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The purpose of this paper is to develop further understanding of the interdependence between product and organization subsystems in the context of major projects by empirically elaborating the volume-variety matrix.

Projects are perceived as systems that include a product subsystem (the project outcome) and an organization subsystem (the temporary multi-firm organizational network that produces the project outcome). This study addresses product-organization interdependence by analyzing product and organization subsystem components in terms of their uniqueness and reuse across multiple projects. The empirical analysis focuses on four global renewable fuels refinery projects implemented by Neste from 2003 to 2011. The refineries are based on the same proprietary technology but are unique at the project level.

The findings indicate interesting interdependencies between product and organization subsystems when analyzed at the component level: the findings suggest both diagonal and off-diagonal positions in the volume-variety matrix. An example of an off-diagonal position is a reused organization subsystem component associated with a unique product subsystem component, meaning that choosing the same organization in a future project can be used for acquiring an improved and, thereby, unique product subsystem component.

The study elaborates upon the volume-variety matrix in the context of major projects. The findings related to off-diagonal positions in the matrix provide new knowledge on combinations at the component level where a reused organization can be associated with a unique product, and vice versa. This has direct implications for management of projects.

The purpose of this paper is to examine if there is a relationship between the interdependence among different components of service culture and performance. This paper also contributes to the discussion on how integrating or separating the service organization from the product organization interacts with service culture.

Data are collected through a survey and structural equation modeling is used for the data analysis.

The three main findings are: identified interactions among different elements of service orientation in corporate culture, the positive association between the service orientation of corporate culture and business performance, and the moderating effects of the type of organizational structure on interactions among service‐orientation elements in corporate culture.

There may be alternative explanations for the correlations in the model. There are limitations in survey research in measuring service orientation in service culture.

Separating the service and product organization strengthens the creation of a service orientation in the corporate culture, but at the same time, does not affect the link between culture and performance.

The originality of the paper comes from combining service orientation in corporate culture with types of organizational structure. In addition, compared to the dominant single dimension approach to service orientation in corporate culture, four dimensions are used (service orientation of management values, management behavior, employee values, and employee behavior).

The purpose of this study is to investigate how managers' abilities to design and implement organizational change initiatives affects supply chain (SC) responsiveness. Extant research focuses on specific process and resource options to address responsiveness, with only limited reference to managers' capabilities in adapting to new organization designs that organize processes and resources. Consequently, organizational theory that characterizes the implications of developing and implementing various designs is ignored. The study directly leverages organization adaption, organization design and the dynamic managerial capabilities literature to address the question of how to improve SC responsiveness.

Qualitative data are used to identify specific dynamic managerial capability constructs, as well as the expected relationships depicted in our conceptual model. The authors test these relationships using quantitative survey data collected from 199 SC leaders.

The authors find that capabilities in organization design, functional leader negotiations and workforce communications foster SC responsiveness via improved structural adaptability (SA). The findings explain how and when organization design actions impact SA and responsiveness, and more importantly, why managers should invest in developing a workforce communication capability as the foundation for organizational adaptability.

By applying organization adaption, organization design and dynamic managerial capabilities concepts, the research expands the existing study of responsiveness in the SC organizational context.

In this study, we develop further understanding of how institutional change is created within a mature and local industry. In this pursuit, we examine how a collaborative large project governance model was institutionalized at an industrial sector-level through both industry-level activities and “institutional projects”.

This study builds on the foundations of institutional fields and institutional change, suggesting that projects are not only shaped by their contexts but also produce institutional change themselves. We conducted extensive fieldwork on the institutionalization of a collaborative project governance model in Finland.

The findings illustrate how institutional change in governance of large and complex inter-organizational projects is created at the institutional field level. The institutionalized collaborative project governance model includes aspects of both relational and contractual governance. The change was facilitated by temporal links between the institutional projects as well as vertical links between the institutional projects and the field-level development programs.

