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Article
Publication date: 8 July 2022

Guido Bortoluzzi, Maria Chiarvesio, Rubina Romanello, Raffaella Tabacco and Valerio Veglio

This article aims to contribute to the digital servitisation literature by investigating the interrelations amongst Industry 4.0 technologies, servitisation and the performance of…

2524

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to contribute to the digital servitisation literature by investigating the interrelations amongst Industry 4.0 technologies, servitisation and the performance of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses survey data drawn from 200 manufacturing SMEs operating in the metals and machinery sector in Italy.

Findings

The study shows that Industry 4.0 technologies – Internet of Things (IoT), advanced simulation, cloud computing and Big Data Analytics (BDA) – positively moderate the relationship between servitisation and the performance of SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

The study supports the need for firm managers of manufacturing SMEs to align servitisation and technological investments, suggesting that the synergic deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies supports servitisation performance.

Practical implications

The study supports the need for firm managers operating in business-to-business contexts to align their technological investments and servitisation strategies, suggesting that the synergic deployment of these Industry 4.0 technologies empower the effectiveness of servitisation strategies in terms of performance achieved.

Originality/value

The study highlights the moderating role played by specific Industry 4.0 technologies in the servitisation–performance relationship, opening avenues for future research exploring the mechanisms that underpin this complex relationship.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 33 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 October 2015

Guido Bortoluzzi, Maria Chiarvesio and Raffaella Tabacco

This paper aims to examine how three firms set up distribution networks in China and India. The authors highlight the criticalities in this process and the modifications necessary…

1288

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how three firms set up distribution networks in China and India. The authors highlight the criticalities in this process and the modifications necessary to adapt the firms’ distribution networks to the local conditions of both markets. Firms entering emerging markets (EMs) must deal with specific business and environmental conditions that can jeopardise their ability to succeed. The establishment of a proper distribution network is among the most pressing priorities for entering firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study approach was used to analyse three European firms in the furniture sector.

Findings

The results show that several adaptations of already-tested solutions were necessary to cope with the specificities of both markets. Such adaptations differently involved the three layers that form the firms’ distribution network: actors, activities and resources. Theoretical and managerial implications are derived from the results.

Research limitations/implications

This paper considers only three firms, which belong to the same sector and target a similar market segment (the high-end market). Therefore, the conclusions can be generalised only under certain conditions.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the development of international marketing literature by specifically studying distribution networks in EM contexts.

Details

European Business Review, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-534X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 September 2014

Guido Bortoluzzi, Maria Chiarvesio, Eleonora Di Maria and Raffaella Tabacco

The purpose of this paper is to understand whether and how specific capabilities at the firm level can sustain firms during the process of international expansion in emerging…

1620

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand whether and how specific capabilities at the firm level can sustain firms during the process of international expansion in emerging markets (EMs).

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative study was carried out, and the authors analyzed data from a sample of 271 manufacturing firms. A logistic regression was used to check for differences in the endowment of resources and capabilities of firms solely focussing on advanced markets (AMs) or extending their international scope to EMs as well.

Findings

Firms that expanded their business in EMs showed a significantly higher endowment of international experience and marketing capabilities compared with firms that focussed only on AMs. The authors found that the size of the firm is irrelevant: even small firms can reach EMs by leveraging an appropriate set of capabilities.

Research limitations/implications

The study is cross-sectional and cannot provide a longitudinal view of the process of capability development. Future research will be needed to detail the process of capability development during the international expansion of firms into EMs.

Practical implications

Regardless of size, firms that plan to enter EMs should develop specific capabilities, especially marketing capabilities, to increase the likelihood of success. Already internationalized firms have a considerable advantage due to the knowledge they have accumulated in other markets.

Originality/value

This paper advances understanding of the process of the international expansion of firms in EMs from a resource-based perspective.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2018

Vito Manfredi Latilla, Federico Frattini, Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli and Martina Berner

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive academic literature review on the relationship between knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in a…

3338

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive academic literature review on the relationship between knowledge management, knowledge transfer and organizational performance in a specific subset of the creative industry, i.e. arts and crafts organizations. Furthermore, this paper analyzes how knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations help increase performance and enhance the value of the activity of the so-called “knowledge workers” (i.e. craftsmen), who are the real knowledge owners in the process of value creation.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature review follows the model suggested by Vom Brocke et al. (2009). The review follows a five-phase approach so as to be systematic, transparent and replicable. Academic contributions published over two periods are taken into consideration. The first period covers the years 1990-2000, when the concepts of creative industry and knowledge-based economy were developed. The second period covers the years 2000-2016, when scholars started to investigate how to effectively transfer knowledge (very often in the form of “tacit knowledge”) retained by master craftsmen in arts and crafts organizations and the critical role played by craftsmen in the performance of such organizations.

Findings

Three main issues have emerged: how arts and crafts organizations manage and transfer knowledge internally; the effects of these activities on organizational performance; and the prominent role of craftsmen. The literature review shows how in arts and crafts organizations there is a considerable link between the concepts of “performance" and "tacit knowledge", even though addressing such link is somehow hard to realize, for several reasons discussed in the paper. The measurement of performance in arts and crafts organizations has become an area of academic investigation only when both the role of knowledge management and transfer and the role of knowledge workers (i.e., craftsmen) have become evident for obtaining a competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

This paper has been an attempt to organize existing studies on knowledge management and transfer and to investigate the relationship existing between knowledge and performance in arts and crafts organizations. Nevertheless, the relationship between knowledge and performance is yet to be explored, as well as the development of techniques for measuring arts and crafts organizations’ performance effectively. The present contribution calls for a systematic reflection on how the transfer of traditional craftsmen’s skills impacts organizational performances in the long run. The definition and implementation of new performance evaluations criteria tailored to enhance the tacit knowledge of craftsmen as a real source of differentiation and competitive advantage for the arts and crafts organizations is somehow still missing.

Practical implications

By pursuing its objectives, the present contribution aims to represent a step toward enabling arts and crafts organizations to play a vital role in the modern society in a more structured way. This would help to build awareness of the potential of arts and crafts organizations for promoting economic growth, proposing a value proposition different from the one dictated by the globalization and by the triumph of product standardization and mass production.

Originality/value

Analyzing the knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations with a historical perspective, it appears that the recognition in academic literature of the centrality of knowledge management and transfer within arts and crafts organizations is only recent (i.e. from 2011 onward). Indeed, for approximately 20 years (i.e. 1990-2010), knowledge has been constantly related to technological paradigms and standardized results, with very little research and debate on craftsmanship and the role of craftsmen. Nevertheless, the research shows that over the years, the focus on knowledge in arts and crafts organizations and knowledge transfer has become progressively more detailed and precise: some authors have studied the role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy according to a historical perspective, while some others have analyzed different types of knowledge more thoroughly. For example, Sveiby (1997, 1996), analyzing the concept of "knowing talent" and "tradition", outlines a more prominent role of craftsmen in the knowledge economy and explain how, in sectors with a strong traditional background, the transfer of tacit knowledge is a meaningful challenge for many organizations.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 22 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

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