Who instigates university–industry collaborations? University scientists versus firm employees

While evidence on the causes and effects of university–industry interaction is abundant, little is known about how, and particularly by whom, such interaction is instigated in the first place and subsequently managed. In this paper, we investigate which mode of collaboration (joint research, contract research, consulting, in-licensing, or informal contacts) is more likely to be initiated and managed by firm employees versus by university scientists. Moreover, we are interested in the differences between small and large firms to see whether initiation and management are affected by firm size. Using a sample of 833 German manufacturing firms, our results indicate that university scientists typically start collaborations with industry, while firm employees would take over the management of projects. Results vary markedly between small and large firms, with university scientists having somewhat higher difficulties initiating collaborations with large firms than with small firms.     

When do firms benefit from university–industry R&D collaborations? The implications of firm R&D focus on scientific research and technological recombination

Firms' access to academic discoveries through R&D collaborations has been shown to enhance their patent performance. However, increasing both internal and external R&D activities can lead to high knowledge redundancy and coordination costs. This paper examines what kind of R&D focus inside the firm will improve or reduce the benefits of R&D collaborations with universities. Our results show that technological recombination focus strengthens the relationship between university collaborations and patent performance, whereas scientific research focus weakens the relationship. These results also differ between young and old firms, implying that firms may shift their R&D focus according to their collaborative objectives.     

A two-dimensional model of trust–value–loyalty in service relationships

The study examines the relationships between consumer trust (cognitive and affective), perceived value (utilitarian and hedonic), and loyalty behavioral intentions (repurchase and advocacy) in a two-dimensional (affect- and rational-based) consumer–service provider model. It provides an alternative theoretical representation of consumer behavior in service relationships and implications for service providers about consumers' loyalty intentions. A mail survey analyzed by SEM supports the model of loyalty as a function of consumers' expressive and instrumental responses resulting from intrinsic and extrinsic perceptions of trust and heuristic and rational-based perceived value. Implications for designing loyalty programs are explored and future research opportunities recommended.     

A model of endogenous growth that elucidates the complexity of South–North convergence

This North–South model of Schumpeterian endogenous growth combines a market, productivity and knowledge effect. Depending upon the interaction of these effects, various convergent and divergent South–North growth paths occur: for example, full or partial convergence of the Southern technology level to the Northern one, conditional convergence or divergence depending upon the Southern initial technology level and absorptive capacity, higher or lower as well as decreasing or increasing growth rates during the phase of catching up, and equal or higher growth rates of the South compared to the North after catching up. This set of growth paths can better explain the diversity of the empirical observations for economies at different income and technology levels than those generated by existing models. In this new model, convergence based on North–South trade and associated flows of patents (innovations) is guaranteed if the knowledge effect dominates the productivity effect. A larger Southern market expands the area of convergence and can prevent divergence. Not only a larger Southern market, but also a higher Southern steady state growth rate benefit the North so that convergence is desirable for both, the South and the North.     

Charade:A flower of the national car industry

Where there is a road,there isCharade.This is especially true inNorthern China. From 1988 when the TianjinMini-auto Manufacturer introducedthe Japan Daihatsu's CharadeSecond Generation to produce theCharade mini-car,to the end of 1994,it had turned out 154,828 cars.Thefactory has developed at a speedhigher than the average annualeconomic increase of the industry,and has ranked first for threeconsecutive years in the TianjinPriority Product EconomicEfficiency Appraisal,making theCharade a nationally-known namebrand mini-car.     

The fable of the birth of the Japanese automobile industry: A reconsideration of the Toyoda–Platt agreement of 1929

In discussing the birth of the Japanese automobile industry, most researchers and journalists put the Toyota Motor Corporation and the Toyoda–Platt Agreement at centre-stage. It has been widely asserted that the one million yen (¥100,000) that was received as a result of the Agreement provided Kiichiro Toyoda with the means to begin his research on the automobile. But the historical evidence does not support this legendary story, and in many ways contradicts it. This article aims to set the historical record straight.     

The managing of competition: Government and industry relationships in the jute industry 1957–63

This paper examines the development of the 1963 court case brought by the Board of Trade's Restrictive Trading Agreements Office against jute manufacturers, in order to examine the impact of the newly introduced competition policy for government–business relationships. Government's active enforcement of competition marked an important change in the direction of industrial policy in the UK and the jute industry was one of the cases to be examined.     

