Modularity in building mass customization capability: The mediating effects of customization knowledge utilization and business process improvement

This study investigates the relationships among product/process modularity, organizational learning practices, and mass customization (MC) capability. Drawing on organizational learning theory, we propose that organizational learning practices help to embed the knowledge gained from modular design practices into organizational processes, enhancing MC capability. We empirically test the mediating effects of two organizational learning practices—customization knowledge utilization and business process improvement—on the relationship between product/process modularity and MC capability, using data collected from Chinese manufacturers. We find strong support for the mediating role of organizational learning practices in the relationship between modularity and MC capability. Our findings have implications for management strategies and point to directions for further research in this area.     

Import-led technological capability: a comparative analysis of Indian and Indonesian manufacturing firms

This research investigates the critical elements that affect the ability of firms in developing countries to cultivate their technological capability through imported technology. Based on resource-based theory, we propose both internal and external factors contribute to technological capability of the recipient firms. Technology planning and control, market orientation, training and number of technical manpower were the internal factors considered in this study. Government support and national technology infrastructure are the external factors proposed to affect the technological capability of firm. Data collected from Indian and Indonesian manufacturing firms reveals that R&D investment, and availability of technical personnel; the transfer channels; government’s involvement; and the firm’s learning culture are significant contributors to the technology capability process. Also, the acquisition of mature technology just to boost production capacity or improve product quality contributes very little to the development of technological capability.     

Workplace bullying and employee outcomes: a moderated mediated model

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between workplace bullying and employee outcomes in a healthcare setting. Drawing on HR process theory, we investigate the mediating role of the perceived effectiveness of implementation of anti-bullying practices on employee outcomes and whether targeted line manager training was a moderator of that relationship. Our multi-level analysis (utilising responses from 1507 employees within 47 hospitals with matched HR Director interviews), finds that the relationship between workplace bullying and employee outcomes is partially mediated by employees’ perceived effective implementation of intended anti-bully practices. The mediated relationship is moderated by targeted line manager training in anti-bullying practices. The mediated moderation model illustrates that it is effective implementation of anti-bullying practices enhanced by targeted training that is required to reduce bullying probabilities and their associated negative employee outcomes. The paper contributes to resource based view of the firm, HR process and human capital theories. The implications for future research and practice are discussed.     

Capability hierarchy in electronic procurement and procurement process performance: An empirical analysis

This paper examines the interrelationship between two hierarchically structured functional capabilities pertinent in the organizational procurement process, and the impact of these capabilities on procurement process performance. These functional capabilities operate at different levels in an organization's procurement process. We draw upon resource- and knowledge-based views of the firm to theorize that in this hierarchy of information technology-enabled procurement capabilities, the higher-level capability – procurement integration competence – enables firms to develop and deploy a lower-level capability – digital procurement competence. Further, we theorize that the lower-level capability impacts procurement process performance directly and completely mediates the relationship between higher-level capability and performance. Thus, although performance is impacted directly only by the lower-level capability, the higher-level capability facilitates the development and use of the lower-level capability. Our research model is tested using survey data from a large sample of 412 manufacturing firms. The results provide strong support for the proposed research model. In particular, we find that as hypothesized, the impact of procurement integration competence on performance is completely mediated by digital procurement competence. Our results suggest that when examined at the procurement process level, the impact of higher-level capabilities may be manifested completely through the lower-level capabilities. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed.     

Learning capabilities,human resource management innovation and competitive advantage

The growing literature on innovation pays limited attention to the role of human resource management (HRM) innovation in creating competitive advantage. This paper adopts a knowledge-based approach to examine how firms design and implement HRM innovations (HRMIs) and how such innovations support competitive advantage. Drawing from multiple streams of literature and qualitative evidence from Australian manufacturing and service firms, our findings reveal that human resource (HR) functional-level learning capabilities, through which HR professionals build and nurture new knowledge configurations, facilitate the design and implementation of HRMIs. The findings also reveal that HRMIs, when coupled with top management support, can play a vital role in firm competitive advantage. Addressing the limitations of the term radical innovations to fully capture HRMIs and based on our findings and extant literature we propose a new classification that will capture the unique nature of HRMIs. In addition to contributing to theory, our paper provides valuable insights to practitioners for building and nurturing learning capabilities for HRMI-related competitive advantage.     

Building External Corporate Venturing Capability*

ABSTRACT How firms build new capabilities to adapt to changing environments is at the core of strategic management. However, research has addressed this question only recently. In this paper, I propose a model that describes how firms develop a capability to create and develop ventures through corporate venture capital, alliances, and acquisitions. The model is based on two longitudinal case studies of large corporations operating in the information and communication technology sector in Europe. At the core of this model are learning processes that enable the firm to build up an external corporate venturing capability, by utilizing learning strategies both within and outside venturing relationships. To build this new capability, firms engage in acquisitive learning. Critical to deepening the capability acquired is adaptation of all knowledge to the firm specific context through experiential learning mechanisms. I also discuss the important role that initial conditions and knowledge management practices play in determining the direction and effectiveness of specific learning processes that lead to an external corporate venturing capability.     

