125 research outputs found
Problem formulation and organizational decision-making : biases and assumptions underlying alternative models of strategic problem formulation
Bibliography: p. 20-25
Trust, Organizational Controls, Knowledge Acquisition from the Foreign Parents, and Performance in Vietnamese International Joint Ventures
Successful adaptation in strategic alliances "calls for a delicate balance between the twin virtues of reliability and flexibility" [Parkhe 1998]. On one hand, the joint venture must be flexible enough to respond to the uncertainties of competitive business environments because it is not feasible to plan for every possible contingency. Yet, on the other hand, unfettered flexibility invites dysfunctional behavior, such as opportunism and complacency. This delicate balance accompanies a parallel balance between trust and control of the joint venture. The primary goal of this study is to empirically examine this relationship in the context of Vietnamese international joint ventures (IJVs) by building on the model of knowledge acquisition and performance in IJVs established by Lyles and Salk [1996]. This study makes three major contributions to the literature. First it confirms several findings of the original Lyles and Salk study [1996]. Second, we strengthen Lyles and Salk's original model by incorporating multiple measures of both interorganizational trust and control as independent variables. Finally, this study represents one of the first in-depth examinations of business in the emerging Vietnamese economy.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39713/3/wp329.pd
Trust, Organizational Controls, Knowledge Acquisition from the Foreign Parents, and Performance in Vietnamese International Joint Ventures
Successful adaptation in strategic alliances "calls for a delicate balance between the twin virtues of reliability and flexibility" [Parkhe 1998]. On one hand, the joint venture must be flexible enough to respond to the uncertainties of competitive business environments because it is not feasible to plan for every possible contingency. Yet, on the other hand, unfettered flexibility invites dysfunctional behavior, such as opportunism and complacency. This delicate balance accompanies a parallel balance between trust and control of the joint venture. The primary goal of this study is to empirically examine this relationship in the context of Vietnamese international joint ventures (IJVs) by building on the model of knowledge acquisition and performance in IJVs established by Lyles and Salk [1996]. This study makes three major contributions to the literature. First it confirms several findings of the original Lyles and Salk study [1996]. Second, we strengthen Lyles and Salk's original model by incorporating multiple measures of both interorganizational trust and control as independent variables. Finally, this study represents one of the first in-depth examinations of business in the emerging Vietnamese economy.
Effects of absorptive capacity, trust and information systems on product innovation
Purpose: This study aims to empirically investigate the mechanisms through which absorptive capacity (AC), trust and information systems jointly influence product innovation. Design/methodology/approach: This study proposes a research model to examine the mediating role of AC on the impacts of trust and information systems on product innovation and the moderating roles of trust and information systems on the relationship between AC and product innovation. The hypotheses are empirically tested using regression and bootstrapping methods and data collected from 276 manufacturing firms in China. Findings: This study finds that trust and information systems positively affect product innovation and the effects are fully mediated by AC. AC also significantly enhances product innovation and the effect is amplified by trust as well as information systems. In addition, the results show that trust and information systems improve AC both individually and interactively. Originality/value: The findings extend existing knowledge on the antecedents of AC and the contingent conditions under which a manufacturer’s AC is more effective than that of its rivals. The results also clarify the mechanisms through which trust and information systems improve product innovation. This study provides insights into the complex relationships among a manufacturer’s sociotechnical systems, knowledge management processes and new product development, and reveals how to design organisational systems to fully capitalise the value of AC on product innovation
A Simulation for Teaching Skills Relating to Organizational Self-renewal
[Excerpt] This article is about one simulation which we have found to be helpful in teaching managers how to implement change. The function of the renewal process is to enable to firm to cope more efficiently with environmental fluctuations. In perceiving and responding to these external changes, management acts according to its own view of what deserves attention.
Such firm characteristics and constraints as resources, personalized objectives of the owners/managers, individual attitudes towards the adoptions of innovations, informal networks and power relationships indicate that the renewal process is difficult to achieve. Thus, renewal is a particularly critical element of the strategic management process and the simulation which we will describe attempts to help managers think about these issues. The name of the simulation is The Change Game.
