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1 – 10 of over 19000
Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Raffaele Dicecca, Stefano Pascucci and Francesco Contò

Smallholder farmers often deal with lack of information and knowledge, weak financial capacity and limited collaboration and network orientation. This is hampering their ability…

Abstract

Purpose

Smallholder farmers often deal with lack of information and knowledge, weak financial capacity and limited collaboration and network orientation. This is hampering their ability to adopt or co-develop innovation, and to participate in value chain exchanges. This calls for using intermediary organizations. The purpose of this paper is to understand how innovation intermediaries engage with smallholder farmers and provoke value chain reconfigurations.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors systematically review literature to draw cases on intermediaries operating in the agri-food sector in several geographical and socio-economic contexts. The authors then adopt a theory building from cases approach to identify relationships between smallholder farmers and innovation intermediaries, and their effects in the reconfiguration of value chains.

Findings

Consultants, knowledge transfer organizations (KTOs) and broker organizations (BOs) are the three typologies of intermediaries identified. While consultants facilitate change by modifying the way smallholders engage in transactions with their buyers and input providers, KTOs focus on farmers engagement in the value chain by stimulating the formation of knowledge platform or partnership. BOs operate in a similar way as compared to KTOs but mainly by forming and facilitating access to informal networks.

Practical implications

The authors build a framework in which relationships between typologies of intermediary organizations and types of innovation processes are connected with changes at value chain level.

Originality/value

The authors highlight how diverse forms of intermediations may stimulate not only smallholder farmers’ participation in innovation networks but also value chain reconfigurations.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 118 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 June 2019

Shauhin Talesh and Jérôme Pélisse

This article explores how legal intermediaries facilitate or inhibit social change. We suggest the increasing complexity and ambiguity of legal rules coupled with the shift from…

Abstract

This article explores how legal intermediaries facilitate or inhibit social change. We suggest the increasing complexity and ambiguity of legal rules coupled with the shift from government to governance provide legal intermediaries greater opportunities to influence law and social change. Drawing from new institutional sociology, we suggest rule-intermediaries shape legal and social change, with varying degrees of success, in two ways: (1) law is filtered through non-legal logics emanating from various organizational fields and (2) law is professionalized by non-legal professionals. We draw from case studies in the United States and France to show how intermediaries facilitate or inhibit social change.

Details

Studies in Law, Politics, and Society
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-727-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 October 2020

Inessa Laur and Mike Danilovic

Although previous research has highlighted the importance of innovative intermediary services that are delivered through cluster initiatives to foster own attractiveness and the…

Abstract

Purpose

Although previous research has highlighted the importance of innovative intermediary services that are delivered through cluster initiatives to foster own attractiveness and the development of business, little emphasis has been placed on examining the patterns and influencers of such a change in new organisational forms from a management perspective. The present study investigates the change patterns of core intermediary activities in cluster initiatives as well as the influence of various stakeholders on change in those core activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical data of this work illustrates the general picture of change within new organisational forms and therefore emerges from a survey study carried out among numerous European cluster initiatives originating from different industries. The main propositions for testing have roots in and are discussed through the prism of Stakeholder Theory as well as entrepreneurship, change and intermediary (middle-hands, brokerage) literature.

Findings

The findings reveal that intermediary activities are under continuous change, and the changes appreciated by the initiative members tend to gradually increase in intensity over time. Internal stakeholders are actively engaged in the change process activities, and external stakeholders are too, but to a limited extent. This leaves space for creativity and action for the initiatives.

Research limitations/implications

This research combines stakeholder theory and literature on intermediation (new forms of organisations), change, and entrepreneurship. The outcome of the study might serve as a ground for theoretical classification of cluster initiatives as a particular type of intermediary in accordance with their specific occupation. This would add to the ongoing discussion on definition and typologies of intermediaries as well as lift the awareness on the peculiar constellation of stakeholders within these innovative organisations – their engagement expectations and level of involvement.