知识共享对企业技术创新能力的影响分析

知识共享是知识管理的核心，企业通过知识共享，运用集体的智慧提高其应变能力和创新能力。但由于企业内外部环境的日益复杂以及知识共享过程中出现的各种不确定因素，从而阻碍了企业技术创新能力的发挥。本文分析了知识共享中态度、主观规范、自我效能对企业技术创新能力的影响。对这个问题的研究，能有效地帮助企业提升企业技术创新能力、构建技术创新能力体系。     

The linkage of HRM and knowledge-related performance in China's technology-intensive industries

This study examines the commitment-based and knowledge-based HR types to fully understand the role of HRM in China's technology-intensive industries. The relationships between the knowledge-based HR and commitment-based HR on firm performance were examined by using 156 firms in China's high technology industry in the Pearl River Delta area. The effects of innovation capability and workforce retention between HR and performance were also explored. The firm's innovation capability has been found to be an important determinant of firm performance. Retention has no significant impact on performance outcomes. HR plays a more important role in the growth stage of organizational life cycle. Implications for research and managerial practices are provided.     

A contingency-configurational view of purchasing operations: The mediating role between supplier relationship and firm performance

The literature has considered purchasing and supply management activities from a strategic perspective, but the tactical role of purchasing operations has yet to be explored. Purchasing operations represent the internal modus operandi for transactions with suppliers, comprising three main activities – purchasing transactions, purchasing document management, and purchasing assessment – and supportive activities like purchasing knowledge management. Following the contingency theory, we hypothesize that these internal activities mediate between external supplier relationship management and firm performance (financial, customer and delivery performance). Complementarily, we adopt the configurational theory to hypothesize that this link between external and internal activities can be combined to increase firm performance. To test this contingency-configurational view of purchasing operations, we conducted a quantitative survey with 234 companies. The regression results of the contingency analysis show that purchasing operations activities have a full mediation role in most relationships between supplier relationship management and firm performance, while knowledge management positively moderates the association between purchasing assessment and customer performance. Moreover, the cluster analysis for the configurational analysis shows that supplier relationship management and purchasing operations follow maturity levels of joint implementation of internal and external activities. Our findings shed light on the purchasing operations by defining the activities representing this concept and showing their role in supply management. We also contribute to practice by proposing an integrative system that helps managers organize the firm's purchasing and supply management activities.     

创造企业竞争优势:内部资源,外部网络及其整合

随着环境与技术的变化，组织网络已经成为企业生存环境的重要组成部分。尽管资源学派强调组织内部的资源能力是竞争优势的主要来源，企业外部网络对竞争优势的贡献也已经被越来越多的学者所认识。本文在进一步归纳两种不同竞争优势来源观的基础上，重点讨论了内部资源能力与外部网络在创造竞争优势时的互动关系，最后通过理性期望模型分析了内部资源能力与外部网络及其整合对建立企业竞争优势的作用。     

标准化是可重构产品系统的核心支持技术

可重构产品系统是为了适应市场多样性、定制化的需求和先进制造技术及生产运作模式的需要而产生的,对动态多变的市场需求具有快速响应能力,有利于充分利用企业现有资源,获得基于时间和成本的竞争优势。文章在明晰了标准化的实质和可重构产品系统及其可重构产品构成基础上,进一步明确了运用标准化技术实现产品系统的可重构性并对其在可重构系统的核心支持作用展开了相关的研究,从而为有效实施可重构产品系统,提高企业的综合竞争实力提供了新的思路。     

Learning from R&D outsourcing vs. learning by R&D outsourcing

We analyze how research and development (R&D) outsourcing influences product innovation. We propose a separation between learning from R&D outsourcing, whereby the firm improves its ability to innovate by using outsourced R&D directly in new products, from learning by R&D outsourcing, whereby the firm indirectly uses outsourced R&D by integrating it with internal R&D to create new products. Building on the knowledge-based view, we argue that learning from R&D outsourcing is likely to have an inverse U-shaped relationship with product innovation, because the initial benefits of using outsourced component R&D knowledge to innovate products is eventually outweighed by the hollowing out of the firm's ability to innovate. In contrast, we propose that learning by R&D outsourcing is likely to have a U-shaped relationship with product innovation, because the initial challenges of integrating internal and external R&D are eventually overcome, resulting in more innovations. Finally, we distinguish between domestic and foreign R&D outsourcing and propose a liability of foreignness in R&D outsourcing as it has a lower impact on new products than domestic R&D outsourcing. The empirical analysis shows that outsourced R&D has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the number of new products, while the interaction between outsourced R&D and internal R&D has a U-shaped relationship with the number of new products. It also shows that domestic outsourced R&D has a higher positive impact on the number of new products than foreign outsourced R&D.     

