Table 2 Cross-case analysis of tensions... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2

Cross-case analysis of tensions and management responses

Tensions/Paradoxes	Cases	Details	Themes (Case #)	Management responses	Cases	Details	Themes (Case #)
Performing tensions	Case 1	Goal-related tensions between: (i)performance goals like quality, speed and cost - challenging with high costs and long material lead times; (ii)large company volumes and small-series production volumes -due to existing company structures and relationships (i.e. stakeholders)	Sustainability (2,3,7) Costs (1,2,4) Variety/volume (1,2) Lead times (1,4) Quality (1,4) Risks (2)	Performing tension management	Case 1	(i)Cost tension requires selection of suppliers (or internal development) for high technology levels to reduce labor inputs-costs (ii)Variety/volume tensions managed through step-by-step implementation (first 5–10% test)-limited to certain product types	Synthesis Products: Efficiency (Materials) (7) Learning/Development (2) Operations: Learning/Development (2,3) Efficiency (Labor/Production) (1,7) Flexibility (4) Relationships: Customer collaboration (4) Cross-functional collaboration (2) Supplier collaboration (1,2) Separation (spatial) Products: Product segmentation (1)
	Case 2	Goal-related tensions between: (i)Internal and external brand variety; (ii)Internal small volume priorities and supplier volume demands-risks; (iii)Sustainability and costs -due to costs (sustainability) and stakeholder demands (variety/volumes/risks)			Case 2	General focus on learning and adapting; (i)Sourcing/products/marketing depts. to agree on same focus; (ii)Importance of close supplier relationships; (iii)Careful approach to sustainability (material/process) improvements - step by step
	Case 3	Goal-related tension between ambitious sustainability goals and availability of certified suppliers/innovation levels -due to limited supplier resources			Case 3	Tension requires internal developments for the required product/process sustainability levels through control
	Case 4	Goal-related tensions among customer demands (quality, speed, lower prices) as normal way of doing business-challenges differ depending on product type (e.g. production complexity) -due to divergent stakeholder demands			Case 4	Flexibility required to find compromises in collaboration with customers; Balancing tensions supports the ability to increase work from customer orders
	Case 7	Only goal-related tensions because of sustainability paradoxes in fashion, with trade-offs between different improvements (e.g. organic material carbon footprint) -due to complexity related to sustainability and limited company resources			Case 7	Sustainability tensions require company to target efforts on a specific goal, waste minimization throughout the supply chain (prioritizing carbon when there is a trade-off) and for product design, to improve multiple metrics
Organizing tensions	Case 5	Tensions between different small series production processes based on the amount of development required and risks, on-demand vs flexible capacity, retailer vs online sales processes with higher costs, etc. -due to limited company resources	Risk minimization and management (5,6) Expansion/development (5,6) Flexible capacity (5,6) Costs (5,6) Sustainability (processes) (6)	Organizing tension management	Case 5	Minimize development complexity for flexibility, Brand growth (new processes) to stabilize production, with separate structure eventually. Slow development of retailer relationships for learning	Synthesis Products: Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) Operations: Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) New process development* (5,6) Relationships: Customer relationships-learning (5); collaborative decision-making (6) Separation (spatial) Operations Separate structure (5) Separation (temporal) Products Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) Operations: Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) Separate structure (5)
	Case 6	Tensions among: (i) Risk management, innovation and expansion; and (ii) Growing demand, sourcing/manufacturing lead times, sustainable logistics, capacity and costs -due to limited company resources			Case 6	Innovation and expansion focus after risks; No direct solutions-flying as a last mile option introduced, with novel carbon footprint calculator, customers to pay some added logistics costs and to make choices
Performing-Organizing tensions	Case 6	Tension between customer demand for low prices (driving lower market scale), and business model processes and performance benefits related to customization and sustainability -due to scale because of divergent stakeholder demands	Customer demands-Costs (6) Scale (Processes) (6) Customization (Processes) (6) Sustainability (Processes) (6)	Performing-Organizing tension management	Case 6	Prices raised (doubled) over 15 years to overcome lower than expected market scale; Expected that in the long run business model benefits, sustainability, etc., will lead to stronger performance	Synthesis Operations: Price (short-term)* (6) Long-term view* (6)

