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從動態競爭觀點審視作業流程管理的創新與改進
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firefighting behaviors (or ad hoc problem solving) get more attention from managers and
even more credit than preventive actions (Repenning and Sterman, 2002).
The dynamism of the market is a primary reason for the recent increased investment in
process innovation. The firm can use breakthroughs in process management as strategic
weapons to destabilize the market and threaten rivalsʼ competitive position (Teece, Pisano,
and Shuen, 1997). Indeed, the firm experiences “worse-before-better” dynamics when
shifting away from improvement capabilities (Sterman, 2000). From a long term perspective,
however, innovation capabilities ultimately compensate the firm for the initial performance
loss. Accordingly, investment in innovation capabilities is vital to improve performance.
We argue that managing process improvement and innovation requires a dynamic,
strategic orientation so that firms can simultaneously analyze multiple interdependent
relationships within the underlying, complex dynamic system (Choi et al., 2001; Größler et
al., 2008; Bendoly et al., 2010). While most contemporary methodologies are static in nature,
dynamic modeling offers a powerful method to capture simultaneously on-going processes
and procedures that influence each other (Davis et al., 2007). Dynamic modeling is
particularly useful in developing dynamic computational theory by highlighting feedback
processes (i.e., circular causal relationships) in which variables influence and, in turn,
respond to each other (Sterman, 2000; Repenning, 2002; Cui et al., 2011). Hence, such
methodology can reveal novel insights into the means by which firms improve and innovate
their operational processes in dynamic competition.
4. Model
In this section, following the lead of Sterman et al. (2007) about dynamic competition
and simulation settings as well as the lead of Größler et al. (2008) about the role of feedback
in process management, we develop a dynamic systems model of process competition based
on the AMC perspective with consideration of both internal capability development trade-
offs and external competition. The model starts with the firmʼs awareness of the external
environment derived from multimarket contacts with competing firms. We then turn to an
analysis of competitive tension impacting the firmʼs motivation. The capability section
captures the trade-off between improvement and innovation efforts and the resulting market
performance.
This model considers a duopoly for the analysis of process development and
management from the viewpoint of rent searching. The
leader
maintains dominant position
in the industry because it employs the current best practice. The
follower
aims to improve its