Subsequent Empirical Research Research Articles

Disruptive Innovation: An Intellectual History and Directions for Future Research

AbstractThe concept of disruptive innovation has gained considerable currency among practitioners despite widespread misunderstanding of its core principles. Similarly, foundational research on disruption has elicited frequent citation and vibrant debate in academic circles, but subsequent empirical research has rarely engaged with its key theoretical arguments. This inconsistent reception warrants a thoughtful evaluation of research on disruptive innovation within management and strategy. We trace the theory’s intellectual history, noting how its core principles have been clarified by anomaly‐seeking research. We also trace the theory’s evolution from a technology‐change framework—essentially descriptive and relatively limited in scope—to a more broadly explanatory causal theory of innovation and competitive response. This assessment reveals that our understanding of the phenomenon of disruption has changed as the theory has developed. To reinvigorate academic interest in disruptive innovation, we propose several underexplored topics—response strategies, performance trajectories, and innovation metrics—to guide future research.

Opportunity or Threat? Organizational Aspiration Determination in an Environmental Jolt

Organizational aspiration determination has long been discussed in conventional behavioral theory and has been widely used in subsequent empirical research. However, prior work is largely limited to the context of stable or incrementally changing environments and overlooks the role of managerial cognition in the process of determining aspirations. Extending the behavioral work of aspirations, we address two questions: first, whether the three reference points proposed by conventional behavioral theory are salient aspiration antecedents in the context of an environmental jolt; second, how organization’s opportunity and threat orientation during an environmental jolt shape its attention allocation among different reference points when determining aspirations. Using a sample of U.S. public firms during the global financial crisis in 2007-2009, we find that organizations use past aspiration and past performance when determining aspirations during a jolt. Whilst more opportunity-oriented organizations focus more attention on past aspiration and less attention on past performance, more threat-oriented organizations focus less attention on past aspiration. Our work has important implications to decision makers responsible for setting organizational goals.

A Preliminary Study on Chinese Poetries' Artistic Conception for Digital Visualization Application of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Although amount of digital archives on tangible cultural heritage has been built in past few years, intangible cultural heritage is still needed to be explored. To retain and propagate the cherished Chinese cultural heritage, such as classic poetry which reflect the life experience, characteristics of people, and features of the culture, is crucial to people of a nation. Cultural and creative design needs a variety of digital carriers to enhance industry production. New forms of visualized tools are more helpful for building an efficient product design model. Therefore, a new interpretation of the meaning of the intangible culture can discover the value and benefits of its industrial development. Literature review of this study focuses on the policies and trends of cultural and creative industries, the development of intangible cultural digital visualization applications, and product design models. Several research methods are applied to precede subsequent empirical research. Metaphor rhetoric textual analysis and Roland Barthes’ semiotics theory (two orders of signification) are used to analyze culture codes in order to transform as design elements. Empirical study on this digital visualized product design model takes Chinese poetry as an example. The cultural codes are extracted as artistic conception for 2-D visual digitization. Therefore, the purpose of this research project aims to construct a product design model in terms of the digital visualization on intangible cultural heritage. The exploration of intangible cultural codes is an innovative concept for designing the creative products. It can also integrate the digital technology with humanity over cultural product design, and provide a reference for the future development of cultural and creative industry.

Post-mortem privacy 2.0: theory, law, and technology

ABSTRACTThis paper builds on the general survey of post-mortem privacy set out in the author’s earlier work. The concept of post-mortem privacy is further developed both at a theoretical level (underpinned by theories of autonomy) and a doctrinal level (considering concepts such as testamentary freedom, and the protection of personal data). Finally, the paper looks at some current developments of technology (tech solutions for the protection of post-mortem privacy) and law/policy (work done by the US Uniform Law Commission on the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act – UFADAA). The argument is that both of these regulatory modalities provide examples and illustrations of how post-mortem privacy can be recognised practically, especially in the online environment. The paper is, therefore, setting the scene further in this under-explored area, also aiming to set the basis for the author’s subsequent empirical research (attitudes towards post-mortem privacy, quantitative and qualitative).

The adoption of mobile payment services by consumers: an empirical analysis results

