This book discusses and conceptualizes practices on real-time strategy, focusing on the interplay between strategy and business intelligence. Combining strategic practices and business intelligence systems, the authors demonstrate how managerial practices can be developed in the age of digitization. Also developing the concept of strategic agility, the book provides perspectives from a range of disciplines including strategic practices and decision making, customer relationship management, human resource management, competitive intelligence, supplier network management and business intelligence systems. Presenting managerial frameworks and guidelines, Real-time Strategy and Business Intelligence explores how to improve utilization of business intelligence systems in real-time decision making. Providing practical and future-oriented insights backed by examples and best practices, the authors present a clearly conceptualized theoretical framework.
Purpose Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, this study aims to analyze solution providers' strategic capabilities that facilitate above-average returns.
Design/methodology/approach The study applies a qualitative comparative case method. In addition to an extensive set of secondary data, the results are based on interviews with 35 executives from nine leading industrial solution providers, their strategic customers and suppliers. The analyzed solution providers were identified based on quantitative survey data.
Findings By observing six distinctive resources and three strategic business processes, the present study identifies seven strategic capabilities that occur in different phases of solution development and deployment: fleet management capability, technology-development capability, mergers and acquisitions capability, value quantifying capability, project management capability, supplier network management capability and value co-creation capability.
Research limitations/implications The study develops a generic model for the strategic capabilities of servitization. Application of the developed model to different contexts would further validate and enhance it.
Practical implications Managers can use the developed model to benchmark, identify, build and manage solution providers' strategic capabilities and associated practices.
Originality/value The study develops a valuable conceptual model based on the comparative case data. Case firms were selected for the study based on a representative quantitative data set. The results were verified and triangulated with external data.
PurposeThis study aims to examine the antecedents of relationship learning in partnerships and develop a research model that explains relationship learning through three complementary constructs: relational practices, social capital and suppliers' relationship‐specific investments.Design/methodology/approachThe study examines data drawn from interviews regarding 195 customer‐supplier relationships from the metal and electronics industries. In terms of methodology, the study employs structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings indicate that relational practices, social capital and supplier's relationship‐specific investments explain relationship learning to a great extent.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study has some limitations, such as the use of cross‐sectional data and a limited sample size. More empirical research is needed on the antecedents and mechanisms of relationship learning as well as the interactions among antecedents.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that companies must be able to facilitate the development of relational practices, social capital and suppliers' relationship‐specific investments, as these constructs explain relationship learning largely.Originality/valueThe prior literature lacks empirical evidence on the antecedents of relationship learning, particularly in the context of partnerships. The present study demonstrates a significant impact of three antecedent constructs on relationship learning.
This study examines the interplay between entrepreneurial, technology and customer orientations and company performance using data from 164 software companies. To conduct the analysis, the study applies PLS (partial least squares) modeling to understand the direct and indirect effects of entrepreneurial, customer and technology orientations on the performance of a software company. The results indicate that entrepreneurial and customer orientations directly affect performance, but, in this context, they do not support the view that a technology orientation directly enhances performance. More importantly, results suggest that an entrepreneurial orientation positively affects both customer and technology orientations. It appears that software companies need a capability to serve customers well, but also need to recognize new business opportunities from within their current customer relationships. The results suggest that to achieve high levels of performance, software companies need to balance the elements of entrepreneurial proactiveness and innovation with customer needs.
Contemporary marketers build online brand communities to communicate with the organization's social surroundings, yet there is a lack of understanding of how brand legitimization unfolds in these platforms. To understand how legitimacy is constructed and contested every day, the current study adopts a practice-theoretical lens and discourse analysis to investigate two online communities. The contribution of the study is twofold: First, the insights from the discursive praxis, online community posts, comments and reactions illustrate the connections between multiple levels of legitimization discourse. Second, this study builds a theoretical framework for legitimization practice. Individual perceptions, judgements of the texts and actions on them in the online community intertwine with the organizational and societal context shaping the legitimacy of the brand in the community and beyond. This practice supports or challenges the brand as an institution and may legitimize or delegitimize the brand.
