Variations in SME Characteristics and the Use of Service Intermediaries for R&D

Large companies increasingly look externally for opportunities to enhance innovation, which has resulted in closer study of innovation systems. We examined the role of service intermediaries (universities, technology centers, and consultants) within these systems using a sample of predominately small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises located in Valencia, Spain. As with studies of large companies, absorptive capacity (e.g., research and development expenditures) was positively related to the likelihood that a firm would engage in service collaborations. However, the rate of collaboration was higher relative to studies dominated by larger companies. Also, there were differences in the pattern of firm characteristics associated with the use of specific services. For example, the level of SME export activity related positively to the use of technology centers, but negatively to university collaborations. Copyright © 2011 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facilitating Collaboration with Problem Structuring Methods: A Case Study of an Inter-Organisational Construction Partnership

Despite the potential of inter-organisational collaboration to create ‘collaborative advantage’ among participant organisations, not all collaborations realise this potential due to the complexities and challenges faced by potential collaborators. To address these difficulties and increase the likelihood of collaborative success, different forms of intervention approaches for fostering inter-organisational collaboration has been advocated by collaboration researchers and practitioners. These intervention approaches all facilitate interaction and consensus formation among the participants. However their ‘added value’ is procedural rather than substantive in nature. They do not incorporate tools which can enable participants to structure the complexity of the web of factors that are implicated in their collaboration, and thus make it more manageable. This paper argues that problem structuring methods (PSMs), a family of model-based approaches to group decision and negotiation support, are a form of intervention which can provide a balanced attention to both the process and the content of inter-organisational collaboration, and reports the experience of applying a particular PSM to an inter-organisational collaborative partnership in the UK construction industry. Drawing on the rich data generated from the intervention, the paper discusses the impact of the PSM in supporting the joint appreciation activities carried out by collaborators to address their problematic situation. Implications of the experience for the research and practice of PSMs within collaborative contexts are then presented.     

跨企业协同信息管理竞争力物流实现模式

本文简要分析了当前我国企业物流管理需求和物流产业服务现状之间的差距,指出ASP物流管理模式是上述矛盾的一种很好解决途径。并通过蒙牛乳业公司的具体案例,实证分析了如何通过ASP物流管理模式来提升核心企业的竞争优势。     

Moving the Needle: Making a Contribution When the Easy Questions Have Been Answered

Today’s competitive and research realities are changing. That is, the easy questions have been answered and the easy research has been done. We therefore need to reevaluate our approach to research so that we can help decision makers resolve tomorrow’s challenges. Specifically, to provide nuanced insight, we need to begin to employ multimethod, metaparadigmatic, and longitudinal research more robustly. Of course, given the inherent cost—both time and money—associated with such research, we may need to seek more collaborative research opportunities and reconsider how research contribution is measured. These efforts will help us stay relevant and move the needle forward in an age where decision makers need greater understanding to create value and achieve differential performance.     

产业集群企业实施物流协同的对策研究

分析了产业集群实施物流协同的重要意义,指出了我国产业集群实施物流协同存在的问题,对产业集群实施物流协同的对策进行了探讨。     

基于BP神经网络的制造企业精益供应链协同风险评价研究

建立了精益供应链协同风险评价指标体系,并运用BP神经网络方法进行协同风险评价,为制造企业精益供应链协同风险的评价提供理论指导。     

物流信息系统对供应链合作效应分析——以韩国报关企业为例

分析了物流信息系统对供应链合作绩效的影响,发现物流信息系统对供应链内部合作和供应链间合作的服务以及费用绩效都有较大影响,指出供应链合作是提升供应链绩效水平的充要条件。     

政府与中介组织:互动关系分析及协作机制构建

随着社会变迁速度日益加快,政府已经无力单独处理各种经济社会问题,于是开始寻求与各种兴起的社会组织协作,中介组织在这一过程发挥着越来越重要的作用,因此,十分有必要深入剖析政府与中介组织的互动关系,并在此基础上构建两者之间的协作机制。     

供应链协同及其在汽车行业中的应用

根据国内外有关供应链协同的最新进展和研究成果，论述了供应链协同的研究现状，并总结了其在汽车行业的应用。     

Building manufacturing flexibility with strategic suppliers and contingent effect of product dynamism on customer satisfaction

A critical capability sought by an increasing number of firms is manufacturing flexibility, because it allows to effectively respond to dynamic markets. Grounded upon a supply chain perspective, this paper aims to assess antecedents of manufacturing flexibility that stem from the upstream relationships with strategic suppliers. Additionally, it is one of the first to analyze the contingent effect of product dynamism on the impact of manufacturing flexibility on downstream customer satisfaction. We apply structural equation modeling to a sample of 155 companies in order to analyze our hypotheses. Results strongly indicate that buyer-supplier collaboration facilitates inter-organizational learning that in turn allows organizations to develop manufacturing flexibility and increase customer satisfaction. Approaching manufacturing flexibility from a broader supply chain view thus pays off. Moreover, we apply multi-group confirmatory factor analysis to explore the contingent effect of product dynamism on the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and customer satisfaction. Results suggest a stronger impact of manufacturing flexibility on performance in the context of higher product dynamism in companies’ customer markets, confirming the importance of a contingency view to flexibility.