Recent Submissions

  • Creating meta-narratives: How analogies and metaphors support business model innovation

    Podoynitsyna, Ksenia; Snihur, Yuliya; Thomas, Llewellyn D. W.; Grégoire, Denis A. (2020)
    We investigate how Salesforce’s key people used analogies and metaphors during the deployment of their (then) radical business model innovation. Our analysis shows how Salesforce’s entrepreneurial team skillfully used a mix of analogies and metaphors to communicate its innovations and differentiate the company from its competitors. We also show how business model innovators can weave together analogies and metaphors to create distinct meta-narratives that elicited strong emotions and helped construct a memorable organizational identity that galvanized stakeholders around the firm’s ecosystem appeal. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for business model and cognition research.
  • Strategy in the Era of Digital Disruption

    Podoynitsyna, Ksenia; Vaznytė-Hünermund, Eglė; van den Born, A. (2023)
    Although digital disruption has become a buzzword, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of what digital disruption actually is and what strategies can be employed to make it happen. Therefore, this chapter starts off by explaining the notion of digital disruption and consecutively illustrating its pervasiveness using a number of detailed examples. It then offers a sneak peek of the processes happening behind the scenes of digital disruption. Specifically, it explains business model innovations, innovation ecosystems, and platforms and network effects as the core strategic concepts that are of paramount importance for understanding the digitalization dynamics. The chapter ends with the state-of-the-art insights towards future challenges and avenues for further research.
  • The Illusion of control: Project data, computer algorithms and human intuition for project management and control

    Vanhoucke, Mario (2023)
    This book comprehensively assesses the growing importance of project data for project scheduling, risk analysis and control. It discusses the relevance of project data for both researchers and professionals, and illustrates why the collection, processing and use of such data is not as straightforward as most people think. The theme of this book is known in the literature as data-driven project management and includes the discussion of using computer algorithms, human intuition, and project data for managing projects under risk. The book reviews the basic components of data-driven project management by summarizing the current state-of-the-art methodologies, including the latest computer and machine learning algorithms and statistical methodologies, for project risk and control. It highlights the importance of artificial project data for academics, and describes the specific requirements such data must meet. In turn, the book discusses a wide variety of statistical methods available to generate these artificial data and shows how they have helped researchers to develop algorithms and tools to improve decision-making in project management. Moreover, it examines the relevance of project data from a professional standpoint and describes how professionals should collect empirical project data for better decision-making. Finally, the book introduces a new approach to data collection, generation, and analysis for creating project databases, making it relevant for academic researchers and professional project managers alike.
  • Cultivating digital transformation at Arcadis. A Global Expedition into the Digital Universe

    Danneels, Lieselot; Viaene, Stijn; Van den Bergh, Joachim; Moore, Carolyn (2021)
    Presents an extensive collection of real-world cases on digitalization Includes cases from world's leading organizations in various sectors Shares essential practical insights into digital transformation and the management of digital disruption
  • Platform work inside organisations: An exploration of tensions in intra-organisational labour platforms

    Rogiers, Philip; Meijerink, J.; Viaene, Stijn (2024)
    This comprehensive Research Handbook examines the fundamental influence of emerging disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, online platforms, the internet of things, and social robots, on Human Resource Management (HRM). Bringing together an array of interdisciplinary experts, this erudite Research Handbook analyses the HRM challenges posed by disruptive technologies and develops practical propositions to counteract them. It discusses the navigation of ethical dilemmas, human rights and digital governance in HRM, consumer value in the digital economy, and technology-driven changes in HRM practice. Featuring case studies on talent management in multinational enterprises, the engagement of digital generations with contemporary technologies, and the introduction of cobots in the manufacturing industry, contributors expertly explore current discussions and future directions for scholarly research. Promoting a better understanding of critical perspectives on HRM and disruptive technologies, this Handbook will be a vital resource for students, scholars and researchers in business analytics, information systems, knowledge management, organisational innovation, technology, and ICT. It will also provide valuable guidance on the effects of emerging technologies for HR and leadership practitioners.
  • Venture capital investors and performance aspirations

