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Enterprise systems are commonly implemented by firms through outsourcing arrangements with software vendors. However, deriving benefits from these implementations has proved to be a challenge, and a great deal of variation has been observed in the extent of value generated for client and vendor firms. This research examines the role of co-specialization as a strategy to make the most out of outsourced enterprise systems. The authors develop hypotheses relating resource co-specialization with two indicators of success for implementation of enterprise software: (1) exchange success and (2) firm growth.

The hypotheses are tested using a unique panel data set of 175 firms adopting Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software, a type of enterprise system used for managing manufacturing and logistics. The authors identify organizational factors that support co-specialization and then examine how co-specialization is associated with enterprise software implementation success, controlling for the endogenous choice to co-specialize.

The empirical results suggest that resource co-specialization is positively associated with implementation success and that the two resource co-specialization pathways that are examined complement each other in providing performance benefits.

This paper contributes to the research literature on outsourcing. The study also provides a new empirical test using a unique data set of 175 firms adopting APS Software.

We examine collaborative complexity arising from strategic alliances among competitors. In high technology industries, rapidly evolving and modular technologies increase the likelihood that collaborative alliances will develop between partners who also compete with one another. Partnering under these conditions involves choosing collaborative structures that foster the transfer and integration of some resources, while simultaneously protecting other resources from unintended transfer. Using resource-based, transaction cost, and industrial organization economic theories we develop a model to depict the risks and rewards of collaboration under different modes of competitive interdependence. Two dimensions underlie our conceptual model: resource interdependence and competitive interdependence. Resource interdependence is the degree of integration needed for the resources contributed by alliance partners as reflected in the nature of the resources and their co-specialization. Competitive interdependence gauges the similarity between partners in their overall strategic capabilities and customer markets. We conclude with a discussion of the contingent use of inter-organizational structures to enable partners to balance resource contributions and resource protection in collaborative-competitive relationships.

Social enterprises (SEs) operate with a primary goal of meeting a social purpose while creating economic wealth for the fulfillment of their primary mission. These organizations need to develop a certain set of capabilities that facilitates the successful pursuit of their dual mission goals. This paper aims at exploring the micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities (DCs) that enable SEs to recognize and exploit opportunities and reconfigure their resources to pursue their dual-mission goals and adjust with the environmental dynamics.

This study uses a multiple case design and an abductive research approach to conduct an in-depth and in-due course investigation of the development of DCs in two distinct SEs selected on the basis of theoretical-purposive sampling and availability of the richness of the information about them.

This study finds certain generic and exclusive micro-foundations of DCs that contribute to sensing opportunities, seizing opportunities and reconfiguring resources in SEs. The exclusive micro-foundations of DCs of SEs noted in this study are sustainability of beneficiaries, involving beneficiaries in decision-making, defining unique business models and selective suppliers for critical resources.

The limitation of this study lies in its dependence on retrospective data, which may perhaps influence the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the acquired data. This study, although, implemented the measures to minimize the bias, by supplementing the interview data with archival sources.

To the researchers, this study proffers an in-depth and in-due course explanation of the micro-foundations of DCs that facilitate SEs to sense opportunities, seize opportunities and reconfigure their resources with time. To practitioners working in the area of social entrepreneurship, this process study is an outline of reference that answers the how and why concerning the importance of micro-foundations of DCs for SEs.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior study has explored the micro-foundations of DCs in the context of SEs from emerging economies. The exclusive micro-foundations of DCs for SEs found in this study are the unique and original contribution that outlines the path for future academic inquiry in this evolving research area.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Firms can achieve business objectives through the utilization of outsourced enterprise systems software. Engaging in the process of resource co-specialization with exchange partners offers mutual benefits to both system vendor and client organization and enhance both performance and growth as a result.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

This study aims to explore the micro-foundations of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities (KBDCs) in social purpose organizations (SPOs). The KBDCs facilitate SPOs to successfully manage the acquisition, creation and combination of knowledge to sustain their pursuit of socioeconomic value creation by effectively recognizing and addressing opportunities.

This study adopts a multiple-case study research design based on the semi-structured interviews of the founders and top managers of case SPOs. The semi-structured interviews were then compared with the theoretical framework of KBDCs following an abductive research approach.

This study identifies that certain capabilities are required to recognize and leverage the opportunities by SPOs. The authors found ten micro-foundations of KBDCs that sustain successful operationalization and overall development in SPOs. By using an abductive reasoning approach, the authors noted that certain KBDCs are essentially required for the operationalization and overall development of SPOs.

The authors conducted “semi-structured interviews” of founders and top managers that are retrospective in nature. From the implication viewpoint, this study provides insights for practitioners and researchers as it deepens the comprehension and contribution of knowledge and knowledge-related activities and procedures in SPOs.

KBDCs and their specific micro-foundations can help social entrepreneurs to delineate their idea, strategic processes and actions to achieve effective operationalization and overall sustainable development.

This study improves the understanding of Teece et al. (1997) theoretical construct of dynamic capabilities (DCs) and extends the framework of Zheng et al. (2011) simultaneously by exploring KBDCs that develop in the context of SPOs. The authors used an abductive reasoning approach that is vital for exploring dynamic capabilities; consequently, this study contributes to the approach of DCs and proffers a methodological advancement that can facilitate future research in this direction.

Supply chain performance is concerned with managing dependencies between various supply chain members and the joint efforts of all supply chain members to achieve mutually defined goals. There are various performance initiatives reported in the literature but these are often discussed in isolation. Information sharing, information technology, collaborative partnerships, and vendor management that help in improving the supply chain performance are some of the noteworthy initiatives. But there is a need to consider the supply chain in a holistic sense. The purpose of this paper is to analyze a case study of A1, a leading original equipment manufacturer in India, to throw light on the status of supply chain performance initiatives taken in its supply chain.

