VK Narayanan | Drexel University (original) (raw)
Papers by VK Narayanan
Routledge eBooks, Jun 4, 2024
New Product Development Essentials from the PDMA, 2015
Learning new knowledge has been regarded as one of the most important objectives of corporate ven... more Learning new knowledge has been regarded as one of the most important objectives of corporate venturing (e.g. Keil, 2002; McNally, 1997; Schildt, Maula, & Keil, 2005). In particular, CVC investments enable firms to monitor the development of markets and technologies (Keil, 2002; McNally, 1997), to assimilate technologies previously used by the portfolio companies (Dushnitsky, 2004), and more generally to become more innovative (Chesbrough & Tucci, 2003; Dushnitsky & Lenox, 2005a, 2005b). On the other hand, the interorganizational learning is not unidirectional in a CVC investment. To add value and create wealth for both the entrepreneurs and VC fund investors, venture capitalists should act as advisors in addition to risk financial sponsors (e.g. Norton, 1995). Besides general business knowledge, corporate venture capitalists are superior in providing technology and marketing supports (Maula, Autio, & Murray, 2003). Although interorganizational learning is bilateral throughout CVC i...
Long Range Planning, 1981
Strategic Management Journal, 2013
Corporate venture capital (CVC) activity exposes firms to new technologies and markets. An import... more Corporate venture capital (CVC) activity exposes firms to new technologies and markets. An important but as yet unexplored question is the relationship of the industry diversification profile of the portfolio of venture companies to corporate value creation. Insights from options and diversification perspectives support our hypothesis that diversification of a corporate investor's portfolio of venture companies is related to corporate wealth creation in a U-shaped relationship. We also propose that a corporate investor's financial constraints moderate the relationship between the diversification profile of its CVC portfolio and value creation. When we tested our hypotheses using a sample of CVC investments across multiple industries, we found support for them, and these findings may inform the CVC activities of corporate investors.
Causal Mapping for Research in Information Technology
In this chapter, I provide an historical overview of the use of causal mapping, and its migration... more In this chapter, I provide an historical overview of the use of causal mapping, and its migration from political science to organization theory, and more recently into research efforts in Information Technology (IT). Since this migration has brought in its wake a diversity of perspectives and approaches, a secondary objective of this chapter is to sketch this diversity. I discuss the diversity in perspectives, research contexts and focus. Three perspectives (social constructionist, objectivist, and expert-anchored), four research contexts (discovery, hypothesis testing, evocative and intervention) and three types of foci (content, structure and behavior) are summarized.
Strategy & Leadership
Purpose – Transition to a digital economy and the pervasiveness of IT in a firm’s operations toge... more Purpose – Transition to a digital economy and the pervasiveness of IT in a firm’s operations together has brought the IT function in corporations to the threshold of a needed transformation: from an orientation that prizes technical excellence to one that achieves continuous innovation by finding new opportunities to provide value to customers. Design/methodology/approach – The author believes that companies need to adopt customer-focused IT, this requires a shift in organizational culture, from considering technical excellence as an end in itself, to respecting customers as the centrally important stakeholder of an organization. Findings – In many companies, rethinking the IT function to focus it on providing value to the customer presents an opportunity to empower frontline employees, to make innovations in the company value chain and to maintain and to enhance competitive advantage. Practical implications – Changing to a customer focus requires dedicated continuous innovation to ...
Organizational Research Methods, 2005
Recently, text-based causal maps (TBCMs) have generated enthusiasm as a methodological tool becau... more Recently, text-based causal maps (TBCMs) have generated enthusiasm as a methodological tool because they provide a way of accessing large, untapped sources of data generated by organizations. Although TBCMs have been used extensively in organizational behavior and strategic management research, studies assessing the psychometric properties of TBCM measures are virtually nonexistent. With the intention of facilitating large-sample substantive research using TBCMs, the authors examine the construct validity of two most frequently employed structural properties of TBCMs: complexity and centrality. In assessing construct validity, they examine the internal consistency, dimensionality, and predictive validity of the structural properties. The results suggest that complexity is not a general cognitive attribute. Rather, it is indicative of domain knowledge. On the other hand, centrality, which reflects the degree of hierarchy characterizing the TBCM, is related to cognitive ability and ma...
