A theory of global strategic alliances: The case of the global auto industry

The theory articulated in this paper suggests that the desire to reduce demand and competitive uncertainty are two separate, important motives for alliance formation. Taking this as a starting point, we predict the configuration of horizontal alliances that we might expect to observe within an industry when firms experience these uncertainties to different degrees. An empirical test of this theory using data from the global auto industry yields results consistent with the view (1) that alliances are a device for reducing both the uncertainties that arise from unpredictable demand conditions and those that arise from competitive interdependence, and (2) that variation of demand uncertainty and competitive uncertainty across firms explains differentials in both the intensity and structure of their horizontal alliance activity.     

Collaboration and technology linkages: a strategic supplier typology

This study uses frameworks from the strategic management and operations strategy literatures to explore the relationships among collaboration, technology, and innovation in small and medium‐sized manufacturers. Statistical analysis of the responses of 200 New Hampshire manufacturing companies in four SIC code industries (fabricated metals, industrial equipment, electrical and electronic equipment, and instruments) leads to the development of a strategic supplier typology which is useful in explaining the differences in the composition and performance of various types of suppliers. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Technology management as part of strategic planning – some empirical results

During the past years R&D management has been broadened into technology management, and the fruitfulness of its integration into strategic management has become clear. Empirical research has shown that R&D contributes relatively more to conventional output measures of firms that capital, and might therefore be expanded. However, whether its strategic direction should be aligned with that of other business functions is less than clear. Better information, including competitor technological intelligence information, is needed to better support strategic decisions.     

Strategies for best practice in research and technology institutes: an overview of a benchmarking exercise

Many technology institutes have been criticised for their dislocation from, or lack of relevance to, industry. This paper provides an overview of a major benchmaking study which analyzed in depth the most successful technology institutes from eight nations (four in Europe and four in East Asia). Institutes selected for study met a criterion which included a combination of dynamism, relevance to industry, contribution to the national science and technology infrastructure, independent fund-raising capability, innovative organizational structures, and effective management. The paper examines the activities engaged in by the eight institutes, the principal challenges they face, and identifies the main success factors underlying their achievements. The paper attempts to illustrate practical, best practice strategies by showing how leading technology institutes have successfully contributed to their national system of innovation. To this end, success factors have been categorized into those factors which are under the direct control of the institutes (internal), which are outside of their influence (external), and those which can be affected to a lesser or greater extent.     

Achieving success in technology alliances: The Rover-Honda strategic collaboration

Dynamic changes within global markets are creating a need for different strategies for firms in the pursuit of competitive advantage. International technology alliances are one mode of organising the acquisition of competitive technologies which is especially important in technology-intensive industries. However, managers have an especially difficult challenge when trying to deal with problems of high technical risk, frequent changes in technologies, different cultural and managerial styles and perspectives. This article addresses these issues as it examines the planning and implementation of the international technology alliance between Rover and Honda, during the past fourteen years. By most criteria used, this alliance was highly successful, and the article discusses not only the areas of successful technical impact which the alliance had on these companies, but also the insights learned by Rover from the management process of the alliance. It also develops a framework of issues which managers can use to implement and manage international technology alliances.     

The strategic management of re-innovation

Abstract
Most studies of the management of the technological innovation process cover the range of activities that culminate in the commercial introduction of a new product. In certain sectors of industry, however, especially those characterised by extended product lifecycles, continued competitiveness depends on vigorous and continuous product improvement, i.e. on the process of 're-innovation' to satisfy evolving user requirements. Ongoing research at SPRU has investigated the process of re-innovation in a number of industry sectors, and the paper presents material relating to two of the characteristic patterns of re-innovation identified in this research.
The first characteristic pattern is re-innovation combining the existing with the new. Two brief case studies are presented. In both cases, the manufacturer and customer gained significant benefits from this re-innovation strategy. For the manufacturer there were reduced development and testing costs, scale and learning curve benefits, distributed inventories of spares and servicing experience. For the customer there were familiarity benefits and reduced entry risks associated with proven reliability of parts and sub-systems.
The second, and more general pattern of re-innovation is based on the concept of the 'robust design'. This is a basic design which has sufficient inherent technological slack or flexibility to enable it to evolve into a significant design family of variants. Product design families offer the producer economies of scale in R&D, manufacturing, marketing and sales and servicing. They offer the user learning from experience, the enhanced possibility of user-inspired modifications, a wider range of price/ performance packages and rapid adaptations to changing environments. Robust designs can effectively combine economies of scale with economies of scope; they are strategically more flexible than leanly configured designs which satisfy only transient user requirements.     

绩效管理是企业战略落地的载体

绩效管理是企业的管理者和员工就工作目标如何达成共识的过程。绩效管理首先是管理，是管理者日常工作的一部分；其次是一个持续不断的交流、沟通过程，在这个过程中不断完善目标和完成目标。其不仅关注绩效结果，更强调达成结果的过程。企业通过绩效管理，将明确、具体的目标和任务层层分解与传递，由中高层直至基层员工，从而使得各子(分)公司、各职能部门、各工作团队和员工的活动与公司的战略和目标保持一致。     

Toward the development of benchmarking tools for R&D project management

This paper presents an audit model for the process of R&D project management that can be used to check the robustness and repeatability of processes and provide a template for internal and external benchmarking. The intention is to offer a 'fine-grained' model focusing rather closely on the R&D activities within the broader innovation process, thus complementing the more widely based innovation audit models that already exist.
Based on field-work in six business units in ICI and five companies from other industries, the paper sets out three major variants of the R&D project management process. These variants reflect the fact that R&D projects take place in different circumstances and have different objectives.     

