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PurposeThis study examines the mediation effects of entrepreneurial attitudes (EAs) on the nexus of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) quality and productive entrepreneurship for early-stage and high-growth entrepreneurial activities.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs global entrepreneurship monitor (GEM) panel data of 137 economies from 2014 to 2018. Random effect panel regressions and relative effect size estimations were used for data analysis.FindingsThe study’s findings show complementary mediation effects suggesting that EE quality steers entrepreneurial activities via the EA. However, such mediation is much more vivid towards high growth than early-stage activities. Vibrant EEs provide necessary resources that boost the attitude of potential and nascent entrepreneurs to engage in early stage and high-growth entrepreneurial activities.Research limitations/implicationsThe study utilizes GEM data to explain the EEs and EA dynamics and their related effects on entrepreneurship at the macro level. Future research may study the phenomena by using micro level data.Originality/valueThe paper explores a less empirically researched question on how EEs steer entrepreneurship growth and development. It reveals a need for new perspectives/logics (e.g. mediation/moderation) for improving the explanations on the extant EEs framework. It further informs policymakers and practitioners to design entrepreneur-centred EE policies and programs.

Projectification has led to the widespread use of temporary organizations (TOs) in many industries, but the various factors that determine successful work by employees in TOs are unexplored. We argue that organizations have different degrees of temporariness depending on the following five TO dimensions: temporal duration, nature of the task, team composition, hierarchy, and coordination. Considering the TO dimensions and varying degrees of temporariness, we propose a person-environment (P-E) fit model. The model comprises three levels – organizational-, group-, and job-oriented – and relates personal attributes to the TO dimensions. We contribute to theory by developing a set of propositions on the relationships between personal attributes and organizational-, group-, and job-oriented factors of the work environment in TOs. In doing so, we also extend research on P-E fit to temporary work environments. The model provides a theoretical basis for future empirical research on human resource management in TOs as well as criteria for practitioners involved in decisions on the staffing of temporary teams.

PurposeThe current study explores the emergence of well-being, a fundamental human goal, in the crowdfunding process by investigating entrepreneurs and backers' interactions within reward and donation campaigns.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on interviews with 64 entrepreneurs and 50 backers of rewards and donation campaigns.FindingsThe analysis revealed that the crowdfunding experience triggers all three aspects of well-being––hedonic, eudaimonic and social––for both entrepreneurs and backers. These aspects emerged in the course of the campaign's life stages.Originality/valueThe study establishes well-being as a core aspect of entrepreneur–backer interaction and shows how entrepreneurs' well-being feeds back into backers' well-being and vice versa. Furthermore, it illustrates how well-being, in its various aspects, develops during the different stages of the crowdfunding process to facilitate a full well-being experience and a sense of accomplishment for both types of participants.

The dynamic capabilities (DCs) of an organisation refer to its ability to integrate and renew existing competences as circumstances may change. Although research has considered various aspects of D...

PurposeWith faster innovation and shorter product cycles, time pressure is a highly relevant factor affecting contemporary business processes. This study aims to extend prior research on the effects of velocity at the firm level by considering the effect of time pressure on knowledge transfer effectiveness (KTE) on the team level and the role of trust as a mediator of this effect.Design/methodology/approachWe empirically assess the impact of time pressure on knowledge transfer effectiveness in teams. Further, we test the mediating effect of trust on this relationship. We study a sample of 285 project teams applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe authors find that time pressure is negatively associated with KTE. Moreover, trust among team members has a complementary mediating effect on this relationship. Thus, while trust is urgently needed for enhancing KTE under time pressure, time pressure reduces trust-building too.Research limitations/implicationsThis study establishes empirically the importance of time pressure and trust as drivers of KTE in teams. The contribution connects the field of knowledge management to important streams in the wider business literature: organization studies, management, strategic management, project management, innovation etc. Whereas the model is parsimonious, it has high explanatory power and high generalizability to other contexts.Practical implicationsTeam managers should take care to allow enough time for knowledge transfer within the team. This is particularly important when knowledge sharing is central, e.g. in innovation, development and change processes. If this is not possible, measures should be taken to maintain trust among team members.Social implicationsEffective knowledge management enhances the performance of business entities and public-sector organizations alike. Today, both the private and public sectors are under considerable pressure to increase both efficiency and effectiveness. Effective knowledge transfer within teams is a core capability to achieve this goal. More effective organizations result in more competitive private firms, more employment opportunities and improved public services to citizens.Originality/valueTime pressure is an increasingly relevant factor in contemporary business but so far little explored in research. This study extends current knowledge by considering the effect of time pressure on KTE.

