Learning-by-doing in emerging market multinationals: Integration,trial and error,repetition, and extension

We analyze learning-by-doing and how emerging market multinationals use it to upgrade their capabilities. Building on an in-depth case study, we present two novel arguments. First, we clarify the concept of learning-by-doing by identifying four distinct processes in which learning-by-doing occurs: Integration, whereby the firm incorporates external knowledge and coordinates multiple sources of knowledge to undertake an activity; trial and error, whereby the firm attempts a new activity until it succeeds; repetition, whereby the firm improves the activity by undertaking it multiple times; and extension, whereby the firm takes on a larger and more complex activity. Second, we extend our understanding of how the country of origin influences firm behavior by explaining how particular characteristics of emerging markets (few specialized providers, relative knowledge isolation, rapid market growth, and increasing consumer sophistication) strengthen the relationships between the four learning-by-doing processes and the upgrading of capabilities to international levels.     

Forward Integration and Innovation: Transaction Costs and Beyond

The Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) theory developed by Oliver Williamson has provided a deep understanding of factors behind the vertical integration decisions of firms. This paper begins with a brief case study of forward integration in the early years of select industries. The analysis suggests that other factors, such as capabilities, can complement the TCE approach. The paper shows how TCE has been combined with these other concepts and the Profiting From Innovation framework to provide a more complete analytical toolkit for evaluating forward vertical integration decisions, particularly in the context of innovation.     

Theoretical perspectives on strategic environmental management

Strategic Environmental Management (SEM) incorporates into firms' core strategies the transformation of products and processes that they believe an environmentally concerned society will increasingly demand. Significant threads have to do with the discovery of cost savings and market opportunities from reducing environmental impacts. SEM, like the environmental regulation hypothesis associated with Michael Porter, implies that society's efforts to reduce external environmental costs often lead to identification of hitherto-ignored or undeveloped profit possibilities. This would be surprising from the standpoint of neoclassical economic theory, to the extent that SEM utilizes available information about the potential costs and benefits of projects. Within the framework of evolutionary, capabilities-based theories of the firm, however, this discovery and its exploitation in SEM make perfect sense. Capabilities theory would imply that firms' intrinsic path dependence may previously have obscured such opportunities. This paper examines the theory of SEM, its implications for neoclassical and capabilities theories of the firm, and survey results drawn from the author's work with member companies in a regional pollution prevention roundtable. RID="*" IDI have enjoyed the able and insightful research assistance of Justin Vernon. Cooperation from the companies that participated in the survey, and financial support from Allegheny College and its Center for Economic and Environmental Development, are gratefully acknowledged. Reviewers for this journal provided numerous, valuable suggestions. Responsibility for the material herein remains mine alone.     

External communication behaviour of purchasers—effects on supplier management performance

This article presents findings of a research effort that focuses on the relationships among the external communication behaviour of purchasers, individual and contextual factors and the performance in supplier management. Communication quantity, openness and friendliness were identified as dimensions of individual communication behaviour. Information and relationship quality were used as the two dimensions of communication quality. The results, based on structural equation analysis, provide support for the positive influence of individual communication behaviour on communication quality and supplier management performance. Results suggest that relationship quality appears to be of great significance in the model. Oral communication capability and purchasers’ attitudes towards individual communication with suppliers also play important roles in explaining external communication behaviour of purchasers.     

Innovation in start-ups: Ideas filling the void or ideas devoid of resources and capabilities?

We investigate how access to different types of resources affects the success of entrepreneurial start-up firms at early stages of development in small isolated economies by studying 12 start-ups based in New Zealand. We find that successful commercialization of innovations depends on the availability of complementary assets, and that capability-based resources, especially dynamic capabilities, have a greater impact on competitive advantage of start-ups than other intangible and tangible assets. For the start-ups in our study, alliances with partners are particularly important, and so the ability to form alliances is a key capability. Successful start-ups leverage their available resources to attract alliance partners in order to access necessary complementary resources. The start-ups in our study clearly demonstrated the ability to attract partners locally but struggled to do so internationally, thereby limiting their growth potential.     

