Showing papers in "IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management in 2010"
TL;DR: This study provides insights into the labor-intensive, but capital-sensitive, processes involved in shaping and managing technology development and diffusion to meet the unique demands of mass markets in emerging economies.
Abstract: A daunting challenge that enterprises face today is how to design and diffuse innovations to effectively tap into local demand in emerging country markets. Although extant literature focuses on the dominant innovation models of multinational enterprises from developed countries, little attention is directed to carefully examining the alternative models of innovation offered by local players from emerging markets. The aim of our study was to gain an in-depth insight toward understanding ?what kind of innovation models effectively suit emerging markets needs"? Using the case of an indigenous enterprise, Centre for Development of Telematics from India, we demonstrate how the emphasis on developing affordable and locally sustainable products has provided an alternative model of resource-constrained innovation in the telecommunications sector. The three critical factors for innovation were identified as: entrepreneurial leadership and vision; modular designs to meet user demands of affordability, functionality, and operability through architectural innovation; and exploitation of the local knowledge base and the creation of local innovation clusters. Our study provides insights into the labor-intensive, but capital-sensitive, processes involved in shaping and managing technology development and diffusion to meet the unique demands of mass markets in emerging economies.
158 citations
TL;DR: This research argues for the reinclusion and/or clarification of belief and attitude constructs relevant to technology acceptance and trust research streams, explains why these constructs are critical for understanding causality in such models, proposes an integration model that is consistent with this argument, and tests this model in a context exploring initial reactions to an e-vendor.
Abstract: Two dominant theories-trust and technology acceptance-have been employed in numerous information systems research studies to help understand consumer behavior in e-commerce environments. In this context of voluntary Web site adoption and use, we provide a more precise understanding of the nomological network related to the cognitive variables (both beliefs and attitudes) that precede this use. Designers and engineers need to be concerned not just with building an objectively better Web site but also with building a Web site that conveys desirable characteristics. Although the theory of reasoned action has been acknowledged as the underlying theory for technology acceptance and some trust research, past studies integrating these two theories have omitted important variables from their models and have posited different causal relationships among model variables. This research argues for the reinclusion and/or clarification of belief and attitude constructs relevant to technology acceptance and trust research streams, explains why these constructs are critical for understanding causality in such models, proposes an integration model that is consistent with this argument, and finally tests this model in a context exploring initial reactions to an e-vendor and evaluates the relative importance of trust and technology acceptance variables in predicting user intentions.
157 citations
TL;DR: This paper considers production planning when inputs have different and uncertain quality levels, and there are capacity constraints, and formulate the problem as a stochastic program that can be solved easily using Cplex.
Abstract: In this paper, we consider production planning when inputs have different and uncertain quality levels, and there are capacity constraints. This situation is typical of most remanufacturing environments, where inputs are product returns (also called cores). Production (remanufacturing) cost increases as the quality level decreases, and any unused cores may be salvaged at a value that increases with their quality level. Decision variables include, for each period and under a certain probabilistic scenario, the amount of cores to grade, the amount to remanufacture for each quality level, and the amount of inventory to carry over for future periods for ungraded cores, graded cores, and finished remanufactured products. Our model is grounded with data collected at a major original equipment manufacturer that also remanufactures. We formulate the problem as a stochastic program; although it is a large linear program, it can be solved easily using Cplex. We provide a numeric study to generate insights into the nature of the solution.
150 citations
TL;DR: A theoretical model combining key constructs from the SOC framework and the information systems usage/success models to evaluate social networking usage indicates that while user satisfaction is still the most salient determinant for system usage, SOC also plays a significant role in the user's online social interaction process.
Abstract: In recent years, social networking systems have become quite popular, and have been established for a variety of purposes. However, it is still not well understood if sense of community (SOC) contributes to an individual user's continued usage of these systems. This paper presents a theoretical model combining key constructs from the SOC framework and the information systems usage/success models to evaluate social networking usage. We surveyed users from popular social networking sites to test the validity of the research model. Our results indicate that while user satisfaction is still the most salient determinant for system usage, SOC also plays a significant role in the user's online social interaction process. Besides its direct influence on usage, SOC also indirectly influences usage through user satisfaction. In addition, we show that SOC is a multidimensional construct that should be measured using several components. We also demonstrate that the quality of the information contained in the communities has a significant impact on SOC, but system quality does not seem to influence it. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.
