Modelling the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation,organizational integration,and programme performance in local sustainability

Empirical analyses testing the impacts of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) remain lacking in public sector research despite strong normative expectations for public managers to foster a culture of innovativeness, risk-taking, proactiveness, and accountability in their organizations. Drawing data from a nationwide survey of the US local governments, this research uses structural equation modelling to examine relationships between EO, organizational integration processes, and performance in the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) programme. The study finds that EO positively influences programme performance, but does so indirectly by enhancing knowledge sharing, interorganizational collaboration, and performance information use. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.     

Reciprocity, asymmetry and information sharing in manufacturer-dealer networks

This paper reports on an exploratory study of factors affecting the degree of voluntary information sharing by dealers in a distribution network. The dealer network of a manufacturer of materials for the construction and manufacturing industries provided the setting for the study. Results suggest that information sharing behaviour is shaped by mixed motives. Resource flows and dealer perceptions of the manufacturer's role performance emerged as the most important predictors of information sharing by dealers. Intrachannel competition was also negatively related to the flow of information from dealers. Implications for interorganizational theory and channel management are discussed in a concluding section.     

Agent-system co-development in supply chain research: Propositions and demonstrative findings

In this study, we develop an agent-system co-development (ASC) theoretical framework for behavioral research in supply chains. The ASC framework aims at explaining the dynamic agent-system relationships in supply chains whereby both action-influencing properties of human agents (e.g., beliefs, personalities, attitudes) and governance-influencing properties of supply chain systems (e.g., social norms, power-dependence, partnerial/adversarial relationship forms) mutually influence each other over time. Two empirical studies are conducted to illustrate how ASC can be a useful theoretical framework in supply chain research and to partially validate the central thesis of ASC in the contexts of partnerial/adversarial supply chain relationships and cooperative/competitive attitudes of human agents in supply chains. The results of both studies support the central thesis of ASC regarding the dynamic agent-system relationships. From two replicated experiments in Study 1, the results suggest that agents’ cooperative and competitive attitudes in business relationships are altered as they are exposed to different supply chain conditions of partnerial and adversarial relationships. In addition, from the multi-method research efforts in Study 2, the results from two survey studies and an experiment are largely consistent with one another, suggesting that personnel turnovers in existing supply chain systems can eventually lead to changes in supply-chain-system properties including the degrees of long-term commitment, information sharing, and joint problem-solving between supply chain partners, as well as the frequency of opportunism occurrences in the supply chains. Finally, we propound that the dynamic agent-system relationships proposed in the ASC framework can be a useful analytical lens in viewing various supply chain issues, such as supply chain evolutions and changes, supply chain designs and personnel decisions, and self-reinforcing feedback loops and decision tendencies in supply chains.     

Dimensions of Social Capital and Firm Competitiveness Improvement: The Mediating Role of Information Sharing

abstract    This study investigates the mediating role of information sharing in the relationships between dimensions of social capital and firm competitiveness, thereby positing a possible explanation for the divergent empirical results of the social capital–performance relationship in the existing literature. The study uses a sample of 108 Hong Kong-based Chinese family-owned firms from the manufacturing sector. Largely supporting the theoretical predictions, the results from multiple regression and structural equation model tests show that information sharing plays a mediating role in the relationships between three dimensions of social capital (trust, network ties, and repeated transactions) and firm competitiveness improvement.     

Public–Private Partnerships in Health Services Delivery

Abstract

In this article, we conceptualize public–private partnerships (PPPs) from a network organizations perspective, and apply interorganizational relations (IOR) to study fifteen PPPs in a district health system in the state of Rajasthan in India. We find that the Government occupies a dominant position in the network because of the centrality of its functions, authority and control over resources and information. There is greater reliance on formal mechanisms of co-ordination. For effective network governance, it is imperative to reduce the power asymmetry, develop horizontal co-ordination, trust and social capital, and enhance public managers’ capacity for effectively managing interorganizational relationships.     

