Toward a supply chain finance (SCF) ecosystem – Proposing a framework and agenda for future research

While supply chain finance (SCF) is receiving growing attention in research, it remains limited in reach and fragmented in its implementation. At the same time, technological advances are changing the shape of the overall business ecosystem in which SCF is embedded. Therefore, the aim of this research is to conduct a systematic review of the SCF literature and develop a framework of analysis to support further exploration of the SCF ecosystem. This research expands on other recent systematic reviews of SCF literature and introduces the business ecosystem concept to the SCF domain. Based on the presented SCF framework, an agenda for future SCF ecosystem research is proposed.     

Toward rigor and parsimony: a primary validation of Kolvereid’s (1996) entrepreneurial attitudes scales

Questioning the validity of scholarly work is not a typical path to publication in the management field. However, although considerable scholarship assesses entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions models of behaviour, methodological weaknesses in scale development have hampered scholars’ ability to rigorously interpret and build upon their research findings. We review 20 years of research and discover that the pioneer measure of entrepreneurial attitudes as a predictor of self-employment intentions, has yet to be empirically validated. We show that construct and measurement differences, one-off modifications to existing scales and a lack of adequate justification may partially explain why studies in the entrepreneurship education domain have produced inconsistent results. We address this limitation by performing factor analytic techniques on data from two sets of English-speaking university students from two North American countries. The result is a more parsimonious and streamlined ‘mini-Kolvereid’ scale. We further demonstrate that this scale is an effective predictor of entrepreneurial intentions.     

Private equity and venture capital funds—from the state of research to a comprehensive model and an interdisciplinary research outlook

In the following article I not only aim at giving a comprehensive overview, but at integrating contemporary research on PE into a comprehensive model of PE investment. In doing so, I point out new avenues for future research and the methodological challenges. Finally, I attempt to look at the opportunities for interdisciplinary knowledge transfer to strategic management (SM) and international business (IB) research. I argue that the lessons of PE research offer a unique opportunity to (re)discover the ??liabilities side?? of strategy and international business.     

Assessment of meaningful change in routine outcome measurement (ROM) with a combination of a longitudinal and a ‘classify and count’ approach

To assess significant changes of health status in people receiving health care, distribution-based and anchor-based methods have been proposed. However, there is no real consensus on what method is the best for evaluating clinically meaningful change. To maximize the internal and external validity of outcome assessment, we propose combining two approaches as recommended by recent practical guidelines on this field. Specifically, we suggest applying longitudinal hierarchical linear models on subgroups of patients showing reliable change and reliable and clinically significant change. This combined approach improved the model’s ability (1) to quantify the magnitude of changes to be reliable and clinically meaningful and (2) to select significant predictors of changes. An empirical application on a prevalence sample of Italian outpatients attending four community mental health services was done. A cross-sectional model and three longitudinal models were applied on the entire study sample and reliable and clinically meaningful change subsamples to investigate the magnitude of change and the predictive effect on outcomes of clinical, socio-demographic and process variables on different patients’ subgroups. Differences were found suggesting that both the statistical method and the sample used to calculate individual changes affect the estimates. The main conclusion is that ignoring the longitudinal data structure or including patients with unreliable change at the follow-up might result in misleading inferences that can alter the real magnitude of changes and the contributions of predictors. The approach proposed provides robust feedback to clinicians on clinically significant change and can be recommended in outcome studies and research.     

Introducing the paradox theory in logistics and SCM research – examples from a global sourcing context

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and explore the use of paradox theory in a logistics and SCM research context. Although logistics and SCM scholars as well as practitioners have been aware about the existence of paradoxes, they have so far lacked a more formal theoretical framework for further identification and classification of these. Framed in the four general paradox classes of learning, belonging, organising and performing, the paper outlines paradoxes inherent in the global sourcing practices of two case companies. The findings demonstrate the paradox theory to be a useful tool for a systematic illumination and classification of paradoxes valuable for practitioners, researchers as well as teachers in the domain of logistics and SCM. The paradox theory may also help to identify and emphasise inconsistencies among different research fields. This is particularly valuable for research areas built upon multiple research disciplines such as global sourcing. In conclusion, the paper suggests that the paradox theory offers a new lens through which an organisation could be better explored, described and understood.     

