Why adopt now? Multiple case studies and survey studies comparing small,medium and large firms

While a number of factors have been highlighted in the innovation adoption literature, little is known about whether different factors are related to innovation adoption in differently sized firms. We used preliminary case studies of small, medium and large firms to ground our hypotheses, which were then tested using a survey of 94 firms. We found that external stakeholder pressure and non-financial readiness were related to innovation adoption in SMEs; but that for large firms, adoption was related to the opportunity to innovate. It may be that the difficulties of adopting innovations, including both the financial cost and the effort involved, are too great for SMEs to overcome unless there is either a compelling need (external pressure) or enough in-house capability (non-financial readiness). This suggests that SMEs are more likely to have innovation “pushed” onto them while large firms are more likely to “pull” innovations when they have the opportunity.     

The “management‐per‐result” approach to international development project design

Results‐based management (RBM) has proved to be a valuable tool for international development project management; however, there are some inconsistencies that limit the use of RBM at the design phase to manage for results. This article presents a “management‐per‐result” approach to reinforcing the project design function of RBM and illustrates its application to a real‐life project. Shying away from a technocratic approach, it emphasizes a “quick‐and‐dirty” approach and proposes an updated version of the logical framework to include success criteria and factors and very rough estimates for both project costs and benefits for targeted project results for different types of projects (infrastructure development, “process” type of project, and so forth).     

Project management for new product development

This article examines the intersection of the project management body of knowledge with new product development (NPD). The area under examination is the development of consumer products that have a significant engineering production content. It is concluded that the project management method, with its structured task definition and software tools, is generally useful for managing NPD projects. However, in some areas, project management incompletely meets the needs of NPD. Specifically, NPD is characterized by complex interrelated activities and large uncertainties about precisely which solution path will be taken, such that the full scope of the project can often not be anticipated beforehand. The article identifies that more research is required to validate the stage‐gate and lean project management methods. Whereas cost is the primary focus in project management, with NPD there is a need to consider both cost and income (from product sales) in making strategic decisions. Communication and human resource management are important factors in NPD success, but existing project management perspectives have little to say about the social and behavioral aspects, such as organizational culture, team dynamics, and leadership styles, especially not for NPD. Current project management practices are very much based on “output control” (targets, appraisal, rewards, management by objectives), which the human resource management literature identifies as inhibiting innovation. There is also likely to exist an intersection, as yet poorly understood, between project management and knowledge management, particularly for innovation processes such as NPD. For practitioners, the main message is that the project management method provides a basic, but imperfect, tool for managing NPD. The relevance for researchers is that gaps have been identified in the project management method as it is currently applied to NPD. Several places are identified where further research is required to (a) better understand the causality between factors (e.g., human resource management) and project success and (b) adapt project management methods to better serve the NPD process.     

基于供应链管理的绿色施工

绿色施工是建筑业可持续发展的关键环节,是建筑企业提高竞争力的必然选择,但是绿色施工在我国的推行却遇到了很大的阻力。本文总结了我国绿色施工推行过程中所存在的问题,从管理层面上剖析了阻碍绿色施工推行的瓶颈,将供应链思想引入到设计和施工过程中,强调绿色施工不仅是生产环节与技术层面的问题,而是一个涉及从资源获取到最终产品交付使用全过程的系统问题,即建筑供应链问题,指出了供应链与绿色施工的联系,深入分析了供应链管理思想对推行绿色施工的重要作用。     

Driving the electric bandwagon: The dynamics of incumbents' sustainable innovation

Given that entire industries face sustainability challenges, it is important to understand the dynamics that lead “firms‐in‐an‐industry” to engage in sustainable product innovation. To provide more insight into the question of how innovation activities spread from individual firm action to an industry‐wide engagement, this paper examines the automobile industry and the development of electric vehicles (EVs). The analysis covers automobile incumbents over a crucial decade for EV development in the industry, focusing on the different strategic motives that especially the so‐called “first movers” used to justify their earlier engagement. We find that EVs became a core pillar of the incumbents' technology strategies through a combination of coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures. Yet, the strategic motives to engage in EVs stayed poles apart between different companies. The insights from our study are relevant for those interested in the diffusion of sustainable product innovation and in incumbent behaviour in sustainability transitions.     

