Ciencias Sociales
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11285/582997
Pertenecen a esta colección Tesis y Trabajos de grado de los Doctorados correspondientes a las Escuelas de Gobierno y Transformación Pública, Humanidades y Educación, Arquitectura y Diseño, Negocios y EGADE Business School.
Browse
Search Results
- Entrepreneur's Knowledge Perception Model and Their Product or Services Probability to Have Precense in the Market.-Edición Única(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2008-11-01) Damm González, Ivonne A.; Dr. Jorge Ramon Pedroza; Dra. Elisa Cobas; Dr. Gerardo LozanoThe contribution of the current dissertation is to determine the entrepreneurs' knowledge perception based on issues related to innovations. The theoretical model presented studies the entrepreneur knowledge perception. The entrepreneur uses the personal contact network and customer communication, a customized form of marketing, which is uncomplicated and follows a common-sense approach to business development. This is how market information is gathered. It derives from the ability to identify and respond to market signals (McGowan and Rocks, 1994). The signals can be in the form of customer requests, supplier suggestions, ideas from work colleagues or threats from competition. Hill iv and McGowan (2002) develop a three-level framework of networking competencies in the smaller firm. Level 1 competencies are experience, knowledge, communication, judgment and intuition. Level 2 competencies are vision, opportunity-focused, relational communication and commitment. Level 3 competencies include personality, relationship-building, listening skills, adaptability, commitment, motivation, ambition, achievement, enthusiasm, confidence and aggression. Many of these factors have also been identified as central creative entrepreneurial marketing factors in the arts (Fillis, 2002a). One research important question for the justification for this study is How knowledgeable entrepreneurs are? There are no previous studies that have addressed the issues of knowledge and it might be possible that the lack of market knowledgeinformation is one of the principal aspects than can make the difference between success and failure in the entrepreneur's approach. Some individuals have superior knowledge and skill at estimation of consumer wants, superior ability to control and direct the actions of others, greater confidence that their business estimates-business judgments will prove correct. During the process of reviewing literature the empirical result was the following conceptual model, entitled “Exploring the entrepreneur's knowledge perception.” The introduction of the model at this early stage is advantageous because it illustrates this dissertation framework, structure, and focus. The model v consists of the following elements: technological knowledge perception, market knowledge perception, competition knowledge perception. Each dimension is composed by three independent variables. A total of nine independent variables are integrating the three dimensions. A dependent variable in this case “Market Presence” is defined as the entrepreneur real participation in the market If his/her product or service is available to the costumer in the present market. If is not still in the market then this product or service is still part of an incubation process. Innovative products are introduced in turbulent and chaotic environments where the odds of success are often low. As a result, the marketing strategies for innovative products must be optimized to enhance the odds of success. Yet, marketing is often not a well-developed competency in many innovative firms (Mohr, 2002). Because of the wide variety of innovative products, brands and prices, the market goes through a stage of uncertainty. This feeling of uncertainty can only be reduced by means of information, specially the one coming from a reliable source. This is the time when the entrepreneur or inventor of a Innovation should get in touch with the real market knowledge through different channels, which will be addressed throughout his/her project. vi This dissertation seeks to add to our understanding of how entrepreneurs can build their knowledge perception to achieve competitive advantage and to develop more successful projects. The study focus upon the following dimensions that compose the entrepreneur's knowledge perception, these dimensions are: Technological knowledge, Knowledge of market, Knowledge of competition. This entrepreneur's knowledge will be under the context of their product category specialty. The author employs a sample of 169 entrepreneurs in new technology-based firms; each was interviewed during the period from 2006 to 2007. Evidence suggests that entrepreneurs should build market knowledge to be more competitive and successful in their Innovation projects. The conceptual model has both empirical and theoretical backing, but the empirical backing is limited to 169 cases. Practitioners can focus on how to build market knowledge, while the model helps to increase awareness of the holistic view of entrepreneurial knowledge and which dimensions can contribute to it. Policy makers should encourage entrepreneurs to build market knowledge, and support systems could require a plan for this activity before entrepreneurs get access to public funds. Based on this analysis, four main contributions are revealed: model generation, development of terminology, and further development of the field of entrepreneurial research.