PurposePublic–private joint ventures (PPJVs) have a stronger partnership element than standard public–private partnerships (PPPs) but PPJVs are under-researched despite this important partnership element. This article derives knowledge of incentives and barriers to goal alignment in healthcare PPJVs.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth case study of the UK’s Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) model including three PPJVs and 34 individual projects was conducted.FindingsThe main economic incentives are future opportunities creating a strong shadow of the future. This is supplemented by social incentives such as the ability to have a social impact. Enlarging the shadow of the future can encourage both parties to think long-term, avoiding short-term opportunism.Practical implicationsPPJV is a promising model for partnership. However, complexity through fragmented public sector partners and the financial structure can create barriers for goal alignment.Originality/valueThis study challenges earlier research studies based on PPJV by providing evidence that the long-term nature of PPJV, especially the potential of new projects, enables the public sector to get more engagement from the private sector.

Purpose The study builds on existing research in management control (MC) and innovation management. The purpose of this study is to identify patterns in the application of MC instruments which contribute to successful innovation. The application of MC instruments can reduce potential risks and make the new product development (NPD) process more transparent and efficient. Design/methodology/approach The authors use dyadic data to determine the effect of 58 MC instruments on NPD process stage-specific performance and subsequent innovation and firm success. To provide empirical evidence of each MC instrument’s effectiveness, three importance-performance matrix analyses were conducted that assess the impact of each MC instrument. Findings The authors identify patterns in the application of MC instruments which contribute to successful innovation activities and the authors determine the impact of MC instruments on NPD performance, innovation performance and firm performance in different stages of the NPD process. Practical implications The authors provide knowledge that can be used by managers to review their actual application of MC in the NPD process and to select their instrument set. Originality/value The authors contribute to the MC literature by examining data from a cross-industry study on the effects of MC instruments during the NPD process. The authors include a comprehensive set of MC instruments and show how their effect changes between the different stages of the NPD process.

PurposeThe number of theoretical and empirical research on management control of innovation activities has significantly increased. Existing studies in this field are characterized by a wide dispersion and a multitude of different definitions. The purpose of this article is to provide a systematic review of the literature on management control of innovation activities and to synthesize the current body of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a systematic review approach, this article reviews 79 articles on management control for innovation activities from 1959 to 2019 and inductively derives a multi-dimensional framework.FindingsThe review of existing studies advances the debate about the detrimental versus beneficial character of management control systems for innovation, showing that the repressing character of control is not inherent to control itself, but emanates from the design of the respective management control system.Research limitations/implicationsThe multi-dimensional framework connects and combines existing research and thus synthesizes the current state of knowledge in this field. Additionally, the framework can guide practitioners to systematically assess context factors and consequences of their management control systems design, and it shows avenues for future research.Originality/valueThe scientific and practical value of this paper is the convergence of the current body of knowledge consisting of various definitions and conceptualizations and the identification of avenues for future research.

Agile project management (APM) is supposed to facilitate the response to rapid changes in complex and dynamic environments by applying an iterative planning approach, close customer involvement, and self-organizing teams. The literature has often considered the choice between APM and traditional project management (TPM) as binary and equated the use of APM methods with the desired outcome, i.e. project agility. In this paper, we challenge the assumption of binarity of APM and TPM and focus on project agility as an outcome. We argue that project agility is a matter of degree and is influenced by internal and external determinants. Building on Qumer and Henderson-Sellers’ (2008) four-dimensional analysis tool (4-DAT) framework, we develop a set of hypotheses of the determinants of project agility that are tested empirically using a cross-industry sample of project managers in Nordic countries. In line with the existing literature, we find customer involvement, organizational culture, and less upfront project planning to be positively related to the degree of agility in projects. However, we do not find significant effects of team size and complexity of the environment.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to link the fields of research on strategic decision (SD) making and integrated reporting (IR) and advances knowledge of the concept of integrated thinking by describing how financial information and non-financial environmental, social and governance (ESG) information are used in different phases of the strategic decision-making process (SDMP). Design/methodology/approach In total, 15 senior executives from twelve different industries were asked about the importance of different types of information within SDMPs. The data were analyzed by means of content analysis. Findings The authors derive a four-phase model and explicate the utilization of financial information and non-financial ESG information within each phase. The findings show that both types of information affect SDMPs, but the importance of each type differs among the phases. Practical implications This study offers practitioners a yardstick against which to compare how they use different types of information throughout the SDMP. Originality/value This paper provides a conceptual model of integrated thinking in SD making by connecting two separate fields of research. This connection will permit deeper study of the field of information and its implications for SD making. The present investigation shows that IR can promote integrated thinking in companies, as the broader range of information at hand allows companies to form a holistic picture of internal management questions and incorporate information that has not been previously prepared or associated with existing information.

