Search results

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between open innovation (OI) and innovative performance, and to explore the moderating effect of knowledge structure, including component knowledge and architectural knowledge, on this particular relationship.

The proposed model was tested with regression analysis of data collected through a questionnaire survey of 231 employees of Chinese manufacturing firms.

The findings indicate that inbound OI is positively related to innovative performance and that outbound OI has an inverted U-shaped effect on innovative performance. By presenting empirical evidence of the moderating effects of component and architectural knowledge, our analysis of results demonstrates that the strong alignment between knowledge structure and OI results in superior innovative performance.

This study addresses the controversial issues brought up by previous studies with findings of an inverted U-shaped effect of outbound OI on innovative performance. By exploring the moderating effect of knowledge structure, the authors provide insights into how internal contextual factors in relation to organizational knowledge can affect the efficacy of the inbound and outbound OI on innovative performance.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical account of how firms make choices between dynamic capability-based and ad hoc problem-solving approaches toward strategic change.

A model has been developed to answer the questions of how and under what conditions firms develop appropriate approaches to handle strategic change.

Drawing upon structural inertia theory (SIT) and the resource-based view (RBV), the model predicts that firms, regardless of their age and size, are more likely to adopt an ad hoc problem-solving approach to handle change in both highly dynamic and low-dynamic environments. However, in moderately dynamic environments, a dynamic capability-based approach may be more appropriate, depending on which theoretical logic (SIT or RBV) the decision is made.

The paper builds on the useful distinction made by Winter (2003) in terms of the ways to handle organizational change and extends the recent research on temporary vs sustainable competitive advantages to investigate how firms tackle strategic change within the contexts of both environmental dynamism and organizational attributes.

Managing tacit knowledge effectively and efficiently is a huge challenge for organizations. Based on the social exchange and self-determination theories, this study aims to explore the role of social interactions in motivating employees' willingness to share tacit knowledge (WSTK).

The study used a survey approach and collected data from 228 employees in service and manufacturing organizations.

Interactional justice and respectful engagement are positively related to WSTK. The perceived cost of tacit knowledge sharing (CostTKS) partially mediates the relationship between interactional justice and WSTK. Respectful engagement moderates the negative relationship between interactional justice and the perceived CostTKS.

The study advances the understanding of the role of social interaction in facilitating employee WSTK by integrating the direct and intermediate relationships involving the effect of supervisor's interactional justice and peers' respectful engagement and employee perceived CostTKS on WSTK.

The findings have important practical implications for organizations as these suggest how organizations can help tacit knowledge holders experience less negative and more supportive behaviors when they engage in voluntary TKS.

This study examines the effect of both vertical and horizontal work-related interactions on perceived CostTKS and sequentially on WSTK, thereby extending existing literature.

Examines the relationship between trust and participation in decision making and the cultural differences and similarities between Chinese and Australian managers. Finds that the level of trust placed by managers in th eir subordinates has a direct impact on the managers’ attitudes towards employee participation in management. States that while there is a significant difference between Australian and Chinese managers on levels of trust in employees’ psychological maturity, managers from both countries display similar trust in employees’ ability to perform their jobs.

Focusing on entrepreneurship in China's emerging economy, this paper aims to explore the extent to which the human capital and social capital of Chinese entrepreneurs facilitates their acquisition of tacit marketing knowledge.

Observation and literature review are presented.

The paper proposes a conceptual framework that links tacit marketing knowledge and entrepreneurs' human and social capital. When accessibility of the general knowledge of expertise and professional business in a society is low, Chinese entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) thus depend on their own resources of human capital and abilities of social capital to acquire tacit knowledge. Both specific and general human capitals facilitate Chinese entrepreneurs' acquisition of tacit marketing knowledge. With a strong awareness of the low level of institutional trust in the current transition economy, Chinese entrepreneurs develop the interpersonal trusting relationship to gain social support. Through the trust and trustworthiness, the quality of relationships in business networks creates the personal relational resource for tacit knowledge reciprocity.

This paper fills the gap in the literature by identifying critical intervening components of human and social capitals in the entrepreneurship process in China's emerging market knowledge which have previously remained untouched. The key issues of how Chinese entrepreneurs of private SMEs initially acquire knowledge‐based resources to operate their businesses are critically proposed.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which procedural justice influences a manager's decision‐making behaviour and the extent to which managerial values related to power‐distance moderates the relationship between participation in decision processes and procedural justice.

A questionnaire survey was conducted in this study. Dependent variables were the degree of participation in decision making and the degree of sharing information with subordinates. Independent variables were procedural justice and power distance.

