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1 – 10 of over 12000Lucas Finoti, Simone Regina Didonet, Ana Maria Toaldo and Tomás Sparano Martins
The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of the marketing strategy process in the relationship between innovativeness and organizational performance in SMEs.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of the marketing strategy process in the relationship between innovativeness and organizational performance in SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze data from Brazilian SMEs that belong to the software sector. Innovativeness was considered as a cultural aspect of the firm, which is related to being open to new ideas. The marketing strategy process was analyzed considering its two dimensions, i.e., formulation and implementation of marketing strategies. Organizational performance included variables of market, financial and innovation performance.
Findings
The results show that innovativeness positively influences organizational performance through the marketing strategy process. Specifically, the formulation of marketing strategies mediates the relationship between innovativeness and organizational performance. Implementation by itself does not mediate this relationship. When considering the path formulation→implementation as mediator, the influence is positive, i.e., formulation positively influences the implementation of marketing strategies and this path mediates the relationship between innovativeness and organizational performance. Therefore, the mediating role is stronger when considering the formulation-implementation path than when taking into account the activities of the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies separately.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by discussing how innovativeness influences SMEs’ performance through subsequent stages of the marketing strategy process. This is one of the first studies to consider activities in the marketing strategy process as a mediator in the innovativeness-performance relationship and explore its sequence.
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Krista Jaakson, Hannele-Marianne Aljaste and Piia Uusi-Kakkuri
The relationship between organisational innovativeness (OI) and company performance has been studied extensively, and the associations found have mostly been positive. However, as…
Abstract
Purpose
The relationship between organisational innovativeness (OI) and company performance has been studied extensively, and the associations found have mostly been positive. However, as OI is a multidimensional concept, more nuanced research is needed to identify which dimensions of innovativeness companies should focus on. The purpose of this paper is to longitudinally investigate the links between dimensions of OI and company financial performance, based on a sample of Finnish and Estonian pharmaceutical biotechnology companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Interviews inquiring about OI were conducted in 26 biotechnology companies and then their performance was measured over three subsequent years using objective financial data. Due to limited sample size, qualitative comparative analysis is employed in addition to non-parametric statistical tests.
Findings
Overall, OI did not decisively influence financial performance in the studied sector. There were, however, dimensions related to human resource policies that appeared to have more potential to positively impact financial performance, whereas the strategic dimension was actually aversive to certain performance indicators.
Research limitations/implications
The study limitations are a small sample, possible managerial bias in the assessment of OI, and focus on financial measures only.
Practical implications
The study demonstrates that OI is a multidimensional construct and not all dimensions play an equal role in financial performance. Innovation-supportive human resource policies and strategic flexibility contributes to financial performance in the pharmaceutical biotechnology sector.
Originality/value
The contribution of the study is the analysis of a specific sector with a longitudinal approach by bridging quantitative and qualitative approach.
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Sohyoun Synthia Shin and Sungho Lee
This paper aims to provide an examination of firms’ strategic orientations, innovativeness and performance with large Korean companies.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an examination of firms’ strategic orientations, innovativeness and performance with large Korean companies.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors investigated the impacts of firms’ major key strategic orientations (customer orientation [CO], competitor orientation [PO], technology orientation [TO] and internal/cost orientation [IO]) on firm innovativeness (INNO) and performance outcomes with large Korean companies.
Findings
The results of the analysis showed that CO, PO and TO positively influence the innovativeness, which contributes to firm performance.
Originality/value
The authors provide some managerial implications on the multiple roles of strategic orientations on firm INNO and performances, along with limitations of this study and future research directions.
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Somonnoy Ghosh and Bhupen K. Srivastava
Using the knowledge-based view of the firm, dynamic capability literature and known dimensions of organizational innovativeness (OI), this article develops two testable models…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the knowledge-based view of the firm, dynamic capability literature and known dimensions of organizational innovativeness (OI), this article develops two testable models that attempt to explain: (1) how innovativeness functions as a source of capability dynamization and (2) how organizational culture (OC) critically determines this function of innovativeness.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a cross-sectional design and maximum variation sampling to identify organizations from the population of formal Indian business firms with the aim of controlling the effects of moderating variables such as their size, age, nature of business and ownership. Measurement instruments are borrowed from the literature. The cleaned dataset (n = 453 cases from 13 organizations) is randomly split into two-halves, which are used separately for extracting and confirming underlying factors. Rigorous procedure for assessing scale psychometric properties has been followed. The hypotheses are tested using structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings
Except for a couple of paths that turned out insignificant, the data by and large support the study hypotheses. While market innovativeness failed to emerge as a factor, the capability dynamizing dimensions of innovativeness significantly predict its outcome dimensions of product and process innovativeness. Barring the effect of “trust”, they also fully mediate the effect of the rest of the culture factors on these outcome dimensions. Importantly, they are substantively determined by the culture factors, suggesting that the capability dynamizing dimensions are embedded in culture.
