Abstract: While the case method using existing cases in teaching is relatively well researched the use of case writing in teaching has received limited attention. A few studies have reported on the advantages of case writing and the beneficial educational outcomes on a broad set of skills and knowledge and the win-win situation in case writing in cooperation between business and university education. Some research has been reported using case writing in academic education; however, the topic is far from systematically explored. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, to present experiences and findings from using case writing in an advanced course on Technology Strategy for engineering students. Secondly, to present a framework for effective teaching and use of case writing projects in university education.
Abstract: This multiple industry longitudinal study using secondary data on 3160 Indian firms for five years investigates how the founding contexts: pre versus post liberalization, and affiliation to business groups, affect the temporal performance of the firms in the new millennium. The study reveals: the diversity of founding context results in variation of firm performance, but the strategic choices exercised by managers and entrepreneurs tend to overcome these variations by dynamically moderating these effects and lead to convergence of the firm performance. The study validates the organizational imprinting hypothesis for broad macroeconomic founding contexts specific to emerging economies, provides insight on strategic transformation, has implications on research on business groups, and has implications for entrepreneur and managers who have to face the challenge of transforming organizations.
Abstract: Strategy tools are commonly used in modern organizations all over the world to facilitate strategy work. It is, however, not clear when to use what tools. The inspiration for this study was the revelation that this problem had been solved in the game of golf by focusing on the situated practice of golf-club use, i.e. individual swing-style in differing situations. Strategy tools also have specific features that work best in knowledgeable hands and favourable situations. The paper presents an empirical study of 250 company executives and argues that the context places limitations on both which strategy tools can be used and how they are employed. A new conceptual model of strategy-tool use is introduced and guidelines for compiling a set of tools are given.
Abstract: In this paper, we propose to look at the practices of those who are in charge of knowledge management in corporations: the knowledge managers. We adopt an activity system lens to understand the contradictions inside the activity system of the managers. Three conflicts of the knowledge management function are studied: the length of the mandate (long-term versus short-term); the instruments used to measure the impact of knowledge management initiatives on organizational performance and the governance chosen to manage the knowledge management tools.