Knowledge Management
Historically, the focus of IT infrastructure has been to capture the knowledge of experts in a ce... more Historically, the focus of IT infrastructure has been to capture the knowledge of experts in a centralized repository (Davenport & Prusak, 1998; Grover & Davenport, 2001). These centralized databases contained knowledge that was explicit and historical (e.g., competitor pricing, market share), and the IT infrastructure served to facilitate functional decision-making or to automate routine tasks (i.e., in re-engineering). The users of technology approached the repository to obtain data in a narrowly defined domain (Broadbent et al. 1999). Consequently, IT originally played a significant yet ultimately limited role in the strategy creation process. Management information systems (MIS) arguably generated information that was less applicable to strategy creation, as noted in early writings on the linkage between MIS and strategic planning (Holmes, 1985; Lientz & Chen, 1981; Shank et al., 1985).
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition
This is the first book to provide an integrated, strategic view of management of technology. Focu... more This is the first book to provide an integrated, strategic view of management of technology. Focusing on both theory and practice, it addresses the contemporary challenges general managers face today--eg, globalization, time compression, technology integration--and explores several ...
... implications for the company over the next 10 years; and (2) the identification of the ... Id... more ... implications for the company over the next 10 years; and (2) the identification of the ... Identifiedsources, issues, trends, and implications for the firm were summarized and forwarded to the ... The strategic analysis unit performed in a public policy role identifying emerging issues that ...
1. Introduction. I. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS. 2. Technological Environment. 3. Process of Technolo... more 1. Introduction. I. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS. 2. Technological Environment. 3. Process of Technology Change: Innovation. 4. Process of Technology Change: Diffusion. 5. Technology and Competition. 6. Process Innovation, Value Chains, and Organization. II. TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY: BASICS. 7. Technology Intelligence. 8. Technology Strategy: Overview. 9. Technology Strategy: Collaborative Mode. III. DOMAINS OF TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY. 10. Appropriation of Technology. 11. Deployment in New Products. 12. Deployment of Technology in the Value Chain. IV. ROLE OF GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 13. Organizing for Innovation. 14. Intellectual Property Strategy. 15. Project Valuation and Financing.
Journal of Small Business Management
ABSTRACT This article synthesizes and explores the methods used in Entrepreneurial Cognition rese... more ABSTRACT This article synthesizes and explores the methods used in Entrepreneurial Cognition research based on a review of articles published between 1993–2017. Through analysis and classification of 182 entrepreneurial cognition articles published in elite journals during this time frame, we identify the critical challenges in the elicitation of cognition: mode of elicitation (context of elicitation, recall bias and retrospective sensemaking, motivation, and social desirability), and constructs, and measurement (validity, reliability, and level of analysis). Articles were classified based on the theory domain and research approach and analyzed based on (a) theoretical relevance, (b) research design, (c) sample, (d) analysis, (e) interpretation of findings, and (f) method of elicitation/coding of cognition. We conclude by offering best practices for scholars, which we hope serve as a catalyst to elevate methodological rigor and enhance the credibility, transparency, and usefulness of scholarly output on entrepreneurial cognition.
Academy of Management Proceedings, Aug 1, 2018
Strategy & Leadership
Purpose Article explains that institutional knowledge is crucial to the effectiveness of an organ... more Purpose Article explains that institutional knowledge is crucial to the effectiveness of an organization because it enables it to reduce the time and effort needed to explore a novel challenge. Design/methodology/approach Article tells how to access institutional knowledge and how to foster a culture that respects it. Findings A supportive culture makes the sharing of institutional knowledge a normal facet of organizational functioning, thereby enabling managers to be highly effective when they have to deal with challenges and opportunities outside their normal routine. Practical implications When an organization is threatened by unexpected crises, senior personnel who have gone through previous disasters, can be tapped for some valuable insights into ways of handling the matter quickly and appropriately. Originality/value A useful “how-to” guide for integrating institutional knowledge into project management, crisis management, and novel innovation and marketing initiatives.
