Organizational Interdependence Research Articles

How Do Clusters Drive Firm Performance in the Regional Innovation System? A Causal Complexity Analysis in Chinese Strategic Emerging Industries

From a configurational perspective, this study aims to explain how clusters drive firm performance in the regional innovation system by considering the relationship between cluster and firm performance as causal complexity. Using an original dataset comprising 292 Chinese firms in strategic emerging industries (SEIs), this study employs a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the conjunction effects of interorganizational dependence, network embeddedness, and ambidextrous innovation on cluster firms’ performance. The results showed that the fsQCA method uncovers causal combinations of these cluster factors that lead to high performance. These configurations imply two alternative pathways to enhance performance, where exploitative innovation is identified as the core causal condition.

Indigenous peoples and inclusion in the green climate fund

ABSTRACT In this paper, we explore Indigenous peoples’ engagement and inclusion in the Green Climate Fund. We rely on the distinction between simple inclusion and a deeper recognition of Indigenous peoples’ contributions, described as epistemic belonging. We analyse how organizational interdependencies, i.e. the exchange and valuation of resources between actors, and how the potential conflicts between contributions from different actors may influence to what degree Indigenous peoples can achieve epistemic belonging. To illustrate this we have analysed the struggles and tensions around the establishment of the Indigenous People Policy (IPP) of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the practical use of the IPP in funding proposal discussions and decisions. We conclude that Indigenous peoples’ contributions are valued as long as they do not challenge other important GCF interests. Conflicts between contributions from different actors lead to a prioritization of recourses provided by accredited entities that help the GCF to develop, implement and manage climate projects. Hence, Indigenous peoples’ contributions become subordinated which provides an obstacle to full epistemic belonging.

Improving information alignment and coordination in humanitarian supply chain through blockchain technology

PurposeThe coordination among the various entities such as the military, government agencies, civilians, non-governmental agencies, and other commercial enterprises is one of the most challenging aspects of managing the humanitarian supply chain. Blockchain technology (BCT) can facilitate coordination, but the cost and other hindrances have limited their application in disaster relief operations. Despite some studies, the existing literature does not provide a nuanced understanding of the application of blockchain technology to improve information alignment and coordination. Motivated by some recent examples where blockchain technology has been used to trace and mobilize resources in the form of funds and materials from the origin to the destination, the authors develop a theoretical model grounded in the contingent resource-based view.Design/methodology/approachTo empirically validate the model and test the research hypotheses, the authors gathered cross-sectional data using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. In this study, the authors gathered our responses from international non-governmental organizations from twenty-four countries. The authors performed the statistical analyses using variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of commercial software (WarpPLS 7.0).FindingsThe findings of the study offer some useful implications for theory and practice. The results obtained through statistical analyses suggest that the BCT significantly affects information alignment and coordination. However, contrary to popular beliefs the study suggests that intergroup leadership has no significant moderating effect on the paths joining BCT and information alignment/coordination. Moreover, the authors found that the control variable (interdependence) significantly affects the information alignment and coordination further, which opens the room for further investigation.Practical implicationsThe result of the study offers some useful guidance. Firstly, it suggests that humanitarian organizations should invest in BCT to improve information alignment and coordination which is one of the most complex tasks in front of humanitarian organizations. Secondly, intergroup leadership may not have desired influence on the effects of BCT on information alignment/coordination. However, the interdependence of the humanitarian organizations on each other may have a significant influence on the information alignment/coordination.Originality/valueThe study offers some useful implications for theory. For instance, how BCT influences information alignment and coordination was not well understood in the context of humanitarian settings. Hence, this study offers a nuanced understanding of technology-enabled coordination in humanitarian settings.

