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Customer co‐creation is becoming increasingly popular among companies, and intensive communication with customers is generally seen as a determinant of the success of a new service or product. The purpose of this study is to analyze customer co‐creation based on four dimensions of communication – frequency, direction, modality, and content – in order to understand the value of customer co‐creation in service innovation. One of the key aims of the study is to investigate whether all dimensions of customer co‐creation have an effect on product and market success, and if the effect depends on the degree of innovativeness of a development project.

The authors conducted a study including 334 managers with experience in new service and product development to examine how development projects applied customer co‐creation in terms of communication in order to address future customer needs. Data were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS). The first analysis was performed with a sub‐sample of 207 development projects regarding incremental innovations. A subsequent analysis was performed with a sub‐sample of 77 development projects on radical innovations.

A total of three of the four dimensions of customer co‐creation (frequency, direction, and content) have a positive and equally significant effect on product success when developing incremental innovations. For radical innovations, frequency has a positive effect and content has a negative significant effect on product success. These findings suggest that co‐creation and innovation can be combined, but that the choice of methods for co‐creation differs depending on whether incremental or radical innovations are developed.

Despite a general consensus that co‐creation with customers is beneficial, there is a lack of agreement regarding how and why. The present article addresses this shortcoming and shows that co‐creation is largely about communicating with customers in order to understand their future needs. On the other hand, a company working on radical innovations may wish to limit customer input that is too concrete or solution based.

The purpose of this paper is to examine organisational learning as a mediator among small-scale manufacturing enterprises (S-SMEs) which comprise the majority of economic activity in an emergent/developing economy. This study offers further understanding regarding the mediating role of organisational learning in developing world economies, due to its potential regional influence.

A cross-sectional survey of Indian S-SMEs was undertaken from the District Industrial Center. The study employed a systematic sampling technique to contact owner/managers. Overall, 204 S-SMEs owners/managers participated in the study and 192 usable survey instruments were received.

The study offers novel insights to the following questions. First, the factors that prompt entrepreneurial orientation to achieve superior business performance, i.e. the antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation? The results reveal competitor orientation is an antecedent of entrepreneurial orientation that leads to an S-SME’s business performance. Second, the outcomes of entrepreneurial orientation, i.e. the consequences of entrepreneurial orientation? The study reveals organisational learning and business performance are the corollary of entrepreneurial orientation. Third, the examination of whether organisational learning mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance? The findings found the effects of entrepreneurial orientation on business performance are, in part, mediated by organisational learning.

Three study limitations are recognised. First, other strategic orientations, including technology orientation, production orientation and selling orientation are not included. Second, other constructs have a potentially significant relationship with market and entrepreneurial orientation, such as organisational capabilities, innovation and social context, were not considered. Third, the study is industry-sector specific and does not consider alternative sectors which also may play a potential role in economic development.

This study enhances the existing S-SME literature by identifying factors contributing to entrepreneurial orientation and its repercussions on business performance. For S-SMEs it adds credence to the role played by organisational learning in mediating the link between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance which potentially encourages owner/managers to dedicate increased time and resources towards creating and maintaining a conducive learning environment. The results support entrepreneurs in acknowledging the importance of competitor orientation during the emergence and development of entrepreneurial orientation, specifically in emerging economy contexts.

Market orientation is widely held as a credo for organisational success. Essentially, this means that organisations that are market oriented tend to perform better than those that are not. As a result of this logic (i.e. market orientation‐performance link), scholars from a wide array of disciplines are showing an increasing interest in fleshing out the factors that determine organisational market orientation stances. Based on a sample drawn from the UK's facilities management industry, this paper examines the impact of organisational climate factors on market orientation stances of facilities management firms. The results reveal that organisational climate has a determinant influence on market orientation stances.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how a global supplier network can support and contribute to a market driving strategy. Theoretically, the paper contributes by integrating the market driving strategy and the network approach. IKEA is considered one of the leading market driving firms. The paper studies its activities in establishing supplier networks in Russia and Poland.

This is an exploratory study of four suppliers of IKEA in Poland and Russia. Data are collected through 11 in‐depth interviews with IKEA's corporate and middle level managers and with managers and technicians from its suppliers in Russia and Poland. Results are drawn through matrix coding techniques and pattern matching.

Findings confirm IKEA's market driving strategy and how it has been able to restructure the market and successfully develop an efficient supplier network as a part of its market driving strategy.

Market driving approach has been suggested as a more pro‐active form of market orientation. It is characterised by an ability of the firm to shape the market conditions, to influence customers and offer completely new value propositions through its unique business process.

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate branding and market driving. This is achieved by focusing on key dimensions of brand identity such as brand values and staff behaviours, while acknowledging the role of vision and organisational culture. The links between these brand constituents and the actual activities of the firm in a market are explored through interactions with stakeholders.

This research is based on an in‐depth case study of IKEA at a corporate level and its local market activities in Russia. The single‐case approach is used to generate insights into how corporate branding is related to market driving practices and to identify the mechanisms of market driving in the Russian market.

The corporate brand provides a further source of the “leap” in customer value recognised as a requirement for a market driving approach. Through a case study of IKEA in Russia it is shown that the core values of the brand guide both the behaviour and activities of internal stakeholders and the relationships with external stakeholders, and the interactions between the corporate “global” brand values and local market level activities are explored.

The paper provides insights on the role of a corporate brand as a driving force of market driving from a broad stakeholder perspective.