The Virtual IELab – an exercise in replicating part of the EXIOBASE V.2 production pipeline in a virtual laboratory

ABSTRACT

We explore options to replicate the EXIOBASE2 multi-region input–output (MRIO) database in the Virtual IELab cloud-computing laboratory environment. Whereas EXIOBASE2 is constructed using a multi-process reconciliation procedure, we present an alternative compilation technique that uses EXIOBASE2's pre-processed data and final tables in reconciling the IELab MRIO with conflicting raw data information. This approach skips the labour-intensive step of detailing and harmonising country tables. Adherence metrics reveal the EXIOBASE2-based IELab table to be considerably less balanced than the original but with stronger adherence to other constraints data. However, these metrics are not comparable to the original EXIOBASE2 statistics due to the distinctive implementation of constraint sets in the two platforms. IELab's main value-added is its flexibility in tailoring EXIOBASE2-based MRIOs beyond the original recipe. Finally, IELab's global carbon, water and material footprints are shown to be comparable with previously reported resource footprints. In contrast, deviations in land footprints warrant further investigation.     

On startups and doublethink – resistance and conformity in negotiating the meaning of entrepreneurship

Startup entrepreneurship is – in the literature, in the discourse of those engaging in it, and in cultural representations of the same – presented both as resistance against prevailing corporate logics and as a path towards becoming a corporate entity. Resistance, claimed or otherwise, is not just a reaction to a perceived outrage or a power imbalance, but is in itself a constitutive part of contemporary entrepreneurship, particularly as this is culturally constructed. We study this paradox, where a discourse of resistance becomes a productive part of entrepreneurial culture, by way of a case study of a successful startup. We analyze the manner in which people working in the startup utilize ‘doublethink’ to portray the organization both as resistance to an assumed, more corporate, ‘Other’ and also as a budding corporation unto itself. By doing so, we highlight how a discourse of resistance works as a value in entrepreneurship culture as well as a productive element of the same. In our case, resistance and corporate conformity come together in a way that defies easy classification; one where notions of resistance exist as easy-to-adopt identity positions and where doublethink becomes a productive way of dealing with corporate success.     

Method of evaluating the impact of ERP implementation critical success factors – a case study in oil and gas industries

The so far implemented enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have in many cases failed to meet the requirements regarding the business process control, decrease of business costs and increase of company profit margin. Therefore, there is a real need for an evaluation of the influence of ERP on the company's performance indicators. Proposed in this article is an advanced model for the evaluation of the success of ERP implementation on organisational and operational performance indicators in oil–gas companies. The recommended method establishes a correlation between a process-based method, a scorecard model and ERP critical success factors. The method was verified and tested on two case studies in oil–gas companies using the following procedure: the model was developed, tested and implemented in a pilot gas–oil company, while the results were implemented and verified in another gas–oil company.     

The Pharmacia story of entrepreneurship and as a creative technical university1 – an experiment in innovation,organizational break up and industrial renaissance

While innovative technology supply has been the focus of much neo-Schumpeterian modelling, few have addressed the critical and more resource-demanding commercializing of the same technologies. The result may have been a growth policy focused on the wrong problem. Using Competence Bloc Theory and a firm-based macro to macro approach we abandon the assumed linear relation between technology change and economic growth of such models, and demonstrate that lack of local commercialization competences is likely to block growth even though innovative technology supplies are abundant.

The break up, reorganization and part withdrawal of Pharmacia from the local Uppsala (in Sweden) economy after a series of international mergers illustrate this. Pharmacia has ‘released’ a wealth of technologies in local markets. Local commercialization competence, notably industrially competent financing has, however, not been sufficient to fill in through indigenous entrepreneurship the vacuum left by Pharmacia. Only thanks to foreign investors, attracted by Pharmacia technologies that have opted to stay for the long term, the local Uppsala economy seems to be heading for a successful future.

The Pharmacia case also demonstrates the role of advanced firms as ‘technical universities’ and the nature of an experimentally organized economy (EOE) in which business mistakes are a natural learning cost for economic development.     

Joint governance in North American workplaces: a glimpse of the future or the end of an era?

