Identity in Flexible Organizations: Experiences in Dutch Organizations

In the information economy, flexible organizations have evolved. Work and labour relations have become more flexible than in industrial organizations. This has consequences for the identity of organizations. Organizations tend to become opportunity coalitions when the identity is too fragmented or neglected. The key questions this article adresses is what is identity in a flexible organization and to what extent is it possible to ‘manage’ the construction of identity in flexible organizations? This key question was split up into three sub‐questions. We were interested in how (1) organizations organize their talent management, (2) how organizations manage their labour relations and (3) how organizations manage identity. These three subjects come forward in recent publications in the field of organizational development and HRM as being critical of management of a flexible and innovative organization. In the article, the characteristics of flexible organizations are defined. These characteristics are translated into the relationship between these organization and individual: the way flexible organizations manage their work, labour relations and identity is studied in 20 Dutch organizations. Striving for an optimum in flexible work and flexible labour relations, combined with managing a specific organizational identity seems to be the HR‐strategy Dutch organizations implement to reach flexibility and innovation.     

Social Network-Aware Interfaces as Facilitators of Innovation

Achieving continuous innovation in organizations requires a balance between exploiting yet acquired knowledge and exploring new knowledge.In addition to having the adequate resources,change and innovation capabilities require specific management support and organizational structures.Recent research has pointed out the importance of social network structure and of the activity of agents that work across domains or disciplines in the innovation-oriented behaviour of organizations.As a consequence,information systems should ideally be able to support the analysis,development and management of such social structure for the benefit of organizational objectives.Current social network interfaces provide an established mental model to workers that can be hypothesized to be adequate for supporting activities that foster innovative behaviour.That behaviour is facilitated through exposing the activities of other workers across organizational structures.This paper reports on the design of a user interface specifically targeted to manage the social aspects of innovation based on some aspects of Hargadon’s model of innovation and knowledge brokering.The emergent nature of interactions in social network sites is used as the metaphor to foster situated cognition.The interface design assessment is described and some metrics for innovative behaviour that could be derived for such an interface are sketched.     

Measuring and Enabling Learning Behaviour in Product Innovation Processes

It is generally acknowledged that innovation is one of the most important predictors of firm success or failure. Successful innovation processes require creating new organizational capabilities to handle the external pressure for new products and processes (fast, good and at low costs), and the internal pressure for increased efficiency and effectiveness. Under these circumstances ‘learning’ is an important issue and the increased interest for topics such as knowledge management, organizational learning and continuous improvement illustrates its relevance. Within the CIMA (Continuous Improvement in Global Product Innovation Management) research project (CIMA‐ESPRIT 26056) a methodology has been developed to help companies to stimulate learning behaviour of individuals and teams in product innovation processes. By studying learning behaviour in 140 product innovation projects in 70 companies in six countries, a seemingly valid and reliable scale for measuring learning behaviour has been developed. In addition, managerial activities and decisions that are predictive for improving learning behaviour have been identified.     

The effects of network characteristics on performance of innovation clusters

Industry clusters provide not only economic benefits but also technological innovation through networking within a cluster. In this study, we analyze network-specific structural and behavioral characteristics of innovation clusters with the intention of delving into differences in learning performance in clusters. Based on three representative networks of real world, scale-free, broad-scale, and single-scale networks, the learning performance of entire organizations in a cluster is examined by the simulation method. We find out that the network structure of clusters is important for the learning performance of clusters. Among the three networks, the scale-free network having the most hub organizations shows the best learning performance. In addition, the appropriate level of openness that maintains long-lasting diversity leads to the highest organizational learning performance. This study confirms the roles of innovation clusters and implies how each organization as a member of a cluster should run their organization.     

Networking Beyond Organizational Boundaries: The Case of Project Organizations

Project organizations operate in environments where innovation depends significantly on the ability to integrate different but interrelated knowledge bases. These knowledge bases include individuals who are located outside organizational boundaries and have no formal relationship with the organization, but are connected socially to project workers. Organizational researchers have generally recognized the importance of external social relations for knowledge search. However there is some debate on the question of whether social networks are more useful for innovation if they provide social cohesion through close interaction or access to diverse and novel sources of knowledge through more distant relationships. This study explores the configuration of project workers’ external social networks and their effects on innovative behaviour, using data on the network ties of workers in 17 project organizations in the new‐media industry. The findings are more consistent with the social embeddedness view of close social relations providing an important source of continuity in markets where intermittent projects are common. Project workers embedded in cohesive work‐related social structures outside the organization tend to be more innovative in their project work than workers lacking such networks.     

