Intra-organizational Level Research Articles

Industrial districts, multinational corporations, and their local/global paradoxes

Over the past fifteen years, several studies have used the organizational theory of paradoxes to understand some typical organizational tensions, including that between global and local dimensions typically faced by multinational corporations. ese studies analyze paradoxical tensions at the organizational or even intra-organizational level, while the paradox lens has not yet been applied to study systems such as industrial districts. is paper attempts to do so by analyzing and comparing the local/global paradox in multinational corporations and industrial districts. For the latter, the analysis rests on some empirical studies conducted on Italian districts. Moreover, as the presence of multinationals in these districts has become stronger in the recent phase, an attempt has been made to understand if and how this phenomenon impacts the local/global tension at the district level.

Foresights for Location-Based Services in Media Management: Insights from an International Delphi Study

ABSTRACT Digitalization affects media businesses, media marketplaces, and with every single user the entire society, as well. But which of the new technologies, media distribution and usage will last? “Location-based services” (LBS), allowing to localize mobile devices to provide media content tailored to the user’s current context, appear to be a sound approach to meet the demands of fast, flexible and individualized communication. However, due to rapid technological developments, their future – still – remains uncertain. This contribution assesses relevant international LBS-experts in a two-round Delphi study. Findings indicate a strong emphasis on future challenges for (potential) LBS providers and developers, mainly addressing an intraorganizational level – especially with regard to workflows of traditionally oriented media enterprises. Further barriers brought up were privacy and security issues. Regarding the motivation to install LBS apps, scientists consider reliability, ease of use, and fulfillment of human needs to be of importance. Regarding hardware components, the indoor-deployment of LBS was – rather surprisingly – deemed much more promising than an outdoor use. Concerning trends in research, user-centered studies integrating psychological perspectives were brought up, as well as research on socio-ethical implications of LBS.

Institutions and Their Social Construction: A Cross-Level Perspective

Defining institutions as taken-for-granted systems of roles and interactions, this paper presents a novel theoretical integration of hereto disparate micro and macro approaches to their social construction. Building on and modifying Berger and Luckmann (1967), I emphasize the social and cultural embeddedness of the phenomenological experience of institutions and their embodiment in organizations and organizing practices. The paper identifies mechanisms by which micro-institutions emerge at the intra-organizational level and how institutionalization is shaped across the multiple levels of organizations, geographic communities, organizational fields, societies, and the world system. It proposes that the locus of sedimentation, and hence institutionalization, occurs at multiple levels, which are culturally embedded within higher-level institutional orders of society and the world system. It further proposes that the generation of a committed network of role practitioners is a critical component of institutionalization.

Does coopetition pay off? Benefits of intra-organizational coopetition within business groups

Abstract Coopetition has gained considerable attention in the management literature. Yet, the best recognized is inter-organizational coopetition. The intra-organizational coopetition is still under-researched and there is a gap in the comprehensive evaluation of the benefits of intra-organizational coopetition. This paper attempts to identify the main positive outcomes in the coopetition relationship between affiliates within business groups based on a survey questionnaire in the largest business groups listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The findings of the study reveal that coopetition at the intra-organizational level generates many benefits. The main ones are resource benefits and improved market and financial performance. The positive effects of intra-organizational coopetition are somewhat similar to the benefits of inter-organizational coopetition. However, some differences support the view on the specificity of coopetition at each level.

Drivers of green supply chain integration and green product innovation: a motivation-opportunity-ability framework and a dynamic capabilities perspective

PurposeThis study provides an integrative model that facilitates green product innovation (GPI) by adopting dynamic capabilities theory and the motivation-opportunity-ability (MOA) framework. Drawing on dynamic capabilities theory, this study emphasizes green supply chain integration (GSCI), consisting of internal and external integration, as a dynamic capability that drives GPI. Moreover, this study analyzes the environmental conditions that benefit the development of dynamic capabilities using the MOA framework and focuses specifically on government support (GS) and market greenness (MG) as precursors to GSCI.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from 300 Chinese manufacturing firms. The proposed hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe regression analysis reveals that (1) GS and MG positively affect both internal and external integration and (2) internal and external integration positively affect GPI.Originality/valueIn explicating a model of GPI, this study extends the theoretical lens of dynamic capabilities beyond the intraorganizational level to the supply chain level. Moreover, this study enhances the understanding of dynamic capability development by considering the environmental conditions that represent motivation- and opportunity-based drivers of GSCI.

