Since the Canadian nuclear reactor ¡§NRU¡¨ was shut down on 14th May, 2009, the global Moly shortage has occurred for a year. The crisis was not only an impact for the patients of the hospitals in Taiwan, but also decreased the sales and margin profit of the nuclear medicine distributors. The S company, a leading and monopolistical distributor in Taiwan, was no longer reliable for its customers because of the nuclear medicine shortage. Actually it looks like the advantage of the S company is lost and the reputation is damaged. This research is trying to figure out how a nuclear medicine distributor like the S company can pursue some effective supply chain strategies to turn around and keep the growth of profit. AHP is the study method for this research. But at first we¡¦ll plan some strategies and tactics for the nuclear medicine distributors (especial the S company), according to Potters¡¦ competition theory and the resource based view of the firm. And then develop the two levels structure for the AHP study in this research. The factors of upper level are 4 strategies, like ¡§Research & Development Strategy¡¨ etc. The factors of lower level are 18 tactics or plans just like ¡§Try to acquire new technology from the advanced radiopharmaceutical institutes¡¨ etc. The AHP will be performed by surveys of experts¡¦ opinions, including both qualitative and quantitative surveys. Five different groups of experts were sampling and chosen for the surveys. By the AHP, the two most weights of the tactics are determined. They are ¡§Integrate individual (country) procurement into multinational procurement for reducing cost¡¨ and ¡§Actively globalized procurement, and monopolistically securing the sources¡¨. Besides, we can discover more valuable opinions from the qualitative analysis of the expert¡¦s surveys. So the results of this research, the effective and advanced strategies and tactics, are the first securing more reliable sources of the nuclear medicine and the second improving globalized procurement. And then try to enhance marketing and strengthen customer relationship. These will be expected to be helpful on both distributors¡¦ profit and customers¡¦ satisfaction.

Recent contributions highlight the importance of international knowledge transfer as a fundamental source of competitive advantage of MNCs. Due to the traditional assumption that parent firms are the prime source of knowledge, majority of studies have focused on knowledge transfer from headquarters to subsidiaries. However, the role of subsidiaries within MNCs has changed dramatically; many subsidiaries have gained a creative role by generating new resources depending on the comparative advantage of the location in which they operate, and through the process of reverse knowledge transfer, they subsequently contribute to the competence upgrading of the MNC. In reviewing the extant literature on MNC knowledge transfer and in particular reverse knowledge transfer, this research unleashes several gaps, notably in the understanding of factor affecting subsidiary knowledge development and reverse knowledge transfer within the service sector. Borrowing concepts from the knowledge-based and network views, a series of hypotheses were tested using the result of a web-based survey of the subsidiaries that were located in the UK, had a non-UK parent firm, and were active in the KIBS sector. Responses from 187 general managers, managing directors, or chief executives of subsidiaries confirm that those subsidiaries that develop and maintain business relationships with their internal (sister subsidiaries and headquarters) and external actors (customers, universities, suppliers, competitors) and have high level of autonomy are more capable of developing knowledge. With regards to determinants of reverse knowledge transfer, while subsidiary characteristics (knowledge development and willingness) and relationship characteristics (socialization mechanisms) are emerged as the main facilitators of reverse knowledge transfer, knowledge characteristics (tacitness and complexity) appeared as the main hindrances of this phenomenon. Moreover, the results indicate that, (a) socialisation mechanisms augment the extent of shared values and subsidiary-parent firm embeddedness and (b) willingness mediates the impacts of shared values and subsidiary-parent firm embeddedness on reverse knowledge transfer. The key contributions of this research are two-fold: firstly, it examines the process of reverse knowledge transfer and knowledge development exclusively within the KIBS sector. Secondly, it investigates the joint impacts of relationship characteristics, knowledge characteristics, and subsidiary (sender) characteristicson reverse knowledge transfer.