Innovation ecosystems: A critical examination

Publications pushing the “innovation ecosystem” meme have added valuable dimensions to the economic development discussion. The phrase has captured the imagination of policy makers and has motivated public initiatives of substantial magnitude. This paper reviews the concept of innovation ecosystems as it is set forth in the academic and trade literature, and asks, “What is gained from adding ‘eco-’ to our treatment of national and regional innovation systems?”The answer is, “Very little, and the risks outweigh the benefits.” Innovation ecosystem is not yet a clearly defined concept, much less a theory. Moreover, the idea carries pitfalls, notably its over-emphasis on market forces, and its flawed analogy to natural ecosystems.The prospect that the phrase “innovation ecosystem” is here to stay, in investment and economic development circles, implies a research gap, and indicates caution in using the phrase in rigorous research. The paper describes the gap, indicates directions for bridging it, and offers recommendations for prudent use of “ecosystem” terminology.     

Exploring early purchasing involvement in discontinuous innovation: A dynamic capability perspective

This paper aims to address the gap concerning our knowledge about early purchasing's involvement (EPI) in new product development (NPD) projects in contexts characterized by discontinuous innovation. We adopt a dynamic capability perspective to explore how existing sourcing and supplier relationship management capabilities are adapted when purchasing agents become involved in discontinuous innovations projects. We use an embedded case-study approach to study four NPD projects in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) company. The case studies are based on interviews with managers and staff from the research and development, purchasing, and marketing departments, as well as suppliers involved in the projects. Our empirical findings capture emerging purchasing practices including a “reversed” sourcing process, purchasing-marketing interaction, and the coordination of “a learning atmosphere” between the R&D department and suppliers through proactive innovation meetings and creativity workshops. We derive propositions to conduct further research into the role of the purchasing department in times of discontinuous innovation. We also provide a framework of sourcing and supplier-relationship practices that firms can use when embarking on discontinuous innovation.     

中国出口技术含量地域结构变迁及变化动因

研究目标:廓清中国分企业所有制的出口技术含量地域结构及变化动因。研究方法:基于区分内外资全球投入产出模型的出口技术含量和反事实分析法。研究发现:中国内外资企业出口中来自(内资企业)国内技术含量的比重逐渐强化，表明中国出口实现了一定程度的本土技术升级。对计算机业分析发现，其出口国外技术含量地域结构具有稳定性，但趋于下降，而来自内资企业国内技术含量的贡献不断上升。质和量均对中国出口国内技术含量具有正向促进效应，但更多依赖最终生产工序技术含量的提升。研究创新:首次将中国内外资企业生产异质性纳入分析范畴，科学分析出口技术含量地域结构变迁及变化动因。研究价值:准确理解中国对外贸易技术含量水平与升级。     

Einflussfaktoren der Adoptionsbereitschaft von standortbezogenen Mobilfunkdiensten

The present paper provides an empirical investigation exploring the extent to which various customer-related characteristics explain variance in individual intentions to adopt mobile location-sensitive pull information, navigation and transaction services. The analysis is based on a written survey of 1,097 German-speaking retail customers of mobile network operators [MNO]. Three adoption dimensions of location-based services [LBS] (use probabilities, willingness to pay, readiness to bear efforts in order to be able to use the services) were distinguishable. The values obtained for these dimensions suggest that LBS are unlikely to evolve into an important revenue generator in the German retail mobile communication market unless MNO exert strong efforts to increase mobile consumers' adoption intentions. Correlation and regression analyses indicate that MNO may achieve the most significant increases in the adoption intention dimensions captured by (1) gearing LBS offers to target groups with strong needs for “on the move information” (e.g., timetables), (2) motivating early adopters of LBS to act as peer-to-peer service promoters and (3) implementing measures to reduce consumers' data abuse and privacy concerns.     

Two decades of XBRL: a science mapping of research trends and future research agenda

eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is a software standard of significant importance in the current shift in financial reporting. This new standard is representative of the dramatic developments in how financial information is presented and reported. Over the past 20 years (2000–2020), we have witnessed how information systems and technology advancement have continued to shape current practices in accounting, which has resulted in an increasing trend toward Internet reporting, and thus the XBRL adoption. This study investigates the current trends and various characteristics of worldwide research on XBRL using bibliometric analysis, subsequently presenting a plausible future research direction. The Scopus database was searched for articles indexed under the terms “XBRL*” or “Digital Financial Reporting*” or “Internet Financial Reporting*” or “Web financial reporting*”, which yielded a total of 661 documents from the years 2000–2020. We analysed a total of 621 documents as our final sample after excluding those not related to the interest of the study. Our analysis discovered six (6) main research clusters related to XBRL, which are financial reporting, development of XBRL, decision making, XBRL adoption, corporate governance and disclosure, and financial analytics. We also proposed a future research direction within XBRL-related research.

