Collaborative diversity in a nanotechnology innovation system: Evidence from the EU Framework Programme

Collaborative diversity is, arguably, an intrinsic characteristic of research networks built on the emergence of general-purpose technologies such as nanotechnology. European research policy, epitomised in Framework Programmes, creates arrangements that institutionalise the development of internationally and institutionally diverse research networks. Motivated by concerns that a high degree of collaborative diversity may create managerial challenges for network members in sharing knowledge across national and institutional borders, we study the configurations of collaborative research networks and consider their international and institutional diversity. We also explore the influence of European policy mechanisms on the international and institutional diversity of collaborative research networks. We conclude that nanotechnology research networks are indeed characterised by a significant degree of collaborative diversity, which in turn exposes a need for participating members to develop strategic capabilities to manage research within diverse networks.     

动态能力视角下的商业银行战略转型与经营绩效关系的理论与实证研究——以浦发银行为例

动态能力是企业可持续竞争优势的来源,战略转型能力是一种整合、建立和再配置内外部资源的动态能力。为此,本文在构建动态能力与可持续竞争优势的关系模型的基础上,从我国商业银行成功转型会获得财务资源优势的角度出发,设计了衡量商业银行战略转型是否成功的理论分析模型。为验证其模型的客观性,选择中国浦发银行为案例研究对象,在分析研究浦发银行战略转型历程的基础上,运用因子分析法对浦发银行在2001～2009年的不同发展阶段的经营绩效进行分析总结,以验证评价其如何成功地实现战略转型。本文研究发现：企业想要了解其战略转型是否获得了由动态能力决定的持续竞争优势,可借助于衡量商业银行战略转型成功的理论分析模型;正确的战略转型有利于银行提高经营绩效;为此,银行需要继续有效地实施零售业务战略、强化银行内部治理机制改革和现代信息技术网络平台的建设,这是银行获得持续竞争优势的关键。     

Achieving Temporal Ambidexterity in New Ventures

Organizations face a common intertemporal choice problem, where actions suitable in the shortterm are different from those that work in the longterm. Building on the organizational ambidexterity theory, we argue that organizations can reconcile their short‐term and long‐term tensions, but this does necessitate managerial endeavours that orchestrate this reconciliation. We introduce the concept of temporal ambidexterity and define four intertemporal tensions involving an organization’s objectives, resources, markets, and uncertainty. We examine how firms can address these tensions successfully in the context of new ventures, and to do so we focus on three managerial capabilities of founder‐CEOs: expertise breadth, external connectivity, and empowering leadership. Results from 243 new ventures in China suggest that temporal ambidexterity improves with these managerial capabilities, and more so for younger ventures. Our findings shed light on solutions and mechanisms by which intertemporal balance is fulfilled, particularly for new ventures in a dynamic environment.     

Strategic entrepreneurship and competitive advantage of established firms: evidence from the digital TV industry

Although strategic entrepreneurship in established firms is recognized as a vital source of sustainable competitive advantage, this field has no clearly developed research paradigm. This study proposes a conceptual framework to investigate dimensions of strategic entrepreneurship and its function in sustainable competitive advantage of established firms in a modern volatile environment, through the lens of the dynamic capability view. By conducting a systematic literature review of previous research documents and considering conceptual interrelationships between strategic entrepreneurship and dynamic capabilities, we propose categories that comprise dimensions of a firm’s strategic entrepreneurship: environmental sensing, opportunity seizing, strategic flexibility, entrepreneurial orientation and organizational learning. We establish a conceptual framework of strategic entrepreneurship in which entrepreneurs’ managerial capabilities of environmental sensing, opportunity seizing, strategic flexibility and entrepreneurial orientation closely interact with organizational learning, thereby facilitating sustainable performance of established firms. Following empirical studies of established firms in the digital TV manufacturing industry, the proposed conceptual framework suggests that each dimension of strategic entrepreneurship plays a critical role in competitive advantage of firms. In addition, case study results indicate that a firm’s position and evolutionary path form antecedent factors influencing entrepreneurs’ managerial capabilities and organizational learning of established firms.     

