The moderating effects of supplier portfolio characteristics on the competitive performance impacts of supplier-facing process capabilities

We draw on the interorganizational relationship management literature to examine how contextual characteristics of the supplier portfolio (portfolio concentration, relationship length, and supplier substitutability) moderate the impacts of process alignment and partnering flexibility – two of a firm's key supplier-facing process capabilities to manage supplier relationships – on a product line's competitive performance. Our analysis of survey data on a firm's supplier portfolio for a major product line indicates that the impacts of process alignment and partnering flexibility on competitive performance are moderated by the three supplier portfolio characteristics. Specifically, while concentrated relationship portfolios, long-term relationships, and supplier substitutability amplify the positive effect of process alignment on competitive performance, concentrated relationship portfolios and long-term relationships attenuate the competitive benefits that firms derive from partnering flexibility. While long-term relationships and concentrated supplier portfolios enhance the competitive benefits of process alignment, operations managers also need to recognize the detrimental effects of these supplier portfolio characteristics on the competitive benefits of partnering flexibility.     

The reluctance of construction purchasers towards project partnering

While the literature argues that there are several benefits for construction purchasers who join forces to co-develop the project with contractors and to increase cooperation between the various project stakeholders (construction partnering), little research has been done on the reasons for the lack of extensive diffusion of such methods in the construction industry. This paper aims at understanding the rationale behind the reluctance of construction purchasers for this coordination mechanism in France. In particular the paper investigates the impact of the characteristics of the project but also of the characteristics of the purchasing companies in their project procurement behaviour. The findings reveal that the characteristics of the purchasing companies in terms of purchasing strategy, structure and culture seem more explanatory of their procurement behaviour than of the project characteristics. The paper suggests that the lack of diffusion and understanding of construction partnering may be due to the resistance of purchasers who feel threatened by the structural changes it involves in their purchasing habits.     

Collaboration in Multi-Partner R&D Projects: The Impact of Partnering Scale and Scope

How can firms design collaboration structures for effective performance in R&D projects that involve multiple partners? To address this question, we examine the theoretical underpinnings of collaboration structures in multi-partner R&D projects—i.e., the scale and the scope of partnering efforts. Partnering scale captures the extent of resource interdependencies between a firm and its partners; partnering scope captures both the breadth and depth of the interdependencies between a firm and its partners. Using primary data from 147 multi-partner R&D projects, we develop and test hypotheses that examine the impact of partnering scale and scope decisions on partnering performance. Results indicate that partnering scale has a curvilinear relationship with partnering performance. That is, intermediate levels of partnering scale are associated with higher partnering performance, compared to low or high levels of partnering scale. However, we also find that the nature of this relationship is moderated by the sub-dimensions of partnering scope. Specifically, increase in partnering breadth appears to magnify the negative effect of partnering scale on performance. In contrast, increase in partnering depth appears to overcome this negative effect, allowing firms to operate at higher levels of partnering scale. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to designing collaboration structures for multi-partner R&D projects.     

工程合作伙伴模式研究综述

合作伙伴模式在建筑行业中的应用是近年项目管理研究的重要主题之一。本文的主要目的是对国内外相关学者的研究成果进行介绍。大量的研究证明合作伙伴模式在提高生产效率，降低建造费用，提高项目满意标准和减少建造时间等方面都比传统工程建造模式更为优越。随着合作伙伴模式的推广应用，出现了一系列应用规范和概念，而新近的研究集中于探索如何促使合作伙伴模式能够得到成功的应用。通过总结相关的研究成果，结合中国实际进一步对合作伙伴模式的研究做出了展望。     

试论中国文化对实施PARTNERING模式的影响

Partnering模式于20世纪80年代起源于美国,目前已经在美国、澳大利亚、日本、欧洲、新加坡以及中国香港的建筑界得到了广泛使用。业界人士普遍认可Partnering模式的优势,如:有利于改善项目参与各方之间的关系,有利于降低工程费用、缩短工期、提高工程质量、减少合同纠纷和诉讼方面,收益非常明显。从本质而言,Partnering模式是古老的“握手”式的商业模式,这种模式在全世界,特别是在东方获得广泛的应用。本文旨在讨论中国文化及其对实施Partne- ring模式的影响。研究结果表明,中国文化与Partnering模式的一些要素吻合,因此能够促进其在建筑界的实施。     

