Capabilities and competitive tactics influences on performance: Implications of the moment of entry

This article examines the implications that the moment of market entry has for the effect of capabilities and competitive tactics on firm performance, using a sample of 253 companies from the information and communications technology industry. The results show that technical capabilities and low cost orientation are learning factors in the firms' performance, regardless of the moment of entry into the market. The study shows how the two perspectives of competitive strategy and resource-based view complement each other to incorporate different competitive factors in a coherent model for the study of entry timing. The study takes the sustainability model of competitive advantage further, by demonstrating that certain capabilities and competitive tactics can allow pioneers and early followers to achieve and maintain superior performance in a dynamic, hostile and with high level of imitation industry. This study also shows that the availability of a combination of marketing capabilities and low cost orientation will allow late followers' firms to take advantage of early entrants' mistakes.     

Achieving sustained competitive advantage in retail and consumer service firms: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial bricolage

The vital role of entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial bricolage in creating sustained competitive advantage in retail and consumer service firms is increasingly acknowledged in modern markets. Using data from 246 retail and consumer service firms (hereafter R&CSFs) in Japan, this paper develops and empirically tests a framework delineating how entrepreneurial-oriented R&CSFs strategically combine existing resources while managing risks to differentiate their service portfolios to be competitive. The findings reveal that entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial bricolage influence differentiation advantage and risk management, which, in turn, is associated with creating a sustained competitive advantage (hereafter SCA). This paper adds novel insights to the dynamic capabilities view and retail and service marketing literature by identifying entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial bricolage, and risk management as dynamic capabilities, which allows R&CSFs to create service innovations in resource-constrained environments.     

Implementing Marketing Strategy Through a Market Orientation

The adoption of specific marketing strategies is related to several factors in an organization including the organization's mission, objectives, resources, and market orientation. We report an exploratory study in which we define relationships between market orientation and marketing strategy in a high technology environment - the telecommunications industry in the United States. Market orientation is defined as a culture that influences how employees think and act. Our results indicate that a market orientation provides a context for the implementation of specific marketing strategies by serving as a moderator of operational marketing strategy. For example, those organizations who possess a strong market-oriented culture (high-spirited cultures) engage in value creation strategies such as market segmentation, developing new products/services for new markets, and product or service customisation. Those organizations possessing low market orientations (ineffectual cultures) generally practice less aggressive and internally focused strategies such as charging lower prices, providing limited customer service, product/service standardization, and undertake limited market research.     

武汉市科技中介服务业可持续发展的SWOT分析

采用SWOT分析方法,全面论述了武汉科技中介服务业可持续发展所面临的竞争优势、竞争劣势、发展机遇和外部威胁．并在分析的基础上提出了武汉科技中介服务业的发展思路,即坚持走“市场化、职业化、规范化”的道路．同时还指出了武汉市在发展科技中介服务业的过程中应该重点解决的几个关键问题。     

Competitive advantage and the transformation of value chains over time: The example of a South Korean diversified business group, 1953–2013

We examine the historical evolution of different elements in value chains that create value-added and competitive advantage. This is achieved by using the conceptual model of the ‘smile curve’ with a longitudinal case study of a diversified business group, CJ Group, a former affiliated firm of Samsung Group. We found that the value-added structure graph in the industrialisation period displayed an ‘upside-down U shape’, indicating that production and manufacturing were the most value-adding sectors. However, in the more recent knowledge-based economy period, the graph shows a quite different shape, indicating R&D, firm infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, service, and marketing as sources of value-added. This shows that competitive advantage diversified into other fields to fit with the changed economy. We also investigate what type of organisational structure, strategy, and capabilities were adopted for organisational change. We found an evolution, with an unrelated diversification strategy by altering capabilities from contacts and generic to organisational and technological capabilities.     

区域特色农产品的营销创新

区域特色资源优势要转化为现实的经济优势,就必须在农产品的营销上实施创新,通过农产品营销组织的创新、营销策略的创新、交易方式的创新等途径打造独特的竞争力,实现农业产业化和农民的增产增收。     

Strategy choices among internationalizing US airlines

This paper surveys and analyzes the internationalization strategy of US airlines. We first discuss globalization factors acting on the industry, particularly, government actions, the emergence of international markets, competition (including the role of firm specific assets in conferring competitive advantage), and supply cost factors, principally labor, fuel, and aircraft procurement. We then discuss the gains from internationalization, and the recent performance of US airlines, from which we develop internationalization strategy guidelines for airlines, classified as market-oriented and efficiency-oriented. Finally, we trace some broad lessons from the aviation industry for other service sectors facing similar deregulation and globalization pressures.     

“Standards” as a Service Marketing Tool

Abstract

Standards have the potential to be a significant tool in the marketing of services, just as they have been in the marketing of products. Ranging from regulatory to voluntary, product-based to producer-based, standards can increase the competitive position of a product by reducing customer uncertainty. However, the lack of a framework for understanding and designing standards has limited their application in service industries.

