Discontinuity in the Environment, Firm Response and Dynamic Capabilities

This paper identifies and focuses on a specific type of environmental development called discontinuity. Discontinuities in the forms of rapid technological innovations, regulatory reforms, institutional overhauls, and socio-cultural developments are the source of opportunities and threats to the firm. Firm responds to these discontinuities in specific ways in sustaining its existence at different points of time. This paper conceptualizes discontinuity and identifies its natures; explores the possible types of responses by the firm, and their enablers. The capability of sensing, seizing and re-shaping are captured to establish the linkages in the framework of interrelations. It posits a set of propositions based on conceptual development and illustration of two cases.

Links in the Knowledge Journey of an Idea to Innovation: A Study in the Context of Development of Customized Cartons

This paper identifies and analyses the links in the knowledge journey of an idea to innovation. It tracks the links in the development of customized cartons for packaging tomatoes. The trigger points for the innovation, the milestones crossed by the innovator, the interaction with agencies and actors in the environment, the interests and responses of the agencies and the actors, and the final outcomes were identified. Based on analysis, it conceptualises a model of knowledge journey and develops suggestions for innovators and innovation associates. The suggestions are in the areas of responding to innovation triggering points, learning and leveraging on what is possible and happening, adapting to the constraints of the innovation associates and building flexible systems and structures.

Motivations, Capability Handicaps and Firm Responses in the Early Phase of Internationalization from Emerging Economies: A study in the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry

This paper identifies and analyses the motivations, capability handicaps and responses of a sample of Indian pharmaceutical firms in the early phase of internationalization. It distinguishes between the experiences of two types of internationalisers –initial internationalisers and later internationalisers - in the industry. It argues that the initial internationalisers face several discontinuities vis-a-vis the experience of meeting the needs of domestic market. They need to cultivate new capabilities by leveraging on whatever is available within the firms and the external environment. Their capability to cultivate depends on their internal processes to absorb the new experiences. The later internationalisers do not experience these handicaps. They can benefit from the industry experience and congregate capabilities to move faster. Their capability to congregate depends on the initial endowments of the founders. Based on its findings, the paper outlines scope for further research in capability building for internationalization in the context of emerging economies.

Decision Sheet and Learning Diary: New Tools for Improved Learning Through the Case Method

Of the three phases of learning through the case method, instructors have focused on the in-class phase in training of both teachers and participants. The other two phases, pre-class preparation and post class-reflection, have not received much attention leading to lack of exploitation of the full learning potential from the method. This paper shares continued efforts to conceptualize and develop two tools, decision sheet and learning diary, to strengthen the two phases. These were designed and tested in three executive development programmes. The results and our reflections suggest that the tools enhance the process of learning and the learning itself.

Overcoming Managerial Challenges to Realize Growth Spurts: Insights from Cases of Three Enterprises

Organizations face several managerial challenges during their growth period. Growth spurts are realized when organizations overcome these challenges. Though the literature is full of studies on the enterprise growth, the knowledge about how these challenges facilitate or hinder growth is limited. We conceptualize and explain five challenges faced by an enterprise along its growth trajectory. For evidence, we then look at history of three organizations from different sectors and trace their strategies to overcome the challenges faced by them. The firm and the environment interact and make certain strategic choices, which in turn results in growth spurts in the organization. We draw insights from their growth stories and discuss the different strategies and interactions between the firm and the environment.

Role of ‘corporate persistence’ and ‘environmental support’ in building breakthrough capability: Empirical investigation of Samsung’s initiatives in memory and microwave oven business

It is now an incontrovertible fact that capabilities are the source of competitive advantage. However, the process through which firms build capabilities over a period of time is only partially understood. Concepts like learning, resource combination, and co-evolution can be categorized as enablers as they support capability formation. On the other hand, concepts like inertia and path dependence can be categorized as restrictors as they constrain the process of capability formation. Combined together, while these concepts hint in the right direction, there is a need to have concepts that explain the process of capability formation holistically. An endeavour towards this objective would require taking into account the role of internal and external events. This paper builds concepts of ‘corporate persistence’ and ‘environmental support’ to explain their role in building breakthrough capability by examining major events in the evolution of two mega high technology business belonging to the Samsung group.

Metamorphosis of Entrepreneurial Ventures: A Holistic Paradigm from Two Tales

Some entrepreneurial ventures grow into large organizations within a relatively short duration. These startups rapidly increase their scale and scope to turn into matured organizations. Though the literature is replete with such examples, there is no explanation for such a phenomenon. Also, nothing has been said about the role of the environment in metamorphosis of such ventures. We look at two global organizations and explain their metamorphosis. We arrive at four dynamic stages through which an entrepreneurial venture grows: prime pillar formation stage, scale catapult stage, scope enlargement stage, and maturity stage. We also explain the different roles played by the firm and the environment during each stage, the interactions between each of these roles, and the dominant strategic process underlying in each stage.

A Conceptual Note on Classification of Literature on Capabilities

The research literature has looked at capabilities of a firm from various dimensions. Through this conceptual note, we aim to classify the literature on eight dimensions: Definition, Portfolio, Utilization, Level, Characterization, Demonstration, Lifecycle, and Development. These eight dimensions cover the various perspectives through which capabilities literature has been approached from and furthered to. This classification is expected to enable researchers in this area to position their studies within or across one or more of these dimensions, thus providing a clear contribution by strengthening or furthering research in the area.

The g-modes of white dwarfs

The neutral g-modes of a degenerate fluid at zero temperature are analyzed. The g-modes of a degenerate fluid at finite but small temperatures are then expanded in terms of those of the zero temperature fluid. For nonrelativistic degenerate fluids it is found that (1) the g-eigenvalues are proportional to T mu(6)sub e mu(-1)sub i, where T is the internal temperature of the fluid, mu sub e and mu sub i are the mean molecular weights of electrons and ions, respectively; (2) the ion pressure is solely responsible for driving the g-modes. For white dwarfs of about a solar mass, the periods of the g-oscillations are in the range of a few hundredths of seconds

Circular dichroism in photoelectron angular distributions from two‐color (1+1) REMPI of NO

A detailed experimental and theoretical study of dichroic effects in photoelectron angular distributions is reported for (1+1), two‐color REMPI of NO via the A^ 2Σ^+, v=0 state. Optically aligned A state rotational levels are probed through ionization by circularly polarized light. Resultant photoelectron angular distributions exhibit significant left–right asymmetry, the phase and magnitude of which are shown to be related to the curvature of the excited state M_J distribution. Theoretical calculations involving a full ab initio treatment of the ionization dynamics result in circularly dichroic angular distribution (CDAD) parameters in good agreement with those derived experimentally. Additional effects including hyperfine depolarization and coherence are also discussed in relation to the observed CDAD data