- Corporate social responsibility, action, and performance in international settings : a critical realist perspective(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2008-04-01) Paz-Vega, Ramón; W. Husted, Bryan; S. Ring,, Peter; Rosanas, Josep Ma.The objective of this dissertation has been twofold: First, to develop a systemic theoretical framework on which to base ideographic explanations of the nature, causes, dynamics, and consequences of corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate social action (CSA), and corporate social performance (CSP), with a focus on subsidiaries of multinational companies. This framework presents CSR, CSA, and CSP from the perspective of critical realism and morphogenetic social theory. Second, using that framework, to provide an explanatory account of CSR/CSA/CSP in the case of one particular subsidiary organization operating in Mexico Critical realism is a philosophy of science based on systems thinking. It assumes the existence of a reality independently of the researchers knowledge of it; however, its accessibility is not direct, but mediated. Real structures are not observable, but they have causal powers which can generate observable outcomes that may or may not be realized in specific situations. In the case of organizations, the actualization of the observable outcomes depends on a highly complex series of interactions between environmental constrains and corporate action. In critical realism, it is the task of the researcher to explain the causal mechanisms and the contingencies that vii operate in particular situations. In turn, morphogenetic social theory has been developed as a practical theory that complements critical realism in social science. This theory argues that cultural properties (i.e. the world of ideas) and social structures necessarily pre-date social actions; the causal powers of those structures operate only through the actions of agents, and agents have their own causal powers which are revealed in their mediated interplay with structure; in turn, human actions either reproduce or transform those structures. This dissertation presents a theoretical framework according to which, there are universal ethical principles and structural global factors that define and motivate CSR, but there are also many and more proximal factors that are idiosyncratic to each society. These causal factors emerge from both the cultural (ideational) and structural systems of each society. In the case of multinational companies and their subsidiaries, CSR causal factors emerge from the different cultural and structural systems in which these companies operate. In addition to their first-order (direct) causal influence, those causal factors have second-order relations of congruence or incongruence with one another. Their specific configuration in each time and place conditions, but does not determine, corporate social responses. The effect of those causal factors is necessarily mediated by the actions of managers, who also are endowed with causal powers. The interplay between moral and social causal factors and managerial actions shape corporate social action (CSA). Such corporate responses have as their outcome a certain level of corporate social performance (CSP), a construct which has several dimensions, some of them empirical, and some others placed at deeper levels of social reality which imply a certain moral and social stable positioning of the company in its environment, i.e. a certain degree of legitimacy. In addition, corporate social action and performance also have second-order effects on the organization and its managers, which contribute positively or negatively to the development of the organization and its members. viii The second part of the dissertations presents a single-case study. It refers to Mexfruco, a fruit exporting company located in Mexico, subsidiary of Interfruco, a U.S. corporation. The outcome of the study is an explanatory narrative of Mexfrucos CSA, which constitutes a “plausibility probe” of the abovementioned theoretical framework. The case study answers the question of which are the sources and nature of corporate moral and social responsibilities. A number of properties or causal factors are identified. They emerge from the socio-cultural system in which Mexfruco was embedded. In this way, causal factors of diverse nature are incorporated in one model, i.e. religious or philosophical motivations, institutional forces, patterns existing in the task environment, etc., add or subtract from each other to outline the complex causality of CSA. Those emergent properties stood in positions of complementarity or contradiction with one another, which defined a situational logic which predated, conditioned, and in turn, was confronted by managerial actions. Based on this analysis, three causal configurations of the companys CSA are proposed, corresponding to its actions oriented to workers, growers, and customers, respectively. A number of factors (or emergent properties) combined to create a given form of CSA. Managerial agency (discretion and ability) was a necessary condition in all causal configurations. The postulated causal configurations ideographically explain the observed CSA, and therefore, they exhibit properties that are valid for understanding other cases, despite the particularities of Mexfruco. By virtue of this, these causal configurations constitute hypotheses amenable to verification or modification in other cases or contexts. From the moral/social perspective, the desirable outcome of CSA is the creation of the various forms of legitimacy for the company which can be measured along a CSP profile. The last part of the case study explains how Mexfrucos CSA gained or maintained legitimacy, i.e. CSP, for the company.
