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This paper aims to introduce and test a model of shaping strategic agility based on dynamic capabilities such as information technology (IT) competencies, entrepreneurial alertness and acuity market to improve firms’ competitive activity.

A study based on a quantitative approach has been designed. Data have been collected through closed questionnaires from a sample of firms. The study has been conducted in the electronics industry in Italy based on the dynamism of the setting. Through SPSS-AMOS application, path analysis has been performed to conduct a first assessment of the theoretical model.

The dimensions of strategic agility are relevant capabilities for improving competitive activity. Furthermore, increasing strategic agility in the three dimensions (customer, operational and partnering) depends on the ability to improve other dynamic capabilities of the organization, including IT competency, systematic insight and strategic foresight. Finally, strategic agility results to be the only variable able to leverage the firm’s competitive activity.

The study presents some limitations linked to the response rate and the ability to conduct further analysis. However, it highlights the main dimensions that managers and entrepreneurs should develop to improve the competitive activities of the firm.

The paper addresses practitioners’ need to identify the main variable to leverage in order to increase firms’ competitivity.

The results of the study offer the opportunity for new reflections when designing business executives’ training programs and defining recruitment pathways.

This is the first study that investigates strategic agility building in a turbulent environment in the Italian setting.

The transition from centralised to market economy created a number of difficulties for Polish enterprises and many of them went bankrupt, especially after the Soviet market had been lost. While large companies, such as steelworks, coal mines, railways, etc, have been protected by the government for social reasons, the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) could survive only when they, by themselves or with some external assistance, were able to introduce internal changes and adjust to the market environment. Polish SMEs may be divided into two groups: emerging private firms and split firms which were created by a partition of large state‐owned enterprises. The various reasons for failure are discussed for both groups and compared with those described in the literature. A general model of consultancy intervention is presented and the attitudes of Polish enterprises towards change are described. In general, the state‐owned and split firms are reluctant to change unless their situation is critical, and if restructurisation is done it is rather superficial. Thus, a successful consultant has to be not only convincing and flexible but also must assess how deep a change is wanted by a given enterprise. This paper presents the approach used in helping the split firms by the University of Mining and Metallurgy (UMM), Faculty of Management Consulting Group. In order to find solutions for a given firm, a working team consisting of representatives of an enterprise and university was set up. The team devises a strategy of enterprise survival and prepares a detailed plan of the steps to be taken. This approach, which in many cases has proved to be successful, consists of trying to infuse the employees with the philosophy of enterprise survival and organising a series of relevant training activities. When the employees fully understand the essence of all the actions necessary for enterprise survival (privatisation, improvement of marketing, creation of systems of motivation, quality control, management information and other), the consulting group’s role as “company doctor” is limited to the supervision of the change planning process and the assessment of the solutions chosen. This system of triggering employee initiative has been found to be not only effective but also cheap, an aspect which in the case of small enterprises should not be underestimated.

The insufficient attention given up to now by Spanish academic researchers to quality in tourism, does not by any means invalidate the generalised conviction that the subject has a basic influence on the competitive future of Spanish tourism. Quality has become a key dimension of the tourist product and of tourist enterprise. For this reason a profile of the lines of research developed by Spanish experts on the subject has been undertaken in the article, in order to provide a retrospective overview. This effort remains limited, though we are beginning to see the creation of research centres which will, in the forseeable future, set the pace in this area of specialisation.

Analysis of the trade-off between competition and financial stability has been at the center of academic and policy debate for over two decades and especially since the 2007-2008 global financial crises. This study aims to provide particular attention to the Islamic banking system which principally involves with the riba-free instruments as compared to the conventional interest-based system. The results show that an increase in the concentration in the conventional banking sector can lead to the deterioration of stability through the increased prices. For Islamic banks, an increase of the market power can positively affect the banking stability.

Two complementary approaches, namely, one-step generalized method of moment (GMM) system analysis and panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) framework, were applied.

The results show the same effect of Islamic and conventional banks’ market power on banking soundness; yet, a different effect is displayed with non-performing loans (NPLs). In particular, the “competition–fragility” assumption for both banking industries is supported when considering z-score as the dependent variable. Including NPLs, this postulation is still approved for conventional banks; however, the “competition–stability” postulation is supported for Islamic banks.

