Technological adoption and use after mass market displacement: The case of the LP record

This paper investigates the reasons why some technologies, defying general expectations and the established models of technological change, may not disappear from the market after having been displaced from their once-dominant status. Our point of departure is that the established models of technological change are not suitable to explain this as they predominantly focus on technological dominance, giving attention to the technologies that display highest performance levels and gain greatest market share. And yet, technological landscapes are rife with technological designs that do not fulfil these conditions. Using the LP record as an empirical case, we propose that the central mechanism at play in the continuing market presence of once-dominant technologies is the recasting of their technological features from the functional-utilitarian to the aesthetic realm, with an additional element concerning communal interaction among users. The findings that emerge from our quantitative textual analysis of over 200,000 posts on a prominent online LP-related discussion forum (between 2002 and 2010) also suggest that the post-dominance technology adopters and users appear to share many key characteristics with the earliest adopters of new technologies, rather than with late-stage adopters which precede them.     

Exploring B-to-B e-commerce adoption trajectories in manufacturing SMEs

The intent of this paper is to capture the gradual unfolding of business-to-business (B-to-B) e-commerce adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Empirical evidence was gathered in three separate but complementary phases: first, a pilot study to identify and validate metrics for B-to-B e-commerce adoption; second, an e-survey to gain an in-depth understanding of B-to-B e-commerce adoption and its related benefits; and third, a multiple case study to further validate the e-commerce adoption trajectories we observed and their underlying dynamics. Findings suggest logical evolutionary paths to the penetration of B-to-B e-commerce in SMEs. The cumulative and self-reinforcing nature of both e-commerce initiatives and the benefits derived therefrom points to the existence of e-commerce adoption trajectories.     

The role of complementary products on platform adoption: Evidence from the video console market

This paper studies the importance of the interdependences within platform-based markets. Specifically, the work examines the influence of complementary product portfolios on the adoption of platforms by individuals. The study analyzes data from a panel of 17 video game platforms in three regions (the US, Japan and Europe) for the period between 1989 and 2011. The results suggest that platform adoption is driven by the availability and users of complementary products. The study also finds that this impact is stronger when platform providers jointly manage the in-house complementary product portfolio and the platform. These findings reveal that decisions on complementary products act as strategic drivers of adoption in platform-based markets.     

员工人工智能技术采纳多层动态影响模型:一个文献综述

人工智能技术逐渐被组织广泛应用,但员工人工智能技术采纳水平尚未达到预期,研究员工人工智能技术采纳的影响因素具有重要意义。本文从文献研究出发,厘清了人工智能技术采纳内涵及其测量和研究方法,梳理了技术采纳研究的理论基础,并按行业整合了人工智能技术采纳的现有研究,建立了组织及个体的人工智能技术采纳、持续采纳理论研究框架,在此基础上,整合技术-组织-环境框架、技术接受和使用统一理论及信息系统持续使用模型,探究了环境、技术及组织和个体因素对员工采纳人工智能技术的影响途径,构建了员工人工智能技术采纳多层动态影响模型,最后提出本领域未来的研究方向。本研究丰富了人工智能技术采纳的理论研究成果,为本领域的理论研究提供基础铺垫,也为企业采纳人工智能技术和激发员工持续使用人工智能技术提供科学的方法和思路。     

Empirical analysis of organizational archetypes based on generation and adoption of knowledge and technologies

The generation and adoption of technologies have been considered key factors in resolving inconsistencies in research on the innovative phenomenon, though few studies have taken this stance. In this paper, we empirically test the validity of this theoretical framework, using the data of 87,911 surveys of firms in 13 European countries from CIS-2012. This information has allowed us to find strong evidence for the existence of four organizational archetypes based on the generation and adoption of technologies, with relevant differences in organizational characteristics and tendency toward radical innovation in products.     

