ABSTRACT As enterprises have increased the demand for logistics services, the role of logistics service providers (LSPs) as home bases for merchandise transportation and distribution has consequently become increasingly important. Therefore, how to strengthen the logistics capability and promote the logistics performance has become an important topic. In addition, traditionally the perspective of treating tangible assets as the location of firm¡¦s value has been gradually diminished. The intangible intellectual capital is increasingly playing a pivotal position for the firm¡¦s performance. Researchers studied the field of intellectual capital argued that intellectual capital was the main source of organizational competitive advantages. Besides, they thought that the better the intellectual capital a company has, the better the business can have the ability to generate performance. However, researchers seldom distinguished static intellectual capital from dynamic capability for utilizing intellectual capital. Whereas, this study proposed that these two constructs were different concepts, and would like to explore the impact of utilizing intellectual capital on logistics performance. Consequently, this study integrated the concept of RBT and dynamic capability to offer a conceptual model, a survey of LSPs was undertaken in order to examine the relationships among intellectual capital, logistics capabilities and firm performance, using the structural equation modeling technique (SEM) analysis method. Previous researches had concerned the tangible resources, capabilities and firm performance, however, less from the perspective of intangible resources to study this subject. Hence, after reviewing the relevant literature, we conclude human capital, structural capital, and relational capital as dimensions of intellectual capital. Furthermore, from the empirical results of related scholars¡¦ researches, this study argues that it has a directly significant effect of logistics capabilities on logistics performance, and logistics capabilities are the critical factors for utilizing intellectual capital. Moreover, this research proposes that logistics capabilities are complex constructs. Therefore, we should clarify these constructs and provide an appropriate measurement tool with reliability and validity if we would like to measure them. Consequently, logistics capabilities were identified: service capability, innovation capability, and flexibility capability. Finally, after clarifying the definition and extracting the components of each variable from the literature review, this research deduced several hypotheses and formed the research framework. In this study, we take logistics service providers in Taiwan as the study sample. A total of 1,033 questionnaires were hand delivered and the remaining 109, valid and complete, were used for quantitative analysis. The useable response rate was 10.6%. A structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed to test the research hypotheses. Results indicated that structural capital, relational capital, and logistics capabilities had a significant positive effect on logistics performance. Results also indicated that human capital, structural capital, and relational capital had a positive effect on LSPs¡¦ logistics capabilities. While human capital was not found to have a direct positive effect on LSPs¡¦ logistics performance, it was found to have an indirect effect on logistics performance mediated by logistics capability. According to the results, LSPs should enhance the intangible resource - intellectual capital, further heighten their understanding of logistics capabilities and identify how such capabilities may affect logistics performance, therefore develop effective logistics strategies.

The R&D Alliance was developed as the third strategic option to face the environment in a rapid change world. Based on the operating mechanism of the R&D Alliance, the beneficial results such as resource gathering, development risk and capital dropping will be achieved. However, when all members in the R&D Alliance mutually cooperate for the given benefits and targets, another question about keeping the own characteristics risen and need to further reconsider it. Therefore, the connective patterns between members play an important role in determining whether these operations will be successful, especially for the Chinese-major communities which have more obvious interference hiding in relational capital. The present study focuses on pattern of the R&D Alliance from the view of the relational capital. Adopting the individual case to study two R&D Alliances related with the juridical-person institutions is the main framework of this research and the results are analyzed from the three subcomponents in the relational capital that are trust, friendship and respect. Conclusions are drawn as follows: 1.Impacts of the trust relationship in the R&D alliance: members were constrained by the long-run contact, mutual cooperation experience and the formal contract (e.g. cooperation signatures or nondisclosure agreements) to reduce member suspicions and lead the positive Impact to the R&D alliance. 2.Impacts of the friendship in the R&D alliance: through the way of the frequent interaction, the beneficial receptions, and the explicit cooperative objectives, a conflict or a distant feeling between each others will be reduced, instead of increasing communication or rapidly uniting members to smoothly work the alliance. 3.Impacts of the respect in the R&D alliance: through the way of the good-will interactions, suppressing the opportunistic behaviors, globally adopting the opinions, predicting the next move about members, regulations in the contracts as well as self-constraints, the harmonics and the advantages existed in the members will be benefited for the development of the R&D alliance. 4.Impacts of the achievements in the R&D alliance: In the operating process, the partnership in the R&D alliance achieved the goals by means of the well, routine and miscellaneous communications, an explicit objective management, and the good interactions.

