Search results
1 – 10 of over 50000Mohit Goswami, Felix T.S. Chan, M. Ramkumar, Yash Daultani, Saurabh Pratap and Ankita Chhabra
In this research, collaboration attributes related to the firm's intrinsic and extrinsic facets at pertinent levels (i.e. enterprise, strategic, operational, and tactical levels…
Abstract
Purpose
In this research, collaboration attributes related to the firm's intrinsic and extrinsic facets at pertinent levels (i.e. enterprise, strategic, operational, and tactical levels) for construction equipment OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) operating in India have been quantified and modeled.
Design/methodology/approach
For modeling the intra-firm collaboration at respective organizational levels, relevant attributes have been populated employing literature review followed by subsequent validation from pertinent focus groups. The focus groups comprising professionals working in the construction and mining equipment industry in India aided us in estimating the extent of interdependencies and influences within/amongst collaboration attributes. The collaboration attributes and respective interdependencies/influences are modeled employing the concept of graph theory wherein the individual attributes are represented using vertices and influences/interdependencies are represented using edges. The collaboration indices resulting from the variable permanent matrix have been derived as well.
Findings
Scenario and subsequent sensitivity analysis are performed. This research discusses the significance and aspects related to various collaborative attributes and the interrelations amongst them. Further, the research also evolves quantitative measures of collaboration indices at enterprise, strategic, tactical and operational levels by employing a graph-theoretic approach (GTA). The authors have also extricated and discussed a number of meaningful implications from both the perspectives of interorganizational relationships (IORs) and the normative theory of organizations using a cross-case analysis of five firms having operations in India.
Originality/value
The research would aid organizations (particularly those belonging to the construction equipment sector) measure the efficacy of collaboration in respective value-chains at strategic, tactical and operational levels. From the theoretical perspective, the integration of the IORs and normative theory of organizations enables looking at the intra-firm collaboration problem from a multi-dimensional standpoint involving activities, performance measures, action initiation, communication, shades of top management, level of activity, etc.
Details
Keywords
Guilong Zhu, Fu Sai and Zitao Qin
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of two dimensions of technological relatedness, namely technological similarity and complementarity, on collaborative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of two dimensions of technological relatedness, namely technological similarity and complementarity, on collaborative performance, plus the mediating role of collaboration network stickiness and the moderating role of partner expertise and geographical distance in interfirm collaboration contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This study takes Chinese Scientific and Technological Achievements (STA) of inter-firm collaboration in five high-tech fields in 2010–2020 as the sample and uses OLS regression to test the hypothesis.
Findings
Technological similarity and complementarity positively affect collaborative performance. Partner expertise negatively moderates the relationship between similarity, complementarity and collaborative performance. Geographical distance positively moderates the relationship between similarity and collaborative performance while negatively moderates that between complementarity and collaborative performance. Collaboration network stickiness partly mediates the relationship between similarity and collaborative performance.
Originality/value
This study expands literature on inter-firm collaboration, especially research on the antecedents of collaborative performance. Moreover, this study not only compensates for lack of empirical analysis in partner selection research, but also utilizes second-hand data to enhance the objectivity of analysis. Additionally, we enrich the research on the moderating role of partner expertise and geographical distance as well as the mediating role of collaboration network stickiness.
Details
Keywords
How does university-firm collaboration affect the performance of both universities and firms? The purpose of this paper is to evaluate university-firm collaborations aimed at…
Abstract
Purpose
How does university-firm collaboration affect the performance of both universities and firms? The purpose of this paper is to evaluate university-firm collaborations aimed at expanding the treatment effects of collaboration ambition on university academic performance as well as collaboration ambition focused on the firm’s production of innovation and financial performance for the top 110 US universities and the top 200 US R&D performing firms.
Design/methodology/approach
“Two studies, based on the three archival data sets (National Bureau of Economic Research-Rensselaer Scientific Papers Database and the Harvard Dataverse Network (DVN) US Patent Citations database and Compustat database), are undertaken in the top 110 US universities and the top 200 US R&D performing firms.” The study introduces a theoretical model that explicitly addresses collaboration diversity, number of collaborations, knowledge stock and the endogeneity problem that is generated by self-selection of collaboration ambition in university and firm’s performance.
Findings
The results suggest that the effects of adopting proactive collaboration decision on academic performance are insignificant in the firm subsample. However, more interestingly, the authors find supporting evidence of the negative impact of collaboration on university groups. The authors also find that collaboration diversity, knowledge stock and collaboration ambition lead to stronger firm performance but the number of collaborations is smaller on firm performance. Furthermore, the authors find that collaboration ambition moderates the positive effect of the number of collaborations on firm performance.
