Scope,timing and strategic adjustment in emerging markets: Manufacturer strategies and the case of MRI

This study examines the realized strategies of all domestic manufacturers in a growing, high technology, industrial market characterized by high levels of regulatory, demand, and technological uncertainty. These manufacturers have behaved quite differently and experienced varying levels of success in the market. A typology of entry strategies grounded in an intensive analysis of these data is presented. Specifically, it addresses the timing and scope of a firm's entry into the market, strategic adjustments over time, and the impact of these decisions on the firm's performance. It is proposed that these strategies represent trade-offs between the risks of resource commitment and competitive preemption. Specific, testable hypotheses based on this typology are also provided.     

Students' Perception of the Ethical Business Climate: A Comparison With Leaders in the Community

Although undergraduate students are exposed to ethical issues through class assignments, discussions, and readings, they typically do not have first hand experience with business dilemmas. Student opinions on ethical standards and behavior in American business have received scant attention in the literature. The purpose of the study is to provide additional information to both educators and organizations about the ethical perceptions of students. Furthermore, the study contrasts student responses to business and community leaders' responses obtained in a prior study conducted by Touche Ross (1988). The findings from this study are based on an opinion survey about ethics in American business, completed by 476 liberal arts and business students attending a private, religiously affiliated college in New York State. The data indicate numerous differences in perceptions between students and business and community leaders. Differences were also found when students were classified by school (Arts &; Science versus Business) and by gender. Overall, students appear to place a strong value on education. Students are the source of new entrants to the business world and the foundation for ethical structures being built by organizations. The findings from this study should assist both educators and employers in the development of necessary programs to maximize the ethical potential of their constituents.     

Inter-capital relations and the network organisation: redefining the work and employment nexus

The blurring of organisational boundaries associated with ‘networks’of organisations suggests the need to reconsider how work andemployment are shaped by shifting inter-capital relations. Traditionaltheories of the internalised employment relationship understateits inter-relationship with both the form of inter-capitalistcompetition and the type of inter-capitalist production relations.Also, existing theories of inter-organisational contractingdo not adequately address how these are shaped by employmentrelations, both within and between organisations. An alternativeapproach provides a new perspective for considering forms ofcountervailing power to protect workers' interests in a capitalistsystem continuously shifting from integrated to non-integratedforms.     

Remnants of the U.S. Civil War and modern consumer behavior

This research introduces a construct termed regional animosity. Regional animosity represents individuals' preference for their own (ingroup) geographic region and incorporates elements of animosity toward people from an outgroup region. The construct emanates from an investigation of the historical divide between the northern and southern regions of the United States. The interrelated theories of social identity, stereotype activation, and consumer animosity provide theoretical rationale for the existence of regional animosity and its role in affecting consumers' evaluative judgments and price sensitivity. Data from three studies demonstrate that research respondents showed strong preference for products/services that originate in their home region. Results further reveal that scores on a scale measuring regional animosity correlated with the extent to which consumers chose products/services from their own region and the degree to which they were willing to pay premium prices to obtain these items. These findings support prior theory in a novel context and implicate a potentially important line of inquiry for future research. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Policies and Attitudes toward Genetically Modified foods in Norway

