An analysis of geographical agglomeration and modularized industrial networks in a regional cluster: A case study at Yamagata prefecture in Japan

In a regional innovation system, a dense inter-organizational network within the region is recognized as a key factor in enhancing knowledge diffusion, regional learning, and effective resource transfers. Therefore, understanding the network structure and physical proximity of organizations is essential. In this paper, we investigated the industrial structure of Yamagata prefecture in Japan as a case study. Because Yamagata is a representative industrial region, the analysis can also provide an insight into other industrial regions. Initially, we investigated the geographical dispersion of firms and found them to be agglomerated along Route 13 and the Tohoku Shinkansen railroad, indicating that infrastructures for transportation still have a decisive role in terms of site location. Subsequently, we analyzed the modular structure of the inter-firm network. The results showed that hub firms construct a different type of network and play different roles within the inter-firm network, reflecting their strategic choice. The results also showed that there is a tendency for firms to transact with those in close proximity, and that firm location is also affected by the location of the hub firm in the module in addition to the infrastructures.     

集群企业创业传导仿真的构建分析

集群企业二次创业已成为产业集群转型升级的重要路径,而集群企业网络影响了集群企业的二次创业行为。本文从复杂网络视角出发,在对集群企业网络与复杂网络模型之间耦合关系的探讨基础上,分析了用仿真方法构建集群企业网络,探讨了如何模拟集群企业网络中创业行为的传导,为刻画现实的集群企业创业行为传导过程和效果提供了新的分析思路。     

Entry mode choices in the international new ventures context. A study from different theoretical perspectives

Few studies have investigated the factors that enhance entry mode choice in the context of international new ventures (INVs). In this paper, we hypothesize that the characteristics of INVs’ products or services can explain their preference for equity entry modes. We also hypothesize that the inter-firm networks in which INVs are embedded play a deciding role in their choice of non-equity entry modes. When INVs are in inter-firm networks in which activities are developed to manage them, non-equity entry modes are preferred. We have adopted an effectuation approach to study the influence of different inter-firm network management activities on entry mode choice. In short, we have studied the effect of developing inter-firm network knowledge exchange, coordination, adaptation, conflict resolution and resource sharing management activities. In this paper we attempt to contribute to international entrepreneurship studies by reconciling the most widely accepted approaches to entry mode choice (Transactional Cost Economics, Organizational Capabilities-based and Network perspective) and international new ventures. Our findings show that the technological complexity of INVs’ products/services explain their preference for equity entry modes. Additionally, the development of network management activities among the networked firms determines the INVs’ preference for non-equity entry modes. Our results draw a decision model that differs from the ones derived from previous perspectives, which highlight the role of different characteristics of international new ventures.     

The success and failure of policy-implanted inter-firm network initiatives: motivations,processes and structure

This paper examines the processes and causes of inter-firm network success and failure, defined in terms of the ability of networks to become a sustained and valued form of business activity for their members. The paper examines four different case study network initiatives: (1) a failed informal ‘new entrepreneurs' network’ (2) a successful informal ‘local cluster group’ (3) a failed formal ‘defence contractors' network’ and (4) a successful formal ‘small-firm technology group’. It is shown that networks in business are often consciously developed and maintained by those managing directors who have recognized the importance of cooperative activities for achieving competitive advantage for their companies. The best network support consisted of brokers who are able to mix and overlap the ‘hard’ business and ‘softer’ social interests of participants. The case studies indicate that it is formal groups that are the most potent form of inter-firm network, but that it is through an initially informal structure that they are best facilitated. It is concluded that both economic and social rationalities are at play in the motivation of firms to join networks, and that their success is closely connected to pre-existing commonality between members.     

Firms in financial distress: evidence from inter-firm payment networks with volatility driven by ‘animal spirits’

This paper elaborates an agent-based model of a pure market economy to provide theoretical evidence on how volatility-induced changes in inter-firm payment networks affect the financial distress of firms. This volatility is driven by ‘animal spirits’ in that it arises from the feelings of optimism/pessimism independently of rational decision-making, and influences the liquidity available to each firm through the inter-firm payment network; consequently, some firms may enter financial distress. The model first determines the inter-firm payment network. Then, a mean-reverting square-root process introduces volatility into the inter-firm payment network through firms’ propensity to pay suppliers according to the payments that firms expect to receive from customers. The model is calibrated for compatibility with relevant macro- and microeconomic stylized facts. According to computational experiments, financial distress in the business sector is minimized when feelings of optimism/pessimism generate the lowest volatility in firms’ propensity to pay suppliers. In addition, this volatility must materialize around an intermediate value of firms’ propensity to pay suppliers, and firms must keep this intermediate value over time.

