Privileged Accumulation Spaces and Restrictions on Development of State‐Business Relations in Argentina (1966–1989)

The aim of this work is to explain how the state‐business relation has influenced economic development in Argentina. I will make a historical and systemic analysis of the Argentinian case to illustrate how and why state‐business relations supporting privileged accumulation spaces (PAS) increased development restrictions from 1966 to 1989. During this period, successive governments shared a common view about the central role the state had to perform for industrialization, especially by supporting the growth of big domestic industrial companies. This view would only radically change in 1989, when neoliberal structural reforms were implemented. To support this hypothesis, I suggest a methodological strategy that combines several techniques and sources in order to analyze the evolution of three complex variables and their multiple relations: state economic intervention, business behavior, and performance by large corporations.     

Shaping buyer–supplier relationships in manufacturing contexts: Design and test of a contingency model

Although the idea that buyer–supplier partnerships can yield considerable benefits to firms is largely diffused among researchers and practitioners, the approach adopted in this paper is that no “one best way” exists in buyer–supplier relationships, but rather a “best way” for each specific exchange context. Hence, this paper proposes a contingency model for shaping and managing buyer–supplier relationships in manufacturing contexts. In order to test the model, an empirical study was performed on a sample of 45 buyer–supplier relationships within the Italian white goods industry. A three-dimensional performance indicator was computed to compare supplier performance achieved within relations matching the model's suggestions with those set differently. The results strongly suggest that suppliers involved in relationships set accordingly to the contingency model are likely to enjoy superior performance.     

The dynamics of regional inequalities

This paper analyses the link between regional inequalities and GDP per capita at the country-level. Our starting hypothesis is that the evolution of regional inequalities should follow a bell-shaped curve as national GDP per capita rises since growth by its very nature is unlikely to appear everywhere at the same time, as has been argued by a number of authors, from Kuznets [Kuznets, S., (1955), Economic growth and income inequality, American Economic Review 45(1), 1–28] to Lucas [Lucas, R.E., (2000), “Some macroeconomics for the 21st century”, Journal of Economic Perspectives 14 (1), 159–168]. We test this hypothesis econometrically using semi-parametric estimation techniques and regional data for a panel of European countries. Our results provide strong support for such a bell-shaped curve and are robust to changing the regional administrative units and the time period, as well as controlling for other possible determinants of regional inequalities. We also find support for this hypothesis when considering non-European countries.     

The Role of Corporate Sustainability in a Low‐Cost Business Model – A Case Study in the Scandinavian Fashion Industry

This multi‐level case study illustrates how corporate sustainability contributes to the low‐cost business model of a Scandinavian fashion company. Contrary to parts of the extant literature, we do not find that corporate sustainability directly adds measurable value (e.g. a better brand image); neither does it exert coercive control over critical supplier relationships. However, corporate sustainability minimizes the downside risk of the business model. It does so by (1) creating implicit contracts that reach beyond traditional ‘shareholder value’, (2) transferring risk to suppliers and (3) improving leadership by motivating management and employees, and by directing their attention to critical issues. For companies, we offer the insight that corporate sustainability is a necessary complement to shareholder value, even if the relationship is not obvious at first sight. We also suggest that concerted actions of companies or a positive connotation of certification create effective control over suppliers. As to public policy, we conclude that regulators could introduce mandatory disclosure of suppliers to facilitate controls through stakeholders, or alternatively an industry‐wide comply‐or‐explain code of conduct. We also address how regulators can take direct actions against countries with unsustainable labor policies. Last, we suggest future research topics, e.g. expanding the notion of a business model by interpreting ‘adding value’ as prevention of losses. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

A Simple Test for Convergence of Metropolitan Income in the United States

The prevalent test for income convergence used in many recent studies of convergence across spatial economic units in the United States is to use a regression equation in which income growth is regressed against the initial level of income (this is known as β convergence). That method, however, has been crtiticized as an instance of Galton's fallacy of regression. We devise a simple test for the income β-convergence hypothesis which does not suffer from “Galton's fallacy” and apply it to all of the metropolitan areas of the United States for the period 1969–1995. For the test we use two income measures: per capita personal income and average wages. Our results conclusively support convergence of per capita personal income and of wage per worker for metropolitan areas in the United States. We also test for σ convergence, the hypothesis of diminishing dispersion in income among places over time, and find no support for the hypothesis.     