建设银行网上银行的安全策略研究

随着我国加入WTO,外资银行将全面投入与竞争,将以先进的服务营销品种和理念结合其经验丰富、技术先进的电子化手段,尤其以网上银行为代表,来争夺市场和客户。文章以建设银行网上银行为例,提出了针对其网上银行业务的技术和安全方面的有关策略。     

Effects of two national environmental factors on e-commerce functionality adoption: a cross-country case study of a global bank

In order to offer new services and gain competitive advantages, e-commerce has been widely adopted, particularly in the banking industry. Unfortunately, despite the growing adoption of e-commerce in the banking industry, the issue that web-based B2C e-commerce functionality adoption varies between banks or a bank's branches across nations has not received sufficient attention. Many factors affect e-commerce functionality adoption. However, two national environmental factors (information infrastructure and demographics) are particularly important because they relate to the availability of technologies in use and the characteristics of customers, respectively. This research conducts a cross-country case study of a global bank's Beijing (China), Chicago (USA), and Dubai (UAE) branches to investigate how the two national environmental factors affect e-commerce functionality adoption. The specific objectives are to discover how information infrastructure (measured by number of PCs per 1000 people and Internet access cost) and demographics (measured by population composition and income) affect e-commerce functionality adoption of the global bank's three branches. Secondary data were collected for information infrastructure and demographics; additionally, focused interviews with these three branches' IT and business managers provided sources for answering ‘how’. The key finding demonstrates that the differences in e-mail ordering and online shopping adoptions between these branches are mainly attributed to proposed factors of population composition and Internet access cost, and the new factor of individual credit reference system. This research contributes to theory development in this emerging important research subject.     

Public-Private Partnerships: A UK case study

Partnerships between the state and organized civil society are examined in one area of policy, 'social exclusion', in one part of the United Kingdom, England. The question of the various ojective served by partnership working is explored, followed by a review of the policy context at national and local level and the changes introduced by the Labour Government elected in 1997. The work of the Social Exclusion Unit is then reviewed, critical issues identified and performance evaluated. A lack of connectedness is diagnosed and a number of explanations - and potential remedies - considered.     

E-procurement adoption by European firms: A quantitative analysis

We explore country differences in adoption of electronic procurement. Data are used from the EU-initiated e-Business W@tch survey 2003. Analyses are conducted on 3475 organizations from seven different European countries that were stratified according to nine different sectors and three size categories. It appears that there indeed are country differences with respect to e-procurement adoption, and that firms from countries with a low uncertainty avoidance such as Germany and the UK are the early adopters of e-procurement, while countries that are less reluctant to change such as Spain and France have lower adoption rates.     

Voluntary adoption of non-local GAAP in the European Union: A study of determinants and consequences

Abstract

This study examines the determinants and consequences of voluntary adoption of non-local accounting principles (non-local GAAP) by firms listed and domiciled in the European Union (EU). We restrict ourselves to the two predominant internationally accepted sets of accounting standards: International Accounting Standards (IAS) and United States generally accepted accounting principles (US GAAP). We have used various sources to identify EU firms that use non-local GAAP. We examine the 1999 annual reports of all these firms, because accounting standard choices in more recent years may be affected by the announcement of the proposal by the European Commission in February 2001 to mandate IAS usage from 2005 on. The maintained hypothesis is that firms that voluntarily adopt IAS or US GAAP expect to experience net benefits from adoption. The finding that 133 non-financial firms in the EU voluntarily used non-local GAAP in 1999 suggests that the majority of listed EU firms does not expect to benefit from non-local GAAP adoption. By studying the characteristics of non-local GAAP adopters this study provides insight into the determinants of non-local GAAP adoption. We find that firms voluntarily using non-local GAAP are more likely to be listed on a US exchange, the EASDAQ exchange in Brussels, and have more geographically dispersed operations. Furthermore, they are more likely to be domiciled in a country with lower quality financial reporting and where IAS is explicitly allowed as an alternative to local GAAP. We also study whether non-local GAAP adopters have lower levels of information asymmetry, a much cited benefit of using more transparent financial reporting, than non-adopters. We examine three proxies for information asymmetry: analyst following, cost of equity capital, and uncertainty among analysts and investors (forecast dispersion and stock return volatility). We document a positive effect of non-local GAAP adoption on analyst following, but fail to find evidence of a lower cost of capital for non-local GAAP adopters. Contrary to expectations, uncertainty among analysts and investors appears to be higher for firms using IAS or US GAAP than for firms using local GAAP. However, by comparing ‘early’ and ‘late’ adopters, we find some evidence that suggests that benefits take some time to fully materialise.     