This article addresses four major topics:
(1) the learning objectives of the simulation;
(2) the key theoretical concepts developed in the simulation;
(3) a description of the simulation; and
(4) a discussion of some of our experiences in utilizing the simulation
ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN A TRANSITION ECONOMY: AN EXAMINATION OF VENTURE CREATION IN HUNGARY
The Case of Knowledge about Foreign Entry
The study explores what factors influence the reduction of managers’ perceived
knowledge gaps in the context of the environments of foreign markets. Potential
determinants are derived from traditional internationalization theory as well as
organizational learning theory, including the concept of absorptive capacity. Building on
these literature streams a conceptual model is developed and tested on a set of primary
data of Danish firms and their foreign market operations. The empirical study suggests
that the factors that pertain to the absorptive capacity concept – capabilities of
recognizing, assimilating, and utilizing knowledge - are crucial determinants of
knowledge gap elimination. In contrast, the two factors deemed essential in traditional
internationalization process theory – elapsed time of operations and experiential
learning – are found to have no or limited effect.
Key words: Internationalization, knowledge gap, absorptive capacity, learning box
Absorptive capacity and mass customization capability
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of a manufacturer’s absorptive capacity (AC) on its mass customization capability (MCC). Design/methodology/approach The authors conceptualize AC within the supply chain context as four processes: knowledge acquisition from customers, knowledge acquisition from suppliers, knowledge assimilation, and knowledge application. The authors then propose and empirically test a model on the relationships among AC processes and MCC using structural equation modeling and data collected from 276 manufacturing firms in China. Findings The results show that AC significantly improves MCC. In particular, knowledge sourced from customers and suppliers enhances MCC in three ways: directly, indirectly through knowledge application, and indirectly through knowledge assimilation and application. The study also finds that knowledge acquisition significantly enhances knowledge assimilation and knowledge application, and that knowledge assimilation leads to knowledge application. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of AC processes on MCC. It also indicates the relationships among AC processes. Moreover, it reveals the mechanisms through which knowledge sourced from customers and suppliers contributes to MCC development, and demonstrates the importance of internal knowledge management practices in exploiting knowledge from supply chain partners. Furthermore, it provides guidelines for executives to decide how to manage supply chain knowledge and devote their efforts and resources in absorbing new knowledge for MCC development
How To Realize Its Potential in the Organization Field
The purpose of this Perspective Paper is to advance understanding of absorptive capacity, its underlying
dimensions, its multi-level antecedents, its impact on firm performance and the contextual factors that
affect absorptive capacity. Nineteen years after the Cohen and Levinthal 1990 paper, the field is
characterized by a wide array of theoretical perspectives and a wealth of empirical evidence. In this
paper, we first review these underlying theories and empirical studies of absorptive capacity. Given the
size and diversity of the absorptive capacity literature, we subsequently map the existing terrain of
research through a bibliometric analysis. The resulting bibliometric cartography shows the major
discrepancies in the organization field, namely that (1) most attention so far has been focused on the
tangible outcomes of absorptive capacity; (2) organizational design and individual level antecedents
have been relatively neglected in the absorptive capacity literature; and (3) the emergence of absorptive
capacity from the actions and interactions of individual, organizational and inter-organizational
antecedents remains unclear. Building on the bibliometric analysis, we develop an integrative model
that identifies the multi-level antecedents, process dimensions, and outcomes of absorptive capacity as
well as the contextual factors that affect absorptive capacity. We argue that realizing the potential of the
absorptive capacity concept requires more research that shows how “micro antecedents” and “macroantecedents”
influence future outcomes such as competitive advantage, innovation, and firm
performance. In particular, we identify conceptual gaps that may guide future research to fully exploit
the absorptive capacity concept in the organization field and to explore future fruitful extensions of the
concept
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