Journal of Strategy and Management

Véronique Ambrosini; Nardine Collier; Mark Jenkins

2009 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/17554250910948686

Purpose – In this paper the aim is to concentrate on the impact that various types and combinations of knowledge can have on firms. Design/methodology/approach – After a review of the literature the authors conceptually configure the extant understanding of knowledge over eight configurations. They illustrate each configuration with practical examples. Findings – This configurational approach provides a basis for identifying potential complementarities and conflicts regarding the dynamics of organisational knowledge in competitive settings. It allows for a better understanding of knowledge in organisations and its link with competitive advantage. Practical implications – The authors' argument can be used by managers to help them think of how knowledge is configured within their firm. By doing so they might better understand how this knowledge configuration might give them a competitive advantage. Originality/value – This paper uses some traditional knowledge concepts but by proposing to take a configurational view of organisational knowledge, it proposes an original and meaningful way of examining the role of knowledge in the generation and sustainability of competitive advantage.

Natalia Nikolova; Timothy M. Devinney

2009 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/17554250910948695

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide a clearer picture of the nature of power imbalance in client‐consultant teams, which has negative consequences for the development and implementation of consultants' recommendations, and to outline ways how to avoid such an imbalance in the first instance. Design/methodology/approach – This is an empirical paper based on in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with clients and consultants from the strategic consulting sector in Australia. Findings – Taking a differentiated look at the roles and responsibilities of members of client‐consultant teams, the authors propose that power within client‐consultant teams is multidimensional and the outcome of the interplay of its different forms is not predictable. It is further argued that a power balance is crucial for achieving better results from consulting projects. Research limitations/implications – The findings are not generalizable, due to the small sample and the focus on strategic consulting. The results encourage further research in different types of consulting projects as well as studies based on observation of client‐consultant interactions. Practical implications – The paper highlights the main points of concern for managers and consultants and provides some suggestions on how to achieve a balanced relationship. Originality/value – This paper's major contribution is in providing deeper insight into a hitherto underexplored issue of client‐consultant interactions: the contested nature of power in client‐consultant teams and the reasons and outcomes of power imbalance.

Karen Ruckman

2009 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/17554250910948703

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine what the effects of acquisition are on R&D patterns. Design/methodology/approach – This paper tests whether the actual post‐acquisition R&D intensity of the combined firm deviated from the predicted R&D intensity, where the predicted amount is an asset‐weighted average of pre‐acquisition values. Findings – The results indicate that the combination of technology sourcing and technological relatedness have strong predictive powers for determining changes in post‐acquisition R&D intensity. Technology sourcing acquisition of unrelated technologies results in an increase in post‐acquisition R&D intensity, as predicted. Acquirers in this situation may be using their acquisition as a platform for research expansion. Research limitations/implications – The dataset used in this paper was restricted to public acquirers and targets for completeness of financial information. It would be useful to determine the extent to which a technology sourcing acquirer is predicted to enter into an acquisition and also whether technology sourcing can be used as a predictor for the ultimate target company out of a pool of potential targets. Practical implications – The results can be used to inform managers on a strategic level when research strategy deviates from what the theory would predict. For example, if a company that did a technology sourcing acquisition of an unrelated product subsequently decreased R&D intensity, then rival pharmaceutical firms can ascertain that the acquired research was ultimately determined to be too risky or unviable. Originality/value – The value in this paper is the unique measurement for technology sourcing.

Albrecht Enders; Andreas König; Harald Hungenberg; Thomas Engelbertz

2009 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/17554250910948712

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual tool that would help managers to integrate the findings from strategy frameworks such as the value chain, the five forces or the VRIO framework by jointly analyzing the different levers of competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach – Building on the extant literature the paper develops a strategy framework that integrates the internal and external dimensions of strategy formulation. To illustrate a practical application of the value‐process framework, the paper presents a case study of a project at the German music corporation Sony BMG. Findings – The value‐process framework serves managers as a conceptually unifying analysis tool that contributes to their understanding of the main levers that help to create a sustainable competitive advantage. The framework can be used to visually integrate isolated strategy frameworks by jointly analyzing the different levers of competitive advantage, and to develop consistent and integrated strategies that simultaneously take into account the internal and external perspectives of strategic decision making. Originality/value – While the existing strategy literature is good at providing specific concepts and tools of strategy analysis, it rarely connects the different dimensions and points out their interdependencies. As a result, strategic analyses are often fragmented and isolated from their broader context. The value‐process framework aims to provide an overarching perspective that helps to integrate the different dimensions of strategy formulation.

Yvon Dufour; Lise Lamothe

2009 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/17554250910948721

Purpose – On 10 September 2007 the world was stunned by the news that Anita Roddick – the founder of The Body Shop – was dead at the age of 64. Everyone recognizes the success of The Body Shop, but it is not easily explained using traditional strategic thinking. This paper aims to shed new light on Anita Roddick's entrepreneurial and managerial flair, as well as on her legacy to the field of management. Design/methodology/approach – Configuration as a quality is an intriguing and intuitively appealing new idea. The main innovation is the premise that organizational elements form common gestalts such that each can be best understood in relation to the other elements in the configuration. This paper probed the conceptual notion of configuration as a quality in an empirical sense by revisiting one of the classic Harvard Business School (HBS) case studies: The Body Shop International . Findings – The paper shows The Body Shop as a good example of a comprehensive configuration that allows immediate intuitive apprehension of the new idea of configuration as a quality. Research limitations/implications – The main issue is the limited depth of analysis that has been achieved through the single HBS case as the main source of evidence. As such, although the propositions put forward seem highly plausible, the supplementary explanation still remains incomplete, opening opportunities for further research. Originality/value – Re‐visiting classic case studies such as the HBS Body Shop International can stimulate the debate and fuel the process of theory building through the amalgamation of diversified old and new perspectives of the same phenomenon.

Nicholas O'Regan; Mairi Maclean

2009 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/17554250910948730

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to determine the views of Professor David Audretsch. Design/methodology/approach – The article takes the form of an interview. Findings – Professor David Audretsch shares his thoughts and advice on an “entrepreneurial society” where there is a rethinking of fundamental economic and business ideas, where innovation and entrepreneurship emerge as the driving forces of competitiveness and growth, but institutions and public policies facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship play a key role. Originality/value – The aricle provides valuable insights from one of the world's most frequently cited economists.