The contributions in this CDI special issue present research findings that have been generated in the course of the research project, Vocational Identity, Flexibility and Mobility in the European Labour Market, funded under the 5^th EU Framework Programme. Investigating identity formation processes at work, the guiding research question focused on what individuals identify with in their work context when they are challenged to respond to increasing demands for flexibility, mobility, changing work settings and shifting skill requirements. Project partners from seven European countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Spain and the UK) interviewed more than 500 employees at intermediate skills level and over 100 managers and representatives of human resources departments about how employees cope with changes at work and how this might affect their work identity, work attitude and career orientation. This paper gives an overview of the background, research questions, basic theoretical considerations, methodology and general findings of this project. It serves as a general introduction to the other five papers presented in this issue which are all based on a common approach and understanding of the research carried out.

Innovation has become an approach to create value for the customer to remain competitive in the market. However, previous research on innovation performance particularly among Bumiputera small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had received little intention. Hence, Bumiputera SMEs need to inculcate the innovation culture to generate innovation performance. As such, the purpose of this study is to examine the ambidextrous orientation and innovation strategy on innovation culture, and how innovation culture could mediate the relationship between ambidextrous orientation and innovation strategy and innovation performance. In addition, this study also examines the role of government support as the moderator between innovation culture and innovation performance.

Data were collected from 140 Bumiputera SMEs and analyzed using partial least square-structural equation modeling via Smart PLS.

Findings indicated that ambidextrous orientation (alignment and adaptability) and innovation strategy (proactive creativity strategy and growth risk orientation strategy) had a significant impact on innovation culture. Besides, innovation culture mediated the relationship between alignment, proactive creativity strategy, growth risk orientation strategy and innovation performance. Surprisingly, innovation culture does not significantly mediate the relationship between adaptability and innovation performance. However, government support plays an important role to support innovation culture and innovation performance in Bumiputera SMEs.

This study makes both theoretical and practical contributions, especially in identifying the significant role of Bumiputera SMEs in creating an innovation culture. Besides, it explained government support as an important role in strengthening the relationship between innovation culture and innovation performance. The findings of the study will provide great help to Bumiputera entrepreneurs in formulating innovation culture in Malaysian SMEs.

Environmental issues are rapidly emerging as one of the most important topics in strategic manufacturing decisions. Growing public awareness and increasing government interest in the environment have induced many companies to adopt programmes aimed at improving the environmental performance of their operations. State of the art literature has proposed many models to support executives in the assessment of a company’s environmental performance. Unfortunately, none of these identifies operating guidelines on how the systems should be adapted to support the deployment of different types of “green” manufacturing strategies. The present paper seeks to illustrate techniques and architecture for performance measurement systems (PMSs) to support the implementation of feasible “green” manufacturing strategies.

Structural economists have been amongst the foremost proponents of a pro‐active industrial policy as the mechanism for promoting rapid economic growth (Lewis, 1956; Myrdal, 1957; Kaldor, 1967; Thirlwall, 1989). This is substantiated by the argument that manufacturing being characterised by increasingly specialised inter‐related activities, radiates tremendous impulses both intra and inter sectorally (Young, 1928: 527–42). Using a sample of 12 developed countries, Kaldor (1967:3–23; 1975:891–6; 1979; 1989:282–310) attempted an empirical study to support this relationship. A positive correlation between manufacturing growth and that of the economy has been defended on the grounds that manufacturing growth increases static (relate to size and scale of production units and are characteristic largely of manufacturing where in the process of doubling the linear dimensions of equipment, the surface increases by the square and the volume by the cube), as well as dynamic (relate to increasing returns brought about by ‘induced’ technical progress, learning by doing, external economies in production, etc.) returns (Thirlwall, 1989: 60). Since manufacturing also produces capital goods that are used in different industrial branches and other sectors, it is seen as a powerful mechanism for transmitting technical change (Weiss, 1988). It is for these reasons, structuralists generally prescribe government policies that favour manufacturing expansion. Malaysia is a good example of a natural resource rich country that has made manufacturing its main plank of economic growth especially since the launching of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1971 (see Malaysia, 1976). However, as industrial policy in each socio‐political space offers state‐specific characteristics, we will analyse industrialisation within Malaysia's setting.

This study aims to examine individual-specific market orientation as an innovative approach and its relationship with marketing skills among artisan entrepreneurs in India.

The study adopted an in-depth interview to explore variables, a questionnaire survey to understand their latent dimensions through exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the relationship between constructs under study.

The interview result indicates that 20 variables explain factors affecting individual-specific market orientation with four latent dimensions: customer orientation, competitor orientation, external coordination orientation and personal selling orientation. There is a significant and positive relationship between customer orientation and personal selling orientation with the marketing skills of artisan entrepreneurs in India.

The study is confined to three southern states of India and weaving villages known for their endemic product specifications.

The study found significance in orienting artisan entrepreneurs of developing countries and equipping them with desired skills to meet the changing dynamics of the market and meet their livelihood needs. The study further supports policymaking in strengthening the capability of artisans to enter the market without mediators.

The model provides insight into other unorganized sectors to formulate innovative approaches to strengthen marketing skills and entrepreneurial ability.

As an exploratory study, examining individual-level market orientation as an innovative approach and their relationship with marketing skills among artisan entrepreneurs was unexplored in several unorganized sectors, including handlooms.