- Establishing Manufacturing Subsidiaries Abroad: The Influence of Interaction Capacity on Technology Transfer-Edición Única(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2007-12-01) Hartmann, Andreas Michael; Dr. Bryan W.Husted; Dr. Alejandro Ibarra Yúnez; Dr Allain JolyThis study combines the knowledge-based and the capability views of the firm for building and testing a model of technology transfer between units of multinational corporations (MNCs). Within the model, the technology to be transferred is presented as organizational knowledge, which is partially tacit, distributed, and embedded in a social context. The transfer process can be carried out more or less efficient depending on a firms transfer capability, which is decomposed into the sending units emissive capacity, the dyads interactive communication capacity, the receiving units absorptive capacity, and the receiving units local adaptation capacity. The empirical study focuses on interaction capacity and seeks to identify those organizational practices that speed up or slow down the transfer process. The transfer event under study is the setup of manufacturing facilities by MNCs. The dependent variable was the time required for setting up a new manufacturing subsidiary. Different versions of the dependent variable were defined by the milestones of start of construction, arrival of machines, first v shipment, full capacity, and corporate-level productivity. The sample consisted of the manufacturing subsidiaries of foreign MNCs set up in the Northeast Mexican state of Nuevo Léon that started operations between 1998 and 2007. Data were gathered through a survey applied to the focal subsidiaries managers. A general finding of the study was that setup times differed by a ratio of up to 1:100. Subsidiary size was not found to be relevant, but complexity was. The mathematical model for analyzing the data was a moderated regression analysis, where four different indicators of the difficulty of the transfer task were used to make the transfer events comparable among each other: supplier diversity, documentation, teachability, and interunit similarity. Supplier diversity made the initial phase of the setup process especially difficult. Contrary to the literature on knowledge codification, documentation of technology was found to be helpful only when combined with face-to-face communication. Teachability proved to be the most reliable indicator of the difficulty of the transfer task. The fourth moderator, namely interunit similarity, showed that firms that replicated an existing organizational structure had an easier task for the initial phase of the setup. Six main hypotheses were tested in the study. H1 posited a positive effect of interunit communication on transfer efficiency. With frequency of incoming visits as independent variable, H1 was confirmed for all phases, while more expatriates were only helpful in the ramp-up phase. H2 concerned the difference between mediated and face-to-face communication. The data not only confirmed H2 but showed a reverse causality in the sense that phone communication increased when the setup was slow, but did not improve the process. H3 predicted a positive effect of interunit trust on transfer efficiency, which was found only for the less well defined tasks within the setup process and when trust had had time to evolve. H4 vi posited that a buyer-supplier relationship between the sending unit and the receiving unit would help with setup performance, but was not confirmed. To the contrary, new subsidiaries that depended on their MNCs as suppliers took longer for their setup processes. H5 concerned the MNC's host country experience, which was found to be significant for the less structured tasks within the setup process. Finally, H6 predicted that the general manager's setup experience would have a positive effect on transfer times. This effect was found for the ramp-up phase when the technology was easily teachable. Furthermore, host country nationals as general managers had an advantage for starting and ramping up when technology was not too complex; in all other cases, foreign experts achieved higher performances. The study discusses the implications of these findings for management theory and MNC practice and presents suggestions for further research.