For long-term success, companies need to adapt to technological and environmental change. Organizational ambidexterity, which balances the exploration of new opportunities with the exploitation of existing capabilities, is increasingly viewed as a promising approach to tackle this challenge. However, despite the important role of individuals for firms' ambidexterity and performance, evidence on how exploration of new opportunities and exploitation of existing capabilities are triggered at an individual level and on their subsequent effects on overall performance is still lacking. Accordingly, the present research shifts the focus from organizational ambidexterity to individual ambidexterity. Based on data from 415 employees, the results of structural equation modeling show that both organizational architecture and organizational context can be used to induce individual ambidexterity. Furthermore, positive performance effects of individual ambidexterity across different organizational levels, namely the team and department levels, are confirmed.

Equity crowdfunding allows entrepreneurs to directly access financing from a large number of investors via Internet platforms. Recent research has started to examine additional, non-financial benefits of crowdfunding campaigns. This article connects to this emerging research stream by investigating these additional benefits while discussing their potential to contribute to the success of equity crowdfunding projects. Building on interviews with entrepreneurs and investors from Norway and Israel, we find that the benefits offered by investors to entrepreneurs can be divided into two categories: inward benefits and outward benefits. The latter are aimed at increasing public exposure and advancing the project’s success by recruiting additional investors. By contrast, inward benefits are implemented through investors’ contributions of personal experience and expertise. These benefits are aimed at the entrepreneurs and, when harnessed, can become resources that advance future success. We also find that investors receive personal gain by participating in crowdfunding, which takes the form of personal growth and the development of social capital. These benefits are based on intrinsic motives and complement the financial returns, which are more related to extrinsic motives.

Sustainable value creation has moved to the center of attention of many companies, leading to a shift in external corporate reporting. Sustainability information is provided within sustainability reports and CSR reports as well as integrated reports. Research has considered the motivations and different formats of integrated reports and how these reports provide a better information basis for investors. However, integrated reporting information may also affect internal decision making by providing decision makers with a more comprehensive picture of the impact of the firm's strategy. Here, we present the results of a scenario‐based experiment testing how financial, unlinked financial and nonfinancial, and integrated information affect the outcomes of investment decisions. We find that an integrated information basis leads to decisions with higher sustainable value creation. We thus show that information prepared for external reporting can also be used for internal purposes to help companies establish sustainable decision behavior.

PurposeThe emerging concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems has captured the attention of scholars, practitioners and policymakers. Although studies on entrepreneurial ecosystems continue to grow, their contributions are still disintegrated. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of extant literature on entrepreneurial ecosystems and to develop a research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThe study deployed a systematic literature review of 51 articles obtained from three comprehensive databases of Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus. The analysis includes two phases. First, a descriptive account of research on entrepreneurial ecosystems and second, a content analysis based on a thematic categorization of entrepreneurial ecosystems research.FindingsThe findings show that the concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems is both under-theorized and it has been recently dominated by conceptual studies. The focus of empirical research is on technology-based industries in Western economies using cases studies as methodological approach.Research limitations/implicationsThis review contributes to the body of knowledge on entrepreneurial ecosystems research by providing a systematic review following a thematic grouping of extant research into antecedents, outputs and outcomes of entrepreneurial ecosystems.Originality/valueIt reveals existing theoretical and empirical gaps in research as well as offering avenues of future research on entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Many believe that project complexity reduces project management performance. However, so far research has failed to establish this causal relationship conclusively. We extend research on project complexity by introducing the concept of team-level absorptive capacity and by studying its role as mediator between project complexity and project management success. Applying structural equation modelling to a sample of 285 respondents, we find an unequivocal, direct and positive statistical association between project complexity and delays and overspending. Further, we show that team-level absorptive capacity is critical for successful project management, but also that absorptive capacity can only partially offset the harmful impact of project complexity. Beyond adding to project management theory, the paper contributes to the wider management literature. We establish complexity as an antecedent of absorptive capacity and demonstrate how each dimension of absorptive capacity has unique determinants and outcomes.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine companies’ reasons for voluntarily obtaining third-party integrated reporting (IR) assurance and the role of external auditors in the assurance process. Design/methodology/approach By conducting 25 in-depth semi-structured interviews, a wide range of significant actors in the assurance process of integrated reports are addressed. In addition, archive materials are considered. The authors apply institutional theory, agency theory, and the diffusion of innovations theory to analyze IR assurance. Findings Companies follow coercive pressures by their stakeholders when obtaining external assurance. They intend to appreciate their non-financial indicators and increase their credibility and reliability. Auditors play an important role as change agents for the implementation of IR assurance by, e.g., supporting the correct interpretation of the International Integrated Reporting Council standards and by promoting IR. Research limitations/implications First, 25 in-depth interviews can only give a first insight about the stated questions. Second, this paper only considers auditors and company representatives from Germany. Third, investors were not questioned about their attitude toward IR assurance. Practical implications The results may serve as a basis for the implementation of IR assurance. Originality/value This study combines the relatively unexplored research field of IR with three established theories. Hereby, it exposes companies’ motivation for obtaining external assurance and auditors’ role on the assurance process.

