Néstor F. Ayala, Paolo Gaiardelli, Giuditta Pezzotta, Marie Anne Le Dain and Alejandro G. Frank
The purpose of this study is to analyse the effect of different forms of service supplier involvement on the service business dimensions necessary for servitisation and on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyse the effect of different forms of service supplier involvement on the service business dimensions necessary for servitisation and on the resulting servitisation performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Three different configurations of service supplier involvement are considered in this study: black box (service design and execution driven by the service supplier), grey box (joint service design) and white box (service design driven by the product firm). The study analyses their contribution by means of a cross-sectional quantitative survey with 104 Brazilian and Italian firms using multivariate analysis of variance.
Findings
Companies that adopted the grey box configuration presented the best results in servitisation. White and black box may offer different benefits depending on the service business dimension that the company chooses to emphasise.
Originality/value
The results show which type of service supplier involvement is more effective for servitisation. The empirical data demonstrate that a joint service design (grey box involvement) is the best approach, but the paper discusses limitations for its implementation and alternatives regarding the two other types of service supplier involvement. The findings contribute to the discussion on the role of service suppliers in servitisation and provide empirical evidence to support operations managers in deciding on how to organise their service supply chain when aiming for servitisation.
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Néstor F. Ayala, Wolfgang Gerstlberger and Alejandro G. Frank
The purpose of this paper is to study service innovation in product companies (servitization) by considering the relationship (moderation) between product companies and service…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study service innovation in product companies (servitization) by considering the relationship (moderation) between product companies and service suppliers.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a relational view of the firm, the authors propose that there are three main business dimensions that product companies have to manage in servitization and that the support of service suppliers can moderate the effects of these dimensions on the benefits obtained from the product–service system (PSS) delivered. To test these hypotheses, the authors perform a cross-sectional quantitative survey in 104 Brazilian and Italian product companies.
Findings
The findings show that the three business dimensions are important for servitization while there is a trade-off decision regarding service suppliers’ support since suppliers act differently depending on the PSS orientation (product- or service-oriented).
Research limitations/implications
The work is limited to the analysis of what should change in a company during servitization and the impact of supplier’s support. Further research is needed to complement this study by analyzing the process and context of the organizational change.
Practical implications
The research contributes an understanding about how the benefits practitioners can obtain from servitization are strongly influenced by the support of service suppliers and how this influence depends on the PSS orientation of the product company.
Originality/value
This is one of the first quantitative studies to provide evidence of how service suppliers’ involvement affects different servitization business dimensions and the obtained benefits for both product- and service-oriented outputs.
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Guilherme Brittes Benitez, Mateus Ferreira-Lima, Néstor F. Ayala and Alejandro G. Frank
The provision of Industry 4.0 solutions demands a vast range of technology domains. To provide these solutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may need the support of…
Abstract
Purpose
The provision of Industry 4.0 solutions demands a vast range of technology domains. To provide these solutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may need the support of different supply chain actors through an inbound open innovation strategy. The authors study the contribution of four types of supply chain actors for inbound open innovation: suppliers, competitors with complementary technologies, R&D centers and customers. The authors analyze how these four actors moderate the effect of integrated Industry 4.0 solutions on three main competitive strategies: cost, focalization and differentiation.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a survey on 77 SMEs from the automation sector, using OLS regression with moderating effects. They considered the integration of 15 technologies and 7 classic automation activities in the provision of Industry 4.0 solutions. The authors also studied three competitive outputs – technology cost reduction (cost), customer loyalty (focalization) and technology innovation (differentiation) – as well as four supply chain actors (moderators).
Findings
Expanding the provision of Industry 4.0 technologies increases customer loyalty and technology innovation. Collaboration with competitors (complementary technologies) leverage these results and reduce technology costs. Integration between customers and R&D centers elevates costs but R&D centers can foster long-run innovation.
Originality/value
This study is the first to empirically investigate inbound open innovation in the supply chain for technology development in the context of Industry 4.0. The authors discuss how these actors contribute to four inbound open innovation activities: technology scouting; horizontal technology collaboration; vertical technology collaboration; and technology sourcing.
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Lamiae Benhayoun, Néstor Fabián Ayala and Marie-Anne Le Dain
We investigate the impact of Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) for SMEs embedded in Collaborative Networks (CNs) on innovation performance, considering the network stages and the…
Abstract
Purpose
We investigate the impact of Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) for SMEs embedded in Collaborative Networks (CNs) on innovation performance, considering the network stages and the influence of partnership quality.
