Amir Sasson

The 3D printing order: variability, supercenters and supply chain reconfigurations

Purpose – Direct digital manufacturing (DDM) is conceived of as either disrupting the entire manufacturing economy or merely enabling novel production. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an alternative where DDM coexists with and complements traditional mass production. When multiple parts run across one manufacturing line, DDM can isolate variability associated with low volume part production and may be preferred to mass production despite being expensive. If DDM complements rather than cannibalizes mass production, this alters the understanding of who adopts DDM, the products built with DDM, and DDM’s long-term supply chain implications. Design/methodology/approach – This invited paper explores a DDM rollout scenario and qualitatively assesses potential supply chain reconfigurations. Findings – The analysis recognizes that existing manufacturers with heterogeneous bills-of-material may develop DDM capabilities to isolate disruptive, low-volume production from scalable mass production. Developing ...

Exploring Mediators: Effects of the Composition of Organizational Affiliation on Organization Survival and Mediator Performance

Market mediation literature has been taking primarily a triadic view in studying the role and impact of mediators, actors that occupy a middle position, on supply and demand conditions in markets. Mediating organizations facilitate exchange relationships on a continuous basis between multiple networks of interdependent affiliated actors. An affiliation structure gives rise to the property of duality whereby the behavior and performance of the affiliates affect the behavior and performance of mediators and vice versa. In the context of the banking industry, this study examines how the structural properties of the underlying network of affiliated organizations affect the survival of affiliated organizations and the performance of mediating organizations. The results show that firms that are affiliated with mediating organizations having high customer-set connectedness or with those that are industry specialists increase their chances of survival. Furthermore, mediating organizations having high customer-set connectedness experience lower loan loss than those having lower customer-set connectedness. This study contributes to organizational studies by incorporating a network view to the predominately triadic market mediation literature, explicating the determinants of the effectiveness by which mediating services are rendered, and suggesting new sources of competitive advantage that advance as well as complement established explanations. Implications for the network perspective, organizational technology and the economic theory of the banking firm, as well as firm and mediator management are considered.

Theoretical and methodological advances in cluster research

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the dissemination of cluster ideas advanced in the “Competitive Advantage of Nations” and three subsequent national studies and the reasons for their substantial public policy impact in Norway. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the theoretical and methodological novelties of each of the national studies, the inclusive study-organizing principle used and public policy impact. Findings – The papers finds that the dissemination of cluster thinking and the development of a successful cluster-based industrial policy in Norway is largely a function of the nature and extent of the cluster research efforts that took place in Norway. The national cluster research projects mobilized all the key industrial and governmental actors in a very effective way, making studies with both rigor and relevance. Due to advanced and demanding policy makers, the studies also evolved in terms of the theoretical models and methodologies used. Originality/value – The paper contribute...

Information-mediated network effects: network composition and customer benefit in the presence of information asymmetry

This article advances a novel information-mediated network effect argument that is particularly relevant in industries where information asymmetry may prevent customers from obtaining full service benefits. The article presents and tests the argument that customers’ access to capital is a function of the network of other customers affiliated with their bank, hence an economic network effect. Co-affiliation in a bank by actors from a credit-seeking firm’s network increases the amount and quality of the information available pertinent to that firm and hence provides the firm with the opportunity to access capital more closely aligned with its true credit-worthiness. Contrary to intuition but in line with economic network theory, the study shows that very low levels of co-affiliation also increase a firm’s credit availability. Such information-mediated network effects is empirically studied in a sample of 613 small and medium-size firms and their bank affiliations. There are significant implications for customers’ choice of banks and major bank policy choice implications associated with segmentation and customer recruitment.

Individual Entrepreneurial Exit and Earnings in Subsequent Paid Employment

We study earnings of individuals who exit entrepreneurship for paid employment. We find mean (median) positive rewards from entrepreneurship in subsequent paid employment relative to matched employees. Rewards are higher for former entrepreneurs hired in highly innovative sectors. We also find that the performance of the exited firm is a strong predictor of the earnings premium for former entrepreneurs when the firm performed well, while we do not find median discounts for entrepreneurs exiting low performing firms. We use registry data that encompass the population of firms and individuals in the Norwegian economy.

Complementing clusters: a competitiveness rationale for infrastructure investments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a novel application of cluster theory and cluster methodology to evaluate large infrastructure investments. The complementing clusters approach, which builds on the notion of infrastructure as connecting isolated “economic islands”, is able to assess the potential for value creation effects of new infrastructure investment. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses simulation analysis based on a unique data set encompassing all employees and employers, as well as cluster mapping, for every pair of “economic islands” being connected by the examined infrastructure investments. The empirical setting is of large fjord crossings in Western Norway, the so-called E39 project. Findings – The empirical findings show that productivity gains are higher when an integrated labor market hosting complementary clusters is formed. Limitations remain regarding the economic integration path. Research limitations/implications – The authors provide an ex-ante analysis usin...

Entrepreneurial skills or reward for success? Does entrepreneurship pay in future paid employment?

In this paper we look at individuals who exit entrepreneurship for paid employment. We ask whether they experience mean (median) positive differentials in remuneration in paid employment compared to individuals who did not experience entrepreneurship. We find positive mean (median) differentials. These are smaller (and more variable) for former entrepreneurs in knowledge intensive firms. We also find that, while employees in knowledge intensive firms earn significantly higher remunerations in general, former entrepreneurs in knowledge intensive firms will experience reduced remunerations differentials with respect to former entrepreneurs in less knowledge intensive firms. Finally, we find that firm performance of the former entrepreneur is a strong predictor of remuneration in subsequent paid employment.