Globalising the hotel industry 1946–68: A multinational case study of the Intercontinental Hotel Corporation

This article employs one case study, of Intercontinental Hotel Corporation, to examine the globalisation of the hotel industry between 1946 and 1968. The results show that the advent of multinational hotel development was characterised by the importance of government policies in shaping multinational expansion, whose trajectory was also closely related to the growth of the airline industry, underpinned by consumer demand change. This historical analysis illuminates capabilities specific to a firm as well as the entry mode and locations selected for international expansion as important factors in driving financial performance. Finally, this study contributes to the international business and business history literature by exploring international business development in the context of a small sample size and longitudinal approach.     

A 3 × 3 model of customs unions

In this paper we develop a three-country-three-good model of customs unions. The main result is that a sufficient condition for two countries to benefit from forming a customs union is that they are similar in the sense that their mutual trade is small. This result is obtained by analyzing the terms of trade effects rather than the more traditional emphasis on trade creation-trade diversion effects.     

Towards a holistic framework of MNE–state bargaining: A formal model and case-based analysis

In this paper, we develop a holistic framework for MNE–state bargaining based on power-dependence theory. We contribute to IB theory by moving beyond a static, bilateral conceptualization of MNE–state bargaining towards a dynamic, multi-party framework. MNEs can shift the power balance in their favor by (a) reducing sunk costs from the investment, (b) improving access to alternative investments, (c) increasing the host government’s sunk costs, or (d) impeding the host government’s access to alternative investors and buyers. Subsequently, we apply our framework to the Venezuelan oil industry, identifying 12 MNE micro-strategies to achieve a sustainable power balance.     

The adaptive strategies of Spanish cotton industry companies, 1939–1970

This article explores the strategies carried out by the Spanish cotton industry, drawing the distinction between dynastic and non-dynastic companies, and the business strategies to preserve the family firm, to keep the control of management in the hands of the founder's family, and to maintain long-term living standards. To achieve this, companies showed a remarkable capacity to adapt to the changing institutional, political and economic context in Spain during the second half of the twentieth century. Finally, we measure the degree of success by looking at profits, profitability and ability of dynastic and non-dynastic companies to survive.     

Buyer–seller relationships of the dental devices industry in Taiwan: perspective of relationship

Purpose: While research in marketing and management has addressed characteristics associated with buyer and seller, relatively little research has been reported on the marketing of relationship benefits and relationship bonding tactics, particularly involving their relationships with customers. Given a dyadic perspective, it can be surmised that gaps in buyer and seller perceptions may well dampen relationships, and will inevitably occur, since a perfect match is highly unlikely between two exchange parties. To enhance relationships, major gaps need therefore to be identified and eliminated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is developing matrices of customer relationship benefits and relationship bonding tactics separately from buyer’s and seller’s perspectives, together with the insights of interrelated propositions.

Methodology: This research subjects chosen for this study consist of those distributors of dental devices, procurement in hospitals, and dentists. Using the grounded theory, four stages of coding analysis are conducted.

Findings: The results indicated that buyers and sellers differed in their perceptions in all field interviews due to their different attitudes toward different benefits. While buyers’ perceived benefits were based on the consideration of confidence and trust in the practical use of purchased medical devices, sellers primarily considered specialized issues of provided services and technologies. Based on this, buyer and seller perspectives were distinguished.

Research Implications: As a self-enclosed system, the medical device industry is difficult to enter for new manufacturers. Therefore, from the perspective of product providers, academic support can increase their product visibility, improve their company’s image, and provide more opportunities to contact new clients. From the perspective of medical institutions, the participation of hospitals and clinics in relationship marketing activities and seminars can raise their prestige and provide more opportunities for gaining new information.

Originality/Value/Contribution: Theoretical contribution of this study is in building matrices of customer relationship benefits and relationship bonding tactics separately from buyer’s and seller’s perspectives, together with the insights of six propositions. These insights shall expose the undisclosed systems of the dental devices industry.     

British corporate networks, 1976–2010: Extending the study of finance–industry relationships

Abstract

Using an extensive and unique data set that has been created to record the composition of the boards of directors of the top 250 British firms between 1904 and 2010, this article builds upon a previous study by the authors on the corporate network to 1976 by extending the study to 2010. The analysis revolves around three key observations: the nature and depth of the corporate network; the distinct stages in corporate connectivity between 1976 and 2010; and the 1980s watershed in the relationship between financial and other sectors, following which financial institutions withdrew from the corporate network. The article concludes with an analysis of how the data set has changed our perceptions of British corporate networks, wider changes in British business, and a discussion of implications for future research.     