    Collewaert, Veroniek; Neckebrouck, Jeroen; Vanacker, Tom (2023)
    While since long venture capital investors have been considered rational and unbiased investors, more recently scholars have challenged this view and shown that venture capitalists’ – like many other investors’ – actual behavior does not always align with assumptions of rationality. One particularly interesting stream of research has adopted the Behavioral Theory of the Firm to study venture capitalists’ strategic decision making. This chapter will review this nascent, yet promising, line of research.
  • Family firms and private equity

    Neckebrouck, Jeroen; Manigart, Sophie (2023)
    This chapter delves into the intriguing relationship between family firms (FFs) and private equity (PE), shedding light on the opportunities and challenges inherent in this phenomenon. FFs, which are characterized by significant family ownership and control, have captured the attention of PE investors worldwide. On the one hand, PE investors represent an interesting partner for FFs as the former may help to resolve conflicts, address liquidity needs, facilitate succession, drive growth, and adapt to changing industries. PE becomes an essential option for FFs when other financing avenues are limited, and minority investments hold particular allure as they allow the family to maintain control while benefiting from external resources. On the other hand, PE investors recognize the growth potential and promising financial returns associated with FFs. However, negotiations can be intricate since FFs often also consider noneconomic factors. Information asymmetries and trust issues can hinder the process, underscoring the importance of building rapport and aligning strategic and financial objectives. Evidence shows that FFs are more inclined to grant control and voting rights to PE investors when trust is high and when the investor’s nonfinancial resources are required. Although research is relatively limited, positive effects of PE investments on FF performance have been observed, particularly when FFs were underperforming prior to the investment. Acquiring minority stakes in FFs has been found to stimulate growth and profitability, particularly when integrating the existing management team. In conclusion, the partnership between family firms (FFs) and private equity (PE) investors holds strong potential for value creation and mutual benefit. With the provision of financial resources and expertise from PE investors, FFs gain the means to overcome growth challenges and navigate generational transitions. Building trust, aligning strategic objectives, and integrating management teams, however, are crucial for success. When addressing these challenges, FFs and PE investors may unlock significant potential for value creation.
  • Strategy in Turbulent Times. How to Design a Strategy That Is Robust and Future-Proof

    Verweire, Kurt (2024)
    Companies face increasingly turbulent times. Economic and political uncertainty, sustainability developments, and competitors with new business models are just some issues that stretch companies' resilience and adaptability. Strategy in Turbulent Times presents a way of analyzing and fighting turbulent environments. Using four animal metaphors, the Camel, Salmon, Chameleon and Octopus, it shows you how to develop new strategies and how to implement them. It is up to you to discover which animal represents the appropriate turbulence strategy for your organization.
  • From absorptive capacity in international business to strategic flexibility of multinational corporations

    Peeters, Carine (Oxford Research Encyclopedias, Business and Management, 2023)
    Both the absorptive capacity (AC) and international business (IB) literatures are interested in knowledge processes and learning in organizations. Although originating from different streams of research, AC and IB were thus meant to meet and reinforce each other. Fundamentally, the role of AC in IB is to condition the performance outcome of firms’ internationalization efforts. Firms benefit from their IB activities conditional on being able to absorb new knowledge and learn. In other words, multinational corporations (MNCs) need to have the necessary AC to overcome their liabilities of foreignness and outsidership. Short of AC, the costs and challenges of entering foreign markets and operating across countries are likely to outweigh potential performance gains. Moreover, AC plays a role in the technological upgrade and economic development of nations, as it helps firms in emerging economies to benefit from spillovers of foreign direct investments by MNCs from more economically advanced economies. And national governments can play an important role to facilitate this effect by developing appropriate economic and innovation policies that support knowledge creation and learning. Firms can also proactively develop AC. For instance, MNCs can nurture a broad knowledge base that can be leveraged in different contexts and opt for a decentralized structure with mechanisms that help subsidiaries access the knowledge base of the parent organization. They can also practice specific routines to identify and access relevant knowledge from their external environment, transfer that knowledge in their organization, and assimilate it in their own knowledge creation processes. Moreover, MNCs can adopt human resources management practices that help raise the capacity and motivation of their employees to acquire and exploit new knowledge. Ultimately, the most important contribution of AC in IB might be to help MNCs develop the strategic flexibility that enables them to thrive in dynamic environments. High-AC MNCs may indeed be in a better position than other firms to (a) build diverse options to prepare for uncertain evolutions in the market, (b) access flexible resources to allocate to new courses of actions, and (c) redeploy resources across options over time. Unpacking the exact mechanisms as well as boundary conditions for the role of AC in building strategic flexibility offers ample opportunities for future research on a highly relevant topic for MNCs.
  • Digital at heart- How to lead the human centric digital transformation

