J. Macher

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David Seamon

Kansas State University

Harijono Djojodihardjo

Institut Teknologi Bandung

Sravankumar Kota

Institute Of Aeronautical Engineering

M. Lewenstein

ICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences

Yongyut Trisurat

Kasetsart University

Dragos Simandan

Brock University

Nevenka Rajic

University of Belgrade

Gregory Patience

École Polytechnique de Montréal

Denisse Herreño Castellanos

Universidad Santo Tomás, Bucaramanga

Norsuria Mahmed

Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP)

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Papers by J. Macher

Strategic Problem Solving: A Knowledge-Based Examination in Medical Device Manufacturing

Academy of Management Proceedings, 2015

This paper examines how the knowledge-based view (KBV) can be applied to firm boundary decisions ... more This paper examines how the knowledge-based view (KBV) can be applied to firm boundary decisions and the performance implications of those decisions. At the center of the paper is a theoretical and empirical examination of how firms efficiently organize manufacturing in a regulated industry. We find that distinct organizational approaches are advantaged in terms of regulatory performance, depending on the complexity (i.e., technological sophistication) and structure (i.e., novelty) of particular problems, as well as the distribution of problems within the organization. We make theoretical and empirical contributions to KBV research that examines organization and performance related to problem solving, knowledge development and knowledge transfer. The medical device manufacturing industry serves as the empirical setting.

Understanding Participation in Social Programs: Why Don't Households Pick up the Lifeline?

The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 2007

In this study, we draw upon data from the low-income Lifeline Assistance Program (Lifeline) for t... more In this study, we draw upon data from the low-income Lifeline Assistance Program (Lifeline) for telephone service to examine the participation of eligible households in social programs designed to alleviate financial hardship. Utilizing panel data on participation levels in 1997 and 2003 and the associated variation in state-level policies, we are able to identify program characteristics that significantly affect participation rates. In particular, we find that participation rates are significantly negatively influenced by limitations that some states place on the ability of Lifeline subscribers to utilize optional calling features such as three-way calling or call forwarding. We also find that program participation is positively influenced by the longevity of the individual state's Lifeline program. While no direct test of state-level advertising is feasible, this result is suggestive of an inter-temporal pattern of information dissemination that grows with program longevity. B...

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Demand in a Portfolio-Choice Environment: The Evolution of Telecommunications

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

The emergence of wireless telephone and broadband technologies has drastically altered the tradit... more The emergence of wireless telephone and broadband technologies has drastically altered the traditional household choice set for satisfying their communications needs. In this paper we explore this evolution. To do so, we extend the traditional (node-to-node) demand structure by permitting households to derive utility from communication with others while either the initiator or the recipient of communications is away from his node. This broader vision of communications demand permits us to estimate households' demand for access to telecommunications services, paying particular attention to the portfolio mix of wireless and wired telephony. The model suggests that characteristics that capture households' affiliation with their domicile are likely to drive consumers' portfolio choices, as will the relative quality of the competing technologies. Finally, the model provides a basis for investigating the substitutability or complementarity of wireline and wireless services. We estimate this model of consumer choice using a unique database involving over 160,000 household-level observations drawn from the 2003-2009 period. The estimates reveal that households that are more affiliated with their domicile are significantly more prone toward wireline services while more "on the go" households are more attracted to wireless telephony. The estimations also reveal that relative quality convergence in wireless and wireline services has contributed significantly to shifts in consumers' telephone portfolios. Finally, the data reveal that subscription to wireline and wireless telephony are substitutes rather than complements.

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Organisational Responses to Discontinuous Innovation: A Case Study Approach

International Journal of Innovation Management, 2004

Research that examines entrant-incumbent dynamics often points to the organisational limitations ... more Research that examines entrant-incumbent dynamics often points to the organisational limitations that constrain incumbents from successfully pursuing new technologies or fending off new entrants. Some incumbents are nevertheless able to successfully implement organisational structures and develop routines that overcome these institutional constraints. We provide a case-study analysis of how three firms — Motorola, IBM and Kodak — responded to "discontinuous" innovations and the associated structural and organisational limitations that are typical to incumbent organisations. Each firm was able to capture gains from new technologies and develop profitable products in emerging markets, although their abilities to sustain these gains varied due to subsequent organisational changes. Drawing from these case studies, we synthesise how firms can institute organisational strategies to continue to capture gains from disruptive innovations. A schema suggests that particular organisat...

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Planning for extending and terminating inter-firm relationships: Bringing psychology into the study of contractual governance

We combine insights from economics and psychology to understand how firms strategically plan to e... more We combine insights from economics and psychology to understand how firms strategically plan to extend and terminate their contractual relationships. In many economic respects, provisions that allow a buyer to terminate a project early and those that allow a buyer to extend a project have much in common. Psychologically, however, including and exercising extendibility and early termination provisions have very different effects on how people view the relationship and thus can inform when each would be most effective at managing inter-firm transactions. Examining extendibility and early termination provisions in a sample of 388 contracts from the information technology services industry, we find that relationship and cognitive factors from psychology play a big role in when one type of clause would be preferred over another and when either type might suffice. These results suggest that managers can use contracts strategically to manage inter-firm relationships and not just as enforcement mechanisms to mitigate opportunism.

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Transaction Cost Economics: An Assessment of Empirical Research in the Social Sciences

Business and Politics, 2008

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the empirical literature in transaction cost econom... more This paper provides a comprehensive review of the empirical literature in transaction cost economics (TCE) across multiple social science disciplines and business fields. We show how TCE has branched out from its economic roots to examine empirical phenomena in several other areas. We find TCE is increasingly being applied not only to business-related fields such as accounting, finance, marketing, and organizational theory, but also to areas outside of business including political science, law, public policy, and agriculture and health. With few exceptions, however, the use of TCE reasoning to inform empirical research in these areas is piecemeal. We find that there is considerable support of many of the central tenets of TCE, but we also observe a number of lingering theoretical and empirical issues that need to be addressed. We conclude by discussing the implications of these issues and outlining directions for future theoretical and empirical work.

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