Paul Matthyssens - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Paul Matthyssens

International Journal of Production Research, 2017

Manufacturing companies that venture into servitisation can experience difficulties when upscalin... more Manufacturing companies that venture into servitisation can experience difficulties when upscaling product-service systems (PSS) for further growth. This research study has two main objectives: first, to develop insight into the internal levers to increase firms’ servitisation capacity, and second, to apply a new methodology to support companies in upscaling PSS. For these purposes, we conduct an exploratory research study of eight manufacturing companies, consisting of both multiple-case and participatory action research methods. We find that manufacturers often experience challenges when either designing or rolling out PSS, which varies based on the company’s chosen strategy. Additionally, they can be confronted with an organisational logic that hinders PSS upscaling efforts. This research offers guidance to practitioners facing internal barriers for servitisation, providing a new method to explore, prioritise and work out concrete PSS-enhancing projects.

Purpose – This paper aims to apply innovation networks (INs) theory to the context of domesticate... more Purpose – This paper aims to apply innovation networks (INs) theory to the context of domesticated markets, where innovation triggers
deinstitutionalization. In such contexts, the success of INs depends on their capacity to transform the business field in which they are embedded, so that it accommodates innovative business models. Such “institutional INs” beget a meso-level finality, and this poses different requirement on their effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to confront extant models of collaborative innovation in networks with this specific context to offer exploratory insights into how innovation can be achieved in domesticated contexts and what the differential implications are for network configurations and strategic “reinstitutionalization” practices.
Design/methodology/approach – Based on an illustrative embedded case study in the Dutch steel industry, a framework offering indications on the effectiveness of discrete configurational dimensions and their fit with reinstitutionalization practices for institutional INs is suggested. The case builds on 26 semi-structured interviews and 4 focus groups with top managers in the industry. As the aim is to extend theoretical models of INs to this under-researched context, an abductive approach to theorizing, consistent with the extended case method, is adopted.
Findings – Findings suggest that collaborating to redesign an institutionalized business field collectively implies a more explicit attention to interdependencies within the business field.
Practical implications – Besides suggesting modifications to extant frames regarding heterogeneity in and the configuration of networks, this
paper has some practical implications. The framework proposed offers managers some support in the largely ignored issue of developing a collective action network. With these findings, we aspire to stimulate further research into this relevant, yet underdeveloped, topic.
Originality/value – The study extends IN theory toward innovation realization in domesticated contexts. In such contexts, IN’s success depends on their capacity to transform the business field in which they are embedded, so that it enables innovative ways of creating end-customer value. Besides suggesting a new area for theorizing about innovation networks, institutional innovation networks are also a useful template for institutional innovation and collective action research. The paper offers a framework to support managers in the largely ignored challenge of developing a collective action network. In an increasingly transparent, connected and consolidated business environment, such a challenge becomes ever more essential.

The importance of digital technologies for services in manufacturing has often been posited, but ... more The importance of digital technologies for services in manufacturing has often been posited, but current literature has neglected to explain how companies can leverage digital methods to increase their service offering. In this article we contribute to current theory by examining how digitization can enable servitization for manufacturers. By performing a multiple-case study at four manufacturing SMEs, we provide evidence for a priming and a capability effect. In terms of priming, we find that specific digitization options lead to three servitization pathways: industrial, commercial and value servitization. Through a dynamic resource-based lens, the barriers, dynamic resource configurations and competitive benefits specific to each pathway are discussed. Finally, this paper offers managers insight on successfully reaching higher service levels through development of digital assets, and on the skills necessary to further integrate into customers' processes.