Resilience and Protection of Health Care and Research Laboratory Workers During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Analysis and Case Study From an Austrian High Security Laboratory.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the interdependency of healthcare systems and research organizations on manufacturers and suppliers of personnel protective equipment (PPE) and the need for well-trained personnel who can react quickly to changing working conditions. Reports on challenges faced by research laboratory workers (RLWs) are rare in contrast to the lived experience of hospital health care workers. We report on experiences gained by RLWs (e.g., molecular scientists, pathologists, autopsy assistants) who significantly contributed to combating the pandemic under particularly challenging conditions due to increased workload, sickness and interrupted PPE supply chains. RLWs perform a broad spectrum of work with SARS-CoV-2 such as autopsies, establishment of virus cultures and infection models, development and verification of diagnostics, performance of virus inactivation assays to investigate various antiviral agents including vaccines and evaluation of decontamination technologies in high containment biological laboratories (HCBL). Performance of autopsies and laboratory work increased substantially during the pandemic and thus led to highly demanding working conditions with working shifts of more than eight hours working in PPE that stressed individual limits and also the ergonomic and safety limits of PPE. We provide detailed insights into the challenges of the stressful daily laboratory routine since the pandemic began, lessons learned, and suggest solutions for better safety based on a case study of a newly established HCBL (i.e., BSL-3 laboratory) designed for autopsies and research laboratory work. Reduced personal risk, increased resilience, and stress resistance can be achieved by improved PPE components, better training, redundant safety measures, inculcating a culture of safety, and excellent teamwork

How Social Networks Influence Organizational Innovation Adoption

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework that explains the interdependency of organizations and different social networks in the process of organizational innovation adoption (OIA). We first develop a taxonomy of social networks relevant to OIA and then a conceptual framework based on a review of existing frameworks. Furthermore, a case study was conducted with two cases and six embedded units of analysis. The review of existing frameworks for OIA shows that the importance of social networks has not yet been fully addressed. The analysis of the cases reveals four types of influence (comparison, argumentation, reciprocal learning, and alignment) through which social networks influence the OIA on micro, meso and macro levels. Our results help to better understand how the adoption of innovations proceeds in organizations against the background of the increasing importance of social networks and concepts such as open innovation.

Joint Effect of In-Role Behavior and Task-Interdependence on Job Burnout Among Early Career Healthcare Professionals

Explicitly, young professionals are at risk of facing the rigorous dilemmas of job burnout through victimization due to poor job performance in a multifaceted environment. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the relationship between innovative behavior, the joint role of in-role behavior and task interdependence, victimization, and job burnout in healthcare organizations. However, a cross-sectional sample of 330 early career healthcare professionals from public and private hospitals operating in Pakistan is included in the analysis which provides evidence for the generalizability of the research findings. Partial least structure equation modeling is implemented to test the proposed model of job burnout. Consequently, study results show a significant level of job burnout through victimization, leading to distress mental health, innovativeness, and job performance of early careers. However, investigation of job burnout has disclosed severe consequences which give meaningful direction for healthcare managers, to strengthen creative capabilities and performance of early careers by implementing useful strategies to reduce job burnout and other factors linked to job burnout.

From Ties to Events in the Analysis of Interorganizational Exchange Relations.

Relational event models expand the analytical possibilities of existing statistical models for interorganizational networks by: (i) making efficient use of information contained in the sequential ordering of observed events connecting sending and receiving units; (ii) accounting for the intensity of the relation between exchange partners, and (iii) distinguishing between short- and long-term network effects. We introduce a recently developed relational event model (REM) for the analysis of continuously observed interorganizational exchange relations. The combination of efficient sampling algorithms and sender-based stratification makes the models that we present particularly useful for the analysis of very large samples of relational event data generated by interaction among heterogeneous actors. We demonstrate the empirical value of event-oriented network models in two different settings for interorganizational exchange relations-that is, high-frequency overnight transactions among European banks and patient-sharing relations within a community of Italian hospitals. We focus on patterns of direct and generalized reciprocity while accounting for more complex forms of dependence present in the data. Empirical results suggest that distinguishing between degree- and intensity-based network effects, and between short- and long-term effects is crucial to our understanding of the dynamics of interorganizational dependence and exchange relations. We discuss the general implications of these results for the analysis of social interaction data routinely collected in organizational research to examine the evolutionary dynamics of social networks within and between organizations.

