Bernd Kriegesmann, Thomas Kley and Markus G. Schwering
The article seeks to highlight an unconventional way out of the “innovation dilemma”, relevant to many business organizations. Innovative management and risk friendliness are…
Abstract
Purpose
The article seeks to highlight an unconventional way out of the “innovation dilemma”, relevant to many business organizations. Innovative management and risk friendliness are necessary, but the way in which failure is handled and the resulting fear of making mistakes block the (innovative) efforts of specialists and managers.
Design/methodology/approach
The article draws on theoretical as well as empirical work. First, the seemingly crystal‐clear concept of “error” is elaborated and the rare category of “creative errors” is introduced. Second, illustrative findings from a case study in the automotive sector are reported.
Findings
The paper suggests that a culturally exacerbated antipathy towards errors ultimately leads to a situation of pronounced innovation incompetence in which creative behavior is avoided. The article points out that it is not an “absolution of mistakes” that is required, but a tolerance for legitimate errors which should only occur under exceptional circumstances. The authors underlines that fairness in dealing with errors is considerably more important than a misguided attempt to create or maintain harmony. In addition to the philosophy and potential of this unusual incentive system, possible practical implementation problems are considered.
Research limitations/implications
Generalization is limited because the findings are based on only one case study. However, because of the vital importance of the so‐called “innovation dilemma”, the exploratory findings of the study may trigger further empirical research on “creative errors”.
Practical implications
An initiative like the “Creative Error of the Month” may help to bring about cultural change towards a climate of trust and confidence in which innovative commitment is treated fairly even if it does not in fact succeed.
Originality/value
Common approaches to enhance organizational innovativeness reward “success stories” or praise “zero‐based cultures”. This case study suggests that a sophisticated initiative revolving around the “hidden” innovative potential of “creative errors” and “tragic failures” might prove to be a successful offbeat attempt at stimulating creativity and innovative behaviour in enterprises.
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This article looks at why BMW rewards employee mistakes.
Abstract
Purpose
This article looks at why BMW rewards employee mistakes.
Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.
Findings
The strategy really aims to bring about big cultural change, challenging accepted practice in the name of improving business within today's highly competitive marketplace.
Originality/value
This paper gives executives and researchers a brief example of rewarding employee mistakes.
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Bernd Kriegesmann, Thomas Kley and Markus G. Schwering
To highlight an unconventional way out of the “innovation dilemma,” relevant to many business organizations, innovative management and risk friendliness are necessary, but the way…
Abstract
Purpose
To highlight an unconventional way out of the “innovation dilemma,” relevant to many business organizations, innovative management and risk friendliness are necessary, but the way in which failure is handled and the resulting fear of making mistakes block the (innovative) efforts of specialists and managers.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on theoretical as well as empirical work: first, the seemingly crystal‐clear concept of “error” is elaborated and the rare category of “creative errors” is introduced. Second, illustrative findings from a case study in the automotive sector are reported.
Findings
Suggests that a culturally exacerbated antipathy towards errors leads ultimately to a situation of pronounced innovational incompetence in which creative behavior is avoided. Points out, that not an “absolution of mistakes” is required, but a tolerance for legitimate errors which should only occur under exceptional circumstances. Underlines, that fairness in dealing with errors is considerably more important than a misguided attempt to create or maintain harmony. In addition to the philosophy and potential of this unusual incentive system, possible practical implementation problems are considered.
Research limitations/implications
Generalization is limited because the findings are based on only one case study. However, because of the vital importance of the so‐called “innovation dilemma,,” the exploratory findings of the study may trigger further empirical research on “creative errors.”
Practical implications
An initiative like the “Creative Error of the Month” may help to bring about cultural change towards a climate of trust and confidence in which innovative commitment is treated fairly even if it does not in fact succeed.
Originality/value
Common approaches to enhance organizational innovativeness reward “success stories” or praise “zero‐based cultures.” This case study suggests that a sophisticated initiative revolving around the “hidden” innovative potential of “creative errors” and “tragic failures” might prove to be a successful off‐beat attempt at stimulating creativity and innovative behavior in enterprises.
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Keywords
Rafael Ventura, María J. Quero and Sofía Louise Martínez-Martínez
Linkages play a strategic role in improving actor disposition and resource density in university–industry ecosystems. Due to the importance of interconnected ecosystems for the…
Abstract
Purpose
Linkages play a strategic role in improving actor disposition and resource density in university–industry ecosystems. Due to the importance of interconnected ecosystems for the development of engaged universities, applying the service-dominant logic (SDL) perspective, the authors aim at developing theory on linkages that lead to a higher level of actor commitment and in turn result in increased actor disposition and greater resource density.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from semistructured interviews from four in depth case studies, known internationally as successful cases of university linkages development (Columbia Lab-to-Market Accelerator Network, Oxford University Innovation, Auckland Uniservices and the Münster Center for Interdisciplinarity), undergo qualitative analysis according to the Gioia methodology.
Findings
The results represent a contribution to the theory, as they highlight the strategic role of linkages in improving actor disposition and increasing resource density. Due to its shown importance, linkage is an element to be considered on its own in the innovation ecosystems configurations in the context of universities.
Practical implications
The results of the research have implications for university management, since they focus on how resources are mobilized and linked. The interactive roles of actors in ecosystems imply that the locus of value creation moves beyond the borders of the organization toward the linkages. Strategies for managing university–industry linkages (UIL) are presented.
Originality/value
To date there has not been sufficient theoretical or empirical contribution in the university–industry ecosystem context about the role of linkages to improve resource density through increased actor disposition.
