Collaborative Product Research Articles

Empowering value co-creation: Product and technology development in power asymmetric buyer-supplier relationships from the perspective of a weaker supplier

This research explores value co-creation practices for product and technology development within power asymmetric buyer-supplier relationships in their early stages. In terms of value co-creation practices, we focus on how buyers and suppliers contribute to benefits and impact costs, whereas for power, we focus on their influence on distribution of costs and benefits within the relationship. Through a qualitative study, we analyse 18 buyer-supplier dyads, each featuring a collaborative product and technology development process between a less powerful supplier and an influential buyer. The findings reveal that these co-creation practices served as a platform for mutual learning and knowledge creation, which provided the suppliers with a reinforced capacity to generate benefits for the buyers and mitigate the power asymmetry. To conclude, we put forward a framework along with a set of propositions designed to inspire further research on assessing supplier opportunities when navigating power asymmetric product and technology development relationships.

AI-Powered Conflict Resolution: Transforming Virtual Team Dynamics in Real-Time

This paper explores the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in conflict resolution within virtual team dynamics. As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent, traditional conflict resolution strategies often fall short in addressing challenges like communication barriers, cultural differences, and workload imbalances. Leveraging AI-powered tools offers novel solutions by providing real-time communication clarity, data-driven insights, and objective mediation. The study emphasizes the potential of AI in fostering team cohesion through enhanced emotional intelligence, sentiment analysis, and automated conflict identification. Furthermore, it examines the ethical considerations, challenges, and future trends of AI integration, highlighting its ability to facilitate personalized, scalable, and proactive conflict resolution strategies. This research underscores AI's capacity to revolutionize virtual team management, enabling productive collaboration in an increasingly digital and globalized work environment.

Product Innovation as a Catalyst for International Expansion of MSMEs : An Analysis of the Indonesian Creative Sector

The creative sector in Indonesia has great potential for economic growth, but many Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) face challenges in adopting product innovation for international expansion. This study aims to analyse the role of product innovation, marketing strategy, and collaboration with creative industries in supporting the international expansion of MSMEs. The method used is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis with AMOS, involving 600 registered MSMEs in the creative sector. The results showed that product innovation, effective marketing strategies, and collaboration have a significant influence on the ability of MSMEs to enter the global market. The findings imply that an increased focus on innovation and the development of adaptive marketing strategies, as well as building strong collaboration with stakeholders, are critical to the successful international expansion of MSMEs in Indonesia.

Collaborative culture, product quality, and firm performance

We investigate the effect of collaborative culture on product quality using listed firms in China from 2007 to 2022. We find that collaborative culture can significantly enhance the level of corporate product quality. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that this effect is stronger for firms with higher labor intensity, those in industries with higher innovation levels, and those in regions with higher trust levels. Moreover, the positive impact of a collaborative culture on product quality contributes to improved firm performance. This study provides valuable insights from the perspective of collaborative culture to enhance a firm's competitive advantage in the product market.

EXPRESS: Team Composition and Incentive Design in Collaborative Product Development

Choosing the right development team is crucial for companies. We investigate how project collaboration requirements and uncertainty levels affect the choice between “specialists” with higher levels of task-specific abilities and “generalists” with higher levels of collaboration skills. We also examine how these factors affect optimal team incentives. In addition to performance-enhancing helping, we consider another type of collaboration that has received less attention in the incentive literature: information-sharing, which can reduce uncertainty and lead to more compatible design decisions. In the case of helping, we show that if uncertainty is high then specialists might be preferred in order to reduce risk exposure—even if their task-specific abilities are only slightly better. Conversely, if information-sharing can significantly reduce uncertainty then generalists may be favored even if their task-specific abilities are much lower. Our study also reveals that task and collaboration incentives can be either complements or substitutes depending on the type of collaboration and level of project uncertainty: in projects that benefit from helping, firms will always substitute task incentives for collaboration incentives when selecting a team of specialists (rather than a team of generalists), yet this need not be the case with information-sharing. In such projects, it can be optimal to offer higher task incentives and also higher collaboration incentives to a team of specialists (than to a team of generalists) even though specialists’ collaboration skills are relatively lower.

