CERES :: Browsing by Author "Smart, Palie"

Browsing by Author "Smart, Palie"

Now showing 1 - 20 of 21

Open Access
Developing a conceptual framework for the field failure feedback process from service-to-design
(Cranfield University, 2009-07-01) Ajayi, M. O.; Smart, Palie; Gao, James X.
This thesis addresses the product field failure feedback process from service-to-design,for the purposes of product enhancement within the heating technology manufacturing industry. The research provides insights into existing problems with processing field failure data as an aid to service, design and quality practitioners in their functional roles to support product performance, quality and reliability improvements. Extant research on field feedback process have examined field feedback as a fragmented process and focused mainly on improving the speed and quality of the information flow within. This study investigates such feedback as a holistic process and concentrates on operationalising and improving the feedback between service and design. Understanding what is pleasing and dissatisfying for customers is critical for success in today's competitive market environment. Thus, this requires a systematic process for obtaining feedback from the field about product-in-use performance to influence the design of future product and service market offerings that will genuinely contribute to increased customer satisfaction. The feedback of product-in-use performance data can be used by design engineers to identify potential product failures and prioritise reliability issues, and so prevent their reoccurrence. Furthermore, product innovation and development processes are increasingly driven by shorter time to market, increasing product complexity, and increasing customer demands, all of which have contributed to the challenges of improving feedback from the service to the design. Such challenges need to be addressed if firms wish to actively pursue sustainable product innovation and develop genuine levels of organizational learning. An in-depth case study was conducted with a sponsoring company and qualitative and qualitative data was collected through interviews, and questionnaire surveys. The results from the literature reviews and empirical work have been amalgamated to develop a conceptual framework for the effective field failure feedback process from service-to-design. The framework articulates the various stages of the feedback process and the operational conditions that privilege its effective management and organisation. This framework was subsequently validated with industrial experts using case study methods, following which refinements were incorporated into its overall design.
Open Access
Developing an organizational culture that facilitates radical innovation in a mature small to medium sized company: emergent findings
(2005-06-03T18:42:27Z) McLaughlin, Patrick; Bessant, John; Smart, Palie
Existing theories in the broad field of innovation management suggest that organizational culture affects the propensity of firms to be innovative, in their new product development offerings. A major thrust of inquiry implies that mature firms often lose their propensity to be innovative, as some aspects of organisational culture that were previously associated with successful incremental change, become the current cultural inhibitors of radical innovation. Whilst a large proportion of the existing empirical research has concentrated on incremental innovation or innovation management in general, there is little known about the specific aspects of organisational culture that facilitate radical innovation. Furthermore, the literature tends to focus on ‘innovation stories’ in larger firms which often simply assume that smaller firms are more agile and therefore more innovative in their approach to value creation. This paper reports the results of an exploratory case study into specific aspects of an organisational culture within a R&D setting that enable radical product innovation, in a small to medium sized UK based company in the tobacco industry. A grounded research methodology and an action research approach utilised an “issue” focus to surface the presence and intensity of cultural attributes that enable and inhibit radical product innovation. This investigation identified nine emerging themes and key constructs of a “local” innovation culture that were found to influence radicalness in new product development ventures. The interrelationships between the themes are mapped and discussed in the context of current theoretical perspectives in the field of innovation management. Finally a conceptual framework incorporating two archetypal forms of innovation culture is outlined to articulate and scope the transition between these two “ideal” states.
