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Article
Publication date: 13 March 2017

Caroline Cheng and Malena Ingemansson Havenvid

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the strategic management concept of “strategy tools” (STs) can be reinterpreted from an industrial network perspective. It…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the strategic management concept of “strategy tools” (STs) can be reinterpreted from an industrial network perspective. It considers how STs are used to influence the substance of relationships and how firms engage in strategic action by using such tools.

Design/methodology/approach

Using case study research involving three focal firms, the paper scrutinizes use of selected STs to examine how they are used to systematically relate to others and create benefits and affect development paths in business relationships.

Findings

STs can be viewed as an integrated part of a networking pattern of mobilizing resources, linking activities and relating actors. Seen in this manner, use of STs can be interaction-facilitating or interaction-creating.

Research limitations/implications

In an interactive approach, STs must be seen in relation to others as they are used in strategic (co-)action to engage and involve others. In this view, tools are strategic when used to affect the long-term development of important business relationships.

Practical implications

Practitioners should acknowledge that the use of a ST to handle counterparts is emerging, and valuable only in relation to specific others. Because the value of STs is unknowable until it is revealed how they can affect the substance of a specific relationship, there is no best-practice or one-size-fits-all approach.

Originality/value

This paper illuminates the phenomenon of “strategy tools” by considering it from both sides of the business exchange interface.

Details

IMP Journal, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-1403

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 July 2015

Caroline Cheng and Elsebeth Holmen

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the relationship and networking strategy tools in the IMP literature. It proposes six dimensions for characterizing such…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the relationship and networking strategy tools in the IMP literature. It proposes six dimensions for characterizing such tools: approach to tool development, level (and layer) of analysis, perspective of interaction, activities of network strategizing, external or internal orientation and use for “strategizing on” vs “strategizing in” relationships and networks.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a manual qualitative content analysis approach and an inductive approach, well suited for extracting relationship and networking strategy tools due to their implicit and dispersed nature.

Findings

The paper presents an IMP toolbox comprising a wide variety of relationship and networking strategy tools emphasizing interconnectedness, interdependence and limited managerial autonomy, as well as an analysis of how identified tools are positioned along each of the six proposed dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes a conceptual framework with a vocabulary to content analyze and discuss relationship and networking strategy tools in IMP research.

Practical implications

The IMP toolbox may be a useful point of departure for managers who feel a need for developing and using a mix of tools for strategizing in business relationships and networks.

Originality/value

The paper instills a strategy tool lens in the IMP literature and foregrounds strategizing concepts and techniques that were previously difficult to attend to for both researchers and practitioners.

Content available
Article
Publication date: 6 July 2015

Alexandra Waluszewski and Ivan Snehota

7

Abstract

Details

IMP Journal, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-1403

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 17 August 2017

Abstract

Details

No Business is an Island
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-550-4

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2017

Jei-Zheng Wu, Caroline Himadewi Santoso and Jinshyang Roan

The purpose of this paper is to explore key factors or criteria of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) influencing Indonesian coal companies, using “adoption…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore key factors or criteria of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) influencing Indonesian coal companies, using “adoption, implementation, and performance” (A-I-P) of SSCM, thru three means: first, to investigate which criteria have higher weight to achieve SSCM in Indonesia; second, to see whether there are any differences between the Indonesia case and existing literature of SSCM; third, to highlight any causal relationships between the Indonesia case and the SSCM theory.

Design/methodology/approach

DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP) questionnaire survey with a theoretical SSCM model is applied to conduct an empirical test for the coal production and supply chain companies in Indonesia.

Findings

The “performance” dimension out of the A-I-P of the SSCM is the most important one, while the “adoption” dimension is the least. Out of the 12 criteria under the three dimensions, the “operational, economic, environmental, and social” factors under the category of the performance dimension and the “ISO 14001 certification” criteria belonging to the dimension of “implementation” are the top five key factors in the SSCM.

Research limitations/implications

There are some limitations in this study. First and foremost is the relatively small sample size with a limited geographic area, although they are unavoidable owing to one country case study.

