JV Performance Research Articles

Role of oxide at interface between organic layer and silicon substrate in hybrid solar cells

Degradation in PEDOT:PSS-silicon hybrid heterojunction solar cells is centered at the organic–silicon interface characterized by an s-shaped JV curve. The effects of interfacial silicon oxide and the degradation of PEDOT:PSS films on solar cell performance were simulated and fit to experimental results and found to be good predictors of JV performance and the development of s-shapes. Transmission line measurement (TLM) studies showed the Ag-PEDOT:PSS interface remains ohmic over 5 weeks and has a contact resistivity < 0.1ohm cm2 over 10 days. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the interfacial silicon oxide develops rapidly after fabrication with high amounts of suboxide defects that grows and chemically saturates to the native oxide thickness (1.5 nm) and composition as the devices age. Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) was used to investigate the buried organic–silicon interface and showed that doping in the PEDOT:PSS backbone decreases and the PEDOT:PSS-silicon band alignment does not change measurably as the devices age.

Round-robin of damp heat tests using CIGS solar cells

A round robin test was carried out in four PV laboratories to compare accelerated lifetime testing. Twenty commercial non-packaged CIGS solar cells of similar performance were spread and exposed to damp heat conditions (85 °C and 85% RH) for approximately 500 h. Their JV performance was monitored during the damp heat exposure. After the test, three of the labs reported average efficiency losses of 87 ± 4%, 89 ± 5% and 92 ± 1%, which are close to median degradation rates found in literature. A higher degradation rate (efficiency loss of 97 ± 3% after only 143 h) was observed in the fourth lab. This was attributed to a poorly designed ceiling window sealing, which caused liquid water pooling on the samples. After modifying the climate chamber, the experiment was repeated with similar samples and an efficiency loss of 72 ± 6% after 475 h was observed for this lab.

Effectiveness of Joint Venture for Local Contractors in a Mega Project Construction

Mega Construction Projects are defined as a very large investment construction project, or aggregate of projects, characterized by magnified cost, extreme complexity, increased risk, lofty ideals, and high visibility, in a combination that represents a significant challenge to the stakeholders, a significant impact to the community and pushes the limit of construction experience. The main objective of this study was to assess effectiveness of joint venture for local contractor to construct a mega project construction. The specific objective of this study was to determine the effective way of formation and implementation procedure, to determine legal procedures and steps of joint venture between local contractors, to analyze different kinds of joint venture among local contractors and to analyze risk of joint venture among local contractors to construct a mega project construction. The study used both qualitative and quantitative research, and data collection method used was interview, close ended questionnaires’, different books, articles, and web sites. The study uses also purposive sampling technique. The study revealed that the most motivation factor and reason to form a Joint Venture in construction is to obtain technology transfer, the most selection criteria to select a construction JV partner is ability, experience and skills of JV partner and to succeed in JV performance a JV management should be strong. The study indicated that some of the articles form the commercial code explains about JV need an amendment. The study also indicates legal issues should be considering in Ethiopian commercial code to facilitate formation construction JV. This study also revealed the best JV type suitable for local contractors to establish domestic JV is a contractual JV type. Finally, the study shows that the most factors to create a problem in construction JV is unclear partner roles and the dominant risk factor associated with construction JV is partner parent company in financial problem. Also, the study came up with conclusion that the existing legal norm context about CJV should be revised with amendment of some of the articles from the existing commercial code of Ethiopia.

Outcomes of learning through JVs for local parent firms in transition economies: Evidence from Russia

The outcomes of learning for JV performance have been studied extensively. However, benefits of learning for JV parent firms in transition economies are not well understood. In this paper I develop a two-phase approach for the assessment of learning outcomes for local JV parent firms by integrating concepts from innovation and strategy studies. I argue that at the first phase learning outcomes should be evaluated at operational level as changes in functional types of technological capabilities and managerial capabilities. At the second phase these changes have to be linked to strategic level outcomes for the modernization, restructuring and long-term competitiveness. I illustrate the applicability of these measurements in an explorative case study of Russian JV parent firms.

Influence of Parent Company’s Organizational Dimensions on Its JV Performances – Opportunism Occurrence and Control Efficacy

How does a parent company organizational dimension affect its joint ventures’ performance in a transitionaleconomy? We explored that question through an analytical inductive case study. Our findings indicate that theconfluence of a function-oriented matrix form and lack of formal procedures at the strategic level led to afief-like organization in which its functional departments hold high power and low accountability while its JVs’management team hold low power but high accountability. Such a fief-like organizational parent makes anegative contribution to its JV performance by adding difficulty to its JV formal control, introducingdepartment-driven opportunism through imposing inside hierarchical goals upon its JV, leading to a lowopportunism control efficacy as the result of the separation of opportunism beneficiary from the costs. Thenegative contribution from the fief-like organization is due to its organizational injustice and a reversearrangement between authority power and accountability.

Perceptions of cultural differences and the management of culture in international joint ventures

This paper investigates the relative importance of both national culture and corporate culture differences in a sample of international joint ventures with parent firms from Europe, North America and Australia. The findings of the study are, first, corporate culture differences are a more important factor contributing to different views on the management of JVs compared with national culture differences. Second, the perception of culture difference is reduced in firms adopting culture management policies. Third, the greater the culture differences perceived by the parent firms then the greater the impact of cultural differences on JV performance. Fourth, the greater the cultural differences contributing to different views on JV management then the less satisfied the parent firms are with JV performance. Lastly, corporate culture differences contributing to differing views on JV management were more significantly correlated with autonomy granted than were national culture differences.