This study was developed to determine whether buyers expect suppliers with whom they have strong relationships to take preventative action if external events threaten to disrupt planned transactions. The alternative is that buyers perceive the relationships to be limited to contract obligations. This dissertation employed a quantitative study design to examine the buyer's view of buyer-supplier relational capital as a tool for risk reduction in the supply chain. The study is an extension of the work linking social capital, risk management, and inter-organizational network theory. The research population was a sample of 612 U.S. buyers managing global supply chains. The results were analyzed with factor analysis to evaluate the contribution of relational expectations, contract use, and organizational risk practices on the perceived risk reduction actions of the supplier. The relationships between the identified factors were determined through the development of a path model using partial least squares analysis. The data analysis suggests that the buyer does perceive relational capital to bring about specific risk prevention action from the supplier. More importantly, buyers include in their relational expectations of the supplier the reduction of any perceived supply chain risk that could impact the buying organization. The study also reveals the widespread use of preferred supplier relationships to handle the acquisition of critical goods and services. The study adds to the supply chain body of knowledge by expanding the known scope of buyer-supplier relational expectations. The work validates previous research by Ellis & Shockley (2010), which asserts that collaborative relationships lower a firm's risk profile. It also provides empirical evidence for network theories such as the study by DeWever, Vandenbempt & Martin (2005), who find that relational capital is a potential source of assistance during times of trouble.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2017-03-16T15:32:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Pablo Fogaça_.pdf: 1377414 bytes, checksum: 5353984afc0693a3fd9accf0c57942f1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-16T15:32:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pablo Fogaça_.pdf: 1377414 bytes, checksum: 5353984afc0693a3fd9accf0c57942f1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-05 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / PROSUP - Programa de Suporte à Pós-Gradução de Instituições de Ensino Particulares / UNISINOS - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos / Empresas utilizam-se da automação para aumentar sua competitividade, o que se traduz em ganhos de confiabilidade, eficiência, redução de custos com aspectos legais associados a segurança, saúde e meio ambiente, e ainda para obter ganhos de inovação. Em muitos processos, as máquinas substituem pessoas, no entanto, os sistemas automatizados dependem dos seres humanos para serem criados e aperfeiçoados. A criação de valor está essencialmente ligada ao conhecimento e seu uso. A presente pesquisa, de caráter qualitativo e exploratório, trata de um estudo de casos múltiplos no qual se buscou compreender e explicar como Pequenas Empresas de Automação (PEAs) do Vale do Sinos articulam seu Capital Intelectual (CI) para criar valor internamente e junto a suas Grandes Empresas Clientes (GECs). Para isto, foram revisados os conceitos de CI e sua classificação – Capitais Humano (CH), Relacional (CR) e Estrutural (CE). A partir da revisão teórica, foram criadas categorias de análise para cada um desses capitais e aplicados questionários semiestruturados a gestores de quatro PEAs e seis GECs que mantêm negócios entre si. Foi também utilizado o software NVivo para a análise de conteúdo. Podem-se destacar como principais resultados: (i) as PEAs não se preocupam com a gestão de seus conhecimentos, pois a retenção do conhecimento está nos seus gestores; (ii) essas empresas têm pouco ou quase nenhum conhecimento sobre CI, o que é corroborado pela literatura acadêmica; (iii) essas empresas atribuem grande peso aos valores familiares de seus colaboradores e aos relacionamentos como atributo de CH, o que evidencia que entendem CH como sendo CR e confirma que existe sobreposição de entendimento entre diferentes capitais, conforme atestam autores como Dumay (2009; 2013); (iv) o CR identificado na cadeia das PEAs consiste nas suas relações internas, bem como nas relações entre essas empresas e seus fornecedores e clientes; (v) as PEAs consideram que seus fornecedores agregam valor por meio de três fatores chaves: qualidade, preço justo e atendimento de prazos, o que também é corroborado pela literatura acadêmica. Esta pesquisa identificou o problema de cumprimento dos prazos de entregas como sendo a principal fonte de conflito na relação entre PEAs e GECs. / Small enterprises employ automation in order to improve their competitiveness, which is traduced in increasing reliability, efficiency, and costs reduction. They also reduce costs related to legal aspects associated with safety, health, environment, and innovation, as well. In several processes, machines relplace persons; nevertheless, automated systems