创业团队成员信任对社会网络与企业创新能力关系的影响

本文通过对吉林省112家有效样本企业进行调查,将社会网络细分为内部社会网络和外部社会网络,在创业团队的定义下检验了社会网络与信任对新创企业创新能力的影响。研究结果表明,内外部社会网络都会对企业创新能力产生积极影响,而团队成员之间的信任则作为调节变量影响两者之间的关系。创业团队成员之间的信任越高,越有利于知识、信息的传播与交流,内部社会网络对企业创新能力的积极影响越大;但却易产生"非我发明症"现象,导致外部社会网络对企业创新能力的积极影响越小。     

供应链中知识集成及其能力模型分析

通过对知识集成内涵的分析,建立了一个知识集成能力模型与物元模型,探讨知识吸收能力与协作能力对供应链中企业知识集成能力的影响,以及知识集成能力与创新绩效的关系.所提出的研究架构以知识管理理论和物元理论为基础,以科技产业及知识密集型的信息服务业的案例作为分析对象,通过分析与结构模式分析来验证研究架构,且利用物元理论构建了供应链中企业创新绩效的评价体系.     

Dynamic Capabilities, Government Policies, and Performance in Firms from Emerging Economies: Evidence from India and Pakistan

In this study we developed a model of the dynamic capability development mechanisms in Emerging Market manufacturing Firms (EMF). We identified three dynamic capability development mechanisms: organizational learning, reverse engineering, and manufacturing flexibility. We generated hypotheses based on this framework, linking these mechanisms with firm performance. We also modelled the roles played by managerial use of two types of government policies: input supporting policies and marketing supporting policies. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of Indian and Pakistani manufacturing firms. Results showed that organizational learning, reverse engineering and manufacturing flexibility had significant impacts on EMF performance. Additionally, organizational learning combined with input supporting government policies enhanced performance, and the combination of manufacturing flexibility and marketing supporting government policies had an insignificant influence on performance.     

Italian industrial districts as cognitive systems: Are they still reproducible?

Adopting a knowledge-based perspective, this study develops a framework of how Italian industrial districts (IDs) operate and evolve as cognitive systems. First, we analyse the mechanisms that facilitate knowledge diffusion across firms within IDs, the enabler of cross-firm knowledge transfer (absorptive capacity) and the process of producing new knowledge by combination. Within this analysis, we consider the formation of new firms resulting from the break-away of human resources from existing district firms (spin-offs) as a particular form of knowledge transfer and production within districts. Knowledge production by combination may take place not only within boundaries of IDs, but also involve external sources. We suggest that innovations made by combining internal and external knowledge have played an important role in shaping the evolutionary trajectories of IDs. Finally, again from the cognitive perspective, we address the issue of how globalization impacts on district systems, concentrating on the positive role that two different types of local actors play in their reproduction and evolution: the global–local firms and institutions providing knowledge-intensive business services.     

外部资源利用与企业成长:以中青旅为例

外部资源作为企业提高创新能力和实现企业成长的重要来源,目前正引起越来越多国内外研究者的关注。外部资源利用模式的适时调整对于中青旅长时间保持良好的企业成长性起到了重要作用。旅游企业在成长过程中需要结合自身的特点和优势,充分利用外部资源在经营业务方面实现快速创新和突破。     

以知识为基础的企业理论的产生及其演进过程

以知识为基础的企业理论的理论渊源在于对企业竞争优势内生的考察,并依次经历资源决定论、能力决定论的理论演进过程,它强调企业竞争优势源于企业的默会知识。这一观点不仅对解释和预期企业行为提供了核心概念,而且对指导企业提升竞争优势的实践具有管理学意义。     

IT Outsourcing—A Source of Innovation? Microeconometric Evidence for Germany

Does IT outsourcing really influence firms' process innovativeness? We investigate this question with a distinguished view on manufacturing and service sectors. Previous studies suggest firms sourcing out IT services to external service providers are generally more process innovative. Based on a firm‐level data set comprising 1452 firms from the German manufacturing and services sectors, the econometric analysis confirms a positive and significant relationship between IT outsourcing and process innovation activity on an aggregate level. As proposed by our framework of differences between manufacturing and service firms, a more detailed analysis reveals that this positive relationship only holds for services firms. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于供应链的大规模定制的多阶段生产模型研究

采用生产延迟和物流延迟策略将大规模定制生产过程分为三个地点四个阶段,即在企业的制造车间：根据预测大规模生产通用件、根据订单的批量生产半成品;在中央仓库：集中存储按需运输分配;在各分销地点：根据顾客个性化需求生产最终产品。随后对大规模定制下的成本和交货期作了简单分析,给出了优化模型。