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This research assesses the implications of integrating standardization activities into European research projects to foster the engagement of project internal and external stakeholders and into different project stakeholder management theories.

This paper analyzes the integration of standardization and the engagement of project internal and external stakeholders in standardization activities in a multi-case study of four European Framework Program projects and with the projects Advancing Resilience of Historic Areas Against Climate-Related and Other Hazards (ARCH) and Smart Mature Resilience (SMR) in two separate case studies more deeply. The multi-case study mainly evaluates the stakeholder participation in 10 CEN Workshop Agreements. While in the two case studies, among other things, two project surveys are used to investigate how stakeholder engagement was supported by standardization activities.

The results show that standardization significantly supports stakeholder engagement and lead to a proposal on how standardization can support achieving stakeholder engagement goals in the different research project phases.

This research provides practical information for policy-makers who support standardization as a tool for research, as well as for researchers and project managers who want to use standardization activities efficiently in research projects.

Legal remedies are incorporated into international construction joint ventures (ICJVs) to mitigate contractual breaches. The effectiveness of remedies is predicated on two conditions; the comprehensiveness of the contract and its enforceability within the jurisdiction of interpretation. Relational-related weaknesses contribute to contracting parties placing a premium on the contract's capacity for mediating the relationship. However, contracts are not always enforceable. This study aims to examine means by which joint venture relational governance can be maintained under conditions of minimal legal recourse.

A relational contracting (RC) theory was used as the theoretical underpinning of the paper. Data were collected and analyzed following a multiple-case study approach from case projects in which ICJVs' was used.

The findings reveal (1) 17 relational and contractual governance problems; the main six being contractual flexibility, contractual joint venture system, contract reviewing, project conflict, national culture and leader–follower transgressions; (2) relational and contractual governance problems are managed differently, depending on financing sources and partners' national culture; and (3) that a developed RC-based framework comprising four stages is able to facilitate relational and contractual governance in ICJVs.

This study is novel in providing a guided approach to developing non-legal remedies for the mitigation of contractual breaches in ICJVs, grounded in theory and contextualized for the construction sector.

The main objective of this paper is to develop a knowledge management (KM)approach in Iran aerospace industries based on the findings through the analysis of successful practices in KM area.

A qualitative case study technique has been used in this paper for data collection and analysis. For that, “grounded theory” research approach has been selected by which the collected data from successful organizations in KM adoption are categorized and analyzed. The extracted concepts were deployed in Iran aerospace industries to present a KM approach through benchmarking.

The overall results from the case studies analysis were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness for benchmarking. The extracted concepts clarify how to develop KM approach in an organization. This approach has been applied in a large case study in Iran and is supported by practical implementation in Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), one of the most important high‐tech industries in Iran.

This paper provides a helpful roadmap for practitioners in implementing KM through out the organizations and especially in large‐scale ones. This helps to ensure that the essential issues are covered during design and implementation phase. For academics, it provides a common language for them to deploy a KM approach in the organizations.

This study is probably the first to provide a benchmarked integrated KM approach based on the critical success factors extracted by analysis in a multi case study research. This study further opens up new lines of research and highlights implications for KM efforts through benchmarking. It gives valuable information and guidelines which hopefully will help the leaders to deploy KM in their organizations.

Logisticians in the worldwide industry are frequently faced with the problem of measuring the total cost of holding inventories with simple and easy-to-use methodologies. The purpose of this paper is to look at the problem, and in particular illustrate the inventory holding cost rate computation, when different kind of warehousing systems are applied.

A multiple case study analysis is here developed and supported by a methodological framework directly derived from the working group discussions and brainstorming activities. Two different field of application are considered: one related to five companies with manual warehousing systems operating with traditional fork lift trucks; the other is among five companies operating with automated storage/retrieval systems (AS/RS) to store inventories.

The multi-case study helps to understand how the holding cost parameter is currently computed by industrial managers and how much the difference between manual and automated/automatic warehousing systems impacts on the inventory cost structure definition. The insights from the ten case studies provide evidence that the kind of storage system adopted inside the factory can impact on the holding cost rate computation and permit to derive important considerations.