Design/methodology/approach
We use a mixed methodology consisting of a qualitative than a quantitative phase. The first stage relies on an in-depth literature review and 22 interviews with 17 manufacturing SMEs having operated in collaborative innovation projects to characterize the potential and realized ACAP of such SMEs in the creation and operation stages of a CN. The second phase aims at testing four hypotheses through a hierarchical regression based on 74 responses to a survey involving SMEs with prior CN experience.
Findings
Our results explain how an SME’s ACAP in the creation stage affects its ACAP in the operation stage. We also demonstrate that this latter capability contributes positively to innovation performance in the CN. Furthermore, partnership quality was found to have counterproductive effects regarding potential ACAP.
Practical implications
We provide manufacturing SMEs with guidance to deploy ACAP throughout their collaborative experience and overcome the potential pitfalls of good partnership quality.
Originality/value
We operationalize ACAP of manufacturing SMEs to contribute to mutual innovation goals in CNs and uncover its properties. We explain how this dynamic capability accumulates over the CN stages to result in higher innovation performance and show how it helps in striking a balance between the “dark” and “virtuous” sides of partnership quality.
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André de Mendonça Santos, Ângelo Márcio de Oliveira Sant'Anna, Ava Santana Barbosa, Adriano Machado Becker and Néstor Fabián Ayala
In the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) era, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face significant pressure to make their manufacturing operations more sustainable. However, SMEs often lack the…
Abstract
Purpose
In the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) era, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face significant pressure to make their manufacturing operations more sustainable. However, SMEs often lack the knowledge and information needed to leverage I4.0 technologies for achieving sustainability. This paper aims to develop a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model to prioritize sustainability functions supported by I4.0 technologies in SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The fuzzy-DEMATEL method was developed to classify sustainability functions based on their prominence and influence, categorizing them into cause-and-effect groups. Experts in I4.0 technologies, sustainability and SMEs from Brazil were consulted during the data collection phase. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to validate the results obtained through the DEMATEL method.
Findings
The results indicate that the most prominent and influential sustainability functions include organizing production processes, employee skill development and simplifying production planning and control. Therefore, investing in I4.0 technologies to support these functions can enable SMEs to amplify the impact of their sustainability initiatives and improve operational efficiency. The authors also observed that improving quality monitoring is the primary function within the effect group.
Practical implications
This paper serves as a roadmap for SME managers seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their sustainability practices using I4.0 technologies, thereby maximizing impact while minimizing the complexity of implementation.
Originality/value
This study ranks key sustainability functions as actions and practices that SMEs can implement using I4.0 technologies to achieve sustainability. It also identifies the most prominent and influential functions managers should prioritize when investing in I4.0 technologies.
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André de Mendonça Santos, Adriano Machado Becker, Néstor Fabian Ayala and Ângelo Márcio Oliveira Sant’Anna
The aim of this paper is to investigate the potential impact of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) digital technologies on promoting sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the potential impact of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) digital technologies on promoting sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within developing economies such as Brazil. Additionally, we present a comprehensive framework that consolidates this correlation.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with leaders of SMEs to identify the specific challenges in achieving sustainability. Additionally, interviews were conducted with technology provider firms to evaluate the existing solutions available to SMEs. The interview results were analyzed, and technological solutions were proposed through a focus group session involving four experts in I4.0. These proposed solutions were then compared with the offerings provided by the technology providers. Based on this, a second round of meetings was conducted to gather feedback from the SMEs.
Findings
The findings of this study confirm the feasibility of implementing I4.0 and sustainable practices in SMEs. However, it is crucial to tailor the technologies to the specific circumstances of SMEs. The study presents propositions on how specific applications of technology can address the economic, environmental and social demands of SMEs. Furthermore, a framework is proposed, emphasizing the integration of smart technologies as essential components across sustainability dimensions.
Originality/value
This study makes a significant contribution to the current body of literature as it pioneers the examination of the relationship between I4.0 technologies and sustainability, focusing specifically on SMEs in a developing country context.
Propósito/Objetivos del trabajo
El objetivo de este estudio es investigar el potential impacto de las tecnologías digitales de la Industria 4.0 en la promoción de la sostenibilidad en las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYMES) en economías en desarrollo, como Brasil.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Realizamos una investigación cualitativa mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas a líderes de PYMES para identificar los desafíos que enfrentan en la búsqueda de la sostenibilidad. También llevamos a cabo entrevistas con empresas proveedoras de tecnología para evaluar las soluciones existentes. Los resultados de las entrevistas se analizaron y se propusieron soluciones tecnológicas a través de una sesión de grupo focal con cuatro expertos en la Industria 4.0. Estas soluciones se compararon con las ofertas proporcionadas por los proveedores de tecnología. Posteriormente, se realizaron una segunda reunión para recopilar comentarios de las PYMES.
