Journal of Strategy and Management

Dogbe, Courage Simon Kofi; Tian, Hongyun; Pomegbe, Wisdom Wise Kwabla; Sarsah, Sampson Ato; Otoo, Charles Oduro Acheampong

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/jsma-07-2019-0126

The purpose of this study was to identify if network embeddedness and innovation performance relationship, which has been largely studied in multinational enterprises (MNEs) and large corporations, was also applicable in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Secondly, the authors also sought to identify the moderating role of innovation openness in the relationship between network embeddedness and SMEs' innovation performance.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical analysis was based on 388 SMEs in Ghana. Various validity and reliability checks were conducted before the presentation of the actual analysis, which was conducted using the structural equation modeling in Amos (v.23).FindingsFindings revealed that, in the context of SMEs, network embeddedness had significant positive effect on innovation performance. The authors further identified that SMEs with both high levels of network embeddedness and innovation openness had a much higher performance in their innovation, compared to SMEs that relied solely on network embeddedness.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study found innovation openness to further strengthen the relationship between network embeddedness and SMEs' innovation performance. The relationship between network embedded and SME's innovation could, however, be mediated by knowledge transfer mechanisms, so future studies should pay particular attention to the mediating mechanisms.Practical implicationsManagement of SMEs is advised to develop conducive organizational structures, such as trust, openness to collaboration and so on, for effective innovative knowledge transfer and transformation.Originality/valuePast research studies on network embeddedness and innovation performance have dominantly resided in MNE and large corporations. This current study extends the body of knowledge by extending the network embeddedness and innovation performance research studies to SME context.

Tipu, Syed Awais Ahmad

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/jsma-08-2019-0157

This paper aims to review the academic literature on entrepreneurial reentry after failure in an attempt to highlight the contribution to the knowledge, identify research gaps and outline an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachSeveral databases such as ABI/Inform Global, Academic Search Complete, Business Source Premier and Emerald Full Text were used to find peer-reviewed journal articles. Different search terms were used, such as entrepreneurial reentry, failure of habitual entrepreneurs, reentry intentions, entrepreneurial failure, serial entrepreneurship and venture failure. A total of 27 articles were finally selected and included in the final analysis. Using thematic codes, the selected articles were manually coded.FindingsThe concept of entrepreneurial reentry after failure has recently gained some attention from entrepreneurship scholars, but still, there are significant gaps in the literature. A wide range of entrepreneurship theories can potentially provide the necessary impetus to guide future research. The current literature remains largely inconclusive with inconsistent findings. This underlines the need to focus on this domain to conduct more studies to develop knowledge. The available literature is largely focused on exploring antecedents of entrepreneurial reentry after failure. Therefore, the author’s understanding remains limited with regard to other aspects of entrepreneurial reentry after failure, such as context of reentry and outcomes of reentry. Moreover, future studies also need to include the developing country context for better understanding of entrepreneurial reentry after failure.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge, the current paper is the first identifiable review of the literature on entrepreneurial reentry after failure. The suggested areas of future research will potentially help in addressing the identified research gaps and further strengthening the theoretical foundations of this emerging research domain. Identified themes in the literature will also potentially help aspiring entrepreneurs to better understand the antecedents, contextual settings and outcomes of reentry after failure. This practical perspective will help failed entrepreneurs in particular to be more aware of the dynamics of reentry after failure and better manage the reentry process.

Stambaugh, Jeff; Lumpkin, G.T.; Mitchell, Ronald K.; Brigham, Keith; Cogliser, Claudia

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/jsma-03-2019-0033

The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a conceptualization of competitive aggressiveness (CA), a dimension of entrepreneurial orientation.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling and hierarchical regression are employed on responses from 182 banks in the southwestern US Performance data on the banks are drawn from the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC's) Call reports.FindingsThe results indicate awareness, motivation and capability are antecedents of CA, which itself is positively related to increased market share and, in more dense markets, profitability.Practical implicationsAggressive firms exhibit certain routines that can lead to competitive actions, which assists performance in some contexts. Managers who wish to increase (or decrease) their firms' overall competitive posture can encourage (or discourage) employees from performing competitive routines such as monitoring their rivals or talking about their rivals' strategies.Originality/valueBy developing CA' conceptualization, the study advances the understanding of the antecedents of competitive behavior and makes it easier to study competition in smaller firms.

Hosseinzadeh Shahri, Masoumeh; Nematollahi Sarvestani, Maryam

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/JSMA-08-2019-0154

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to determine the firms, innovations in the cases that have successfully overcome a decline and also to assess whether these innovations can be considered as business model innovations.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the data was collected from analyzing four case studies in different businesses through semistructured interviews with relevant internal experts.FindingsThe findings revealed that the innovation that had been taken was related to the constructs of their existing business model. Therefore, the business model innovation functions as a critical practice of turnaround strategy in the decline period.Research limitations/implicationsThe article provides the most important business model constructs in each business through which the related firm could overcome a decline in their life cycle. Since this paper has been studied in different unrelated businesses and due to the qualitative research nature, generalization cannot be ensured.Practical implicationsFrom the practical and managerial point of view, this article is useful as it defines the most important business model components in each industry and based on it, the similar companies can do innovation in their business model. It also helps the related companies in the same industry to develop and design their specific turnaround strategies.Originality/valueSo far, rare research has seen business model innovation as a turnaround strategy, and it can be claimed that till now, no research has been conducted in Iran in this context. Therefore, the business practitioners can employ innovation on the components of their existing business model to overcome a decline.

