Bianca B.M. Keers, Paul C. van Fenema and Henk Zijm
The purpose of this paper is to examine an organization’s operational alignment in the process of alliance formation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine an organization’s operational alignment in the process of alliance formation.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature study was conducted on the strategic importance of assessing and aligning organizations’ operations for alliancing. Furthermore, an instrumental case study was conducted to provide insight in the degree of operational alignment required for a maritime organization to form a service alliance.
Findings
Managers indicate a complex set of organizational capabilities required for improving operating process to successfully execute their alliance strategy. Two improvement trajectories were found to be used by alliance managers for aligning operations with alliance strategy: development of a corporate alliance infrastructure, and nurturing a collaborative business culture.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to one public organization establishing a vertical service alliance with one of its suppliers.
Originality/value
The paper introduces a new conceptual model of the alliance formation process, addressing the cyclical character of the pre-formation stage in which intra- and interorganizational management considerations alternate.
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Devrim Murat Yazan, Davide Cafagna, Luca Fraccascia, Martijn Mes, Pierpaolo Pontrandolfo and Henk Zijm
This paper aims to understand the implementation of a circular economic business where animal manure is used to produce biogas and alternative fertilizer in a regional network of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand the implementation of a circular economic business where animal manure is used to produce biogas and alternative fertilizer in a regional network of manure suppliers and biogas producers and to reveal the impacts of five variables (manure quantity, transportation distance, manure dry content, manure price and manure discharge price) on the economic sustainability of manure-based biogas supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
An enterprise input-output approach is used to model physical and monetary flows of the manure-based biogas supply chain. Computational experiments are performed on all variables to identify under which conditions the cooperation is beneficial for all actors.
Findings
The cooperation is profitable for a large-scale farm (>20,000 t/year) if biogas producer (b) pays farmer (f) to receive its manure (5 €/t) or if f sells manure for free and manure disposal costs are >10 €/t. Cooperation is always profitable for b if f pays b to supply its manure (5€/t). If b receives manure for free, benefits are always positive if b is a medium-large-scale plant (>20,000 t/year). For a small-scale plant, benefits are positive if manure dry content (MDC) is ≥12 per cent and transportation distance is ≤10 km.
Originality/value
The paper adds value to the biogas production research, as it makes holistic analysis of five variables which might change under different policy and geographical conditions. The investors in biogas production, suppliers and transportation companies can find correspondence to empirical findings for their own site-specific cases.
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Paul C. van Fenema, Bianca Keers and Henk Zijm
Sharing services increasingly extends beyond intraorganizational concentration of service delivery. Organizations have started to promote cooperation across their boundaries to…
Abstract
Purpose
Sharing services increasingly extends beyond intraorganizational concentration of service delivery. Organizations have started to promote cooperation across their boundaries to deal with strategic tensions in their value ecosystem, moving beyond traditional outsourcing. This chapter addresses two research questions geared to the challenge of interorganizational shared services (ISS): why would organizations want to get and remain involved in ISS? And: what are the implications of ISS for (inter)organizational value creation?
Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual chapter reviews literature pertaining to ISS from public, commercial, and nongovernmental sectors. ISS is understood as a multistakeholder organizational innovation. In order to analyze ISS and conduct empirical research, we developed a taxonomy and research framework.
Findings
The chapter shows how ISS can be positioned in value chains, distinguishing vertical, horizontal, and hybrid ISS. It outlines ISS implications for developing business models, structures, and relationships. Success factors and barriers are presented that epitomize the dynamic interplay of organizational autonomy and interorganizational dependence.
Research limitations/implications
The research framework offers conceptual ideas for theoretical and empirical work. Researchers involved in ISS studies may adopt strategic, strategic innovation, and organizational innovation perspectives.
Practical implications
ISS phases are distinguished to focus innovation management — initiation, enactment, and evaluation. Furthermore, insights are provided into processes and interventions aimed at making ISS a success for participating organizations.
Originality/value
Cross-sectoral perspective on ISS; taxonomy of ISS; research framework built on organization and strategic management literature.
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When considering a price decrease in response to competitive pressures or stagnating demand, management may ask how much additional volume must be sold at the new price to match…
Abstract
When considering a price decrease in response to competitive pressures or stagnating demand, management may ask how much additional volume must be sold at the new price to match the current profit level. This “iso‐profit” pricing problem has been studied extensively for single items manufactured using one resource. This paper solves three realistic extensions of the problem: when two or more items share a resource, when multiple items share multiple resources, and when resource vendors offer quantity discounts. Findings are summarized in 12 points, many of which are counterintuitive.