We explore how a standardization effort (i.e.,when a firm pursues standards to further innovation) involves different search processes for knowledge and innovation outcomes. Using an inductive case study of Vanke, a leading Chinese property developer, we show how varying degrees of knowledge complexity and codification combine to produce a typology of four types of search process: active, integrative,
decentralized and passive, resulting in four types of innovation outcome: modular, radical,incremental and architectural. We argue that when the standardization effort in a firm involves highly codified knowledge,incremental and architectural innovation outcomes are fostered, while modular and radical innovations are hindered. We discuss how standardization efforts can result in a second-order
innovation capability, and conclude by calling for comparative research in other settings to understand how standardization efforts can be suited to different types of search process in different industry contexts.
Standardization Efforts: The Relationship between Knowledge Dimensions, Searc...Ian McCarthy
We explore how a standardization effort (i.e.,when a firm pursues standards to further innovation) involves different search processes for knowledge and innovation outcomes. Using an inductive case study of Vanke, a leading Chinese property developer,we show how varying degrees of knowledge
complexity and codification combine to produce a typology of four types of search process: active, integrative, decentralized and passive, resulting in four types of innovation outcome: modular, radical,incremental and architectural. We argue that when the standardization effort in a firm involves highly codified knowledge,incremental and architectural innovation outcomes are fostered, while modular and radical innovations are hindered. We discuss how standardization efforts can result in a second-order innovation capability, and conclude by calling for comparative research in other settings to understand how standardization efforts can be suited to different types of search process in different industry contexts.
Armend Muja, Innovation Management: linear, coupling and systems innovationArmend Muja
Distinguish the different forms that innovation can take, such as product, service, process, organizational or service innovation
Distinguish between sources of innovation
Describe models of innovation management
Analyze different types of innovation and appreciate their role in firms strategy and entrepreneurship
Standardization Efforts: The Relationship between Knowledge Dimensions, Searc...Ian McCarthy
We explore how a standardization effort (i.e.,when a firm pursues standards to further innovation) involves different search processes for knowledge and innovation outcomes. Using an inductive case study of Vanke, a leading Chinese property developer,we show how varying degrees of knowledge
complexity and codification combine to produce a typology of four types of search process: active, integrative, decentralized and passive, resulting in four types of innovation outcome: modular, radical,incremental and architectural. We argue that when the standardization effort in a firm involves highly codified knowledge,incremental and architectural innovation outcomes are fostered, while modular and radical innovations are hindered. We discuss how standardization efforts can result in a second-order innovation capability, and conclude by calling for comparative research in other settings to understand how standardization efforts can be suited to different types of search process in different industry contexts.
Armend Muja, Innovation Management: linear, coupling and systems innovationArmend Muja
Distinguish the different forms that innovation can take, such as product, service, process, organizational or service innovation
Distinguish between sources of innovation
Describe models of innovation management
Analyze different types of innovation and appreciate their role in firms strategy and entrepreneurship
More innovation in agri & food by collaborating in a new ecosystem Nur America
By investing in collaboration to build a strong ecosystem, the agri-food companies can create new opportunities for innovation. The cooperation makes developing, maintaining and sharing knowledge easier and increases the optimal functioning of the value chain. Companies in an ecosystem together can devise better solutions that are differentiating and potentially cheaper.
For example, in the high-tech industry cooperation in the ecosystem delivered good results. By considering a wider range of suppliers in other industries and forming new collaborations, the agro & food companies can build their own new ecosystem. In this way they might be able to apply a technology that is used in another industry to a solution for the agricultural and food industry.
Visual presentation of the innovation process in an organisation. In the picture there are references to European standard (technical specification) of IMS-system CEN/TS-16555
Research and Development is the most important and functional part of the whole business organization which helps in deciding the considerable objectives, finding ways to accomplish them and taking future decisions for overall business growth.
In 2017, Global Research and Development investment has been maximum in the field of electronics and computing. The present foremost requirement of developing business is innovation and Research and Development is contributing a lot towards it.
Thanks for Reading
Team MakeWebBetter
WHO IS THE GREATER INNOVATOR ?
WHAT ARE THE INNOVATION OBSTACLES?
Original Source www.ctca.ca, share here for discussion at www. facebook.com/xtrategist
This topic is related to general and professional studies like MBA. If u want to know about the complete innovation topic then please checkout my other presentation which i'll upload soon...
This presentation outlines our research and concept of introducing 'change management services' within a design consultancies service offerings.
We chose Hot Studio as the consultancy because of their unique position within the marketplace, a studio who offers strategy and digital design services as well as a small bridge into the physical design realm. This is a class project and is in no way professionally affiliated with Hot Studio.
Understanding the effects of outsourcing: unpacking the total factor producti...Ian McCarthy
Research on why firms should outsource and how they should do it has proliferated in the past two decades, but few consistent findings have emerged concerning the benefits of outsourcing. We argue that this is in part due to the lack of an adequate framework for measuring the effects of outsourcing. To address this, we present such a framework based upon the Cobb–Douglas productivity function. We explain how our framework can be used to unpack one component of the Cobb–Douglas productivity function, the ‘total factor productivity’, which represents the other numerous sub-variables that affect outsourcing productivity, beyond the capital and labour expenditures. We also demonstrate the framework using a simple illustrative example.
More innovation in agri & food by collaborating in a new ecosystem Nur America
By investing in collaboration to build a strong ecosystem, the agri-food companies can create new opportunities for innovation. The cooperation makes developing, maintaining and sharing knowledge easier and increases the optimal functioning of the value chain. Companies in an ecosystem together can devise better solutions that are differentiating and potentially cheaper.
For example, in the high-tech industry cooperation in the ecosystem delivered good results. By considering a wider range of suppliers in other industries and forming new collaborations, the agro & food companies can build their own new ecosystem. In this way they might be able to apply a technology that is used in another industry to a solution for the agricultural and food industry.
Visual presentation of the innovation process in an organisation. In the picture there are references to European standard (technical specification) of IMS-system CEN/TS-16555
Research and Development is the most important and functional part of the whole business organization which helps in deciding the considerable objectives, finding ways to accomplish them and taking future decisions for overall business growth.
In 2017, Global Research and Development investment has been maximum in the field of electronics and computing. The present foremost requirement of developing business is innovation and Research and Development is contributing a lot towards it.
Thanks for Reading
Team MakeWebBetter
WHO IS THE GREATER INNOVATOR ?
WHAT ARE THE INNOVATION OBSTACLES?
Original Source www.ctca.ca, share here for discussion at www. facebook.com/xtrategist
This topic is related to general and professional studies like MBA. If u want to know about the complete innovation topic then please checkout my other presentation which i'll upload soon...
This presentation outlines our research and concept of introducing 'change management services' within a design consultancies service offerings.
We chose Hot Studio as the consultancy because of their unique position within the marketplace, a studio who offers strategy and digital design services as well as a small bridge into the physical design realm. This is a class project and is in no way professionally affiliated with Hot Studio.
Understanding the effects of outsourcing: unpacking the total factor producti...Ian McCarthy
Research on why firms should outsource and how they should do it has proliferated in the past two decades, but few consistent findings have emerged concerning the benefits of outsourcing. We argue that this is in part due to the lack of an adequate framework for measuring the effects of outsourcing. To address this, we present such a framework based upon the Cobb–Douglas productivity function. We explain how our framework can be used to unpack one component of the Cobb–Douglas productivity function, the ‘total factor productivity’, which represents the other numerous sub-variables that affect outsourcing productivity, beyond the capital and labour expenditures. We also demonstrate the framework using a simple illustrative example.
Achieving contextual ambidexterity in R&D organizations: a management control...Ian McCarthy
Research on how managers control R&D activities has tended to focus on the performance measurement systems used to exploit existing knowledge and capabilities. This focus has been at the expense of how broader forms of management control could be used to enable R&D contextual ambidexterity, the capacity to attain appropriate levels of exploitation and exploration behaviors in the same R&D organizational unit. In this paper, we develop a conceptual framework for understanding how different types of control system, guided by different R&D strategic goals, can be used to induce and balance both exploitation and exploration. We illustrate the elements of this framework and their relations using data from biotechnology firms, and then discuss how the framework provides a basis to empirically examine a number of important control relationships and phenomena.
Toward a Phylogenetic Reconstruction of Organizational LifeIan McCarthy
Classification is an important activity that facilitates theory development in many academic disciplines. Scholars in fields such as organizational science, management science and economics and have long recognized that classification offers an approach for ordering and understanding the diversity of organizational taxa (groups of one or more similar organizational entities). However, even the most prominent organizational classifications have limited utility, as they tend to be shaped by a specific research bias, inadequate units of analysis and a standard neoclassical economic view that does not naturally accommodate the disequilibrium dynamics of modern competition. The result is a relatively large number of individual and unconnected organizational classifications, which tend to ignore the processes of change responsible for organizational diversity. Collectively they fail to provide any sort of universal system for ordering, compiling and presenting knowledge on organizational diversity. This paper has two purposes. First, it reviews the general status of the major theoretical approaches to biological and organizational classification and compares the methods and resulting classifications derived from each approach. Definitions of key terms and a discussion on the three principal schools of biological classification (evolutionary systematics, phenetics and cladistics) are included in this review. Second, this paper aims to encourage critical thinking and debate about the use of the cladistic classification approach for inferring and representing the historical relationships underpinning organizational diversity. This involves examining the feasibility of applying the logic of common ancestry to populations of organizations. Consequently, this paper is exploratory and preparatory in style, with illustrations and assertions concerning the study and classification of organizational diversity.
Achieving Agility Using Cladistics: An Evolutionary AnalysisIan McCarthy
To achieve the status of an agile manufacturer, organisations need to clearly understand the concept of agility, relative to their industrial and business circumstances and to then identify and acquire the appropriate characteristics which will result in an agile manufacturing organisation. This paper is not simply another discussion on the definition of agility, or a philosophical debate on the drivers and characteristics of agility. This paper presents an evolutionary modelling technique (cladistics) which could enable organisations to systematically manage and understand the emergence of new manufacturing forms within their business environment. This fundamental, but important insight is valuable for achieving successful organisational design and change. Thus, regardless of the industrial sector, managers could use cladistics as an evolutionary analysis technique for determining ``where they have been and where they are now''. Moving from a non-agile manufacture to an agile manufacture is a process of organisational change and evolutionary development. This evolutionary method will enable organisations to understand the landscape of manufacturing possibilities that exist, to identify appropriate agile forms and to successfully navigate that landscape.
Innovation in manufacturing as an evolutionary complex systemIan McCarthy
The focus of this paper is on innovation in terms of the new product development processes and to discuss its main features. This is followed by a presentation of the new ideas emerging from complex systems science. It is then demonstrated how complex systems provides an overall conceptual framework for thinking about innovation and for considering how this helps to provide understanding and advice for the organisation of new product development in different circumstances. Three case studies are quoted which illustrate the application of these new ideas.
Organisational diversity, evolution and cladistic classificationsIan McCarthy
This article presents a case for the construction of a formal classification of manufacturing systems using cladistics, a technique from the biological school of classification. A seven-stage framework for roducing a manufacturing cladogram is presented, along with a pilot case study example. This article describes the role that classification plays in the pure and applied sciences, the social sciences and reviews the status of existing manufacturing classifications. If organisational diversity and organisational change processes are governed by evolutionary mechanisms, studies of organisations based on an evolutionary approach such as cladistics could have potential, because as March [March JG. The evolution of evolution. In: Baum JAC, Singh JV, editors. Evolutionary dynamics of organizations. Oxford University Press, 1994. p. 39±52], page 45, states ``there is natural speculation that organisations, like species can be engineered by understanding the evolutionary processes well enough to intervene and produce competitive organisational effects''. It is suggested that a cladistic study could provide organisations with a ``knowledge map'' of the ecosystem in which they exist and by using this phylogenetic and situational analysis, they could determine coherent and appropriate action for the specification of change.
When customers get clever: Managerial approaches to dealing with creative con...Ian McCarthy
Creative consumers (defined as customers who adapt, modify, or transform a proprietary offering) represent an intriguing paradox for business. On
one hand, they can signify a black hole for future revenue, with breach of copyright and intellectual property. On the other hand, they represent a gold mine of ideas and business opportunities. Central to business is the need to create and capture value, and creative consumers demand a shift in the mindsets and business models of how firms accomplish both. Based upon their attitude and action toward customer innovation, we develop a typology of firms’ stances toward creative consumers. We then consider the implications of the stances model for corporate strategy and
examine a three-step approach to dealing with creative consumers: awareness, analysis, and response.