Open Access
Exploring aspects of organizational culture that facilitate radical product innovation in a small mature company
(Cranfield University, 2006) McLaughlin, Patrick; Bessant, John; Smart, Palie
Much recent discussion has highlighted the challenges posed by what have variously been called “disruptive”, “discontinuous”, “breakthrough” and “radical” innovations. Although the labelling may vary, the underlying themes appear to be consistent. In particular it is clear that under conditions in which the dominant “rules of the game” change as a result of emergent or shifting markets, major movements at the technological frontier, dislocations in the regulatory environment etc, even organizations with well-developed innovation capabilities get into difficulties. This is less a matter of particular technological, market or political stimuli than of the limitations of the repertoire of organizational responses available to the firm. This resurfaces a long-running concern with managing innovation in two different modes, namely “exploitation” and “exploration”. This thesis reports the results of exploratory research into specific aspects of the organizational culture within the Research and Development (R&D) setting of a small mature UK based company, Cerulean. In doing so it also identifies and discusses key management interventions for developing an innovation culture that facilitates radical product innovation. Cerulean designs and manufactures quality control instrumentation and has in the past been very successful with radically new products. In recent years this propensity for “radicalness” has declined and the company now wishes to regain this capability. A grounded research methodology and a participative action research approach was utilised to surface issues that clearly illustrated both the presence and intensity of aspects of organisation culture that enabled and inhibited radical product innovation. Participative analysis of the data identified nine emerging themes and key constructs of an innovation culture that was found to influence “radicalness” in new product development ventures. The interrelationships between the themes were discussed in the context of current theoretical perspectives in the field of innovation management. This led to the development of a conceptual model that incorporates two “ideal” archetypal forms of innovation culture. A composite instrument was developed based on existing evaluation tools and used to assess the innovation culture. First use of the instrument indicated areas of opportunity in developing a radical innovation culture. Further participative analysis of the emergent themes and the assessment and evaluations of the extant innovation culture, resulted in a series of management interventions to stimulate the development of a culture to facilitate radical product innovation. The design of the interventions was also informed by the literature and other organizations, part of a national Discontinuous Innovation Forum (DIF) undergoing similar ambitions. The proposed interventions comprise a series of linked management actions in the form of a plan to shift the innovation culture of the company closer to a desired radical innovation culture.
Open Access
Firm innovations from voluntary dyadic engagement with nonprofit organisations: an exploratory UK study
(Cranfield University, 2010) Holmes, Sara; Smart, Palie; Spitzeck, Heiko
This dissertation presents the findings of an exploratory collective case-study examining corporate innovations arising from voluntary dyadic engagement between UK firms and nonprofit organisations (NPOs) focused on social issues. Whilst the extant literature demonstrates that pro-active engagement with NPOs can assist firms innovate, there has been no empirical work which explores the relationship between the engagement and the innovation outcome: a gap which this research addresses. In doing so, it illustrates how concepts and constructs from the innovation management literature can be applied usefully to the stakeholder and cross-sector collaboration field. To date, empirical studies addressing firm-NPO engagements have concentrated overwhelmingly on partnerships to address environmental issues. This study provides insights into cross-sector engagements focused on addressing social issues. Using a form of analytic induction to evaluate qualitative case-data from ten dyadic engagements, this dissertation addresses the question: “how do firms innovate through engagement with social issues nonprofit organisations?” The research found that product and service innovations resulted from engagements where the firm had an external stakeholder orientation and was focused on delivering tangible demonstrations of corporate responsibility. Process innovations, by contrast, were produced from engagements where firms had an internal stakeholder orientation. Two distinctions were noted in the innovation process, too. Firstly, a more exploratory approach to dyadic engagement activities, which resulted in an emergent innovation process; and secondly, a focused and pre-determined search activity to exploit the resources of the nonprofit partner which demonstrated a more planned innovation process. In addition, two distinct boundary spanning roles were identified: in dyads with no direct management involvement in the engagement, the role was associated with formal responsibilities from senior management to „manage‟ innovation opportunities and outcomes. In dyads where senior management were involved, there was no such formality; the boundary spanner acted to „facilitate‟ search and exploration to locate opportunities for innovation through idea exchange. The application of innovation constructs to the business and society field has enabled firm engagement with nonprofit stakeholders to be examined through a new lens and demonstrated how firms innovate from such relationships. In particular it has highlighted the key role played by the firm boundary spanner (relationship manager) and how this role alters depending on senior management involvement: a distinction which has not been made in the extant literature and would benefit from further examination.
