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1 – 10 of 663Shukuan Zhao, Xueyuan Fan, Dong Shao and Shuang Wang
This study aims to investigate the impact of supply chain concentration (SCC) on corporate research and development (R&D) investment and determine the moderating roles of industry…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of supply chain concentration (SCC) on corporate research and development (R&D) investment and determine the moderating roles of industry concentration and financing constraints on the relationship between SCC and R&D investment.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collected data from Chinese listed companies, used the fixed effects model to test the research hypotheses and further used the two-stage Heckman test and propensity score matching (PSM) to address potential endogeneity issues.
Findings
The result reveals a negative impact of SCC on corporate R&D investment. In addition, industry concentration mitigates the negative impact of SCC on corporate R&D investment, but financing constraints strengthen the negative impact.
Originality/value
This study introduces the concept of SCC and empirically tests its effect on R&D investment, further explaining the lack of corporate innovation. This study inspires companies to strengthen SC management and weigh the level of SCC with environmental factors.
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Guido Bortoluzzi, Maria Chiarvesio, Rubina Romanello, Raffaella Tabacco and Valerio Veglio
This article aims to contribute to the digital servitisation literature by investigating the interrelations amongst Industry 4.0 technologies, servitisation and the performance of…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to contribute to the digital servitisation literature by investigating the interrelations amongst Industry 4.0 technologies, servitisation and the performance of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The research uses survey data drawn from 200 manufacturing SMEs operating in the metals and machinery sector in Italy.
Findings
The study shows that Industry 4.0 technologies – Internet of Things (IoT), advanced simulation, cloud computing and Big Data Analytics (BDA) – positively moderate the relationship between servitisation and the performance of SMEs.
Research limitations/implications
The study supports the need for firm managers of manufacturing SMEs to align servitisation and technological investments, suggesting that the synergic deployment of Industry 4.0 technologies supports servitisation performance.
Practical implications
The study supports the need for firm managers operating in business-to-business contexts to align their technological investments and servitisation strategies, suggesting that the synergic deployment of these Industry 4.0 technologies empower the effectiveness of servitisation strategies in terms of performance achieved.
Originality/value
The study highlights the moderating role played by specific Industry 4.0 technologies in the servitisation–performance relationship, opening avenues for future research exploring the mechanisms that underpin this complex relationship.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) offers many benefits to improve predictive marketing practice. It raises ethical concerns regarding customer prioritization, market share concentration…
Abstract
Purpose
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers many benefits to improve predictive marketing practice. It raises ethical concerns regarding customer prioritization, market share concentration and consumer manipulation. This paper explores these ethical concerns from a contemporary perspective, drawing on the experiences and perspectives of AI and predictive marketing professionals. This study aims to contribute to the field by providing a modern perspective on the ethical concerns of AI usage in predictive marketing, drawing on the experiences and perspectives of professionals in the area.
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducted semistructured interviews for 6 weeks with 14 participants experienced in AI-enabled systems for marketing, using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Thematic analysis was used to explore themes emerging from the data.
Findings
Results reveal that using AI in marketing could lead to unintended consequences, such as perpetuating existing biases, violating customer privacy, limiting competition and manipulating consumer behavior.
Originality/value
The authors identify seven unique themes and benchmark them with Ashok’s model to provide a structured lens for interpreting the results. The framework presented by this research is unique and can be used to support ethical research spanning social, technological and economic aspects within the predictive marketing domain.
Objetivo
La Inteligencia Artificial (IA) ofrece muchos beneficios para mejorar la práctica del marketing predictivo. Sin embargo, plantea preocupaciones éticas relacionadas con la priorización de clientes, la concentración de cuota de mercado y la manipulación del consumidor. Este artículo explora estas preocupaciones éticas desde una perspectiva contemporánea, basándose en las experiencias y perspectivas de profesionales en IA y marketing predictivo. El estudio tiene como objetivo contribuir a la literatura de este ámbito al proporcionar una perspectiva moderna sobre las preocupaciones éticas del uso de la IA en el marketing predictivo, basándose en las experiencias y perspectivas de profesionales en el área.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Para realizar el estudio se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas durante seis semanas con 14 participantes con experiencia en sistemas habilitados para IA en marketing, utilizando técnicas de muestreo intencional y de bola de nieve. Se utilizó un análisis temático para explorar los temas que surgieron de los datos.
