Implementation of a System Approach for Enhanced Supply Chain Continuity and Resiliency: A Longitudinal Study

Researchers and practitioners frequently point to inventory as a necessary component of an effective supply chain strategy. However, an undisciplined or ineffective approach to inventory can have a detrimental impact on an organization and its entire supply chain. When making inventory decisions, firms must ensure that the selected approach “fits” the overall supply chain strategy. While such an assertion seems intuitive, there is a need for empirical validation. We seek to contribute to this important body of research by investigating the impact of improved strategic alignment of inventory on resiliency and continuity. More specifically, we investigate the impact of improved strategic fit by comparing two distinct approaches to inventory management within a service parts environment. We hypothesize that a well‐aligned approach to inventory management can enhance continuity and resiliency. We test these hypotheses via a longitudinal field study involving 10 United States Air Force (USAF) locations and two years of data (approximately 650,000 inventory transactions). Results from nine test locations and one control location suggest that a well‐aligned approach to inventory management is indeed effective in improving continuity and resiliency, thus enhancing service‐based strategies—in this case, the USAF's ability to be mission‐capable. While the results of the study are derived from the USAF, we believe the implications provide broader insight into the use of inventory as a means of realizing a strategic fit.     

Potential output growth in several industrialised countries a comparison

In this paper, we present international comparisons of potential output growth among several economies—Canada, the euro area, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States—for the period 1991–2004, for which we construct consistent and homogenous capital stock series. The main estimates rely on a structural approach where output of the whole economy is described by a Cobb–Douglas function and Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is estimated allowing for possible breaks in the deterministic trend. The results confirm that over the considered period the potential gross domestic product growth has been faster in the United States than in other studied countries, reflecting a combination of higher labour contribution and faster TFP growth. Overall, this paper might help to shed some light on cross-country differences in economic performance over the recent period.     

Social Value Orientation and Climate Strength as Moderators of the Impact of Work Group Cooperative Climate on Affective Commitment

We investigate the moderating role of an individual's social value orientation (which refers to self‐ versus other‐regarding preferences) and of climate strength (which refers to the extent of agreement among group members on group norms and values) on the relationship between work group cooperative climate and affective commitment among professional employees. We develop two plausible but opposite hypotheses on the moderation effect of social value orientation, one based on the behavioural assimilation assumption and the other on goal transformation theory. We argue that the work group's climate strength is an important contingency factor that affects which of both contradictory predictions holds. In a sample of 209 academic employees of a Belgian university, we find support for our arguments. Specifically, a cooperative climate enhances the affective commitment of employees with a prosocial value orientation (as predicted by the behavioural assimilation argument) but only when there is strong consensus among group members about the group's climate (high climate strength). Conversely, for those whose social value orientation is towards the self rather than others, a cooperative climate enhances affective commitment (consistent with goal transformation theory), especially when the climate is not agreed upon (low climate strength). These findings underscore recent claims that the predictive power of different theories in organizational behaviour depends on an individual's motives and values. We discuss the implications of our findings for the management of work groups consisting of employees with different social value orientations.     

Implementing a Low‐End Disruption Strategy Through Multiproject Lineage Management: The Logan Case

This paper analyzes how multiproject management can build up and develop a low‐end disruptive strategy. It is based on a deep longitudinal analysis of a case within the automotive industry, namely, the Logan case developed by the Renault group. The results bring new insights into both the multiproject management and innovation strategy fields. On the project organizing side, it characterizes the complex and in some way ambiguous relations between the firm governance and the pilot project initiating the disruptive strategy. The case also formalizes project‐lineage management as a way to expand the initial move into a diversified range of products and a multi‐continent deployment, while keeping the key specificities of the pilot project. On the innovation strategy side, it demonstrates how disruptive strategy and organizational ambidexterity research fields can benefit from input from the project organizing domain.     

Does size matter for port coopetition strategy? Concept,motivation and implication

Coopetition is one of the emerging strategies for ports to react towards the rapidly changing market environment. Having this strategy in action, ports will simultaneously compete and cooperate to achieve commonly interesting goals among players involved. Several ports in the Hamburg–Le Havre range have already decided to use such coopetitive strategies. The literature, however, shows that there exist a number of case-specific motivations for having employed this strategy. The aim of this paper is to investigate the motivations for the ports of Flanders (Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ghent and Ostend) to choose coopetition. These four Flemish ports recently agreed to collaborate after several years of negotiations. It was known that the large port of Antwerp was more reluctant to collaborate with the smaller ports: Zeebrugge, Ghent and Ostend. This fact does naturally lead us to consider whether the size of port is a factor having an impact on the coopetitive strategy. The current paper attempts to examine the possible impact of size difference on the motivations for ports to opt for coopetition, within a framework of coopetition motivations based on a literature review. From a qualitative analysis on the matter, the paper concludes that size is not an important factor for the motivations to establish coopetition since ports are mainly aimed at achieving a win–win situation. Other factors, such as similarities in the services offered and competition level, look more influential. Nevertheless, the size difference among the ports seems to have an impact on the choice of the type of coopetition and on the willingness of the ports to adopt this strategy. Finally, the paper indicates that it is beneficial for all the ports to investigate the use of coopetition as a way of expanding the network of logistics services.     

Regional growth and unemployment in the medium run: asymmetric cointegrated Okun’s Law for UK regions

This article tests for the presence of a medium-run asymmetric Okun’s Law relationship between regional output and regional unemployment rate in UK regions. The test is performed with a panel data version of the hidden cointegration technique suggested by Granger and Yoon. A novelty of the article is to combine the method of hidden cointegration with a panel data method of removing cross-sectional dependence. The medium-run Okun relationship for regions in the UK appears to confirm results found elsewhere in the literature on countries as a whole, although the coefficients tend to be smaller.     

Entrepreneurship and the systemic consequences of epidemics: A literature review and emerging model

The Covid-19 epidemic is a global challenge requiring adequate public and private responses to overcome the emergency, shape new development trajectories, and prepare for future outbreaks. As socioeconomic turning points, epidemics imply an entrepreneurial response in which not only managers and entrepreneurs, but also policymakers, health professionals, and civil society as a whole are active participants. Using the PRISMA methodology, we provide a comprehensive review of the complex interactions between entrepreneurship and epidemics over time. Applying a combined Kirznerian-Schumpeterian theoretical framework, we find that, in the short term, epidemics trigger a wave of Kirznerian entrepreneurship aimed at reducing the uncertainty generated directly and indirectly by the medical emergency. In the long term, as medical uncertainty abates, Schumpeterian entrepreneurship can contribute to transforming the post-crisis environment, either supporting or undermining the public reaction to the crisis and determining the path of institutionalization, in the process of defining a new normal. Thus, epidemics could lead to unpredictable socioeconomic and technological improvements, but also to highly undesirable outcomes. The construction of a satisfactory new normal requires the integration of entrepreneurial capabilities within the public sector and an explicit policy of cooperation with the private sector. Therefore, as the short-term phase of the Covid-19 pandemic draws to a close, policymakers must shift their focus away from restrictions and obligations towards a collaborative framework supportive of private entrepreneurial efforts.

     

The current status of microcomputer usage in the marketing programs of AACSB-accredited colleges and universities

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive survey of microcomputer usage in marketing education today. This status report indicates that AACSB-accredited universities are making considerable progress in integrating microcomputers into their marketing programs.