The role of top management teams in transforming technology-based new ventures' product introductions into growth

The literature highlights the importance of top management teams (TMTs) for technology-based new ventures' success in achieving growth, which is often achieved through product introductions. The human capital theory suggests that TMT members' skills, which are typically derived from their education and experience, can facilitate the transformation of new product introductions into growth. We also propose that multiple products that must be managed and brought to the marketplace smoothly and flexibly benefit from the lower coordination needs and conflicts that are typical of functionally homogeneous teams. Using a unique, multi-source dataset on 374 US technology-based new ventures during the period from 2005 to 2014, we find that new product introductions help technology-based new ventures grow only when the TMT has startup experience and is not functionally diverse. Our findings lead us to echo calls in the TMT literature to move away from simple direct-effect models to more situation-dependent analyses of TMT diversity.     

Developing smart service concepts: morphological analysis using a Novelty-Quality map

Among many techniques for generating new service ideas, morphological analysis has been used due to the advantage of decomposing the system into dimensions and shapes and bringing creative results in the process of recombining them. However, with the rise of smart service systems, the determination of dimensions and shapes has become a critical problem, particularly as both their structure and components become complex. This research focuses on a data-driven approach by incorporating mobile app service documents to increase objectivity and diversity in the construction of a morphology matrix. To this end, firstly, the novelty-quality map is developed to identify innovative data based on quantitative indicators. Secondly, morphological analysis is employed along with experts’ judgment in order to generate new smart service concepts. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach are shown based on a comparative analysis with conventional approaches and real services through a case study of smart home.     

Innovation,network services and the restructuring of work organisation in customer services

The information and communication technology revolution has had important qualitative effects on the manner in which the output of new products and services is managed. This is in part associated with leveraging the knowledge of a broader group of employees. Through a case study of customer services in a major telecommunications firm, it is shown that integrating broader groups of employees into the innovation process can be vital. However a case is made that transforming work-related institutions in the firm has proved a challenging process, particularly when management are required to broaden the powers of decision making granted to employees, allowing greater discretion at the workplace and changing the manner in which work tasks are enforced.     

Emergence of innovations in services

Along with the ‘servicisation’ of society, innovation in services has become a topical issue. However, analytical and detailed discussion about the nature of service innovations and their emergence is only beginning. This article aims to contribute to this discussion through a theoretical analysis supplemented with findings from two empirical case studies. The theories examined are multi-disciplinary including general service theories, general innovation theories and theories linked to new service development and innovation management. The empirical studies have been carried out in Finland in the fields of real estate and construction services and of knowledge-intensive business services.     

Diversity of innovation patterns in services

Recently, literature on innovation in service activities has increased significantly. Much effort has been concentrated on understanding the importance of innovation for these activities, and on stressing innovative differences relative to the manufacturing innovation model. However, a deeper understanding is needed in three main areas: the degree of innovation heterogeneity among different service activities, the factors that explain this heterogeneity, and the primary drivers of the innovation process for each activity. Using results from the Third Community Innovation Survey, this paper aims to identify the extent to which there are similarities and differences in the main innovation attributes in four important service sub-sectors. After describing the characteristics of innovation and the behavior of variables in the sub-sectors, a typology of innovation patterns is identified.     

Idea generation leveraged from value co-creation process enhances new service development performance

This study examines the relationship between value co-creation process, idea generation and new service development performance from the perspective of telecommunication companies. Two dimensions of idea generation tested in this framework are internal and external idea generation, and the probable relationship between these two dimensions is further investigated. The data were collected from 78 marketing managers and were statistically analyzed. The findings show that value co-creation crucially influences both external idea generation and internal idea generation, however, the new service development performance can be enhanced through internal idea generation. Nonetheless, the results show that the external idea generation is vital to influence internal idea generation. This study extends theoretical understanding of how to leverage the value co-creation process for idea generation happenings, while the practical contribution of the research is to realize that new service development performance demands internal idea generation, which is supported with external resources of idea generation.     

