Search results

This paper aims to investigate how the relationships among the different actors within the business networks affect the evolution of innovation along the different steps of technology life cycle.

The study is supported by a longitudinal case study referred to a mechanical company operating in the knitting machineries industry. A triangulation method integrating multiple data sources in a multiple method design was used to gather data.

The longitudinal study supports the idea that interactions among the actors within the business networks heavily influence the technology evolution.

Although the longitudinal case study reported in this paper refers to a period of time of about 10 years, our findings refer only to a single case study in a specific sector and so they cannot be generalized.

This paper provides important guidelines on how to manage the relationships emerging within a business network to influence the new technologies development.

The paper contributes to business networks literature, filling the gaps about how the relationships among the actors involved in a network can evolve over time and influence the evolution of technology in itself.

The purpose of this research is to provide a theoretical explanation of the strategic and structural changes occurring in US omnichannel retail supply chains. Using longitudinal data, the research documents transitions in retailers' supply chain strategies, specifically related to the order fulfillment process. It further offers explanation for how and why these transitions occurred.

This research uses a process theory lens to explain the business model transformation of the omnichannel order fulfillment process. Using a case study approach, a longitudinal multicase study was conducted with six large US retailers over a span of 10 years. Within-case and cross-case analysis identifies the sequence and rationale of different strategic and structural shifts in retailers' omnichannel order fulfillment strategy.

The within- and cross-case analyses offer insight into how the transitions occur, at what rate they occur across several different retailers, and why the rate can differ across the stages of omnichannel transition among retailers. The research documents that retailers took varied approaches to strategically develop and structurally change their order fulfillment processes in their transition to omnichannel retail. The findings reveal that these approaches are dependent on retailers' store-based logistics capabilities and specific supply chain arrangements within their retail segment.

The longitudinal and theoretically driven approach provides researchers a better understanding of the business model transformation in US retail omnichannel operations. This approach builds theoretical context around why and how strategic and structural changes in omnichannel fulfillment occurred over time. It also explains the underlying omnichannel phenomenon more accurately than research focused on discrete changes at a single point in time.

The findings and managerial insights can assist practitioners in understanding how environmental changes have led to strategic and structural shifts across different stages of omnichannel fulfillment evolution. These insights also provide guidance to retailers that are currently in early stages of developing their omnichannel fulfillment strategy.

Logistics and fulfillment operations of retailers have changed dramatically over the last 10–15 years. The authors apply a process theory lens to explain how and why retailers have integrated their channels to achieve omnichannel success at the store level.

This study aims to answer the research question of how a calculative regime for public universities is implemented, how and under which conditions its symbolic use emerges and what kind of unintended consequences occur over time.

The empirical material presented in the paper derives methodically from a longitudinal qualitative research approach analyzing higher education systems (HES)-reforms in Austria. To better understand the consequences of the organizational changes in line with the new legal framework, 2 series of qualitative interviews in 2011/2012 and 2016/2017 on the field level and the organizational level were conducted.

Identifying two enabling consequences from the tactical behaviors of resistance and symbolic use, i.e. new processes of communication and horizontal network building, allows for theory-building with a focus on the dynamics how accounting begins, then next becomes an established infrastructure, is then destabilized and re-elaborated before it becomes, again, an infrastructure which is different from before.

Although the findings are based on a national empirical context, they are linked to the international discourse on HES in transition and the role of calculative regimes including performance measurement and management attitudes and instruments. They are relevant for an international research community open-minded toward differentiated case studies in a longitudinal perspective on HES-reforms.

When reflecting on their own specific settings governing bodies and practitioners managing the transition of HES may find insights from longitudinal case studies inspiring. The dynamics initiated by new calculative regimes installed need a sensitive framework to handle dissent, resistance, tactical behaviors and changes in power relations between the field level and the organizational level.

This is a unique longitudinal case study of the Austrian HES and its public universities in transition.

Existing works in the supply chain complexity area have either focused on the overall behavior of multi-firm complex adaptive systems or on listing specific tools and techniques that business units (BUs) can use to manage supply chain complexity but without providing a thorough discussion about when and why they should be deployed. This research aims to address this gap by developing a conceptually sound model, based on the literature, regarding how an individual BU should reduce versus absorb supply chain complexity.

This research synthesizes the supply chain complexity and organizational design literature to present a conceptual model of how a BU should respond to supply chain complexity. The authors illustrate the model through a longitudinal case study analysis of a packaged foods manufacturer.

Regardless of its type or origin, supply chain complexity can arise because of the strategic business requirements of the BU (strategic) or because of suboptimal business practices (dysfunctional complexity). Consistent with the proposed conceptual model, the illustrative case study showed that a firm must first distinguish between strategic and dysfunctional drivers prior to choosing an organizational response. Furthermore, it was found that efforts to address supply chain complexity can reveal other system weaknesses that lie dormant until the system is stressed.

The case study provides empirical support for the literature-derived conceptual model. Nevertheless, any findings derived from a single, in-depth case study require further research to produce generalizable results.