131 citations
TL;DR: This research shows that indirect supplier development improves suppliers' product and delivery performance and supplier capabilities, and that direct supplier development strongly improves supplier capabilities.
Abstract: As firms concentrate on their core competencies, they become more dependent on suppliers who possess technological competencies and manufacturing capacities that the firms themselves do not have. As a consequence, firms must maintain a network of capable and reliable suppliers. Supplier development activities can often support suppliers' improvement efforts. This research shows that indirect supplier development improves suppliers' product and delivery performance and supplier capabilities, and that direct supplier development strongly improves supplier capabilities. However, supplier development efforts are less effective if indirect and direct supplier developments are applied simultaneously. Therefore, at any given time, firms should engage in either indirect or direct supplier development, not in both. The study contends that supplier development-if conducted properly-can be a powerful supplier relationship management practice.
115 citations
TL;DR: It is found that latecomer firms, though disadvantaged in technological capabilities and market resources, can successfully introduce disruptive technologies from advanced economies into emerging economies through secondary business-model innovations.
Abstract: To fill the research gap between extant theory of disruptive technology and latecomer firms' business-model innovation practices in emerging economies, we explore the new latecomer advantage implied in the phenomena of overshooting and nonconsuming. Based on inductive theory building with a comparative case study, we find that latecomer firms, though disadvantaged in technological capabilities and market resources, can successfully introduce disruptive technologies from advanced economies into emerging economies through secondary business-model innovations. They provide cheaper, simpler, but good enough products or services that ordinary citizens in emerging economies can easily afford and access. How do latecomer firms capture value from disruptive technologies within the emerging economies context? While articulating an appropriate value proposition that is attractive for local customers is of great importance for those latecomer firms, they should also fully utilize strategic partners' complementary assets to build a unique value network embedded within local infrastructure. Thus, those latecomer firms tactfully bypass the substantial first-mover advantages and global advantages of multinational incumbents, and leverage their latecomer advantages such as low price and local savvy. Thus, latecomer firms should not ignore those disruptive growth opportunities within the large population of mass customers and nonconsumers in emerging economies.
108 citations
TL;DR: This paper should assist relevant stakeholders to improve their understanding on the relative importance of the evaluation factors, and help to establish a comprehensive framework for decision makers to evaluate the feasibility of PPP projects.
Abstract: A successful public-private partnership (PPP) scheme can be described as one that can lead to the delivery of high-quality end products and/or services, which can satisfy the needs of the community, achieve the intended targets/goals of the government, as well as provide a favorable financial return for the private sector involved with the project. This study aims to establish an evaluation framework for the initial feasibility evaluation of a PPP project that would satisfy all the stakeholders. The factors for evaluating the feasibility of PPP projects can be classified into five broad categories: technical; financial and economic; social; political and legal; and others. Through the structural equation modeling approach, data attained from a questionnaire survey conducted in Hong Kong was analyzed and a model was developed to examine the relationships between different evaluation factors and the overall satisfaction of stakeholders. The results indicate that technical and social aspects are critical to the feasibility of PPP projects, and therefore, are the determining factors for success. This paper should assist relevant stakeholders to improve their understanding on the relative importance of the evaluation factors, and help to establish a comprehensive framework for decision makers to evaluate the feasibility of PPP projects. The predictors for PPP project success were also determined to enrich the knowledge base and help formulate management strategies to better implement the PPP project delivery approach.
88 citations
TL;DR: The empirical findings show that the validity of the widely accepted project organization typology is in question and develop an alternative taxonomy of project management structures that encompasses five structural types, differentiated by the entities managing them.
Abstract: This paper addresses the question of how projects are organized and how these management structures impact project success. Despite its widely accepted managerial importance, empirical studies could not provide significant evidence of a relationship between implemented management structures and project success. A major problem in finding meaningful empirical evidence is the conceptualization of the structure measure, which is derived from a typologist's perspective. In this study, we follow the taxonomists' perspective and empirically develop an alternative taxonomy of project management structures. We empirically compare both approaches, by using two different samples, collected in the United States and Germany, including together over 600 projects. Our empirical findings show that the validity of the widely accepted project organization typology is in question. The use of cluster analyses reveals an alternative taxonomy that encompasses five structural types, differentiated by the entities managing them: project coordinator, supervised project coordinator, autonomous project manager, supervised project manager, and autonomous functional project manager. The results strongly support the widely accepted proposition of a relationship between project organization and project success. The emerging taxonomy of project organization configurations enriches the theoretical and conceptual discussions of organizing projects and unravels the multiple aspects involved in organizing the execution of projects.
