Designing the framework of technological entrepreneurship ecosystem: A grounded theory approach in the context of Iran

The ecosystem approach, as a comprehensive way of understanding multi-aspect environments, has recently gained so much attention in entrepreneurship and innovation studies. The application of this approach has led to the introduction of the currently available ecosystem frameworks that are dealing with some issues such as infirm structure and heterogeneity of components. In this research, by adopting the grounded theory approach in the context of Iran, we defined a novel and comprehensive framework for the technological entrepreneurship ecosystem (TEE). Twenty-six in-depth and semi-structured interviews have been conducted and analysed through a modified grounded theory procedure. Seventy-four secondary sources were added to the study to expand the breadth of our analysis and reach a stronger saturation. The concluded framework comprised of four interconnected layers representing environmental conditions, entity domains, functional realms, and tech-entrepreneurial agents. In addition, we identified some general principles and rules as important underlying aspects of this framework. The inferred components and structure of this novel framework not only could enable us to design the relations between the ecosystem components, but also prompt and support further research on each dimension of the ecosystem.     

Current condition and future directions for lean construction in highways projects: A small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) perspective

The aim of this study is to identify the parameters defining how Lean Construction (LC) is being implemented (current condition) and how LC can be further promoted (future direction) from a Small-Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) perspective. Although SMEs constitute the largest group in construction supply chains, LC, as an emerging phenomenon in civil construction project management, has been rarely investigated from an SMEs perspective. Also, overlooking the more macro factors like project governance and supply chain management, LC deployments have been mainly discussed from a production process perspective to date. After a review of the extant literature and 20 interviews with managers from the highways sector, a list of 31 current condition and 40 future direction statements were produced, classified under the delivery, process, training, project governance and supply chain related headings and used in a questionnaire survey with 110 responses. The current condition highlights problems like a short-term relations structure, competitive tendering mechanisms, fragmentation, problems in engaging with SMEs for LC, unstandardised LC techniques, and issues with convincing SMEs to deploy LC by demonstrating the business case on mutual benefits. Action items relating to the current project delivery structure were given the highest importance by the supply chain, alongside the LC training and project governance issues for the future of LC at highways SMEs. Additionally, a statistically significant correlation was identified among many future action items.     

集团级企业网络平台绿色创新与实践

本文介绍了集团企业网络平台创新建设的背景及创新理念,通过在企业近年的创新实践,归纳总结网络创新的主要方法、内容及实践成果.     

Radical innovation,incremental innovation and training: Analysis of complementarity

This paper analyzes the connection between labour productivity and variables such as radical innovation, incremental innovation, production technology embodied in new machinery and equipment, utilization of productive capacity and training. Furthermore, we test the existence of complementarity between radical innovation, incremental innovation and training. The data used are from Spanish manufacturing and service companies and have been collected by the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey (BEEPS). The results indicate that radical innovation and training have a positive and significant impact on labour productivity. The influence of production technology embodied is also significant but negative. We did not find evidence of complementarity or substitutability between the variables analyzed.     

Industrial renewal within the construction network

The construction business network is generally seen as conservative and non-innovative, for which a number of reasons have been identified. One of these reasons relates to the special inter-organizational setting that exists within the industry. The starting point of our study was to investigate whether there is any truth in this perceived lack of innovation. One reason for the industry’s bad reputation could be that the way innovation generally is defined and measured is unsuitable for the construction business. Therefore, renewal was used as the central concept of change in our investigation. The second issue concerns factors that either assist or impede renewal, and the ambition was to identify those factors driving, as well as those hindering renewal. In order to identify the degree of renewal, as well as the factors affecting it, we conducted a survey of Swedish construction companies. The resulting picture shows a clear connection between the inter-organizational interfaces within the industry and how renewal takes place. The total renewal activity is on a considerable level with more than 60% having made changes visible from the customer’s point of view. The most active interface is also in relation to customers, while the relationship to suppliers generally is more distant. Finally, the project focus which characterizes the industry affects what type of renewal takes place, and exposes the lack of knowledge transfer between individual projects and actors as an important hindrance to renewal in the construction network.     

Managerial identity work in action: performative narratives and anecdotal stories of innovation

Innovation is invariably accepted as a central component of construction sector competitiveness. Yet, there remains a paucity of empirical research, which explores the gap between the way innovation is promoted in the policy discourse and how it is interpreted in practice. We follow the “narrative turn” in organization studies to explore the ways in which senior executives in the UK construction sector ascribe themselves with informal roles while advocating the cause of innovation. Empirical data is derived from narrative interviews with 32 senior executives who self-identify as “innovation champions”. When talking about innovation, the respondents were found to oscillate between performative narratives of innovation and more personalized stories derived from their own experience. The narratives were invariably pre-rehearsed often to the point of being monotonous. In contrast, the personalized stories tended to be engaging and emotionally laden. The tendency for senior executives to oscillate between narratives and stories is seen as an important means through which they search for meaning while at the same time legitimizing their self-identities as “innovation champions”. Of particular note is the way in which senior managers self-ascribe themselves with informal roles which are notably at odds with those described in more formalized narratives.     