Policies and Attitudes toward Genetically Modified Foods in Norway Norwegian food and agricultural policies have up to now prevented the introduction and commercialization of GM foods. This may be considered just an imitation of EU neighbours. On the other hand, based on results from our study, the application of the precautionary principle to GM foods is well justified in Norway since consumers currently do not feel comfortable with these products. Our analysis is based on data from a survey of 400 food shoppers in the Oslo‐region of Norway conducted in January 2002. Of consumers surveyed, eighty‐six per cent of consumers thought labeling of GM foods was very important. Consumers in the sample were on average only willing to purchase GM bread with an approximately 50 per cent discount compared to non‐GM bread, indicating that there is strong scepticism toward GM foods in Norway. When comparing the consumers who were the most willing to purchase GM bread with the consumers who were the least willing to purchase GM bread, we found that the latter group was significantly older, had more women, higher incomes and lower formal education. The strict Norwegian GM food policies are consistent with the consumer consensus against the inclusion of GM foods in the Norwegian market. Les aliments génétiquement modifiés en Norvège:politiques mises en oeuvre et attitudes des consommateurs Jusqu'ici, les politiques agrtcoles et alimentaires en Norvège ont toujours prohibé l' importation et la commercialisation d'aliments génétiquement modifyés. On pourrait l' interpréter comme une simple imitation de ce qui se passe dans l' UE voisine. Pourtant, les résultats présentés ici montrent que l'application du principe de précaution aux aliments génétiquement modifyés est justifyée en Norvège par le fait que les consommateurs ne se sentent pas confortables avec ces produits. Ceci ressort d'une enquête effectuée en Janvier 2002 auprès de 400 acheteurs de produits alimentaires dans la règion d'Oslo. 86% des répondants estiment que l'étiquetage des produits génétiquement modifyés est ‘très important’. En moyenne, les consommateurs de l'échantillon exigent un baisse de 50% du prix du ‘pain OGM’ par rapport au pain ‘non OGM’ pour accepter d'acheter le premier. Cela témoigne d'un fort scepticisme vis‐à‐vis des OGM en Norvège. Quand on oppose le groupe des consommateurs les ‘plus favorables’ aux OGM au groupe des ‘moins favorables’ on trouve que le second est composé de gens plus vieux, qu'il est plus féminin, bénéficie de revenus plus élevés et d'un niveau d'éducation plus faible. La politique anti‐OGM suivie en Norvége est done en accord avec l'opinion publique, qui rejette l'idée d'introduire ces produits sur les marchés norvégiens. Politikmaßnahmen und Einstellungen zu genetisch veränderten Le bensmitteln in Norwegen Die norwegische Agrar‐ und Ernährungspolitik hat bislang die Einführung und Vermarktung von genetisch veränderten Lebensmittein erfolgreich verhindert. Dies könnte lediglich als Nachahmung der EU‐Nachbarn aufgefasst werden. Unseren Forschungsergebnissen zu Folge wird das Sicherheitsprinzip auf genetisch veränderte Lebensmittel in Norwegen jedoch aus gutem Grund angewendet, da die Verbraucher diesen Produkten zur Zeit nicht genug Vertrauen entgegen bringen. Unsere Analyse gründet sich auf Umfragedaten von 400 Lebensmittelkäufern aus der Region um Oslo/Norwegen imjanuar2002. 86 Prozent der Befragten hielten es fur sehr wichtig, genetisch veranderte Lebensmittel zu kennzeichnen. Die Verbraucher in dieser Stichprobe waren im Durchschnitt nur dann bereit, genetisch verändertes Brot zu kaufen, wenn es im Vergleich zu genetisch nicht verandertem Brot einen Preisnachlass von zirka 50 Prozent gäbe. Darin zeigt sich eine starke Skepsis der Norweger gegenüber genetisch veränderten Lebensmittein. Beim Vergleich der Verbraucher, weiche die starkste Bereitschaft zeigten, genetisch verändertes Brot zu kaufen, mit den Verbrauchern, weiche die schwächste Bereitschaft zeigten, genetisch verändertes Brot zu kaufen, ergab sich, dass die zweite Gruppe ein signifikant höheres Alter, einen höheren Frauenanteil, höhere Einkommen und eine geringere Schulbildung aufwies. Die strikten norwegischen Politikmaßnahmen im Hinblick auf genetisch veränderte Lebensmittel entsprechen dem Wunsch der Verbraucher, genetisch veränderte Lebensmittel auf dem norwegischen Markt nicht zuzulassen.     

Gender equality still on the European agenda—but for how long?

While the momentum has certainly not yet disappeared from the gender equality agenda within Europe, the impact of that agenda remains patchy. Progress within individual member states has been significant but not always steady or cumulative. At the European level more attention has been paid to the gender pay gap but policy initiatives remain weak. The loss of the equal opportunities pillar in the new employment guidelines puts this momentum at risk but the new phase still includes commitments to an integrated strategy of gender mainstreaming and equal opportunities.     

Evolving Supply Chains in the Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Industry

The rapid growth of the nutraceutical and functional foods industry in recent years has necessitated the development of new supply chain relationships. These supply chains are interesting because of the uncertain regulatory, technological and market environment in which they have evolved. Challenges include concentration in upstream input supply and downstream manufacturing sectors, intellectual property rights protection, asset specific investments in an uncertain market environment, and establishing credible quality signals for credence attributes in an era of regulatory uncertainty and consumer scepticism.     

Neither fish nor fowl? An assessment of teacher capability procedures

There has been an increasing focus on the performance of workers through appraisal, performance-related pay and performance management and this emphasis on measuring performance has extended to the public sector—more specifically, to the teaching profession. This paper uses research commissioned by the DfES to investigate the operation of capability procedures introduced to deal with the perceived problem of incompetent teachers. It revealed that the procedures suffered from a number of defects both in modus operandi and style and there was little evidence that their application resulted in either improved performance or dismissal when satisfactory performance was not achieved.     

The ups and downs of European gender equality policy

In 2003, equal opportunities policy in the European Union suffered both ups and downs. New opportunities came in the guise of the hotly contested new directive on gender equality outside the field of employment, in the invitation to present the first of an annual report on equality between women and men to the Spring Council, in the consolidation of gender mainstreaming within the second round of the National Action Plans on social inclusion and in the new commitments to ‘substantial reductions by 2010’ in gender gaps in employment, unemployment and pay that were included in the new employment guidelines in 2003. These new guidelines presented, however, a major challenge to gender equality as the new phase of the European Employment Strategy dispensed with the four pillars, and therefore the equal opportunities pillar. Instead gender equality became just one of 10 new guidelines. In December the launch of the Employment Taskforce report appeared to push employment policy back more to a ‘full employment with flexibility’ approach and away from concerns with job quality. The focus was therefore more on the integration of women into employment rather than on closing the equality gap.