Creating Ideas for Innovation: Effects of Organizational Distance on Knowledge Creation Processes

Innovation is to a large extent considered a social and communicative process, and input from other individuals potentially improves the generation of novel and valuable ideas also in the early stages of idea creation and development. Both colleagues inside organizations and external parties have frequently been proposed as important sources of information and knowledge within this part of the innovation process. Other contributions addressing social networks and innovation bring into focus the potentially negative effects that certain network structures may have on innovation, pointing to inconsistencies in received theory. In order to address these inconsistencies, an empirical study of ideation in a Swedish multinational firm was performed, taking into account two different knowledge creation processes – combination and in‐depth analysis – and their inter‐relationships with organizational distance between contributing individuals. Data was collected using a survey and was analysed using regression models. It was found that different levels of organizational distance correlate with different knowledge creation processes. In‐depth analysis occurred more often with employees' close colleagues, whereas the combination of existing ideas and information was more frequent in interaction with employees' close colleagues and with external parties. Both these interaction patterns were also found to be positive for the generation of patents, whereas no such relationship could be seen when individuals interacted with colleagues in other departments in the same firm. The findings have implications for theory on cognitive distance, and also suggest that management needs to facilitate different types of collaboration and networking when aiming to facilitate and support ideation, taking into consideration the type of innovation aimed for, as well as its supporting knowledge creation processes.     

Digital product innovation within four classes of innovation networks

The increased digitization of organizational processes and products poses new challenges for understanding product innovation. It also opens new horizons for information systems research. We analyse how ongoing pervasive digitization of product innovation reshapes knowledge creation and sharing in innovation networks. We argue that advances in digital technologies (1) increase innovation network connectivity by reducing communication costs and increasing its reach and scope and (2) increase the speed and scope of digital convergence, which increases network knowledge heterogeneity and need for integration. These developments, in turn, stretch existing innovation networks by redistributing control and increasing the demand for knowledge coordination across time and space presenting novel challenges for knowledge creation, assimilation and integration. Based on this foundation, we distinguish four types of emerging innovation networks supported by digitalization: (1) project innovation networks; (2) clan innovation networks; (3) federated innovation networks; and (4) anarchic innovation networks. Each network involves different cognitive and social translations – or ways of identifying, sharing and assimilating knowledge. We describe the role of five novel properties of digital infrastructures in supporting each type of innovation network: representational flexibility, semantic coherence, temporal and spatial traceability, knowledge brokering and linguistic calibration. We identify several implications for future innovation research. In particular, we focus on the emergence of anarchic network forms that follow full‐fledged digital convergence founded on richer innovation ontologies and epistemologies calling to critically re‐examine the nature and impact of modularization for innovation.     

Innovation Labs: An Examination into the Use of Physical Spaces to Enhance Organizational Creativity

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of innovation labs, purpose‐built physical facilities designed to enhance and support creativity and innovation in organizations. This rising phenomenon may be driven by the increasing emphasis placed on innovation as the key to the survival of modern day organizations. Innovation labs are attracting greater attention from organizations, yet little is known about their effectiveness. Using a mixed‐method approach this paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a major UK‐based facility in enhancing creativity and to explore users' attitudes towards this rising organizational phenomenon. The findings have implications for the management of existing innovation labs and those in the planning.     

Teamwork and Organizational Innovation: The Moderating Role of the HRM Context

Evidence is accumulating on the role of teams in shaping a variety of business outcomes, but our knowledge on the effect of teamwork on organizational innovation is still evolving. This study examines whether the extent to which two staff groups are organized in teams (production staff and management/administrative staff) affects organizational innovation and whether human resource management (HRM) systems, which can be of facilitating or constraining nature, enhance the teamwork/innovation relationships. Hypotheses were tested with lagged and longitudinal data derived from 18 to 45 organizations from the UK manufacturing sector. Results suggest that the more widespread the use of teamwork in organizations, the higher the level of organizational innovation. Furthermore, this effect depends, particularly for production teams, on the overall quality of the HRM systems that exist in their organizations. Teamwork/innovation relationships are further moderated (for management and administrative teams) by an HRM practice that provides teams with time for thoughtful reflection. Thus, HRM systems can be of more or less facilitating or constraining nature for teams in organizations.     