A situation‐actor‐process (SAP)‐learning‐action‐performance (LAP) model has been applied for the case study of A1. The situation represents the present scenario of the organization. Actors are the participants, influencing the situation to evolve different business processes. Based on SAP, various learning issues have been analyzed which lead to suitable action followed by impact on the performance of the supply chain of the organization. Resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm has been suggested to understand the tangible and intangibles associated with the implementation of a supply chain performance measurement system.

The case study organization has taken various initiatives for improving supply chain performance, such as vendor managed inventory and dealer management system. However, the issues that need attention include measurement of the vendor's performance on criteria which have supply chain orientation, as well as connecting dealers' point of sale information to vendors; This way connects the supply chain as a whole. Emphasis should be placed on second and third tier suppliers, as most of the quality‐related problem is due to them. In the twenty‐first century only those organizations which pay attention to agility, alignment and adaptability for responding to the challenges can gain competitive advantage. SCPMS as a resource can provide a sustained competitive advantage for a firm.

The SAP‐LAP analysis is used to explain soft and hard issues of supply chain performance in a managerial context as applied to the case of A1. The value of SCPMS can be augmented only when it is embedded in an organization through resource complementarity and co‐specialization.

The SAP‐LAP model presents the situation of supply chain performance to participants who may initiate the processes needed to make the supply chain effective and efficient. The synthesis of SAP leads to LAP, which bridges the gap by suggesting improvement actions based on the learning from the present situation, actors and processes.

This is a novel approach to analyze quantitative and qualitative issues of supply chain performance initiatives in a single model and its impact on performance of the supply chain.

The purpose of this paper is to apply expectancy theory to advance a conceptual framework which identifies factors that motivate and affect the adoption of supplier development (SD) activities.

The authors conduct a comprehensive literature review to identify salient contributions and conceptual gaps within prior SD studies. These conceptual gaps motivate the use of expectancy theory and the broader management literature to develop a conceptual framework of SD adoption.

The study results in the development of a two-stage conceptual framework in which two behavioral constructs – SD expectancy and valence – play an important role in mediating the effects of activity-, firm-, interfirm-, and environment-level factors on the adoption of SD activities. Accordingly, the authors advance 11 testable propositions that underlie the logical development of the framework.

The application of expectancy theory facilitates the integration of constructs culled from disparate theories into a cohesive conceptual framework. Highlighting the central role of motivational force, the conceptual development provides a behavioral explanation for the indirect effects of activity-, firm-, interfirm-, and environment-level factors on SD adoption.

The authors advance a set of factors associated with three successive stages of the SD planning process – partner selection, activity selection, and scope selection – that managers should consider when adopting a SD activity.

In contrast to prior research, which largely draws from economic or strategic theories, the authors employ a behavioral approach to advance a novel set of factors that influence SD adoption.

Establishing a competitive advantage in today's dynamic environment involves optimizing an organization's exploration and exploitation strategy. This paper aims to explore how an open innovation strategy complements the organization's ambidextrous strategy in attaining a competitive advantage. Organizational ambidexterity and dynamic capability theories are also explored to investigate the impact of open innovation on the organization's ambidextrous strategy and competitive advantage – especially inbound and outbound open innovation.

The authors conducted a systematic literature review using Boolean search techniques, which was focused on the research fields of the sub-areas of general management, strategy, innovation, organization studies, information management, entrepreneurship, international business, marketing, and economics, supplemented by the snowball technique.

Organizations that combine their ambidextrous strategy with open innovation attributes achieve a competitive advantage through developing their dynamic capabilities by which organizations change their value proposition. This study also shows that an ambidextrous strategy should no longer be viewed as a structural solution implemented by management, but also as a bottom-up intervention. Additionally, the authors found that the organization's dynamic capabilities establish a feedback loop, which changes the organization's ambidextrous strategy to resolve the efficiency–agility paradox.

Previous research has focused on strategic orientation; however, hardly any research has investigated how the interrelatedness of open innovation, organizational ambidexterity and dynamic capabilities support a competitive advantage. The authors present a conceptual model that inspires new research avenues.

This paper aims to identify the big data analytics (BDAs) based enablers of supply chain capabilities (SCCs) and competitiveness of firms. This paper also models the interaction among identified enablers and thus projects the relationship strength of these enablers with SCC and a firm's competitiveness.

In order to achieve the research objectives of this paper, we employed fuzzy total interpretive structural modeling (TISM), an integrated approach of an interpretive structural model and TISM.

Results suggest that BDA-based enablers namely, IT infrastructure for BDA; leadership commitment; people skills for use of BDA and financial support for BDA significantly enable SCC and enhance firm competitiveness.

Results of the present study have implications for researchers and practitioners; the results will enable them to design policies around identified enablers of BDA initiatives.

The present paper is one of a few early efforts that address the role of BDA in augmenting SCC and subsequently a firm's competitiveness from a resource-dynamic capability perspective.

Strategic Alliances (SAs) have become widely used by global businesses for pursuing strategic goals.¹ Because of the special nuances that can make these kinds of joint ventures (JVs) effective means for achieving challenging strategic goals, they are generally more difficult to establish and manage. Some of the larger, more successful users of SAs recognize the special nature of these relationships and some such as Cisco and Pfizer have even created high-level divisions or departments in their organization explicitly focused on planning, pursuing, and managing outside strategic partnerships. These units not only monitor the alliances (in some cases, dozens at a time) but also develop tools and insights that will allow the organization to engage in SA more successfully.