Business-to-business co-creation management practices for intellectual property value: Insights from Saudi Arabia

Managing intellectual property (IP) value appropriation remains a central challenge for business-to-business (B2B) networks due to B2B co-creation prospects for improved value-in-exchange and value-in-use for co-creation beneficiaries. This article aims to explore the management practices of B2B networks that enhance IP value from B2B co-creation. Using semi-structured interviews with sixteen IP management experts from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the article proposes an integrated model of management strategies and guidelines for B2B co-creation with respect to IP value. The model posits that at the intra-organisational level, the main enabling processes for value appropriation are building communication skills, implementing hiring processes, and developing management systems for negotiations, talents, and intellectual assets, respectively. This level benefits from priorities placed on selecting strategic partners and fostering learning cultures for knowledge, technology, and venture co-creation processes. For the inter-organisational level, the proposed enabling processes are pursuing research funds and creating optimum designs for technology development and market positioning, respectively. Priorities at this level involve aligning complementary resources, developing clear agreements, and utilising supportive capabilities for technology and market co-creation.

Public management, agility and innovation: The Swiss experience with the COVID-19 loan scheme

Within only 10 days of March 2020, the Swiss administration had designed and implemented a loan guarantee scheme for enterprises. The implementation phase was also short: it lasted less than five months. This article examines how that was possible, considering the complexity of the institutional setting and the scheme's innovative form, especially in terms of IT, including breakthroughs for the Swiss e-administrative practice: the scheme used algorithms to verify clients’ applications, a unique identification number for companies was implemented on a large scale, Swiss banks were integrated into the project's preparation and implementation, and some of their client operations were centralised on a government e-platform. The salient features of the process are identified through an analysis of the unfolding of operations during those ten days. The circumstances and context leading to radically new forms of public governance are also identified. Besides, an output analysis was undertaken to single out the innovative features of the deliverable. The case under consideration was short, and came unpredictably, so that no data or observations could be collected before or during the case. Accordingly, the study is by and large based on ex-post enquiries. With no explicitly formalised mandates, structures, or roles, the project participants came up with an informal organisation system. A well-defined deliverable was a powerful driver of the process. Several characteristics of the project, such as efficient networks, real-time information flow, flexible roles, flat hierarchy, and swift iterative subprocesses were akin to those of ‘agile organisations’. Tasks were performed concomitantly instead of sequentially. Points for practitioners It is striking that not much scholarly research has been published so far with a view to collecting and sharing the ‘lessons learned’ from the unique experience of emergency support packages during the pandemic, including at intra-organisational level. Research could be done regarding replicability both for future emergencies and for adjusting normal-times public management practices. This proposal aims to contribute to this conversation with a view to inspiring practitioners in public administrations and government entities. It foregrounds the relationship between governmental crisis management and the digitalisation of public administration processes using computer-enabled tools.

Management control practices in interorganizational initiatives: The case of a public program

AbstractIn the last decades, public management and accounting scholars have focused increasingly on the study of interorganizational initiatives involving multiple public organizations in the pursuit of common goals. This paper is an investigation of management control in a public interorganizational program. It adopts a “management control as a package” approach with the aims of (i) identifying the control mechanisms used in interorganizational initiatives; (ii) exploring the interdependencies between them; and (iii) understanding the contribution of organizational controls in supporting collaborative actions. To address the research objectives, this paper presents the case study of a public initiative. The empirical research combines an interventionist approach with semistructured interviews. As a result, the research highlights that management controls in public interorganizational initiatives could require a package of multiple control mechanisms interdependent; moreover, controls at the inter and intraorganizational level influence each other to guide administrations toward the achievement of common objectives. In particular, in the case analyzed, interorganizational controls seem to support public organizations in overcoming the silo logic that often characterizes public administrations’ structure.

Dark Sides of Intra-Organizational Coopetition. Perspective of Coopetition Within Business Groups

Purpose: Coopetition is a relationship that arises both between independent companies and within complex organizations. It is seen as a success factor generating many benefits for the parties involved. However, at the same time, it is a risky relationship that does have its downsides. The purpose of this study it to identify the main dark sides that appear in coopetitive relationships between subsidiaries within business groups. Design/methodology/approach: This study follows the quantitative approach. A computer-assisted diagnostic questionnaire survey was used and data were collected from 121 parent companies of large business groups listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Findings: The findings prove that coopetition at the intra-organizational level does not generate many negative effects. Those that appear are similar to the negative effects of inter-organizational coopetition. The most important three dark sides of intra-organizational coopetition are: loss of trust, conflicts, and asymmetry in benefits distribution. Research limitations/implications: This study offers a more profound insight into intra-organizational coopetition and its dark side. However, it has some limitations which may indicate directions for further research. The limitations refer to the sample size and its origin as well as the adopted perspective of the parent company. Originality/value: The value of the paper is to draw attention to the dark sides of intra-organizational coopetition. The study provided contribution to the literature on both coopetition and business groups as so far only a few studies have comprehensively dealt with the dark sides of coopetition, especially at the intra-organizational level.

