Crowdfunding for the development of smart cities

In recent years, many cities have experienced new forms of collaboration that have an impact on citizens and entrepreneurs. The integration of this field of study with civic crowdfunding can influence economic growth and community building, which may be beneficial for both policymakers and practitioners alike. Civic crowdfunding is a financial model through which citizens, in collaboration with government and local authorities, fund projects to provide a community service. The development of smart cities is related to civic engagement, empowerment, and participation intended to be part of crowdsourcing or entrepreneurial activities. In this sense, cities play a vital role as drivers of (open) innovation and entrepreneurship. Based on these considerations, this study proposes an explorative and qualitative approach to investigate the civic crowdfunding phenomenon and its ability to promote community development. Our exploratory analysis of six projects highlights the challenges and opportunities of civic crowdfunding for the creation, development, and improvement of more inclusive cities.     

Leveraging collective intelligence: How to design and manage crowd-based business models

Advances in digital technologies have increased the possibilities for outsourcing business activities to crowds of independent contributors. Using the collective intelligence of a crowd opens a new range of business opportunities. In fact, crowdsourcing has led to the emergence of entirely new business models. Such crowd-based business models (CBBMs) can lead to an important competitive advantage while simultaneously presenting new challenges to entrepreneurs and executives. This article identifies and discusses three key challenges in designing and managing CBBMs: determining (1) the crowd's value to the firm, (2) how to create superior value for the crowd, and (3) how to capture value from the crowd effectively. Building on the crowd capital perspective and an analysis of the tactics and practices of successful CBBMs, this article offers propositions on how to overcome these challenges and manage such business models effectively. The identified practices can inspire decision makers when designing innovative CBBMs for their industries. Finally, the article concludes with a framework with the key decisions and tactics for effectively managing CBBMs.     

Using Amazon Mechanical Turk and other compensated crowdsourcing sites

Crowdsourcing is becoming recognized as a powerful tool that organizations can use in order to get work done, this by freelancers and non-employees. We conceptualize crowdsourcing as a subcategory of outsourcing, with compensated crowdsourcing representing situations in which individuals performing the work receive some sort of payment for accomplishing the organization's tasks. Herein, we discuss how sites that create a crowd, such as Amazon Mechanical Turk, can be powerful tools for business purposes. We highlight the general features of crowdsourcing sites, offering examples drawn from current crowdsourcing sites. We then examine the wide range of tasks that can be accomplished through crowdsourcing sites. Large online worker community websites and forums have been created around such crowdsourcing sites, and we describe the functions they generally play for crowdsourced workers. We also describe how these functions offer opportunities and challenges for organizations. We close by discussing major considerations organizations need to take into account when trying to harness the power of the crowd through compensated crowdsourcing sites.     

Crowdsourced translation for rapid internationalization in cyberspace: A learning perspective

This paper explores how Facebook effectively used crowdsourced translation to accelerate its rapid internationalization. We apply the learning perspective of internationalization theory to unpack what the firm learned in order to mobilize crowd-based knowledge to facilitate internationalization in the virtual context, and how it did so. Increasingly, global activities are conducted in virtual space and virtual markets and thus the paper offers insights into successful expansion in this new terrain. The findings highlight two key points: (1) the firm used cognitive/explicit learning to acquire external and codified knowledge, rather than the experiential knowledge traditionally suggested in the literature on the process of internationalization, and (2) the firm's success rested on its ability to use virtual learning tools and incentive systems to acquire, articulate and integrate knowledge from communities of internationally dispersed users – the “crowd” – to accelerate its internationalization in cyberspace. This empirical study extends internationalization theory regarding knowledge and organizational learning.     