87 citations
TL;DR: This research addresses the theoretically neglected question of how and why the interplay between product design modularity and information technology (IT) infrastructure flexibility influences supply chain performance.
Abstract: As contemporary firms become reliant on networks of supply chain partners, their performance increasingly depends on their supply chains' ability to be responsive to changing markets. This research addresses the theoretically neglected question of how and why the interplay between product design modularity and information technology (IT) infrastructure flexibility influences supply chain performance. We develop two key ideas. First, product design modularity enhances performance because it increases supply chain responsiveness, a critical mediating explanatory concept. Second, product design modularity and IT infrastructure flexibility are complementary design choices: Increasing one increases the benefits of increasing the other. We propose a mediated-moderation relationship; IT infrastructure flexibility enhances performance by strengthening the influence of product design modularity on supply chain responsiveness. Tests using primary and archival data from 102 firms provide strong support for both ideas. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed.
74 citations
TL;DR: It is found that technology investments are positively related to firm performance, yet, firm informality positively moderates the relationship between resources and firm performance.
Abstract: High-technology entrepreneurship in emerging economies takes place in a context very different from that of developed economies. In large measure, this difference is due to greater resource constraints and higher levels of firm informality in emerging economies. In this study, we examine formal versus informal young high-technology ventures, assessing the extent to which firm informality moderates the relationship between technology investments and firm performance in an emerging economy. We find that technology investments are positively related to firm performance. Yet, firm informality positively moderates the relationship between resources and firm performance. The effect of resources tends to be contingent on the level of firm informality in an emerging economy. Greater resource constraints and higher levels of firm informality not only represent critical factors in emerging economies, but also are essential for contextualizing resource-based theory.
69 citations
TL;DR: A rigorous methodological approach to the analysis of e-procurement benefits and an innovative approach to estimation of value at risk is shown.
Abstract: In recent years, organizations have invested heavily in e-procurement technology solutions. However, an estimation of the value of the technology-enabled procurement process is often lacking. Our paper presents a rigorous methodological approach to the analysis of e-procurement benefits. Business process simulations are used to analyze the benefits of both technological and organizational changes related to e-procurement. The approach enables an estimation of both the average and variability of procurement costs and benefits, workload, and lead times. In addition, the approach enables optimization of a procurement strategy (e.g., approval levels). Finally, an innovative approach to estimation of value at risk is shown.
TL;DR: It is found that the capability of R&D team members to evaluate external knowledge is related to their ability to assimilate it and that both individual assimilation capabilities and collective Assimilation capabilities are important to the team's ability to apply external knowledge.
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to answer a call for the rejuvenation of the absorptive capacity (ACAP) construct by offering a novel conceptualization and empirical test of a multidimensional model of R&D project team ACAP that portrays it as a capability distinct from prior knowledge, specifies each dimension's level of analysis, distinguishes between individual and collective assimilation, and considers the moderating effects of team structure. Using a dataset from survey and archival sources on 100 innovations by R&D project teams, we find that the capability of R&D team members to evaluate external knowledge is related to their ability to assimilate it and that both individual assimilation capabilities and collective assimilation capabilities, in the form of ability to reach a shared understanding, are important to the team's ability to apply external knowledge. We also find that prior knowledge negatively moderates the relationship between individual assimilation and application ability and that team autonomy positively moderates this relationship. By clarifying levels of analysis and encompassing multiple dimensions of ACAP, this work leads to a more fine-grained understanding of the complex nature of ACAP. Implications of these findings for future research and R&D team management are presented.
TL;DR: This study reveals that the process through which Web technologies enhance organizational performance is contingent on the state of the organizational environment, and applies a theoretical lens to analyze the case of a successful Singaporean dotcom.
