Revisiting the Honorable Merchant: The Reshaped Role of Trust in Open Innovation

We examine trust mechanisms in innovation within a number of inter‐ and intraorganizational contexts and outline the challenges posed by open innovation to those mechanisms. The organizational contexts that we have chosen for examination are supply chain development, clusters, and employee involvement. We argue, through an in‐depth literature review that is supported by examples, that trust is being highly reshaped to better suit the growingly open innovation environment, which in many ways resonates with the historical concept of the honorable merchant. Our findings provide a better understanding of how trust facilitates the flow of information in open innovation and show how trust is becoming increasingly intermediated. Our systematic overview provides a rich context for further empirical research and innovation management practice. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

基于复杂网络理论的中小企业集群协同创新研究

中小企业集群创新具有复杂社会网络结构特征。针 对我国中小企业集群网络协同创新能力差的现实,从复杂网络理论出发,分别从构建完备的中小企业集群创新复杂社会网络平台、构建中小企业集群“独联体”式协同创新小世界网络、完善中小企业集群协同创新社会服务支撑网络、强化集群网络内企业的增值性创新能力、注重中小企业集群网络的经济升级和劳动力社会升级等9个方面,给出了提升中小企业集群协同创新能力的策略建议。     

Towards a framework for innovation in retailing through social media

Retail firms are increasingly using social media for purposes other than traditional marketing, such as innovation. Yet, while the innovation literature has established the benefits of involving customers in the development of products/services through open innovation, the role of social media in innovation is not well understood. Accordingly, we investigate how social media drives innovation in retail businesses. Using data from 414 firms, we find that social media positively relates to radical and incremental innovation, mediated by multiple digital channels and moderated by digital capabilities. Consequently, we propose a social media dynamic capabilities framework to guide future research and innovation in retail business.     

The battleship strategy: The complementing role of born globals in MNC’s new opportunity creation

In the high-tech industries, new innovations affect a multinational company’s (MNC’s) competitive advantage. This article empirically explores why and how MNCs complement their in-house R&D by forming strategic alliance constellations with small, innovative born globals. We focus on loose, non-equity opportunity-seeking co-opetitive relationships. We call this approach the battleship strategy. The critical elements of an MNC’s battleship strategy include an open innovation commercialization strategy and creation of forums for facilitating open innovation and capturing ideas generated externally. Hence, we suggest that MNCs may externalize some of their innovation activities while gaining a competitive advantage through access to open innovation. This article contributes in several ways to earlier research focusing on the strategic alliances and networks formed between MNCs and born globals by examining the relationship from an MNC’s perspective.     

A relational performance model for developing innovation and long-term orientation in retail franchise organizations

A relational performance model is developed to show how innovation and long-term orientation can be evaluated and monitored within franchised retail service organizations. Using principles of justice from social exchange theory as a guide, our performance model measures how franchisee entrepreneurial passion (EP) and perceptions of fairness help to promote innovation and long-term commitment across retail franchise organizations. We test our model using data collected from one large U. S. retail service organization ($5B+ annual revenue) and its independent franchise operators. We discover that targeting distributive justice (or fairness) helps to leverage the EP of the independent operators for promoting innovation, while both procedural and distributive elements of the organizational justice climate help to enhance franchisee's long-term commitment. Moreover, we find that retail franchise operators perceive organizational justice differently than do corporate district managers, which suggests several important implications for both research and practice.     

Open innovation requires integrated competition-community ecosystems: Lessons learned from civic open innovation

Open innovation has received substantial business attention as a means of providing firms in hyper-competitive environments with the ability to create a stream of new products and services. For open innovation, organizing external sources correctly is a critical capability; current literature suggests that external sources should be organized either as collaborative communities or as competitive markets. While firms have generally been slow to adopt open innovation, many cities in the U.S. and Europe have been quick to embrace it—providing needed field-based experience on how to organize external sources. Based on our examination of six cities opening their data for innovation, we found that while cities often started with one or the other approach to organizing their external sources, each approach was inadequate in ways that could potentially be addressed by the addition of the other approach. Thus, we conclude with an integrated approach in which the needs of the entire ecosystem of sources and supporters of innovation are organized to address both competitive and community needs.     

