This study aims to evaluate the potential of using the components of the quadruple helix and quintuple helix models, which are extensions of the triple helix university-private…
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the potential of using the components of the quadruple helix and quintuple helix models, which are extensions of the triple helix university-private sector-public sector cooperation model. Thus, the triple helix model shaped by university-private-public sector cooperation has transformed into a quadruple helix innovation model with the inclusion of the media and culture-oriented public helix. In this context, while the triple helix emphasizes tripartite networks and hybrid organizations, the quadruple helix system focuses on intertwined collaborations, coevolution, and specialization within the framework of firms, institutions, and stakeholders. In the quadruple helix innovation system, the coevolution of art and innovation has assumed a central role in knowledge generation and innovation. In the quintuple helix innovation model, the natural environment of society is added to the quadruple helix. This study consists of three parts. In the first part, the literature on triple helix, quadruple helix, and quintuple helix models is reviewed. In the second part, digital transformation and technological innovations from Industrial Revolution 1.0 to Industry 5.0 are analyzed. In the third section, the contribution of the quintuple helix model to Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 is explained.
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Libraries constitute a highly developing area as they always enrich their offered services in order to satisfy users' expectations. One of the most important factors in…
Abstract
Purpose
Libraries constitute a highly developing area as they always enrich their offered services in order to satisfy users' expectations. One of the most important factors in customization strategies and improvement of individual services must be user preferences. However, customization requires an in‐depth analysis of user preferences and an evaluation of future behavior. The main objective of this paper is to present a framework for analyzing changes of user preferences in a library.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents detailed results of two independent user satisfaction surveys conducted in an interval of five years in the Library of the Technical University of Crete and analyzes them using a proposed framework. However, the framework can be applied in every modern library. The analyses are based on non‐parametric statistical techniques and a multicriteria satisfaction analysis method, which is a multicriteria preference disaggregation approach.
Findings
Overall, user judgments for both surveys show that 50‐70 percent of users are “very satisfied” or “satisfied”. The percentage of “satisfied” users increased from 2005 to 2010 (almost 18 percent) and “very satisfied” remained almost the same.
Practical implications
Results are mainly focused on the evaluation of potential trends of user preferences. Furthermore, results of a benchmarking analysis are also presented, based on the evolution of satisfaction levels for the quality characteristics of the offered services.
Originality/value
The goal of the presented study and proposed framework and methodology is to help library decision makers track changes to user preferences and improve the provided services according to those preferences.
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Hongming Gao, Xiaolong Xue, Hui Zhu and Qiongyu Huang
This study aims to investigate the “digitalization paradox” in manufacturing digital transformation, where significant investments in digital technology may not necessarily lead…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the “digitalization paradox” in manufacturing digital transformation, where significant investments in digital technology may not necessarily lead to increased returns. Specifically, it explores the intricate relationship between digital technology convergence, financial performance, productivity and technological innovation in listed Chinese manufacturing firms, drawing upon theories of digital innovation and knowledge networks.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a large panel data from 747 listed firms in China’s manufacturing sector and their 428,927 patents spanning from 2013 to 2022, this research first quantifies manufacturing firm-level digital technology convergence through patent network analysis. Furthermore, this study employs hierarchical regression analysis and the instrumental variable method to investigate the curvilinear relationship between digital technology convergence and financial performance. Furthermore, the moderating role of firms’ productivity and technological innovation is tested.
Findings
Three types of firm-level digital technology convergence (DTC) are delineated and quantified: local authority in digital convergence (DegreeDTC), convergence with heterogeneous digital knowledge (BetweenessDTC) and shortest-path convergence with digital technologies (ClosenessDTC, where a higher value signifies a more conservative and shorter path in adopting digital technologies). Network visualization shows that manufacturing firms' DTC has consistently increased over time. Contrary to traditional assumptions, our research reveals a U-shaped relationship between DTC (specifically, DegreeDTC and BetweenessDTC) and financial performance. This relationship is characterized by a negative correlation at lower levels and a positive one at higher levels. The joint effect of firms’ productivity and technological innovation significantly strengthens this relationship. These findings are robust across a series of robustness checks.
Practical implications
Our findings offer practical insights for both managers and policymakers. We recommend a balanced approach to digital innovation management within the technology convergence paradigm. Manufacturing firms can generate economic value by strategically choosing to either shrink or expand their digital technology application areas, thereby reducing uncertainties related to emerging convergent businesses. Additionally, the study underscores the synergistic strategy of combining innovation with productivity. Within the DTC business context, integrating productivity with technological innovation not only enhances cost flexibility but also improves problem-solution matching, ultimately amplifying synergistic benefits.
