Competitive analysis

Despite the strategic importance of understanding competitive structure and the dynamics of competitive behavior, there has been almost no empirical study of how managers perform these analyses. We provide a conceptualization of how competitive analyses can be framed by decision makers and for researching how human biases in decision making and corporate culture impact on the nature and use of competitive analysis information.We are grateful for the comments of George Day, Peter Dickson, Pete Fader, Don Lehmann, Rajan Varadarajan, and David Wheaton on an earlier version of this paper.     

Buyer-supplier relational characteristics and joint decision making

This paper explores propositions dealing with the influence of buyer-supplier relational characteristics on their joint decision making. Specifically, the proposed conceptual framework focuses on the link between three relational constructs (trust, commitment, relationship maturity) and two types of joint decision making (strategic and tactical). Strategic decisions are those that “expand the pie” for both parties (integrative decisions), and tactical decisions are those that “divide the pie” between the two parties (distributive decisions). We propose that the effect of relational characteristics on joint decision making is likely to be moderated by the characteristics of the supplier organization (such as team orientation) and its environment (such as competitive intensity). We conclude with a brief discussion of the implications and possible extensions of the theoretical model.     

Household preference revisions and decision making: The role of disconfirmation

In this paper, we examine the role of disconfirmation as an important determinant of household preference revisions and decision making. Although prior research has examined decision influence and information exchange in household decision making, the impact of disconfirmation on individual family member preferences and the joint household preference has not been explicitly studied. Analogous to the main types of social influence found within groups, we identify two types of disconfirmation that impact individual preferences arising from family interaction or discussion. These two types of disconfirmation are informational disconfirmation, related to new product information revealed in family discussion being different than one's prior beliefs, and preference disconfirmation, where a family member has incorrect expectations of the preferences of other influential household members. An empirical study involving a household vacation decision demonstrates significant disconfirmation effects in explaining individuals' post-discussion preferences, as well as the joint household preference and decision. Based on the empirical results, we discuss various implications and suggest future research to study the specific consequences of disconfirmation in household decisions.     

Artificial intelligence and the future of work: Human-AI symbiosis in organizational decision making

Artificial intelligence (AI) has penetrated many organizational processes, resulting in a growing fear that smart machines will soon replace many humans in decision making. To provide a more proactive and pragmatic perspective, this article highlights the complementarity of humans and AI and examines how each can bring their own strength in organizational decision-making processes typically characterized by uncertainty, complexity, and equivocality. With a greater computational information processing capacity and an analytical approach, AI can extend humans’ cognition when addressing complexity, whereas humans can still offer a more holistic, intuitive approach in dealing with uncertainty and equivocality in organizational decision making. This premise mirrors the idea of intelligence augmentation, which states that AI systems should be designed with the intention of augmenting, not replacing, human contributions.     

Competitive Bluffing: An Examination of a Common Practice and its Relationship with Performance

Bluffing, a common and consequential form of competitive behavior, has been comparably ignored in the management literature, even though misleading one’s rivals is suggested to be an advantageous skill in a multifaceted and highly competitive environment. To address this deficiency and advance scholarship on competitive dynamics, our study investigates the moral reasoning behind competitive bluffing and, using a simulated market-entry game, examines the performance effects of bluffing. Findings suggest that decision makers’ views on the ethicality of bluffing competitors differ from their beliefs on the ethicality of misleading other organizational stakeholders. Analysis also indicates that decision makers who view competitor bluffing as more ethical (less unethical) are more willing to engage in competitive bluffing. Finally, while bluffing is often thought to be an effective business practice, results show that in the context of repeated interaction, bluffing is not conducive to high levels of performance and, in fact, can have undesirable consequences.     

