The competition–cooperation paradox in inter-firm relationships: A conceptual framework

With a focus on inter-firm relationships involving the simultaneous pursuit of competition and cooperation, we develop a conceptual framework that explicates key paradoxical conditions, paradoxical tension, and performance implications of tension in such relationships. We propose felt tension as the actual manifestation of the paradox and offer insights on critical capabilities necessary to understand and manage the paradox. Our paper extends the paradox literature in the inter-organizational context and provides a set of concepts and propositions designed to stimulate systematic empirical research on the competition–cooperation paradox.     

Coordination in inter-network co-opetitition: Evidence from the tourism sector

In this paper, we investigate whether and to what extent formal governance forms such as contracts are a necessary condition to manage coopetitive interactions among networks. We situate our analysis within the tourism sector where we gain insights from an in-depth exemplar case of co-opetition among nearby Italian tourism destinations conjointly developing and marketing an event, the Pink Night Festival. We suggest that coordination mechanisms with varying degrees of formality seem to play a crucial role to manage coopetitive interactions. Subsequently, we identify eight key drivers of formalization of coordination mechanisms in inter-network co-opetitition: 1) leadership; 2) brokerage and pivotal attitude; 3) power asymmetry; 4) focus on strategic thinking; 5) maturity of network management approach; 6) maturity and distance of the marketing approach; 7) past experience working together; 8) cultural, functional and organizational similarities. Last, we develop a conceptual framework highlighting that each stage of the evolution of an inter-network coopetitive relationship has key features in terms of the underlying coordination mechanisms.     

Establishing brand equity among business-to-business referral sources in the emerging markets: The case of specialty medical practice

The goal of this study is to establish brand equity among business-to-business (B2B) referral sources in the emerging markets. We consider the case of specialty medical practices (SMPs) within these markets to achieve this objective. In this regard, we conducted a qualitative study among doctors/managers involved in SMPs in a developed market to understand the functioning of an SMP, and observe the process of building brand equity among referral sources. Based on the insights, we propose a conceptual framework to establish brand equity for SMPs in the emerging markets that focuses on B2B relationships. This is one of the first studies to explore the SMP industry in the emerging markets. We also highlight future directions and call for empirical validation of the proposed framework.     

Innovation Roadmapping: Building Concepts from Practitioners’ Insights

Cartographic roadmaps used for navigating from A to B provide a strong metaphor for innovation roadmaps used at firms for navigating from the present to the future. Now ready to move beyond this metaphor—the pace and proliferation of knowledge on innovation roadmapping have reached a point at which it would be useful to lay out some groundwork for extended theorizing and research in this area. This paper contributes here by reporting on a qualitative inductive research based on documented practitioners’ insights. To better understand the phenomenon of innovation roadmapping (what it is and what it is not) and its impact on innovation performance, this study builds concepts in the context of strategic innovation management theory. Through a systematic analysis of the qualitative data extracted from 12 cases selected from the extant literature, this research found five concepts with common ground in these cases and built a framework in which innovation roadmapping is established by (1) a strategy of time pacing, (2) synchronizing dialogues, and (3) mapping innovation elements to a timeline. Furthermore, the systematic analysis of the documented practitioners’ insights indicates that roadmapping affects either the innovation performance of (4) competitive timing or (5) industry synergy. Overall, this leads to an initial formulation of theory with this conceptual framework and six related propositions. The key insights for innovation managers in industrial firms are that, in striving for competitive timing or industry synergy, roadmapping provides a means to achieve these objectives and, in deploying roadmapping in the organization, dialogue and pacing are critically important.     

Sustaining the International Competitive Advantage of Asian Firms: A Conceptual Framework and Research Propositions

The sudden loss of export markets by many Asian firms during the Asian financial crisis (AFC) has raised important questions on how firms in the region can regain and sustain their competitive advantage in international markets. This paper develops a conceptual model which focuses on certain key elements of a firm's internal resources as critical sources of competitive advantage and offers research propositions. It is argued that Asian firms can enhance their international competitive advantage by leveraging their internal resources within an external environment generally conducive to growth.     

