Digital Commons Network^™

Tennis, Anyone? Lessons On Innovation In A Mature Industry, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Tennis qualifies as the oldest racquet sport in the world. Since 1874, little had changed until the 1970s when the wooden racquet was phased out, followed by a succession of cutting edge designs. How did the classic tennis racquet lend itself to being so thoroughly reinvented? Wharton management professor J.M. Pennings, together with Hann E Kim, professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management in Korea, set out to find some answers.

Building Swift Clan Control In Complex It Projects, Cecil Eng Huang Chua, Wee Kiat Lim, Christina Soh, Siew Kien Sia

CMP Research

Clan control is often essential in complex multi-stakeholder projects for project success. Furthermore, clan control is especially important during requirements analysis which occurs at project inception. How can controllers quickly institute clan control in complex IT projects? Through the case analysis of a large IT project, we observed that clan control can be accelerated by the purposeful application of formal controls to build social capital. Our findings corroborate the notion that, properly structured, clan control can emerge quickly in a multi-stakeholder project to improve the likelihood of IT implementation success.

Tradable Patent Rights, Ian Ayres, Gideon Parchomovsky

All Faculty Scholarship

Patent thickets may inefficiently retard cumulative innovation. This paper explores two alternative mechanisms that may be used to weed out patent thickets. Both mechanisms are intended to reduce the number of patents in our society. The first mechanism we discuss is price based regulation of patents through a system of increasing renewal fees. The second and more innovative mechanism is quantity based regulation through the establishment of a system of Tradable Patent Rights. The formalization of tradable patent rights would essentially create a secondary market for patent permits in which patent protection will be bought and sold.

Transforming A Region Into A Vibrant Entrepreneurial Economy: How To Create The Multiplier Effect, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Sankaran Venkataraman is business administration professor at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Virginia, and visiting professor of entrepreneurship and business at the Singapore Management University. At a recent seminar in Singapore, Venkataraman explored the question, “What does it take for a nascent entrepreneurial region to create the multiplier effect necessary to transform itself into a vibrant entrepreneurial economy?” In his view, institutional specialisation, division of labour, the architecture of entrepreneurial sub-systems and intangible cultures all play critical roles.

Do Software Development Projects Dispersed Across The Globe Deliver The Goods?, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Higher demands on computer systems and networks compel technology companies to assign software development duties across many dispersed centres in the US, India, China and elsewhere. In actual practice, does this distributed development model work well? Singapore Management University information systems professors Narayan Ramasubbu and Rajesh Krishna Balan examined this question in an award-winning paper, “Globally Distributed Software Development Project Performance: An Empirical Analysis,” presented recently at a joint meeting of the European Software Engineering Conference and the ACM SIGSOFT symposium.

Technological Knowledge, Product Relatedness, And Parent Control: The Effect On Ijv Survival, Dean Xu, Jane W. Lu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This article examines the relationships among parent firm technological knowledge, parent-IJV product relatedness, parent control over the IJV, and IJV survival. Combining the knowledge-based perspective and institutional theory, we argue that parent control itself does not necessarily lead to higher IN survival; it contributes to IN survival when the parent firm has a high level of technological knowledge, and when the IJV is product-related to this parent. Results obtained from 1038 Japanese IJVs based in China indicate that both equity control and managerial control of a Japanese parent had a positive interaction effect, with the parent's technological knowledge, on IN …

Innovation In Logistics Services, Carlos Mena, Martin Christopher, Mark Johnson, Fu Jia

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

The logistics industry manages the flows of products, services and information across customers and suppliers, allowing the integration of supply chains. Innovations in logistics can therefore help improve efficiency and effectiveness across many sectors of the economy. Furthermore, innovation can also have a major impact in reducing the environmental burden of this industry, particularly in terms of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

This overall aim of this report is to understand how the government can encourage and facilitate innovation in the logistics industry. The study focuses mainly on the UK and on the role of third party logistics providers (3PLs). …

Corporate Governance Reform As Institutional Innovation: The Case Of Japan, Toru Yoshikawa, Lai Si Tsui-Auch, Jean Mcguire

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

To address the convergence-divergence debate in corporate governance, we conduct a multiple-case, multiple-level study to analyze the diffusion of governance innovation in Japan. We argue that Japanese systems of corporate governance neither fully converge to, nor completely diverge from, the Anglo-American model. Rather, Sony-the pioneer of corporate governance reforms-and its followers selectively adopted features from this model, decoupled them from the original context, and tailored them to fit to their own situations to generate governance innovation. However, we find that the spread of innovation across firms and institutional levels is far from linear and straightforward, and that other well-regarded firms …

The Emerging Clusters Project Final Report, Anthony Breitzman, Patrick Thomas

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

No abstract provided.

