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The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to provide further insights into the challenges and opportunities that arise from simultaneously being an entrant and an incumbent and, second, to help these firms effectively use supply chain management capabilities to respond to disruptive threats.

This is an “insights from industry” paper. It is based on a retrospective analysis of rich data obtained at the SIRIUS Chair in Toulouse, France, from an important cluster of aerospace firms and the authors’ accumulated experience.

The authors found that under conditions of disruptive change, the ability to make the final customer the focal point and to build a comprehensive understanding of the overall supply network are key in shaping and taking advantage of future opportunities. These abilities enable firms to analyze different scenarios and identify the roles they want to play, the collaborations they need to establish and the possible internal changes required.

This paper offers several new perspectives from practice. The authors analyze two types of space industry innovations: individual small satellites (or “smallsats”) and smallsat constellations. Three types of capabilities are focused on: inside-out, outside-in and spanning. Disrupt-or-be-disrupted does not fully describe the dynamics the authors observed; cooperative competition and complementarity provide a better framework for ideas on how to cope with disruptive opportunities.

The aim of this study is two-fold. Firstly, to examine the outcomes of co-creation from a customer perspective using well-recognised customer management variables (customer satisfaction, loyalty and word-of-mouth (WOM). Secondly, to assess potential cross-cultural differences that may exist within the context of co-creation.

A questionnaire was completed in the banking services industry, and the final valid sample comprised individuals from the UK and Spain. Multi-sample analysis was carried out using PLS software.

Co-creation has a direct influence on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and WOM; co-creation activities lead to cumulative customer satisfaction, which also affects customer loyalty and positive WOM. Furthermore, the results show that the direct relationships between co-creation and loyalty and WOM are more powerful for British consumers than Spanish consumers, who need to feel satisfied prior to demonstrating loyalty and engaging in positive WOM.

Firms can use co-creation as a strategic tool if they provide trustworthy collaboration spaces. Furthermore, firms need to adapt the way they interact, listen and respond to customers in different cultural contexts. Trustworthy collaboration spaces and adapting to cultural differences can result in customers who are more satisfied, loyal to the company and more likely to carry out positive WOM, which can ultimately lead to future business.

This study provides insights into co-creation from a customer perspective. Although much service research has examined the drivers of customer co-creation, literature that analyses the consequences of customer co-creation is still scarce. Moreover, this is the first study to provide empirical evidence of cross-cultural differences within the context of co-creation.

The aim of this paper is to understand the process of value creation in business-to-business (B2B) contexts from the perspective of small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs). Small businesses are challenged to compete and collaborate with larger firms. While the “sharks” dilemma (often the most dangerous sharks also have the most valuable resources) focuses on specific defences, the authors emphasize a value generation perspective.

The concept of asymmetric relationships is taken as a reference and examined using a longitudinal multi-case study.

The authors results demonstrate how small firms not always assume an inferior, defensive position. Ambitious and growth-oriented SMEs learn to collaborate with larger partners and exhibit a proactive attitude towards relationship management. They understand the importance of developing social ties. They foster frequent and informal communication with their customers, favouring personal visits as a means to receive advice for directing their research efforts and exchange information and views. Such ties help them to develop shared plans and goals.

In asymmetric relationships, partner selection models should help firms to concentrate their efforts in a reduced group of key partners. These models should include not only economic performance indicators – variables such as flexibility and autonomy – but also innovation and improvement in processes, image, prestige and positioning, access to markets and stability.

The authors found insight into a novel concept: dual-value appropriation, where partners do not split the pie of the total value generated, as frequently proposed in the literature, but fully appropriate a different and unique value from the relationship. The authors further highlight the important role played by the committed champions in developing communication and trust.

Research suggests that asymmetry has a negative impact on value creation and value distribution and assumes that the smaller partner has an inferior position and must defend itself from value misappropriation. However, industries are plagued with a range of business relationships of varying degree of imbalance. Ambitious and growth-oriented small firms enter relationships with larger counterparts, tolerate the imbalance and learn to achieve successful outcomes. In spite of the increasing importance of asymmetric partnerships, there are still many research and conceptual lacunas.

Ideas and conclusions of this paper are based on the authors’ experience as well as on evidence from a qualitative case study conducted at a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and one of its key larger partners.

Findings reveal that asymmetric partnerships may offer a clear route to value creation and innovation for firms. Moreover, both partners can fully appropriate the value jointly generated.

Asymmetric partnerships, generally characterized by large dissimilarities between firms, offer the possibility of moving beyond the zero-sum game, where firms obtain value at the expense of their partners. By examining the development and dynamic aspects of these partnerships, we found a novel concept, “dual-value appropriation”, and addressed the issues of how and under which conditions dual value emerges to explain the success of asymmetric partnerships.

The purpose of this investigation is the evaluation of the inhibitive performance of a new “gemini” surfactant in the series of bis‐quat: N, N, N′, N″, N″‐pentamethyl diethyleneamine‐N, N″‐di‐[tetradecylammonium bromide] on the corrosion of iron in 1 M HCl by gravimetric, potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance measurements. The effect of the temperature on the corrosion behavior of iron in 1 M HCl without and with inhibitor is studied in the temperature range (298‐333 K). This work also attempts to correlate thermodynamic and kinetic parameters with the inhibition effect.

The inhibition efficiency of gemini synthesized is investigated by weight loss, potentiodynamic polarization and impedance spectroscopy methods.