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Einleitung Dieser Artikel hat den Zweck, den heutigen Stand des Wissens auf dem Gebiet der strategischen Führung auf die Fremdenverkehrsunternehmung zu übertragen. Zweck der…
Abstract
Einleitung Dieser Artikel hat den Zweck, den heutigen Stand des Wissens auf dem Gebiet der strategischen Führung auf die Fremdenverkehrsunternehmung zu übertragen. Zweck der folgenden Ausführungen ist' es, die Orientierungsgrössen der strategischen Führung in ihrem Zusammenhang darzustellen. Es soll gezeigt werden, dass die entsprechenden, bisher im industriellen Bereich erprobten Denkkategorien auch für Fremdenverkehrunternehmungen gültig und mit Nutzen auf diese anwendbar sind. lm Rahmen dieses Artikels können nicht alle für die Tourismusbranche spezifischen Gegebenheiten vollumfänglich berücksichtigt werden. Die theoretischen Ausführungen werden jedoch anhand von zahlreichen konkreten Beispielen aus dem Tourismus‐ und Freizeitsektor erläutert. Neben Beispielen aus Fremdenverkehrsunternehmungen im engeren Sinne werden auch solche aus Fremdenverkehrsorten dargestellt, bei denen es sich in bestimmter Hinsicht urn unternehmungsartige Gebilde 1) handelt.
Martin R.W. Hiebl, Rainer Baule, Andreas Dutzi, Volker Stein and Arnd Wiedemann
Chongchong Zhao, Chao Dong and Xiaoming Zhang
The integration and retrieval of the vast data have attracted sufficient attention, thus the W3C workgroup releases R2RML to standardize the transformation from relational data to…
Abstract
Purpose
The integration and retrieval of the vast data have attracted sufficient attention, thus the W3C workgroup releases R2RML to standardize the transformation from relational data to semantic-aware data. However, it only provides a data transform mechanism to resource description framework (RDF). The generation of mapping alignments still needs manual work or other algorithms. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a domain-oriented automatic mapping method and an application of the R2RML standard.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, materials science is focussed to show an example of domain-oriented mapping. source field concept and M3B2 (Metal Materials Mapping Background Base) knowledge bases are established to support the auto-recommending algorithm. As for the generation of RDF files, the idea is to generate the triples and the links, respectively. The links of the triples follow the object-subject relationship, and the links of the object properties can be achieved by the range individuals and the trail path.
Findings
Consequently based on the previous work, the authors proposed Engine for Metal Materials Mapping Background Base (EM3B2), a semantic integration engine for materials science. EM3B2 not only offers friendly graphical interfaces, but also provides auto-recommending mapping based on materials knowledge to enable users to avoid vast manually work. The experimental result indicates that EM3B2 supplies accurate mapping. Moreover, the running time of E3MB2 is also competitive as classical methods.
Originality/value
This paper proposed EM3B2 semantic integration engine, which contributes to the relational database-to-RDF mapping by the application of W3C R2RML standard and the domain-oriented mapping.
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Kieran Taylor-Neu, Abu S. Rahaman, Gregory D. Saxton and Dean Neu
This study aims to examine whether senior Enron executive emails celebrated, or at least left a space for, corporate irresponsibility. Engaging with prior organizational-focused…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine whether senior Enron executive emails celebrated, or at least left a space for, corporate irresponsibility. Engaging with prior organizational-focused research, we investigate how corporate emails sent by senior executives help constitute Enron by communicating to employees senior management’s stance about important topics and social characters.
Design/methodology/approach
The study analyzes the 527,356 sentences contained in 144,228 emails sent by Enron senior executives and other employees in the three-year period (1999–2001) before the company’s collapse. Sentences are used as the base-level speech unit because we are interested in identifying the tone and emotions expressed about specific topics and stakeholders. Tone is measured using Loughran and McDonald’s (2016) financial dictionary approach, and emotion is measured using Mohammad and Turney’s (2013) NRC word-emotion lexicon. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regressions are used to explore the determinants of senior management tone and emotions.
Findings
The analysis illustrates that while both senior executives and other employees utilized email to help accomplish task-related activities, they employed different evaluative tones to talk about key topics and stakeholders. Also important is what is left unsaid, with a “spiral of silence” emanating from senior management that created a space for corporate irresponsibility.
Originality/value
Combining advanced computerized textual analysis with qualitative techniques, we analyze a unique dataset to explore micro details involved in using email to communicate a tone at the top. The findings illustrate how what is said or not said by senior management contributes to the constitution of an organization.
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Hanna Schachel, Maik Lachmann, Christoph Endenich and Oliver Breucker
This study aims to examine which categories of management control systems (MCSs) in startups are most important to external financiers. Furthermore, this paper investigates how…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine which categories of management control systems (MCSs) in startups are most important to external financiers. Furthermore, this paper investigates how equity and debt financiers differ in their perceptions of MCS categories and examines the relevance of MCSs for their investment decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collects data through a cross-sectional survey sent to equity and debt financiers actively investing in startups. The results are based on survey responses from 73 financiers.
Findings
The results show that financial MCSs are considered most important, followed by strategic MCSs, while human resources MCSs are perceived as only moderately important. This paper finds significant differences in the perceived importance of MCS categories between equity and debt providers, which can be explained by differing risk profiles and monitoring needs. Although debt financiers consider financial and strategic MCSs to be less important for their portfolios’ startups than equity financiers do, debt financiers perceive MCSs as more important for their initial investment decisions.
Originality/value
The study sheds new light on the importance of different MCS categories in startups by analyzing external financiers’ perceptions. Overall, the empirical study provides insights that are particularly valuable for startups seeking external financing for company growth.