The conceptual model presented here provides a more granular view of supply chain complexity and how an individual BU should respond, than what can be found in the existing literature. The model recognizes that an individual BU can simultaneously face both strategic and dysfunctional complexity drivers, each requiring a different organizational response.

There are no other research works that have synthesized the supply chain complexity and organizational design literature to present a conceptual model of how an individual BU should respond to supply chain complexity. As such, this paper improves the understanding of supply chain complexity effects and provides a basis for future research, as well as guidance for BUs facing complexity challenges.

This paper aims to examine post-merger integration (PMI) through the lens of paradox to determine how paradoxes contribute to successful integration. Although PMI has been identified as crucial to understand merger success or failure, the literature on PMI drivers remains inconclusive.

Drawing on the theory of paradox and two key elements of PMI, strategic interdependency (SI) and organizational autonomy (OA), the authors describe the merger of two listed French companies using longitudinal data.

The authors identify how the paradox between OA and SI was triggered and fostered PMI success by leading to symbiotic integration. They also show that two capabilities were central in helping the paradox to evolve: preserving the specificities of the organizations and pooling their respective capabilities. These capabilities result from basic decisions and actions during the integration implementation, such as highlighting the expertise of the target firm, refocusing the core activity while valorizing each company’s expertise, clarifying the identity of the new organization on the market and enhancing joint piloting and transferring both general management capacity and functional abilities during the reorganization period.

The authors offer several useful insights for managers trying to manage paradoxical tension throughout the merger process. This study encourages managers to embrace inconsistencies as they make decisions and to shift to dynamic decision-making as a way to adapt to complex contexts.

This study adopts a global and inclusive approach to focus on OA and SI and flesh out a picture of the integration process. It proposes a dynamic process model to conceptualize the stage-wise nature of the PMI process by highlighting the interrelations between OA and SI dynamics.

The purpose of this paper is to define and explore the concept of financial supply chain strategy in a global business environment. The paper aims to illustrate the concepts with a detailed case study of Motorola's global financial supply chain.

This is a detailed, longitudinal case study analysis of a focal organisation and its economic partners in a financial supply chain. The case study combines qualitative analysis of the strategy evolution with extensive time‐series data and quantitative analyses of the performance of the financial supply chain.

The financial supply chain is an integral component of Motorola's overall supply chain management strategy. Physical product, information systems and financial flows are closely aligned with each other throughout the supply chain incorporating Motorola, its customers, suppliers and banks. The overall trend is towards the development of an integrated global financial supply chain in which cash flows mirror product flows. Motorola shares financial data with its suppliers as part of a cooperative strategy that generates cost savings for Motorola and its suppliers in areas such as foreign exchange and cash balances. The cooperative strategy also improves the quality of the payments process measured by six sigma techniques and produces strategic benefits such as risk reduction for the supply chain as a whole in areas such as foreign exchange and payments. A strategy of this type is only possible by taking a global perspective of the financial supply chain.

The development of financial supply chains has not been fully addressed in the supply chain management literature. This paper defines this relatively new topic area and explains its significance in its own right, and also in terms of the inter‐relationships between finance and manufacturing supply chains. A research agenda for financial supply chains is proposed that describes a range of new research opportunities in this area.

The development of integrated financial supply chains will lead to significant savings in terms of funding, banking and administrative costs associated with treasury and payment activities. The implementation and nature of the strategic change also highlight important strategic planning and implementation issues associated with financial supply chains.

The strategic importance of financial supply chains for business and academic researchers is demonstrated through the definition of this topic and the application of a research framework to a detailed study of Motorola's global financial supply chain using time‐series data of strategy evolution and financial supply chain performance. The research findings and comparison with theory support the assertion that this is a relatively new and unexplored problem area that is of direct relevance and interest to researchers in supply chain management.

Despite their high number, most mergers end in failure. Academic studies of how these failures occur have remained rare, first, because of the difficulty of accessing the cases, and second, because of the difficulty of obtaining – for the purposes of qualitative analysis – objective and freely shared perceptions from the stakeholders, who tend to avoid speaking about failure. This is unfortunate, however, as failure can serve as a stimulus for organizational learning and readaptation for the future.

The author investigated how an organization managed failure during the post-merger integration stage. The author described the merger of two listed French companies using longitudinal data.

This in-depth case study provides new insights into failure during post-merger integration. The paper highlights the complexity of post-merger integration processes and the failures that the integration stakeholders had to address. The author underlined how they recognized failures and put into place solutions. They particularly highlighted two failures and how they were managed by the managers who acted as knowledge brokers within the new organization and by stakeholders who deconstructed the organization to ensure its future.

The limitations are those concerning a single case study.

The paper identified trigger events in the merger process that prompted stakeholders to step in and manage and resolve failures during the integration period. Such triggers can be considered as steps for managers and stakeholders to solve organizational issues in the merger process. The paper highlighted the complexity of post-merger integration processes and the failures faced by integration stakeholders. The analysis thus contributes to an inclusive and integrative view of the challenges in this process.

