Business and Social Reputation: Exploring the Concept and Main Dimensions of Corporate Reputation

Different theoretical approaches highlight the growing relevance of corporate reputation as strategic factor. Among these approaches the arguments of the Resource-Based View are special worthwhile (Grant, 1991, California Management Review 33(3), 114–135; Barney, 1999, Sloan Management Review Spring, 137–145). Nevertheless, this topic poses several methodological problems (Barney et al., 2001), as the unavailability to identify and measure this organizational factor, that is “socially complex” and intangible in its nature. In this work, using the findings of our empirical research on Spanish biotechnology firms, we carry out an identification and measurement of corporate reputation, highlighting its two key components: “business reputation” and “social reputation”. Dr. Gregorio Martín de Castro is Assistant Professor at the Business Administration Department in Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain). He has several years of research experience at CIC Spanish Knowledge Society Research Centre, he holds an Expert Diploma in Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management from INSEAD (France), and he was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Harvard University during 2004–2005. He is author and co-author of several papers concerning Resource-Based View, Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management. Dr. José Emilio Navas López is Professor and Head of the Business Administration Department in Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain). He is author and co-author of several books and papers concerning Technology Management, Strategy and Knowledge Management. He has held the first Knowledge Management Chair in Spain at I.U. Euroforum Escorial. Dr. Pedro López Sáez is Assistant Professor at the Business Administration Department in Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) and he was a Research Fellow at Harvard University during 2004–2005. He has several years of research experience at CIC Spanish Knowledge Society Research Centre and he is author and co-author of several papers concerning Resource-Based View, Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management.     

Vulnerable older consumers: New persuasion knowledge achievement measure

This research describes a new persuasion knowledge measure for older consumers which can be applied for both diagnostic and preventive purposes. Persuasion knowledge refers to information, attitudes, beliefs and schemas guiding our behaviour in situations where persuasion is involved. Many older consumers belong to a specific, vulnerable group, who often fail to maintain their interest in persuasive situations, so the proposed measure could serve a better understanding of their behaviour. First, a new, situation‐based achievement measure, entitled ‘Persuasion Knowledge Achievement Measure’ (PKAM), was developed in university samples (N = 530) in several stages. Afterwards, the developed measure was adapted to older individuals, resulting in the Persuasion Knowledge Achievement Measure for Older People (PKAM‐OP). Following a pilot study with personally‐assisted data collection (N = 50), the examinees were reached through an elderly care network in a two‐stage procedure (N = 183, N = 116). The psychometric analyses of the data show a high level of reliability and validity for both tests. The results of the main research studies indicate that there are two subscales of the measure: ‘Agreeableness’ and ‘Persuasion Knowledge’. Based on the empirical data, the subscales provide reliable measures of features which guide behaviour in persuasive situations. In sum, PKAM‐OP can fulfil theoretical and practical needs in research and prevention interventions focusing on older consumers.     

论知识型企业中的领导艺术

知识型企业是伴随着知识经济而出现的生产力组织 ,而且代表着整个企业的发展方向。知识型企业中的领导艺术成为企业管理中的崭新课题。知识经济条件下 ,对知识型企业中的领导艺术提出了更高的要求。     

Book Reviews: Recensions de livres

Book reviewed in this article: Employment Equity: Cooperative Strategies for Organizational Change Carol Agoes, Catherine Burr, and Felicity Somerset. Organizational Career Development: Benchmarks for Building a World-Class Workforce T. G. Gutteridge, Z. B. Leibowitz, and J. E. Shore. Global Assignments: Successfully Expatriating and Repatriating International Managers J. S. Black, H. B. Gregersen, and M. E. Mendenhall.     

Book Reviews

Book Reviewed in this article: ‘Scarred and Unemployed’ Karen L.K. Miller Guidance Through Vedanta? Prabhu Guptara A European Knowledge Base Arild Lillebo     

Conceptualizing and measuring experience quality: the customer's perspective

Today many customers, managers, and scholars have become aware of the importance of experiences, which are characterized as satisfying customers' psychic or personal needs. For customers, they care more about the experiences that are provided by stores, and they are willing to pay for them. As for managers, attractive experiences are the products they have taken great efforts to create, manage, and sell. For academic researchers, experiences are considered as distinct economic offerings that are different from goods and services. These scholars believe that the focus of the economy has been transferred to experience (O'Sullivan, E.L., & Spangler, K.J. (1998). Experience marketing: Strategies for the new millennium. State College, PA: Venture Publishing), and that experience industries are on the rise (O'Sullivan, E.L., & Spangler, K.J. (1998). Experience marketing: Strategies for the new millennium. State College, PA: Venture Publishing; Pine, B.J., & Gilmore, J.H. (1998). Welcome to the experience economy. Harvard Business Review (July–August), 97–105; Pine, B.J., & Gilmore, J.H. (1999). The experience economy: Work is theatre & every business a stage. Boston: Harvard Business School Press; Schmitt, B.H. (1999). Experiential marketing: How to get customer to sense, feel, think, act, relate to your company and brands. New York: The Free Press). Although experiences have moved to the centre of customers' consumption activities and have become crucial for business success, very few studies have investigated the customers' perceptions of experience quality. In this research, we have conceptually defined experience quality as the customers' emotional judgment about an entire experience with an elaborately designed service setting. We have undertaken multiple phases in conceptualizing and measuring the concept of experience quality.     

