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Article
Publication date: 4 September 2020

Mixing data analytics with intuition: Liverpool Football Club scores with integrated intelligence

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

The paper aims to present key insights for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage from implementing data analytics solutions and artificial intelligence (AI).

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Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to present key insights for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage from implementing data analytics solutions and artificial intelligence (AI).

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper builds on prior empirical and conceptual research, and it offers anecdotal evidence from a best-practice case study of Liverpool Football Club.

Findings

Beyond the well-known companies in profiting from AI, such as Amazon, this paper presents a surprising best-practice example for achieving a competitive advantage from combining data analytics and AI with human expertise. Liverpool Football Club is a leading soccer club from England, and it has experienced a major revival in terms of sporting success and financial performance in recent years. The club’s emphasis on data analytics and AI only contributed to this impressive evolution when it was complemented with the emotional intelligence and people skills of its present manager Juergen Klopp. Along with new conceptual arguments, this example of integrated intelligence offers important insights for managers and executives in companies from many industries – far beyond sports management.

Originality/value

The conceptual arguments and case example illustrate that the competitive benefits of implementing standardized AI solutions in an isolated way will often be relatively limited. Many AI solutions will be standardized in the near future, and they may easily be applied by many firms. Thus, even those companies that are considered as AI pioneers may not be able to sustain their competitive advantage unless they develop an integrated intelligence architecture, which combines human and AI. This integration of data analytics and AI with the human intelligence and expertise of a firm’s employees offers the basis for a sustainable advantage because it is difficult to match for competitors. Thus, the paper offers new theoretical insights and direct managerial implications with regard to profiting from AI and data analytics.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-06-2020-0144
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Innovation
  • Digitalization
  • Digital transformation
  • Data Analytics
  • Liverpool Football Club

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Article
Publication date: 13 January 2020

Beyond artificial intelligence: why companies need to go the extra step

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

The purpose of this paper is to underscore the need for developing a meta-intelligence in companies based on a conceptual framework for combining artificial and human intelligence.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to underscore the need for developing a meta-intelligence in companies based on a conceptual framework for combining artificial and human intelligence.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which draws on the insights from extant theoretical and empirical research.

Findings

In light of a growing trend towards artificial intelligence (AI), most companies face substantial difficulties, which often derive from an excessive emphasis on merely replacing human intelligence by means of AI. To capture the complementary benefits of artificial and human intelligence beyond mere cost savings, firms do not only need to enhance their advanced analytics while continuing to develop their human intelligence. Rather, they additionally need a meta-intelligence for transforming their intelligence architecture in line with corporate strategy. Consequently, the firms need intelligence3 – comprising AI, human intelligence and the meta-intelligence.

Originality/value

The new concept of a meta-intelligence for renewing and recombining artificial and human intelligence helps to reconcile diverse findings in prior research. Without this meta-intelligence, most AI initiatives will be isolated endeavors, which may have positive effects but likely will not live up to the expectations.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 41 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-05-2018-0086
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

  • Innovation

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Article
Publication date: 3 June 2019

Extremes of acceptance: employee attitudes toward artificial intelligence

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

The purpose of this paper is to present paradoxical employee attitudes towards interacting with artificial intelligence (AI).

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present paradoxical employee attitudes towards interacting with artificial intelligence (AI).

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which builds on prior research, especially on the widely accepted notion of not-invented-here attitudes in technology adoption.

Findings

Many companies experience barriers in implementing AI owing to negative attitudes among their employees. This paper develops the concept of no-human-interaction attitudes, which describe employees’ preference to collaborate with real humans rather than having virtual colleagues. If they perceive a benefit from voluntarily using AI, however, many employees exhibit positive attitudes, leading to the concept of intelligent-automation attitudes. Jointly, these attitudes lead to the paradox that the same persons may have positive or negative attitudes to AI, depending on the particular situation. Firms need to address these attitudes because the interface of human and AI will be a key driver of competitive advantage in the future.

Originality/value

The new concepts of negative and positive employee attitudes contribute to our understanding of firms’ success and problems in implementing AI. Moreover, the paradox of negative and positive attitudes among the same employees helps to reconcile partly diverging findings in extant studies. A thorough understanding of the roots of these employee attitudes, along with several examples, further provides immediate starting points for actively influencing these attitudes in practice.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 41 no. 5
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-12-2018-0204
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

  • Innovation
  • Employee attitudes
  • Digitalization
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Digital transformation
  • Not-invented-here

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Article
Publication date: 19 November 2018

The world’s most innovative companies: a meta-ranking

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

The purpose of this paper is to develop a meta-ranking of the world’s most innovative firms, which underscores the importance of external perceptions of innovativeness and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a meta-ranking of the world’s most innovative firms, which underscores the importance of external perceptions of innovativeness and of an innovation-based view on firm performance, including product, service, process, business model, management and organizational innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an exploratory empirical paper, which integrates the results of five rankings of the world’s most innovative companies.