On innovation patterns and value-tensions in public services

In the innovation studies literature, innovation patterns have been described, such as science-based and practice-based innovation, that vary among industrial sectors. As a consequence, firms become distinguished with respect to their typical innovation pattern. Less attention has been paid to the possibility of intertwined innovation patterns. Focusing on public sector services, this paper argues that intertwined innovation patterns emerge within public services as a response to value-tensions. Values can be defined as measures for beneficial behaviour that guide innovation. Value-tensions in public services include tensions between the political, economic, communal, aesthetic and intellectual values. The contribution of the paper to service innovation research is the emphasis on the concept of intertwined innovation patterns, such as the intertwinement of science-driven and task-driven innovation. Furthermore, the paper contributes by pinpointing how varied values guide innovation in public services.     

Interactions,innovation, and services

Although research has acknowledged the importance of supplier–buyer relationships for goods innovation, empirical evidence on the extent and nature of the effects of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) supplier–buyer relationships on service innovation remains scarce. Based on a survey of 152 suppliers in Taiwan, this study concludes that the interaction orientation of OEM suppliers is a key factor influencing the development of two competencies: joint innovation competence and cross-functional information dissemination competence. These two competencies contribute to OEM suppliers’ exploitative service innovation and explorative service innovation, respectively. In other words, applying a resource-based view, this study provides clarity regarding the linkages shown below (an organization’s strategic orientation influences its development of organizational capabilities and results in organizational performance) for the purpose of exploring the relationship between interaction orientation and service innovation.     

Requirements for developing green services

Innovating with services and integrating sustainability in economics are research issues of increasing importance. Green services are a recently relevant type in service research combining both fields. The potential seen in ecologically sustainable services is high, while a comprehensive approach in new service development is still missing. Based on an empirical study, a set of requirements for developing green services is introduced, considering specific criteria of ecological sustainability.     

Strategies towards innovative services: findings from the German service landscape

The specifics of services seem to prohibit a simple transfer of innovation strategies from the manufacturing to the service sector. To better understand what works, successful strategic service innovators and their strategic approaches have been the focus of this study. To do so, 80 service innovators in Germany have been monitored over a period of one year. By analyzing them, according to the basic strategies they follow (low cost, differentiation or mixed emphasis) and the dominant design of their service delivery system (information technology-based, people-based or mixed approach), this paper provides an understanding of the strategic approaches followed by successful service innovators. Our findings propose that there is a fit between the complexity of service offerings and variety of the interaction approaches by successful service innovators. In sum, we argue that for an appropriate design of service innovation strategy both managers and researchers need to go beyond the traditional distinction of low cost and differentiation strategy.     

Key determinants of sustainable smartcard payment

This paper aims at examining the sustainability of smartcard payment in retailing and consumer services. The analytical results of our survey data suggest that usefulness, ease of use, convenience, automatic add-value service, security, reliability, and participation of popular service providers have considerable effects on continuous use of smartcard payment. The present work empirically identifies and justifies the key determinants of sustainable smartcard payment from the consumer perspective. The findings provide managerial insights for the implementation of cutting-edge technology to enhance sales and service operations and make important contributions to research and practice in technology-based service innovation and service operations management.     

Measurement of innovation activities in the knowledge-intensive services industry: a trademark approach

Innovation measurement in the knowledge-intensive services (KIS) industry is very complex, due to a lack of adequate innovation indicators. A rather new empirical approach involves the analysis of trademarks for the measurement. This paper aims to explore the use and relevance of trademarks for service firms. Data from the German section of the ‘Community Innovation Survey’ are used, and a survey with 278 participating firms is conducted. The results of the two independent empirical studies demonstrate that a trademark can be used as an innovation indicator, at least for knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and product innovations. The results also illustrate which firm-inside and environmental features explain the use of trademarks as an intellectual property protection measure.     

Innovation Bridgers: The new talent imperative

As operating environments grow more dynamic the need for talent who can successfully identify promising opportunities, validate to distinguish highest potential, and win adoption for their ideas increases. Bridgers embody these skills and use them to uncover valuable new advantages. This article describes the key Bridger competences and how organizations benefit from them.     

