Speeding Up the Pace of New Product Development

This study empirically investigates a wide array of factors that have been argued to differentiate fast from slow innovation processes from the perspective of the research and development organization. We test the effects of strategic orientation (criteria- and scope-related variables) and organizational capability (staffing- and structuring-related variables) on the speed of 75 new product development projects from ten large firms in several industries. Backward-elimination regression analysis revealed that (a) clear time-goals, longer tenure among team members, and parallel development increased speed, whereas (b) design for manufacturability, frequent product testing, and computer-aided design systems decreased speed. However, when projects were sorted by magnitude of change, different factors were found to influence the speed of radical and incremental projects. Moreover, some factors that sped up radical innovation (e.g., concept clarity, champion presence, co-location) were found to slow down incremental innovation. Together, the radical and incremental models explain differences in speed better than the general model. This suggests a contingency approach to speeding up innovation. Implications for researchers and managers are discussed.     

Économie sociale et nouveaux pays industrialisés: Le cas de la Corée du sud

For more than 30 years, South Korea has experienced exceptional economic growth. In the context of such an accomplishment, is any room left for the social economy organizations? The analysis of available legal and economic data shows that whereas these organizations have a nonnegligible place in the Korean economy, on the one hand their role is limited in comparison with their western counterparts, and on the other hand the boundaries between public, capitalist and social economy sectors are blurred. The family in Korea is the most natural factor of socio‐economic integration; in many areas the family substitutes for intermediaries like the social economy organizations. The economic crisis that touched Korea at the end of 1997 contributed to the weakening of the traditional model of family solidarity and offered new prospects for the Korean social economy, especially in the field of social protection and social services. This is similar to what seems to be evolving in Europe.     

Sophisticated but confused: The impact of brand extension and motivation on source confusion

Legal and consumer psychology scholars have focused recent attention on source confusion, which is the likelihood that consumers will be confused regarding the company that is a product's source or sponsor. The authors evaluate two potential antecedents of source confusion: (1) consumer motivation and (2) a brand extension that has been undertaken by a competitor. There have been disagreements in the courts, the scholarly legal literature, and the consumer psychology literature concerning the nature and extent of the impact of these two variables on the likelihood of consumer confusion. Based on schema theory, the authors hypothesize that consumer motivation and brand extension will influence the likelihood of source confusion. An interaction between the two variables is proposed, with consumer motivation having an effect that is opposite to the effect typically identified in the literature and case law. The results of a controlled laboratory experiment support the theoretical predictions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Organizational culture evolution in temporary organizations: The case of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games

We examine organizational culture evolution within a temporary organization, specifically the 2010 Olympic Winter Games organizing committee, by exploring aspects of the work environment. Analysis of organizational artifacts, ethnographic field‐notes, and member‐checking demonstrated that liminal spaces facilitated socialization and cultural crystallization, which in turn assisted members' performance. Organizational structure, socialization, and cultural evolution were parallel processes that impacted each other. The concept of time (i.e., velocity) had a direct influence on subculture crystallization. The paper further integrates stakeholder/client interactions and draws on the role of leadership and cultural infusion mechanisms to demonstrate how culture evolves in temporary organizations. Copyright © 2013 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Uncertainty and entry deterrence

Summary. We study a model where capacity installation by an incumbent firm serves to deter others from entering the industry. We argue that uncertainty about demand or costs forces the incumbent to choose a higher capacity level than it would under certainty. This higher level diminishes the attractiveness of deterrence (Proposition 1) and, therefore, the range of parameter values for which deterrence occurs (Proposition 2). Received: July 10, 1997; revised version: November 21, 1997     

Open Variety Rights: Rethinking the Commodification of Plants

Open Variety Rights refer to the removal of the conditions attached to the usage of plants in agriculture, and to an analogy with open licensing in informatics that is notably different from the one that is taking shape at the intersection of the life sciences and informatics. This paper argues for the open licensing of plants as part of a response to the commodification of DNA; rather than a singular focus on farming or source code, this implies an analogy that aims at the removal of restrictions, whether as seeds, biodiversity, genetic sequences or DNA in informatics formats. First, the commodification of plants will be conceptualized. Second, the proposal for open licensing for varieties of crops will be discussed. Third, examples of the introduction of open licensing in the life sciences will be examined in relation to the potential to reformulate the definition of ‘openness’ to support those who wish to live and work with plants on their own terms.     

Efficient minimum distance estimation with multiple rates of convergence

This paper extends the asymptotic theory of GMM inference to allow sample counterparts of the estimating equations to converge at (multiple) rates, different from the usual square-root of the sample size. In this setting, we provide consistent estimation of the structural parameters. In addition, we define a convenient rotation in the parameter space (or reparametrization) to disentangle the different rates of convergence. More precisely, we identify special linear combinations of the structural parameters associated with a specific rate of convergence. Finally, we demonstrate the validity of usual inference procedures, like the overidentification test and Wald test, with standard formulas. It is important to stress that both estimation and testing work without requiring the knowledge of the various rates. However, the assessment of these rates is crucial for (asymptotic) power considerations.Possible applications include econometric problems with two dimensions of asymptotics, due to trimming, tail estimation, infill asymptotic, social interactions, kernel smoothing or any kind of regularization.