Immigrants participate in entrepreneurial activity more frequently than other groups, largely resulting from restricted access to traditional occupational advancement. Recent studies have reported that immigrant entrepreneurs focus on their abundance of human and social capital to obtain the financial resources necessary to fund their ventures. Lack of financial resources has been identified as a major barrier for immigrant entrepreneurs; however, as this study indicates, both native and immigrant entrepreneurs face similar financial hurdles in locating initial startup funding. Where major differences arise between native and immigrant entrepreneurs is that native entrepreneurs more frequently transition to business forms of debt, a key component to long-term success. Resulting from their lack of embeddedness in their host context, immigrant entrepreneurs are far more likely to rely on social network based resources to fund growth, which removes their businesses from the opportunities business forms that debt provides. Using the Kauffman public data, I investigated the relationship between financing strategies engaged by "immigrant" versus "native" entrepreneurs.

This research extends the knowledge-based view of the firm as it relates to organizational structure. In particular, this research provides evidence that fundamental classifications of knowledge are measurable, in relative terms, as factors of production. It then relates differences in relative quantities of these classifications of knowledge to the presence or absence of inter-firm boundaries. Finally, this study provides evidence that financial performance may be related to the alignment of organizational structure with knowledge-based factors of production. This study contributes to strategic management theory by offering a potential solution to the difficulties of measuring knowledge as a factor of production. The research was motivated by the belief that it is the cost and value of knowledge that determines economic efficiency (Simon, 1999). By surveying professionals in the mutual fund industry for their relative reliance on three classifications of knowledge, this study suggests a set of measures of knowledge-based factors of production. These measures in turn support the testing of hypotheses related to the vertical integration (or de-integration) of adjacent stages of production. Researchers have typically categorized organizational knowledge as either tacit or explicit. This research develops the concept of encapsulated knowledge as a fundamental classification of knowledge. Encapsulated knowledge is neither tacit nor explicit, because it is externalized and implicit. Progress in measuring knowledge is made by distinguishing between knowledge that resides in human minds (tacit), knowledge that is codified as information (codified), and knowledge that is embodied in the design and functionality of physical artefacts (encapsulated). Relative reliance on the fundamentally different knowledge-based factors of production was found to vary between adjacent stages of production, despite the essential overlap of jointly held substantive knowledge. Portfolio managers are generally less (more) reliant on tacit (encapsulated) knowledge than other investment management professionals in the mutual fund complex. In addition, portfolio managers whose firms are de-integrated from the mutual fund management firms were found to be more (less) reliant on tacit (encapsulated) knowledge than their integrated counterparts. Finally, alignment between mutual fund structure and reliance on knowledge-based factors of production was found to affect performance of mutual funds.

This research extends the knowledge-based view of the firm as it relates to organizational structure. In particular, this research provides evidence that fundamental classifications of knowledge are measurable, in relative terms, as factors of production. It then relates differences in relative quantities of these classifications of knowledge to the presence or absence of inter-firm boundaries. Finally, this study provides evidence that financial performance may be related to the alignment of organizational structure with knowledge-based factors of production. This study contributes to strategic management theory by offering a potential solution to the difficulties of measuring knowledge as a factor of production. The research was motivated by the belief that it is the cost and value of knowledge that determines economic efficiency (Simon, 1999). By surveying professionals in the mutual fund industry for their relative reliance on three classifications of knowledge, this study suggests a set of measures of knowledge-based factors of production. These measures in turn support the testing of hypotheses related to the vertical integration (or de-integration) of adjacent stages of production. Researchers have typically categorized organizational knowledge as either tacit or explicit. This research develops the concept of encapsulated knowledge as a fundamental classification of knowledge. Encapsulated knowledge is neither tacit nor explicit, because it is externalized and implicit. Progress in measuring knowledge is made by distinguishing between knowledge that resides in human minds (tacit), knowledge that is codified as information (codified), and knowledge that is embodied in the design and functionality of physical artefacts (encapsulated). Relative reliance on the fundamentally different knowledge-based factors of production was found to vary between adjacent stages of production, despite the essential overlap of jointly held substantive knowledge. Portfolio managers are generally less (more) reliant on tacit (encapsulated) knowledge than other investment management professionals in the mutual fund complex. In addition, portfolio managers whose firms are de-integrated from the mutual fund management firms were found to be more (less) reliant on tacit (encapsulated) knowledge than their integrated counterparts. Finally, alignment between mutual fund structure and reliance on knowledge-based factors of production was found to affect performance of mutual funds.