一种电网供应商服务信息共享工具的设计与实现

针对目前供应商服务室窗口人员业务范围信息无法与供应商共享,以及信息共享不及时准确,业务办理不畅通,供应商长期投诉等问题,通过现在流行的手机微信,利用手机微信摇一摇功能,结合蓝牙技术,并制定Beacon蓝牙发射器,写入相关软件到微信小程序的"摇一摇"ID,只需打开微信"摇一摇"功能,供应商服务室相关信息即可通过蓝牙发射器...     

A fuzzy-QFD approach to supplier selection

This article suggests a new method that transfers the house of quality (HOQ) approach typical of quality function deployment (QFD) problems to the supplier selection process. To test its efficacy, the method is applied to a supplier selection process for a medium-to-large industry that manufactures complete clutch couplings.The study starts by identifying the features that the purchased product should have (internal variables “WHAT”) in order to satisfy the company's needs, then it seeks to establish the relevant supplier assessment criteria (external variables “HOW”) in order to come up with a final ranking based on the fuzzy suitability index (FSI). The whole procedure was implemented using fuzzy numbers; the application of a fuzzy algorithm allowed the company to define by means of linguistic variables the relative importance of the “WHAT”, the “HOW”–“WHAT” correlation scores, the resulting weights of the “HOW” and the impact of each potential supplier.Special attention is paid to the various subjective assessments in the HOQ process, and symmetrical triangular fuzzy numbers are suggested to capture the vagueness in people's verbal assessments.     

Operating decisions, supplier availability and quality: An empirical study

In the just-in-time (JIT) philosophy, purchasing strategies advocate the use of fewer sources of supply to enable a firm to improve the quality of its products. However, there is paucity of empirical evidence in support of the theory. We develop a model by integrating concepts from manufacturing, marketing, and business strategy to better understand the links between operating decisions of the firm, supplier availability, and product quality. We empirically test the hypotheses using cross-sectional PIMS data. Our analysis shows that operating decisions and environmental factors such as wider product lines, lower levels of competition, and greater frequency of product changes increase the likelihood of a firms' reduction of supplier base, which in turn raises quality levels.     

Do external diversity practices boost focal firm performance? The case of supplier diversity

Based on the resource-based view, we propose that external diversity practices such as supplier diversity may affect firm performance. We find that the relationship between supplier diversity and short-term performance (i.e. productivity) is moderated by context such that firms in declining industries experience positive productivity effects while firms in munificent industries witness negative effects. For longer-term profitability (i.e. Tobin's q), we do not find support for a positive relationship between supplier diversity and long-term performance. However, positive supplier diversity effects emerge in munificent environments. Overall, in support of the strategic human resource management approach, we conclude that the effect of external supplier diversity on firm performance is contingent upon environmental munificence, which documented the necessity to include supplier diversity as a relevant component of a comprehensive diversity and equality management system.     

Vendor managed inventory: a survey of the Taiwanese grocery industry

Recent research has shown the importance of improving the supply chain competitiveness by means of strategic alliances. This study considers the retailer–supplier partnership through a vendor managed inventory (VMI) system. The characteristics of a VMI system and a retailer–supplier power relationship are discussed in some detail with a case illustration to examine the practical implementations of the system in the Taiwanese grocery industry. VMI not only has the ability to reduce costs, but also to improve service levels and create business opportunities for both parties in the supply chain. Thus, it is considered as one of the main systems in a strategic alliance.     

Does supplier development lead to supplier satisfaction and relationship continuation?

