Showing papers in "International Journal of Management Reviews in 2004"

Networking and innovation: a systematic review of the evidence

Abstract: Porter and Ketels' (2003) study of British competitiveness emphasised the importance of business networking for innovativeness. Until recently insights into the dynamics of this relationship have been fragmented. This paper presents a systematic review of research linking the networking behaviour of firms with their innovative capacity. We find that the principal benefits of networking as identified in the literature include, risk sharing; obtaining access to new markets and technologies; speeding products to market; pooling complementary skills; safeguarding property rights when complete or contingent contracts are not possible; and acting as a key vehicle for obtaining access to external knowledge. The evidence also illustrates that those firms which do not cooperate and which do not formally or informally exchange knowledge limit their knowledge base on a long-term basis and ultimately reduce their ability to enter into exchange relationships. At an institutional level, national systems of innovation play an important role in the diffusion of innovations in terms of the way in which they shape networking activity. The paper provides evidence suggesting that network relationships with suppliers, customers, and intermediaries such as professional and trade associations are important factors affecting innovation performance and productivity. Where networks fail it is due to inter-firm conflict, displacement, lack of scale, external disruption and lack of infrastructure. The review identifies several gaps in the literature that need to be filled. For instance, there is a need for further exploration of the relationship between networking and different forms of innovation, such as, process and organisational innovation. Similarly, we need better understanding of network dynamics and network configurations, as well as the role of third parties such as professional and trade associations. Our study highlights the need for inter-disciplinary research in these areas.

Organizational Failure: a critique of recent research and a proposed integrative framework

Abstract: There is a long-running debate in the business literature on the causes of organizational failure. On the one hand, classical industrial organization (IO) and organization ecology (OE) scholars have typically assumed a deterministic role of the environment and argued that managers are constrained by exogenous industrial and environmental constraints leaving them with little real strategic choice, and hence managers' role should be ignored. On the other hand, the organization studies (OS) and organizational psychology (OP) literature takes a more voluntaristic perspective and argues that managers are the principal decision makers of the firm and, consequently, their actions and perceptions are the fundamental cause of organizational failure. This paper addresses the major deficiencies observed in the diverse body of literature covering this field, suggests an integrative framework and identifies the specific theoretical and methodological challenges ahead for researchers seeking to advance knowledge in the field of organizational failure.

Flexible employment contracts, the psychological contract and employee outcomes: an analysis and review of the evidence

Abstract: There has been growing interest in the impact of flexible employment contracts on workers affected by them. In the light of assumptions that such workers are significantly disadvantaged, European-wide legislation has been introduced to ensure that they are treated similarly to permanent employees. The evidence on the impact of flexible employment contracts on employees’ attitudes and behaviour is reviewed within the framework of the psychological contract. The body of research is limited but is sufficient to challenge the assumption that workers on flexible contracts are invariably disadvantaged. Those on contract of choice, particularly knowledge workers who may be pursuing boundaryless careers, are especially likely to report positive outcomes. The evidence also indicates that a framework that incorporates the psychological contract provides additional value in explaining variations in outcomes.

Introduction to special issue: Innovation and productivity performance in the UK

Abstract: Background The productivity gap between the UK and its major competitor nations ‐ the US, France and Germany ‐ has been a major concern and fixture in the UK’s domestic economic policy agenda through the 1990s (and before). Successive governments have explored various ways in which this productivity gap might be

Managing people and performance: an evidence based framework applied to health service organizations

Abstract: People and their performance are key to an organization's effectiveness. This review describes an evidence-based framework of the links between some key organizational influences and staff performance, health and well-being. This preliminary framework integrates management and psychological approaches, with the aim of assisting future explanation, prediction and organizational change. Health care is taken as the focus of this review, as there are concerns internationally about health care effectiveness. The framework considers empirical evidence for links between the following organizational levels: 1. Context (organizational culture and inter-group relations; resources, including staffing; physical environment) 2. People management (HRM practices and strategies; job design, workload and teamwork; employee involvement and control over work; leadership and support) 3. Psychological consequences for employees (health and stress; satisfaction and commitment; knowledge, skills and motivation) 4. Employee behaviour (absenteeism and turnover; task and contextual performance; errors and near misses) 5. Organizational performance; patient care. This review contributes to an evidence base for policies and practices of people management and performance management. Its usefulness will depend on future empirical research, using appropriate research designs, sufficient study power and measures that are reliable and valid.