Multi‐contextuality in boundary‐spanning practices

The capability to establish boundary‐spanning practices within and across organizations has for long been recognized as a key strategic resource. As organizations are becoming distributed and dynamic, they will be increasingly populated by multiple functional, geographical, hierarchical and professional boundaries. The inherent complexity of such settings makes it difficult for organizations to leverage their boundary‐spanning practices. Information technology (IT) systems have been hailed as a critical enabler of boundary spanning. However, there is little knowledge on how organizations are affected by the introduction of different types of IT systems. Building on an interpretive case study of Swedish transport organizations, this paper explores consequences of sensor technology for boundary spanning. The paper contributes with an understanding of what coexisting use contexts mean for boundary‐spanning practices. A theoretical implication is that such multi‐contextuality requires an integrative view on boundary spanning that combines insights from the organizational innovation and work practice literatures.     

Harmonisierung divergierender organisationaler Kulturen in ?ffentlich-privaten IT-Partnerschaften

The cooperation of public and private sector organizations is a viable option for decision makers in the public sector for improving information technology (IT) infrastructures, acquiring innovation, and increasing management know-how. Effective partnering in public?Cprivate partnerships (PPP) is difficult though, because the involved stakeholder groups have divergent interests and organizational cultures. Using institutional logics as meta-theoretical lens, this exploratory, interpretive case study analyzes an IT PPP in Germany. The results reveal public- and private-side organizational culture differences and how the partners aligned their cultural differences by the development and legitimization of a partnership norm as well as the necessary partnership practices. The case analysis also illustrates how public sector and private sector organizations succeeded with the transition of public sector and private sector employees into a partnership organization and the management of different organizational cultures.     

Antecedents of Network Capability and Their Effects on Innovation Performance: An Empirical Test of Hi‐tech Firms in China

A firm's competitive advantage can come not only from internal resources but also from inter‐firm innovation networks. This paper shows that network capabilities (i.e., network visioning capability, network constructing capability, network operating capability and network centring capability) are special skills that enable values residing in network resources. Based on a sample of 211 Chinese hi‐tech firms and by applying structural equation modelling, network capabilities are found to have a positive relationship with innovation performance. Four antecedents of network capabilities – IT maturity, openness of culture, the management system involved and experience with network activities – are also identified in the research and empirically tested. The results of this study provide a new framework that describes how networked firms can gain a competitive advantage.     

Characteristics of Innovative Companies: A Case Study of Companies in Different Sectors

The literature on new organizational forms offers an up‐to‐date picture of organizations that combines traditional variables with new ones, and contributes to a more productive analysis of the relationship between organization and innovation. Our review of the literature highlights several research topics dealing with new organizational forms and innovation, such as strategic flexibility (in the form of customization of output, subcontracting or outsourcing and the use of contingent workers), informal communication throughout the entire organization made feasible by information technology and collaboration with other organizations and institutions. These topics have been analysed in a study of four companies that differ in size and sector, but that have all been classified as innovative. This article confirms the existence of certain factors that operate as described in the literature, and reveals other factors that have to be taken into account because they contribute to a better understanding of how innovation takes place in the four companies.     

Social Conduct,Learning and Innovation: An Abductive Study of the Dark Side of Agile Software Development

Agile methodologies have been adopted by an increasing number of organizations to improve their responsiveness. However, few studies have empirically analysed the effect of Agile on long‐term organizational goals such as learning and innovation. Using an abductive approach, this study examines the relationships between self‐regulated teams' social conduct and their resulting learning and innovation. Results indicate that the time pressure induced by the implementation of Agile impedes team engagement in learning and innovation activities. Time pressure is affected by a set of different control strategies, more specifically concertive, belief, diagnostic and boundary controls, and these need to be adequately addressed in order to minimize the potential dark side of Agile.     

Organizing for Continuous Innovation: On the Sustainability of Ambidextrous Organizations

Organizing for innovation does not present itself as a straightforward exercise. The complexities entailed when implementing an innovation strategy can be related directly to the multitude of objectives it comprises. Recently, several scholars have advanced the notions of semi‐ or quasi‐structures and ambidextrous organizations to handle these multiple requirements. These organizational forms imply the simultaneous presence of different activities, exhibiting differences in technology and market maturation. As a consequence, financial returns will reflect this diversified resource allocation pattern. Moreover, as higher levels of complexity are being introduced; ambidextrous organizations will encounter additional, organizational, costs. Compared to organizations that focus on the most profitable part of the portfolio, ambidextrous organizations – ceteris paribus – tend to be inferior in terms of financial returns. Within this contribution we explore under which conditions ambidextrous organizations can outperform focused firms; considered a prerequisite for their sustainability. In order to do so, we develop an analytical framework depicting the differential value dynamics, focused and ambidextrous firms can enact. Our findings reveal the relevancy of adopting extended time frames as well as introducing interface management practices aimed at cross‐fertilization. Finally, the synergetic potential of (underlying) technologies comes to the forefront as necessary in order for ambidextrous organizations to become sustainable.     