depend on human beings to be created and improved. Value creation is intrinsically linked to knowledge and its use. This qualitative and exploratory research relates to a multiple case studies in which we intended to understand and explain how Small Automation Enterprises (SAE) placed at Vale do Sinos, articulate their Intellectual Capital (IC) to value creation both internally and jointly with their Big Customers Enterprises (BCE). To achieve such goal, there were reviewed the concepts of IC and its classification – Human, Relational, and Structural Capitals (HC, RC, SC). From the theoretical review, there were created categories for analysis for each type of capital, and applied semistructured questionnaries to managers of four SAEs and of six BCEs that keep business each other. Also, N-Vivo software was employed to perform analysis content of the interviews. As results, there can be highlighted: (i) SAEs do not have concern related to their knowledge management, because their knowledge retention is within their managers; (ii) such firms has few or almost none knowledge about IC, which is corroborated by academic studies; (iii) such firms give high weigth to familiar values of their collaborators and their relationships as a HC attribute, what brings evidences that they understand HC as RC, and it confirms that there is overlapping of understanding between different intellectual capital categories, as regarded by authors as Dumay (2009; 2013); (iv) RC identified in the SAEs chain consists in their internal relations, as well as in the relationships between such firms and their suppliers and customers; (v) SAEs consider that their suppliers add value through three key factors: quality, fair price, and terms attainment. It is corroborated by academic literature, as well. This research identified, as unanimity, the problem of term accomplishment as the main source of conflict in the relationship between SAEs and BCEs.

This study discusses the purpose, process and practice of quality assurance in transnational education (TNE) wherein institutions in one country award their degrees to students studying in another. This arrangement raises the issue of how the quality and standards of the degree programmes are assured so that they enable the programmes delivered in one country to be considered as being of a comparable quality and standard to those delivered in another. The study explores how the cross-national implementation of quality assurance is conducted and perceived by those engaged in it and the challenges such activity faces. Using data collected via structured interviews in Sri Lanka and the UK, the study examines the perceptions of participants in TNE collaboration. The analysis is undertaken within a conceptual framework developed from inter-firm relationship and supply chain management theories. The concept of “relational capital”, and its creation through socialisation activity, is proposed as a key factor in understanding TNE. A further body of literature is explored, that of inter-cultural communication and inter-cultural competence. The study contributes to the literature on TNE and internationalisation by identifying a tension between the financial drivers behind TNE and the resource intensive activities required to build relational capital. The findings are developed into a conceptual model for quality assurance in TNE, which can be used in the planning, management and evaluation of TNE and is designed to develop relational capital through the relational and inter-cultural competences of those engaged in such work. Through such a development, it is argued, quality assurance in TNE can move away from a process of enforced compliance with the prevailing quality assurance processes to one driven by a shared quality culture in which capacity building in the partner institutions of TNE can be achieved.

This research aims at exploring the interaction and differences of the relations among knowledge protection, relationship capital, strategic attribute of knowledge, and alliance performance. Through a mail survey, 95 effective samples of cross-border learning alliances of Taiwanese hi-tech firms were collected and analyzed. Using regression and simultaneous equations models, the proposed model was tested. The main conclusions are presented as follows: 1.Communication, trust, and commitment construct the determinants of relationship capital. 2.Knowledge which has more tacit, complexity, and special attributes is a more significant in strategic asset. 3.It is significant that the strategic attribute of knowledge will guarantee a influence on the relationship capital 4.It follows that the strategic attribute of knowledge that is transferred by alliances maintain a positive influence on knowledge protection by the target focus firm. 5.Relationship capital will guarantee a positive influence apparently on knowledge protection by the focus firm. 6.The higher the degree of relationship capital between alliance partners, the greater the alliance performance between the partners 7.It follows that the higher the degree of individual knowledge protection between alliance partners, the poorer the alliance performance between the partners.

