Search results

Over the past years, many studies have explored the role of knowledge management (KM) in companies. KM is concerned with the measurement of knowledge to manage knowledge efficiently. On the other hand, the intangible nature of knowledge makes its measurement challenging. Furthermore, there is no standardized method to measure knowledge, and it is chiefly measured based on the subjective judgment of researchers. Moreover, New Product Development (NPD) departments in many companies strive to assess their knowledge in terms of company products and knowledge workers. Hence, this study aims to propose a product-based two-phase technique that measures the company knowledge inventory.

In the first phase, the value of knowledge is quantified relative to products, knowledge workers and the entire company using two concepts of knowledge width and depth. Then, a three-dimensional knowledge asset map (knowledge, products and knowledge worker dimensions) is designed to assess and audit knowledge workers. Finally, this technique recruits an integer linear programming model with a cost minimization objective function to optimize the supply of NPD knowledge requirements in the second phase.

This model enables managers to determine what type of knowledge can be supplied by existing knowledge workers, whether within the company or by other external sources.

Among existing knowledge measurement methods, only a few use a product-based measuring technique. However, they fail to offer suitable scenarios for managers' decision-making process and consider cost structures in measurement techniques. Hence, this paper attempts to overcome these drawbacks.

The purpose of this paper is to examine intellectual capital reporting patterns of New Zealand companies over a longitudinal period, comparing knowledge intensive companies with traditional product-based companies.

Content analysis was used to examine the intellectual capital reporting of five knowledge intensive companies and five traditional product-based companies listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange during 2004-2010.

The longitudinal study found that although there was an increase in intellectual capital reporting from 2004 to 2010, there was no strong pattern reflecting a marked increase in reporting over the time period. The findings also show that the level of intellectual capital reporting cannot be determined by the type of organisation. Further, the majority of intellectual capital reporting was found to be in discursive form and only a small percentage of reporting conveyed negative news.

The results of this study are limited by the small sample size overall and the small number of companies in both the knowledge intensive and the traditional product-based groups.

The research suggests areas that could be considered by regulatory bodies and policy makers when developing more informed intellectual capital reporting guidelines.

This research provides a basis for further research, debate and action regarding intellectual capital in both academia and practice. Longitudinal intellectual capital reporting research and distinctions between knowledge intensive and traditional product-based companies have seldom been undertaken. Consequently little is known about the changes in intellectual capital reporting over time or the differences in intellectual capital reporting, if any, between type of company.

Based on natural-resource-based view (NRBV), the purpose of this paper is to clarify the dimensions of green procurement and the mechanisms involved in the relationship between green procurement and firm performance.

Secondary data were to measure all the variables in 206 Chinese A-share companies’ annual reports, social responsibility reports, environmental reports, and sustainability reports, which were published by Guotai Junan Securities Co., Ltd and Wind Information Co., Ltd.

The results indicate that although both product-based and process-based green procurement have a positive effect on firm performance, these Chinese companies focus on the impact of product-based green procurement on their operational efficiency as well as the moderating role played by stakeholder satisfaction.

Although studies on green procurement have increased in recent years, issues such as how to measure green purchasing behaviors and how green procurement affects firms’ operational and financial performance are still unexplored. Based on previous literature, two dimensions have been defined for green procurement in this study to develop corresponding measurements, namely, product-based green procurement and process-based green procurement. Besides, this study considers operational efficiency as the mediator and stakeholder satisfaction as the moderator when constructing a new conceptual model to illustrate the relationship between green procurement and firm performance.

The purpose of this exploratory study is to expand the knowledge of the current literature stream and to attempt to more fully understand the simple but singularly unique aspect of social networking communication that is the Facebook “Like”. To this end, motivations behind liking a brand are explored, as well as the interactions that occur between the company and consumer as a result of this Facebook interaction. Next, we look at differing levels of interaction for liked product and service brands on Facebook. Specifically exploring if there are differences with how Facebook users engage with liked product and service brands.

The authors first engage in an exploratory, qualitative-based research to look at the motivations and consequences associated with liking product and service brands, using a sample of 160 Facebook users. Next, an ANOVA analysis is performed using an online sample of 264 respondents recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk.

The qualitative analysis reveals differing motivations for liking brands on Facebook and suggests that generating Facebook Likes can indeed have positive, if unacknowledged, outcomes for the firm. Further, while there is no significant difference in perceptions of brand knowledge between product- and service-based brands, there is a significant difference in perceptions of brand connectedness between brand types, with consumers reporting a greater sense of connection to the service brands and higher levels of brand attitude and purchase intention for product-based brands. It is also shown that consumers have a greater intention of reading and liking posts from product-based brands.