The primary purpose of this study is to find out if supplier development can serve as a means for buying firms to actively increase supplier satisfaction and eventually predict relationship continuity. Supplier relationships provide an essential means for buying firms to access and leverage supplier resources. One way in which buying firms influence the supply management process is through supplier development. The findings show that supplier development is an important means by which buying firms can increase supplier satisfaction. Supplier development significantly predicts the future of business relationships. Further analysis based on polynomial regressions provides evidence to show how congruence or discrepancy between economic and non-economic satisfaction impact continuance.     

Price support and spreads in the IPO aftermarket: An empirical microstructure study

Using the inventory components of spreads as a measure of inventory holding-risk, we test the hypothesis of Hanley et al. [Hanley, K. W., Kumar, A., & Seguin, P. J. (1993). Price stabilization in the market for new issues. Journal of Financial Economics, 34, 177–197] that price supports reduce market makers’ inventory holding-risk in the aftermarket of initial public offerings (IPOs). We find that both spreads and their inventory components are significantly smaller in the earlier periods of the IPO aftermarket than those in the later periods. More importantly, the inventory components of spreads are significantly smaller for stocks without over-allotment options (OAOs) exercised, and for stocks with lower or negative initial returns which are more likely to have price supports. The results are consistent with the price support hypothesis.     

Relationship portfolios and capability development: Cases from the moulds industry

A number of authors within business marketing and purchasing, have stressed that the heterogeneity of relationships in customer and supplier portfolios are a source of managerial problems and opportunities. This paper looks at the use and development of firms’ capabilities in the context of relationship portfolios. Two case studies about producers of moulds are used to illustrate how their contrasting trajectories in terms of degree of specialisation can be related to the variety found and sought in their portfolios of relationships. Our study suggests that portfolio interdependencies are best understood in the context of the development of idiosyncratic capabilities, which include interpretations and experiences in using and influencing that variety.     

Business cycles and redistribution: The role of government quality

We study how government quality mediates the relationship between business cycles and redistribution. Our key hypothesis is that the potential of income redistribution to reduce rising inequality levels after an economic crisis depends on government quality. The empirical evidence based on a panel of 46 countries over the period 1996–2016 lends strong support to this hypothesis. We find that macroeconomic recessions promote redistribution of income in high government quality contexts, but they lead to wider economic inequalities in countries with poor quality of government.     

Developing cost management in customer–supplier relationships: three case studies

This study describes cost management development projects in three customer–supplier relationships and analyzes these projects from the perspective of relationships. Differences in suppliers’ objectives, actions taken, and results gained in the projects were found in the explorative study, although the customer's objective was the same in all cases. The use of cost information depended on the balance of power between firms, on the trust between personnel, and on the volume of the firms’ mutual business.     

Expanding the boundaries of buyer-supplier agency problems: Moving from dyad to triad

Extant agency theory addresses dyads consisting of a principal and an agent. It informs us about how to overcome agency problems in the buyer-supplier relationship. In this conceptual paper, we propose a theoretical argument that if we expand the boundary conditions from dyads to triads, we find new solutions to dealing with agency problems. To the buyer-supplier dyad, we add the supplier’s supplier, the buyer’s other supplier, the supplier’s other customer, and the buyer’s customer. As such, we consider four types of triads in supply chains and propose that the buyer as the principal could reframe agency problems with the focal supplier by moving to one of these triads. In particular, we investigate alternative mechanisms that may reduce the level of goal incongruence, information asymmetry, and power asymmetry in the buyer-supplier relationship. Our conceptualization suggests that supply managers should look outside the buyer-supplier dyad for additional opportunities to resolve agency problems.     