Examination of existing standards suggests a framework of five key dimensions. Through the example of chemical management services (CMS) we show how this can be done, resulting in three options for the CMS industry. Using this framework as a guide, other service industries can determine if a standard would provide significant competitive advantage and, if so, design the optimal standard for their market conditions.     

Multi-item models for evaluating managerial and organizational resources in service firms

Services are the primary source of wealth in almost every nation around the world. Domestic competitiveness increasingly depends on the health of its service firms. Then understanding the source of competitive advantage for the case of service industry is a challenge that cannot be deferred. Resource-Based View literature gives sound evidences that intangible assets like managerial and organizational resources are the primary source of competitive advantage, especially in the service industry. However, the development of managerial tools for measuring and managing these resources remains as an open gap. In the last few years, some academic work has been devoted to develop intangible assets measurement devices. Nevertheless, these scales are either oriented towards manufacturing industry or do not take specifically into account the distinctive features of service delivery. This study replies the multi-item model proposed by Camisón (Manag Res 3(1):27–48, 2004) over a sample of 152 medium and large services companies. We have taken different tests to demonstrate validity and reliability of the scales. Results show that these scales may also be suitable for being used in all the types of service companies. However, some partial modifications should be done in order to give more relevance to soft managerial competences and to organizational human capital. This study was carried out as part of research project (reference GV2007-075) which has been subsidized by the “Valencian Government Programme Scientific Research and Technological Development Projects”.     

The Impact of Outsourcing Strategies on Information Systems Capabilities in the Hotel Industry

This work analyses the strategy of outsourcing information systems and information technology (IS/IT), considering the different activities comprising the IS/IT area. The literature on IS contains numerous works that analyse outsourcing, very few of which examine the relationship with the different types of capabilities in the IS/IT area and their strategic value. Most works centre on the motives for, and advantages of, the strategy of outsourcing the IS/IT area, while scant attention has been paid to the study of the long-term consequences of outsourcing. This work develops a theoretical model which is applied to the hotel sector and which shows that hotels following a more intensive outsourcing strategy develop fewer managerial capabilities related to knowledge in the management of IS/IT resources. This negative relationship extends to other types of capabilities typical of the area and to certain organisational capabilities. A negative relationship is also observed between the level of outsourcing and the strategic value given to the IS/IT area, which may lead to a lower potential for the development of competitive advantage.     

内蒙古经济型酒店营销策略研究

目前,内蒙古经济型酒店营销存在的问题是:市场竞争激烈,产品缺乏创新;缺乏专业的营销人才;市场营销手段单一,网络技术水平较差;营销策略缺乏特色。针对这些问题,内蒙古经济型酒店应创新产品策略,注重对产品质量把关,发挥特殊民族风情优势,制定符合自身的产品策略,加大酒店营销人才的培养力度,提高全体员工服务意识,加强网络营销和有效沟通,树立品牌形象,增强客人对酒店的信赖感和真诚度,以提高内蒙古经济型酒店的市场竞争力。     

Competitive advantage: A longitudinal analysis of the roles of data-driven innovation capabilities,marketing agility,and market turbulence

While data-driven innovation capabilities have received considerable attention from academics and practitioners, there is insufficient longitudinal evidence on how they might contribute to improved marketing agility and competitive advantage. In this study, we make a preliminary effort to address this gap by developing a model based on the dynamic capabilities view. We also explore the moderating effects of market turbulence on the link among marketing agility and competitive advantage. We used two-waves data (T = 677 and T+1 = 569) and the cross-lagged panel approach was utilised to analyse the longitudinal data. Our findings provide robust empirical evidence on the causal and predictive temporal impact of data driven innovation capabilities on marketing agility and competitive advantage. It also indicated that marketing agility mediates this relationship over time. Moreover, the analysis suggested that market turbulence reinforce the influence of marketing agility on competitive advantage. We provided significant implications for theory and practice.     

从国家竞争优势理论看我国汽车行业的竞争力

运用波特的竞争优势理论,从微观、中观、宏观竞争机制三个方面,根据近年我国汽车产业发展实际,结合TC指数、国际市场份额、劳动生产率三项主要指标,分析我国汽车产业的竞争力状况,有针对性的提出提高汽车行业竞争力应将产业由投资推进阶段过渡到创新推进阶段,培养无形资产和建立先进营销体系,调整政府的政策行为。     

The evolution of private equity: corporate restructuring in the UK,c.1945–2010

The article analyses the role of private equity (PE) in restructuring the UK corporate economy. It develops a theoretical synthesis to show that the evolution of the PE industry and firms in which it invested were governed by the relations of corporate governance between investor and investee companies. Effective governance relations were a necessary condition for success and complement firm specific resources to create competitive advantage. Four case studies are used to show the contrasting effects of these determining factors, Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation (ICFC) and Slater Walker, and the two waves of buy-out centred restructuring that developed with the maturity of the PE industry after 1980. In contrast to the evolutionary approach, the periodisations utilised in this study show that structural breaks associated with points of institutional reform are also necessary to make firm specific resource and governance determinants of competitive advantage operable.     

