ELECTRONIC INTEGRATION AND STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

Strategic advantage through information technology is a popular theme, but the extent of research support is sporadic, minimal, and unsystematic. This paper reports some preliminary results of a quasiexperimental study on the role of dedicated electronic integration (between an insurance carrier and its independent agents in the Property and Casualty market) in providing strategic benefits to this carrier. The results indicate that the agents that are electronically interfaced with the carrier report improvements in a set of four performance factors in the expected direction (six months after system installation) but statistically different from a matched set of non-interfaced agents (based on size, state, and location category) only in terms of increases in efficiency (number of policies) but not in terms of effectiveness (increase in financial performance indices). Further, within the sample of electronicallyinterfaced agents, over a one-year period after integration, the differential performance positions continue for this factor, raising the possibility of learning effects. Some explanations, extensions and research implications are outlined

Creating Trust in Piranha-Infested Waters: The Confluence of Buyer, Supplier and Host Country Contexts

Research by Dyer and Chu (2000) suggests that trust in exchange varies significantly across borders and influences the level of trust in cross-border exchange dyads. However, while a good start, research has yet to develop the concept that not only can the countries of origin of the partners to the exchange influence the nature and outcomes of dyadic trust, but also the country where the exchange dyad is located. Furthermore, such home and host country differences may interact with dyad-level differences in trust creation capabilities and influence trust violation and repair. We develop a framework and propositions along these lines

THE EFFECT OF COMMITMENT AND MOTIVATION ON HUMAN TALENT AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

Human Capital has received major attention in present era research. Talent can be any individual who is committed, motivated and performs effectively. The successful utilization of individual capabilities can contribute positively to performance and enhance organizational image. It is very challenging to retain talent with in organization and keep them motivated. Most importantly they are one of the sources of competitive advantage. Talent drain and executive theft is the major challenge faced by the HR managers throughout the corporate world. Therefore it is important to retain them by keeping them motivated and committed to the organization. This research studies the effect of commitment and motivation on individual and how that contributes towards organizational performance. If employees perceive that their efforts are recognized by the organization they feel motivated and level of commitment will rise. Paper is based on conceptual study. In future empirical study will be conducted to test the conceptualized model.commitment, individual performance, motivation, organizational performance, talent.

Technology acceptance among library male and female users of Lahore-based public and private general categories universities

Abstract Purpose- The purpose of the study was to assess the usefulness of digital library resources & services, and the value of multidisciplinary databases among postgraduate researchers/ students. This research study is an investigation of technology acceptance behaviours of university library users in Lahore, Pakistan. It also works on user’s perception and usage of digital databases, user’s level of satisfaction, user’s ease of use and usefulness to use digital library databases and identifications of factors affecting accessing digital databases. This research study is based on the TAM model in the context of technology acceptance by postgraduate researchers. Design/ methodology/ approach-This is a quantitative research study based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and two basic variables i.e. perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) adopted to check the acceptance level of library users through an adapted questionnaire-survey of 243 post-graduate students of higher degree-awarding universities/institutes of Pakistan, accredited from Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. Findings- The findings of this study discovered that the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the system are significant predictors that play the primary role in accepting the particular system. The effect of moderating variables with respect to gender and age impacts the acceptance level. The findings of this research study also show that female researchers use online library databases conveniently and preferably, as compared to male researchers. Implications- The results of this research study will help out teachers, students, and institutional administration in their academic pursuits. The faculty can get a better idea of how to teach and lead researchers from the available digital information resources and services provided by the university libraries. It will also help in decision-making about the selection or rejection of resources for the library\u27s users/ students. Originality/value- This research study provides valuable/ important insights into key factors that impact and affect user\u27s perception & intention to use and accept library technological services and digital resources from the Pakistani perspective

Chapter 8 Network Trust

In this chapter we aim to move beyond the extensive focus on relational trust in the organizational literature by broadening the conceptualization of trust to include its inherent generalizability across a network. Specifically, we introduce the concept of network trust. Central to our conceptualization is the idea that apart from forming as a result of direct interaction, trust also flows through the indirect connections linking individuals to one another and emerges from the inherent design features of the network itself. We further conceptualize network trust as comprised of two forms: second-hand trust and prototrust. Secondhand trust refers to the partial spillover of relational trust to socially proximate, indirectly connected actors. Prototrust refers to the latent potential for confident positive expectations to emerge between two actors who are neither directly nor indirectly connected. Drawing on network theory, we articulate the logics (in terms of mechanisms, indicators, and contingencies) by which secondhand trust and prototrust operate. We conclude with a call to treat network trust as a novel form and with an agenda for considering the unique understandings that network trust permits