供应商网络关系、网络结构与结点活性——美的空调的案例研究

借助于结点活性的概念来描绘供应商的属性与状态，并结合企业网络中网络关系与网络结构的理论划分原则，通过将项目投资组合理论与企业网络理论相结合，尝试从供应商网络关系、网络结构与结点活性三个角度对供应商网络效率进行分析。基于美的空调的案例研究发现，从网络关系视角来看，焦点企业与供应商之间的信息共享程度、企业高层及中基层员工的交流频率将对供应商网络效率产生重要影响；从网络结构视角来看，焦点企业与供应商之间的业务份额对于供应商网络效率的影响作用较为明显；而从结点活性视角来看，焦点企业在供应商客户群体中的排名以及彼此之间的技术合作强度是影响供应商网络效率的重要因素。本文的研究成果对于供应商网络管理实践以及焦点企业供应商选择具有重要的借鉴意义与指导作用。     

Behavioral Effects of Sustainability‐Oriented Incentive Systems

Companies increasingly extend their existing incentive systems by integrating several sustainable performance indicators. Although these ‘sustainability‐oriented’ incentive systems clearly highlight which business objectives should be attained, little is known about the effects that these incentive systems have on employee behavior. Based on signaling theory, social identity theory and a person–organization fit (PO‐fit) perspective, we assume positive relations between sustainability‐oriented incentive systems and employee attraction, motivation and cooperation. Furthermore, we examine whether these relations are moderated by personal attitudes toward corporate sustainability activities as well as the underlying mechanisms at the moderation (mediated moderation). Our experimental results (with students as future employees) do not give support for a general positive relation between sustainability‐oriented incentive systems and employee behavior. However, our data show that a person's attitude toward corporate sustainability activities moderates the link between sustainability‐oriented incentive systems and employee behavior. Additionally, we find PO‐fit perceptions to mediate the interaction effects. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

The negative influence of the entrepreneur’s level of higher education on the attractiveness of European SMEs as alliance partners in Brazil: the role of practical experience and international entrepreneurial orientation

Notwithstanding the contemporary relevance of alliance strategies for SME internationalisation, especially in the case of uncertain business environments, few studies have investigated human resource issues in the context of SMEs prior to alliance formation. Even more scarce are studies looking at the impact of a manager/entrepreneur’s characteristics on pre-alliance formation, despite recognition of the expected crucial role of the entrepreneur in this context and of the strong connection between an entrepreneur and their SME. Drawing on international entrepreneurship theory and empirical observations from an exploratory study, we propose a post hoc conceptual model. The exploratory empirical part of our study employs a sample of entrepreneurs from biotechnology SMEs in the United Kingdom and Germany intending to ally in a large emerging market (i.e. Brazil). Our empirical observations suggest an anomalous (at first glance) negative association between the entrepreneur’s level of higher education (a construct at the individual level) and the attractiveness of the SME as a partner firm vis-à-vis alliance formation (a construct at the firm level). Our post hoc model emphasises the role of practical experience and the corresponding levels of international entrepreneurial orientation as theorised variables mediating the observed empirical relationship. We develop theoretical propositions, and suggest practical implications and future research directions.     

Forecasting the New York State economy: The coincident and leading indicators approach

Currently there are no reliable summary indicators of the economic and fiscal condition of states and localities. This deficiency has hampered the efforts of policy makers at the sub-national level to monitor changes in the economic environment and predict how those changes will impact the fiscal health of governments. This paper attempts to fill this analytical vacuum by providing summary indicators of economic and fiscal health for New York State. The models developed are based on the single-index methodology developed by Stock and Watson [(1991). A probability model of the coincident economic indicators. In K. Lahiri and G. H. Moore (eds.), Leading economic indicators: new approaches and forecasting records (pp. 63–85). New York: Cambridge University Press]. This approach allows us to date New York business cycles and compare local cyclical behavior with the nation as a whole. We develop a leading index of economic indicators which predicts future movements in the coincident indicator. The Stock and Watson approach is used to create a fiscal indicator which acts as a summary indicator of revenue performance for New York. In addition, we explore the ability of our economic indicator series to predict future changes in state revenues. We find that changes in the leading indicator series have significant predictive power in forecasting changes in our revenue index.