Search results

Researchers continue to seek understanding of industrialization as a state managed process. How to create and implement new industries based on advanced knowledge is on the policy agenda of many advanced nations. Measures that promote these developments include national capacity building in science and technology, the formation of technology transfer systems, and the establishment of industrial clusters. What these templates often overlook is an analysis of use. This chapter aims to increase the understanding of the processes that embed new solutions in structures from an industrial network perspective. The chapter describes an empirical study of high-technology industrialization in Taiwan that the researcher conducts to this end. The study shows that the Taiwanese industrial model is oversimplified and omits several important factors in the development of new industries. This study bases its findings on the notions that resource combination occurs in different time and space, the new always builds on existing resource structures, and the users are important as active participants in development processes.

The purpose of this study is to explore growth models based on “industry-based capabilities”, “resources-based capabilities” and “institution-based capabilities” in the context of the determinants of micro, small and medium enterprises’ (MSMEs) actors’ intention to grow.

This study involved 188 owners/managers of MSMEs. The analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Moreover, the importance-performance map analysis package is used to complement the study findings.

This study uses the framework of the resource-based view (entrepreneurial knowledge), industrial-based view (industrial linkage) and institutional-based view (government support and access to finance) as proxies of the tripod-based view framework. The findings show that entrepreneurial knowledge (skills, competencies and functional), government support, access to finance and industrial linkage (vertical and horizontal) significantly encourage MSMEs’ owner/manager growth intention.

Firstly, this study suggests that MSMEs actors focus on developing entrepreneurial knowledge to boost the skills, competencies and functionalities needed to improve their business capabilities, directly affecting their growth intention. Secondly, this study indicates that the growth intention of MSME players, besides increasing internal capacity, must also be supported by the external environment, such as financial institutions, government and industrial linkage.

This study offers a tripod-based view as a framework for MSMEs’ actors’ intention to grow, where the constructs in the model used so far have not been explored comprehensively in the context of MSMEs. So, the built model brings more relevant factors to explain this topic from various perspectives.

China is currently developing and promoting an industrial cluster policy at the government level. By enacting the ‘Opinion on promoting industrial cluster development’, China is supporting the development of industrial clusters. Building an industrial cluster is done by using a single factor but requires many additional factors like regional characteristics, competitiveness factors are also diversified. To evaluate the competitiveness of the Chinese automobile industry cluster, a competitiveness element index should be developed and a competitiveness evaluation method is needed to evaluate the importance of each element. To accomplish this objective, this research applied the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and focused on the importance of the competitiveness elements.

This research investigated the character is tics regarding cases of clusters and also analyzed the competitiveness of the Changchun automobile cluster located in northeastern China. The purpose of this research is to help Korean enterprises who enter China in the hopes that Korea will emerge as a top automobile production country.

This chapter studies banks’ loan pricing behavior in mainland China during 2003–2013 by applying panel regressions to firm-level loan data and the estimated default likelihood for listed companies. The authors find that with the progress of market-oriented financial reforms, banks generally require compensation for their exposure to borrowers’ default risks. It is even more so if the borrower is a non-state-owned enterprise (non-SOE), mainly due to the pricing behavior of the Big Four banks. Bank lending rates are shown to be less sensitive to the default risks of state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Our results also reveal that banks priced in firm default risks before 2008 financial crisis, but not necessarily so after the crisis. As for industries, we find that after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, the real estate sector and other government-supported industries tended to enjoy better terms on loan pricing in terms of default risks. We believe the main reason is that the government stimulus policies tilted toward those industries that have played crucial roles in China’s economic growth.

This chapter examines why U.S. offshore wind farms do not exist and identifies sites most suitable for development based on European offshore wind farms. A survey of current literature indicates that U.S. development is stalled due to a lack of government and financial support. The literature identifies common attributes associated with the successful deployment of European offshore farms and provides a basis for a multi-criteria decision analysis of potential U.S offshore wind farm sites. A review of European wind farms indicates that a small, 10–50 MW farm located in shallow waters of less than 20 m might be more successful than previous U.S. development efforts. The review also identifies common European attributes deemed critical for success. These attributes are modified, taking into account unique U.S. factors, and a set of nine critical attributes are derived for use in a multi-criteria decision analysis model of suitable U.S. locations. The nine critical attributes (wind quality, water depth, shore distance, state support, public support, industrial support, population density, weather, and energy costs), along with associated utility function values, are applied to 23 past and current proposed U.S. sites. The model identified three sites, in Galveston Island, TX, Port Isabel, TX, and Block Island, RI, as being most favorable for a small wind farm.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate recent labor unrest in China's automobile industry and the implications for the debate on the future of the country's labor relations and cost competitiveness.

Using data between 1999 and 2007, the authors examine how differences in work organizations in China, Germany, Japan and the USA affect wages in the automobile industry.

It is found that market forces play a more prominent role in Germany and the USA than in China and Japan and the difference is attributed to cultural, economic, political, and regulatory factors in each country.

This paper is one of the first that uses systematic data to conduct comparative analysis of labor relations in the automobile industry.

Studies show that the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies can be used to transform the built environment sector in the 21st century. Blockchain technology has been identified as one of the drivers of 4IR that could be a channel of innovation in the built environment. Studies concerning the application of blockchain technology in Nigeria’s built environment are scarce. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relevance of blockchain technology to the Nigerian built environment professionals (BEP) in the 21st century and proffer ways to promote the applications in the sector.