Impact of digital Industry 4.0 innovations on interorganizational value chains: a systematic literature review

PurposeOrganizations invest in novel digital innovations to improve their business processes. These innovations, including Industry 4.0 technologies, enable full organizational integration with business process management (BPM), thereby requiring interorganizational relationship (IOR) capabilities. Many organizations lack knowledge about areas of interorganizational (IO) capability for integrating digital innovations into their value chains. They therefore have difficulty understanding that, as a socio-technical concept, digitalization surpasses the intraorganizational level and requires tools to develop mandatory IOR capabilities. The authors’ systematic literature review (SLR) explores these capabilities within the discipline of BPM. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis SLR follows the standard methodology for structuring a broad research field. The authors assessed capabilities relevant to manufacturing organizations from 58 academic articles published between 2011 and 2021.FindingsBuilding on existing firm-centric capability frameworks, the authors developed individual capabilities into a novel framework of digital interorganizational value chain (DIOVC). The authors’ conceptual model provides a basis for researchers and practitioners to consider capabilities and the theoretical spectrum of IO value chains.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies should validate these DIOVC capabilities as input for an updated model of BPM maturity aimed at improving business process performance through digital innovations.Practical implicationsThis study provides organizations with IOR knowledge, supports decision makers in governing digital innovations and develops IO capabilities to improve their value chain performance.Originality/valueThe authors’ DIOVC capability framework is robust, with constructs and dimensions grounded in the literature, demonstrating theoretical and practical relevance.

Implementing sustainability via organizational learning: case study of a French business school

PurposeThis study aims to clarify how higher educational institutions (HEI now onwards) can engage in organizational learning process to implementing sustainability initiatives. Through the case study of business school in France, it shows how sustainability integration is a longitudinal process, influenced by contextual factors which facilitate and impede the learning process. It aims to contribute to the literature of sustainability in higher education by bringing in insights from organizational learning theory.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses the case study method to analyze the sustainability integration over the specific period. To do so, data was compiled by analyzing internal documents, publicly available sustainability reports. Further data was also complimented by the interviews, which gave intra-organizational level insights.FindingsThe case highlights that organizational learning for sustainability is stimulated by deans, faculty and institute of sustainability. It provides insights about how designing and implementing sustainability initiatives within an HEI is not a fixed goal; on the contrary, it is an ongoing learning process. However, this learning is also prone to barriers due to the ambiguous nature of sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was conducted within a specific time, geographical and cultural context; hence, its result may lack generalization. Further comparative research is encouraged to explore similarity and differences within different HEI settings.Practical implicationsThis research also gives potential insights for developing contextual awareness to prioritize, design and implement sustainability initiatives. Thus, it may be useful for the HEI administrators such as deans, sustainability managers and faculty members.Social implicationsThis case emphasizes that HEI like business schools need to expand their relevance via social responsibility. This could be done so by encouraging leadership to engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.Originality/valueThis research uses organizational learning theory to understand determinants of sustainability design and implementation at French HEI. In doing so, this research contributes macro-level process of sustainability integration of an HEI.

Leading UK Construction Companies’ Strategies to Tackle BIM Training and Skills Challenges

ABSTRACT Widespread adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is firmly on policy agenda in several countries. Despite emphasis on governments’ ambitions for industry-wide BIM adoption, there is scant understanding about what construction firms need to do regarding training provision and how to do that to meet policy goals. There is, therefore, little evidence of how construction companies have tackled this challenge internally and on projects in existing studies. Through a qualitative research approach and case studies of two leading UK construction companies, this paper describes the different strategies that construction companies adopt to provide the requisite skills and training for their workforce and their project supplier network partners to successfully support and sustain the implementation of BIM. The findings show that successful main contractors employed an “in-house” training strategy at intra-organizational level and a “growing together” approach for their project supplier network partners. In providing BIM training, these firms tackled problems of heterogeneity in workforce digital literacy and competencies, a lack of attention to soft skills, and a lack of understanding of BIM benefits using tailored and role-specific training. These insights contribute to the growing literature on BIM training, complementing the existing literature that focuses mainly on BIM training through education.

Data Workers in Organizations: What They Do, How They Do, and Why They Do It!