Open Access
How are partners used in the search for innovations? A systematic review
(Cranfield University, 2013-09) Hemel, Stefan; Smart, Palie
The importance of search partnerships has grown as a mode to search for innovations. However, in spite of this development, notions of open innovation combined with new propositions to change the search process in favour of sustainability have unravelled a need to take stock of the existing literature of search partnerships and the aims that these partnerships follow. This review addresses this shortcoming and synthesises the literature on search partnerships to analyse the current state of knowledge to deliver future research opportunities. A systematic review process was adopted by means of a set a set of pre-defined stages. These stages included the formulation and positioning of the review question within the larger literature domains, a systematic research process which included the adoption of search strings, relevance and quality appraisal criteria, as well as a stock-taking process of descriptive and thematic features, which followed the logic of prescriptive synthesis. This process led to a representative sample of 73 articles which were analysed subsequently. The tentative findings reveal that the literature is underpinned by a combination of theories linking to evolutionary or transaction-based understandings of search partnerships. Also, six conditions were found to drive search partnerships and when they are likely to form. Moreover five interventions were identified that relate to the use of search methods, boundary spanning activities, and the number, type and involvement levels with the partner. Finally search partnerships have been found to yield five outcomes: partnerships, and various types of innovations, higher social goals, as well as market knowledge. By combining contexts, interventions, and outcomes, research opportunities are identified that should inform future reviews, including the need for more research in sustainability-led search partnership contexts and a better understanding of search strategy configurations in relation interventions used and anticipated search partnership outcomes obtained.
Open Access
How shareholder activism influences company non-financial performance.
(Cranfield University, 2018-12) Cundill, Gary; Wilson, Hugh; Smart, Palie
Shareholders have become increasingly active in endeavouring to influence companies’ non-financial performance, but enquiries into this form of shareholder activism are limited and fragmented. It is as yet unclear what aspects of company non-financial performance are of most interest to shareholders. Researchers have yet to uncover the conditions under which shareholder interventions succeed, or how boards respond beyond simple increases in disclosure. Furthermore, research in emerging markets is almost non-existent. This thesis addresses these gaps in two main ways. First, a systematic literature review provides a synthesis of the state of academic knowledge about shareholder activism that aims to influence corporate environmental and social performance. Theoretical perspectives appropriate to this phenomenon are critically appraised, and data from the literature are organised into a new process model of shareholder influence. An agenda to direct future research in this burgeoning field is articulated. Second, an empirical study investigates non-financial shareholder activism in the context of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, drawing on interviews with a range of participants, as well as media reports and company documentation. An enhanced process model of the phenomenon is proposed that details a broad range of shareholder interventions, and shows how their impact is moderated by several variables. A typology of directors’ actions and concomitant outcomes is detailed, showing the presence of a feedback loop to the factors moderating the process. A set of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues of interest to contemporary shareholders is presented, showing what shareholders believe constitute company non-financial performance. Insight is provided into contradictions in the concept of ESG, particularly in the conflation of company environmental and social performance and company governance processes. A concluding discussion then explains how this two-pronged approach has enriched the existing knowledge base, implications for practitioners are provided and an enhanced research agenda is offered.
Open Access
In search of a circular supply chain archetype – A content-analysis based literature review
(Taylor and Francis, 2018-05-21) Batista, Luciano; Bourlakis, Michael; Smart, Palie; Maull, Roger
This paper addresses questions of how extant research discourses concerning the sustainability of supply chains contribute to understanding about circularity in supply chain configurations that support restorative and regenerative processes, as espoused by the Circular Economy ideal. In response to these questions, we develop a content-based literature analysis to progress theoretical body of knowledge and conceptualise the notion of a circular supply chain. We derive an archetypal form from four antecedent sustainable supply chain narratives - ‘reverse logistics’, ‘green supply chains’, ‘sustainable supply chain management’ and ‘closed-loop supply chains’. This paper offers five propositions about what the circular supply chain archetype represents in terms of its scope, focus and impact. Novel insights lead to a definition of circular supply chain and a more coherent foundation for future inquiry and practice.
Open Access
Institutional pluralism and the search for sustainability-orientated innovation opportunities in hybrid organisational forms.