Partnering in the construction industry—Problems and opportunities

During recent years partnering has been on the top of the management agenda in the construction industry. Despite this attention there is limited and partly contradicting evidence of the impact of these efforts. The objective of this literature-based paper is to explore why it has been difficult to realise potential partnering benefits on the strategic level, while partnering in individual projects has improved construction performance. The analysis builds on a comparison of the features of business relationships in construction with the characteristics of so called ‘high-involvement relationships’ based on close cooperation. It is concluded that prevailing supply arrangements established to handle the particular conditions in the construction industry makes it unlikely for partnering to reach outside the individual project. Taking the step to strategic partnerships would require modification of some of the basic assumptions and norms of industry efficiency. On the basis of this analysis we explore potential consequences of modifications of current behaviour with respect to decentralisation and competitive tendering. The paper is finalised with a suggestion for a differentiated approach to partnering.     

Implementing Collaboration Between Organizations: An Empirical Study Of Supply Chain Partnering

Many managers attempt to develop collaborative alliances with other organizations. Such strategies are difficult to implement: they are as likely to fail as to succeeed. Implementing and managing an alliance is harder than deciding to collaborate. This paper explores the topic empirically through a study of one form of alliance – supply chain partnering. It presents an interaction model of partnering which shows seven contextual factors that shape, and are shaped by, human action. This context can both help and hinder the emergence of co-operative behaviour. The model is illustrated through a case study of two organizations (customer and supplier) attempting to co-operate more closely. The case shows how the cultural and other differences between the parties at first caused difficulty. Actions were taken to change aspects of the context to facilitate more co-operative behaviour. Improving interpersonal relations led to further actions to create more formal mechanisms which would support future co-operation. These appear to have contributed to the relationship exceeding the initial expectations of the partners. The interaction model illuminates both the content and process of supply chain partnering.     

An Inquiry to Move an Underutilized Best Practice Forward: Barriers to Partnering in the Architecture,Engineering, and Construction Industry

There is an obvious need in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry for improved project team integration through project delivery to ensure improved project outcomes. The literature reports that, among other methods, project partnering, when followed successfully, provides a great opportunity to improve project performance via improved collaboration among key project stakeholders (e.g., owner, designer, contractor) and reduce claims as a result while letting all project members stay in their traditional roles and work under any contractual framework, including design‐bid‐build. Despite its potential and history in the United States since the late 1980s and being classified as one of the best practices by the Construction Industry Institute in 1996, partnering continues to be underutilized. Existing research on partnering is mostly limited to public projects such as mega roadway and bridge projects. Guided by the literature, the aim of this research is to understand and report barriers to project partnering in the United States from both vertical/horizontal and public/private construction sectors. Via a comprehensive literature review, followed by a Delphi survey of partnering experts, this study systematically classified barriers to project partnering. In study results, implementation barriers to partnering during project delivery are more frequently pronounced than the barriers to its adoption. Of the top reported barriers to project partnering, the majority are cultural; project team related barriers show the greatest area of potential for improvement; and contrary to the literature, none is legislative. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by drawing attention to project delivery and management practices in the AEC industry to improve team collaboration and chances of successful implementation and adoption of integrative practices.     

A REVIEW OF STOCHASTIC DOMINANCE METHODS FOR POVERTY ANALYSIS

Stochastic dominance techniques have been mainly employed in poverty analyses to overcome what it is called the multiplicity of poverty indices problem. Moreover, in the multidimensional context, stochastic dominance techniques capture the possible relationships between the dimensions of poverty as they rely upon their joint distribution, unlike most multidimensional poverty indices, which are only based on marginal distributions. In this paper, we first review the general definition of unidimensional stochastic dominance and its relationship with poverty orderings. Then we focus on the conditions of multivariate stochastic dominance and their relationship with multidimensional poverty orderings, highlighting the additional difficulties that the multivariate setting involves. In both cases, we focus our discussion on first‐ and second‐order dominance, though some guidelines on higher order dominance are also mentioned. We also present an overview of some relevant empirical applications of these methods that can be found in the literature in both univariate and multivariate contexts.     