Industrial Marketing Management, 2013

Drawing on organizational learning and the relational view of the firm, this study seeks to under... more Drawing on organizational learning and the relational view of the firm, this study seeks to understand the factors that drive supplier innovativeness in the context of cross-border supply relationships. To address this research objective, a survey included 189 parts and components manufacturers (suppliers) in Turkey; hierarchical regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses. The findings demonstrate that interfirm knowledge sharing routines, relation-specific investments, and governance mechanisms may promote supplier innovativeness by expanding the supplier's knowledge resources and encouraging it to invest in innovative activities. In addition, this research emphasizes differentiating effects of the supplier's tier position for the impacts of buyer assistance and cooperative tie. As such, this study contributes to the purchasing and supply management literature by empirically showing how buyer-supplier relationships, particularly in cross-border supply networks, affect supplier innovativeness.

Working Papers, 2005

In the last decade, a fundamental phenomenon came to the fore in the business environment: more a... more In the last decade, a fundamental phenomenon came to the fore in the business environment: more and more companies are offering total solutions to their customer instead of standardized products or services. Although this trend has already been studied extensively in literature, little has been said about the impact of this phenomenon on the supplier's channel management. This article develops propositions concerning the influence of a total solutions strategy on a company's channel management, rooted on an extensive literature review and case-based research in the Belgian industrial market.

Advances in International Marketing, 2001

ABSTRACT This article has no abstract

Advances in International Marketing, 2006

Nadat eerst kort de complexiteit van de marketing-beslissingssituatie is geschetst, wordt in dit ... more Nadat eerst kort de complexiteit van de marketing-beslissingssituatie is geschetst, wordt in dit artikel een omschrijving gegeven van zogenaamde beslissingsondersteuningssystemen die een belangrijk hulpmiddel kunnen zijn bij een analytische benadering van marketingbeslissingen. Het artikel laat zien hoe in deze systemen marketingmodellen en marketinginformatiesystemen met elkaar worden geintegreerd, en gaat in op diverse aspecten, zoals het onderscheid in systemen voor strategische versus operationele beslissingen, kwantificering van modellen etc., en geeft een indeling van bestaande modellen. Er worden een aantal concrete ervaringen met deze beslissingsondersteuningssystemen vermeld en het artikel eindigt met een beschouwing over implementatie en de rol die de marktonderzoeker daarin kan spelen.

Growing competitive intensity is forcing many companies to share their resources and expertise vi... more Growing competitive intensity is forcing many companies to share their resources and expertise via strategic alliances. Discussed here are a comprehensive framework of strategic alliance formation, a situational approach to strategic alliances, and some suggestions for future research on strategic alliances.

Utilizing performance measurement theories, we critically examine performance measurement literat... more Utilizing performance measurement theories, we critically examine performance measurement literature in the business incubator domain. Papers are identified and selected by examining peer-reviewed journals in entrepreneurship and small business research, publisher-independent databases, and an own literature review. Results are discussed both at the individual and the system level. At the individual level, existing performance measures are examined using the goal, stakeholder, internal process and system resource approach. At the system level, incubator performance measurement systems are evaluated using Tangen's (2004) output prerequisites. Building upon our findings, the contributions for managers, policy makers, educators and (future) researchers are discussed.

The question whether to buy directly from manufacturers or indirectly from distributors is an imp... more The question whether to buy directly from manufacturers or indirectly from distributors is an important factor in shaping the structure of the supply chain on many markets. Yet little literature can be found with respect to this topic. In this paper we try to close this gap. We investigate which factors will influence the outcome of the choice process, both on the basis of a literature review and on focus interviews with buyers and users in six industrial companies.

Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2008

ABSTRACT Manufacturers increasingly seek new ways to add customer value and differentiate. Howeve... more ABSTRACT Manufacturers increasingly seek new ways to add customer value and differentiate. However, in business markets such efforts often remain relatively unsuccessful, leading to a large number of services offered and higher costs, but with limited corresponding returns. Based on extensive expert interviews and case study research, this paper studies how suppliers in the highly commoditized metalworking industry try to realize new types of customer value. The paper identifies “ideal” value positions pursued by Belgian contract manufacturers and service providers in order to survive in an industry characterized by fierce price competition from low labor cost countries. Further, the paper shows how companies can migrate to these “ideal” value offerings. Key success factors and potential traps for each ideal type are identified. Market strategy transition necessitates an internal “alignment” strategy and an external “coevolution” with chain partners.

Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2004

ABSTRACT This report examines strategic innovation efforts of companies in an industry displaying... more ABSTRACT This report examines strategic innovation efforts of companies in an industry displaying traits of maturity. Strategic innovation efforts intend to create superior customer value and competitive advantage. Realizing the full benefits of these efforts necessitates that companies change their view on existing relationships in the supply chain of the industry under consideration. Based on case study research in nine installation companies in the Dutch electro technical industry, we conclude that a mismatch between intended strategies and the dominant logic of these companies (and their business partners) impedes strategic innovation efforts. We thus identify barriers to strategic innovation. This report suggests strategy options that have the potential to overcome these barriers and relate these options to managerial mindsets and cognitions with respect to competitive strategy, organization and network relationships.

Advances in International Marketing, 2001

Although built to explain an inherently dynamic process, current theories of internationalization... more Although built to explain an inherently dynamic process, current theories of internationalization are criticized for having limited dynamic qualities. To come to this conclusion, we adopt international market withdrawal as an empirical extreme. We expect dynamic theories of ...

In this study we present and test a technological contingency perspective on two dimensions of in... more In this study we present and test a technological contingency perspective on two dimensions of international outsourcing: depth and scope. The depth of international outsourcing refers to the ratio of foreign to total outsourcing. The scope of international outsourcing refers to the ratio of foreign to total outsourcing. The scope of international outsourcing captures the degree of psychic dispersion between the country of operations and the countries a firm is outsourcing to. Using multiple regression analysis on a sample of 189 Dutch firms, the effect of five technological contingency factors is measured: product innovation, technological and volume uncertainty, asset specificity, and the integration of the outsourcing function. A most interesting finding is that technological uncertainty and the degree of product innovation turn out to be both positively correlated with a high scope/low depth type of international outsourcing, and negatively correlated with a low scope/high depth...

International Journal of Production Research, 2017

Manufacturing companies that venture into servitisation can experience difficulties when upscalin... more Manufacturing companies that venture into servitisation can experience difficulties when upscaling product-service systems (PSS) for further growth. This research study has two main objectives: first, to develop insight into the internal levers to increase firms’ servitisation capacity, and second, to apply a new methodology to support companies in upscaling PSS. For these purposes, we conduct an exploratory research study of eight manufacturing companies, consisting of both multiple-case and participatory action research methods. We find that manufacturers often experience challenges when either designing or rolling out PSS, which varies based on the company’s chosen strategy. Additionally, they can be confronted with an organisational logic that hinders PSS upscaling efforts. This research offers guidance to practitioners facing internal barriers for servitisation, providing a new method to explore, prioritise and work out concrete PSS-enhancing projects.

Purpose – This paper aims to apply innovation networks (INs) theory to the context of domesticate... more Purpose – This paper aims to apply innovation networks (INs) theory to the context of domesticated markets, where innovation triggers
deinstitutionalization. In such contexts, the success of INs depends on their capacity to transform the business field in which they are embedded, so that it accommodates innovative business models. Such “institutional INs” beget a meso-level finality, and this poses different requirement on their effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to confront extant models of collaborative innovation in networks with this specific context to offer exploratory insights into how innovation can be achieved in domesticated contexts and what the differential implications are for network configurations and strategic “reinstitutionalization” practices.
Design/methodology/approach – Based on an illustrative embedded case study in the Dutch steel industry, a framework offering indications on the effectiveness of discrete configurational dimensions and their fit with reinstitutionalization practices for institutional INs is suggested. The case builds on 26 semi-structured interviews and 4 focus groups with top managers in the industry. As the aim is to extend theoretical models of INs to this under-researched context, an abductive approach to theorizing, consistent with the extended case method, is adopted.
Findings – Findings suggest that collaborating to redesign an institutionalized business field collectively implies a more explicit attention to interdependencies within the business field.
Practical implications – Besides suggesting modifications to extant frames regarding heterogeneity in and the configuration of networks, this
paper has some practical implications. The framework proposed offers managers some support in the largely ignored issue of developing a collective action network. With these findings, we aspire to stimulate further research into this relevant, yet underdeveloped, topic.
Originality/value – The study extends IN theory toward innovation realization in domesticated contexts. In such contexts, IN’s success depends on their capacity to transform the business field in which they are embedded, so that it enables innovative ways of creating end-customer value. Besides suggesting a new area for theorizing about innovation networks, institutional innovation networks are also a useful template for institutional innovation and collective action research. The paper offers a framework to support managers in the largely ignored challenge of developing a collective action network. In an increasingly transparent, connected and consolidated business environment, such a challenge becomes ever more essential.