Assessing the impact of educational differences in HCI design practice

Human–computer interaction (HCI) design generally involves collaboration from professionals in different disciplines. Trained in different design education systems, these professionals can have different conceptual understandings about design. Recognizing and identifying these differences are key issues for establishing shared design practices within the educational community. Contributing to this understanding, we examined whether and how two different populations of students have different knowledge structures with respect to HCI design. We adopted the romantic, conservative and pragmatic dimensions, previously investigated in the related research, to elucidate those differences. This paper compares one specific type of design artefact—conceptual frameworks—created by groups of students with different educational backgrounds: Arts and Engineering. It was based on a set of 22 criteria divided by two main domains: scheme (addressing form) and realm (focusing on contents). The obtained results show that students with background in Engineering (1) focus more on the product of design; (2) rely less on conceptual frameworks to guide the design process; and (3) produce artefacts that are more constrained in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, definition of a symbolic system, and information organization and shaping. We suggest that conceptual frameworks serve to communicate and understand design practice. We note that Engineering students seem to be more susceptible to fixation than Arts students and suggest that an emphasis of reflection-in-action could help compensating this problem.     

Pursuit of rigor in research: Illustration from coopetition literature

We propose that rigor consists of three key aspects: conceptual (the theoretical lens, constructs, and logic used to understand a phenomenon), methodological (how data are collected and analyzed to capture a phenomenon), and empirical (how findings are organized, distilled, and related to the theory). We discuss rigor in the context of coopetition research and explain how rigor could be enhanced in future research. For each aspect of rigor, we discuss what it means to conduct rigorous research, review the current state of coopetition research using a rigor lens, and systematically discuss ways of improving rigor in future research. We suggest that pursuit of research with greater level of rigor would help increase the impact of coopetition research and contribute to the creation of cumulative knowledge on the topic.     

Performance in publicly funded innovation networks (PFINs): The role of inter-organisational relationships

This research investigates how performance in Publicly Funded Innovation Networks (PFINs) is affected by the inter-organisational relationships in terms of alignment between network administration and participating organisations. Our findings from a longitudinal embedded case study of a PFIN in the Nordic maritime industry show two key insights. First, we identify three patterns of inter-organisational relationships: functional (alignment between the self-organised relationships by project partners and relationship requirements from network administration), dysfunctional (contradictions between the self-organised relationships by project partners and relationship requirements from network administration), and anarchic (self-organised relationships by project partners with a lack of direction or leadership). Second, we show that each of these patterns of inter-organisational relationships have different effects on performance factors. An unexpected emergent finding was the observation of sub-circles of functional relationships within projects of dysfunctional relationships aimed at circumventing the misaligned requirements of network administration. We propose a conceptual framework detailing the effects of these three relationship patterns on PFIN performance in terms of immediate and long-term effects.     

Employees' Innovative Behavior in Social Context: A Closer Examination of the Role of Organizational Care

A substantial body of research has examined the antecedents of innovation in organizational settings, but our current understanding of how social aspects of the work environment influence the innovative behavior of employees remains underdeveloped. One of these social aspects connected to the theme of “doing well by doing good” concerns organizational care, with scholars examining how actions centered on promoting employee well‐being may result in pro‐organizational outcomes. The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual analysis of the intricate relationship between organizational care and employees' innovative behavior by detailing key mediating mechanisms and conditional factors. This research will combine insights from multiple theories and literatures, most notably self‐determination theory, social exchange theory, and the literatures on organizational care, work motivation, and innovation. The proposed multilevel model clarifies how organizational care affects the creative, complex, and mundane elements of employees' innovative behavior through its effect on the motivational constructs of intrinsic motivation, identified motivation, and introjected obligation feelings, respectively. Moreover, the model highlights the potential dark sides of organizational care that managers must consider when designing and implementing caring policies and practices. Specifically, it clarifies how the effect of organizational care on employees' innovative behavior may depend on their subjective perceptions of care intrusiveness and care insincerity. As such, this study responds to calls for rich and nuanced conceptual research in the innovation field, especially concerning the role of employees' social work environment in motivating their innovative behavior. Important theoretical and practical implications of this conceptual analysis will be discussed, and valuable directions for future research will be outlined.     

Identification as a challenge in key account management: Conceptual foundations and a qualitative study

Managing business relationships requires that boundary-spanning actors, such as key account managers, perform their task at the interface between two relational networks, the internal firm network and the network on the side of the key account. Several streams of research have suggested that similar situations raise questions of identification, but the business-to-business literature has not yet paid much attention to this issue. This study focuses on key account management (KAM) as a typical task of inter-organizational interface management. The conceptual foundations of identification in a sales-related interface context, such as KAM, are first discussed. It then pursues with a qualitative exploratory study that uses data gained through 40 semi-structured interviews with key account managers to identify their identification anchors. The qualitative data suggest four identification foci, namely organizational identification, key account identification, leader identification, and occupational identification, which are illustrated in a conceptual model. The study concludes with a discussion and avenues for future research.     

