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1 – 10 of 893Susan Freeman, Seyda Deligonul and Tamer Cavusgil
Current conceptualizations of born‐globals lack a full theoretical explanation of strategic re‐structuring through the use of outward and inward‐oriented activity and the…
Abstract
Purpose
Current conceptualizations of born‐globals lack a full theoretical explanation of strategic re‐structuring through the use of outward and inward‐oriented activity and the processes of de‐internationalization and re‐internationalization. Strategy and internationalization processes are created by entrepreneurial behaviour. If one wants to understand various international behaviours and strategic changes in firms one needs to focus on entrepreneurs – individual managers. The purpose of this paper is to unify the theoretical framework on born‐globals by addressing two questions. How do managers move through the de‐internationalization (exit) to re‐internationalization (re‐entry) process? How do they choose their patterns of internationalization?
Design/methodology/approach
To address these research gaps, this study draws on 26 in‐depth interviews with senior managers across nine Australian born‐globals.
Findings
Moving between outward and inward‐oriented activity as they de‐internationalize and re‐internationalize is used as proactive strategic re‐structuring by born‐global managers for survival during periods of global economic decline or changing competitive conditions.
Originality/value
This study provides new theoretical insights where the entrepreneur is central to the internationalization process and provides practical implications for those involved in international business and marketing.
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This chapter reviews and analyses the contemporary development of liner shipping, port development and competition. It begins with a comprehensive review on the latest…
Abstract
This chapter reviews and analyses the contemporary development of liner shipping, port development and competition. It begins with a comprehensive review on the latest developmental trends of liner shipping and business strategies, as well as their impacts on port development and competition. Then, it discusses the responses of ports, past, present and (likely) future, in addressing these new demands and challenges. A very important point from this analysis indicates that, in the past decade, port development and competition have gradually evolved from being individual, technical efficiency-oriented to become more regional, economic efficiency-oriented. At the same time, ports have also moved out of their rather passive positions and undertaken positive steps to avert the traditionally strong bargaining power of shipping lines. This illustrates that port development and competition is a continuous morphological process which can change dramatically within a rather short period of time. This chapter provides a new perspective on port development and competition and a decent platform for further research.
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Andrew Potter, Robert Mason and Chandra Lalwani
The paper aims to analyse the reasons behind the leadership shown by a case study retailer through the introduction of factory gate pricing (FGP) within the grocery sector…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to analyse the reasons behind the leadership shown by a case study retailer through the introduction of factory gate pricing (FGP) within the grocery sector. Further, there is an evaluation of the transport management techniques used to support FGP and the operational benefits gained.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based around a single case study of a UK grocery retailer, which has adopted FGP. A range of data sources has been collected during a project with the retailer. Techniques used include process mapping, interviews, workshops and company presentations.
Findings
Strategically, the introduction of FGP has provided economies for the retailer strengthening its position in the market. Four main transport management techniques have been deployed to achieve this, generating reductions in transport and inventory costs while improving customer service levels. There are also some issues that need addressing, in relation to the need for a single point of control, who manages this point and the technological capabilities of transport providers.
Research limitations/implications
Only a single case study is presented, and the research was carried out during the early phase of implementation.
Practical implications
FGP requires a certain degree of scale to be effective, and should complement current processes within a business. There is a need to manage relationship issues with suppliers and transport providers.
Originality/value
The paper presents a detailed case study of FGP within the grocery sector, which is more complex than previous application of the concept. The strategic rationale for pioneering FGP is considered, along with its tactical deployment and operational benefits. Concerns are also highlighted, to provide a balanced evaluation.
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Azumah Mamudu, Wasana Bandara, Sander J.J. Leemans and Moe Thandar Wynn
Process mining (PM) specialises in extracting insights from event logs to facilitate the improvement of an organisation's business processes. Industry trends show the…
Abstract
Purpose
Process mining (PM) specialises in extracting insights from event logs to facilitate the improvement of an organisation's business processes. Industry trends show the proliferation and continued growth of PM techniques. To address the minimal attention given to developing empirically supported frameworks to assess the nature of impact in the PM domain, this study proposes a framework that identifies the key categories of PM impacts and their interrelationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitatively derived framework is built, re-specified and validated from a diverse collection of 62 PM case reports. With multiple rounds of coding supported by coder corroborations, inductively extracted concepts relating to impact from a first set of 12 case reports were grouped into themes and sub-themes to derive an a-priori framework by adopting the balanced scorecard as a theoretical lens. Concepts from the remaining 50 case reports were deductively grouped to re-specify and validate the proposed PM impacts framework. Further analysis identified interrelationships between impacts, which extends our understanding of the identified PM impacts.
