ReportTitle:
The Impact of Institutional Distance on the Joint Performance of Collaborating Firms: The Role of Adaptive Interorganizational Systems
Reporter(Institution):Pro. Yuling Fang(City University of Hong Kong)
Time:14:00.pm,13th Oct, 2016
Location:B-201, Building of Economics & Management, JiulonghuCampus
Abstract:
Firms have made extensive use of interorganizational systems (IOSs) to share knowledge and pursue superior joint performance. Contemporary firms are using IOSs to collaborate widely across the value chain and in an ever-expanding geographic landscape. Thus, institutional distance, which is the difference between the firms’ respective institutional fields, has become a prominent challenge. In this study, we investigate the extent to which institutional distance affects IOS-enabled knowledge sharing and its impact on the joint performance of collaborating firms. We also explore the extent to which IOS adaptability could be a design solution for improving IOS-enabled knowledge sharing, given the challenge of institutional distance. Drawing on institutional theory, we propose that institutional distance, including its normative, cognitive, and regulative aspects, not only reduces IOS-enabled knowledge sharing, but also weakens the positive impact of such sharing on joint firm performance. Next, extending boundary object theory to the institutional context, we propose that IOS adaptability could be a solution to the challenge of institutional distance because it can directly strengthen IOS-enabled knowledge sharing. This strengthening effect is predicted to be even greater when institutional distance is high. Our hypotheses were tested through a field study that collected dyadic data from 141 distinct buyer/supplier channel relationships in four industries.
Reporter:
Yulin Fang is an associate professor in the Department of Information Systems, City University of Hong Kong. He earned his Ph.D. at Richard Ivey School of Business, Western University (formerly known as University of Western Ontario). His current research interests are digital innovation, knowledge management, business analytics, and social media. His research has been published in journals including Strategic Management Journal, MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of Management Information Systems, Journal of Management Studies, Organizational Research Methods, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Decision Support Systems, among others. He received the 2009 Senior Scholars Best IS Publication Award and a number of conference best paper awards. He received the Associate Editor of the Year Award at Information Systems Research in 2015. He is an Associate Editor for MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, and Senior Editor for Information Systems Journal, and Information Technology & People.
