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.     

Evaluating sponsorship through the lens of the resource-based view: The potential for sustained competitive advantage

The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm has become a prominent management theory that firms can use to analyze resources as potential sources of competitive advantage. Theorists have suggested sponsorship of sport properties as one such resource, yet specific cases of sponsorship's role in a firm's achievement of a sustained advantage over competitors have yet to be explored. This article illuminates the case of Visa's longstanding global sponsorship of the Olympic Games, which was initiated and leveraged to counteract competitor American Express’ advantage with global business travelers. Evidence is presented that supports Visa's achievement of a competitive advantage during the term of the sponsorship. The case is then used to develop a conceptual model based on the RBV to identify the key characteristics of sponsored properties capable of assisting the sponsoring firm in achieving a sustained competitive advantage. From a managerial perspective, the model is designed to assist marketing managers tasked with the identification and evaluation of potential sponsorship properties.     

Linking the formal strategic planning process,planning flexibility,and innovativeness to firm performance

This study explores the link between financial performance and the formal strategic planning process, planning flexibility, and innovativeness of 448 firms in a multi-industry sample. The results suggest that firms' formal strategic planning processes and planning flexibility are positively associated, and each is positively related to innovativeness. In addition, innovativeness fully mediates the relationships between firm performance and the formal strategic planning process and planning flexibility.     

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.     

珠三角新兴物流城市竞争优势分析:基于集群视角

东莞提出珠三角新兴物流城市的新定位,为东莞产业转型升级指出了新路径。东莞物流业的发展,尤其是虎门港的崛起,将为东莞海内外贸易节省大量交易成本与交易时间,从而提升东莞制造业的国际竞争优势。东莞物流业竞争力偏低,但随着系列物流产业政策扶持、虎门港全面开发以及CEPA的深度推进,东莞将实现珠三角新兴物流城市的战略目标。     

比较优势理论、竞争优势理论的世界观与方法论分析

文章探讨了比较优势理论与竞争优势理论这两套不同的理论范式背后的世界观和方法论基础问题,认为比较优势与竞争优势理论实际上是在简单性与复杂性世界观下的两套概念体系。比较优势理论建立在简单性世界观的基础之上,具有简单性世界观的一系列特征;而竞争优势理论是建立在复杂性世界观基础之上的,是一种复杂性思维方式,二者在研究方法、可证伪性和可覆盖性、概念的完备性和严密性方面存在显著的差别。这两套理论各自有缺陷和可能存在的问题。     

Antecedents of the propensity to learn management practices and their impacts on firm outcomes in emerging markets: A Bayesian Model Averaging approach

This article explores the factors that motivate firms to learn new management practices. The hypotheses are empirically tested using a representative sample of 3676 small, medium and large firms from four South Asian countries and across all main sectors of economic activity. Given that we know little about the antecedents of the propensity to learn management practices in emerging markets, the study employs Bayesian Model Averaging approach to overcome the potential issue of model uncertainty. The results reveal that market competition, resource allocation towards internal and external R&D, good quality mobile network coverage and the use of external certified financial auditors have all positive and significant effects on the propensity to learn management practices. The results also suggest that private intellectual property rights protection in the context of inefficient legal systems can deter firms from learning, perhaps in fear of legal ramifications. Finally, the study shows that firms with a higher propensity of learning management practices are more likely to become profitable while exhibiting higher levels of both potential and actual innovation.     

零售业低碳化与促进中国低碳零售发展的政策选择——基于企业的自然资源基础观

基于企业的自然资源基础观,把零售企业低碳化的实践活动由低到高分为内部经营、外部协调和可持续发展三个层次,每一层次的活动都会影响到零售企业相应的竞争优势。当前,国外零售企业的低碳经营涉及到以上全部三个层次,而中国内资零售企业的低碳经营主要限于第一个层次,与国外差距较大,致使内资零售企业无法获得领先者优势和未来制高点优势。     

It takes two to tango: The role of customer empathy and resources to improve the efficacy of frontline employee empathy

This study investigates the link between employee empathy and customer satisfaction. Building on social exchange theory, we develop a model of employee-customer empathy. We focus on the central role of customer-oriented behaviour in explaining the empathy-satisfaction relationship, predicting that employee empathy positively influences customer-oriented behaviour, which in turn enhances customer-satisfaction. We also examine the moderating roles of customer empathy, as well as of customer resources. Results of a dyadic-survey study of 211 pairs of frontline employees and their customers support the proposed moderated -mediation model. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Memorable customer experiences and autobiographical memories: From service experience to word of mouth

The aim of this paper is to study the relationship between customer experience and word of mouth (WOM) through two mediating variables: customer satisfaction and memorable characteristics of service experience (MCSE). Memory theory is adopted as a theoretical background, with emphasis on the key role of episodic or autobiographical memory. Memorable customer experience (MCE) is defined from this perspective, thereby enabling the connection between human memory theory and service-dominant (S-D) logic. As for the impact of the internet on WOM, two types of WOM behaviours are examined: positive WOM (pWOM) and eWOM. A methodology was designed from a survey that used a questionnaire based on measurement scales validated by the literature. The sample is of 1476 tourists who visited seven Spanish tourism destinations. The results show service experience precedes customer satisfaction and MCSE. Both pWOM and eWOM are significantly influenced by customer satisfaction and MCSE. Various scenarios are put forward in which several combinations of customer satisfaction and MCSE give rise to different intensities and valence of pWOM and eWOM.     