Competency,prior performance,opportunity framing,and competitive response: Exploring some behavioral decision theory perspectives

Theoretical perspectives from behavioral decision research and strategic management are employed to make competing predictions of managers' competitive response decisions. Results indicate that responses of greater magnitude are more likely when an ambiguous situation surrounding the market entry of a new competitor is framed as an opportunity rather than as a threat and when the prior performance and competency of the firm are at high levels. Faster responses are more likely under high levels of competency, especially when prior performance has been good. These results run counter to two of three predictions of behavioral decision research and raise questions about limits to the generalizability of these theoretical perspectives.     

A linguistic decision process in group decision making

Assuming a set of linguistic preferences representing the preferences of the individuals, a linguistic choice process is presented. This is developed using the concept of fuzzy majority for deriving a collective linguistic preference, and the concept of nondominated alternatives for deriving the selected alternatives in the linguistic choice process. The fuzzy majorities are equated with fuzzy linguistic quantifiers. The collective linguistic preference is derived by means of a linguistic ordered weighted averaging operator whose weights are defined using a fuzzy linguistic quantifier. In order to obtain the nondominated alternatives, we present a novel reformulation of Orlovski's nondominance degree under linguistic information.     

In search of fair trade: ethical consumer decision making in France

While the market for fair trade products has been growing in many countries, this paper examines the French market where fair trade remains marginal but is experiencing growth. Using a modified Theory of Planned Behaviour framework the research examines consumer intention to purchase fair trade grocery products in order to explain the pertinent decision‐making criteria of both consumers of and potential consumers of fair trade. Results reveal that concerned consumers should not be treated as one homogeneous group, rather, the distinct variations in the factors that influence their decision making must be considered when promoting, labelling and distributing fair trade products. Implications for both sustaining and developing the market for fair trade products in the future are highlighted and discussed.     

The price of unconditional love: Consumer decision making for high-dollar veterinary care

Animal companions play an increasingly important role in consumers' lives, and therefore many pets receive acceptance and treatment as members of the family. As the human-animal bond increases, so does consumer spending on pets, including that on high-dollar veterinary care. Unlike human health care, however, consumers must directly pay for the majority of high-dollar veterinary care. When an animal companion is ill, the consumer faces a stressful decision of whether even to engage in the treatment, along with the hardship of paying for it. Despite a rudimentary understanding of the factors relevant in the decision-making process regarding high-dollar veterinary care, knowledge is lacking about this often heart-wrenching choice. Using a depth-interview method, this study examines the decision-making process consumers go through when facing expensive medical treatment for their pets. The research results in an expansion of three a priori themes and the discovery and discussion of three factors that influence consumer decisions about veterinary care across all three themes.     

Explaining Competitors' Reactions to New Product Introductions: The Roles of Event Characteristics,Managerial Interpretation,and Competitive Context

Competitive reactions to new product introductions can be explained by observable characteristics related to the event, and by the interpretations of these factors by the defending competitors. A general model of competitive response is developed to explore the mediating role of interpretation factors between event characteristics and reaction decisions, and to study the contextual factors that moderate the relationship between event characteristics and interpretations. Results clearly demonstrate that if the interpretation factor is not taken into account researchers may overlook the influence of important variables explaining competitive reactions. Also, results indicate heterogeneity among managers regarding their interpretation of observable characteristics. Possible moderating factors are explored. The outcomes of this study are important both for new scientific insights in competitive reaction decision making, and for managers who act in the competitive arena.     

Decision making and decision aiding: Defining the process,it representations,and support

We present a formalized account of decision making as a multistep process that involves several classes of participating entities. The purpose of this article is to lay the foundations for a conceptual framework in which decision support systems can be placed. A series of increasingly formal representations of the decision problem are developed, from a mental model conceived by the decision maker to a knowledge base that may be used in a decision support system. The reformulations of the decision problem lead us to contemplate different forms of support: for mental models, for formal models (this includes supporting measurement and representation), for solution, and for communication.     