The alignment of business and information technology (IT) strategy is an important and enduring theoretical challenge for the information systems discipline and has remained a top issue in practice for the past twenty years. The extant literature makes two implicit assumptions. One is that IT strategy is aligned with a single business strategy, either at the corporate level or within a single strategic business unit (SBU). The other is that strategies are developed at a single point in time. Therefore, multi-business organisations present a particular alignment challenge, because business strategies are developed at both the corporate level and SBU levels, and these strategies are developed over time. This dissertation contributes a dynamic, capabilities-based theory of business and IT strategy alignment. Rather than extending existing models, this study draws on theory from the resource-based view of the firm and path dependence to address business and IT alignment within and between corporate and SBU levels across the strategy cycle. A new dynamic alignment model conceptualises IT alignment as the fit between business and IT strategies within the corporate and SBU levels and the coherence between these two levels. Value is created by complementary relationships among business and IT capabilities. IT alignment (or misalignment) is embedded over the strategy cycle, with the degrees of freedom declining quickly over time. The new model is validated using pattern matching with a single critical case of strategy development in a multi-business organisation across a complete strategy cycle. The strong match between the empirically observed and theoretically predicted patterns, and the complex nature of these patterns, provides strong support for the model. The model reconceptualises the way IT alignment drives organisational performance and how IT alignment changes over time. This has implications for existing IT alignment models, providing alternative theoretical explanations of how IT alignment creates value and how IT alignment changes over time. The new model also has implications for practice across the IT investment value chain and its governance.

A inter-relação entre estratégias, recursos e performance das firmas é o foco central de investigação deste trabalho. Através da abordagem denominada como Visão da Firma Baseada em Recursos, estudou-se o caso do Cluster Vitivinícola da Região da Serra Gaúcha, visando à análise de sua competitividade. Como contribuição teórica à área de estratégia, foi proposto e detalhado um esquema de classificação de recursos em clusters, introduzindo-se os conceitos de Recursos Sistêmicos, Recursos de Acesso Restrito e Recursos Singulares. A investigação baseou-se em dados coletados através de entrevistas estruturadas realizadas com executivos e especialistas de 54 empresas produtoras de vinhos finos. O objetivo principal foi o estudo da influência exercida pelos recursos estratégicos sobre a performance das firmas. Complementarmente, foi investigado qual o papel das estratégias das firmas sobre o acesso a estes recursos. Os resultados evidenciaram uma influência positiva dos recursos e das estratégias sobre a performance, auxiliando na compreensão das assimetrias competitivas entre as firmas do cluster. / The interrelationships of strategy, resources and performance of the firms is the main subject of this work. Through the lens of the Resource Based View of the Firm, we studied the case of the South Brazilian Wine Cluster, analyzing its competitiveness. As a theoretical contribution to the strategy field, we proposed and detailed a classification scheme of resources in clusters, introducing the concepts of Systemic Resources, Singular Resources and Constrained Access Resources. The study was based on data collected trought in-depth and structured interviews with experts and executives of 54 fine wine produccing firms. The results were analysed by qualitative and quantitative techniques. The main goal was the identification of the influence of resources on the firms’ performance. In addition, we studied the role of firm’s operational strategies on access to these resources. The results evidenced a positive effect of resources and strategies on performance, improving the understanding of competitive assimetries between firms in the cluster.