     

Investigation of causality based on complex use of statistical methods (case study of social research)

The article deals with the problem of revealing cause–effect relations in the social research by a complex of statistical methods. The ways for solving the problem for experimental and non-experimental data are regarded. In the research the role of the statistical methods in formation of causal relation hypotheses is revealed and the methods of hypotheses verification in conditions of experiment or upon latent structure modelling are discussed. The possibilities of the use of the factor analysis and the analysis of variance in revealing cause–effect relations are also considered. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of the analysis results depending on the character of the empirical data and the conditions they were obtained in. The approaches to causal relations revealing based on the development of the schemes of the complex analysis of the empirical data by the statistical methods aimed at investigation of the cause and effect relation in a long-term research are suggested. We take into account the hierarchical structure of the schemes reflecting the structure of the subject of cognition, the specificity of which requires the use of “rigid” and “flexible” models in combination. Its variant could be the method of structural equation modelling. The article gives an example of the research of causal relations in the assessment of the quality of education services in higher institution. Each stage of the assessment is provided with building of certain “rigid” or “flexible” mathematical models. Their combination allows using the obtained quality parameters as an instrument of regulation of interaction between education service providers and clients.     

安徽融入长江三角洲高质量一体化测度与提升路径

把握安徽融入长江三角洲高质量一体化水平及特征,能够充分发挥安徽融入主动性,有利于实现长江三角洲高质量一体化发展。基于“高质量一体化”和“融入”内涵,构建科学合理的评价指标体系,测度安徽融入长江三角洲高质量一体化水平。结果显示,安徽融入长江三角洲高质量一体化整体水平稳步提升,社会一体化具有良好基础,协同一体化程度较高但仍需提升,市场一体化和空间一体化水平呈稳步增长态势,经济一体化变化平缓,创新一体化水平落后。针对上海“龙头效应”不足、安徽“洼地效应”不足、经济发展动能不足以及发展战略差异化不足等制约因素,安徽深度融入长江三角洲高质量一体化发展路径要以产业共生夯实深度融合根基,以城市功能互补构筑深度融合载体,以创新驱动增强深度融合动力,以要素配置空间耦合提高深度融合效率,以协同治理落实深度融合责任。     

Adoption of information systems innovations by individuals: A study of processes involving contextual,adopter, and influencer actions

The extensive literature on the adoption of information systems (IS) or information technology (IT) innovations by individuals has primarily used a variance approach, focusing on individual, organizational, and technological factors that influence the level of adoption. Probably due to this focus on factors affecting adoption, little is known about the processes by which individuals adopt IS/IT innovations. Considering IS/IT adoption as an emergent process involving actions by the potential adopter, actions by individuals who might influence the adopter, and actions within the adopter’s context, we examined the ways in which these actions interacted with each other over time. We conducted optimal matching and cluster analyses using data from 27 interviews about the adoption of 30 IS/IT innovations.The emergent taxonomy includes three distinct processes by which individuals adopt innovations: Conscious Quest, Requisite Compliance, and Asserted Trial. The Conscious Quest process, which results in “full adoption,” seems to be driven by the adopter, with no social influence and no mandate. In contrast, in Requisite Compliance and Asserted Trial processes, both of which resulted in “partial adoption,” the adopter encounters considerable pressure, either from a contextual mandate (Requisite Compliance) or from influencers (Asserted Trial). Implications for research and practice are examined.     