Adoption of promising practices: a systematic review of the evidence

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review about the adoption of promising practices by organizations. The objective of the study was to gather empirical evidence to explain why the UK rate of promising practices adoption is poor compared with that of its competitors. The paper illustrates how a vastly dispersed collection of empirical data results can be integrated through a rigorous review process. The conclusion is that, although there is evidence to suggest that an adoption gap exists, the root causes of this gap cannot at present be diagnosed from the available evidence. Directions for future research are discussed.

The role of top management teams in formulating and implementing turnaround strategies: a review and research agenda

Abstract: Both business commentators and scholarly researchers have acknowledged the key role that top management teams (TMTs) play in reversing the fortunes of failing firms. Nonetheless, relatively few empirical studies have investigated the importance of TMTs in turnaround situations. To encourage such studies, we draw upon the multiple theories employed in TMT research as a guide to review studies that have examined how TMTs formulate and implement turnaround strategies. Based on this review, we highlight TMT topics that have received limited attention in the turnaround literature and, thus, represent opportunities for future research. We conclude by discussing methodological issues that should be considered when examining a TMT’s role in a turnaround situation.

Real R&D options

Abstract: Real R&D options are among the earliest modelled real options, with now ten primary practical uses: general R&D planning, planning R&D in stages, evaluating test information, new product development timing, operations, abandonment, risk sharing, market funding, industry strategy and regulation. This book was partly motivated by requests to identify and develop real option models for R&D in telecommunications, petroleum technology and biotechnology. Nine new models cover information and implementation costs, analytical solutions for mean reverting, or fat tailed revenues, endogenous learning and exogenous and experiential shocks, American sequential options, and innovator advantages. Four new applications include forward start development options, exploration options, innovation with information costs, and innovator's real values with changing market share. R&D directors and researchers will find several uses for these models: general R&D planning evaluating test information new product development timing risk sharing industry strategy and regulation

Value creation and the UK economy: a review of strategic options

Abstract: In this review paper, we ask how UK business might realize improved productivity through value creation. Our aim is to evaluate the ability of UK firms to reduce the productivity gap by assessing the challenges associated with the following strategic options: (a) increasing efficiency and effectiveness through the adoption of better practices; (b) innovating to produce products or services that generate more revenue (through either higher prices or larger volumes) while remaining at the same position in the value chain; and (c) fundamentally changing position in the value or supply chain and moving to a position where the products and services that are delivered inherently generate more value. To this end, we contend that the core issues that affect such endeavours relate to the conceptualization and management of change and innovation. By considering the interconnections between firm-level activities and wider institutional processes and structures, we assess the links between knowledge production, skills provision and productivity, including the role of the state and other institutions in the context of the micro-processes of innovation. We conclude with a discussion of the research and policy implications of the attempt to make more sense of innovation and reduce the UK's productivity gap.

Relationship between legitimation, competition and organizational death: current state of the art

Abstract: There is agreement among ecology researchers that the concepts of legitimation and competition are partly responsible for organizational selection. Finding adequate measures to represent these concepts, however, has been elusive and has been the main obstacle to the development of this stream of investigation. On the basis of the germinal density dependence model, we identify two lines of research, which have generated seven distinct models. This survey shows that there has been a general tendency to use only three variables to measure legitimation and competition, which are often measured together. However, we argue that fruitful results have emerged when efforts have been made to separate both concepts and that there is some potential in using new measures (mass or concentration) which have so far only found limited application in the field of population demography. These findings, together with the inconclusive results of this stream of research, allow us to identify the existing gaps in the literature and comment on directions for future research.