This paper presents an empirical study of the influences of transactional (TA) and transformation... more This paper presents an empirical study of the influences of transactional (TA) and transformational (TF) leadership on organizational effectiveness (OE), measured as the degree of goal attainment and the quality of nursing care (NQ). The study subjects were all head-nurses and assistant head-nurses at a medium-sized hospital in Sweden (n = 23). The methods used were questionnaires and interviews. The multi-leadership questionnaire earlier developed by Bass was modified and named the Leadership Nursing-Effectiveness Questionnaire (LNEQ), comprising 84 items using Likert-type scales. The study showed low mean scores on OE (2.19) and TA (1.05) but high mean scores on NQ (3.17) and TF (3.84). The results suggest that the degree of TA and TF leadership had a low and insignificant connection with OE in this hospital organization. The study did not support the statement that organizational units exposed to a higher degree of TA and TF leadership at the same time show a high degree of OE, as has been shown in studies in other cultural contexts and organizations.
The concept of place, as well as physicality of place, impacts sustainability practices in diffe... more The concept of place, as well as physicality of place, impacts sustainability practices in different ways. While management and organization studies have seen a rise in discussions on sustainable business models, we argue that place has lost its natural place in sustainability studies related to the business organization. Place offers a rootedness and a link to the natural, that all organizational activities are dependent on. Therefore, place has the capacity to drive and deepen sustainability practices. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the role of place in sustainability research and organizational practice. A topic, which in sustainability research related to the business organization has been rather weakly covered. By applying an abductive research approach, we identify four different settings for the relation between place and sustainability. We then develop a place typology that shows the different roles of place in sustainability research and practice
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ontological implications of combining netwo... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ontological implications of combining network and system ontology to conceptualize industrial networks as the empirical manifestations of complex adaptive economic systems. Design/methodology/approach This paper contributes with a systematic discussion on how network and system ontology can be combined to produce better understandings of business networks. It also provides a review of the state-of-the art research literature on the topic as a starting point for the discussion. Findings Findings indicate that networks may be enclosed in each other constituting sub- and supra-networks comprising increasing complexity. In these cases, sub-networks that are black-boxed can be seen as entities in themselves producing inputs and outputs to the supra-network. Networks, once they become black-boxed, can assume the functions of generative mechanisms within a wider supra-network. Research limitations/implications This research is conceptual in nature and needs to be complemented with empirical research. In addition, the literature review used one database complemented with papers from the IMP journal. A wider search could reveal additional research that can be of relevance for the development of the field. Originality/value This paper addresses the ontological and methodological issues arising from a mixed system and network ontology. These issues are commonly ignored or dealt with indirectly in extant literature. For any accumulation of knowledge in the field to be possible, the explication of a mixed ontology is important as it have conceptual and methodological consequences. Adopting such a mixed ontological position provides an ontology in line with empirical research of business practice.
ABSTRACT This commentary essay explores some broader implications of the article by Aarikka-Stenr... more ABSTRACT This commentary essay explores some broader implications of the article by Aarikka-Stenroos and Sandberg (in this issue) concerning two issues: the principal character of innovation processes and the delineation of networks. The article provides an interesting discussion on how firms can overcome the obstacles of successful commercialization of innovations by the utilization of various types of networks involving developers, producers and users alike. This commentary recognizes two problems in this setting: An overly linear view on innovation processes and NPD, and an overly simplistic view on the delineation of networks.
In this paper, we study the birth and development of an international company, Cermaq. Internatio... more In this paper, we study the birth and development of an international company, Cermaq. International business, by definition, deals with space, and some business activities are performed across national boundaries. For instance, it can be a company situated in one country but buying from suppliers situated in other countries, selling to customers in other countries or making investments in production or RD the internal features of others and their successful influence; and new demands created by either new positions in old networks or entering into entirely ‘new’ networks. Both space and time emerge as central in the development of firms and networks, where the overall business logic only can be understood in hindsight.
This study addresses the lack of knowledge about inter‐organizational activity coordination in th... more This study addresses the lack of knowledge about inter‐organizational activity coordination in the contemporary economy. Existing understanding of economic coordination within inter‐organizational research is based on the three modes of organization, market, and cooperative relationship. We extend the framework of Richardson that analyses specialization and complementarity within the industrial division of labour in terms of these three coordination modes. We propose a novel mode of coordinating economic activity, namely multi‐actor arrangements, which is based on the coordination of very dissimilar yet complementary activities, grounded in the principle of distributed control. This fourth mode is necessary to explain contemporary phenomena such as the circular economy and blockchain because these involve interdependencies that were previously framed as too different or unrelated to coordinate. The extension is important because it changes our understanding of mixed‐mode coordination. Our proposed fourth mode enables the conceptualization of how activity interdependencies are coordinated within inter‐organizational relationships and networks undergoing transformation.