(2017-04) Hemel, Stefan Paul Dominik; Smart, Palie
Organizational search is an inherent part of innovation and enables the creation of new knowledge combinations. It precedes the selection and implementation stages of the innovation management process, which is often concerned with ideas that have commercial potential. There is extensive evidence of global trends that require organisations to innovate in pursuit of sustainable development aims. This transpires a sense of urgency associated with a loss of ecosystem, depletion of natural resources and minerals, climate change and high rates of unalleviated poverty. Such contextual changes call for investigative inquiry into organizations search behaviours for sustainability-oriented innovations (SOI) that privilege open exploration and exploitation of novel sources of value. This more distributed approach to organisational search illustrates venturing in ‘unfamiliar’ territories with so-called ‘unusual partners’. Examples include not-for-profit, no-governmental agencies, civil society and public administrative governmental bodies – as a broader set of stakeholders engaged to identify valuable opportunities for innovation. Search in such collaborations is distinguished from traditional experience, as multiple institutional boundaries are spanned to source new knowledge inputs. These collective endeavours create hybrid organizational forms in which a variety of institutional orders and logics perform. Moreover, they have the capacity to coalesce seemingly competing and antagonistic missions to deliver social, environmental and economic progress. These efforts foster creativity by accessing knowledge and resources from beyond ‘familiar’ territories and boundaries to enhance levels of innovativeness. Recent studies in the field of organizational search have begun to focus on this phenomenon of ‘variety creation’. Such works proffer the merits of organisational boundary spanning behaviours, but to date have been limited to transcending disciplinary, departmental, organisational and sectoral boundaries and knowledge territories. This doctoral study deploys an exploratory detailed case study approach in a market leading multi-national automotive organisation that engages multiple institutional partners for the purposes of innovation. The findings from ten case projects demonstrate that ‘institutional pluralism’ affects the search for SOI opportunities in five major ways. First of all, institutional pluralism provides slack and second, it triggers both local and non-local search types. Third, the relationship between distinct institutional logics promotes different levels of (knowledge) variety creation. Fourth, ‘aligned’ logics have a more positive effect on both variety creation and levels of radicalness. Finally, as the number of logics engaged increases, the range and scope for innovation broadens. The overall theoretical contribution is to the organisation search literature and proposes institutional pluralism as a further mechanism for variety creation. This general contribution has led to further insights concerning the role of slack in local and non-local search variants and logic relationships during the search for innovation opportunities with so-called unusual partners.
Open Access
Institutional pluralism and the search for sustainability-oriented innovation opportunities in hybrid organisation forms
(Cranfield University, 2017-04) Hemel, Stefan Paul Dominik; Smart, Palie
Organizational search is an inherent part of innovation and enables the creation of new knowledge combinations. It precedes the selection and implementation stages of the innovation management process, which is often concerned with ideas that have commercial potential. There is extensive evidence of global trends that require organisations to innovate in pursuit of sustainable development aims. This transpires a sense of urgency associated with a loss of ecosystem, depletion of natural resources and minerals, climate change and high rates of unalleviated poverty. Such contextual changes call for investigative inquiry into organizations search behaviours for sustainability-oriented innovations (SOI) that privilege open exploration and exploitation of novel sources of value. This more distributed approach to organisational search illustrates venturing in ‘unfamiliar’ territories with so-called ‘unusual partners’. Examples include not-for- profit, no-governmental agencies, civil society and public administrative governmental bodies – as a broader set of stakeholders engaged to identify valuable opportunities for innovation. Search in such collaborations is distinguished from traditional experience, as multiple institutional boundaries are spanned to source new knowledge inputs. These collective endeavours create hybrid organizational forms in which a variety of institutional orders and logics perform. Moreover, they have the capacity to coalesce seemingly competing and antagonistic missions to deliver social, environmental and economic progress. These efforts foster creativity by accessing knowledge and resources from beyond ‘familiar’ territories and boundaries to enhance levels of innovativeness. Recent studies in the field of organizational search have begun to focus on this phenomenon of ‘variety creation’. Such works proffer the merits of organisational boundary spanning behaviours, but to date have been limited to transcending disciplinary, departmental, organisational and sectoral boundaries and knowledge territories. This doctoral study deploys an exploratory detailed case study approach in a market leading multi-national automotive organisation that engages multiple institutional partners for the purposes of innovation. The findings from ten case projects demonstrate that ‘institutional pluralism’ affects the search for SOI opportunities in five major ways. First of all, institutional pluralism provides slack and second, it triggers both local and non-local search types. Third, the relationship between distinct institutional logics promotes different levels of (knowledge) variety creation. Fourth, ‘aligned’ logics have a more positive effect on both variety creation and levels of radicalness. Finally, as the number of logics engaged increases, the range and scope for innovation broadens. The overall theoretical contribution is to the organisation search literature and proposes institutional pluralism as a further mechanism for variety creation. This general contribution has led to further insights concerning the role of slack in local and non- local search variants and logic relationships during the search for innovation opportunities with so-called unusual partners.
