Global Force for Branding: A Study of Attitudes,Intentions, the Military,and the Wars Overseas

Through the years, the United States Armed Forces has advertized to the citizens of America in times of peace and war. The present study explores the attitudes and intentions regarding the military by two groups of study participants during the United States’ active engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq. One group of participants viewed a military ad and one group was asked to recall a military ad. Mediation analysis revealed partially mediated relationships among attitude toward the ad, attitude toward the military (where the military has “brand” characteristics), and the discussion of one's own intention to enlist in the armed forces as well as one's intention to recommend enlisting to friends and family. Post hoc analysis indicated that sex has a strong direct effect on enlistment discussion intentions. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

军事物流外包的影响因素研究

军事物流外包是现代军事物流发展过程中的新模式。本文以浙江边防总队后勤基地为例,探讨了军事物流外包的三大影响因素:外包供应商服务水平,经济因素和环境因素。通过360份问卷的调查和统计分析,发现环境因素对军事物流外包影响最大,外包供应商服务水平影响次之,经济因素影响最小,从而为降低外包风险、实施和管理军事物流外包提供参考依据。     

What does diversity management mean for the gender equality project in the United Kingdom? Views and experiences of organizational “actors”

There has been a shift at the organizational level away from a traditional “equal opportunity” paradigm underpinned by notions of social justice, with a specific focus on tackling gender inequalities towards a business‐led “diversity management” paradigm, with a focus on the individual and their contribution to the organization. We argue that diversity management as a concept and model has the potential to undermine the gender equality project, but drawing on a UK‐based study we conclude that whether or not it presently does so in practice is less clear. Nevertheless, our study, presenting views and experiences of multiple organizational actors, demonstrates the seductiveness of the diversity discourse, which could herald danger for the future direction and substance of the gender equality project. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

企业物流业务外包的利益与风险分析

企业物流业务外包能够减少设备投资,降低成本;集中有限资源,发展核心业务;得到更专业化的服务,提高服务质量。需要注意的问题是:物流业务外包在带来利益的同时,也隐藏着物流业务控制能力下降、客户关系管理削弱、信息泄露等风险。企业应正确识别核心竞争力,选择好外包伙伴,控制物流外包活动,调整企业内部组织结构,以"双赢"为原则,巩固合作关系。     

“Going global” and FDI inflows in China: “One Belt & One Road” initiative as a quasi‐natural experiment

This paper investigates the impact of “One Belt & One Road” as an exogenous policy shock on the utilisation of foreign capital in China in the short term. Based on provincial panel data for the years 2003–15, the empirical study is conducted with difference‐in‐differences design. The first difference is whether a province is an OBOR province, and the second is whether “One Belt & One Road” initiative has been proposed. The empirical results suggest the utilisation of foreign capital in OBOR provinces has decreased significantly compared to non‐OBOR provinces after the initiative has been proposed. The study has further shown that the OBOR construction not only means factor movements and projects but also stands for policy shock. Its impact on utilisation of foreign capital cannot be simply captured by the commonly quantifiable “going global” indicators, namely outward direct investment, overseas contracted projects or overseas labour services. The negative impact of the initiative on foreign capital utilisation is strongly reflected in the OBOR provinces with low levels of economic development, heavy fiscal burdens and high proportions of state‐owned economy. In the short term, the negative impact of the initiative on foreign capital utilisation may be due to its role in resource competition and signal delivering. The former means that the OBOR initiative may induce resource competition between “going global” and “bringing in,” and the latter suggests that this initiative is likely to be regarded as a “signal” by foreign investors that “going global,” not “bringing in,” has become the priority of the government.     

论商业企业物流模式的选择

本文在分析了商业企业物流模式四种类型的基础上,重点探讨了商业企业选择自营物流还是外购物流服务的依据。既从物流在企业中所占地位和企业物流能力等定性方面进行分析,又用规模经济的理论,借鉴量本利分析的模型,来解释商业企业是采用自营物流还是采用外包物流。     

Organizing a precarious black box: An actor‐network account of the Atlantic Schools of Business, 1980–2006

There is a growing use of actor‐network theory (ANT) throughout management and organization studies. While earlier ANT research used ethnography to “follow the actors” in the production of organization/knowledge, more recent studies use archival sources to examine developments over time. We extend the latter approach using qualitative social network analysis (SNA) and apply this to a case study of the Atlantic Schools of Business (ASB). Our contribution is two‐fold: first, through an examination of actors in the ASB networking processes over 26 years, we demonstrate how the seemingly stable surface of an organization can hide the precariousness of organizing; second, we reveal the potential fusion of ANT with SNA as a method for dealing with large qualitative datasets over long periods of time. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

BUILDING CARS TO CUSTOMER ORDER — WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR INBOUND LOGISTICS OPERATIONS?