Originality/value
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to apply a digital technology co-occurrence network to unveil nuanced relationships in “DTC – finance performance” within the manufacturing sector. It challenges conventional thinking regarding the common positive effect of digital innovation and technological convergence. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of DTC, financial performance, productivity and technological innovation dynamics, as well as offers managerial implications for managers and policymakers.
Highlights
- (1)
We quantify manufacturing firm-level DTC through patent network analysis and find consistent increases over time.
- (2)
A significant U-shaped relationship between DTC and financial performance, being negative at lower levels and positive at higher levels.
- (3)
The joint effect of firms’ productivity and technological innovation reinforces this relationship by distributing costs and enhancing synergistic benefits.
- (4)
We challenge existing literature by uncovering a complex relationship in “DTC – finance performance”, contrary to popular belief of a monotonic effect of digital innovation or technological convergence.
We quantify manufacturing firm-level DTC through patent network analysis and find consistent increases over time.
A significant U-shaped relationship between DTC and financial performance, being negative at lower levels and positive at higher levels.
The joint effect of firms’ productivity and technological innovation reinforces this relationship by distributing costs and enhancing synergistic benefits.
We challenge existing literature by uncovering a complex relationship in “DTC – finance performance”, contrary to popular belief of a monotonic effect of digital innovation or technological convergence.
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J. Andrés Domínguez-Gómez, Hugo Pinto and Teresa González-Gómez
The university is changing. Its social role is growing in diversity and complexity. In a knowledge-based society, there is a huge public expectation in the results and impacts of…
Abstract
The university is changing. Its social role is growing in diversity and complexity. In a knowledge-based society, there is a huge public expectation in the results and impacts of the university’s activities. Its traditional roles – training and qualification of individuals and production of new knowledge – are no longer valid. As a result of university–industry interactions, policy-making began to give additional significance to the role of the university in regional development, mainly motivated by shining examples of success in transferring scientific knowledge to valuable innovation, many through academic entrepreneurship. This change in the role of the university is reflected not only in the mode of knowledge production, which became more transdisciplinary and applied, but also in the active engagement of different institutional spheres, the university, the firm, the government, and end-users, creating new hybrid and overlapping areas for the governance of innovative dynamics. This chapter defines and analyses the position of the university in contemporary society as a socially legitimised institution for the production of knowledge and innovation. Three different theoretical traditions – Actor–Network Theory, Stakeholder Theory and territorial innovation models – inspire the analysis of 15 in-depth interviews with key actors in their local innovation system and knowledge networks around the University of Huelva (Andalusia, Spain). The main conclusions suggest that the university today faces a huge challenge in responding to the expectations that society places on it.
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Yannis Politis, Apostolos Giovanis and Spyridon Binioris
The purpose of this paper is to implement a multi-criteria preference disaggregation approach to measure logistics service quality (LSQ) of manufacturing companies’ supply chains…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to implement a multi-criteria preference disaggregation approach to measure logistics service quality (LSQ) of manufacturing companies’ supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
A total 216 Greek manufacturing companies took part in a survey with the use of a dedicated questionnaire. They were asked to assess the LSQ of their primary supplier regarding a predefined set of criteria and sub-criteria. The data were analysed with the multi-criteria satisfaction analysis method, which represents an ordinal regression based approach used for customer satisfaction measurement.
Findings
Weak points of the suppliers as well as dimensions that drive satisfaction were identified. Furthermore, the competitive advantages of the suppliers as well as their priorities for improvement were spotted.
Research limitations/implications
The sampling framework, including only the manufacturing companies operating in a specific area of Greece, does not ensure the full generalisation of the results. A larger sample of manufacturing companies from all over Greece would be useful to obtain more reliable results and would enable the comparison of LSQ for different manufacturing sectors.
Practical implications
The method used to assess LSQ of manufacturing companies can be installed as a permanent customer satisfaction barometer to measure, control and improve the LSQ provided to manufacturing companies as well as to other business sectors.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a method to explore the relationships between LSQ and industrial customers’ satisfaction to prioritise strategic plans of companies in the supply chains.
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Valentina N. Parakhina, Olga Boris, Pavel Timoshenko and Svetlana Panasenko
The purpose of the chapter is to develop and substantiate the principles of implementation of the innovational model of well-balanced information economy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the chapter is to develop and substantiate the principles of implementation of the innovational model of well-balanced information economy.
