F. Iannacci, S. Karanasios, G. Viscusi, R. McManus, C. Rupietta, C.W. Tan
This study conceptualizes e-Government maturity from the theoretical lens of strategic change. Drawing on a multiplicity of theories, it undertakes a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis of the drivers of e-Government maturity over the 2010–2020 decade. It bypasses partially conflicting findings about the contribution of human capital to high levels of e-Government maturity by showcasing instead two configurations of conditions where human capital investments become a non-trivial necessary condition over time. Theoretical, methodological, and practical implications are discussed by zooming in on the configurational patterns emerging over time and, by extension, refining the notion of ‘turning point’ discussed in the literature.
Robin J. C. Adams, Michael Aldous, Philip T. Fliers, John Turner
This article uses a prosopographical methodology and new dataset of 1,558 CEOs from Britain’s largest public companies between 1900 and 2009 to analyse how the role, social background, and career pathways of corporate leaders changed. We have four main findings: First, the designation of CEO only prevailed in the 1990s. Second, the proportion of socially elite CEOs was highest before 1940, but they were not dominant. Third, most CEOs did not have a degree before the 1980s, or professional qualification until the 1990s. Fourth, liberal market reforms in the 1980s were associated with an increase in the likelihood of CEO dismissal by a factor of three.
Christian Rupietta, Johannes Meuer
In the past 20 years, researchers have significantly advanced various management fields by examining organizational phenomena through a configurational lens, including competitive strategies, corporate governance mechanisms, and innovation systems. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) has emerged as a primary method for empirically investigating organizational configurations. However, QCA has traditionally struggled to capture the temporal aspects of configurational phenomena. In this paper, we present configurational comparative process analysis (C2PA), which merges QCA with sequence analysis. We introduce the concept of configurational themes—recognizable temporal patterns of recurring combinations of explanatory conditions—to identify and track the temporal dynamics among these phenomena. We also outline configurational matching—a method for empirically identifying these themes by distinguishing theme-defining from theme-supporting conditions. C2PA allows researchers to explore the temporal dynamics of configurational phenomena, such as their stability, emergence, and decline at critical junctures. We illustrate the application of C2PA through a study of shareholder value orientation and discuss its potential for addressing key questions in management research.
Claire Kilpatrick, Kieran M. Conroy
Digital sustainability has the potential to transform how multinational enterprises (MNEs) capture, create and distribute value in their global value chains (GVCs). Yet, a real problem persists in understanding how MNEs drive digital sustainability across their GVCs. This is a complex and evolving process that requires MNEs to coordinate with and collaborate across a multiplicity of globally dispersed partners. Adopting an orchestration perspective, our paper constructs a novel take on digital sustainability in several ways. First, we reimagine the role of MNEs as ‘chief orchestrators’ in GVCs, driving digital sustainability through orchestration activities underpinning coordination and collaboration, which in turn generates opportunities for value capture and creation along the GVC. Second, we disentangle the impact of MNE-driven digital sustainability, unpacking the undesired consequences for GVC partners relating to dependency, power dynamics, transparency and supplier squeeze or exclusion. Our insights temper claims about the transformative potential of digital sustainability, challenging scholars, practitioners and policymakers to reflect on and respond to the double-edged effects of MNE-driven digital sustainability in GVCs. Our arguments are demonstrated through three illustrative cases from firms across industries (agriculture, energy and fast-moving consumer goods). We identify implications for management practice and policy and offer guideposts for future research.