Resultados
Los resultados revelan que el uso de la IA en marketing podría tener consecuencias no deseadas, como perpetuar sesgos existentes, violar la privacidad del cliente, limitar la competencia y manipular el comportamiento del consumidor.
Originalidad
El estudio identifica siete temas y los comparan con el modelo de Ashok para proporcionar una perspectiva estructurada para interpretar los resultados. El marco presentado por esta investigación es único y puede utilizarse para respaldar investigaciones éticas que abarquen aspectos sociales, tecnológicos y económicos dentro del ámbito del marketing predictivo.
人工智能(AI)为改进预测营销实践带来了诸多益处。然而, 这也引发了与客户优先级、市场份额集中和消费者操纵等伦理问题相关的观点。本文从当代角度深入探讨了这些伦理观点, 充分借鉴了人工智能和预测营销领域专业人士的经验和观点。旨在通过现代视角提供关于在预测营销中应用人工智能时所涉及的伦理观点, 为该领域做出有益贡献。
研究方法
本研究采用了目的性和雪球抽样技术, 与14位在人工智能营销系统领域具有丰富经验的参与者进行为期六周的半结构化访谈。研究采用主题分析方法, 旨在深入挖掘数据中显现的主要主题。
研究发现
研究结果表明, 在营销领域使用人工智能可能引发一系列意外后果, 包括但不限于加强现有偏见、侵犯客户隐私、限制竞争以及操纵消费者行为。
独创性
本研究通过明确定义七个独特的主题, 并采用阿肖克模型进行基准比较, 为读者提供了一个结构化的视角, 以解释研究结果。所提出的框架具有独特之处, 可有效支持在跨足社会、技术和经济领域的预测营销中展开的伦理研究。
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Dario Miocevic and Stjepan Srhoj
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a tremendous negative effect on the economies around the world by infusing uncertainty into supply chains. In this paper, the authors…
Abstract
Purpose
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a tremendous negative effect on the economies around the world by infusing uncertainty into supply chains. In this paper, the authors address two important research questions (RQs): (1) did COVID-19 wage subsidies impact small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to become more flexible towards the SMEs' business customers and (2) can such flexibility be a source for greater resilience to the crisis? As a result, the authors investigate the relationship between governmental wage subsidies and SMEs' flexibility norms towards the SMEs' business customers (study 1). The authors further uncover when and how flexibility towards existing customers contributes to SME resilience (study 2).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors frame the inquiry under the resource dependence theory (RDT) and behavioural additionality principle. The authors use survey methodology and test the assumptions in study 1 (n = 225) and study 2 (n = 95) on a sample of SMEs from various business-to-business (B2B) industries in Croatia.
Findings
Overall, in study 1, the authors find that SMEs that receive governmental wage subsidies have greater flexibility norms. However, this relationship is significantly conditioned by SMEs' competitive profile. SMEs that strongly rely on innovation are more willing to behave flexibly when receiving subsidies, whereas SMEs driven by branding do not. Study 2 sheds light on when flexibility towards existing customers increases SME resilience. Findings show that flexibility norms are negatively related to resilience, but this relationship is becoming less negative amongst SMEs with lower financial dependence on the largest customer.
Originality/value
This study extends RDT in the area of firm–government relationships by showing that wage subsidies became a source of power for the Government and a source of dependency for SMEs. In such cases, the SMEs receiving those subsidies align with the governmental agenda and exhibit higher flexibility towards the SMEs' customers. Drawing arguments from behavioural additionality, the authors show that this effect varies due to SMEs' attention and organisational priorities resulting from different competitive profiles. Ultimately, the authors showcase that higher flexibility norms can contribute to resilience if the SME restructures its dependency by having a less-concentrated customer base.