Open Access
Non-financial shareholder activism: A process model for influencing corporate environmental and social performance
(Wiley, 2017-10-25) Cundill, Gary J.; Smart, Palie; Wilson, Hugh N.
Shareholders have become increasingly active in endeavouring to influence companies’ environmental and social practices. In comparison with the mature field of financially motivated shareholder activism, limited enquiries have been carried out on its non-financial counterparts. This paper synthesizes the knowledge base through a review of the academic literature, exploring shareholder activism intended to affect corporate environmental and social performance. Theoretical perspectives appropriate to this phenomenon are critically appraised: in particular, insights from social movement theory, Hirschman's theory of exit, voice and loyalty and stakeholder salience theory, as well as the roles of signalling and symbolic management actions. Data from the literature are organized into a process model of non-financial shareholder influence. Underpinned by the influencing context, this conceptualization centres on three primary shareholder interventions: divestment, dialogue and shareholder proposals. These interventions are enabled through a range of actors and tools: coalitions, non-governmental organizations, codes and indices, the media and regulators. The interaction between interventions and the enabling actors and tools helps to determine managers’ perceptions of shareholder salience. These perceptions subsequently shape the organizational behaviours that affect companies’ symbolic and substantive environmental and social performance. An agenda to direct future research in this burgeoning field is articulated.
Open Access
Pre-paradigmatic status of industrial sustainability: a systematic review
(Emerald, 2017-10-01) Smart, Palie; Hemel, Stefan; Lettice, Fiona; Adams, Richard; Evans, Stephen
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to progress operations management theory and practice by organising contributions to knowledge production, in industrial sustainability, from disparate researcher communities. It addresses the principal question “What scholarly dialogues can be explicated in the emerging research field of industrial sustainability?” and sub-questions: what are the descriptive characteristics of the evidence base? and what thematic lines of scientific inquiry underpin the body of knowledge? Design/methodology/approach Using an evidenced-based approach, a systematic review (SR) of 574 articles from 62 peer-reviewed scientific journals associated with industrial sustainability is conducted. Findings This paper distinguishes three prevailing dialogues in the field of industrial sustainability, and uses Kuhn’s theory of paradigms to propose its pre-paradigmatic scientific status. The three dialogues: “productivity and innovation”, “corporate citizenship” and “economic resilience” are conjectured to privilege efficiency strategies as a mode of incremental reductionism. Industrial sustainability espouses the grand vision of a generative, restorative and net positive economy, and calls for a future research trajectory to address institutional and systemic issues regarding scaling-up and transition, through transformative strategies. Research limitations/implications The review is limited by the nature of the inquiries addressed in the literatures by specific researcher communities between 1992 and 2014. Originality/value This study performs the first SR in the field of industrial sustainability, synthesises prevailing scholarly dialogues and provides an evaluation of the scientific status of the field.
Open Access
Product-service systems business models for circular supply chains
(Taylor and Francis, 2018-05-21) Yang, Miying; Smart, Palie; Kumar, Mukesh; Jolly, Mark R.; Evans, Steve
Shifting supply chain architectures from ‘linear’ to ‘circular’ structures is imperative as businesses strive towards a circular economy ideal. Such a transformation requires innovation in the business models with impacts on value propositions, operations and revenue streams. This paper investigates the phenomenon of ‘circularity’ in supply chain operations, and proposes that product-service systems (PSS) business models can enhance restorative and regenerative effects of inner circles, circling long and cascading use circles. It adopts an exploratory case study method of a large Chinese manufacturing firm operating a traditional product-based business model and three variants of PSS (i.e. product-, use- and result-oriented PSSs) within its sub-architectures. The supply chain operations of the four distinct business models are analysed and their associated circularities are discussed. The findings show that business model akin to result-oriented PSS, have tighter and more efficient circularity of supply chain operations. This research contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between supply chain circularity and business model innovation in the context of a circular economy ideal.
