Data structure of FM role in CE
| Aggregated dimension | Second-order themes | First-order codes |
|---|---|---|
| High-tech industry | Customer-driven innovation | Ultimately, we're driven by customer needs. (FM02) |
| Their problems are now, not in 3–4 months. (FM10) | ||
| They don't come with problems in six months. They come with them now. And we have to act quickly. (FM08) | ||
| Market awareness | You need to know what's happening in the field, what customers need or what they might be waiting for or hoping for. (FM04) | |
| Sometimes, the customer doesn't say it directly, but you can hear between the lines what's changing. (FM09) | ||
| If I visit other customers and get similar feedback, then I know there's a market demand. (FM06) | ||
| Role expectations | Management support | Management tells us, “If it's good, do it, but take care of your main job”. (FM01) |
| They said, “The idea isn't bad, let's try it out.” So, the vacuum robot was bought, and it worked fine. (FM15) | ||
| If higher management doesn't approve the funding for a project, a frontline manager will find it very difficult to push forward with anything (FM12) | ||
| Autonomy | Nobody checks what I do in detail. It's up to me to decide what makes sense. (FM09) | |
| We're trusted to find our own way to reach objectives. (FM10) | ||
| If I see a need, I don't have to ask. I just do it. (FM06) | ||
| Time scarcity | But if you're not in such a large company where you can just do that, you always have daily tasks, and they always take priority because they bring in the money.(FM15) | |
| I would love to innovate more, but the day is full of tasks that are not innovative. (FM05) | ||
| It's hard to find time for ideas. We're constantly under delivery pressure. (FM13) | ||
| Role identity | Technical expertise | I know the product inside out. That's why people listen when I say something needs to change. (FM04) |
| I don't need a PowerPoint to explain my ideas. I show them the problem and the solution. (FM07) | ||
| If I talk to R&D or production, they know I understand what I'm talking about. That makes it easier to move things forward. (FM10) | ||
| Cumulative experience | Over the years, you learn how to get things done. Not everything is in the manual. (FM12) | |
| You can't innovate if you don't know the system. (FM06) | ||
| Sometimes it's not the best idea that works; it's the one that fits with how things move around here. (FM08) | ||
| Role enactment | Opportunity identification | Problem-solving is a big part of what I do. I see it as an opportunity. (FM01) |
| They're the ones who notice when things aren't progressing or when new technologies need to be explored. (FM15) | ||
| You have to ask what's going on, what's new, and what's happening in the market. You often get enough prompts from these conversations. (FM10) | ||
| Boundary spanning | Ultimately, the frontline manager connects the customer with the rest of the organisation. (FM12) | |
| A frontline manager … we are directly at the front, the link between customer and production. (FM09) | ||
| I'm the bridge between the frontline outside and the colleagues in development within the company. (FM13) | ||
| Knowledge broker | A salesperson is essentially a kind of translator. Production speaks its own language, and the customer speaks theirs. It's your job to bridge that gap. (FM11) | |
| Sometimes, technical concepts need to be simplified for internal teams to understand. (FM09) | ||
| I act as a bridge between departments by transferring knowledge that is otherwise stuck in silos. (FM12) | ||
| Implementation navigation (exploitation) | I'm fully responsible for ensuring the product works. (FM15) | |
| I must try to implement everything in the innovation area … (FM19) | ||
| Especially as frontline managers … we're also heavily involved in the implementation … from the early phase all the way to the completion. (FM16) | ||
| Role negotiation | Decision boundaries | We're brought in to provide our input, but the final decision rests with middle management. (FM01) |
| Depending on the scale of the investment, higher-level management decisions are required for larger investments. (FM13) | ||
| Without certain information, I believe some decisions would be different than if I hadn't provided customer insights. (FM03) | ||
| Operational constraints | Even if I want to change a part, it needs to go through three stages before it's allowed. (FM13) | |
| If that budget isn't available, there may not be any time during work hours to push these solutions forward. (FM15) | ||
| There are always quality checks and documentation steps that slow everything down. (FM07) |
