While qualitative work has a long tradition in the strategy field and has recently regained popularity, we have not paused to take stock of how such work offers contributions. We…
Abstract
While qualitative work has a long tradition in the strategy field and has recently regained popularity, we have not paused to take stock of how such work offers contributions. We address this oversight with a review of qualitative studies of strategy published in five top-tier journals over an extended period of 15 years (2003–2017). In an attempt to organize the field, we develop an empirically grounded organizing framework. We identify 12 designs that are evident in the literature, or “designs-in-use” as we call them. Acknowledging important similarities and differences between the various approaches to qualitative strategy research (QSR), we group these designs into three “families” based on their philosophical orientation. We use these designs and families to identify trends in QSR. We then engage those trends to orient the future development of qualitative methods in the strategy field.
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Huiming Yang, Xia Yang and Yuqi Huang
The aim of this study is to establish the nonlinear dynamics equations of roller bearings with surface faults on outer raceway, inner raceway and rolling elements to analyze the…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to establish the nonlinear dynamics equations of roller bearings with surface faults on outer raceway, inner raceway and rolling elements to analyze the dynamic characteristics of the double row self-aligning roller bearings, and provided theoretical basis for bearing fault diagnosis and life prediction.
Design/methodology/approach
First, based on the momentum theorem, the formulas for quantitative calculation of impact load were established, when roller was in contact with the fault of the inner or outer raceway. Then, the fault position piecewise functions and the load-carrying zone piecewise functions were established. Based on these, the nonlinear dynamic equations of double row self-aligning roller bearings are established, and Matlab is used to simulate the faulty bearings at different positions, sizes and rotational speeds. Finally, the vibration test of the fault bearings are completed, and the correctness of the nonlinear dynamic equations of the rolling bearing are verified.
Findings
The simulation and test results show that: the impact load increased with the increasing rotate speed and fault size, and the larger the fault size, the longer the impact load existed and the shorter vice versa.
Originality/value
The nonlinear dynamic equation of double row self-aligning roller bearings is established, which provides a theoretical basis for bearing faults diagnosis and fatigue life prediction.
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The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the transactive memory system (TMS) on green innovation and examine the mediation role of the social network at all…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the transactive memory system (TMS) on green innovation and examine the mediation role of the social network at all hierarchical levels.
Design/methodology/approach
Three hypotheses were examined by performing regression analyses on survey data from manufacturing firms in China. Especially, the nested sets of data from 389 individual observations nested in 53 work teams, including individual level and collective level have been investigated.
Findings
The study results show that the TMS has a positive effect on green innovation. Furthermore, the results indicate that at the team level, structure holes' mediation in this relationship is stronger than degree centrality; at the individual level, weak ties mediation in the relationship of specialization and green innovation is stronger than strong ties, conversely, strong ties mediation in the relationship of credibility and green innovation is stronger than weak ties.
Originality/value
This study expands previous research by highlighting the significance of multilevel social network elements in the context of the TMS and sustainable development and enriches the present research on green innovation.
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Q.N. Xiao, F. Grunwald and K. Carlson
Modern electronics is characterised by the increasing level of integration in printedcircuit board (PCB) technology and the reduced insulation spacing between adjacentconductors…
Abstract
Modern electronics is characterised by the increasing level of integration in printed circuit board (PCB) technology and the reduced insulation spacing between adjacent conductors. Surface insulation resistance (SIR) measurement has often been used alone to determine the cleanliness of PCB assembly; however, when proper SIR measurement is used in conjunction with surface leakage current (SLC) measurement, the result can reveal the dynamic nature of surface electrochemical migration (SECM) processes at the microscopic level, and the effect of such processes on product quality and reliability. This paper presents a newly developed measurement methodology, which measures SLC per square unit area at a sampling rate that is orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional SIR measurement methods. It is aimed to capture the transient surge of SLC which is detrimental to the functionality of product.
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Shafiullah Khan, Shiyou Yang and Obaid Ur Rehman
The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to solve an electromagnetic inverse problem.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to explore the potential of particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to solve an electromagnetic inverse problem.
Design/methodology/approach
A modified PSO algorithm is designed.
Findings
The modified PSO algorithm is a more stable, robust and efficient global optimizer for solving the well-known benchmark optimization problems. The new mutation approach preserves the diversity of the population, whereas the proposed dynamic and adaptive parameters maintain a good balance between the exploration and exploitation searches. The numerically experimental results of two case studies demonstrate the merits of the proposed algorithm.
Originality/value
Some improvements, such as the design of a new global mutation mechanism and introducing a novel strategy for learning and control parameters, are proposed.
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Strategic management scholars have acknowledged the existence of a dark side of strategy, but have failed to consider how companies engage and adapt “dark and immoral” non-market…
Abstract
Strategic management scholars have acknowledged the existence of a dark side of strategy, but have failed to consider how companies engage and adapt “dark and immoral” non-market strategies to gain competitive advantage and to maintain corrupt alliances. In this chapter, I analyze the use of corruption as a non-market strategy by construction companies’ suppliers of the Oil and Gas Company Petrobras from 2002 to 2014. The author use verifiable court decisions and analyze the set of rules created by a corrupt cartel to enact their corrupt strategies. The author extend the management literature by showing how a corrupt group of firms adopt a series of strategies not only for their short-term competitive advantage but also to maintain their internal cohesion. Finally, the author develop a model that explains the maintenance of long-term corrupt relationships.
