Strategizing in industrial networks

This paper provides an overview of the implications for strategizing offered by an industrial network perspective and a comparison of this view with strategic management thinking. We argue that it is crucial for a company to relate its activities to those of other firms in order to enhance its performance, and it is through the continuous combining and recombining of existing resources that new resource dimensions are identified and further developed within business relationships. From the standpoint of a single company, strategizing from an industrial network perspective implies that the heterogeneity of resources and interdependencies between activities across company boundaries, as well as the organized collaboration among the companies involved, must be considered simultaneously.     

Charging for public services: the case of utilities in Norwegian local governments

This paper empirically analyzes the determinants of utility charges using a panel data set for a sample of Norwegian local governments. There is strong evidence of revenue substitution in the sense that local governments increase their utility charges when other sources of revenue (lump-sum grants and regulated tax revenue) become more restricted. Moreover, local political institutions are shown to be important: a high share of socialist representatives in the local council leads to high utility charges, whereas a strong political leadership is able to keep utility charges low.     

Forecasting the business cycle using survey data

Regular business survey data are published as percentages of firms predicting higher, equal or lower values of some reference variable. Time series of such percentages do not fit production data too well. Univariate models often produce forecasts which are just as accurarate. Still, surveys contain anticipative judgement which, when combined with univariate modeling and proper filtering, may produce a good indicator for business cycle turning points. The way survey data are transformed so as to fit statistics on production seems not to be of much importance. A case study of the Finnish forest industry is offered as an example.     

Demographic shift, relative costs and the allocation of local public consumption in Norway

Local government responses to shifting demand and supply conditions are investigated. The desired allocation of local public consumption is determined in a voter group decision model where different age groups compete for services within an exogenous budget constraint. The model is implemented in an AIDS demand system built into a partial adjustment framework. The estimates indicate that the dramatic shift in the age composition of the population from the young to the elderly during the period studied has led to higher educational spending per pupil and less health care services per elderly. Age groups in decline are able to resist reallocations and gain in terms of spending per head.     

Partnering in the construction industry—Problems and opportunities

During recent years partnering has been on the top of the management agenda in the construction industry. Despite this attention there is limited and partly contradicting evidence of the impact of these efforts. The objective of this literature-based paper is to explore why it has been difficult to realise potential partnering benefits on the strategic level, while partnering in individual projects has improved construction performance. The analysis builds on a comparison of the features of business relationships in construction with the characteristics of so called ‘high-involvement relationships’ based on close cooperation. It is concluded that prevailing supply arrangements established to handle the particular conditions in the construction industry makes it unlikely for partnering to reach outside the individual project. Taking the step to strategic partnerships would require modification of some of the basic assumptions and norms of industry efficiency. On the basis of this analysis we explore potential consequences of modifications of current behaviour with respect to decentralisation and competitive tendering. The paper is finalised with a suggestion for a differentiated approach to partnering.     

Organizational interfaces and innovation: The challenge of integrating supplier knowledge in LEGO systems

Suppliers have become increasingly important as partners in firms' innovation efforts. Reaping potential collaboration benefits is complex due to challenges in combining internal and external knowledge. The paper explores how various types of organizational interfaces between buyer and supplier create both opportunities and problems for their joint actions. The paper is based on a longitudinal case study of attempts to develop an innovative packaging solution for the toy manufacturer LEGO systems. The study shows that buying firms need to carefully analyse what form of organizational interface access to prioritize since each type offers its specific possibilities and drawbacks. Furthermore, the feasibility of organizational interfaces may change over time due to mutual organizational learning.     

输美产品应循供应链安全新规

美国市场经济比较成熟,政府对企业的经营范围与经营方式很少限制,但对各行业产品进出口、批发、零售均有极为详尽的法规与执照要求,而且执法十分严厉。如美国对于产品责任的规定,使得外国制造商任何不慎的举动均可能导致巨额损失。     

Distribution network dynamics and the consequences for intermediaries

Distribution networks are in constant flux due to the dynamics of their contexts. In these processes, the functioning and significance of intermediaries and middlemen become modified. This paper examines what consequences the dynamics of distribution may imply for intermediaries and the role these firms play in this evolution. The paper is based on a literature review of the long-term evolution of distribution networks and intermediaries. The first contribution of the study is a historical narrative of this evolution, where three main phases are identified in the period from the 1600s. In these phases, the power and the functions of intermediaries have varied substantially. Despite the fact that their demise has been anticipated on several occasions, intermediaries have survived because they have been able to adapt to changing conditions. The second contribution of the study is the industrial network analysis of the impact of this evolution on three central dimensions of distribution: division of labor among actors, efficiency of activities, and control of resources. Finally, the study provides contributions to practice through recommendations concerning potential value generating opportunities for intermediaries. These suggestions are derived from the combined findings of the historical review and the network analysis.     

Property taxation as incentive for cost control: Empirical evidence for utility services in Norway

Recent theoretical research suggests that property taxation has incentive effects that can help control cost problems in the public sector. The institutional setting in Norway allows this first empirical investigation of the incentive effect of property taxation, since we can separate between local governments with and without property tax. The raw data of the variation in the unit cost level for utilities show that local governments with property tax have 20% lower unit cost. Using both linear regression and propensity score matching, we are not able to wash out the difference in unit costs. Our interpretation is that having a visible and controversial local tax related to property stimulates voter interest in local government activities and thereby may help cost control.     

Selecting representative case vignettes for clinical judgement studies: Examples from two heart failure studies

In the Clinical Judgement Analysis (CJA) tradition there are strong arguments in favour of using representative case vignettes. Due to methodological and practical constraints, however, it is often necessary to make compromises regarding representativity. In this article, we discuss our experiences in working with these problems in connection with two studies about general practitioners heart failure diagnoses. CJA is a method for investigating and describing decision-making in which both judges and judgement situations are taken into consideration. This means that when we want to study physicians diagnoses, both the participating physicians as well as the case vignettes should be sampled to be representative for the diagnostic situation. If representativity is interpreted in a strictly statistical sense, the case vignettes should reflect a well identified population of patients regarding values, distribution and intercorrelations of the relevant patient characteristics (variables). Creating a set of representative case vignettes meeting all theoretical requirements will often be difficult. Selecting a relevant population and relevant variables, deciding about the appropriate number of variables and case vignettes, and deciding whether authentic patients or constructed case vignettes should be used are some of the problems that must be dealt with.