Linking the types of market knowledge sourcing with sensing capability and revenue growth: Evidence from industrial firms

In today's fast-changing digital world, it is more important than ever before to understand the drivers of a firm's continuous change and renewal. Although concepts such as dynamic capabilities help to address this challenge, managerial instructions for achieving a sustainable competitiveness do not often reach beyond the surface. Therefore some researchers suggest investigating the sensing capability, or the capability to recognize market opportunities and threats, which is one dimension of the dynamic capabilities. In this paper, we derive the key market knowledge sourcing determinants of the sensing capability of industrial firms in general, and under high, medium, and low levels of market dynamism and link them to revenue growth. Our results provide industrial (marketing) managers new insights on how to effectively use various sources of market knowledge to sense market opportunities and threats. We use second respondent-validated survey data from top managers at 483 internationally operating industrial firms to test hypotheses and complement it with objective revenue growth data. Surprisingly, while competitor sourcing negatively affects sensing capabilities under low and medium dynamic markets, research institution sourcing positively affects it, particularly under high dynamic markets.     

Marketing communication strategies in support of product launch: An empirical study of Taiwanese high-tech firms

To understand the mechanisms that underlie marketing communication support for product launches, the authors conduct an empirical study and propose a conceptual framework that depicts the relationships between informational/transformational or elaborational/relational messages and their effectiveness. The hypothesized message-communication and message-sales effect links are moderated by three communication process characteristics: message clarity, message uniformity, and integration of the communication. On the basis of data collected from an industrial survey of 101 high-tech firms in Taiwan, the authors find that informational and relational messages offer greater support for new products. Whereas message clarity and integration of communication expectedly demonstrate positive moderating effects on message-performance links, message uniformity only affects messages-sales effect relationships. The authors explore research insights and discuss implications for both academia and practitioners from the perspectives of new product management and integrated marketing communications.     

Assessing the relational benefits of logistics services perceived by manufacturers in supply chain

The growing importance of logistics activities that span the boundaries of supply chain firms has put an emphasis on supply chain relationship management. Based on the existing marketing concept on relational benefits and the supply chain management literature on consumer satisfaction, this research evaluates logistics service performance from the eyes of manufacturers. Using data collected from US manufacturing firms, the study has identified the factors that influence manufacturer's satisfaction, as well as the key to understanding the benefits-satisfaction-loyalty triads in supply chain relationships. The contribution of the paper includes developing a conceptual model, adding new theoretical insights into benefits-satisfaction-loyalty triad that has been applied by manufacturers and LSPs, and providing some meaningful perspective on how to strategically assess the use of logistics providers so as to transform a logistics firm from a tactical service provider to a hand-in-glove strategic partner.     

Inward Technology Licensing as an Alternative to Internal R&D in New Product Development: A Conceptual Framework

Many marketing practitioners and authors already accept that inward technology licensing (ITL) can be a viable alternative source of new products to internal R&D. Yet, new product development research focuses mainly on internal development with little attention to external methods. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima reviews the small body of literature on ITL and examines the factors that may influence a firm to adopt ITL as an alternative to internal R&D. Using a conceptual framework to provide additional insights, he argues that the ITL adoption decision is an organizational behavioral response to internal and external environmental stimuli.     

Behavioral issues in price setting in business-to-business marketing: A framework for analysis

Business-to-business pricing research has often focused on developing rational and normative frameworks and models for pricing issues, strategies and tactics. However, there has been less attention given to behavioral models that help us understand the realities of pricing and how managers actually set prices. Specifically, there has been less attention given to the various individual and group influences on the price setting process. We apply insights from a steadily increasing body of literature on behavioral decision making to identify some relevant behavioral issues that may affect managerial price setting processes in business-to-business contexts. We conclude with some implications for theory building and practice and an agenda for future research.     