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Razali Haron, Noradilah Abdul Subar and Khairunisah Ibrahim
The objective of this study is to examine the impact of PAKSERV model on customers' satisfaction, loyalty and trust in Malaysian Islamic banks. These comprehensive measures…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study is to examine the impact of PAKSERV model on customers' satisfaction, loyalty and trust in Malaysian Islamic banks. These comprehensive measures concern on the cultural dimension of service quality by focusing on the mediating role of trust in the Malaysian context.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted involving 401 customers of Islamic banks in the states of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model employing AMOS 23 and SPSS 23.
Findings
The study found positive relationship of PAKSERV dimensions of service quality, customers' satisfaction, customers' loyalty and the mediating role of trust in enhancing customers' loyalty. This study provides new evidence on how trust can act as a partial mediation on the relationship between customers' satisfaction and customers' loyalty in the cultural context of Islamic banking in Malaysia.
Practical implications
The findings of this study can be used as a framework for other Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) in improving services to its customers.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge in enhancing the understanding on customers' satisfaction, loyalty and trust in Islamic banks in Malaysia. This study also covers a broad range of respondents, hence representing a good diversity of Islamic banks' customers.
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Deepak Saxena, Mairead Brady, Markus Lamest and Martin Fellenz
This study aims to provide more insight into how customer voice is captured and used in managerial decision-making at the marketing-finance interface. This study’s focus is on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide more insight into how customer voice is captured and used in managerial decision-making at the marketing-finance interface. This study’s focus is on understanding how the customer voice, often communicated through online and social media platforms, is used in high-performing hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on a case study of four high-performing Irish hotels. For each case, multiple informants, including marketing managers, general managers and finance managers, were interviewed and shadowed. Twenty seven decisions across the four cases were analysed to assess the use of customer voice in managerial decision-making.
Findings
Social media provides a stage that has empowered the customer voice because of the public nature of the interaction and the network effect. Customer voice is incorporated in managerial decision-making in three distinct ways – symbolically as part of an early warning system, for action-oriented operational decisions and to some extent in the knowledge-enhancing role for tactical decisions. While there is a greater appreciation among senior managers and the finance and accounting managers of the importance of customer voice, this study finds clear limits in its utilisation and more reliance on traditional finance and accounting data, especially in strategic decision-making.
Research limitations/implications
The cases belong to a highly visible open environment of hotels in an industry where customer voice has immediate and strong effects. The findings may not directly apply to industries characterised by a relatively more closed context such as banking or insurance. Moreover, the findings reflect the practices of high-performing hotels and do not necessarily capture the practices used in less successfully operating hotels.
Practical implications
While marketers need to enhance their ability to create a narrative that links the customer voice to revenue generation, finance managers also need to develop a skillset and adopt a mindset that appropriately reflects the influential role for customer voice in managerial decision-making.
Originality/value
Despite the linkage of marketing performance to business performance, there is limited research on the impact of customer information on managerial decision-making. This research provides insight into how customer voice is considered at the critical marketing-finance interface.
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Piotr Kwiatek and Marsela Thanasi-Boçe
Loyalty programs (LPs) in a business-to-business (B2B) context have been under-researched when compared to consumer markets. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if and to…
Abstract
Purpose
Loyalty programs (LPs) in a business-to-business (B2B) context have been under-researched when compared to consumer markets. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if and to what extent the loyalty program activity (LPA) based on recency, frequency and monetary framework reflects the effectiveness of a specific LP.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the data obtained from 818 business customers enrolled in a LP, logistic regression models are run to find the impact of LPA on the company’s sales.
Findings
The results suggest that in a linear LP, the frequency of rewards impacts sales the most, compared to recency and amount of points redeemed. The intensity of a LPA is influencing the expected sales in a company.
Research limitations/implications
The current study is not focused on the redemption patterns and the value of the rewards offered in the program. Limitation of the study only to one country and in a single company does not allow to generalize presented findings.
Practical implications
Companies should focus their efforts on defining the best level of frequency rewards in their LPs. Reward timing should be considered as a factor that influences the change in customer purchasing behavior more than the amount of points accumulated.