Factors influential to the acceptance of managerial accounting tools in Tra Vinh’s small and medium enterprises

Managerial accounting tools are vital controlling techniques to businesses. Nevertheless, the acceptance of managerial accounting tools in business might challenge directors in Tra Vinh’s business environment. The current research employed multiple regression analyses to investigate the influence of the acceptance of managerial accounting tools in Tra Vinh’s enterprises. The empirical findings demonstrate the usefulness of managerial accounting tools, environmental uncertainty, the structure of corporate governance, organizational interdependence and organizational size have positive impacts on the acceptance of managerial accounting tools in business. The structure of corporate governance and the usefulness of managerial accounting tools are the two strongest factors determining the acceptance of managerial accounting tools in business. The current research will help directors in Tra Vinh’s enterprises establish efficient managerial accounting tools in business that are suitable to the usefulness of managerial accounting tools, environmental uncertainty, the structure of corporate governance, organizational interdependence, and organizational size, so that they can gain the best possible effectiveness.

Стратегічний компас політико-безпекової царини ЄС

The dynamics of international processes show the growth of the security factor, and hence the importance of regional security systems and the interdependence of regional and global organizations of collective security and defense. The creation and development of the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) of the European Union, aimed at achieving the common strategic goals of the Member States in the field of security cooperation, has undergone a path of dynamic and contradictory transformations, reconciling the interests of the Member States with the supranational institutional nature of the EU and its strategic goal. The common security and defense policy is a conceptual component and the core of the EU’s common foreign and security policy. On March 21, 2022, at a meeting in Brussels, the foreign and defense ministers of the 27 EU member states approved a decision to adopt the first-ever joint EU security and defense strategy – the Strategic Security and Defense Compass for the European Union, which protects its citizens. values and interests and promotes international peace and security ”(hereinafter referred to as the Strategic Compass). Structurally, the Strategic Compass is divided into a summary, an introduction, five blocks (modern world, actions, security, investment, partnership), conclusions. The document notes that humanity is living in an era of strategic competition and complex threats to international security, both in the form of hybrid challenges and acts of direct aggression. Particular emphasis is placed on the return of the war in Europe with Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. The EU is committed to protecting the European security order, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of states within internationally recognized borders. Ukraine’s support in resisting Russia’s military aggression is aimed at restoring peace in Europe. In the long run, the Strategic Compass can be one of the important impulses to increase the level and content of cooperation between the European Community and Ukraine as a candidate country for EU membership. At the same time, a stronger and more effective EU as a powerful international player in security and defense will help strengthen global and transatlantic security.

Understanding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic through the lens of innovation

In this article, we explore the Covid-19 crisis through the lens of innovation. We focus on the threat and opportunity drivers of innovation, and some of their product/service and process outcomes. We contribute to crisis innovation theory and practice by suggesting that there are two categories of innovation during multi-level crises, such as a pandemic: (1) reactive, threat-driven innovations that are created to contain and respond to organizational problems and disruptions that arise from the crisis; and (2) proactive, opportunity-driven innovations that are created to capitalize on environmental needs and opportunities. We highlight the role of human, physical interdependence in organizations’ core technologies that create threats for some organizations and opportunities for others during the pandemic. JEL CLASSIFICATION: O32; O34; H12

Is It All about Money? The Effect of Group Bottomline Mentality on Group Creativity, and Psychological Safety with the Complementary Role of Organizational Culture and Task Interdependence

Is It All about Money? The Effect of Group Bottomline Mentality on Group Creativity, and Psychological Safety with the Complementary Role of Organizational Culture and Task Interdependence