This study considers the problems of distribution and adoption of mobile payment services in Russia and the factors of their perception by distribution network companies and consumers. To analyze the adoption of mobile payment services, in this article a model is suggested that includes both process-based and factor-based approaches. The model combines the user behavior analysis at different stages of the technology acceptance process and the analysis of the factors that influence this process. Factors are determined both by the features of the technologies themselves and by the characteristics of consumers. Within the framework of the process approach, the diffusion of innovation theory of Rogers (2003) and the technology acceptance model of Davis (1989) have been used. The factor analysis has been used to analyze the perception of mobile payment services by consumers and by distribution network companies. To analyze the factors influencing the decision-making by distribution network companies, the POER model, which allows analyzing internal factors, and the PEER model, which allows analyzing external factors, are used. The factors of perception of mobile payment services by consumers are analyzed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989). When testing theoretical positions, the approach that comprises model testing at the qualitative stage of research (16 in-depth interviews with representatives of distribution network companies and 34 in-depth interviews with consumers) and subsequent empirical research (based on a sample of 128 distribution network companies and 429 consumer respondents) were applied. Based on the analysis results, conclusions were made about the impact of various factors on the acceptance of mobile payment services, and recommendations for companies that develop and implement mobile payment services have been worked out.This study considers the problems of distribution and adoption of mobile payment services in Russia and the factors of their perception by distribution network companies and consumers. To analyze the adoption of mobile payment services, in this article a model is suggested that includes both process- and factor-based approaches. The model combines the user behavior analysis at different stages of the technology acceptance process and the analysis of the factors that influence this process. Factors are determined both by the features of the technologies themselves and by the characteristics of consumers. Within the framework of the process approach, the diffusion of innovation theory of E. Rogers and the technology acceptance model of F. Davis have been used. The factor analysis has been used to analyze the perception of mobile payment services by consumers and by distribution network companies. To analyze the factors influencing the decision-making by distribution network companies, the POER model, which allows analyzing internal factors, and the PEER model, which allows analyzing external factors, are used. The factors of perception of mobile payment services by consumers are analyzed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989). When testing theoretical positions, the approach that comprises model testing at the qualitative stage of research (16 in-depth interviews with representatives of distribution network companies and 34 in-depth interviews with consumers) and subsequent empirical research based on a sample of 128 distribution network companies and 429 consumer respondents were applied. Based on the analysis results, conclusions were made about the impact of various factors on the acceptance of mobile payment services, and recommendations for companies that develop and implement mobile payment services have been worked out.

Approaches to Demonstrating the Reliability and Validity of Core Diagnostic Criteria for Chronic Pain.

The Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks-American Pain Society Pain Taxonomy (AAPT) is designed to be an evidence-based multidimensional chronic pain classification system that will facilitate more comprehensive and consistent chronic pain diagnoses, and thereby enhance research, clinical communication, and ultimately patient care. Core diagnostic criteria (dimension 1) for individual chronic pain conditions included in the initial version of AAPT will be the focus of subsequent empirical research to evaluate and provide evidence for their reliability and validity. Challenges to validating diagnostic criteria in the absence of clear and identifiable pathophysiological mechanisms are described. Based in part on previous experience regarding the development of evidence-based diagnostic criteria for psychiatric disorders, headache, and specific chronic pain conditions (fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, temporomandibular disorders, pain associated with spinal cord injuries), several potential approaches for documentation of the reliability and validity of the AAPT diagnostic criteria are summarized. The AAPT is designed to be an evidence-based multidimensional chronic pain classification system. Conceptual and methodological issues related to demonstrating the reliability and validity of the proposed AAPT chronic pain diagnostic criteria are discussed.

Dojrzałość przedsiębiorstwa w zakresie zarządzania relacjami

The aim of this article is to build a theoretical framework for the concept of corporate relationship management maturity. The main research method applied in this paper is an extensive literature review combined with an analysis of case studies. The article is conceptual in nature and offers a synthesis of the research material in the form of a model of corporate relationship management maturity. The proposed model can be a useful tool in separating truly relationship-oriented companies from those that are only declaratively relationship-oriented while in reality they continue to pursue a transactional approach in disguise. This brings order to the conceptual apparatus of the so-called resource-based view (RBV). It was concluded that the relationship assets that emerge in the process of multilateral dialogue between external and internal partners meet the criteria of core assets. The nature of this process sheds new light on the issue of growth in the context of the RBV. The presented conclusions can be of help to subsequent theoretical and empirical research.

Towards a balanced view of innovations

Purpose– Based on theoretical input from punctuated equilibrium theory and the exploration vs exploitation paradigm, a set of innovation drivers and propositions is developed. The purpose of this paper is to present a starting point for a more comprehensive investigation of companies’ innovation trajectories towards balance.Design/methodology/approach– The paper builds on a thorough analysis of the literature and suggests the notion of “strategic inflection points” (SIPs). These points are supposed to mark the transgression between innovation types as reflected in respective performance enhancements.Findings– The propositions developed in this paper serve as a basis for further understanding and for subsequent empirical research.Practical implications– Managerial implications relate to the understanding that companies need to balance innovation types in order to increase performance.Originality/value– This paper discusses a variety of innovation types and suggests the notion of SIPs.

