Configuration Theory Research Articles

Identifying the Optimum Combination of Use of Smartphone Apps and Hedonic Motivation for Increasing Public Transit Loyalty: An fsQCA Approach

Intensive use of public transit plays an important role in commuting and daily travel in China and many other countries. With the widespread use of smartphones and other information and communication technologies, using mobile applications while on public transit has become increasingly popular, and more passengers rely on them during travel. To understand how the use of smartphone apps during transit travel and hedonic motivation can improve passengers’ willingness to use public transit, this study examines their combined effects. Smartphone apps used during transit travel can be classified into four categories: entertainment; information retrieval; e-ticketing; and mobile working. Drawing on complexity and configuration theories, we propose a theoretical model that is empirically tested using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis. Based on an empirical study of 567 Shanghai residents, we present eight different combinations of the use of smartphone apps during transit travel and hedonic motivation that explain a high degree of public transit loyalty. These can be categorized into three types: (a) mobile working oriented; (b) hedonic motivation oriented; and (c) digital management oriented. The findings suggest that satisfaction and happiness with public transit are sufficient but not necessary conditions for public transit loyalty. If passengers use smartphone apps or experience hedonic motivation during public transit travel, their satisfaction and happiness levels are likely to increase. Overall, this paper provides insights to guide policymakers and public transit operators in considering more external factors that might improve passengers’ travel satisfaction, happiness, and loyalty.

A configurational perspective for the generalisation of healthcare innovations: The case of a new screening programme

This paper analyses the process of generalisation of an innovative government-led public practice in the healthcare sector. The scaling and embedding involved in this generalisation process are assumed to be dependent on the multiple implementation processes (consecutive or simultaneous) that lead to a routine use of the innovation in different adopters. This paper, therefore, proposes the use of a configurational theory approach to conceptualise each implementation of the innovation during the generalisation process and shed light on the generalisation's scaling and embedding efforts. It suggests a set of recommendations and practices for generalisation managers, most notably: i) they should regard generalisations as organic processes where their main role is to create space for experimentation, learning and negotiation, and ii) they should adopt different modes of governance to identify adequate mechanisms and strategies and guide their actions. This configurational perspective allows them to monitor and manage the evolution of implementations, informs the valuable learning processes that take place in a generalisation and has been found to be a useful tool to support the crucial collaboration among the actors involved in a generalisation.

How marketers influence product platform decisions: A configurational approach

AbstractThis study identifies the political behavior marketers use to ensure the market fit of a new product platform. Drawing on two political NPD literature streams and configuration theory, the authors explain how (i) soft and hard influence tactics, (ii) reason, (iii) marketers' experience (with product and portfolio decisions), and (iv) the type of product platform (smart vs. conventional), together determine marketers' political effectiveness in gaining support for design modifications from the development team. The framework and hypotheses are tested using data from a sample of 100 influence attempts by marketers. A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis reveals no single, optimal solution but three “influence recipes.” First, we find a generic solution for both smart and conventional product platforms that combines marketer experience with reason and coalition building. Second, we note two additional solutions for smart product platforms: one consisting of marketer experience with coalition building and another one combining marketer experience with reason and assertiveness. Regression results reveal a positive relationship between marketers' influence behavior and platform performance in the marketplace, in support of a complementary and functional role of marketers' political behaviors in innovation management.

Fundraiser engagement, third-party endorsement and crowdfunding performance: A configurational theory approach.

Reward-based crowdfunding is a typical two-sided platform (fundraiser side and backer side) with high information asymmetry. While existing research indicates that signals from fundraisers and backers can impact crowdfunding performance, the interplay among these signals warrants further investigation. Drawing on signaling theory, this study adopts a configurational perspective and utilizes the fsQCA method and linear regression to investigate the combined effects of fundraiser engagement (update and fundraiser comment), third-party endorsement (backer comment and Facebook sharing), and project preparedness (video, image, and description) on crowdfunding performance. Drawing data from the reward-based crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, this research pointed out that these signals cannot generate better crowdfunding performance alone and examined substitution and complementary effects among different signals. Based on the linear regression and fsQCA results, configurations that lead to high crowdfunding performance are identified. We found that project preparedness must work with other signals to produce high crowdfunding performance. Besides, we summarized these configurations into two patterns that may lead to high crowdfunding performance: a fundraiser engagement-driven pattern and a third-party endorsement-driven pattern. This study contributes a configurational perspective and valuable insights into how signals can work together to mitigate information asymmetry in crowdfunding.