Group task management: a key element in technology across the curriculum

It is generally recognised that curriculum development is required to develop methods of delivering technology across the curriculum. This paper is based on the three years of development of an approach known as group task management (GTM). Central to the approach is the setting of a task which groups co-operate in achieving, in competition with other groups. Although GTM can be undertaken within the normal timetable structure it is argued that the most beneficial approach is to use a blocked period of time. Students report that the activity is relevant and of benefit.     

The strategic management of a large scale IT project in the financial services sector

This article explores theoretical and empirical work on IT strategy formulation. While the managerialist focus upon a structured rational text-book model is common in the literature, it is not supported by empirical research on IT projects in the financial services sector.     

Attributive change in top management teams as a driver of strategic change

This study examines the role of top management team (TMT) member succession in breaking organizational inertia. We compare the impact of two types of change in TMTs—in member number and demographic heterogeneity—on subsequent strategic reorientation using data on the diversification activities of firms in the Japanese textile industry. Our findings suggest that executive succession does not trigger strategic change unless succession entails change in the values and interests of executives embedded in their demographic traits.

The intersection of strategic management and supply chain management

Strategic management and supply chain management (SCM) have overlapping interests, yet there has been little exchange between them. We examine areas of overlap and suggest how insights from each field can complement and support the other. Specifically, several of strategic management's theories and its emphasis on explaining firm profits should be useful to SCM. SCM offers to strategic management a new level of analysis and possibly a new type of organization. Overall, we argue that increased interaction between these important areas will benefit knowledge development in both and thereby enhance organizations' ability to meet their goals.     

Learning: The interface of quality management and strategic alliances

In this paper, we investigate the practice of quality management in strategic alliances. By employing a relational view of inter-organizational competitive advantage, the paper addresses the concept of quality management in strategic alliances and networks. We argue that institutional/network relationships influence the practice of quality within a network. In that regard, firms that have adopted quality management practices are more effective in managing and coordinating their interactions with other firms in the network, which results in their enhanced learning capability within the alliance.The proposed framework recognizes the role of trust and cooperative learning as critical factors that affect the success of strategic alliances. It has been argued that firms within an alliance need to achieve the paradox of control and learning. We examine the role of trust as a control mechanism in strategic alliances and address the importance of cooperative learning within alliances. Several hypotheses have been proposed and future research has been outlined.     

Dynamic and risk measurement perspectives on bowman's risk-return paradox for strategic management: An empirical study

Bowman's (1980, 1982) widely quoted papers have reported the existence of a risk-return paradox for strategic management. In this paper the authors examine the dynamic behavior of the risk-return relationship and analyze whether the risk-return paradox is stable across time. The analysis involves tracking Bowman's so-called negative association ratio across time. Using accounting measures of risk and return, it is demonstrated that while the paradox holds during the 1970s, the finding does not hold in the environment of the 1960s. Further, the paradox disappears if market-based risk measures are used. Some implications for strategic management are then discussed and attention is directed towards the meaning of risk in the context of strategic management. In addition, possible explanations for this paradox are evaluated and directions for further research are suggested.     

The resource-based view within the conversation of strategic management

The resource-based approach is an emerging framework that has stimulated discussion between scholars from three research perspectives. First, the resource-based theory incorporates traditional strategy insights concerning a firm's distinctive competencies and heterogeneous capabilities. The resource-based approach also provides value-added theoretical propositions that are testable within the diversification strategy literature. Second, the resource-based view fits comfortably within the organizational economics paradigm. Third, the resource-based view is complementary to industrial organization research. The resource-based view provides a framework for increasing dialogue between scholars from these important research areas within the conversation of strategic management. Resource-based studies that give simultaneous attention to each of these research programs are suggested.     

Data analytic trends and training in strategic management

Data analysis is a key element of the research process. Accordingly, appropriate doctoral training in data analysis is vital to the strategic management field's future. We used a two‐study design to evaluate quantitative data analysis trends and doctoral training. An analysis of Strategic Management Journal articles from 1980 to 2001 reveals that, contrary to some predictions, the use of general linear model techniques such as regression has increased over time. However, the use of more specialized techniques, including those suitable for examining longitudinal data, discrete events, and causal structure, has also grown substantially. A survey of recent doctoral graduates shows that, although skilled with general linear models, many are ill prepared to use specialized techniques. Based on our findings, we offer suggestions aimed at bridging gaps between what doctoral students (and other researchers) know and what they need to know about data analysis. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measuring and testing change in strategic management research

This paper reviews some critical issues associated with measuring and testing change and then reports on how strategy researchers have addressed those matters. We first discuss three key methodological requirements: reliability assumptions of change variables, correlations between the change variable and its initial measure, and selection of unbiased measurement alternatives. Next, we present data from a content analysis of 126 change studies which suggest that strategy researchers tend not to recognize those requirements. Indeed, the typical approach used to measure and test change (as a simple difference between two measures of the same variable) is usually inappropriate and could lead to inaccurate findings and flawed conclusions. We conclude by offering suggestions for how change can be studied more rigorously. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.