Diffusion and scale dynamics: A case study

This paper examines the relationship between the diffusion of a major process innovation, oxygen steel-making, and the growth of plant sizes. As in some previous studies, a step-wise pattern of scale increases is observed; however, there is no stable correlation of these increases to cumulative capacity expansion, maximum plant sizes appear to have stabilized, and plants of widely dispersed capacities continued to be built as oxygen steel-making became the dominant technique, world-wide. Factors responsible for scale increase are analyzed; steadily growing equipment size, the addition of equipment to existing plants, and a wide range of minor innovations and adaptations have contributed to growth in plant capacities; in most instances, scale-up continued after the beginning of operations. It is concluded that the frequently-used concept of an optimal, or maximum feasible, plant scale remains ambiguous without reference to the specific technical and economic conditions of production systems, and that plant-size increases are fully dependent on continuing technological effort.     

Offshoring and backshoring: A multiple case study analysis

Motivations underscoring offshoring and backshoring are typically investigated as separate entities in the academic literature. This separation undermines a deeper comprehension of the two phenomena, and implicitly denies the conceptualization of backshoring as a possible step of the firm internationalization process. Our paper seeks to fill this gap by (1) understanding the relations (if any) among offshoring and backshoring motivations at firm level; (2) exploring whether backshoring is a “failure” of the offshoring initiative, or rather the evolution of the firm's competitive and location strategies. A content-based literature review provides the base for the identification of the key motives for offshoring and backshoring, which are then organised using a theory-grounded framework. Next, we conduct a multiple case study analysis based on four companies, searching for common patterns in offshoring and subsequent backshoring initiatives. Cases allow understanding how the motivations (Why) connect with the governance modes (How), and the location choice (Where). Building on the case findings, the paper presents some propositions for future empirical research.     

Virtual team concepts in projects: A case study

This article uses a case study to demonstrate the application of virtual team concepts in a virtual project team formed from existing personnel within an organization. The article is presented as a literature review followed by a case study of a virtual team project entitled the “Country Capital Works Program” undertaken within the New South Wales Police Force, Australia. The case confirms the appropriateness of existing virtual team concepts in a virtual project team formed from existing personnel for a specific purpose. The study has the inherent limitations of any case study in terms of the generalization of the findings.     

Location decisions of high-technology firms: A case study

Forty-six firms in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area were surveyed to determine factors affecting their location decisions. These firms spanned the range of “high-technology,” including biomedical, computers, integrated manufacturing, optics, remote sensing, and others. The firms were generally small, rapidly growing, new companies with a large percentage of their personnel devoted to research and development activities. The majority of the firms were founded in the area, rather than attracted from the outside; most did not consider sites outside of the Ann Arbor area when choosing their current site. According to the survey, the perceived strengths of the Ann Arbor area are its universities, quality of life, transportation networks, and work force. On the negative side, state and local taxes are seen as the area's greatest weaknesses. The area's lack of venture capital, certain local government regulations, and the perceived unavailability of certain support services and facilities are also troublesome. This set of positive and negative factors demonstrates how high-technology firms are different from traditional manufacturing firms in their location decisions. Consequently, any economic development strategies generated with the goal of developing high-technology firms in mind must be carefully tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of those firms.     