- The effects of managerial discretion and corporate control variables on the choice of an IPO common equity structure(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2007-05-01) Serrano Salazar, Carlos; Serrano Salazar, Carlos; 38979
- Relationship between changes in regulation, corporate governance, and firm performance: Mexico’s case(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2006-12-01) García Nuñez, Heriberto; Fonseca Ramirez, Alejandro; Ibarra Yunez, Alejandro; Flores Zambada, RicardoThe present dissertation is dedicated to study the regulation of corporate governance practices and performance relationships. Several studies have been conducted around the world, based on how the good corporate governance practices impact the performance of the firm. Good corporate governance is related to the protection of the investor rights, and could be established by changes in law, regulation procedures, contracts, control, and normative procedures or product market influence. The present research is related to the regulation, law changes around corporate governance practices in Mexico, and how those changes influence the performance of the firm. The Mexican economy is affected by globalization, financial market integration, and potential investment opportunities around the world; part of the answer of those changes is regulation and investor protection rights.
- The political cycle and the mexican economy(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2006-12-01) Gamez Garza, Cesareo; GAMEZ GARZA, CESAREO; 229585
- Resource-Based Competition Between Retailers and E-Tailers Within the Marketspace: A Supply Chain Perpective of E-Commerce-Edición Única(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2006-06-01) Rodríguez García, Jesus B.; Dr. Fernando Mata; Dr. Alejandro Ibarra; Dr. Socorro MarcosThis dissertation is composed of three individual articles which are related each other. The purpose of this investigation was to theoretically develop a conceptual model for the analysis of the competitive environment where traditional retailers compete against e-tailers. To accomplish this purpose, the supply chain management, strategic management, information technologies, and open systems research fields were combined through the three articles. In the first article, a conceptual definition of supply chain management as a management philosophy was developed. The supply chain phenomenon was studied under an open systems perspective to explain why the non-rational motivations of the individuals composing the supply chain should be aligned across the social-psychological, the organizational structure, and the ecological levies of supply chain analysis. Using the resource-based view of the firm, it was explained how it is possible to implement a competitive strategy for the entire supply chain to achieve a competitive advantage for the supply chain and, in turn, for its members. In the second article, the e-tailer was considered as the last member of a truncated supply chain. The inter-organizational management systems implemented along the chain were considered as supply chain capabilities increasing the e-tailer's customer value and consequently as the basis for achieving and sustaining the e-tailer's competitive advantage. The e-tailing model of B2C ecommerce was described and a model to analyze competition between retailers and etailers within the marketspace was developed under a resource-based view of the firm. In the third article, it was assumed that customers decide to buy products through the Internet based on: the valué they receive from e-tailers, their reliability concerns related to the e-tailer and the Internet as transaction medium, and the existence of network externalities. The value offered by an e-tailer was defined as a function of: product quality; delivery speed; flexibility to customize the product accordingly to customer specifications; objective costs such as price, and shipping cost; and subjective costs regarding time and location constrains to place an order. A survey was conducted and the empirical results served to partially prove the model developed in the second article.