This paper explores and attempts to move toward clarification of the gap that exists between “quality” versus “quantity” valuations of a Facebook Like.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the linkages between strategic interaction and relationship value, with a variety of co-creating value strategies as conceptual mediators.

This study reports on a field survey conducted in the Chinese manufacturing industry. A total of 180 questionnaires were sent to customers of service providers, and 120 valid responses were received, representing a response rate of 66.7 per cent. The data were then analyzed by using a number of statistical tools.

The results suggest that strategic interaction leads to a positive effect on the relationship value without any regard to the size of the customer. However, the mediating effect of product-based service is more significant for large-size customers, whereas the mediating effect of integrated managerial service is more significant for medium- and small-size customers.

This study explores how value might be created in a business-to-business context in a service supply chain from a relationship marketing perspective. It distinguishes product-based service and integrated managerial service as co-creating value strategies and further clarifies the different mechanisms underlying their relationships with strategic interaction between service supplier and customer. In particular, this study suggests that although strategic interaction may yield superior relationship value, the size of the customers will determine what kind of co-creating strategies would be preferred.

The purpose of this paper is to create a benchmark and identify best practices for Project Portfolio Management (PPM) for both tangible product‐based and service product‐based development project portfolios.

A questionnaire was developed to gather data to compare the PPM methods used, PPM performance, PPM challenges, and resulting new product success measures in 60 Australian organisations in a diverse range of service and manufacturing industries.

The paper finds that PPM practices are shown to be very similar for service product development project portfolios and tangible product development project portfolios. New product success rates show strong correlation with measures of PPM performance and the use of some PPM methods is correlated with specific PPM performance outcomes.

The findings in this paper are based on a survey of a diverse sample of 60 Australian organisations. The results are strengthened by comparisons with similar North American research; however, they may not be representative of all environments. Research in other regions would further qualify the findings. As each organisation's PPM process is unique, case study methods are recommended for future studies to capture more of the complexity in the environment.

The paper shows that PPM practitioners and executives who make decisions about the development of tangible products and/or service products will benefit from the findings.

This paper extends the existing understanding of PPM practices to include service development project portfolios as well as tangible product development project portfolios and strengthens the links between PPM practices and outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate key causal linkages of proactive environmental practices of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, this paper studies the ways that the interactions between different stakeholders such as suppliers and customers could intensify the widespread diffusion and implementation of green technologies. Understanding these linkages provide an opportunity to develop a framework that integrates stakeholders’ involvement, environmental practices and environmental/operational performances.

This paper adopts the quantitative methodology. It uses the survey data collected from 232 Malaysian SMEs. The structural equation modelling (SEM) via AMOS 19 was employed to test the hypotheses.

The empirical results suggest that decisions on environmental practices are influenced significantly by interactions between stakeholders but notably in different ways. While customers and employees involvements are targeted at process based changes, senior managers are interested in internal management improvements. Suppliers’ interactions, on the other hand, influence SMEs to improve on operations for product and process based changes at the same time. Interestingly, we did not observe any significant achievement on government partnership programmes aimed at improving SMEs’ environmental practices.

The finding in this paper adds to the literature on corporate environmental practices (CEPs), by applying two stages SEM analysis to a survey data for a single industry (electronic and electric industry). The gap of the mainstream CEP literature is bridged by focusing on different types of CEP, namely, internal management systems, process-based changes and product-based changes.

The purpose of this research is an examination of three different types of sales approaches (product-, solution- and provocation-based) on relational outcomes. The type of sales approach influences buyer's assessments about the trustworthiness of the salesperson and the conflict with the salesperson. These outcomes of the sales approach affect the customer's economic and non-economic satisfaction.

Using cross-sectional survey data from a sample of 840 organizational buyers, a structural equation model measures the path coefficients of the proposed model and tests the differences in the magnitude based on gender.

The results indicate that sales approaches will differentially influence assessments of trustworthiness and conflict. The magnitude of the influence of the sales approach on outcomes is different between genders.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study to examine the impact of sales approaches on both genders of organizational buyers.

Why is it so difficult to make change happen? Many companies fail because they do not have the right internal structure and mindset to succeed. The author illustrates how to manage change effectively by examining how product‐based companies must transform to launch true service‐driven ventures. Using three case studies, he documents common pitfalls and barriers, then outlines the steps necessary for developing a well‐conceived service strategy. He introduces “business logics” as a key for identifying characteristics that define business types and the performance measures that support their success. The author then explains how a knowledge‐driven business model identifies the critical behaviors, competencies, market conditions, finances and other resources needed to make change happen. He advises organizations to test their strategies using simulations to ensure employees are prepared to internalize behavior and culture changes.