Sensor-based entrepreneurship: A framework for developing new products and services

As the Internet of Things (IoT) begins to dominate the technology landscape, there will be new products and services that will become technically and financially feasible. Internet technologies and advancements in social interaction tools have led to an increase in the use of the crowd as a provider of business solutions. Yet, we have seen a mere fraction of the possibilities of crowdsourcing technologies. This is because most of the development, discussion, and research around crowdsourcing has focused on active-input crowdsourcing. However, the real transformative pressure will come from passive sources of data generated primarily by developing and growing sensor technologies. This next generation of crowdsourcing will be a game changer for entrepreneurial opportunities. As crowdsourcing systems proliferate, more input will be acquired from sensors, artificial intelligence, bots, and other devices. As a result of this explosion, the variety of product and service opportunities will swell as entrepreneurs become more aware of technologies merging—such as the combination of crowdsourcing, sensors, and big data into a new type of entrepreneurship: sensor-based entrepreneurship. The purpose of this research is to contribute by (1) clarifying the next generation of crowdsourcing and (2) developing and presenting a framework to help sensor-based entrepreneurs plan, develop, and map their new products and services.     

Click here to agree: Managing intellectual property when crowdsourcing solutions

Tapping into the creativity of a crowd can provide a highly efficient and effective means of acquiring ideas, work, and content to solve problems. But crowdsourcing solutions can also come with risks, including the legal risks associated with intellectual property. Therefore, we raise and address a two-part question: Why—and how—should organizations deal with intellectual property issues when engaging in the crowdsourcing of solutions? The answers lie in understanding the approaches for acquiring sufficient intellectual property from a crowd and limiting the risks of using that intellectual property. Herein, we discuss the hazards of not considering these legal issues and explain how managers can use appropriate terms and conditions to balance and mitigate the risks associated with soliciting solutions from a crowd. Based on differences in how organizations acquire intellectual property and limit associated risks, we identify and illustrate with examples four approaches for managing intellectual property (passive, possessive, persuasive, and prudent) when crowdsourcing solutions. We conclude with recommendations for how organizations should use and tailor the approaches in our framework to source intellectual property from a crowd.     

Towards a model of destination innovation process: an integrative review

The goal of the present paper is to integrate five types of literature related to the innovation process (i.e. cluster theory, innovation systems, network relations, knowledge management, and innovation types) and apply them to the local tourism destination to build a destination innovation process model with macro and micro perspectives. The suggested models intend to broaden the thinking on destination innovation process for tourism-related agents at the local and national level. The paper undertakes a careful review of the relevant literature before creating the conceptual models. The paper’s novelty and uniqueness lies in suggesting a new conceptual model of addressing how innovation competence of tourism destinations can be developed, and offering insight for tourism-related agents at the local and national level into how to effectively create and manage innovations. Future research should undertake empirical studies to test the integrated models presented in this conceptual paper.     

From local to global innovation: The role of subsidiaries’ external relational embeddedness in an emerging market

This study examines factors that influence the development and transformation of local innovations into global innovations from an emerging market subsidiary. We argue that subsidiaries’ relational embeddedness with the external local network is essential for the development of local innovations. Turning local innovations into global ones is the result of the level of innovativeness evoked by the subsidiary located in an emerging market. However, the transformation of local into global innovations is more likely to happen in the case of subsidiaries having previous reverse knowledge transfers in functional areas. Reverse knowledge transfers indicate internal embeddedness, which is essential for local innovation to be transformed into global innovation. We draw on survey evidence from 131 foreign subsidiaries operating in Brazil. Using a Structural Equation Modeling technique, our results support our hypotheses and show that subsidiaries’ relational embeddedness with the external local network is positively associated with local innovation, which is transformed into global innovation, especially when innovation is developed in the subsidiary´s functional areas with previous reverse knowledge transfers. We draw implications for the field of subsidiary management research, specifically to understand the role of local innovation from foreign subsidiaries in emerging markets.     

Validating the innovation prowess framework for firms in emerging economies facing tight regulatory regimes: the case of Indian pharmaceutical firms

ABSTRACT

The purpose is to investigate the generalizability of an innovation prowess framework, developed for firms in developed countries, for firms in emerging economies facing tight regulatory regimes. Using a qualitative approach we investigate key informants in six firms, supported by secondary documents and the business press, as well as in-depth organizational observation within one organization. Academic evidence suggests there are four factors – one external (industry structure) and three internal (economic structure of the firm, organizational structure of the firm, and historical development of the firm) – that drive the innovation prowess of firms. While firms in developed economies take such factors as the norm, firms in developing countries face evolving norms and internal challenges to comply with tighter regulatory regimes; however, the research suggests that impact of these four factors appear to be similar to those faced by firms in developed countries. Our research contributes by seeking to broaden our understanding of innovation prowess in emerging country contexts. Innovation in these markets is generally less well understood, especially as they adapt to the tighter regulatory regimes required to compete in global markets (e.g. WTO).     