The dynamics of interorganizational coordination

A theory was developed on the creation, growth, and decline of relationships among organizations and was tested, using a longitudinal study of 95 dyadic relationships among child care and health organizations in Texas. Using LISREL V, the test of the theory showed that substantial revision of the model was required to explain the data adequately. When the model was revised, important new patterns were revealed in the development of interorganizational relationships over time: (1) Perceptions of dependence on others for resources spurs the development of interorganizational relationships. Resource dependence is a powerful direct determinant of communications, resource transactions, and consensus; (2) The growth of interorganizational relationships is fostered by frequent communications to formalize the relationship and build consensus about the terms of the relationship among the parties involved; (3) Monetary transactions and client referrals entail different patterns of coordination; and (4) Consensus among parties in an interorganizational relationship is both a positive outcome of initial resource dependence and communications and has a negative influence on subsequent perceptions of resource dependence.     

Examining supply chain relationships: Do buyer and supplier perspectives on collaborative relationships differ?

Firms are building collaborative relationships with their supply chain partners in order to achieve efficiencies, flexibility, and sustainable competitive advantage. However, it is unclear if collaborative relationships provide benefits that compensate for the additional expense associated with such relationships. Further, it is unclear what factors promote successful collaborations. This research examines collaborative relationships in two separate studies using structural equation modeling: one study examines buyers’ perceptions and the second study examines suppliers’ perceptions. The two studies are then compared using invariance testing in order to determine economic and relational factors that drive satisfaction and performance from each party's perspective. Results show that collaborative activities, such as information sharing, joint relationship effort, and dedicated investments lead to trust and commitment. Trust and commitment, in turn, lead to improved satisfaction and performance. Results from the two independent studies exhibit similarities and differences; while the conceptual model is highly similar, certain paths vary in their significance and/or their importance across buyer and supplier firms such that buyers focus more on relationship outcomes while suppliers look to safeguard their transaction specific investments through information sharing and joint relationship effort. Managerial and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Revisiting the interplay between contractual and relational governance: A qualitative and meta-analytic investigation

Although extant literature has shown that formal contracts and relational governance play a key role in interorganizational relationships, the nature of their interplay still remains equivocal. To better understand the relationships between contractual and relational governance, we conducted a qualitative review and meta-analysis of the existing literature. Meta-analytic results from 33,051 interorganizational relationships across 149 empirical studies have indicated that contractual governance is positively related to both sides of relational governance—trust and relational norms. Our results have also indicated that contracts, trust, and relational norms jointly improve satisfaction and relationship performance and jointly reduce opportunism. These findings provide strong evidence for the complementarity arguments of the contractual–relational governance relationships and their joint impacts on performance. We also found that the mutual relationships between contractual and relational governance are moderated by the institutional environments, the interorganizational relationship type and length, and the construct measurement of contracts. Overall, this study provides new insights on when contractual and relational governance complement or substitute each other. We discuss the implications of our study for theory and practice and propose a research agenda for future research on governance in interorganizational relationships.     

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.     

Broad‐based incentive plans,HR practices and company performance

The purpose of this paper is to further develop our knowledge of the complementarities between broad‐based incentives and human resource (HR) management practices, and their combined impact on company performance. We focus on three HR practices that are expected, separately and in combination, to enhance the effectiveness of broad‐based plans: information sharing, upward communication, and training in team skills. Using a sample of 305 Canadian firms, we find that companies with broad‐based incentive plans have lower levels of upward communication and higher levels of information sharing compared with companies that do not offer incentives to the majority of their workforce. Further, we find that companies with broad‐based incentive plans are more productive compared with companies with no such plans, and the presence of supporting HR practices increases their productivity advantage even further. In particular, upward communication combined with broad‐based incentives has a strong positive relationship with productivity.     

