Limits to global sourcing?: Strategic consequences of dependency on international suppliers: Cluster theory,resource-based view and case studies

This paper argues for the inclusion of an analysis of industry clusters when making decisions about global or local sourcing. Suppliers are viewed as valuable resources that can contribute to a firm's competitive advantage. Two contrasting case studies illustrate that, contrary to common expectations, a high global sourcing quota does not necessarily improve a firm's competitiveness. Rather, there may be limits to global sourcing, if a firm is unable to become a preferred customer of its strategic suppliers. Achieving preferred customer status is easier for firms located in the same regional or national cluster than it is for foreign firms attempting to access a remote supplier. This paper contributes a new and more differentiated approach to global sourcing decisions by integrating the cluster concept. Furthermore, our findings enrich the discourse of strategic management by supporting the view that resources which enable a firm to achieve sustainable competitive advantages can be located beyond its legal boundaries.     

Organizational knowledge and the manufacturing strategy process: A resource-based view analysis

The current competitive environment is characterized by new sources of information, new technologies, new management practices, new competitors, and shorter product life cycles, which highlights the importance of organizational knowledge in manufacturing companies. We integrate some of those knowledge-based approaches seeking to understand how aspects related to cross-functional orientation, new technologies, and increasing access to information affect manufacturing strategy. In this paper, “know-what” (where to find the needed information) and “know-how” (how to run operations smoothly) are considered key components of organizational knowledge in the process of manufacturing strategy formulation. Assuming that knowledge accumulation may lead to competitive advantage, we propose a model of manufacturing strategy process from a resource-based view perspective. We used a survey to collect field data from 104 companies. The results indicate that cross-functional activities integrate manufacturing knowledge and contribute to the creation of valuable and rare product characteristics.     

产学研结合技术创新链的主体要素、问题及对策辨析

本文通过对产学研结合技术创新链中各主体要素的分析,给出政府、企业、大学或科研院所、市场在产学研结合技术创新中的作用及其关系模型,进一步分析出我国产学研结合技术创新中存在的问题,并给出相关对策建议。     

The cultural characteristic of individualism/collectivism: A comparative study of implications for investment in operations between emerging Asian and industrialized Western countries

This study provides insight into the importance of national culture, investment in operations, and performance in the context of emerging Asian economies with a collectivist orientation, which are compared to industrialized Western nations with an individualist orientation. Hypotheses are developed and tested based on the cultural concept of individualism/collectivism, the theory of performance frontiers, and the extent of economic development. More specifically, data collected from 639 manufacturing plants in nine countries are used to first assess the influence of the cultural trait of individualism/collectivism on the extent of investment in structural assets (specifically: physical and capital-based) and infrastructural assets (specifically: team-based methods and improvement programs). Second, the influence of the extent of economic development on these investment factors is measured. Third, evidence is provided supportive of the theory of performance frontiers, and the nature of resource investments in the context of the cultural construct of individualism/collectivism. And fourth, support is provided for the efficacy of this theory, as well as for its compatibility and association with the resource-based view of the firm. Overall, this study makes important contributions to both theory and practice, and provides evidence for the role played by the cultural characteristic of individualism/collectivism in determining plant level investment outcomes in emerging Asian economies.     

技术跨越的两个基本模式

自主-技术跨越是指跨越主体基于自身的技术积累与技术创新能力,实现技术跨越。它不仅可以改变市场需求,改变市场竞争力量的对比,还有可能改写和塑造新的行业标准,创建新的“技术-经济的游戏”规则,从而占据技术与市场的主导权。自主跨越的显著优点是率先性,技术与市场开发上具有主动性。其主要风险是技术与市场的难以判定性。引进跨越是指技术跨越主体通过有选择、有步骤地引进技术,并通过反求工程而在消化-吸收之后,在引进技术的基础上实施更高层次的技术创新,而实现的技术跨越。从产业看,自主技术跨越比较适宜新兴技术产业,引进跨越模式更适合传统产业。     

浅论信息化对制造业技术创新力影响的研究中存在的问题与对策

技术创新是企业生存的关键,而信息化对企业的技术创新能力有着重要的影响。本文从研究内容、角度、层次和实证等方面分析了信息化对制造业企业技术创新能力影响研究的问题,并提出了相关对策。     

企业核心能力评价系统研究

本文首先分析了企业核心能力的内涵,指出企业核心能力是使企业在特定经营环境中以独特方式获得竞争能力或竞争优势的能力.具体表现为组织的学习能力、协作能力以及技术创新能力.其次,在分析有关评价指标体系的基础上,围绕组织的学习能力、协作能力以及技术创新能力设计出一套评价企业核心能力的指标体系,相信其将会对培养和发展企业的核心能力有重要影响.     