Originality/value
The primary contribution of this study is that besides accounting for how firm innovativeness can possibly explain the dynamism in dynamic capabilities, the results indicate a critical influence of culture in determining the potency of the dynamizing mechanisms. This has important implications for theory and practice.
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The purpose of this study is to build a theory presenting talent development as a driver for innovativeness and strategic flexibility, and how these organizational capabilities…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to build a theory presenting talent development as a driver for innovativeness and strategic flexibility, and how these organizational capabilities affect financial performance.
Design/methodology/approach
As a methodological approach, this study uses a rich combination of literature review and exploratory interviews with managers and academicians. Moreover, a conceptual framework is tested by confirmatory factor analysis and finally structural equation modelling using the survey data from 462 Greek firms.
Findings
The results show the positive effect of talent development on strategic flexibility and innovativeness. Moreover, strategic flexibility is an influential firm capability for innovativeness and financial performance. This study also reveals the significance of innovativeness on financial performance.
Research limitations/implications
This study explores talent development and two certain organizational capabilities, but many other topics that affect business performance remain unexplored. The role of environmental characteristics could also be examined as a moderator in the proposed relationships.
Practical implications
This study offers clear implications for managers, proving that talent development is a major driving force behind strategic flexibility, innovativeness and financial performance in order for managers to allocate resources, and to develop and execute these capabilities as an integral part of business strategy.
Originality/value
This empirical study contributes to the literature by developing a research conceptual framework of three underdeveloped firm capabilities, investigating and explaining both their correlations and dynamic nature and their role in financial performance improvement.
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David C. Roach, Joel A. Ryman and Joyline Makani
Ever since Sarasvathy’s (2001) seminal article, scholars have sought to test effectuation’s affect on firm performance. Although recent work has begun the arduous process of…
Abstract
Purpose
Ever since Sarasvathy’s (2001) seminal article, scholars have sought to test effectuation’s affect on firm performance. Although recent work has begun the arduous process of testing effectuation’s effect on entrepreneurial performance, there is still much to learn about its impact on firm performance. One such area is the relationship between effectuation and innovation. The purpose of this paper is to first, propose a scale suitable to the explication of the effectuation construct relative to innovation. Second, it proposes a more parsimonious scale for the measurement of innovation. Third, these scales are tested relative to firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops and tests a structural model, which investigates aspects of effectuation as mediators between innovation orientation and product/service innovation. This is accomplished using a sample of 169 electronic product manufacturing-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Subjective measures of performance are used as the dependent variable.
Findings
The three most widely used measures of innovativeness were found to break cleanly into two sub-constructs, namely innovation orientation and product/service innovation. Effectuation measures included means (who I know), leverage contingencies (experimentation), pre-commitments and affordable loss. Means and leverage contingencies were found to positively mediate innovation orientation and product/service innovation leading to increased firm performance. Affordable loss did not show a mediating role, but had a direct effect on firm performance.
Research limitations/implications
This study establishes two distinct sub-constructs of firm-level innovation; namely innovation orientation and product/service innovation. Second, by testing an innovation-centric effectuation model, this research establishes an empirical relationship between effectuation, innovation and firm performance.
Practical implications
Practical implications include establishing a relationship between means, leverage contingencies and innovation-performance, indicating that the ways through which small and medium-sized enterprises use their innovation networks may affect innovation outcomes and ultimately firm performance.
Originality/value
This research establishes an empirical relationship between effectuation, innovation and firm performance, extending effectuation theory from the entrepreneurship to the innovation literature.
