretical model is tested by using financial and patent data of 587 high-tech firms for 10 consecutive years in China. We find that different R&D modes have different impacts on a firm’s financial and innovative performance, and network structure plays different moderating roles. Practically, this work guides high-tech enterprises to optimize their resource allocation, select the most appropriate R&D mode, and establish efficient cooperative networks