656 research outputs found
Digital Transformation and Vertical (Dis-)Integration: The Role of Technological Change and the Importance of the Institutional Context
No full textThe evolution of industries through vertical disintegration has long been the focus of attention and concern of management scholars and managers. However, most existing studies are based on transaction cost economics and address vertical disintegration choices as firm-level decisions. By integrating transaction costs economics with the resource-based view of the firm and moving from static analysis of individual transactions to dynamic analysis of the causes of change within an industry, the article develops an integrative framework that explains where and how vertical disintegration occurs. Drawing on the cultural heritage industry, the results show that vertical disintegration choices reflect differences in the way the institutional context favors (or prevents) the creation and capture of value enabled by technological change. On the one hand, firms with low strategic autonomy and limited flexibility in acquiring resources and competencies tend to evolve toward vertical disintegration decisions when digital platforms enter the industry-Google in our case. On the other hand, organizations with a high degree of strategic autonomy and high flexibility in acquiring resources and competencies opt for vertical integration strategies. In practical terms, the framework provides a tool for managers to understand whether their industry is prone to vertical disintegration
Unveiling the Determinants of IT Business Value: An Industry-Level Analysis on the Role of the Information-Based Nature of the Product
No full textDespite predictions that information technology (IT) investments would have a transformative effect on industry structures, little empirical research has compared the value generated by IT investments across sectors. This study theorizes and tests which component of value-output growth or input reduction-prevails at the industry level by analyzing the effects of IT investments on labor productivity. Results for 231 industries between 2008 and 2019 show that IT investments affect labor productivity growth. However, this effect has different drivers, depending on the industry. IT investments in industries specialized in information goods lead to output growth but to a reduction in labor input and output in other sectors. Taken together, the results confirm that industry is a relevant variable in IT business value research and raise policy implications about the structural divergence that IT investments are creating between sectors
Balancing Cognitions and Emotions to Advance Lean Corporate Programs
No full textThis study investigates how cognitive and emotional mechanisms drive advancement in lean corporate programs, addressing a key yet underexplored factor in continuous improvement. While existing research documents lean program successes, it often overlooks the role of cognitive and emotional factors in program progression. Using a phenomenological approach, we integrate individual and plant-level data through both qualitative and quantitative methods. Focusing on a lean corporate program implemented across 22 Italian plants of a leading global carmaker, we employ a structural equation model to assess the relationships among lean organizing principles, cognitive involvement, emotional perceptions, and lean program advancement. Three key insights emerge: 1) A comprehensive application of lean organizing principles enhances employees’ cognitive involvement in lean practices; 2) Cognitive involvement is essential for advancing lean corporate programs; 3) Positive emotional states—such as pride, self-efficacy, and perceived fairness—significantly mediate the relationship between cognitive involvement and lean advancement. This study contributes to lean management literature by demonstrating that positive emotions are critical for sustaining lean progress. By bridging the knowledge-based view with behavioral theories, we provide researchers and practitioners with a nuanced understanding of the interplay between cognitive and emotional factors in advancing lean programs
When digital platforms meet tradition: Phygital innovation in the cultural heritage
No full textThe digitalization of cultural and creative industries has often followed a path of convergence between physical and digital artefacts, leading to the rise of digital platforms that reshape value chains. However, the cultural heritage sector has undergone a different form of digital transformation. Digital platforms in this field create a “phygital” experience that blends tradition with innovation. This study examines the role of digital platforms in fostering social and economic development in the cultural heritage sector, focusing on Google Arts & Culture, launched by Google in 2011. Through a longitudinal case study, we explore how digital platforms create value for multiple stakeholders—museums, users, and the platform itself—by enhancing efficiency, complementarities, novelty, and lock-in mechanisms. Our findings indicate that digital platforms introduce a more dynamic and complex ecosystem that drives growth and innovation while shifting cultural organizations from integrated supply chains to networks of strategic partnerships. The success of digital platforms in promoting social and economic development depends on museums’ ability to internalize legacy knowledge and platforms’ capacity to reinterpret this knowledge using advanced digital tools. This research contributes to the literature on innovation and strategic management by demonstrating that, rather than disrupting tradition, digital platforms enhance the cultural heritage experience. Additionally, while platforms like Google Arts & Culture operate under a non-profit model to democratize culture, they capture significant value through data aggregation, which may play a key role in training artificial intelligence systems
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