The synthesized gemini bis‐quat acted as a good inhibitor in 1 M HCl, and inhibition efficiency increased with inhibitor concentration and temperature. Polarization curves showed that the surfactant was a mixed‐type inhibitor in hydrochloric acid. Impedance spectroscopy measurements showed that the inhibitor acted through the formation of a multilayer film at the iron surface. The adsorption of inhibitor on the iron surface obeyed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm equation. The inhibition effect was satisfactorily explained by both thermodynamic and kinetic parameters.

The adsorption of surfactants in the metal surface can markedly change the corrosion resisting property of the metal. So the study of the relation between the adsorption and corrosion inhibition is of a great importance. This was the first attempt to study the inhibition properties of gemini surfactants at the host laboratory.

The aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of how small technology start‐ups learn about a key customer in the context of B2B relationships, and to propose a model of interfirm learning with customers.

Using a qualitative case‐based approach, the authors immerse themselves in the development of three learning alliances between technology startups and industry leaders, two successes and one failure, to gain an in‐depth understanding of the dynamics involved. Data were collected on both sides of the alliance dyad.

The paper delineates four learning cycles: alliance inception, joint‐learning, specialization and discovery. These learning cycles constitute sequences of increasing understanding, cooperation, and higher order learning between the partners; evolving from an exchange of existing knowledge to the joint development of new knowledge.

This study contributes to an integration of the alliance and marketing literatures by offering empirical evidence of a different type of alliance, namely the reciprocal learning alliance. It also contributes to broadening our understanding of market orientation in inter‐organizational settings. In the context of business‐to‐business relationships, the study has identified four critical dimensions of learning alliance success, and proposed how they could be measured: Learn about customers; Interact with customers; Customer‐specific investments; and Co‐develop breakthrough innovations. Finally, the study demonstrates the significant role played by “committed champions”.

The purpose of this paper is to establish a framework for clarifying and extending the concept of inter‐firm market orientation (IMO) and to complement the relatively small body of literature related to this concept.

The conceptual framework is informed by empirical research based on a longitudinal multi‐case study.

This research identifies a nexus linking IMO with value creation in inter‐firm partnerships. The findings also suggest that IMO has an impact on companies' performance in terms of knowledge transfer, innovation and market access.

IMO contributes to value creation processes in the context of strategic networks.

A discussion of these findings, together with implications for practice and proposals for further research, is provided.

This paper aims to provide guidance for managers so that they may develop advanced supply chain management (SCM) capabilities in the context of asymmetric alliances. These alliances, generally characterised by large dissimilarities between the partners, often facilitate value-creating opportunities.

Using case studies, the paper analyses similarities and differences in SCM between symmetric and asymmetric alliances within supply networks. It focusses on the key dimensions of complementarity, value distribution, relational management and specialisation.

It was found that the question of complementarity, although important, should not be equated to the need for symmetry but to the ability of the firms in the supply network to learn to work together. For small firms who seek co-creation with large partners, this means collaboration, specialisation through relation-specific investments, flexibility and understanding the overall value system in which their business relationships compete is important.

Small firms seeking to develop advanced SCM capabilities have to accept responsibility for selecting a reduced number of key partners and managing relationships. Firms should proactively use the contractual process to learn about partners' expectations and goals and to identify committed champions. These factors play an important role in developing communications and trust, as small firms do not have easy access to senior managers in large corporations.

This paper discovered a novel concept – dual value appropriation – where partners do not divide the total value generated as frequently proposed in the literature, but that it is fully appropriated, as it represents a different value proposition for each of them.

The fourth industrial revolution and its disruptive technological advances are leading to continuous significant changes in the labour markets, which affect employees and employers of all sizes.

Currently, organisations are experiencing considerable skill shortages and talent mismatches: the skills that organisations are looking for do not align with those available in the labour market. This means that matching available candidates on the market with job vacancies is unlikely. In addition, the increasing wage pressure in occupations linked with the most in-demand skills and in high-skills industries has become a reality.

The immaterial assets of a business, such as the competences and skills of its workforce and leaders, are the most significant elements in providing a competitive advantage is a fact no one in the present era would argue against.

While big corporations dispose more resources and capabilities to deal with these challenges, small businesses – considered the foundation of many healthy communities – have limited assets to face such global and complex dynamics.

This chapter acknowledges the significance of small businesses in the global landscape and their key role as ‘job generators’ in enabling an inclusive economic growth in developed as well as in emerging countries. And in this context gives focus to the crucial issue how of small businesses can overcome the skill and the talent gap, and which strategic shifts they can put in place in order to withstand these environmental constraints.

To this end, this chapter provides a broad investigation of international reports discussing the role played by external factors – such as governments and their policy frameworks – and the concept of knowledge sharing.

Moreover, it examines the influence of internal factors. Specifically explored is the key role of the human resources function in attracting skilled graduates, upskilling its workforce, establishing a total reward and talent development strategy and engaging in job design.

This chapter is of particular relevance to owner managers, general and HR managers of small businesses, but also public officials and private institutions. It identifies and offers practical solutions for small businesses that aim to transform themselves to successfully cope with skills shortages and the war for talent in the age of digitalisation.

This research aims to find which components of Decent Work are associated with Subjective Well-Being.

With data from 2021 from the states of Mexico, econometric models are carried out.

It is found that disposable income and satisfaction with leisure time have a significant positive relationship with employees' Subjective Well-Being. Likewise, the rate of critical occupancy conditions and informality rate have a significant negative relationship with Subjective Well-Being. The research suggests that influencing the Decent Work conditions of the population in Mexico could favour their Subjective Well-Being.

Share guidelines that enable employers and governments to establish strategies and policies that promote Decent Work to increase the Subjective Well-being of employees.

This article evaluates different variables that make up the Decent Work construct in their level of influence on Subjective Well-being. These relationships and variables considered have not been identified in previous studies as a whole.