Shows the multifaceted and interactive character of the relationship between science and technolo... more Shows the multifaceted and interactive character of the relationship between science and technology on the one hand, and business and innovation on the other. This book explores this non-linear relationship through a selection of case studies and discusses its implications for science ...
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an account of who forms what market assets by maki... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an account of who forms what market assets by making what market investments in a business network.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate what market investments were made by certain actors into resource interfaces as market assets, the author draws on a case network based on an investigation of the Chilean salmon production network. To this end, the author chose the fish – being the focal object resource in that network – as a point of departure. The author systematically investigates the resource interfaces that this resource has with three other specific resources: feed, fishmeal, and vaccines in a thick case study.FindingsThis study shows that market investments entail committing resources to resource interfaces which turns them into market assets. Resource interfaces as market assets have implications on how we characterize and value resource interfaces. Multilateral resource interfaces become valuable to firms as a result of continuous market investments made into them. This produces different types of resource interfaces, some of which are of mediatory character bridging between distant resources in a network.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on the market investments being made to create and sustain market assets. Of course such assets are linked to a firm’s internal assets which this study do not investigate. In addition, this study emphasizes the commitment of resources into existing resource interfaces, the ensuing creation of market assets, and its use and value for firms and downplays a firm’s need to account for market investments and the market investments required to create a new resource interface.Practical implicationsAs resource interfaces are valuable market assets, it is important to understand the functioning of different types of resource interfaces so as to exploit their potential as efficient as possible. This paper shows that some resources act as bridging resources connecting the borders of two indirectly related resources. Controlling bridging resources becomes an essential task for managers in business networks.Social implicationsUnderstanding the market investments into resource interfaces enables firms to become more skilled in organizing and controlling networks. These networks can play important roles in the economic development of society and create improved societal conditions for people, organizations, and economies.Originality/valueBy combining a market investment and market asset conceptualization of investments in networks with a resource interaction approach, this paper provides an enhanced understanding of resource interfaces as market assets. Theoretical implications for our understanding of resource interfaces – its value and character – are discussed.
This paper presents an empirical study of the influences of transactional (TA) and transformation... more This paper presents an empirical study of the influences of transactional (TA) and transformational (TF) leadership on organizational effectiveness (OE), measured as the degree of goal attainment and the quality of nursing care (NQ). The study subjects were all head-nurses and assistant head-nurses at a medium-sized hospital in Sweden (n = 23). The methods used were questionnaires and interviews. The multi-leadership questionnaire earlier developed by Bass was modified and named the Leadership Nursing-Effectiveness Questionnaire (LNEQ), comprising 84 items using Likert-type scales. The study showed low mean scores on OE (2.19) and TA (1.05) but high mean scores on NQ (3.17) and TF (3.84). The results suggest that the degree of TA and TF leadership had a low and insignificant connection with OE in this hospital organization. The study did not support the statement that organizational units exposed to a higher degree of TA and TF leadership at the same time show a high degree of OE, as has been shown in studies in other cultural contexts and organizations.
The concept of place, as well as physicality of place, impacts sustainability practices in diffe... more The concept of place, as well as physicality of place, impacts sustainability practices in different ways. While management and organization studies have seen a rise in discussions on sustainable business models, we argue that place has lost its natural place in sustainability studies related to the business organization. Place offers a rootedness and a link to the natural, that all organizational activities are dependent on. Therefore, place has the capacity to drive and deepen sustainability practices. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the role of place in sustainability research and organizational practice. A topic, which in sustainability research related to the business organization has been rather weakly covered. By applying an abductive research approach, we identify four different settings for the relation between place and sustainability. We then develop a place typology that shows the different roles of place in sustainability research and practice
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ontological implications of combining netwo... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ontological implications of combining network and system ontology to conceptualize industrial networks as the empirical manifestations of complex adaptive economic systems. Design/methodology/approach This paper contributes with a systematic discussion on how network and system ontology can be combined to produce better understandings of business networks. It also provides a review of the state-of-the art research literature on the topic as a starting point for the discussion. Findings Findings indicate that networks may be enclosed in each other constituting sub- and supra-networks comprising increasing complexity. In these cases, sub-networks that are black-boxed can be seen as entities in themselves producing inputs and outputs to the supra-network. Networks, once they become black-boxed, can assume the functions of generative mechanisms within a wider supra-network. Research limitations/implications This research is conceptual in nature and needs to be complemented with empirical research. In addition, the literature review used one database complemented with papers from the IMP journal. A wider search could reveal additional research that can be of relevance for the development of the field. Originality/value This paper addresses the ontological and methodological issues arising from a mixed system and network ontology. These issues are commonly ignored or dealt with indirectly in extant literature. For any accumulation of knowledge in the field to be possible, the explication of a mixed ontology is important as it have conceptual and methodological consequences. Adopting such a mixed ontological position provides an ontology in line with empirical research of business practice.