Findings
The proposed framework captures PM impacts in four main categories: (a) impact on the process, (b) customer impact, (c) financial impact, and (d) impact on innovation and learning. The authors extended this analysis to identify the interrelationships between these categories, which vividly demonstrates how impact on the process mediates the attainment of the other three impact types.
Originality/value
The need for a deeper understanding of PM impacts within the context of contemporary PM practice is addressed by this work. The PM impacts framework provides a classification of PM impacts into four categories with 19 subcategories. It also identifies direct, moderating and mediating relationships between categories and subcategories whilst highlighting the role of impact on the process as a precursor to the other types of PM impact.
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Development of Aboriginal communities, particularly in remote Australia is notoriously difficult. Despite formal equality Aborigines in Australia remain materially deprived and…
Abstract
Purpose
Development of Aboriginal communities, particularly in remote Australia is notoriously difficult. Despite formal equality Aborigines in Australia remain materially deprived and suffer ill health, premature mortality and high rates of imprisonment. This paper seeks to explain one aspect of development failure in examining the organisational dynamics of the bureaucracy charged with Aboriginal affairs administration.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an ethnographic study of bureaucracy. It uses the anthropological technique of participant observation through the author's own engagement as an employee of the Australian Public Service (APS). It also draws on observation of other APS employees in the course of fieldwork with Aboriginal communities and organisations. This is supplemented by examination of APS documents from an ethnographic perspective.
Findings
The study finds that bureaucratic culture and Aboriginal culture are not overlapping but separate domains. Rather, they both perform within the same social field in which Aboriginal people become symbolic capital in patterns of action determined by the bureaucratic imagination. While the public sector has consistent procedures for both internal and external performance assessment, there is considerable space for the reinterpretation of information so that all requirements may appear to be met. In the new and complex policy environment of Australian Aboriginal affairs since 2004, the path to effective implementation is less clear than the path to the creation and elaboration of policy itself. This encourages bureaucratic involution.
Originality/value
There has been little ethnographic study of public administration, and none of Aboriginal affairs administration in Australia. The value lies in understanding the dynamics of the interaction of functionaries in the public sector in this field.
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Larissa Statsenko, Ruchini Senarath Jayasinghe and Claudine Soosay
This study aims to investigate supply network (SN) resilience capabilities across the organizational, supply chain (SC) and industry levels by drawing on the complex adaptive…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate supply network (SN) resilience capabilities across the organizational, supply chain (SC) and industry levels by drawing on the complex adaptive systems (CASs) theory and the social–ecological perspective of resilience. An empirically grounded framework operationalizes the concept of social–ecological resilience by expounding resilience capabilities across phases of the CAS adaptive cycle.
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses a qualitative multiple case study approach. It draws on the case of the Australian Defence Manufacturing SN (ADM SN) during COVID-19 disruptions. A total of 28 interviews with senior decision makers from 17 companies, complemented by 5 interviews with the Australian Defence SC organizations and secondary data analysis, support the findings.
Findings
Individual organizations’ SC visibility and flexibility enabled by effective risk management and collaboration enhance the ability of the SN to anticipate and prepare for disruption. At the same time, the strength of SC relationships reduces resilience. SN disruption response velocity is enabled by inventory redundancy, process flexibility at the organizational level and visibility and collaboration at the SC level. Institutional support at the national industry level, development of value-adding capabilities and manufacturing process flexibility at the organizational level enhances the SN’s ability to re-organize. The transition from hierarchical to decentralized collaborative governance enhances SN resilience.