Abstract: The lack of knowledge on 1) how Web technologies support the business strategies of an organization and 2) how Web technologies enhance organizational performance are gaps in the existing literature that may account for the inability of the majority of Web-based firms to leverage their investments in Web technologies. To address these knowledge gaps, a theoretical lens is constructed from five core logics in organizational literature that represent the different possible ways of enhancing organizational performance. Applying the lens to analyze the case of a successful Singaporean dotcom, the ways through which Web technologies enhance organizational performance are identified. Specifically, our study reveals that the process through which Web technologies enhance organizational performance is contingent on the state of the organizational environment. When the environment is in a state of equilibrium, Web technologies can enhance organizational performance by facilitating the attainment of competitive advantage through three distinct mechanisms: the logics of positioning, leverage, and opportunity. Conversely, when the environment is in a state of revolution, Web technologies can give rise to performance gains by supporting the attainment of legitimacy through two distinct mechanisms: the logics of optimality and social congruence.
TL;DR: Analysis using logistic regression models suggests that the contribution of local universities and research institutes to such R&D collaborations is likely to be high when foreign investors have had abundant prior R &D experience in the host country and when the alliance has been established primarily for research rather than development purposes.
Abstract: A learning perspective was applied to examining when multinational corporations select universities rather than local firms as partners in international R&D alliances. Data were collected on 327 international R&D alliances established over the 1995-2001 period in China, an emerging economy where intellectual property rights protection is still far from adequate, over the 1995-2001 period. The effects of factors such as the international investor's host country R&D experience and the venture's research objectives on the selection of universities or research institutes as local partners for R&D alliances were analyzed. Analysis using logistic regression models suggests that the contribution of local universities and research institutes to such R&D collaborations is likely to be high when foreign investors have had abundant prior R&D experience in the host country and when the alliance has been established primarily for research rather than development purposes. The implications for theory, practice, and policymaking are discussed.
TL;DR: A review of the uncertainty classification in engineering literature and the nature of uncertainty in TLC estimation and the potential value of imprecise probability should be explored within the domain of TLC to assist cost estimators and decision makers in understanding and assessing the uncertainty.
Abstract: Estimating through-life cost (TLC) is an area that is critical to many industrial sectors, and in particular, within the defense and aerospace where products are complex and have extended life cycles. One of the key problems in modeling the cost of these products is the limited life-cycle information at the early stage. This leads to epistemic and aleatory uncertainty within the estimation process in terms of data, estimation techniques, and scenarios analysis. This paper presents a review of the uncertainty classification in engineering literature and the nature of uncertainty in TLC estimation. Based on the review, the paper then presents a critique of the current uncertainty modeling approaches in cost estimation and concludes with suggestion for the requirement of a different approach to handling uncertainty in TLC. The potential value of imprecise probability should be explored within the domain of TLC to assist cost estimators and decision makers in understanding and assessing the uncertainty. The implication of such a representation in terms of decision making under risk and decision making under uncertainty is also discussed.
TL;DR: The proposed method aims to highlight crucial design organizations, which should require particular managerial attention and has been researched and constructed in collaboration with a car design office, and applied in the case of a new robotized gearbox design.
Abstract: 1990's have been marked by significant changes both in the strategic management field, with the development of competence-based management and the use of the concept of value-creating network, and in the design management field, with the diffusion of matrix-based tools that help to manage the interdependencies between three domains of design projects: product, process, and organization. Few researchers have helped to link these two fields. However, design managers need to use these fields closely together in order to enhance the firm's sustainable competitiveness. Indeed specialists of engineering management have already underlined that design organizations are responsible for the development of lines of products that have to satisfy distinctive stakeholders' requirements. Thus, design organizations strongly contribute to the firm's core competence. In this paper, we outline a method for diagnosing design core competence. We intend to couple strategic management concepts and design management concepts to represent and evaluate design core competence in relation to the product, process, and organizational architectures. The proposed method aims to highlight crucial design organizations, which should require particular managerial attention. The method has been researched and constructed in collaboration with a car design office, and applied in the case of a new robotized gearbox design.
TL;DR: An integrated heuristic model comprising the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the TOC in a decision model in which priority of product and resource center optimizes the product throughput in a multiple constraint resource environment is considered.