Leveraging diverse knowledge sources through proactive behaviour: How companies can use inter‐organizational networks for business model innovation

The relevance of business model innovation (BMI) for strategic renewal and competitive advantage has been increasingly recognized by both strategy scholars and managers. In this paper, we explore how inter‐organizational networks and firms' proactiveness influence BMI. By examining Dutch design companies, we show that having a network of companies with different sizes has a positive effect on BMI. We also observe a positive effect of ties change. Finally, we show the importance of firms' proactiveness. Through the discussion of network elements and proactiveness as antecedents of BMI, we contribute to the business model and social network literature.     

A groupware system for virtual product innovation management

We are experiencing a radical shift in the way organizations are designed, structured, and organized. New organizational forms such as virtual strategic partnerships and networks are replacing traditional bureaucratic, hierarchical organizations. This is particularly evident in the area of product innovation, where organizations are adopting new approaches or ways of working in order to compete. Product innovation management is a complex process because of the range of technical issues that must be addressed and the variety of competencies that must be employed over the life of the development effort. Such initiatives require a substantial investment in terms of resources such as time, money, and effort, all of which are limited. This article focuses on product innovation management in a distributed or virtual environment. It reports on a qualitative case study targeted at product managers. The challenges are identified and discussed. From this analysis, a Web‐enabled groupware system is presented. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 499–510, 2007.     

Organizational resilience in national security bureaucracies: Realistic and practicable?

Resilience is increasingly highlighted as a necessary organizational property in national security bureaucracies. This article explores the resulting management dilemmas via interviews with Danish executives, who attempt to balance resilience, fiscal austerity and democratic accountability. It concludes that the resilience agenda inspires relevant organizational adjustments, including more external networking and internal resource variety. But austerity limits resilience to budget‐neutral forms, and fear of blame games limits the space for innovation to stay abreast with evolving risks. The article calls for a critical reappraisal of how much resilience to expect from public sector organizations and for more research into the boundary conditions of organizational resilience in the public sector.     

Innovation and regional development

This paper is based on the knowledge gained from working with two industrial networks from the county of Østfold in Norway. There is a particular focus on the creation of networking arenas and on the development of these arenas for better co-operation between the companies in the network. Much of the empirical knowledge has been achieved by interviewing participants from the networks and by active participation in co-operation projects. The theme is innovation processes in industrial networks, with special attention on how it is possible to enhance the innovation capacity of the networks. We discuss innovation processes in industrial networks as a part of regional innovation systems, because innovation processes in industrial networks cannot be fully understood without understanding how this also relates to the surroundings. We discuss how good relationships, continuous change and strategies for knowledge creation are important factors for innovation in networks. This could be achieved by following the principles from co-generated learning processes (such as a search conference). The principles could be adapted and specially designed for each network in a way that increases the quality and efficiency of the co-operation processes.     

Human Factors in Network Reliability Engineering

Network administration and management tasks play an integral role in Information Technology (IT) operations; which are utilized across a diverse set of organizations. The reliability of networks is therefore of crucial importance for ensuring effective business processes. All IT networks are administered and managed by human administrators. As the process of administration becomes increasingly complex, human limitations can amplify challenges to network reliability and security. Despite researchers’ agreement that the human factor becomes increasingly significant as the network becomes more reliable, efforts to design reliability measures have remained largely separate from considerations of the human component. We examined the question of whether joint consideration of these two components would be useful in designing reliability of enterprise networks. We interviewed and surveyed networking professionals to understand their impact on network reliability. The result is a discussion of specific demographic, organizational, and technical factors that contribute to network reliability issues. For demographic factors, academic background was a notable factor associated with network instability. For organizational factors, a notable factor was the number of devices assigned per administrator. Finally, for technical factors, a notable factor was misconfiguration of networking devices, which contributed significantly to the unreliability of the studied networks. Based on this research, we concluded that the future of network reliability engineering will benefit substantially from actively addressing the human role in network administration and management.