基于单项Partnering模式的建设项目供应链

借鉴Partnering模式,将原有的供应链模刑进行完善,建立基于Partnering模式的建设供应链模型,从而改善业主、设计商、承包商的关系,使项目各参与方达到共同赢利的目的。     

Episodes and bonds in investor relationships

The purpose of this study is to provide understanding and offer new insights into the evolving episodes and bonds in investor relationships. Short-term investor episodes form the initial basis of long-term interaction between the partners in the investor community. Various investor bonds may evolve. Attraction is mainly a future-oriented bond that incorporates the expectations of each party concerning the potential rewards of the exchange relationship over time. Trust clearly has its roots in the common history of the relationship, but it is also essentially coloured by current expectations about the future. Commitment is the most advanced bond and takes the most time to develop. Above all it reflects the history of the relationship. Critical events may function as driving or checking forces in investor relationships.     

Million dollar personality: a systematic literature review on personality in crowdfunding

Expressed personality traits can play a pivotal role in convincing investors in crowdfunding. Our study answers the research question: What is the current body of knowledge regarding the relationship between personality factors and crowdfunding success and where are knowledge gaps where the literature is silent? In our literature review, we therefore analyze and categorize (1) the results provided by quantitative studies on the relationship between the personality of entrepreneurs and crowdfunding success and (2) the research gaps identified by the authors investigating personality in crowdfunding. We find that studies investigating the entrepreneur's personality, i.e. the Big Five, other baseline personality traits (self-efficacy, innovativeness, locus of control, and need for achievement) and the Dark Triad, find positive relationships between openness and crowdfunding success, while narcissism shows an inverted u-shaped relationship with crowdfunding success across articles. However, the effects of other personality traits on crowdfunding success are largely inconclusive. Further, we identify four main gaps in the literature. First, future studies should examine non-linear relationships between expressed personality traits and crowdfunding success. Second, there is a need for more studies that employ different methods like qualitative or mixed-method approaches. Third, replication studies in similar and different contexts are urgently needed. Fourth, a plurality of personality perspectives would strengthen future research (e.g., investor perspective, third party perspective). To our knowledge this is the first literature review of personality traits in crowdfunding. Our work aims to enrich our understanding of individual-level components in the underexplored alternative finance market.

     

Building resilience for sustainability of MSMEs post COVID-19 outbreak: An Indian handicraft industry outlook

The handicraft business constitutes concept selling rather than mere product selling, which is highly dependent on demand. Handicrafts' Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have an expanding market in developed countries. The impact of the pandemic on this industry is severe due to the industry's informal nature and seasonal demand. The survival and resilience of these handicraft MSMEs face many challenges in the post-COVID-19 outbreak. The focus of the present study is to understand and analyze the key challenges for building resilience in handicraft MSMEs by scrutinizing the existing literature and interactions with stakeholders. EFA and the Grey DEMATEL approach are used to analyze the challenges for the adoption of resilience. EFA is used to categorize the challenges into various dimensions. The study has divided the challenges for the inclusion of resilience into survivable, sustainable, and viable categories using EFA to plan for short- and long-term business growth. Grey DEMATEL is being utilized for understanding these contextual relationships for each resilience dimension. Grey systems theory is a methodology that enables the incorporation of improbability and vagueness into the analysis. Findings of the study revealed the influencing challenges for each of the dimensions such as competition from machine-made products, insufficient government support and incentives for export, and inefficient managerial concern and response to internationalization as the prominent challenges. The results of this study illustrate the causal relationships amongst the identified resilience challenges to the various stakeholders. These findings offer practical insights for the government to allocate resources and impose measures to ensure resilience, as well as understanding the cause-effect relationship. Managerial implications and Policy insights for building the resilience of handicraft MSMEs are discussed in detail.     

Partnership duration and concurrent partnering: implications for models of HIV prevalence

Researchers and policy makers have argued that long-duration concurrent relationships promote the spread of HIV. The concurrency hypothesis proposes that concurrent partnering, particularly as manifested in formal and informal polygyny, is a primary contributor to the spread of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. We investigate claims that agent-based models of concurrent partnering support this hypothesis. Specifically, we explore how assumptions about the duration and network structure of sexual partnerships affect the results of agent-based models of HIV propagation. We offer new support for the contention that long-duration concurrent partnering can be protective against HIV transmission rather than promoting it. Additionally, we argue that the focus on concurrency has misdirected attention away from the key role of exclusivity.