Abstract: The theory of constraints (TOC) emphasizes the exploitation of resource constraints in order to increase the product throughput of an organization. The product-mix decision is one application of the five steps in the TOC. This paper considers an integrated heuristic model comprising the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the TOC in a decision model in which priority of product and resource center optimizes the product throughput in a multiple constraint resource environment. An AHP component allows the decision maker to incorporate tangible and intangible criteria into the decision-making process and use the priority rankings of the AHP to represent a measure of value in the TOC model. The TOC identifies the constraints and the product ranking of the AHP maximizes the product throughput in a multiple constraint resource environment. The methodology incorporates sensitivity analysis to provide the decision maker with additional information regarding the robustness of the model so that he or she can make a better decision. The model compares three alternatives: the standard TOC, Integer Linear Programming (ILP), and our own solution. The numerical result shows that the proposed approach is superior to TOC and to ILP analysis and provides a measure of the model's performance.
TL;DR: A model of competitive advantage is developed for studying the development of the new venture's first product and managerial insights on how the entrepreneur should acquire resources and knowledge in order to improve the performance of the first product are provided.
Abstract: The new venture launching its first product faces substantial risks and is typically resource-poor. Moreover, failure with the first product is closely related to failure of the new venture itself, as investors seek alternate investments with better track records. While much guidance appears in the literature for large, established firms developing and launching new products, little research has examined the specific challenges faced by entrepreneurial startups launching first products. We develop a model of competitive advantage for studying the development of the new venture's first product. We identify and investigate the skills, resources, and knowledge needed for achieving positional advantage and, ultimately, developing a successful first product. We collect data from 694 first products launched by new ventures in China to test our model. While most of our hypotheses are supported, we obtain some interesting findings regarding the stage in the development process when technology resources and skills, and marketing resources and skills have the greatest effects on product performance. Our research makes several contributions to engineering management, innovation, and entrepreneurship literatures. Finally, we provide managerial insights on how the entrepreneur should acquire resources and knowledge in order to improve the performance of the first product.
TL;DR: The promotion of learning leverages the benefits of informational diversity and serves as a mediator between task-related conflict and software quality.
Abstract: From one perspective, diversity leads to an increase in the knowledge and viewpoints that adds to the creativity of the solution and methods during a software development project. From another perspective, diversity adds to the conflict in a project team, which detracts significantly from the desired results. This contradiction may be best explained by an examination of different forms of diversity. This study reports a model that considers informational diversity, in the form of a larger variety of background knowledge, in the system development context. Learning and information theories dictate that conflict related to the completion of tasks will increase under informational diversity. Task-related conflict should, in turn, create learning opportunities, which will provide the spark needed to improve the quality of the software generated by a project team. A team level analysis of survey data from 299 members of 75 development teams confirms these relationships. The promotion of learning leverages the benefits of informational diversity and serves as a mediator between task-related conflict and software quality.
TL;DR: The paper theorizes that behavior control and output control will have different moderating effects on the learning and indigenous innovation relationships, and empirical analyses of a survey dataset of 607 Chinese firms provide supporting evidence to the theoretical model advanced.
Abstract: Setting in China's emerging economy, this study examines the underlying working mechanisms through which acquisitive learning and experimental learning produce positive impacts on indigenous innovation. We theorize that behavior control and output control will have different moderating effects on the learning and indigenous innovation relationships. Empirical analyses of a survey dataset of 607 Chinese firms provide supporting evidence to the theoretical model advanced in this study. Experimental learning mediates the relationship between acquisitive learning and indigenous innovation. Behavior control negatively moderates the relationship between acquisitive learning and indigenous innovation, while positively moderates the relationship between experimental learning and indigenous innovation. The moderating effects of output control on the relationships between both types of learning and indigenous innovation are significant and inverse-U-shaped. The paper concludes with a discussion of the relevant theoretical contributions and practical implications stemming from these findings, study limitations, and potential future research directions.
TL;DR: The methodology of process-based cost modeling is used to project product development, fabrication, and assembly costs in both the standalone and shared situations, and fixed cost savings are proposed as the desired quantity when assessing product family efficiency.
