Reverse mathematics and infinite traceable graphs

This paper falls within the general program of investigating the proof theoretic strength (in terms of reverse mathematics) of combinatorial principals which follow from versions of Ramsey's theorem. We examine two statements in graph theory and one statement in lattice theory proved by Galvin, Rival and Sands \cite{GRS:82} using Ramsey's theorem for 4-tuples. Our main results are that the statements concerning graph theory are equivalent to Ramsey's theorem for 4-tuples over \RCA while the statement concerning lattices is provable in \RCA. Revised 12/2010. To appear in Archive for Mathematical Logi

Product modularity and the contextual factors that determine its use as a strategic tool

Product modularity has been associated with organizational advantages such as enhanced learning at the component level, rapid determination of consumer preferences and low barriers to entry across an industry, along with disadvantages such as lower levels of radical innovation, higher development costs and an inability to derive a competitive advantage on the basis of product superiority. This paper considers these advantages and disadvantages in terms of two contextual factors: the level of control that is exerted over the information structures and the degree of change across the information structures. The aim is to provide a starting point for discussing some of the contextual factors that affect the ability for product modularity to be used as a strategic tool

Writing case studies as a student learning tool

Analysing case studies is a common teaching technique in many management related subjects and often forms an important part of the assessment process. Writing case studies is a logical extension of such an approach. Not only is the bank of case material continually updated and upgraded, but case writing can also lead to higher order learning due to the complexity of the activity. With appropriate guidance and supervision by the instructor, case writing can be a very powerful addition to the assessment options available. This paper outlines the learning benefits inherent in case writing by students and then details how such an activity can be implemented into class activities. Examples of the instructions provided to students and the various resources available are presented. Finally, the paper reflects on the success of case writing for students undertaking the capstone unit in the Master of Business Administration at Curtin University of Technology

The impact of unintentional knowledge leakages and spillovers on the longevity of inter-firm relationships

Research suggests that forming strategic alliances and cultivating networks promotes learning and can help firms gain economic rents (Uzzi & Gillespie, 2002; Lavie, 2006). However, such ties can leave organisations susceptible to knowledge spillovers, defined as the unintended transfer of knowledge to a partner (Inkpen, 1998). If a firm inadvertently transfers valuable knowledge, especially to a competing firm, this could undermine its competitive advantage, as rare knowledge is made available to others. This paradox of openness has been highlighted in the growing literature on open innovation (Huang, Rice & Galvin, 2012). Some literature suggests that it is in the firm’s interests to endeavour to capitalize on incoming spillovers from a collaborative relationship, and attempt to limit the amount of outgoing (outbound) knowledge, spilled out to the partner firm (Cassiman et al., 2002; Martin, 1999; Amir et al., 2003, Carrie & Lokshin, 2004 in Belderbos, Lavie, 2006). Consequently, some research recommends firms establish stringent protective measures to shut off their proprietary knowledge from partners (Sammarra & Biggiero, 2008). Following on from the logic of Lavie’s (2006) spillover rents concept, that any significant, outgoing knowledge spillover should be of growing concern to a firm, if an organisation cannot effectively mitigate against this eventuality, it would be in their interest to terminate the relationship in order to protect their key knowledge. However, this reasoning may be too simplistic and overlook key contextual variables which may impact management’s judgement to end or maintain an inter-firm relationship, especially in an increasingly open business environment where the sharing of firm resources is encouraged (Chesbrough, 2003).This ongoing research investigates the impact knowledge spillovers have on the longevity of inter-firm relationships. Are ties severed, or diluted, once managers become aware their organisation is unwittingly transferring more than they intended? Or is it possible for a relationship to become stronger, or at least maintained, despite the fact that outbound knowledge spillover is occurring? Our objective is to explore some of the conditions which might act as a catalyst to these respective outcomes. The research project takes place within an open innovation context where sharing discrete sets of knowledge are standard

The effect of technology and regulation on the co-evolution of product and industry architecture

This paper explores the co-evolution of product and industry architecture by drawing on a longitudinal study of the UK personal pensions industry between 2005 and 2020. It provides qualitative evidence for the way in which institutional structures, particularly regulation, entwine with firm strategic choices to shape the contours of an industry value chain (IVC). We draw upon modularity theory and the literature on industry architecture to consider how strategic bottlenecks emerged and how value shifted between layers of the IVC. Furthermore, we examine the interplay between the agendas of the regulator and firm strategic responses to unpack how firms (product providers) responded by pursuing integrative innovation and less specialization to mitigate the effects of value migration to strategic bottlenecks. Our findings extend recent work on product and industry architecture, highlighting how markets evolve toward less modular product configurations and less industry specialization in response to these dynamics

Accounting for performance variation: How important are intangible resources?