Findings

The five innovation rankings include a variety of companies based on different methods and strategic focus. This variety underscores the importance of a meta-ranking, whose multiple aggregation methods lead to consistent results. Only the following 11 companies are mentioned in at least three rankings, leading to a list of the 11 most innovative companies in the world: Amazon, Apple, Tencent, Google/Alphabet, Netflix, SpaceX, Tesla, Microsoft, IBM, Intel and General Electric. Overall, the meta-ranking is dominated by US companies from various industries with firms from China gaining importance.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to research into innovation antecedents and consequences by illustrating the importance of innovation perceptions. The meta-ranking highlights the need for pursuing different types of innovation, following the innovation-based view on firm performance with first-order and second-order innovations. Moreover, the results deepen our understanding of digital transformation and of capturing value from innovation in the digital economy because a considerable portion of the leading innovators has a business model emphasizing artificial intelligence and digital platforms, which have led to the generation of new and to the disruption of established markets.

Details

Journal of Strategy and Management, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSMA-07-2018-0065
ISSN: 1755-425X

Keywords

  • Organizational transformation
  • Digital transformation
  • Strategic renewal
  • Innovation ranking
  • Innovation-based view
  • Top innovators

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Article
Publication date: 19 September 2016

Five steps to transforming innovation processes: continually adjusting to new environments

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

This paper aims to suggest a procedure for successfully transforming a firm’s innovation processes in a systematic way.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to suggest a procedure for successfully transforming a firm’s innovation processes in a systematic way.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which draws on prior academic and practitioner papers.

Findings

Changes in a firm’s environment, such as new technological trends or customer needs, regularly call for the dynamic renewal of a firm’s innovation processes. Nonetheless, most firms proceed in a surprisingly unsystematic way if they transform their innovation processes. This approach contrasts with the systematic innovation processes that many firms have established to manage their product development from initial idea to final market launch.

Originality/value

To overcome this discrepancy, this paper distinguishes reconfiguration and realignment challenges in the transformation of a firm’s innovation processes. These different activities are illustrated with the example of transforming firms’ innovation processes towards open innovation. Furthermore, a five-step procedure is suggested to ease implementation. On this basis, implications for managers are discussed with respect to proficiently adapting their firms’ innovation processes over time.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-08-2015-0090
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

  • Open innovation
  • Product development
  • Organizational transformation
  • Innovation management
  • Strategic renewal
  • Strategic change

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Article
Publication date: 18 July 2016

Six principles for shared management: a framework for the integrated economy

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

This paper aims to suggest the framework of shared management, which comprises six major principles. These principles indicate that essential strategy guidelines of firms…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to suggest the framework of shared management, which comprises six major principles. These principles indicate that essential strategy guidelines of firms have been transformed.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which draws on recent management innovations and transformations of management practices. Thus, the paper builds on prior academic and practitioner contributions.

Findings

Management recently has become more SHARED, i.e. sustainable, holistic, analytical, relational, entrepreneurial and dynamic. Each of these principles covers one central dimension of management that has recently been affected by a new logic of sharing. Real-life examples of selected companies are given, and many other firms’ managerial challenges in applying and profiting from these principles are described.

Originality/value

The six principles indicate that the idea of sharing applies to multiple facets of management, which challenge conventional strategy wisdom. They play a particularly important role in a sharing economy, which involves the collaborative production and consumption of goods and services by multiple persons and organizations. Altogether, the principles provide the basis for the shared management framework, which may serve as a step toward an up-to-date picture and realistic guideline for today’s management in many organizations.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-03-2015-0029
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

  • Strategic management
  • Innovation management
  • Management innovation
  • Shareconomy
  • Shared value
  • Sharing economy
  • Strategy process

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Article
Publication date: 6 June 2016

Determinants of absorptive capacity: the value of technology and market orientation for external knowledge acquisition

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

This paper aims to draw on a knowledge-based view to emphasize that internal technological and market knowledge is critical to developing absorptive capacity.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to draw on a knowledge-based view to emphasize that internal technological and market knowledge is critical to developing absorptive capacity.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which draws on recent transformations of management practices. Thus, the paper builds on prior academic contributions.

Findings

Firms increasingly establish innovation processes that involve an active acquisition of external technologies, often through alliances and licensing. To explain differences across firms in external knowledge acquisition, marketing and product innovation researchers have recently adopted a process perspective of absorptive capacity, which refers to a firm’s ability to explore, retain and exploit external knowledge. This paper develops a conceptual framework with propositions relating technology orientation, responsive market orientation and proactive market orientation to the three process stages of absorptive capacity under different conditions of environmental dynamism.

