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The main goal of this paper is to study the specific characteristics of the performance of companies in the metallurgical sector, in the northern region of Portugal.

To achieve this aim, the authors have used data from 325 companies manufacturing metal products, except machinery and equipment (CAE Rev.3 25) and 27 companies that manufacture machinery and equipment (CAE Rev. 3 28). The models were estimated by using the panel data methodology for the period between 2011 and 2019. Specifically, the estimation method of the generalized method of moments system (GMM system) proposed by Arellano and Bover (1995) and Blundell and Bond (1998) was used.

The results show that the main decisions on the performance of metallurgical companies in Northern Portugal depend on the dimensions of sales in the domestic market (SDM), sales in the community market (SCM), and sales in the foreign market (SFM) and also highlight that the signal and significance of the specific variables depends on how the different stakeholders understand performance.

As far as the authors know, this is the first study to comparatively analyze the two metallurgical databases in Portugal. Despite the huge difference in the size of the sample, this study’s results show that in an era of paradigm shift about what business objectives should be, stakeholders are still not environmentally aware and the social dimension is only considered by shareholders, but not yet by the manager and the general community.

Early theoretical work on equity valuation suggests that equity prices are determined by variables such as dividends and growth in dividends. However, these “traditional” views have been challenged by recent studies that seem to indicate that equity prices are determined by book value and discounted future abnormal earnings. This paper employs panel data methodology and equity prices from Athens Stock Exchange empirically to compare the performance of the traditional and the more recent models of equity valuation. The results show that the performance of the Ohlosn (1995) model is quite similar to that of the traditional models even though in some cases Ohlson’s model performance appears to be superior.

A simulation model is described which assists manpower planning management to evaluate the long term effects of recruitment/training policies in respect of future localisation of the Zambian mining industry. The paper includes a description of some of the model's practical applications together with details of a worked example. Detailed mathematical formulations are excluded, the emphasis being on the choice of simulation as a technique for manpower forecasting.

This paper aims to assess two distinct aspects of performance in terms of technical (sales) efficiency and efficiency in market value generation of a sample of Greek metallurgical firms listed on the Athens Exchange by using data envelopment analysis (DEA).

Both aspects of performance are measured by employing the DEA BCC model, combined with bootstrap and generalized proportional distance function (GPDF). Statistical analysis is performed to investigate whether there is a positive link between the two examined performance dimensions.

Inefficiency is uncovered in both performance dimensions, but there is a lower level of performance in market value generation than in technical efficiency. Correlation analysis results do not point out positive links between performance measures for the sample firms.

The derived performance measures allow firm managers to set their own priorities and to seek out improvements along the two dimensions of performance; moreover, they may contribute to the reduction of information asymmetry among investors.

This paper is one of a few that investigate the link between DEA-based sales performance and performance in market value generation. It contributes methodologically through the adoption of fundamental analysis principles in estimating efficiency in the two performance dimensions and the development of a DEA efficiency model in the presence of negative data.

This paper examines how Russian multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in the metallurgical industry strategise under the highly complex conditions of their home institutional environment.

The findings are based on a qualitative multiple-case study of eight Russian metallurgical MNEs that took place in 2014–2015. The authors conducted 34 semi-structured interviews, made observations and took reflexive field notes.

The analysis reveals that Russian MNEs utilise four different strategies–cooperation, persuasion, avoidance and adaptation–when dealing with federal and regional home governments. These MNEs simultaneously utilise multiple strategies while capitalising on their own organisational attributes.

Unlike many other studies, this paper examines institutional complexity within two distinct layers of the Russian Government, regional and federal, rather than considering the aggregate notion of “home government”. The paper also identifies and analyses MNEs’ specific strategies to navigate different layers of institutional complexity.

The present paper contributes to the development of sustainable strategies by focusing on the social perspective and the role played by HRM. Specifically, we identified and compared the employee competencies that supported the compliance strategy as well as the innovative/proactive sustainability strategies – and their impacts on social outcomes.