The Power Of Social Media: Only The Tip Of The Iceberg?, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Social media is redefining the way people and companies around the world communicate with one another by dissolving geographical and cultural boundaries. Akanksha Goel, newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of Stuff Singapore -- a gadgets and technology lifestyle publication launched in the UK five years ago -- is a final-year marketing and corporate communication student at Singapore Management University. Goel talked to Knowledge@SMU about how social media compels us to rethink culture, and why companies should take advantage of these new channels to grow their businesses.

Practicing Librarianship Around The World, Deana Groves

DLTS Faculty Publications

More and more librarians are sharing their knowledge with colleagues around the world. This paper examines several examples of the type of international work conducted by librarians and also explores the various opportunities available worldwide. A general list of suggested travel tips is also included.

Research And Development Project Valuation And Licensing Negotiations At Phytopharm Plc, Pascale Crama, Bert De Reyck, Zeger Degraeve, Wang Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We describe a research and development project-valuation model developed for Phytopharm plc, a pharmaceutical development and functional food company based in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Phytopharm uses the model to value the projects in its research and development portfolio, and in licensing negotiations with potential product development and marketing partners. We include different valuation methods, including net present value, decision analysis, and Monte Carlo simulation. We also consider the technological risks of product development, as well as the uncertainty of commercial success. In addition to determining a value for a product in development, the model proposes appropriate licensing contract structures. A …

Factors Affecting Retailer Adoption Of The Internet In Ireland, Roisin Vize, Joseph Coughlan, Aileen Kennedy

Conference papers

To date, most of the commentary on the impact of the Internet on retailing in Ireland has been anecdotal and there is a paucity of academic empirical research examining the factors affecting Internet adoption by retailers in Ireland. The primary aims of this research are to identify the key factors perceived as being influential in determining the resultant level of adoption among traditional retailers in Ireland and to examine the extent and level of its’ adoption in the Irish retail sector. This paper represents the results from an exploratory investigation employing multiple case studies as the first of a two-stage …

Emerging Industries: Looking Beyond The Usual Suspects: A Report To Wired, George A. Erickcek, Brad R. Watts

Reports

No abstract provided.

Sources Of Wood And Wood Residues For Energy Production In Indiana, Isaac Slaven, Eva Haviarova, Klein Ileleji

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

As energy prices rise and there is a push for energy to be produced from renewable resources, the contribution of Indiana’s corn and soybean industry often overshadows the impact that wood residues can have in response to these demands. Reports show that the wood products industry is the largest, by paid wages, of any agricultural industry in Indiana and employs 47,000 Hoosiers (Biocrossroads 2005). In fact, Indiana has more than 4.5 million acres of forest land (USDA FS, FIA 2005) compared to about 12.3 million acres of crop land (NASS 2006). In addition to the millions of acres of forestland, …

Sources Of Wood And Wood Residues For Energy Production In Indiana, Isaac Slaven, Eva Haviarova, Klein Ileleji

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

As energy prices rise and there is a push for energy to be produced from renewable resources, the contribution of Indiana’s corn and soybean industry often overshadows the impact that wood residues can have in response to these demands. Reports show that the wood products industry is the largest, by paid wages, of any agricultural industry in Indiana and employs 47,000 Hoosiers (Biocrossroads 2005). In fact, Indiana has more than 4.5 million acres of forest land (USDA FS, FIA 2005) compared to about 12.3 million acres of crop land (NASS 2006). In addition to the millions of acres of forestland, …

An Information Technology Therapy Approach To Micro-Enterprise Adoption Of Icts, Peter Wolcott, Sajda Qureshi, Mehruz Kamal

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The advent of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has opened up new opportunities for micro-enterprises to improve their businesses. However the challenges to using ICTs are impeding these businesses from growing into the drivers for development that they can be. This suggests that a potentially important driver of development needs to be supported. This paper investigates the adoption of ICTs in eight micro-enterprises in an underserved community of Omaha, Nebraska. Following an action research study, this research provides insight into the key challenges and opportunities facing micro-enterprises in their use of ICTs to create value for their businesses. Its contribution …

Big Picture Thinking Bridges Business-It Gap, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

What lesson does John Godfrey Saxe’s poem, “The Blind Men and the Elephant”, offer information technology students at the Singapore Management University? The need for big picture thinking, says SMU information systems professor Venky Shakararaman, key architect of a business modelling and solution blueprinting course and co-author of a customised course text developed in partnership with Indian IT company, Infosys Technologies Ltd.

How Asian Companies Have Successfully Leveraged It To Go Global, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

Asian companies are successfully leveraging IT to make a mark in the region and beyond. Jae Kyu Lee, Benjamin Gan Kok Siew and Vijay Sethi recently co-edited a book, Premier e-Business Cases from Asia: Problem-Solution-Challenge-Impact Approach, which provides an overview of innovative IT strategies and models adopted by 18 Asian companies in Korea and Singapore.

