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The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the strategic transition undertaken by e-retailers as they progress from meeting order-qualifier requirements to establishing order-winner elements within their operational frameworks. The overarching objective is to uncover how e-retailers can attain and sustain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

This study adopted a focus group strategy, which involved collecting qualitative data. Evidence was collected from 41 customers and 16 business managers. The template analysis method was employed to code and organise themes identified during these discussions systematically.

The study identified 34 operational dimensions. 19 dimensions are related to e-retailing platforms and transaction processes, and 15 measurements are related to product or service characteristics. These dimensions were grouped into threshold resources, distinctive resources, threshold competencies and distinctive competencies. Distinctive resources and distinctive competencies are the most critical dimensions of e-retailing. These dimensions are subject to the “more is better” rule. Nevertheless, threshold resources are essential for e-retailing to be considered in the marketplace. It represents the “Must-be quality element.”

This study introduces the concept of a “cumulative model” in e-retailing. It offers strategic guidance for e-retailers seeking to navigate the complex landscape of competitive priorities. Companies can enhance their differentiation edge by identifying and emphasising distinctive resources and competencies. The study offers a nuanced understanding of the interplay between order-qualifier and order-winner elements in the pursuit of sustained competitiveness within the dynamic e-retail industry.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices on both competitive advantage (CA) and organizational performance (OP) in the manufacturing sector in Ethiopia.

Data for the study were collected from a sample of 221 manufacturing companies operating in the four manufacturing groups/sectors in Ethiopia. In addition, data analysis was performed using the partial least squares method, which is a variance-based Structural Equation Modeling approach in the Smart-PLS software version (SmartPLS 4.0).

Based on the statistical analysis of the collected data, it demonstrates that SSCM has a significant and positive impact on both competitive advantage and organizational performance. Furthermore, statistical findings offer proof of the clear connection between competitive advantage and organizational performance. Moreover, competitive advantage indirectly mediates the relationship between SSCM and OP.

The primary limitation of this research is its reliance on a cross-sectional design. The generalizability of the findings obtained from the present study may be hindered. The variable under investigation in this research assessed organizational performance, a concept that is widely acknowledged to be extremely dynamic.

The study provides managers and researchers with valuable information on Sustainable Supply Chain Management strategies and how they influence competitive advantage and organizational performance in commercial and industrial environments.

This paper adds to the body of knowledge by providing new data and empirical insights into the relationship between SSCM practices and the performance of manufacturing companies in Ethiopia.

This study aims to integrate the concepts of digital transformation, innovation strategy, and competitive advantage, into a novel research model in an effort to identify a more competitive path for digital transformation within manufacturing enterprises.

The research model was tested through multivariate hierarchical regression analyses, and Hayes’ PROCESS for SPSS, utilizing survey data collected from 183 manufacturing enterprises in China.

The results indicate that, in comparison to research and development (R&D) and production, digital transformation in service and organizational activities exert a more significant impact on competitive advantage. Conversely, digital transformation in sales does not exhibit a significant impact on competitive advantage. Furthermore, in contrast to exploratory innovation and ambidexterity, exploitative innovation has a more pronounced influence on digital transformation. Additionally, digital transformation has been confirmed as a mediator in the relationship between innovation strategy and competitive advantage.

These findings expand our comprehension of digital transformation as an evolving process and shed light on the relationship between digital transformation and competitive advantage across various value-creating activities. This research serves as a valuable resource for decision-makers in selecting the most suitable path for digital transformation and configuring innovative resources.

Leveraging signalling theory and institutional environment theory, this study aims to examine how the entrepreneurial orientation of emerging market firms impacts initial public offering (IPO) performance.

The authors conduct regression analysis based on archival data from 312 firms’ IPOs in India.

The results in the Indian context suggest it differs from IPO performance in developed markets. In an emerging market context, the findings suggest that only competitive aggressiveness is valued by investors in IPOs. The findings further show that proactiveness and autonomy negatively influence IPO underpricing.

The research propositions imply that, owing to institutional voids in emerging markets, investors’ risk propensity and, hence, rewarding a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation differ from those in developed markets.

Extant literature has given limited attention to the dynamics of entrepreneurial orientation and the effect of each dimension of entrepreneurial orientation on IPO performance in emerging markets.

This study aims to examine the interaction between different types of supply chain integration (SCI) and competitive strategies on firm performance.