Purpose– The purpose of this study is to develop and test a framework describing the interplay between collective organizational identity, network behaviors and performance in strategic networks.Design/methodology/approach– The study uses data from 141 firms that participated in strategic networks. Structural equation modeling is used to test the hypotheses.Findings– This study demonstrates how a firm's collective organizational identity directs managerial perceptions toward partner's opportunism in strategic networks; how these views shape interactions with network partners; and how these interactions facilitate firm adaptations within strategic networks. Moreover, it demonstrates how network adaptations affect the satisfaction with strategic network performance and how this ultimately loops back to influence organizational identity.Research limitations/implications– Given the limits of quantitative research to capture the mechanisms driving network collaborations, further case-based research on the role of organizational identity for network behaviors is needed.Practical implications– The results highlight the importance of collective organizational identity for network behaviors and positive performance outcomes. Firms that intend to engage in strategic networks should develop a collective organizational identity that supports implementing the network strategy. The results emphasize the importance of developing a collective organizational identity.Originality/value– Organizational identity in facilitating network behaviors.
Purpose This paper aims to examine how customer participation in new service development (NSD) and customer relationship management (CRM) technology can improve the NSD performance of manufacturing firms. Additionally, the paper examines CRM technology usage to understand how it impacts new service performance both individually and jointly with customer participation in NSD.
Design/methodology/approach This study is a survey of 216 manufacturing managers who are overseeing the development of new services at their organizations. For the analysis, structural equation modeling is used with Amos 22.0. Measures of all latent variables in the analysis pass the traditional tests for reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity. Furthermore, the results of a common latent factor test for common method variance and Harman's one-factor test indicate that common method bias is not a source of endogeneity in the model.
Findings Customer participation has a positive effect on NSD performance. CRM technology usage also has a positive effect on NSD performance. The effect of customer participation on NSD performance is enhanced by CRM technology. The results of a post hoc analysis suggest that the usage of CRM technology has the most benefit for managing the technical aspects of customer participation.
Research limitations/implications This study has methodological limitations that may impact the generalizability of results. For instance, it is based on cross-sectional self-reported survey data, which is more subjective than longitudinal secondary data. Survey research lacks the depth and nuance of qualitative research designs, which are commonly employed to study NSD. In addition, this study focuses on large US manufacturing firms. The authors do not include small firms or international organizations in the sample. Despite these limitations, they believe the findings can provide significant contributions to the NSD literature.
Practical implications Although prior research has shown that customer participation and CRM technology can individually influence new product development (NPD) performance, the results indicate they are equally effective factors in the development of new services. Furthermore, the authors show that customer participation can be enhanced via the use of CRM technologies. The interaction is more pronounced within the technical aspects of NSD.
Originality/value This study contributes to the NSD literature, and it also has implications for managers leading NSD efforts in traditional tangible-product industries. The findings provide additional evidence that customer participation is an effective NSD strategy for manufacturing firms (Morgan et al., 2019). Furthermore, CRM technology is integral to NSD performance. CRM technology not only has a direct effect on NSD performance, but the interaction term of customer participation by CRM technology also has a positive effect on NSD performance.
We will get through this together– rhetoric as a sensemaking practice in managing a pandemic In a poorly managed crisis situations, inconsistent management produces cacophony, ambiguity and anxiety that disrupts optimal thinking and action. At best, consistently used rhetorics can help the handling and management of the pandemic. This study approaches pandemic management from a rhetorical perspective, looking at the role of rhetoric as part of the sensemaking process. We use a single case data to understand the rhetoric used in the case of Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia. We identify three primary rhetoric: persuasion, encouragement, and obligation. We describe how these rhetoric were used to manage the sensemaking processes within the region.
Purpose This study aims to present an integrated framework and investigate the enabling roles of governance mechanisms (i.e. contract, interdependence, trust and communication) in the choice of effective conflict resolution strategies (CRS) that in turn facilitate buyer–supplier relationship (BSR) performance.
Design/methodology/approach Using Web-survey, data are collected from 170 Finnish small- and medium-sized enterprises that have key relationships with suppliers. This study uses structural equation modeling to test the research framework and hypotheses of the study.
Findings The results based on empirical evidence demonstrate how the firms' choice of CRS depends on the governance mechanisms. The problem solving approach is the most preferable choice, while the legalistic approach remains the last resort influenced by different governance mechanisms. Interdependence and trust between firms drive them to compromise while resolving inter-organizational conflicts. The selected strategies by firms may also either reinforce or deteriorate relationship performance.