Abstract: To be competitive in today's global economy, firms must deliver more products that are viable in the marketplace for shorter times. The use of product families allows firms to meet these needs in a cost-competitive manner. The determination of which components to share and which should be unique is very important to the development of product families. Commonality metrics are presented with the goal of assessing (at the early stages of development) the ability of the product family to reduce costs. The methodology of process-based cost modeling is used to project product development, fabrication, and assembly costs in both the standalone and shared situations. A case study of two automotive instrument panel beams is analyzed. Linear-regression analysis shows that when compared to total cost savings, a simple piece commonality metric and a fabrication-investment-weighted metric have higher R2 than a mass- or piece-cost-weighted metric. When correlated to fixed cost savings, the fabrication-investment-weighted metric has the highest R2 (0.62) and is significant at the 0.025 level. Fixed cost savings are proposed as the desired quantity when assessing product family efficiency.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how multinational corporations (MNCs) protect their intellectual property (IP) when they conduct R&D in countries with weak IP rights (IPRs) protection.
Abstract: This paper examines how multinational corporations (MNCs) protect their intellectual property (IP) when they conduct R&D in countries with weak IP rights (IPRs) protection. Findings from a small-scale survey and three case studies in China show that hierarchical segmentation of the R&D process can provide an effective way for IPR protection. Furthermore, a modular R&D structure adopted by many information technology companies can facilitate the hierarchical segmentation. Because R&D is becoming distributed across locations with varying levels of IPR protection, a center-peripheral R&D organizational structure is emerging within MNCs as R&D globalization proceeds.
TL;DR: An approach based on analytic network process (ANP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the performance of Research and Development projects and a set of criteria and subcriteria having interdependencies among themselves are identified.
Abstract: In this study, we develop an approach based on analytic network process (ANP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the performance of Research and Development projects. We identify a set of criteria and subcriteria having interdependencies among themselves. Interdependency is treated using a hybrid ANP model consisting of both hierarchy and network. The interval pairwise comparison matrices are constructed in a group decision-making process. ANP is extended to obtain interval weights from the interval pairwise comparison matrices. Interval weights are formulated as assurance region constraints in a super-efficiency DEA model, through which the project ranking is obtained. The super-efficiency DEA model is also modified to handle missing data. The approach is applied to a real case study on performance evaluation of the ongoing projects in a Defense Research and Development Institute.
TL;DR: A consumer-oriented evaluation model targeting these specific requests by consumers is proposed, which aims to define an evaluation function that quantifies how well a product item meets the consumer's feeling preferences.
Abstract: This paper deals with the evaluation of Japanese traditional crafts, in which product items are assessed according to the so-called “Kansei” features by means of the semantic differential method. For traditional crafts, decisions on which items to buy or use are usually influenced by personal feelings/characteristics; therefore, we shall propose a consumer-oriented evaluation model targeting these specific requests by consumers. Particularly, given a consumer's request, the proposed model aims to define an evaluation function that quantifies how well a product item meets the consumer's feeling preferences. An application to evaluating patterns of Kutani porcelain is conducted to illustrate how the proposed evaluation model works, in practice.
TL;DR: Examination of three novel design factors related to online interruption-based advertising, namely, exposure timing, advertising intent, and brand image, finds that brand image is found to moderate the effects of advertising intent on consumer's purchase intention.
Abstract: Interruption-based advertising has gained prominence in the online channel. Yet, little attention has been paid to deriving design principles and conceptualizations for online interruption-based advertising. This paper examines three novel design factors related to this phenomenon, namely, exposure timing, advertising intent, and brand image. Exposure timing pertains to the time by which the advertisement (ad) is launched within a website. Advertising intent refers to the explicitness of ad content in portraying the desire to induce purchase behavior. Brand image relates to consumers' overall perceptions of the advertised brand. In a laboratory experiment, participants were exposed to pop-up ads that were operationalized based on these three design considerations. Results reveal three two-way interactions among the study constructs. Online interruption-based ads shown in the predecisional shopping phase are more effective when their contents are designed with implicit advertising intent compared to explicit intent. Brand image is found to moderate the effects of advertising intent on consumer's purchase intention. Participants' responses also show that ads promoting weak brands with less favorable image tend to enjoy higher purchase intention when shown in the predecisional phase compared with the postdecisional phase. Theoretical and practical implications together with suggestions for future research are discussed.