Re-Engineering Xid Technologies - From Enterprise To Consumer Markets, Arcot Desai Narasimhalu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Several studies have addressed the process of taking ideas to markets but few have shared the experiences of start up companies that have reexamined their product strategies and repositioned their products and services for better revenues and profits. This paper reports the efforts related to repositioning of XID technologies, a start up company, into new markets while continuing to exploit its core technical competencies.

Increasing Innovation Through Identity Integration., Chi-Ying Cheng, Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Fiona Lee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Innovation involves bridging existing knowledge systems from different areas. We propose that individuals who can integrate multiple social identities are better at combining knowledge systems associated with each identity, and thus exhibit higher levels of innovation. Three studies, each probing different types of social identities, provide evidence for this proposition. A laboratory experiment showed that Asian American biculturals who perceived their multiple cultural identities as compatible (high Identity Integration or high II) exhibited higher levels of innovation in creating new Asian-American recipes than biculturals who perceived their multiple cultural identities as conflicting (low Identity Integration or low II). A field …

Innovation Stack - Choosing Innovations For Commercialization, Arcot Desai Narasimhalu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper describes a method for enterprises to order the innovations of interest according to a number of parameters including their own business strategy and core competencies. The method takes into account aspects such as ability to create entry barriers and complementary assets. Enterprises can now use this method to both filter out innovations that may not be of interest to them and then order the short listed or selected innovations according to their attractiveness.

Designing The Value Curve For Your Next Innovation, Arcot Desai Narasimhalu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper introduces an additional feature to the strategy canvas and value curve that will make innovation designers more effective. The new feature is to let the innovators carry out the designs of their new innovations taking into account both the cost of improving the quality of a parameter that the users value highly and the savings accrued from the drop in provisioning for parameters that users place less emphasis in an innovation.

Proctored Vs. Un-Proctored Exams In A Hybrid Course: A Brief Comparison Of Student Results, Kimberly Hollister

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The research aims to examine whether there is a difference in undergraduate student performance on skill-based exams in an introductory computer literacy course at a state comprehensive university when exams are administered in-class vs. online. Two samples, each consisting of approximately 107 students, are considered for this study. A comparison of exam scores will be used to identify differences in exam performance between the two groups.

Games People Play: Can Singapore Power-Up Fast Enough To Claim A Share Of The Bounty?, Knowledge@Smu

Knowledge@SMU

According to PricewaterhouseCooper’s latest "Global Entertainment and Media Outlook" , the Asia Pacific region is projected to top overall global spending on video games over the next five years. In Singapore, the government invested half a billion Singapore dollars (US$325 million) in 2006 in the interactive digital media (IDM) services sector. Singapore Management University professor of management Ted Tschang has been paying especial attention to the gaming and related industries, sub-sectors of IDM. In an interview with Knowledge@SMU, Tschang discusses the role of global culture as a critical success factor, and Singapore’s efforts to get into the game.

Editorial: Serials Review, A Changing World, You And I, Connie Foster

DLTS Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Innovation Engine, Arcot Desai Narasimhalu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper describes a meta-model for innovation using an automobile engine as a metaphor. This innovation meta-model is used to manage a collection of innovation models. We develop an algorithm to identify innovations with potential for success using this meta-model. This meta-model can be used by corporations and individuals to identify plausible innovations at any given point in time.

Making The ‘Most’ Out Of Rfid Technology: A Research Agenda For The Study Of The Adoption, Use And Impact Of Rfid, John Curtin, Robert J. Kauffman, Frederick J. Riggins

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology dramatically increases the ability of the organization to acquire a vast array of data about the location and properties of any entity that can be physically tagged and wirelessly scanned within certain technical limitations. RFID can be applied to a variety of tasks, structures, work systems and contexts along the value chain, including business-to-business logistics, internal operations, business-to-consumer marketing, and after-sales service applications. As industry adoption of RFID increases there is an emerging interest by academic researchers to engage in scholarly investigation to understand how RFID relates to mobility, organizational and systems technologies (MOST). In …

Destination Website Emetrics, Patrick Horan, Andrew Frew

Conference papers

The priority of the research is thus to establish which criteria are important for destination websites and to determine a mechanism for their measurement. These criteria are divided into both macro- and micro- level metrics which each combine to provide information that is actionable from a business’ perspective. This work lays the foundation for the anticipated outcome of this research, a robust methodology for measuring the effectiveness of destination websites coupled with a suite of actionable eMetrics that will accurately relate to the key business goals of a destination website.

Employing Social Capital By Small & Medium Enterprises To Bear Fruit From Wireless Communications, Abdelnasser Abdelaal, Mehruz Kamal, Peter Wolcott

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Wireless and mobile communications can save Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) significant time, money, and effort due to the mobility, flexibility, and ease of use mobile devices provide. SMEs that use such innovations can improve productivity, decrease costs, and enhance the quality of the business process. Lacking technical skills and financial resources, SMEs need special support from local communities and governments in order to survive the severe competition of big chain stores. This paper proposes a model for SMEs to adopt new innovations—those of wireless communications—by employing social capital. We have used a case study approach to show that social …