The automotive industry is undergoing a strategic transition. Cost pressure from rising stock levels in the market and increasing incentives needed to sell these vehicles are forcing vehicle manufacturers to rethink their prevalent “stock‐push” approach, building vehicles against a forecast and selling from stock, in favor of a stock‐less “build‐to‐order” order fulfillment strategy. More responsive order fulfillment at the vehicle manufacturer level however will not only require flexible and responsive component supply, but will also have wide ramifications for the logistics operations. Based on three case studies of major inbound logistics operations, this exploratory study assesses their ability to support such a build‐to‐order approach, as well as the potential implications of such transition. The paper concludes with a set of general strategies for how these implications could be mitigated.     

How psychic distance and opportunity perceptions affect entrepreneurial firm internationalization

Psychic distance, now established as an individual perceptual construct, is so far a partial explanation of internationalization processes of entrepreneurial firms. Opportunity in foreign markets, although considered important, has hitherto been an assumption rather than explored as an explanatory factor in internationalization theories. Through qualitative data from technology entrepreneurs from New Zealand this study considers opportunity, like psychic distance, as an individual perceptual construct and posits that a combination of opportunity and psychic distance perceptions better explains entrepreneurial internationalization action/intention decisions. The explicit combination proposed is “opportunity‐distance quotient” and signifies a shift from psychic distance obstacles based explanations to an opportunity‐psychic distance interaction based exploration of entrepreneurial internationalization. Limitations of the study and further research are discussed. Copyright © 2018 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New dimensions of outsourcing: a combination of transaction cost economics and the core competencies concept

The outsourcing discussion covers a well known area. The relevant literature refers to a situation which is traditionally well known in theory and practice as “make or buy” decision. But it is necessary to concentrate on the economic factors of outsourcing decision. This paper contains a real and detailed analysis of the outsourcing problem. Besides its generic base, we develop an outsourcing model with design alternatives based on institutional economic theory and work out an explanatory approach and concrete recommendations for outsourcing arrangements. Therefore, we combine transaction cost economics and core competencies approach. As a result, the managerial applications of both approaches are compatible.     

Applying complexity theory to explain partner cooperation: The role of transaction cost‐related factors and elements of relational exchanges

Using complexity theory, we seek to better understand the configurations of causal factors stimulating joint ventures' cooperation in Chinese manufacturing context. To this end, we adopt two dominant perspectives of transaction cost economics and relational exchange theory to identify transaction cost‐related factors and elements of relational exchanges as critical factors in joint ventures' cooperation. We apply fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis on a sample of 268 joint venture partners to test research propositions. The findings indicate a need for competence trust and goodwill trust and also show that extorting rent cost should be emphasized. Results reveal those six configurations of causal factors that explain high intention to cooperate. Copyright © 2017 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The struggle over worker leisure: an analysis of the history of the workers' sports association in Canada

Discussions of the work‐leisure relationship focus largely on issues of work‐life balance and generally ignore the possibility of employer‐sponsored leisure being used as a means of workplace or societal control of workers. The Workers' Sports Association (WSA), active in Canada between 1924 and 1935, challenged this use of leisure by the state and the elite, including employers. The WSA's goal was to use sport and leisure opportunities as a means of political education for workers, and to act as opposition to employer‐ and state‐controlled “bosses' sport.” The WSA, while ultimately unsuccessful, raised still‐important questions about the uses of leisure in relation to the workplace and society at large. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Applying the lens of intersectionality to UK equal opportunities and diversity policies

Incorporating the social differentiations of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and age into UK equal opportunities and diversity legislation involved creating a new single equality body for Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales). This paper assesses the efficacy of an Equality and Diversity Mainstreaming approach established in Northern Ireland (NI) for this new agency. It also stresses the potential value of “intersectionality” to further policy planning and development. It is argued that the combination of the NI model underpinned by the concept of intersectionality could offer a way forward for the new agency where, importantly, the issue of gender remains one of the most important axes of domination. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Collaborative apparel consumption in the digital sharing economy: An agenda for academic inquiry

While apparel businesses leveraging the sharing economy have begun to emerge in recent years, academic research on “sharing” consumption for apparel is extremely limited. To fill this research gap, the researchers analyze current literature to present a conceptual framework that offers a durable theoretical foundation about the concept of collaborative consumption for apparel. Using a metatheory approach, the researchers develop a framework that explores how two major Internet‐supported collaborative consumption modes (utility‐based nonownership and redistributed ownership) manifest in an apparel context. Next, the researchers explore the implications of each consumption mode to understand the consumer's relationship with the product, peers, and businesses involved in these sharing schemes. A series of research propositions are also developed to stimulate discussion and future research about collaborative apparel consumption.     