PurposeResearch on organizational innovation remains relatively scarce, particularly with respect to social structures and processes. In contrast to product innovation, organizational innovation relies more on informal processes and relationships among members of the organization than on formal processes. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of these processes at the micro level.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on a process model of organizational innovation, the authors study the case of a dermatology department of a large hospital in France and conceptualize organizational innovation as the outcome of a social system represented by networks of relationships, professional identities and formal structures.FindingsThe findings suggest that informal networks support the early phase of the invention and development of organizational innovation. However, the later phases depend more on the formal structure. A mismatch between professional identities and formal roles and positions can prevent the institutionalization and legitimation of organizational innovation in the final phases of the innovation process.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to one case, a department in a French hospital. The authors call for future research to study different industry/country contexts.Practical implicationsProfessional organizations such as hospitals should encourage better interactions between actors of different professional identities to support the development and implementation of organizational innovation. Reducing the perceived hierarchy of different professional identities may also be useful.Originality/valueThis study is the first to investigate micro-level processes in organizational innovation by combining the concept of professional identity and network analysis.

Projectification has become a buzzword. Although repeated claims of an increasing projectification were often supported by illustrative, case-based evidence, a systematic and complete measurement of projectification of an entire economy - including all sectors and project types - is still missing. A more precise and reliable measurement of the degree of projectification can be helpful for underlying the importance of project management both for research and practice. This paper presents the results of a comparative study in three Western economies: Germany, Norway, and Iceland. Projectification was measured as the share of project work on total work. This allows for a systematic comparison between countries and sectors. We show that although differences exist among the countries regarding their size and industry structure, the share of project work in advanced economies seems to be about one third. However, comparing the different countries demonstrates that important differences exist for individual sectors.

Recent developments indicate a fast-growing relevance of the agile project methodology in innovation. Besides the benefits, agile projects also pose several challenges. Organizations need to come up with an answer to cope with the inherent risks of agile projects. The adaption of management control mechanisms is key to foster the benefits of agile. However, the ongoing debate on the benefits of control systems for innovation and the harm of control systems for achieving agility creates a nexus. Further research on how to adapt existing mechanisms is required to obtain a better understanding and provide guidance for organizations. Building on Simon's levers-of-control (LOC), this study specifies the consequences of different control levers applied by top managers on the outcome of innovation projects considering the respective project agility and the agility of the projects' environment. We follow the calls of existing research on the nexus of control and agility and adumbrate which control levers can positively influence the outcome of agile and non-agile innovation projects. Using survey data of 316 project managers and product owners across different industries, this study reveals that the impact of control on innovation project performance depends on the design of control systems and the emphasis on different control levers used by top managers. Furthermore, the findings reveal a moderation effect of agility in this context. The combination of the LOC and agile project management for innovation projects contributes to the literature on innovation management, project management, and management control.

This research examines the link between turnover intentions from temporary and permanent organizations and how both types of turnover intentions affect employee performance at an individual, temporary and permanent organizational level. Using dyadic data from 253 team members and their supervisors we find that turnover intentions from temporary organizations significantly enhance turnover intentions from permanent organizations, which leads to decreasing performance at all three levels. A moderation analysis suggests that companies can reduce detrimental effects of turnover intentions from temporary organizations by providing transparency and possibilities to participate in staffing processes. Our paper contributes to research on the performance effects of employee turnover intentions by: (1) analyzing effects of turnover intentions from temporary organizations; (2) investigating the interplay between turnover intentions from temporary organizations and the permanent organization; and (3) considering performance effects at three different organizational levels.

