Problematizing fit and survival: transforming the law of requisite variety through complexity misalignment

The law of requisite variety is widely employed in management theorizing and is linked with core strategy themes such as contingency and fit. We reflect upon requisite variety as an archetypal borrowed concept. We contrast its premises with insights from the institutional literature and commitment literature, draw propositions that set boundaries to its applicability, and review the ramifications of what we call “complexity misalignment.” In this way we contradict foundational assumptions of the law, problematize adaptation- and survival-centric views of strategizing, and theorize the role of human agency in variously complex regimes

International Business as disciplinary tautology: an ontological perspective

The identity, legitimacy, and sustainability of international business (IB) as a research field are at stake. IB is being overtaken by the evolution of industries and technology, and critical voices challenge its distinctiveness and value. We identify IB’s ambiguous conceptual space, articulate the roots of the problem, and suggest a perspective for re-legitimizing the discipline. Specifically, we contend that redrawing legitimate knowledge boundaries for IB requires an ontological shift. In this respect, we promote a focus on the processual constitution of international entities across time and a reconceptualization of IB as the amalgamation of local and international forces. The perspective we advocate aims to counterbalance the disciplinary tautology suffered by current IB conceptualizations and to open up the discussion on boundary identification in the field

Standardization and adaptation as a coconstituted process: the pursuit of relational fit in international markets

Marketing products/services internationally entails a bold decision that has high-cost implications and significant performance consequences: Should the firm standardize or adapt its marketing strategy across borders? The dilemma is a seminal issue, and perhaps the most enduring in international marketing scholarship. However, despite the voluminous work on the topic, an ontological assumption induces inconclusive conceptualizations and impedes theoretical advancement. The author contends that a self-contained, atomistic representation of the standardization/adaptation decision is such an impediment. This work problematizes a portrayal of the decision as if it is taken following a detached, own judgment of broad environmental contingencies. In turn, the study builds on fit literature and promotes an alternative perspective that acknowledges relational imperatives for requisite theorizing. Hence, standardization/adaptation is framed as a coconstituted process toward relational fit, with international marketing strategies being contingent on the role of significant “others.

The consequentiality of absences in social settings: a sensemaking perspective

Empirical sociology’s focus on “things” follows an Aristotelian legacy that prioritises discreteness and concrete singularities—that which are perceived to exist. In turn, such convention is predicated on an ontology of being and a natural focus on presence—the ubiquitous assumption that reality is ultimately atomistic and substantial. This metaphysical outlook has produced outstanding scholarly results. However, it also overlooks the significance of an alternative absence, a persistent but undetected “otherness” that can affect social outcomes. The study shows how absences shape actionable imperatives in social settings and identifies requisite mechanisms through which social arrangements are enacted. Thus, it joins the burgeoning sociology of nothing, absence and loss and stresses the enactive consequentiality of what is missing through a sensemaking lens

Complexity as an empirical tendency: promoting non-measurement as a means to enhanced understanding

In this conceptual paper, I seek to provide an organising framework for conducting qualitative research in complexity studies in management. Building upon the underlying logic of Kauffman's NK(C) model and the notion of second-order complexity, I urge management researchers interested in complex adaptive systems to capture, understand, and articulate complexity as an empirical tendency as opposed to the measurement-driven orientation of many scholars. I contend that the latter orientation's illusion for numerical precision, predictive accuracy and generalizable truthfulness is not only undoable but also unnecessary in the context of providing practically meaningful and realistic recommendations to those interested in complexity

Punctuated epistemology in international marketing strategy: a Whiteheadian remedy