Exploring absorptive capacity in cross-sector social partnerships

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore cross-sector partnerships (CSSPs) from a strategic perspective to consider collaborations that are long lasting and transcend initial objectives. The authors integrate the concept of absorptive capacity (ACAP) with the CSSP literature and derive two new antecedents of ACAP, trust and goal interdependency, with relevance to this context. This work responds to a call from ACAP scholars to consider the construct in alternative settings and from collaboration scholars to employ strategy research that approaches CSSPs from a viewpoint beyond a mere transactional approach. Design/methodology/approach – This manuscript presents a thorough analysis of the process literature regarding CSSPs and the construct of ACAP to consider the importance of knowledge sharing and participatory decision making in the success of collaboration efforts. The combination of these research streams results in a refined model of ACAP to be used in the CSSP context. Findings – This manuscript provides conceptual and theoretical insights into how knowledge is acquired and exploited within CSSPs. A model for ACAP in CSSPs is proposed and suggests that two new antecedents of ACAP, trust and goal interdependence, be explored in this context through subsequent empirical research. Research limitations/implications – This type of conceptual work can benefit greatly from subsequent empirical research to test the developed propositions. This model shows considerable promise for future testing, however, and has the potential to encourage additional research into knowledge sharing and long-term success of cross-sector collaborations. Practical implications – This paper fulfills the need to apply a strategic lens to CSSPs and invites future research into the mutual organizational benefits derived from collaborations that cross economic sectors. It suggests that internal organizational mechanisms exist to be developed by managers that have the potential to enhance a firms ability to recognize the value of external knowledge, acquire it, and transform it for commercial and/or social objectives. Social implications – As collaborations across economic sectors are proving vital for addressing complex social needs, this manuscript provides a new model to serve as a guidepost for successful partnerships. Originality/value – This manuscript fulfills a need to integrate strategy scholarship with CSSPs that transcends the heretofore transactional perspective. Through an exploration of the literature, a new model for ACAP is proposed including two new antecedents, trust and goal interdependence, with application to the context of cross-sector collaborations.

The ecology of social time: An outline of an empirical analytic framework of the sociology of time

The purpose of this paper is to outline the “ecology of social time” as an empirical concept of time to bridge the gap between theory and empirical research in the sociology of time. First, this paper proposes that social time could be considered as an institutionalized referential mechanism that enables social interactions to occur at a specific time point by coordinating the social actions of various agents. Examining the condition of temporal coordination and diagnosing its fairness critically may be the tasks involved in the sociology of time. Second, this paper suggests that the ecology of social time is a useful concept for integrating the theses and tasks applied in the sociology of time. Finally, this paper presents an ecological model of social time as a possible framework for subsequent empirical research in the sociology of time.

Real wages in the business cycle and the theory of income distribution: an unresolved conflict between theory and facts in mainstream macroeconomics

The focus of this article is the recurring tension between mainstream macroeconomics and observed facts in connection with the difficult task of providing explanations of the business cycle consistent both with the traditional theory of income distribution and with the empirical evidence concerning the co-movements of real wages and employment over the cycle. The attempts to reconcile facts and theory have led to the continuous introduction of specific and arguably ad hoc hypotheses, in contrast with the search for greater theoretical rigour claimed by the various streams of macroeconomic modelling subsequent to the neo-classical synthesis. In addition, the specific assumptions introduced in the models, or their implications, are in turn often contradicted or, at best, not confirmed by subsequent empirical research. It is suggested in the conclusions that the difficulty of keeping together in a simple and consistent framework theory and facts reflects the flawed theoretical foundations of mainstream theory.

Responsible executive leadership

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to develop a moral identity perspective on Barnard's conceptualization of executive responsibility. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a prospective study design, as an alternative to a transitional grounded approach, to develop a theory-based framework to compare textual patterns in Barnard's writings. By using Barnard's conceptualization of executive responsibility within the identity control theoretical framework, the paper analyzes the challenges of executive moral identification. Findings – The paper develops a theory-based, yet practical, typology of moral identification of responsible executive leaders. Research limitations/implications – Although this proposed typology appears rather parsimonious, it is recognized that issues of moral behavior are certainly complex, and therefore should be addressed in a requisite manner in future model developments. Originality/value – The paper posits that Barnard's conceptualization provides a useful channel to address the critical domain at the intersection of responsible executive leadership, identity, and ethics relative to the issues of CSR, diversity management, gender equity, and community involvement. The paper considers the typology of moral identification to be an operative conduit for subsequent empirical research and practical guidance for executive leadership development.

Repairing Trust to Preserve Balance: A Balance‐Theoretic Approach to Trust Breach and Repair in Groups

AbstractWe draw on balance theory (Heider, 1958) to better understand trust breach in its social context. By focusing on the motive to preserve balanced relationships within groups, we present a novel view on how and when trust repair is likely to occur in teams and workgroups. We also argue why such balanced states are likely to be more than just transitory, and why people attempt to rebalance systems rendered imbalanced by a breach. In addition, by examining the balance motive in trust relations, we conjecture about when trust judgments and behavior are likely to converge (or diverge) among the members of teams and work groups. Our approach contributes to an emerging stream of literature on the role of third parties and social groups on conflict and trust in teams and workgroups. Throughout our analysis, we offer propositions to guide subsequent empirical research.