The adoption,character and impact of strategic human resource management: a case study of two large metropolitan Vietnamese public hospitals

In this paper the researchers set out to explore the adoption, character and impact of strategic human resource management (SHRM) in two large metropolitan Vietnamese public hospitals using a multi-level qualitative research design. Data are analyzed from 21 interviews and 5 focus groups with key players from the hospitals and government authorities. Findings show that the State controls many of the core day-to-day HR functions of public hospitals, curtailing local autonomy and management innovation. This is compacted by inadequate government funding, poor training of medical staff, and inadequate management and business skills of hospital managers. Inhibiting greater experimentation with SHRM is the fear of developing management initiatives out of sync with the State. Consequently, many managers and clinicians held negative views of the HR department and their relevance for the day-to-day management of healthcare services. Respondents reported that they perceived these factors had a negative impact on the well-being of medical staff and the quality of patient care. The paper concludes with a discussion on the necessity for continued State reforms that can enable greater autonomy of the hospitals' HRM functions and greater investment in local HR capabilities to materialize the link between SHRM, employee well-being and quality of patient care.     

Factors affecting student retention probabilities: A case study

A comprehensive model of retention based on Tinto’s goal commitment and institutional commitment combined with financial considerations is evaluated for the case of an urban public university enrolling large numbers of non-traditional students. The model was evaluated using data from all freshman and sophomore students over the years 1989–1992. White and minority students were also analyzed separately to determine if there were different sensitivities to various enrollment factors. Academic and social integration factors were found to be the most significant factors in persistence in these years. Financial considerations were of less importance in the persistence decision. We would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), as well as the helpful comments of two anonymous reviewers.     

A computer assisted school bus routing strategy: A case study

The effect of routing changes on the efficiency of suburban-rural pupil transportation systems is demonstrated in a case study of a suburban-rural county in Virginia. A computer assisted routing method was used that included manual route design and computer aided route evaluation. Various policy options affecting routing were identified and new routes were developed. The recommended routes represented a 17% reduction in the number of routes required, a 19% reduction in the number of buses required, and a 57% reduction in the total number of vacant seats. While the computer assisted method used produced a more efficient routing structure, the process of manual route design was still slow and tedious. Techniques such as interactive computer graphics appear to be suited to the school bus routing problem and their use should be explored.     

Graphical analysis and financial classification: A case study

This paper illustrates the use of graphical analysis as a complementary diagnostic tool in financial classification problems. For more than two decades statistical models have been used frequently to understand the information content of multivariate data in the context of financial classification. These statistical classification models can be complemented by the use of computer-generated multidimensional data displays and graphical analysis. We illustrate the use of the scatterplot matrix, which is the simplest and very effective form of graphical analysis on a sample of bankrupt and non-bankrupt firms. The paper demonstrates the complementary nature of the scatterplot matrix for tree-structured classification models.     

Mapping the benefits and costs associated with process innovation: The case of RFID adoption

The successful implementation of any innovation requires an understanding of its benefits and costs. This study examines the changes in the magnitude of costs and benefits associated with technology process innovation adoption as the innovation diffuses across different industries. Using RFID as an exemplar technology, the study shows that the magnitude of benefits and costs associated with technological process innovation adoption within different industries varies as technology diffuses beyond early adopters to the early majority. During the early stages of technology evolution, the development cost, the cost of capital, ethical costs and simple direct implementation costs (in the form of the cost of tags) predominate. As a dominant design emerges the profile of costs changes with the emphasis on initiation costs, more holistic direct implementation costs and indirect implementation costs. A similar change in the emphasis of benefits is observed, with a shift from direct to indirect benefits being noticeable as the technology moves from early adopters to early majority adopters. Our findings help to explain the difficulties in consistently measuring innovation outcomes observed in the innovation implementation literature, and emphasize the need to take into consideration the stage of technology development as a significant factor that influences the realised outcomes from innovation implementation.