虚拟企业运作中的信任机制研究

信任机制是虚拟企业运作的重要支撑。它可以有效降低虚拟企业运作的交易成本 ,减少经营风险 ,提高合作效益。在企业合作中 ,信任受到合作者的竞争实力及信誉、相互信息交流的程度、利益依赖性和规制设立等多种因素的影响。通过合理地选择合作伙伴 ,利用网络信息技术加强交流和设立有效的机会主义防范机制等 ,能培养虚拟企业成员的彼此信任 ,保证合作的成功。     

The Timing of International Expansion: Information, Rivalry and Imitation Among Japanese Firms, 1980–2002

abstract    Sociological-based information theory and economics-based competitive rivalry theory operate as the dominant theories of interorganizational mimetic behaviour. Recent work has sought to integrate the ideas in these theories, or determine which has greater explanatory power. In this study, we juxtapose the concepts in these two theories, to illustrate the complementary nature of information-based and rivalry-based theories of mimetic behaviour. Specifically, we consider how the predictions of information-based theories are moderated by the home competitive context of the industry of a firm making an international expansion. Using a 1980 to 2002 sample of 4949 manufacturing plant entries made into 71 foreign countries by 783 publicly-listed Japanese manufacturing firms, we find that the competitive context in the home industry influences the propensity of a focal firm to imitate the actions of rival firms. Our results support our contention that the two theoretical approaches are complementary, with the complementarities extending from the limitations of each approach.     

基于跨组织关系的现代跨组织系统

随着市场竞争的加剧,组织间的联系对于组织的生存与发展越来越关键,并且这种联系已经突破了单纯的物流和资金流,成为更深入复杂的一种跨组织关系：而信息技术,作为辅助和推动现代化企业管理的最有力工具,也开始被应用到这个领域形成了一种特殊的跨越组织边界的信息系统——跨组织系统（IOS）.本文将从系统参与者的竞争关系和它们的跨组织关系对企业战略的重要程度两个维度对跨组织系统进行价值分析和缺点介绍,试图指导企业根据自身情况来进行跨组织系统的选择.     

农产品渠道联盟信息共享机制研究

农产品渠道联盟信息共享是指相互合作的渠道成员间在信息上的交流与共用。构建农产品渠道联盟信息共享机制可以使渠道成员增进相互交流、保持协调一致、做出有效的市场预测、提高市场反映速度、以更大的竞争优势达到整个联盟利益最大化，最终实现各成员的特定目标和利益。博弈分析显示，在农产品渠道联盟中，供应商与销售商的信息共享能提高参与信息共享的渠道成员的利润。农产品渠道联盟信息共享机制包括信息共享激励机制和信息共享保障机制。     

Knowledge sharing,work–family conflict and supervisor support: investigating a three-way effect

Despite the importance of knowledge sharing in competitive environments, there is a paucity of studies examining the relationship between employee knowledge sharing and work–family conflict. Drawing on insights from conservation of resources theory, this study investigated how employees may reduce their knowledge-sharing behaviors when they experience resources lost from work interference with family (WIF) or family interference with work (FIW). Furthermore, the role of supervisor support in the relationship among WIF, FIW and knowledge sharing was explored as a valuable resource. Using data collected from 159 employees in South Korea, we found support that WIF is negatively related to knowledge sharing. In addition, the role of supervisor support in the relationship among WIF, FIW and knowledge sharing was the strongest when WIF is low and FIW is high, thus supporting the hypothesized a three-way effect. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Resources,Knowledge and Influence: The Organizational Effects of Interorganizational Collaboration*

ABSTRACT Inter‐organizational collaboration has been linked to a range of important outcomes for collaborating organizations. The strategy literature emphasizes the way in which collaboration between organizations results in the sharing of critical resources and facilitates knowledge transfer. The learning literature argues that collaboration not only transfers existing knowledge among organizations, but also facilitates the creation of new knowledge and produce synergistic solutions. Finally, research on networks and interorganizational politics suggests that collaboration can help organizations achieve a more central and influential position in relation to other organizations. While these effects have been identified and discussed at some length, little attention has been paid to the relationship between them and the nature of the collaborations that produce them. In this paper, we present the results of a qualitative study that examines the relationship between the effects of interorganizational collaboration and the nature of the collaborations that produce them. Based on our study of the collaborative activities of a small, nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Palestine over a four‐year period, we argue that two dimensions of collaboration – embeddedness and involvement – determine the potential of a collaboration to produce one or more of these effects.     