North American innovations in joint governance (such as Saturn, NUMMI, Xerox, and Shell Sarnia), though limited in number, have drawn world-wide attention from line and staff practitioners, as well as policy makers. These voluntary initiatives in unionized North American settings stand as an important counterpoint to two alternative forms of innovation – legislated forms of joint governance such as European works councils and non-union high-commitment systems that are most common in North America. Current debates on workplace governance in North America are implicitly and sometimes explicitly choosing among these three innovative arrangements as alternative ‘ideal types’. This article begins with nine hypotheses on joint governance, which are derived from case-study analysis. The hypotheses focus on the antecedents, dynamics and consequences of joint governance. Together, they can help guide practitioners seeking diffusion of joint governance concepts. The hypotheses can also help guide the construction of public policy on workplace governance. Ultimately, the question remains – are these initiatives a glimpse of the future or do they mark the end of an era?     

The impact of digitalization on the future of the PSM function managing purchasing and innovation in new product development – Evidence from a Delphi study

Bringing innovative products to markets is essential for companies, especially in competitive environments. One of the driving forces for successful new product development (NPD) is the inclusion of the functions that form part of the process such as purchasing and supply management (PSM). While extensive research has been conducted on the role of procurement in promoting innovation, insufficient research on the future of the PSM function in NPD has been conducted. This study addresses this gap, considering increasing digitalization and its effect on the future PSM function managing purchasing and innovation. To explore the future of PSM in NPD, a Delphi survey with 91 experts from industry, academia, and politics or associations was performed. The results reveal that digitalization will influence the PSM function in NPD across different time horizons and forms depending on the subject area. While in many areas, an interplay between digital technologies and human PSM professionals is expected, in certain domains the PSM function is likely to lose added value compared to digital technologies. Furthermore, digitalization is expected to be a potential enabler of a stronger key innovation role for PSM in NPD but to also introduce new requirements such as data science capabilities.     

Toward a non-organizational theory of human resource management? A complex adaptive systems perspective on the human resource management ecosystem in (con)temporary organizing

The emergence of the temporary organization has ushered in a new logic of organizing accompanied by paradigm-shifting challenges with respect to how the evolving nature of work, workers, and collective effort are to be understood. To capture the complexity inherent in this new order, and to broaden our focus from the organization to the enfolding ecosystem within which temporary organizing must be situated and understood, we engage in problematization to develop a multi-level framework for theorizing the contemporary human resource management ecosystem. Curating insights from complexity science, we conceptualize this ecosystem as a complex adaptive one and we propose a framework that integrates key structural (open boundaries and relational constitution), emergent (contextual and complex causality), and temporal (dynamic and adaptive) properties. To deepen lines of inquiry around these defining elements, we advance a series of propositions for testing, and we outline a range of theoretical, methodological, and practical implications that arise from our work.     

The role of affective commitment and political skill in the work interfering with family (WIF) conflict – voluntary turnover relationship

The present study explores how political skill affects an employee’s coping behavior in response to Work Interfering with Family (WIF) conflict. Applying Conservation of Resource theory, we argue that politically skilled individuals are more cognizant of the social embeddedness of WIF, and because of cross-domain resource (e.g. time, attention, energy) depletion, lack the resources to cope with its effects. As such, they leverage their political skill to more effectively turnover from the organization than less politically skilled individuals by detaching their identity and lowering their affective commitment to their organization. We tested the hypotheses using a sample of 181 individuals from a retail firm, and results support the hypothesized model. First, a test of indirect effects confirmed that affective commitment partially mediated the link between WIF and voluntary turnover (measured six months later). Second, a moderated-mediation test revealed, as hypothesized, that affective commitment only functioned as a mediator for individual with high levels of political skill. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.     

Entrepreneurship in a theory of capital and finance—Illustrating the use of subjective quantification

In order to identify an entrepreneurial opportunity, calculation is required. The entrepreneur must do more than simply perceive an opportunity to do something new to create value in the marketplace. Insofar as alternative possible actions exist, the entrepreneur must choose between them. And even as the chosen opportunity is pursued, he must choose between alternative modes of production and organization in the ongoing combination of resources. The details of the kind of calculation required have been left mostly implicit in the literature. This article borrows from the finance literature to suggest a general and universal framework for such calculation and to offer one possible more specific method for using that framework for ongoing entrepreneurial judgment calls. We describe the familiar context in which entrepreneurial decisions occur and reiterate the importance of understanding the nature of capital in such a context of subjective value, uncertainty, and entrepreneurial imagination. We describe the familiar universal present value arithmetic and how it applies to entrepreneurial calculation. Finally, we take a deeper look at this framework, providing an example of one method of analysis used in financial management.     