Strategic, Organizational, and Cultural Fit: Effects on Performance in China‐US Joint Ventures

We explore the effects of three categories of fit on US‐China joint‐venture performance using four performance measures. Many studies prescribe strong fit across multiple categories as necessary for high performance, but little rigorous analysis supports this. Three important threads of existing “fit” research resonate in the literature: strategic, cultural and organizational fit. We analyze an original survey dataset of over 80 US‐China JVs, and test for effects of fit‐categories using two measures for each thread. Additionally, multiple control factors give a compelling look at a complete model of fit’s effects on JV performance. Objective congruence (strategic fit) among JV partner‐firms, impacts two performance‐measures. Efficacy of managerial communications (cultural fit) also matters, as does harmony regarding hiring decisions (organizational fit). Our findings are a step forward empirically, and partly resolve persistent questions about partner‐fit in JVs and performance.

Governing joint ventures: tension among principals’ dominant logic on human motivation and behavior

We examine a neglected area in the joint venture literature—how parents’ dominant logic on human intent influences the JV control-performance relationship. Considering two well-developed theoretical perspectives, we suggest that when the decision-making team responsible for negotiating, formulating, and executing the JV agreement is driven by dominant agency logic they rely on a control structure that emphasizes formal mechanisms. In contrast, a parent driven by dominant stewardship logic emphasizes social mechanisms. We also explore the impact of dominant logic on JV performance to propose that effective and efficient goal attainment is higher for JVs governed by parents that share dominant stewardship logic than it is for those that share dominant agency logic. When logics conflict, issues of power arise such that the parents’ relationship and JV goal-related performance ranges from moderate to poor when power is asymmetrical and is consistently poor when parents of equal status battle to get their preferred and incompatible controls fully implemented.

Parent Control and Joint Venture Performance

This study examines the effect of parent control and JV performance. 71 manufacturing JVs formed between Korean-US, Korean-Japanese, or Korean-European investors were sampled for the study. The more control MNE parents exercised over the activities representing their own firm-specific advantages, the better the JVs performed. However, the more control MNE parents exercised over the activities representing local Korean partners' firm-specific advantages, the worse the JVs performed. This finding suggests that the expertise or know-how needed to control or manage one partner's firm-specific advantages is different from that needed to control the other partner's firm-specific advantages. Therefore, the division of management control between JV partners should be made so that both partners exercise dominant control over their own firm-specific advantages within the JV.

Resource Complementarity Between JV Partners and Joint Venture Performance

This study proposes a framework to characterize resource complementarity between Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) and local partners. The framework consists of two dimensions: the relative strength of MNE partners’ firm?specific advantages and the relative strength of local Korean partners’ firm?specific advantages. The combination of the two dimensions generates four types of JVs. In the first type, the relative strength of both partners’ firm?specific advantages is strong, suggesting that both partners are strong in their respective firm?specific advantages. This type of JV turned out to be the best performer, using a performance measure of satisfaction with JV performance. In the second and third types of JVs in which either Korean or MNE partners’ firm?specific advantages were evaluated to be relatively weak, no performance difference was found. In the fourth type of JVs, the relative strengths of both partners’ firm?specific advantages are evaluated to be weak, indicating that both partners are not strong in their respective firmspecific advantages. In other words, MNE partners are stronger than Korean partners in Korean partners’ firm?specific advantages while Korean partners are stronger than MNE partners in MNE partners’ firm?specific advantages. The fourth type of JVs represents “reverse” resource complementarity, a situation that cannot be observed in real cases. Thus, the last type of JVs are dropped from the proposed framework. In short, the findings of the study suggest that resource complementarity matters to JV performance, as assumed by the researchers studying the relationship between resource complemetarity and JV formation.

Number of partners and JV performance

Using the largest ever sample of international equity JVs with three or more partners, this study examines the relationship between the number of partners in a JV and performance. Resource-based theory and the transaction cost perspective are used to explore whether the increases in transaction costs are balanced off by increased benefits as the number of partners grows. Four hypotheses are developed and tested on a sample of 1,335 Japanese JVs in 73 countries, not including Japan. No significant relationship was observed between number of partners in an international JV and JV performance, even when moderators like JV type were considered.

Performance effects of alternative joint venture resource responsibility structures

This study examines the relationship between the acquirers of a joint venture's (JV's) resources and the JV's performance in achieving its partners' goals. Research data were collected through surveys of 83 U.S. firms involved in manufacturing JVs to examine the differential impact of alternative resource responsibility structures on JV performance. The analysis shows that JVs receiving a variety of resources from both partners outperform JVs where JV management is responsible for securing its own resources, and outperform JVs receiving resources primarily from a dominant partner. The implications of the study's results for theory development, future research, and practicing managers are discussed.

Assessing management and performance of Sino-foreign construction joint ventures

Since the early 1990s, construction joint ventures are developing and evolving rapidly in China. However, there has been relatively little empirical research into Sino-foreign JVs in China's construction industry. This study investigates the management and operating performance of Sino-foreign construction joint ventures, and the relationships between ownership, management control and JV performance. It is found that dominant management control over JVs by Chinese partners is the major form of management. Sino-foreign construction JVs perform well. Positive and significant correlations were found to exist between three variables - ownership, management control and JV performance. A valid measure is developed in assessing JV's performance in terms of JV's social role in developing countries. The relationship between partner's participation in daily operational management of JV and the level of control over JV exercised by their parent company, and the relationship between partner's strategic objectives and the selection of JV organizational structure are also discussed.