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Alireza Jalali, Sara Abhari and Mastura Jaafar
The current study aims to advance the research on the extra-industry network, innovativeness and performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by examining the mediation role…
Abstract
Purpose
The current study aims to advance the research on the extra-industry network, innovativeness and performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by examining the mediation role of proactiveness. The study also aims to examine the mediating role innovativeness between extra-industry network and performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the proportionate stratified random sampling method to select the study sample and the questionnaire survey approach to 580 SMEs. A total of 150 completed questionnaires were returned. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was administered to analyze data via Smart PLS 3.0 software.
Findings
The results reflect that proactiveness is mediated by the relationship between the extra-industry network and the performance of Iranian SMEs. In addition, the results illustrated that proactiveness is mediated by the relationship between innovativeness and the performance. The findings also address the limitation of previous studies on Iranian SMEs through the independent examination of the mediating role of innovativeness between firm extra-industry network and performance.
Originality/value
This article is one of few attempts that have addressed the significance of proactiveness as the key mechanism to transform the advantages of extra-industry network and innovativeness relationships to enhance performance.
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Madhavi Latha Nandi, Santosh Nandi, Hiram Moya and Hale Kaynak
Using the resource-based theoretical view of the firm, this paper aims to explore how firms’ efforts to integrate blockchain technology (BCT) into their supply chain systems and…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the resource-based theoretical view of the firm, this paper aims to explore how firms’ efforts to integrate blockchain technology (BCT) into their supply chain systems and activities enable certain supply chain capabilities and, consequently, improve their supply chain performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Using an abductive research approach, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on 126 cases of firms attempting to implement a blockchain technology-enabled supply chain system (BCTeSCS). These firms spanning across multiple industries were identified using the Nexis Uni database.
Findings
Findings reveal that present BCTeSCS efforts are more-oriented toward improving operational-level capabilities (information sharing and coordination capabilities) than strategic-level capabilities (integration and collaboration capabilities). These operational and strategic-level capabilities alongside BCTeSCS deliver several supply chains performance outcomes such as quality compliance and improvement, process improvement, flexibility, reduced cost and reduced process time. However, outcomes may vary by industry type based on their uncertainties.
Research limitations/implications
Given the nascent state of BCT, accessibility to primary data about ongoing BCTeSCS efforts is limited. The presented framework is based on 126 cases of secondary information. Within this constraint, the paper finds scope to future empirical research by proposing a resource-based framework of BCTeSCS and related propositions.
Practical implications
The results and discussion of this study serve as useful guidance for practitioners involved in BCTeSCS integrations.
Social implications
The paper creates a BCTeSCS scenario for stakeholders to assume its potential socio-economic and socio-environmental pressures.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the initial attempts to examine BCTeSCS efforts across multiple industries, and thus, promises a broad future research scope.
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This study examines the effects of technological and marketing capabilities on administrative and product innovativeness, and the mediation effects of resource flexibility.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the effects of technological and marketing capabilities on administrative and product innovativeness, and the mediation effects of resource flexibility.
Design/methodology/approach
This study tests a conceptual model based on survey data from 303 Chinese firms using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Technological and marketing capabilities are found to have positive effects on administrative and product innovativeness, as well as resource flexibility. Resource flexibility positively influenced administrative innovativeness and product innovativeness, and resource flexibility mediated the relationships between technological and marketing capability and administrative and product innovativeness.
Originality/value
This study advances the authors' understanding of firm innovativeness and resource flexibility, addresses the missing link between firm capability and firm innovativeness, and contributes to the authors' knowledge of value-generating paths in resource management research.
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Innovation is considered an important stage in the process of competitiveness of companies. While there is an extensive literature in the management and innovation field that…
Abstract
Purpose
Innovation is considered an important stage in the process of competitiveness of companies. While there is an extensive literature in the management and innovation field that shows the characteristics that enhance a firm's ability to innovate, there is still no consensus on its determinants and nature. This study aims to advance the understanding of innovation capability (IC) by conducting a systematic review of relevant literature at the firm level.
Design/methodology/approach
The study reviews the literature by applying the categorization and contextualization of qualitative strategies. The study gathered 137 peer-reviewed papers from Scopus and Web of Science databases.
Findings
The papers were analysed and synthesized into an integrated framework that links IC with its internal and external determinants, and its consequences. In doing this, this study proposes directions for future investigations that might enlighten a better understanding of IC.
Practical implications
The study provides elements that can be useful during the design and implementation of innovative initiatives in a firm.
Originality/value
The paper jointly examines in the same model the nature, antecedents and consequences of IC. In the same vein, the framework provides the little-researched links between those themes in the IC literature.
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