Understanding outsourcing contexts through information asymmetry and capabili...Ian McCarthy
Outsourcing is a strategic activity that has long been central to operations management research and practice. Yet, there are still many outsourcing management challenges that remain. In this article, we explore two of the outsourcing challenges that motivated this special issue and are central to the 10 articles included. To do this, we develop a theoretical model that examines how variations in capability fit and information asymmetry combine to present firms with four different outsourcing contexts. We then explain how each of the articles included in this special issue relate to our theoretical model and explore several avenues for future research.
The ability of current statistical classifications to separateservices and ma...Ian McCarthy
This paper explores the performance of current statistical classification systems in classifying firms and, in particular, their ability to distinguish between firms that provide services and firms that provide manufacturing. We find that a large share of firms, almost 20%, are not classified as expected based on a comparison of their statements of activities with the assigned industry codes. This result is robust to analyses on different levels of aggregation and is validated in an additional survey. It is well known from earlier literature that industry classification systems are not perfect. This paper provides a quantification of the flaws in classifications of firms. Moreover, it is explained why the classifications of firms are imprecise. The increasing complexity of production, inertia in changes to statistical systems and the increasing integration of manufacturing products and services are some of the primary and interrelated explanations for this lack of precision. We emphasise, however, that such classification problems are not resolved using a ‘technical fix’. Any statistical classification method involves a number of tradeoffs.
Complex adaptive system mechanisms, adaptive management practices, and firm p...Ian McCarthy
As a fascinating concept, the mechanisms of complex adaptive system (CAS) attracted many researchers from a variety of disciplines. Nevertheless, how the mechanism-related variables, such as strategic resonance, accreting nodes, pattern forming, and catalytic behavior of organization, impact the firm product innovativeness is rarely addressed empirically in the new product development (NPD) literature. Also, there exist limited studies on the antecedents of the mechanisms of CAS in the NPD literature. In this respect, we identified and operationalized the adaptive management practices, which involve bonding, nonlinear, and attractor behaviors of management, as antecedents of mechanisms and firm product innovativeness. By studying 235 firms, we found that (1) strategic resonance and accreting nodes are positively related to firm product innovativeness, (2) bonding, nonlinear, and attractor behaviors of management positively influence the mechanism variables, and (3) market and technology turbulence impact the adaptive management practices. We also found that mechanisms of CAS partially mediate the relationship between adaptive management practices and firm product innovativeness.
Technology Management - A Complex Adaptive Systems ApproachIan McCarthy
There are systems methods and evolutionary processes that can help organisations understand the innovative patterns and competitive mechanisms that influence the creation, management and exploitation of technology. This paper presents a specific model based on the evolutionary processes of variation, selection, retention and struggle, coupled with fitness landscape theory. This latter concept is a complex adaptive systems theory that has attained recognition as an approach for visually mapping the strategic options an evolving system could pursue. The relevance and utility of fitness landscape theory to the strategic management of technology is explored, and a definition and model of technological fitness provided. The complex adaptive systems perspective adopted by this paper, views organisations as evolving systems that formulate strategies by classifying, selecting, adopting and exploiting various combinations of technological capabilities. A model called the strategy configuration chain is presented to illustrate this strategic process.
New Product Development as a Complex Adaptive System of DecisionsIan McCarthy
Early research on new product development (NPD) has produced descriptive frameworks and models that view the process as a linear system with sequential and discrete stages. More recently, recursive and chaotic frameworks of NPD have been developed, both of which acknowledge that NPD progresses through a series of stages, but with overlaps, feedback loops, and resulting behaviors that resist reductionism
and linear analysis. This article extends the linear, recursive, and chaotic frameworks by viewing NPD as a complex adaptive system (CAS) governed by three levels of decision making — in-stage, review, and strategic—and the accompanying decision rules. The research develops and presents propositions that predict how the configuration and organization of NPD decision-making agents will influence
the potential for three mutually dependent CAS phenomena: nonlinearity, selforganization, and emergence. Together these phenomena underpin the potential for NPD process adaptability and congruence. To support and to verify the propositions, this study uses comparative case studies, which show that NPD process adaptability occurs and that it is dependent on the number and variety of agents, their corresponding connections and interactions, and the ordering or disordering effect of the decision levels and rules. Thus, the CAS framework developed within this article maintains a fit among descriptive stance, system behavior, and innovation type, as it considers individual NPD processes to be capable of switching or toggling between different behaviors — linear to chaotic — to produce corresponding innovation outputs that range from incremental to radical in accord with market expectations.
Why do some patents get licensed while others do not?Ian McCarthy
To understand why some patents get licensed and others do not, we estimate a portfolio of firm- and patent-level determinants for why a particular licensor’s patent was licensed over all technologically similar patents held by other licensors. Using data for licensed biopharmaceutical patents, we build a set of alternate patents that could have been licensed-in using topic modeling techniques. This provides a more sophisticated way of controlling for patent characteristics and analyzing the attractiveness of a licensor and the characteristics of the patent itself. We find that patents owned by licensors with technological prestige, experience at licensing, and combined technological depth and breadth have a greater chance at being chosen by licensees. This suggests that a licensor’s standing and organizational learning rather than the quality of its patent alone influence the success of outward licensing.
Unpacking the Social Media Phenomenon: Towards a Research AgendaIan McCarthy
In this paper, we highlight some of the challenges and opportunities that social media presents to researchers, and offer relevant theoretical avenues to be explored. To do this, we present a model that unpacks social media by using a honeycomb of seven functional building blocks. We then examine each of the seven building blocks and, through appropriate social and socio-technical theories, raise questions that warrant further in-depth research to advance the conceptualization of social media in public affairs research. Finally, we combine the individual research questions for each building block back into the honeycomb model to illustrate how the theories in combination provide a powerful macro-lens for research on social media dynamics.
Making a face: Graphical illustrations of managerial stances toward customer ...Ian McCarthy
Creative consumers – consumers who adapt, modify or transform a proprietary offering – represent an intriguing paradox for business. On the one hand they can be a black hole for future revenue, with breach of copyright and intellectual property, while on the other hand they represent a gold mine of ideas and business opportunities. This problem is central to business – business needs to both create and capture value; the problem is that creative consumers demand a shift in the mindsets and business models of how firms both create and capture value. We develop a typology of firms’ stances to creative consumers based upon their attitude and action towards customer innovation. We then consider the implications of the stances model for corporate strategy, and examine a three-step approach to dealing with creative consumers, namely, awareness, analysis and response.
Game on: Engaging customers and employees through gamificationIan McCarthy
Managers are frequently tasked with increasing the engagement levels of key stakeholders, such as customers and employees. Gamification - defined as the application of game design principles to change behavior in non-gaming contexts - is a tool that, if crafted and implemented properly, can increase engagement. In this article we discuss how gamification can aid customer and employee engagement, and delineate between four different types of customers and employees who act as ‘players’ in gamified experiences. We include illustrative examples of gamification and conclude by presenting five lessons for managers who wish to utilize gamification.
Strategy for Technology Transfer and Research Results Commercialization in Un...YogeshIJTSRD
In the globalization stage, there has been an increasing interest in the determinants and outcomes of successful technology transfer and commercialization of research results. In this study, An evaluation framework which crosses technology transfer services and research results commercialization in University has been created. We found that research based business idea generation increase at a faster rate for professors with private sector work experience who have more time for research in their positions. The article ends with a discussion of our empirical findings and its implications for support activities related to technology transfer and commercialization of research results. Dr. Le Nguyen Doan Khoi "Strategy for Technology Transfer and Research Results Commercialization in University" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-5 , August 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd44945.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/management/randd-management/44945/strategy-for-technology-transfer-and-research-results-commercialization-in-university/dr-le-nguyen-doan-khoi
Lean thinking literature review and suggestions for future researchWorld-Academic Journal
The research provides a literature overview from a timespan of more than 60 years with articles historically and thematically organized about the application of “Lean thinking” (LT) concept and the main research findings through different industries. Lean thinking is an important but yet still under researched aspect of strategic management. By collecting research records from ISI web of knowledge naming directly the lean thinking issue; 34 Web of science records, 10 Medline records and 2 Chinese citation database records were found. Results show that the main focus areas on lean thinking researches are mainly applied in health care industry (with the 48% of the collected records) followed by manufacturing industry (17%), construction (10%), product development (7%), training and education (7%) and supply chain (2%). Other industries (9%) are also starting to apply lean thinking philosophy according to the particularities of their domain. We find research gaps and provide directions for further investigation.
First part of a larger paper on the topic of incremental vs. radical innovation. The paper is based on extant research and tries to answer a very simple question: how to innovate? Marketing literature is used in order to provide a deeper understanding of the topic.
Examining Innovation Capability In A Supply Chain ContextCSCJournals
The current competitive business environment demands that firms are able to integrate operational capabilities of their supply chain members in order to develop, produce and deliver offerings at low cost and high quality. In order to understand innovation capability in a supply chain context, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of 'Comfort Audio', a leading company in medical technology in Sweden, which show incredible ability to develop innovative solutions and medical products over the years. A single case study was adopted in this study, which enabled in-depth analysis of the case company.
Findings, highlight, innovation capability factors is made up of: idea management, interactive learning, collaboration and idea implementation. In addition, consultants were found to be one of the key supply chain members contributing to the firm's innovation capability. The main theoretical contribution of the study is that innovation capability of a firm has been found to go beyond the internal capabilities that a focal firm owns or possesses, but rather through the access and utilisation of external actors' resources and capabilities, as a result of exchange relationships with the supply chain members.
Download Link > https://ertekprojects.com/gurdal-ertek-publications/blog/a-taxonomy-of-supply-chain-innovations/
In this paper, a taxonomy of supply chain and logistics innovations was developed and presented. The taxonomy was based on an extensive literature survey of both theoretical research and case studies. The primary goals are to provide guidelines for choosing the most appropriate innovations for a company and helping companies in positioning themselves in the supply chain innovations landscape. To this end, the three dimensions of supply chain innovations, namely the goals, supply chain attributes, and innovation attributes were identified and classified. The taxonomy allows for the efficient representation of critical supply chain innovations information, and serves the mentioned goals, which are fundamental to companies in a multitude of industries.
The open academic: Why and how business academics should use social media to ...Ian McCarthy
Abstract: The mission of many business schools and their researchers is to produce research that that impacts how business leaders, entrepreneurs, managers, and innovators, think and act. However, this mission remains an elusive ideal for many business school academics because they struggle to design and produce research capable of overcoming the "research-practice gap." To help those scholars address this gap, we explain why and how they should use social media to be more 'open' to connecting with, learning from, and working with academics and other stakeholders outside of their field. We describe how social media can be used as a boundary-spanning technology to help bridge the research-practice gap. To do this, we present a process model of five research activities: networking, framing, investigating, dissemination, and assessment. Using recently published research as an illustrative example, we describe how social media was used to make each activity more open. We conclude with a framework of different social media-enabled open academic approaches (connector, observer, promoter, and influencer) and some dos and don'ts for engaging in each approach. This paper aims to help business academics rethink and change their practices so that our profession is more widely regarded for how its research positively impacts practice and societal well-being more generally.
Big Data for Creating and Capturing Value in the Digitalized Environment: Unp...Ian McCarthy
Despite significant academic and managerial interest in big data, there is a dearth of research on how big data impacts
the long-term firm performance. Reasons for this gap include a lack of objective indices to measure big data
availability and its impact, and the tendency of studies to ignore the costs associated with collecting and analyzing
big data, assuming that big data automatically delivers benefits to firms. Focusing on how firms create and capture
value from big data about customers, we use the resource-based view and three dimensions of big data (i.e., volume,
variety, and veracity) to understand when the benefits outweigh the costs. Relying on the number of downloads of
mobile device applications, we find that volume of big data has a negative effect on firm performance. This result
suggests that the “bigness” of big data alone does not ensure value creation for a firm, and could even constitute a
“dark side” of big data. Because big data variety—measured as the number of types of information taken per each
application—moderates the negative effects of big data volume, simultaneous high values of volume and variety
allow firms to create value that positively affects their performance. In addition, high levels of veracity (i.e., a high
percentage of employees devoted to big data analysis), are linked to firms benefiting from big data via value capture.
These findings shed light on the circumstances in which big data can be beneficial for firms, contributing to a better
theoretical understanding of the opportunities and challenges and providing useful indications to managers.
