Towards Innovation in Multinational Corporation Subsidiaries: Development of an Instrument to Select and Evaluate Value Driven Strategies

This paper examines the complex, interdependent relationship between multinational companies and their subsidiaries. It discusses how subsidiary role development and specific strategic initiatives may add new value to corporations. While previous studies have identified the need for more proactive management practices, there are few practical guides available to managers to help them improve their performance. This paper addresses this deficit and contributes new knowledge on subsidiary role development practices in terms of selection and evaluation. Through an in-depth analysis of extant literature, the research developed and tested an instrument that allows decision makers to assess their company against good practice. This instrument (or audit tool) is an accurate, reliable and valid mechanism to measure a subsidiary’s role development strategies

Best practice project management: an analysis of the front end of the innovation process in the medical technology industry

There are strong motivating factors for more effective project management practices at the front end of the innovation (FEI) process. Shrewd management of these pre-development activities has proven to be one of the greatest differentials for success. This study presents findings from an empirical case study analysis of a large organization operating in the medical technology industry in Ireland. We synthesized the literature to identify five critical success factors (CSFs) known to be effective in the successful management of the FEI process. From this analysis an instrument to assess best practices was developed. Data was collected from 66 engineers in the R&D discipline. The findings of the study show that the organization’s FEI phase aligns well with best practice. However, a difference between the level of agreement about the extent to which the critical success factors are in place in the organization and the level of importance placed on these practices emerged. This paper contributes to knowledge by (a) assessing the relative importance of critical success factors for the FEI in the medical technology industry, (b) examining whether these initiatives are implemented in practice and, if so, to what extent, and (c) providing a series of recommendations to help bridge the gap from theory to practice

Towards holistic goal centered performance management in software development: lessons from a best practice analysis

There are strong motivating factors for more effective performance measurement practices in software development. Astute practices in this domain are lauded to improve efficiency and effectiveness. However previous studies have shown that measurement in software is intricate, complex and fraught with challenges. Consequently it is poorly managed in practice. Our research seeks to better understand performance management in a real world software development setting in order to identify the challenges and generate a roadmap for improvement. This paper presents findings from an inductive analysis of a radical measurement program in a global software organization. Our study investigates the level at which non-compliance with best practice can explain the company’s disappointing results. We found that a narrow focus on projects, rather than on organizational goals, has seriously hindered its success. We also found that the rate of change in the organization as a whole was impinging on the effective implementation of its measurement program. An analysis of the results demonstrates just how challenging software measurement is. The findings provide an evaluation of best practice relative to the literature that is informed by real industry experience

Spinning Out of Control? How Academic Spinoff Formation Overlooks Medical Device Regulations

This paper investigates the impact of the medical device regulatory framework on the academic spinoff formation process and contributes to knowledge in the domain by expanding and deepening our understanding of its underlying routines and capabilities. A detailed case study focusing on academic spinoff formation in the Irish medical device industry was conducted and found that the consideration given to the medical device regulatory framework significantly lags behind that given to other commercialisation activities. This trend has potential to both significantly delay spinoff formation and negatively impact its potential success and survival. Findings indicate that incorporating expert regulatory knowledge earlier within the process may enhance the spinoff activities within universities, particularly funding, research and capital investment

The rise of the prosumer: an analysis of self-service technology adoption in a corporate context

The adoption of self-service technology (SST) has been well researched in consumer contexts but, despite the existing body of work, few studies have investigated in detail the specific determinants for user satisfaction in a corporate context. This study attempts to address this deficit. The goal of our work is to examine employees’ perception of SST. To do this, four dimensions of the SSTQUAL quality scale namely (a) functionality; (b) security; (c) design and (d) customization were adapted to collect data from 182 knowledge workers in a financial services multi-national organization. The findings lead to the following insights. First respondents believe that SSTs can perform the task required in a timely and straightforward manner. They also feel that transactions are safe and secure. However, we learned that, although essential to user satisfaction, respondents have concerns regarding the design and customization of the technology. They believe that the technology employed is not user centric. Furthermore, respondents are not pleased with the layouts or aesthetics of the technology and they feel that the features are not personalized for their specific requirements. The study is important for many reasons. First, it expands the discussion on SST adoption by focusing on the corporate context thus contributing to the body of knowledge in the domain. Second, it captures and analyses real world empirical data and helps bridge the gap between theory and practice. Finally, the findings can help service providers to create effective user driven solutions

