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Management innovations are an important source of competitive advantage, but we lack knowledge on the implementation process, not least in small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs). Recognising that psychological ownership (PO) represents a crucial aspect of the implementation process, we address micro-foundational characteristics of the implementation process. PO and critical incident theory (CIT) provide a lens enabling this micro analysis. The empirical setting is the implementation of Hoshin Kanri, a strategic management system in eight small companies. From the analysis of the eight cases, we operationalise four dimensions that characterise how PO evolves in the implementation process: types of PO incidents, frequency of PO incidents, incidents indicating an increase or decrease in PO, and incidents addressing individual or collective PO. Looking at how PO is developed both among CEOs and managers in SMEs, we use the four dimensions to characterise the evolvement of PO within the focal organisations. In doing so, our article elaborates on PO as a driver and, if insufficiently developed, an impediment to effectively implementing management innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a systematic review of strategy research in Africa. The quantity of management research in general and strategy research in particular is growing on the continent, though from a low level. It is, however, characterized by a strong focus on South Africa and Ghana, hence not reflecting the cultural and economic diversity of the continent in detail. This review consists of 161 articles. The review found that research on strategy-performance relationship dominates the field. The cultural context and how it may influence strategy and strategy-making is still not well addressed. The article ends by suggesting future research directions based on the identified gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how the family firm identity is affected when it is no longer publicly communicated. Design/methodology/approach: A case study approach was used to follow a third-generation family business, a large Swedish home electronics firm that acquired a competitor and, initially, continued using its family firm identity after the acquisition. This study longitudinally tracks the company and its owning family using archival data combined with interviews. Findings: The case company decided to stop communicating their identity as a family business. Such a move initially appears counterintuitive, since it potentially threatens the family firm identity and leads the firm to forgo other advantages, e.g. in branding. However, the decision was based on arguments that were rational from a business perspective, leading to a decoupling of family and firm identity. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature by showing a decoupling of internally experienced and externally communicated identities. It further contributes to the understanding of the family firm identity concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the phenomenon of invented corporate heritage brands, i.e. heritage that is made up, exaggerated or far-fetched, to an extent that stakeholders may challenge its accuracy. Along six empirical cases, three dimensions characterizing invented heritage are identified, namely facticity, historical connectedness/disconnectedness, and temporal expansion/contraction. Companies draw on three different strategies to build invented corporate heritage brands: The appropriation strategy builds a heritage brand by leveraging the past of organizations that are forerunners of the present firm The forgetting strategy omits or tones down parts of the past that are deemed as not being useful for the brand. Eventually, the fantasizing strategy constructs a brand based on a purely invented past. Overall, the article provides evidence of the high degree of pragmatic flexibility (Burghausen and Balmer in Corporate Communications: an International Journal 19: 384–402, 2014a) inherent in corporate heritage. It also demonstrates how young brands can be infused with heritage, by appropriating the past of historical forerunners that are meaningfully connected to the brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this commentary, we focus on invented corporate heritage, where organizations present falsified accounts of a corporate past. The extant corporate heritage literature has highlighted how the time frames of the past, present, and future (omni temporality) are merged in those organizations where there is trait constancy. Focusing on invented corporate heritage, we argue that this represents an extreme case of these dialectics, where present and future precede "the past," or more appropriately "invented past." Although lacking in authenticity, an invented corporate heritage may still be attractive to consumers since it can construct an aura of authenticity by delivering an enchanting experience to consumers, irrespective of its substantive genuineness. However, such inventions carry considerable risk since they represent a fabrication of the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The aim of this study is to discuss what implications referencing to the past can have on how firms manage their supply chains and communicate about them, drawing on the social memory literature.Design/methodology/approach In a conceptual manner, the authors connect the field of responsible supply chain management to the growing literature on corporate heritage and social memory in organizations.Findings The authors develop seven propositions related to the communication of the past and its connection to responsible supply chain management.Research limitations/implications A social memory perspective can inform supply chain management research, by helping to better understand how and with what consequences the past can be used in communication about supply chains. This paper is conceptual in nature and empirical investigations would be needed to support and/or modify the literature-based findings.Practical implications Managers should be aware that both opportunities and risks are associated with communicating the past in connection to responsible supply chain management. Deployed in the right way, such communication can be valuable both in marketing and in internal management processes.Originality/value This article introduces the social memory perspective to the supply chain management field and shows what implications it can have for research on responsibility in supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses the case of family business to distinguish the range of potential aims and outcomes of corporate heritage communication. In family businesses, the challenges of heritage communication are particularly salient as the past of the firm is simultaneously that of the controlling family. Based on a study of 55 websites of Swedish and German family-owned firms, we classify aims and outcomes of heritage communication with reference to different stakeholders. Our findings elucidate the need to consider various stakeholders when planning heritage communications, and the value of such communication for different corporate functions, such as marketing, management and governance. To aid decision making, we offer a framework to map aims and stakeholders of heritage communication related to a company’s functions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – This paper seeks to uncover why and how the combination of family and company history in family businesses implies idiosyncratic opportunities in the process to uncover, activate, and nurture heritage-based corporate identities and brands. Design/methodology/approach – The discussion is specifically informed by the literatures on brand heritage, family business, and the notion of hybrid identities. To illustrate this typology of history communication in family businesses the paper relies on web site observations in Sweden and German-based family businesses. Findings – Based on the construct of brand heritage, the paper clarifies why the entwinement of family and business provides fertile ground for brand heritage. The presentation of a typology of ways to communicate family, business and family business history respectively further reveals the varying openings and practices of family businesses in this area. Research limitations/implications – The paper primarily takes an external marketing orientation and is conceptual. Practical implications – The distinction of two sources of brand heritage in family businesses and the typology of approaches to reflect history in corporate communications should be of interest for practitioners. The findings can serve as an eye-opener and instrument in the planning of strategic marketing. Originality/value – The paper focuses on brand heritage and heritage branding from a family business perspective. Being hybrid identity organizations, characterized by entwinement of family and company history, family businesses offer particular perspectives to the heritage brand discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to explore how organizational actors make reference to history and how they use historical reference purposefully in order to affect strategy-making. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on in-depth case studies on two Swedish MNCs. Data have been collected through 79 interviews as well as participant observation and archival studies. Findings - Organizational actors purposefully construct and use history in order to establish continuity in strategy processes. The use of historical references legitimizes or delegitimizes specific strategic options. Research limitations/implications - Two old firms with a clear interest in organizational history have been studied. Future research on additional companies, including young firms and firms with less interest in history, is needed. Practical implications - The purposeful use of history can be a powerful tool for managers to influence organizational change processes. Originality/value - Very little research on the use of history in business organizations has so far been done. In an interdisciplinary manner the paper introduces concepts from research in history to management research. Based on two rich case studies the paper contributes by outlining what role different uses of history play in strategic and organizational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how governance mechanisms affect the ability of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to introduce strategic change. Previous research typically assumes that governance mechanisms operate independently of each other. Building on agency theory and insights from the literature on small firm governance, we hypothesize that governance variables related to ownership, the board of directors and the top management team all affect strategic change and that it is important to examine the interaction effects of these governance mechanisms. Using a longitudinal sample of over 800 SMEs, our general logic and hypotheses are supported by the analyses. We find that closely held firms exhibit less strategic change than do SMEs relying on more widespread ownership structures. However, to some extent, closely held firms can overcome these weaknesses and achieve strategic change by utilizing outside directors on the board and/or extending the size of the top management teams. Implications for theory and management practice in SMEs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]