The increased attention to multinational companies¡¦ (MNC) sustainability in both academic and practitioner realms has raised an important question of why more and more firms behave in a socially responsible manner, especially in today¡¦s global economy. Drawing upon RBV and institutional theory incorporating theoretical insights from international business and stakeholder or CSR-related theories, this research was conducted in an attempt to offer a systematic analysis on antecedents and consequences of MNC subsidiaries¡¦ sustainability conducts. Combining the results of preliminary qualitative and empirical quantitative studies, this research identified the internal factors within MNC and external institutional factors outside of MNC that influence subsidiary¡¦ resources and capabilities developments for sustainable developments, and that in turn collectively contribute to MNC¡¦s sustainability in modern complex, dynamic global economy. With the sample of 114 MNCs¡¦ subsidiaries, this research used SEM (structural equation modeling) technique to test an integrated framework addressing how the diverse stakeholder demands and institutional pressures facing MNCs can be managed through internal mechanisms and processes to gain sustainable competitive advantages. Findings of this research offered better explanation for the widely debated relationships between CSR and firm performance from CSR theorists. Furthermore, by integrating RBV and institutional theory, this research theoretically and empirically demonstrated the way MNCs develop firm-specific advantages and country-specific advantages through their proactive CSR management conducted by subsidiaries, and hence provided theoretical and practical insights in international management.

隨著技術專業化與全球化市場的影響，個別企業難以單獨生存，企業間必須依其專業分工、共同發展，產生複雜的網路關係，透過知識的交流，形成關係資本，組織運用關係資本龐大的能量，帶動整體產業的創新。 休閒服務業所提供的娛樂商品通常不是其本身可產出，而是整合各個合作廠商供應授權之娛樂商品，提供消費者整體娛樂服務，因此在休閒服務業中與事業夥伴之網路關係十分重要，如何經營關係資本成為關鍵課題。並選定近年來新興且趨於成熟的本土產業—KTV產業作為研究對象。 本研究分別就合作夥伴與顧客的互動方式，探討KTV業者與關係網路互動的模式與過程，了解休閒服務業如何形成關係資本，透過何種機制促進產業創新，找出更適合、有效的創新方法。 綜合文獻探討與個案研究，本研究發現休閒服務業之關係資本確實會刺激產業創新，產業夥伴或消費者引發創新，網路成員透過知識交流、共享，共同研究開發產生創新，而組織與消費者運用DART(溝通、取用、風險評估、透明)互動機制累積創新能量；且網路關係中某些特性使得創新更易於產生，如關係緊密程度、網路關係位置、網路關係複雜度。業者可藉由調節這些特性，加強關係資本與產業創新的關聯。

Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore the role of relational capital in raising and utilizing venture capital by international new ventures (INVs). This study reviews literature on INVs, venture capital, and social capital theory and defines relational capital as the level of trust developed in the course of interactions between INVs and venture capital firms (VC firms) that leads to positive venture capital decisions and value creation. This empirical study of relational capital formation and utilization is accomplished by the case study method. The study is based on interviews with five case INVs regarding entrepreneurs’ and venture capitalists (VCs)’ experiences with forming and utilizing relational capital for the purpose of new venture internationalization. This study approaches the relationship between INV and VC firm from the relational capital perspective, exploring how INVs can raise venture capital for internationalization as well as how they can use relational capital to improve outcomes of new venture internationalization after venture capital is allocated. The analysis identifies the factors that affect formation of relational capital between INVs and VC firms, the outcomes that result from relational capital formed in the pre-investment stage, and the impact on performance of INVs during post-investment collaboration. This study develops a conceptual model proposing that the financing process for entrepreneurial INVs consists of forming and using relational capital to obtain venture capital investment. The particular characteristics of the INVs and VC firms, as well as behavior-related factors, have been found to be important to forming relational capital