Development of a Collaboration Compass for the Selection, Implementation and Controlling of Collaboration Projects
Final Report Abstract
This project aims to build up a collaboration compass for the selection, design and controlling of collaboration projects. A holistic, model-based methodology has been established for the analysis. Firstly, a reference model with the conceptual framework has been setup for the interpretation of the generic collaboration. Three issues have been considered for the composition of the framework, which are collaboration life-cycle, endogenous factors and exogenous factors. These three compose a collaboration system. Each of the dimensions play a special role for the general function of the collaboration. With a view to the general collaboration process, typologies of collaboration have been conducted, based on collaboration motivation, collaboration form and organizational structure. A three-dimensional (3-D) model has further been developed for the general distinction of collaboration forms. These three dimensions, namely power/interdependence degree, organizational governance and social governance, compose a collaboration cube. With the analysis on the position and movements of the position within this cube, this project helps to provide further answers on the similarity degree of the collaborations. In this project, ideal collaboration lies not only on the best achievement, but also on the suitable performance within the on-going processes. Based on the general collaboration processes, the performance of the collaboration would be evaluated based on 4 Suitable Conditions (4SCs): suitable target, suitable partner, suitable collaboration structure and strategic relationships for the coordination and controlling. Here, each of these conditions have been detailed both from the description with indicators and performance evaluation with related rules. With the combination of the collaboration conceptual model, collaboration typologies and also the ideal collaboration model, a collaboration catalogue has been worked out and further refined with three dimensions (in total 67 criterion). This catalogue has been validated with the first survey with 55 samples, where it showed high reliability property value to the whole system. Therefore, it has been used to collect the collaboration-relevant factors, and merge these into a collaboration data source model. For the selection and evaluation of efficient collaboration types and strategies, an adequate method was provided. In detail, 1) a partner selection indicator system has been developed; and 2) a collaboration establishment model has been setup for the choice of collaboration forms (equity, or non-equity based), coordination tools, contract provisions and also the centralization degree of decision groups. 3) A collaboration evolution model has been composed for the illustration on the possible changes and their related triggers; 4) an on-going trust model has been setup for the in-depth look into collaboration relationships and their direct and indirect impacts on the collaboration performance. The collaboration compass thus has been developed, which is meant to be a “guide which helps companies to adapt to the dynamics of collaborative networks and in the end achieve their collaboration targets” (Chen et al. 2014b), and to lead to a suitable collaboration decision within collaborative activities. For the validation, an extensive survey has been conducted for more than half a year, where in the end 138 samples have been collected for the analysis. Based on the feedbacks of the survey, general validations were concluded from the following four perspectives: 1) the partner selection indicator system has been validated with high reliability; 2) the collaboration establishment model has been validated and refined with detail; 3) changes and evolution of collaboration have been revealed; 4) and special insights of collaboration relationships and their impacts have been confirmed.
Publications
- (2014). Collaborations and the Typology of Collaboration Motivations. In: Müller, Egon (Hrsg.): Produktion und Arbeitswelt 4.0 – Aktuelle Konzepte für die Praxis?. 15. Tage des Betriebs- und Systemingenieurs – TBI2014, Wissenschaftliche Schriftenreihe des IBF, Sonderheft 20, TU Chemnitz, 2014, S. 467-476, ISSN 0947-2495
Chen, Xiaoli; Mahling, Antonia; Riedel, Ralph
- (2014). Development of a General Collaboration Model - Basis for the Establishment of a Collaboration Compass. In: Proceedings of the 2014 IEEM - International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management (online), 09.-12.12.2014, Malaysia, ISBN: 978-1-4799-6409-3
Chen, Xiaoli; Mahling, Antonia; Riedel, Ralph; Müller, Egon
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1109/IEEM.2014.7058770) - (2015). Dimensionen der Kooperation: Eine qualitative Analyse als Beitrag zum ganzheitlichen Kooperationsmanagement. In: Müller, Egon (Hrsg.): Vernetzt planen und produzieren - VPP2015 - Wissenschaftliche Schriftenreihe des IBF, Sonderheft 21, TU Chemnitz, 2015, S. 375 - 386, ISSN 0947-2495
Hesse, Christina; Goetze, Anne; Chen, Xiaoli; Riedel, Ralph
- (2015). Organizational Structure and the Dynamics of Collaboration Relationship. IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, 06.-09.12. 2015, Singapore, ISBN: 979-1-4673-8065-2
Chen, Xiao Li; Mahling, Antonia; Riedel, Ralph; Mueller, Egon
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1109/IEEM.2015.7385689) - (2015). Typologies of Collaboration based on Motivation and Structure. In: Service Science and Management Research. - 4. 2015, S. 13 - 16, ISSN Online: 2327- 168X; ISSN Print: 2327-1639
Chen, Xiao Li; Riedel, Ralph; Müller, Egon
(See online at https://doi.org/10.14355/ssmr.2015.04.004) - (2015). Typology of collaboration based on the Collaboration Structure, IFAC-Papers Online. - 2015 IFAC Symposium on Information Control in Manufacturing (INCOM 2015), Canada, 11.-13.05.2015, ISSN 2405-8963
Chen, Xiao Li; Mahling, Antonia; Riedel, Ralph; Mueller, Egon
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2015.06.052)
