Servitization in mergers and acquisitions: Manufacturing firms venturing from emerging markets into advanced economies

The British Academy and Sino-British Fellowship Trus

Entrepreneurial team and strategic agility: A conceptual framework and research agenda

To be agile, responsive and innovative seems to have become prerequisites for long-term growth and success for any organisations operating in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world. This paper argues that such prerequisites, in turn, are dependent on the organization’s abilities to harness team-level entrepreneurial behaviours, talents, quick and effective decision-making and related actions as drivers of continuous strategic agility and innovation through an effectively managed HRM process. It illustrates this argument by conducting a synthesized review of the literature streams of entrepreneurial team and strategic agility and developing a conceptual framework that links them together. Rooted in the micro-foundational perspective, this paper examines the relationship between key conceptual dimensions of entrepreneurial team and strategic agility; exploring the connections between these two literature streams. Our review postulates the potential value from a cross-fertilization approach and points out the future research directions through which these literature streams might be advanced collectively. Our paper sheds light on the relationship between strategic agility and HRM through the lens of managing effective entrepreneurial teams in differing contexts

European MNE subsidiaries' embeddedness and innovation performance: Moderating role of external search depth and breadth

While much research has been conducted on the link between embeddedness and innovation outcomes, less attention has been paid on how and when MNE subsidiaries can effectively leverage their internal embeddedness to achieve greater innovation performance. We hypothesize knowledge transfer as a mediating mechanism to channel the potential role of MNE subsidiaries' internal embeddedness in innovation performance. Moreover, we explore the moderating influences of external search depth and breadth on subsidiaries' internal knowledge transfer and innovation performance. To test our framework, we rely on primary data collected from 91 subsidiaries of eleven European MNEs. The results show the degree of knowledge transfer from other MNE units mediates the link between subsidiaries' internal embeddedness and their innovation performance. We also find that external search depth positively moderates the link between the degree of knowledge transfer and subsidiary's innovation performance, while external search breadth does not. We illustrate that knowledge transfer mechanisms and the moderating role of external search approaches can be instrumental in channeling and effectively realizing the role of subsidiary internal embeddedness in innovation performance. © 2019 Elsevier Inc

The moderating role of transformational leadership on HR practices in M&A integration

Scant research exists examining the effect of HRM practices on employee behavior in M&A integration and the role that leaders play within this. This paper develops a conceptual framework that focuses on the moderating role of transformational leadership on the achievement of human integration and organizational identification in M&A integration. We argue that communication, employee involvement, teamwork, and training and development have a positive effect on employee behavior and their identification with the newly formed organization. Moreover, we argue that transformational leadership behaviors will moderate the implementation of HRM practices in M&As, leading to positive employee behavior and employee identification in the new organization. We suggest that further research is necessary to test propositions of the present study in order to achieve finer-grained understanding of the role of transformational leadership on the achievement of human integration and organizational identification in M&A integration

The contingent role of distributed leadership in the relationship between HR practices and organizational ambidexterity in the cross-border M&As of emerging market multinationals

This paper investigates the effect of human resource practices on organizational ambidexterity in cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Previous research suggests that human resource practices play an important role in improving organizational performance, but that there may be contingency factors that interact with human resource practices, leading to different performance outcomes. We focus on one such potential contingency factor: distributed leadership as a key moderator that interacts with human resource practices, leading to organizational ambidexterity in cross-border mergers and acquisitions. We examine 84 deals of emerging economies cross-border mergers and acquisitions. We found that human resource practices positively influence the acquired firms' ambidexterity, but when we take into account the contingent role of distributed leadership, the effect of human resource practices becomes much stronger, indicating the importance of distributed leadership as a key variable that can explain variations in the success of cross-border mergers and acquisitions. The findings have important implications for international human resources management practices in the acquired subsidiaries and for individual leadership styles adopted by parent firms during the post-acquisitions period

Human dynamics of automation and digitalisation of economies:discussion on the challenges and opportunities

Abstract This chapter addresses the automation and digitalisation of the economies by specifically focusing on their influences on humans—primarily employed workers. Initially, this chapter highlights trends in this regard by specifically referring to artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and three-dimensional (3-D) manufacturing. This is followed by a specific discussion on the people-specific challenges—especially concerning the job losses in Europe. We also use publicly available statistics to complement the arguments presented in this concern. After this, our chapter discusses the opportunities for humans emanating through these technological advancements. We highlight new work and entrepreneurial possibilities that are emerging as a result of these advancements. Finally, this chapter also refers to the new skill set need that will allow individuals to take advantage of these opportunities

A bricolage perspective on construction innovation in a BOP market:evidence from a Finnish family-owned micro-enterprise

Abstract This chapter is one of the few studies focusing on construction innovation in the base of the pyramid (BOP) markets by foreign microenterprise, as most prior research focuses either on large multinational enterprises or, in some cases, medium-sized enterprises. Based on a case study of a Finnish family-owned microenterprise that offers affordable housing and construction solutions in Zambia, we found the nexuses of co-creation and co-ownership and social bricolage to play an essential role in offering locally customised innovative solutions in the BOP market. We also found technology and skills transfer to play a key role in mutual value creation and innovation. Finally, we also found the reassuring impact of such customised construction innovations on local communities and suppliers — especially in relation to sourcing locally produced sustainable materials