Inter‐firm R&D collaborations and green innovation value: The role of family firms' involvement and the moderating effects of proximity dimensions

The present paper investigates the relationship between the involvement of family firms in R&D collaborations aimed at developing green solutions and the value of resulting innovations. To dig into this relationship, the moderating effects of two proximity dimensions (i.e., geographical distance and technological relatedness) are also assessed. Analyses are based on a sample of 156 joint patents classified into the “Alternative energy production” field, as defined by the International Patent Classification Green Inventory and successfully filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in the period 1997–2010 by publicly listed companies. According to our conjectures, results reveal a positive relationship between the involvement of family firms and green innovation value. Moreover, our findings show that this relationship is hindered when partners are geographically distant or technologically proximate. Eventually, we contribute to the literature on green innovation by unveiling under which conditions inter‐firm R&D collaborations lead to more valuable innovations.     

Organization of innovation and capital markets

This paper develops a theory of the firm scope where not only research but also ordinary production employees can generate inventions. Separating research from production (“specialization”) solves the two-tier agency problem of inducing simultaneously research effort and managerial truthful-reporting but is costly when capital markets are imperfect. Improvements in capital markets, therefore, promote specialization, allowing a greater number of specialized firms to be established and also enabling them to undertake innovative projects with larger potential outcomes. Moreover, this capital market improvement effect is stronger for innovative activities that are less capital-intensive and that have weaker synergies with existing production activities. The model can help us understand the explosion of small company innovation in the U.S. since late 1970s and the contribution of venture capital to this change.     

政府投入、市场化程度与中国工业企业的技术创新效率

本文应用两阶段半参数DEA方法估计了样本期间内,中国30个省区市大中型工业企业技术创新活动的技术与规模效率,实证分析了政府投入与市场化程度变量对创新效率的影响程度与方向。研究发现,政府投入与创新活动的技术效率之间呈现出不显著的负相关关系,其对创新活动的规模效率则具有显著的负向影响。市场化程度对创新的技术效率具有显著的正向影响,而它对规模效率的影响却是显著为负的。     

我国技术创新活动的集聚效应分析

本文使用超越对数生产函数—反要素需求函数分析框架,研究了集聚经济对于我国技术创新活动全要素生产率、单要素生产率、要素价格以及要素需求的影响。结果显示,无论是在全国层面还是在区域层面,集聚经济对于我国技术创新的全要素生产率均有显著的正向作用。同时,集聚经济对于技术创新活动劳动生产率以及资本生产率没有显著影响。在区域层面,集聚经济将降低科技劳动的边际成本,同时提高对于科技劳动的需求。     

产业集群知识溢出效应下企业技术创新行为的博弈分析

知识经济时代,技术创新是企业的核心竞争力,知识溢出改变了集群企业技术创新的知识环境。从知识溢出的角度,运用演化博弈模型分析了不同知识环境对企业创新行为决策的影响,认为:知识保护、企业自律是集群可持续发展的必要条件,"知识保护有度,创新有度"是更好的集群创新理念。     

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.     

Strategic human capital and the performance of public sector organizations

Organization scientists have long considered human capital as a strategic asset that contributes to organizational effectiveness. Whereas the strategic importance of human capital has been widely studied in the case of for-profit organizations, measurement difficulties and the role of human capital in the public sector have received little attention. The present study attempts to bridge this gap by suggesting a behavioral approach to measuring organization-specific human capital and examining its impact on the financial performance of local government authorities in Israel. The results confirm the strategic importance of human capital. Local government authorities that possess strategic human capital—namely, a workforce that is highly educated, that exhibits organization-specific competencies and experience, and that is valuable, unique, and imperfectly imitable—exhibited a better financial performance, as measured by a three-financial ratio scale over 2 fiscal years.     

绿色供应链管理中合作伙伴的评价与选择

合作伙伴的选择是绿色供应链管理中重要的环节之一。本文采用AHP与整数规划相结合的方法,提出一种两阶段的绿色供应链合作伙伴选择与评价模型。     

技术变迁对城市化路径的作用机制研究

论文从技术变迁的视角来研究城市化,分析技术变迁对城市化的作用机制,探索在技术变迁的推动下形成的城市化路径.首先从城市化的一般机理入手,不断深入研究城市跟农村技术进步以及二者之间的技术转移对城市化的作用机制.不同的技术变迁方式会形成不同的城市化均衡路径,比较城市化实际路径与均衡路径的区别,论证技术变迁对城市化质量的决定作用,同时也为我国新农村建设战略提供理论支持,我国在城市化过程中存在着很多问题,要解决这些问题必须依靠新农村建设,提高农村的技术水平.     

民营企业技术创新战略与关键性环节

全面开展技术创新是民营企业赢得竞争优势的最佳选择;制定适当的技术创新战略是民营企业技术创新成功的关键;掌握技术创新过程中的关键环节是民营企业技术创新成功的基本保证。     

万有和谐定律与企业的性质

万有和谐定律指的是一切事物都要与其他事物处于和谐的状态之中,任何事物的产生、发展、消亡都是基于与其他事物和谐共处的需要。企业的产生、企业的发展规模,以及企业的内部关系等也都是万有和谐定律作用的结果。研究发现:企业是一定历史阶段的产物,企业必须积极承担社会责任,企业和谐是社会和谐的基础。