Methodology
The methodology of the research consists of the method of analysis of causal connections, which is used for determining the need for proclaiming various principles of implementation of the innovational model of well-balanced information economy, evaluation and comparison of the possible methods of their observation, and studying possible consequences. This allows determining the optimal set of principles that allow – with the highest precision – implementing in practice the offered innovational model of well-balanced information economy.
Results
The author offers eight main principles of implementation of the innovational model of well-balanced information economy: principle of balance, principle of simultaneousness, principle of balance of state and entrepreneurial initiative, principle of innovational activity of personnel, principle of cyclicity, principle of feedback, principle of effectiveness, and principle of protection. They focus on peculiarities and key advantages of the innovational model of well-balanced information economy and guarantee its formation as a result of practical measures that are aimed at informatization of the economic system. These principles must be a guide for action for modern economic systems, and their strict observation will allow implementation of the offered optimal model, not just formation of information economy, thus guaranteeing its balance.
Recommendations
The developed principles are recommended to scientific and practical application.
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Rita Vilkė, Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė and Dalia Vidickienė
This paper aims to examine the collaboration of livestock farming business with other three groups of actors and explore the gap between expectations and reality concerning biogas…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the collaboration of livestock farming business with other three groups of actors and explore the gap between expectations and reality concerning biogas production as collaborative innovation for the socially responsible development of rural regions in Lithuania.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on the concept of the Quadruple Helix, which focusses on innovation, viewed as a process involving increasingly closer interactions and coordination among the following four groups of actors of the helix: government, academia, industry and civil society. Scientific literature analysis and generalization, expert interview and focus group methods were used to generate data for analysis. Data were collected during the period of July-November 2018 in Lithuania.
Findings
The research results reveal that the greatest gap among expectations and the actual situation in collaboration for socially responsible innovation, biogas production – is observed among non‐governmental organizations as representatives of civil society and all other questioned Quadruple Helix actors, whereas the government had been recognized as a most isolated part of the collaboration for innovation in biogas in Lithuania.
Research limitations/implications
This paper presents empirical findings, based on qualitative data, collected in one EU new member state, i.e. Lithuania. International comparative perspectives are given in other related papers. Research findings are promising for further research in the field of socially responsible development of rural regions using the Quadruple Helix approach to foster collaboration for modern circular economy innovation both from theoretical and empirical points of view.
Practical implications
The methodology might be used for practitioners to research collaboration excellence/gaps in any field of activity.
Social implications
The research takes into account the public interest from a very broad point of view – how to develop rural regions in a socially responsible way by using already established innovations in biogas in livestock farms by giving another dimension of socially responsible collaboration for innovation.
Originality/value
The paper proposes using the original Quadruple Helix approach to foster the socially responsible development of rural regions, thus enlarging the scope of the theory of corporate social responsibility (CSR) with the newly emerged discourse in the field. Socially responsible development of rural regions with the use of collaboration for circular innovations has been absent from theoretical to empirical CSR research.
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N.F. Matsatsinis, E. Grigoroudis and A.P. Samaras
This paper attempts to determine effective push‐pull marketing strategies concerning olive oil in Greece, based on the analysis of consumers' and distributors' values and the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper attempts to determine effective push‐pull marketing strategies concerning olive oil in Greece, based on the analysis of consumers' and distributors' values and the comparison of importance that each group gives to different product characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, multicriteria analysis is used in order to identify olive oil market segments and the factors that affect the purchase behaviour of olive oil consumers. Consumers' preferences, attitudes and perceptions with regard to special characteristics of olive oil such as quality, packaging, image, odour, colour, etc. are explored. In addition, description and analysis of the marketing channels of olive oil in Greece is presented. Finally, consumers' preferences are compared to the judgments of distributors in order to identify useful similarities‐dissimilarities in their perceptions and attitudes, concerning the attributes of the product.
Findings
The study of the olive oil market in Greece shows the importance of the product for the Greek market. Findings also suggest that the olive oil market in Greece is very complex. The qualitative analysis shows that perceived quality is the only attribute of the product that is considered very important for both consumers and distributors. In addition, perceptual maps can be a useful tool for the comparative analysis of preferences between consumers and distributors.
Originality/value
The paper identifies key factors that influence the behaviour of Greek consumers and distributors regarding olive oil purchases. These factors and the comparison between the two groups have a great influence on the marketing decisions of agricultural products and food industry in general.