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This paper aims to investigate strategy at the functional level, in Dubai local government. Using Miles and Snow's strategy typology, it seeks to concentrate on the relationship between the alignment of managerial characteristics with strategy type and performance.

Senior executive managers were interviewed and a questionnaire developed, based on the extant literature and issues arising from the interviews. This was distributed to functional managers within Dubai local government, and sought information regarding their personal characteristics, perceptions of requirements for implementing strategic initiatives and actual implementation approaches used. All alignments with the strategy adopted, the strategy required, and managerial characteristics and independent assessments of performance were then analysed statistically to assess the extent of alignment and congruency with performance.

Prospector managers have, on average, higher educational status than that of defender managers, with alignment of several demographic characteristics with strategic orientation leading to enhanced performance. Whilst alignments of educational attainment and organisation and job tenure with strategy are desirable, age has no effect.

By understanding the alignment relationships, more appropriate allocation of personnel will lead to increased strategic performance.

Previous studies have looked at the alignment of managerial characteristics with strategic type and aspects of performance. In all cases, the focus has been on corporate strategy, and predominantly in private‐sector organisations. The study combines these objectives and investigates the alignment between characteristics, strategy and perceived performance. It focuses on management at the functional level in a local government setting and demonstrates that classical upper‐echelon theory is also relevant at the functional level of management.

This study aims to examine the relative effectiveness of functional and financial remedies in influencing customers' negative coping responses in the event of a data breach. It also uncovers the different mediating roles played by customers' feelings of anger and fear in the process of data breach recovery. This study thus differs from the literature, which has primarily focused on the impact of financial compensation and apologies for service failures in face-to-face environments.

Two scenario-based experiments were conducted to empirically validate the model. The authors received 302 copies of the questionnaire, of which 269 were valid.

This study finds that functional remedies are more effective than financial remedies when sensitive information has been compromised, but there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two remedies when nonsensitive information has been compromised. In addition, functional remedies influence negative coping behaviors directly and indirectly; the indirect effect is achieved through the reduction of fear and anger. Contrary to the authors' expectation, financial remedies do not have a direct effect on negative coping behaviors; they can indirectly affect negative coping behaviors by reducing anger but do not affect negative coping behaviors by reducing fear.

This study provides key insights into how to manage customer reactions in the event of a data breach, suggesting the use of carefully designed recovery strategies. Companies must attend to customers' specific emotional responses to manage their negative coping behaviors.

This study extends the limited literature on data breach recovery actions by investigating the different effectiveness of functional and financial remedies in the event of a data breach. It also uncovers how functional and financial recovery strategies affect customers' negative coping behaviors by revealing the different mediating effects of fear and anger.

Investigates functional strategies aimed at developing competitive advantage in terms of both their perceived importance by management and their actual impact on organizational performance in Australian manufacturing companies. Considers factors such as productivity, research and development and human resources. Results of research include the finding that productivity strategies are preferred by Australian manufacturers and will continue to be so over the next few years, along with human resources strategies. Notes that a mix of functional strategies was seen as beneficial for performance. Concludes that TQM is an appropriate strategy for enhancement of competitiveness given the need for an holistic approach.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which different patterns of cross-functional integration and the operations strategy (OS) process may be explained by national cultures differences.

Perceptual survey data from 105 manufacturing plants in four countries were used to validate the constructs and to test the hypotheses. The plants are located in two Western and two Eastern countries with different industrialization and development backgrounds (Brazil, China, Germany and South Korea). CFA validated the constructs, and ANOVA and t-tests evaluated the differences between levels of four Hofstede’s elements (i.e. power distance, individualism vs collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and long-term vs short-term orientation) on the OS process enablers (i.e. leadership for cross-functional integration and functional integration) and elements (i.e. manufacturing strategy linkage to corporate strategy and formulation of manufacturing strategy).

Results suggest that different OS and OM processes are present in different national cultures. Leadership for cross-functional integration and manufacturing strategy linkage to corporate strategy differ between levels of power distance, individualism vs collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. Functional integration and formulation of manufacturing strategy also present differences according to the degree of individualism vs collectivism and long-term orientation.

Results indicate that national culture is a key aspect for the OS process. Prior studies usually do not consider cultural aspects. Therefore, the OS process varies in different countries and contexts. Managers need to adjust their OS process when they are developing a global OS.

This study aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework to investigate how green brand positioning strategies positively impact consumer response. It focusses on uncovering the causal mechanism in which such effect is mediated by brand stereotypes. Additionally, it outlines the moderating role of construal level in this formation process.

Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the hypotheses. Study 1 tests the positive influence of green brand positioning on consumer response. Study 2 tests the dual mediating effect of warmth and competence in the relationship between green brand positioning and consumer response. Study 3 further examines the moderating role of construal level in the effects of green brand positioning on brand stereotypes.

The findings reveal that green emotional positioning strategies are predominantly stereotyped as warm while green functional positioning strategies are predominantly stereotyped as competent. Both warm and competent mediate the effects of green brand positioning on consumer response. Furthermore, a congruency between green emotional positioning and high-level construal, as well as the match between green functional positioning and low-level construal, leads to more warmth and competence perception.

This study contributes to green brand management literature by proposing a brand stereotype-based mechanism to explain how green brand positioning strategies trigger consumers’ stereotyping process, leading to positive consumer response. This study also identifies the construal level as a moderating variable that impacts consumers’ warmth and competence perceptions towards two kinds of green brand positioning strategies. Managerially, the findings of this study provide managerial ideas for developing green branding strategies.