Standardization in a Digital and Global World: State-of-the-Art and Future Pe...Ian McCarthy
We discuss how the standards emerge from an interaction between three main sources, the standards standard-setting organizations (SSOs), the competitive market forces, and the government. We present a framework (see Table I) that highlights how these sources differ and work together to shape the standardization in a digital and global context. Also, using this framework, we introduce the contribution of each article of this issue and their contribution to some of the major issues that the standardization is facing today in a digital and global world. We conclude with the suggestions of avenues for future research on this topic.
Open branding: Managing the unauthorized use of brand-related intellectual pr...Ian McCarthy
Consumers often innovate with brand-related intellectual property (IP) without permission. Although firms often respond by exercising their legal right to stop such activity, there are a variety of situations in which consumers’ unauthorized use of brand-related IP can be desirable for a brand or in which enforcing IP rights can adversely affect a brand. This article illustrates situations in which managers may benefit from choosing to forgo exercising their IP rights. To assist managers, this article contributes a framework for understanding the managerial approaches to situations in which consumers use IP without permission.
Does getting along matter? Tourist-tourist rapport in guided group activitiesIan McCarthy
Guided group activities, where tourists consume with other tourists, are common and important. Although the
tourism and services literature suggests customer-employee rapport impacts customer satisfaction, the composition
and impact of tourist-tourist rapport in guided group activities have received minimal attention. We use a
three-study mixed method approach to conceptualize and examine tourist-tourist rapport in guided group activities.
Study 1 identifies two recognized dyadic dimensions of tourist-tourist rapport (enjoyable interaction and
personal connection) and two new group-based dimensions (group attentiveness and service congruity). Study 2
(video experiment) and Study 3 (field experiment) find that enjoyable interaction and personal connection
mediate the relationship between group attentiveness and service congruity with satisfaction. Thus, touristtourist
rapport in a group context is more multidimensional and complex than previously conceptualized for
customer-employee rapport and non-group contexts. Further, we find tourist-tourist rapport is a critical service
factor such that high levels satisfy, while low levels dissatisfy.
Social media? It's serious! Understanding the dark side of social mediaIan McCarthy
Research and practice have mostly focused on the “bright side” of social media, aiming to understand and help in leveraging the manifold opportunities afforded by this technology. However, it is increasingly observable that social media present enormous risks for individuals, communities, firms, and even for society as a whole. Examples for this “dark side” of social media include cyberbullying, addictive use, trolling, online witch hunts, fake news, and privacy abuse. In this article, we aim to illustrate the multidimensionality of the dark side of social media and describe the related various undesirable outcomes. To do this, we adapt the established social media honeycomb framework to explain the dark side implications of each of the seven functional building blocks: conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, groups, and identity. On the basis of these reflections, we present a number of avenues for future research, so as to facilitate a better understanding and use of social media.
Leveraging social capital in university-industry knowledge transfer strategie...Ian McCarthy
University-industry partnerships emphasise the transformation of knowledge into products and processes which can be commercially exploited. This paper presents a framework for understanding how social capital in university-industry partnerships affect knowledge transfer strategies, which impacts on collaborative innovation developments. University-industry partnerships in three different countries, all from regions at varying stages of development, are compared using the proposed framework. These include a developed region (Canada), a transition region (Malta), and a developing region (South Africa). Structural, relational and cognitive social capital dimensions are mapped against the knowledge transfer strategy that the university-industry partnership employed: leveraging existing knowledge or appropriating new knowledge. Exploring the comparative presence of social capital in knowledge transfer strategies assists in better understanding how university-industry partnerships can position themselves to facilitate innovation. The paper proposes a link between social capital and knowledge transfer strategy by illustrating how it impacts the competitive positioning of the university-industry partners involved.
Do your employees think your slogan is “fake news?” A framework for understan...Ian McCarthy
Purpose – This article explores how employees can perceive and be impacted by the fakeness of their company slogans.
Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual study draws on the established literature on company slogans, employee audiences, and fake news to create a framework through which to understand fake company slogans.
Findings – Employees attend to two important dimensions of slogans: whether they accurately reflect a company’s (1) values and (2) value proposition. These dimensions combine to form a typology of four ways in which employees can perceive their company’s slogans: namely, authentic, narcissistic, foreign, or corrupt.
Research limitations/implications – This paper outlines how the typology provides a theoretical basis for more refined empirical research on how company slogans influence a key stakeholder: their employees. Future research could test the arguments about how certain characteristics of slogans are more or less likely to cause employees to conclude that slogans are fake news. Those conclusions will, in turn, have implications for the
morale and engagement of employees. The ideas herein can also enable a more comprehensive assessment of the impact of slogans.
Practical implications – Employees can view three types of slogans as fake news (narcissistic, foreign, and corrupt slogans). This paper identifies the implications of each type and explains how companies can go about developing authentic slogans.
Originality/value – This paper explores the impact of slogan fakeness on employees: an important audience that has been neglected by studies to
date. Thus, the insights and implications specific to this internal stakeholder are novel.
Making sense of text: artificial intelligence-enabled content analysisIan McCarthy
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce, apply and compare how artificial intelligence (AI), and specifically the IBM Watson system, can be used for content analysis in marketing research relative to manual and computer-aided (non-AI) approaches to content analysis.
Design/methodology/approach – To illustrate the use of AI enabled content analysis, this paper examines the text of leadership speeches, content related to organizational brand. The process and results of using AI are compared to manual and computer-aided approaches by using three performance factors for content analysis: reliability, validity and efficiency.
Findings – Relative to manual and computer-aided approaches, AI-enabled content analysis provides clear advantages with high reliability, high validity and moderate efficiency.
Research limitations/implications – This paper offers three contributions. First, it highlights the continued importance of the content analysis research method, particularly with the explosive growth of natural language-based user-generated content. Second, it provides a road map of how to use AI-enabled content analysis. Third, it applies and compares AI-enabled content analysis to manual and computer-aided, using leadership speeches.
Practical implications – For each of the three approaches, nine steps are outlined and described to allow for replicability of this study. The advantages and disadvantages of using AI for content analysis are discussed. Together these are intended to motivate and guide researchers to apply and develop AI-enabled content analysis for research in marketing and other disciplines.
Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first to introduce, apply and compare how AI can be used for content analysis.
Confronting indifference toward truth: Dealing with workplace bullshitIan McCarthy
Abstract Many organizations are drowning in a flood of corporate bullshit, and this is particularly true of organizations in trouble, whose managers tend to make up stuff on the fly and with little regard for future consequences. Bullshitting and lying are not synonymous. While the liar knows the truth and wittingly bends it to suit their purpose, the bullshitter simply does not care about the truth. Managers can actually do something about organizational bullshit, and this Executive Digest provides a sequential framework that enables them to do so. They can comprehend it, they can recognize it for what it is, they can act against it, and they can take steps to prevent it from happening in the future. While it is unlikely that any organization will ever be able to rid itself of bullshit entirely, this article argues that by taking these steps, astute managers can work toward stemming its flood.
The Promise of Digitalization: Unpacking the Effects of Big Data Volume, Vari...Ian McCarthy
Despite significant academic and managerial interest in big data, there is a dearth of research on how big data impacts long-term firm performance. Reasons for this gap include a lack of objective indices to measure big data availability and its impact, and the tendency of studies to ignore the costs associated with collecting and analyzing big data, assuming that big data automatically delivers benefits to firms. Focusing on how firms create and capture value from big data about customers, we use the resource-based view (RBV) and three dimensions of big data (i.e., volume, variety and veracity) to understand when the benefits outweigh the costs. Relying on the number of downloads of mobile device applications, we find that volume of big data has a negative effect on firm performance. This result suggests that the ‘bigness’ of big data alone does not ensure value creation for a firm, and could even constitute a ‘dark side’ of big data. Because big data variety – measured as the number of types of information taken per each application – moderates the negative effects of big data volume, simultaneous high values of volume and variety allow firms to create value that positively affects their performance. In addition, high levels of veracity (i.e., a high percentage of employees devoted to big data analysis), are linked to firms benefiting from big data via value capture. These findings shed light on the circumstances in which big data can be beneficial for firms, contributing to a better theoretical understanding of the opportunities and challenges and providing useful indications to managers.
Masterclass: Confronting indifference to truthIan McCarthy
Many organizations are drowning in a flood of corporate bullshit, and this is particularly true of organizations in trouble, whose managers tend to make up stuff on the fly and with little regard for future consequences. Bullshitting and lying are not synonymous. While the liar knows the truth and wittingly bends it to suit their purpose, the bullshitter simply does not care about the truth. Managers can actually do something about organizational bullshit, and this Executive Digest provides a sequential framework that enables them to do so. They can comprehend it, they can recognize it for what it is, they can act against it, and they can take steps to prevent it from happening in the future. While it is unlikely that any organization will ever be able to rid itself of bullshit entirely, this article argues that by taking these steps, astute managers can work toward stemming its flood.
Confronting indifference toward truth: Dealing with workplace bullshitIan McCarthy
Many organizations are drowning in a flood of corporate bullshit, and this is particularly true of organizations in trouble, whose managers tend to make up stuff on the fly and with little regard for future consequences. Bullshitting and lying are not synonymous. While the liar knows the truth and wittingly bends it to suit their purpose, the bullshitter simply does not care about the truth. Managers can actually do something about organizational bullshit, and this Executive Digest provides a sequential framework that enables them to do so. They can comprehend it, they can recognize it for what it is, they can act against it, and they can take steps to prevent it from happening in the future. While it is unlikely that any organization will ever be able to rid itself of bullshit entirely, this article argues that by taking these steps, astute managers can work toward stemming its flood.
Although manipulations of visual and auditory media are as old as the media themselves, the recent entrance of deepfakes has marked a turning point in the creation of fake content. Powered by latest technological advances in AI and machine learning, they offer automated procedures to create fake content that is harder and harder to detect to human observers. The possibilities to deceive are endless, including manipulated pictures, videos and audio, that will have large societal impact. Because of this, organizations need to understand the inner workings of the underlying techniques, as well as their strengths and limitations. This article provides a working definition of deepfakes together with an overview of the underlying technology. We classify different deepfake types: photo (face- and body-swapping), audio (voice-swapping, text to speech), video (face-swapping, face-morphing, full body puppetry) and audio & video (lip-synching), and identify risks and opportunities to help organizations think about the future of deepfakes. Finally, we propose the R.E.A.L. framework to manage deepfake risks: Record original content to assure deniability, Expose deepfakes early, Advocate for legal protection and Leverage trust to counter credulity. Following these principles, we hope that our society can be more prepared to counter the deepfake tricks as we appreciate its treats.
Social media? It’s serious! Understanding the dark side of social mediaIan McCarthy
Research and practice have mostly focused on the “bright side” of social media, aiming to understand and help in leveraging the manifold opportunities afforded by this technology. However, it is increasingly observable that social media present enormous risks for individuals, communities, firms, and even the whole of society. Examples for this “dark side” of social media include cyberbullying, addictive use, trolling, online witch hunts, fake news, and privacy abuse. In this article, we aim to illustrate the multidimensionality of the dark side of social media and describe the related various undesirable outcomes. To do this, we adapt the established social media honeycomb framework to explain the dark side implications of each of the seven functional building blocks: conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, groups, and identity. On the basis of these reflections, we present a number of avenues for future research, so as to facilitate a better understanding and use of social media.
The propensity and speed of technology licensing: at LUISS Guido Carli Univer...Ian McCarthy
Licensing speed: There has been much research interest in the speed of innovation, although few consistent findings have emerged. In this study, we unpack the innovation process and focus on the commercialization stage to examine two questions: Which licensor and patent characteristics determine the speed of licensing? How does the speed of licensing impact the royalties and lumpsum payments to licensors? We addressed these questions by proposing that licensing speed is influenced by variables for licensor prominence (size and experience), licensor knowledge structuration (technological depth, technological breadth and experience), and patent appeal (forward citations, scope and complexity). We predict and find that these variables work to increase the size, complexity and duration of the licensing-out task, while also allowing licensors to take their time to review, negotiate and select agreements with higher royalty rates. These findings are counter to arguments for a fast-paced innovation strategy, as it suggests that for the commercialization stage of the innovation process the relationship between licensing speed and licensor royalty
rates rewards a ‘less haste, greater payoff approach.