Although the literature generally presumes that temporary forms of organizing such as projects are especially suitable for generating innovation, empirical support for this assumption that goes beyond case-based evidence is still scarce. The study at hand aims to close this gap in research by investigating how the characteristics of temporary organizations (TOs) affect an individual's innovative work behavior (IWB). By applying a structural equation modeling approach on an Austrian-German sample of 583 TO professionals, it can be shown that both, performance-based factors and affective factors are having a significant impact on the emergence of IWB. However, the hypothesized moderating role of a TO-related reward system has not been validated. Our results can help project managers to more effectively unleash the creative potential of their project staff and to increase the innovativeness of project work.

This study investigates how the characteristics of temporary organizations affect an employee’s commitment to the temporary organization, and more precisely, whether the respective effect is similar or opposite to that in permanent organizations. We examine job-related and organizational antecedents of organization commitment, and test to what extent their effects differ in the context of temporary organizations using a data set of more than 600 professionals. Further, we find that an employee’s work-life conflict has a mediating role on these relationships. Our study contributes to research by simultaneously considering several antecedents and how their effects may differ between permanent and temporary organizations.

Export competitiveness is an important success factor for developing economies. However, several barriers can prevent firms from exporting. This study empirically investigates export barriers in the Ethiopian leather footwear industry. We identify 10 conceptually linked barriers that are prevalent in the industry. Whereas some of the export barriers are in line with previous research, we find several new barriers such as logistics and export marketing. On the firm level, we identify different clusters of firms that are facing specific sub-sets of barriers. Depending on cluster membership, management must focus on certain export barriers for increasing competitiveness.

In public–private partnerships (PPPs), aligning the goals of the public sector with those of the private contractor is usually achieved using incentives informed by agency theory. However, ...

Projects are supposed to foster innovation and flexibility and to create better conditions for learning. Accordingly, project work usually has a positive connotation for both, firms and the individ...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the antecedents of team turnover intentions in temporary organizations such as projects, programs, or temporary teams. Design/methodology/approach – The authors systematically combine the findings from the literature on the antecedents of turnover intentions in permanent organizations (PO) with the characteristics of temporary organizations (TO) and develop a research model comprising personal factors, job-related factors, and organization-related factors. Findings – A research model consisting of testable propositions that the authors derived from both specificities of TO and the antecedents of turnover intentions in PO. Originality/value – The authors contribute to literature by identifying potential antecedents of turnover intentions that are specific to TOs and those that also exist in POs but are adapted to a temporary context. The research model allows future empirical research on turnover in TO to be conducted in a systematic way and supports the development of theory.

The assets of enterprises are increasingly exposed to internal and external threats like fraud, theft, embezzlement, sabotage, terrorism and industrial espionage. As a result, enterprise security (ES) as a support function is becoming more important and expenses for ES are significant. An important characteristic of ES setting it apart from other support functions is that in addition to the protection of material and immaterial assets, it is concerned with the physical integrity and survival of employees as a the most valuable asset. The management and control of ES is a challenging task as it requires the cooperation and coordination of security experts, individual managers receiving protection and several functional areas of the enterprise. Notwithstanding this development, there is virtually no research on management control of ES. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to present first empirical evidence on the use, measurement, and value contribution of ES and to introduce fundamental concepts and processes of ES management. We present a study based on qualitative interviews with security experts of German DAX-30 companies which we supplement with a standardized survey. Applying Simons’ levers of control-framework we find that all four levers of control are used although there are significant differences regarding their elaboration and measurement practice as well as their integration in a consistent management control system. Our study lays conceptual and empirical foundations for future research on ES control. We contribute to research on management control by unlocking a new and increasingly important field of study.

Projects as a form of temporary organizing are different from standard organizational processes. Due to their temporary and unique nature, projects are characterized by discontinuous personal constellations and work contents. Although leadership research has called for a consideration of context factors and their effects on leadership, leadership in a temporary setting has hardly been investigated. We therefore extend transactional and transformational leadership theory by looking at it from the perspective of the temporary organization. We develop a research model with testable propositions on the effects of the temporary organizations' characteristics on leadership and on followers' commitment in projects.

