Search results

The concept of strategic groups is a central theme in the field of strategic management, and over time it has been used by a considerable body of theoretical and empirical literature to examine different aspects of competitive strategy. However, to date, there has been little systematic investigation that examines aspects associated with competitive benchmarking and the impact and effect that this has on strategy development. Thus despite the level of knowledge that has been accumulated over the years regarding the dynamics of competitive landscapes, our understanding of the impact and effect of this particular matter on decision making is limited. More importantly, studies that have addressed the topic are either theoretical alone in contents or have only used secondary data. Equally, these studies have approached the subject mostly from an impersonal mathematical perspective and practitioners' views on the issue have been overlooked. This paper aims to address these weaknesses in the literature. In doing so, it seeks to place attention on the individual, which has been overlooked by previous examinations.

The research is cross‐sectional and it is based on primary methodology, having employed qualitative techniques for analysis. It involves face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews combined with the repertory grid technique. The industry investigated is the UK mainstream leisure foreign package holidays. The sample size is near to the sampling frame of the research and the investigation took place between March and August 2003.

It was found that managers of firms from the same strategic group consider their group as a reference point in their decision‐making process and as a result of their benchmarking observations they adjust their firms' competitive strategies to reflect their group's strategic behaviour. It was also found that firms of the same strategic group are more likely to respond to market conditions and events in a similar manner.

This paper examined issues associated with benchmarking, in the context of strategic groups, having employed primary qualitative research strategies in order to add “fresh” data on a topic that so far has merely been investigated quantitatively through secondary sources alone. As such, it has initiated a much needed contents dimension on the topic to complement the activity and process‐oriented only studies in the area. The research not only tested earlier propositions in order to accumulate more evidence in the field and enable better generalisations on the subject but it has also expanded current theories in the area.

In the field of strategic management, the majority of studies analyse competitive environments from an economic standpoint, based on the implicit notion that business environments are formal and objective. As such, the human element is assumed and the role that managers play in creating and changing competitive environments is neglected. However, given that people take business decisions and drive organisations, to ignore such an important dimension of the competitive landscape is a considerable limitation to developing more holistic understandings about competitive landscapes. This study examines how managers perceive competitive terrains and discusses the impact of managerial cognitions on decision‐making, competitive strategies and industry dynamics.

The research is cross‐sectional and based on primary research. It involves semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews with the sample size near to the sampling frame of the research. The industry examined is the mainstream UK foreign package holidays industry and the investigation occurred between March and August 2003.

It was found that managers view industries and competitors subjectively and that the social construction of competitive environments as well as the process of competitive enactment both influence managerial perceptions of competition. Consequently, similarities about competitive challenges are formed. Subsequently, such perceptions affect strategic decisions on competitive strategies and resource allocation. As a result, these actions affect industry dynamics and contribute to the evolution of the industry. Originality/value The study investigates an industry that has not been previously examined in the context of either strategic groups or from a cognitive perspective. Consequently, it provides fresh findings in the field to enable greater generalisation of results since cognition represents only a minor portion of the body of literature in the wider area of strategic management.

Proposes a radical alternative to SWOT analysis. Without rejecting the value of that venerable framework, it re‐focuses it in such a way as to enhance intelligence gathering and improve strategic marketing planning in practice.

After a thorough review of the relevant literature and a balanced critique of the SWOT framework, a composite “telescopic observations strategic framework” is built step‐by‐step by integrating available conceptual frameworks and models in new relationships.

The new framework is described, explained, and illustrated by a hypothetical application. It is noted that it has been applied in real‐world practice since its initial formulation in 1999 and throughout its subsequent continuous development.

The authors believe that their framework can generate a more comprehensive output and a better focussed strategic direction than other available tools in the field, but do not claim it as a once‐only panacea. Users are enjoined to commit to a dynamic yet structured programme of continuous situational monitoring, organisational learning, and strategy reformulation, at regular intervals. Thereby, the new framework will double as a performance measurement and control instrument.

This paper offers an entirely original proposal for general and specific marketing strategy formulation to practising intelligence gatherers and planners and their academic advisors.

The structure‐conduct‐performance (SCP) paradigm was devised over half a century ago in an effort to contextualise and explain industry dynamics. However, the framework suffers from a number of shortcomings and, consequently, it has been criticised over the years. Yet, despite its weaknesses, it has survived its criticisms and is still used in industrial organisations (IOs) for the purposes of competitive analysis. In time, the framework has also been adopted by strategic management, and in the area of strategic groups it holds a prominent position in the literature. This study aims to address this issue.

The study is cross‐sectional and is based on primary research. It involves face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews and the sample size is near to the sampling frame of the research.