After formulating hypotheses, we tested them on a sample of 179 companies from the chemical and metallurgical industries using the bootstrap method.

The results revealed that both sustainability strategies were present in the sample. The compliance sustainable strategy showed to be negatively associated with employee competencies, whilst proactive sustainable strategy firms presented a positive relationship with employee competencies. We also found that compliance strategies failed to have any impact on social outcomes, but proactive strategies had a positive effect on social outcomes. Indeed, normative and foresighted thinking competencies acted as mediating variables in such a relationship.

The originality of this paper lies in three aspects hitherto unaddressed in the literature: first, the conceptualisation and assessment of sustainable strategies focused on a social dimension; second, the identification of individual competencies required developing sustainable strategies; and third, the demonstration that it is only the firms that adopt proactive sustainable strategies that obtain positive social outcomes.

We aim to analyze the early trajectory of Argentine industry from the perspective of uneven and combined development. Argentine integration into the world market based on the export of agricultural goods had not neglected industrial development. At first, Argentine industry benefited from its late emergence and rapidly followed the path of leading countries’ manufactures. But initial advantage soon turned into a liability. The emergence of large-scale industry required expanded markets that were already occupied by older and stronger competitors. The 1930 crisis and the impact of the Second World War aggravated this problem. Attempts to remedy the situation – an export-led industrialization scheme and an internal-market-oriented economy – failed successively. We study this process through the analysis of Argentine industrial chambers’ journals, reports from the United States Department of Foreign Trade and Argentine official government documents. We find that the export-led industrialization project failed because of the weakness of Argentine industries and not because of economic nationalism. That was the outcome of the previous failure of liberal projects and of the international constraints imposed by the Second World War and its aftermath. During this later period of internal-market-oriented economy, the gap between Argentine and international productivity widened. This paper presents an innovative interpretation that transcends liberal and nationalistic explanations and serves as a case study of the implications of uneven and combined development.

The main purpose of the study is to identify the differences and similarities in the communication between B2B participants in cross-cultural environments.

The research methods used in the study are two-fold: the literature analysis is complemented by primary qualitative research conducted in small- and medium-sized enterprises operating in Poland and doing business internationally. The research was focused on two culturally different markets: China and the United States. In the empirical research, the authors used one of the qualitative methods – Individual Depth Interview (IDI).

General findings showed that the strongest influence of culture was identified among older (+50 years old) business partners. The younger ones are eager to adapt and try to understand others' viewpoints. The research results may be used in creating business communication models in the countries researched for companies that plan to enter both American and Chinese markets.

The results of the study may have useful applied managerial value and be used in cooperation between SMEs' B2B business partners, not only from Poland but also from the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe and the United States and China.

The findings may help to understand and communicate with culturally different social groups such as co-workers, students, teachers, etc.

The research presented in the paper covers the gap in the literature because it relates to some new factors (like cultural heritage, age and type of industry) which determine the effectiveness of personal business communication between partners in the international marketplace.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse in‐depth collaboration as a process that emerges from interactions among individuals in order to develop entrepreneurial actions within established family firms. The research is contextualized in the metal sector in Catalonia (Spain), using institutional economics as a theoretical framework of reference.

Methodologically, the paper adopt an exploratory perspective and employs a qualitative approach. In particular, a multiple case‐study is used to gain deep insights into a contemporary and complex issue within its real‐life context, and two case studies are purposefully selected in order to be able to conduct cross‐case comparisons.

In the early formation phase of collective entrepreneurship, there are similarities reflecting the networks status of both cases. In contrast, there are some variations concerning the development of collective entrepreneurship within the businesses which affect the type of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) activities developed by the firms.

By using a case study approach, it is hard to validate the theories for any more general applicability.

Promoting trust in the organizational context, owner‐managers may assume the role of intrapreneurs as network or human interaction builders within businesses, in order to promote CE through collective activities.

The paper shows that CE activities may be understood from a collective action among employees and owner‐managers. The paper also demonstrates that the phenomenon can be place into a broader theoretical context, taking into account the considerations included in institutional economics.