The 4C framework: Towards a holistic understanding of consumer engagement with augmented reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging concept that impacts many disciplines, such as business, marketing, tourism, gaming, human–computer interaction, and manufacturing. Surprisingly, many scholarly and practical discussions overlook the fundamental primary factors that distinguish AR from other concepts, namely, that it involves a computing device that integrates virtual content into a consumer's perception of the real world in a specific context. The current article addresses this gap in the literature by proposing the 4C framework (based on the 4Cs: consumer, content, context, and computing device; pronounced: foresee) that highlights the importance of, and interplay among these four factors. Building on configurational theory, the framework calls for the systematic identification of additional AR-relevant factors across the 4Cs. Scholars can use this framework to systematically identify research gaps and variables of interest. Practitioners across various disciplines can employ the framework to systematically assess, communicate, and develop AR use cases.

Engram for the complex signals in the mouse brain: distinct neuronal ensembles for compound conditioning stimulus and its components

Natural learning involves multiple sensory modalities receiving complex stimuli. Elemental learning theories suggest separate encoding and association of each component in a compound signal. Configural theories predict the formation of a representation of the entire complex signal, which is associated with the second event. We developed a mouse model of fear conditioning to a compound tone-light cue or its separate components to test these alternative theories. First, we investigated the memory dynamics of compound cues and their individual components and discovered that they mature at varying times following conditioning. We demonstrated that the memory of the components matures at different intervals after training: memory of the auditory stimulus and the auditory component of CCS is demonstrated behaviorally right after training, whereas memory of the light stimulus and the light component of CCS matures within three days. The memory of CCS, its components, and discrete conditioned stimuli persists for an extended period, up to one month. A similar dissociation was observed in extinction experiments, revealing that the extinction of memory for one CCS component did not affect the memory of the other component when the extinction procedure began a day after training. In addition, when the extinction procedure began seven days after training, while the memory was fully mature, the extinction of one component of contextual conditional stimuli led to the extinction of the other component. Next, c-Fos imaging was conducted to examine cellular activity across multiple brain regions, including the frontal, prelimbic, cingulate, retrosplenial, parietal, primary and secondary visual, primary and secondary auditory cortices, as well as the hippocampus and amygdala. This examination was performed following conditioning using either the entire compound cue or its individual components. We discovered different cortical activation patterns between compound-cue and single-cue conditioning. Conditioning to the compound cue activated prelimbic and frontal associative cortices, whereas single cues did not. Third, we demonstrated that retrieval of memory only through the entire compound cue, and not through single cues, activated the parietal cortex, primary visual cortex, mediolateral secondary visual cortices, and hippocampal CA1. Fourth, through in vivo two-photon imaging, we examined retrieval-induced c-Fos expression in the parietal cortex of fos-EGFP transgenic mice and identified at least three distinct neuronal populations with differential response specificity to the compound signal and its components. Taken together, our data suggest that intricate signals have the potential to establish both integral and elemental neuronal representations. These representations can be used separately in behavior and have different long-term memory dynamics.

Implementing customer relationship management successfully: A configurational perspective

Although the management of customer relationships has become a key priority in firms in a broad range of industries, its effective implementation often creates major challenges. Couched in configuration theory and using a configurational approach, this article investigates how factors associated with firms' customer management, market approach, and business environment interact and fall into patterns to predict profitability. The results of a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis reveal different configurations to a profitable implementation of customer relationship management. Insight into these configurations contributes to a deeper understanding of digital ecodynamics and advances the understanding of the interplay among important strategic, technological, and environmental factors. The findings of this inquiry can guide managers in designing effective customer relationship management approaches.

The effects of ecosystem of business environment on tourism: a configurational perspective

ABSTRACTThis study seeks to uncover the complex causality between the ecosystem of business environment and tourism by identifying the necessary and sufficient conditions according to the theories of configuration, coupling, and ecology. The methodology draws on fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, necessary condition analysis, and data from 274 Chinese cities. The results demonstrate four distinct ecologies of business environment that promote high-level tourism: government-led, government-led human resource-driven, social service-supported resource- and infrastructure-driven, and policy-supported resource- and infrastructure-driven. The study further analyzes the coupling and ecological mechanisms displayed by these ecosystems and the associated risks. Finally, the paper discusses the theoretical and practical implications of the key findings. This paper reveals the various channels and dynamics by which the business environment influences tourism, extends the utilization of configurational theory, coupling theory, and ecological theory to handle tourism's intricacy, and provides theoretical and methodological precedents for comparable future investigations.