Hallazgos/Conclusiones
Los hallazgos de este estudio confirman la viabilidad de implementar la Industria 4.0 y prácticas sostenibles en las PYMES. Sin embargo, es crucial adaptar las tecnologías a las circunstancias de las PYMES. Presentamos propuestas sobre cómo las aplicaciones de la tecnología pueden abordar las demandas económicas, ambientales y sociales de las PYMES. Además, proponemos un marco que destaca la integración de tecnologías como componentes esenciales de la sostenibilidad.
Originalidad/valor
Este estudio es pionero en examinar la relación entre las tecnologías de la Industria 4.0 y la sostenibilidad, centrándose específicamente en las PYMES en un contexto de país en desarrollo.
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Soledad Analía Ayala and María Cecilia Vila
The present paper analyzes the implementation of Open Digital Television (Televisión Digital Abierta or TDA) in Argentina. It takes up a sociotechnical standpoint and considers…
Abstract
Purpose
The present paper analyzes the implementation of Open Digital Television (Televisión Digital Abierta or TDA) in Argentina. It takes up a sociotechnical standpoint and considers TDA as a public policy designed to foster social inclusion.
Methodology/approach
The ideas presented in this paper are derived from a sociotechnical perspective, both at a theoretical and at a methodological level. The main postulates of this perspective are based on constructivist criteria; they explain outcomes as a result of the constant interplay of technical and social realities. Thus, this relation is intrinsic and continuous. We work with the concept of technology in its broadest sense. That is to say, TDA is not seen as just a mass communication infrastructure, but as a technology which involves knowledge, production practices, and content broadcasting, as a result of the interrelation of cultural, political, social, economic, scientific, and technological factors. The study of TDA in Argentina as a public policy for social inclusion shows how the constant sociotechnical interrelations have to be taken into account (technical standard, antenna features, social actors involved, produced content, etc.) throughout the whole process, from the conception and design of public policies to their implementation, but mainly at the stage of results analysis.
Findings
We concluded that throughout the implementation of the TDA public policy, a determinist view of technology prevailed. This can be seen in relation to both the role of television as a medium for social inclusion and the actions regarding the role of the user. The idea of viewer in the traditional sense prevailed over the idea of an active user. This stage provides significant data to assess the range and the limitations of the current public policy, and to think of improvements to implement in the future. These observations suggest a new challenge lying on the horizon: to construct a new concept of television; that is, to analyze TV as a social actor that is crucial for social inclusion rather than simply a medium of mass communication.
Practical implications
The sociotechnical perspective sheds light on the actors involved in the development, implementation, and production of a public policy designed for social inclusion. It focuses both on the government plan and the usage practices of the users themselves. The approach we propose for the study of the relation between technology and public policy is consistent with the notion of an active government.
Originality/value
The value of this paper lies in its theoretical and methodological approach, since a sociotechnical analysis grounded on relativism is a different view to the one that is dominant in studies in the field of communication and public policies. This view offers innovative insights into the problems regarding TDA by exploring the interrelations between actors and the power relations embedded in the public policy.
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Andrés Cendales, Nestor Garza and Andres Arcila
This paper argues that decentralization reforms in Colombia, implemented since the 1980s, have led to the decentralization of political clientelism rather than its demise…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper argues that decentralization reforms in Colombia, implemented since the 1980s, have led to the decentralization of political clientelism rather than its demise. Clientelism is a system of political and economic institutions that turns every local democracy into an extractive political institution. The authors theoretically demonstrate that an increase in public resources will increase corruption.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors develop and test a subnational public choice model, where clientelism in elections and corruption in public administration constitute a stable long-term institutional equilibrium. The model comprises two linked subgames: electoral tournament and corruption in public policy. The model makes two predictions that currently oppose predominant approaches: (1) increasing the severity of jail sentences to electoral crimes increases their price and the predominance of machine politics, instead of improving the quality of electoral tournaments and (2) increasing local governments' public finance increases clientelism in elections and corruption in public administration.
Findings
The authors find evidence in favor of the theoretical model of curse of public resources, using difference-in-differences estimation with a database 2016–17 of Colombia's 1,034 municipalities. This country is well-suited for our analysis because it has a long-term commitment to formal democratic processes (since 1958), while plagued by endemic corruption and clientelism problems.
Originality/value
(1) The theoretical approach is innovative and disruptive of current models on the problem, (2) the model builds upon the Colombian situation, a country with prominent corruption and political violence problems regardless of its relatively long-term commitment with free elections (since 1958) and (3) the theoretical discussion is tested using a comprehensive set of difference-in-differences estimations.