Practical implications

Knowledge on which stakeholders can turn to in the event that a special service is needed can shorten implementation times and improve the quality of services. This knowledge is a way to choose suitable and influential networking partners who can assist by pushing existing working mechanisms in a favourable direction.

Social implications

The study illustrates the patterns behind changes of intermediary activities/services over time, which would form solid ground for developing new methods to assist in achieving stakeholder satisfaction through cluster-initiative services. Therefore, this work can serve as a benchmarking example for traditional organisations that find themselves in “sleeping” mode or that aim for revitalization.

Originality/value

The contribution of change and engagement mechanisms to effectivization and innovativeness of organisations are highlighted as main value added of this research.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 33 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2017

Krithika Randhawa, Emmanuel Josserand, Jochen Schweitzer and Danielle Logue

This research paper aims to examine how open innovation (OI) intermediaries facilitate knowledge collaboration between organizations and online user communities. Drawing on a…

3165

Abstract

Purpose

This research paper aims to examine how open innovation (OI) intermediaries facilitate knowledge collaboration between organizations and online user communities. Drawing on a Community of Practice (CoP) perspective on knowledge, the study lays out a framework of the knowledge boundary management mechanisms (and associated practices) that intermediaries deploy in enabling client organizations to engage in online community-based OI.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on an exploratory case study of an OI intermediary and 18 client organizations that engage with online user communities on the intermediary’s platform. Results incorporate both the intermediary and clients’ perspective, based on analysis of intermediary and client interviews, clients’ online community projects and other archival data.

Findings

Results reveal that OI intermediaries deploy three knowledge boundary management mechanisms – syntactic, semantic and pragmatic – each underpinned by a set of practices. Together, these mechanisms enable knowledge transfer, translation and transformation, respectively, and thus lead to cumulatively richer knowledge collaboration outcomes at the organization–community boundary. The findings show that the pragmatic mechanism reinforces both semantic and syntactic mechanisms, and is hence the most critical to achieving effective knowledge collaboration in community-based OI settings.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that OI intermediaries have to implement all three boundary management mechanisms to successfully enable knowledge collaboration for community-based OI. More specifically, intermediaries need to expand their focus beyond the development of digital platforms, to include nuanced efforts at building organizational commitment to community engagement.

Originality/value

Drawing on the CoP view, this study integrates the knowledge management literature into the OI literature to conceptualize the role of OI intermediaries in shaping knowledge collaboration between organizations and communities. In engaging with the interactive nature of knowledge exchange in such multi-actor settings, this research extends the firm-centric theorization of knowledge that currently dominates the existing OI research.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 21 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 June 2019

Valeria Varga and Eugenia Rosca

The purpose of this paper is to answer the following research question: how can intermediaries contribute to social impact creation through their interventions at different levels…

3156

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to answer the following research question: how can intermediaries contribute to social impact creation through their interventions at different levels of distribution networks in the base of the pyramid (BoP) markets?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts an embedded case study of an intermediary organization. The analysis focuses on the intervention of the intermediary on the distribution stages of supply chains in four different projects in the food sector in Ethiopia, Benin, Nigeria and Bangladesh.

Findings

The embedded case study reveals essential formal and informal roles undertaken by the intermediary organization to develop decentralized distribution networks based on local micro-entrepreneurs. The study proposes that efforts undertaken by the intermediaries toward knowledge sharing and capacity building among partners can enable the adoption of pro-poor strategies across the supply chain. Moreover, hybrid intermediaries can act as “guardians” of the mutual value creation approach since one of their key roles is to advocate the needs of the BoP.

Research limitations/implications

Important implications for improving nutrition and food security in the BoP markets are developed based on the empirical findings. The findings open avenues for further research into the antecedents of retention rates in distribution networks based on local micro-entrepreneurs.

Practical implications

Findings have implications for different types of BoP initiatives by highlighting how intermediary organizations intervene to develop distribution models with a special focus on social impact.