     

Learning to Build a Supply Network: An Exploration of Dynamic Business Models

abstract    Firms are confronted with the challenge of learning how to develop and manage supply networks, which reduce their operating costs and maximize their effectiveness in the marketplace. In pursuit of such goals they are increasingly turning to the use of dynamic business models. Dynamic business models represent continuous change and therefore make firms learn constantly new and better ways of doing things. These changes are manifestations of inter-firm knowledge transfer. The aim of this research is to explore dynamic business models as an example of inter-firm knowledge transfer. Adopting a case study approach, we examine three components of dynamic business models – network structure, inter-firm routines and knowledge forms – and describe their integration through a problem solving approach to building an offshore supply network. Our empirical findings suggest that dynamic business models help organizations identify and link key actors with each other (at the firm and individual level), and aid the identification and specification of appropriate knowledge types and knowledge transfer mechanisms for different actors, in different contexts.     

Knowledge flow and inter-firm networks: The influence of network resources,spatial proximity and firm size

The objective of this paper is to analyse the characteristics and nature of the networks that firms utilize to access knowledge and facilitate innovation. The paper draws on the notion of network resources, distinguishing two types: social capital–consisting of the social relations and networks held by individuals; and network capital–consisting of the strategic and calculative relations and networks held by firms. The methodological approach consists of a quantitative analysis of data from a survey of firms operating in knowledge-intensive sectors of activity. The key findings include: social capital investment is more prevalent among firms frequently interacting with actors from within their own region; social capital investment is related to the size of firms; firm size plays a role in knowledge network patterns; and network dynamism is an important source of innovation. Overall, firms investing more in the development of their inter-firm and other external knowledge networks enjoy higher levels of innovation. It is suggested that an over-reliance on social capital forms of network resource investment may hinder the capability of firms to manage their knowledge networks. It is concluded that the link between a dynamic inter-firm network environment and innovation provides an alternative thesis to that advocating the advantage of network stability.     

THE LOW-TRUST ROUTE TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: INTER-FIRM RELATIONS IN THE UK ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN THE 1980S AND 1990S*

There is a growing body of literature that suggests that advanced economies are experiencing an economic restructuring such that the engines of economic development are smaller, more independent, firms acting in an increasingly cooperative manner. In assessing whether the UK economy is actually experiencing such a shift in inter-firm relations, the paper firstly assesses the existing evidence. This evidence suggests the continued dominance of large firms and only limited and uneven movements away from a low-trust system. Secondly, the paper presents evidence on the nature of inter-firm relations in the UK engineering construction industry in the 1980s and 1990s. the research shows considerable improvement in performance against schedule associated with the emergence of management contractors. Management contractors can improve performance either by adopting a high-trust route in which they seek to make overall efficiency gains by integrating design and construction, or by adopting a low-trust route in which they seek to reduce scope for opportunism by rigidifying design, and by passing on risk. Evidence is presented which shows that management contractors in the UK have so far predominantly adopted the low-trust route to improved performance. Cumulatively, the evidence suggests the dominance of the ‘top down’ control of inter-firm relations in the UK.     

Building entrepreneurial inter-firm networks in an emerging economy: the role of cognitive legitimacy

We take an organizational legitimacy perspective and use data from a large-scale nationally representative study on the state of small business in Saudi Arabia, in order to explore the antecedents to the formation of entrepreneurial ventures’ inter-firm networks in the context of an emerging economy (n?=?331). We argue that entrepreneurial ventures need to overcome a threshold of cognitive legitimacy in order to develop inter-firm ties with a diverse set of large, established firms. Results indicate that having a written business plan and a formal organizational structure are positively associated with the diversity of the new venture’s inter-firm network, while the education level of the entrepreneur does not have a significant effect. In addition, the effect of having a formal organizational structure is stronger for younger ventures. Implications are discussed.     

