Lukas Hellwig, Lisa Preissner, Jan Pawlowski and Wolfgang Deiters
Facilities such as FabLabs and Makerspaces are characterized by the facilities' wide range of digital fabrication technologies as well as facilities' interdisciplinary user base…
Abstract
Purpose
Facilities such as FabLabs and Makerspaces are characterized by the facilities' wide range of digital fabrication technologies as well as facilities' interdisciplinary user base and collaborative problem solving and product development. These possibilities can also hold great potential for people with disabilities who have a specific need for assistive technology. Since there are no established models of such participatory development processes (PDP) within digitalized innovation environments (DIE), this study intends to provide a comprehensive understanding of these processes along with the influencing factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a cooperation with a Thalidomide Association, various PDPs were accompanied within a DIE and interviews were conducted with 16 stakeholders involved. Hereby, the perspective of thalidomide-affected people (5) as well as the supporting makers (6) and experts (5) were taken into account. Through a subsequent structured analysis, various dimensions as well as relevant influencing factors could be identified.
Findings
In total, 33 paraphrases could be formed in 8 categories and four dimensions concerning the PDPs investigated. In addition, 17 paraphrases on potentials and challenges could be extracted through generalization.
Originality/value
Due to findings' holistic approach, the findings form an empirical basis for further research into this still very young research topic and represent a first step toward theory building. By the applicability of the identified influencing factors an important contribution can be made to the supply of aids and the inclusion of people with disabilities.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon 10.1108/JET-01-2022-0013
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Keywords
Herman Belgraver, Ernst Verwaal and Antonio J. Verdú‐Jover
Prior research from transaction costs economics argued that central firms perform better because they have superior access to information to discipline their alliance partners…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior research from transaction costs economics argued that central firms perform better because they have superior access to information to discipline their alliance partners. Central firms may also, however, face higher costs and risks of unintentional learning and weaken their competence through structural inertia. We propose that these costs and risks are influenced by the learning capacities of the firms in the network and can explain different outcomes for focal firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
To test our predictions, we use instrumental variable–generalized method of moments estimation techniques on 15,517 firm-year observations from equity alliance portfolios in the global food industry across a 21-year window.
Findings
We find support for our predictions and show that the relationship between network degree centrality and firm performance is negatively influenced by partners’ learning capacity and positively influenced by focal firms’ learning capacity, while firms with low network degree centrality benefit less from their learning capacity.
Research limitations/implications
Future developments in transaction cost economics may consider partner and focal firms’ learning capacity as moderators of the network degree centrality – firm performance relationship.
Practical implications
In alliance decisions, managers must consider that the combination of high network degree centrality and partners’ learning capacity can lead to high costs, risks of unintentional learning, and structural inertia, all of which have negative consequences for performance. In concentrated industries where network positions are controlled by a few large firms, policymakers must acknowledge that firms may face substantial barriers to collaboration with learning-intensive firms.
Originality/value
This study is the first to develop and test a comprehensive transaction cost analysis of the central firm’s unintended knowledge flows and structural inertia in alliance networks. It is also the first to incorporate theoretically and empirically the hazards of complex and unintended information flows on the relationship of network degree centrality to performance in equity alliance portfolios.