Over the last decade, data workers have increasingly made their way not only into technology and born-digital firms but also in incumbent firms in long-standing industries. Organizational scientists, management scholars, and information systems researchers have started paying attention to data workers as an emerging occupational group, who tend to embody expertise in collecting, organizing, analyzing, and generating insights from data that may help in explaining as well as predicting various phenomena that are of interest to business managers or policy makers. Scholars have started examining data workers at the field level, inter-organizational level, as well as intra-organizational level. Building on this emerging literature, this symposium sets out to explore what data workers do, how they do, and why they do it, in the context of economic forecasting, medical science, as well as banking and financial services. Disenchantment with Big Data Analytics: When Knowledge Mediators Fail Presenter: Elina I. Mäkinen; Tampere U. Experts and Machines: How Central Bank Economists Produce Inferences via Simulation Model Presenter: Pauli Pakarinen; Stanford U. Custodians of Rationality: Data Scientists’ Role in Organizational Decision-Making Presenter: Mayur Prataprai Joshi; Alliance Manchester Business School, U. of Manchester Legitimating Illegitimate Practices: How Data Analysts Compromised Standards to Scale Expertise Presenter: Ryan Stice-Lusvardi; Stanford U.

Open innovation and collaboration: A systematic literature review

The concept of open innovation was developed from a fragmented body of knowledge, with multiple levels of analysis, and little depth and theoretical specificity, presenting a lack of alignment and consolidation, and, evidencing the need for realization of knowledge in this theme. Given this, we propose this systematic review to extend the discussion on open innovation in a collaborative context, revisiting and synthesizing the research developed in this scope, identifying its main characteristics and levels of analysis. Such a review, composed of an already validated methodology, involves data collection, analysis, and synthesis. Results revealed a literature that is mostly empirical, quantitative, and has unclear limits on innovation’s characteristics. As for the levels of analysis, we observed a concentration of studies at the intraorganizational level focused on the organization’s functional aspects. When raising the gaps, we point out potential avenues for future research, which, together with the systematization, constitute the main contribution of this work.

Blockchain in logistics and production from Blockchain 1.0 to Blockchain 5.0: An intra-inter-organizational framework

Blockchain technology is a ground breaking disruptive technology in production and logistics systems. However, how it affects logistics and production over the past years as well as what should be examined next remain unclear. This paper fills this gap by first discussing the evolution of blockchain (from Blockchain 1.0 to Blockchain 5.0). Then, we examine the related production and logistics management literature and highlight the current states of knowledge in the field. We review in more details the analytical and empirical studies and uncover the research methods, topics, insights and implications. After that, with references to both the examined literature and observed industrial practices, we identify various important research gaps one by one. We build the intra-inter-organizational (IIO) operational framework to highlight the importance of both internal (i.e., intra-organizational level) and inter-organizational considerations in order to adopt blockchain successfully in production and logistics systems. Critical factors for implementing blockchain under the IIO framework are uncovered. Finally, based on the IIO framework, a future research agenda, which relates to the different stages of blockchain development as well as different topical areas, is established.

PROXIMITY DIMENSIONS AND DYNAMICS WITHIN AN ORGANISATION: EXPERIENCES FROM A CHANGE PROCESS

Proximity between actors within an organisation can be relevant for interactive learning and innovation because it promotes collaboration and knowledge exchange. However, proximity has mainly been studied as a characteristic of the relationships between actors belonging to different organisations. In this paper, a case study of a faculty at a university is used to investigate proximity within this organisation and related to a change process. Based on 23 interviews and a self-ethnographic approach, we offer a detailed micro-perspective on how the geographic, cognitive, and social dimensions of proximity influence interactive learning and innovation between employees within the organisation. We also identify two distinct proximity configurations that have emerged during the change process. Finally, we analyse how the proximity dimensions are balanced within these configurations and offer two propositions explaining their influence on interactive learning and innovation. We thereby contribute to the existing theory on proximity by extending the insight into proximity from an inter-organisational to an intra-organisational level and by adding new knowledge to the understanding of proximity dynamics.

Research on the impact of knowledge sharing on risk control of inclusive finance in rural areas during the post-COVID-19 era