Originality/value
The research provides empirical evidence to support the highest influence of frequency of rewards on sales, compared to recency and amount of points redeemed. This is one of the few LP studies conducted in the context of the B2B market.
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Jasmin Mikl, David M. Herold, Marek Ćwiklicki and Sebastian Kummer
Digital freight forwarder (DFF) start-ups and their associated business models have gained increasing attention within both academia and industry. However, there is a lack of…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital freight forwarder (DFF) start-ups and their associated business models have gained increasing attention within both academia and industry. However, there is a lack of empirical research investigating the differences between DFFs and traditional freight forwarders (TFF) and the impact of digital start-ups on incumbents' companies. In response, this study aims to examine the key business model characteristics that determine DFFs and TFFs and propose a framework illustrating the extent to which digital logistics start-ups influence incumbent logistics companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the primary data gathered from eight interviews with experts from start-ups' and incumbents' logistics companies, as well as secondary data, the authors identify the main factors of DFFs start-ups that have an impact on TFFs and analyze the similarities and differences in regard to the business model components' value proposition, value creation, value delivery and value capture.
Findings
The results show that differences between DFFs and TFFs appear in all four business models' components: value proposition, value creation, value delivery and value capture. In particular, the authors identify three main factors that need to be considered when assessing the impact of DFFs on TFFs: (1) the company size, (2) the market cultivation strategy and (3) the transport mode.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to specifically examine the key business model differences between DFFs and TFFs and to propose a conceptual framework for understanding the impact of digital logistics start-ups on incumbent companies.
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Asad Ali Qazi, Andrea Appolloni and Abdul Rehman Shaikh
The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of the stakeholder's relationship with supply chain resilience (SCR) and organizational performance (OP) using the lens of…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of the stakeholder's relationship with supply chain resilience (SCR) and organizational performance (OP) using the lens of stakeholder theory in the manufacturing and service industry. Investigating the supply chain community in Pakistan, this paper explores the relationship between SCR, OP and the stakeholder's relationship (including customers and suppliers).
Design/methodology/approach
A partial least square (PLS) – structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using SmartPLS 3.3.3 was used to test the hypotheses. Data were collected through a survey (questionnaire) completed by 202 supply chain representatives. All respondents were supply chain professionals working in different organizations in Pakistan.
Findings
The findings of the study revealed that supplier relationship (SR) and customer relationship (CR) have a positive and significant impact on SCR and a positive and significant relationship between SCR and OP. A positive and significant relationship between customer relationship and OP was also noted. The mediating role of SCR is also found positive and significant.
Practical implications
The outcomes of the study will help managers to strengthen SCR through relationship management. The study is also helpful to increase OP through stakeholder management.
Originality/value
This study empirically tests an inclusive model with a PLS-SEM technique where SCR plays a mediating role in the mechanism, which is crucial since the supplier and customer (stakeholder) relationship has been never tested to gauge the OP by positioning SCR as a mediator while using the lens of stakeholder theory.
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Wail Alhakimi and Mohammed Mahmoud
This study aims to investigate the impact of market orientation on small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) innovativeness in Yemen.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of market orientation on small and medium-sizedenterprises (SMEs) innovativeness in Yemen.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses empirical data collected from 206 managers, owners and operators of SME in Sana'a. By using exploratory and quantitative methods, the collected data was examined using descriptive, correlation and regression analyses.
Findings
The results indicated that market orientation, as a whole, has a significant impact on SME innovativeness. Specifically, while the two dimensions – customer orientation and supplier orientation – have a significant impact on SME innovativeness, the other two dimensions – competitor and inter-functional coordination – do not have a significant impact on SME innovativeness.
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses only on four factors that have an influence over SME innovativeness based on the perspective of managers.
Practical implications
SMEs represent the largest portion of businesses in Yemen’s private sector. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will help SMEs’ owners and managers to better understand market orientation and the significant impact it has on SME innovativeness.
Originality/value
The value of this research work is evident from the fact that the market orientation models have neglected the part of suppliers (upstream supply chain) in generating superior value for customers, even though they have concentrated on the role of customers (downstream supply chain) and competitors.
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