A inter-relação entre estratégias, recursos e performance das firmas é o foco central de investigação deste trabalho. Através da abordagem denominada como Visão da Firma Baseada em Recursos, estudou-se o caso do Cluster Vitivinícola da Região da Serra Gaúcha, visando à análise de sua competitividade. Como contribuição teórica à área de estratégia, foi proposto e detalhado um esquema de classificação de recursos em clusters, introduzindo-se os conceitos de Recursos Sistêmicos, Recursos de Acesso Restrito e Recursos Singulares. A investigação baseou-se em dados coletados através de entrevistas estruturadas realizadas com executivos e especialistas de 54 empresas produtoras de vinhos finos. O objetivo principal foi o estudo da influência exercida pelos recursos estratégicos sobre a performance das firmas. Complementarmente, foi investigado qual o papel das estratégias das firmas sobre o acesso a estes recursos. Os resultados evidenciaram uma influência positiva dos recursos e das estratégias sobre a performance, auxiliando na compreensão das assimetrias competitivas entre as firmas do cluster. / The interrelationships of strategy, resources and performance of the firms is the main subject of this work. Through the lens of the Resource Based View of the Firm, we studied the case of the South Brazilian Wine Cluster, analyzing its competitiveness. As a theoretical contribution to the strategy field, we proposed and detailed a classification scheme of resources in clusters, introducing the concepts of Systemic Resources, Singular Resources and Constrained Access Resources. The study was based on data collected trought in-depth and structured interviews with experts and executives of 54 fine wine produccing firms. The results were analysed by qualitative and quantitative techniques. The main goal was the identification of the influence of resources on the firms’ performance. In addition, we studied the role of firm’s operational strategies on access to these resources. The results evidenced a positive effect of resources and strategies on performance, improving the understanding of competitive assimetries between firms in the cluster.

A inter-relação entre estratégias, recursos e performance das firmas é o foco central de investigação deste trabalho. Através da abordagem denominada como Visão da Firma Baseada em Recursos, estudou-se o caso do Cluster Vitivinícola da Região da Serra Gaúcha, visando à análise de sua competitividade. Como contribuição teórica à área de estratégia, foi proposto e detalhado um esquema de classificação de recursos em clusters, introduzindo-se os conceitos de Recursos Sistêmicos, Recursos de Acesso Restrito e Recursos Singulares. A investigação baseou-se em dados coletados através de entrevistas estruturadas realizadas com executivos e especialistas de 54 empresas produtoras de vinhos finos. O objetivo principal foi o estudo da influência exercida pelos recursos estratégicos sobre a performance das firmas. Complementarmente, foi investigado qual o papel das estratégias das firmas sobre o acesso a estes recursos. Os resultados evidenciaram uma influência positiva dos recursos e das estratégias sobre a performance, auxiliando na compreensão das assimetrias competitivas entre as firmas do cluster. / The interrelationships of strategy, resources and performance of the firms is the main subject of this work. Through the lens of the Resource Based View of the Firm, we studied the case of the South Brazilian Wine Cluster, analyzing its competitiveness. As a theoretical contribution to the strategy field, we proposed and detailed a classification scheme of resources in clusters, introducing the concepts of Systemic Resources, Singular Resources and Constrained Access Resources. The study was based on data collected trought in-depth and structured interviews with experts and executives of 54 fine wine produccing firms. The results were analysed by qualitative and quantitative techniques. The main goal was the identification of the influence of resources on the firms’ performance. In addition, we studied the role of firm’s operational strategies on access to these resources. The results evidenced a positive effect of resources and strategies on performance, improving the understanding of competitive assimetries between firms in the cluster.

This study examines the effects of servant leadership and service technology on frontline bank employees’ turnover intentions, mediated by job satisfaction and organizational commitment. A conceptual framework is developed based on the tenets of the resource-based view of the firm and the self-determination theory to test the hypothesized relationships. Frontline employees of a bank serve as the study setting. The results indicate that servant leadership and service technology affect employees’ turnover intentions through job satisfaction and organizational commitment where servant leadership plays a stronger role. We discuss the implications of our findings and offer future research avenues.