Annouk Lievens

Learning During the New Financial Service Innovation Process: Antecedents and Performance Effects

Abstract This article theoretically and empirically examines the antecedents and consequences of project learning during the new financial service innovation process. We analyze the impact of project learning on project performance and performance of the financial institution. Next, we investigate the antecedent role of the nature of communication and organizational design on project learning. Following the development of a propositional framework, a survey research has been developed within the Belgian banking industry. Our research findings indicate that the level of project learning contributes to the corporate reputation of the financial institution. Moreover, learning during project innovation enhances the cost and the competitive position of the innovating bank. Our study empirically supports the crucial influence of management support, harmonious cross-functional interfaces, organizational diversity and participative decision-making on the level of project learning. Both innovative and coordinative communications are needed to balance the information needs throughout the innovation process. However, our findings underline the fact that the impact of innovative communication on the level of project learning is contingent upon the quality of the planning stage. The up-front activities of the innovation process seem to have an important leveraging effect on learning and, hence, on project and bank performance.

Antecedents of project learning and time‐to‐market during new mobile service development

Mobile service innovations are crucial for the long‐term success of companies operating in turbulent and uncertain environments. These innovations need to be introduced at a rapid pace while at the same time companies have to absorb market information during the new mobile service development. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to construct a conceptual framework on the critical antecedents of project learning and time‐to‐market during new mobile service development. An extensive case study research involving four innovation projects was performed in a leading Dutch telecommunications company. With respect to project learning, our research findings indicate the crucial influence of a flexible decision architecture, project team memory, a high information awareness and a good fit between information requirements and capabilities. Both innovative and coordinative communication are required throughout the service innovation process. With regard to time‐to‐market, our research results point to the essential impact of project complexity, top management support, information power of suppliers and technological synergy. Finally, a medium level of project learning is the ideal condition for a fast time‐to‐market during mobile service innovation.

Extending electronic sourcing theory: An exploratory study of electronic reverse auction outcomes

Existing electronic sourcing theory has predominantly focused on the impact of electronic reverse auctions on price savings and has proposed various factors influencing this outcome. Such price savings have been widely claimed to come at the expense of the buyer-supplier relationship. Only a few research studies, however, have investigated the impact of electronic reverse auctions on the buyer-supplier relationship. Based on an extensive literature review and multiple case study research, we extend electronic sourcing theory by developing a conceptual model that considers a broader set of outcomes, posits organizational and project antecedents that a buying firm can manipulate to impact those outcomes, and introduces supplier-related factors that moderate the antecedent-outcome relationships. In contrast to prior research, our model shows that buying organizations consider a broad set of financial, operational, as well as strategic e-sourcing outcomes, and that, under certain conditions, the traditional trade-off in electronic reverse auctions between price savings and the buyer-supplier relationship does not hold.

Coordinating online health communities for cognitive and affective value creation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework investigating patterns of online health communities. In particular, the study draws on coordination theory to identify four community configurations. Their distinct features determine communities’ capacity to internalize and externalize knowledge, which ultimately determines their value creation in a service context. Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply qualitative and quantitative techniques to detect similarities and differences in a sample of 50 online health communities. A categorical principal component analysis combined with cluster analysis reveals four distinct community configurations. Findings – The analysis reveals differences in the degrees of cognitive and affective value creation, the types of community activities, the involved patients, professionals, and other stakeholders; and the levels of data disclosure by community members. Four community configurations emerge: basic information provider, advanced patient knowled...

“Does it Pay off to Introduce my Partner?” The Role of Stakeholder Cocreation in Consumers’ Willingness to Pay

Firms cocreate new products and services by interacting with multiple types of external stakeholders (Chesbrough, Vanhaverbeke, & West, 2008; Hoyer, Chandy, Dorotic, Krafft, & Singh, 2010; Mahr & Lievens, 2012). For example, Nivea’s Black and White was developed by tapping into consumers’ ideas about the most important features of a deodorant. Yet rather than using traditional market research, Nivea relied on input from consumers, through online communities, during the development process. Research has examined the cocreation phenomenon from a firm perspective quite extensively (Mahr, Lievens, & Blazevic, 2013; Nambisan & Baron, 2009; Payne, Storbacka, & Frow, 2008). However, research that examines whether cocreation with external stakeholders during the innovation process influences consumer attitudes and behavior remains scant (Fuchs, Prandelli, Schreier, & Dahl, 2013; Schreier, Fuchs, & Dahl, 2012; Troye & Supphellen, 2012).Yet, such insight could help managers make decisions on whether and how to communicate about the firm’s cocreation activities.