Suchergebnisse

We report on the process management of a new product development project in Renault Samsung Motors, Inc., which is an international joint venture between Renault and Samsung, and also a part of strategic alliance between Renault and Nissan. The data collected from multiple sources were analyzed using qualitative analysis techniques. The findings show that (a) companies entering into concurrent technology/knowledge transfer by sharing platforms should consider their organizational capabilities carefully before introducing platforms from partner companies. Nevertheless, a company does not have to lower its standard in choosing a platform in order to match its underdeveloped organizational capabilities. Rather, customer expectations and market requirements should be the basis of selecting a platform to be introduced, and (b) developing a similar project organization structure and processes in a strategic alliance is effective in building trust and improving knowledge sharing/transfer between firms and between functions. The study contributes to development of two areas of management theory: (1) management of knowledge, and (2) expertise transfer in alliance/international business new product development projects and intricacies involved in it. Managerially, the implications are that the ownership and control of an international joint venture have a deep impact on the management of organization structure and processes. In turn, these may promote or inhibit effective cooperation and knowledge transfer between partner companies and their functions.

Purpose– The authors aim to examine the literature on enterprise resource planning (ERP) to establish whether the critical success factors (CSFs) for achieving stages of an ERP project have been empirically shown to be "critical".Design/methodology/approach– The authors used a systematic approach to review 627 refereed papers published between 1998 and 2010 on ERP, from which 236 papers related to CSFs on ERP were selected for analysis. The authors employed procedures from qualitative and interpretive research methods, to analyse and interpret the material using five-step procedure of gathering, categorising, coding, analysing and comparing the data.Findings– Prior studies have identified a large number of CSFs for ERP implementation success or improved performance outcomes. The authors have shown that a limited number of CSFs have been empirically investigated for their role in, and effect on, implementation success or post-implementation performance outcomes. While reporting the factors that have some evidence to support them, the authors question the utility of the general concept of CSFs.Research limitations/implications– The authors' findings question the validity of many of the claimed CSFs and the utility of the general body of literature on CSFs. The authors caution researchers who may plan to use claimed CSFs for ERP in their research to carefully examine the veracity of the claim before proceeding.Practical implications– The findings can help managers to focus their attention, priorities, resources and leadership on managing the CSFs that have been established to be critical for achieving ERP project implementation and/or performance outcomes.Originality/value– The results provide new insights into the usefulness of CSFs and indicate that merely identifying possible CSFs is not sufficient to help with ERP success. Further investigation is required to establish the criticalness of the proposed CSFs before managerial time is devoted to them.

PurposeBig data analytics (BDA) is becoming a strategic tool to harness data to achieve business efficiencies. While business-to-customer organizations have adopted BDA, its adoption in business-to-business (B2B) has been slow, raising concerns about the lack of understanding of the need to adopt BDA. Little knowledge exists on the subject and the purpose of this study is to examine BDA adoption needs among B2B organizations.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review (SLR) following the six-step SLR guidelines of Templier and Paré (2015) involved 1,051 articles, which were content analyzed.FindingsThe authors offer two-pronged findings. First, on the basis of the SLR, the authors develop a new four-category classification scheme of needs to adopt BDA and present a consolidated review of the current knowledge base along with these categories (i.e. innovation, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and digital transformation). Second, underpinned by the theory of organizational motivation and literature evidence, the authors develop propositions and a corresponding model of BDA adoption needs. The authors show that BDA adoption among B2B organizations is driven by the need to augment customer lifetime value, champion the change, improve managerial decision cycle-time, tap into social media benefits and align with market transformation.Research limitations/implicationsThe results facilitate theory development as the study creates a new classification scheme of needs and a model of needs to adopt BDA in large B2B organizations.Practical implicationsThe findings will serve as a guideline framework for managers to examine their BDA adoption needs and strategize its adoption.Originality/valueThe study develops a new four-category classification scheme for understanding B2B organizations' needs to adopt big data analytics. The study also develops a new model of needs which will serve as a stepping stone for the development of a theory of needs of technology adoption.

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible mediating role of switching cost (SC) in influencing customer loyalty (CL).


Design/methodology/approach
The authors derive a model containing the relationships between customer satisfaction (CS), brand image (BI), and CL through mediating effects of SC. Data collected from 200 subscribers of China Mobile was analysed using structural equation modelling technique.


Findings
The authors find that SC does not mediate the relationship between CS and CL, nor that between BI and CL. While both CS and BI have a direct and positive relationship with CL, only CS is positively associated with the SC. SC in itself has no direct relationship with CL, necessitating further understanding of its role.


Research limitations/implications
Prior findings have suggested the mediating role of SC, this study, however, show that SC does not have any mediating role in influencing CL. In fact, the direct role of SC is also questioned, as the authors do not find any direct relationship between SC and CL.


Practical implications
While managers should retain a balanced strategy for implementing SC, developing a strong BI and achieving CS is more important, and could help avoid any negative implications that may ensue from the implementation of SC.


Originality/value
This paper offers empirical evidence of the importance of SC – or rather lack of it – in enhancing CL. It also helps explain how SC interacts with CS and BI.

South Australia is a small economy that faces a fundamental need to re-shape its approach to innovation. The manufacturing sector, as the backbone of the state's economy, has and will continue to change in its nature and form. This necessitates a re-think about how innovation happens and how the respective actors within an economy interact and engage with each other. In effect, innovation relies on intersections between people, knowledge, information sharing, ideas, financial and other resources. Innovation happens through regional social and economic system dynamics; innovation relies on a system view of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship can be taken as a study of the entrepreneur and new business creation. However, this conception of entrepreneurship misses the critical link to economic outcomes; the ebb and flow of social and economic fortunes that are underpinned by the actions, reactions and engagement of individuals in a specific social and economic system that brings about innovation and change. In this book the authors are exploring how the linkages within the system can be conceptualised and made transparent.