Material Constraints for Assistant-Supported Learning

This paper explores classroom desk interaction where the student has a visual impairment (VIS), and the interaction involves a third supportive party, the student’s learning support assistant. Based on video recordings and multimodal conversation analysis, the paper examines how a VIS, his assistant, and the teacher within a contingent socio-material environment work toward solving an assignment. The analysis is organized following the sequential unfolding of the assignment-solving situation, going from a) determining the need for teacher assistance, b) the recruitment of the teacher’s assistance with the assignment, c) how the participation framework for the joint activity of reviewing the assignment is established with the assistant positioning herself as a fellow “learner”, and d) how the issue is identified and solved. The analysis shows the situated properties of the socio-material environment in which the participants and the local material contingencies are assembled and thus become consequential for the collaborative and observable production of the situation.

Fostering regional intelligence from the ground up: a selection of case studies from EU projects

This paper argues that sustainable development and regional intelligence can be markedly advanced through the strategic application of bottom-up initiatives, emphasizing participatory vision setting, collaborative production, and resource acquisition via crowdfunding and cooperatives. The study explores how these components are practically implemented within the context of three HORIZON2020 EU projects spanning the period from 2019 to 2024: citizen science hubs, makerspaces, and community bioenergy initiatives. By examining these projects, the paper identifies and analyzes the key elements of regional intelligence that are strengthened through bottom-up approaches. Qualitative analysis reveals that community-based initiatives grounded in citizen science principles play a pivotal role in enhancing citizen trust, transparency, and public engagement. The establishment of citizen science hubs facilitates inclusive decision-making processes and empowers local communities to actively participate in scientific endeavors, thereby fostering a deeper integration of local knowledge into regional development strategies. Moreover, makerspaces, as platforms for collaborative production, promote principles of the circular economy by encouraging resource reuse and promoting sustainable manufacturing practices. They also serve as catalysts for user-driven innovation, facilitating the creation of customized solutions tailored to local needs. Finally, community-driven bioenergy initiatives contribute to sustainable energy production, diversify energy sources, reduce fossil fuel dependency, and enhance regional resilience. Cooperatives play a crucial role in improving organizational efficiency and sustainability, enabling local stakeholders to scale initiatives, maximize impact, and promote equitable distribution of benefits, fostering social cohesion and inclusivity. The findings underscore the critical importance of bottom-up strategies in advancing sustainable development goals through increased regional intelligence. By integrating these initiatives into regional policies and practices, policymakers can leverage local knowledge and resources to address complex challenges, promote innovation, and build resilient, inclusive communities capable of navigating future challenges.

Study of Farmers’ Characteristics and Land Utilization to Develop Synergistic and Productive Collaboration

Kutai National Park (the so-called TNK) is the largest National Park in East Kalimantan and contains various natural and biological resources. However, the condition and function of TNK have been increasingly degraded due to encroachment by the community since the 1980s until now, especially along the left and right of the Bontang-Sengatta Main Road. Several ethnic groups that opened the TNK area are Bugis (since the 1980s), Dayak, especially Dayak Kenyah (since 2007) and various other ethnic groups such as Kutai, Toraja, etc. 2007. The land that is controlled is generally planted with oil palm, dryland rice, rubber, durian and mixed gardens. From a forestry perspective, the presence of these settlers is considered "illegal" because they are opening up forest areas. However, the community also argues that they need land for farming and gardening that has good access to the city because, so far, they have lived in villages that are far from the city. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a study of all parties/stakeholders who are active in the TNK Area to identify the activities and programs of each party. The aim is to formulate a Collaboration Pattern between the parties so that settlers can increase their economic level and the functions of the TNK are maintained and sustainable. The research was conducted in September and October 2023. The research location was Kutai National Park, with the object of the community living in the TNK area, especially those on the left and right of the Bontang-Sengatta main road. The data source or respondents were settler respondents representing the Bugis, Dayak, Banjar, Kutai, and Toraja ethnic groups. Other sources of information are the Head and Staff of the TNK Office, Sub-district Head, Village Head/Lurah in the research area and surveys of the research objects. The data analysis used was descriptive qualitative. Research results showed that the number of settlers who opened this area is not known for sure, but based on the area of ​​land opened, it is estimated to be 250-350 people. The allocation of land use is divided into 3 stages where in Stage 1 all land is opened for fields, in Stage 2 some are planted with fruits and some for farming and some are not planted with anything (diberokan), and Stage 3 is maintenance of fruit plants. Some collaborative programs between TNK and settlers have already been concluded in this research.