Seven steps for framing and testing a research paperIan McCarthy
I use the steps in this presentation to:
(i) test research ideas for research papers,
(ii) shape research papers, and
(iii) help draft the Introduction section of a research paper.
For each step I draft one or two concise paragraphs.
I then present and share these with co-authors, collaborators and colleagues to test the ideas and get feedback on how interesting and valid they are.
I consider and work through these steps several times during the life of a research paper framed.
Cracking the Workplace Discipline Code Main.pptxWorkforce Group
Cultivating and maintaining discipline within teams is a critical differentiator for successful organisations.
Forward-thinking leaders and business managers understand the impact that discipline has on organisational success. A disciplined workforce operates with clarity, focus, and a shared understanding of expectations, ultimately driving better results, optimising productivity, and facilitating seamless collaboration.
Although discipline is not a one-size-fits-all approach, it can help create a work environment that encourages personal growth and accountability rather than solely relying on punitive measures.
In this deck, you will learn the significance of workplace discipline for organisational success. You’ll also learn
• Four (4) workplace discipline methods you should consider
• The best and most practical approach to implementing workplace discipline.
• Three (3) key tips to maintain a disciplined workplace.
Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit and TemplatesAurelien Domont, MBA
This Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit was created by ex-McKinsey, Deloitte and BCG Management Consultants, after more than 5,000 hours of work. It is considered the world's best & most comprehensive Digital Transformation and IT Strategy Toolkit. It includes all the Frameworks, Best Practices & Templates required to successfully undertake the Digital Transformation of your organization and define a robust IT Strategy.
Editable Toolkit to help you reuse our content: 700 Powerpoint slides | 35 Excel sheets | 84 minutes of Video training
This PowerPoint presentation is only a small preview of our Toolkits. For more details, visit www.domontconsulting.com
Falcon stands out as a top-tier P2P Invoice Discounting platform in India, bridging esteemed blue-chip companies and eager investors. Our goal is to transform the investment landscape in India by establishing a comprehensive destination for borrowers and investors with diverse profiles and needs, all while minimizing risk. What sets Falcon apart is the elimination of intermediaries such as commercial banks and depository institutions, allowing investors to enjoy higher yields.
LA HUG - Video Testimonials with Chynna Morgan - June 2024Lital Barkan
Have you ever heard that user-generated content or video testimonials can take your brand to the next level? We will explore how you can effectively use video testimonials to leverage and boost your sales, content strategy, and increase your CRM data.🤯
We will dig deeper into:
1. How to capture video testimonials that convert from your audience 🎥
2. How to leverage your testimonials to boost your sales 💲
3. How you can capture more CRM data to understand your audience better through video testimonials. 📊
"𝑩𝑬𝑮𝑼𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑻𝑱 𝑰𝑺 𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑭 𝑫𝑶𝑵𝑬"
𝐓𝐉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐬 (𝐓𝐉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬) is a professional event agency that includes experts in the event-organizing market in Vietnam, Korea, and ASEAN countries. We provide unlimited types of events from Music concerts, Fan meetings, and Culture festivals to Corporate events, Internal company events, Golf tournaments, MICE events, and Exhibitions.
𝐓𝐉 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐬 provides unlimited package services including such as Event organizing, Event planning, Event production, Manpower, PR marketing, Design 2D/3D, VIP protocols, Interpreter agency, etc.
Sports events - Golf competitions/billiards competitions/company sports events: dynamic and challenging
⭐ 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬:
➢ 2024 BAEKHYUN [Lonsdaleite] IN HO CHI MINH
➢ SUPER JUNIOR-L.S.S. THE SHOW : Th3ee Guys in HO CHI MINH
➢FreenBecky 1st Fan Meeting in Vietnam
➢CHILDREN ART EXHIBITION 2024: BEYOND BARRIERS
➢ WOW K-Music Festival 2023
➢ Winner [CROSS] Tour in HCM
➢ Super Show 9 in HCM with Super Junior
➢ HCMC - Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture and Tourism Festival
➢ Korean Vietnam Partnership - Fair with LG
➢ Korean President visits Samsung Electronics R&D Center
➢ Vietnam Food Expo with Lotte Wellfood
"𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬."
RMD24 | Debunking the non-endemic revenue myth Marvin Vacquier Droop | First ...BBPMedia1
Marvin neemt je in deze presentatie mee in de voordelen van non-endemic advertising op retail media netwerken. Hij brengt ook de uitdagingen in beeld die de markt op dit moment heeft op het gebied van retail media voor niet-leveranciers.
Retail media wordt gezien als het nieuwe advertising-medium en ook mediabureaus richten massaal retail media-afdelingen op. Merken die niet in de betreffende winkel liggen staan ook nog niet in de rij om op de retail media netwerken te adverteren. Marvin belicht de uitdagingen die er zijn om echt aansluiting te vinden op die markt van non-endemic advertising.
Memorandum Of Association Constitution of Company.pptseri bangash
www.seribangash.com
A Memorandum of Association (MOA) is a legal document that outlines the fundamental principles and objectives upon which a company operates. It serves as the company's charter or constitution and defines the scope of its activities. Here's a detailed note on the MOA:
Contents of Memorandum of Association:
Name Clause: This clause states the name of the company, which should end with words like "Limited" or "Ltd." for a public limited company and "Private Limited" or "Pvt. Ltd." for a private limited company.
https://seribangash.com/article-of-association-is-legal-doc-of-company/
Registered Office Clause: It specifies the location where the company's registered office is situated. This office is where all official communications and notices are sent.
Objective Clause: This clause delineates the main objectives for which the company is formed. It's important to define these objectives clearly, as the company cannot undertake activities beyond those mentioned in this clause.
www.seribangash.com
Liability Clause: It outlines the extent of liability of the company's members. In the case of companies limited by shares, the liability of members is limited to the amount unpaid on their shares. For companies limited by guarantee, members' liability is limited to the amount they undertake to contribute if the company is wound up.
https://seribangash.com/promotors-is-person-conceived-formation-company/
Capital Clause: This clause specifies the authorized capital of the company, i.e., the maximum amount of share capital the company is authorized to issue. It also mentions the division of this capital into shares and their respective nominal value.
Association Clause: It simply states that the subscribers wish to form a company and agree to become members of it, in accordance with the terms of the MOA.
Importance of Memorandum of Association:
Legal Requirement: The MOA is a legal requirement for the formation of a company. It must be filed with the Registrar of Companies during the incorporation process.
Constitutional Document: It serves as the company's constitutional document, defining its scope, powers, and limitations.
Protection of Members: It protects the interests of the company's members by clearly defining the objectives and limiting their liability.
External Communication: It provides clarity to external parties, such as investors, creditors, and regulatory authorities, regarding the company's objectives and powers.
https://seribangash.com/difference-public-and-private-company-law/
Binding Authority: The company and its members are bound by the provisions of the MOA. Any action taken beyond its scope may be considered ultra vires (beyond the powers) of the company and therefore void.
Amendment of MOA:
While the MOA lays down the company's fundamental principles, it is not entirely immutable. It can be amended, but only under specific circumstances and in compliance with legal procedures. Amendments typically require shareholder
Premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions for Modern BusinessesSynapseIndia
Stay ahead of the curve with our premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions. Our expert developers utilize MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js to create modern and responsive web applications. Trust us for cutting-edge solutions that drive your business growth and success.
Know more: https://www.synapseindia.com/technology/mean-stack-development-company.html
Tata Group Dials Taiwan for Its Chipmaking Ambition in Gujarat’s DholeraAvirahi City Dholera
The Tata Group, a titan of Indian industry, is making waves with its advanced talks with Taiwanese chipmakers Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) and UMC Group. The goal? Establishing a cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication unit (fab) in Dholera, Gujarat. This isn’t just any project; it’s a potential game changer for India’s chipmaking aspirations and a boon for investors seeking promising residential projects in dholera sir.
Visit : https://www.avirahi.com/blog/tata-group-dials-taiwan-for-its-chipmaking-ambition-in-gujarats-dholera/
Attending a job Interview for B1 and B2 Englsih learnersErika906060
It is a sample of an interview for a business english class for pre-intermediate and intermediate english students with emphasis on the speking ability.
Business Valuation Principles for EntrepreneursBen Wann
This insightful presentation is designed to equip entrepreneurs with the essential knowledge and tools needed to accurately value their businesses. Understanding business valuation is crucial for making informed decisions, whether you're seeking investment, planning to sell, or simply want to gauge your company's worth.
Standardization efforts:The relationship between knowledge dimensions, search processes and innovation outcomes
1. Standardization efforts: The relationship between knowledge
dimensions, search processes and innovation outcomes
Zongjie Xie a,n
, Jeremy Hall b
, Ian P. McCarthy c
, Martin Skitmore d
, Liyin Shen a
a
School of Construction Management and Real Estate, International Research Centre for Sustainable Built Environment, Chongqing University, 174
Shazhengjie, Chongqing, 400030 PR China
b
Nottingham University Business School, Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK
c
Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6
d
Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia
a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Received 30 September 2014
Received in revised form
2 December 2015
Accepted 16 December 2015
Available online 24 December 2015
Keywords:
Standardization effort
Search process
Innovation
Knowledge
Construction industry
a b s t r a c t
We explore how a standardization effort (i.e., when a firm pursues standards to further innovation)
involves different search processes for knowledge and innovation outcomes. Using an inductive case
study of Vanke, a leading Chinese property developer, we show how varying degrees of knowledge
complexity and codification combine to produce a typology of four types of search process: active, in-
tegrative, decentralized and passive, resulting in four types of innovation outcome: modular, radical, in-
cremental and architectural. We argue that when the standardization effort in a firm involves highly
codified knowledge, incremental and architectural innovation outcomes are fostered, while modular and
radical innovations are hindered. We discuss how standardization efforts can result in a second-order
innovation capability, and conclude by calling for comparative research in other settings to understand
how standardization efforts can be suited to different types of search process in different industry
contexts.
& 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
1. Introduction
This paper focuses on how a firm's standardization efforts im-
pact its knowledge search processes, and the resulting innovation
outcomes. Standardization is the process of developing and im-
plementing specifications based on the consensus of the views of
firms, users, interest groups and governments (Sherif, 2006;
Saltzman et al., 2008). The resulting standards are intended to
promote compatibility, interoperability and quality. An early ex-
ample of standardization is the regulation of the sizes of the
threads that we find on nuts, bolts and screws, which was
achieved by the development of a screw-cutting lathe that could
repeatedly produce these products to specific standards with
universal applications.
Standards can be developed and governed by Standards De-
velopment Organizations (SDO) or independently, for example, by
firms who have a first mover or dominant position in the market
(Utterback, 1996). When a firm pursues a standard to produce an
innovation outcome, this what we call a ‘standardization effort'.
More specifically, a standardization effort is when a firm pursues a
leadership role in developing standards to further innovation. For
example, Google followed a standardization effort when acquiring
and developing the innovations for its mobile operating system,
Android (Grøtnes, 2009).
Scholars have argued that standardization has a significant
impact on the creation and diffusion of innovations (Dolfsma and
Seo, 2013; Grøtnes, 2009; Lecocq and Demil, 2006; Tassey, 2000;
Wrighta et al., 2012). However, prior research on the relationship
between standardization and innovation remains inconsistent. For
example, some studies have proposed a positive relationship
(Rysman and Simcoe, 2008), where standardization fosters the
diffusion of innovation (Hashem and Tann, 2007) and changes
industrial structures (Lecocq and Demil, 2006), whereas others
have argued that it constrains innovation, by inhibiting creativity
(Hamel, 2006) and postponing the gestation period between in-
vention and successful commercialization (Hill and Rothaermel,
2003). A number of studies have noted this unclear relationship
between innovation and standardization (Gilson et al., 2005; Kano,
2000; Wrighta et al., 2012; Yoo et al., 2005). In one case,
Damanpour (1991) argues that standardization can establish
managerial control when implementing innovation in a
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/technovation
Technovation
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2015.12.002
0166-4972/& 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
n
Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: zjxie@cqu.edu.cn (Z. Xie),
jeremy.hall@nottingham.ac.uk (J. Hall), ian_mccarth@sfu.ca (I.P. McCarthy),
rm.skitmore@qut.edu.au (M. Skitmore), shenliyin@cqu.edu.cn (L. Shen).
Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–78
2. manufacturing context, but it might also constrain the producer–
client relationship in a service context. Given such inconsistencies,
better understanding the inter-play and relationship between
standardization and innovation is an important research
opportunity.
