Información del artículo
Abstract
Micro-foundations have emerged as an important foundational theme in recent management research. I offer an interpretation of what micro-foundations may mean in the context of management research; argue that the interest in micro-foundations have arisen as a consequence of the shortcomings of extant, dominant macro perspectives with respect to coming to grips with key management and organizational challenges related to knowledgebased production; and offer some alternative foundations, based on goal-framing theory, that are better capable of handling these challenges.
Keywords:
Micro-foundations
capabilities
research heuristics
managing knowledge based production
Resumen
Los micro-fundamentos han emergido de forma reciente como un tema de interés para la investigación en Dirección de Empresas. En este trabajo se ofrece una interpretación de su significado e interés para la investigación. Se argumenta que su interés surge como consecuencia de las limitaciones de las perspectivas macro, dominantes, con respecto a los desafíos organizativos y de dirección derivados de la producción basada en el conocimiento. En el trabajo se presentan también otros fundamentos alternativos más adecuados para tratar estos problemas basados en la teoría goal-framing.
Palabras clave:
Microfundamentos
capacidades
producción basada en el conocimiento
El Texto completo está disponible en PDF
References
[Abell et al., 2008]
P. Abell, T. Felin, N.J. Foss.
«Building Micro-Foundations for the Routines, Capabilities, and Performance Links».
Managerial and Decision Economics, (2008),
[Adler and Borys, 1996]
P.S. Adler, B. Borys.
«Two types of bureaucracy: Enabling and coercive».
Administrative Science Quarterly, 41 (1996), pp. 61-89
[Ahuja, 2000]
G. Ahuja.
«Collaboration Networks, Structural Holes, and Innovation: A Longitudinal Study».
Administrative Science Quarterly, 45 (2000), pp. 425-457
[Argote, 1999]
L. Argote.
Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge.
Kluwer, (1999),
[Barney, 1986]
J.B. Barney.
«Corporate Culture: Can It be a Source of Competitive Advantage?».
Academy of Management Review, 11 (1986), pp. 656-665
[Barney, 2001]
J.B. Barney.
«Is the Resource-based View a Useful Perspective for Strategic Management Research? Yes».
Academy of Management Review, 26 (2001), pp. 41-54
[Becker, 2004]
M. Becker.
«Organizational Routines: A Review of the Literature».
Industrial and Corporate Change, 13 (2004), pp. 643-678
[Burt, 1992]
R.S. Burt.
Structural Holes: The Social Structure of Competition.
Harvard University Press, (1992),
[Cabrera et al., 2006]
A. Cabrera, W.C. Collins, J.F. Salgado.
«Determinants of Individual Engagement in Knowledge Sharing».
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17 (2006), pp. 245-264
[Cabrera and Cabrera, 2005]
E.F. Cabrera, A. Cabrera.
«Fostering Knowledge Sharing Through People Management Practices».
International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2005, 16 (2005), pp. 270-735
[Cartwright, 1989]
N. Cartwright.
Nature's Capacities and Their Measurement.
Oxford University Press, (1989),
[Coff, 1999]
R. Coff.
«When Competitive Advantage Doesn’t Lead to Performance: Resource- based Theory and Stakeholder Bargaining Power».
Organization Science, 10 (1999), pp. 119-133
[Cohen and Levinthal, 1990]
W.M. Cohen, D.A. Levinthal.
«Absorptive Capacity: A New Perspective on Learning and Innovation».
Administrative Science Quarterly, 35 (1990), pp. 128-152
[Coleman, 1990]
J.S. Coleman.
Foundations of Social Theory.
The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, (1990),
[Cowan and Rizzo, 1996]
R. Cowan, M. Rizzo.
«The Genetic-Causal Tradition and Economic Theory ».
Kyklos, 49 (1996), pp. 273-317
[Cyert and March, 1963]
R.M. Cyert, J.G. March.
A Behavioral Theory of the Firm.
Oxford University Press, (1963),
[Dansereau and Yammarino, 2005]
F. Dansereau, F.J. Yammarino.
Multi-level Issues in Strategy and Methods.
