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Rural community tourism (RCT) represents an experience of community-based tourism where local population retains control over the process and the bulk of benefits. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the study of successful RCT experiences in Nicaragua to enlarge the literature of tourism sustainability.

Applying the resource-based theory of the firm to tourism, the paper defines a theoretical framework where local resources and capabilities combined through organization and strategic actions result in competitive advantages at the community level reinforcing its sustainable dimension. The model is tested empirically through Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) modelling for Nicaraguan RCT experiences.

Main findings show a good performance of empirical results, with the community dimension representing the cornerstone of the RCT project. Results remark how the presence of community tangible and intangible resources and capabilities are combined and exploited in tourism initiatives through strategies that put the preservation of the community as the central objective. This process leads to the emergence of competitive advantages that promote the sustainability of the community lifestyle, ensuring a durable approach of the rural tourism initiatives. Other interesting findings show how this type of RCT projects also promote the integration of weak rural collectives, like women and young people, or the pivotal cooperation emerging between public and private actors.

The paper provides a novel framework to better understand some of the key pieces ensuring the sustainability of tourism initiatives. This theoretical setting has been applied to the case of rural areas at developing countries but could be enlarged to other contexts at developed countries having to deal with mass tourism and important related negative impacts of these activities. In sum, the main value of the paper is to provide a framework helping to identify the context that is needed to implement successful sustainable tourism experiences.

This paper aims to discuss the impact of institutional pressures on the selection of the performance indicators in 83 balanced scorecards (BSC) used in French real estate companies. The author studied the way in which two factors that are representative of institutional pressures in the real estate sector – namely, “ecology” and “digital innovation” – were incorporated into the BSC causal chains.

The author’s methodology is that of action research. To analyze the balance of indicators between short and long term, the author classified the companies according to their strategic acuity, i.e. their ability to balance an organizational vision (near vision) and an environmental one (distance vision) when choosing their performance indicators. This resulted in a company classification with three categories: emmetropic, hypermetropic and slightly myopic.

This research enabled to observe that the selected ecological indicators in BSCs derive mainly from coercive institutional pressure. Hence, in companies with fewer legal requirements in ecological matters, the selected ecological indicators are included in the BSC causal chain, in that they are used as a commercial argument with a view to improving financial performance. These results are similar to the reactionary and reputational perspectives of the sustainability business case. With regard to the incorporation of digital innovation indicators into BSCs, the author found that the companies that have the most digital innovation indicators are those that mobilize the most ecological indicators. Digital innovation indicators are part of the companies’ internal process perspective and are linked to organizational learning indicators. These results are similar to the responsible and collaborative perspectives of the sustainability business case. The author also found that the companies incorporate digital indicators into their BSCs by institutional mimicry insofar as the selected indicators are not always consistent with a strategic rationale but are chosen by copying what is done in other companies.

The author’s research has two main limitations related to the methodology used. On the one hand, the mobilization of part-time management students to have access to companies can influence the emergence of mimetic isomorphisms. Indeed, these students follow the same training and advise the companies that welcome them according to the training they have followed. On the other hand, the author’s research stops at the development of the BSC. The author does not study the impacts or changes that occurred after the implementation of the tool. This could be the subject of future research on the appropriation and use of the BSC by the company’s actors and their impact on the optimization of global performance measurement system.

This study may be of interest to researchers and managers who wish to reconcile sustainable development and digital innovation in global performance management. It analyzes the impact of institutional pressures on the performance measurement system. It offers insights on how to integrate ecological indicators and digital innovation indicators into the BSC causal chains. It identifies the tensions that managers may face. It reports on practices adopted in the field by managers in action.

This paper reveals the feasibility of measuring global performance integrating ecology and digital innovation. It responds to a preoccupation of recent years in academic research on how to reconcile corporate social responsibility and technological innovation. It shows that the companies that have the most digital innovation indicators are those that mobilize the most ecological indicators. However, it highlights the difficulties encountered by managers in the field when faced with institutional pressures.

The author’s reflection is in line with the literature of recent years that reconciles sustainable development and innovation. The author studied how “ecology” and “digital innovation” are incorporated into the BSC causal chains. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first time this type of study has been conducted in the literature.

Empirical evidence is insufficient to explain which factors contribute to the survival and competitiveness of traditional travel agencies (TTAs). Malaysian TTAs are rather slow in information communication technology (ICT). However, several initiatives by the government were directed to enhance ICT adoption. Furthermore, the non-ICT factors to remain competitive by the TTAs were not sufficiently studied. The purpose of this study is to close the gap by examining the perceived factors that influence the survival and competitiveness of Malaysian TTAs.

This study used qualitative multiple case studies method to ensure that the issues were explored through multiple lenses. Semi-structured interviews and direct observation are used to collect data from 15 TTAs and industry experts in Malaysia.

This study found that the key to remain competitive and relevant is to co-exist with technology and embrace proactive strategies (i.e., competitive aggression, public relation, dependence development, smoothing, cooperative, and manoeuvring strategies).

Travel and tourism industries have long been acknowledged to provide an impetus for the economic growth of developing and developed economies. TTA is the key component in the global tourism activities in promoting tourism products and services. However, they are threatened by the continuous growth in ICT. Past literature reviewed TTAs that operate in the highly competitive and volatile environment due to various external forces such as technological advancement, fierce competition from the virtual travel agencies and global economic condition. This study provided empirical evidence contributed to the survival and competitiveness of TTAs in Malaysia.

