Collaborations and Innovation in Partitioned Industries: An Analysis of U.S. Feature Film Coproductions

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Jia, Ruo; Lewis, Demetrius; Negro, Giacomo

Abstract: In partitioned industries, a small number of generalist organizations occupy the ... Expand

Abstract: In partitioned industries, a small number of generalist organizations occupy the center of the market, whereas a much larger number of specialists populate the periphery. The role of collaborations within and across the center-periphery boundary in these industries has been underexplored. We propose that hybrid collaborations between organizations in the center and periphery—combining the broad resource base of generalists with the focused knowledge of specialists—encourage product innovation and result in enhanced organizational adaptation for both populations. We test these ideas in the U.S. motion picture industry, where film production companies face significant unpredictability of success and fluctuating audience tastes. We find that generalist and specialist production companies that partner to produce films introduce more creative content in their films compared with those that collaborate in the same population or produce alone. Generalist film companies benefit further from these collaborations through increased competitive differentiation of their films from other generalists in subsequent productions, whereas specialists experience lower exit rates. These findings suggest that interorganizational collaborations between generalists and specialists provide effective adaptive strategies to compete in markets with uncertain demand and shifting audience preferences. These strategies can sustain, rather than weaken, industry partitioning. Funding: This work was funded by an ad hoc research grant from Emory University. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2022.1600. Collapse

Topics: innovation management online review database system knowledge sharing internet technology

Methods: Internet Movie Database review multidimensional scaling Wald test descriptive statistic regression analysis method

The Fickle Crowd: Reinforcement and Contradiction of Quality Evaluations in Cultural Markets

2022 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Kim, Minjae; DellaPosta, Daniel

Abstract: We clarify conditions under which two seemingly contradictory yet widely observe ... Expand

Abstract: We clarify conditions under which two seemingly contradictory yet widely observed tendencies occur in cultural markets where amateur connoisseurs evaluate products—reinforcement of previous consensus and contradiction of that same consensus. We start from prior work’s insight that achieving “distinction” requires that evaluators display tastes demonstrating higher skills of discernment and standards that are acknowledged as legitimate by others. Based on this, we argue that evaluators reinforce prior evaluations of products to demonstrate that they share the same quality standards as their peers, but they selectively contradict prior evaluations by downgrading widely acclaimed products, because doing the latter makes the evaluator appear to have even more sophisticated tastes than their peers. We test this account using 1.66 million reviews from an online platform where amateur connoisseurs publicly evaluate beers. Our analyses support an endogenous model explaining why and when evaluators may contradict existing evaluations even though a group plausibly sharing the same quality standards may have established such evaluations in the first place. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1556. Collapse

Topics: logistics management collaborative filtering accounting anonymity website

Methods: computational algorithm descriptive statistic robustness check theory development hierarchical linear modeling

The New Food Truck in Town: Geographic Communities and Authenticity-Based Entrepreneurship

2021 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Schifeling, Todd; Demetry, Daphne

Abstract: Authenticity is a valuable attribution for organizations, but one that raises a ... Expand

Abstract: Authenticity is a valuable attribution for organizations, but one that raises a challenge of audience acceptance for innovative entrepreneurs. In particular, organizations that depart from an established type risk being judged as inauthentic. However, entrepreneurs may be able to overcome this challenge by basing their authenticity on notions of craft—such as skilled hands-on techniques, sophisticated ingredients, and small-scale artistry rather than mass industrial manufacturing—that better support innovation. We propose that communities vary in the extent to which they embrace craft production as an evolved understanding of authenticity that is less concerned with conformity to type. This local context, in turn, conditions the likelihood of entrepreneurs creating innovative ventures that rely on perceptions of craft authenticity. We develop this argument through a mixed-methods study of the spatially uneven emergence of gourmet food trucks across the United States. Our findings contribute to research on authenticity and the geography of entrepreneurship and innovation. Collapse

Topics: Twitter innovation management entrepreneurship value creation marketing management

Methods: qualitative interview theory development descriptive statistic mixed method archival research

Cheers to Untappd! Preferences for Beer Reflect Cultural Differences Around the World

2018 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Brito, Saulo; Baldykowski, Ariane; Miczevski, Sandro; Silva, Thiago

Abstract: Common methods to collect data to perform cross-cultural studies, such as interv ... Expand

