Search

The case study evidence in this paper suggests that management of technological change is more complicated than the existing literature has acknowledged. Rather than merely introduce or not introduce new technology, managers have to choose between more or less advanced technologies whose implications are difficult to assess. Moreover, the choice between advanced and conventional production technologies seems to be influenced more by situational determinants than by the habitual actions of managers or changes in management characters. Taking these situational determinants and firm-specific critical incidents seriously is essential, especially for an understanding of why managerial actors alter their approach to managing technological change. By adopting a longitudinal firm-in-sector perspective to technological change this paper demonstrates how coinciding increases in material resources and competitive pressures encourage management to adopt advanced instead of conventional technology. To justify this argument, the paper compares two consecutive technological change projects in the same firm and describes the background of their profoundly different degrees of sophistication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important way to expand financing channels, the listing can significantly improve the enterprises' comprehensive competitiveness. However, few studies pay attention to the continuous impact of listing years on enterprise innovation. Based on the sample data of Chinese enterprises before and after listing from 2004 to 2017, this paper discusses the relationship between the listing years and dual innovation. And analyzes the moderating effect of slack. The research shows that the listing years are related to the quantity and quality of innovation in the inverted U-shaped, but the inflection point of the innovation quantity is later than the innovation quality. Before listing, the innovation quantity and quality increased; after listing, the innovation quantity first increased and then decreased, while the innovation quality declined. High slack makes the inverted U-shaped relationship between the listing years and innovation quality steeper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically investigates the impact of digital finance on the breakthrough innovation of enterprises with a sample of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2011 to 2022. It is found that digital finance can promote corporate breakthrough innovation, and presents certain structural heterogeneity characteristics. The mechanism test shows that digital finance has the dual attributes of a financing platform and a social platform, which can promote breakthrough innovation by alleviating corporate financing constraints and expanding corporate social networks. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the role of digital finance in promoting breakthrough innovation is characterized by regional heterogeneity, with digital finance playing a greater role in promoting breakthrough innovation in provinces with a low level of development of the banking sector, provinces with a high level of development of the capital market sector, and the central region. In addition, the degree of firms' external financing dependence and the degree of product market competition can strengthen the positive effect of digital finance on firms' breakthrough innovation. This paper enriches the related research on the impact of digital finance on enterprise innovation, and provides theoretical basis and policy insights on how digital finance can better assist the innovation-driven development strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensification of global economic competition, innovation has become one of the core elements of vigorous development in various regions. Improving the innovation ability of cross-regional central cities is the main factor influencing whether a region can achieve economic and social development. In this paper, an innovation primacy index system is designed according to the links of the innovation value chain, and the innovation advantages and empirical effects are comprehensively analyzed by using the point-to-point method, entropy weight method, gravity model and two-way fixed effect model. Based on the data of 8 cities in the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone from 2010 to 2020 in China, Xuzhou's innovation primacy ranks first in the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone, which accords with its status as the central city of the region. Its index has been rising, and its development trend is also good. However, the overall innovation ability of the core area of the Huaihai Economic Zone is unbalanced; the overall economic foundation is not solid enough. In terms of knowledge innovation, R&D innovation and industrial innovation, the industrialization level, around the activation of Xuzhou city vitality, enhances the Xuzhou innovation radiation drive, leading to a decrease in the Huaihai Economic Zone. Finally, some corresponding suggestions on innovation primacy have been proposed for the city of the Huaihai Economic Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of China's neo-mercantilist policies on its semiconductor industry. China strategically employs a neo-mercantilist approach to enhance its technological capabilities and strengthen its position in the global semiconductor sector. The research method used in the paper is qualitative. The study analyzes the multifaceted strategies encompassing industrial policies, trade practices, and technological advancements to understand their contributions to the industry's growth and resilience. It also explores how this growth benefits China's economy and highlights the role of economic factors in shaping political partnerships. The findings demonstrate that China's neo-mercantilist policies have played a pivotal role in fostering the development of its semiconductor sector through targeted industrial policies and trade practices. The emphasis on technological advancements has reduced dependence on foreign technology and enabled