In this conceptual paper, I explicate the ‘punctuated epistemology’ that prevails in international marketing strategy (IMS) and I challenge the assumptions of a requisite punctuated ontology that is implied and nurtured by these epistemological commitments. I frame these assumptions under the terms “monochronic” and “monolithic” and articulate them through a paradigmatic case in point: the standardization versus adaptation debate. In turn, I argue that theorizing in international marketing can be enhanced through the adoption of another ontological stance. Specifically, inspired by the work of Alfred N. Whitehead, I propose an alternative commitment to a process ontology that takes account of ephemerality and mutual conditioning. By advancing the incorporation of metaphysics in international marketing research, I contribute in two broad ways: I promote a relationally embedded and time-sensitive understanding of IMS and highlight the value of philosophical considerations for theorizing purposes in our field

Agentic misfit: an empirical demonstration of non-matching human agency amid complexity

Alignment of organizations with external imperatives is seen as a sine qua non of proper organizing and strategizing by many fit and complexity scholars. Any deviation from this management mantra engenders organizational decline and, ultimately, mortality. We put this axiomatic principle under empirical scrutiny and use the law of requisite variety as our organizing principle to do so. The law is an iconic cornerstone of this matching contingency logic and it has served to legitimize a wide range of fit decisions in e.g., leadership, organizational learning or corporate governance. Inspired by organizational vignettes inhabiting antithetical complexity regimes, we introduce a novel concept, which we label as ‘agentic misfit’. In this way, we deconstruct deterministic assumptions related to environmental fittingness, we challenge teleological orientations in the fit literature and, we flesh out the viability of non-matching human agency amid complexity

Value migration: digitalization of shipping as a mechanism of industry dethronement

In this conceptual paper, we review latest developments related to unmanned vessels and sketch potential scenarios that implicate with the existing maritime industry structure. On the one hand, we isolate a range of challenges that make the imminent realization of unmanned vessels seem like a rather utopian pursuit. On the other hand, we explain the reasons that may catalyse their emergence. Inspired by these opposing tensions, we highlight that the digital transformation of the shipping industry has the potential to enhance value within the industry’s ecosystem. However, we also contend that unmanned vessels -if realized- pose a very particular threat to the identity of the shipping industry as we know it. In particular, we build upon the concept of value migration and we highlight the drastic existential changes that may likely stem from a shift to non-seafarer-centric shipping. We conclude with questions that matter for industry dethronement purposes i.e., the possibility that existing industry structures may be substantially reconfigured following a removal of the seafarer as the nucleus of value creation in shipping

Justificative conformity in ontologically ring-fenced fields: Problematizing the scholarly nomenclature in qualitative studies

Ontology is implicitly or explicitly the impetus of any study. However, what are the implications of a scholarly field whose prevailing ontological assumptions and resultant epistemological commitments impede more nuanced theorizing? In this paper, we caution against theorizing norms in fields characterized by a non-diverse and non-inclusive set of ontological assumptions. We contend that editorial practices therein create a certain kind of methodological conformity and conduct, that is, an undue justification and explanatory overtones related to methods that are set against the predominant grain. Through a thematic review of qualitative papers in international marketing as a case in point, we argue against narrow onto-epistemological arsenals, we discuss the value of critical theorizing and put forward two modest proposals to address this kind of scholarly conformity in the future

Do firms still need to be social? Firm Generated Content in social media

The aim of this paper is to investigate how firm-generated content (FGC) impacts consumer brand awareness, brand loyalty, and electronic word of mouth (eWOM), and how this, in turn, influences consumer purchase intention. In order to test this conceptual framework, statistical analysis was carried out employing structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that FGC has a positive impact on brand awareness, brand loyalty, eWOM and purchase intention. Furthermore, the results reveal that a link exists between consumer eWOM behaviour and brand awareness and loyalty. This study also demonstrates that company communication through Facebook and Instagram has a positive effect on consumer purchase intention. Finally, it has been shown that, regarding eWOM and purchase intention, firm-generated content posted on Instagram has a greater impact on its users than that posted on Facebook. Consumer purchase intention is increasingly impacted by the growing use of social media (SM) by companies and marketers. This changing environment has opened up new challenges. However, there is still much work to be done in understanding the full effects of firm-generated content communication, and how this influences consumer brand perception and purchase intention