Postformation alliance capabilities and environmental innovation: The roles of environmental in-learning and relation-specific investments

This paper draws insights from the relational view perspective to examine the effects of two postformation alliance capabilities—interorganizational coordination and communication, and relation-specific investments on small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs') environmental innovation. Analysis of time-lagged survey data from a sample of 223 SMEs from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shows a positive interactive effect of interorganizational coordination and communication on environmental innovation, and this relationship is mediated by environmental in-learning. The results further indicate that relation-specific investment moderates the indirect relationship between the complementary effect of interorganizational coordination and communication and environmental innovation. These findings extend the environmental innovation literature by exploring the interactive effect of interorganizational coordination and communication on environmental innovation.     

Hablas vielleicht un peu la mia language? A comprehensive overview of the role of language differences in headquarters–subsidiary communication

The management of human resources in headquarters (HQ)–subsidiary relationships requires intensive communication, but effective communication often depends on having a shared language. Hence, language differences can be a serious threat to the successful management of human resources in multinational corporations. In this large-scale quantitative study, encompassing data from more than 800 subsidiaries in 13 countries, we investigated four related issues. First, in terms of the importance of language differences, we found that HQ–subsidiary relationships are clearly affected by language differences and that the latter form a distance category of their own, which should not be subsumed under the related, but separate concept of cultural differences. Second, regarding the consequences of language differences for communication outcomes, we found that a lack of a shared language is associated with misunderstanding, conflict and parallel information networks, which could harm HQ–subsidiary interactions. Third, with regard to the impact of language differences on communication methods, we found that a lack of a shared language is associated with a significantly lower level of oral (face-to-face and phone) communication, but not written communication. Fourth, and finally, in terms of a potential solution to communication problems caused by language differences, we found that expatriates can facilitate both communication and knowledge transfer between HQ and subsidiaries.     

The concepts of power in international business negotiations: An empirical investigation

This article examines the bases of social power, namely individual information power, expert power, legitimate power, and referent power on successful international business negotiations (IBNs). The author conducted an online survey among international business executives working in the UK for multinational corporation subsidiaries who were asked to report on the success of their most recent negotiating experience in terms of cooperative (integrative) and competitive (distributive) outcomes. Information power, expert power, and referent power were supported by these results in terms of significance. Unexpectedly, however, information power was positively correlated with integrative or cooperative outcomes and processes. The correlation related to legitimate power was negative but not statistically significant so this hypothesis was not supported. Our results not only contribute to international negotiation theory, but also can assist in the selection and training of practitioners. The academic contribution of this study also relates to model exploration. It brings causal statistical objectivity to qualitatively developed concepts as an essential step in development of knowledge. These theoretical and managerial implications of the study are examined. Furthermore, directions for future research that build on the findings of the study are indicated.     

Drivers and outcomes of open-standard interorganizational information systems assimilation in high-technology supply chains

In recent years, firms in high-technology supply chains have established internet-based electronic linkages with their trading partners. As a result, they have improved their ability to coordinate and synchronize shared business processes by using more complete, accurate, and timely information. These electronic linkages are based on open-standard interorganizational information systems (OSIOS), which are fundamentally different from traditional electronic data interchanges. OSIOS capture not only the technical specifications for data interchange but also the sequential steps for the execution of shared business processes. Because OSIOS are still at an early diffusion stage, it remains unclear why firms would assimilate such an innovation and whether assimilation provides firms any benefits. In this research, we develop a framework grounded on the economics of standards, institutional theory, and strategic interorganizational information systems literatures to investigate the drivers and outcomes of OSIOS assimilation in a focused context. In order to test our hypotheses based on this framework, we used data from a high-technology supply chain and employed econometrics techniques. We found that both competition asymmetry across supply chain echelons and OSIOS assimilation within supply chain echelons predict individual firms’ OSIOS assimilation. The results also suggest that firms’ supply chain dominance is both a driver and an outcome of OSIOS assimilation, highlighting a mutually reinforcing process. In addition, our study reveals boundary conditions of the hypothesized relationships. The use of multiple theoretical perspectives, a unique dataset, and innovative statistical techniques to investigate OSIOS assimilation in high-technology supply chains contributes to the body of knowledge in both the supply chain management and management of information systems disciplines.