Poor-inclusive workplace model: A Relational Perspective

PurposeThe theory building of inclusive workplace is still in its early stages, particularly concerning the inclusion of the poor in the developing countries. Through the exploration of social entrepreneurial inclusion, this study extends the inclusive workplace theory by featuring the inclusive dynamism of organizations for the poor in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach was selected, as the goal of this study is to build on the theory in an under-researched area. This qualitative study is described as theory elaboration as it expands upon theoretical links that have received little attention among workforce diversity scholars.FindingsWe have established a conceptual framework of social entrepreneurial inclusion, which encompasses the following normative themes: organizational perspective for promoting social equality, empowering relationships, a sense of inclusion, organizational access to valuable resources and empowered inclusion.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough we have taken an exploratory qualitative approach and made efforts to report our data neutrally, we acknowledge that the ethical and theoretical positions taken in analyzing the data may have influenced the outcome of this research and, therefore, our findings can never be truly objective. We also acknowledge that this study was conducted in developing countries, thus the poor inclusive workplace model is not generalizable for the poor in developed countries due to different institutional and ecological settings.Practical implicationsWe have illustrated the importance of business leaders leveraging the opportunities in the space between interdependency of individuals and organizations through doing well by doing good. Poor-inclusive workplaces need business leaders who can demonstrate the effective interpersonal skills to develop constructive and personalized relationships with the workers, the family and community members to encourage the idea that the poor be included in the workplace.Social implicationsThe findings from this study also infer how corporations may collaborate with SEs and humanitarian agencies for inclusive growth so they can simultaneously unleash economic value and social value to develop more effective poor-inclusive business models in both sectors. Social entrepreneurs (SEs) and humanistic agencies tend to have situated knowledge of the poor in terms of locally embedded needs and knowledge of the community that corporations do not have.Originality/valueThis paper promotes the integrative workplace models of inclusion where inclusion of poor is empowered through involvement of multiple parties inside and outside workplaces. The empowered inclusion outcomes are strengthened through organizational access to valuable resources at the institutional level.

Business-Model Transformation: from Classical Organization to Ecosystem

Today’s business-environment is characterized by fast changes, serious diversity and tightening connection between its elements. These factors typical of this environment require new approaches to transformation of existing business-models. Perceiving conceptual description of entrepreneurial activity in the light of ecosystem, organizations can ensure their survival and at the same time raise the efficiency of their functioning. The article also studies processes of interaction and interdependence of organizations, their ecosystems and business-environment. The author identifies a number of characteristics, which are obligatory for ecosystem for successful functioning in the turbulent social and economic environment: heterogeneity, modality, redundancy, adaptation, pro-activity, confidentiality. Special attention during transformation processes of business-models towards ecosystems is paid to shaping a relative system of management, organizational structure and corporate culture. A specific role of the ecosystem leader is underlined, which determines its development and key rules of the ecosystem center (its driver) are shown and advantages of all its participants are described. The author characterizes the current stage of the ecosystem development and shows possible prospects of their shaping.

The tale of taro leaf blight: a global effort to safeguard the genetic diversity of taro in the Pacific

This paper examines the vital role of genebanks in the conservation and use of plant genetic resources, highlighting the South Pacific’s version of the Irish Potato Famine and the organizational interdependence necessary to respond to disastrous losses in a cultivated food crop. We conducted an ethnobotanical fieldwork in Fiji, Vanuatu, and the Cook Islands, interviewing over 50 taro experts and farmers to gather the ‘Tale of Taro Leaf Blight’. Taro is the staple ‘prestige’ food crop of Samoa but in 1993, taro leaf blight (TLB), Phytophthora colocasiae, caused an almost 100% loss of the crop, threatening both food security and traditional cultural practices. Several international organizations were formed to conduct botanical expeditions to re-gather crop wild relatives of taro, Colocasia esculenta, from their various centres of origin. This parental material was used in a 10-year breeding cycle process to produce viable TLB-resistant varieties and replant the fallow fields of Samoa. The duty to safeguard these global accessions led to the formalization of CePaCT, which houses this core collection. The collection, conservation, multiplication, and distribution of taro has had a significant impact beyond the regional needs of the Pacific. Taro germplasm samples were distributed to countries worldwide affected by the blight, aiding in staving off potential famines and economic crises. This ancient aroid is one of the most consumed vegetables in the Pacific. It is an indispensable nutritional and caloric resource for subsistence farming nations, and carries deep ethnobotanical and cultural significance.