The mediating effect of psychological empowerment on the relationship between participative goal setting and team outcomes – a study in China

In the late twentieth century, it is popular to research the effect of participative goal setting. The general conclusion is that the relationship between participation and performance is inconsistent and unclear at individual level. With team becoming a more dominant mode in organizing, motivating, and managing, it is worthwhile to investigate the effect of participation in team goal setting. This study aims to test the mediating effect of psychological empowerment (PE) on the relationship between participative team goal setting and team identity and team performance. Executive MBA students (371) in 75 groups from China Europe International Business School in China participated in the study. The data from Business Strategy Game and questionnaire found positive relationship between participative team goal setting and team identification, and team performance is partially mediated by PE. Implications for the goal-setting theory and practice are discussed, and future research directions offered.     

Differences in Roma and non-Roma students’ ratings of their peers’ popularity: an inquiry into the oppositional culture in Hungarian schools with the use of a survey experiment

Quality & Quantity - Oppositional culture theory posits that students who belong to oppressed ethnic minority groups define their ethnic identity in opposition to the majority of students....     

Islands in the stream? The challenges and resilience of the Danish industrial relations model in a liberalising world

Nordic industrial relations models have often been highlighted as being successful ‘highroads’ in advanced capitalism. However, the economic crisis has increased pressures to liberalise and deregulate labour markets. Although this challenges the Danish industrial relations model, there are several countermeasures, in particular strong unions and the supportive institutional context, which have prevented erosion indicating the resilience and adaptability of the model.     

Do TFP and the relative price of investment share a common I(1) component?

Results from cointegration tests clearly suggest that TFP and the relative price of investment (RPI) are not cointegrated. Evidence on the alternative possibility that they may nonetheless contain a common I(1) component generating long-horizon co-variation between them crucially depends on the fact that (i) structural breaks are, or are not allowed for, and (ii) the precise nature and timing of such breaks. Not allowing for breaks, evidence points towards the presence of a common component inducing positive long-horizon covariation, which is compatible with the notion that the technology transforming consumption goods into investment goods is non-linear, and the RPI is also impacted upon by neutral shocks. Allowing for breaks, evidence suggests that long-horizon covariation is either nil or negative.Assuming, for illustrative purposes, that the two series contain a common component inducing negative long-horizon covariation, evidence based on structural VARs shows that this common shock (i) plays an important role in macroeconomic fluctuations, explaining sizeable fractions of the forecast error variance of main macro series, and (ii) generates ‘disinflationary booms’, characterized by transitory increases in hours, and decreases in inflation.     

Accounting and the ‘Art of Government’: Margaret of Austria in Abruzzo (1539–86)

This paper analyses the accounting, accountability and disciplinary practices triggered by the Ordinances of 1571 in the feudal State of Abruzzo, whose sovereign was Margaret of Austria, daughter of Emperor Charles V. In a scenario stimulated by the ascent of mercantilist discourse and police schemes, new ‘technologies of government’ were forged to optimize the State's collection of receipts and to minimize fraud, rendering public officers accountable and their activities visible and controllable ‘at a distance’. Using the ‘governmentality’ framework, this paper analyses the Ordinances that disciplined the activities of the primary finance/accounting and police officers in Abruzzo. The paper complements and extends the previous literature by illustrating the wide array of accounting- and non-accounting-based disciplinary techniques enforced by the sovereign in order to shape, align and even seduce the behaviour of officers/functionaries working in the State apparatus, and the general population. The analysis goes beyond the existing literature by unveiling the implementation of the hitherto undisclosed disciplinary double system of gratification–punishment advocated by Foucault, that also involved the population in the ‘State control of the mechanisms of discipline’. In a related vein, the accounting system applied displays representational, translational and distributive properties, along with novel incentive schemes.