The strategic role of relational capabilities in the business-to-business service profit chain

This paper extends the original service profit chain by examining the role of relational capabilities with employees, customers and strategic partners on process and performance outcomes in a business-to-business context. More specifically, we demonstrate how satisfied and loyal employees are better in developing relationships with customers and strategic partners. These relationships enable firms to be more responsive towards customers and become more innovative, which increase customer satisfaction and loyalty and, ultimately, financial performance. Our results provide support for the development of relational capabilities in a business-to-business environment by extending the service profit chain (SPC) model. However, we find that while the development of strong customer relationships contributes to an improved service responsiveness of the firm, strategic partners do not.     

The Collaborative Enterprise

Instead of the currently prevailing competitive model, a more collaborative strategy is needed to address the concerns related to the unsustainability of today’s business. This article aims to explore collaborative approaches where enterprises seek to build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with all stakeholders and want to produce sustainable values for their whole business ecosystem. Cases here analyzed demonstrate that alternative ways of doing business are possible. These enterprises share more democratic ownership structures, more balanced and broader governance systems, and a more comprehensive view of organizational goals and performance – which goes beyond the narrow concept of financial bottom line and into a stronger and systematic care of the needs and requirements of the different stakeholder groups. Thanks to this evidence and different theoretical and empirical contributions, we suggest that the strength and sustainability of enterprises come from their ability to fit into the environmental, social, and cultural context in which they operate. By creating values for all stakeholders, enterprises can involve them and gain deep support based on their commitment. This may lead to superior performance from a multiple-bottom-line perspective.     

PURCHASING POWER PARITIES IN INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS: QUANTITY vs. PRICE COMPARISONS

Just as intertemporal price indices have two functions, to measure price changes and to deflate current values to constant values, this is true also for interspatial price indices, purchasing power parities (PPPs). In practice these two functions of PPPs, for conversion and for comparing price levels, are not always distinguished, and this may have some disadvantages since in a number of cases the differences between the two PPPs might be considerable. The authors review the differences in content of the two types of PPPs, and make some suggestions for making the distinction more explicitly.     

Toward an early warning system at the United Nations

World problems have emerged in profusion in the recent years. Alternative futures have likewise been produced in great numbers through diverse world models and forecasts. Advance information on basic and critical trends is now a necessary condition of informed decision-making in the international arena. Such information can be potentially gathered and made available. It is suggested that it be based on an assessment of the ratio of basic human needs to the resources required to meet them, in the context of the development trends in each nation. Universal human needs, as well as needs which are diversified due to cultural and developmental factors, can be assessed and the resources required for their fulfilment computed. The extrapolation of the long-range evolution of needs/resources ratios yields a typology of national conditions which serves to identify areas of potential conflict as well as to develop criteria for multilateral planning and negotiation. Advance information on the long-range evolution of needs/resources is in the commonhuman interest and accords with the Charter of the United Nations. Its implementation within the United Nations system is both institutionally and operationally within the realm of possibility, and should constitute an item of high priority within the system.     

Wellbeing-oriented organizations: Connecting human flourishing with ecological regeneration

Wellbeing is an organizing principle that ensures simultaneous flourishing of people and nature. It binds together an ethic of nature and ethics of people/community into a practical framework for creating integrated socio-ecological wellbeing. This paper discusses the theoretical and practical implications of this position and presents illustrative cases of innovative wellbeing-oriented organizations, both business and social. The paper explains why we need wellbeing organizations anchored in the wellbeing economy movement. A concept of resilient wellbeing organization is presented and illustrated with working models of existing organizations attempting to live up to the wellbeing values and practices. The paper ends with some thought on regulatory enabling of wellbeing organizations and makes practical implications for policy makers and managers, and suggestions for further research.