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1 – 10 of over 2000Suli Zheng, Huiping Li and Xiaobo Wu
So as to understand the effects of network resources on firm innovation and performance within alliances and networks, this paper aims to examine the correlation between network…
Abstract
Purpose
So as to understand the effects of network resources on firm innovation and performance within alliances and networks, this paper aims to examine the correlation between network resources and innovation performance through the mediation of capability accumulation and relative bargaining power.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on a survey of 208 Chinese firms engaged in global production networks, this paper extracts four sets of hierarchical regressions to test the impact of network resources on innovation performance.
Findings
Results show that network resources are an important source of competitive advantage and the distinction between accessed resources and embedded resources is critical. Other than through direct influences, innovation performance was partly achieved through the mediating role of technological capability and relative bargaining power.
Research limitations/implications
Building upon the data introduced in this paper, future studies may examine the effects of network resources in different contexts and the interaction between external and internal resources.
Practical implications
For firms competing within and between various networks, the forming and utilizing of network resources become a new source of competitive advantage. Hence, careful planning and a consideration of network resources should be undertaken to achieve improvements to a firm's performance.
Originality/value
First, this paper adds value to the network resource construct by distinguishing two different dimensions. Second, by integrating the mediating effects of technological capabilities and relative bargaining power, this paper reveals the mechanism by which network resources impact innovation performance within various network structures.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of intra‐organizational network resources with career success and organizational commitment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship of intra‐organizational network resources with career success and organizational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilized survey data from 316 British individuals who composed a highly heterogeneous sample in terms of both organizational roles and employment settings.
Findings
The study finds that total intra‐organizational network resources were related to extrinsic and intrinsic career success, and to affective organizational commitment. Instrumental and expressive network resources were differentially related to career success and organizational commitment.
Research limitations/implications
The relationships were identified after controlling for an array of factors and for mentoring received, which attests to the importance of intra‐organizational network resources for career outcomes and attitudes towards the organization. The cross‐sectional design is a limitation of the study. Future research should investigate moderating factors, and must be extended to cultural clusters other from the Anglo‐Saxon one.
Practical implications
From an individual point of view, building networks of relationships within the organization enhances career prospects, regardless of whether a mentor is present. From an organizational viewpoint, organizational designs and human resource systems that promote the development of informal relationship ties foster those aspects of commitment that have positive consequences and inhibit those that have negative consequences.
Originality/value
The study provided original evidence for the link between intra‐organizational relationship ties and commitment towards the organization. In addition, it consolidated evidence on the relationship of network resources to career success, the distinct nature of instrumental and expressive network resources, and the additive value of network resources and mentoring as parts of social capital.
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Breda Kenny and John Fahy
This study aims to identify and examine the relationship between network resources and international performance of high tech small to medium‐sized enterprises (HTSME) in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify and examine the relationship between network resources and international performance of high tech small to medium‐sized enterprises (HTSME) in the telecommunications industry in Ireland. The network resource construct for this paper comprises three dimensions: network human capital resources, network resource combination, and information sharing.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical research was carried out using a mail survey in which 154 firms completed and returned the questionnaire. Three hypotheses were analysed using structural equations modelling using LISREL.
Findings
The study's main finding suggests a positive relationship between a firm's network human capital resources and international performance. However, no support was found for the relationship between network resources combinations, information sharing and international performance.
Research limitations/implications
This study is cross‐sectional, confined to a single industry and focused on the role of networks in the HTSME context only. Results from this study provide policy makers and practitioners with additional insights into specific network resource‐based factors that are associated with international performance for HTSMEs. Such an assessment would help identify specific areas of relationship strengths and weaknesses in terms of the level of human capital available to firms, the combinations of complementary resources across firms and the extent and level of information exchange between firms.
Practical implications
The paper concludes with a discussion of these findings and the overall implications for policy makers and managers. Specifically, it is necessary to identify and review the types of resources that are critical to the international performance of firms and develop and implement business strategies building on those resources in order to enhance the likelihood of international success.
Originality/value
This study offers a multiple dimensionality to the network resource concept by measuring the direct effect of the type of network resources in terms of human capital, information and network resource combinations on international performance of HTSMEs in the telecommunications industry. These findings advance network research by highlighting the trade‐offs that networks impose on firms that seek to manage and leverage their network resources.