Originality/value

This paper fills an important research gap by discussing social impact aspects in BoP supply chains by adopting the perspective of intermediary organizations.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 49 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2000

Marijn Janssen and Henk G. Sol

E‐commerce enables new kinds of business models to coordinate a value chain. Coordination of the value chain can be accomplished using direct communication or with the help of…

4356

Abstract

E‐commerce enables new kinds of business models to coordinate a value chain. Coordination of the value chain can be accomplished using direct communication or with the help of intermediaries such as brokers, dealers and auctions. The role of electronic intermediaries is becoming increasingly more important. The introduction of new business models in a value chain is a cumbersome process, due to the complexity of the value chain, unclear implications, different goals and interests of the stakeholders and unclear business models. Therefore, there is a need for a business engineering methodology that supports the design and development of new business models by helping the identification of these new business models and by providing insight into the implications of these business models. A business engineering methodology is presented that supports the identification and evaluation of various alternative value chain configurations. The goal of this methodology is to give stakeholders insight into their current, and possible alternative, situations by means of visualization, to evaluate the added value of business models using simulation and to gain experience with the new business models using gaming.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 10 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2020

David Eddy-Spicer, Paula Arce-Trigatti and Michelle D. Young

This article explores two intermediary organizations that are attempting to alter the landscape of US education by building organizational networks and professional capital that…

Abstract

Purpose

This article explores two intermediary organizations that are attempting to alter the landscape of US education by building organizational networks and professional capital that disrupt traditional relationships between K-12 education and higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The work is a theory-driven, comparative case study of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) and the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships (NNERPP). Through the lens of institutional theory, the authors employ an extended case method that uses comparative analysis of situationally-embedded organizational case studies to build theory.

Findings

The two organizations play an intermediary role by The two organizations play an intermediary role by establishing new standards, norms, and patterns of practice between higher education and local systems of education. In doing so, these organizations serve as meso-institutions, alliances that mediate the processes of institutionalization and play essential parts in developing new facets of infrastructure and new professional identities that hold the potential for nurturing and sustaining professional capital. System leadership hinges on strategic bricolage to identify near-term next steps that align with longer-term strategic goals related to field building.

Originality/value

Professional capital as a concept was initially characterized from a bottom-up perspective, valorizing the agentive dimensions of human, social and decisional capital in opposition to top-down, centralized control. Our conceptualization of intermediary organizations as meso-institutions addresses how the processes of mediated networking and system leadership operate to build professional capital in specific ways that crystallize institutional change.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2010

Johanna Kokkomäki, Tommi Laukkanen and Raija Komppula

The objective of this paper is to identify the factors determining a business organisation's use of an intermediary when buying convention packages and meeting services.

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to identify the factors determining a business organisation's use of an intermediary when buying convention packages and meeting services.

Design/methodology/approach

The data are based on a case, a public organisation responsible for promoting and intermediating meetings, incentives, contentions and events (MICE) services provided by small and medium‐sized tourism organisations in southern Finland. An online questionnaire was used for the data collection and a total of 223 valid responses were collected. Explorative factor analysis was used to analyse the research results.

Findings

Based on explorative factor analysis it is suggested there are three distinct factors as determinants of the phenomenon, namely “Attractive convention packages”, “Know‐how of the personnel”, and “Ease of buying a convention package”. The results of the structural equation modelling reveal that ease of buying a convention package is the primary reason for using the intermediary, while attractive convention packages and know‐how of the personnel have a much lower effect.

Research limitations/implications

More research is needed to explore if there are more attributes affecting the use of an intermediary in the buying process.

Practical implications

Intermediaries of meeting services can develop their services by paying more attention to how to make the buying process easier and more flexible for the customer.

Originality/value

Earlier studies have not analysed the structure of the interrelationships among variables affecting the use of an intermediary in the purchase of meeting services, or empirically verified constructs to measure these factors.