Construction of an open innovation network and its mechanism design for manufacturing enterprises: a resource-based perspective

Innovation is the engine of development for enterprises, and there is an increasing trend to adopt an open innovation strategy. However, how to manage external resources in an open, collaborative and complementary manner, and in a shared environment that will yield the greatest networking effects, it is a challenging task. Because there is no such a satisfactory model for an open innovation strategy that combine operational mechanisms with the management of, external resources. Thhis article tries to fill the gap by adopting a resource-based perspective to construct an overall open innovation (OOI) business model. In this model, external resources are classified as industrial and non-industrial entities, to enable the identification of the interaction methods between manufacturing enterprises and external resources. The management of external resources involved in a Technology Open Innovation (TOI) cycle is given particular attention that includes: 1) the classification of the external resources of a TOI, 2) the general mechanisms extracted to promote qualified resources in and unqualified resources out, and 3) a business model to conceptualize the collaboration between enterprises and external resources. A case study of TOI is also provided to empirically verify its feasibility. This paper contributes to the literature by providing an original operational model and mechanism design for an open innovation strategy that is capable of managing external resources effectively.     

Developing Social Responsibility: Biotechnology and the Case of DuPont in Brazil

The development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has caused worldwide debate and has required us to reevaluate theories of social responsibility. This article, first, briefly discusses the progressive stages of social responsibility that scholars have outlined as they examine the history of businesses. Next an overview of the development of the DuPont corporation in the United States is presented, tracing DuPont’s transformation from an explosives and chemicals company into a life-science corporation and demonstrating how outside factors influenced this change. The article then turns to the activities of the DuPont corporation in Brazil, a country with one of the world’s largest agricultural economies – and examines how the debate on GMOs is unfolding within the Brazilian context. It discusses how differing interest groups have taken part in this debate, the limits of their arguments, and the need to develop means for providing open collaborative efforts in evaluating new technologies. Margaret Griesse holds a Ph.D. in Education and International Development from the University of Frankfurt. She is currently Coordinator of the Martha Watts Cultural Center at the Methodist University of Piracicaba, Brazil.     

Collaborative projects (social media application): About Wikipedia,the free encyclopedia

Collaborative projects—defined herein as social media applications that enable the joint and simultaneous creation of knowledge-related content by many end-users—have only recently received interest among a larger group of academics. This is surprising since applications such as wikis, social bookmarking sites, online forums, and review sites are probably the most democratic form of social media and reflect well the idea of user-generated content. The purpose of this article is to provide insight regarding collaborative projects; the concept of wisdom of crowds, an essential condition for their functioning; and the motivation of readers and contributors. Specifically, we provide advice on how firms can leverage collaborative projects as an essential element of their online presence to communicate both externally with stakeholders and internally among employees. We also discuss how to address situations in which negative information posted on collaborative projects can become a threat and PR crisis for firms.     

Choosing between internal and external development for innovation projects: antecedents and consequences

Unlike alliance proponents, we posited that high-tech small firms (HTSFs) may not prefer interfirm collaboration for innovation activities. Drawing on the transaction cost and corporate entrepreneurship perspectives, we proposed that boundary decisions in innovation activities are determined by the perceived uncertainties of innovation projects and entrepreneurial orientation (EO). We also examined the consequences of collaborative innovation. In a sample of 178 Korean HTSFs in software development, we found that some aspects of perceived uncertainty prevented collaborative innovation, and that EO moderated this effect, enhancing the outcomes of collaborative innovation. We discuss theoretical and practical insights of these findings.     