Given the unexplored nature of the issue in Nigeria’s context, 20 semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted across Lagos and Abuja cities. The participants were knowledgeable in construction-related information technology, from construction contracting firms and construction consulting firms, academicians in construction consultancy and internet and communication technology experts. The collated data were coded, analysed and presented in themes via a thematic approach.

Automating construction progress payments in smart contracts, financial management and supply chain management reduces transaction costs emerged as the key areas where blockchain technology can benefit the Nigerian BEP if well implemented. Others are blockchain-based BIM and prevents forgery and alteration of data, contract management and blockchain-based building information modelling (BIM). Blockchain technology applications are not without some hindrances. The 22 perceived hindrances were government, employer and employee related in Nigeria’s built environment.

This research is restricted to the relevance and encumbrances facing the applications of blockchain technology in Nigeria’s built environment. Also, this study proffers policy solutions to promote the application of blockchain technology in the built environment via a qualitative method. Future study becomes pertinent to explore other components of the 4IR and their relevance within Nigeria’s built environment.

Results from this paper will strengthen and offer a rich insight into the relevance of blockchain technology in the Nigerian built environment. Other developing nations with similar challenges may consider the recommendations from this study. This study will contribute towards stirring the parties to create a good platform and supporting policies to promote the applications and implementation of blockchain technology across the industry.

This paper is one of the few papers that attempted to uncover issues that hinder blockchain technology applications in the Nigerian built environment via a qualitative approach and proffer feasible solutions from the practitioners’ perspective.

Switching to public cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems not only provides financial and functional benefits to organizations, but also results in sunk costs of incumbent systems and uncertainty costs of cloud systems. The purpose of this study is to investigate the enablers and inhibitors concerning switching to cloud ERP systems at the organizational level.

Data were collected from 212 top managers and owners of the enterprises in Taiwan, and 10 hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling.

Technological (system quality), organizational (financial advantage), and environmental contexts (industry pressure) are found to be the antecedents of switching benefits. Perceived risk of cloud ERP systems and satisfaction with and breadth of use of incumbent ERP systems are found to be the predictors of switching costs. Switching benefits positively affect switching intention, but switching costs negatively affect switching intention.

This study develops a theoretical model grounded in a set of theoretical foundations, including two-factor theory, technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, information systems (IS) success model, and expectation confirmation theory (ECT). Two-factor theory is used to characterize switching benefits and costs that affect switching intention. Technological factors come from IS success model, and the factors affecting benefits are organized based on TOE framework. Sunk costs of incumbent ERP systems are developed based on ECT.

Different from previous studies on cloud computing adoption, this study provides insights into switching intention to cloud computing. The study also proposes an integrated model grounded in multiple perspectives to explain organizations' decisions to switch to cloud ERP systems. These findings help cloud service providers better understand how to promote cloud ERP adoption from technical, organizational, and environmental perspectives.

Within the context of globalization, industrial competitiveness has played a decisive role in determining a country's status in the world. Porter's Diamond Model is the most popular competitiveness theory currently available for explaining the achievement of a country's industrial and firm's competitive advantage. There has been considerable discourse in relation to Porter's Model and the purpose of this paper is to critique and refine Porter's Diamond Model and consider the theme of sustainable development towards the development of a new conceptual model, merging theories and concepts from internationalization, sustainable development and industry competitiveness.

Critical analysis of industrial competitiveness literature to explore the discourse on Porter's Model and identify challenges which are then informed by a consideration of internationalization and sustainable development literature.

The Porter's Diamond Model is re‐formed as the Internationalized Sustainable Industrial Competitiveness Model (ISIC Model) to meet the trends of internationalization and sustainable development.

The sustainable development concept is explicitly connected with competitiveness.

This paper contributes insights into how different firm types in the emerging market (EM) of Turkey respond to upgrading pressures in terms of internationalization and the usage of domestic political support. It seeks to highlight how the usage of and the responses to different strategies, connections and policy instruments vary with firm types.

Binary logistic regression analysis is used to differentiate and identify characteristics of firms regarding market-seeking strategies and their usage of institutional and financial support. The analysis is based on survey data from firms located in the metro-region of Istanbul: advanced market multinational enterprises (AMNEs), Turkish MNEs (TMNEs) and domestic Turkish firms (DTFs).

Different types of firms within the population of innovative firms in the EM setting of Turkey show significant variety regarding the usage of and the responses to key factors affecting internationalization. AMNEs particularly benefit from investment and export incentives as well as from establishing political connections in Turkey. DTFs significantly use tax incentives and primarily seek advanced markets. TMNEs particularly benefit from investment and export incentives and prefer to target advanced markets.

Using Turkey as a single-country setting is a limitation to the generalizability of the results. Future studies could use more cases of AMNEs to compare different countries of origin. In addition, the intended focus on R&D-related firms produces specific outcomes for such companies.

National and regional policies need to pursue different strategies for the surveyed groups of firms to attract and maintain foreign direct investments (FDIs) of AMNEs as well as to support outward FDIs of domestic firms and EM MNEs. In particular, policies for market entries and knowledge sourcing in advanced markets are becoming a crucial factor for EM firms in overcoming a shortage of resources at home.

This paper’s findings challenge existing theories such as the concept of psychic distance or liabilities of foreignness, which do not always provide an adequate explanation for internationalization activities of EM firms. In addition, it is highly relevant to apply an eclectic or multidimensional concept when conducting research in EMs in order to capture the interrelated constructs of upgrading, internationalization and political support.