Managing business processes across supply networks: the role of coordination mechanisms

The theory of network coordination provides a theoretical basis to explain how companies can overcome organizational boundaries and constraints to jointly manage business processes across supply networks. In particular, this paper focuses on Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR), a collaboration process whereby supply chain trading partners activate inter-firm coordination mechanisms to jointly plan key supply chain activities, from production and delivery of raw materials to production and delivery of final products to end customers.By discussing three case studies of CPFR implementation in supply networks of different industries–i.e. pharmaceutical, automotive and mechanical–the paper provides a theoretical framework that contributes to explaining the relations between inter-firm coordination mechanisms and the characteristics of interdependence among the actors involved in CPFR implementation.     

A NEW CINDERELLA STORY: JOINT VENTURES AND THE PROPERTY RIGHTS THEORY OF THE FIRM

Joint ventures (JVs) are a common form of inter-firm collaboration and, unsurprisingly, the subject of a vast literature, extending from economics to management and business studies. Issues of control are central to the definition of JVs, and this naturally calls for an interpretation in the context of the property rights theory (PRT) of the firm. In a series of seminal papers, Grossman, Hart and Moore (GHM) offer a rigorous framework to predict the allocation of control rights. Notably, under the standard assumptions of GHM, JVs are suboptimal. However, JVs are not suboptimal in more general settings where a number of the original framework's assumptions are relaxed. In the context of PRT, this paper surveys more than 20 contributions that address the optimality of JVs under contract incompleteness. The surveyed papers question the assumptions of GHM and reveal the circumstances in which JVs outperform sole ownership. Although contributions are scattered over time and bibliographical sources, we believe sufficient material has accumulated over 25 years of economic modelling to encourage some systematization. The discussion is organized in an intuitive and non-technical way; in particular, effort is devoted to analysing each paper in detail and providing a unified framework.     

关系强度对企业集群知识创新影响研究

在分析关系强度对创新利弊的基础上,引入小世界网络理论与方法对企业集群的知识创新过程进行了建模,模拟了在不同关系强度下,企业集群的平均知识存量、知识增长率以及企业间知识差异性的演化结果。     

Method towards discovering potential opportunity information during cross-organisational business processes using role identification analysis within complex social network

ABSTRACT

The key to discover potential opportunity information in cross-organisation business processes (COBPs) is to identify the primary roles and actors, i.e. how to obtain their associations according to the interactive behaviours within the complex social networks. The information of roles in COBPs is commonly considered important and explicitly related with activities contained in COBPs. In this paper, we define a role as a configurable resource model integrating the capabilities and knowledge required to the qualified actors. Furthermore, we introduce two networks named as role-based interactive behaviour network and handover of work social network to investigate the information on roles. How to build the complex social network mapped on roles from COBPs is also discussed, and an approach to obtain the potential opportunity information is proposed by combining with the significance of roles and actors. The simulation result shows that the primary roles may not completely correspond to the central position in networks, but they are closely associated with more reliable actors.     

RISK TYPES AND INTER-FIRM ALLIANCE STRUCTURES*

This paper examines the choice between equity and non-equity forms of inter-firm alliances from an ‘integrated risk’ perspective, which combines relational risk and performance risk in inter-firm alliances. Relational risk relates to co-operation among alliance partners, while performance risk has to do with the hazards of not achieving the performance objectives of an alliance, given co-operation. We suggest that equity alliance is adopted to control relational risk, while non-equity alliance is aimed at minimizing performance risk. Existing studies on the choice of alliance configurations are examined from the proposed risk perspective, and a number of key propositions are advanced for empirical testing and further development of the perspective.     

A network approach to work-family conflict

Most human behaviours, including those instrumental for reducing Work–Family Conflict (WFC), take place in the context of social relationships. However, the role of social networks in an individual's WFC goal pursuit process has not received sufficient attention, as most current research is dominated by an agentic perspective that argues that individuals possess the capabilities to change the demands and resources associated with their roles freely. We believe that the reality faced by many workers is more composite, as the various work and family stakeholders present in an individual's network can create significant constraints and opportunities that are capable of inhibiting or enhancing their agency. In this paper, we aim to examine how the ecosystem of network relationships in an individual’ social network can influence his or her overall capability to minimise WFC. Building on insights from dynamic network theory, a recently introduced framework in the social network literature, we propose a conceptual model that explains the specific roles that work and family stakeholders (i.e., supporters, preventers, resistors, reactors, negators, interactants, or observers) can assume with respect to goal strivers' attempts to manage WFC. Building on prior work-family and social network research, we illustrate how two characteristics of the network in which an individual is embedded (i.e., centrality and density) can shape the magnitude of social network influence on WFC. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed.     

