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Enterprise social networking (ESN) is still an underused IT innovation; although its advantages are widely recognized, its adoption remains a challenge. This research aims to study the characteristics involved in the adoption process of ESN by using the integrative conceptual model of Hameed et al., which combines the individual/organizational dimensions of adoption with the three-phase adoption process dimensions (i.e., pre-adoption, adoption, and post-adoption). Based on exploratory qualitative research, our research question is twofold: What are the specific characteristics of the adoption of IT innovation involved in the adoption of ESN? What new insights into the adoption of IT innovation does ESN reveal? We identify that “security”—already well known as a characteristic of the IT innovation factor that influences adoption—is a characteristic of the organizational factor too. Eighteen characteristics identified are in line with the conceptual model but not present in the corresponding phases of the adoption of IT innovation. In terms of the innovation factor, we identify that “compatibility” and “security” are new characteristics in the pre-adoption phase, and that “business process re-engineering” is a new characteristic in the pre-adoption and adoption phases. Regarding the organizational factors, we identify that “image” and “information-sharing culture” are new characteristics in the pre-adoption phase, and that “security” is a new characteristic in all three phases. For the environmental factor, we identify that “partners support” is a new characteristic of the post-adoption phase. Finally, for the user acceptance factor, we identify that “perceived usefulness” and “attitude towards use” are new characteristics in the pre-adoption phase, “perceived playfulness” is a new characteristic in the pre-adoption and adoption phases, “user involvement” is a new characteristic in the pre-adoption and post-adoption phases, and “user age” is a new characteristic in all three phases. Overall, we underline that the most critical stage is pre-adoption: this is the period in which most of the characteristics are concentrated, and in which most of the challenges of adopting ESN arise.

This research seeks to explore which configurations of causal conditions can predict inbound–outbound marketing techniques adoption. The study uses Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) approach to examine the pure player's (PP) propensity to inbound marketing and the propensity of click and mortar (C&M) to outbound marketing. The explanatory factors’ architecture consists of ten constructs; five reflect PP propensity to inbound marketing and five reflect C&M propensity to outbound marketing. The preliminary findings of the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on an Italian sample of PP and C&M confirm the validity of the conceptual framework. Furthermore, the study proposes the test of the framework to a Romanian sample of PP and C&M. The originality of the conceptual approach is relying mainly upon its revealing force based on untrained recipes to approach the complexity of organizational client interaction, enriching marketing theory and understanding new practices as actionable knowledge. The main contribution of this study is to propose new configurations of organizational propensity toward inbound–outbound marketing techniques, through learning the new meanings of complex outcomes.

International audience; Targeting comprises defining the part of the business environment that corresponds to organizations’ strategic objectives and priorities. Targeting is not an easy process because it includes the interaction of managers who come from different organizational units that might have a fragmentary and blurred understanding of the overall issue. Through an action research, we designed and evaluated a GSS to help managers target strategic scanning in fuzzy contexts. Evaluations through interventions in 10 French organizations allowed both participants to achieve relevant targets and researchers to propose four major improvements to targeting activities: 1) use suggested lists of actors and topics as starting points to trigger and facilitate discussions, 2) define actor and topic importance to produce useful targeting results, 3) evaluate the organization’s perceived capacity to be informed early enough, and 4) define a mechanism to signal scanning relevancy in the short, mid-, or long term. From a management perspective, our results help managers in their strategic scanning activity by 1) identifying information needs for strategically scanning fuzzy subjects, 2) reducing risk of strategic scanning failure, 3) enabling organizations to assess their scanning capabilities, 4) identifying scanning priorities according to a temporal horizon, and 5) fostering teamwork participation.

ResumeDemarches actionnables, enseignables, acceptables et praticables, d’entrainement a l’interpretation de signaux faibles destinees a acquerir des connaissances tacites

This article aims to explore factors contributing to the failure and abandonment of strategic scanning projects and operational systems. Thirty-nine projects that were studied using action research methods are analyzed. The results suggest that failure and abandonment are provoked by combinations of factors relating to stakeholders' qualifications and experience, to the management and organization of the project system, as well as to strategic alignment and changes in the organization's internal structure. These factors include poor project impetus, uninvolved management, unqualified people, inaccurate expectations, project mismanagement, strategy misalignment, poor participation, hostile culture, insufficient budget, conflating technical and managerial problems, previous project trauma and underestimated complexity.