The paper develops a cognitive dimension and, based on the findings of primary research, extends the framework in a manner that provides a better insight into competitive dynamics.

This article views the SCP paradigm from a strategic perspective and discusses its limitations.

Despite the level of knowledge that has been accumulated over the years on the intricacies of decision making and strategy development there have been no attempts in the literature of strategic management to consolidate the diverse perspectives in the field in order to develop a more reflective theory that imparts better understanding on the process of decision making. This paper attempts to integrate two key viewpoints in order to take full advantage of their combined strengths to overcome their individual weaknesses and so develop a framework for decision making that portrays a more accurate and dynamic methodology in its process and it is more complete in its contents.

The paper is based on a critical examination of the relevant literature and includes the author's view on the subject.

The paper makes explicit the technical and cognitive aspects of the process of decision making and provides a holistic framework for strategy development.

Educators and companies that accentuate single‐perspective approaches to decision making create an environment that hinders individual performance and effective management practice.

The work brings together timeless academic thought and reflection in order to develop an integrative framework for decision making to elevate understanding and management practice.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the finite element (FE) analyses undertaken for aerodynamically and structurally optimized design of a modern, lightweight civil unmanned air vehicle (UAV) made fully of composite materials.

The FE method has been applied to design and calculate the safety factors of all structural elements of the UAV. Fully parameterized design tools have been developed in the preliminary design phase, allowing automatic reshapes of the skin and the internal structural parts, wherever needed, to achieve optimal structural design, from the point of view of lightweight and structural integrity. Monotonic and fatigue tests have been performed on material specimens with various thicknesses and fibre textures, to verify the material properties used for the FE analyses. The load assumptions were in accordance with the valid international standards.

The material tests confirmed the validity of the material properties used within the FE calculations. The calculated safety factors were acceptable for all structural elements and components of the UAV. As a result, a lightweight, structurally optimized design has been achieved, considering the international, standardized specifications assumptions and fulfilling the safety requirements.

Design engineers may use the outcomes of this work as a guide to achieve optimal lightweight structures ensuring its operational strength using composite, lightweight materials.

A new, structurally optimized, lightweight aircraft design has been developed, able to accommodate heavy electronic payloads while being able to fly for over ten hours without refuelling. This medium altitude long endurance airplane can overview forests, seas and human trafficking autonomously and economically.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that conceptual frameworks developed from a general theory of competition, i.e. resource‐advantage (R‐A) theory, can facilitate managerial action.

After a brief overview of resource‐advantage (R‐A) theory, five conceptual frameworks are developed and offered for the purposes of managerial action.

This paper identifies several conceptual frameworks and after noting that conceptual frameworks that do not have positive theoretical foundations may not be as useful as those that do, develops five conceptual frameworks that are based on R‐A theory.

The conceptual frameworks developed in this paper have great potential for facilitating managerial action.

Conceptual frameworks that have positive theoretical foundations can be very useful for practitioners. In fact, the frameworks proposed in this paper can replace frameworks that are currently in use for managerial action.

Venezuela ranks fifth in the world in oil proven reserves and has the largest accumulation of liquid fuel in the world. With its importance as an oil country, many countries including the U.S. have expressed concerns about Venezuela’s current economic and political situation. Using the popular SWOT analysis, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the country, are identified. The discussion and conclusions summarize the observations and address the relative tradeoffs within the country. Finally goals and policies appropriate for Venezuelan reform are presented.

Today, quality management systems (QMS) are a promising candidate for the improvement of healthcare services. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the opinions/attitudes of gynecology healthcare professionals toward quality and quality management in healthcare facilities (HFs) in Greece.

An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was distributed to healthcare professionals, asking for opinions on quality objectives associated with the everyday workflow in HFs (e.g. management of patients, resources, etc.) and on QMS. The study was conducted in Hippokration Hospital of Thessaloniki, including 187 participants. Statistical assessment and analysis of the questionnaires were carried out.

Although 87.5 percent recognized the importance of potential QMS implementation and accreditation, over 50 percent believed that it would lead rather to increased workload and bureaucracy than to any considerable quality improvement. More than 60 percent were completely unaware of the implementation of quality objectives such as quality handbook, quality policy, audit meetings and accreditation status in their HFs. This unawareness was also reported in terms of patient, data, human and general resources management. Finally, awareness over medical malpractice and positive attitude toward official reporting were detected.

Most respondents acknowledged the significance of quality, QMS implementation and accreditation in Greek hospitals. However, there was a critical gap in knowledge about quality management objectives/processes that could be possibly resolved by expert teams and well-organized educational programs aiming to educate personnel regarding the various quality objectives in Greek HFs.