Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal, 2015
Purpose– This paper aims to focus on how organisational capabilities, enhancing the dynamic capab... more Purpose– This paper aims to focus on how organisational capabilities, enhancing the dynamic capability perspective, evolve during a more than five-year offshoring process in four Danish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The strategic decision to offshore some manufacturing activities meant that capabilities were ruptured and had to be rebuilt.Design/methodology/approach– The empirical investigation took the form of qualitative case studies with a longitudinal orientation focussing in on a few events in the four cases (strategic change in the sourcing configuration) as a process research design (Pettigrew, 1990; Van de Ven, 2007). Interviews were transcribed and coded in NVivo.Findings– The four cases followed distinct trajectories, but they all changed their routines regarding how to handle knowledge, including both technology and human resources. A need for specific human resources acting as boundary spanners arose, transforming both intra- and inter-organisational practi...
Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form ... more Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form and this development seriously challenges their organizational capabilities. More specifically, over the last years, SMEs have commenced entering these kinds of arrangements. As the organizational capabilities of SMEs are limited at the outset, even more emphasis is needed regarding the issues of developing relevant organizational capabilities. This paper aims at investigating how capabilities evolve during an offshoring process of more than 5 years in two Danish SMEs, i.e. not only short- but long-term evolvements within the companies. We develop our framework of understanding organizational capabilities drawing on dynamic capability, relational capability and strategy as practice concepts, appreciating the performative aspects of developing new routines. Our two cases are taken from one author’s Ph.D. study on SME offshoring. The case study takes its point of departure in the initial event of manufacturing routines being offshored. This meant that previous collocated capabilities partly lost their value and relevance, and new capabilities had to be built. From there the cases have followed distinctive trajectories and the companies have changed their routines for handling knowledge between the new entities dispersed in space and time. Specifically the use of key boundary spanners as routine translators and implementers emerged as a key capability in the two case companies. Further routines were reallocated over time thereby creating a growing need for new capabilities and transformed knowledge handling routines. IT emerged into an important resource to support more complex routines of product development as well as specific management and HRM processes assisting the transformation of the organizational capabilities of the SMEs.
Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form ... more Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form and this development seriously challenges their organizational capabilities. More specifically, over the last years, SMEs have commenced entering these kinds of arrangements. As the organizational capabilities of SMEs are limited at the outset, even more emphasis is needed regarding the issues of developing relevant organizational capabilities. This paper aims at investigating how capabilities evolve during an offshoring process of more than 5 years in two Danish SMEs, i.e. not only short- but long-term evolvements within the companies. We develop our framework of understanding organizational capabilities drawing on dynamic capability, relational capability and strategy as practice concepts, appreciating the performative aspects of developing new routines. Our two cases are taken from one author’s Ph.D. study on SME offshoring. The case study takes its point of departure in the initial event of manufacturing routines being offshored. This meant that previous collocated capabilities partly lost their value and relevance, and new capabilities had to be built. From there the cases have followed distinctive trajectories and the companies have changed their routines for handling knowledge between the new entities dispersed in space and time. Specifically the use of key boundary spanners as routine translators and implementers emerged as a key capability in the two case companies. Further routines were reallocated over time thereby creating a growing need for new capabilities and transformed knowledge handling routines. IT emerged into an important resource to support more complex routines of product development as well as specific management and HRM processes assisting the transformation of the organizational capabilities of the SMEs.
Discourses on dynamic capabilities of organisations tend to rest in an unclear field of tension b... more Discourses on dynamic capabilities of organisations tend to rest in an unclear field of tension between structural and individual explanations. Most contributions submit to the structural features of the concept, yet some allow for explanations of a more individual character, such as top management leadership. This paper conceptualises and analyses the individual contribution of boundary spanners (including both top management and key individuals) to macro-level capability development of organisations. We show how two Danish SMEs’ resources and capabilities transform during an offshoring process of more than five years, where individual capabilities contribute to the struggle to implement changes over time when capabilities are ruptured. We thereby further add to the literature and the understanding of how dynamic capabilities evolve over time in organisations. Specifically the use of key boundary spanners emerges as a key capability in both cases for managing more complex constella...
Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal, 2015
Purpose– This paper aims to focus on how organisational capabilities, enhancing the dynamic capab... more Purpose– This paper aims to focus on how organisational capabilities, enhancing the dynamic capability perspective, evolve during a more than five-year offshoring process in four Danish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The strategic decision to offshore some manufacturing activities meant that capabilities were ruptured and had to be rebuilt.Design/methodology/approach– The empirical investigation took the form of qualitative case studies with a longitudinal orientation focussing in on a few events in the four cases (strategic change in the sourcing configuration) as a process research design (Pettigrew, 1990; Van de Ven, 2007). Interviews were transcribed and coded in NVivo.Findings– The four cases followed distinct trajectories, but they all changed their routines regarding how to handle knowledge, including both technology and human resources. A need for specific human resources acting as boundary spanners arose, transforming both intra- and inter-organisational practi...
Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form ... more Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form and this development seriously challenges their organizational capabilities. More specifically, over the last years, SMEs have commenced entering these kinds of arrangements. As the organizational capabilities of SMEs are limited at the outset, even more emphasis is needed regarding the issues of developing relevant organizational capabilities. This paper aims at investigating how capabilities evolve during an offshoring process of more than 5 years in two Danish SMEs, i.e. not only short- but long-term evolvements within the companies. We develop our framework of understanding organizational capabilities drawing on dynamic capability, relational capability and strategy as practice concepts, appreciating the performative aspects of developing new routines. Our two cases are taken from one author’s Ph.D. study on SME offshoring. The case study takes its point of departure in the initial event of manufacturing routines being offshored. This meant that previous collocated capabilities partly lost their value and relevance, and new capabilities had to be built. From there the cases have followed distinctive trajectories and the companies have changed their routines for handling knowledge between the new entities dispersed in space and time. Specifically the use of key boundary spanners as routine translators and implementers emerged as a key capability in the two case companies. Further routines were reallocated over time thereby creating a growing need for new capabilities and transformed knowledge handling routines. IT emerged into an important resource to support more complex routines of product development as well as specific management and HRM processes assisting the transformation of the organizational capabilities of the SMEs.
Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form ... more Offshored and networked enterprises are becoming an important if not leading organizational form and this development seriously challenges their organizational capabilities. More specifically, over the last years, SMEs have commenced entering these kinds of arrangements. As the organizational capabilities of SMEs are limited at the outset, even more emphasis is needed regarding the issues of developing relevant organizational capabilities. This paper aims at investigating how capabilities evolve during an offshoring process of more than 5 years in two Danish SMEs, i.e. not only short- but long-term evolvements within the companies. We develop our framework of understanding organizational capabilities drawing on dynamic capability, relational capability and strategy as practice concepts, appreciating the performative aspects of developing new routines. Our two cases are taken from one author’s Ph.D. study on SME offshoring. The case study takes its point of departure in the initial event of manufacturing routines being offshored. This meant that previous collocated capabilities partly lost their value and relevance, and new capabilities had to be built. From there the cases have followed distinctive trajectories and the companies have changed their routines for handling knowledge between the new entities dispersed in space and time. Specifically the use of key boundary spanners as routine translators and implementers emerged as a key capability in the two case companies. Further routines were reallocated over time thereby creating a growing need for new capabilities and transformed knowledge handling routines. IT emerged into an important resource to support more complex routines of product development as well as specific management and HRM processes assisting the transformation of the organizational capabilities of the SMEs.
Discourses on dynamic capabilities of organisations tend to rest in an unclear field of tension b... more Discourses on dynamic capabilities of organisations tend to rest in an unclear field of tension between structural and individual explanations. Most contributions submit to the structural features of the concept, yet some allow for explanations of a more individual character, such as top management leadership. This paper conceptualises and analyses the individual contribution of boundary spanners (including both top management and key individuals) to macro-level capability development of organisations. We show how two Danish SMEs’ resources and capabilities transform during an offshoring process of more than five years, where individual capabilities contribute to the struggle to implement changes over time when capabilities are ruptured. We thereby further add to the literature and the understanding of how dynamic capabilities evolve over time in organisations. Specifically the use of key boundary spanners emerges as a key capability in both cases for managing more complex constella...
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Papers by C. Jorgensen