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With shortening product life cycles and an increasing number of product variants, manufacturing firms perform more production ramp-ups. In this context, learning is crucially important to quickly achieve high production process quality and stability. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Through a laboratory experiment, this study analyzes spillover learning between consecutive ramp-ups and how this phenomenon is influenced by tacit knowledge transfer through observation and imitation.

The results prove the existence of spillover learning between consecutive ramp-ups. Moreover, they provide evidence how tacit knowledge transfer through observation and imitation enhances learning of new tasks in consecutive production ramp-ups.

Future research could focus on the specific psychological processes driving tacit knowledge transfer and spillover learning, a topic which is only touched upon in this paper.

The findings show that manufacturing firms should not only aim at reaching a steep learning curve during a single production ramp-up, but should also take into account the effects of spillover learning with regard to future production ramp-ups. Furthermore, the paper provides novel insights concerning the allocation of workers to production tasks with regard to previous experience when introducing new personnel and during ramp-up phases.

Previous evidence on the existence and characteristics of spillover learning in production ramp-up situations is not conclusive. This paper provides new and unambiguous insights by considering different organizational settings.

This paper aims to examine the impact of political uncertainty and instability caused by the 2011 Egyptian revolution on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of Egyptian firms. The study provides empirical evidence to support the link between political instability, financial performance, stock market uncertainty and CSR in the post-revolution context of Egypt.

Data on CSR practices in Egypt were collected through a survey of Egyptian firms and content analysis of annual reports from publicly traded firms. The final survey sample consisted of 99 listed Egyptian companies. Structural equation modeling was performed to examine the relationship between the variables of this study.

The results of the study show that political instability is perceived to have a significant positive effect on the CSR practices of Egyptian firms. The results also reveal that the financial performance of firms is perceived not to be affected by the political instability after the 2011 Revolution as opposed to stock market uncertainty, which is perceived to be significantly affected. However, financial performance and stock market uncertainty have a significant positive influence on the CSR practices of Egyptian firms.

This paper capitalizes institutional theory to capture the complex interactions between organizations and their external institutional environments. Previous studies tackling CSR in unstable political environments in the African context focused on countries with prolonged periods of violent conflict and on more localized forms of conflicts. Yet, little is known about CSR during the occurrence of different types of political instabilities in other African countries.

This study aims to focus on the factors triggering the adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in a developing country context. The authors examine whether the adoption of CSR practices is triggered more by internal efficiency forces or external legitimation forces. As early adoptions of new systems are more likely driven by efficiency motives, the authors argue that CSR practices in developing countries at nascent stages are more likely adopted for efficiency rather than legitimation reasons.

A cross-sectional sampling design was used to collect data on the CSR practices of top listed Egyptian firms and multinationals operating in Egypt. The sample size is selected based on a purposive criterion sampling method. The final sample size consists of 110 companies operating in Egypt, which includes 54 local and 56 multinational companies. To examine the relationship between the explanatory variables of the study and CSR, multiple regression analysis was used.

Using data from 110 top listed local companies and multinational firms operating in Egypt, the results show a significant influence of internal corporate governance on CSR. Yet, the effects of external factors, specifically legal regulations and stakeholder pressures, on CSR are perceived to be insignificant. This finding contrasts studies from industrialized countries in the Western world where firms are often motivated to invest in CSR by external forces.

The results indicate that the adoption of CSR practices in large firms in Egypt is driven more by internal efficiency gains rather than external legitimacy pressures. The study thus presses the need for the effective enforcement of governmental laws and regulations to strengthen external institutional pressures and demands for socially responsible behavior.

The results of the study indicate a perceived absence of stakeholder pressure for CSR practices. As such, raising awareness for corporate accountability amongst Egyptian consumers, employees and the general public would increase corporate incentives to improve their social and environmental performance. In addition, the concept of CSR must be cultivated in the organizational culture where high value is placed on corporate ethics and managerial values.

This study provides insights about the predominant drivers of CSR in Egypt on two different levels; the organizational and the business environment. Salient links between CSR, internal corporate governance mechanisms and external drivers such as external stakeholder and legal pressures are explored. The results of the study also emphasize the importance of internal corporate governance mechanisms and how it is perceived to be the main driver of CSR in Egypt as opposed to external influences.

The focus is the interplay of cognitive capabilities (mathematical understanding and heuristic problem solving) and learning from feedback. Furthermore, the authors analyze the role of individual factors in designing appropriate feedback systems for complex decision-making situations. Based on a learning model the purpose of this paper is to present an experimental study analyzing the feedback effectiveness in a repeated complex production planning task. Referring to individual characteristics in terms of educational background and problem solving capabilities of the decision maker the authors compare different forms of feedback systems.

The authors performed four experiments bi-weekly based on a realistic production planning situation. Participants received – depending on the treatment – different types of feedback concerning the final outcomes of the production plans. For testing the hypotheses, the authors conducted ANCOVAs and additional post hoc tests for each subgroup to explore the effects of different types of feedback on the subgroups’ decision-making performance.