知识网络演进视角下企业技术创新能力进化及政策建议

企业技术创新能力具有类生物进化的属性,基于该思想,以知识网络演进为背景,研究了知识网络对企业技术创新能力进化的作用,探讨了企业技术创新能力进化过程,进一步构建了企业创新能力进化的逻辑模型。研究发现,知识网络的循环演进通过知识获取、知识处理、知识共享和知识整合,促进企业技术创新能力不断进化。最后,分别从政策制定者角度和微观创新者角度,提出了促进企业技术创新能力进化的建议。     

双元联盟网络如何影响突破式创新——技术能力与网络惯例的调节作用

不同类型联盟网络涉及不同程度的知识共享和知识泄露风险,并有可能对突破式创新产生差异化影响。选取合肥、南京和苏州253个企业为样本,探究企业探索性联盟网络和开发性联盟网络分别对突破式创新的直接效应,以及技术能力和网络惯例等内外部情境变量对两种关系的调节效应。结果发现：探索性联盟网络对突破式创新具有倒U型效应;开发性联盟网络对突破式创新不具有曲线效应,仅是正向线性关系;内外部不同情境变量对探索性、开发性联盟网络具有不同调节效应。其中,技术能力仅对探索性联盟网络与突破式创新间关系具有显著正向调节作用;网络惯例对开发性联盟网络与突破式创新间关系具有显著正向调节作用。研究结论对组建企业联盟和推动企业技术创新发展具有一定指导意义。     

跨界搜寻的创新驱动力：一个有调节的中介模型

以来自4个省份的357家企业为研究对象,以动态能力理论为基础,探讨跨界搜寻对技术创新的影响,以及动态能力和技术动荡在其中的中介与调节作用。结果发现：跨界搜寻的两种类型搜寻（技术知识和市场知识）对组织技术创新具有显著正向影响。同时,动态能力中介两类跨界搜寻和技术创新之间的正向关系,在技术知识跨界搜寻与技术创新之间发挥完全中介作用,在市场知识跨界搜寻与技术创新之间发挥部分中介作用。此外,组织外部较高的技术动荡水平不仅会加强动态能力对技术创新的正向影响,还会强化动态能力在两种类型搜寻与技术创新之间的中介效应。     

Toward a Horizonal Theory of Justice: Efficiency,Equity, Rights and Capabilities in a Free Market Economy

The theory of planning horizons and their relation to pricing, conscience and learning has been explored in some detail in terms of efficiency attributes and ecological health (Jennings 2003, Journal of Economic Issues 39:365-373, 2005, 2007a, b, 2008a). This paper addresses the equity implications of planning horizons in terms of the social role and importance of justice, rights and capabilities in a free market economy. From my earlier work, cooperation—not competition—is seen as the means to longer and broader horizons in an efficiency frame, mitigating any alleged tradeoff against equity issues. The impact of longer horizons on fairness and justice in terms of intentions and outcomes along with rights and capabilities still remains unexplored. This paper reviews the normative aspects of planning horizons, showing how ethical and ecological conscience spreads with horizon effects, strengthening goals of fairness and the internalization of social effects. In this setting, capabilities and empowerment are enhanced by respect for human rights, as social conscience spreads through interhorizonal complementarities. The features of a long-horizon world differ from myopic contexts, specifically in the relation of efficiency to other goals. This paper examines that difference in terms of its equity aspects, with regard to social justice and the role of rights and capabilities in economic cultures.     

网络嵌入、动态能力与企业创新绩效——一个模糊集定性比较分析

网络嵌入、动态能力与企业创新绩效间关系一直是战略管理领域研究的热点话题,但以往研究忽视了网络嵌入与动态能力各构成维度间不同组合对创新绩效的复杂性影响。因此,基于组态视角和集合论思想,采用模糊集定性比较分析法,以220家中国企业为样本,从企业外部网络嵌入和内部动态能力培育两个层面,探讨网络嵌入和动态能力的不同维度影响企业创新绩效的多重组合路径。研究结果表明：企业创新绩效提升路径包括网络嵌入—能力促进型、双元能力推动型、网络嵌入—能力冲突型和创新能力缺失弥补型4种构型,且网络嵌入三维度间存在一定的替代性。