Forum The role of CIB: some reflections

An explanation for the low innovation activity in construction is put forward. The central argument is that the current theory of construction is one root cause for low innovation activity. Instead, an explicit and more powerful theory of construction is needed for further innovation, which is ‘to manage new ideas into good currency’. There are three main mechanisms in the current theory of construction which are identified as causing this hindrance. Firstly, production theories in general, as well as construction theories specifically, have been implicit. Therefore, it has not been possible to transfer radical managerial innovations, such as lean production, from manufacturing to construction at a theoretical level. Direct application of this production template to construction has been limited due to the different context of construction in comparison with manufacturing. Secondly, the current theoretical model of construction is based on the transformation model of production. It is argued that the principles of this model are counterproductive, because uncertainty and interdependence are abstracted away. This leads to fragmented and myopic management and inflated variability. Practical examples show that these deficiencies and related practical constraints hinder the implementation of top-down innovations. Thirdly, empirical research shows that also bottom-up innovations - systematic learning and problem solving - are being hindered by the current theory. Thus, the advancement of innovations in construction requires that a new, explicit and valid theory of construction is created, and business models and control methods are developed on the basis of that new theory. Cet article propose une explication concernant le taux bas de l'activité d'innovation dans la secteur du bâtiment. L'argument central étant que la théorie actuelle de la construction est une des raisons fondamentales de cette activité basse d'innover. Au lieu de cela, on a besoin d'une théorie de la construction explicite et plus efficace afin d'innover. Dans la théorie actuelle du bâtiment, il y a trois mécanismes fondamentaux qui sont identifiés comme causes gênant cette innovation. Premièrement, les théories de production en général, ainsi que les théories de la construction en particulier, ont été implicites. Ainsi, il était impossible de transférer des innovations gestionnaires radicales, comme la production allégée (lean production), à partir du domaine de la fabrication à celui du bâtiment à un niveau théorique. L'application directe de ce modèle de production au secteur bâtiment a été limitée à cause du contexte différent de celui-ci en comparaison de celui de la fabrication. Deuxièmement, le modèle théorique actuel de la construction bâtiment est basé sur le modèle de la transformation de production. On avance que les principes de ce modèle agissent négativement sur la productivité parce que l'incertitude et l'interdépendance en sont exclues. Ceci mène à une gestion fragmentée et myope ainsi qu'à une inflation de la variabilité. Des exemples pratiques montrent que ces déficiences et les contraintes pratiques qui leur sont liées, gênent les implémentations des innovations de haut en bas. Troisièmement, une étude empirique montre que les innovations de bas en haut - c'est-à-dire l'apprentissage systématique et la résolution de problèmes - sont gênés par la théorie actuelle. Ainsi, le progrès dan les innovations du secteur bâtiment exige qu'une nouvelle théorie explicite et valide soit créée, et que des modèles d'affaires et des méthodes de contrôle soient développés sur la base de cette nouvelle théorie.     

Exploration and exploitation in project-based organizations: Development and diffusion of knowledge at different organizational levels in construction companies

Management studies highlight the importance of an organization's capability to both exploit existing knowledge and technologies for short-term profits and also explore new knowledge and technologies to enhance long-term innovation. Although this paradox recently has received escalating interest in management research, studies dealing with project-levels and project-based organizations (PBOs) are scarce. This conceptual paper discusses how PBOs in the construction industry can manage the exploration/exploitation paradox at different organizational levels. Short-term project focus and decentralization inhibits learning from one point in time and space to another, making it easier to reap the benefits of exploitation than of exploration. Current structural and sequential separation of exploration and exploitation activities at business unit, project portfolio, and project levels do not solve the paradox, due to lack of integrating mechanisms. Hence, PBOs in the construction industry may suffer from inadequate extent of exploration, while the extent of exploitation is not reaching its potential. Cooperative procurement procedures can serve as a basis for facilitating both exploration and exploitation of knowledge and technologies in construction projects.     

试论地勘单位的变革管理

本文阐述了新形势下面临复杂多变的地勘单位实施变革管理的重要性和必然性，并对其难度进行了分析．最后浅谈了几个重要的步骤。