Vlerick Repository
Not a member yet
7319 research outputs found
Sort by
Absorptive capacity, socially enabling mechanisms, and the role of learning from trial and error experiments: A tribute to Dan Levinthal’s contribution to international business research
No full textThe concept of absorptive capacity (AC) of firms (Cohen and Levinthal 1989 and 1990) is a foundational feature of organizational learning and adaptation that has had enormous influence in international business (IB), and innovation studies and management research in general. In this tribute to Dan Levinthal, we discuss the close connection between AC and learning – two areas central to Dan Levinthal’s research – in relation to different contexts where AC comes into play in extant IB research. We discuss four specific aspects of the nexus of AC and learning in the context of IB: (1) bridging between intra- and inter-firm learning; (2) a routine-based framing of AC that emphasizes processes and capabilities underlying seeking, assimilating, and innovation in a global setting; (3) the role of socially enabling mechanisms, and (4) the logic of learning through trial and error experiments within firms and countries
Five evolutions in individual career development and their consequences for organisational career management
No full textIn a hybrid world, for many people work is a lot more than just a functional way of earning money. Professional careers have a strong symbolic function, providing us with a considerable part of our social identity and strongly influencing our self-esteem and overall happiness. Therefore, keeping employees engaged and committed by offering them challenging and rewarding careers is an important area of focus for many organisations and HR departments. However, as a reaction to changing economies, ways of working and organisational designs, the concept of a ‘career’ has changed tremendously. Careers are no longer a sequence of hierarchically ordered jobs, but rather a continually evolving gathering of work-related experiences for which every employee carries individual responsibility. As a consequence, career success is a highly-subjective measure and can only be reached when self-set goals and career values are respected. This white paper consists of two chapters. In the first chapter, we describe five main principles in individual career development that have evolved during the last couple of decades and that strongly impact contemporary career perceptions, leaving the field of careers with a broad spectrum of individual needs and preferences. The second chapter addresses the consequences of these changes for organisational career management and provides suggestions for Talent Managers on how to effectively respond to the evolving career landscape
Academy of Management Proceedings
No full textYoung graduates are the talent of the future and they will become an important group in organizations in the next decennial. Individuals’ career preferences and work values have shifted over time and, as a result, claims in literature posit that the traditional career will slowly fade away in order to make way for the modern career. In addition, strong contextual forces such as globalization, technology, organizational restructuring, and the growth of services have altered the way we look at careers and challenge what older generations have hitherto taken for granted. Research presented at this symposium will add substantially to the existing literature on what new cohorts of graduates expect from their future career and employer. Authored by scholars from eleven European countries, the papers included in this symposium integrate individual and contextual factors influencing graduates' career intentions across contexts
Innovation and digitisation in the petrochemical supply chain. Digitisation as an enabler for a sustainable future
No full textFollowing the 2018 workshop on the “Digitalisation in the Petrochemical Supply Chain”, EPCA partnered again with Vlerick Business School (VBS) to explore how digitisation can be an enabler for a sustainable petrochemical supply chain. By bringing to the table real case studies in an interactive workshop, highlighting how digitisation can minimise the ecological footprint of the supply chain, EPCA and VBS aimed to showcase cutting-edge solutions and to encourage the EPCA Supply Chain Community to embark on a digital transformation journey which will ultimately make their businesses more sustainable. The report summarises the lessons learned from desk research and from the interviews conducted by VBS researchers with experts in the field, in preparation for the workshop, as well as the conclusions from the roundtable discussions at the Digital Café
An emergency health financing facility for the European Union. A proposal
No full textThe unprecedented public health crisis caused by COVID-19 overstretched the structures and mechanisms of the European Union, in particular those that deal with emergencies. In order to be ready for the next health emergency, we propose the creation of the Emergency Health Financing Facility. In its broader version, this Facility integrates some of the existing EU emergencies structures and adds a new layer for the most extreme emergencies that does not increase the burden on public finances. This new layer essentially consists of securitizing health emergency risks in the form of fixed income securities that are sold to institutional investors. The Facility follows the growth of marketbased risk financing facilities across global and regional initiatives, led by the World Bank
Practice note: Copycat behavior by junior auditors – The impact of their senior’s working style and the role of promotion incentives