Despite their high number, merger and acquisition failures remain surprisingly high. This paper explored how stakeholders deal with failures by identifying which solutions are best adapted to their organization.

The case provides a vivid illustration of failure management during a merger process. Theoretical concepts and empirical findings from the literature are combined to present a single consistent picture.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how operations strategy and Lean concepts can be applied within a healthcare organisation and the degree to which both Lean and operations strategy are understood by senior-level National Health Service (NHS) personnel, based on the process of ongoing longitudinal cases studies. Further interviews and data analysis will examine actual performance of Lean capabilities within the NHS.

For this explanatory multiple-case study project the authors collected data through semi-structured interviews with executives in the NHS to understand how operations strategies are developed in the NHS and implemented in NHS hospitals. The unit of analysis is the hospital. Multiple (22) interviews took place over 12 months with senior-level personnel responsible for implementing change via operations strategy goals, and incorporating Lean initiatives. In addition, to triangulate data, the authors examined healthcare reports and strategy policy documents from each case hospital. This forms stage 1 of a longitudinal study which will examine the actual performance of Lean within the NHS hospitals across a range of operations parameters and explore links between such capabilities and the role and importance of operations strategy in more detail.

The findings lead to the conclusion that operations strategies were not fully developed within the hospitals. In addition, the ongoing data capture shows that “Best practice” was not being disseminated across the NHS, for either patient experience or organisational effectiveness and the role of operations strategy was not fully clear other than as a rather vague “umbrella” term. Despite Lean’s attraction for healthcare at a micro-level, significant operational and cultural hurdles must be overcome for the full strategic benefits of Lean to be realised. A much more holistic approach in providing a full service for the whole of the patient journey is needed.

The sample provides an initial snapshot. A larger number of hospitals and/or further longitudinal research will be needed to deepen understanding of embedding strategic change to improve overall performance.

Tackling cultural performance and operational issues at a macro-level could help healthcare providers reconcile the perceived conflicting goals of improving patient care (i.e. service delivery) whilst simultaneously reducing costs. The role of explicit operations strategies could be pivotal in designing and implementing such change.

This research builds on and extends the work of Toussaint and Berry (2013), Seddon and O’Donovan (2010) and Carlborg and Kowalkowski (2013). The authors highlight how some of the apparent contradictions in the requirements of the various stakeholders create operational and strategic tensions. The authors highlight the multi-faceted nature of design and delivery of a multi-touchpoint service within the complexity of a large healthcare provider.

The purpose of this paper is to define and understand the different models of brand development, according to the evolution of a brand’s identity and the introduction of brand extensions, starting from the premise that brands must be managed in a consistent way over time, but also need to be expanded. The second aim of this article is to introduce a specific methodology for studying the development of brands with a long-term approach.

The concepts of assimilation and accommodation as defined by Piaget (1983) provide an in-depth understanding of how and why brands evolve. This article is based on a multiple case study approach. Four luxury brands were studied longitudinally. Brand chronologies were drawn and images of brand communications and brand extensions were gathered. Structural semiotic analysis was then used to highlight the different processes of brand development. In addition, qualitative interviews with two experts were conducted.

Hermès and Louis Vuitton develop their brands according to the assimilation model. Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana follow the accommodation model. There is a link between the brand’s identity type (symbolic/functional) and the model used for brand development. A detailed analysis of each model is presented highlighting the main features.

To reinforce the distinction between the two models of brand development, it would be interesting to look at other brands. The choice of these brands depends on their country of origin and their age.

The main contributions of this paper are the dynamic and longitudinal analyses of brand development and the introduction of the assimilation and accommodation concepts. The use of semiotics constitutes another original feature of this research.

This case study aims to report a longitudinal analysis of the development and use of local “vernacular” accounting practice and a digital rolling-forecast system known as TeamBudget in a public sector organization.

The study employs the constructive research approach which utilizes participative observation in the development of TeamBudget over the 15 years since 2004. The empirical data utilized includes eight interviews and documentary data for the system created.

The study demonstrates how the actions of employees responsible for developing a locally relevant financial planning system, TeamBudget, facilitated the emergence of new accounting routines associated with the newly created system. A locally created accounting system thus became institutionalized into a wider organizational setting over time. The current study presents findings that explain the routinization of informal accounting activities and the subsequent institutionalization process.

Understanding the potential influence of local action on the organization-wide accounting system may foster the creation of accounting tools that could spread participation and commitment throughout a public sector organization, contributing towards enhancing the enabling effect of an organizational accounting system. When designing a local budgeting system, decoupling it from the organizational system may promote its institutionalization.

Antecedents of informal accounting routines have received little research attention. This study illustrates actions relating to local accounting practice were antecedents of accounting routines and subsequent institutional changes in broader organizational practices in a public sector organization. The study demonstrates how vernacular accounting practice can facilitate the institutionalization process.