Routledge eBooks, Jun 4, 2024
New Product Development Essentials from the PDMA, 2015
Learning new knowledge has been regarded as one of the most important objectives of corporate ven... more Learning new knowledge has been regarded as one of the most important objectives of corporate venturing (e.g. Keil, 2002; McNally, 1997; Schildt, Maula, & Keil, 2005). In particular, CVC investments enable firms to monitor the development of markets and technologies (Keil, 2002; McNally, 1997), to assimilate technologies previously used by the portfolio companies (Dushnitsky, 2004), and more generally to become more innovative (Chesbrough & Tucci, 2003; Dushnitsky & Lenox, 2005a, 2005b). On the other hand, the interorganizational learning is not unidirectional in a CVC investment. To add value and create wealth for both the entrepreneurs and VC fund investors, venture capitalists should act as advisors in addition to risk financial sponsors (e.g. Norton, 1995). Besides general business knowledge, corporate venture capitalists are superior in providing technology and marketing supports (Maula, Autio, & Murray, 2003). Although interorganizational learning is bilateral throughout CVC i...
Long Range Planning, 1981
Strategic Management Journal, 2013
Corporate venture capital (CVC) activity exposes firms to new technologies and markets. An import... more Corporate venture capital (CVC) activity exposes firms to new technologies and markets. An important but as yet unexplored question is the relationship of the industry diversification profile of the portfolio of venture companies to corporate value creation. Insights from options and diversification perspectives support our hypothesis that diversification of a corporate investor's portfolio of venture companies is related to corporate wealth creation in a U-shaped relationship. We also propose that a corporate investor's financial constraints moderate the relationship between the diversification profile of its CVC portfolio and value creation. When we tested our hypotheses using a sample of CVC investments across multiple industries, we found support for them, and these findings may inform the CVC activities of corporate investors.
Causal Mapping for Research in Information Technology
In this chapter, I provide an historical overview of the use of causal mapping, and its migration... more In this chapter, I provide an historical overview of the use of causal mapping, and its migration from political science to organization theory, and more recently into research efforts in Information Technology (IT). Since this migration has brought in its wake a diversity of perspectives and approaches, a secondary objective of this chapter is to sketch this diversity. I discuss the diversity in perspectives, research contexts and focus. Three perspectives (social constructionist, objectivist, and expert-anchored), four research contexts (discovery, hypothesis testing, evocative and intervention) and three types of foci (content, structure and behavior) are summarized.
Strategy & Leadership
Purpose – Transition to a digital economy and the pervasiveness of IT in a firm’s operations toge... more Purpose – Transition to a digital economy and the pervasiveness of IT in a firm’s operations together has brought the IT function in corporations to the threshold of a needed transformation: from an orientation that prizes technical excellence to one that achieves continuous innovation by finding new opportunities to provide value to customers. Design/methodology/approach – The author believes that companies need to adopt customer-focused IT, this requires a shift in organizational culture, from considering technical excellence as an end in itself, to respecting customers as the centrally important stakeholder of an organization. Findings – In many companies, rethinking the IT function to focus it on providing value to the customer presents an opportunity to empower frontline employees, to make innovations in the company value chain and to maintain and to enhance competitive advantage. Practical implications – Changing to a customer focus requires dedicated continuous innovation to ...
Organizational Research Methods, 2005
Recently, text-based causal maps (TBCMs) have generated enthusiasm as a methodological tool becau... more Recently, text-based causal maps (TBCMs) have generated enthusiasm as a methodological tool because they provide a way of accessing large, untapped sources of data generated by organizations. Although TBCMs have been used extensively in organizational behavior and strategic management research, studies assessing the psychometric properties of TBCM measures are virtually nonexistent. With the intention of facilitating large-sample substantive research using TBCMs, the authors examine the construct validity of two most frequently employed structural properties of TBCMs: complexity and centrality. In assessing construct validity, they examine the internal consistency, dimensionality, and predictive validity of the structural properties. The results suggest that complexity is not a general cognitive attribute. Rather, it is indicative of domain knowledge. On the other hand, centrality, which reflects the degree of hierarchy characterizing the TBCM, is related to cognitive ability and ma...
