Maria Nieves Perez-Arostegui

Managerial perceptions of the competitive environment and dynamic capabilities generation

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to study empirically the influence of managerial perceptions of the environment on dynamic capabilities (DC) generation. It seeks to identify three dimensions of competitive environment (dynamism, complexity, and munificence) and then use the theoretical model developed by Zollo and Winter to explain DC creation.Design/methodology/approach – The authors use data collected from 200 Spanish firms through a questionnaire to perform multiple and simple regression analyses that examine the relationship between managerial perceptions and DC generation.Findings – It is found that managerial perception of munificence in the environment is related positively and significantly to the processes of DC creation; only when managers perceive the environment as highly dynamic and complex do they promote processes for developing DC.Practical implications – The findings suggest that managerial cognition plays an important role in DC processes. Thus, managers should evaluate their mental m...

Information technology‐enabled quality performance: an exploratory study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of information technology (IT) competence – composed of IT infrastructure, IT technical and managerial knowledge and the integration of IT strategy with firm strategy – on quality performance. Since, according to the resource‐based view, IT alone is not able to sustain a competitive advantage, the moderating effect of leadership practice on this relationship must be analyzed.Design/methodology/approach – A proposed research model is tested using survey data from a sample of 230 leading Spanish firms. Multiple regression analysis was performed with SPSS package.Findings – The main findings show that: the existence of an IT competence will have a partial impact on improvement in quality performance; IT technical knowledge in itself does not influence the determination of improvement in quality performance – rather, one needs complementarity with leadership; and the impact of IT dimensions on quality performance will be greater in the presence of l...

The impact of ambidexterity on supply chain flexibility fit

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether supply chain (SC) ambidexterity improves supply chain flexibility (SCF) and its impact on SC competence and firm performance. A new measurement instrument for SCF is proposed that takes into account the demands of the environment: SCF fit. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model is developed to examine the relationships proposed. The hypotheses are tested with data from 302 manufacturing firms using a structural equations model methodology. Findings The results show that SC ambidexterity helps to achieve the optimal level of SCF and that supply chain management (SCM) is important to firm performance. Research limitations/implications This paper makes three contributions to the SCM literature: first, it develops the conceptual definition of SC ambidexterity and studies its effects at the SC level; second, it develops a new instrument to measure SCF known as SCF fit; third, it studies both the impact of SCF fit on SC competence and the importance of SC in firm performance. Practical implications This paper develops a measurement instrument that permits managers to diagnose the level of SCF and the correspondence/gap between current and optimal levels and to establish comparisons between different SC. It also indicates the importance of SCM for firm performance and the need to consider the SC as a whole. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to analyze ambidexterity in an organizational network like the SC. It shows that exploitation practices do not jeopardize SCF as long as they are accompanied by exploration practices. That is, high levels of exploration and exploitation are compatible in the SC and lead to the optimal level of SCF.

Exploring the relationship between information technology competence and quality management

The introduction of information technology (IT) has become a necessity to compete in most industries, so simple implementation of an IT strategy is not enough to achieve a better firm performance. Literature review shows IT as a useful tool only when it is combined with other firm resources and practices. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the complementarity between IT and one of the most prevalent and well-established set of organizational practices, Quality management practices (QMP). Structural equation modeling with data collected from managers in 230 Spanish firms shows a positive and significant relationship between IT and QMP. The findings provide us with in-depth understanding of both disciplines and several conclusions for its success.

The influence of manufacturing flexibility on strategic behaviours

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether the influence of manufacturing flexibility on firms’ exploration/exploitation differs between firms that possess Certified Quality Management Systems (CQMS) and firms that do not. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyze a sample of 231 Spanish manufacturing firms, 131 of which had received some form of Quality Certification. The data were collected through a structured telephone questionnaire addressed to company CEOs. The relationships are modelled using regression equations, including interaction terms, in order to test for the existence of a moderating effect. Findings – The results show that certified companies exploit their own abilities, whereas uncertified firms tend to explore new knowledge. The authors also justify the importance of manufacturing flexibility for both options, exploration and exploitation. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this research include the fact that the authors study a variety of form...

Supply chain flexibility in dynamic environments: The enabling role of operational absorptive capacity and organisational learning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between environmental dynamism and supply chain flexibility (SCF) and to evaluate if two dynamic capabilities, i.e. operational absorptive capacity (OAC) and organisational learning (OL), are necessary competences for firms to develop such a responsive supply chain strategy as flexibility. Design/methodology/approach Hypothesised relationships are tested with survey data from 302 Spanish manufacturing firms using structural equations modelling. Findings Environmental dynamism is positively associated with both OAC and OL, and both dynamic capabilities enable SCF. The authors also find that the relationship between environmental dynamism and SCF is partially mediated by both dynamic capabilities. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the literature, for example, by determining when it is advantageous to develop SCF, by specifying what capabilities a firm needs to develop to align SCF with the environment, and by opening the black box that is the relationship between the environment and SCF. Practical implications Managers should develop SCF via OAC and OL when they detect a high degree of environmental dynamism. Knowing when this is necessary relies on a good understanding of the environment. OAC is found to be a stronger enabler of SCF than OL. The findings provide managers with an insight into why some firms are able to develop more effective responses to dynamic environments than others. Originality/value This study is one of only a limited number of studies that adopt a dynamic capabilities approach to supply chain management. Prior literature has shown that dynamic capabilities can aid in developing strategic, structural, and operational flexibility. The authors extend this literature by showing that OAC and OL have an effect on SCF.

Empirical Comparisons of X-bar Charts when Control Limits are Estimated

A control chart is a very common tool used to monitor the quality of business processes. An estimator of the process variability is generally considered to obtain the control limits of a X¯ chart when parameters of the process are unknown. Assuming Monte Carlo simulations, this paper first compares the efficiency of the various estimators of the process variability. Two empirical measures used to analyze the performance of control charts are defined. Results derived from various empirical studies reveal the existence of a linear relationship between the performance of the various estimators of the process variability and the performance of X¯ charts. The various Monte Carlo simulations are conducted under the assumption that the process is in both situations of in-control and out-of-control. Copyright

IT Competence-Enabled Business Performance and Competitive Advantage

Firms increasingly invest in Information Technology (IT) to achieve competitiveness to address turbulent and dynamic environment conditions. After an exhaustive literature review, this chapter aims at developing a framework to identify and analyze the relationships between a set of IT assets and IT capabilities, firm performance and the achievement of a sustainable competitive advantage. The findings suggest that IT investment by itself is unable to sustain a long-term competitive advantage, making it necessary to analyze the presence of resources that complement IT infrastructure to achieve better organizational performance. We thus stress the importance of studying the complementarity of IT resources in this relationship. This means that assessing both physical and managerial IT resources and other organizational resources in studying the relationship between IT and firm performance may provide better justification for IT spends.

The relationships between learning in alliances, information technology and innovation-supportive culture capabilities

To the best of our knowledge, alliances literature does not examine sufficiently which specific capabilities firms can develop or enhance by working with alliance partners. In addition, very little information systems research tests the link between information technology (IT) and development of a culture supporting innovation. Nor have these literatures properly analysed if and how IT could moderate the interface between learning in alliances and innovative capabilities. This study examines the relationships between learning in alliances, IT management and innovation-supportive culture, placing special emphasis on testing the moderating role of IT management in the relationship between learning in alliances and innovation-supportive culture. Using survey data from a sample of 203 Spanish firms we find that both learning in alliances and IT management positively affect innovation-supportive culture. Further, the results support the moderating role of IT management capability in the relationship between learning in alliances and innovation-supportive culture.