Practical implications

The test results are helpful to draw guidance for sustainable supply chain managers in implementing efficient SSCM in the wave of tough competition and changing marketplace.

Originality/value

This study contributes first to developing a theoretical framework for SSCM under the A-I-P model and second, to applying DANP to an empirical case of SSCM of the coal industry in Indonesia. As a result, the authors draw helpful guidelines and policy implications for SSCM of the coal industry, referring to the A-I-P dimension as drivers and enablers for the SSCM performances of the industry.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 March 2023

Ines Branco-Illodo, Teresa Heath and Caroline Tynan

This research paper aims to understand how givers characterise and manage their gift giving networks by drawing on attachment theory (AT). This responds to the need to illuminate…

Abstract

Purpose

This research paper aims to understand how givers characterise and manage their gift giving networks by drawing on attachment theory (AT). This responds to the need to illuminate the givers–receivers’ networks beyond traditional role-based taxonomies and explore their changing dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-method, qualitative approach was used involving 158 gift experiences captured in online diaries and 27 follow-up interviews.

Findings

Results show that givers organise receivers into gifting networks that are grounded in a contextual understanding of their relationships. The identification of direct, surrogate and mediated bonds reflects three different dimensions that inform gift-giving networks of support, care or belongingness rooted in AT. The relative position of gift receivers in this network influences the nature of support, the type of social influences and relationship stability in the network.

Research limitations/implications

This study illustrates the complexity of relationships based on the data collected over two specific periods of time; thus, there might be further types of receivers within a giver’s network that the data did not capture. This limitation was minimised by asking about other possible receivers in interviews.

Practical implications

The findings set a foundation for gift retailers to assist gift givers in finding gifts that match their perceived relations to the receivers by adapting communication messages and offering advice aligned with specific relationship contexts.

Originality/value

This study illuminates gift-giving networks by proposing a taxonomy of gifting networks underpinned by AT that can be applied to study different relationship contexts from the perspective of the giver. This conceptualisation captures different levels of emotional support, social influences and relationship stability, which have an impact on the receivers’ roles within the giver’s network. Importantly, results reveal that the gift receiver is not always the target of gift-giving. The target can be someone whom the giver wants to please or an acquaintance they share with the receiver with whom they wish to reinforce bonds.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 57 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 6 May 2015

Wolfram Verlaan and Sue Verlaan

To describe how combining a working definition of reflection with a framework for applying this definition can lead to a greater consistency in the manner with which reflection…

Abstract

Purpose

To describe how combining a working definition of reflection with a framework for applying this definition can lead to a greater consistency in the manner with which reflection instruction is implemented in educator preparation programs.

Methodology/approach

Cultivating the habit and practice of reflection has been a long-standing goal of educator preparation programs. However, much of the research literature indicates a lack of consistency in the way that reflection is defined and taught in these programs, particularly in the context of video-reflection. This chapter examines how a workable definition of reflection based on Dewey’s phases of reflection can be used to make reflection instruction more consistent and meaningful for pre-service teachers.

Findings

The authors discuss the video-reflections of four different pre-service teachers, providing examples from their reflections to demonstrate how a workable reflection definition can assist teacher educators in developing the reflective capabilities of pre-service teachers.

Practical implications

By instituting a workable definition of reflection consistently across an educator preparation program, teacher educators can increase the likelihood that pre-service teachers will be prepared to engage in meaningful reflection when they begin to lead a classroom on an extended basis.

Details

Video Reflection in Literacy Teacher Education and Development: Lessons from Research and Practice
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-676-8

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 June 2022

Gavin David Brown, Ann Largey, Caroline McMullan, Gráinne O'Shea and Niamh Reilly

This study explored the experiences of Irish emergency medical services (EMS) first responders during the first nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study explored the experiences of Irish emergency medical services (EMS) first responders during the first nationwide restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) of research into healthcare workers' and first responders' experiences during the COVID-19 and 2003 SARS pandemics was performed. The SLR informed the content of an online questionnaire distributed via the Irish Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council to 2,092 first responders on its live register. Data analysis used both descriptive and content analysis.

