Chicken,or the egg,or both? The interrelationship between a firm's inventor specialization and scope of technologies

Firms with different scope of technologies experience different firm growth. Understanding such heterogeneity requires knowing not only what drives technologies' scope but also why these drivers remain different across firms. I propose inventor specialization as a driver of technologies' scope: firms with more specialized inventors create narrower scope technologies. I also propose that these narrower scope technologies themselves in turn induce these firms' inventors to remain more specialized. I empirically demonstrate this two‐way interrelationship in the U.S. communication equipment industry using policy shocks as natural experiments and a new measure of scope. This interrelationship has important implications for why resources and organization appear isomorphic within a firm but heterogeneous across firms. t © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Firm growth type and capital structure persistence

We find that growth type (identified by a two-way sort on firm initial market-to-book ratio and asset tangibility) can parsimoniously predict significantly dispersed and persistently distinct future leverage ratios. Growth type is persistent; growth-type-sorted cross-sections of corporate fundamental variables (such as tangible versus intangible investment style) are also meaningfully persistent. As economic and market conditions improve, low growth type firms are keener to issue new debt than equity, whereas high growth type firms are least likely to issue debt and keenest to issue equity. These findings demonstrate that firms rationally invest and seek financing in a manner compatible with their growth types. Consistent with a generalized Myers–Majluf framework, growth type compatibility enables distinct growth types and hence specifications of market imperfection or informational environments to persist. Growth type is apparently a fundamental factor for capital structure persistence.     

Study on the Customer Perception of the Tropical Fruit Vinegar in Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur

This research will be focus on the differences of perception of customers in Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur toward tropical fruits vinegar. Tropical fruit vinegar was used in this research with Rambutan and Dokong vinegar as the choice. Dokong and Rambutan are tropical seasonal fruits. The production quantity is getting higher these few years, and it results that farmers have to face all negative impact. Next, this study also reduces the import of vinegar product. Furthermore, this study also helps in fulfilling the national agenda in National Agro Food Policies 2011–2020. The amount of respondents are 108 in Kelantan and 69 in Kuala Lumpur. The major finding is Customers in Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan both accepts Natural Fruits Vinegar products. The result also shows that consumers are concern about the quality, safety, and nutritional content of products and prefer glass material for packaging than plastic material.     

Strong–weak collaborative management in coping supply chain disruption risk transmission based on scale-free networks

Supply chain disruption causes tremendous loss to supply chains and global businesses. Organizational structure and operational features of supply chain networks, therefore, constitute a major portion of research for coping with supply chain disruption risk. This article first discusses the theoretical foundation, analyses the strength theory of strong and weak ties and the collaborative theory of strong and weak ties. Also, research methods are explicated; the scale-free networks and the theory of strong ties are integrated; the features of supply chain networks are considered from single statistical parameters and comprehensive analyses. Next, we provide numeric simulation of the properties of supply chain networks, verifying the accuracy of parameter analyses of single statistics and comprehensive analyses. Ultimately, when coping with supply chain disruption risk, each node enterprise of supply chain network is supposed to deploy the characteristics of scale-free networks to systematically manage existing weak ties, weak ties newly introduced, existing strong ties and strong ties newly introduced. This study is conducive to node enterprises of supply chains to recognize and apply the scale-free networks and the strength theory of ties to analyze the properties of supply chain networks, and to improve the capacity to cope with disruption risk.     

A business and ICT architecture for a logistics city

The city of Melbourne, Australia, stands to benefit from achieving the logistics city status. The planning theme of a logistics city is designed around achieving efficiencies and long term sustainability out of the legacy of dispersed groups of intensive “logistics activity areas”. This is not to re-invent solutions particularly in Melbourne, where the existence of a legacy logistics infrastructure and ad hoc growth has resulted in the business architecture that is constantly in the “catch-up” mode. This is seen as a unique opportunity for developing business models to meet the future challenges of the growth of trade, freight movement and maintaining economic, environmental and urban sustainability. Enterprise architecture will enable attention to be focused on the development of a collaborative business model, which will help to achieve efficiencies in view of the complex set of economic, social and environmental parameters. The logistics city business architecture responds to the shift to a services economy, which is generating different patterns of workforce travel to ensure good access to skilled workers, to other services, to business clients and to national and international markets.     

A cross-section analysis of intra-industry trade in U.S. manufacturing industries

Zusammenfassung Eine Querschnittsanalyse des intraindustriellen Handels für die Verarbeitende Industrie der Vereinigten Staaten. — In dieser Studie werden fünf Hypothesen formuliert und getestet, die das Muster des intraindustriellen Handels erkl?ren sollen. Dabei wird ein Verfahren angewandt, das auf dem Gebiet der industriellen Organisation entwickelt wurde und das das von der Marktstruktur bestimmte Verhalten berücksichtigt. Im statistischen Test werden m?glichst stark disaggregierte Daten für 112 Industriezweige der Vereinigten Staaten benutzt. Die Auswahl erfolgt so, da\ das Ausma\ der statistischen Aggregation minimiert und ein repr?sentativer Querschnitt der amerikanischen Verarbeitenden Industrie gewonnen werden kann. Die fünf Hypothesen werden durch die Daten gestützt. Die empirischen Ergebnisse best?tigen die Hauptthese, da\ der intraindustrielle Handel besser erkl?rt werden kann als eine Folge des Marktverhaltens der internationalen Firmen auf dem Weltmarkt. Deren Marktverhalten wiederum ist durch die Marktstruktur, in der sie agieren, bestimmt. Die Studie zeigt, da\ die folgenden Variablen die haupts?chlichen Determinanten des intraindustriellen Handels der amerikanischen Industrie sind: (1) der Grad der Preisdiversifizierung auf Grund von Produktdifferenzierung und unvollkommener Preis- und Qualit?tsinformation der Konsumenten, (2) die ?hnlichkeit des wirtschaftlichen Entwicklungsstandes, (3) die Skalenertr?ge infolge gro\er Produktionsserien, (4) das Ausma\ des oligopolistischen Wettbewerbsverhaltens und (5) die Rate der Einführung von Produktvarianten im Reifestadium des Produktzyklus.