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The extant research highlights the importance of understanding the micro-level mechanisms for the development of firm-level international business theories. One of them is…
Abstract
The extant research highlights the importance of understanding the micro-level mechanisms for the development of firm-level international business theories. One of them is institution-based view on strategy in emerging markets that highlights the importance of institutional factors for local actors' decision-making. It attracted significant attention of international business scholars, and it is timely to assess existing body of knowledge about how and why managers and entrepreneur respond to institutional forces. I argue that in this context, a better understanding of microfoundations of these responses is extremely useful for unveiling the complexity associated with institutional influence on emerging market firms' strategy. I undertake a problematizing review to critically examine the current state of research in this field. In doing this, I shed light on the role of managers and entrepreneurs from different national, generational and social backgrounds in shaping institution-based strategies and inform the talent management research about the capabilities and strategies that EM managers and entrepreneurs mobilize to address institutional pressures.
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Ryspek Usubamatov, Abd Alsalam Alsalameh, Rosmaini Ahmad and Abdul Rahman Riza
The paper aims to study car assembly line, to show its productivity rate, and to derive a mathematical model for the productivity rate of the assembly line segmented into sections…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to study car assembly line, to show its productivity rate, and to derive a mathematical model for the productivity rate of the assembly line segmented into sections with embedded buffers.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper performs productivity calculations based on data obtained from the assembly processes of a car and shows the maximum productivity of the assembly line. The equations of the assembly line productivity, the optimal number of assembly stations, and the necessary number of the assembly line's sections with buffers are derived via the criterion of maximum productivity.
Findings
The paper provides the productivity diagram of the assembly line that illustrates various measures of productivity, one that depends on the number of assembly stations, the number of sections in the line, and the capacity of the buffers. The diagram is based on the proposed mathematical equations for the productivity of the assembly line as a function of the assembly technology, number of stations, number of sections, and the capacity of the buffer.
Research limitations/implications
Solutions towards increasing the productivity of the assembly line are given based on the results of the study and analysis of the assembly processes in real industrial environments.
Practical implications
The paper includes the equation for the productivity of the assembly line, which is segmented into sections with limited capacity of the buffers, thereby enabling the calculation of its maximum productivity and the optimal number of assembly stations.
Originality/value
The paper presents an analysis of productivity and a mathematical model for calculating the productivity of the assembly line, which is segmented into sections with embedded buffers of limited capacity. The initial results of the research have been obtained from a real industrial environment.
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Nan Hua, Michael C. Dalbor, Seoki Lee and Priyanko Guchait
The purpose of this study is to invoke prospect theory to construct an empirical framework to predict idiosyncratic risk, and argue that when a firm performs better than its…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to invoke prospect theory to construct an empirical framework to predict idiosyncratic risk, and argue that when a firm performs better than its benchmarks, the firm tends to play safe by avoiding firm-specific risk to maintain its satisfactory performance level, but when a firm performs worse than its benchmarks, the firm may become aggressive with taking more risks to achieve an increased level of performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study tested the relationships between restaurant firms’ future idiosyncratic risk and the proposed firm financial characteristics. Heteroscedasticity- and autocorrelation-consistent (HAC) standard errors (Newey and West, 1994) were used to deal with potential problems of autocorrelations and heteroscedasticity. The standard error of residuals from the Fama-French three-factor model (Fama and French, 1993) was estimated to proxy for restaurant idiosyncratic risk.
Findings
The main analysis reveals that five financial characteristics are significant predictors for restaurant firms’ future idiosyncratic risk in accordance with the proposed, negative relationship based on the prospect theory.
Practical implications
Managers may predict their competitors’ future risk-taking behaviors using the current study’s findings, which will provide competitive advantage in a highly competitive business environment that we have now. Also, in practice, restaurant investors may consider findings of this study in forecasting future risks of their portfolio to help evaluate and revise their portfolios.
Originality/value
First, this is a new endeavor of its kind dealing with the restaurant industry, filling the void in the literature in predicting the risk-taking behavior of restaurant firms in a time of crisis. Second, this study forms a prediction model that establishes “predictive causality” (Diebold, 2001) motivated by prospect theory. Third, building upon prior research, this study comprehensively examines relationships between the firm characteristics that capture firm-specific strategies (Ou and Penman, 1989) and the idiosyncratic risk that are “associated with firm-specific strategies” (Luo and Bhattacharya, 2009) in a restaurant setting. Finally, the findings of this study bear significant implications for practitioners and other parties of interest.
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Juhwan Lim, Yue Vaughan and Jichul Jang
The hospitality industry has one of the most diversified workforces. This study aims to examine the effect of employees’ perceptions toward diversity management on the company’s…
Abstract
Purpose
The hospitality industry has one of the most diversified workforces. This study aims to examine the effect of employees’ perceptions toward diversity management on the company’s financial performance. The current study also examines the moderating effect of board members’ diversity level on the association between employees’ perceptions and financial outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
From online reviews, the authors identified multi-faucets of diversity management and measured employees’ perceptions of diversity management. Using panel data analysis, the relationships among employees’ perceptions, board members’ diversity level and companies’ financial performance were studied.
Findings
This study found that employees’ perceptions of diversity management positively influence the company’s financial performance and the relationship was positively moderated by board members’ diversity level.
Practical implications
Findings show that hospitality employees perceive nine diversity and inclusion categories (age, organizational climate, culture, disability, education, gender, physical differences, policy and practice and race) that companies need to consider when developing and implementing diversity management. Moreover, practitioners need to eliminate the gap between board members and employees when applying diversity management.
Originality/value
Drawing upon service–profit chain theory, this study extends hospitality literature regarding diversity management by demonstrating how employees perceive working environments created by diversity management affects the organizational financial outcome. Moreover, this study emphasizes the exemplary role of board members as policy and practice makers, to provide employees with the legitimacy and responsibilities of diversity management.