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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between levels of human capital and financial performance of firms that use two distinct human resource management (HRM) strategies.

A survey of 128 HRM managers was conducted to assess differences in human capital between firms using different HRM strategies. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between firms’ human capital and financial performance.

The results show that companies employing a make-organic strategy have a higher level of human capital than companies employing a buy-bureaucratic strategy. There was no relationship between the level of human capital and long term financial performance of firms with both make-organic and buy-bureaucratic strategies.

This research contributes toward understanding the effect of HRM strategy and facilitates an optimal strategy choice depending on the organization. However, this study did not consider the lead time between changes in human capital and the effect on financial performance.

The research encourages firm managers to understand the value of human capital, preparing them for changes in the future.

This study is among the first to investigate the relationship between human capital and financial performance considering different HRM strategies.

This study seeks to examine the relationships between corporate strategy, human resource management (HRM) strategy, and knowledge management (KM) strategy, as well as their interactive influence on KM effectiveness.

Samples studied are 147 Taiwanese large companies in banking, services, and manufacturing industries; responses from multiple informants are collected from each firm.

Results indicate that firms pursuing cost leadership strategy and buy‐bureaucratic HRM strategy are more likely to adopt codification KM strategy. Firms adopting differentiation strategy and make‐organic HRM strategy are associated with frequent use of personalization KM strategy.

This study finds that fit between KM strategy and both corporate as well as HRM strategy are significantly related to better KM effectiveness in terms of process outcome, learning capability, and organizational outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting anti-consumption behavior of the consumers toward organic food purchase: in particular, how do individual beliefs about trustworthiness of organic foods, normative structure of social pressure and self-efficacy affect individual intentions to make organic food purchases and actual purchasing behavior? To answer this question, a theoretical framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as its foundation has been established. Using measurement scales in order to measure different aspects of trustworthiness, normative structure, self-efficacy, attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norms, a survey instrument has been developed to examine the several associations implied by the model of TPB.

In doing so, data on a structured questionnaire were collected from various parts of a city based on convenience random sampling procedure. The respondents were interviewed face-to-face to collect information on a structured questionnaire. Data (n=337) were analyzed using a research framework formulated based on the TPB through the structural equation modeling procedure.

The findings of the study indicate that among the seven independent variables of trustworthiness, normative structure, self-efficacy, attitude, subjective norm and PBC, only subjective norm has not been statistically significant to influence organic food purchase behavior.

The result implies that various sociopolitical forces and skewed monthly incomes are inhibiting the consumers (anti-consumption) to increasingly buy the organic food products.

In this regard, government, policy planners, academia as well as media have profound roles to play to encourage people to buy more organic food for their health safety and overall consumer well-being.

This research is based on primary data collected from the respondents of a sub-urban areas of a metropolitan city. The findings will help formulate a sound food policy for ensuring social well-being of the consumers.

This current research investigates antecedents affecting young consumers' purchasing intention of organic foods in a developing nation’s (Pakistan) context utilizing Theory of Planned Behavior. For this purpose, theoretical framework comprising characteristics of a product, concerns of consumers and consciousness were proposed.

Responses were collected from a sample comprising 418 young consumers through the convenience sampling technique. The data has been evaluated through Structural Equation Modeling.

Findings demonstrate that characteristics of products and concerns of consumers significantly affect young consumer's health and social consciousness. However, such health and social consciousness were found to have an insignificant effect on young consumers' attitudes. Moreover, findings also show that attitude is positively linked with young consumers' purchase frequency towards organic foods. Outcomes also approve moderation of environmental awareness between attitude and organic food purchasing intention.

The present study offers numerous implications for marketers, policymakers and socio-ecological organizations regarding development of intervention strategies to promote the purchase of organic foods. The study provides implications regarding making organic foods more accessible to all consumers in order to increase organic food consumption in developing countries.

Although young consumers are aware of organic food products, their knowledge about the concept is limited. Therefore, this study provides an understanding of consumer's perspective regarding their purchase intention of organic foods, which will help marketers, researchers and food producers to achieve marketing strategies for the development of these products.

This article provides insights on how organizations can succeed when managers make organic growth a paramount focus of their organization. Consultant and author Michael Treacy strongly believes that many organizations, not just a few industry leaders, can achieve double‐digit growth year after year, if they become as disciplined about growth as they are about cost‐cutting. From his research on the growth strategies of more than 130 companies, Treacy found that those with the fastest and most profitable growth took disciplined approaches to tapping five fundamental sources of revenue: retention of existing customers; market share gains; market positioning; penetration of adjacent markets; and investments in new lines of business. To create a strategy for double‐digit growth, management needs to begin by adopting a common language system based on the five disciplines of growth. To build the capability to execute that strategy, management needs to develop both the talent for growth and a management control system that tells them where they are, what the potential for growth is, where the gaps are and what the action steps are. Combining the two, managers have an agreed upon language system and the talent, information and controls to make growth happen.

