Richard Gruner

Leveraging social media technology for business transformation: the case of corporate social communities

Abstract Purpose This chapter explores the role that social media can play to support entrepreneurs in managing complex interfirm communities. As companies increasingly operate in highly connected environments, it is important to move beyond corporate networks, and understand and build corporate social communities (CSCs) that underpin organizations. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted 14 case studies at member firms of GS1 Australia — a not-for-profit association dedicated to the development, implementation, and promotion of information technology standards to improve supply chain management. Finding The gathered data illustrate a number of common challenges managers typically encounter in their supply chain operations. In response to these challenges, the authors propose distinct ways in which CSCs can leverage and transform interfirm relationships and support operational goals. Research limitations/implications The empirical investigations were limited to the supply chain context, and Australian companies. The benefits pertinent to CSCs were only explored conceptually. Further studies should address these limitations. Practical implications We provide empirical evidence supported by theoretical insights that CSCs are powerful tools that community designers and managers can leverage to transform business-to-business (B2B) relationships. Originality/value The originality of this study resides in advancing theoretical understanding and providing practical managerial guidance on how to best deploy CSCs in a supply chain context. Additionally, we consider the role CSCs play in different stages of B2B relationships, and the reasons why most managers are hesitant to adopt CSCs.

Towards a calculative model of supply chain enabling IT implementation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate inconsistent findings regarding motivations for the implementation of information technology (IT) in the supply chain. Two main theoretical perspectives emerge from the literature. The first predicts a logical progressive implementation of technology over time. The second views situational factors as moderating progressive implementation over time. The authors propose a third, calculative IT implementation model and empirically assess the validity of these diverging models. Design/methodology/approach – The authors took a qualitative, theory-testing approach. Cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2001 and 2011 – yielding responses from 62 matching firms – showed dynamic IT implementation patterns over time and allowed the selection of nine case studies for comparison. Findings – Results provide substantial support for a calculative model alongside the situational and progressive perspectives. This model addresses three problematic assumptions that underp...

Exploring reduced global standards-based inter-organisational information technology adoption

Purpose – The information technology (IT) literature is mixed regarding the benefits of inter-organisational IT, but shifts towards less adoption of IT remain largely an unexplored area of research. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by shedding light on the question of whether or not such shifts exist, and if so, why they occur. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method, sequential research design was adopted. A quantitative study based on two cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2001 and 2011 yielded responses from 62 matching firms that had implemented IT based on global GS1 standards. Survey results led to the identification of a group of organisations that provided evidence of reduced standards-based inter-organisation IT over time. Subsequently, four theory-building in-depth case studies explored why changes towards less IT occurred. Findings – Results from the quantitative study show that measurable changes take place in IT implementation over time (both increasing and decreasing)....

Variable use of standards-based IOS enabling technologies in Australian SMEs : an examination of deliberate and emergent decision making processes

Use of inter-organizational systems (IOS) is widely recognized as pivotal to organizational success. However, the nature of decision making processes regarding the adoption and use of IOS-enabling technologies has received little research attention. The authors explore approaches to decision making relating to SMEs’ use of these technologies and outline the drivers and implications of such decision making. Data were collected through two crosssectional surveys and multiple case studies. The surveys allowed for the identification of two groups of three SMEs each—the first group increased and the second group decreased the use of IOS-enabling technologies over time. This identification provided the context of strategic change or transition in the use of these technologies over time. The study’s results challenge widely held assumptions about the performance benefits of higher-level, deliberate planning over functional-level, emergent decision making regarding SMEs’ technological choices. Results also show that SME managers mainly use flexible IOS technology adoption and implementation strategies to promote organizational performance. Further, two main factors drive flexible decision making: a lack of managerial power and a lack of financial resources. Overall, the study offers insights into the link between IOS-enabling technology use and organizational strategy, and advances research concerning the contingencies influencing SMEs’ decision making in this context.

To integrate or not to integrate? Understanding B2B social media communications

Purpose Social media communications on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn can allow managers to interact cost effectively with trading partners. However, although most firms have an online presence on multiple social media platforms, the question remains as to whether marketers’ widespread social media investments are beneficial for firms. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents competing hypotheses to explore how firms’ investment in one form of social media impacts activity on another form of social media. To do so, the authors draw on a data set of 208 large Australian organizations using objective social media activity metrics that measure business-to-business (B2B) audience engagement. Findings The findings suggest that widespread social media activity on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube negatively affects a firm’s marketing activity on Facebook. The results indicate that having a social media preference whereby firms focus on a specific social media platform is more effective in forming successful inter-organizational relationships than a multiplatform approach. Originality/value The study contributes to the sparse research that seeks to leverage social media for audience engagement beyond a business-to-consumer context. The study’s findings provide insights into the key mechanisms that underlie firms’ B2B social media strategies, and in so doing, offer a fresh perspective on the importance of interactive marketing communication.

What’s in a crowd? Exploring crowdsourced versus traditional customer participation in the innovation process

ABSTRACT This study explores the emerging crowdsourcing phenomenon, that is, the outsourcing of idea generation to the product users (‘the crowd’), typically via online platforms to interact with many and diverse customers and glean valuable market insights. The study focuses on this phenomenon and the factors that determine the value of crowdsourced customer participation over more traditional market research methods. The authors present the results of an extensive, in-depth qualitative case-study analysis pertaining to the media industry. The authors find that crowdsourced customer participation is not consistently superior in enabling firms to discover how to serve their customers better. Instead, the results unearth a catalogue of seven interrelated value determinants that show where the boundaries of both crowdsourcing and traditional customer participation in innovation lie. These value determinants fall into three main categories: (1) innovation-specific value determinants, (2) firm-specific value determinants, and (3) managerial value determinants.