In response, this study aims to improve our understanding of
how the search for knowledge associated with a firm's standar-
dization effort can result in more effective innovation manage-
ment. According to Nelson and Winter (1982), understanding how
firms search for knowledge helps to explain innovative behavior, a
perspective that has since been widely applied within the in-
novation discourse (Chiang and Hung, 2010; Cillo and Verona,
2008; Fabrizio, 2009; Laursen and Salter, 2004; Mahdi, 2003). For
example, Rosenkopf and Nerkar (2001) explored how a local
search for solutions, using current knowledge, contrasts with
distant search, or what Rosenkopf and Almeida (2003) call ex-
plorative learning. Katila and Ahuja (2002) focused on search
depth (how deeply existing knowledge is reused) and search scope
(how widely new knowledge is explored), while Greve (2003)
investigated problematic search caused by low performance and
slack search caused by excess resources.
In addition to how variations in search scope can impact in-
novation, studies have also highlighted the importance of different
approaches to search. Broadcast search is suited to external solvers
self-selecting themselves to create a solution (Jeppesen and
Lakhani, 2010). In contrast ‘pyramiding’, a search process based
upon the view that appropriate experts will know other appro-
priate experts, is used for identifying individuals who have more
of a given attribute by “moving up to the pyramid” (Hippel et al.,
2009:1398). Furthermore, search processes can vary in terms of
the extent to which alliance partners jointly search for new
knowledge across different knowledge domains (Zack, 1999) or
use search processes to selectively target knowledge sources from
product market, science and suppliers (McCarthy et al., 2006;
Nicholson and Sahay, 2004).
We present our arguments in four sections. First, we review the
literature on standardization and innovation to identify how dif-
ferent dimensions of knowledge, embedded in the standardization
effort, can impact different types of innovation outcome (see
Fig. 1). We also examine and illustrate the potential relationships
between the different dimensions of knowledge, search processes
and innovation outcomes involved in a standardization effort.
Second, to investigate and illustrate the relationships between
these elements of a standardization effort, we present a case study
on Vanke Co., Ltd. (Vanke), the largest residential property de-
veloper in China. For almost 16 years, Vanke has undertaken a
standardization effort in housing design and construction. This
resulted in standards and innovations for mass off-site fabrication
(referred to as ‘housing industrialization’), which have since been
adopted by the Chinese construction industry and influenced re-
lated Chinese government policies. Third, we discuss the case
findings and present a typology of four types of search process:
active, integrative, decentralized and passive, along with four dif-
ferent types of innovation outcome: modular, radical, incremental
and architectural. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing
theoretical and practical implications of our research.
2. Standardization and innovation in management research
Looking across the literature that explores the relationship
between standardization and innovation, we identify two recur-
ring main themes – knowledge embedded in standardization and
types of innovation outcome (see Table 1). In this section we
specifically discuss knowledge in the context of a firm's standar-
dization effort. In addition, we discuss innovation from the per-
spective of searching for knowledge during a standardization ef-
fort. Although widely acknowledged as a key to understanding
innovative behavior, search is only alluded to in the standardiza-
tion discourse. The dearth of research in this area is reflected in its
absence from our literature summary table (Table 1).
Fig. 1. Standardization efforts and the relationship between knowledge dimen-
sions, search processes and innovation outcomes.
Table 1
Standardization and innovation in management research.
Example study Dimensions of knowledge embedded in a firm's standar-
dization effort
Types of innovation outcome
Tassey (2000) High codification, high complexity Modular/architectural/incremental/radical
Kano (2000) High or low codification, high complexity Systematic/stand-alone
Tether et al. (2001) High codification, high complexity Service/process
Yoo et al. (2005) High or low codification, high complexity Diffusion/system/process
Rysman and Simcoe (2008) High codification, high complexity Diffusion/cumulative
Leiponen (2008) High or low codification, high complexity No classification
Grøtnes (2009) High or low codification, high complexity Outside-in/inside-out/coupled process
Viardot (2010) High or low codification, high complexity Incremental/radical
Wrighta et al. (2012) High codification, high or low complexity Incremental/radical management innovation
Narayanana and Chen (2012) High or low codification, high complexity Modular/architectural/incremental/radical/product/process/institu-
tional/industrial/technological
Hytönen et al. (2013) High or low codification, high complexity No classification
Dolfsma and Seo (2013) High codification, high complexity Discrete/cumulative
Gao et al. (2014) High or low codification, high complexity Diffusion/capability
Groesser (2014) High or low codification, high complexity System/diffusion/incremental
Lopez-Berzosa and Gawer (2014) High codification, high complexity Collective innovation
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–7870
3. 2.1. Knowledge embedded in a firm's standardization effort
Standardization is a deliberate attempt by an organization to
develop, ratify and implement standards among stakeholders (Gao
et al., 2014). Standardization can be led by a Standards Develop-
ment Organization (SDO), such as the American Society of Me-
chanical Engineers (ASME) that oversees standards for mechanical
components and devices. It can also be led by individual firms
pursuing a standard for their products or processes and related
innovations. This is called a ‘standardization effort’. For example,
Google developed the Android operating system for mobile tele-
communication devices (Grøtnes, 2009), and management and
accounting consultancies have, over time, developed standardized
agendas and methods used within their industry (Wrighta et al.,
2012).
Table 1 presents that research on standardization and innova-
tion has employed two dimensions of knowledge to characterize
the processes: codification and complexity. Codification refers to
the extent to which knowledge can be documented, transferred or
shared (Zack, 1999). The life cycles of standardization (Tether et al.,
2001) and technological change (Anderson and Tushman, 1990)
help explain how the level of knowledge codification can vary in
standardization. Non-codified knowledge usually emerges at ear-
lier stages of standardization when technological uncertainties,
trials, and competition among various competing technologies are
common. The early stage of a standardization effort can end with
the emergence of, for example, a dominant design (Anderson and
Tushman, 1990) and the non-codified knowledge partially trans-
forms to codified knowledge when the industry standard becomes
established.
Although studies define standardization and standards differ-
ently, they rarely emphasize this distinction, while some studies
treat the two terms synonymously. For example, Tassey
(2000:588) explains that “standardization represents a codifica-
tion of an element of an industry's technology or simply some
information relevant to the conduct of economic activity”, while
standards are “a set of specifications to which all elements of
products, processes, formats, or procedures under its jurisdiction
must conform”. These definitions assume that standardization is a
knowledge codification process, to assist understanding of the
innovations and promote the efficiency of economic activity,
especially in highly skilled settings (Bénézech et al., 2001).
We argue that merely focusing on codified knowledge under-
estimates the role of the capabilities and learning mechanisms
accumulated from non-codified knowledge embedded in stan-
dardization. Such mechanisms can be developed as part of the
process of developing and implementing a standard (Zollo and
Winter, 2002), but tend to be neglected in the knowledge codifi-
cation process of standardization. In technology industries, for
example, the processes of standardization include providing
compatible technology, creating a supportive network, developing
a dominant brand name, going global, minimizing production cost
and investing more than the competitors (Viardot, 2010). In our
view, studies have tended to focus merely on the codified
knowledge i.e., the process outcome, at the expense of non-codi-
fied knowledge that is embedded in the process of standardiza-
tion. By ‘embedded’ we mean that the knowledge resides in the
“organizing principles, routines and standard operating proce-
dures” (Nicholson and Sahay, 2004:337) necessary for the stan-
dardization effort.
The second dimension of knowledge listed in Table 1 is
knowledge complexity, which is the extent to which knowledge
can flow and be used independently between people or subunits
of firms (Teece, 1986; Winter, 1987). To be understood and used,
knowledge with high complexity requires some other knowledge
or additional processing. Knowledge with low complexity is stand-
alone and can be more easily transferred and used. The literature
emphasizes the importance of knowledge complexity in a firm's
standardization effort, but fails to delineate how it impacts the
type of innovation outcome that is produced.
Some studies suggest that high knowledge complexity is cen-
tral to standardization (Rysman and Simcoe, 2008; Tassey, 2000;
Tether et al., 2001). For example, Yoo et al. (2005) argue that the
standardization and innovation in broadband mobile services is
driven by the need to integrate complex and diverse technological
knowledge. The literature moreover suggests that knowledge
embedded in standardization may be composed of different de-
grees of complexity. For example, knowledge will likely be less
complex when fewer stakeholders are involved, such as a ‘bespoke
(one-off, custom-made) service' (Tether et al., 2001), and more
complex when the stakeholders involved have different techno-
logical, social and economic backgrounds or interests (Yoo et al.,
2005). Knowledge complexity is likely to be exacerbated when
sustainable development issues are driving innovation (Matos and
Hall, 2007; Zollo and Winter, 2002) as is the case in the con-
struction industry (discussed below).
Narayanana and Chen (2012) reveal, implicitly, that knowledge
complexity in standardization has the potential to influence ar-
chitectural innovation at the community level (i.e., competing
firms and their technological platforms) and modular innovation
within the product offerings. These types of innovation come from
a classification (modular, radical, incremental and architectural)
based on the extent to which the innovation involves new inter-
faces between components and or involves new components alone
(Henderson and Clark, 1990). These types of innovation are re-
levant to the issue of knowledge complexity in standardization
which usually determines the interfaces that links components in
a product. For example, Kleinsmann et al. (2010) identified dif-
ferent collaborative mechanisms within four types of interface
from company, project and actor levels in the context of knowl-
edge complexity. Standards provide opportunities for changes in
the way in which the component knowledge are linked together,
while leaving the core component knowledge untouched (Hen-
derson and Clark, 1990).
2.2. Standardization efforts from a search perspective
As discussed above, the standardization studies listed in Table 1
have placed little emphasis on search processes. This is somewhat
surprising given that a key aspect of innovation is that it involves
the search for and transfer of new knowledge (Rogers, 2003), or
recombining existing ideas or technologies (Schumpeter, 1934).
Understanding the search for knowledge and how it is conducted
has been recognized as crucial for understanding the innovation
process (Miller et al., 2007; Rogers, 2003; Tsai, 2001), as knowl-
edge provides the foundation for learning (Cohen and Lenvinth,
1990; Shenkar and Li, 1999). Search is central to innovation and
standardization efforts. Drawing on the work of Nelson and Winter
(1982), we define search in these contexts as an organization's
problem-solving activities that involve the creation and re-
combination of technological knowledge.
We propose that a search perspective linked to the dimensions
of technological knowledge can help reconcile the inconsistencies
in the literature focused on standardization and innovation. Dif-
ferent types of search activity have been found to influence
whether a firm innovates incrementally or radically. For example,
Chiang and Hung (2010) argue that search depth could facilitate
incremental innovation performance while search scope enhances
radical innovation. The reason is that the knowledge features, for
example the age of knowledge (Katila and Ahuja, 2002) and
learning mechanisms associated with diverse search activities,
tend to differ (March, 1991; Rosenkopf and Nerkar, 2001; Chiang
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–78 71
4. and Hung, 2010), leading to varying innovation performances.
3. Methods
A case study of a firm that was highly successfully in using
standards to innovate effort can advance our understanding of
standardization efforts and the role of search processes. Conse-
quently, we now describe our methodology and explain why and
how we conducted the case study of Vanke. We also explain our
approach to data collection and we identified, synthesized and
illustrates the different knowledge dimensions, search processes
and innovation outcomes in Vanke's standardization effort.
3.1. Case context and selection
We selected the Chinese building sector because it has under-
gone a substantial transition, with new approaches to improving
energy efficiency and the adoption of information and commu-
nication technologies. Although traditionally the building sector
has not been considered innovation-intensive, there have been
recent measures adopted to improve innovative practices through
standards (Saltzman et al., 2008).
The Chinese building sector is an interesting and important
industry in terms of the need to innovate, as it accounts for almost
a third of China's total energy consumption. Such demands are
exacerbated by the sheer scale of China's economy and its rapid
urbanization. The percentage of the population living in urban
areas is expected to increase from 36% in 2000 to an estimated 50%
by 2020 (Chen and Shu, 2012). Indeed, an additional 2 billion
square meters of newly constructed buildings have been added
yearly in China over the last 10 years. Existing buildings currently
account for around 40 billion square meters in area, around 95% of
them failing to meet the existing requirements for energy-efficient
buildings (Kleinsmann et al., 2010).