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Résumé Une analyse transversale du commerce intra-industriel pour les industries manufacturières des Etats-Unis. — En appliquant une approche de la conduite de marché déterminée par la structure du marché qui était dévelopée par l’école de l’organisation industrielle, cette étude suggère et teste cinq hypothèses qui doivent expliquer la structure du commerce intra-industriel. Des données les plus désagregées sont utilisées pour le test statistique; il inclut 112 industries manufacturières dans les E.-U. L’échantillon est scrupuleusement choisi pour minimiser la mesure de l’agrégation statistique et pour être représentatif du secteur manufacturier des E.-U. Les cinq hypothèses sont confirmées par les données. Les résultats empiriques supportent la thèse centrale que le commerce intra-industriel peut être mieux expliqué comme conséquence de la conduite de marché des entreprises internationales sur le marché global. Leur conduite de marché est déterminée par la structure du marché sur lequel elles opèrent. L’étude démontre que les variables suivantes sont les déterminants principaux du commerce intra-industriel pour les industries manufacturières des E.-U. : le degré de la diversité des prix due à la différenciation des produits et à l’information imparfaite du consommateur sur le prix et la qualité, la similarité en niveau du développement économique, les économies des séries longues de production, l’étendue de la conduite oligopolistique de rivalité et le taux de l’introduction de la variété des produits dans la phase m?r du cycle de produit.

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Resumen Un análisis seccional del comercio intraindustrial entre empresas manufactureras de los Estados Unidos. — Este estudio propone y comprueba empfricamente cinco hip?tesis destinadas a explicar el comercio intraindustrial. Con este fin, se utiliza un enfoque de conducta estructural de mercado. Para los tests empíricos, se utiliza informaci?n estadística desagregada sobre 112 compa?ías manufactureras de los Estados Unidos. La muestra ha sido elegida cuidadosamente con el objeto de minimizar el alcance de la agregación estadística y de que sea representativa del sector manufacturero en este país. Los datos estadistícos corraboran los cinco hipótesis. Los resultados empíricos confirman la tesis central de que el comercio intraindustrial se puede explicar mejor como el resultado de la conducta de mercado de las compa?ías internacionales en el mercado global. Esta conducta está a su vez determinada por la estructura del mercado en la que las empresas operan. El estudio demuestra que las siguientes variables son factores claves en el comercio intraindustrial de las empresas manufactureras estadounidenses : El grado de diversificatión de precios atribuido a la diferenciación de productos y a la informatión imperfecta del consumidor sobre precios y calidad, la similitud en el nivel de desarrollo económico, las economías de production continua, el alcance de la rivalidad oligopolística, y la tasa de introducción de variedad en el producto en el último estadio del ciclo productivo.

     

Impact of the level of aggregation on response accuracy in surveys of behavioral frequency

Through observations of AT&T data and the results of two of our own studies, we discovered interesting asymmetrical effects of the level of aggregation of the question on the response accuracy in surveys of behavioral frequency. We find that disaggregating a question to a lower, less comfortable level of aggregation creates greater uncertainty, leading to larger absolute errors in survey responses. However, if a question is asked at a higher less comfortable level, the majority of respondents escape by splitting questions down to the natural level, thereby avoiding greater uncertainty and thus responding more accurately. We argue that for greater accuracy in surveys, one should identify the natural level of aggregation at which a question should be posed. But when in doubt, it is better to ask a question at a higher level of aggregation because of possible escapability downward.     

An experimental study of marketing information utilization: The manager-researcher dichotomy

This study uses an experimental design for the presentation of a case, demographic information, product test survey results, and test market results to marketing managers and to market researchers. We attempt to determine the interrelationships among changes in decision outcomes, sales estimates, and confidence. We also show that the two-community dichotomy between marketing managers and market researchers exists.     

‘Keep out’ signs: the role of deterrence in the competition for resources

To explain resource heterogeneity, past research focuses on how rivals' resources are hidden from firms and firms accordingly have difficulties accessing them. We argue that resource heterogeneity may also arise when firms are deterred from a technological space upon being shown what resources rivals already possess within that space. To illustrate this deterrence effect, we use patent reexamination certificates, which indicate strategic stakes within a technological space without materially disclosing additional details of the underlying technologies and hence avoid the confounding effect of attracting competition through disclosure. We demonstrate how rivals' reexamination certificates within a technological space induce a firm to subsequently allocate less inventive effort in that space, based on two mechanisms—indications of rivals' developmental speed and exclusionary ability. We further develop these two mechanisms by arguing that the deterrence effect is stronger when rivals' speed is enhanced by their downstream capabilities, or when rivals' exclusion is enhanced by their litigation experiences. Findings suggest that a firm's path of resource accumulation evolves through avoidance of rivals' paths, and deterrence may constitute a viable alternative theory of resource heterogeneity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.