The existent literature was scarcely interested in exploring the concept of competitivity in the context of Islamic banking sector as compared to the conventional one by applying two complementary approaches, namely, GMM and PVAR. This later allows to test the effect and the feedback effect of the competition and stability concepts.

Three statements by Dr R K Appleyard, the Director‐General for Scientific and Technical Information and Information Management at the Commission of the European Communities, set the scene for the Workshop on training users of EURONET, held in Luxembourg on 13th–16th December 1976. ‘Western Europe has made, and continues to make, prolific contributions of human knowledge through discovery and invention. In fundamental scientific research and advanced technological development we are continuously accumulating knowledge and know‐how of vital importance for our long and medium term social economic prospects. In addition, the efficiency of our government and competitivity of our industries today depend, and will do so even more acutely in the future, on the acquisition and easy retrieval of “operational” information’. ‘The purpose of EURONET is to enable managers, administrators, researchers and educators, irrespective of their location relative to where the information they need is stored, to obtain it as cheaply as possible, in good time, and with minimum inconvenience’. And, ‘Why is training and education important in this context? The reason is simple: it is no use building EURONET if there are not going to be any users who can use it effectively …’.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured demand chain design framework that can be linked with gateway and corridor management practices.

The model in this paper presents supply and demand thrusts that could leverage Canada's position in international food trade.

Since a direct correlation exists between the wealth of a nation and how it consumes food, the paper first presents five utilities and several factors that are perceived differently by customers once a nation becomes affluent. Then it presents supply and demand thrusts that could leverage Canada's position in international food trade. Finally, a demand chain design framework is suggested.

The framework is meant to be organically generic and not applied to one specific commodity or market, as all commodities and targeted markets necessitate an idiosyncratic approach. Although it is met to be applicable to topographies that offer logistical challenges such as Canada.

It has been recognized that agriculture and food companies have a long tradition of being commodity‐driven, with an emphasis on production technology, high volumes, and quality consistency. In the context of global hyper‐competitivity, the ability to understand customer needs and adapt to a wider variety of customer situations will become crucial.

Without being specific to a targeted market or commodity, a demand chain management framework for food products is presented which provides an integrative approach for demand chain design based on food marketing practices, and which requires continuous evaluation of perceived utilities by customers.

Aims to make an appeal to Japanese robotic community in an attempt to keep global competitivity for the future.

Clarifies the cost structure of the robotic business. Analyses the needs of Japanese society. Leads to suggest the new direction of Japanese robotics.

Specific target robots for the future are suggested.

The new direction in R&D is proposed based on the study on the cost structure of the robotic industry and the needs of Japanese society.

Production/operations management (POM) is today a key element for the competitivity of companies, and the demand by Spanish companies for university graduates qualified in this area is significant. Therefore, in this discipline, the correct education and training of future business managers is an evident need to be addressed; however, little is known about the current situation of POM teaching in Spanish universities. Hence, to obtain reliable and useful data, a comprehensive empirical study of the total population of university teachers of this discipline in Spain has been undertaken. The present paper concentrates first on the analysis of the characteristics of the POM faculty in Spanish universities, then considers the teaching and assessment methods and the didactic material employed in the teaching of this discipline. In both cases, a critical analysis has been made of the various problems observed, and alternative solutions have been proposed. The analysis of the content of POM programs is the subject of another article published in this journal.

Application of technology and meeting accessibility requirements of guests are two essential areas to consider and improve in order to facilitate, ameliorate and accelerate the management of hospitality services furnished by hotels. These two trends carry great importance for competitivity of hotels' services and sustainability of tourism industry. They are two distinguishing characteristics that build a positive perception of hotels' image among its rivals.

This chapter aims to reflect the current level of conformance of the hotels' services to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for tourism, specifically, SDG 11 related to accessibility and SDGs 9, 12 and 13 related to technology. A qualitative research is conducted to find out the commitment and awareness levels of the hotel staff at managerial positions to the accessibility and technology requirements in line with the mentioned SDGs. The representatives of city centre hotels of İzmir, Turkey with three, four and five stars and boutique hotels categories are chosen as the target population. The results obtained via content analysis signal that the extent of conformity of hotels to technology and accessibility requirements in line with the adoption of the related SDGs depend on the creation of practical solutions on the educational, legal and managerial perspectives. The chapter contributes to academic literature in tourism management and brings suggestions for tourism practitioners to adapt and improve their services to meet the standards and requirements of SDGs related to accessibility and adoption of technology in hospitality services.