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

Predicting movie success with machine learning techniques: ways to improve accuracy

2018 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 1

Authors: Lee, Kyuhan; Park, Jinsoo; Kim, Iljoo; Choi, Youngseok

Abstract: Previous studies on predicting the box-office performance of a movie using machi ... Expand

Abstract: Previous studies on predicting the box-office performance of a movie using machine learning techniques have shown practical levels of predictive accuracy. Their works are technically- and methodologically-oriented, focusing mainly on what algorithms are better at predicting the movie performance. However, the accuracy of prediction model can also be elevated by taking other perspectives such as introducing unexplored features that might be related to the prediction of the outcomes. In this paper, we examine multiple approaches to improve the performance of the prediction model. First, we develop and add a new feature derived from the theory of transmedia storytelling. Such theory-driven feature selection not only increases the forecast accuracy, but also enhances the interpretability of a prediction model. Second, we use an ensemble approach, which has rarely been adopted in the research on predicting box-office performance. As a result, the proposed model, Cinema Ensemble Model (CEM), outperforms the prediction models from the past studies that use machine learning algorithms. We suggest that CEM can be extensively used for industrial experts as a powerful tool for improving decision-making process. Collapse

Topics: web page blog logistics management decision making missing data

Methods: computational algorithm machine learning classification method support vector machine random forest classification

Early Predictions of Movie Success: The Who, What, and When of Profitability

2016 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 21

Authors: Lash, Michael T.; Zhao, Kang

Abstract: We focus on predicting the profitability of a movie to support movie-investment ... Expand

Abstract: We focus on predicting the profitability of a movie to support movie-investment decisions at early stages of film production. By leveraging data from various sources, and using social network analysis and text mining techniques, the proposed system extracts several types of features, including “who” is in the cast, “what” a movie is about, “when” a movie will be released, as well as “hybrid” features. Experiment results showed that the system outperforms benchmark methods by a large margin. Novel features we proposed made weighty contributions to the prediction. In addition to designing a decision support system with practical utility, we also analyzed key factors of movie profitability. Furthermore, we demonstrated the prescriptive value of our system by illustrating how it can be used to recommend a set of profit-maximizing cast members. This research highlights the power of predictive and prescriptive data analytics in information systems to aid business decisions. Collapse

Topics: social network team productivity marketing management analytical information system accounting

Methods: machine learning experiment lasso regression computational algorithm random forest classification

Excess May Do Harm: Investigating the Effect of Team External Environment on External Activities in Teams

2013 | Organization Science | Citations: 1

Authors: Gibson, Cristina B.; Dibble, Rebekah

Abstract: We extend research on team external environment by investigating whether lack of ... Expand

Abstract: We extend research on team external environment by investigating whether lack of permanence, fluid membership, and environmental volatility influence the relationship between team external activities and team effectiveness. Teams engage in external activities with clients, audiences, funding sources, or other stakeholders who may receive the work of the team and/or who convey access to legitimacy and resources, and who may be outside of any organization team members represent. We seek to understand whether significant external activities reach a point of diminishing returns, arguing that the utility of such activity depends on the team external environment. Our study consisted of a quantitative analysis of 140 film-making teams rated by the teams and 5,000 film viewers. We found that the relationship between team external activities and effectiveness is nonmonotonic; a moderate amount of activity is associated with the highest level of effectiveness, but these effects are contingent upon the aforementioned environmental characteristics. Our findings extend current theory on team external environment and external activities and have practical implications for collaborators in dynamic environments hoping to optimize their effectiveness without compromising their vision. Collapse

Topics: marketing management online review innovation management legal information system electronic mail

Methods: descriptive statistic qualitative interview survey survey design Internet Movie Database review

The Virtual Organization - Technical or Social Innovation? Lessons from the Film Industry

2000 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Cushman, Mike; Introna, Lucas D; Moore, Hope

Abstract: In this paper we will consider the film production process as an existing instan ... Expand

Abstract: In this paper we will consider the film production process as an existing instance of virtual enterprise. We will claim that film production process illustrates the balance of flexibility and hierarchy which is required between contracted individuals who are involved in collaborative, creative, short-term projects. Throughout the paper, we will illustrate that there is much to learn about the virtual enterprise from this. To demonstrate the legitimacy of this claim, we will demonstrate how power, norms and communication are hierarchically embedded in the smaller infrastructure networks of the film industry. Through an analysis using Giddens’ structuration theory we will suggest elements that are vital to the sustained success of the film production process and perhaps to the virtual enterprise. Collapse

Topics: computer supported cooperative work

Methods: design artifact qualitative interview literature study

Theories: structuration theory

Resource Partitioning, the Founding of Specialist Firms, and Innovation: The American Feature Film Industry, 1912-1929

2000 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Mezias, John M.; Mezias, Stephen J.

Abstract: Past research has established that large bureaucratic firms are less innovative ... Expand

Abstract: Past research has established that large bureaucratic firms are less innovative than other firms. This reduced innovativeness is likely to be exacerbated when large firms engage in market control. In cultural industries, the effects can be especially pernicious, resulting in the failure to provide audiences with artistic quality or product diversity. We investigate the population dynamics of one cultural industry: the early American feature film industry. Specifically, we examine the hypothesis that concentration among large generalist firms will be associated with higher rates of foundings of specialist producers and specialist distributors. We also investigate the question of whether these specialists are more innovative. Specifically, we examine the hypothesis that specialists were more active than were generalists in the creation of new film genres in the early years of the American film industry. We find that increased concentration among generalists had a positive effect on foundings of specialist producers and specialist distributors, and that the specialists were more active in the creation of new film genres. Implications of these findings for future research, both on cultural industries and on the population dynamics of the founding of specialist firms, are discussed. Collapse

Topics: innovation management database system armed conflict

Methods: nonparametric test Mann Whitney U test descriptive statistic company material

Beyond Networks and Hierarchies: Latent Organizations in the U.K. Television Industry

2000 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Starkey, Ken; Barnatt, Christopher; Tempest, Sue

Abstract: Since the mid 1980s, organization theorists have highlighted the emergence of th ... Expand

Abstract: Since the mid 1980s, organization theorists have highlighted the emergence of the networked model of organization as a response to global competition and pressures for increased market flexibility. Cultural industries have not been immune from this development. In this paper, we examine the shift from hierarchy to network in the U.K. television industry. We argue that an important result of this disaggregation is the emergence of latent organization, groupings of individuals and teams of individuals that persist through time and are periodically drawn together for recurrent projects by network brokers who either buy in programmes for publisher-broadcasters or who draw together those artists and technicians who actually produce them. In conclusion, we note how latent organizations may become increasingly important for effective cultural industry production, and in particular how they may provide stable points of reference and recurring work projects for those many individuals now working outside of large, vertically integrated producer-broadcasters. Collapse

Topics: knowledge base

Methods: qualitative interview archival research