Abstract: Common methods to collect data to perform cross-cultural studies, such as interviews or surveys, can be costly, thus, not scaling easily. Recently, studies have found evidence that data collected from location-based social networks (LBSNs) have the potential to revolutionize the study of urban societies. In this study, we investigate if preferences for beers shared in Untappd, an LBSN specialized in beer, reflect cultural differences. We explore an approach for identifying cultural similarities between groups of users considering preferences for beers. Using a large dataset of several cities in different countries worldwide, we found evidence that preferences for beers shared in Untappd reflect cultural differences that could be used to extract similarities between cultures, which could enable new services and applications. Collapse

Topics: cross cultural research Twitter recommender system data visualization website

Methods: hierarchical clustering cluster analysis literature study statistical hypothesis test exploratory data analysis

Logic Pluralism in Mobile Platform Ecosystems: A Study of Indie App Developers on the iOS App Store

2017 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 73

Authors: Qiu, Yixin; Gopal, Anandasivam; Hann, Il-Horn

Abstract: The software development field has inherently been identified with two field-lev ... Expand

Abstract: The software development field has inherently been identified with two field-level institutional logics, i.e., logic of the profession and logic of the markets. Traditionally, information systems development methodologies have been used to reconcile the competing demands from these two logics. In this paper, we study how these two logics manifest in a platform-based software ecosystem where significant entrepreneurial opportunities are created for independent third-party app developers (indies). Specifically, we study how indie developers manage the two logics on the iOS platform ecosystem under the influence of the platform owner Apple. We first identify practices of indie developers consistent with the two field logics across three entrepreneurial domains, i.e., app ideation, execution, and marketing. Second, we identify areas where the two field logics may be in conflict as well as in coexistence. We show that indie developers enact logic conflict through disagreement and denunciation of the opposing logic. When logics that are inherently opposed appear to coexist, we investigate how app developers manage these opposing demands through a process we call logic synthesis. Using a grounded theory approach, we propose a model of field-level market and professional logics operating in the mobile app platform ecosystem and the practices reflecting such logics in the indie developer community. Our work contributes to the growing literature on platform ecosystems and the processes adopted by third-party app developers in such ecosystems, in addition to furthering the study of institutional logics in technology contexts. Collapse

Topics: mobile application digital ecosystem marketing management iOS mobile application market

Methods: synthesis qualitative interview field study theory development grounded theory

Theories: dominant logic

Supporting Creative Problem Solving with a Case-Based Reasoning System

2014 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Althuizen, Niek; Wierenga, Berend

Abstract: Attention for the division of work between computers and humans is growing due t ... Expand

Abstract: Attention for the division of work between computers and humans is growing due to ever-increasing computer capabilities. Over the past decades, creativity support systems (CSSs) have gained ground as a means to enhance individual, group, and organizational creativity. Whereas prior research has focused primarily on the main effects of CSSs, we explore the interaction effects with the creative ability of the individual. In this paper, we investigate the use of the case-based reasoning (CBR) technology, which is based on the principle of analogical reasoning, to aid individuals in solving business problems creatively. The expectations as to why the CBR technology should enhance individual creativity, and under what conditions (i.e., the type and number of cases that are made available), are derived from creative cognition theory, and are tested empirically. In a series of studies, a CBR system loaded with a diverse set of cases was found to enhance the performance of individuals with lower creative ability, but it did not help the most creative individuals. Although the literature suggests that cases from remote problem domains should lead to more novel solutions, loading the CBR system only with cases closely related to the problem domain proved more effective than remote cases only. Finally, loading the CBR system with a larger set of diverse cases was found to positively influence the creativity of the solutions. These findings have the following implications for CSSs and creative cognition theory: (1) when considering the effectiveness of CSSs it is important to take into account the creative ability of the individual (i.e., "one size does not fit all"), (2) making a sufficiently large and diverse set of cases available is better for stimulating creativity, and (3) providing cases that are too remote may be counterproductive. On a practical note, organizations seeking to redesign their division of labor between individuals and machines can easily follow the CBR approach presented here using their own set of cases. Collapse

Topics: marketing management

Methods: post-hoc analysis regression analysis method descriptive statistic survey experiment

Theories: theory of creative cognition

Corporate Structure, Indirect Bankruptcy Costs, and the Advantage of De Novo Firms: The Case of Gene Therapy Research

2014 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Sosa, M. Lourdes

Abstract: Current literature demonstrates that, at least initially, incumbents invest less ... Expand