Analysis of SMEs partner proximity preferences for process innovation

This paper explores small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) proximity preferences when selecting partners for collaborative process innovation. Drawing on a survey of 362 Danish SMEs, we address four partner proximity characteristics: geographic, cognitive, organizational, and social. The results show that SMEs prioritize geographic openness over regional clustering. Furthermore, to simultaneously facilitate collaboration and ensure innovation, firms tend to collaborate with partners that are characterized by cognitive similarity at a technological level and knowledge distance at a market level. Technological proximity is also found to be more relevant than social proximity when it comes to bridging the potential geographic and market distance between the collaborative partners. Finally, the results indicate that the tendency of organizational proximity to facilitate informal interactions with partners enhances process innovation only at two of four process innovation levels. Thus, the results highlight the fact that the value of partner proximity characteristics change with the level of process innovation considered.     

How social distance affects the intention and behavior of collaborative consumption: A study based on online car-hailing service

In recent years, advances in mobile communications technology have enabled collaborative consumption or product sharing between consumers on a large scale. Unlike traditional consumption, collaborative consumption is based on collaboration among individuals, so that the decision-making mechanisms of individual consumers may be different from those in traditional consumption scenarios. The current study focuses on how the social distance between consumers and drivers affects collaborative consumption intention in the case of online car-hailing services. In this study, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) is used as the foundational framework, and we innovatively add the concept of social distance to the TPB to form a new, and integrated model. We test the model based on data collected from 315 online car-hailing users. The results shows that behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, positively influence collaborative consumption intention and behavior. More interestingly, we find that social distance has both direct and indirect impacts on collaborative consumption intention: The greater the social distance, the lower the collaborative consumption intention. Moreover, social distance also moderates the influence of subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on collaborative consumption intention. To be specific, the influence of subjective norms and perceived behavioral control on collaborative consumption intention is weakened when consumers perceive less social distance. The results suggest that the integrated model has a stronger explanatory power on collaborative consumption behavior. This study enhances the traditional TPB model and offers insight into promoting collaborative consumption in the context of the sharing economy.     

Destination Social Business: Exploring an Organization's Journey with Social Media,Collaborative Community and Expressive Individuality

This paper delineates the main characteristics of the evolution of the organization as a social business in response to the socially networked marketplace. We advance the notion that the modern day firm is increasingly organized as a community according to the principle of collaboration. The main message is that the prominence of organizational structure is not redundant but needs to be complemented by collaborative community in response to market demands. In order to fulfill this complementary role, the concept of organization is profoundly changing. Based on recent theorizing, we review the role of collaborative community as a key characteristic of social business, provide an overview of its principles, show how social media can effectively facilitate and support collaborative community, and introduce the concept of expressive individuality. We provide illustrative examples that feature Dell. We conclude by identifying an agenda for further academic inquiry, and by specifying a large number of issues that researchers may address.     

Long Term Collaborative Business Relationships: The Impact of Trust and C3 Behaviour

Long-term, collaborative business relationships are like marriages where tolerance, forbearance and some reduction of freedom as well as innovation are necessary to ensure success. Trust and co-operative behaviours are known to be essential ingredients in securing an environment of continuous improvement but, how they are correlated has yet to be tested. The paper describes a research project within a sample of long-term monopoly businesses as a novel approach to bringing trust and cooperation, co-ordination and collaboration (C³ Behaviour) into sharper focus without competitive distractions. It was found that a correlation between trust and C³ Behaviour and the success of the collaborative relationship exists.     

Disruptive innovation and the creation of social capital in Indonesia’s urban communities

Abstract

Existing research on social capital has primarily focused on examining the outcomes of social capital, whether these are about individual, organizational or even societal outcomes. However, much research is still needed in terms of examining how social capital is created. We contribute to filling this gap by examining the ways in which social capital is created in urban communities in an emerging economy. Social capital, in this study, is viewed as being created as a consequence of an organization’s disruptive innovation. We analyse the context of Go-Jek, a rather newly established service firm in Indonesia, and examine how the disruptive innovation of Go-Jek’s service provision influences the creation of social capital in terms of social connectedness, trust, and shared understanding, in Indonesia’s urban communities.     