As a reaction to the rapidly changing environment, organisations increasingly use agile project management (APM) methods to develop innovation. The associated process changes necessitate the adaption of organisational structures and control systems. This study draws on Simon’s Levers-of-Control framework (LOC) to explore the impact of different control levers on innovation project performance. Based on a survey of 316 project managers and product owners, the results suggest that the use of interactive project control systems and project-internal belief systems has a positive impact on the innovation outcome, regardless of the degree of agility of the project. Furthermore, we reveal that a strong project environment leads to increased use of control mechanisms on the project level and has a conducive impact on innovation project performance. The study is among the first to apply the LOC on the project level and integrate it into the agile context.

International dispersed (virtual) teams are becoming increasingly prevalent in complex international business environments, and their ability to handle internal communication is critical to their performance. Modern information and communication technology offer a variety of media to support team communication. Nonetheless, research is trailing behind practice and offers no established framework to explain media use in contemporary teams. Here, we seek to address this void. In a comparative study of domestic and international teams’ choice of media, we extend media-richness theory by focusing on the construct of complexity. Using structural equation modelling and multigroup analysis to assess a multinational sample of 285 project teams, we find partial support for media-richness theory and demonstrate the specific relevance of this theory to the study of communication in international teams. Complexity affects international teams more strongly than domestic teams, prompting international teams to intensify their use of rich and semirich communication media to an extent not observed in domestic teams.

This article follows the call for more empirical research on leadership in different organizational contexts. Organizations react to environmental dynamism and uncertainty by using temporary forms or organizing such as projects. This organizational context factor raises questions about the nature of effective leadership in temporary settings. Transactional leadership has been found to be particularly effective in settings without a shared history of leaders and followers. In turn, prior research indicates that transformational leadership succeeds in times of uncertainty, which is essential to temporary organizations. We extend the existing transactional and transformational leadership approaches by examining leadership in the context of the temporary organization. We empirically test for effects of transactional and transformational leadership in projects and find that both leadership behaviors positively influence the followers’ commitment. However, transformational leadership is more effective than transactional leadership. The effects of both leadership behaviors are amplified by increasing complexity of the project.

Large and complex project networks are characterized by the collaboration of heterogeneous organizations and individuals. In addition to project management techniques and complementary skills, relational competence, i.e. the ability to actively create and develop collaborative relationships is an essential asset for managing project networks. Networks represent structured role systems which may be a substitute for stable organizational structures and routines. This study investigates relational competence in the network of a large construction project of a French hospital. Based on network data and qualitative interviews, we compare the formal roles and positions of actors in the network to their actual roles and positions and analyze how relational competence promotes the coordination of project work. We find several actors whose network position and relational competence correspond to the formal organization and several actors with a mismatch between the formal organization and the actual role and position. In the latter cases, other network members step in and contribute to an effective coordination. The concept of relational competence in combination with network analysis contributes to a better understanding of the functioning of project networks. In particular, it reveals dysfunctions in the project network and allows for identifying the reasons for failure.

Contingency theory has influenced organization theory since the 1950s. Project management research has only recently started to consider context factors. In this area, applications of contingency theory still represent a fragmented field with a nonuniform use of terminology. Fully utilizing the contingency theory approach requires a systematic foundation. This article presents an overview of contingency theory in both permanent and temporary organizations. In a bibliometric study based on 1,622 articles from four academic project management journals, we identify dominating authors, prevalent keywords, and different focal areas in project contingency theory as well as the most researched project types.

From 2012 on, all CO2 emissions from flights departing from or arriving at airports within the European Union have to be offset. We analyze the economic and ecological impacts that are caused by an inclusion of the aviation industry into the proposed emissions trading scheme (ETS). Building on the now fixed system design we employ a simulation model to estimate the impacts of the scheme. Our results indicate that financial impacts are highly dependant on external settings, such as allowance prices and demand growth. We show that the financial burden on the aviation industry will be rather modest in the first years after the introduction of the system and therefore induce only low competition distortions. Likewise, emission reductions within air transportation will be comparably low. While aviation will induce a decline of emissions in other sectors, significant absolute reductions within air transportation can only be reached by a more restrictive system design.

Soaring air traffic, increasing urban expansion and airports operating at full capacity are reasons that have caused a discussion about improvements in airport landside access systems. One approach to better match customer demands and address airport congestion is to facilitate the intermodal integration of airports. Building on a survey on intermodal passenger air transportation, we elaborate on the current and future situation at major airports. Our findings indicate a high modal concentration and dependence on individual access modes. However, while airport managers intend to reduce the share of these modes, they plan to increase that of high-occupancy airport access modes. We analyze the underlying motives that cause airports to extend their connections to surface infrastructure. In a case study, we assess an intermodal best practice solution for the integration of air and rail.