Usability Testing of Mobile Flipboard Application on both Non-Users and Novice Users

This paper aims to discuss how journalism in a network has transformed the production and circulation of news and as gate keeping and motivation setting, from the action interdependence of ordinary people, journalists, organizations and advanced innovations (such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Flipboard). Finally, we analyze the interactions in the Flipboard mobile app. We carried out a study consisting of 13 participants in UUM Sintok, they were assigned five tasks to perform and questionnaires were distributed to gather their experience with the app. The results of this study showed that participants were satisfied with the application's aesthetic but find the complexity of features provided in the application to perform various functions very frustrating to use.

Coordination in the Age of Industry 4.0

Coordination, competition and cooperation are the three main types of strategic interactions. Coordination, despite its importance in structuring business interactions and its impact on firm performance, remains an understudied phenomenon, with the bulk of the research on business interactions focusing on competition and cooperation, and, more recently, on their simultaneous use in coopetition. However, growing complexity and specialization of enterprises increase coordination needs and call for renewed academic interest in the topic. Advances in digitalization and the rise of Industry 4.0, predicated on the growing interconnectedness and interdependence of technologies and business organizations, make the topic of coordination more relevant than ever before. The aim of this paper is to present a simplified model of coordination reflecting both the demands of Industry 4.0, and the possibilities it creates. Following the established conceptualizations of coordination, the model has two main components – interdependencies and coordination mechanisms. However, the conventional models presented the relationship as direct and unidirectional, with interdependencies viewed as given and the mechanisms of coordination as organizational responses aimed at achieving coordination. In contrast to the traditional approach, we allow for two-way causality between interdependencies and coordination mechanisms, as the latter not only are set to manage existing interdependencies, but also can elicit specific interdependencies, particularly those connectivity- and communication-related, as these are needed to induce all parties to follow the overall or common goal. ICT plays a central role in the model as mediating in managing interdependencies. Finally, the Industry 4.0-related public policy is recognized as capable of affecting business organizations’ ability to effectively manage interdependencies.

Industry 4.0: coherent definition framework with technological and organizational interdependencies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce coherent Industry 4.0 definition via a rigorous analysis framework, and provide a holistic view of technological, organizational and other key aspects (variables) of Industry 4.0 along with the identification of interdependencies that co-occur between them.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducts a systematic literature review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis methodology, and includes 675 papers analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The former utilizes TIBCO Statistica. Furthermore, to define Industry 4.0, the authors reviewed 52 publications.FindingsIndustry 4.0 is a multidimensional system of value creation that includes 42 groups of terms in management, organizational and business-related variables, 30 technological and manufacturing-related variables – classified into seven categories – and several interdependencies that co-occur between them.Practical implicationsThe analyses’ outcomes are of high importance both for academia and industry practitioners, as the findings elucidate the meaning of Industry 4.0 and may be used as the basis of future research in management, production management, industrial organizations and other Industry 4.0-related disciplines. Regarding industrial companies, the publication serves as a compendium, and should support industrial businesses in the transition from traditional manufacturing into the Industry 4.0 era.Originality/valueThis work’s novelty and value is threefold: first, the paper introduces an Industry 4.0 definition framework based on the most popular publications in the field. Second, the paper identifies and presents Industry 4.0’s common technologies and organizational variables via a systematic and current literature review. Finally, the paper extends the ongoing discourse on Industry 4.0. For the first time in this discipline, interdependences between identified Industry 4.0 variables are presented and discussed.