Process of customer interaction during new service development in an emerging country

Globalization has a major impact on the practice of innovation across a wide range of service industries. Yet, only limited attention has been paid to the issue of service innovation in a global context. To address this critique of the literature, a case study of new service development and customer interaction was conducted in a multinational financial services firm based in the USA. The case study investigates the development of new services with inputs from company's customers in India. It also traces the roles of local Indian subsidiary and local managers in developing and managing the overall service innovation process.     

What’s in a crowd? Exploring crowdsourced versus traditional customer participation in the innovation process

This study explores the emerging crowdsourcing phenomenon, that is, the outsourcing of idea generation to the product users (‘the crowd’), typically via online platforms to interact with many and diverse customers and glean valuable market insights. The study focuses on this phenomenon and the factors that determine the value of crowdsourced customer participation over more traditional market research methods. The authors present the results of an extensive, in-depth qualitative case-study analysis pertaining to the media industry. The authors find that crowdsourced customer participation is not consistently superior in enabling firms to discover how to serve their customers better. Instead, the results unearth a catalogue of seven interrelated value determinants that show where the boundaries of both crowdsourcing and traditional customer participation in innovation lie. These value determinants fall into three main categories: (1) innovation-specific value determinants, (2) firm-specific value determinants, and (3) managerial value determinants.     

Creative contests: knowledge generation and underlying learning dynamics for idea generation

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the crowd in online crowdsourcing, one key question discussed by academics and practitioners is whether participants are skilled enough to make valuable contributions. This research studies learning processes underlying idea generation in creative contests. Based on qualitative findings triangulating participants’ and brands’ perspectives, we identify six incoming and outgoing user skills which contribute to the development of valuable contributions and determine participation in future contests. Building on three types of brand instructions which emerge from the data, findings show how value is added by the collectivity and two complementary dynamics: (1) social learning and (2) learning from experience. From a managerial perspective, results provide guidance in designing successful crowdsourcing competitions by taking benefit from a multi-competent crowd.     

Social Knowledge Environments

Knowledge management represents a key issue for both information systems’ academics and practitioners, including those who have become disillusioned by actual results that fail to deliver on exaggerated promises and idealistic visions. Social software, a tremendous global success story, has prompted similarly high expectations regarding the ways in which organizations can improve their knowledge handling. But can these expectations be met, whether in academic research or the real world? This article seeks to identify current research trends and gaps, with a focus on social knowledge environments. The proposed research agenda features four focal challenges: semi-permeable organizations, social software in professional work settings, crowd knowledge, and cross-border knowledge management. Three solutions emerge as likely methods to address these challenges: design-oriented solutions, analytical solutions, and interdisciplinary dialogue.     

Innovation and Knowledge Transfer in Clustered Interorganizational Networks in Brazil

This article analyzes whether firm innovation is influenced by the transfer of knowledge among cluster firms. To test the hypotheses, we directly estimated the measurement and the structural model parameters where cooperation, workforce mobility, and institutions were defined as manifest indicators of the latent exogenous variable knowledge transfer, modeled as a second-order construct. Firm innovation was defined as a single item endogenous latent variable. We found knowledge transfer to be related to the way firms are managed vis-à-vis (a) the role of institutions as discussion arenas; (b) the adaptability of the workforce; and (c) the indirect cooperation among firms.     