Using informal learning for business decision making and knowledge management

The process of making decisions in business requires, among other things, the efficient management of information to do with employee competencies. Dealing solely with competencies that employees learn in institutional contexts, however, is insufficient, as employees also acquire competencies through informal learning activities outside the organization. If an organization is to make well-informed decisions, the entity must gather information about the external activities of its employees that contribute to their competency development. This paper proposes a methodology to facilitate the identification and recognition of an employee's informal learning instances, which receives support from a technological framework. To validate the methodology, a pan-European project implements the framework, and a panel of experts evaluates its modus operandi. The main findings from this study suggest that, although making decisions on the basis of instances of informal learning is possible, both the methodology and the tools behind the gathering of this information should be flexible enough to satisfy the needs of the organization.     

Decision making under conditions of conflict

A real-world application is employed to explain three general types of decision situations that can arise under conditions of conflict. In addition, meaningful connections and relationships among these areas of decision making are clearly pointed out. To permit useful decision technologies to be employed by practitioners for better understanding and for resolving a variety of actual decision problems, a range of flexible decision support systems is discussed. Subsequently, interesting research developments contained in the upcoming sequence of 12 articles on decision making under conflict are summarized and compared. The research articles not only present unique approaches to decision making involving multiple participants, each of whom may have multiple objectives, but suggest a variety of challenging research problems to be investigated in the future.     

Business angel early stage decision making

Using 150 interactions between entrepreneurs and potential investors, we study early stage business angel decision making. We show that contrary to the majority of past research that suggests they should, angel investors do not use a fully compensatory decision model wherein they weight and score a large number of attributes. Rather, they use a shortcut decision making heuristic known as elimination-by-aspects to reduce the available investment opportunities to a more manageable size. If an opportunity is diagnosed with a fatal flaw, it is rejected in the first stage of the decision making process, but all opportunities with no fatal flaws do progress beyond that stage.     

Competitive Positioning in International Logistics: Identifying a System of Attributes Through Neural Networks and Decision Trees

Abstract

Firms involved in international logistics must develop a system of service attributes that give them a way to be profitable and to satisfy customers' needs at the same time. How customers trade-off these various attributes in forming satisfaction with competing international logistics providers has not been explored well in the literature. This study explores the ocean freight shipping sector to identify the system of attributes that maximizes customers' satisfaction. Data were collected from shipping managers in Singapore using personal interviews to identify the chief concerns in choosing and evaluating ocean freight services. The data were then examined using neural networks and decision trees, among other approaches to identify the system of attributes that is connected with customer satisfaction. The results illustrate the power of these methods in understanding how industrial customers with global operations process attributes to derive satisfaction. Implications are discussed.     

专利竞争优势研究综述

随着我国企业经营国际化的发展,专利不仅仅是受保护的企业无形资产,还是企业获取超额利润、赢得市场领先地位、激励创新,从而获得竞争优势的重要来源。所以需从外部环境、内部资源能力基础和企业专利战略等三个方面归纳总结目前关于专利竞争优势的研究,如果仅从一个方面来分析专利竞争优势是难以解决很多现实问题,应该结合多个维度分析专利为企业带来竞争优势的途径,进而为企业制定正确完善的专利竞争战略提供理论支持。     

应对外国反倾销和中国企业竞争战略的转移

随着中国经济的迅速发展,中国在世界贸易中地位不断提高,出口不断扩大,中国融合世界经济的程度不断加深,贸易摩擦频繁发生,中国遭受国外反倾销事件的数量也越来越多。国内许多学者和专家对如何应对反倾销展开了大量的探讨和研究,取得了很大的成果;但大部分是从宏观层面或法律角度展开讨论的。因此,有必要从微观层面和战略高度上来阐述中国企业竞争战略的选择和转移。     

全球化背景下我国物流业竞争策略选择分析

在经济全球化不断深化的背景下,我国物流企业的发展既有前所未有的机遇,也面临激烈的市场竞争。在应对激烈的国际竞争的策略方面不能一概而论,应坚持有所为有所不为的方针,构建起既符合自身特点和优势,又具有一定竞争优势的新的策略体系。