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the role of consumers’ perceived risks and benefits of agro‐biotechnology in shaping the purchase pattern for organic food among UK consumers.

An on‐line household survey of UK consumers was conducted using household panels maintained by the National Panel Diary (NPD) group. The data included organic food purchase pattern, perceived risks and benefits of agro‐biotechnology, and socio‐demographic information about the respondents. A regression model was used to examine the impact of consumers’ general purchase behavior, perceived risks and benefits of GM technology, and socio‐demographic on organic food purchase.

Only 4 percent of the respondents purchased organic foods all the time, while 26 percent never purchased. Perceived risks of agro‐biotechnology played a dominant role in influencing organic food purchase decisions. As the risk perception increased consumers were likely to buy organic food more often. Although premium prices of organic foods were of concern to many consumers, food safety was the most important consideration when making organic food purchase decisions. Household income positively influenced consumers’ likelihood of buying organic food. Female respondents were likely to purchase organic foods more often than their male counter parts. Older respondents were less likely to buy organic foods compared to younger respondents.

The results of this study provide valuable information in formulating short and long‐term marketing programs for organic producers. Following the study results, food safety concern and perceived risks of GM food products need to be the overall theme of marketing programs for organic products.

The study uses a large sample size in examining the relationship between perceived risks of agro‐biotechnology and organic food purchase. The results are more robust and representative.

The students should be able to understand the potential and competitive advantage of community-based business model. The students should be able to familiarise themselves with the concept of entrepreneurship through acquisitions. The students should be able to decide when a firm should use acquisition as a key driver coupled with fewer efforts on organic growth or vice-versa. The student should be able to evaluate the success or failure acquisition as a growth strategy. The student should be able to evaluate the key metrics and other variables in the acquisition of target companies. The students should be able to wear the shoes of the protagonist and resolve the dilemma.

The teaching case looks at the dilemma of Sairee Chahal. Chahal is the founder of SHEROES, an online community for women. SHEROES started as an online career ecosystem for women. As time progressed Chahal witnessed conversations beyond career and moved towards women-centric themes. Chahal decided to pivot it into an online community for women. Her growth strategy for SHEROES has primarily been driven by serial acquisitions coupled with dispersed efforts on organic growth. In the meanwhile, Chahal had harboured an ambition to bring 100 million users to SHEROES by the year 2024. In a period spanning from 2016–2020, SHEROES acquired six niche women-centric companies. SHEROES grew to be a community of 1 million users to 20+million women users by 2020. On the other hand, the industry leader, Mogul used a diametrical approach to grow the platform into 30+million users by 2020. It had primarily used organic growth strategies such as content development, designing courses, referrals and many more. However, Chahal found herself in a dilemma when a reporter posed a question to Chahal. Chahal’s growth strategy depended on acquisitions, coupled with less effort in organic growth. Conversely, Mogul grew primarily via organic growth strategies. The reporter’s question forced her to question and revisit her growth strategies. She wondered if a target of 100 million users could be achieved with the acquisition as a major driver and less effort invested in organic growth or whether it might be better to make organic growth the key growth strategy while pushing acquisitions to the back seat. The uniqueness of the case lies in the female protagonist who is trying to build a larger-than-life community primarily via acquisitions with little effort on organic growth. Such a phenomenon has rarely been explored in teaching cases. The case is based on secondary data and the information is available in the public domain.

The case is designed for post-graduate students in the entrepreneurship curriculum. Within entrepreneurship, it is well-suited for use in specialised courses on “growth of an entrepreneurial venture” or “entrepreneurial strategies”. An instructor may take it up in the middle of the module as students would have familiarised themselves with various growth strategies. An instructor may use the case for a very niche course such as entrepreneurship through acquisition. An instructor may take it up as an introductory case in such a course. It can also be used in the executive programme aimed at “women entrepreneurship”, “community-based model” and “serial acquisitions” to teach how women or founders create and grow entrepreneurial ventures with acquisitions or communities as their focal tenet. The case has been tested in the authors’ post-graduate student’s entrepreneurship course. An instructor can use it when the instructor wants to discuss the various growth strategies available to an entrepreneurial firm.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Organic food market has grown rapidly on a global level and so is the interest of customers. The present paper ranks the factors and sub-criteria which are taken into consideration while making organic purchase decisions resulting in understanding the behaviour of consumers.