Inter-firm relational resources in cloud service adoption and their effect on service innovation

This study examines (1) inter-firm relational resources for cloud service adoption and (2) their effects on service innovation. A research model and the related hypotheses are developed based on resource-advantage (R-A) theory that combines inter-firm relational resources identified in theoretical and empirical research as important antecedents of cloud service adoption and its effect on service innovation. This study collects data from 165 managers from service firms in Taiwan. The results show that resources, including reliability, cost, and compatibility significantly affect a firm’s cloud service adoption. Furthermore, the adoption of cloud service significantly contributes to service innovation. The findings add to the current understanding of service innovation in two important ways. First, drawing on R-A theory, this study is among the first attempts to identify inter-firm relational resources (reliability, cost, compatibility, and customer orientation) for cloud service adoption and their effect on innovation performance. Second, this study introduces cloud services as effective technological platforms for a firm and its business partners to share, integrate, and reciprocate information, knowledge, and experience for service innovation.     

Strategy shift: Integrating strategy and the firm’s capability to innovate

Innovation is a key source of organizational growth and profitability. Many organizations at the front end of innovation struggle to engender an innovation approach that is effective and lasting. This article presents a framework that defines the interdependency of innovation and strategy, and then outlines the role of top management to continuously renew the positioning of the firm. Based on a synthesis of prior research—including the Dynamic Capabilities View, Innovation Orientation, and Disruptive Innovation Theory—and our own experience working with organizations, we present an operational strategy shift framework, which allows practitioners to increase, refine, and transform their firm’s capability to innovate (CTI) toward achieving their strategic objectives. This framework provides guidance that leaders can use to integrate innovation into their strategic process.     

Geographical FDI knowledge spillover and innovation of indigenous firms in China

In recent decades, theoretical debate on firm innovation has considered particular forms of spatial clustering and foreign direct investment as almost mutually exclusive drivers. While cluster literature pays less attention to firm heterogeneity in ownership structure, FDI literature ignores the importance of geographical dimension in spillover effects. This study combines these two lines of theoretical inquiry to investigate regional FDI knowledge spillover effects on product innovation of China's indigenous electronic firms. It is found that localized innovative-related activities of foreign-invested firms significantly facilitate product innovation of domestic firms. However, FDI horizontal spillover is more important than vertical spillover and cross-sector rather than intra-sector knowledge is significant for indigenous innovation. FDI spillover effects can be reinforced by local innovative activities of domestic firms. This study highlights the significance of geographical proximity and relatively heterogeneous knowledge in FDI spillover effects on domestic innovation but questions the mutual trust relationship between foreign and domestic firms in a cluster.     

供应链知识协同与集群企业创新绩效关系的实证研究——基于组织学习的中介作用

近年来越来越多的研究指出,对本地知识的过分依赖容易导致集群企业陷入发展路径的低端锁定,因此集群企业需同时建立本地和超本地知识网络以获取不同的互补性资源。文章认为供应链组织为集群企业建立本地和超本地知识网络提供了有效的途径。文章基于浙江省集群企业的问卷调查数据,实证考查了本地和超本地供应链知识协同对集群企业创新绩效的影响以及组织学习能力的中介作用。结果表明：本地供应链知识协同对集群企业创新绩效有显著正向影响,且隐性知识协同的效果更佳;超本地供应链知识协同对集群企业创新绩效有显著正向影响,且显性知识协同的效果更佳;组织学习能力在供应链知识协同与集群企业创新绩效的关系中发挥完全中介作用。     

基于供应链的知识创新与项目驱动型企业发展

知识创新是项目驱动型企业产生价值增值的源泉。基于供应链管理的知识创新更为项目驱动型企业提供了利润提升空间。项目驱动型企业要构建核心能力,需要项目驱动型企业在核心能力的形成过程中,将所占有或累积的知识不断地进行"整合"与"协调",形成高效的知识供应链。     

Manage the value and liability of offshoring innovation

The impact of offshoring innovation on firm innovativeness remains unclear. To bridge this gap, we draw upon the new eclectic paradigm and the strategy structure paradigm to examine offshoring innovation, a combination of geographical dispersion and functional interdependence of various innovation activities. We also explore the sole and joint effects of two managing mechanisms – a global offshoring strategy and captive operations – on the relationship between offshoring innovation and firm innovativeness. As offshoring innovation has positive impact on firm innovativeness, each mechanism helps firms appropriate the value of offshoring innovation. Despite that, the joint adoption of both mechanisms exerts a greater impact of offshoring innovation on firm innovativeness than does sole one.