between INVs and VC firms. The relational capital formation process creates an atmosphere in which entrepreneurs and VCs provide both tangible and intangible resources to support INV internationalization. This study adds the relational capital viewpoint to the literature pertaining to venture capital and INVs by analyzing the role of relational capital in financing entrepreneurial INVs. Regarding managerial implications, the study shows how entrepreneurs can influence the venture capital investment process, where VC firms should pay attention to while working with INVs, and how policy makers could contribute by providing a positive environment for INV and VC firm collaboration. / Tiivistelmä Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan kansainvälisiin uusiin yrityksiin tehtyjä pääomasijoitusprosesseja suhdepääoman muotoutumisen ja hyödyntämisen näkökulmasta. Tutkimuksessa aihetta lähestytään sekä yritysten että pääomasijoittajien kannalta ja työn teoreettinen viitekehys rakennetaan kansainvälisten uusien yritysten, pääomasijoitusprosessin, ja sosiaalisen pääoman tutkimusjulkaisujen kautta. Työssä suhdepääoma määritellään luottamukseksi, joka kehittyy vuorovaikutuksen kautta yrityksen ja pääomasijoittajan välille ja johtaa positiiviseen pääomasijoituspäätökseen ja arvonluontiin. Työn empiirisessä osassa suhdepääoman muotoutumista ja hyödyntämistä tutkitaan tapaustutkimusmenetelmällä. Tutkimuksen aineisto on kerätty haastattelemalla viiden kansainvälisen nuoren yrityksen yrittäjiä sekä pääomasijoittajia heidän kokemuksistaan yrityksen kansainvälisen kasvun rahoittamiseksi. Työssä yritysten ja pääomasijoittajien suhdetta lähestytään suhdepääoman kautta, erityisesti kun yritysten tavoitteena on saada pääomasijoitus kansainvälistä kasvua varten ja hyödyntää syntynyttä suhdepääomaa pääomasijoituksen jälkeen yrityksen kansainvälistymisprosessissa. Analyysissä tunnistetaan tekijät, jotka vaikuttavat suhdepääoman kehittymiseen, tulokset, jotka ovat seurausta ennen pääomasijoitusta syntyneestä suhdepääomasta, sekä vaikutukset, jotka yrityksen ja pääomasijoittajan välisellä suhdepääomalla on yrityksen menestymiseen pääomasijoituksen jälkeen. Tutkimuksessa yrityksen ja pääomasijoittajan erityisillä piirteillä, toimintamalleilla ja käyttäytymisellä havaittiin olevan merkitystä suhdepääoman muotoutumisessa ja hyödyntämisessä. Suhdepääoman muotoutumisprosessi luo ilmapiirin, jossa yrittäjät ja pääomasijoittajat voivat tuoda aineellisia ja aineettomia resursseja yrityksen kansainvälistymisen tueksi. Työn teoreettinen kontribuutio on erityisesti sen tuoma suhdenäkökulma pääomasijoitusprosessitutkimukseen. Työssä osoitetaan myös kuinka yrittäjät voivat käytännössä vaikuttaa pääomasijoituksen saamiseen ja päätöksentekoprosessiin ja mihin pääomasijoittajien tulisi kiinnittää huomiota yritysten kanssa työskennellessään.

Yes / This article reviews the literature on human capital resources and develops a conceptual model incorporating social capital, relational capital and knowledge as the components of human capital resources and linking these to competitive advantage. Scholars from various disciplines expanded our understanding of human capital as important organizational resources but research in this field remains fragmented. Building on past research this review contributes to existing knowledge in human capital resources by introducing an integrated conceptual framework comprising of both micro-level human capital and macro-level strategic human capital resources. In so doing it provides alternative definitions for human capital resources with the aim to make their assessment and understandability more meaningful and clearer than what has been offered so far. Moreover, by bringing knowledge, social capital and relational capital under human capital, this review encourages a dialogue among scholars from various disciplines to investigate the creation and accumulation of strategic human capital resources holistically.