1. Knowledge Acquisition in Production Networks: Effective Strategies for System Integrators and Component Specialist

Shu-Jou Lin, Hsing-Er Lin, and Edward F. McDonough III

ABSTRACT This study provides new insight into the effectiveness of different knowledge acquisition strategies for organizations at different positions in a production network. Component specialists and systems integrators require a different knowledge repertoire in terms of knowledge depth and knowledge breadth. We show that a greater reliance on inter-organizational partnering than on intra-organizational acquiring is effective in the acquisition of knowledge breadth rather than knowledge depth. And the positive effect of a greater reliance on inter-organizational partnering on knowledge breadth is particularly strong for system integrators.

KEYWORDS firm specialization, knowledge acquisition strategy, knowledge depth, knowledge specialization, production network

2. Coworkers’ Relationship Quality and Interpersonal Emotions in Team-Member Dyads in China: The Moderating Role of Cooperative Team Goals

Catherine K. Lam, Xu Huang, Frank Walter, and Simon C. H. Chan

ABSTRACT This study investigates the origins of discrete interpersonal emotions in team-member dyads using two independent samples from an education institute and a telecommunication services company in China. Results across both studies showed that the quality of team members’ dyadic relationships positively relates to interpersonal admiration, sympathy, and envy, and negatively relates to interpersonal contempt. Furthermore, teams’ cooperative goals moderate these dyad-level linkages. The association of relationship quality with interpersonal emotions is particularly pronounced in teams with less cooperative goals but buffered in teams with more cooperative goals. Finally, on the individual level of analysis, envy and contempt are inversely associated with team members’ work performance, objectively measured. These findings provide new insights about key antecedents and crucial moderators in the development of interpersonal emotions in Chinese work teams and reiterate the relevance of these emotions for tangible performance outcomes.

KEYWORDS cooperative team goals, emotions in organizations, relationship quality, work teams

3. Evolution and Coevolution: Dynamic Knowledge Capability Building for Catching-up in Emerging Economies

Xiaoying Dong, Yan Yu, and Na Zhang

ABSTRACT Knowledge has always been a strategic resource for firms; however, there is a lack of research regarding how a firm’s knowledge management (KM) contributes to its capability catching-up and adaptation in emerging economies. This article focuses on the knowledge capability building of Chinese private firms that were set up in the 1990s and pays particular attention to how firms with limited resources and knowledge went on to achieve remarkable success. This paper presents its analysis through a multi-level co-evolutionary lens and a case study on the Li-Ning Company. The case study depicts the macro coevolution between the changing business environment and the firm’s strategic choices, as well as the micro coevolution of the organizational strategy and the KM orientations, processes, and infrastructures within the firm. The research sheds light on the dynamic capability building trajectory for the firms in emerging economies.

KEYWORDS capability building, emerging economy, knowledge management, multilevel coevolution

4. Do Employees Support Corporate Philanthropy? Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies

Yongqiang Gao and Haibin Yang

ABSTRACT While prior research generally acknowledges the positive effect of corporate philanthropy (CP) on firm performance, the underlying mechanisms regarding how or why CP leads to better financial performance remain unclear. We argue that employees as an influential firm stakeholder group may act as an important factor in realizing the value of CP. We specifically ground this study in social identity theory to investigate whether or not employees support CP by increasing labor productivity, as well as whether a firm’s salary level and market visibility will moderate such an effect. Evidence from Chinese listed firms suggests that CP positively influences labor productivity. In addition, self-compared salaries and firm visibility strengthen the link between CP and labor productivity, suggesting that the value of CP depends on the support of key stakeholders such as employees.

KEYWORDS Chinese listed firms, corporate philanthropy, firm visibility, labor productivity, self-compared salary, social compared salary

5. The Role of Top-team Diversity and Perspective Taking in Mastering Organizational Ambidexterity

Ci-Rong Li

ABSTRACT Although the role of top teams has been recognized in ambidextrous organizations, it remains unclear which characteristics and how the cognitive processes of top teams are used to address the dual cognitive challenges of ambidexterity. To address this puzzle, I developed a model in which I theorize that a top team with task-related diversity engaging in perspective taking will influence the achievement of an ambidextrous organization. Moreover, I further theorize that transformational leadership of the CEO will help diverse top teams master ambidexterity by influencing the team’s cognitive processes. The results show that diverse teams can address the differentiating-integrating challenges of ambidexterity when they engage in perspective taking. The results also confirm that transformational leadership strengthens the relationship between a diverse top team’s perspective taking and ambidextrous orientation.

KEYWORDS ambidextrous organization, perspective taking, team diversity, top management team, transformational leadership