A Danish killer amendment—when judicial review was banned from the 1849 Constitution

In real political life “killer amendments” are very rare. William H. Riker was the first political scientist to draw systematic attention to this special “heresthetic” phenomenon, but he was himself only able to identify a handful of successful “killer amendments”. Subsequent systematic empirical research has brought a few more to attention. In this article what may be the first successful example from outside the US context is described. It took place, when the Danish Constituent Assembly in 1849 discussed, if a proper judicial review procedure should be institutionalized in the Danish Constitution. The motion was defeated by means of what looks like a nicely orchestrated “killer amendment”.

The Empirics of Firm Heterogeneity and International Trade

This paper reviews the empirical evidence on firm heterogeneity in international trade. A first wave of empirical findings from micro data on plants and firms proposed challenges for existing models of international trade and inspired the development of new theories emphasizing firm heterogeneity. Subsequent empirical research has examined additional predictions of these theories and explored other dimensions of the data not originally captured by them. These other dimensions include multi-product firms, offshoring, intra-firm trade and firm export market dynamics.

The Empirics of Firm Heterogeneity and International Trade

This article reviews the empirical evidence on firm heterogeneity in international trade. A first wave of empirical findings from microdata on plants and firms proposed challenges for existing models of international trade and inspired the development of new theories emphasizing firm heterogeneity. Subsequent empirical research has examined additional predictions of these theories and explored other dimensions of the data not originally captured by them. These other dimensions include multiproduct firms, offshoring, intrafirm trade and firm export market dynamics.

Social Network and Occupational Mobility: A Mathematical Model

ObjectivesThis article examines the comparative effectiveness of different types of social ties used by a job seeker and proposes an explanation for the inconsistency in empirical evidence for strength‐of‐weak‐ties hypothesis.MethodsGranovetter's strength‐of‐weak‐ties hypothesis predicted that in a job search, weak ties (acquaintances) are a more valuable source of information as compared to strong ties (close friends or relatives). However, subsequent empirical research has provided ambiguous support for this hypothesis. To sort out the conflicting results, a mathematical model of the transmission of job information through a contact network has been constructed. Along with the strength of tie, a widely used characteristic of contact, the model also incorporates the work relation of tie.ResultsThe model has numerous implications with strong empirical support, as well as propositions going beyond the findings of prior empirical work, which can be evaluated in subsequent studies. It is shown that the effectiveness of a certain type of contact depends on both the ego's status (weak and work‐related contacts are more advantageous for higher‐status workers) and the composition of the ego's network (work‐related contacts promote the effectiveness of weak ties, while strong‐tie contacts hinder the effectiveness of work‐related ties). In particular, it implies that the inconsistency in empirical evidence for the strength‐of‐weak‐ties hypothesis can be explained by the differences in status or the proportion of work‐related contacts in the samples examined.ConclusionWork‐related ties play a significant role in the analysis of informal job‐search methods; their incorporation into the model allows one to account for a number of previously unexplained empirical results.

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Pragmatics: From Theory to Experiment and Back Again

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Pragmatics: From Theory to Experiment and Back Again

Revisiting and extending our understanding of Pierre Wack's the gentle art of re-perceiving

Pierre Wack's 1985 Harvard Business Review papers are two of the most frequently referenced in the scenario planning literature. Wack argued that planning had to be based on the more predictive elements of the business environment. If not, plans would be based on uncertainty and a ‘best guess’ basis. Yet there is a lack of subsequent empirical research to investigate Pierre Wack's contribution. The research findings presented in this paper extend our understanding of Wack's contribution. We show how social discourse during scenario building helped to make sense and reveal the significance of historical events. These historical events were seen, but not previously understood; consequently a new understanding of reality emerged. The findings are in contrast to Wack's explanation of re-perceiving and extend our understanding of the basis of re-perceiving with scenarios.

Determinants of Dynamics in the World City Network, 2000-2004

This article presents an analysis of the determinants of connectivity change in the world city network (WCN). Drawing on the theoretical research of Saskia Sassen and the subsequent empirical research of the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) group, connectivity in the WCN is measured through the networked location strategies of globalised service firms. Based on a calculation of the total connectivity of 220 cities across the world for 2000 and 2004, a measurement of connectivity change is produced for this time-period. This measure of connectivity change is then used as the dependent variable in a linear regression model through which are tested a number of hypotheses concerning the determinants of connectivity change. The study analyses WCN change both in general and in sectoral terms, and also examines how the prior presence of service firms impacts connectivity change.