从物流外包到物流联盟:契约机制体系与模型

通过比较物流外包与物流联盟的本质区别,构建物流外包契约机制的理论体系与模型。论证了物流外包的非实质性对策及物流联盟的实质性对策;通过建立恰当的契约机制可以实现从物流外包向物流联盟的飞跃;物流外包的契约机制包含数量柔性契约机制、质量契约机制、价格契约机制、收益分享契约机制、旁支付契约机制、混合协作契约机制、信息甄别契约机制、信号传递契约机制、道德毁损契约机制以及逆向选择与道德毁损并存下的契约机制;不同的对策结构应采用不同的契约机制。     

服装企业生产外包决策研究

随着经济社会的发展与社会分工的进一步细化,全面型的服装企业面临更加严峻的挑战。目前,越来越多的服装企业将部分生产环节外包出去,恰当的生产外包决策能给企业带来巨大利益,提升企业的核心竞争力。在分析服装企业生产外包现状及其决策的影响因素基础上,建立外包决策评价指标体系,使用模糊综合评判的方法进行定性和定量分析,旨在促使服装企业采取正确的生产外包决策,提高企业经济效益。     

Foreign Language Training in U.S. Undergraduate IB Programs: Are We Providing Students What They Need To Be Successful?

A growing number of U.S. business schools now offer an undergraduate degree in international business (IB), for which training in a foreign language is a requirement. However, there appears to be considerable variance in the minimum requirements for foreign language training across U.S. business schools, including the provision of “business” language courses, and in what is viewed as “competence” or “fluency” in a foreign language. Similarly, business schools differ in their procedures for how the foreign language requirement is applied to foreign native speakers and/or to speakers of heritage languages. This study reports the results of an online survey that was sent to 226 schools offering a major or concentration in IB. The findings from 79 reporting schools indicate that the level of proficiency expected of foreign language learners in the IB program continues to vary widely, that few schools require a course in the business aspects of the foreign language, and that there is inconsistency in what is meant by foreign language “competence” and “fluency,” as well as in the treatment of foreign native speakers and heritage speakers of foreign languages. The results question whether students who satisfy the minimum foreign language requirements in undergraduate IB programs are adequately prepared for the professional IB world.     

Foreign affiliates' knowledge sourcing from parent firms

This study investigates the factors that influence the extent to which foreign research and development affiliates source knowledge from their parent firms, by developing theoretical hypotheses that predict patterns of foreign affiliates' knowledge sourcing according to their technological capabilities at multiple levels (firm, industry, and country). We use cross‐border mergers and acquisitions and patent citation data from Fortune Global 500 firms to test our theoretical arguments. The findings suggest that a parent firm's foreign affiliate ownership, industry‐level R&D intensity, and home–host country differences in technological capabilities increase foreign affiliates' knowledge sourcing from their parent firms.     

Market entry into Africa: Acquisitions and international joint ventures. Studies of foreign firms' market entry strategies,challenges, and performance in Africa

While the interest in investing in Africa is rising, the know‐how of business on the continent is very limited. There have been only recently few special issues focusing on sub‐Saharan Africa in the top international business journals: “Sub‐Saharan Africa at a key inflection point” (Thunderbird International Business Review 2009); “Contemporary developments in the management of human resources in Africa” (Journal of World Business 2011); “Contemporary challenges and opportunities of doing business in Africa” (Journal of Technological Forecasting and Social Change 2016); “Critical perspectives on international business in Africa (Critical Perspectives on International Business 2016); “Strategic Management in Africa (Global Strategy Journal, 2017); and “The internationalization of African firms (Thunderbird International Business Review 2016). The aim of this special issue is to advance understanding of international business in Africa and specifically focus on how foreign firms enter African markets via acquisitions and international joint ventures and extend knowledge of these market entry strategies and performance in Africa for research and for foreign firms intending to, or currently doing business in Africa. This guest editorial provides a summary of the five articles and one book review in this special issue categorized into three broad thematic issues: International joint ventures and acquisitions as market entry strategies in Africa; cross‐border investments of African firms; and theoretical underpinnings.