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Danny Miller

Other affiliations: University of New Mexico, McGill University, Virginia Tech  ...read more
Bio: Danny Miller is an academic researcher from HEC Montréal. The author has contributed to research in topics: Consumption (economics) & Agency (sociology). The author has an hindex of 133, co-authored 512 publications receiving 71238 citations. Previous affiliations of Danny Miller include University of New Mexico & McGill University.


Papers
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Danny Miller1
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors derived a crude typology of firms: Simple firms are small and their power is centralized at the top, while planning firms are big, their goal being smooth and efficient operation through the use of formal controls and plans.
Abstract: The objective of the research was to discover the chief determinants of entrepreneurship, the process by which organizations renew themselves and their markets by pioneering, innovation, and risk taking. Some authors have argued that personality factors of the leader are what determine entrepreneurship, others have highlighted the role played by the structure of the organization, while a final group have pointed to the importance of strategy making. We believed that the manner and extent to which entrepreneurship would be influenced by all of these factors would in large measure depend upon the nature of the organization. Based upon the work of a number of authors we derived a crude typology of firms: Simple firms are small and their power is centralized at the top. Planning firms are bigger, their goal being smooth and efficient operation through the use of formal controls and plans. Organic firms strive to be adaptive to their environments, emphasizing expertise-based power and open communications. The predictiveness of the typology was established upon a sample of 52 firms using hypothesis-testing and analysis of variance techniques. We conjectured that in Simple firms entrepreneurship would be determined by the characteristics of the leader; in Planning firms it would be facilitated by explicit and well integrated product-market strategies, and in Organic firms it would be a function of environment and structure. These hypotheses were largely borne out by correlational and multiple regression analyses. Any programs which aim to stimulate entrepreneurship would benefit greatly from tailoring recommendations to the nature of the target firms.

5,067 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the correlation between innovation and environmental, information processing, structural and decision-making variables that represent, or help to recognize and cope with these challenges.
Abstract: Summary Two very difJerent nmodels oJ pr-oduct innovation ar-e postulated and tested. The con rvative m-odel assumes that ininov-ation is peijormed reluictanitly-, mainl/ in r-esponise to serious challenges. It therefore pr-edic-ts that innoration will co rrelate positively with environmental, injformation processing, structlural and decision nmaking variables that represent, or help to recognize antd cope with these challenges. In conitrast, the entrepreneurial modlel supposes that innovation is alwavys aggressiv-ely plursued and w-vill be very high unless decision makers are warned to slow down. Thus negative correlations are predicted between innovation and the v-ariables that cant provide such warning. Co}rrelationial and curv ilinear regression anialyses revealed that each mi1odel wvas suppor ted by conservative and entrepreneurial sub-samples, respectively, in a diverse sanmple oj 52 Canadian firmns.

2,690 citations

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TL;DR: It is hypothesized that increases in environmental dynamism, hostility and heterogeneity should be related to specific changes in the amount of analysis and innovation which characterizes strategy-making activity.
Abstract: Whereas much is known about the relationships between strategy and structure, and between environment and structure, too little is known about a third link—the relationship between strategy-making and environment. An empirical study was conducted upon two distinct samples of firms. We hypothesized that increases in environmental dynamism, hostility and heterogeneity should be related to specific changes in the amount of analysis and innovation which characterizes strategy-making activity. Most of these relationships tended to be much stronger in successful than in unsuccessful samples of firms.

1,884 citations

Book
01 Jan 1987
TL;DR: In this article, a theory of mass consumption is proposed, with a focus on consumption object domains, ideology and interests towards the theory of consumption, and material culture: material culture artefacts in their contexts.
Abstract: Part 1 Objectification: Hegel and objectification Marx - objectification as rupture Munn - objectification as culture Simmel - objectification as modernity. Part 2 Material culture: material culture artefacts in their contexts. Part 3 Mass consumption: the study of consumption object domains, ideology and interests towards a theory of consumption.

1,659 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a study of the major U.S. film studios from 1936 to 1965 and found that property-based resources in the movie industry were more valuable than other resources.
Abstract: This article continues to operationally define and test the resource-based view of the firm in a study of the major U.S. film studios from 1936 to 1965. We found that property-based resources in th...

1,512 citations


Cited by
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01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: Porter's concept of the value chain disaggregates a company into "activities", or the discrete functions or processes that represent the elemental building blocks of competitive advantage as discussed by the authors, has become an essential part of international business thinking, taking strategy from broad vision to an internally consistent configuration of activities.
Abstract: COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE introduces a whole new way of understanding what a firm does. Porter's groundbreaking concept of the value chain disaggregates a company into 'activities', or the discrete functions or processes that represent the elemental building blocks of competitive advantage. Now an essential part of international business thinking, COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE takes strategy from broad vision to an internally consistent configuration of activities. Its powerful framework provides the tools to understand the drivers of cost and a company's relative cost position. Porter's value chain enables managers to isolate the underlying sources of buyer value that will command a premium price, and the reasons why one product or service substitutes for another. He shows how competitive advantage lies not only in activities themselves but in the way activities relate to each other, to supplier activities, and to customer activities. That the phrases 'competitive advantage' and 'sustainable competitive advantage' have become commonplace is testimony to the power of Porter's ideas. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE has guided countless companies, business school students, and scholars in understanding the roots of competition. Porter's work captures the extraordinary complexity of competition in a way that makes strategy both concrete and actionable.

17,979 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors synthesize these previously fragmented literatures around a more general "upper echelons perspective" and claim that organizational outcomes (strategic choices and performance levels) are partially predicted by managerial background characteristics.
Abstract: Theorists in various fields have discussed characteristics of top managers. This paper attempts to synthesize these previously fragmented literatures around a more general “upper echelons perspective.” The theory states that organizational outcomes—strategic choices and performance levels—are partially predicted by managerial background characteristics. Propositions and methodological suggestions are included.

11,022 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a contingency framework for investigating the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance is proposed. But the authors focus on the business domain and do not consider the economic domain.
Abstract: The primary purpose of this article is to clarify the nature of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct and to propose a contingency framework for investigating the relationship between EO and firm performance. We first explore and refine the dimensions of EO and discuss the usefulness of viewing a firm's EO as a multidimensional construct. Then, drawing on examples from the EO-related contingencies literature, we suggest alternative models (moderating effects, mediating effects, independent effects, interaction effects) for testing the EO-performance relationship.

8,623 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article argued that social identification is a perception of oneness with a group of persons, and social identification stems from the categorization of individuals, the distinctiveness and prestige of the group, the salience of outgroups, and the factors that traditionally are associated with group formation.
Abstract: It is argued that (a) social identification is a perception of oneness with a group of persons; (b) social identification stems from the categorization of individuals, the distinctiveness and prestige of the group, the salience of outgroups, and the factors that traditionally are associated with group formation; and (c) social identification leads to activities that are congruent with the identity, support for institutions that embody the identity, stereotypical perceptions of self and others, and outcomes that traditionally are associated with group formation, and it reinforces the antecedents of identification. This perspective is applied to organizational socialization, role conflict, and intergroup relations.

8,480 citations

Book
01 Jan 2009

8,216 citations