    Viaene, Stijn; Decroix, Ignace; Vanderheyden, Karlien (2024)
    The much-needed digital transformation organisations and companies must make creates tension and uncertainty for many. After all, more than finding and applying the latest technologies, it is essential to streamline internal processes and adapt the organization to new ways of working. Success largely depends on the willingness of all employees to participate in this process and, therefore to what extent organizations succeed in transforming the mindset and culture within the company. This book will teach you how to place people first in a digital transformation process. It allows you to look at the relationship between people and technology in a new way and helps get all employees on board confidently.
  • Competitive digital innovation - Transforming products, processes and business models to win in the digital economy

    Basu, Amit; Muylle, Steve (2023)
    Innovative digital technologies are forcing companies to rethink how they compete. The focus of digital innovation in business has shifted from internal transformation within firms to their market interface and ecosystems. While opportunities for innovation in internal operations are well established, it’s less clear how to leverage technology at the market interface. This often has strategic implications, and the goal of this book is help you connect digital innovation to business strategy. By understanding how to leverage digital technologies, you can redefine your market-facing business processes, your products, services and even your business models and stay competitive in today’s hybrid markets. This book provides a coherent and comprehensive approach to not just survive but rather thrive in the 21st Century global marketplace. With global, real-world examples and original frameworks, this is an ideal book for executives and anyone who wants to understand digital strategy. Highly practical but infused with rigorous research, it shows you how your business can use digital technologies to compete in today’s hybrid markets.
  • Contracting in private equity-backed buyouts

    Wynant, Luc; Manigart, Sophie (2023)
    Private equity (PE)-backed buyouts are transactions in which a business or business units are acquired from its current shareholders by a PE investor together with the management team (Gilligan and Wright 2014; Renneboog and Vansteenkiste 2017), and in which the PE investor typically becomes the majority shareholder. PE investors are professional investors who invest in private companies with the aim to create value in the medium term, through enhancing governance, providing strategic advice and access to networks (Manigart et al. 2022). As they rely on the management team to execute the value creation process, agency problems may arise between PE investors as principals and the management as agents (Jensen 1989). To mitigate potential agency problems, elaborate contracts are negotiated between PE investors and management, but also between the buyers and the sellers....
  • Corporate Finance

    Deloof, Marc; Manigart, Sophie; Ooghe, Hubert; Van Hulle, Cynthia (2023)
    This textbook discusses the sources of funding and capital structure of corporations (excluding financial institutions). After an introduction on the objectives and functions of corporate finance, the following topics are covered: investment analysis and minimum investment return requirement, capital structure and dividend policy, long- and medium-term financing, working capital valuation, international financial policy, and other specific financial topics. - The authors link theoretical insight to practical cases. - Written for financial professionals and (post)university students.
  • Faultlines: Understanding how board composition may influence team dynamics and subgroup formation in corporate boards

    Mendiratta, Esha (2023)
    Challenging existing research and concepts, this Research Handbook presents cutting-edge new research on diversity and corporate governance. Going beyond the surface of diversity, global expert contributors present a diverse range of chapters offering a wide range of perspectives on the use of theories and methodologies.
  • Guide to listing in Belgium

    Van den Cruijce, Johan; Santens, Hilde; Janssens de Bisthoven, Nicolas; Šadic Herzberger, Emina (2020)
    The purpose of this Guide is to outline specific issues and (continuing) obligations a listed company may be confronted with in Belgium. The point of reference for this Guide is the position of a Belgian issuer that is listed on Euronext Brussels. A listing on Euronext Brussels is subject to more conditions and ongoing obligations than an admission to trading on any other market in Belgium. An understanding of the organisation and functioning of Euronext Brussels will thus – if and when relevant – help in understanding the regulatory framework of other trading venues in Belgium. The Guide deals with corporate governance and pays attention to the obligations and status of directors and executive managers, to select finance and tax topics and to opportunities for employee participation. The Guide also covers the reasons and procedures for a possible de-listing. This is an issue that may become relevant to any listed company and experience has shown that institutional investors and corporate governance rating agencies are keen to gain an understanding of the rights and obligations of the various players in this context. This expanded 2020 edition includes matters of secretarial practice, compliance and valuation. Updates in the book take into account the provisions of the Code on Companies and Associations and the 2020 version of the Belgian Code on Corporate Governance. This Guide is conceived as a quick-reference document. All chapters can be consulted separately and the notes allow the reader to find additional information on the topics and issues discussed. The contents of this book reflect only the authors’ opinions, which are not necessarily shared by Atlas Services Belgium or the group to which it belongs.
  • The good governance guide to risk

