The intrapreneurial behavior of employees has become of strategic importance for the performance of organizations. However, the literature on intrapreneurship is dispersed and in need of an integrated overview of the characteristics and behaviors of intrapreneurial employees. Based on a systematic literature review, we propose a new definition of intrapreneurship that emphasizes its multilevel nature. Moreover, we propose a comprehensive model of intrapreneurship in which we integrate the new definition, dimensions, and determinants applicable to individual employees. We find that innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking, opportunity recognition / exploitation and internal / external networking are important behavioral dimensions of intrapreneurship. A certain skillset, a perception of their own capabilities, personal knowledge, past experience, the relation with the organization, motivation, satisfaction and intention are the determinants of intrapreneurial behavior that we derived from the literature review. Based on our results and an integrated model of intrapreneurship, we suggest a number of future research directions.

Purpose -Research results concerning the cost-saving potential of international sourcing have been ambiguous and the topic has been covered in isolation without accounting for influences of alternative cost-saving approaches. This paper aims to analyze the expected financial impact of international sourcing in relation to savings potential attributed to other sourcing tactics, such as, e.g. collaborative product improvement. Furthermore, the paper tests for potential trade-offs between different levers. Design/methodology/approach -Data stem from results of 134 cross-functional cost-saving workshops using an identical methodology. Workshop participants identified and estimated cost-saving projects considering seven sourcing levers. Results were recorded in a standardized way and analyzed scrutinizing secondary data. Findings -Contrary to other studies, data revealed that international sourcing projects averaged 3.4 percent savings expectations. More than 80 percent of total savings potential was attributed to other sourcing levers, such as pooling of demand or process improvement. Results highlight possible trade-offs between international sourcing and, e.g. joint product optimization. Research limitations/implications -A rigorous and strict, highly standardized method was employed and data were validated via cross-functional team discussions, however, ex ante expectations instead of ex post realized savings are analyzed. Practical implications -Findings give guidance on the importance of international sourcing compared to other levers and help to correct the misconception of international sourcing as a "purchasing panacea." The findings highlight the need to develop a coherent sourcing strategy for specific commodity groups, including reinforcing tactics and avoiding trade-offs. Originality/value -For the first time, explicitly cost-savings expectations from international sourcing have been analyzed together with other cost-saving levers concerning relative importance and possible trade-offs among them.

An increasing number of companies claim to pursue international supply chain management (ISCM), but the empirical evidence of successful implementation programs is still scarce. This paper aims to contribute to theory-building in this area by presenting an exploratory causal model of goals, barriers, and enablers on the road towards effective ISCM. The model was established in a workshop with a panel of content matter experts. The results point at a disturbingly gloomy picture of vicious cycles frustrating the implementation of effective ISCM strategies. Fortunately, it appears that it is possible to apply the same generic mechanisms to create a virtuous cycle, for instance by promoting cross-functional careers and by actively responding to demanding customer needs. The challenge ahead is to test the model's content and validity.IJOPM 19,5/6 566 globalisation process has added substantially to the complexity of designing and managing supply chains (see for example Vos and Akkermans, 1996).Thus, it comes as no surprise that supply chain management, as the integral approach to operations management is labelled nowadays, has become one of the top priorities on the strategic agenda of industrial companies. Still, observations in practice reveal that many companies continue to manage the main stages of their global supply chain (purchasing, manufacturing and distribution) independently. And until now, the operations management literature has shown very little empirical evidence of successful strategic moves towards supply chain management. At present, there are at best some survey reports containing``laundry lists'' of critical success factors and roadblocks on the way towards effective supply chain management (Holmes, 1995). Some of the critical success factors listed there include the``usual suspects'' of top management commitment, involving staff in cross-functional teams to plan and implement change, continuous feedback between management and staff, planning of new information systems, and actively seeking customer input.However, there is at present little known on how these factors drive effective supply chain management, and even less on how they drive each other, let alone on what drives them in turn. What are the right levers to pull and buttons to push in the organisational change effort? In other words, we do not yet have causal relationships between the various factors driving effective supply chain management and their interrelations with performance improvements in areas like inventory management, supply chain costs, and customer satisfaction. And we do need to learn more on such causal relationships if we are to give good recommendations; not just laundry lists of what is important, but also explanations of why, when, where, and how. Without answers to such questions, it is difficult to arrive at sensible and robust growth strategies towards international supply chain management (ISCM).This paper presents a first attempt to arrive at such a theory of why achieving effective supply chain management is so ...

Evidence on the impact of amplification effects on supply chain performance primarily has been derived from studies in manufacturing industries. In this article we reported on a case study from the telecommunication industry and aimed to analyze relevant root causes and associated countermeasures of the amplification phenomenon in service supply chains. Our case findings confirm the occurrence of upstream amplification of workload in the service supply chain, workload being a more appropriate measure for amplification effects in service supply chains than inventory levels. Not all of the root causes for amplification effects known from research in manufacturing environments were found to apply in this particular service context, especially those related to the use of inventory. In addition, our telecom case study highlighted a new root cause for amplification: interactions of high workloads and reduced process quality that start reinforcing each other once workloads pass a certain threshold. In this particular case, many of the known countermeasures to eliminate amplification did not apply, because of the specific characteristics of the service process, or yielded only limited results. A potentially very powerful countermeasure identified was to implement quality improvements throughout the service chain. This quality dimension links our research to the literature on service management in general, where service quality is on top of the research agenda.

Questions on configuration and co‐ordination are seldom integrated in research on international manufacturing and location decisions. Suggests a way in which these two aspects can be linked by combining concepts from international business and manufacturing strategy. Elaborates the practical relevance of this integration in the experiences of Dutch investors locating plants in Thailand. Simultaneous attention to configuration and co‐ordination enhances the understanding of the functioning of foreign plants in international networks and yields some important implications for managers responsible for international location issues.