Draws attention to the growing importance of learning as a major competitive base, which has given rise to the notion of the learning organization. Some commentators believe that the only source of sustainable competitive advantage is likely to be the ability of companies to learn faster than their competitors. Reviews the literature of strategic change and competition and supports the process view of the impermanence of a firm′s strategic position and the fragility of the bases of competition. Explores the relationships between the learning processes and strategic change, and develops a conceptual framework of a “competitive learning organization” which highlights the current lack of emphasis on the competitive dimension in many models of the learning organization. Proposes a model which promotes learning at different levels in the organization and a learning focus which encompasses the need to understand the dynamics of competitive forces, the satisfaction of change customer needs and the importance of systems thinking.

In a rapidly changing and unpredictable business environment, a major source of sustainable competitive advantage is likely to be the ability to learn faster than competitors. Reviews the literature on strategic change and competition and explores their relationship to organizational learning. Develops a conceptual framework for a competitive learning organization. The proposed model promotes learning at different organizational levels and a learning focus which encompasses the need to understand the dynamics of competitive forces, the satisfaction of changing customer needs and the importance of systems thinking. In their quest to achieve competitive learning, organizations are likely to go through static and teaching phases.

This paper aims to analyze the impact of the capabilities and strategies of the actors (micro-dynamics), learning process and networks (meso-dynamics) and institutions (macro-dynamics) in the evolution of the Brazilian ceramic clusters. Based on these experiences, managerial and policy implications are suggested.

Main data were gathered through 22 in-depth face-to-face interviews with managers and industry experts. The data were complemented by documentary analysis, including brand documents, descriptions of internal processes and Brazilian and international ceramics magazines and journals. In addition, the authors also use information from the previous experience of the authors who have been studying the sector for more than 15 years.

The paper provides empirical insights about the main characteristics of the evolution of two main Brazilian ceramic tiles clusters, as well as how there are different patterns of evolution among them. The results of this paper show that Brazilian ceramic tile clusters do not necessarily follow the life cycle model of their dominant industry, by proving evidence that different clusters in the same industry can follow different evolutionary paths.

This paper shed light on a multi-level approach (micro, meso and macro) of dynamics of the clusters and how it impacts the cluster’s life cycle. The micro-dynamics dimension was analyzed by the capabilities and strategies of local ceramic tile manufacturers. The meso-dynamics are being considered the localized learning processes, especially from those that arise from interactions, collaboration and networks carried by local and foreign suppliers. The macro-dynamics were considered by the role of local demand, factors conditions, institutions, historical legacy in the clusters’ emergence along with path dependence mechanisms.

The paper includes implications for both clusters to promote innovation, particularly to keep and create market and technological leadership through the establishment of partnership between firms and clients, regulators and research centers and universities are crucial for innovation.

This paper fulfils an identified lack of attention regarding the under-appreciation of the context-specific issues such as the capabilities of the actors, networks and institutions that may influence the long-term development of clusters.

Given the importance of technology in competitive advantage, this paper seeks to better understand the factors associated with entrepreneurs' decision to incorporate innovative technologies in new ventures. It aims to explore three questions: “Are the reasons given for starting technologically innovative new ventures (TINVs) different from those given for starting ventures based on traditional technologies?”; “What is the role of human capital in the TINV startup decision?”; and “Do gender differences exist in the reasons and human capital associated with starting a TINV?”.

Data were obtained from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics II (PSED II), which is a national database of individuals in various stages of starting a business. The overall sample consisted of 950 individuals. Non‐parametric methods and logistic regressions were used to test hypotheses.

Results show that men start the TINV for self‐realization reasons, and that wealth seeking and employment reasons are negatively associated with the technology startup decision among women, but not among men. Human capital positively predicts the decision to start TINV, but gender differences exist as well: specific human capital (industry and occupational background) positively predicts the technology startup decision among men, whereas general human capital (education and employment breadth) positively predicts the decision among women.

Better understanding of the factors that motivate and encourage entrepreneurs to utilize innovative technologies is useful for policymakers, practitioners, and educators. This understanding can help when allocating resources for the purpose of encouraging innovation and when trying to train entrepreneurs to enhance competitiveness of new ventures.

The study highlights some of the factors associated with the decision to start firms that are technologically innovative. Given that incorporating technology in new venture is often considered a key factor in sustainability and long term competitive advantage, the study provides possible explanations for potential sources of competitive advantage. Implications for the role of motives and human capital in the startup decision and in the decision to incorporate technology are discussed, with specific reference for male and female owned business.

The history of competitive intelligence (as an organizational function) and its evolution out of marketing research are discussed. Besides a straight historical overview, the transition from marketing research to competitive intelligence is analyzed in order to point to both the potential strengths and weaknesses of having intelligence form an independent “freestanding” discipline. While military analogies can be seductive, organizations should continue to embrace the marketing concept which centers on cooperation and service, not conflict.

Research suggests that centers of calculation, empowered by accounting inscriptions, are similar to maps: they provide a useful, albeit simplified, version of reality. The purposes of this paper are to examine whether and how digital platforms change the nature of centers of calculation, and to improve the understanding of the relationship between digital platforms and accounting.

An in-depth, single case-study design is used to empirically investigate how a Nordic hotel chain competed with global online travel agencies (OTAs) in the quest for the “new oil”—customer data.

The paper demonstrates how the case organization created a local alternative to global digital platforms with the aim of acquiring customer data, thereby moving from a center of calculation (CoC) to what authors label a “center of data appropriation” (CDA). While CoCs are guided by accounting inscriptions that enable “mapping”, CDAs are constructed around accounting inscriptions with other properties that enable digital “mirrors” of the economic domain. The authors find that this has two governing effects. First, multiple centers emerge that compete for access to the periphery. Second, future forms of competition can follow dynamic trajectories, where mutual dependence between CDAs may lead to coopetition.

Scholars have suggested that surveillance capitalism creates market-power imbalances. This study indicates that the transformation of local organizations into CDAs enables them to challenge global digital-platform organizations. Therefore, authors argue that local organizations may retain some market power by establishing local CDAs.