Elsevier, (2005),
[Deci and Ryan, 1985]
E. Deci, R.M. Ryan.
Intrinsic Motivation and Self-determination in Human Behavior.
Springer, (1985),
[Dirks et al., 2009]
K.T. Dirks, R.J. Lewicki, A. Zaheer.
«Repairing relationships within and between organizations: Building a conceptual foundation».
Academy of Management Review, 34 (2009), pp. 68-84
[Dosi, 1995]
G. Dosi.
«Hierarchies, Markets and Power: Some Foundational Issues on the Nature of Contemporary Economic Organizations».
Industrial and Corporate Change, 4 (1995), pp. 1-19
[Dunbar, 2003]
R.I.M. Dunbar.
«The social brain: Mind, language, and society in evolutionary perspective.».
Annual Review of Psychology, 32 (2003), pp. 163-181
[Eisenhardt and Santos, 2002]
K.M. Eisenhardt, F.M. Santos.
«The Knowledge-based View: A New View of Strategy».
Handbook of Strategy and Management,
[Elster, 1989]
J. Elster.
Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences.
Cambridge University Press, (1989),
[Feldman and Pentland, 2003]
B.T. Feldman, M.S. Pentland.
«Reconceptualizing Organizational Routines as a Source of Flexibility and Change».
Administrative Science Quarterly, 48 (2003),
[Fehr and Rockenbach, 2003]
E. Fehr, B. Rockenbach.
«Detrimental effects of sanctions on human altruism ».
Nature, 422 (2003), pp. 137-140
[Felin and Foss, 2005]
T. Felin, N.J. Foss.
«Strategic Organization: A Field in Search of Microfoundations».
Strategic Organization, 3 (2005), pp. 441-455
[Felin and Hesterly, 2007]
T. Felin, W.S. Hesterly.
«The Knowledge-Based View Nested Heterogeneity, and New Value Creation: Philosophical Considerations on the Locus of Knowledge ».
The Academy of Management Review, 32 (2007), pp. 195-218
[Foss and Eriksen, 1995]
N.J. Foss, B. Eriksen.
«Industry Capabilities and Competitive Advantage».
Evolutionary and Resource-based Theories of the Firm,
[Foss and Foss, 2005]
K. Foss, N.J. Foss.
«Value and Transaction Costs: How Property Rights Economics Furthers the Resource-based View».
Strategic Management Journal, 26 (2005), pp. 541-556
[Foss et al., 2010]
N.J. Foss, K. Husted, S. Michailova.
«Governing Knowledge Sharing in Organisations: Levels of Analysis, Governance Mechanisms, and Research Directions».
Journal of Management Studies, (2010),
[Gavetti, 2005]
G. Gavetti.
«Cognition and Hierarchy: Rethinking the Microfoundations of Capabilities’ Development».
Organization Science, 16 (2005), pp. 599-617
[Ghoshal and Nahapiet, 1998]
S. Ghoshal, Nahapiet.
«Social Capital, Intellectual Capital, and the Organizational Advantage».
The Academy of Management Review, 23 (1998), pp. 242-266
[Ghoshal and Tsai, 1998]
S. Ghoshal, W. Tsai.
«Social Capital and Value Creation: The Role of Intrafirm Networks».
Academy of Management Journal, 41 (1998), pp. 464-476
[Gottschalg and Zollo, 2007]
O. Gottschalg, M. Zollo.
Interest alignment and competitive advantage.
Academy of Management Review, 32 (2007), pp. 418-437
[Grandori and Kogut, 2002]
A. Grandori, B. Kogut.
«Dialogue on Organization and Knowledge».
Organization Science, 13 (2002), pp. 224-232
[Granovetter, 1973]
M. Granovetter.
«The Strength of Weak Ties».
American Journal of Sociology, 78 (1973), pp. 1360-1380
[Grant, 1996]
R.M. Grant.
«Towards a knowledge-based theory of the firm».
