Telemedicine: an historical perspective

The use of telecommunications technologies to help deliver medical services has increased over the past few decades and is now well accepted. Called telemedicine, it involves medical diagnosis and management with the participants (doctors, nurses and patients) in different places. The practice is not new and follows closely behind technological developments. This paper traces its use from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Topics covered include the major telemedicine projects, their impact and the lessons learned from them. A summary of the characteristics of the various technologies is included.     

The future of B2B marketing theory: A historical and prospective analysis

The economic power of B2B transactions hasn't been reflected in the amount of published research in marketing journals, and the relevance for practitioners of the studies issued has been questioned during the last 20 years. How can we bring academicians and practitioners together? After studying the history of B2B marketing, building on configuration theory, and prospecting the future challenges for marketers, the authors argue that the research efforts should be focused on six major areas of inquiry: Innovation, Customer Journey and Relationship Value, Data Analytics, Harnessing Technology, Marketing/Finance Interface and Revenue Growth, and Industry Context or Ecosystem. Specifically, they propose 20 theoretical sub-categories that are compelling for academicians and relevant for B2B marketers. The research conclusions and propositions were established by an expert panel through an exhaustive ranking-type Delphi method and refined using a coding scheme from grounded theory. The authors discuss the implications for theory development and managerial interest.     

Market power of the firm and international transfer of technology : A historical excursion

The power of the multinational enterprise to influence or control the international transfer of technology over the past century has shifted from that based upon a priviledged possession of a specific intangible asset to that based on the governance of a set of interrelated activities. This changing form of economic leverage has had important consequences on both the structure of the international technology market and economic policies of home and host governments.     

The endless need for regulation in telecommunication: An explanation

Telecommunication services have existed as a legal monopoly nearly throughout its entire history. In 1998, telecom market liberalisation was achieved across the European Union (EU) through the introduction of competition among telephone services. Asymmetrical obligations were deemed necessary in order to compensate the market power of the former monopolist.As the evolution of asymmetrical regulation in Spain illustrates, obligations and the telecommunications operators subject to them increased with the regulatory framework established in 2002 in the EU. This new regulatory framework may continue to expand through the inclusion of functional separation as another possible asymmetrical obligation. In short, it seems that the regulatory pressure on the telecommunications industry is increasing, despite the lapse in time since the liberalisation of the industry.In this paper, a methodology developed by the Austrian School of Economics is applied in order to explain why the telecommunication market is subject to increasing regulation in Europe, rather than deregulation, after more than 10 years of liberalisation. In particular, Mises's theory of price control is used to explain the evolution of the regulation of local loop unbundling.     

A competition‐based explanation of collaborative invention within the firm

Existing literature shows that collaborative invention within the firm enhances innovativeness by facilitating knowledge recombination. Despite such benefit, firms vary in their use of collaborative invention when drawing on their individual inventors' knowledge. In addressing this puzzle, we argue that competition from rival products building on similar knowledge compels firms to favor search depth over exploratory search and respond expeditiously, thus reducing a firm's inclination toward collaborative invention. In contrast with prior research's focus on how upstream resources influence a firm's position in downstream markets, this study shows that downstream competition drives heterogeneity across firms in their utilization of upstream resources. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Risk-return associations: Paradox or artifact? An empirically tested explanation

This study tests Fiegenbaum and Thomas's suggestion that Bowman's risk-return paradox may be due to measuring risk by variance in data that have trends. Results indicate that trends in ROA and ROE cannot explain the pattern of risk-return associations found in previous research.     

How capital structure influences diversification performance: A transaction cost perspective

Extant theories agree that debt should inhibit diversification but predict opposing performance consequences. While agency theory predicts that debt should lead to higher performance for diversifying firms, transaction cost economics (TCE) predicts that more debt will lead to lower performance for firms expanding into new markets. Our empirical tests on a large sample of Japanese firms support TCE by showing that firms accrue higher returns from leveraging their resources and capabilities into new markets when managers are shielded from the rigors of the market governance of debt, particularly bond debt. Furthermore, we find that the detrimental effects of debt are exacerbated for R&D intensive firms and that debt is not necessarily harmful to firms that are either contracting or managing a stable portfolio of markets. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unauthorized channels of distribution: Gray markets

This article examines the process by which the use of price-quantity discounts facilitates the formation of gray markets—alternative channels of distribution outside the control of the manufacturer. Some of the tactics commonly used to combat gray markets are discussed, and a revision of current quantity—discount pricing practices is called for as the most effective means of controlling the gray-market problem.     

How CEOs protect themselves against dismissal: A social status perspective

In this study, we address the question of why some CEOs stay in office during a performance downturn while others don't. Taking a social status perspective, we argue that an individual's board network embeddedness—as reflected in the number of outside directorships—plays an important role in dismissal decisions. We predict that a high status of the CEO relative to the chairman of the board protects an underperforming CEO against dismissal, while the relative salience of board network outsiders can counter this effect. Using longitudinal data of large German corporations, we find support for our predictions. Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stable shareholdings and Japan's bubble economy: an historical overview

This is an exploratory study aimed at establishing the existence of a strategy utilized by large Japanese industrial groups to protect themselves against external threats. A measure is developed to assess the stability of the top 10 shareholders of 134 leading companies in the six Japanese industrial groups—Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, DKB, Sanwa, and Fuyo—over the 1973–93 period. The results demonstrate the use by these companies of their networks of stable shareholdings as a strategic response to deal with threats to group company governance structures arising from the stock market and property boom of the late 1980s (known in Japan as the ‘bubble’ economy) and its aftermath. Some theoretical and practical reflections are presented. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How to manage innovation processes in extensive networks: A longitudinal study