Practical implications
University-firm collaboration is a multifaceted relationship, suggesting that the empirical analysis can be interpreted through the university and the firm view to enhance the understanding of the collaboration for performance creation. This study articulates the positive role of collaboration diversity, knowledge stock and collaboration ambition and the negative role of the number of collaborations on university-firm collaboration in terms of university and firm performance. Moreover, proactive collaboration ambition has the positive effect of a higher number of collaborations on firm performance. The authors conclude that policy should refrain from overly focusing on collaboration diversity, number of collaborations, knowledge stock and collaboration ambition, and the authors consider the interactions between the number of collaborations and collaboration ambition on university-firm collaboration when discussing their effects on mutual performance.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates the effects of university-firm collaboration on academic performance. In addition, the authors discuss the factors that influence collaboration to help the firm to increase its innovation and financial performance. Therefore, it would be interesting to see simultaneously how university-firm collaboration affects the performance of both partners.
Details
Keywords
Mo Li and Bang Nguyen
This paper aims to provide academics and practitioners working with collaboration of technology information and innovation with a review of key interfirm-collaboration topics…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide academics and practitioners working with collaboration of technology information and innovation with a review of key interfirm-collaboration topics, such as the determinants of innovation activity, innovation, imitation, the impact of competition, collaboration versus competition and a review of game theoretic approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a comprehensive review of extant literature, conducted and analyzed systematically.
Findings
This paper highlights that when firms absorb collaboration opportunities that involves information, there are critical elements for success, which need to be considered, including economies of scale, knowledge sharing, market size and volatility, strategic partner selection, intellectual property rights, spillover effects, collaboration costs, trust and commitment, opportunism and overall collaboration strategy.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to existing information literature by emphasizing various game theoretic approaches, which highlight how collaboration costs are shared when collaboration occurs. In conclusion, ten managerial implications are offered about collaboration of information technological innovation.
Details
Keywords
Tyler R. Morgan, Robert Glenn Richey Jr and Chad W. Autry
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of collaboration and information technology (IT) on the reverse logistics competency of firms. Through collaboration firms…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of collaboration and information technology (IT) on the reverse logistics competency of firms. Through collaboration firms can improve their ability to handle returns, but this research introduces IT as providing a moderating influence over the impact of collaboration in the advancement of a reverse logistics competency.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was administered to employees involved with supply chain relationships. Empirical evidence from 267 respondents is analyzed with structural equation modeling.
Findings
Support is found for the positive moderating influence of an IT competency on the relationship between collaboration and a reverse logistics competency. Additional benefits for logistics performance are also realized.
Research limitations/implications
This research provides theoretical implications for the development of a reverse logistics competency through an application of resource-based theory/resource-based view of the firm. The study is limited to the selected research questions and sample of predominantly US firms.
Practical implications
This research assists managers as they attempt to develop a reverse logistics competency to address the growing problem of returns through collaboration with supply chain members and the development of an IT competency.
Originality/value
The framework developed in this research provides insights regarding the handling of product returns. Specifically, the moderating influence of an IT competency is addressed as it enhances the impact of collaboration on the development of a reverse logistics competency.
Details
Keywords
Lisa Melander and Ala Pazirandeh
This paper aims to explore the how, why, who and what of collaborations in green innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the how, why, who and what of collaborations in green innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on 11 case studies conducted at high-technological firms where 30 top management representatives were interviewed.
Findings
The study shows that firms share knowledge on green innovation across industries through horizontal collaborations and their extended network, such as their suppliers’ and customer’s networks in other industries. The results also show that digitalization, connectivity and big data are considered important vessels to improve environmental sustainability, as firms believe that these technologies will result in large gains related to resource utilization. Finally, the firms in this study engaged to a wide extent in green innovation activities, which resulted in a variety of improved resource utilization related to energy efficiency, new materials, new technologies, limiting emissions and recycle management.
Research limitations/implications
The paper contributes to the literature by showing that firms share knowledge on green innovation not only within their network but also across industries through horizontal collaborations and their extended network.
Practical implications
The study points to the complexity of collaborating on green innovation. The authors show the importance of digitalization to improving environmental sustainability, with managers needing to develop business models and finding collaboration partners that can facilitate the transformation towards more connected products and services.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the field of supply network collaboration by studying how firms collaborate to improve environmental sustainability.
Details
Keywords
Wen-Hsiang Lai and Arch G Woodside
The purpose of this paper is to help interfirm-collaborating cluster (ICC) executives examine the relevance of alternative decision rules in practical business contexts…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to help interfirm-collaborating cluster (ICC) executives examine the relevance of alternative decision rules in practical business contexts. Multi-party-implemented strategies and establishing multi-lateral collaborations are necessary actions for achieving success in new product development by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study explores interfirm decision-making heuristics relating to industrial ICCs.
Design/methodology/approach
The study examines the relevancy to decision making in ICCs of heurstics such as “fast-and-frugal decision trees” (FFDTs) and “take-the-best” (TTB) to processing possibly influential decision-making cues. The study also examines simple heuristics versus the value of a “fully rational” approach to making decisions – calculating cue values, importance weights, multiplying values by weights, summing and selecting the option having the highest summed score. This study included interviewing executives of the pivotal firm in an ICC.