The Chinese government has developed and announced sets of
standards to help increase innovative construction. For example, it
has encouraged the implementation of Building Information
Model (BIM) technology in the life cycle of buildings, which in-
cludes design, construction and operations standards. Local gov-
ernments have also prepared their own standards for im-
plementing BIM. The Chinese government also announced the
standard for energy efficient building assessment (GB/T 50668-
2011) in 2011, for building an energy-efficient community. Com-
panies that meet the standard can gain tax reductions and ex-
emptions from the government. The standard outlines basic as-
sessment requirements and different classification levels for
building systems including architectural planning, building en-
velope, HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Condition), water
supply and drainage, power supply and lighting, indoor environ-
ment and operation and the management of buildings both re-
sidential and public. To keep pace with and satisfy the changing
requirements in these areas of building design and construction,
firms in the Chinese building sector have had to deliver innovative
responses of the right type and at the appropriate speed. However,
while most innovation in this sector has been driven by standar-
dization efforts, little is known about the efficacy of such
innovations.
Following Siggelkow (2007), we chose Vanke, one of China's
largest property developers, as our case for three reasons. First,
Vanke is the leading Chinese company for ‘housing industrializa-
tion', their long-term strategy since 1999. Housing industrializa-
tion promotes mass off-site prefabrication instead of conventional
on-site construction methods. Standardization is a basic premise
of housing industrialization. For example, building components
have to be standardized to facilitate design, mass off-site
prefabrication and assembly on the construction site. Housing
industrialization thus not only changes the way to build, it also
requires a standardization effort that changes the relationship
between the stakeholders involved in the building sector supply
chain. These changes may have a substantial impact on other
sectors because the building industry has close relationships with
for example, the steel industry, forestry, electrical appliance in-
dustry, water treatment and even the medical industry.
Second, to foster housing industrialization, Vanke has had to
initially overcome many disadvantages. These included the high
costs of housing industrialization building methods compared
with those of conventional building methods, outdated construc-
tion technologies and lack of capital, supportive government po-
licies and skilled labor in the building sector. Currently, housing
industrialization has been accepted by the Chinese government
and welcomed by industry. Over the past 16 years, Vanke has thus
been at the forefront of developing standards for housing in-
dustrialization, providing us with a useful opportunity to explore
this phenomenon in the Chinese building sector.
Third, the large scale and established industry presence of
Vanke is important as it represents a large part of the sector's
standardization effort. Vanke is one of the largest real estate de-
velopers in China. In 2012, it had approximately 22 billion US
dollars of sales revenue (gross) and 31,019 employees, and had
developed 14.33 million square meters of building work. The large
scale of Vanke helps buffer the company from external contingent
factors such as fiscal policies and economic changes to firms,
which can disrupt smaller developers. In addition, Vanke has a
relatively long history in the Chinese building sector, having
launched its business in 1984. Its 30 years of constant operation
thus allows us to investigate the formation and dynamics of the
capabilities developed by the company.
3.2. Data categories and collection
To develop a framework to understand a firm's standardization
effort, we sought data regarding the relationship between
knowledge dimensions, search processes and innovation out-
comes. Following guidelines for collecting case data by Eisenhardt
(1989) and Yin (2003), we categorised these elements. For ex-
ample, in terms of knowledge dimensions the degree of codifica-
tion and complexity (low versus high in each case), while relative,
can be substantiated. We followed a similar approach for collect-
ing data on different search processes and types of innovation. The
final four categories and twelve sub-categories of data are pre-
sented in Table 2.
We collected data for this study from both archival sources and
interviews. The archives included annual company reports, cor-
porate social responsibility reports, scholarly journals, internal
company documents (reports and presentations), national stan-
dards, news papers and the autobiographies and other writings of
Shi Wang, the founder and current chairman of Vanke. Scholarly
journal articles focused on Vanke were obtained from sources such
Table 2
Categories and sub-categories of data coding.
Categories (4) Subcategories (12)
Knowledge Di-
mensions
(KD)
Low com-
plexity high
codification
(LH)
High com-
plexity high
codification
(HH)
Low com-
plexity low
codification
(LL)
High com-
plexity low
codification
(HL)
Search Process
(SS)
Search pro-
cess of LH
Search pro-
cess of HH
Search pro-
cess of LL
Search pro-
cess of HL
Innovation
Type (IT)
Incremental Architectural Modular Radical
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–7872
5. as the China National Knowledge Index (CNKI). Autobiographies of
the current chairman of Vanke included Wang (2012a, 2012b,
2013, 2014a, 2014b).
We conducted 28 interviews (telephone and face-to-face) with
project and procurement managers, customer service and R&D
staff, accounting department representatives and administrators
working nationwide at Vanke. We also interviewed government
officials and researchers. The interviews lasted between twenty
minutes and one and a half hours. We also used additional open-
ended questionnaires after the first round of interviews. All in-
terviews were conducted between April 2014 and March 2015.
3.3. Data coding and analysis
The collected data were coded following guidelines for quali-
tative content analysis (Eisenhardt, 1989; Kohlbacher, 2006). De-
tailed write-ups of the archival and interview data were produced
to ensure intimate familiarity with the case. The data were then
sorted into the 4 categories and 12 sub-categories of the dimen-
sions of knowledge, search process and innovation outcome, in
effect making them variables in our study. This allowed us to make
inferences, verifications and a theory guided analysis of the data.
Table 3 provides examples of the data coding.
Further tables were used to help analyse cross-sectional data
and to sequence and organize longitudinal data. The longitudinal
data were collected to increase the internal validity of the case
study. The data were also divided by source and the patterns that
emerged were analysed and compared with those from the in-
terviews. When both were consistent, the findings were con-
sidered to be stronger and better grounded. When evidence from
the two sources conflicted, the evidence was reconciled by either
probing the difference or by collecting additional data. For ex-
ample, archival data indicated that Vanke planned to apply
housing industrialization to all of its projects by 2014. However,
interview data from Chongqing indicated that only one project
used the technologies of housing industrialization. Further data
verified that Vanke had applied different levels of standardization
and innovation in different districts, depending on the availability
of supporting resources.
4. Findings and typology
The findings in this study suggest that a standardization effort
is a complex phenomenon shaped by multiple search processes for
different dimensions of knowledge and innovation outcomes. This
is depicted in a theoretical framework (see Fig. 2) that shows how
the two proposed dimensions of knowledge (codification and
complexity) combine to produce a typology of four types of search
(active, integrative, decentralized and passive) and four types of
innovation outcome (modular, radical, incremental and archi-
tectural). We now validate and illustrate the typology using the
case findings and drawing upon previous research on innovation
and standardization.
4.1. Decentralized search and incremental innovations
The first type of search and related innovation outcome we
discuss occurs when the knowledge in a standardization effort is
of low complexity and is highly codified. This creates what we
refer to as decentralized search and results in incremental innova-
tion outcomes. Decentralized search means that the search is not
centrally coordinated by a unit in the organization. The search is
autonomously led by different individuals and units, each of which
may be tracking a specific aspect of the environment, such as
market demand, competitor actions, product and technological
innovation, and regulatory updates (McCarthy et al., 2010; Daft
and Weick, 1984). Decentralized search is suitable for low com-
plexity knowledge especially as the search is typically conducted
and controlled by individuals, especially at the executive level
(Daft et al., 1988). These individuals serve as the strategic scanning
interface between the organization and the external environment.
The trip to Brazil's Amazon River Basin in 2008 made by Van-
ke's CEO (Shi Wang) is an example decentralized search. The
search was not undertaken by a team of analysts. Only Shi Wang
was involved as the knowledge complexity was low. The knowl-
edge that was acquired was also highly codified in that it could be
seen, documented and presented by an individual – it is not rou-
tinized and does not involve many interactions within a firm. The
resulting innovations are typically incremental and are supposed
to provide developmental plasticity or flexibility to the internal
and external environments, improving the ability to value external
Table 3
Examples of data coding.
Coding category Example
Low complexity high codification (LH) Knowledge embedded in Shi Wang's trip to Brazil's Amazon River Basin in July, 2008
Search process of LH Information seeking by Shi Wang that a large number of timbers in this area were transported to China and some of them were
used on construction sites
Incremental innovation Vanke formed a new procurement policy and joined the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) in 2011
High complexity high codification (HH) Knowledge embedded in the application for the platinum certification of LEED
Search process of HH Vanke invited LEED consultants to participate in the whole process of LEED application and work with partners to conduct and
prepare relevant documents
Architectural innovation The combination of green technology with design, construction, material supply and building operation
Low complexity low codification (LL) Knowledge embedded in the R&D center of housing industrialization
Search process of LL In addition to investing millions of $US encouraging trial and error to develop standards of housing industrialization, Vanke
sent teams overseas to learn, gain experience and become familiar with technologies. More importantly, Vanke had to face
suspicious opinions arising from peers on doing so. This is because some people including governors, academics and practi-
tioners were not optimistic about the future of housing industrialization in China due to cheap labor, outdated technologies in
this sector and lacking of support resources for housing industrialization
Modular innovation Vanke applied the standards of housing industrialization in some projects where supporting resources are sufficient
High complexity low codification (HL) Knowledge embedded in processes that consistently seek to be innovative, sustainable and aligned with Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR)
Search process of HL An integrative search involves search processes interchanging or simultaneously developing a decentralized search, a passive
search and an active search. Vanke took a decentralized, passive search to strategically transition by collaborating with high-
tech companies such as Baidu, Xiaomi and Tecent, to develop customized products. Vanke also adopted a passive search to
enlarge housing industrialization standards to products concerned with social welfare, by exploiting current knowledge
Radical innovation The dynamic capabilities developed from an integrative search have helped Vanke maintain a competitive advantage in the
building sector for years
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–78 73
6. knowledge. These incremental innovations are minor improve-
ments that build on incumbent knowledge (Dewar and Dutton,
1986).
In the case of Shi Wang's trip to the Amazon River Basin, the
search and knowledge resulted in Vanke becoming a member of
the Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) whose aims are to
eliminate illegal logging and improve forest management. This
helped Vanke identify societal concerns about its practices and
pioneer its culture of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For
example, a new procurement policy was adopted to restrict use of
non-renewable forest resources for Vanke's operations. The
adoption of the procurement policy was relatively straightforward
(i.e., an incremental innovation) as it did not require major chan-
ges to operational units. The process of forming and applying the
procurement policy and joining GFTN diversified Vanke's goal of
improving CSR and the sustainability of their operations, while
also building the company's flexibility to adapt to the external
environment.
4.2. Passive search and architectural innovations
The second type of search and innovation outcome we discuss
occurs when the knowledge in a standardization effort is highly
complex and highly codified. This creates what we refer to as
passive search and results in architectural innovation outcomes. By
passive we mean a situation where a firm takes whatever in-
formation comes its way, which can result in knowledge discovery
and transfer efficiencies. However, the potential to receive novel
ideas that underlie major solutions tends to be reduced by simply
waiting for knowledge to arrive. This is because passive search has
inertia and is satisficing in nature i.e., once an organization has
received information to meet its requirements, waiting for further
and better alternatives is considered time-consuming (March,
1991).
Highly complex knowledge in a standardization effort will
likely require other complementary knowledge and additional
processing to be understood. Therefore, the standardization effort
also has to acquire and assimilate this additional knowledge often
drawing upon different organizational subunits and external
partners. To help mitigate the risk and costs of this complexity,
codifying that knowledge is a common approach. Together these
factors support a standardization effort suited to producing ar-
chitectural innovations. This is because an architectural innovation
changes the way in which the components of knowledge are
linked together, while leaving the core knowledge untouched
(Henderson and Clark, 1990). The capabilities for an architectural
innovation include the ability to reconfigure the current structure
of a system or to enlarge the current system by taking in new
subsystems (Yoo et al., 2005).
An example of a passive search and architectural innovation
outcome by Vanke is their adoption of Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED), a third-party certification scheme
for assessing green building. LEED measures the environmental
performance of various aspects of construction, such as the de-
velopment of sustainable architectural designs, water efficiency,
energy, materials and resource use, emissions and indoor en-
vironmental quality. Adopting LEED certification is an architectural
innovation as it requires the use of complex interrelated knowl-
edge and coordination of capabilities with suppliers to attain.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), this typi-
cally involves a specified application procedure, and can be com-
municated through documentation (high codification). Vanke in-
vited LEED consultants to participate during the application pro-
cedure and cooperated with partners such as designers and con-
struction firms, preparing relevant documents on certification of
qualification, construction methods, energy saving, recyclable
material, etc.