Practical implications
From a practitioner’s perspective, the findings highlight the need to embrace a broader view of SC beyond immediate tiers. Decision-makers in multinational companies must recognize the long-term impact of their procurement decisions on the supplier ecosystem. Developing local supplier capabilities rather than relying on established global SCs will pay off with future resilience. It, however, demands substantial investment and radical changes across all SC tiers. The lesson for smaller firms is not to over-rely on the existing relationships with supply partners. Although trust-based relationships and collaboration are essential, over-commitment can be counterproductive during global disruptions. With a lack of visibility and control over the SC, operational flexibility is critical for small firms to adapt to shifts in supply and demand.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this empirical research is one of the first attempts to operationalize the social–ecological perspective of SN resilience. Evidence-based theoretical propositions contribute to the emerging conversation about the CAS nature of resilience by demonstrating the multi-level effects of resilience capabilities.
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Margaret Webster, Alan P. Muhlemann and Chris Alder
Presents work that addresses the issue of decision support for the operational management of subcontract manufacture. Theoretical study has been combined with empirical research…
Abstract
Presents work that addresses the issue of decision support for the operational management of subcontract manufacture. Theoretical study has been combined with empirical research and practical industrial investigation with regard to distributed manufacturing systems which incorporate subcontract manufacturing arrangements. There has been a particular focus on the study of resource planning and scheduling for subcontract manufacture in SMEs in the UK electronics assembly industry. This work led to the analysis, modelling, implementation and test of an object‐oriented advisory system to assist with scheduling for this domain which demonstrated the utility of a proposed concept of captivity‐based scheduling. Contemporary research in this area and existing commercial decision support solutions for manufacturing planning, scheduling and control in SMEs have been explored. Concludes that current commercial software systems for subcontract manufacture are underdeveloped. Further argues that software development tools and platforms are increasingly available to facilitate the creation of practical decision support systems for distributed organizational forms of manufacture.
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Vitor Corado Simões, Angela Da Rocha, Renato Cotta De Mello and Jorge Carneiro
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce an emergent type of INV (international new venture) – designated as “borderless firm” – present some recent cases and speculate about…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce an emergent type of INV (international new venture) – designated as “borderless firm” – present some recent cases and speculate about its future occurrence.
Methodology/approach
A search of the literature identified 25 cases that fitted, to a greater or lesser extent, the conceptual definition of a borderless firm presented in the chapter. We also found three teaching cases whose focus-firms fitted our definition.
Findings
The three firms present a combination of intentional design with fortuitous experimentation and intensively exploited relationships. They fulfill the key features of our definition.
Research limitations/implications
This study is still embryonic and was driven by the authors’ conceptual thinking, based on their intuition about a new type of firm. Detailed data came from only three cases, but 25 other cases were identified, which did, to some extent, fit the definition of a borderless firm and, as such, could be studied with this focus in order to provide further evidence and to refine the conceptual definition and our understanding of the empirical manifestation of this type of firm.
Originality/value
We shed light on an interesting – and probably bound to occur more frequently in the future – type of firm with distinctive characteristics: a managerial mindset that does not feel constrained by geographical frontiers; a high geographical dispersion of value-added activities (beyond the sales and distribution activities that characterize most of the literature on Born Globals and INVs); and a multi-country pool of founders/managers and internationally dispersed staff.
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This chapter aimed to find out which factors affected three Estonian case firms’ serial nonlinear internationalization before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also studied how…
Abstract
This chapter aimed to find out which factors affected three Estonian case firms’ serial nonlinear internationalization before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also studied how these firms responded to the pandemic and what they learned from their previous business experience. It contributed to the literature on serial nonlinear internationalization and to studies on the (potential) impacts of Covid-19 on firms’ local and international activities by showing that these case firms exited and re-entered foreign markets and experienced considerable export fluctuations before 2020, during and after it. Thus, serial nonlinear internationalization should be perceived as something normal, and it can be expected to occur both during stable and unstable times: it does not only characterize economic crises, and it should not be seen as a failure sign. The pandemic affected the case firms’ internationalization considerably – for instance, via demand fluctuations and travel restrictions – but it also created some additional business opportunities: for example, by creating demand for some additional products and by increasing some customer groups’ interest for some existing products. These firms’ (international) business experience acquired before Covid-19 was also useful during the pandemic as they continued with some previous expansion activities. On the other hand, they also tried something new. As a result, all firms’ total turnover increased in 2020, and it might also increase in 2021, despite some problems in the first quarter.
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