The present paper considered a sample of 550 respondents in the area of Punjab. Fuzzy AHP technique was applied to understand the key factors and sub-criteria which play a major role in organic food purchase decisions. The paper is empirical and descriptive in nature. The factors considered for the study include price, consumer knowledge, trust, attitude, behavioural intentions, subjective norms, perceived personal relevance and perceived consumer effectiveness.

The three major influential factors include price, trust and attitude ranked in the same order of preference which majorly affects the purchase decisions and talking about sub-criteria the three major criteria to purchase organic food include: “Price plays a significant role in purchase decisions (P2)”, “Organic food keeps me fit and healthy (A1)” and “Organic food intake makes me feel energetic (A2)”.

The present paper is limited to the area of Punjab and majorly eight factors have been taken into consideration. Further research can be explored on broader geographical and cultural areas with new dimensions in criteria and sub-criteria.

The findings of this paper will surely help the marketers to understand the behavioural intentions and preferences of the customers. Accordingly, they will strategize the policies to convert organic food market into a niche market with a high growth rate.

The existing literature explored various key factors. However, the present study comes up with ranking to the factors according to their priority in purchase decisions. This will definitely help marketers, business houses, practitioners and academicians about the key factors which affect purchase decisions, and it will surely add incredible knowledge into the existing database.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence Chinese consumers’ purchase of organic products, with a focus on organic tea.

A structured questionnaire was used to survey 202 shoppers in Guangdong Province, China. The data were analyzed using multivariate regression.

The study suggests two significant predictors of organic tea purchase intentions: perceiving organic tea as a healthier alternative to non-organic tea; perceiving the purchase of organic tea as a status symbol. Younger respondents and respondents with higher educational attainment reported greater organic tea purchase intentions. Non-significant predictors of organic tea purchase intentions were respondents’ knowledge of organic tea through media exposure, their gender and income.

The findings help further research on consumer preferences regarding organic foods providing key insights for researchers and marketers as they strive to make informed decisions in the emerging organic food retail environment. Specifically, Chinese consumers perceiving organic tea as a healthy option and as a status symbol are more likely to state organic tea purchase intentions. These results point to the need for extended research on key antecedents of Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions of organic products.

Little was known about the motivations of Chinese consumers for purchasing organic food products, as the psychological and demographic factors that are associated with organic food purchase behavior in China were not well researched. Specifically, there is still a notable gap in the understanding of how consumers in China make organic tea purchase decisions. With organic foods occupying a progressively larger portion of Chinese diets and budgets, this research fills in some of the knowledge gap by examining how the social norms of status symbols influence Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions of organic tea.

The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of Michel Porter's generic business-level strategies adopted by the organisation on its employer branding strategy. Based on the expert’s opinion and insights, this study aims to determine the extent to which the employer branding strategy, its inherent significance, the requisite investment and the used tactics are influenced by the organisation's business strategy.

Considering a phenomenological research design, this study adopted semi-structured interviews as a means to gather qualitative data from a purposive sample comprising HR professionals. The collected data were subjected to thematic analysis, enabling the identification of recurring themes and patterns. Findings and conclusions were subsequently derived in accordance with the outcomes of the thematic analysis.

The study revealed that the significance, nature, challenges and ways of implementation of employer branding strategies vary depending on the type of business strategy adopted by the organisation. While organisations pursuing a differentiation strategy heavily invest in employer branding and placing considerable efforts into developing an appealing employee value proposition, companies pursuing cost leadership invest relatively less in employer branding by implementing cost-effective tactics. Companies implementing a focus strategy demonstrate a moderate level of investment in employer branding initiatives.

The study is limited to IT, manufacturing and banking sectors only. Additionally, the sample of the study is limited.

Employer branding as a strategy has been widely explored in the recent past. Similarly, Michel Porters’ generic strategies have also been widely researched. However, the interconnection between these two levels of strategies presents novel perspectives for business strategists and HR professionals involved in the formulation and implementation of HR strategies. This linkage provides valuable insights that facilitate effective decision-making in relation to employer branding strategies, enabling organisations to prioritise their objectives more effectively.

The existing literature lacks research that investigates the connection between employer branding strategy and business strategy. Hence, this study represents a pioneering effort that aims to explore this unexplored linkage. Further, this research effort has also uncovered previously uninvestigated findings concerning the comparative analysis of employer branding strategies across different sectors while examining the connection between business strategy and employer branding strategy.