Understanding Supermarket Competition Using Choice Maps

In this paper we propose a model which combines the spatial interaction models with the latest developments in internal market structure analysis and allows us to infer supermarket competition from revealed preference data. Using a nested logit formulation we model consumers' store choice decisions to be a two stage process in which consumers choose first the suburb and then the store from which to buy groceries. Hence, our method allows retail managers not only to understand the advantage (or disadvantage) of having their store chain in a particular area but also assess the competition within that area. Comparisons to Factor Analytic Choice Map is made.     

An econometric analysis of skewed productivity outcomes

An econometric model is developed to help explain uncertain yields from processes that generate inherently skewed outcomes. The yield is modeled as the interaction of potential and effort functions, where potential represents maximum yield that would be observed if the effort was infinite. The potential function is determined by some endogenous factors, and the effort function is determined by an exogenous input and allows for increasing and decreasing marginal returns to effort. A non-linear model incorporating these features is theoretically derived and empirically tested using data on outcomes from sales-tax audits. The results document the superiority of this model in capturing the underlying relationships, and provide a better out-of-sample fit to the data compared to two OLS models. The proposed model can be applied in various business and non-business settings.     

Differentiating Between Dimensionality and Duration in Multidimensional Measures of Poverty: Methodology with an Application to China

We develop a multidimensional poverty measure that is sensitive to the within‐individual distribution of deprivations across dimensions and time. Our measure combines features from a static multidimensional measure (Alkire and Foster, 2011a ) and a time‐dependent unidimensional measure (Foster, 2009 ). The proposed measure separately identifies—and can therefore be decomposed according to—the proportion of the poverty score attributable to: (i) the concentration of deprivations within periods; (ii) the concentration of deprivations within dimensions. In doing so it allows for a poverty ranking that is robust to assumptions about the trade‐off between the two components. Previous measures have not allowed for the features proposed here due to the inability to calculate the exact contribution of each dimension to overall poverty. We overcome this by adapting to our measure the Shapley decomposition proposed in Shorrocks ( 2013 ) (based on Shapley, 1953 ). The measure is applied to data from China, 2000‐2011.     

Evaluating Product‐Centric Continuous Improvements: Impact on Competitive Capabilities and Business Performance

Product‐centric continuous improvements (CIs) are actions via which firms modify the design of a product after the start of its production and release into the market. Product‐centric CIs are initiated to help build competitive capabilities and sustain competitive advantage throughout the product life cycle. This study complements the perspective pervasive in the extant literature that actions related to product‐centric CIs can be disruptive to firms and be associated with negative performance consequences. It investigates a topic that is relatively much less researched, namely the upside potential of product‐centric CIs. The empirical analysis is based on data collected from 144 plants in the United States representing process and discrete part manufacturing industries. Specifically, the study analyzes the impact of product‐centric CIs on competitive capabilities and business performance. The results of the empirical analysis indicate the following: First, there exist two categories of product‐centric CIs: (1) actions for quality improvement and (2) actions for cost reduction. Second, while there is a positive association between each type of CI and the intended competitive capability, there also is a trade‐off—i.e., actions for quality improvement increase quality capability but reduce cost capability, and vice versa. Third, there is a strong linkage between business performance and quality capability, but not cost capability. All in all, the study presents empirical evidence that product‐centric CIs have a significant impact on competitive capabilities related to quality and cost, and, in turn, have an impact on business performance. From the standpoint of practice, the study suggests that product‐centric CIs should be managed to develop competitive capabilities and improve business performance.     

Are firms with state ownership greener? An institutional complexity view

This study investigates the role of state ownership in green innovation from the institutional complexity viewpoint. We posit that state ownership can be characterised by two seemingly competing logics: institutional logic, which emphasises that firms with state ownership can acquire resources to promote innovation; and efficiency logic, which states that firms with state ownership have low resource utilisation effectiveness. On the basis of the integration of both views, we suggest a U‐shaped curvilinear relationship between state ownership and green innovation. Data from Chinese listed firms from 2003 to 2015 confirm our hypothesis. Moreover, we also find two macro‐level contingencies that moderate this relationship: regional innovation readiness and industrial competition. The U‐shaped relationship between state ownership and green innovation is more pronounced when regional innovation readiness and industrial competition are higher. This study advances previous research on environmental innovation by arguing that state ownership is characterised by institutional complexity rather than being a monolithic construct.     

Arab agriculture — prospects for self-sufficiency

The article points out that, although the relative importance of the agricultural sector in the Arab world is declining as the importance of oil rises, it is still vital to Arab countries. Selfsufficiency in agriculture is desirable because of a possible cutoff of food imports for political reasons by the food-exporting countries. The article examines the possibilities for Arab selfsufficiency and suggests several alternative strategies.     

Customer value analysis in a heterogeneous market

In recent years, customer value has become a major focus among strategy researchers and practitioners as an essential element of a firm's competitive strategy. Many firms have been interested in Customer Value Analysis (CVA) which involves a structural analysis of the antecedent factors of perceived value (i.e., perceived quality and perceived price) to assess their relative importance in the perceptions of their buyers. We develop a statistical approach for performing CVA utilizing a recursive simultaneous equation model that is formulated to accommodate buyer heterogeneity. In particular, the proposed finite‐mixture methodology allows one to estimate the relative effects and integration rules of perceived value drivers at the market segment level, as well as to simultaneously determine the (unknown) segments themselves. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed methodology via an actual commercial application involving a large electric utility company. Finally, we discuss the contributions of our research from the perspective of firm strategy and how it may be extended in the future. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.