The final aim of this work is to help industrial engineers and logisticians in correctly understanding the inventory costs involved in their systems and their cost structure. In addition, the multi-case analysis leads to considerations, to be applied in different industrial contexts. As other industrial applications are identified, they may be analyzed by using the presented methodology, and with aid from the data from this paper.

The relevance of this work is to help industrial engineers and logisticians in understanding correctly the inventory costs involved in their logistics systems and their cost structure. In addition, the multi-case analysis lead to interesting final considerations, easily to be applied in different industrial contexts. As other industrial applications are identified, they may be analyzed by using the methodology and extrapolating the data from this paper.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influencing factors of new logistics service product design (NLSPD) in China to establish a theoretical framework for the future development of the logistics industry.

The paper adopts the multi-case study method based on a sample of four Chinese logistics enterprises, in which the authors consider the logistics service maturity (LSM), a distinct characteristic of logistics enterprises.

NLSPD is directly related to the degree of supply–demand matching (SDM) and LSM. Customer demand, service capability and peer competition influence the performance of NLSPD through the SDM degree, whereas LSM moderates these influencing mechanisms. Moreover, the degree of SDM has a positive impact on LSM.

The findings can help the managers of logistics enterprises and practitioners in the logistics industry understand the complexity of NLSPD. First, they should broaden and deepen their service offering to enhance the degree of LSM. Second, they should pay attention to the factors that affect SDM systematically. Finally, it is vital to balance the relationship between LSM and SDM.

NLSPD has become an important tool affecting the competitiveness and sustainability of logistics service enterprises. This is the first paper to propose a theoretical framework for NLSPD that considers the characteristic of the logistics industry. It clarifies the mechanisms of influencing factors, and contributes to the literature by filling the research gap.

Corporate universities are regarded as the knowledge management institution of enterprises, but how to improve knowledge enhancement function has not been investigated. Constructed upon the knowledge-based view, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influencing factors of knowledge enhancement of corporate universities.

This paper takes 34 Chinese corporate universities as samples. The influencing factors and interrelationships are checked through exploratory case study and multi-case analysis. A “stimulate-action” model of influencing factors is built up based on the multi-case analysis. The fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis is used to examine configurational paths for knowledge enhancement.

The research finding shows that only a single element of knowledge management does not constitute a necessary condition for knowledge enhancement of corporate university and explored the concurrent synergy effect and linkage matching mode of multiple conditions of knowledge management. Most of the knowledge-enhanced corporate universities are of strengthening the knowledge process, which shows that sorting out the knowledge process is the core of the corporate university.

Unlike the existing research, the external teachers and combing of external knowledge processes are the key factors; this paper proposed that the internal teachers and sorting out the knowledge process within the enterprise play a central role in the knowledge enhancement of corporate universities. The path of high-knowledge enhancement and without high-knowledge enhancement is asymmetry. This paper refined and extended the application of the knowledge management framework in explaining multiple conjunctural causations and improves the relevant theories of organizational knowledge management in the Chinese context.

This study explores the influencing factors on organizational efficiency of the smart logistics ecological chain, and designs the corresponding theoretical framework to guide the practice of enterprises

A multi-case study method is adopted in this study. It includes four companies A, B, C and D in China as the case study objects, collects data through enterprise survey and uses the combination of open coding and spindle coding to process the data. By testing the reliability and validity, the theoretical framework is summarized.

First, organizational efficiency in smart logistics ecological chains is directly related to their service and technology innovation capability. Second, symbiotic relationships, information sharing and customer demand affect the efficiency of smart logistics multi-case ecological chains by influencing their service capacity; their technological innovation capability regulates the mechanism of influence. Third, technological innovation in smart logistics ecological chains positively impacts their service capabilities. Improving technological innovation capability can enhance logistics service capabilities.