The research method is quantitative. The study develops a structured model and a set of hypotheses based on the related theories. Empirical data is collected in a cross-sectional manner using an online survey to test the model and its hypotheses. The survey comprised standard scales to measure study variables. The scales had high reliability and validity and were commonly used in the literature. The study was conducted on Iranian firms working in steel and auto parts industries. Based on official reports, a total of 305 active companies were found in these two industries. Due to the small population size, all companies in the two industries were contacted for participation. Overall, 84 firms completed the survey. To test the research hypotheses, the authors used hierarchical regression analyses using SPSS 27 software.

Results showed that internal integration improves financial performance when firms follow a cost leadership strategy. Differentiation strategy and process integration interact positively and improve operational performance. Type of industry had no significant effect. The results add to the SCI literature by showing that a match between competitive strategy and integration type can influence both operational and financial performance. In total, firms should focus on the appropriate dimension of SCI based on their competitive strategy to improve the performance of the firm.

The impact of competitive strategy as a moderator on the SCI-performance relationship has not been widely addressed in the literature. In one study, Huo et al. (2014) investigated this relationship using data from 604 manufacturing companies in China. The results provided support for financial performance but not for operational performance. However, the influence of competitive strategies on the SCI performance may vary in different countries and contexts with dissimilar environmental, social and cultural characteristics. As several supply chain scholars have argued, understanding contextual conditions that influence the effect of best practices such as SCI on performance are critical

This study investigates the effect of entrepreneurial orientation and government support on the innovation openness of South Korean manufacturing firms. By compartmentalizing entrepreneurial orientation and government support, this study seeks to elucidate their effects on the breadth and depth of firms' knowledge searches.

The study utilizes Poisson regression analysis with empirical data from 2,353 South Korean manufacturing firms collected from Korean Innovation Survey data.

Analysis reveals nuanced influences of various factors on firms' open innovation activities. Innovativeness positively affects knowledge search breadth and depth, highlighting the role of innovation-oriented processes, while competitive aggressiveness influences depth, thereby underscoring the pursuit of specialized knowledge acquisition. Proactiveness positively affects breadth but negatively affects depth, suggesting the importance of maintaining broad perspectives. Government support scope positively affects both breadth and depth, reflecting the significance of external support in encouraging inclusive knowledge exploration. The importance of government support positively influences depth, emphasizing its vital role in establishing collaborative relationships to enhance in-depth knowledge acquisition.

This study provides novel insights by exploring the nuanced implementation of open innovation in latecomer economies, especially South Korea, which experienced rapid economic development by leveraging innovation. The identification of specific factors influencing knowledge search breadth and depth contributes to the literature on open innovation by providing strategic guidelines for firms and policymakers. This practical implications of this study suggest that firms should align their strategies with entrepreneurial orientation while leveraging pertinent government support.

Explore the effects of competition policy on an important competitive dimension of digital platforms, namely quality.

The deterrence effect of competition policy should induce firms to compete on merits, with lower prices and higher quality for consumers. Deterrence, or the inducement not to infringe competition law, may depend on the harshness of penalties and/or the likelihood of conviction. We use competition policy indicators that are associated with these deterrence dimensions, allowing for non-linearities and interactions of the indicators. We use a unique data survey of digital gig platform users, that covers at least two dozen platforms and more than 50 countries. Quality is measured using multidimensional indicators of the level of satisfaction of platform users with different platform services. We control for platform user and country characteristics, including other regulatory indicators such as labor laws, to recover different effects.

Results suggest that competition policy is relevant for differences in product quality across platforms and countries. Important non-linearities are uncovered, where substantive rules of competition policy interact with competition authority power. The effects depend on either level of the indicators, suggesting that deterrence effects depend upon a combination of both law in the books and competition policy practice.

The estimates suggest a need to balance both dimension of deterrence, namely, strictness and effectiveness to expand the effects of competition policy on competition.

This is the first paper that explores the effect of competition policy on non-price or non-margin competition dimension. It is the first to study the effect on a sample of digital platforms. It contributes to the literature of deterrence effects of competition policy.

The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between green supply chain management and sustainability performance in a manufacturing context.

A survey approach was adopted to collect data from 163 manufacturing organizations to test the research hypotheses. A structural equation modeling (SEM) using the technique of path analysis with bootstrapping is used to test the hypothesized relationships.