ABSTRACT This commentary essay explores some broader implications of the article by Aarikka-Stenr... more ABSTRACT This commentary essay explores some broader implications of the article by Aarikka-Stenroos and Sandberg (in this issue) concerning two issues: the principal character of innovation processes and the delineation of networks. The article provides an interesting discussion on how firms can overcome the obstacles of successful commercialization of innovations by the utilization of various types of networks involving developers, producers and users alike. This commentary recognizes two problems in this setting: An overly linear view on innovation processes and NPD, and an overly simplistic view on the delineation of networks.
In this paper, we study the birth and development of an international company, Cermaq. Internatio... more In this paper, we study the birth and development of an international company, Cermaq. International business, by definition, deals with space, and some business activities are performed across national boundaries. For instance, it can be a company situated in one country but buying from suppliers situated in other countries, selling to customers in other countries or making investments in production or RD the internal features of others and their successful influence; and new demands created by either new positions in old networks or entering into entirely ‘new’ networks. Both space and time emerge as central in the development of firms and networks, where the overall business logic only can be understood in hindsight.
This study addresses the lack of knowledge about inter‐organizational activity coordination in th... more This study addresses the lack of knowledge about inter‐organizational activity coordination in the contemporary economy. Existing understanding of economic coordination within inter‐organizational research is based on the three modes of organization, market, and cooperative relationship. We extend the framework of Richardson that analyses specialization and complementarity within the industrial division of labour in terms of these three coordination modes. We propose a novel mode of coordinating economic activity, namely multi‐actor arrangements, which is based on the coordination of very dissimilar yet complementary activities, grounded in the principle of distributed control. This fourth mode is necessary to explain contemporary phenomena such as the circular economy and blockchain because these involve interdependencies that were previously framed as too different or unrelated to coordinate. The extension is important because it changes our understanding of mixed‐mode coordination. Our proposed fourth mode enables the conceptualization of how activity interdependencies are coordinated within inter‐organizational relationships and networks undergoing transformation.
Shows the multifaceted and interactive character of the relationship between science and technolo... more Shows the multifaceted and interactive character of the relationship between science and technology on the one hand, and business and innovation on the other. This book explores this non-linear relationship through a selection of case studies and discusses its implications for science ...
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an account of who forms what market assets by maki... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an account of who forms what market assets by making what market investments in a business network.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate what market investments were made by certain actors into resource interfaces as market assets, the author draws on a case network based on an investigation of the Chilean salmon production network. To this end, the author chose the fish – being the focal object resource in that network – as a point of departure. The author systematically investigates the resource interfaces that this resource has with three other specific resources: feed, fishmeal, and vaccines in a thick case study.FindingsThis study shows that market investments entail committing resources to resource interfaces which turns them into market assets. Resource interfaces as market assets have implications on how we characterize and value resource interfaces. Multilateral resource interfaces become valuable to firms as a result of continuous market investments made into them. This produces different types of resource interfaces, some of which are of mediatory character bridging between distant resources in a network.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on the market investments being made to create and sustain market assets. Of course such assets are linked to a firm’s internal assets which this study do not investigate. In addition, this study emphasizes the commitment of resources into existing resource interfaces, the ensuing creation of market assets, and its use and value for firms and downplays a firm’s need to account for market investments and the market investments required to create a new resource interface.Practical implicationsAs resource interfaces are valuable market assets, it is important to understand the functioning of different types of resource interfaces so as to exploit their potential as efficient as possible. This paper shows that some resources act as bridging resources connecting the borders of two indirectly related resources. Controlling bridging resources becomes an essential task for managers in business networks.Social implicationsUnderstanding the market investments into resource interfaces enables firms to become more skilled in organizing and controlling networks. These networks can play important roles in the economic development of society and create improved societal conditions for people, organizations, and economies.Originality/valueBy combining a market investment and market asset conceptualization of investments in networks with a resource interaction approach, this paper provides an enhanced understanding of resource interfaces as market assets. Theoretical implications for our understanding of resource interfaces – its value and character – are discussed.
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