Ana Maria Bojica

Quality management, strategic priorities and performance: the role of quality leadership

– The purpose of this paper is to clarify whether there are differences in the implementation of quality management (QM) and the results achieved, based on the position of the person responsible for QM and his/her strategic priorities., – Data from 256 firms that have implemented QM are collected. A multigroup analysis with LISREL is employed to contrast the hypotheses using a sample of general managers on the one hand and of quality managers on the other., – This study shows that QM is stronger implemented when it is headed by the general manager than by the quality manager. The authors also find that in both samples of general managers and quality managers, only one of the three strategic priorities analyzed, cost orientation, shows a positive effect on financial results. When the influence of QM on financial results is considered, the relationship is significant just in the case of the sample of quality directors., – The limitations of the analysis performed suggest lines of research that can substantially enrich the analysis of the role of management in the implementation of QM systems. A first step would be to expand the study sample, since the subsample for general managers was not very large. Gathering more recent data could contribute to strengthening the results obtained and to identifying additional explanatory variables. For example, information on functional experience or training could clarify the strategic focus adopted by managers., – This study highlights that the general managers commitment to quality confers greater credibility in the rest of the organization. Although the general managers impose greater implementation of QM, they do not perceive that this influences the financial results achieved directly. The incorporation of strategic priorities in this study also shows that the perception of differentiation in marketing in firms that have implemented QM is similar both for quality managers and for general managers. However, the former (quality managers) also show that differentiation in innovation has a positive effect on QM., – Literature has shown an indisputable consensus on the relevance of leadership and the commitment of top management to the success of QM, but few studies provide more in‐depth specific knowledge of the characteristics and actions developed by the person who leads the commitment to quality. This study tackles the role of the manager responsible for QM in the firm, based on his or her functional position, whether general manager or quality manager. It contributes by investigating how a managers strategic priorities condition the level of QM implementation, as well as the financial performance achieved.

Radical and incremental entrepreneurial orientation: The effect of knowledge acquisition

A firms collaborative context can represent an important source of knowledge for sustaining its entrepreneurial outcomes. Drawing on entrepreneurship and resource-based view literature, we study how the acquisition of knowledge from inter-firm ties affects the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance, distinguishing between two types of knowledge, market and technological, and between two types of entrepreneurial orientation, radical and incremental. The results of the study on a sample of 203 Spanish small businesses from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector suggest that knowledge acquisition plays different roles, depending on the type of entrepreneurial orientation developed and also on the type of knowledge exchanged. In particular, market and technological knowledge acquisition positively moderate only the relationship between radical entrepreneurial orientation and performance, while in the case of incremental entrepreneurial orientation we find only a direct positive influence of market knowledge acquisition on performance.

Innovativeness and Performance in Women-Owned Small Firms: The Role of Knowledge Acquisition

Abstract The phenomenon of women’s entrepreneurship has been growing in importance over the last decade due to the significant increase in firms founded by women. The current study seeks to analyze the results achieved in small women-owned firms by explaining the extent to which they acquire and exploit the capabilities needed to obtain sustainable competitive advantages. Based on a sample of women entrepreneurs, this study analyzes the innovativeness of women-owned businesses, its relationship to performance and the role of knowledge acquisition from relationships with customers and collaborators. The results obtained show that innovativeness is positively related to different types of operational and financial performance, and that knowledge acquisition from customers improves innovativeness. This improvement does not occur, however, in the case of knowledge acquisition from collaborators.

Bricolage And Growth Strategies: Effects On The Performance Of Palestinian Women-Led Firms

This study explores the relationships between bricolage, firm performance and growth opportunities in contexts characterized by extreme resource scarcity. Using a sample of 160 Palestinian female entrepreneurs as representative of entrepreneurs acting in extremely resource-deprived environments, we find that bricolage has a positive influence on firm performance. Further, as predicted in the hypotheses, the role of bricolage differs depending on the type of strategy the firm develops. When firms seek to introduce new products/services or modifications in their current products/services, a high level of bricolage hinders performance. Conversely, when firms seek to expand by introducing their current products/services in new markets and opening new locations, bricolage enhances performance. This study offers a more nuanced understanding than previous research of the role of bricolage in contexts of extreme resource constraints.

Strategic flexibility and change: The impact of social networks

This paper examines how the characteristics of CEOs’ social networks, such as the size of the network and the strength of the ties, influence strategic flexibility from a strategic change perspective. External social networks can affect strategic flexibility positively. Previous experience with strategic change will influence external social networks differently, in ways that have repercussions for strategic flexibility. The data were gathered from surveys completed by the CEOs of 203 Spanish firms. The methodology used is regression analysis. We observe that external social networks affect strategic flexibility positively, primarily through the greater size of the networks. We also find that the effects vary if previously the organization is involved in a process of strategic change.

Corporate Entrepreneurship and Codification of the Knowledge Acquired from Strategic Partners in SMEs

This work proposes that the level of codification of acquired knowledge positively influences the corporate entrepreneurship activities of SMEs and argues that this relationship is enhanced by the relational diversity of the partner that provides the knowledge and the strength of the relationship with this partner. The results obtained in a sample of 181 Spanish SMEs in the ITC sector confirm the hypotheses proposed. This research contributes to the corporate entrepreneurship literature by showing which types of knowledge (codified), sources of knowledge (the most important strategic partner), and relational conditions (tie strength and partners relational diversity) can enhance corporate entrepreneurship.

In Good Company: When Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Acquire Multiplex Knowledge from Key Commercial Partners

This study explores the specific conditions under which key strategic alliances of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) with commercial partners can become multiplex in knowledge exchange. Using survey data from a sample of 150 Spanish SMEs in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, we find that trust creates an appropriate context for the concurrent acquisition of technological, market, and managerial knowledge. When the SME and its key commercial partner exhibit significant strategic, technological, and market differences, however, the SMEs ability to acquire different types of knowledge diminishes considerably, reducing the positive impact of trust on knowledge multiplexity.