Capabilities in Motion: New Organizational Forms and the Reshaping of the Hollywood Movie Industry*

abstract This paper looks at the evolution of capabilities in the Hollywood movie industry in the aftermath of the transition from a studio era dominated by integrated hierarchies to a post‐studio era dominated by flexible hub organizations supplied by networks of resource providers. Adopting a dynamic capabilities perspective we argue that two industry capabilities – mobilizing and transforming capabilities – play a crucial role in assembling and transforming resource bundles into feature films. We further argue that the transition to new organizational forms shifts the co‐evolutionary process, with practices and routines that make up mobilizing capabilities changing faster and becoming more important to box office success than practices and routines that make up transforming capabilities. We test our hypotheses using a sample of 400 films split between the studio and post‐studio eras. The results support our hypotheses, pointing to the influence of centralized control versus dispersed access to resources. The strategy of integrated hierarchical organizations depends on ownership of resources that reduces incentives to develop mobilizing capabilities, and increases incentives to develop transforming capabilities. The advent of new organizational forms, by contrast, increases returns to new practices and routines that mobilize resources at the expense of returns on exploring practices and routines that make up transforming capabilities.     

The variable effects of dynamic capability by firm size: the interaction of innovation and marketing capabilities in competitive industries

Although investments in marketing and innovation capabilities theoretically help firms to compete in dynamic markets and enhance performance, company size has a strong influence on whether this is the case. In a test of a proposed conceptual model, this study of 692 small, medium, and large enterprises found that large firms prospered from building dynamic capabilities under conditions of high industry competitiveness, while investments in innovation and marketing individually diminished small firms’ performance. The effect was mixed for medium-size firms. In small enterprises, however, dynamic capability proved to be crucial in order to withstand competition. Therefore, taking into account these firms’ limited resources, managerial efforts should be focused on the integration of marketing and innovation capabilities, because each capability alone does not have a significant positive impact on performance. In medium-sized enterprises, the support of marketing capability is required to raise profitability under conditions of high industry competitiveness; otherwise, innovation would not lead to actual profits. For large enterprises, industry competitiveness was found to be a less serious threat to performance, and instead is a catalyst to the development of capabilities, suggesting that managers of such firms should focus on building long-term strategic advantages.     

How do established firms improve radical innovation performance? The organizational capabilities view

The paper examines organizational capabilities for improving performance, with respect to radical innovation (RI), in established firms. These organizational capabilities are (1) openness capability, (2) autonomy capability, (3) integration capability and (4) experimentation capability. The paper proposes four research hypotheses, to examine the relationship between four types of organizational capabilities and radical innovation performance. A dataset of 112 corporate RI-specific capabilities and innovation performance data, from the top 500 Taiwanese manufacturing firms, is collected via a postal questionnaire survey. The multiple regression results reveal a positive relationship between organizational capabilities and radical innovation performance. Finally, some managerial recommendations, to develop radical innovation capabilities, are provided.     

Stages of Organizational Transformation in Transition Economies: A Dynamic Capabilities Approach

How do organizations previously dominated by the state develop dynamic capabilities that would support their growth in a competitive market economy? We develop a theoretical framework of organizational transformation that explains the processes by which organizations learn and develop dynamic capabilities in transition economies. Specifically, the framework theorizes about the importance of, and inter‐relationships between, leadership, organizational learning, dynamic capabilities, and performance over three stages of transformation. Propositions derived from this framework explain the pre‐conditions enabling organizational learning, the linkages between types of learning and functions of dynamic capabilities, and the feedback from dynamic capabilities to organizational learning that allows firms in transition economies to regain their footing and build long‐term competitive advantage. We focus on transition contexts, where these processes have been magnified and thus offer new insights into strategizing in radically altered environments.     