PurposeThis study aims to focus on the impact of multi-level knowledge sharing between and within organizations on the risk control of rural inclusive finance. The paper presents a synergistic risk control system integrating external and internal factors for rural inclusive finance by constructing different knowledge-sharing platforms in an environment, which is full of many uncertainties.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on survey methods. To achieve the research objectives, the authors adopt a single case study approach. For data collection, the authors apply a wide variety of methods such as semi-structured interviews, field visits, second-hand databases and official websites.FindingsThe results emphasize that using multi-level knowledge sharing such as the inter- and intra-organizational level, can facilitate the risk control of rural inclusive finance during the post-COVID-19 era. Furthermore, it is also noted that achieving knowledge sharing at different levels by building diverse knowledge-sharing platforms can promote the risk control of rural inclusive finance from the individual-organization level to the chain level of multi-organization collaboration, which contributes to the formation of symbiotic risk control ecology.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors have formed the “Chinese wisdom” to deal with inclusive financial risks and to promote in-depth development in relation to the “last mile” practice of inclusive finance, which means the final and the most important phase of a project. The conclusions contribute to enriching the outcomes regarding the risk control of rural inclusive finance, provide experiences to its sustainable development and offer a reference to other countries with their risk control of rural inclusive finance.Originality/valueDrawing on the knowledge-sharing approach, this study creatively resolves the persistent problems in the risk control of rural inclusive finance, which forms a powerful supplement to the extant literature. Meanwhile, the paper combines the two contextual factors of the post-COVID-19 era and emerging economies, which can be deemed as a novel attempt.

The construction of environmental performance in ISO 14001-certified SMEs

This paper explores the relationship between the implementation of an environmental management system (EMS) and environmental performance (EP) from a management accounting and control (MAC) stance. Particularly, it asks: How is environmental performance constructed in firms using ISO 14001? And, b), what is the relationship between ISO 14001 and environmental performance? Grounded in the relative novelty of a qualitative cross-case approach to construct EP from the perspectives of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) as an understudied empirical context in MAC research, it finds that EP is a fluid, multidimensional concept that embraces not only environmental, but also social, operational and financial dimensions. It also regards the interrelation of processes and outcomes, as well as field and firm, with temporal and spatial horizons. The findings of this research contribute to the MAC literature by proposing that ISO 14001 results in the formalisation of performance measures and outcomes in SMEs. Moreover, the study presents EP as a multidimensional construct and suggests that there are research limitations in trying to capture it solely as an output at the intra-organisational level through quantitative items. Consequently, future theorisations of environmental management control systems require a recognition of the intra-organisational and extra-organisational dimensions that contribute to the construction of EP. For SMEs, this study highlights the value of EMS in improving both substantive and symbolic performance.

Coopetition in healthcare: Heresy or reality? An exploration of felt outcomes at an intra-organizational level.

This paper deals with coopetition in the healthcare sector, where in developed countries providers are experiencing a growing paradox between cooperation, as encouraged by authorities, and competition, in terms of resources or market share. Via comprehensive research methodology, we carry out a case study on a French Cancer Control Unit that simultaneously competes and cooperates with other local cancer treatment providers. We focus on different professional groups and their perceptions of coopetitive outcomes. Firstly, we show that different generic coopetitive situations exist and can be distinguished according to their degree of spontaneity, complementarity and value creation. Depending on these situations, felt outcomes differ from one professional group to another, highlighting that coopetition is a very complex reality and experienced differently by different individuals. Secondly, harmony created by coopetition is generally under-estimated, whereas it could be used as a catalyst to help managers implement coopetition.

TRAINING-TECHNOLOGY AS A FACTOR OF THE SUCCESS OF THE INTRA-ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES: METHODOLOGICAL ASPECT

The problem field of research within the subject is the want of a single conceptual composition, unity in understanding and practical application of principles, methods, techniques, processes of organization of learning; the generally accepted mechanism for realization training technology on the intra-organizational level; a systematic description of the learning and development of human resources; unity of views on evaluation by result of similar actions during the conduct studies, on the results of the learning etc. The results of theoretical research and generalization of the authors ’practical experience on the application of training forms and methods of learning are presented in the article. Some methodological foundations developed by the authors of training technology as a method of learning and development of personnel are revealed. The genesis of the development of trainings in domestic theory and practice is considered. The author’s interpretation of the classification of trainings, which intends the selection of trainings on the formation and development of professional competencies; personal growth trainings; trainings of communication competence and team work; psychological (social-psychological) trainings, is presented. The definition of training technology for intra-organizational learning and human resource development, that image the educational technology, whose application is targeted to achieve efficiency organization’s activities, timely response to environmental challenges, ensuring the sustainability of the organization in a strategic perspective, by the formation, keeping and development of professional competencies of employees (corporate, market), is formulated. The elaborating model of the mechanism of application of training technology in the intra-organizational process of learning and development of personnel is presented in graphic form. The principles of Andragogy as a fundamental element of the mechanism of realization of educational training technology (the principles of non-criticism of students, the equality, the application of existent positive life experience, the correction of outdated experience and personal attitudes, that hinder the mastering of new knowledge, the individualization of learning, the convenience of learning, the actualization of learning results, learning in system, the active creative) are characterized.