Originality/value

Beyond the relevance of technology and market orientation for fostering internal innovation, this paper points to their importance for successfully acquiring external technological knowledge. In light of increasingly open innovation processes, absorptive capacity is an essential complement to internal innovation in linking technology and market orientation to firm performance.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-04-2015-0076
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

  • Knowledge transfer
  • Market orientation
  • Open innovation
  • Technology orientation
  • Absorptive capacity
  • Desorptive capacity

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Article
Publication date: 8 February 2008

Opening up strategic technology planning: extended roadmaps and functional markets

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

The purpose of this paper is to help firms establish successful technology planning processes in the context of open innovation.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to help firms establish successful technology planning processes in the context of open innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Although some pioneering firms realise enormous benefits from outward technology transfer, many others experience major difficulties in managing external technology exploitation. To overcome these managerial challenges, firms need to establish strategic technology planning processes, which takes into account the increasing importance of external technology commercialisation. Therefore, this paper conceptually explores strategic technology planning in open innovation systems.

Findings

After detailing the characteristics of external technology exploitation, two instruments that may help firms incorporate external technology exploitation in strategic technology planning are developed. First, the concept of product‐technology roadmaps is extended to include external technology exploitation. Second, the functional market concept is transferred from the level of product markets to the level of technology markets.

Originality/value

In many industries, external technology commercialisation is critical to gain and sustain a competitive advantage. Opening up strategic technology planning therefore contributes to firm performance in a knowledge‐based economy. As a result, this paper has major implications for research into strategic planning, technology management and open innovation.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 46 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740810846752
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

  • Corporate strategy
  • Strategic management
  • Knowledge transfer
  • Licensing
  • Innovation
  • Technology led strategy

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Article
Publication date: 10 April 2007

Hierarchical strategies and strategic fit in the keep‐or‐sell decision

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

Besides applying knowledge in own products and services, firms increasingly exploit their knowledge assets externally, e.g. by means of licensing out technology. The aim…

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Abstract

Purpose

Besides applying knowledge in own products and services, firms increasingly exploit their knowledge assets externally, e.g. by means of licensing out technology. The aim of this paper is to help firms achieve strategic fit in the keep‐or‐sell issue, which results from potential external knowledge exploitation.

Design/methodology/approach

The keep‐or‐sell decision refers to the issue whether to commercialize knowledge assets externally in addition to exploiting them inside the organization. Because of the high opportunities and risks of externally leveraging knowledge, the keep‐or‐sell decision constitutes a major area of conflict between strategies at different levels, particularly knowledge vs product strategies, corporate vs business unit strategies and R&D vs marketing strategies. After detailing the keep‐or‐sell decision, the paper conceptually explores how firms may respond to potential conflicts in the keep‐or‐sell decision by achieving strategic fit.

Findings

The paper identifies, in particular, three major characteristics of a firm's strategic approach, i.e. coordination, centralization, and collaboration, which may help firms achieve strategic fit in the keep‐or‐sell issue.

Originality/value

The keep‐or‐sell decision is a unique arena for studying hierarchical strategies and strategic fit. As a result, this paper has major implications for research into strategic fit, hierarchical strategies, knowledge management and open innovation. Achieving fit across a firm's different strategies in the keep‐or‐sell issue is essential for firm performance in a knowledge‐based economy.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 45 no. 3
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740710744990
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

  • Corporate strategy
  • Strategic management
  • Knowledge transfer
  • Licensing
  • Innovation
  • Technology led strategy

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Article
Publication date: 8 February 2016

Toward an innovation-based perspective on company performance

Ulrich Lichtenthaler

– The purpose of this paper is to suggest an innovation-based perspective on company performance and develops a conceptual framework.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to suggest an innovation-based perspective on company performance and develops a conceptual framework.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a research paper, which builds on prior theoretical and empirical management research.

Findings

The innovation-based view is grounded in interfirm differences in innovation, and it underscores the opportunities to achieve sustainable superior firm performance by innovating internally besides the increasing trend toward open innovation. The innovation-based perspective goes beyond many firms’ focus on product innovation by examining its interdependencies with other essential first-order innovations such as service, process, business model, and management innovations. The innovation-based perspective further addresses the dynamic and intertemporal transformation of innovation activities based on second-order innovations, which provide a more realistic view of organizations’ innovation over time. This transformation affects organizational boundaries and how a firm sustains superior performance.

Originality/value

The innovation-based view revises extant approaches to competition and firm boundaries. The new arguments help to reconcile inconsistent earlier findings, and they deepen the understanding of interfirm differences in innovation and performance.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 54 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-05-2015-0161
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

  • Innovation management
  • Firm performance
  • Innovation transformation
  • Organizational boundaries
  • Organizational renewal

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