Findings

EMS first responders faced many challenges including PPE quality, training on its use, issues with decontamination facilities, and organisational effectiveness. Emotional challenges included the anxiety experienced, the impact on families, and ethical dilemmas confronted related to patient care. Positive findings also emerged, such as first responders' dedication to working through the pandemic, collegiality, and the community goodwill displayed.

Originality/value

While investigations of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers have been undertaken globally, studies focussing exclusively on the experiences of EMS first responders have been rare. This study addressed this knowledge gap, providing an insight into the challenges and successes experienced by first responders and identifying opportunities for learning that can be applied to future public health emergencies.

Details

International Journal of Emergency Services, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2047-0894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2020

Bruna Caroline Campos, Felício Bruzzi Barros and Samuel Silva Penna

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate some numerical integration strategies used in generalized (G)/extended finite element method (XFEM) to solve linear elastic fracture…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate some numerical integration strategies used in generalized (G)/extended finite element method (XFEM) to solve linear elastic fracture mechanics problems. A range of parameters are here analyzed, evidencing how the numerical integration error and the computational efficiency are improved when particularities from these examples are properly considered.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerical integration strategies were implemented in an existing computational environment that provides a finite element method and G/XFEM tools. The main parameters of the analysis are considered and the performance using such strategies is compared with standard integration results.

Findings

Known numerical integration strategies suitable for fracture mechanics analysis are studied and implemented. Results from different crack configurations are presented and discussed, highlighting the necessity of alternative integration techniques for problems with singularities and/or discontinuities.

Originality/value

This study presents a variety of fracture mechanics examples solved by G/XFEM in which the use of standard numerical integration with Gauss quadratures results in loss of precision. It is discussed the behaviour of subdivision of elements and mapping of integration points strategies for a range of meshes and cracks geometries, also featuring distorted elements and how they affect strain energy and stress intensity factors evaluation for both strategies.

Article
Publication date: 14 May 2018

Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, Shams Rahman, Tamgid Ahmed Chowdhury, Caroline Chan, Xiaoyan Yang and Qingxin Su

A major transformation in retail logistics over the few years is backed by enormous improvements in internet technologies. It is now easy for e-retailers to entertain delivery…

Abstract

Purpose

A major transformation in retail logistics over the few years is backed by enormous improvements in internet technologies. It is now easy for e-retailers to entertain delivery progression, or consumers can share use-experience with future customers and thereby reducing information asymmetry. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of different signals on consumer behavior in the presence of information asymmetry, in the context of online group buying (OGB) markets in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the lemon market theory (LMT) and signaling theory, the study develops a research model of the OGB consumers’ context in China, which is validated using data from an online survey. A total of 528 responses are used for data analysis applying structural equation modeling technique.

Findings

The findings of the study show that perceived vendor quality (PVQ) and perceived product quality (PPQ) have significantly positive effects on intention to purchase from OGB websites. PVQ is associated with perceived reputation and perceived trustworthiness (PT) of vendor, and the determinants of PPQ are quality assurance information of products, and information about mer-chants. Further, PT has a mediating effect, while asymmetry of information has a moderating effect.

Research limitations/implications

The research model is valid as a generic OGB model that can be investigated in other contexts to understand the generalizability of the findings. Future research is needed to incorporate additional relevant factors (e.g. price, advertising activity/investments) that may help increase the acceptability of the model to a wide range of e-commerce contexts. Two of the control variables (gender and prior internet experience) were found to be significant; this could be further examined in future studies to determine the relative impact on each causal relationship.

Originality/value

Whereas prior studies in the domain of consumer service proposed different signaling mechanisms that were believed to eliminate information asymmetry from a market, the study sheds light on the effectiveness of the signals in the OGB context. This is a unique effort that applies and extends LMT and signaling theory in OGB context by theorizing the associated dimensions and their causal effects.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 48 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

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