Santos, M. Valle; Mayoral, Rosa M.

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/jsma-08-2019-0150

The paper aims to clarify the internal structure of the discipline of business and management (BMA) and its relations with adjacent disciplines.Design/methodology/approachWe analyse the thematic profile of the most relevant journals in BMA (Scopus database). We then perform a network analysis, specifically Pathfinder and Nearest Neighbour analyses.FindingsOur research provides empirical evidence of BMA's cohesiveness, thematic variety and interdisciplinarity. It remains open to a wide range of disciplines, particularly information systems, decision science and finance. BMA constitutes a dome composed of different subdisciplines. Some of these (for example, accounting, management information systems and industrial relations) display little relation to the others, although they do establish links with adjacent fields. In addition, strategic management emerges as a central point, endowing the discipline with consistency by acting as a link to certain subdisciplines that would otherwise be unconnected. Despite its more moderate presence in the discipline, organisational behaviour is the most nuclear category, acting as an anchor and helping to organise and structure BMA.Research limitations/implicationsThis analysis provides a static image of BMA. It would be interesting to further the research through a dynamic perspective that would outline the evolution of the interrelations amongst disciplines over time and ascertain where they are heading.Practical implicationsThese results shed light on the centrifugal and centripetal forces of BMA and their future development.Originality/valueThis paper analyses the internal structure of BMA through its journals.

Murschetz, Paul Clemens; Omidi, Afshin; Oliver, John J.; Kamali Saraji, Mahyar; Javed, Sameera

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/jsma-01-2019-0010

Dynamic capabilities (DCs) help media firms adapt to rapidly changing environments. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive literature review of studies of DCs in strategic management research with a view to understanding its implications for the management of media organizations. Essentially, it fertilizes on the idea that the concept of DC is useful and vital for answering various critical questions regarding the challenges that media organizations are currently facing.Design/methodology/approachThis study builds on a systematic literature reviewing design as the research methodology. It aims to identify, critically evaluate, and integrate factors, dimensions, and findings on studies of DCs in strategic management research and builds knowledge transfers to the field of strategic management research in the media industry.FindingsThe study shows that the DC framework helps media firms effectively respond to changing environments. The conceptual DC framework has implications for media strategy practice. Results indicate a considerable growth in the number of papers published related to the DCs in media organizations from 2003 to 2018.Originality/valueThe study qualifies the relevance and validity of the DC framework in strategic management research for the field of strategic media management. It explores a research agenda in this domain by precisely explaining the significant trends in the theory of DC to shape managerial strategies in the media industry.

Do, Thanh Tung; Mai, Ngoc Khuong

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/jsma-11-2019-0198

This paper aims to review and synthesize notable literature on high-performance organization (HPO), from which future research directions can be recommended.Design/methodology/approachThis narrative literature review analyzes major HPO literature in popular books and peer-reviewed articles published in English in the period between 1982 and 2019.FindingsThe review revealed that HPO literature has evolved multiple times, illustrating the complex and multifaceted nature of this phenomenon. In particular, literature on HPO has evolved in four phases: (1) definitions and conceptual development of HPO; (2) exploration of approaches to achieve HPO; (3) empirical validation of HPO framework; and (4) complicated research models and designs on HPO. Several research gaps were identified, which definitely hold varying research value and can be seen as potential opportunities for future research.Research limitations/implicationsThe focus of this review is on HPO literature published in English rather than cover all existing literature.Originality/valueIt is among the first studies to review the HPO literature and its evolution. This review also recommends constructive areas for future research on HPO to focus on.

Adobor, Henry

2020 Journal of Strategy and Management

doi: 10.1108/jsma-07-2019-0125

A core premise of the paper is that participative, democratic organizational forms have a direct effect on openness. A key proposition is that organizational forms that promote inclusion, transparency and shared decision-making more broadly as part of their structure and culture would enhance greater openness. However, democratic forms are not a panacea when it comes to openness, there are inherent paradoxes, leading to inevitable tradeoffs that democratic organizations must manage.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical framework in the study explores the interaction between open strategy making and organizational democracy. This paper reviews the literature on open strategy and organizational democracy and presents propositions linking openness and elements of democratic organizations.FindingsOpen strategy requires a level of inclusion and transparency not typically associated with hierarchical organizations. This paper proposed that an organizational context where there are institutionalized processes that promote both transparency and inclusiveness, shared decision-making and a supportive organizational culture would promote openness. At the same time, these organizations need to manage key paradoxes associated with organizational democracy to benefit from its positive effect on openness. The idea is not that hierarchies cannot be open; they may simply need to be more creative and work harder at providing the scaffolding for participation.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a conceptual paper and we cannot make any claims of causality. It is also possible to refine the framework by adding or eliminating some of the conceptual variables.Practical implicationsOpening up the strategy process to non-traditional stakeholders can improve the strategy formation process. Non-traditional stakeholders can bring new insight, and be motivated and prepared for strategy implementation when they are part of the strategy formation process. Organizations need to focus on creating a climate that supports openness by emphasizing structural forms that promote openness. Sharing decision-making, profits and creating a democratic culture are important for successful openness. In addition, organizations need to manage the tradeoffs that arise as they link organizational democracy to openness.Originality/valueThis paper discusses the link between open strategy and organizational democracy. The research sheds light on how organizational forms, specifically structure affects openness, as well as the limits to structure and openness.