Strategic Management Journal, 17 (1996), pp. 109-122
[Gupta et al., 2007]
A.K. Gupta, P.E. Tesluk, M.S. Taylor.
«Innovation At and Across Multiple Levels of Analysis».
Organization Science, 18 (2007), pp. 885-897
[Hansen, 1999]
M.T. Hansen.
«The Search-Transfer Problem: the role of weak ties in sharing knowledge across organizational subunits».
Administrative Science Quarterly, 44 (1999), pp. 82-111
[Hansen, 2002]
M.T. Hansen.
«Knowledge networks: explaining effective knowledge sharing in multiunit companies».
Organization Science, 13 (2002), pp. 232-248
[Hansen et al., 2005]
M.T. Hansen, M.L. Mors, B. Lovas.
«Knowledge sharing in organizations: multiple networks, multiple phases».
Academy of Management Journal, 48 (2005), pp. 776-793
[Hayek, 1952]
F.A. Hayek.
The Counter Revolution of Science.
University of Chicago Press, (1952),
[Hedström and Swedberg, 1996]
P. Hedström, R. Swedberg.
«Social Mechanisms».
Acta Sociologica, 39 (1996), pp. 281-308
[Hedström and Swedberg, 1998]
P. Hedström, R. Swedberg.
«Social Mechanisms: An Introductory Essay».
Social Mechanisms: An Analytical Approach to Social Theory: 1–31,
[Heimeriks and Duysters, 2007]
K.H. Heimeriks, G. Duysters.
«Alliance Capability as a Mediator Between Experience and Alliance Performance: an Empirical Investigation Into the Alliance Capability Development Process».
Journal of Management Studies, 44 (2007), pp. 25-49
[Heimriks et al., 2010]
Heimriks, K.H.; Fellin, T.; Foss, N.J. and Zollo (2010). «A Comparative Review of the Resource, Routines, and Capabilities Literatures: Similarities, Differences and a Proposed Agenda», Working Paper.
[Holmström, 1979]
B. Holmström.
«Moral Hazard and Observability».
Bell Journal of Economics, 10 (1979), pp. 74-91
[Holmström, 1989]
B. Holmström.
«Agency Costs and Innovation».
Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 12 (1989), pp. 305-327
[Hoopes and Madsen, 2008]
D. Hoopes, T. Madsen.
«A Capability-based View of Competitive Heterogeneity ».
Industrial and Corporate Change, 17 (2008), pp. 393-426
[Jaanssen, 2006]
Jaanssen, M. (2006). «Microfoundations», accessible at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=901163.
[Kogut and Zander, 1992]
B. Kogut, U. Zander.
«Knowledge of the firm, combinative capabilities, and the replication of technology».
Organization Science, 3 (1992), pp. 383-397
[Kogut and Zander, 1996]
B. Kogut, U. Zander.
«What Firms Do? Coordination Identity, and Learning».
Organization Science, 7 (1996), pp. 502-517
[Kreps, 1990]
D. Kreps.
«Corporate Culture and Economic Theory».
Perspectives on Positive Political Economy,
[Kruglanski and Köpetz, 2009]
A.W. Kruglanski, C. Köpetz.
«What is so special (and non-special) about goals? A view from the cognitive perspective».
The Psychology of Goals,
[Lazarsfeld and Menzel, 1970]
P.F. Lazarsfeld, H. Menzel.
«On the Relation Between Individual and Collective Properties».
A Sociological Reader on Complex Organizations.,
[Liberman et al., 2004]
V. Liberman, S.M. Samuels, L. Ross.
«The name of game: Predictive power of reputations versus situational labels in determining prisoner's dilemma game moves».
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30 (2004), pp. 1175-1185
[Lindenberg, 1993]
S. Lindenberg.
«Club hierarchy social metering and context instruction: governance structures in response to varying self-command capital».
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Organization Studies, pp. 195-220
[Lindenberg, 2003]
S. Lindenberg.
«The Cognitive side of Governance».
Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 20 (2003), pp. 47-76
[Lindenberg and Foss, 2010]
Lindenberg, S. and Foss, N. J. (2010). «Micro-foundations for Joint Production and Sustained Value Creation: A Goal-Framing Theory of the Firm», Working Paper.
[Lippman and Rumelt, 2003a]
S.A. Lippman, R.P. Rumelt.
«A Bargaining Perspective on Resource Advantage ».
Strategic Management Journal, 24 (2003), pp. 1069-1086
[Lindenberg and Foss, 2003b]
S. Lindenberg, N.J. Foss.
«The Payments Perspective: Micro-Foundations of Resource Analysis».
Strategic Management Journal, 24 (2003), pp. 903-927
[Makadok., 2001]
R. Makadok.
«Towards a Synthesis of the Resource-based and Dynamic Capabilities Views of Rent Creation».
Strategic Management Journal, 22 (2001), pp. 387-404
[Makadok and Barney, 2001]
R. Makadok, J. Barney.
Strategic Factor Market Intelligence: An Application of Information Economics to Strategy Formulation and Competitor Intelligence.
Management Science, 47 (2001), pp. 1621-1638
[Mäki, 2001]
U. Mäki.
«The Way the World Works».
The Economic World View: Studies in the Ontology of Economics,
[McGrath and Argote, 2001]
J.E. McGrath, L. Argote.
«Group Processes in Organizational Contexts».
Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology: Group Processes.,
[Menger, 1883]
Menger, C. (1883). Investigations into the Method of the Social Sciences with Special Reference to Economics, Leipzig. English translation (1985) Louis Schneider (ed.), New York: New York University Press.
[Mises, 1949]
L.V. Mises.
Human Action.
William Hodge, (1949),
[Nelson and Winter, 1982]
R.R. Nelson, S.G. Winter.
The Evolutionary Theory of the Firm.
Harvard University Press, (1982),
[Nickerson and and Zenger, 2004]
Nickerson, T. Zenger.
«A Knowledge-based Theory of the Firm: The Problem Solving Perspective».
Organization Science, 15 (2004), pp. 617-632
[Nonaka, 1994]
I. Nonaka.
«A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge».
Organization Science, 5 (1994), pp. 14-37
[Nonaka et al., 2008]
I. Nonaka, R. Toyama, T. Hirata.
Managing Flow: A Process Theory of the Knowledge-based Firm.
Palgrave MacMillan, (2008),
[Osterloh and Frey, 2000]
M. Osterloh, B. Frey.
«Motivation Knowledge Transfer and Organizational Form».
Organization Science, 11 (2000), pp. 538-550
[Popper, 1957]
K.R. Popper.
The Poverty of Historicism. (Reprint 1999).
Routledge, (1957),
[Psillos, 1999]
S. Psillos.
Scientific realism: How science tracks truth.
Routledge, (1999),
[Reagans and McEvily, 2003]
R. Reagans, B. McEvily.
«Network Structure and Knowledge Transfer: the Effects of Cohesion and Range».
Administrative Science Quarterly, 48 (2003), pp. 240-267
[Reinholt et al., 2010]
Reinholt, M.; Petersen, T. and Foss, N. J. 2010. «Why Network Centrality Isn’t Enough: The Role of Motivation for Knowledge Sharing in Employee Networks», Working Paper.
[Rothaermel and Hess, 2007]
F.T. Rothaermel, A.M. Hess.
«Building Dynamic Capabilities: Innovation Driven by Individual-, Firm-, and Network-level Effects».
Organization Science, 17 (2007), pp. 898-921
[Rowlinson, 1993]
M. Rowlinson.
«The Invention of Corporate Culture: The History of the Histories of Cadbury».
Human Relations, 46 (1993), pp. 299-326
[Ryan et al., 2008]
R.M. Ryan, V. Huta, E.L. Deci.
«Living well: A self-determination theory perspective on Eudaimonia».
Journal of Happiness Studies, 9 (2008), pp. 139-170
[Schein, 1982]
E. Schein.
Organizational Culture and Leadership.