Open Access
A Prototype Method and Tool to Facilitate Knowledge Sharing in the New Product Development Process
(Cranfield University, 2007-09) Bradfield, D. J.; Gao, James X.; Smart, Palie
New Product Development (NPD) plays a critical role in the success of manufacturing firms. Activities in the product development process are dependent on the exchange of knowledge among NPD project team members. Increasingly, many organisations consider effective knowledge sharing to be a source of competitive advantage. However, the sharing of knowledge is often inhibited in various ways. This doctoral research presents an exploratory case study conducted at a multinational physical goods manufacturer. This investigation uncovered three, empirically derived and theoretically informed, barriers to knowledge sharing. They have been articulated as the lack of an explicit definition of information about the knowledge used and generated in the product development process, and the absence of mechanisms to make this information accessible in a multilingual environment and to disseminate it to NPD project team members. Collectively, these barriers inhibit a shared understanding of product development process knowledge. Existing knowledge management methodologies have focused on the capture of knowledge, rather than providing information about the knowledge and have not explicitly addressed issues regarding knowledge sharing in a multilingual environment. This thesis reports a prototype method and tool to facilitate knowledge sharing that addresses all three knowledge sharing barriers. Initially the research set out to identify and classify new product development process knowledge and then sought to determine what information about specific knowledge items is required by project teams. Based on the exploratory case findings, an ontology has been developed that formally defines information about this knowledge and allows it to be captured in a knowledge acquisition tool, thereby creating a knowledge base. A mechanism is provided to permit language labels to be attached to concepts and relations in the ontology, making it accessible to speakers of different languages. A dissemination tool allows the ontology and knowledge base to be viewed via a Web browser client. Essentially, the ontology and mechanisms facilitate a knowledge sharing capability. Some initial validation was conducted to better understand implementation issues and future deployment of the prototype method and tool in practice.
Open Access
Research impact: an institutional logics perspective of related tensions in higher education.
(Cranfield University, 2019-11) Kelleher, Leonard L.; Jenkins, Mark; Smart, Palie
The UK Higher Education sector’s emphasis on research “impact” (economic, social, environmental and cultural benefits) leads to tensions which academics are often ill-equipped to navigate. Our understanding of such tensions is largely limited by a narrow empirical focus on knowledge commercialisation and oversimplified conceptualisations of the underlying process of change. This study employs an exploratory, holistic multiple case design to explore tensions experienced by 30 business and management scholars and participants in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF2014), the first national evaluation of research impact globally. It deploys institutional logics as a conceptual lens as this is underpinned by a theory of action (embedded agency) offering greater explanatory power for how macro- and meso-level factors influence micro level behaviour than alternatives predominantly used in existing explorations of impact. Six major findings regarding individual level impact-related tensions are reported at the ‘individual’ level of analysis. First, three novel tensions were identified. Second, eight conceptual tensions were empirically observed. Third, certain tensions are underpinned by forms of embeddedness not currently associated with the institutional logics perspective. Fourth, most of the identified tensions are not associated with an often alluded to professional- market logics dualism, but with various configurations of five logics. Fifth, certain tensions are associated with a single, professional logic. Sixth, strategic responses to certain tensions are typically generative of impactful research, although occasionally defensive responses can also be generative. Three theoretical contributions are proposed. First, the empirical confirmation of a typology of individual-level impact-related tensions, within which three novel tensions are identified. Second, the development of the logics perspective through revelation of new types of embeddedness as theories of change and third; the conceptualisation of institutional monism as an alternative source of conflicting logics to institutional pluralism. Finally, a contribution to professional research practice is also made in recommending that barriers to research effectiveness should be responded to strategically rather than defensively in order to maximise impact generation.