The prevalence of temporary forms of cooperation and project-based work is increasing. Likewise, the knowledge-intensity of work contents is growing. However, the unique and temporary nature of projects and programs does not support knowledge transfer from, between and within projects. This research aims at spotting success factors of knowledge management in temporary organizations. Based on a cross-industry sample with 414 organizations, we apply the partial least square (PLS) method to test the influence of cultural, organizational, structural, and process-related factors on knowledge management effectiveness. Besides IT-support and formal elements of the organization, it is cultural factors that strongly influence knowledge management success. In temporary organizations they compensate for the lack of organizational routines and organizational memory. Our results contribute to a more differentiated understanding of knowledge management in project environments.

The increasing projectification of the business world corresponds with a high diversity of theoretical perspectives used in project management research. This diversity is reflected by a variety of influencing factors, which have been the subject of empirical studies. This article aims to systemize the different streams of research on the basis of a literature review and at developing a research framework by integrating multiple theoretical perspectives and influencing factors. We elaborate on the crosslinks between the perspectives and identify fundamental elements of a project management theory. The framework consists of three dimensions: design, context, and goal. Its purpose is to support the combination of different perspectives and the development of strategies for further research.

Innovation Management Control (IMC) supports innovation management with valuable information, thus improving innovation effectiveness and efficiency. Literature has shown that different elements of a management control system must be interdependent and that its design must form a coherent system of controls that spans the entire process under control. Accordingly, IMC covers the entire innovation process. However, IMC literature is spread over numerous journals from different disciplines, which may prevent the development of holistic IMC systems. We present a bibliometric analysis that provides insights into the development of IMC as a research field and examines the severity of knowledge dispersal. We build on a database covering 549 papers. The aim of the study is to reveal IMCs emergence and evolution as a research field, and future research directions. Our study shows that IMC combines several subfields and that dispersion is present in IMC, thus slowing knowledge transfer and hindering rapid progress.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is show how the management of knowledge in temporary organizations is an increasingly important factor in many industries. This paper aims to examine knowledge management in and between projects.Design/methodology/approachOn the basis of 27 structured interviews with project managers and knowledge management experts in different corporations mainly located in Germany and German speaking countries, the prevalence, the organization and the success factors of project knowledge management are analyzed.FindingsAs a result, most interviewees stated an urgent need for a significant improvement of project knowledge management although only in few companies a systematic approach exists. The success of project knowledge management is mainly determined by cultural factors whereas technical aspects like information systems and project management methods are considered to serve as supporting factors only.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should include large‐scale surveys to systematically analyze the causalities of successful project knowledge management in different types of projects, organizations, and industries. Further research involving companies located in other cultural areas could help extracting possible effects caused by cultural or societal influences.Originality/valueThe authors present a cross‐sectional study on project knowledge management comprising companies from different industries.

Based on network analytical techniques, in this paper I extend information-processing theory to the micro level and develop a new approach to directly analyze information processing within individual organizations. I introduce the concept of information fit for measuring organizational information processing capacity. To demonstrate how the approach can be applied empirically, I perform a comparative case study in two corporations. The findings suggest that the micro-level analysis reveals a fine-grained picture of information processing within organizations. It provides a diagnostic tool for research and practice.

The research on air cargo revenue management (ACRM) topics goes back almost two decades, focusing on operations research, especially optimisation models. Neither process nor organisational issues have been widely analysed for ACRM. Furthermore, a structural analysis on the challenges of ACRM is missing. This paper identifies the major challenges for ACRM and suggests approaches how those challenges can be managed based on critical success factors that have been identified in earlier research of the authors.

In order to wean their economies away from declining oil reserves some Middle Eastern countries pursue substantial investments into their aviation sector. The bulk of these investments concentrates on the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and comprises fleet expansions stoked by massive airport extensions and development projects. Following an assessment of current growth processes in the Middle East, this paper analyzes the impacts of this development on flight patterns as well as on the incumbent airlines and airport operators. Furthermore, fields for potential strategic reaction are presented. Our results show that Middle Eastern carriers will soon emerge as serious global competitors to the established carriers. Since there is no sufficient regional demand to fill their capacity, these carriers aim at redirecting international traffic flows from Europe and the Americas to Asia. As a result, major players particularly in Europe and Asia will be directly affected. However, our results also indicate that for some markets Middle Eastern players are unfavourably positioned concerning parameters like flight time and required connection flights.