4.3. Active search and modular innovations
The third type of search and innovation outcome in our ty-
pology is when the knowledge dimensions have low complexity
and low codification. This results in an active search and modular
innovation. In contrast to passive search, active search involves
allocating resources to vigorously explore, test and shape the en-
vironment (Daft et al., 1988). An active search includes sending
agents to places and events in the environment (Smith et al., 2010)
and engaging in trial and error learning (Daft and Weick, 1984).
This type of search suits low complexity knowledge as it is exists
independently outside a firm's boundary and requires little in-
tegration the firm's existing knowledge (Beckert, 1999). Also, low
codified knowledge is suited to experiential learning methods that
involve interacting with the environment (Kamp et al., 2004). This
is essential for acquiring, forming and applying such knowledge.
An example of active search by Vanke is when it established an
R&D center in 1999 to develop standards for building components
in China. To accumulate knowledge and technologies for housing
industrialization, Vanke sent teams of researchers overseas
(especially to Japan) to find and internalize the acquired knowl-
edge by working with researchers at partner organizations. Vanke
has invested millions of U.S. dollars annually in these learning
secondments and the R&D center.
Active search was an important mechanism for Vanke in
overcoming skepticism to its housing industrialization strategy.
There was skepticism from the Chinese government and from
Vanke's peers in the building sector that this approach might not
be suitable for China due to availability of inexpensive, low skilled
labor suitable for its outdated construction technologies. Vanke's
active search sought innovations and standards that would de-
monstrate the viability of the strategy and overcome the skepti-
cism. In this respect, an active search tends to be an action or-
iented and self-regulating process that helps ensure the firm's
standardization effort suits external conditions.
The learning from active search typically remains in the teams
or sub-units of the firm that undertake the search. Consequently,
at the product level this learning promotes modular innovations
Fig. 2. Standardization efforts and embedded knowledge dimensions: a typology of
search processes and innovation outcomes.
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–7874
7. by changing component knowledge while leaving the product's
structural knowledge unchallenged (Henderson and Clark, 1990).
At the organizational level, active search and modular innovation
has limited impact on routines and systems.
Vanke has residential projects nationwide, but the rollout of
housing industrialization was initially limited to just Shenzhen
and Beijing. It was several years later that this strategy and stan-
dardization effort was applied elsewhere, for example in the
southwestern city of Chongqing. This restricted rollout of housing
industrialization was partly because of the delays in routinizing,
institutionalized and standardizing the implementation of the
innovations. Also, Vanke applied different levels of housing in-
dustrialization in different districts, depending on the availability
of supporting resources in the districts. In addition, the Chinese
government had not until recently enacted any legislation re-
quiring the use of housing industrialization methods in the con-
struction industry. The legitimacy of housing industrialization was
cemented as Vanke used active search to aggressively develop
nine major standards and innovations, which were eventually
approved by the Chinese government in March, 2015. Since then
all construction projects in China are required to meet the national
standards on housing industrialization pioneered by Vanke.
4.4. Integrative search and radical innovations
The final search type and innovation outcome in our typology
is integrative search and radical innovations, involves embedded
knowledge with high complexity and low codification. The search
is integrative because it employs and builds on the decentralized,
passive and active search types. Integrative search toggles be-
tween these different search processes to produce both ex-
plorative and exploitative learning (McCarthy and Gordon, 2011).
It is suited to environments where the regulations, demand, in-
novation and competitive actions in the industry are all changing
at different rates and in different directions. This is considered to
be a ‘conflicted’ industry dynamic that is unlikely to suit just one
type of search process (McCarthy et al., 2010).
The embedded knowledge in this case is linked to learning by
repetitive operation, as suggested by Nelson and Winter (1982).
Hierarchical learning may also be assimilated and gradually ac-
cumulated within an organization's memory, becoming a specific
part of routines that support dynamic capabilities and the pro-
duction of radical innovations (Tushman and O’Reilly, 1996). Dy-
namic capabilities are cultivated through the recombination of
previous knowledge, and the amalgamation of new and different
knowledge vectors. These conditions promote radical innovations
that are clear departures from existing knowledge and practices
(Dewar and Dutton, 1986).
Central to the success of Vanke standardization effort was the
company's use of an integrative search. It initially adopted passive
search to apply for LEED and develop and standardize green
technologies for housing industrialization. Vanke gradually en-
larged the implementation of its housing industrialization in-
novations to its commercial products, as well as to its social wel-
fare projects such as indemnificatory apartments including low-
rent, affordable, price-fixed and public rental housing. A plan of
quality management, the Panshi Plan, was developed by refining
and documenting Vanke's best practice experience from these
projects into a set of standards for the whole company.
Vanke also conducted decentralized and active searches. It re-
cognized the possibility of being overthrown by emerging com-
panies in other sectors, such as manufacturing, information and
communication technology, and this resulted in the proposed
strategic transition of the company from developer to city service
provider. In 2014 Vanke organized in-company teams to learn
from companies such as Haier (household appliances
manufacturer), Alibaba (e-commerce), Tencent (internet service
provider), Xiaomi (smartphone manufacturer) and Baidu (internet
search engine). The decentralized and active searches opened the
potential for Vanke to collaborate with these firms to provide
novel products in the Chinese market. For example, Vanke now
provides value-added services to customers using the data ser-
vices of Baidu. Vanke also collaborated with partners to develop
standards and innovations for universal serial bus (USB) plugs,
sanitary appliances, air filters and door opening technology using
cell phones. The integrative search, dynamic capabilities and ra-
dical innovations also led Vanke to restructure the relationships
between firms in its supply chain. Vanke initiated a supply chain
alliance that included manufacturers, designers, developers, con-
struction and home decoration companies as well as research in-
stitutions such as Tsinghua University, Tongji University and
Tianjin University.
5. Discussion
While standardization efforts have been recognized as playing
a crucial role in how firms create and profit from innovation, we
found that existing empirical research offers inconsistent findings
on the relationship between standardization and innovation. To
help resolve these inconsistencies and further our understanding
of standardization, we examined how degrees of knowledge
complexity and codification impact the type of search required
and the resulting innovation outcome. We explained how these
two dimensions of knowledge combine to produce a typology of
four types of search process and four types of associated innova-
tion outcome. Using a detailed case study, we illustrated and
verified each dimension of our typology. Together the typology
and the case study help us to better understand how search im-
pacts the inter-play and relationship between standardization and
innovation outcomes.
5.1. Implications for the theory and practice
We now discuss four major implications of this, which we be-
lieve are of relevance to both management practice and future
empirical research.
First, this study demonstrates that search processes are im-
portant to major standardization efforts. In our case study it is
clear that multiple types of search were employed to acquire and
assimilate different dimensions of knowledge. The processes for
gaining this knowledge are at the heart of a standardization effort
and the associated innovation outcomes. Our typology and case
study show that there is a contingency relationship between
standardization, search and innovation outcomes, where one size
does not fit all. The quest for different types of knowledge, involves
different search approaches that in turn underlie the type of in-
novation outcome produced.
A second implication of our research is that the case study
provides provisional evidence for understanding how standardi-
zation efforts can be suited to different types of search process. For
example, we find that standardization efforts that employ decen-
tralized and passive search processes are positively linked to in-
cremental and architectural innovation outcomes. This is due to
the knowledge embedded in the standardization effort, which is
highly codified and complex. It promotes consensus and re-
combination among stakeholders, explaining why a standardiza-
tion effort strongly diffuses within the industry (Hashem and
Tann, 2007) and in turn shapes the industry structure (Lecocq and
Demil, 2006) and its value chain (Yoo et al., 2005).
Passive search that involves highly codified knowledge can lead
suppliers to lock-in with one another around the resulting
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–78 75
8. standards and innovations (Unruh, 2000), resulting in strong
technological trajectories (Dosi, 1982; Smith et al., 2010). In con-
trast, when the knowledge in a standardization effort is char-
acterized as having low complexity and low codification it suits an
active search for modular innovations that involve designing
‘open’ component systems (Tassey, 2000), using trial and error
search activities (Daft and Weick, 1984) and conducting field stu-
dies (Smith et al., 2010). When the knowledge is characterized as
high complexity and low codification it suits integrative search
and radical innovation outcomes. As shown in our case study, in-
tegrative search involves recombining current relationships be-
tween stakeholders and encouraging novel solutions resulting in
component systems that disrupt existing product standards and
offerings.
A third implication is that a single standardization effort can
shift between different search processes over time. This is because
standardization efforts are complex activities that can take many
years to complete; the type of knowledge required during the
course of a standardization effort can vary and change. Conse-
quently, as found in our case study, there will likely be a pathway
of different search processes involved in a major standardization
effort.
In Fig. 3 we show the search pathway observed in our case
study. It begins with decentralized search, followed by active
search, passive and then integrative search. The knowledge char-
acteristics for decentralized search provide the starting point in
this pathway. The standardization effort begins with the search for
simple codifiable knowledge that often focuses on identifying
obvious gaps and needs to be addressed by the standardization
effort. An active search follows, as any lack of knowledge codifi-
cation requires a more skilled and costly search process to identify,
understand, assimilate and exploit the knowledge. Next is passive
search, as the efficiency of the investments in search become more
important and firms seek more explicit standards and complex
solutions to suit market needs. The final search in the pathway is
integrative. It is the most sophisticated, impactful, but difficult
form of search. The pathway of search types reflects the learning
and capabilities that prepare firms to undertake integrative search
and pursue radical innovation outcomes. This concept of a learning
pathway is what McCarthy et al. (2006: 440) refer to as “a ladder
of abstraction” for interpreting and managing different and higher
order types of search for different types of innovation outcome.
We thus suggest that a more strategic orientation towards stan-
dards can prevent inhibiting creativity and unnecessary delays as
identified by Hamel (2006) and Hill and Rothaermel (2003).
A fourth implication concerns managerial efforts in practice. If
management's goal is primarily incremental and/or architectural
innovation, it should be expected that the knowledge will be
standardized, and that decentralized and passive search processes
can be used. If the managerial objective is concerned with modular
and/or radical innovations, the knowledge will not likely be
standardized, and as a result active and integrative search pro-
cesses are appropriate. For company and government policies, if
decentralized and passive searches in the standardization efforts
are performed, incremental and architectural innovation are ex-
pected. To foster radical and modular innovations, it is necessary
to enable active and integrative search processes.
5.2. Imitations of this study
Some limitations of this study and related opportunities for
future research are worth noting.
While our case study allowed us to explore deeply the activ-
ities, events and interactions of a major standardization effort, like
all case studies, the generalizability of our finding maybe re-
stricted. For example, as the search pathway in Fig. 3 is based on
the standardization effort of just one case (Vanke), it is likely there
could be alternative viable pathways. These would involve some or
all of the search processes but in different orders, and thus the
different pathways will suit different standardization efforts. The
matching of a standardization effort with a given pathway will
likely be determined by the knowledge complexity and codifica-
tion as well as the innovation context in terms of factors such as
time scales, complexity, regulations and costs. For example, the
rapid development of code division multiple access (CDMA)
standards for radio communication technologies in Korea would
have a known innovation outcome that could involve a different
search pathway. The importance of the pace of innovation to a
search pathway is supported by Hill and Rothaermel (2003) who
claim that standardization efforts postpone the gestation period
between invention and successful commercialization.
While it can be argued that our findings may be less applicable
to firms in other industries, the value of the typology and findings
are grounded in prior theories and research. Furthermore, as this
particular industry setting has traditionally not been considered
innovation-intensive, we speculate that our typology is likely to
have even greater relevance for settings where innovation is fast
changing and core to sustained competitive advantage. This
should help motivate and make it easier for scholars to apply the
typology and ideas to other industry contexts.
Another limitation of this research is that our case was focused
on a successful case of a standardization effort that resulted in
industry leadership. We recognize that not all standardization ef-
forts will result in similar competitive advantages. Indeed, it would
be fruitful to explore cases where such efforts resulted in a
downward competitive trajectory, for example by creating bu-
reaucratic inefficiencies or commoditizing of the industry, as was
the case for nuts, bolts and screws.
6. Conclusion
The benefits and challenges of standardization have captured
the attention of managers and scholars, yet the empirical findings
on the impact of standardization on innovation are inconsistent.
Focusing on a standardization effort (i.e., when a firm pursues
standards to further innovation), our work draws upon onFig. 3. Pathway of search processes involved in a standardization effort.