    Ashby, Simon (2021)
    Risk is something that affects all organisations and if not handled correctly, it can be catastrophic. Our Good Governance Guide to Risk offers complete coverage of this dense, wide-ranging topic and will make sure that you are managing and controlling risk effectively. Starting with risk identification, evaluation and reporting, it will guide you through all the steps necessary for robust risk management, ensuring your processes are as rigorous and thorough as possible. The book takes a global perspective on risk and emphasises exactly why managing it properly is essential to organisational success. With a variety of risk management frameworks and approaches, the guidance can be directly applied to all organisation types. What’s more, the book looks forward to the future of risk management, addressing topics such as climate change, financial crime and shareholder activism, helping you stay one-step ahead.
  • Negotiation and dispute resolution for lawyers

    Jordaan, Barney (2022)
    Expertly combining negotiation theory and practice, Negotiation and Dispute Resolution for Lawyers demonstrates how lawyers can deliver enhanced levels of service to their clients. Comprehensive and engaging, the book is a lawyer’s guide to resolving conflict, negotiating deals, preserving important client relationships, and ultimately becoming truly effective problem solvers. Key Features: • Accessible explanation of key concepts relating to negotiation, as well as less familiar ideas such as planned early dispute resolution and guided mediation • Introduction to the strategies, tactics, and core skills required for effective negotiation and conflict resolution, including how to overcome cultural and technological barriers • Learning and unlearning processes facilitated by relevant examples, figures, and practical tools such as checklists With its broad scope and emphasis on practical application, this richly detailed book is an essential resource for lawyers in private practice and in-house corporate counsel. Lawyers in training will benefit from its nuanced approach to negotiation within a legal context, helping to broaden their repertoire of advisory, advocacy, counselling, and process design skills.
  • Management accounting

    Jorissen, Ann; Roodhooft, Filip (2021)
    Management accounting bespreekt het gebruik van kosten- en opbrengstinformatie in een beslissingscontext en geeft een helder antwoord op belangrijke vragen. Met welke instrumenten en welke informatie kan de manager beslissen over acties voor zijn organisatie? Hoe kunt u uw capaciteit optimaal benutten, producten afstoten of promoten, budgetten opmaken en een managementcontrolesysteem opzetten? Wat zijn de verschillende deelelementen van een managementcontrolesysteem? Hoe volgt u het budget op via variantieanalyse? De auteurs besteden aandacht aan concepten als activity based budgeting, beyond budgeting en benchmarking. Bovendien is het boek zeer geschikt voor zelfstudie: heldere samenvattingen aan het einde van elk deel; praktijkgerichte situatieschetsen; talrijke oefeningen.
  • Cost Accounting

    Jorissen, Ann; Roodhooft, Filip; Van Liedekerke, Christine; Walraevens, Guy (2021)
    Cost accounting vormt een geheel met Management accounting en geeft de lezer inkijk in het brede domein van management accounting. In Cost accounting leert u hoe u: kosteninformatie verzamelt; die informatie zinvol toewijst aan mogelijke kostobjecten; de winstgevendheid van producten, diensten, klanten, markten en distributiekanalen evalueert. Het boek gaat dieper in op onder andere kostenbegrippen, kostprijscomponenten, break-evenanalyse, process costing, activity based costing, standaardkostencalculatie en variabele kostprijsberekening. Breid uw kennis op een praktische manier uit door: links met analytisch boekhouden (waar aangewezen); opgeloste oefeningen voor zelfstudie na elk hoofdstuk; naar moeilijkheidsgraad gerangschikte oefeningenreeks per hoofdstuk.

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