This is one of the first studies to address how a collaborative large project governance model becomes the norm at the institutional field level beyond the boundaries of an individual project or organization.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how firms are redesigning the organizational architecture of supply chains, bundling and unbundling resources, sharing information and coordinating flows in order to facilitate capability partitioning. It aims to analyze how process interdependencies are managed either through modularity or coordination mechanisms. The paper is anchored in the emergent theory of modularity, a transaction cost‐based perspective of modular systems.

This paper adopts the case study methodology. It uses an in‐depth case study of Logoplaste, a global supplier of plastic packaging, in particular investigating how the firm organizes supply chain activities around an integration mode designated as “hole‐in‐the‐wall.”

In a context of high process interdependence the firm has developed a coordination capability, an ability to manage the interfaces at minimum cost either by modularizing the process or defining appropriate coordination mechanisms. This capability becomes a core competence of the firm that enables it to further appropriate rents that lie at process interfaces.

The case study method limits the generalization of the findings, but allows more depth in the analysis of the proposed framework.

As the complexity of sourced components increases firms will need to complement their modular approach to supply chain design with new organizational‐coordination skills and an ability to externalize knowledge. The case study provides several examples of the type of coordination required.

This research adds to the literature on organizational modularity in two distinct ways. First, it focuses on the development of a coordination capability to manage process interdependences rather than the partitioning of technical capabilities across the supply chain. Second, it brings to the discussion of modularity recent developments in transaction cost economics that go beyond the engineering perspective. A coordination capability represents the organization's ability to organize transactions in order to appropriate rents, rather than merely minimize transaction costs.

During the 60's and 70's the Business Logistics—or, as it is now often referred to in Scandinavia, the Materials Administration—philosophy has become a well established and accepted management philosophy, based on a systems theory approach and emphasising a total materials flow concept. In literature as well as in practice however one encounters some major conceptual problems. One of the most significant areas in this context concerns the organisational aspects of the concept. Here proposals and assertions have covered a wide spectrum. Hence it has often been claimed that a logistics manager in a line position, based upon an organisational design involving a logistics department, is a requirement for the realisation of the philosophy. Just as firm, however, is the claim that a total approach to logistics only can be achieved within a matrix organisation framework. However, applications of the above‐mentioned organisational strategies often have negative logistics consequences. For example it is easy to find organisations where the introduction of a “logistics manager” concept has resulted in conflicts hindering the possibilities for a realisation of the logistics potentials for many years ahead.

Many companies experience difficulty in implementing Just‐in‐Time (JIT) in their manufacturing system. Based on observations, the article argues that the problem is partly due to confusion about JIT and its implications and partly due to a desire to implement JIT within an existing organisational structure. A four‐level classification system is presented as a way of summarising the different degrees of JIT implementation and their difficulties.

The changes required in the policies of organisations to cope with the challenges of the 1990s are discussed – managers not only as managers per se but also as entrepreneurs, the increasing competitive muscle of the Japanese, the re‐evaluation of strategies, the increase in international economic interdependence, the revolution in information technology. Adaptation to change, it is argued, must be readily implemented without any qualms, if stakeholders are to be appeased.

The purpose of this article is to investigate sports branding at the personal level by focusing on the evolvement, growth and sustainability of the ANNIKA BRAND – an extension of Annika Sörenstam's success on golf courses worldwide.

A qualitative case study method inspired by “symbolic interactionist” aspects and focusing on Annika Sörenstam's commercial success with personal sports branding and its interdependence with sports branding at the product and corporate levels. Data collection was conducted in accordance with interpretative research traditions and hence based on qualitative semi‐ structured research interviews.

The “hybrid” nature of sports brands draws highly on “emotional capital” and “social currency”. Personal sports branding acts as a “hybrid”, which facilitates “hybrid” branding relationships between personal sports brands and sports brands at the product and corporate levels – often underlining good ROIs for all involved parties if the sports branding process is executed well strategically. This article presents personal sports branding as a hybrid phenomenon, which is dynamic by heart and part of a well‐coordinated process engaging several partners.

The practices and activities of the ANNIKA BRAND is a showcase for sports branding practitioners thinking about sustainable business models.

This paper is unique in offering a roadmap for how personal sport stars may approach brand development and growth while discussing key points of the interdependence between sports brands at the personal, product and corporate levels.