| Aggregated dimension | Second-order themes | First-order codes |
|---|---|---|
| High-tech industry | Customer-driven innovation | Ultimately, we're driven by customer needs. (FM02) |
| Their problems are now, not in 3–4 months. (FM10) | ||
| They don't come with problems in six months. They come with them now. And we have to act quickly. (FM08) | ||
| Market awareness | You need to know what's happening in the field, what customers need or what they might be waiting for or hoping for. (FM04) | |
| Sometimes, the customer doesn't say it directly, but you can hear between the lines what's changing. (FM09) | ||
| If I visit other customers and get similar feedback, then I know there's a market demand. (FM06) | ||
| Role expectations | Management support | Management tells us, “If it's good, do it, but take care of your main job”. (FM01) |
| They said, “The idea isn't bad, let's try it out.” So, the vacuum robot was bought, and it worked fine. (FM15) | ||
| If higher management doesn't approve the funding for a project, a frontline manager will find it very difficult to push forward with anything (FM12) | ||
| Autonomy | Nobody checks what I do in detail. It's up to me to decide what makes sense. (FM09) | |
| We're trusted to find our own way to reach objectives. (FM10) | ||
| If I see a need, I don't have to ask. I just do it. (FM06) | ||
| Time scarcity | But if you're not in such a large company where you can just do that, you always have daily tasks, and they always take priority because they bring in the money.(FM15) | |
| I would love to innovate more, but the day is full of tasks that are not innovative. (FM05) | ||
| It's hard to find time for ideas. We're constantly under delivery pressure. (FM13) | ||
| Role identity | Technical expertise | I know the product inside out. That's why people listen when I say something needs to change. (FM04) |
| I don't need a PowerPoint to explain my ideas. I show them the problem and the solution. (FM07) | ||
| If I talk to R&D or production, they know I understand what I'm talking about. That makes it easier to move things forward. (FM10) | ||
| Cumulative experience | Over the years, you learn how to get things done. Not everything is in the manual. (FM12) | |
| You can't innovate if you don't know the system. (FM06) | ||
| Sometimes it's not the best idea that works; it's the one that fits with how things move around here. (FM08) | ||
| Role enactment | Opportunity identification | Problem-solving is a big part of what I do. I see it as an opportunity. (FM01) |
| They're the ones who notice when things aren't progressing or when new technologies need to be explored. (FM15) | ||
| You have to ask what's going on, what's new, and what's happening in the market. You often get enough prompts from these conversations. (FM10) | ||
| Boundary spanning | Ultimately, the frontline manager connects the customer with the rest of the organisation. (FM12) | |
| A frontline manager … we are directly at the front, the link between customer and production. (FM09) | ||
| I'm the bridge between the frontline outside and the colleagues in development within the company. (FM13) | ||
| Knowledge broker | A salesperson is essentially a kind of translator. Production speaks its own language, and the customer speaks theirs. It's your job to bridge that gap. (FM11) | |
| Sometimes, technical concepts need to be simplified for internal teams to understand. (FM09) | ||
| I act as a bridge between departments by transferring knowledge that is otherwise stuck in silos. (FM12) | ||
| Implementation navigation (exploitation) | I'm fully responsible for ensuring the product works. (FM15) | |
| I must try to implement everything in the innovation area … (FM19) | ||
| Especially as frontline managers … we're also heavily involved in the implementation … from the early phase all the way to the completion. (FM16) | ||
| Role negotiation | Decision boundaries | We're brought in to provide our input, but the final decision rests with middle management. (FM01) |
| Depending on the scale of the investment, higher-level management decisions are required for larger investments. (FM13) | ||
| Without certain information, I believe some decisions would be different than if I hadn't provided customer insights. (FM03) | ||
| Operational constraints | Even if I want to change a part, it needs to go through three stages before it's allowed. (FM13) | |
| If that budget isn't available, there may not be any time during work hours to push these solutions forward. (FM15) | ||
| There are always quality checks and documentation steps that slow everything down. (FM07) |