Practical implications Supply chain managers should recognize the context in which these choices of CRS are made, as it guides them to anticipate their partner's behavior as well as influences their strategy choice decisions when coping with conflicts. A trustworthy environment supports in providing a certain level of confidence while interdependency drives firms to compromise. The legalistic strategy can hurt the partner's feelings and diminish relationship performance.
Originality/value Conflicts in BSR have become inevitable, but the existing literature is missing evidence on how companies use CRS to enhance relationship performance. Hence, this study differs from those of earlier conflict studies, as it provides a more integrative perspective of buyer–supplier conflict resolution process. This study argues that relationship governance mechanisms can be connected to the choice of effective CRS when tensions arise. Moreover, by assessing the relationship between CRS and relationship performance, this study offers valuable insights to understand that effective strategies enable partners to mutually adapt constructive approaches that facilitate cooperative behavior and accommodate both parties' interests and needs.
Purpose This paper aims to identify a manufacturer's abilities to develop, build, sell and deliver Internet of Things (IoT) services.
Design/methodology/approach This paper is a qualitative comparative case method that uses multiple sources of data, including executive interviews and secondary data, to understand a manufacturer's IoT capabilities.
Findings Five strategic IoT capabilities were identified: digital business model development, scalable solution platform building, value selling, value delivery and business intelligence and measurement.
Research limitations/implications The main limitations are related to the qualitative research method applied. The results are applicable mainly to relatively large and global manufacturers.
Practical implications Managers responsible for solution business development can apply the developed model to acquire and manage IoT specific resources, processes and capabilities.
Originality/value Existing studies have not addressed the IoT-specific resources, processes and capabilities that manufacturers' possess. This is one of the first studies to conceptualize how these capabilities are used.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to organize and connect past research from different servitization-related scholarly communities.
Design/methodology/approach This study reviews more than 1,000 articles by combining author co-citation and qualitative content analyses.
Findings The structure and boundaries of the field are mapped, and the characteristics of the three identified servitization-related communities are assessed qualitatively. These three communities are product-service systems, solution business, and service science. The findings demonstrate that a narrow range of theories and qualitative methods dominate in existing research.
Originality/value Through the lens of the sociology of science, this review critically evaluates servitization-related research and offers a list of themes that are considered important to the future development of the field. Regarding future research, the main recommendations are as follows: increasing the use of well-established theories from adjacent mature fields, borrowing ideas from different research communities to stimulate knowledge accumulation within and across communities, and reducing the level of description while increasing the number of confirmatory, quantitative, and longitudinal research designs. Finally, the development of formal structures for socialization (e.g. conferences and special issues) could allow the field to achieve a greater degree of scientific maturity and would influence the direction and pace of the development of servitization-related research.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a new scale for measuring the scope (i.e. breadth and depth) of industrial service offering.
Design/methodology/approach The scale and its constructs are developed by combining the key insights from prior literature and practitioners gained through expert interviews; validating the constructs by 3 item-construct validation rounds with 9 academic experts; and by testing and further revising the scale, with a sample of 91 manufacturing firms.
Findings The distinct contribution of the study is the construction and validation of a new multi-dimensional scale for operationalizing the scope of industrial service offering. In addition, the identified service categories (i.e. pre-sales services, product support services, product life-cycle services, R&D services and operational services) extend the current literature on service typologies.
Research limitations/implications The data are somewhat biased toward small- and medium-sized industrial firms. Hence, the development of the measurement in the context of large industrial firms provides one fruitful avenue for further research.
Practical implications For managers of industrial firms, the identified service categories provide novel insight on how to develop, bundle and commercialize industrial services to their varying customer segments.
Originality/value This study develops a multi-dimensional, fine-grained, statistical and relationship-level scale for measuring the scope of industrial service business. Moreover, this study tests and further develops the scale with quantitative empirical data.
In presenting two perspectives through which SME networking can be discussed, namely a system view and a view that considers networks as entities, this paper aims to contribute to the current discourse on SME network resources. A network-level performance measurement system emphasizes win-win situations in a network between the leader company and the other members of the network. The main objective of the present paper is to develop a measurement system for analyzing the value of resources and competencies in a production network, which can be used to complement existing network-level performance measurement systems. By taking into account the resources in a network environment in this way, the value of the whole network and its resources comes to represent the sum of the resources fit with customer needs, the co-operation ability and willingness of the network, and the entrepreneurial capability of the network to create new business opportunities.
