Strategic goal accomplishment in export ventures: the role of capabilities,knowledge, and environment

The management literature suggests that setting strategic goals facilitates the identification of appropriate business strategies and focuses management attention and available resources on their accomplishment, enabling subsequent goal realization. Yet the literature also indicates that firms often find it difficult to realize their strategic goals and may find it even more challenging to do so when operating in foreign markets. However, little is known empirically about the extent to which strategic goals enable desired strategic positions to be achieved and factors that may affect this relationship. We examine this important issue using primary data from a sample of exporting manufacturers. Results support the existence of previously theorized strategic goal–realized strategic position gaps and show that these negatively impact performance. Thus, simply setting strategic goals does not necessarily aid in accomplishing the desired outcomes, and any failure to do so is costly. Drawing on organization theory, we find that internal capabilities and knowledge, and external market factors play important roles in minimizing such strategic goal–realized strategic position gaps. Specifically, we show that businesses with stronger architectural capabilities, those with higher levels of internationalization, and those operating in less dynamic market environments are better able to realize their intended strategic objectives and thereby enjoy superior performance.     

On the New Economic Policies Promoted by the 17th CCP Congress in China

The 17th Chinese Communist Party Congress in October 2007 attracted attention within and outside China for the bold development agenda that was placed before delegates. After 30 years of economic reform that has produced a remarkable improvement in living standards and China's reintegration into the world economy, the Party unveiled a programme that would push China to become a world superpower over the next 30 years. China's ambition is to become a technologically innovative state, to make China a ‘moderately prosperous’ and ‘harmonious society’ with a ‘scientific outlook on development’, and to achieve full industrialisation and sustainable prosperity. Whether China is able to attain its objectives will critically depend on the Party's ability to implement the new economic policies and address the social and political challenges that economic growth has created. The aim of the paper is to examine the policies, motivations and constraints that China faces in achieving the objectives laid out at the Party Congress.     

An investigation of young fashion consumers' disposal habits

The research, undertaken in two different stages, was aimed at establishing an understanding of how consumers dispose of fashion products and how to increase sustainable consumption. Increasing volumes of textiles are being produced, purchased and disposed of in landfill sites, which affect the environment. Research has identified the influences in increased purchase behaviour and the tendency to keep clothing for a shorter time. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used to undertake this exploratory research. Consumer focus groups and interviews were conducted initially to identify the main themes relating to fashion consumption and disposition. These were followed by a survey administered to young females to ratify the qualitative findings and to ascertain the extent of textile reuse and recycling. This study identifies consumers' lack of understanding of how this behaviour affects the environment and suggests ways of addressing the growing problem of textile waste and how fashion consumption could become more sustainable.     

Prediction of return with the minimum variance zero-beta portfolio

This paper tests prediction of returns on stocks using a direct estimate of the minimum variance zero beta portfolio z. The composition of this portfolio is implicit in Black's paper on capital market equilibrium in the absence of riskless borrowing or lending. Portfolios of stocks drawn from the same industries are used to estimate z. The predictions of Black's equilibrium return equation are compared with those of cross-sectional regressions of return on risk.     

Development of a food and health strategy for Cardiff

This keynote address will cover the background to, research involved in and presentation of a Food and Health Strategy for Cardiff. The work involved:

• 1 A rapid appraisal of over 20 initiatives, which promote the availability and consumption of safe, healthy and sustainable food within Cardiff.
• 2 Recommendations for membership of a food and health strategy working party.
• 3 The preparation of a framework document as a starting point for the working party.
• 4 The meeting of the working party and key‐stakeholders to produce a final strategy for Cardiff incorporating sustainable development, food quality, safety and hygiene, food availability, education and nutrition.
• 5 Ensuring that the Cardiff strategy reflected the broad aims and objectives of already existing pertinent documents, e.g. National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease, National Service Framework for Diabetes, Nutrition Strategy for Wales, Cardiff Strategy for a Healthy City, A Community Strategy for Cardiff, Local Sustainability Strategy for Cardiff.

The presentation will consist of key findings in terms of best practice, evaluation of successful initiatives and intercollaborative working.     

PRICE DISPERSION IN THE SMALL AND IN THE LARGE: EVIDENCE FROM AN INTERNET PRICE COMPARISON SITE

This paper examines four million daily price observations for more than 1,000 consumer electronics products on the price comparison site http://Shopper.com . We find little support for the notion that prices on the Internet are converging to the 'law of one price.' In addition, observed levels of price dispersion vary systematically with the number of firms listing prices. The difference between the two lowest prices (the 'gap') averages 23 per cent when two firms list prices, and falls to 3.5 per cent in markets where 17 firms list prices. These empirical results are an implication of a general 'clearinghouse' model of equilibrium price dispersion.     

A new look for Stackelberg-Cournot equilibria in oligopolistic markets

Summary. This note deals with Cournot type oligopolies in which the market clearing price occasionally may be non-unique. A Stackelberg leading producer is present. Given that setting we explore continuity properties of the followers' reaction and provide sufficient conditions for existence of equilibrium. Received: June 20, 2000; revised version: April 24, 2001     

Empirical analysis of media versus environmental impacts on park attendance

This study examined whether park attendance was affected by red tide events. The analysis found that the presence of red tide, objectively measured with four models including nearby cell counts, did not affect park attendance. However, the appearance of the search phrase “red tide” in local newspapers revealed significant reductions in average daily park attendance of 398 (21 percent) visitors, representing revenue losses of $16,955. An effective red tide impact mitigation strategy may be to educate members of the press regarding the public response resulting from red tide coverage.