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The study investigated the relationship of career instrumental and expressive intra‐organizational network resources with extrinsic and intrinsic career success and with the…
Abstract
The study investigated the relationship of career instrumental and expressive intra‐organizational network resources with extrinsic and intrinsic career success and with the Big‐Five of personality in a sample of 264 white‐collar workers. Total network resources were associated with extrinsic and intrinsic career success above the contribution of human capital, demographics and mentoring received. And instrumental network resources contributed more strongly than expressive network resources to extrinsic career success. Furthermore, instrumental network resources emerged as important for intrinsic evaluations of hierarchical and interpersonal career success while expressive network resources emerged as important for intrinsic evaluations of job and interpersonal career success. There was limited support for the influence of personality on the accumulation of network resources. As hypothesized, conscientiousness was negatively associated with instrumental network resources; however, extra‐version, openness and agreeableness failed to make significant contributions to network resources over and above the contribution of human capital and demographics. The implications of the findings for individual career tactics and for organizational practices are discussed and the limitations of the study are considered along with directions for future research.
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Alexander Newman, Rani Thanacoody and Wendy Hui
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of perceived organizational support (POS), perceived supervisor support (PSS) and intra‐organizational network resources on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of perceived organizational support (POS), perceived supervisor support (PSS) and intra‐organizational network resources on the turnover intentions of the Chinese employees of multinational enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilized structured equation modeling to analyze survey data from 437 Chinese employees of five multinational enterprises operating in the Chinese service sector.
Findings
The study found that POS was positively related to affective organizational commitment, which in turn was negatively related to turnover intentions. A direct relationship was revealed between PSS and turnover intentions, as well as a mediated relationship through POS. In contrast, the relationship between intra‐organizational network resources and turnover intentions was fully mediated through POS.
Research limitations/implications
The cross sectional design is a limitation of the study. Another limitation regards the generalisability of the findings outside the specific research context. Future research should be extended to different geographical and organizational settings.
Practical implications
In order to promote employee retention, multinational enterprises operating in China could start by carefully targeting visible support on offer to their employees. Improving supervisor support is a relatively inexpensive and practical measure compared to the costly alternatives such as improving employee compensation, training and career development. Organizations should also consider improving co‐worker support schemes in the workplace which enable individuals to build up their network resources.
Originality/value
The study provided evidence for both a direct relationship between PSS and turnover intentions and a mediated one via POS, confirming the generalisability of previous findings to the Chinese context. In addition it made an original contribution by establishing that POS fully, rather than partially mediated the relationship between intra‐organizational network resources and turnover intentions. This suggests that Chinese employees attribute instrumental and expressive support from others in the organization as coming from the organization itself.
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Emna Gara Bach Ouerdian and Nizar Mansour
Although much research has investigated the impact of social capital on objective career success, the process through which this relation is established remains under-explored. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Although much research has investigated the impact of social capital on objective career success, the process through which this relation is established remains under-explored. In addition, studies conducted in the Middle East and North Africa region are scarce. The purpose of this paper is to examine and potentially bridge these gaps.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via survey from 348 Tunisian bankers. Path analysis using AMOS was used to explore the relationships between mentoring received, network resources training and development and objective career success. For testing the mediating hypotheses, the authors employed bootstrapping.
Findings
Results support the conjecture that social capital is useful for career success. The authors found that when the employees receive mentoring, they seem to develop more instrumental network resources, and consequently they have wider access to training and development, which, in turn, will be related to better promotion outcomes. However, expressive network resources were not related to objective career success, and training and development did not mediate the relationship between these network resources and career success.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore the relationship between social capital and objective career success in the Tunisian context. This paper also reveals the mediating role of training and development in the above relationship. These findings add to the cross-cultural literature on careers.
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Yongmei Liu, Jun Liu and Longzeng Wu
The purpose of this study is to explore an under‐researched, emotion‐focused influence tactic, strategic emotional display, and its interpersonal and career outcomes.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore an under‐researched, emotion‐focused influence tactic, strategic emotional display, and its interpersonal and career outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data from 258 matched supervisor‐subordinate dyads in a Chinese sample.
Findings
The results indicate that individuals who use positive emotions in social influence tend to enhance their access to network resources and career growth potential, and those who use negative emotions in social influence tend to erode their network resources and hinder career growth potential.
Research limitations/implications
A major limitation of the research is that the authors collected data on both strategic emotional display and network resources from the same source at the same time. Supporting prior research, the results indicate that individuals do use emotional expression as a social influence tactic at work, and that different emotion‐focused influence tactics are associated with different outcomes. The study makes evident the need to integrate the emotion and the social influence literature.
Practical implications
The results of the study indicate that employees may need to develop greater awareness of their own emotions, and cultivate the ability to convey emotional cues to others effectively. It also appears that individuals need to be selective in their use of emotion‐focused influence tactics.