How critical success factors combine to influence success? A configurational theory approach on multiple social projects

PurposeIn literature, it is recognized that there is no universal set of critical success factors (CSFs) applicable to all projects. The goal of this research is to validate a theoretical model which considers that CSFs’ influence on project success (PS) is configurational, that CSFs combine to influence PS.Design/methodology/approachThe authors proposed a theoretical framework which operationalizes CSFs considering contingency and institutional theories' terms, as external contingencies, organizational resources and project strategies, which influence PS. The framework is validated through a qualitative approach on 18 social projects implemented by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Based on the conducted semistructured interviews with NGO managers or project managers, 91 instances when CSFs combine to influence PS were identified.FindingsThe dominant path reveals the combination of CSFs in terms of strategies adopted to face contingencies (70 instances), another as resources which moderate managers' strategies (14 instances), and in seven instances positive contingencies and resources combine and influence the PS. The results reveal that CSFs combine in reactive and dynamic ways to influence PS.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the vast literature on projects' success by adopting a different perspective. Configurational theory explains project management and projects' complexity better than the traditional approaches, which have a rather correlational perspective.

Innovation Training and Entrepreneurial Climate in Emerging Market Multinational Corporations

Despite their innovation practices, Latin American companies seem to show low levels of corporate entrepreneurship. More research on corporate practices directed at infusing an entrepreneurial climate in the region is needed. This study draws on a recent theory that brings together configuration theory with prior corporate entrepreneurship conceptualizations. With this study, the authors test whether innovation training programs increase the entrepreneurial climate of multinational corporations from Latin American emerging markets. The authors of this study collected data from a sample of 2,796 employees of a Colombian multinational, divided into two groups of trained and untrained staff. They hypothesise that the corporate entrepreneurship climate would be higher in the trained group. They specify and validate a series of multigroup structural equation models to test their hypothesis. The results of this study suggest that some dimensions of entrepreneurial climate are higher when companies implement innovation programs.

How to configure intellectual capital of research teams for triggering scientific breakthroughs: Exploratory study in the field of gene editing

Considerable research has focused on finding the optimum solution to reveal the role of intellectual capital in scientific breakthroughs, ignoring the fact that all roads lead to Rome. To this end, this study aims to explore the configuration of intellectual capital—comprising human and social capital—within research teams to trigger scientific breakthroughs. By identifying research teams of scientific breakthroughs and their control groups involved in gene editing, we initially determined the potential antecedents of scientific breakthroughs pertaining to intellectual capital through an integrative comparison of research teams with breakthroughs and non-breakthroughs. Subsequently, we employed a holistic approach grounded in configurational theory to investigate how the combination of human capital (within-domain experience and knowledge structure) and social capital (collaboration features within and beyond a team) facilitates scientific breakthroughs. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach was used to empirically pinpoint seven configurations of human and social capital that explain scientific breakthroughs; these demonstrate that research teams making scientific breakthroughs are not all-around players in intellectual capital and that their success depends more on resourceful capital allocation. Our findings inspire team managers to rationally deploy critical set solutions to optimize team structure and resource allocation to pursue high-quality scientific innovation.

Does Wildfire Exposure Influence Corporate Disaster Preparedness? A Study of Natural Resources Extraction Firms in Canada

Managers must make critical disaster preparation decisions to protect firm assets from the threat of wildfire activity. Prior literature stresses the importance of past disaster experience as a key driver of disaster preparation. The article finds that, while experience with disasters is a critical condition, it is insufficient to explain disaster preparation activities by firms. Managerial perceptions including belief in anthropogenic climate change and the perception of increasing wildfires can substitute for direct negative wildfire experience. The article builds configural theory to explain how the psychological “closeness” of wildfire hazards can influence managerial decisions to prepare for disasters in the presence of key organizational characteristics. This study adopts a qualitative comparative analytical approach, drawing on manager surveys and biophysical wildfire data from 20 Canadian mining and resource extraction sites. The article also contrasts manager perceptions of wildfire risk with those of experts and captures a gap in risk perception.

Creation rate of Dirac particles at a point source

Only recently has it been possible to construct a self-adjoint Hamiltonian that involves the creation of Dirac particles at a point source in 3d space. Its definition makes use of an interior-boundary condition. Here, we develop for this Hamiltonian a corresponding theory of the Bohmian configuration. That is, we (non-rigorously) construct a Markov jump process in the configuration space of a variable number of particles that is -distributed at every time t and follows Bohmian trajectories between the jumps. The jumps correspond to particle creation or annihilation events and occur either to or from a configuration with a particle located at the source. The process is the natural analog of Bell’s jump process, and a central piece in its construction is the determination of the rate of particle creation. The construction requires an analysis of the asymptotic behavior of the Bohmian trajectories near the source. We find that the particle reaches the source with radial speed 0, but orbits around the source infinitely many times in finite time before absorption (or after emission).