Open Access
Scanning electrochemical microscopy for the interrogation of biologically modified surfaces
(Cranfield University, 2007-01) Roberts, William St John; Higson, Seamus P. J.; Johnson, G.; Lonsdale, D.; Griffiths, J.; Smart, Palie
This thesis describes two novel applications of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to biological systems. The first involves the characterisation of a novel, impedance based genomic DNA biosensor - previously developed within the group. SECM in feedback mode was used to interrogate a DNA-polyelectrolyte film to determine whether the changes observed by impedance were detectable by SECM. Using the SECM micropositioning device to pattern a carbon ink substrate, a dotted array of polyethylenimine (PEI) and single stranded DNA (ssDNA) was fabricated. Using hexamine ruthenium chloride as the redox couple, the array was then interrogated by a SECM area scan before and following exposure to complementary and non-complementary DNA. Upon the exposure of the DNA/PEI array to complementary DNA, the feedback current over the functionalised region was observed to increase, whereas on exposure of the array to non-complementary DNA, an increase in feedback current was also observed - but to a lesser degree. The second SECM application described involves the use of SECM to detect protein expression in cells. Using an established immunochemical protocol, the transmembrane protein, CD44, expressed by cultured RT112 cells was labelled via a primary/secondary antibody complex to horseradish peroxidase. Using hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone, the activity of the HRP label was subsequently detected by SECM in feedback mode. The microelectrode tip was biased at a potential of -0.4V, a potential sufficient for the reduction of benzoquinone - the redox active product of the HRP catalysed reaction. The work presented represents the first application of SECM to detecting protein expression in cells and effectively demonstrates the promise this technique holds for immunochemical applications. An analysis of Uniscan’s innovation network is also presented, which provides a valuable insight into the management of such resources and how they may be orchestrated to extract maximal innovative value for all parties involved in a collaborative relationship.
Open Access
The servitization of manufacturing: a systematic literature review of interdependent trends
(Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2013-12-01T00:00:00Z) Lightfoot, Howard; Baines, Tim S.; Smart, Palie
Purpose: The servitization of manufacturing is a diverse and complex field of research interest. The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative and organising lens for viewing the various contributions to knowledge production from those research communities addressing servitization. To achieve this, we set out to address two principal questions, namely: (i) where are the knowledge stocks and flows amongst the research communities? and (ii) what generic research concerns are being addressed by these communities. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using an evidenced based approach, we have performed a systematic review of the research literature associated with the servitization of manufacturing. This investigation incorporates a descriptive and thematic analysis of 148 academic and scholarly papers from 103 different lead authors in 68 international peer-reviewed journals. Findings: Our work proposes support for the existence of distinct researcher communities namely; services marketing, service management, operations management, product-service systems and service science management and engineering, which are contributing to knowledge production of the servitization of manufacturing. The generic research concerns being addressed within these communities are associated with the concepts of product-service differentiation, competitive strategy, customer value, customer relationships and product-service configuration. Research limitations/implications: Our review is limited by the issues addressed in the literature by specific researcher communities and there is likely to be a wealth of literature addressing other relevant research (e.g. vertical integration, outsourcing). Therefore, immediate opportunities for future work are rooted in the limitations of our own work and in broadening our perspective of the servitization field. Originality/value: This research has further developed and articulated the identities of distinct researcher communities actively contributing to knowledge production in the servitization of manufacturing, and to what extent they are pursuing common research agendas. This study provides an improved descriptive and thematic awareness of this existing body of knowledge, allowing the field to progress in a more informed and multidisciplinary fashion.
Open Access
Shades of Grey: guidelines for working with the grey literature in systematic reviews for management and organizational studies
(Wiley, 2016-04-19) Adams, Richard J.; Smart, Palie; Sigismund Huff, Anne
This paper suggests how the ‘grey literature’, the diverse and heterogeneous body of material that is made public outside, and not subject to, traditional academic peer-review processes, can be used to increase the relevance and impact of management and organization studies (MOS). The authors clarify the possibilities by reviewing 140 systematic reviews published in academic and practitioner outlets to answer the following three questions: (i) Why is grey literature excluded from/included in systematic reviews in MOS? (ii) What types of grey material have been included in systematic reviews since guidelines for practice were first established in this discipline? (iii) How is the grey literature treated currently to advance management and organization scholarship and knowledge? This investigation updates previous guidelines for more inclusive systematic reviews that respond to criticisms of current review practices and the needs of evidence-based management.