Customer and Competitor Insights,New Product Development Competence,and New Product Creativity: Differential,Integrative, and Substitution Effects

Developing creative new products requires a synthesis among customer‐oriented and competitor‐oriented learning, and new product development competence. However, underlying this synthesis is a paradox: how to integrate both customer and competitor insights within a technology‐centric new product development process. In order to examine the nature of this organizational tension, this study develops a conceptual framework and tests a series of six hypotheses with data generated from our study of creative new products within 187 high‐technology ventures in China. Differential effects are found in the way in which customer‐oriented learning (neutral) and competitor‐oriented learning (positive) relate to new product creativity. Their integration, meanwhile, is positively related to this new product outcome. Results also reveal that new product development competence, both independently and when integrated with customer‐oriented learning, positively impacts new product creativity. However, the study also reveals a surprising finding of a substitution effect where the combination of competitor‐oriented learning with new product development competence is inversely related to new product creativity. These findings are discussed, and their implications are derived for further research and both market and technology management.     

Ownership concentration and product innovation in Chinese private SMEs

Product innovation is extremely important to the growth, success, and ultimate survival of firms. Although its unique features in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have gained growing attention in the literature, there is limited knowledge as to how ownership concentration moderates the relationship between product innovation and its determinants. Based upon insights from agency and institutional theories, we examine the moderating effects of ownership concentration on the relationship between product innovation and its key determinants in Chinese SMEs, utilizing a large dataset of 43,728 Chinese firms over the period 2005–2006. We focus on examining the differences between single-owner SMEs, where there is dominant control of one family member, and multiple-owner SMEs, where principal-agent conflicts and principal-principal conflicts are more likely to occur. Our findings indicate that single-owned firms tend to convert research and development into product innovation more efficiently than firms with multiple owners, who are typically better at utilizing external sources of knowledge and human capital.     

The technological knowledge used by technology education students in capability tasks

Since technology education is, compared to subjects such as mathematics and science, still a fairly new subject both nationally and internationally, it does not have an established subject philosophy. In the absence of an established subject philosophy for technology education, one can draw on other disciplines in the field, such as engineering and design practice, for insights into technological knowledge. The purpose of this study is to investigate the usefulness of an epistemological conceptual framework chiefly derived from engineering, to be able to describe the nature of technological knowledge, in an attempt to contribute towards the understanding of this relatively new learning area. The conceptual framework was derived mainly from Vincenti’s (What engineers know and how they know it. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1990) categories of knowledge based on his research into historical aeronautic engineering cases. Quantitative research was used to provide insight into the categories of knowledge used by students at the University of Pretoria during capability tasks and included an analysis of a questionnaire administered to these students. Findings suggest that the conceptual framework used here is useful in technology education and that the categories of technological knowledge apply to all the content areas, i.e. structures, systems and control, and processing, in technology education. The study recommends that researchers and educators deepen their understanding of the nature of technological knowledge by considering the categories of technological knowledge presented in the conceptual framework.     

Coopetition—Quo vadis? Past accomplishments and future challenges

Research on coopetition has been conducted for more than two decades. However, several concepts remain that require elaboration. A study on the literature shows that there is a lack of unified definitions, as various definitions have been employed in previous accomplished research. In this article we suggest that the early definition of coopetition, as a dual relationship between firms that simultaneously cooperate and compete needs to be refined. Our new definition suggests that coopetition is a paradoxical relationship between two or more actors, regardless of whether they are in horizontal or vertical relationships, simultaneously involved in cooperative and competitive interactions. We also highlight important contributions to the field, and some shortcomings that point to future challenges for coopetition research. Finally, we put forward five directions for future research: (1) understand the balancing of cooperation and competition, (2) understand the coopetition paradox and engendered tension, (3) apply a multilevel perspective on coopetition (4) understand the dynamics of coopetitive interaction, and (5) understand how coopetition impacts business models and strategy.     

Network picturing: An action research study of strategizing in business networks

Our paper is concerned with how managers understand their surrounding network and what strategic actions they take based on this insight. Recent research in the areas of network management and business relationships shows increasing interest in the interplay between cognition and action, particularly on how managers relate perceptions about their business network (“network picturing”) to decision-making and strategizing activities. In this study, we apply a novel research approach combining process research and action research methodology. Our sample is introduced to business network theories and concepts, and the use and adaptation of these concepts results in managerial options being articulated and applied. Our findings add new insight in the field of network strategy and network picturing. Network picturing represents a way to understand the boundaries of the firm and how this understanding affects managers' decisions. This differs from the fundamental distinction between the external and the internal environments of classical strategy analysis. In terms of network picturing, strategizing is a way to understand the resulting actions or network outcomes that managers see as viable within their surrounding network. We also provide a conceptual process exercise as an example of how this insight can be relevant for managers in their decision-making processes.