No full textAs a key attribute to audit quality, regulators specify that more experienced staff (i.e. managers, senior auditors) should provide less experienced staff with appropriate coaching and on-the-job training (IAASB 2014). It is fairly common for junior auditors to start their auditing career by mimicking a more senior person who performs similar tasks; as the saying goes, “Monkey see, monkey do” (Cannon, 2016). Yet, while imitation is an inherent human tendency, limited evidence exists on the impact of such imitative behavior on the quality of an individual auditor’s judgment. The objective of our research project is to examine the extent to which mimicking behavior occurs in junior–senior auditor relationships and its consequences for audit quality. In particular, we advance the argument that this imitation tendency may lead junior auditors to follow seniors’ auditing practices, even when those practices are not always ideal. We also examine whether promotion opportunities for the junior can be an important contributor in mimicking an audit style of a senior (which in turn would affect audit quality). The tendency to imitate their senior – even though his working practices might not be ideal - might be higher when the direct senior has a strong voice in the promotion decision of the junior. The findings of this study are expected to provide valuable insights and r recommendations for practic
Real earnings management around CEO turnovers
No full textAbstract Following CEO turnovers, US firms adjust real business activities to manage earnings downwards ( REM bath). This effect is most pronounced in firms with low levels of institutional ownership. REM baths early in CEOs’ tenure can be confounded with legitimate adjustments to business activities. However, we show that they are not accompanied by increases in R&D or capital expenses, nor are they explained by restructuring expenses. CEOs with short tenure record more negative REM measures in their first year of tenure, when compared with CEOs with long tenure
ECIS 2020 Proceedings
No full textThe blockchain technology has gained increasing attention and awareness in both corporate practice and academia. Both sides expect the technology’s impact on business and society to be fundamental. However, more in-depth insights into how blockchain will disrupt the way businesses create and cap-ture value are limited. In response to the prevalent uncertainty about the future developments caused by blockchain, this study aims at identifying the prospective value creation potentials for organiza-tions. This forecasting study builds on a Delphi approach to derive reliable predictions about block-chain’s future developments by 2030 in the business model context. We specifically discuss how block-chain is likely to influence value creation in the business model context. Based on expert interviews, workshop insights, and prior literature, we developed a meaningful set of 36 projections on the impli-cations of the blockchain’s future developments. Our findings predict that blockchain will mainly cre-ate value by massively increasing efficiency gains, which forms the basis for making entirely new business models feasible. We complement this finding by revealing that blockchain technology will create the most value, not in isolation, but in combination with other technologies. Our research re-duces some of the environmental uncertainty managers face and identify relevant avenues for future research
Business ecosystems. What do they mean for your company? And how do they impact your role as a leader?
No full textRecently, two competing Belgian telecom giants, Telenet and DPG Media, announced an intensive strategic collaboration in response to the increased competition from global players like Netflix, Disney + and Apple TV. Such strategic partnerships between organisations are not new. Think of the collaboration between Douwe Egberts and Philips, which led to the introduction of the Senseo coffee machine. Most of these strategic collaborations consist of clearly defined and formalised projects, in which the legal departments are closely involved in delineating the partnership as well. But the world is changing rapidly. And so is the way in which organisations partner with each other. Changing customer expectations, increased regulation, new technologies, and the societal risks that come with a globalising economy shape the strategic agendas of many CEOs. These evolutions force organisations to rethink the way in which they collaborate with partners
De verblinde samenleving - Hebben we echt een catastrofe nodig om vooruitgang te boeken?
No full textHoe we als maatschappij fundamentele vooruitgang kunnen boeken? Hoe leert een samenleving? En vooral: waarom leren we zo vaak ook de verkeerde dingen? Het zijn vragen die verrassend weinig worden gesteld. Het lijkt wel alsof we altijd eerst een catastrofe nodig hebben voordat we vooruitgang kunnen boeken. In dit boek brengt organisatie-expert Marc Buelens een messcherpe analyse van hoe samenlevingen zichzelf al te vaak in de voet schieten. Hij legt uit hoe de drie trekpaarden van onze maatschappij - wetenschap, economie en politiek - altijd maar lijken door te draven... en hoe ze onze 'luwe' systemen, zoals cultuur, zingeving en solidariteit, op die manier compleet dreigen te vertrappelen. In plaats van de politieke besluitvorming te stroomlijnen, gezondheidscrisissen te managen of de immense uitdagingen inzake ongelijkheid, klimaat en milieu aan te pakken, blijven we in rondjes draaien. Wat kunnen we dan leren opdat het coronadebacle geen generale repetitie voor de klimaatcrisis wordt? Kunnen we onszelf uit het moeras trekken of blijven we blind voor onze catastrofale leerprocessen