Knowledge Management
Historically, the focus of IT infrastructure has been to capture the knowledge of experts in a ce... more Historically, the focus of IT infrastructure has been to capture the knowledge of experts in a centralized repository (Davenport & Prusak, 1998; Grover & Davenport, 2001). These centralized databases contained knowledge that was explicit and historical (e.g., competitor pricing, market share), and the IT infrastructure served to facilitate functional decision-making or to automate routine tasks (i.e., in re-engineering). The users of technology approached the repository to obtain data in a narrowly defined domain (Broadbent et al. 1999). Consequently, IT originally played a significant yet ultimately limited role in the strategy creation process. Management information systems (MIS) arguably generated information that was less applicable to strategy creation, as noted in early writings on the linkage between MIS and strategic planning (Holmes, 1985; Lientz & Chen, 1981; Shank et al., 1985).
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Second Edition
This is the first book to provide an integrated, strategic view of management of technology. Focu... more This is the first book to provide an integrated, strategic view of management of technology. Focusing on both theory and practice, it addresses the contemporary challenges general managers face today--eg, globalization, time compression, technology integration--and explores several ...
... implications for the company over the next 10 years; and (2) the identification of the ... Id... more ... implications for the company over the next 10 years; and (2) the identification of the ... Identifiedsources, issues, trends, and implications for the firm were summarized and forwarded to the ... The strategic analysis unit performed in a public policy role identifying emerging issues that ...
1. Introduction. I. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS. 2. Technological Environment. 3. Process of Technolo... more 1. Introduction. I. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS. 2. Technological Environment. 3. Process of Technology Change: Innovation. 4. Process of Technology Change: Diffusion. 5. Technology and Competition. 6. Process Innovation, Value Chains, and Organization. II. TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY: BASICS. 7. Technology Intelligence. 8. Technology Strategy: Overview. 9. Technology Strategy: Collaborative Mode. III. DOMAINS OF TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY. 10. Appropriation of Technology. 11. Deployment in New Products. 12. Deployment of Technology in the Value Chain. IV. ROLE OF GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 13. Organizing for Innovation. 14. Intellectual Property Strategy. 15. Project Valuation and Financing.
Journal of Small Business Management
ABSTRACT This article synthesizes and explores the methods used in Entrepreneurial Cognition rese... more ABSTRACT This article synthesizes and explores the methods used in Entrepreneurial Cognition research based on a review of articles published between 1993–2017. Through analysis and classification of 182 entrepreneurial cognition articles published in elite journals during this time frame, we identify the critical challenges in the elicitation of cognition: mode of elicitation (context of elicitation, recall bias and retrospective sensemaking, motivation, and social desirability), and constructs, and measurement (validity, reliability, and level of analysis). Articles were classified based on the theory domain and research approach and analyzed based on (a) theoretical relevance, (b) research design, (c) sample, (d) analysis, (e) interpretation of findings, and (f) method of elicitation/coding of cognition. We conclude by offering best practices for scholars, which we hope serve as a catalyst to elevate methodological rigor and enhance the credibility, transparency, and usefulness of scholarly output on entrepreneurial cognition.
Academy of Management Proceedings, Aug 1, 2018
Strategy & Leadership
Purpose Article explains that institutional knowledge is crucial to the effectiveness of an organ... more Purpose Article explains that institutional knowledge is crucial to the effectiveness of an organization because it enables it to reduce the time and effort needed to explore a novel challenge. Design/methodology/approach Article tells how to access institutional knowledge and how to foster a culture that respects it. Findings A supportive culture makes the sharing of institutional knowledge a normal facet of organizational functioning, thereby enabling managers to be highly effective when they have to deal with challenges and opportunities outside their normal routine. Practical implications When an organization is threatened by unexpected crises, senior personnel who have gone through previous disasters, can be tapped for some valuable insights into ways of handling the matter quickly and appropriately. Originality/value A useful “how-to” guide for integrating institutional knowledge into project management, crisis management, and novel innovation and marketing initiatives.