The findings suggest that procedural justice is related positively to encouraging initiatives and information sharing. The findings also indicate that power distance moderates the relationship between procedural justice and decision‐making behaviours. Although managers were inclined to share information with employees when they believed in procedural justice, high‐power‐distance values would weaken such a positive link.

The study explores the moderating role of power distance in the formation of perceptions about procedural justice but the interactive and distributive justice of managers are not included here for a comprehensive understanding of organizational justice. Another limitation is that the sample in the study was limited geographically to the regions of Southern China.

Emphasis of procedural justice among managers throughout the hierarchical system of an organization would be an effective way to improve both management effectiveness and employee performance. However, while managers develop warm relationships with their employees, they still share information reluctantly with employees in decision making when the intent is to maximize power.

The perspective of managers, which is adopted in this study, makes it original compared to previous studies of procedural justice. Such studies take the standpoint of employees or student subjects. Another contribution is that the cultural construct of power distance is analysed with managers at the individual level. Further, the study sheds light on important managerial issues related to the relationships between procedural justice, participation and the moderating effects of a manager's value orientation within the context of China.

A major challenge faced by MNCs is how to manage knowledge transfer between headquarters and subsidiaries located in dissimilar cultural contexts. While the impact of culture on knowledge transfer has been widely acknowledged, an important gap in the literature is how cultural distance (external variable) and subsidiary roles (internal variable) interact in impacting on knowledge flows in MNCs. The purpose of this paper is to present an integrative model to advance understanding of the interaction between cultural distance and subsidiary roles in the knowledge transfer process within MNCs.

An environment‐strategy‐performance framework is developed based on a review of extant literature. A case study is used to substantiate the framework. It was conducted in an MNC in China and involved in‐depth interviews with expatriate and local managers.

Knowledge transfer in MNCs is influenced by external context (cultural distance) and internal mechanisms (subsidiary roles). The direction and magnitude of knowledge flows is related to the strategic roles of the subsidiary and is influenced by cultural distance. Negative impacts are evident where cultural distance is large, with positive impacts where cultural synergies occur. Changes in Chinese cultural values impacting on knowledge transfer are also evident.

The conceptual model combines internal resource and external environmental perspectives. It links literature on cross‐cultural management, subsidiary roles and MNC knowledge transfer. Furthermore, it explores linkages between culture and knowledge transfer, cultural distance and subsidiary roles, knowledge transfer and subsidiary roles. The model is operationalised in a China‐based case study.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the ancient, 2,500 years old The Art of War by Sun Tzu from a system of systems engineering perspectives. The aim is to show that even for an emerging discipline in engineering the underlying concepts may be much more deeply rooted.

The author approaches the subject by an in‐depth analysis of recent conceptualizations of system of systems engineering. The author relates by analysis these concepts back to business strategy. He illustrates from his own empirical work how corporate strategy is but an equivalent to “system” of systems. From original writings of Sun Tzu in The Art of War he then develops a generic model of system of systems.

Ideas in system of systems engineering, an emerging multi‐discipline are far more deeply rooted in history, at least 2,500 years or even more. Using the cockpit of as an illustrative metaphor, the author argues for a research agenda to design an The Art of War boardroom information system.

In this paper, the author argues why in the design of information system, it is useful to take a system of systems perspective. He draws upon the example of cockpit design of aircraft as inspirational design in modeling a futuristic The Art of War boardroom.

In this paper, the author illustrates how cross disciplinary researches between engineering, business and history may be so enriching. That in designing information systems for an The Art of War boardroom it is useful to use metaphorical equivalences. In this case, it is from the informational design of cockpits in fighter aircraft.

This paper aims to investigate the dynamics of IJV inter‐partner cooperation and examines the critical determinants of maintaining ongoing cooperative intern‐partner relationship between IJV partners.

The research is based on a dataset collected through a survey of IJVs in China. Non‐parametric statistics were used in the analyses to test a series of hypotheses.

The research finds that inter‐partner cooperation is a comprehensive process and impacted by a series of factors. Appropriate selection of local Chinese partners is critical to a cooperative relationship between IJV partners. In particular, intrinsic capabilities of local partners were found more important than their external advantageous conditions. The technology transfer coupled by the organisational learning of foreign partners also significantly facilitates a cooperative inter‐partner relationship of IJVs.

IJV inter‐partner cooperation is examined from a comprehensive perspective to reveal the dynamics of the cooperation. Critical determinants of inter‐partner cooperation are identified, enhancing our understanding of managing inter‐partner cooperation of IJVs in China.