International audience; This research is reporting on the pre-adoption of Strategic Scanning (S.Scan) information systems (IS). More specifically, it relates to the pre-adoption phase, that is, the emergence of the idea of such a system and the evaluation of its need for the organization, upstream of any technological consideration. The research question is the following: what are the drivers and barriers that influence the pre-adoption of a S.Scan IS? The objective of this research is to extend knowledge on a subject that has received little attention from the scholars. Research’s originality relies on the use of isomorphic processes from neo-institu- tional framework to study pre-adoption in the field of S.Scan. On the basis of a multi- method research combining qualitative and quantitative exploratory studies in the specific field of sustainable supply chains (SSC), our results highlight 31 drivers and barriers to pre- adoption of S.Scan IS, ten of which have not been identified before, and five types of pres- sures. They therefore suggest that pre-adoption of S.Scan IS can be subject to both func- tional and institutional pressures. It can be driven either by competitiveness or conformism pressures, and hindered by performance objectives or lack of coercive pressures. Finally, these results put a question mark about the understanding of the strategic dimension of S.Scan IS by organisations, and the government’s role and its responsibility for promoting SSC initiatives and for the adoption of S.Scan IS on this issue.

In order to be efficient and provide useful results, Strategic Scanning activities must be targeted to the part of the business environment that corresponds to organizations' strategic objectives and priorities. However there is a lack of systems to help managers target their information needs for strategic scanning. Following an action research approach, this paper presents the results of the use of a meeting room system to help managers target Strategic Scanning. The system implemented is an adaptation of the “Target” method. It was evaluated in real Face-to-Face scenarios with 27 managers in 10 organizations interested in Strategic Scanning for Sustainable Supply Chains. While this research was exploratory, results already suggest that the system can be added to the catalog of tools for Strategic Scanning. Learning from the use and development of the system lead to propose evolutions to Target method.

When scanning, managers acquire and collect information about their environment to keep informed of its evolution, make decisions, and sometimes to anticipate changes. We attempted to understand this process and assess how French managers interpret scanning information to evaluate its importance. Our effort resulted in: (1) sixteen factors used by managers to make sense of the signs and signals they perceived when scanning; (2) a heuristic model of the process; and (3) two instances of the model. Our results suggested that ad hoc training should be provided and IT use should be fully investigated to enhance managers' scanning skills if organizations wish to develop an ability to detect weak signs/signals, anticipate plausible change, and increase strategic decision effectiveness.

L’objectif de cet article est d’analyser l’impact de la « variété requise » d’une équipe interculturelle sur sa performance. Pour ce faire, nous analysons cinq configurations successives d’une équipe interculturelle dans un groupe international, en nous appuyant sur une étude de cas qualitative et longitudinale. Les résultats montrent que la variété requise est une condition nécessaire à la performance de l’équipe. Or, la variété requise n’est pas facilement actionnable, et des processus d’équipe modèrent le lien entre la variété requise et la performance de l’équipe. L’équipe doit aussi avoir suffisamment de temps pour passer les phases de formation, turbulences et normalisation avant que la variété requise ne puisse avoir un impact positif sur la performance., The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of ‘requisite variety’ of an intercultural team on its effectiveness. Using a qualitative, longitudinal case-study method, five successive intercultural teams in one international company are analysed in order to question the effectiveness of the teams from the perspective of requisite variety. The results show that requisite variety is a necessary condition for team effectiveness. Yet, requisite variety is not easily actionable, and team processes moderate the link between requisite variety and team effectiveness. The team also needs enough time for forming, storming and norming, before requisite variety can have a positive impact on performing the task., El objetivo de este artículo es analizar el impacto de la “variedad requerida” de un equipo intercultural sobre su desempeño. Utilizando un estudio de caso cualitativo y longitudinal, analizamos cinco configuraciones sucesivas de un equipo intercultural en una empresa internacional. Los resultados muestran que la variedad requerida es una condición necesaria para el desempeño del equipo. No obstante, la variedad requerida no es fácilmente utilizable, y los procesos de equipo regulan el nexo entre ésta y el desempeño del equipo. Además, el equipo debe pasar el suficiente tiempo por las etapas de formación, de turbulencia y de normalización antes que la variedad requerida pueda tener un impacto positivo en el desempeño.