Abstract: Current literature demonstrates that, at least initially, incumbents invest less in the in-house development of a new technology than do entrants, whether diversifying or de novo; this is because, for incumbents, new technology challenges managers’ mental models through changes in capabilities, revenue models, or product features. What has not been explored, despite its significance for strategic action, is whether (and if so, why) incumbent, diversifying, and de novo firms might invest differently across variants of a new technology through a discontinuity. This paper uses unique quantitative, archival, and interview data on the investment choices of incumbent, diversifying, and de novo firms around three variants of biotechnology—small-molecule, large-molecule and gene therapy drugs—to show there are differences in investment choices across groups of firms and to suggest that these can be explained through differences in volatility of outcomes across variants. When volatility in product performance generates volatility in firm-level outcomes, de novo firms can cap negative consequences through bankruptcy, an alternative that is extremely costly for established firms (whether incumbent or diversifying), given their complex corporate structure. By keeping indirect bankruptcy costs low, de novo firms’ simple corporate structure allows them to extract option value from volatility, making established versus de novo firms the key groups for analysis of investment choices, not incumbent versus entrant firms. This article thus identifies the interaction between a technological investment’s volatility and de novo firms’ simple corporate structure as the explanatory variable for the observed investment differences. I discuss implications for technology strategy and the competitive analysis of discontinuities. Collapse

Topics: research and development database system organization structure risk management information systems strategy

Methods: qualitative interview archival research case study experiment statistical hypothesis test

Theories: options theory

Special Section: Digital Economy and Information Technology Value

2006 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Clemons, Eric K.; Dewan, Rajiv M.; Kauffman, Robert J.

Abstract: The article discusses several of the articles featured in the Special Section of ... Expand

Abstract: The article discusses several of the articles featured in the Special Section of the "Journal of Management Information Systems." The main focus of all the articles was digital economy and information technology (IT) value research. One of the featured papers examines how supply chains that are powered by IT affect a company's organizational abilities to achieve flexibility and competitive costs. Another article focuses on IT strategies in manufacturing and how they affect production process outsourcing to create lower plant costs and higher quality. Collapse

Topics: IS value business process management productivity internet technology IT investment

Methods: literature sample structural equation modeling

When Online Reviews Meet Hyperdifferentiation: A Study of the Craft Beer Industry

2006 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 247

Authors: Clemons, Eric K.; Gao, Guodong "Gordon"; Hitt, Lorin M.

Abstract: We analyze how online reviews are used to evaluate the effectiveness of product ... Expand

Abstract: We analyze how online reviews are used to evaluate the effectiveness of product differentiation strategies based on the theories of hyperdifferentiation and resonance marketing. Hyperdifferentiation says that firms can now produce almost anything that appeals to consumers and they can manage the complexity of the increasingly diverse product portfolios that result. Resonance marketing says that informed consumers will purchase products that they actually truly want. When consumers become more informed, firms that provide highly differentiated products should experience higher growth rates than firms with less differentiated offerings. We construct measures of product positioning based on online ratings and find supportive evidence using sales data from the craft beer industry. In particular, we find that the variance of ratings and the strength of the most positive quartile of reviews play a significant role in determining which new products grow fastest in the marketplace. This supports our expectations for resonance marketing. Collapse

Topics: online review marketing management user-generated content product differentiation innovation management

Methods: descriptive statistic ordinary least square longitudinal research product review

Organization and Management in the Midst of Societal Transformation: The People's Republic of China

2004 | Organization Science | Citations: 7

Authors: Tsui, Anne S.; Schoonhoven, Claudia Bird; Meyer, Marshall W.; Chung-Ming Lau; Milkovich, George T.

Abstract: Twenty-five years of economic reform has propelled China to the center of the wo ... Expand

Abstract: Twenty-five years of economic reform has propelled China to the center of the world's economic stage. Based on current trends, in the foreseeable future China is likely to become the largest economy in the world. China's dramatic growth may be envied by other developing economies, but for management scholars it presents an exciting intellectual puzzle. In this paper we describe the empirical context of China today, review contemporary research on Chinese management and organizations, and describe the nine papers in this special issue of Organization Science. The papers provide a close examination of how massive corporate transformation in China has influenced inter firm relationships, affected opportunity structures and social processes, and modified individual behaviors within firms. We identify the many paradoxes in this intellectual terrain and present a guide to the challenging research agenda ahead. We recommend that scholars of organizations think deeply about China as a context and consider China as an empirical setting where the boundaries of existing knowledge on organizations can be extended. Collapse

Topics: IT career organizational transformation IS economics organizational commitment business process management

Methods: literature sample cross sectional research literature study qualitative content analysis case study

Theories: resource dependency theory role theory justice theory