Generic Strategies and Operational Performance of Manufacturing Cement Companies in Kenya.

In an organization, performance is affected by various factors. The performance of the cement industry in Kenya has been adversely affected by the challenge of inadequate employee training, inefficiency, not meeting the targets, inadequate employee development and reduced sales volume. Cost leadership, differentiation and focus strategies are used in enhancing the organizational performance. This current study was to determine the influence of generic strategies on performance of manufacturing cement companies in Kenya. The specific objectives were to examine the influence of cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy on performance of manufacturing cement Companies in Kenya. Theories guiding the study included; Porter's Competitive Business Strategy Typology, Configuration theory, Result-based View Theory, and Miles and Snow typology. The current study used descriptive research design. The unit of analysis was Cement Companies in Kenya. The unit of analysis was 7 manufacturing Cement Companies in Kenya that include; Bamburi Cement Limited, Mombasa Cement Ltd (MCL), East Africa Portland Cement Company, Savannah Cement Limited ,ARM Cement Limited and National Cement Company . The observation unit was the employees working with these companies. Therefore, the target population was 454 managers of the targeted manufacturing firms. Stratified sampling method was used to group respondents into departments in order to ensure representativeness of all the cases. Simple random sampling method was used to select the respondents. Therefore, the sample size was 189 which represented a 41.6% of the total population. Data was collected using self- administered questionnaire which was on the basis of drop and pick later method. Reliability and validity of research instruments was ascertained. Data was analyzed by means of descriptive as well as inferential statistics. The study found that cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy had a positive significant influence on the performance of cement manufacturing companies. The study concluded that a firm following a cost leadership strategy offers products or services with acceptable quality and features to a broad set of customers at a low price. A differentiation strategy enables firm to create a product/service, which is considered unique in some aspect that the customer values because the customer’s needs are satisfied. Focus strategy allows cement companies to concentrate on promotional resources on the sectors that match their quality advantage. The study recommended that the cement companies should diagnose their changing cost economics all the way from the raw materials stage to the final price paid by the ultimate consumer. Cement companies should exploit different ways in which they can make the products and services unique. The cement companies should get to know as much about their customers as they can so that they can anticipate what their customers want, how they want it, when they want it, and most importantly, how they can solve it for them.

Work Connectivity Behavior After-Hours and Turnover Intention: A Configuration Perspective

The use of Internet tools virtually increases the work connectivity behavior after-hours (WCBA), is becoming increasingly common. Previous studies have found that WCBA has a double-edged sword effect on turnover intention (TI), but the configuration effect had been ignored. To investigate the configuration effect of WCBA, internal factors (i.e., psychological capital and mindfulness), and external factors (i.e., family-to-work conflict and social support), on TI. A total of 305 participants have been collected using convenience sampling. A questionnaire that covers six personal and contextual scales of the WCBA, psychological capital (PsyCap), mindfulness, family-to-work conflict (FWC), social support (SS), and TI, was used to gather data. Adhering to configurational theory, the study was conducted using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). it was revealed that seven antecedent configurations could achieve high TI, among them, WCBA existed in S4 and S6 but was absent in S5 and S7. Moreover, WCBA can exist and be absent in S1-S3 simultaneously; and for the 13 configurations that achieve low level of TI, WCBA can exist or not. Therefore, although the achievement of low level of TI is to some extent influenced by WCBA, it relies more on the influence of other factors (i.e., PsyCap, mindfulness, ∼ FWC, and SS). The study proves that WCBA has a double-edged effect on TI. The absence of FWC and existence of SS, PsyCap, and mindfulness are critical variables to buffer the loss of psychological resources caused by WCBA and recover psychological resources in time. These results may be helpful to recognize the negative effect of WCBA existence, accompanied with the absence of mindfulness on TI; also, the absence of SS was as crucial as the existence of FWC in the process of achieving high level of TI.

The more extroverted the better? Unraveling the complex relationship between service robots' personality and the service robot experience

AbstractThis study combines the customer experience, service robot, and communication literatures to explore how a service robot's personality affects the overall service robot experience. It considers individual (here, the customers' extroverted vs. introverted personality) and situational (here, hedonic vs. utilitarian service settings) contextual factors, and three specific service robot experiences (here, warmth, competence, and discomfort). A pretest (n = 81) shows that a robot's personality (here, extroversion vs. introversion) can be shaped using verbal and nonverbal cues in the service robot design. Applying Complexity and Configuration Theories and using the novel fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis and necessary condition analysis (NCA) techniques, the main study (n = 279) reveals the complex impact of the service robot personality on the overall service robot experience. Unlike conventional methods (e.g., SEM and regression) yielding averaged results, our findings show that various configurations with both introverted and extroverted robot personalities can equally lead to positive service robot experiences, based on the individual and situational context in which customers are embedded and the extent to which warmth, competence and discomfort are perceived. Hence, the more extroverted is not always better. Finally, the NCA findings reveal the minimum competence level that is required to obtain a certain level for the overall service robot experience. By understanding the intricate link between robot personality and its context, this research helps companies in strategically enhancing the service robot experience.

