دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی عملیات HR برای اتحاد اکتشاف و بهره برداری در شهرهای هوشمند - امرالد 2018

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how multinational enterprises (MNEs) manage human resources (HR) in explorative and exploitative alliances in smart city projects (SCPs). Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors adopt an explorative and qualitative approach based on multiple case studies thanks to the interviews with 21 smart city managers of MNEs who are deeply involved in SCPs. Findings – The authors found that MNEs use many different partnerships and “temporal separation” in many cities all around the world in order to maximize the benefits of both exploration and exploitation. According to the aim of the project, MNEs implemented different HR practices intentionally targeted toward managing social relations among internal and external employees involved in SCPs. Practical implications – The authors highlighted that MNEs tend to develop different ties among employees and external partners and to use different HR practices according to the nature and to the aim of the alliances. Thus, the development of human resource management systems becomes crucial in supporting organizational ambidexterity through alliances. Social implications – This paper gives useful insights in improving the effectiveness of MNEs in SCPs. Due to the business opportunities arising from the application of ICT and technological innovation to urban services, MNEs are becoming an important player in smart cities. Increasing the effectiveness of the SCPs leads faster to more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable cities. Originality/value – The development of alliances has a key role in strengthening and complementing firms’ exploration and exploitation agendas in SCPs. Thus, this paper provides guidelines to MNEs in order to adapt HR practices and to rethink the role of HR within and across corporate boundaries in an emergent context of analysis.

5. Conclusion, implications and future research

Firms in smart cities face multiple challenges, some of which are best met with exploratory activities (e.g. dealing with the introduction of a radical new product) and others with exploitative activities (e.g. improving the quality of current products in light of customer feedback). Hence, many organizations did not focus on just one dimension of performance – either innovation, flexibility and the exploration of new opportunities, or efficiency, control and the exploitation of existing capabilities (Hoffmann, 2007; Adler and Heckscher, 2013). Today, especially in a complex and innovative context as the smart city one, they must find ways to improve both dimensions simultaneously.

Smart cities’ explorative and exploitative alliances are growing due to the business opportunities arising from the application of technological innovation to urban services. Firms explore new technologies in the cities’ ecosystems aimed at finding new product and services cooperating with city governments and other city’s stakeholders combining different kind of heterogeneous resources. Consequently, firms try to capture value and make money from the technologies, services and products tested. In both cases, they need the support of local governments, so the management of both explorative and exploitative activities in this underexplored and complex context became crucial as well as the HR practices used in each project.