Initial environmental conditions and technological change
Article Abstract:
This paper provides a theoretical link between the initial environmental conditions surrounding a firm's birth and first few years of operations and its process of technological change. The main argument is that initial environmental conditions influence the technological trajectories of business firms. Four mechanisms through which this influence is carried out are technological paradigm, dominant logic, organizational structure, and configuration. These mechanisms act as carriers of initial influences and constrain the future technological developments, restricting thus the possible technological trajectories a firm can follow. This paper discusses the above mechanisms and a number of propositions concerning the kind of influence different initial environmental conditions have on technological change. The paper concludes with implications for further research. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)
Publication Name: Journal of Management Studies
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0022-2380
Year: 1999
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Trends in human resources outsourcing
Article Abstract:
An increasing number of companies are outsourcing their human resources (HR) functions to free their HR departments from administrative tasks and to allow them to participate in more strategic activities. HR managers are therefore given leeway to transform themselves into partners of business managers and to focus on such strategic issues as compensation management and research, turnover and recruiting analysis, career development and succession management. According to the 1997 survey of KPMG Business Process Solutions, companies are becoming more conscious of the effects and potential benefits of outsourcing, which indicates that they are becoming more sophisticated patrons of outsourcing services. Outsourcing vendors are responding with such concepts as customer 'intimacy' and 'one-stop shopping.'
Publication Name: Management Accounting (USA)
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0025-1690
Year: 1997
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