THE ORGANIZATION OF INNOVATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN: NEOCLASSICAL AND RELATIONAL CONTRACTING*

This article discusses the role of intermediate governance structures between vertically related industries in the specific context of technological innovation. In the United States, relations between firms in vertically related industries correspond closely to the neoclassical contracting model, characterized by arms-length, spot contracting on the open market. In Japan, inter-firm relations are more likely to involve relational contracting, characterized by stable bonding mechanisms and a dense historical network of economic ties between the parties to the exchange. We focus upon the kinyu keiretsu type of relational contracting between firms of unequal size and power in vertically related industries, which is a special case of the more generally studied kigyo shudan, or inter-market financial group. For illustrative purposes, we compare the contractual arrangements used to manage the development of new technology by 46 US and 27 Japanese semiconductor equipment firms. We conclude by speculating that the organization of innovation in the Japanese semiconductor equipment industry has accelerated their development of new technology and led to their extraordinarily rapid worldwide market penetration.     

BROADBAND AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A MUNICIPAL CASE STUDY FROM FLORIDA

In this paper, we explore whether broadband investment by municipalities has an effect on economic growth. To do so, we employ an econometric model to compare economic growth between counties in the State of Florida. Our econometric model shows that Lake County – a small county in central Florida – has experienced significantly greater growth in economic activity relative to comparable Florida counties since making its municipal fiber-optic network generally available to businesses and municipal institutions in the county. Our findings are consistent with other analyses that postulate that broadband infrastructure can be a significant contributor to economic growth.     

工程项目管理沟通与协调

随着全球经济的一体化逐渐加强,各行各业的经济体系、行业标准也随之趋同,企业间的分工、合作的关系也日益紧密。在项目化管理大行其道的今天,顺畅的沟通与协调变得举足轻重,成为各个项目成功与否的重要因素,往往很多项目失败的原因要归咎于不顺畅的沟通。本文首先对现代工程管理的特点做一个简单叙述,再针对工程项目管理中沟通的重要意义和沟通的技巧进行一一叙述。     

The structural,social, and strategic factors associated with successful business networks

Business networks, formal arrangements between independent businesses established to enhance member success, are generally accepted as an important strategy to help small businesses survive and prosper, and to promote regional economic development. However, knowledge about what contributes to the success of business networks themselves is less extensive and based primarily on case studies or reports of network directors. The purpose of this paper is to partially address this shortcoming. We consider the structural and social features identified in previous studies as likely correlates of business network success. Using a social constructionist definition of network success, we distinguish successful from less successful networks from among a sample of 29 industry and community business networks in the USA. Findings from interviews with 1122 members and 29 network leaders suggest that trust is central to understanding network success. Structural features have complex positive and negative indirect effects on success through trust and resource exchanges. The findings highlight the fact that business networks, while offering great potential as a way to enhance economic vitality of regions and industries, cannot be viewed as a simple remedy.     

BP神经网络在项目投资风险分析中的应用

影响项目投资经济效益评价指标的参数很多,这些参数均具有一定的不确定性.由于各参数的不确定性,其项目投资经济效益评价指标值也是不确定的,因此,对投资项目所做的经济效益评价结论必将带有风险.在经济评价工作中,应当对这种风险作出合理的量化分析和估算,以了解项目的风险承受能力,并尽可能采取措施回避风险.本文共搜集了10个相似投资项目,根据BP神经网络工作原理筛选确定了6个影响和制约项目投资因素的指标作为神经网络的输入变量,并提出了基于BP神经网络的项目投资风险分析模型;其中7个投资项目作为训练样本,2个作为检测实例,最后一个进行敏感性分析.经过测算,其精度完全可以满足实际项目投资风险分析的需要.因此,神经网络在这方面有很好的应用前景.