The authors show that feedback information is not always helpful, but due to acquired knowledge and problem solving capabilities can even be harmful. The authors also show that, depending on the decision maker’s individual characteristics and her past performance, the type of feedback is crucial for the learning process.

The study provides important information about feedback design taking individual characteristics of decision makers (educational background, work experience) into account. Applying the results of the study can increase decision-making performance and enhance learning of production planning tasks.

The findings extend previous literature reporting that the performance in complex decision-making tasks depends on educational background and on the ability to cope with the phenomena of cognitive load, working memory limitations and the capability to utilize relevant heuristics to prevent information overload. Some of our results, e.g., the negative impact of non-financial feedback of high-performing economists, contradict the general findings in the literature.

An environmental cost accounting system is a flow‐ and decision‐oriented extension of traditional cost accounting systems. It is based on cause‐and‐effect analysis which helps to assign the costs of environmental impacts correctly to their perpetrators. This article attempts to demonstrate how to use an environmental cost accounting system for internal and external audits and performance improvements. The generated information is appropriate to see if objectives and targets are achieved. High amounts of environmental impacts point to inefficiencies in the production area. Their elimination can help accomplish both ecological and business goals of a company.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategy used by German Mittelstand companies to achieve a profitable business in China. It explores how those firms seek to reduce their risk of entry into this market.

Survey data were gathered over the phone from individuals in the companies who were identified as knowledgeable contacts. Their responses were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling.

German Mittelstand firms that hire Chinese nationals in China obtain market knowledge and a higher return on investment than others. German managers’ efforts to understand the Chinese cultural norms increased the firm’s unwillingness to share information with others. This was probably because their concern about protecting their competitive secrets increased, so they shared less information with suppliers, which decreased their return on investment.

First, the small sample size limited the analysis. Second, there was low inter-rater reliability on multiple items, so these responses could not be analyzed. There is a need to further validate the survey, and obtain a larger sample to analyze alternative models.

This suggests to the practitioner that while it may be relatively easy to start a manufacturing business in China, it requires great effort to manage their risk of losing corporate secrets to their competitors in China.

This paper provides a unique set of data from practicing managers about the risks and gains from doing business in China. This data can be of use to both researchers and to practitioners and it provides a foundation to examine how the risk of losing proprietary knowledge to Chinese competitors affects business.

In a world afflicted with hyper‐competition, dynamic and increasingly rapid market changes, and global economic crises, there still exist, however rare, exceptional companies that have found a way to weather the storm and position themselves for a bright future. This study investigates success factors of top performing companies and drivers of innovativeness and corporate success.

Based on a research study of over 700 European companies, this article explores ways in which many top companies have surged passed their competitors and achieved sustained corporate success. A synthesis of scientific studies, practical experience, and numerous conversations with successful entrepreneurs and senior executives, the results of the project are discussed in order to direct readers' attention to those levers that can help companies create, maintain and strengthen a competitive edge.

The study identifies the pillars of success of high‐performing companies and shows how leadership, entrepreneurship culture, market orientation, core competences and leadership influence innovativeness and corporate success.

Based on a large‐scale empirical study success factors are identified and it is shown how they work together. Examples of successful companies and interviews with senior executives give insights into the secrets of success of top performers.

The paper focuses on how Nestlé, the Swiss based food multinational, is attempting to reinvigorate its long established British sub‐ house brand Crosse & Blackwell so that it can spearhead the company presence in key sectors of the UK food market. Brand bonding, the process which involves the transfusion of brand equities from corporate and product assets and associations, is applied. The role integrated marketing communications effort is playing in securing the desired position for Crosse & Blackwell, namely that of an innovative, convenient, tasty solution to food needs, is examined. The issue of the optimal presence for the house brand Nestlé is raised.

As an alternative to the two extremes of protecting and extending the core business versus transforming it, the article aims to propose two other renewal strategies, “leverage” and “build,” that together provide a pathway for continuous renewal.

This article looks at the case of Best Buy, which has progressively used “leverage” and “build” strategies to modify its competence platform from an early emphasis on operational excellence to complement it with modularity, flexibility and customer centricity. Correspondingly, its market reach has grown from Minnesota to all of North America with recent forays into China.

When the firm's performance did not meet expectations, top management did not focus merely on better execution; rather it questioned if the firm's vision needed to be revised. Best Buy's renewal journey is guided by a continuous re‐visioning of the company, or in Best Buy's jargon continuous re‐“Concept”ualization of the company. Best Buy has transformed itself via six concepts, Concepts I‐VII, with the change from one to the next accelerating over the years.

The article explains how a firm can use these two renewal strategies to perform a dramatic transformation, but through an evolutionary process not a revolutionary one.

The case illustrates the implementation of “leverage” and “build” strategies that together provide a pathway for continuous renewal.

The purpose of this article is to record an interview with Laura D. Tyson, Dean of London Busness School.

The paper focuses on the school's diversity, the work of its new research centres, and issue of funding and of competition between business schools.

There is a lack of female business school candidates, recruitment, retention and re‐entry of women into the workforce, There is the need for more women at board level.

The paper emphasises the importance of the teaching of ethics in business schools and looks at the role of business in promoting economic development and reducing poverty.