Modeling of inter-organizational coordination dynamics in resilience planning of infrastructure systems: A multilayer network simulation framework.

This paper proposes and tests a multilayer framework for simulating the network dynamics of inter-organizational coordination among interdependent infrastructure systems (IISs) in resilience planning. Inter-organizational coordination among IISs (such as transportation, flood control, and emergency management) would greatly affect the effectiveness of resilience planning. Hence, it is important to examine and understand the dynamics of coordination in networks of organizations within and across various systems in resilience planning. To capture the dynamic nature of coordination frequency and the heterogeneity of organizations, this paper proposes a multilayer network simulation framework enabling the characterization of inter-organizational coordination dynamics within and across IISs. In the proposed framework, coordination probabilities are utilized to approximate the varying levels of collaboration among organizations. Based on these derived collaborations, the simulation process perturbs intra-layer or inter-layer links and unveils the level of inter-organizational coordination within and across IISs. To test the proposed framework, the study examined a multilayer collaboration network of 35 organizations from five infrastructure systems within Harris County, Texas, based on the data gathered from a survey in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The results indicate that prior to Hurricane Harvey: (1) coordination among organizations across different infrastructure systems is less than the coordination within the individual systems; (2) organizations from the community development system had a low level of coordination for hazard mitigation with organizations in flood control and transportation systems; (3) achieving a greater level of coordination among organizations across infrastructure systems is more difficult and would require a greater frequency of interaction (compared to within-system coordination). The results show the capability of the proposed multilayer network simulation framework to examine inter-organizational coordination dynamics at the system level (e.g., within and across IISs). The assessment of inter-organizational coordination within and across IISs sheds light on important organizational interdependencies in IISs and leads to recommendations for improving the resilience planning process.

The relationship between organizational interdependence and additionality obtained from innovation ecosystem participation

AbstractDespite the increased interest in innovation ecosystems, few studies have assessed the extent to which the proclaimed benefits from participating in such ecosystems also occur, and under which circumstances they do occur. Uniting the literature on organizational interdependence and social exchange theory, we assess the behavioral and output additionality obtained by innovation ecosystem participants. In doing so, we build upon a sample of 473 innovative Finnish companies, of which 312 participated in an innovation ecosystem. We find a significantly positive relationship between organizational interdependence and output additionality, and find that this relationship is mediated by behavioral additionality. Furthermore, we find that the relationship between behavioral additionality and output additionality is particularly strong when firms appoint members from the innovation ecosystem to their board of directors, pointing to the importance of internalizing the ecosystem. We discuss implications for academia and practice.

Modelling Multilevel Interdependencies for Resilience in Complex Organisation

This paper aims to model multilevel interdependencies in complex organisational systems and proposes application for resilience analysis. Most of the existing research studied interdependencies only at the single‐level and overlooked their multilevel character. In response to this gap, we propose a multilevel approach to better comprehend the complexity of interdependencies in organisational systems. More specifically, the study focuses on how interdependencies are shaped across multiple organisational levels. To understand the research problem, we use multilevel and social network theories to elaborate the concept at five organisational levels, namely, individual, intraunit, interunit, intraorganisational, and interorganisational. Further, we show the application of multilevel interdependencies into analysis of organisational resilience. To this end, we construct a multiplex model of a real world organisational system that comprises formal and informal relations of different social exchange strength. Using the agent‐based simulations of the organisational system, we investigate the relations between organisational interdependencies and organisational performance in normal and disrupted conditions. With the results, we argue that managing multilevel interdependencies is crucial to reduce vulnerability of organisational systems. By introducing the multilevel conceptualisation of interdependencies and presenting their influence on organisational resilience, we hope to pave a path to managing the complexity of interdependencies and strategic resilience enhancement in organisational systems.