According to the characteristics of smart logistics, the theoretical framework about organizational efficiency of smart logistics ecological chain is constructed, which fills the research gap and can provide interesting perspectives for the future research related to the smart logistics ecological chain. At the same time, the findings can also help enterprises to better build the smart logistics ecological chain in practice.

To date, critical success factors for design and implementing knowledge management (KM) system in a multi‐case study research have not been systematically investigated. Most of existing studies have derived their critical success factors from single company perspectives and have not considered all factors in an integrated way in a multi case study research. This paper is aimed to bridge this gap.

A qualitative case study technique has been used in this paper for data collection to gain insights into the topic being investigated. For that, “grounded theory” research approach has been selected by which the collected data from real case studies (successful organizations in KM adoption) are categorized and analyzed through specific stages. The extracted concepts can demonstrate critical success factors of KM system within organizations.

The overall results from the real case studies were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed critical success factors. Also 16 concepts and a conceptual framework are the other findings of this research that clarify how to design and implement a KM system in an organization. The conceptual framework presents a roadmap for success of KM programs in the organizations.

The set of critical success factors can act as a list of items for organizations to address when adopting KM. This helps to ensure that the essential issues and factors are covered during design and implementation phase. For academics, it provides a common language for them to discuss and study the factors crucial for the success of KM program in an organization.

This study is probably the first to provide an integrated perspective of critical success factors for implementing KM through a multi case study research. It gives valuable information and guidelines which hopefully will help the leaders to accomplish KM through their organizations in an effective way.

This study explores the influencing factors affecting smart supply chain innovation (SSCI) performance of commodity distribution enterprises, and proposes the corresponding framework from the perspective of the application of technology to improve the SSCI performance and make up the research gap in this field.

A multi-case study method is adopted in this study. Four distribution commodity distribution enterprises A, B, C and D in China are chosen as case enterprises. The interviews with senior management team members are used to collect data. The combination of open coding and axial coding are used to process the data. By testing the reliability and validity, the theoretical framework is summarized.

First, we find that the technology application cost inhibits SSCI and that the level of technology suitable for enterprise development will promote SSCI. Second, SSCI in structure, management and services can improve the performance and innovation ability of enterprises. Third, the quality of multi-channel integration and degree of customization around customer demand can significantly modify the above effects.

Compared with previous studies, this study reveals for the first time the correlation between the SSCI performance and technology application, SSCI in structure, management and service, providing new ideas for relevant researches on SSCI, and providing new theoretical support for managers' decision-making related to SSCI.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the activity systems that drive building information modelling (BIM) business value in asset management (AM). The utilisation of BIM has widened in scope, functionality, flexibility and interoperability to support the AM business process. However, research concerning BIM business value in AM has been inadequate despite its considerable potential and significance in the attainment of organisational objectives. The realisation of BIM business value requires a concerted effort by the asset owner to be able to determine and appraise the critical activities that drive business value in AM.

The study adopted a qualitative research approach based on a multi-case study strategy that aimed to identify the key business processes that drive BIM business value in AM. The study involved a three-stage research design using interviews and document analysis to facilitate a cross-case analysis from the perspective of the activity systems and dimensions of BIM governance.

The paper identified six critical activity systems that drive BIM business value for an asset owner: BIM strategy, contract management, lifecycle management, maintenance management, work-order management and value realisation management. The study found that the most developed activity system is the BIM strategy, and the least is value realisation management across all cases. Also, the paper points out that the most proficient BIM governance dimension is process, and the least is people across the three cases. The study noted that the ability of an asset owner to realise BIM business value has maturity undertones and that the asset owner could derive BIM business value, if the six activity systems are effectively executed and continuously improved to an advanced stage of maturity.

An original contribution of the study is the development of the understanding of asset owners in relation to the discovery of key activity systems that drive BIM business value in AM. Another significant contribution of this paper is the demonstration of a novel approach to evaluate organisational maturity of asset owners from the perspectives of the activity systems and BIM governance dimensions of people, process and technology.