Creative contests: knowledge generation and underlying learning dynamics for idea generation

Due to the heterogeneous nature of the crowd in online crowdsourcing, one key question discussed by academics and practitioners is whether participants are skilled enough to make valuable contributions. This research studies learning processes underlying idea generation in creative contests. Based on qualitative findings triangulating participants’ and brands’ perspectives, we identify six incoming and outgoing user skills which contribute to the development of valuable contributions and determine participation in future contests. Building on three types of brand instructions which emerge from the data, findings show how value is added by the collectivity and two complementary dynamics: (1) social learning and (2) learning from experience. From a managerial perspective, results provide guidance in designing successful crowdsourcing competitions by taking benefit from a multi-competent crowd.     

Novelty-focussed document mapping to identify new service opportunities

Successful innovation in services is considered a key factor for organisational sustainability. However, existing customer- and expert-centric approaches are becoming time-consuming and labour-intensive as the number and complexity of services increase. To counter this, an instrument for service opportunity analysis based on quantitative data and systematic processes is proposed in line with the notions of service engineering. At the heart of the suggested approach is text mining to extract the meanings of service documents and the local outlier factor to identify novel services based on quantitative indicators. A case study of mobile services is exemplified. The suggested approach promotes consensus building for promising service opportunities and enhances the efficiency of the fuzzy front-end stages of new service development.     

现代市场营销观念及方法的创新与发展

随着社会经济快速发展,传统的市场营销观念和方法正在被绿色营销、文化营销、知识营销、网络营销、关系营销等诸多新的营销观念和方法所代替,对企业的发展起到了巨大的推动作用。在构建和谐社会,倡导节约型社会,走可持续发展之路的新形势和环境下,企业更应大力创新营销观念和营销方法,不断提高自身的竞争优势。     

一种新的服务开发理念:可持续服务创新

随着环保和可持续发展的观念日益深入人心,环保意识和环保消费创造了新的市场需求,不仅在制造业领域,而且在服务业领域都应当重视和实践可持续发展式的经营管理。将可持续发展的思想用于服务创新理论的理念,对实施可持续服务创新具有重要意义。归纳总结可持续服务创新的主要途径,旨在引起服务业对可持续发展思想的足够重视,为实施可持续服务创新提供一定的参考。     

Service failure and recovery in using technology-based self-service: effects on user attributions and satisfaction

This study examines service failure and recovery in using technology-based self-service (TBSS) systems to determine the effects of a variety of relevant factors on negative customer/user attributions to the service provider, to employees who try to help in recovery, and to the technology itself, as well as the effects on customer/user satisfaction with the failure/recovery experience. The findings show that immediate recovery of TBSS failures reduces negative attributions and increases customer/user satisfaction with the experience, as does a low-anxiety environment around the kiosk. Technology error (as opposed to user error) decreases user satisfaction. Employee assistance decreases negative attributions to the employee but increases negative attribution to the technology. Some interactions were found among the experimental factors that are also meaningful.     

Exploring the role of front-line employees as innovators

This article aims for a deeper understanding of front-line employees (FLEs) and their boundary-spanning role in service organizations’ innovation processes from the vantage points of creativity and service innovation theory. It explores in particular FLEs’ processes of creativity by focusing on how ideas emerge and how these ideas are further managed in the organizations’ innovation processes. It draws on an in-depth empirical study of three units at a large spa and resort hotel. The article demonstrates how FLEs’ ideas are related to the assimilation and utilization of knowledge gained in the customer–supplier interface. Furthermore, it introduces the concept of ‘management by weaving’, which encompasses the middle managers’ roles in the complexity of leading diverse innovation processes in the service organization. By having the roles of facilitator, gatekeeper, and translator, middle managers hold the key position for letting FLEs play the role as innovators.     

我国现代服务业发展趋势研究

我国现代服务业在国民经济中的比重不断提高,现代服务业内部结构不断优化升级,服务创新是现代服务业发展的根本手段,全球化是现代服务业发展的重要方向.认真分析和正确认识现代服务业发展趋势,对于发展我国现代服务业,提高现代服务业比重和水平具有十分重要的意义.