Further evidence for the role of temporal contiguity as a determinant of overshadowing.

Three experiments explored whether weakening temporal contiguity between auditory cues and an aversive outcome attenuated cue competition in an avoidance learning task with human participants. Overall, with strong temporal contiguity between auditory cues and the outcome during training (the offset of the predictive auditory signals concurred with the onset of the outcome), the target cue trained as part of a compound yielded less avoidance behaviour than the control cue trained alone, an instance of overshadowing. However, weakening temporal contiguity during training (inserting a 5-s trace) attenuated overshadowing, resulting in similar avoidance behaviour in response to the control and target cues. These results provide evidence that, as predicted by a recent modification of Pearce's configural theory, temporal contiguity is critical for determining cue competition.

Does digital transformation matter to green innovation: based on TOE framework and configuration perspective.

Green innovation is a guarantee for achieving high-quality economic development. However, the complex cause-and-effect relationship between digital transformation and green innovation has not been systematically studied. Digital transformation not only is about technology but also requires organizational and environmental support. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between digital transformation and green innovation based on the TOE (technology-organization-environment) framework and configuration theory. A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of data from 1948 listed companies reveals that, first, there is no necessary condition that leads to high green innovation, but digital achievements play a more general role in leading to high green innovation; second, three paths to achieve high green innovation are identified. These different configurations indicate multiple paths and complex cause-and-effect relationships to achieve high green innovation. Third, green innovation is a digital technology-based innovation, but in most cases, it also requires organization and environment support. This study can provide some theoretical and practical guidance for enterprises to enhance their green innovation capabilities through digital transformation and promote the achievement of high-quality company development.

Modeling polarization switching response of ferroelectric ceramics based on multiple natural configuration theory

Ferroelectric ceramics experience polarization switching, which is macroscopically shown by nonlinear hysteretic responses when subjected to high compressive stresses and/or high amplitude of the electric field. We model the nonlinear hysteretic response of ferroelectric ceramics by considering evolutions of microstructural changes associated with changes in the dipole orientations due to both electrical and mechanical stimuli. We adopt the theory of multiple natural configurations, associated with multiple stress-free and electric-field-free states, in incorporating the effect of microstructural changes on describing the nonlinear electro-mechanical hysteretic response of ferroelectric ceramics. The first stress-free and electric-field-free states are associated with the original microstructure of the materials, in which the dipoles in the ferroelectric ceramics are randomly oriented. The new configurations are formed when the ferroelectric ceramics are subjected to relatively large stimuli, which align the dipole orientations. As each configuration is associated with a specific microstructure (a state of dipole orientations), mechanical and electrical properties characterized at different configurations will be different. To examine the model, experimental data on PZT (lead zirconate titanate) ceramics under electric and stress fields, available in the literature, are used. The model is capable of describing the hysteretic response in PZT under electro-mechanical stimuli.

Value co-creation via machine learning from a configuration theory perspective

PurposeThis paper aims to propose an interpretive framework to understand how machine learning (ML) affects the way companies interact with their ecosystem and how the introduction of digital technologies affects the value co-creation (VCC) process.Design/methodology/approachThis study bases on configuration theory, which entails two main methodological phases. In the first phase the authors define the theoretically-derived interpretive framework through a literature review. In the second phase the authors adopt a case study methodology to inductively analyze the theoretically-derived domains and their relationships within a configuration.FindingsML enables multi-directional knowledge flows among value co-creators and expands the scope of VCC beyond the boundaries of the firm-client relationship. However, it determines a substantive imbalance in knowledge management power among the actors involved in VCC. ML positively impacts value co-creators’ performance but also requires significant organizational changes. To benefit from VCC via ML, value co-creators must be aligned in terms of digital maturity.Originality/valueThe paper answers the call for more theoretical and empirical research on the impact of the introduction of Industry 4.0 technology in companies and their ecosystem. It intends to improve the understanding of how ML technology affects the determinants and the process of VCC by providing both a static and dynamic analysis of the topic.