The cumulative nature of the entrepreneurial process: The contribution of human capital,planning and environment resources to small venture performance

The study is theoretically grounded in the resource-based view and applied to a service industry-tourism. It examined the performance of small ventures by utilizing an integrated dynamic model of entrepreneur choices and resource accumulation. Each phase in the process is added to previous one. Findings from 305 small tourism ventures revealed that the human capital of the entrepreneur, particularly managerial skills, were the greatest contributing factor to performance. This was followed by venture type. The study illustrates the unique nature of the entrepreneurial process among small ventures, often defined as “lifestyle businesses”.     

Exploring the relationship of perceived automotive salesperson attributes, customer satisfaction and intentions to automotive service department patronage: The moderating role of customer gender

This study examines the relationship of perceived automotive salesperson attributes and customer satisfaction behavior in the purchase experience leading to the patronage of a service department in an automotive dealership. Logistic regression analyses indicate that gender moderates the relationship of the perceived salesperson attributes and customer satisfaction as well as intentions for service department patronage. The model distinguishes users from non-users of the service department and does this better for females than for males. Finally, the paper concludes with a discussion of the managerial implications and directions for future research.     

Antecedents and Consequences of Supply Chain Agility: Establishing the Link to Firm Performance

The concept of supply chain agility (SCAGI) has been identified as one of the most important issues in supply chain management literature. However, despite the popularity of the concept, many aspects of SCAGI are largely unexplored. One area that is deficient in research is the behavioral/relational antecedents of SCAGI. Furthermore, no research to date has empirically established the link between SCAGI and firm performance. This article seeks to further theory development by addressing these gaps.     

Individual responses to firm failure: Appraisals,grief, and the influence of prior failure experience

This paper provides a systematic assessment of how entrepreneurs react to firm failure. We use appraisal theory as an overarching theoretical framework and hypothesize that the more the failure experience is appraised as stressful in terms of its implications for harm or loss, the greater the feelings of grief. To test this hypothesis we developed a unique database of entrepreneurs who recently filed for firm bankruptcy. Our results support that there is great variation in responses to firm failure, and we provide theoretically valid explanations to why this is the case. These findings have substantial implications for how scholars conceive and theorize about entrepreneurial failure.     

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.     

出口二元边际对竞争优势的影响——基于中美1992～2009年微观贸易数据的实证研究

文章通过6位数HS微观贸易数据,计算了中美两国对世界出口增长的"二元边际";并采用脉冲响应函数和方差分解,实证分析了"二元边际"对两国出口竞争优势的影响及贡献。结果表明,"二元边际"对中美两国出口竞争优势的增长均有拉动作用,但对美国竞争优势的贡献要高于中国;其中,源于产品种类创新或新产品创造的"广度边际",是美国出口竞争优势的最主要来源,但不是中国出口竞争优势的主要来源。     

Bringing meaning to the sales job: The effect of ethical climate and customer demandingness

Top performing salespeople are attracted to organizations that provide opportunities to make full use of their abilities. Responses from 1450 sales directors from a leading direct selling organization were used to examine salesperson's experienced meaningfulness. Results show that experienced meaningfulness is critical to sales because it impacts salesperson's performance, turnover intentions and felt stress. Further, ethical climate and customer demandingness influence experienced meaningfulness perceptions.     

Transformed virtual concepts into reality: Linkage the viewpoint of entrepreneurial passion,technology adoption propensity and advantage to usage intention

The hospitality industry has experienced changes in communication and interaction due to the evolution of new technology. However, there has been limited research on the relationship between entrepreneurial passion, technology adoption propensity (TAP), perception of advantage, and non-fungible token (NFT) usage intention. Despite the challenges in data collection and limited NFT applications, this study gathered the perspectives of 292 hotels and investigated the effects of mediation and moderation on NFT adoption. Results show that entrepreneurial passion indirectly influences NFT adoption through the perception of advantage, TAP, and trust. Attitudes and images also have a moderating effect on the hotel NFT adoption process. The final section demonstrates an alternative model and second-order analysis to ensure the robustness of the proposed model. This study highlights the importance of considering multiple factors when examining NFT adoption in the hospitality industry.