An examination of anti-violence human resource management practices in the context of health care and aged care

Although accumulated research has demonstrated the negative impacts of workplace violence and called for effective solutions from a human resource management (HRM) perspective, a valid measure of anti-violence HRM practices is missing. In this paper, we develop a scale of anti-violence HRM practices that is critical for both theoretical advancement and managerial practices in health care and aged care contexts. Through an inductive approach in Study 1, we generated items for the scale to be used in health care and aged care contexts, which we then subjected to a content validity test in Study 2. Using the newly developed scale, we further demonstrated in Study 3 that anti-violence HRM practices that are implemented in aged care facilities reduce workers' experienced violence, improve workers' emotional wellbeing, and enhance workers' organisational and career commitment.     

Microfoundations of dynamic capabilities: Insights from circular economy business cases

Circular economy is a key strategy to achieve corporate sustainability. However, so far, most firms are unable to translate the concept of circular economy into their corporate strategies, business models, and operations. Some scholars have argued that firms need to develop new (and dynamic) capabilities for circular economy implementation. Yet there is a little discussion on how firms can develop such capabilities. Notably, there is a paucity of research on specific skills, processes, and organizational activities (microfoundations of dynamic capabilities) that may facilitate circular economy implementation. To address this knowledge gap, using a multiple‐case studies approach, we explore microfoundations of dynamic capabilities in successful circular economy business cases. Our findings indicate that dynamic capabilities positively contribute to circular economy implementation. Our case studies show that case firms identified circular economy opportunities by using four microfoundations of sensing capability. Further, case firms acted on the identified opportunities by using simultaneously three microfoundations of seizing capability and four microfoundations of reconfiguring capability. This paper contributes to the literature on the relations between dynamic capabilities and corporate sustainability by providing insights on how sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring dynamic capabilities act in successful operationalization of circular economy strategies.     

Global operations networks in motion: Managing configurations and capabilities

In the past, the ‘Made in the World’ label, although capturing what may lie ahead, seemed awkward and futuristic. Today, it has become a reality. An ample array of global products are built up of numerous components and modules manufactured by global networks of differentiated partners rather than within the boundaries of one national entity. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to bridging the empirical gap in the area of global operations networks and provide insights into how they change over time. The paper is based on the cases of three Danish companies and their global operations networks. It finds a number of common patterns highlighting organizational effects and managerial challenges faced by the companies regarding rapid changes in their networks configurations and capabilities. The paper details the variables determining these changes and suggests how the on-going interplay between the focal organization, its network partners, and their varying contextual conditions can be dealt with.     

Robust project network design

Traditional project planning tools and methodologies fail to address the dynamic uncertainties that can arise during project execution. In this article, we develop an approach to enable project managers to design project networks capable of performing predictably under uncertainty. We integrate a validated project organization design simulation tool (Virtual Design Team) with a robust design experimental method to enable robust project network design. We test the framework on a 13‐month, U.S. $11.5M public renovation project. We find that: (1) it is possible to integrate the project organization design tool with the robust design experimental method for the test case project; (2) the integrated approach enables project managers to identify and simulate the combination of interventions that will lead to the most robust project performance; and (3) the integrated approach can extend the capabilities of project managers to design project networks in dynamically uncertain project environments. The findings highlight the need to explore new ways to achieve predictable project performance in dynamically uncertain project execution environments.     

On the conceptualization and measurement of dynamic capabilities for sustainability: Building theory through a systematic literature review

We performed a systematic literature review to explore and understand how the 23-year long debate about dynamic capabilities has addressed sustainability issues. Based on this, we propose a unifying framework that distinguishes different facets of dynamic capabilities for sustainability (DCsS) based on the different types of performance they are more suitable to predict. The theoretical contribution is twofold. First, we add to the literature by highlighting the dependence of different forms of DCsS on different levels of the centrality of sustainability outcomes in corporate strategies. Second, we shed light on the operationalizations of DCsS by providing guidance on the adoption of pertinent constructs and measurement models. The review concludes with a discussion of the managerial implications of the proposed conceptual framework to help decision makers better understand, which strategic moves to make to achieve their intended sustainability goals.     