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–7876
9. research on the importance of search processes for innovation and
adopts a contingency approach to standardization effort, search
process and innovation outcome relationships. To examine these
relationships we developed a typology that provides a descriptive,
explanatory and predictive framework for researchers to examine
the diversity and impact of different standardization efforts. An
important implication is that standardization efforts need to be
seen as a long-term strategic initiatives that drive the creation and
adoption of standards and innovations. If the search processes and
resulting standards are not coordinated in pursuit of an innovation
goal, then the risk is the effort will be a collection of disconnected
standardization exercises that result in bureaucratic inefficiencies,
commoditization or the stifling of creativity.
Acknowledgments
This research was partly supported by the Humanity and Social
Science Youth foundation of Chinese Ministry Education
(13YJC630189) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Cen-
tral Universities (2015CDJXY). The authors are grateful to people
who helped in undertaking the research and making improve-
ments to this article. We would also like to thank the editors and
reviewers of Technovation for their insightful comments and
feedback on this research.
Reference
Anderson, P., Tushman, M.L., 1990. Technological discontinuities and dominant
designs: a cyclical model of technological change. Adm. Sci. Q. 35, 604–633.
Bénézech, D., Lambert, G., Lanoux, B., Lerch, C., Loos-Baroin, J., 2001. Completion of
knowledge codification: an illustration through the ISO 9000 standards im-
plementation process. Res. Policy 30, 1395–1407.
Beckert, J., 1999. Agency, entrepreneurs, and institutional change. The role of
strategic choice and institutionalized practices in organizations. Organ. Stud.
(Walter De. Gruyter GmbH Co. KG.) 20, 777–799.
Chen, L., Shu, Q., 2012. Platform design on building energy-saving monitoring and
management system. Autom. Instrum. 10, 42–44.
Chiang, Y.-H., Hung, K.-P., 2010. Exploring open search strategies and perceived
innovation performance from the perspective of inter-organizational knowl-
edge flows. R&D Manag. 40, 292–299.
Cillo, P., Verona, G., 2008. Search styles in style searching: exploring innovation
strategies in fashion firms. Long Range Plan. 41, 650–671.
Cohen, M.W., Lenvinth, A.D., 1990. Absorptive capacity: a new perspective on
learning and innovation. Adm. Sci. Q. 35, 128–152.
Daft, R.L., Weick, K.E., 1984. Toward a model of organizations as interpretation
systems. Acad. Manag. Rev. 9, 284–295.
Daft, R.L., Sormunen, J., Don, P., 1988. Chief executive scanning, environmental
characteristics, and company performance: an empirical study. Strateg. Manag.
J. 9, 123–139.
Damanpour, F., 1991. Organizational innovation: a meta-analysis of effects of de-
terminants and moderators. Acad. Manag. J. 34, 555–590.
Dewar, R.D., Dutton, J.E., 1986. The adoption of radical and incremental innova-
tions: an empirical analysis. Manag. Sci. 32, 1422–1433.
Dolfsma, W., Seo, D., 2013. Government policy and technological innovation – a
suggested typology. Technovation 33, 173–179.
Dosi, G., 1982. Technological paradigms and technological trajectories: a suggested
interpretation of the determinants and directions of technical change. Res.
Policy 11, 147–162.
Eisenhardt, K.M., 1989. Building theories from case study research. Acad. Manag.
Rev. 14, 532–550.
Fabrizio, K.R., 2009. Absorptive capacity and the search for innovation. Res. Policy
38, 255–267.
Gao, P., Yu, J., Lyytinen, K., 2014. Government in standardization in the catching-up
context: case of China’s mobile system. Telecommun. Policy 38, 200–209.
Gilson, L.L., Mathieu, J.E., Shalley, C.E., Ruddy, T.M., 2005. Creativity and standar-
dization: complementary or conflicting drivers of team effectiveness? Acad.
Manag. J. 48, 521–531.
Grøtnes, E., 2009. Standardization as open innovation: two cases from the mobile
industry. Info. Technol. People 22, 367–381.
Greve, H.R., 2003. A behavioral theory of R&D expenditures and innovations: evi-
dence from shipbuilding. Acad. Manag. J. 46, 685–702.
Groesser, S.N., 2014. Co-evolution of legal and voluntary standards: development of
energy efficiency in Swiss residential building codes. Technol. Forecast. Soc.
Change 87, 1–16.
Hamel, G., 2006. The why, what, and how of management innovation. Harv. Bus.
Rev. 84, 72–84.
Hashem, G., Tann, J., 2007. The adoption of ISO 9000 standards within the Egyptian
context: a diffusion of innovation approach. Total Qual. Manag. 18, 631–652.
Henderson, R.M., Clark, K.B., 1990. Architectural innovation: the reconfiguration of
existing product technologies and the failure of established firms. Adm. Sci. Q.
35, 9–30.
Hill, C.W.L., Rothaermel, F.T., 2003. The performance of incumbent firms in the face
of radical technological innovation. Acad. Manag. Rev. 28, 257–274.
Hippel, E.v., Franke, N., Prügl, R., 2009. Pyramiding: efficient search for rare sub-
jects. Research Policy 38, 1397–1406.
Hytönen, H., Jarimo, T., Salo, A., Yli-Juuti, E., 2013. Markets for standardized tech-
nologies:patent licensing with principle of proportionality. Technovation 32,
523–535.
Jeppesen, L.B., Lakhani, K.R., 2010. Marginality and problem-solving effectiveness in
broadcast search. Organ. Sci. 21 (5), 1016–1033. http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/
orsc.1090.0491.
Kamp, L.M., Smits, R.E.H.M., Andriesse, C.D., 2004. Notions on learning applied to
wind turbine development in the Netherlands and Denmark. Energy Policy 32,
1625–1637.
Kano, S., 2000. Technical innovations, standardization and regional comparison – a
case study in mobile communications. Telecommun. Policy 24, 305–321.
Katila, R., Ahuja, G., 2002. Something old, something new: a longitudinal study of
search behavior and new product introduction. Acad. Manag. J. 45, 1183–1194.
Kleinsmann, M., Buijs, J., Valkenburg, R., 2010. Understanding the complexity of
knowledge integration in collaborative new product development teams: a
case study. J. Eng. Technol. Manag. 27, 20–32.
Laursen, K., Salter, A., 2004. Searching high and low: what types of firms use
universities as a source of innovation? Res. Policy 33, 1201–1215.
Lecocq, X., Demil, B., 2006. Strategizing industry structure: the case of open systems
in a low-tech industry. Strateg. Manag. J. 27, 891–898.
Leiponen, A.E., 2008. Competing through cooperation: the organization of standard
setting in wireless telecommunications. Manag. Sci. 54, 1904–1919.
Lopez-Berzosa, D., Gawer, A., 2014. Innovation policy within private collectives:
evidence on 3GPP’s regulation mechanisms to facilitate collective innovation.
Technovation 34, 734–745.
Mahdi, S., 2003. Search strategy in product innovation process: theory and evi-
dence from the evolution of agrochemical lead discovery process. Ind. Corp.
Change 12, 235–270.
March, J.G., 1991. Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organ.
Sci. 2, 71–87.
Matos, S., Hall, J., 2007. Integrating sustainable development in the supply chain:
the case of life cycle assessment in oil and gas and agricultural biotechnology. J.
Oper. Manag. 25, 1083–1102.
McCarthy, I.P., Gordon, B.R., 2011. Achieving contextual ambidexterity in R&D or-
ganizations: a management control system approach. R&D Manag. 41, 240–258.
McCarthy, I.P., Tsinopoulos, C., Allen, P., Anderssen, C.R., 2006. New product de-
velopment as a complex adaptive system of decisions. J. Prod. Innov. Manag. 23,
437–456.
McCarthy, I.P., Lawrence, T.B., Wixted, B., Gordon, B.R., 2010. A multidimensional
conceptualization of environmental velocity. Acad. Manag. Rev. 35, 604–626.
Miller, D.J., Fern, M.J., Cardinal, L.B., 2007. The use of knowledge for technilogical
innovation within diversified firms. Acad. Manag. J. 50, 307–326.
Narayanana, V.K., Chen, T., 2012. Research on technology standards: accomplish-
ment and challenges. Res. Policy 41, 1375–1406.
Nelson, R.R., Winter, S.G., 1982. An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change. Press
of Harvard University Press, The Belknap, United Kingdom.
Nicholson, B., Sahay, S., 2004. Embedded knowledge and offshore software devel-
opment. Info. Organ. 14, 329–365.
Rogers, E., 2003. The Diffusion of Innovation. Free Press, New York.
Rosenkopf, L., Nerkar, A., 2001. Beyond local search: boundary-spanning, explora-
tion, and impact in the optical disk industry. Strateg. Manag. J. 22, 287.
Rosenkopf, L., Almeida, P., 2003. Overcoming local search through alliances and
mobility. Manag. Sci. 49, 751–766.
Rysman, M., Simcoe, T., 2008. Patents and the performance of voluntary standard-
setting organizations. Manag. Sci. 54, 1920–1934.
Saltzman, J., Chatterjee, S., Raman, M., 2008. A framework for ICT standards crea-
tion: the case of ITU-T standard H.350. Info. Syst. 33, 285–299.
Schumpeter, J.A., 1934. The Theory of Economic Development. Harvard University
Press, United States.
Shenkar, O., Li, J., 1999. Knowledge search in international cooperative ventures.
Organ. Sci. 10, 134–143.
Sherif, M.H., 2006. Standards for telecommunications services. In: Jakobs, K. (Ed.),
Advanced Topics in Information Technology Standards and Standardization
Research.. Idea Group Publishing, Hershey, PA, pp. 183–205.
Siggelkow, N., 2007. Persuasion with case studies. Acad. Manag. J. 50, 20–24.
Smith, A., Voß, J.-P., Grin, J., 2010. Innovation studies and sustainability transitions:
the allure of the multi-level perspective and its challenges. Res. Policy 39,
435–448.
Tassey, G., 2000. Standardization in technology-based markets. Res. Policy 29,
587–602.
Teece, D.J., 1986. Profiting from technological innovation: implications for in-
tegration, collaboration, licensing and public policy. Res. Policy 15, 285–305.
Tether, B.S., Hipp, C., Miles, I., 2001. Standardisation and particularisation in ser-
vices: evidence from Germany. Res. Policy, 1115–1138.
Tsai, W., 2001. Knowledge transfer in intraorganizational networks: effects of
network position and absorptive capacity on business unit innovation and
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–78 77
10. performance. Acad. Manag. J. 44, 996–1004.
Tushman, M.L., O’Reilly, C.A., 1996. Ambidextrous organizations: managing evolu-
tionary and revolutionary change. Calif. Manag. Rev. 38, 8–30.
Unruh, G.C., 2000. Understanding carbon lock-in. Energy Policy 28, 817–830.
Utterback, J.M., 1996. Mastering the Dynamics of Innovation. Harvard Business
School Press, United States.
Viardot, E., 2010. Achieving market leadership: the next challenge for technology
firms from growing countries. J. Technol. Manag. Grow. Econ. 1, 9–28.
Wang, S., 2012a. Process and Retreat Which Influenced My Life. Zhengjiang Uni-
versity Press, China.
Wang, S., 2012b. Success is Challenging Yourself. Lianhe Press, Beijing.
Wang, S., 2013. My Success Comes When People Don’t Need Me Anymore.
Zhengjiang University Press, China.
Wang, S., 2014a. Da Dao Dang Ran, Vanke and Me (2000–2013). CITIC Press, China.
Wang, S., 2014b. Road and Dream, Vanke and Me (1983–1999). CITIC Press, China.
Winter, S.G., 1987. Knowledge and competence as strategic assets. In: Teece, D.J.
(Ed.), The Competitive Challenge. Ballinger, MA, Cambridge, pp. 159–184.
Wrighta, C., Sturdyb, A., Wyliec, N., 2012. Management innovation through stan-
dardization: consultants as standardizers of organizational practice. Res. Policy
41, 652–662.
Yin, R.K., 2003. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. SAGE, United Kingdom.
Yoo, Y., Lyytinen, K., Yang, H., 2005. The role of standards in innovation and dif-
fusion of broadband mobile services: the case of South Korea. J. Strateg. Info.
Syst. 25, 323–353.
Zack, M.H., 1999. Managing codified knowledge. Sloan Manag. Rev. 40, 45–58.
Zollo, M., Winter, S.G., 2002. Deliberate learning and the evolution of dynamic
capabilities. Organ. Sci., 13.
Z. Xie et al. / Technovation 48-49 (2016) 69–7878