Knowledge Synthesis and Innovative Logistics Processes: Enhancing Operational Flexibility and Performance

Research results are presented providing an empirical examination of the impact of knowledge synthesis and innovative logistics processes on operational flexibility. The research is theoretically grounded in the resource‐based view of the firm, augmented with the knowledge‐based view. Knowledge synthesis and innovative logistics processes are proposed as key resources in the development of an important logistics capability: operational flexibility. A structural model analysis of survey data collected from logistics executives supports the proposed relationships and indicates that innovative logistics processes can lead to greater operational flexibility. Operational flexibility is also shown to lead to higher levels of logistics performance.     

Considerations on “Research on non-market actions: A commentary essay”

This commentary is in response to the commentary, “Research on Non-Market Actions: A Commentary Essay” [Wang, C-J. Research on Non-Market Actions: A Commentary Essay. J Bus Res (2008)] on the paper, “First come, first served: How market and non-market actions influence pioneer market share” [Usero B, Fernández Z, First come, first served: How market and non-market actions influence pioneer market share. J Bus Res (2008), doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.07.005]. The commentary responds directly to Wang's [Wang, C-J. Research on Non-Market Actions: A Commentary Essay. J Bus Res (2008)] comments and proposes further lines of research that integrate the competitive dynamic approach with studies of non-market actions.     

高科技企业知识型员工管理的影响因素研究

本文认为,发展机会、激励措施、工作动机、能力发挥、工作环境、努力程度、工作特征、工作资源、组织承诺等9个方面是影响高科技企业知识型员工管理的主要因子,在所有主要影响因素中,知识型员工更注重个人发展因素、精神和物质激励因素以及工作动机等长远因素的考虑,即他们更加注重自我价值的实现。文章提出,要从根本上解决我国高科技企业知识型员工管理效率低下的问题,就必须采取相应的管理策略:第一,努力打造知识型员工的个人发展平台;第二,积极强化对知识型员工的培训与教育;第三,加强知识型员工激励体系建设;第四,充分发挥知识型员工的独立自主性;第五,鼓励知识型员工参与企业管理,为他们营造一个良好的软环境。     

Consumer Perceptions of Credibility and Selling Intent Among Advertisements,Advertorials, and Editorials: A Persuasion Knowledge Model Approach

This article presents the results of a study of consumer reaction to three different types of information delivery in magazines: editorials, advertorials, and advertisements. The study draws on the Persuasion Knowledge Model to examine the effect of each form of information delivery on source influence, source credibility, perceived selling intent and purchase intention. The analysis indicates that the form of information delivery in print media affects the perceived credibility of the source of the information, the perceived selling intention and the purchase intention. Implications for marketers and policy-makers are also discussed.     

Subsidiary managers’ knowledge mobilizations: Unpacking emergent knowledge flows

Knowledge flows are a key source of advantage for multinational corporations (MNCs); however the nuances of knowledge flow practices and their micro-foundations require further theoretical development. Using qualitative data on 40 cases of subsidiary managers’ knowledge mobilizations, this paper unravels micro-level practices of knowledge flows in MNCs. We find that subsidiary managers’ knowledge mobilizations initiate a complex pattern of subsidiary knowledge inflows, pinpointing the significance of lateral and bottom up exchanges (locally as well as internationally). We use these insights to distinguish between two types of subsidiary knowledge flows: deliberate and emergent, and discuss how their differences have profound implications for the investigation of MNC knowledge flows and their micro-foundations.     

Japanese multinationals: How different are they?

Encarnation, D.J. (Ed.). (1999). Japanese Multina‐tionals in Asia, Regional Operations in Comparative Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press, 301 pages, ISBN 0‐19‐512065‐5. Beamish, P.W., Delios, A., & Lecraw, D.J. (Eds.). 1997. Japanese Multinationals in the Global Economy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 352 pages, ISBN 1‐85898‐720‐2. Beechler, S.L., & Bird, A. (Eds.). (1999). Japanese Multinationals Abroad, Individual and Organizational Learning. New York: Oxford University Press, 283 pages, ISBN 0‐19‐511925‐8.     