制造业服务化战略竞争优势构建的理论框架——基于制造业的多案例分析

制造业服务化作为传统制造业企业重构竞争优势的重要战略手段受到学界高度关注,但对于以生产制造为主导的传统制造业企业应如何成功构建服务化战略竞争优势,企业在竞争优势构建中需要具备哪些关键资源或能力等问题,现有研究鲜有涉及。鉴于此,以我国三家具有代表性的典型制造业企业为例,运用扎根理论研究方法,分析影响制造业服务化战略竞争优势构建的内外部关键因素,构建以“企业关键资源—企业独特能力—企业竞争优势”为框架的概念模型。研究发现,支持制造业服务化提供物开发与提供的内外软性无形关键资源是成功构建制造业服务化战略竞争优势的基础,而基于企业这些内外部关键资源衍生的能够支持客户特定情境服务需求的企业独特能力是成功构建制造业服务化战略竞争优势的关键,即制造业企业不仅要储备和培植以具有路径依赖、因果关系模糊的软性无形资源为主的内外部关键资源,而且要强化基于关键资源的企业独特能力的开发和培育。此外,组织内部管理层和员工层两个不同组成部分服务导向价值观的秉持对作用于制造业服务化战略竞争优势构建的企业独特能力有正向调节影响作用,即管理层和员工层秉持的服务导向价值观正向调节影响企业独特能力的强弱。     

Competitive Strategy,Environmental Characteristics and Performance in African Emerging Economies: Lessons from Firms in Ghana

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the impact of the implementation of competitive strategy on organizational performance in response to economic liberalization policies using survey data from organizations in Ghana. We also examine how the perceived intensity of industry competition and industry sector moderate the relationship between competitive strategy and organizational performance. The results show that the implementation of the competitive strategies of low-cost, differentiation, and integrated low-cost and differentiation were all positively related to performance (return on assets and return on sales). We also find that both industry competition and industry sector moderate the relationship between differentiation strategy and return on assets. Moreover, industry competition moderates the relationships between both low-cost and differentiation strategies and return on sales. The results indicate that implementing a clearly defined competitive strategy is beneficial to organizations experiencing significant changes in the environment due to economic liberalization. The findings also suggest that while low-cost strategy is more beneficial to organizations in a highly competitive industry, differentiation strategy is more beneficial to firms in lowly competitive industry. At the same time, organizations in the manufacturing sector benefit more than those in the service sector when they implement the differentiation strategy. Managerial implications are presented.     

The need for employee training in hotels in Thailand

The growth of business and industry along with a rapid increase of tourism has resulted in the rapid expansion of hotels in Thailand. The hotel industry has become highly competitive with the quality of service provided having an effect on the profitability and success of individual hotels. Employees themselves have been considered to be the most important factor in the service industry. This article presents the findings of two studies involving the training needs of hotel employees in Thailand. One study was conducted in Bangkok and the other study in the province of Nakorn Sawan.     

Can Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Successfully Become Multichannel Retailers?

ABSTRACT

The critical success factors required by brick-and-mortar retailers to successfully transform into multichannel retailers are analyzed in this study. We identify threshold resources and success factors required to survive in the online retailing industry. We suggest that by leveraging their already existing assets and augmenting certain resources and capabilities, brick-and-mortar retailers would be able to exploit gaps in online retailing and use opportunities arising from them, thus gaining a competitive edge over online retailers.     

Effective employment brand equity through sustainable competitive advantage, marketing strategy, and corporate image

Traditional human resource management does not consider adopting a marketing approach in creating a positive company image to enable the recruitment of better employees. Recently, however, many scholars have attempted to apply marketing principles to recruitment management. Marketing can help create an effective image for a firm and position the firm as a good place to work. The study here examine ways marketing management relates to recruitment marketing in the hospital industry and finds that a hospital's sustainable competitive advantage, marketing strategy, and employment brand equity can influence the intention of medical doctors to pursue job opportunities.     

产权、竞争、中国饭店业绩效及改进路径研究

本文分析表明我国饭店业是国有饭店主导的竞争性行业,国有饭店主导和竞争性行业的不相容性是造成我国饭店业整体绩效水平较差的根本原因。根据这一分析结论,本文提出我国饭店业最终目标是建立为非国有饭店主导的垄断竞争性行业,改进我国饭店业整体绩效的具体路径是积极推进国有饭店退出和实施饭店集团化经营。