Details

Tourism Review, vol. 65 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1660-5373

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 January 2014

Wil Janssen, Harry Bouwman, René van Buuren and Timber Haaker

The purpose of this paper is to address the role of intermediaries in open innovation networks in achieving ICT-enabled innovations. The ultimate goal of open innovation networks…

2380

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the role of intermediaries in open innovation networks in achieving ICT-enabled innovations. The ultimate goal of open innovation networks is to create value for endusers and providers, and to share the risks and rewards. The aim of this paper is to analyse the competences that intermediaries in open innovation networks need to master and exploit during the exploration and exploitation phases of an innovation process.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 14 cases, all of which are examples of collaborative multi-party projects with a focus on ICT-enabled innovations, the paper inductively develops a competence model for intermediaries that can be applied at different stages in the innovation.

Findings

The research shows that intermediaries can play an effective role in open innovation, provided they have the right set of competences. It can be concluded that the role of innovation intermediary is most relevant in the creation and development phases.

Research limitations/implications

This study certainly has its limitations. The researchers were involved in several cases, which may have biased their views, even though an external expert who was familiar with the case and the work of the intermediary was involved to minimize the risk. Most importantly, the cases all involved of a single intermediary, albeit with many different private and public partners. The cases were primarily located in the Netherlands. It would be interesting to complement this study with results from other innovation intermediaries.

Practical implications

The paper identified which competences of organizations in innovation are required, and how to balance the competences between the different partners, including the innovation intermediary. The study allows to link the type of goal of the collaboration to a number of best practices, including the competences and roles that are required at different stages.

Originality/value

The paper combines the core innovation competences with the innovation value chain concept developed, and evaluate the resulting model in 14 different cases. The model is new and relevant in practice.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 November 2022

Robert Braun, Anne Loeber, Malene Vinther Christensen, Joshua Cohen, Elisabeth Frankus, Erich Griessler, Helmut Hönigmayer and Johannes Starkbaum

This study aims to discuss science governance in Europe and the network of associated nonprofit institutions. The authors posit that this network, which comprises both (partial…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to discuss science governance in Europe and the network of associated nonprofit institutions. The authors posit that this network, which comprises both (partial) learning organizations and non-learning organizations, has been observed to postpone taking up “responsibility” as an issue in science governance and funding decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses the challenge of learning and policy implementation within the European science governance system. By exploring how learning on responsible innovation (RI) in this governance system can be provoked, it addresses the question how Senge’s insights in organizational learning can clarify discourses on and practices of RI and responsibility in research. This study explores the potential of a new organizational form, that of Social Labs, to support learning on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in standing governance organizations.

Findings

This study concludes that Social Labs are a suitable format for enacting the five disciplines as identified by Senge, and a Social Lab may turn into a learning organization, be it a temporary one. Responsibility in research and innovation is conducive for learning in the setting of a Social Lab, and Social Labs act as intermediary organizations, which not merely pass on information among actors but also actively give substantive shape to what they convey from a practice-informed, normative orientation.

Research limitations/implications

This empirical work on RRI-oriented Social Labs therefore suggests that Social Lab–oriented temporary, intermediary learning organizations present a promising form for implementing complex normative policies in a networked, nonhierarchical governance setting.

Practical implications

Based on this research funding and governance organizations in research, policy-makers in other domains may take up and create such intermediary organizations to aid learning in (science) governance.

Social implications

This research suggests that RRI-oriented Social Labs present a promising form for implementing complex normative policies, thus integrate learning on and by responsible practices in various governance settings.

Originality/value

European science governance is characterized by a network of partial Learning Organization (LOs) and Non-Learning Organization (nLOs) who postpone decision-making on topics around “responsibility” and “solving societal challenges” or delegate authority to reviewers and individual actors, filtering possibilities for collaborative transformation toward RRI. social lab (SLs) are spaces that can address social problems or social challenges in an open, action-oriented and creative manner. As such, they may function as temporary, intermediary LOs bringing together diverse actors from a specific context to work on and learn about issues of science and society where standing organizations avoid doing so. Taken together, SLs may offer temporary organizational structures and spaces to move beyond top-down exercise of power or lack of real change to more open, deliberative and creative forms of sociopolitical coordination between multiple actors cutting across realms of state, practitioners of research and innovation and civil society. By taking the role of temporary LOs, they may support existing research and innovation organizations and research governance to become more flexible and adaptive.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 19000