An analysis of stability of the north–south growth model of trade: Saddle-path stability of the generalized grossman–helpman model with skilled and unskilled labours

Abstract

Following the Common Agency approach to political equilibrium, we examine how domestic interest groups can influence national policies toward FDI and how the choice of instrument by the government can affect lobbying activities. Domestic firms lobby for lower subsidies when a discriminatory subsidy on FDI is applied. However, when a subsidy is applied uniformly to both groups, they may lobby for higher subsidies. The nature of lobbying is also different for proportional and lump-sum profit subsidies when uniformly applied. The qualitative effect of the number of domestic firms or the degree of corruption on the equilibrium depends on the choice of instruments. Finally, with the help of numerical simulation, we examine whether there is any potential conflict between the government and the lobby groups on the choice of the instrument.     

Any complaints? A review of the framework of self-regulation in the Australian advertising industry

Prior to 1996, the Australian system of advertising self-regulation was regarded as a world model and many Asia-Pacific systems included components adapted from the Australian system. The recent changes to this system, encouraged by the abolition of the media accreditation system, consumer association pressure, criticism from the national advertisers association and the lack of a strong advertising agency presence, present an interesting framework in which to review the foundation concepts of self-regulation in advertising. This paper compares the new code of ethics with its predecessor and an international standard. It examines the performance of the code in terms of the number of complaints upheld and complaint by medium and product type and the voluntary response of advertisers. The findings suggest a weakening in the standard of advertising self-regulation in Australia, with fewer provisions in the Code of Ethics, a significantly fewer number of complaints upheld and no real power of enforcement. Although the case is Australian, it raises universal questions such as the vested interest of advertisers in controlling the process and roles of the consumer association, the media and the advertising agencies in guaranteeing the privilege of self-regulation.     

Influence of customer–firm relationships on customer participation in the service industry

Previous research has focused on relationship value and outcome as ‘consequence variables’ of customer participation (CP). This study examines customer–firm relationships as an ‘antecedent variable’ of CP. Early contact and relationships with customers build confidence in the service encounter and create customer trust, which leads to commitment and improves customer cooperation. Likewise, interaction and relationship building in the service encounter encourage active customer cooperation and participation in the later stages of interaction. This study analyzes the influence of relational antecedent factors affecting customer participation intention, examines the moderating effects of customer relationship proneness, and suggests some theoretical and practical implications.     

Evolution of firms' product strategy over the life cycle of technology-based industries: A case study of the global mobile phone industry, 1980–2009

This paper adopts industry life cycle approaches to understand better the changing rationales for product strategy development in the worldwide mobile phone industry. Based on both primary and secondary sources, we find that mobile phone manufacturers have radically changed their product strategy over the industry life cycle in response to various factors, such as the intense global competition and the need to respond rapidly to changes in technology and mass-consumer preferences. We also find that, when the mobile phone industry entered a stage of shake-out in the 2000s, contrary to the prediction of the classical product–process life cycle model, mobile phone manufacturers focused their strategy not only on process but also on product innovations. The continuous launch of new and advanced product technologies served mainly to stimulate the demand for replacement purchases. We observe this unexpected key role of product innovation to be very strong also in the stage of industry maturity.     

Innovation and imitation in a model of North–South trade

This paper analyzes the growth and welfare effects of trade openness within a North–South framework that predicts the observed intra-industry trade and the North–South specialization over different quality vintages within product lines. The model is used to re-examine the relationship between the innovation in the North and the imitation lag of the South and to address the implications of the (weak) international Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection. When the imitation technology is modeled as a function of increasing complexity of targeted products, opening to trade increases the growth rate and welfare of both regions, but results in a larger North–South quality gap. While a full catch-up is possible with no protection of ideas flow, but also with no trade, the quality gap is always positive under full economic integration including trade in goods. Stronger IPR protection increases the gap and has a negative effect on the world growth rate and welfare.     

The restructuring of the Spanish integrated steel industry in the European panorama (1971–86): A lost opportunity

Spanish steelmaking policy in the 1970s and early 1980s was not especially different from that of the main European countries. The political transition was a tense experience that heightened the problems and made economic policy decisions harder to reach, but it did not cause a fundamental divergence from the rest of Europe. What made the steel restructuring policy fail and forced a new and costly restructuring in the 1990s, was the decision of the Socialist government, newly elected in 1982, to opt for maintaining the inland steelworks instead of the coastal steelworks. Its motives were related to the locations of these steelworks in socially and politically sensitive areas. The closure of Sagunto marked the end of the only real possibility of Spain having a competitive integrated steelworks in terms of its integration into Europe.