TL;DR: The model of platform dominance finds that each platform provider needs to differentiate its platform by attracting high-status developers and by providing third-party developers with toolkits that encourage them to develop exclusive titles.
Abstract: Going beyond the traditional conceptualization of indirect network effects as the number of complements available, this study analyzes how the network positions of platforms and complementors explain platform dominance. We use data from the U.S. home video game industry between 2002 and 2006 to test our model of platform dominance. While the impact of degree of links with complementors representing the number of complements is significant, our study also finds that platform dominance is positively influenced by support from a greater breadth of titles by complementors and lesser degree of overlap with other platforms. We also find that ties with high-status complementors influence platform dominance, but this impact decreases with platform age. Our results suggest benefits to refine our conceptualization of indirect network effects from a network perspective. The managerial implications are that each platform provider needs to differentiate its platform by attracting high-status developers and by providing third-party developers with toolkits that encourage them to develop exclusive titles.
TL;DR: The 11 papers in this special issue focus on managing innovation in emerging economies and draw observations from Brazil, China, India, Philippines, South Africa, and Taiwan.
Abstract: The 11 papers in this special issue focus on managing innovation in emerging economies. The papers cover a good spectrum of topics, methodology, industry as well as geographical location. Collectively they draw observations from Brazil, China, India, Philippines, South Africa, and Taiwan.
TL;DR: A research model is developed to investigate how interorganizational coordination could help build relationships based on trust and goal congruence and achieve higher project performance and represents a step toward the development of a new theory on the role of interorgan organizational coordination.
Abstract: Increasingly, consulting firms are employed by client organizations to participate in the implementation of enterprise systems projects. Such consultant-assisted information systems projects differ from internal and outsourced IS projects in two important respects. First, the joint project team consists of members from client and consulting organizations that may have conflicting goals and incompatible work practices. Second, close collaboration between the client and consulting organizations is required throughout the course of the project. Consequently, coordination is more complex for consultant-assisted projects and is critical for project success. Drawing from coordination and agency theories and the trust literature, we developed a research model to investigate how interorganizational coordination could help build relationships based on trust and goal congruence and achieve higher project performance. Hypotheses derived from the model were tested using data collected from 324 projects. The results provide strong support for the model. Interorganizational coordination was found to have the largest overall significant effect on performance. However, its effect was achieved indirectly by building trust and goal congruence and by reducing technical and requirements uncertainty. The positive effects of trust and goal congruence on project performance demonstrate the importance of managing the client-consultant relationship in such projects. Project uncertainty, including both technical and requirements uncertainty, was found to negatively affect goal congruence and trust, as expected. This study represents a step toward the development of a new theory on the role of interorganizational coordination.
TL;DR: This paper examines Smallcomp's organizational changes by comparing its PDP network properties at two points in time and identifies patterns of centralization, role specialization, and formalized control that validates themes from organizational behavior and quality management literature regarding how organizations learn from experience, grow in size, and control their process variation.
Abstract: This paper uses network analysis (NA) to study task interactions in the product development process (PDP) at a small engineering company (Smallcomp). We examine Smallcomp's organizational changes by comparing its PDP network properties at two points in time. The analysis identifies patterns of centralization, role specialization, and formalized control. This validates themes from organizational behavior and quality management literature regarding how organizations learn from experience, grow in size, and control their process variation. It demonstrates several insights to manage the PDP as both a second (i.e., effectively executing) and third order (i.e., highlighting underlying premises and assumptions) form of organizational control. First, reducing variation in task outputs is an understandable approach to controlling a PDP. However, it is important to reduce variation in task inputs as well. Second, tasks have varying roles and burdens in terms of how they share information with other tasks in the PDP. Companies seeking to support multiple concurrent projects must align their organizational resources to the distribution of labor created by the information flow among PDP tasks. Finally, an NA metric called Simmelian ties can measure effective concurrency in a PDP by identifying both valuable and ineffective iteration among groups of tasks.
TL;DR: It is found that investment allocation depends on the elasticity of substitution between fossil and nonfossil energy inputs, and the relative costs and efficacy of the R&D programs, and that overall investment tends to decrease in risk depending on firm flexibility and specifications.
Abstract: In this paper, we deal with a very timely issue-RD and that overall investment tends to decrease in risk depending on firm flexibility and specifications.