The importance of digital technologies for services in manufacturing has often been posited, but ... more The importance of digital technologies for services in manufacturing has often been posited, but current literature has neglected to explain how companies can leverage digital methods to increase their service offering. In this article we contribute to current theory by examining how digitization can enable servitization for manufacturers. By performing a multiple-case study at four manufacturing SMEs, we provide evidence for a priming and a capability effect. In terms of priming, we find that specific digitization options lead to three servitization pathways: industrial, commercial and value servitization. Through a dynamic resource-based lens, the barriers, dynamic resource configurations and competitive benefits specific to each pathway are discussed. Finally, this paper offers managers insight on successfully reaching higher service levels through development of digital assets, and on the skills necessary to further integrate into customers' processes.

Industrial Marketing Management, 2013

Drawing on organizational learning and the relational view of the firm, this study seeks to under... more Drawing on organizational learning and the relational view of the firm, this study seeks to understand the factors that drive supplier innovativeness in the context of cross-border supply relationships. To address this research objective, a survey included 189 parts and components manufacturers (suppliers) in Turkey; hierarchical regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses. The findings demonstrate that interfirm knowledge sharing routines, relation-specific investments, and governance mechanisms may promote supplier innovativeness by expanding the supplier's knowledge resources and encouraging it to invest in innovative activities. In addition, this research emphasizes differentiating effects of the supplier's tier position for the impacts of buyer assistance and cooperative tie. As such, this study contributes to the purchasing and supply management literature by empirically showing how buyer-supplier relationships, particularly in cross-border supply networks, affect supplier innovativeness.

Working Papers, 2005

In the last decade, a fundamental phenomenon came to the fore in the business environment: more a... more In the last decade, a fundamental phenomenon came to the fore in the business environment: more and more companies are offering total solutions to their customer instead of standardized products or services. Although this trend has already been studied extensively in literature, little has been said about the impact of this phenomenon on the supplier's channel management. This article develops propositions concerning the influence of a total solutions strategy on a company's channel management, rooted on an extensive literature review and case-based research in the Belgian industrial market.

Advances in International Marketing, 2001

ABSTRACT This article has no abstract

Advances in International Marketing, 2006

Nadat eerst kort de complexiteit van de marketing-beslissingssituatie is geschetst, wordt in dit ... more Nadat eerst kort de complexiteit van de marketing-beslissingssituatie is geschetst, wordt in dit artikel een omschrijving gegeven van zogenaamde beslissingsondersteuningssystemen die een belangrijk hulpmiddel kunnen zijn bij een analytische benadering van marketingbeslissingen. Het artikel laat zien hoe in deze systemen marketingmodellen en marketinginformatiesystemen met elkaar worden geintegreerd, en gaat in op diverse aspecten, zoals het onderscheid in systemen voor strategische versus operationele beslissingen, kwantificering van modellen etc., en geeft een indeling van bestaande modellen. Er worden een aantal concrete ervaringen met deze beslissingsondersteuningssystemen vermeld en het artikel eindigt met een beschouwing over implementatie en de rol die de marktonderzoeker daarin kan spelen.