PurposeInnovation is one of the key drivers of economic success. However, the global environment is changing and makes innovation management more competitive. In order to sustain an advantage, companies seem to adopt more flexible schemes of organization. Specifically, innovation networks appear useful to researchers and practitioners. This paper aims to explore the current empirical relevance of this phenomenon in the automotive sector, the goals and performance of innovation networks as well as their formation and governance.Design/methodology/approachThrough a series of semi‐structured interviews with managers from European automobile firms, insights into network approaches and strategies based on the analysis of 39 innovation networks are presented. The study comprises all relevant actors in the industry such as large OEMs as well as small and medium‐sized second‐tier and third‐tier suppliers.FindingsThe empirical survey was able to confirm that innovation networks are of high relevance in the automobile sector. It can be expected that innovation networks will spread further and gain more importance in the coming years. The most important goals that the involved companies aim to realize by using innovation networks include flexible access to technologies, intensified contact with clients and markets and long‐term bonding of suppliers and clients. The companies report a fairly good performance of their innovation networks. Finally, various aspects of network formation and governance have been identified.Practical implicationsSeveral deficits in current network management practices are identified. Improving these issues, the performance level of innovation networks could be raised even higher.Originality/valueBuilding on previous work in this field, this paper adds empirical insights on innovation networks in the automobile business.

Overbooking is one of the most important processes of Air Cargo Revenue Management (ACRM). Airlines can improve their capacity utilisation and increase revenue and profitability. Overbooking, however, can on the other hand lead to offloads and suffering service quality. Current overbooking methods usually work on the flight event level and forecast shows up ratios based on historical flight events. These methods were derived from passenger airline overbooking models and imply various problems as the business requirements of air cargo differ significantly from the passenger business. This paper suggests a new approach for ACRM using certain parameters of the Shipment Information Record (SIR) to forecast the show up behaviour of a shipment. As this methodology is again derived from the so-called Passenger Name Record (PNR)-based overbooking of the passenger business, this paper focuses on the analysis whether it is reasonable to adapt the PNR-based method for air cargo. Some basic definitions that are necessary for future research are provided and the results of an expert survey that was processed to identify the parameters that significantly determine the shipment show up behaviour are presented. The aim is to provide the necessary foundations for further research on SIR-based overbooking.

This paper examines the importance of networks of interfirm cooperation in biotechnology. As in other knowledge-intensive industries, network-like cooperation is suggested to be a critical factor for companies as they enable the unobstructed exchange of information and knowledge. A discussion of the extant literature reveals two competing perspectives on corporate networks in high-tech industries. While one group of actors has argued that due to the high importance of information and knowledge in these industries, companies are embedded in dense interorganizational collaboration networks, others have suggested that a dense core may be distinguished from a sparse periphery in these networks. By applying a network analytical approach we test both propositions empirically for a regional network in biotechnology. Our findings show that the assumption of dense interorganizational networks does not seem to hold true. Instead, we find support for the assumption that within regional networks, a considerable number of companies are only loosely connected to the network’s dense core.

Interorganizational networks in knowledge-intense industries have gained increasing academic attention within the last years. It has been suggested that the structural embeddedness of firms into corporate networks boosts the transfer and exchange of information and knowledge across corporate borders and hence forms the basis for competitive advantages. Gaining a favorable position within the network is proposed to be critical to corporate success. Thus in many cases, the propositions about interorganizational networks are vague and empirically poorly founded. Building on a thorough literature research, we derive hypotheses about the structure of interorganizational knowledge networks. Using a network analytical approach, we test our hypotheses for a corporate network in biotechnology. The results of the study reveal several inconsistencies between the theoretically derived assumptions and the reality of the interorganizational exchange of knowledge and information within corporate networks.

The efficient and effective management of projects is a key success factor for many organizations. Empirical studies indicate that systematic know-how transfer from, between and within projects has significant impact on the success of projects. However, the role of knowledge management in projects has been insufficiently investigated. This research aims at spotting the status quo and causalities of project knowledge management in a sample of companies from different industries and to identify success factors. Based on 27 interviews, the current status, determinants and good practices of effective knowledge management in project environments are identified. The determinants and good practices can be traced back to four categories: cultural, organizational, structural, and processrelated aspects. The interrelations between these and project knowledge effectiveness and project success are statistically investigated based on a survey with a sample of 495 questionnaires. Based on the understanding of success factors and cause-andeffect relations management implications are developed.