The primary mission of strategic management research is to explain variations in the performance of firms. As researchers have sought to explain differentials in firm performance, they have looked to the factors that underlie competitive advantage. For many years, industry structure factors were considered the key factors of interest although recently, the resource-based view of the firm (RBV) has taken center stage and posits that firm resources ? namely intangible resources ? rather than structural factors, are the underlying source of competitive advantage. However, this study demonstrates that research studies that have expressly set out to investigate intangible resources contain clear deficiencies. In an effort to overcome these deficiencies, theoretical and methodological improvements are developed to study intangible resources ? and to verify the RBV. Through studying 291 firms, the results indicate that intangible resources are important factors in explaining variations in firm performance, even after accounting for the effects of tangible resources and industry structure factors. Interestingly, our finding with respect to capabilities suggests that this intangible resource might not be the ?ultimate? source of sustainable competitive advantage, contrary to theory

Modularity, value and exceptions to the mirroring hypothesis

The mirroring hypothesis suggests a correspondence between product, firm and industry architecture, however, empirical support to date has been mixed. Drawing upon an inductive study of the UK pensions industry, we break new ground by investigating the extent to which product, firm and industry architectures correspond in the face of changing institutional dynamics – most notably dynamic regulatory change. In considering periods of both correspondence and non-correspondence at the aggregate sector level, our results show that firms in the sector seek the efficiency benefits of product component-level mirroring, but only to the extent that the component has low value. In contrast, where components provided an opportunity to capture value, managers strategically chose non-correspondence by developing stronger relational ties with suppliers and, in a later period, through vertical (re)integration, despite the systemic modularity of the product

The role of modularity in knowledge protection and diffusion: The case of Nokia and Ericsson

When network externalities are important for a product, there is often a move to introduce standards on the basis of product modularity such that product interfaces remain constant over time and across brands. This allows other firms to develop complementary products and services. However, introducing standardization can lead to a weakening of the technology developer?s competitive position. Standardization makes much of the underlying product knowledge accessible, reducing barriers to entry such that other manufacturers are able to quickly develop comparable products. Thus in cases where network externalities are important and standardization needs to occur, there are also needs to protect knowledge that may form the basis for the developer?s competitive position within the industry. To review the differing approaches to managing technical knowledge we deconstruct product architectures into clusters of technical knowledge that we refer to as information structures. We use the notion of knowledge structures to study how different components of a product architecture can be made open in the form of standards, whereas other elements can be heavily protected. To study these issues, we chose the mobile phone industry. Nokia and Ericsson were instrumental in developing the GSM standard and pushing for its institutionalising across Europe. However, both of these firms still remain dominant in the manufacture of mobile phones. Thus we sought to observe how they managed various clusters of technical knowledge such that the standard was open, a range of firms has produced complementary products, and yet Nokia and Ericsson?s competitive position within the industry has not been diminished

Alliance dynamics in response to declining environmental munificence: The case of Bluetooth

Research into strategic alliances has traditionally focused on motivation and performance. More recently, network dynamics and alliances as complex and evolving arrangements are themes that are emerging as key areas for investigation. Thus far, little research has been undertaken that integrates these emerging themes in the context of the impact of deteriorating exogenous environments on network alliances.The ICT industry provides such a context, with the rapid deterioration of fortunes in the industry as a result of equity market moves since early 2000. This research looks at the Bluetooth consortium, a loosely framed network of firms involved in the development and commercialisation of wireless technical applications for information technology based products. It finds that matters related to intellectual property ownership and inter-firm coordination in complex product development have been problematic, with the deterioration of environmental munificence driving a slowing of network investment and product development success

Collaboration and opportunism in megaproject alliance contracts: The interplay between governance, trust and culture

Alliance contracts have been introduced in megaprojects to improve the alignment of objectives, risk and reward between client and contractor. However, the relational norms of alliances are not sufficient on their own to eliminate opportunistic behaviors. This study shows that, investing in mechanisms supportive of governance, culture, and trust provides a platform upon which firms may foster collaboration and limit self-interest oriented behavior amongst alliance partners. Our qualitative case study of a major project-based organization reveals the impact of these mechanisms, and more pointedly, how they interact and often reinforce each other. Governance, culture and trust are interlinked and complementary, and managers need to reflect holistically on their interactions in order to establish collaborative, rather than opportunistic behaviors