Open Access
Social intrapreneurship: exploring tensions and paradoxes of embedded agency.
(Cranfield University, 2021-02) Herniman, John; Jenkins, Mark; Smart, Palie
Unmet societal needs require social innovation from various actors and agents. Social intrapreneurs, the corporate sibling of social entrepreneurs, are relatively understudied in management and organisational academic literature. Contemporary empirical studies of social intrapreneurship have focused on the enterprise (context) and the nature and results (outcome) of the social intrapreneurial activity. The academic literature contains fewer descriptions of social intrapreneurs at an individual level. The research is often heterogeneous and fluid in definition, and sometimes contradictory. This discourse utilises social innovation studies, organisational studies and theories of innovation, paradox and embedded agency (neo-institutional theory) to augment the limited social intrapreneurship literature. Research questions are formed based on limited extant literature on mechanisms describing social intrapreneurs as individual actors. This research provides empirical insight into the challenges and mitigations, experienced and enacted, from the perspective of a social intrapreneur within for-profit multinational organisations. A social constructivist stance is utilised in developing an exploratory understanding from semi- structured interviews with 62 social intrapreneurs in MNCs. To address the primary research question, “what tensions do social intrapreneurs experience?” This research contributes to organisation studies by proposing empirically derived frameworks of tensions experienced and navigations enacted by social intrapreneurs, as described by social intrapreneurs. Complementary to these frameworks, this research contributes an exploratory perspective on the interplay between tensions and navigations with role formalisation of social intrapreneurs with respect to social action and innovation. In practice, social intrapreneurs and organisations may gain insights into frameworks of enablers and disablers of social innovation.
Open Access
Towards technological rules for designing innovation networks: a dynamic capabilities view
(Emerald Publishing Group Limited, 2007) Smart, Palie; Bessant, John; Gupta, Abhishek
Inter-organizational innovation networks provide opportunities to exploit complementary resources that reside beyond the boundary of the firm. The shifting locus of innovation and value creation away from the “sole firm as innovator” poses important questions about the nature of these resources and the capabilities needed to leverage them for competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to describe research into producing design-oriented knowledge, for configuring inter-organizational networks as a means of accessing such resources for innovation.
Open Access
Transformation of traditional manufacturers towards servitized organisations
(Cranfield University, 2012-09) Vladimirova, Doroteya Kamenova; Evans, Stephen; Williams, Leon; Smart, Palie
In response to competitive and economic pressures, an increasing number of manufacturing firms are adding services to their traditional product offerings. However, companies are confronted with an arduous undertaking, and find it difficult to servitize successfully and profitably. This thesis investigates the transformation that traditional manufacturers undergo to become providers of integrated products and services, a phenomenon known as servitization. Servitization is considered a strategic re-direction of the manufacturing organisation and a major challenge for senior management. The purpose of this study is to provide better understanding of the change that occurs when a manufacturer attempts servitization. The study adopts a qualitative theory building approach to investigate an under-researched phenomenon and a major managerial challenge. It follows a strategy of engaged scholarship to understand a complex organisational problem. The research utilised multiple case studies, action research, and focus groups to tackle a problem with significance to industry. The findings reveal the nature of servitization as a complex transformative change which exposes the manufacturing company to its environment in new ways, and closely interlinks the organisation with a network of stakeholders through new dependencies. The transformation of traditional manufacturers towards servitized organisations is multi-dimensional and goes through eleven dimensions of transformation across the organisation and its network. In addition, thirty nine forces of change were found to influence the outcome of servitization, and were categorised into three sets of change drivers for servitization. The results of the study led to the formation of a model for transformation towards a servitized organisation for use by industry practitioners to roadmap and facilitate their organisation‟s shift towards services. The model represents a novel approach to managing servitization. This research has addressed a literature gap and met an industrial need, and has made a significant contribution to knowledge about the change that traditional manufacturers experience to become servitized organisations.