Applying circular business models in the Chilean construction sector: A system dynamics perspective

AbstractThe construction sector remains a significant contributor to global climate change, accounting for one‐third of global greenhouse gas emissions as well as a substantial portion of solid waste. In response to this pressing crisis, the adoption of circular business models (CBMs) emerges as a way to avoid negative environmental impacts. This study sought to model the interconnected factors influencing future CBM implementation in the Chilean construction industry using a system dynamics modeling approach. By engaging 20 sector experts in a system modeling workshop, it was possible to model and analyze these interconnected factors as a CBM System. The structural analysis of the resulting CBM system model revealed the triumvirate importance of information dissemination, certification of projects and products, and professional training and education. Recommendations for policy and practice that successfully leverage these mechanisms center on a three‐pronged approach of combining effective stakeholder collaboration, technological innovation, and thoughtful product certification frameworks. Overall, a systems thinking and modeling approach, such as the one applied here, is essential for identifying the complex interactions between enablers and barriers that promote or inhibit sustainable transformation in the construction industry in Chile and beyond.

Decoding Fashion Activism Through Typology

The term “fashion activism” is now used to describe various activist practices related to fashion, dress, or clothing-making, despite their distinct natures. Although there has been extensive discourse on fashion activism, these distinctions are largely overlooked. This terminological confusion, combined with the complex dynamics of diverse cases of fashion activism, has made the concept daunting for many fashion practitioners, both professionals and students, potentially discouraging their participation. Therefore, our goal is to gain a clearer understanding of fashion activism through a comprehensive typology. We examined a wide range of activist practices broadly labeled as fashion activism, along with the varying critiques surrounding them. From this research, we categorized these instances into four distinct types, primarily based on their motivations, objectives, and methods: “Activism Uses Dress,” “Fashion Uses Activism,” “Activism Uses Fashion,” and “Activism Against Fashion.” Ultimately, through this typology, we aim to critically analyze and articulate the distinct characteristics of these four types of fashion activism, including their interests in profit-making, the limitations of their methods, their stances on the existing fashion system, and their final objectives. Furthermore, this work emphasizes the need to acknowledge and bridge the gap between fashion activism theory and practice, particularly to foster more prolific and productive collaborations between the two fields. In this vein, we present this typology as a terminological and structural framework to make fashion activism more accessible, while also highlighting the potential of activist design projects to create counter-narratives and catalyze fundamental shifts in the status quo.

Exploring the imperative of “relational documentary”: Process, power, and unruly collaboration in media production on Palestine

AbstractBecoming an anthropologist of Palestine during the War on Terror meant that the specter of violence and exclusion always loomed over my research; yet I had become an anthropologist out of a commitment to presence in and engagement with people from the Middle East. I investigate the ways in which Faye Ginsburg's approach to studying polarizing issues, her analysis of Indigenous media, and her commitment to ethical collaboration has shaped my written and video work. In the first part of the paper, I discuss how reflexivity and positionality propelled me forward in an ethnographic study of journalistic production. In the second half, I reflect on collaborative film projects that illuminated themes of risk and positionality that are at the heart of politics and media production in Palestine. The model of “relational documentary” analyzed by Ginsburg that considers ethics and politics both on and off screen informs my approach to the obligations of long‐running partnerships. Just as much, Ginsburg's commitment to play and creativity allowed me to imagine unexpected explorations of mobility, voice, and place to ask what we can do, working across lines of difference, to be able to hear each other and make space for each other to be heard.

Pola Penerapan Residensi Unggulan Melalui Pendekatan In-kind dan Matchmaking dalam Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Seni Lintas Disiplin bersama Industri Kreatif Program Studi Pendidikan Seni Rupa

The implementation pattern of flagship residencies through in-kind and matchmaking approaches in developing interdisciplinary art learning media with the creative industry at the Fine Arts Education Study Program aims to enhance the quality and relevance of art education. This program integrates in-kind contributions from the creative industry with a matchmaking process to create productive collaborations between students and industry practitioners. Methods include residency selection, interdisciplinary art project development, and evaluation of program outcomes and impacts. The results show an increase in students' practical skills and interdisciplinary understanding, as well as the enrichment of the fine arts education curriculum through direct input from the creative industry. The implementation of this pattern is expected to strengthen the synergy between education and industry, and produce innovative and applicable art learning media

