Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to theoretically and empirically analyze the impact of the types of micro-innovation on innovation performance and the choice of micro-innovation strategies in different contexts on the basis of an examination of the basis and standards of micro-innovation categorization.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected and analyzed 206 survey samples from the Zhejiang Province in China; there were 68, 63 and 75 enterprises at inception, high growth and maturity stages, respectively, and there were, in total, 53, 90 and 63 low-tech manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), technology-intensive manufacturing SMEs and service-oriented SMEs, respectively. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The analysis results suggest that SMEs at the embryonic stage should choose strategies of imitative innovation, whereas SMEs at growth stage should use continued micro-innovation and independent micro-innovation as the optimal choices; it is better for the SMEs at the mature stage to resort to independent micro-innovation. Low-tech manufacturing SMEs should opt for the continued micro-innovation strategy, and technology-intensive manufacturing SMEs should adopt independent micro-innovation, whereas service-oriented SMEs should choose both continued and independent micro-innovation strategies.
Originality/value
This study sets up a classification framework of micro-innovation and addresses its category and sources, thus extending the micro-innovation research results. The conclusion also supports and enriches the view of open innovation in the innovation theory. Hidden behind the phenomenon that internal and external factors play vital roles, it is a basic rule that innovation activities must be subject to various related factors.
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Gang Fang, Qing Zhou, Jian Wu and Xiaoguang Qi
Innovation networks provide an efficient mechanism for organizations to realize their potential for knowledge learning and innovation improvement. Firms situated within innovation…
Abstract
Purpose
Innovation networks provide an efficient mechanism for organizations to realize their potential for knowledge learning and innovation improvement. Firms situated within innovation networks require specific abilities to acquire the knowledge and the complementary assets that facilitate their innovation performance. Motivated by recent research studies in the area of social network and RBV, the purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the precise manner in which network capability affects a firm’s innovation performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the data obtained from Chinese high-tech firms, the hypotheses are tested by using hierarchical multiple regressions.
Findings
This study identifies two types of network capabilities: network structural capability and network relational capability. The findings suggest that network structural capability has a greater positive impact on innovation performance than network relational capability does within an exploration-orientated network. However, network relational capability is more positively associated with innovation performance within an exploitation-orientated network.
Practical implications
A firm can enhance the value of its ego network by shaping and adjusting network configurations, rather than by passively reaping the benefits from existing relationships or ties with partners.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to strategic management theory and social network theory by illustrating how a networked firm can enable network value and appropriate this value according to its strategic purposes and by suggesting that a firm can improve its ego network’s value through exerting its network capabilities to shape and adjust network configurations. This paper also advances the contingent approach within social network research by offering a new complementary perspective and new evidence from a Chinese context.
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The inclusion of esports as an official event in the Hangzhou Asian Games is an important step towards the institutionalisation of esports. The significance of this event marks…
Abstract
The inclusion of esports as an official event in the Hangzhou Asian Games is an important step towards the institutionalisation of esports. The significance of this event marks that Asia once again takes a lead in the global esportisation. This chapter investigates a series of history events in the inclusion process of esports into the comprehensive Games in Asia using process sociology and actor network theory (ANT). This study will analyse the type characteristics of esports events in Hangzhou Asian Games, whilst examining how key stakeholders' interact and balance in the network composed of international sports organisations, host of the event, emerging esports organisations and esports game companies. The chapter also examines the functions of global game industrial economic geography, local cultural politics, esports geopolitics and Olympic values in esports sportization, aiming to reveal the implications of esports inclusion in the Asian Games on the debate of whether esports meets the criteria to be classified as a ‘sport’ and its enlightenment of digital strategy to the inclusion esports in the Olympics.
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Boxu Yang, Xielin Liu and Wen Liu
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the paradox between diversification and specialization from a dynamic perspective. More precisely, this paper will analyze the impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reveal the paradox between diversification and specialization from a dynamic perspective. More precisely, this paper will analyze the impact of diversification and specialization as well as their interaction on regional innovation in different development stages.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the principles of new economic geography and innovation geography, data from 30 provinces from 2001 to 2017 was used to explore the relationship. Least squares regressions with fix effect were used to examine the hypotheses.
Findings
The results show that both diversification and specialization have a significant and positive impact on regional innovation. The interaction of diversification and specialization also significantly and positively impacts regional innovation. The effect of industrial agglomeration is heterogeneity under different development stages.
Practical implications
This paper verifies the positive role of diversification and specialization and their interaction in promoting regional innovation. The impact of industrial agglomeration on innovation is dynamic and changes with the regional development process. Emerging economies should make appropriate industrial agglomeration strategies according to their development stages.
Originality/value
This paper introduces diversification, specialization and their interaction into the research framework at the same time to analyze their impact on innovation performance which deepened the research of industrial agglomeration. Taking China as an example, this paper also examines the impact of industrial agglomeration on regional innovation in different development stages that expands the dynamic perspective of industrial agglomeration.
