Kirsimarja Blomqvist

The many faces of trust

The purpose of this article is to analyse how the concept of trust is approached and defined in various disciplines, in order to reach a generally acceptable definition that could be used in business research. An interdisciplinary approach is chosen because the concept seems to be used somewhat differently, depending on the context and the disciplinary eyeglass of the author in question. Also, much of the business research on trust has its roots in social psychology, economics or philosophy. It is hoped that an analysis of the various levels and dimensions of trust as well as an enumeration and differentiation of the related constructs will advance the study of this significant but complex phenomenon, and that a more accurate usage and a better understanding of the various dimensions and levels of the concept can be accomplished. Empirical documentation of the factors generating trust lies outside the scope of this article. Nor is a universal definition of trust constructed, since such a thing is deemed impossible, but a working definition for business contexts* is proposed.

The role of trust in organisational innovativeness

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of the dimensions of organisational trust on organisational innovativeness in a relatively large survey sample of the information and communication technology (ICT) and paper and pulp industries in Finland., – Organisational trust is deemed to consist of both interpersonal and impersonal types of trust. The empirical part of the study shows the relationship between various types of trust and dimensions of organisational innovativeness. Quantitative empirical analysis is based on a survey of 40 organisational units and 214 respondents within the ICT and paper and pulp industries., – The impact of different types of organisational trust on dimensions of organisational innovativeness was analyzed. The results imply that the impersonal form in particular, namely institutional trust, has an important role in determining organisational innovativeness., – This study contributes both to the literature on organisational innovativeness, as well as to the emerging theory on trust, in its approach to trust as not only an interpersonal issue, but also as something with impersonal aspects., – It is suggested that managers should pay special attention to impersonal forms of trust, i.e. to the institutional dimension of organisational trust. Above all, institutional trust and its development could be seen as a strategic question for companies., – This study makes a significant theoretical contribution by examining the linkages between various dimensions of organisational trust and organisational innovativeness, which have previously been studied only to a very minor extent. It thus provides a richer understanding of the relationship between organisational trust and innovativeness.

Tug of war in innovation - coopetitive service development

Innovative new services are increasingly being developed in close collaboration between different organisations. As part of this development, competing firms have started collaborating with each other. These firms face new challenges arising from the service context and the existence of competitive tensions. We present an explorative case study of Finnish mobile TV service development with a focus on inter-firm coopetition (simultaneous competition and cooperation). Our results carry implications in terms of the nature, the challenges and opportunities involved, and of the management of coopetitive service development.

INNOVATION ORCHESTRATION CAPABILITY — DEFINING THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL LEVEL DETERMINANTS

This paper explores orchestration capability as a concept defining the firms ability to purposefully build and manage innovation networks. Due to the lack of empirical research on the subject as well as the focus on the organizational level in earlier studies, we approach the issue from a multi-level perspective. By utilizing expert panel discussions and an in-depth case study in an innovation network, we show that orchestration capability consists of both organizational and individual level determinants. Distinct capabilities and skills are identified and illustrated. Furthermore, we identify mechanisms suggesting that the two levels are interconnected in several ways.

The I-Form Organization

Every generation of managers experiments with new organizational forms – new business models and the organizational structures and management processes required to support them. Much of the current experimentation with business and organizational models is occurring in knowledge-intensive industries such as biotechnology, computers, telecommunications, and medical and scientific equipment. Based on our ongoing research, the principal business model that we see emerging in these and similar industries can be called market exploration. Market exploration is a firm’s pursuit of opportunities created by intersecting technologies and markets. The market exploration process is complex, involving technology development, product development and commercialization in collaboration with customers and other firms, and the orderly development of markets which have large but unknown potential. Firms that want to be effective at market exploration must organize specifically for innovation – they must be able to build and manage an I-form organization. In this article, we show how many firms are moving towards and improving the I-form organization, and we discuss its purpose, key features, and benefits.

USER MOTIVATION AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN IDEA CROWDSOURCING

We investigate how the propensity to trust, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation drive the intentions of individuals to share knowledge in idea crowdsourcing. Building on motivation theories and Uses & Gratifications (U&G) approach, we conducted a web-based survey within IdeasProject, an open innovation and brainstorming community dedicated to harvesting ideas. Based on a sample of 244 users, our research shows that the key driver of knowledge-sharing intentions is made up of two intrinsic motivations — social benefits and learning benefits. We also found that recognition from the host company affects intention to share knowledge. From the management point of view, the relative importance of social integrative benefits calls for better facilities available for users to be able to help each other in formulating and developing their ideas. Learning and creativity could be inspired by feedback from professionals and experts, while providing insight into technological advances and features dealing with the current tasks.

Managing Relationships of the Republic of Science and the Kingdom of Industry.

Purpose – This article investigates the reasons for collaboration and the barriers to cooperation between universities and industry organizations. In an increasingly integrated world, cooperation between universities and companies is likely to grow in forthcoming years.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken in this article differs from previous works in the sense that it reveals the psychological frameworks that academics and managers hold about collaborating with each other. Data come from a survey of academic and managerial staff working in several universities and companies in Portugal and Finland.Findings – Overall results show that academics still see companies as information sources for their researches, but they are also willing to participate in joint projects in which academic knowledge is not the sole output.Originality/value – Provides information for companies and universities with regard to how to embark on such cooperative endeavors.

Key capabilities in knowledge-intensive service business

The purpose of this study is to identify key capabilities in knowledge-intensive service business. Current service research lacks evidence on this topic, since knowledge-intensive services constitute a very heterogeneous group, making the identification of key capabilities challenging. To bridge this gap, a conceptual framework is developed, integrating discussion on knowledge intensity with the classical service features. Empirical data are collected from two case firms with the help of focus groups, theme interviews and a survey. Based on the developed framework and analyzed data, we identify four specific capability categories of knowledge management, service productization, project management, and relationship orchestration.

It is not all About Trust-The Role of Distrust in Inter-Organizational Relationships

It has been consistently argued in prior research that mutual trust is essential for maintaining inter-organizational relationship quality and performance. The mirror side of trust - distrust - has received only scant attention, however. This empirical and qualitative study focuses on the roles of and relationships between trust and distrust in inter-organizational relationships. The results reveal that the two concepts are not merely the opposite ends of a continuum, and these phenomena may exist simultaneously. Moreover, they could both be understood as an essential means of managing uncertainty and risks in relationships.

Fostering R&D Collaboration — The Interplay of Trust, Appropriability and Absorptive Capacity

Value creation in the present day markets demands new kind of managerial logic. One manifestation of this can be seen in relation to R&D collaboration: while importance of external knowledge and networks of relationships is undoubtedly increasing as a source of competitive advantage, collaborations still frequently fail. In order to avoid this, companies need to find ways to manage factors that have an effect not only on the outcomes of collaboration but on each other as well Such important factors include trusting relationships, creating security through means such as contracts and intellectual property rights, and capabilities to absorb relevant knowledge. In this study we will examine these factors and their roles for R&D collaboration among 299 Finnish companies. Our results suggest that these factors are intertwined and that they are closely related to willingness to engage into R&D collaboration and the final outcomes.