Generative AI Empowering Parallel Manufacturing: Building a “6S” Collaborative Production Ecology for Manufacturing 5.0

Generative AI Empowering Parallel Manufacturing: Building a “6S” Collaborative Production Ecology for Manufacturing 5.0

Organizational Communication Culture as Correlate of Employee Productivity in South-West Nigeria

This study examines the relationship between organizational communication culture and employee productivity using selected hotels in Southwest Nigeria as case study. Specifically, it explores the effects of open communication, collaborative communication, and top-down communication cultures on productivity. A descriptive survey design was employed, and data were collected from 51 employees across 10 hotels using a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between open communication culture and employee productivity (r = 0.451, p = 0.008), as well as a strong positive relationship between collaborative communication culture and productivity (r = 0.654, p = 0.001). However, the relationship between top-down communication culture and productivity was weaker (r = 0.321, p = 0.047). These results suggest that fostering open and collaborative communication can significantly enhance employee engagement and productivity, while top-down communication, though effective for control, may limit employee participation and innovation. The study highlights the importance of adopting more inclusive communication strategies to improve organizational performance.

The Role of Perceived Value and Satisfaction in Shaping Customer Citizenship Behavior: Evidence from Turkey

Tourism and hospitality companies are now providing more opportunities for collaborative production and value utilization. This isn’t just to encourage customers to revisit and repurchase, but also to capitalize on customer citizenship behaviors, such as feedback, advocacy, helping other customers, and showing tolerance in situations where services might be less satisfactory in the future. Hence, this study investigates the effect of perceived value and satisfaction on customer citizenship behavior within the hospitality and tourism contexts in Turkey. The study also examines the mediating role of satisfaction on sub-dimensions of customer citizenship behavior. Data were collected from guests in Turkey who had stayed there most recently within the previous 12 months. Using purposive sampling technique, an online survey was conducted to collect data. Of the 612 accepted responses that met all the criteria, were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) through AMOS 25 software. The results showed that perceived value has significant and strong influences on satisfaction, feedback, tolerance, and advocacy as sub-dimensions of customer citizenship behavior. Satisfaction has significant and strong influences on feedback and help as sub-dimensions of customer citizenship behavior. Finally, satisfaction mediates between perceived value and feedback and help.

Health policy analysis for stewardship of rehabilitation services

Background and aimThere have been a growing interest in investigating the effect of stewardship on other functions of rehabilitation service delivery. Effective stewardship of rehabilitation services can ensure that these services are of high quality, accessible, affordable, and sustainable, and can help achieve the goals of universal health coverage. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the policies adopted in the field of rehabilitation services in Iran and in the international arena, and finally to identify policy gaps, areas for improvement, and areas that have been overlooked.MethodThis research is a policy analysis, carried out through document analysis and Dalglish et al.’s READ approach. Data were analyzed and interpreted using qualitative methodology and directed content analysis. For this purpose, Veillard et al.‘s health system stewardship framework was used to analyze the stewardship of rehabilitation services. The dimensions of the stewardship framework, were: Defining the vision for health and strategies and policies to achieve better health; influencing all sectors and advocating for better health; ensuring good governance in line with prevailing values; ensuring the alignment of system design with health system goals; improving existing legal and regulatory instruments; and compiling, disseminating, and applying information. Scott’s four criteria were used to assess the authenticity, credibility, representativeness, and meaning of the documents. Those that did not meet even one of the Scott’s criteria were excluded from content analysis.FindingsA total of 16 documents were identified, all of which met Scott’s criteria and none were excluded from the study. A total of six themes and 56 subthemes were extracted. The contents of all the documents were extracted under six themes of Veillard et al.‘s health system stewardship framework. Overall, the results show that national documents place greater emphasis on the development of preventive healthcare and health promotion. Documents often focus on engaging NGOs and the families of people with disabilities and on intersectoral collaboration for knowledge production and the development of intersectoral knowledge networks. In terms of health system governance in line with prevailing values, documents are mainly focused on health system stewardship by the Ministry of Health and on evidence-based decision-making with the participation of target groups. Also, documents place more emphasis on upgrading the national infrastructure and increasing access to rehabilitation services.ConclusionIn some areas of rehabilitation services, there is a gap between national documents, which reflects differences in priorities, approaches, resources, and instruments available to strengthen rehabilitation services at the national and international levels.