Tensions/Paradoxes	Cases	Details	Themes (Case #)	Management responses	Cases	Details	Themes (Case #)
Performing tensions	Case 1	Goal-related tensions between: (i)performance goals like quality, speed and cost - challenging with high costs and long material lead times; (ii)large company volumes and small-series production volumes -due to existing company structures and relationships (i.e. stakeholders)	Sustainability (2,3,7) Costs (1,2,4) Variety/volume (1,2) Lead times (1,4) Quality (1,4) Risks (2)	Performing tension management	Case 1	(i)Cost tension requires selection of suppliers (or internal development) for high technology levels to reduce labor inputs-costs (ii)Variety/volume tensions managed through step-by-step implementation (first 5–10% test)-limited to certain product types	SynthesisProducts: Efficiency (Materials) (7) Learning/Development (2) Operations: Learning/Development (2,3) Efficiency (Labor/Production) (1,7) Flexibility (4) Relationships: Customer collaboration (4) Cross-functional collaboration (2) Supplier collaboration (1,2) Separation (spatial)Products: Product segmentation (1)
	Case 2	Goal-related tensions between: (i)Internal and external brand variety; (ii)Internal small volume priorities and supplier volume demands-risks; (iii)Sustainability and costs -due to costs (sustainability) and stakeholder demands (variety/volumes/risks)			Case 2	General focus on learning and adapting; (i)Sourcing/products/marketing depts. to agree on same focus; (ii)Importance of close supplier relationships; (iii)Careful approach to sustainability (material/process) improvements - step by step
	Case 3	Goal-related tension between ambitious sustainability goals and availability of certified suppliers/innovation levels -due to limited supplier resources			Case 3	Tension requires internal developments for the required product/process sustainability levels through control
	Case 4	Goal-related tensions among customer demands (quality, speed, lower prices) as normal way of doing business-challenges differ depending on product type (e.g. production complexity) -due to divergent stakeholder demands			Case 4	Flexibility required to find compromises in collaboration with customers; Balancing tensions supports the ability to increase work from customer orders
	Case 7	Only goal-related tensions because of sustainability paradoxes in fashion, with trade-offs between different improvements (e.g. organic material carbon footprint) -due to complexity related to sustainability and limited company resources			Case 7	Sustainability tensions require company to target efforts on a specific goal, waste minimization throughout the supply chain (prioritizing carbon when there is a trade-off) and for product design, to improve multiple metrics
Organizing tensions	Case 5	Tensions between different small series production processes based on the amount of development required and risks, on-demand vs flexible capacity, retailer vs online sales processes with higher costs, etc. -due to limited company resources	Risk minimization and management (5,6) Expansion/development (5,6) Flexible capacity (5,6) Costs (5,6) Sustainability (processes) (6)	Organizing tension management	Case 5	Minimize development complexity for flexibility, Brand growth (new processes) to stabilize production, with separate structure eventually. Slow development of retailer relationships for learning	SynthesisProducts: Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) Operations: Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) New process development* (5,6) Relationships: Customer relationships-learning (5); collaborative decision-making (6) Separation (spatial)Operations Separate structure (5) Separation (temporal)Products Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) Operations: Minimize complexity/slow development* (5,6) Separate structure (5)
	Case 6	Tensions among: (i) Risk management, innovation and expansion; and (ii) Growing demand, sourcing/manufacturing lead times, sustainable logistics, capacity and costs -due to limited company resources			Case 6	Innovation and expansion focus after risks; No direct solutions-flying as a last mile option introduced, with novel carbon footprint calculator, customers to pay some added logistics costs and to make choices
Performing-Organizing tensions	Case 6	Tension between customer demand for low prices (driving lower market scale), and business model processes and performance benefits related to customization and sustainability -due to scale because of divergent stakeholder demands	Customer demands-Costs (6) Scale (Processes) (6) Customization (Processes) (6) Sustainability (Processes) (6)	Performing-Organizing tension management	Case 6	Prices raised (doubled) over 15 years to overcome lower than expected market scale; Expected that in the long run business model benefits, sustainability, etc., will lead to stronger performance	SynthesisOperations: Price (short-term)* (6) Long-term view* (6)

Note(s): Tension/paradox response strategies highlighting latent learning tensions marked with (*)