Jossey-Bass, (1982),
[Sebanz et al., 2006]
N. Sebanz, H. Bekkering, G. Knoblich.
«Joint action: bodies and minds moving together».
TRENDS in Cognitive Science, 10 (2006), pp. 70-76
[Shah et al., 2002]
J.Y. Shah, R. Friedman, A.W. Kruglanski.
«Forgetting all else: On the antecedents and consequences of goal shielding.».
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83 (2002), pp. 1261-1280
[Shipton et al., 2006]
H.J Shipton, M.A. West, C.L. Parkes, J.F. Dawson, M.G. Patterson.
«When promoting positive feelings pays: Aggregate job satisfaction, work design features, and innovation in manufacturing organizations.».
European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15 (2006), pp. 404-430
[Silberstein, 2002]
M. Silberstein.
«Reduction, Emergence and Explanation».
The Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Science,
[Simon, 1991]
H.A. Simon.
«Bounded Rationality and Organizational Learning».
Organization Science, 2 (1991), pp. 125-134
[Spender, 1996]
J.C. Spender.
«Making Knowledge the Basis of a Dynamic Theory of the Firm».
Strategic Management Journal, 17 (1996), pp. 45-62
[Stinchcombe, 1991]
A. Stinchcombe.
«The Conditions of Fruitfulness of Theorizing About Mechanisms in Social Science».
Philosophy of Social Science, 21 (1991), pp. 367-388
[Tallman, 2003]
S. Tallman.
«The Significance of Bruce Kogut's and Udo Zander's article, ‘Knowledge of the firm and the evolutionary theory of the multinational corporation’».
Journal of International Business Studies, 34 (2003), pp. 495-497
[Teece, 2007]
D.J. Teece.
«Explicating Dynamic Capabilities: The Nature and Micro-foundations of (Sustainable) Enterprise Performance».
Strategic Management Journal, (2007),
[Teece et al., 1997]
D.J. Teece, G. Pisano, A. Shuen.
«Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management».
Strategic Management Journal, 18 (1997), pp. 509-534
[Tsai, 2001]
W. Tsai.
«Knowledge Transfer in Intraorganizatinal Networks: Effects of Network Position and Absorptive Capacity on Business Unit Innovation and Performance ».
Academy of Management Journal, 44 (2001), pp. 996-1004
[Tsoukas and Vladimirou, 2001]
H. Tsoukas, E. Vladimirou.
«What is Organizational Knowledge?».
Journal of Management Studies, 38 (2001), pp. 973-993
[Volberda et al., 2010]
H. Volberda, N.J. Foss, M. Lyles.
«Absorbing the Concept of Absorptive Capacity: How To Realize Its Potential in the Organization Field».
Organization Science., (2010),
[Williamson, 1985]
O.E. Williamson.
The Economic Institutions of Capitalism.
The Free Press, (1985),
[Williamson, 1996]
O.E. Williamson.
The Mechanisms of Governance.
Oxford University Press, (1996),
[Winter, 1987]
S.G. Winter.
«Knowledge and Competence as Strategic Assets».
The Competitive Challenge,
[Winter, 2001]
S.G. Winter.
«The Satisficing Principle in Capability Learning».
Strategic Management Journal, 21 (2001), pp. 981-996
[Winter, 2003]
S.G. Winter.
«Understanding Dynamic Capabilities».
Strategic Management Journal, 24 (2003), pp. 991-995
[Wright et al., 2001]
P.M. Wright, B.M. Dunford, S.A. Snell.
«Human Resources and the Resource-based View of the Firm».
Journal of Management, 27 (2001), pp. 701-721
[Zenger, 1993]
T.R. Zenger.
«Explaining Organizational Diseconomies of Scale in R&D: The Allocation of Engineering Talent Ideas, and Effort by Firm Size».
Management Science, 1994, 40 (1993), pp. 708-729
This paper originated as a keynote speech to the ACEDE Congress, Toledo, September 9, 2009. It builds on and partly summarizes my previous work with Peter Abell, Teppo Felin and Siegwart Lindenberg.
Copyright © 2010. ACEDE