- A field study on social loafing: implications of expectations on co-workers, task meaningfulness, relationship meaningfulness and indivuals orientation(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2006-06-01) Hernández Pozas, Olivia del Roble; Flores Zambada, Ricardo; Díaz Sáenz, Héctor René; Mendoza Gómez, Joel; Ibarra Yúnez, AlejandroThis study examines the potential moderating effect of Task meaningfulness (TM) and Relationship meaningfulness (RM), of team members, on the relationship between Expectations on co-workers competence and reliability (ECW) and Social loafing (SL). In addition, a direct effect of an individuals Orientation (i.e. Allocentric or idiocentric) (O) on Relationship meaningfulness (RM ) is tested too. In a field-based study, 697 production team members, as well as, their direct supervisors & co-workers responded to questionnaires. Results of descriptive statistics, correlations, analysis of variance and moderated regression analysis are exhibited. These results indicate the existence of diverse significant relationships vii between the proposed SL model variables. As expected, the direct effect of O on RM was found as significant. On the contrary, the moderating effects of TM and RM on the relationship between ECW and SL were not significant. As a result, the study of a potential direct, antecedent, or mediating effect of these two variables on SL is recommended for future research. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
- Compensation structure as a determinant of firm performance(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2006-04-01) Zambrano Mañueco, Homero; Ibarra Yúnez, Alejandro; Lowe, Robert A.; Laszlo, AlexanderThis study presents a theoretical model of firm performance as a function of wage dispersion with a causal relationship that explains most of the inconsistency of previous empirical research, which shows contrasting results from one study to the other. We can trace the shortcomings of empirical research in this field to narrow geographic or industrial sector settings, which limit the validity of the studies. In this study, effort is modeled based on equity theory and relative deprivation theory, within a systemic framework that considers interaction between hierarchical levels in the firm, and the interaction with the market, with a trans-disciplinary approach. The main results are: a) wage dispersion cannot increase indefinitely without causing operating margin to fall. The behavior of this financial indicator is non-monotone with respect to iv the degree of wage dispersion in the firm; b) large firms are more likely to benefit from a hierarchical wage structure, while small firms could experience some improvement in their fundamental financial indicators with a more compressed compensation structure. Firm size is measured in terms of number of employees; c) upper levels tend to apply more effort if the firm increases its wage dispersion with respect to a firm mimicking the labor market; d) a market with high income inequality affects the firm in that the former makes less attractive for the firm to make a move towards increased internal inequality. An ancillary result of this work is the proposition of a way to determine the weighing factor ? in Akerlof and Yellen's (1990) equation that models relative deprivation. I list the factors that affect that parameter
- From chaos to cookie cutting: an enhanced version of emergence of value in resource-based view(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2006-01-01) Luján Salazar, Luis A.; W. McKelvey, William; García Calderón Díaz, Luis; Maranto Vargas, Daniel; íbarra Yjinez, AlejandroThe field of strategy has been evolving in its quest for better answers about firm performance. One actual and relevant answer relies on the Resource-Based View (RBV). One may agree with the RBV claim that firms differ and internal resources matter. In this work is argued that not exclusively internal resources are important, but also their relation with external resources. Firms environment differ as well as its external resources. This enhanced view asks to include into the scene external resources related to the firm. The inclusion of external resources might be important per se, but more important is to explore the impact of the firm's external and internal IX resources on the emergence of value in the firm and by extension on the explanation of the firm's performance. How the value is created? This is an inductive study of five firms, two in the airline industry two in the frozen food industry and one in the cement industry. Based on the research question, two stages were found: The first stage named forge stage, and a second stage called cookie cutting. The first stage was named as forge stage, because several alternatives configurations of internal and external resources are tried, like one experiment after other. Strategizing is observed in form of experimentation. If a successful configuration emerges -a configuration capable to deliver value- from the interaction of the firm's resources and the environment's resources, impressive results can be observed. From firms that were almost bankrupted to flourishing and healthy firms. In the first stage, in the early days of the firm, drastic changes were observed. These changes were possible because of its small size and its lack of path dependence. In this work, it was peculiar that the two followers -that ex ante had an idea about what the configuration of the firm might be did not survive. Those firms did not have a forge period of experimentation and because the changing configuration, a valuable configuration was not found, soon those firms filed for bankruptcy. Surprisingly it was found that firms in the second stage, firms do not alter the main way of creating value. It was a trend to no respond anymore to its environment, as soon as the configuration of resources had emerged in the first stage, it is frozen. If x it is successful the emergent configuration, it could face different environments and still keep delivering value, sometimes in settings wide different from their original. This finding challenge the traditional idea of that the firm keeps its adaptability. The second stage, the cookie cutting stage, the firm expands its operations, no more drastic changes are tried; this stable configuration makes economizing the most valuable strategy where the reduction of waste prevails.