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This chapter examines China’s corporate governance and accounting environment that shapes the adoption of internationally acceptable principles and standards. Specifically, it…
Abstract
This chapter examines China’s corporate governance and accounting environment that shapes the adoption of internationally acceptable principles and standards. Specifically, it examines international influences, including supranational organizations; foreign investors and international accounting firms; domestic institutional influences, including the political system, economic system, legal system, and cultural system; and accounting infrastructure. China’s convergence is driven by desired efficiency of the corporate sector and legitimacy of participating in the global market. Influenced heavily by international forces in the context of globalization, corporate governance and accounting practices are increasingly becoming in line with internationally acceptable standards and codes. While convergence assists China in obtaining legitimacy, improving efficiency is likely to be adversely affected given that corporate governance and accounting in China operate in an environment that differs considerably from those of Anglo-American countries. An examination of the corporate governance and accounting environment in China suggests heavy government involvement within underdeveloped institutions. While the Chinese government has made impressive progress in developing the corporate governance and accounting environment for the market economy, China’s unique institutional setting is likely to affect how the imported concepts are interpreted and implemented.
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There is a significant knowledge gap in the common understanding regarding the value that investment leading to an increase in project management maturity brings to the…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a significant knowledge gap in the common understanding regarding the value that investment leading to an increase in project management maturity brings to the organisation. The purpose of this paper is to narrow this gap by investigating the relationship between an increase in the project management maturity level and the project's performance. Additionally, it advocates the investment roadmap approach.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is part of a worldwide research initiative into maturity in project management covering 447 global companies. For this purpose, survey data from experts from 194 select companies was analysed.
Findings
The cost of forthcoming projects depends on the level of maturity of project management and type of industry.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to three different industries (machinery, construction and information technology) and by the method of assessing their future project costs. New research directions are suggested.
Practical implications
The results of the study should help companies in allocating limited resources appropriately using the proposed roadmap.
Social implications
An increase in project management maturity can be achieved through different investment methods. This will benefit society as well.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on global companies dealing in machinery. The area has not been explored sufficiently from the project management perspective. It discusses the relationship between an increase in maturity and future project costs in three industries: machinery, construction and information technology. The paper suggests practical guidelines for project management and sequences in proper investments when resources are limited.
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Joana Baleeiro Passos, Daisy Valle Enrique, Camila Costa Dutra and Carla Schwengber ten Caten
The innovation process demands an interaction between environment agents, knowledge generators and policies of incentive for innovation and not only development by companies…
Abstract
Purpose
The innovation process demands an interaction between environment agents, knowledge generators and policies of incentive for innovation and not only development by companies. Universities have gradually become the core of the knowledge production system and, therefore, their role regarding innovation has become more important and diversified. This study is aimed at identifying the mechanisms of university–industry (U–I) collaboration, as well as the operationalization steps of the U–I collaboration process.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is aimed at identifying, based on a systematic literature review, the mechanisms of university–industry (U–I) collaboration, as well as the operationalization steps of the U–I collaboration process.
Findings
The analysis of the 72 selected articles enabled identifying 15 mechanisms of U–I collaboration, proposing a new classification for such mechanisms and developing a framework presenting the operationalization steps of the interaction process.
Originality/value
In this paper, the authors screened nearly 1,500 papers and analyzed in detail 86 papers addressing U–I collaboration, mechanisms of U–I collaboration and operationalization steps of the U–I collaboration process. This paper provides a new classification for such mechanisms and developing a framework presenting the operationalization steps of the interaction process. This research contributes to both theory and practice by highlighting managerial aspects and stimulating academic research on such timely topic.
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Yanxia Liu, JianJun Fang and Gang Shi
The sources of magnetic sensors errors are numerous, such as currents around, soft magnetic and hard magnetic materials and so on. The traditional methods mainly use explicit…
Abstract
Purpose
The sources of magnetic sensors errors are numerous, such as currents around, soft magnetic and hard magnetic materials and so on. The traditional methods mainly use explicit error models, and it is difficult to include all interference factors. This paper aims to present an implicit error model and studies its high-precision training method.
Design/methodology/approach
A multi-level extreme learning machine based on reverse tuning (MR-ELM) is presented to compensate for magnetic compass measurement errors by increasing the depth of the network. To ensure the real-time performance of the algorithm, the network structure is fixed to two ELM levels, and the maximum number of levels and neurons will not be continuously increased. The parameters of MR-ELM are further modified by reverse tuning to ensure network accuracy. Because the parameters of the network have been basically determined by least squares, the number of iterations is far less than that in the traditional BP neural network, and the real-time can still be guaranteed.
Findings
The results show that the training time of the MR-ELM is 19.65 s, which is about four times that of the fixed extreme learning algorithm, but training accuracy and generalization performance of the error model are better. The heading error is reduced from the pre-compensation ±2.5° to ±0.125°, and the root mean square error is 0.055°, which is about 0.46 times that of the fixed extreme learning algorithm.
Originality/value
MR-ELM is presented to compensate for magnetic compass measurement errors by increasing the depth of the network. In this case, the multi-level ELM network parameters are further modified by reverse tuning to ensure network accuracy. Because the parameters of the network have been basically determined by least squares, the number of iterations is far less than that in the traditional BP neural network, and the real-time training can still be guaranteed. The revised manuscript improved the ELM algorithm itself (referred to as MR-ELM) and bring new ideas to the peers in the magnetic compass error compensation field.