Nishat Alam Choudhary, M. Ramkumar, Tobias Schoenherr, Nripendra P. Rana, Yogesh K. Dwivedi
Extending the notion that reshoring can have a significant impact on a firm's supply network owing to the associated location decisions, we explore how reshoring influences the resilience and sustainability of a focal firm's supply network. While reshoring is triggered by aspects related to both the home (domestic) and the host (foreign) country, frequently more favourable aspects in the home country lead to the reshoring decision. To investigate these dynamics, we construct two large-scale networks consisting of 2066 and 1283 firms, respectively, capturing the supply networks of Apple and Jaguar Land Rover. Both networks have been experiencing the reshoring of previously foreign suppliers to domestic locations. Our investigation captures the network dynamics created by this relocation of tier 1 suppliers for the overall supply chain network, that is, also for higher-tier/sub-tier suppliers. The results reveal, contrary to our expectations, that indirect (sub-tier) foreign suppliers positively influence the network's resilience, with this impact, however, being negatively moderated by their degree centrality, that is, the number of ties a node possesses. In addition, existing indirect (sub-tier) domestic suppliers do not have a significant influence on the resilience of the network. No evidence was found for the impact of reshoring on sustainability. Overall, our study contributes to the reshoring literature by delineating its influence on both the resilience and the sustainability of a focal firm's supply chain network.
Hilary Downey, John F. Sherry Jr.
Cities play a pivotal role in progressing cultural tourism, embracing everyday life, where particular cityscapes afford a diversity of cultural practices. The ethnographic storying of two city public artworks presents a backcloth of historical, cultural and religio-political outlooks. Public art and idiosyncratic atmospherics provide conflicting narratives of how pubic art attends wider religion-tourism concerns. Both public artworks observe ‘together-apart’ imaginings of a past-present legacy. This study traces their effect, through researcher short vignettes, visual culture and poetic reflection. This study contributes to the religion-tourism nexus, drawing on political, cultural, religious and social perspectives, which underpin these urban tourism sites. Public art has to make sense, have cultural competence and resonate with citizens.
Simon Teasdale, Michael J. Roy, Alex Nicholls, Chantal Hervieux
Research SummaryCritical scholars recognize a disjuncture between the problems identified by social entrepreneurs and the solutions they propose. Existing theory treats this as a problem to be rectified at the organizational level. In this essay, we widen attention to the macro-oriented systems change strategies of social entrepreneurs. We develop a dynamic typology showing how strategies are reassembled over time to stimulate or deflect desire for systems change. Deriving inspiration from Goffman, we theorize the ways that different types of systems change actor perform systems change via interaction with their environments. Drawing on illustrative cases on the boundaries of social entrepreneurship, we show how the collective action frameworks developed by systems change actors can be adapted and repurposed by their (systems) audiences: effectively turning rebellion into money.Managerial SummarySocial entrepreneurs often call for systems change to tackle wicked problems such as poverty or climate change. However, the strategies they propose for tackling these problems, such as lending money to poor people are considerably less radical. In this essay, we identify three types of systems change actor distinguished by the degree of systems change they call for. We trace their ideas over time to illustrate how strategies are mediated, and subsequently repurposed through interaction with the systems they seek to change. In conclusion, we call upon researchers and social entrepreneurs to widen their perspectives to incorporate more radical ideas and potentials for systems change, and for greater attention to be devoted to scrutinizing and protecting the integrity of systems change strategies.
Rana, N.P., Chatterjee, S., Dwivedi, Y.K., and Akter, S.
The data-centric revolution generally celebrates the proliferation of business analytics and AI in exploiting firm’s potential and success. However, there is a lack of research on how the unintended consequences of AI integrated business analytics (AI-BA) influence a firm’s overall competitive advantage. In this backdrop, this study aims to identify how factors, such as AI-BA opacity, suboptimal business decisions and perceived risk are responsible for a firm’s operational inefficiency and competitive disadvantage. Drawing on the resource-based view, dynamic capability view, and contingency theory, the proposed research model captures the components and effects of an AI-BA opacity on a firm’s risk environment and negative performance. The data were gathered from 355 operational, mid-level and senior managers from various service sectors across all different size organisations in India. The results indicated that lack of governance, poor data quality, and inefficient training of key employees led to an AI-BA opacity. It then triggers suboptimal business decisions and higher perceived risk resulting in operational inefficiency. The findings show that operational inefficiency significantly contributes to negative sales growth and employees’ dissatisfaction, which result in a competitive disadvantage for a firm. The findings also highlight the significant moderating effect of contingency plan in the nomological chain.