Relational Embeddedness, Herding, and Tie Persistence

Recent studies on social network structures have focused on tie persistence as a distinct outcome in a tie life cycle. Tie persistence refers to continuity of a network tie across at least two consecutive time periods. We contribute to this body of knowledge by empirically comparing the influence of relational embeddedness and herding on tie persistence. We find that while both the mechanisms increase the likelihood of tie persistence, their co-presence creates a substitution effect. We find that individuals prefer to rely on relational embeddedness of a tie than following the crowd. Lastly, we also demonstrate the distinctiveness of tie persistence from other tie-related outcome by estimating the same effects for tie restoration. We discuss the implications of our findings for literature on social ties

Prior Alliances With Targets and Acquisition Performance in Knowledge-Intensive Industries

An important focus of the research on mergers and acquisitions is the conditions under which acquisitions create value for the acquiring firm\u27s shareholders. Given that the acquisition process is plagued by serious issues of information asymmetry, which are exacerbated in the context of knowledge acquisitions, we examine whether prior alliances with potential targets reduce the information asymmetry enough to create “partner-specific absorptive capacity” and yield superior stock returns on acquisition, compared with acquisitions not preceded by alliances. We test our hypotheses on a sample of high-technology acquisitions by U.S. firms during 1990–1998 using an event study methodology to assess abnormal stock returns. We find, unexpectedly, that no significant general effect emerges for acquisitions with prior alliances. However, international acquisitions following alliances show significantly better returns relative to both acquisitions without prior alliances and domestic acquisitions. Additionally, stronger forms of prior alliances lead to better acquisition performance than weaker forms of alliances. Together, the results broadly support our thesis that partner-specific absorptive capacity may be at work and suggest that under certain prior alliance conditions, acquisitions can indeed create value for acquirers

Chapter 8 Network Trust

In this chapter we aim to move beyond the extensive focus on relational trust in the organizational literature by broadening the conceptualization of trust to include its inherent generalizability across a network. Specifically, we introduce the concept of network trust. Central to our conceptualization is the idea that apart from forming as a result of direct interaction, trust also flows through the indirect connections linking individuals to one another and emerges from the inherent design features of the network itself. We further conceptualize network trust as comprised of two forms: second-hand trust and prototrust. Secondhand trust refers to the partial spillover of relational trust to socially proximate, indirectly connected actors. Prototrust refers to the latent potential for confident positive expectations to emerge between two actors who are neither directly nor indirectly connected. Drawing on network theory, we articulate the logics (in terms of mechanisms, indicators, and contingencies) by which secondhand trust and prototrust operate. We conclude with a call to treat network trust as a novel form and with an agenda for considering the unique understandings that network trust permits

Uncertainty in the transaction environment: an empirical test

Previous studies examining the relationship between uncertainty and vertical integration have produced a conflicting set of results. To clarify this puzzle we drew on the literature to conceptualize three distinct forms of uncertainty—primary, competitive, and supplier—and hypothesized that each had a different effect on vertical integration. The hypotheses were tested using experimental data collected from 308 managers. Consistent with our prediction of differential effects, we found that primary and competitive uncertainty were negatively associated with the decision to vertically integrate, but supplier uncertainty was positively related to the vertical integration decision. No interaction effects were found. Implications for theory and research are suggested. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34605/1/938_ftp.pd

Making connections: Social networks in international business

Insights from social network research have generated significant advancements in disciplines such as sociology, economics, and psychology. In comparison, the incorporation of social network ideas into international business (IB) research remains more limited. The purpose of this special issue is to foster further research on social networks in IB. In our introductory essay, we provide a brief overview of network research in the IB domain to give a sense of some of the major ongoing themes and to illustrate how the social network approach can provide fresh insights and add substantive value to the field. To emphasize the considerable potential of using social network theories and ideas to advance research and understanding in IB, we also indicate some future directions. We follow these with a summary of the five articles in the special issue