海尔“人单合一”管理模式的演化路径及其价值实现机理——基于波粒二象性的理论视域

“人单合一”模式的演化路径可以用“人”“单”之间相互作用关系的变化过程进行描述,这一路径也可概括为“人的价值实现”从无到有地创生涌现,再形成一种独立力量,对“人单合一”体系以及各组织要素进行反向影响和塑造的过程。无论是表面上的二重性特征,还是在内涵层次、演化路径和发展趋势方面,“波粒二象性”与“人单合一”都具有紧密的对应契合性。文章在分析比较“波粒二象性”与“人单合一”对应契合关系的基础上,结合“人”与“单”之间由“分化对立”到“互补转化”再到“整合创新”关系转化的过程,分析阐释了海尔“人单合一”管理模式的演化路径及其价值实现机理。“波粒二象性”不仅为“人单合一”的内涵转变以及发展路径提供了机理解释,而且从跨学科的视角出发,为组织的管理实践与创新变革提供了思路启示。     

Modes of innovation,resources and their influence on product innovation: Empirical evidence from R&D active firms in Norway

Evolutionary theory of the firm argues that firms follow different approaches to innovation with implications for their performance. Consistent with evolutionary theory, this paper develops a taxonomy of innovation modes which capture the variation in firms' approaches to product innovation. The taxonomy is based on the open/closed innovation and exploration/exploitation literatures and identifies the following modes: “Open exploration”, “closed exploration” “open exploitation”, and “closed exploitation”. The paper theorizes that the identified innovation modes influence product innovation through their effect on the firms' technological and market resources. Using survey data from over 1000 R&D active firms in Norway analyzed with structural equation modelling it is shown how four modes of innovation are related to actual product innovation.     

A fresh look at the contribution of project management to organizational performance

A better understanding of organizational performance and the contribution that project management can make is the aim. The article adopts the “Competing Values Framework,” a rich framework that is well established both theoretically and empirically but is not well known in the field of project management. The framework is summarized and applied in an empirical investigation of the contribution of project management in general and project management offices (PMOs) in particular to organizational performance. The examination of 11 case studies revealed multiple concurrent and sometimes paradoxical perspectives. The criteria proposed by the framework have been further developed through the identification of a preliminary set of empirically grounded performance indicators. The empirical results contribute to a better understanding of the role of project management generally and PMOs specifically. They also demonstrate the usefulness of this framework for the study of project management's contribution to organizational performance.     

Understanding Leadership Through Leadership Understandings

In 1992, Margaret Wheatley urged leadership scholars to search for “new ways of understanding” (Wheatley, 1992/2006, p. 160). The search, with some exception, has stalled. Leadership studies remains mired in a philosophical understanding grounded in positivism. Within the current paper, an exploration of how an understanding is informed by its core philosophical assumptions is presented. An alternative framing for understandings is explored through the reconstruction of these same core philosophical assumptions. The benefits of dwelling within the alternative framing are sketched.     

Project management improvement efforts—creating project management value by uniqueness or mainstream thinking?

This paper presents a research study that is part of the large international Project Management Institute (PMI)–sponsored research project the “Value of Project Management.” Three case studies have been conducted on Norwegian enterprises. This article focuses on how enterprises improve project management and presents the improvement efforts and the stated reasons behind them. There are striking similarities as to the prioritized ways the enterprises have chosen to make improvements: use of a rather standardized model for project work and internal schooling activities. The enterprises all explain their efforts as internally driven, even if some consultancy assistance was used. This article discusses three drivers behind the improvement efforts: an economic perspective, a new institutionalism perspective, and an innovation perspective. This article identifies indicators pointing to all drivers and helps us understand why and how enterprises are improving project management. The importance of research on the practice of the most capable enterprises within the project management field is acknowledged.     

A conceptual framework for platform-based design of non-assembled products

In this study, the use of platform-based product family design of assembled products has been reconceptualised into a framework of platform-based design of non-assembled products for the process industries. As a point of departure, platform-based design is defined as shared logic in a company's activities, and a “function-based” leveraging strategy is employed to identify non-assembled products with similar characteristics and commonalities among product families, related production processes and raw materials. It is proposed that a production platform philosophy and platform-based design of non-assembled products should rely on Product platforms, Process platforms and Raw-material platforms that are well-integrated into common Production platforms, in an end-to-end perspective. However, platform-based design of non-assembled products may differ depending on whether company production relies solely on a captive raw material base or on purchased raw materials on the open market, or on both. The congruence of the development of Production platforms with the QFD methodology and House of Quality was noted in this study, as well as the simplicity of using the methodology on homogeneous products compared to multi-level hierarchical assembled products. It is argued that the proposed conceptual framework can be used in internal company discussions and reviews whether and how such an approach in product innovation can be a fruitful avenue to explore and adapt.