Critical Situations for Decision Making: A Support Based on a Modelling Tool

This paper proposes to give a toll to help decision makers in critical situations. The principle of our research is based on a modelling approach for Cooperative Knowledge Based Systems. This approach is based on a Task/Method paradigm that we describe. We then propose to take into account collateral effects of tasks in order to support decision makers in a critical context. The proposed tool can then generate a degraded solution for which, collateral effects of previous tasks have been taken as new goals to reach. This study is possible thanks to the definition of several kinds of models: a Good Functioning Model and a Degraded Tasks Library.     

MNEs vertical linkages: The experience of Vietnam after Malaysia

Knowledge transfer from multinational corporations to local suppliers in host developing countries have been shown to be substantial and a strong contributor to the competitive upgrading of firms in host economies. Using data provided by multinational subsidiaries, this paper compares the activities of multinationals in both Malaysia and Vietnam. Malaysia is considered because its experience with foreign direct investment is long standing (compared to Vietnam) and useful recommendations can be drawn for Vietnam, allowing for the transition nature of the Vietnamese economy. The objectives of the paper are two-fold: to demonstrate the potential for knowledge transfer between multinationals and their suppliers in both Malaysia and Vietnam; and to build upon this discussion to suggest avenues for Vietnam to maximise beneficial linkages from MNEs.     

Book Reviews

Author: GALLOUJ, FAIZ; Innovation in the Service Economy: The New Wealth of Nations; Reviewer: Jeremy Howells; Editor: HARRISON, DAVID; Tourism and the Less Developed World: Issues and Case Studies; Reviewer: Eleri Jones; Editors: KALYUZHNOVA, YELENA and MICHAEL TAYLOR; Transitional Economics - Banking, Finance, Institutions; Reviewer: Claudia Cirardone; Author: COOKE, PHILIP, Knowledge Economies: Clusters, Learning and Cooperative Advantages; Reviewer: Jennifer Johns.     

Reverse Knowledge Transfer on Emerging Market Multinationals: A Case Study of the Largest Private Bank in Latin America

Knowledge transfer between headquarters and subsidiaries and the study of emerging market multinationals (EMMNE) are two important and rapidly growing research topics in International Business (IB) studies. This research analyzes, through an in-depth single case study, the Reverse Knowledge Transfer (RKT) processes of an emerging market multinational, more specifically the largest private bank in LATAM—Banco Itaú Unibanco S.A.—to understand how emerging market parent companies benefit from their subsidiaries’ knowledge. Our findings validate important concepts in the IB and RKT literature, contribute with valuable insights to theory generation, and indicate possible avenues for future research.     

Technological and Organizational Tools for Knowledge Management: In Search of Configurations

Knowledge Management (KM) is becoming a growing concern in management research and practice because of its role in determining firm innovation capability and in enhancing working life quality of knowledge workers. This requires, even for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) the creation of a sustainable work organization in terms of configuration of organizational and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools. With a particular emphasis in the area of Product Innovation (PI) and on the basis of a survey on 127 Italian SMEs, this paper aims at analysing the emergent technological and organizational approaches to managing knowledge in the PI process. Three different KM Configurations emerge: the `technical', the `relational' and the `advanced' approach.     

Growth,markets, and competitive strategies: Successes and challenges in Latin America

M. Kotabe & R. Leal (Eds.). 2001. Market Revolution in Latin America: Beyond Mexico. New York: Pergamon. 379 pages. ISBN 0‐08‐043897‐0. F. Robles, F. Simon, & J. Haar (Eds.). 2002. Winning Strategies for the New Latin Markets. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Financial Times/Prentice Hall. 364 pages. ISBN 0‐13‐061716‐4. J. Vial & P. K. Cornelius (Eds.). 2002. The Latin American Competitiveness Report 2001–2002. New York: Oxford University Press. 213 pages. ISBN 0‐19‐515256‐5.     

Knowledge transfer between self-initiated expatriates and their organizations: Research propositions for managing SIEs

Knowledge management is increasingly recognized as a key aspect of international business and management. This paper offers research avenues for investigating knowledge transfer between self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) and their employer organizations. Building on the existing literature on expatriation and knowledge transfer, it offers a series of research propositions. It illustrates the knowledge transfer process in three phases: opportunity seeking, knowledge sharing, and knowledge application. We suggest that different characteristics of SIEs and their organizations can influence the knowledge transfer process. Furthermore, we advance that SIEs may be a source of sustained competitive advantage to their companies. Several implications for future empirical research are also discussed and the paper concludes with practical implications for SIE talent management.