Findings
This study reveals a decision-making solution for shortening the time and processes required in seeking new business collaboration partners in an ICC. This study not only develops a FFDT for six decision-making modules to quickly identify potential collaboration partners, but it also constructs a decision systems analysis (DSA) flowchart to effectively shorten the decision-making process.
Research limitations/implications
This study is in accordance with the general type of industrial interfirm collaboration in Taiwan. The industrial interfirm collaboration could be further divided into the types of formal, semi-formal and informal industrial interfirm collaborations.
Practical implications
This study argues that firms usually find it difficult to develop their own technology because of the high costs of research and development for SMEs. Therefore, firms need to collaborate with partners to maintain their competitive advantage. However, to collaborate, firms must learn to trust their collaboration partners, and the degree of collaboration also strongly depends on the degree to which they trust their collaboration partners.
Originality/value
This study provides the efficient models of FFDT and DSA to quickly identify potential collaboration partners and to effectively shorten decision-making processes.
Details
Keywords
Brian Squire, Paul D. Cousins, Benn Lawson and Steve Brown
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between supplier capabilities, supply chain collaboration and buyer responsiveness.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between supplier capabilities, supply chain collaboration and buyer responsiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample is drawn from UK manufacturing firms across eight industry sectors. Data are analysed using a three‐step hierarchical regression model to investigate main, interaction and quadratic effects.
Findings
The results indicate that suppliers' capabilities (flexibility, responsiveness and modularity) directly impact buyer responsiveness but that the level of buyer‐supplier collaboration moderates this relationship. Furthermore, the results show a curvilinear relationship directly between collaboration and buyer responsiveness, whereby there is an optimal point beyond which returns on the relationship decline.
Research limitations/implications
The method adopted is a cross‐sectional design and therefore cannot imply causality. Nonetheless, the findings suggest a number of implications. The paper identifies empirical evidence for the extended resource‐based view (ERBV) of the firm and therefore has implications for the unit of analysis of future studies investigating competitive advantage. Contrary to popular wisdom, the findings also suggest a curvilinear relationship between supply chain collaboration and performance.
Originality/value
The paper provides novel insights into the impact of supplier capabilities on buyer responsiveness. Furthermore, the paper provides empirical evidence for the rationale of the ERBV within the context of operations management.
Details
Keywords
Nancy W. Nix and Zach G. Zacharia
Supply chains are embedded in a larger network of enterprises where firms exchange offerings, often compete for the same customers, and constantly innovate to improve their…
Abstract
Purpose
Supply chains are embedded in a larger network of enterprises where firms exchange offerings, often compete for the same customers, and constantly innovate to improve their performance. In these dynamic environments, firms are increasingly dependent on the knowledge and expertise in external organizations to innovate, problem-solve, and improve performance. Firms are increasingly collaborating to exchange and pool skills and knowledge and deploy resources and capabilities not found in their own firm. This research using both structured interviews and survey data seeks to determine what are the direct benefits and the ancillary benefits of collaboration. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed methodology approach was utilized, using qualitative structured interviews leading to developing a research model and then an empirical survey of 473 participants who are involved in their respective organization's collaboration projects. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine relationships between collaborative engagement, knowledge gained, operational outcomes and relational outcomes.
Findings
The results of the study indicate that collaborative engagement has a direct effect on knowledge gained, operational outcomes and relational outcomes in collaboration. The ancillary benefit of collaboration is the learning that takes place leads to improved operational outcomes and relational outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
In this research study all the constructs are only examined from a single perspective. This can be a limitation as it would be of greater value to collect data from all the members involved in the collaboration.
Originality/value
Collaboration has been well studied in many fields but this research suggests an important ancillary benefit that needs to be considered when deciding to collaborate is the knowledge and learning that happens during a collaboration.
Details
Keywords
Firms are increasingly organizing cross-regional R&D collaborations among different units. Such collaborations should promote knowledge flows across distance and bring new…
Abstract
Firms are increasingly organizing cross-regional R&D collaborations among different units. Such collaborations should promote knowledge flows across distance and bring new knowledge to the local communities. However, the nature of cross-regional collaborations varies widely depending on the organizations within which they are organized. Compared with collaborations within small firms, collaborations in large firms tend to be routinized, which reduces the need for interpersonal interactions and increases the dependence on organizational structure. As a result, additional spillover from cross-regional collaboration is likely to be lower if the collaboration is within large firms. We extend this argument to the regional level and hypothesize that regions with a higher level of cross-regional collaborations tend to generate more valuable technologies, but when large firms dominate the formation of such collaborations, the marginal benefits of cross-regional collaboration are significantly reduced. Using a data set from the pharmaceutical industry between 1975 and 2001, we find support for our hypotheses. We conduct a series of robustness tests to check the consistency of our results.
Details