An empirical approach to the organisational determinants of spin-off creation in European universities

Given the importance in recent years of the phenomenon of academic entrepreneurship in European universities, knowledge about determinants and performance of this technology transfer mechanism may have important managerial and policy implications. Applying the resource-based view at universities, we have tested the influence of five bundles of resources and capabilities on spin-off activity rates as well as on the performance of new spin-offs in a sample of seven European universities. These five bundles are: technology transfer policies and strategies; human capital; stock of technology; resources and capabilities of technology transfer offices; and support measures for academic entrepreneurship. Our results show that excellence of human capital and the presence of university-based financial support measures are strongly associated with both spin-off activity and performance. Another interesting finding is related to the availability of university-based non-economic support measures (training, counselling, etc.), which have no influence on spin-off activity but are significantly associated with performance of new spin-offs. We also discuss some interesting relationships between explanatory variables.     

Asset-light strategy,managerial ability,and corporate performance of the Asian telecommunications industry

This paper examines the effects of asset-light strategy on the corporate performance of listed Asian telecommunications corporations and the moderating effect of managerial ability on the association between asset-light strategy and corporate performance. The study applies the dynamic slacks-based measure (DSBM) model and Tobit regression to measure managerial ability. The empirical results show that asset-light strategy positively affects corporate performance and that managerial ability has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between the degree of asset-lightness (DAL) and corporate performance. The findings further show that the greater the managerial ability, the stronger the relationship between DAL and corporate performance.     

External corporate venturing modes as new way to develop dynamic capabilities

Today, firms encounter scarce resources and rapid technology change which render formerly successful business models obsolete. Research shows that some firms perform better than others in continuously discovering, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities in volatile environments and that this is dependent on firm’s dynamic capabilities. Besides obtaining dynamic capabilities through internal R&D activities, firms have open up their innovation process to pursue dynamic capabilities outside their organizational boundaries through external corporate venturing by accessing startup's technological capabilities necessary to innovate. External corporate venturing is a means to develop new distinctive capabilities and businesses by exploring and exploiting business opportunities outside a firm’s existing boundaries. Drawing on the dynamic capability literature, we use a multiple case study approach to examine the contribution of external corporate venturing to firms’ dynamic capabilities. Our results reveal that firms indeed use corporate venturing to identify and exploit startup’s technological knowledge and competencies to increase firm’s dynamic capabilities. But our empirical data also shows that not every firm is fully profiting from all dynamic capability phases as their corporate venturing modes are not linked with each other and cumulative effects are not realized.     

A General Procedure to Recover the Marginal Products of a Cost Minimizing Firm

Inthis paper we develop a new method, based on generalized inverse,to recover the first derivatives of the production function.This allows us to retrieve returns to scale, technological progressand, in a dynamic setting, a measure of the adjustment cost.The method is general and systematic and it applies in caseswhere the traditional method does not. It is especially relevantwhen examining dynamic models or regulated firms.     

Competing in the global aerospace supply chain: The case of the Canadian aerospace industry

In light of the vertical disintegration of the global aerospace industry, this paper reports on a study that was commissioned by Industry Canada to evaluate whether Canadian aerospace firms have been able to develop the new set of manufacturing and managerial capabilities required to compete in the global aerospace supply chain. A strategic management framework was used to assess the fit between the key success factors of the external environment and the resources and capabilities of the firms studied. The results indicate that although smaller aerospace firms seem to possess technological and engineering skills that are vital strengths in the aerospace industry, better marketing efforts would enable them to enlarge their client base and intensify their participation in the global aerospace supply chain.     

Linking green purchasing capabilities to environmental and economic performance: The moderating role of firm size

This study identifies firms’ green purchasing capabilities, classified into operational capabilities and dynamic capabilities, and measures their effects on the environmental and economic performance of a firm. We developed instruments to measure operational green purchasing capabilities and dynamic green purchasing capabilities. This study also investigates the moderating effect of firm size on the relationship between green purchasing capabilities and firm performance. The structural equation model (SEM) is used to analyse 239 responses from Japanese manufacturing companies. The results indicate that their green purchasing capabilities positively affect environmental and economic performance. Operational capabilities and dynamic capabilities have different levels of effects on green purchasing performance. A further analysis of the moderating effect of firm size shows that the high economic performance of green purchasing relies on the level of dynamic capabilities rather than firm size.