Originality/value
The paper integrates social influence and emotion research, and focuses on a ubiquitous yet overlooked influence tactic, strategic emotional display, and shows evidence that it is associated with interpersonal and career outcomes.
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Cristobal Casanueva, Angeles Gallego and Maria Angeles Revilla
This paper aims to advance a model that will explain how hotel firms access and mobilize external resources. Hotel operators and firms need to complement their internal resources…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to advance a model that will explain how hotel firms access and mobilize external resources. Hotel operators and firms need to complement their internal resources with external resources, which they can access through their personal and organizational ties, so as to compete and to achieve success.
Design/methodology/approach
A framework is proposed, on the basis of the resource-based view and network theory, to explain the process of access and mobilization of available external resources thanks to the professional and social ties of the managers of hotel firms.
Findings
This framework distinguishes between access to network resources and their mobilization. This paper introduces network resource mobilization capability as an adaptive capability of managers and employees that can improve hotel firm performance. Previous experience and contextual factors such as the type of property and the management style all influence the nature of this capability.
Practical implications
This work proposes a repertory of relevant resources in hotels and the preparation of an instrument to measure access to those resources and their mobilization through social capital. It also proposes the need to develop a new dynamic capability: the capability to mobilize network resources in hotel firms through their managers. Finally, it proposes that social capital is a valuable resource for both hotel firms and their managers.
Originality/value
This theoretical approach makes a key distinction between access to and mobilization of network resources, which leads to a better understanding of the potential of the individual social capital of hotel managers. Network resource mobilization capability is introduced as an adaptive capability of managers.
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Prior research suggests that insufficient networking capability of a firm (i.e. the capability to establish, maintain, and leverage ties, contacts and connections) poses a…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior research suggests that insufficient networking capability of a firm (i.e. the capability to establish, maintain, and leverage ties, contacts and connections) poses a potential barrier to its growth, the causal logic of networking capability and firm performance has not been fully articulated and a clear link between network resources and networking capability, however, remains to be demonstrated. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Conceptually and theoretically, the paper emphasizes the importance of networking capability in network resources mobilization and deployment, innovation and rent-seeking and argues that the firm should build strong networking capability to creatively and artfully manage its networks to sustain its vitality.
Findings
The paper builds a theoretical model relating networking capability, network resources, open innovation, and resulting new venture success and economic rents. The paper argues that new ventures should build and leverage networking capability to manage network relationships and resources to innovate, develop and create value, and appropriate various types of economic rent.
Research limitations/implications
The framework generally promoted building networking capability as a means of accessing to a broader range of network resources and opportunities than a new venture is able to maintain internally for innovation and growth, the benefits may not be so clear-cut. A useful future research direction would be to determine empirically the relationship between networking capability and new ventures' survival and growth, the extent to which new ventures are able to derive economic rents from exploiting networking capability, and how this is related to the degrees of competitive success they attain.
Practical implications
The research framework suggests that networking capability can help new ventures to take advantage of opportunities discovered and serve unexploited markets. The study implies that networking capability can be a powerful weapon for new ventures to implement open innovation strategy to build solid growth businesses and to gain sustainable competitive advantage.
Originality/value
The paper develops a parsimonious model that links new venture survival and success with networking capability, network resources and open innovation. Also, this model shows why and how new ventures can leverage networking capability to generate and appropriate economic rent simultaneously.
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The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework to distinguish different forms of network resource that govern knowledge‐based alliances and facilitate innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework to distinguish different forms of network resource that govern knowledge‐based alliances and facilitate innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper seeks to build theory through a critical analysis of the relevant literature.
Findings
The paper draws on the notion of network resources to better understand those assets firms have at their disposal to facilitate knowledge‐based interactions and relationships that catalyze innovation. It seeks to integrate the concept of social capital, which the paper argues largely concerns resources related to the social relations and networks held by those individuals within a particular firm. As a means of describing and identifying network resources that are more strategically held by the firm as a whole, the paper introduces the concept of network capital. Network capital is defined as consisting of investments in calculative relations by firms through which they gain access to knowledge to enhance expected economic returns. Therefore, the paper argues that it is possible to make a distinction between the two types of network resource: network capital and social capital.
Research limitations/implications
Making a distinction between network capital and social capital is relevant to both scholars and decision‐makers as it provides a framework for analyzing the underlying complexity of inter‐firm networks and variability across a range of dimensions, conditions and contingencies. It also provides a framework for evaluating which networks a firm can or cannot manage and invest in to meet its requirements.
Originality/value
The paper develops a new and more refined framework for analyzing and evaluating knowledge‐based alliances and innovation‐driven networks between firms and other actors.
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