An Analysis of Virtual Team Characteristics: A Model for Virtual Project Managers

An integrated model, created to guide project managers, is outlined for the implementation and management of virtual teams. This model is developed by means of an exploratory literature review and an empirical investigation of virtual team utilization in a multinational medical device manufacturer, which examines several factors critical to their success. A TOWS matrix is used to structure the results of the analysis and to identify future virtual team strategies for the organization. The study demonstrates that a structured approach is essential to ensure that the benefits resulting from virtual teamwork are maximized

In whom do we trust? Critical success factors impacting intercultural communication in multicultural project teams

Trust is a significant enabler for intercultural communication in project teams. Researchers and practitioners, therefore, need to know which factors might enhance trust in intercultural communication. Contributing to the yet limited number of studies in the field of intercultural communication for multicultural project teams, this research theoretically analyzes and empirically investigates the enablers of trust for intercultural communication focusing on emotional intelligence, empathy, interaction, and transparency. Using a field sample of 117 experienced project managers working in multicultural project teams, we find that interaction and transparency significantly and positively influence trust in intercultural communication; empathy marginally and positively influences trust. Emotional intelligence does not exert an effect on it. These results provide novel theoretical and empirical insights which have practical implications for project managers. The findings direct suggestions for additional theoretical work

Regulation - Do or Die: An Analysis of Factors Critical to New Product Development in a Regulatory Context

This study explores new product development in a strict regulatory and historically secretive environment. Adopting a systems perspective and a mixed methods approach in our research, we examine medical device development in Ireland. Findings indicate that the possession of a regulatory strategy expedites the rate of commercialization, so too does the generation of clear product definitions and marketing claims in the earliest developmental phases. Moreover, results suggest that if the regulated industry strengthens its culture for regulation by prioritizing regulation over speed to market, by encouraging cross-functional team collaborations, and by taking a more proactive approach in post-marketing surveillance activities, it has the potential to improve customer satisfaction and enhance product innovation. This study provides unique empirical data enriched by the homogeneity of its sample. It also contributes guidance to practitioners of new product development within a regulatory context

South Asia as a Reservoir for the Global Spread of Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Shigella sonnei: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance is a major issue in the Shigellae, particularly as a specific multidrug-resistant (MDR) lineage of Shigella sonnei (lineage III) is becoming globally dominant. Ciprofloxacin is a recommended treatment for Shigella infections. However, ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei are being increasingly isolated in Asia and sporadically reported on other continents. We hypothesized that Asia is a primary hub for the recent international spread of ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We performed whole-genome sequencing on a collection of 60 contemporaneous ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei isolated in four countries within Asia (Vietnam, n = 11; Bhutan, n = 12; Thailand, n = 1; Cambodia, n = 1) and two outside of Asia (Australia, n = 19; Ireland, n = 16). We reconstructed the recent evolutionary history of these organisms and combined these data with their geographical location of isolation. Placing these sequences into a global phylogeny, we found that all ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei formed a single clade within a Central Asian expansion of lineage III. Furthermore, our data show that resistance to ciprofloxacin within S. sonnei may be globally attributed to a single clonal emergence event, encompassing sequential gyrA-S83L, parC-S80I, and gyrA-D87G mutations. Geographical data predict that South Asia is the likely primary source of these organisms, which are being regularly exported across Asia and intercontinentally into Australia, the United States and Europe. Our analysis was limited by the number of S. sonnei sequences available from diverse geographical areas and time periods, and we cannot discount the potential existence of other unsampled reservoir populations of antimicrobial-resistant S. sonnei. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a single clone, which is widespread in South Asia, is likely driving the current intercontinental surge of ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei and is capable of establishing endemic transmission in new locations. Despite being limited in geographical scope, our work has major implications for understanding the international transfer of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, with S. sonnei acting as a tractable model for studying how antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacteria spread globally