Coworking spaces: Understanding,using, and managing sociomateriality

Companies increasingly embrace the new types of work associated with coworking spaces. Coworking spaces started with the idea of a melting pot of open social interaction, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and innovation for freelancers, new ventures, or solo entrepreneurs. Companies may use coworking spaces to invigorate targets and further motivate and inspire their employees. Fundamental to achieving those targets is the coworking space’s interior design and architecture that incorporates emotional and social values that may benefit companies. Our sociomateriality perspective helps to analyze conditions in coworking spaces and guides suggestions on how companies revitalize by using coworking spaces. The purposeful design of the different social and work areas in coworking spaces can improve communication, collaboration, and innovation in companies.     

江苏中小企业融资区域分布特征分析

作为支撑江苏经济和社会发展的一支重要力量,中小企业在促进全省经济和社会发展、推进科技创新、扩大社会就业、改善人民生活和全面建设小康社会等方面做出了重要贡献。然而长期以来,由于中小企业资本规模普遍不大、资质信用不高、融资议价能力较弱,加之融资环境不完善,中小企业面临融资难、融资贵问题。由于江苏地区间经济发展不平衡,这一问题又呈现出不同的区域分布特征。     

Discussion of “Recognizing Ethical Issues: An Examination of Practicing Industry Accountants and Accounting Students”

Although the political and consumer consciousness has turned increasingly green, many firms continue to resist the adoption of environment-friendly technological innovations—even in the face of higher costs, negative health effects, and stricter government oversight. This article examines how business owners weigh the trade-offs associated with environment-friendly innovations by examining the role of prosocial motivation in their decision-making process. We use primary data to overcome a common restriction in studying environmental innovations—the scarcity of relevant data—to analyze how business owners’ expectations, perceptions, and motivations affect innovation in organizational processes and, consequently, the level of environmental friendliness of their products or services. We found that prosocial motivation had a significant negative impact on innovation adoption and that it is expressed differently under high and low levels of customer compatibility—possibly because business owners have a larger number of competing social objectives and priorities. Our results further showed that the innovation’s ability to satisfy downstream customer demands has the greatest impact on environment-friendly innovation adoption decisions by business owners. This study enhances our understanding of how business owners make innovation decisions based on competing business, environmental and social objectives and provides a foundation for future research in this area.     

Supply chain trust: The catalyst for collaborative innovation

Trust is at the heart of a collaborative innovation capability. Without a foundation of trust, collaborative alliances can neither be built nor sustained. Using a two-stage qualitative research method, we discovered that managers understand neither the nature of trust nor the dynamics of trust building. To help alleviate these knowledge gaps, we herein develop a definition of collaborative trust, describe a trust maturity framework, and discuss the competitive power of trust. We conclude by presenting a dynamic systems model that elaborates on the process of building trust to improve collaboration, innovation, and competitive performance.     

The fairyland of Second Life: Virtual social worlds and how to use them

Virtual social worlds, such as the Internet site Second Life, have acquired a high degree of popularity in the popular and business press. In this article we address the increasing importance of virtual social worlds, and discuss how companies can make use of their potential. We first present how virtual social worlds evolved historically, how they fit into the postmodern paradigm of our time, and how they differ from other social media, such as content communities (e.g., YouTube), social networking sites and blogs (e.g., Facebook), collaborative projects (e.g., Wikipedia), and virtual game worlds (e.g., World of Warcraft). We subsequently present how firms can make use of virtual social worlds in the areas of advertising/communication, virtual product sales (v-Commerce), marketing research, human resources, and internal process management. We also highlight the points companies should pay particular attention to in their activities, the 5Cs of success in virtual social worlds, and the future evolutions that we expect to shape this sector over the next 5-10 years: a trend toward standardization and interoperability, improvements in software usability, increasing interconnection between reality and virtual worlds, establishment of law and order, and the transformation of virtual social worlds to business hubs of the future.