     

Why locate manufacturing in a high-cost country? A case study of 35 production location decisions

In this paper, we examine in detail 35 final assembly location decisions to gain understanding of the manufacturing location decision from strategy and economic policy perspectives. We are particularly interested in the decision to locate final assembly specifically in a high-cost (high GDP per capita) environment. In contrast with the earlier literature, we focus not just on manufacturing activities themselves, but also the key linkages between production, market, supply chain, and product development. These linkages are examined using three key concepts from theories of organization design: formalization, specificity, and coupling. Using these concepts, an analysis of the micro-structure of each case reveals important commonalities that inform our understanding of location decisions. We conclude by discussing the policy implications of our findings.     

The social context of performance appraisal and appraisal reactions: A meta‐analysis

This study reviews and meta‐analyzes the literature on the social context of performance appraisal. Results indicate that aspects of rater‐ratee relationship quality (i.e., supervisor satisfaction, supervisor support, supervisor trust) are strongly related to ratee reactions to performance appraisals. Rater‐ratee relationship quality is more strongly related to appraisal reactions than appraisal participation or performance ratings. Integrating social exchange theory with procedural justice theory, this article tested whether or not the relationship quality–appraisal reactions relationship was due to relationships between relationship quality and instrumental resources for the ratee (i.e., appraisal participation and rating favorability). When controlling for relationships between these resources and appraisal reactions, a direct path between relationship quality and reactions was significant, supporting a relational model of the exchange between appraisal partners. The relationship quality–appraisal reaction relationship was not moderated by performance rating favorability or appraisal participation. In total, these results highlight the importance of relationship quality to employee reactions to performance appraisal—and the importance of ratee reactions as an important resource in the social exchange between appraisal partners. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Taking the leap from dyads to triads: Buyer–supplier relationships in supply networks

A network is made up of nodes and links. The smallest unit that consists of both these network elements is a dyad made up of two nodes (a buyer and a supplier) and the link that connects them (a buyer–supplier relationship).Naturally, the focus of the supply chain management literature has been on this dyad. For instance, a buyer affects a supplier through its supplier evaluation and certificate programs, as well as long-term agreement practices. The relationship between a buyer and its supplier has been characterized as cooperative or adversarial. We have learned a great deal about supply chains through such studies in dyadic context.However, we submit that in a network, a dyad is not the smallest unit of a network. In fact, the smallest unit is a triad, made up of three nodes and the links that connect them. If so, how would this recognition guide us as we move forward to investigate supply chains as a network? What would be its implications to the genre of the literature on buyer–supplier relationships?     

Assessing the Performance of Classification Methods

A large number of measures have been developed for evaluating the performance of classification rules. Some of these have been developed to meet the practical requirements of specific applications, but many others—which here we call “classification accuracy” criteria—represent different ways of balancing the different kinds of misclassification which may be made. This paper reviews classification accuracy criteria. However, the literature is now so large and diverse that a comprehensive list, covering all the measures and their variants, would probably be impossible. Instead, this paper embeds such measures in general framework, spanning the possibilities, and draws attention to relationships between them. Important points to note are, firstly, that different performance measures, by definition, measure different aspects of performance; secondly, that one should therefore carefully choose a measure to match the objectives of one's study; and, thirdly, that empirical comparisons between instruments measuring different aspects are of limited value.     

价值经营中的质量、价值研究

从质量、价值的角度出发,分析了其内涵与相互关系,研究了价值经营和顾客满意之间的内部关系。探讨了提升价值经营的途径和方法。重点探讨了＂魅力质量＂、＂理所当然的质量＂在提升价值经营中的原理和方法。     

The whole is more than the sum of its parts? How HRM is configured in nonprofit organizations and why it matters

Evidence points to the central importance of configurations of mutually reinforcing HR practices as they are assumed to provide the basis for understanding how HRM relates to organizational performance. While progress has been made regarding the construction and effects of HR architectures in the for-profit literature, few studies investigate how HR architectures are configured in nonprofit organizations (NPOs). Therefore, this paper aims to advance a conceptual model that captures the relationship between ideal types of HR architectures and performance in NPOs. We develop theoretical propositions that provide further insight on the HR programs and HR practices that define the HR architectures and entail implications about variations in performance outcomes in NPOs.