Conducting Human Biology Research Using Invasive Clinical Samples: Methods, Strengths, and Limitations.

Invasive biological samples collected during clinical care represent a valuable yet underutilized source of information about human biology. However, the challenges of working with clinical personnel and the invasive nature of sample collection in biomedical studies can hinder the acquisition of sufficiently large sample sizes for robust statistical analyses. In addition, the incorporation of demographic data from participants is crucial for ensuring the inclusiveness of representative populations, identifying at-risk groups, and addressing healthcare disparities. Drawing on both research experiences and the existing literature, this article provides recommendations for researchers aiming to undertake efficient and impactful projects involving invasive human samples. The suggested strategies include: (1) establishing productive collaborations with clinicians; (2) optimizing sample quality through meticulous collection and handling procedures; and (3) strategically implementing a retrospective model to capitalize on existing invasive sample repositories. When established, cooperative work between clinical health care workers and biological anthropologists can yield insights into human biology that have the potential to improve human health and wellbeing.

From an ethics ‘side dish’ to ‘your modus operandi’: neurotechnology researcher perspectives on the impacts of a decade of embedded ethics collaboration

ABSTRACT In this paper, we discuss ethics integration and consider questions about evaluating the success of such efforts by reporting qualitative data from an interview study with researchers who were part of a ten-year, multi-institutional NSF-funded neural engineering research center with a multimodal ethics integration effort. Our analysis of these data highlights three key themes from scientific collaborators about the impact of ethics integration: (1) the development of an ethical culture and expectation for ethics integration throughout the research and design process; (2) the usefulness of offering different modes of ethics engagement to foster productive collaborations between ethicists and researchers; and (3) the fostering of ethics capacity development within scientists themselves. We also report on researchers’ perspectives on the challenges of measuring the effectiveness of ethics integration.

Advancing pharmaceutical care in rural and underserved communities: Strategies for improving global healthcare access

Pharmaceutical care in rural and underserved communities faces significant challenges, including limited access to healthcare services, geographic isolation, and infrastructure deficiencies. This review explores innovative strategies to optimize patient care delivery and expand access to essential medications in these areas. It highlights the potential of telepharmacy and digital health solutions in bridging the gap between patients and pharmacists, ensuring timely consultations, and enhancing medication adherence. Additionally, community-based healthcare initiatives and pharmacist-led interventions are examined as practical solutions for improving care delivery at the grassroots level. The review further discusses necessary policy reforms and incentives that can support healthcare professionals in underserved regions, along with long-term strategies such as localized drug production and international collaboration to sustain improvements in global healthcare access. By integrating these approaches, healthcare disparities can be reduced, leading to improved outcomes for vulnerable populations worldwide. Keywords: Telepharmacy, Rural Healthcare. Medication Access, Pharmacist-led Interventions, Policy Reforms.

The role of socio-emotional attributes in enhancing human-AI collaboration.

This article delves into the dynamics of human interaction with artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing the optimization of these interactions to enhance human productivity. Employing a Grounded Theory Literature Review (GTLR) methodology, the study systematically identifies and analyzes themes from literature published between 2018 and 2023. Data were collected primarily from the Scopus database, with the Web of Science used to corroborate findings and include additional sources identified through a snowball effect. At the heart of this exploration is the pivotal role of socio-emotional attributes such as trust, empathy, rapport, user engagement, and anthropomorphization-elements crucial for the successful integration of AI into human activities. By conducting a comprehensive review of existing literature and incorporating case studies, this study illuminates how AI systems can be designed and employed to foster deeper trust and empathetic understanding between humans and machines. The analysis reveals that when AI systems are attuned to human emotional and cognitive needs, there is a marked improvement in collaborative efficiency and productivity. Furthermore, the paper discusses the ethical implications and potential societal impacts of fostering such human-AI relationships. It argues for a paradigm shift in AI development-from focusing predominantly on technical proficiency to embracing a more holistic approach that values the socio-emotional aspects of human-AI interaction. This shift could pave the way for more meaningful and productive collaborations between humans and AI, ultimately leading to advancements that are both technologically innovative and human-centric.