The research findings provide supporting evidence for the importance of implementing green supply chain management (GSCM) as a holistic system that includes internal and external green practices. Besides, the findings highlight the direct effect of GSCM on environmental, social and operational performance. Finally, the findings provide supporting evidence that GSCM could only be translated into better economic returns through the improvement of environmental and operational performance.

The nature of the surveyed sample and the use of a single informant might limit the ability to generalize the research findings outside the research context.

The research findings help managers understand that GSCM must be implemented as a holistic system and that the real benefits of its implementation extend beyond the mere environmental benefits to include operational, social as well as economic benefits.

The paper’s contribution to knowledge is twofold. First, the study identifies how GSCM is conceptualized and how its effect is translated into improved economic performance. Second, the research explains the contradicting findings in previous studies regarding the relationship between GSCM and economic performance.

This paper aims to examine the convergence and divergence of business and production practices in the global wine industry, particularly focusing on Pinot Noir producers in Burgundy, New Zealand and South Africa (SA). This study explores the interplay between firm-specific factors and regional contexts to identify competitive advantage drivers among Pinot Noir producers.

This research uses a comparative analysis approach, using data from a comprehensive winery level survey. This study applies methodologies akin to value chain analysis to unravel the configuration of productive and technology/knowledge creation activities within wineries across three regions.

This analysis reveals both convergence and divergence in business and production practices among Pinot Noir producers in Burgundy, New Zealand and South Africa. Although there is a degree of convergence in marketing, distribution and competition strategies, differences exist in production practices and firms’ capabilities. Burgundy emphasizes tradition and terroir expression, contrasting with the modernization and innovation focus observed in New Zealand and South Africa. However, all regions share a commitment to quality as a competitive advantage.

This study acknowledges limitations such as the focus on a specific grape variety and regions, the absence of performance impact analysis and the need for additional variables like environmental, institutional and cultural factors and consumer preferences to provide a comprehensive understanding of industry dynamics.

The insights from this study offer practical implications for winemakers, industry stakeholders and policymakers. Producers can optimize production and marketing strategies based on regional contexts and market segments, whereas stakeholders can identify emerging trends and opportunities in the global wine market. Policymakers can develop targeted policies supporting innovation, sustainability and competitiveness.

This paper provides a unique contribution by conducting a comparative firm-level analysis across distinct wine-producing regions, shedding light on the nuanced interplay of factors shaping competitive advantage among Pinot Noir producers. This study’s comprehensive data set and methodological approach enhance understanding and offer valuable insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers.

This study aims to examine whether social initiatives adopted by firms lead to improved financial performance. The authors analyse the impact of different elements of social initiatives on wealth creation for firms in terms of operating and market performance.

The study is based on the social initiative scores of over 4,500 firms collected from Thomson Reuters' ESG database. The study uses two-stage least squares (2SLS) to analyse the relationship between social initiatives and firm performance.

Profitable, mature, capital intensive and firms with high sales growth rate tend to invest more in social initiatives. Firms with high agency costs invest in social initiatives for workforce efficiency, maintaining human rights and product responsibility. The study documents evidence that social investments are value creating mechanism for firms which leads to improved financial performance in terms of operating and stock market performance. Firms with high dividend intensity invest in social initiatives for workforce welfare and human rights initiatives. Investment in employee well-being and community initiatives results in intangible benefits such as improved stock market valuation.

The research model has not considered the impact of intervening variables to understand the relationship between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance.

Firms ought to recognize that social investment is beneficial in terms of value creation of firms as stock market perceive such investments favourably. Firms must focus more on community development initiatives and workforce initiatives for the value creation of firms compared to investments directed towards human rights initiatives and product responsibility initiatives.

This study focusses exclusively on the social dimension of the CSR activities. The authors examine the impact of social welfare scores on firm performance by analysing the valuation effects on scores representing workforce, human rights, community and product responsibility. Moreover, the paper also examines the impact of a new dimension of product responsibility on firm performance. They also focus on both aspects of financial performance in terms of operating performance (proxied by ROE) and the joint impact of both operating and market performance (proxied by Tobin’s Q). This paper contributes to the research on the linkage of social performance to financial performance by observing that firms with high agency cost characteristics tend to invest in social initiatives for work force efficiency, maintaining human rights and product responsibility.