To develop a model for manufacturing strategy formulation and implementation to help the managerial body of a corporation improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their company.

The quality function deployment (QFD) technique is used in the formulation process to provide the basis for selection between options in each of the formulation stages. The proposed model consists of six stages starting from the business strategy formulation, functional strategy formulation, manufacturing priorities formulation, the generation of action plans and the suggestions of the detailed tasks of each action plan, and ending up with the evaluation of the developed strategy. QFD capture software is used to form the matrices needed for the proposed model.

It was found that the proposed QFD approach is easy to apprehend, clear to be applied and leads to dependable manufacturing strategy. Accordingly, this model is recommended to be used in other functional areas in addition to manufacturing to develop their functional strategies.

After the application of this model, the quality of management in this company was improved and recommended for other companies.

The paper provides a QFD approach that can be applied to any company by their managerial body in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their company.

Manufacturing strategy has become a subject of increasing importance to practice and research. It involves two elements: content and process. The content of manufacturing strategy has recently received considerable attention. The process of manufacturing strategy has not received the same level of emphasis. There is little prescriptive literature on the subject, and even less literature of an empirical nature. It is argued that effective manufacturing strategy is inseparable from an effective process for the development of manufacturing strategy. This article provides some beginnings with regard to the process of manufacturing strategy by (1) exploring and drawing out concepts and methodologies in existing literature which can contribute to the process of manufacturing strategy, (2) reporting on an empirical study of the process of manufacturing strategy involving 53 manufacturing executives within organisations primarily from the midwest region of the USA, and (3) developing implications for future practice and research.

This study aims to investigate the way in which small retailer performance is influenced by strategy at different levels. It also aims to propose that business level strategy is more important to success than functional level strategy in small retail firms, as this is what enables them to distinguish their business from competitors and effectively set about competing in their markets.

Data were collected from a mail survey of 305 independent retailers in the UK. Multivariate statistical methods were used to develop appropriate variables and explore the relationships between level of strategy and performance.

The results indicate that business level strategy variables have a significant influence on performance whereas functional levels do not when their combined effects are analysed using hierarchical regression modelling.

The caveats normally associated with survey methods apply, as do those related to the use of cross‐sectional, self‐report, and managerial perceptions data. Implications for retail strategy theory and small retailers' performance are addressed.

The importance of business level strategy generally and its specific elements are considered with a view to providing guidance to management decision makers and policy advisors.

Reliable measures for retail strategy variables are developed in the paper. The research distinguishes the performance effects of retail business strategy from retail functional strategy and supports the view that business strategy decisions are superior in their market significance over operational retail mix decisions.

Market uncertainties require organizations to consistently revisit their product portfolio. Theoretically the link between corporate strategy, supply chain and operations for Product Deletion (PD) decisions is lacking. The purpose of this study is to develop a decision support tool that enables managers to evaluate PD decisions across business, supply chain strategies and customer considerations; rationalizing product portfolio variety while realizing long-term organizational competitiveness.

This study applies Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to formalize PD decision-making across multiple functional strategy perspectives. Manufacturing, supply chain, finance and marketing functions are included along with incorporating multiple stakeholder voices from multiple organizational levels—including top-management team members, cross-functional managers and customers. A case study application is conducted using an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) perspective.

The interrelationships between business, supply chain strategies and customer requirements are identified, along with tensions and tradeoffs using a series of “houses” or relationship matrices. The methodology provides managers with a decision support tool that can be flexible and applicable to aid sound PD decision-making incorporating multiple stakeholders.

Product decisions at the decline stage—for example product retirement or deletion—are neglected both in research and in practice. Having a formalized systematic process can make PD outcomes more objective. The proposed QFD approach is one of the early PD decision support tools—products can be deleted for strategic, operational and customer-related reasons, and the hierarchical interrelationships among various reasons need to be carefully managed to ensure sound product portfolio rationalization.

Proposes a set of strategic options for green brand positioning, based either on functional brand attributes or on emotional benefits. The aim of the study is to test the suggested green positioning strategies against one another, assessing their effect on perceived brand positioning and brand attitude.

A theoretical model of the dimensionality and attitudinal effects of green brand positioning was developed. Both suggested alternatives to green brand positioning, along with a combined functional and emotional strategy, were tested in an experimental online setting. The hypothesized model was tested in the scope of exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.

Results indicate an overall positive influence of green brand positioning on brand attitude. Further findings suggest distinct functional and emotional dimensions of green brand positioning with the interaction of both dimensions in the formation of brand attitude. Highest perceptual effects were achieved through a green positioning strategy that combined functional attributes with emotional benefits.

The measures used, while providing good reliability and validity, have their limitations, especially in the case of the emotional dimension of green brand associations. Future research should concentrate on the further development of the constructs used in the study, particularly that of the emotional dimension of green brand associations and replicate the study under “real‐life” conditions within different product categories and with a representative sample.

A well implemented green positioning strategy can lead to a more favourable perception of the brand, giving support to the green marketing approach in general. This study supports significant attitude effects of both functional and emotional green positioning strategies. Thus, brand managers should deliver emotional benefits through the brand, at the same time making sure that target groups perceive real environmental benefits.

Although green marketing has been an important research topic for more than three decades, hardly any research has been conducted that focuses specifically on green branding. This paper analyses the dimensionality of green brand positioning, offers green branding insight and suggests strategic tools for brand managers.