In this paper, we examine the managing of the full innovation process, from visioning to commercialization, in extensive networks. By drawing on the IMP, strategic network, and innovation network literatures, we develop a comprehensive picture of the management activities when ‘mobilizing’, ‘orchestrating’, and ‘involving’ actors in working towards the innovation aim in such network settings. Through using two longitudinal case studies – the one pursuing radical and the other incremental innovation - we provide an empirically refined understanding of seven key management activities (motivating, resourcing, goal setting/refining, consolidating, coordinating, controlling, and leveraging), which are needed throughout the innovation process to turn the diversity of an innovation network into an opportunity rather than an obstacle. We demonstrate how actor diversity and the type of innovation (radical or incremental) shape the management activities, and map a dynamic actor composition that evolves alongside the innovation process. The longitudinal data highlights the consequences of the presence or lack of management activities, and the interlinkages between activities throughout the process. Our findings also provide insights for practitioners on how to cope with the increasing tendency to involve diverse stakeholders in innovation by pinpointing the critical management activities that can be employed.     

The underestimation of project duration: an explanation in terms of a time-horizon

The thesis of this note is that time is inherently underestimated because estimators are influenced by a time-horizon which has no objective existence. The bias will increase with the complexity, unfamiliarity and uncertainty of the task. Implications of this are indicated, and its bearing on a study recently published in this journal is briefly touched upon. An independent test would probably require the methods of individual or social psychological research. The possibility of improving time-estimation would exist if the time-horizon to which individuals are subject could be ascertained.     

如何营造服装强势品牌

随着国民经济的发展,服饰文化越来越受到人们的重视,如何营造服装强势品牌显得至关重要。本文论述了品牌的作用及争创强势品牌的战略,为服装品牌形象的竞争提供一些可参考的方法。     

How Cloudy a Crystal Ball: A Psychometric Assessment of Concept Testing*

Although traditional and conjoint forms of concept testing play an important role in the new product development process, they largely ignore data quality issues, as evidenced by the traditional reliance on the percent Top‐2‐Box scores heuristic. The purpose of this research is to reconsider the design of concept testing from a measurement theory (generalizability theory) perspective and to use it to suggest some ways to improve the psychometric quality of concept testing. Generalizability theory is employed because it can account for the multiple facets of variation in concept testing, and it enables a concept test to be designed to provide a required level of accuracy for decision making in the most effective way, whether the purpose of measurement is to scale concepts or something else, such as to scale respondents. The paper identifies four types of sources—concept‐related factors, response task factors, situational factors, and respondent factors—that can contribute to the observed variation in concept testing and develops six research propositions that summarize what is known or assumed about their contribution to observed score variance. Four secondary data sets from different concept testing contexts are then used to test the propositions. The results provide new insights into the design of concept tests and the psychometric quality of the concept testing data: (1) the concepts facet is not a major contributor to response variation; (2) of the response task factors, concept formulations are a trivial source of variance, but items are not always a trivial source of variance; (3) the situational factors that are investigated are trivial sources of variance; (4) respondents are always a major contributor to the total variation; (5) concepts by respondents are not always a major contributor and the other interactions are often not trivial; and (6) residual error is always a major source of variance. Additionally, the analyses of the secondary data sets enable some useful managerial conclusions to be drawn about the design of concept testing. First, the sample size needed to reliably scale concepts depends on the types of concepts being tested. Second, averaging over items provides considerably more reliable information than relying on a single item. Third, which specific item performs best is inconsistent and very context specific. The popular purchase intention item is never the best single item to use. Fourth, not much is gained by sampling levels of the response task factors. Finally, concept testing should be designed to meet the needs of specific managerial tasks.     

PERSPECTIVE: How Honda Innovates*

This article describes how Honda leverages its engine and other key subsystem technologies into new products uniquely designed for new target users and their new special uses. In this profile of the development of the Honda Element sports utility vehicle, we see how firm can identify new target applications, dive deeply into user research, and translate its acquired insights into specific designs and features. The feasibility and profitability of the effort is maximized by leveraging robust, fully operational platforms within new product lines.     

Innovation Pioneer: How to Be

Till the end of 2007, as usual, an annual summary meeting of China textile industry was held in Beijing, according to its economic performance during the whole year. Of them, 23 enterprises, as the textile industrial innovation pioneers, won the ‘Product Development & Contribution Award’ set by the China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC). Fortunately, I had a chance to have a face-to-face talk with some enterprises representatives, sharing with their stories and achievement together.     

Family ostracism and proactive customer service performance: An explanation from conservation of resources theory

Asia Pacific Journal of Management - Despite the burgeoning interest in work-family conflict, little is known about how family stressors influences employees’ attitudes and behaviors in the...     

How to build a strategic network: A practitioner-oriented process model for the ICT sector

One critical success factor for the future will be the ability to build and develop strategic networks. This ability is especially vital in the dynamic information and communication technology (ICT) sector, where the development of competitive offerings often requires a coalition of platform and service providers. However, the academic literature has yet to propose a systematic managerial tool for the strategic network building process. Our distinctive contribution is the development of a practitioner-oriented process model for building a strategic network, which is linked to the resource-based view and the value creation system approach. Moreover, we suggest that instead of being a sequential stage-wise process, the construction of a strategic network can be divided into parallel, although not necessarily simultaneous, sub-processes based on the required value activities in the entire business concept. The resulting network-building model is used to provide managerial suggestions for the efficient construction of strategic business networks.