Growing competitive intensity is forcing many companies to share their resources and expertise vi... more Growing competitive intensity is forcing many companies to share their resources and expertise via strategic alliances. Discussed here are a comprehensive framework of strategic alliance formation, a situational approach to strategic alliances, and some suggestions for future research on strategic alliances.

Utilizing performance measurement theories, we critically examine performance measurement literat... more Utilizing performance measurement theories, we critically examine performance measurement literature in the business incubator domain. Papers are identified and selected by examining peer-reviewed journals in entrepreneurship and small business research, publisher-independent databases, and an own literature review. Results are discussed both at the individual and the system level. At the individual level, existing performance measures are examined using the goal, stakeholder, internal process and system resource approach. At the system level, incubator performance measurement systems are evaluated using Tangen's (2004) output prerequisites. Building upon our findings, the contributions for managers, policy makers, educators and (future) researchers are discussed.

The question whether to buy directly from manufacturers or indirectly from distributors is an imp... more The question whether to buy directly from manufacturers or indirectly from distributors is an important factor in shaping the structure of the supply chain on many markets. Yet little literature can be found with respect to this topic. In this paper we try to close this gap. We investigate which factors will influence the outcome of the choice process, both on the basis of a literature review and on focus interviews with buyers and users in six industrial companies.

Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2008

ABSTRACT Manufacturers increasingly seek new ways to add customer value and differentiate. Howeve... more ABSTRACT Manufacturers increasingly seek new ways to add customer value and differentiate. However, in business markets such efforts often remain relatively unsuccessful, leading to a large number of services offered and higher costs, but with limited corresponding returns. Based on extensive expert interviews and case study research, this paper studies how suppliers in the highly commoditized metalworking industry try to realize new types of customer value. The paper identifies “ideal” value positions pursued by Belgian contract manufacturers and service providers in order to survive in an industry characterized by fierce price competition from low labor cost countries. Further, the paper shows how companies can migrate to these “ideal” value offerings. Key success factors and potential traps for each ideal type are identified. Market strategy transition necessitates an internal “alignment” strategy and an external “coevolution” with chain partners.

Advances in Business Marketing and Purchasing, 2004

ABSTRACT This report examines strategic innovation efforts of companies in an industry displaying... more ABSTRACT This report examines strategic innovation efforts of companies in an industry displaying traits of maturity. Strategic innovation efforts intend to create superior customer value and competitive advantage. Realizing the full benefits of these efforts necessitates that companies change their view on existing relationships in the supply chain of the industry under consideration. Based on case study research in nine installation companies in the Dutch electro technical industry, we conclude that a mismatch between intended strategies and the dominant logic of these companies (and their business partners) impedes strategic innovation efforts. We thus identify barriers to strategic innovation. This report suggests strategy options that have the potential to overcome these barriers and relate these options to managerial mindsets and cognitions with respect to competitive strategy, organization and network relationships.

Advances in International Marketing, 2001

Although built to explain an inherently dynamic process, current theories of internationalization... more Although built to explain an inherently dynamic process, current theories of internationalization are criticized for having limited dynamic qualities. To come to this conclusion, we adopt international market withdrawal as an empirical extreme. We expect dynamic theories of ...

In this study we present and test a technological contingency perspective on two dimensions of in... more In this study we present and test a technological contingency perspective on two dimensions of international outsourcing: depth and scope. The depth of international outsourcing refers to the ratio of foreign to total outsourcing. The scope of international outsourcing refers to the ratio of foreign to total outsourcing. The scope of international outsourcing captures the degree of psychic dispersion between the country of operations and the countries a firm is outsourcing to. Using multiple regression analysis on a sample of 189 Dutch firms, the effect of five technological contingency factors is measured: product innovation, technological and volume uncertainty, asset specificity, and the integration of the outsourcing function. A most interesting finding is that technological uncertainty and the degree of product innovation turn out to be both positively correlated with a high scope/low depth type of international outsourcing, and negatively correlated with a low scope/high depth...