the production of high-quality semiconductors domestically. The semiconductor industry's growth in China has positively impacted the economy, contributing to job creation, increased exports, and enhanced economic competitiveness. Moreover, the paper highlights the importance of economic factors in driving political partnerships, as China's semiconductor industry growth has facilitated collaborations based on mutual economic interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Kosovo endeavors to meet global standards amidst rapid technological advances and increasing international market demands, its path to sustainable development encounters notable obstacles. This research paper investigates the challenges faced by the Kosovo's business sector, stemming from a significant lack of qualified workforce. This shortage impedes not only competition and business growth but also stifles innovation, adaptation to technological advancements, and overall expansion. This study methodically examines the repercussions of this skills deficit on local enterprises through a detailed statistical data analysis, interviews with business representatives, and an extensive review of prior research. Additionally, it assesses how visa liberalization could influence the local labor market by potentially intensifying brain drain--where skilled individuals might emigrate in search of better opportunities, thereby further depleting local talent pools. The paper proposes targeted recommendations to enhance educational systems, vocational training, and workforce development strategies. These suggestions aim to foster sustainable, innovative, and vigorous economic growth, enabling Kosovo to integrate more effectively into the global economy and harness the advantages of increased labor mobility. This analysis provides critical insights into strategic planning necessary to overcome labor market challenges, crucial for Kosovo's economic and social progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents firm mark‐ups and competition in Australia, and their impact on productivity, using administrative data. I find that mark‐ups increased by around 5 per cent since the mid 2000s, less than previously documented for Australia and slightly less than documented for the average advanced economy. While part appears to reflect technological change, part appears to reflect an increase in market power. This increase appears to explain part of the slowdown in productivity growth observed in Australia over the past decade, by slowing the efficient reallocation of resources from low productivity to high productivity firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information regarding the Consortium on Competitiveness and Cooperation (CCC). The CCC is a network of scholars from leading universities and management schools in the U.S. who perform research on the improvement of the United States' competitive performance in the global economy. Recent activities of the CCC are discussed. Several abstracts of recent CCC working papers are presented including "New Developments in U.S. Technology and Trade Policies: Declining Hegemon, Wounded Giant, or Ambivalent Gulliver," by David C. Mowery, "The U.S. National Innovation System," by David C. Mowery and Nathan Rosenberg, and "Product Market Definition in the Context of Innovation," by R.S. Hartman, D.J. Teece, W. Mitchell, and T.M. Jorde. Governing members of the Committee are listed.

Copyright of Latin American Business Review is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main goal of this study is to review several previously published papers about the relationship between Information and Communication Technology and competitiveness in the tourism industry, to determine trends, research approaches and contextualization of former studies. Ninety papers were selected from the most visited journal databases of scientist papers related to tourism and technology: ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, EBSCO, DOAJ, and Emerald. Once applied the Systematic Mapping Review methodology, it was found that there are four major categories in which the relationship between the constructs can be grouped competitiveness and Information and Communication Technology; direct positive relationship, negative relationship, no relationship and positive relationship through other factors. Currently, there is consensus between researchers and professionals about the positive relationship between Information and Communication Technology and competitiveness on the tourism industry from the macroeconomic point of view. However, at a microeconomic level, the discussion has not yet been resolved since the adoption of technology or any other type of resource can generate dissimilar results in different companies given the characteristics of each firm. Future lines of research should focus on determining what the factors are, and under what conditions the digitalization of firms translates into improvements in their productivity and competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how a systematic application of middle-range theorizing, which pays particular attention to contexts and mechanisms, can be used to extend current knowledge on logistics customer service (LCS) in a number of critical areas.Design/methodology/approach The paper applies Stank et al.’s (2017) framework for middle-ranging theorizing in logistics to develop a research framework and agenda that can guide future LCS research. Results are generated through a review of the LCS literature and an application of the main concepts of middle-range theorizing.Findings The paper outlines opportunities for middle-range research that would extend LCS knowledge in the areas of human and behavioral factors, time-based competition, supply chain complexity, and digitization and technological innovation.Research limitations/implications Describing the main characteristics of middle-range theorizing and how middle-range theorizing can be fruitfully applied to LCS research should help to stimulate new knowledge creation in this important area of supply chain logistics management.Practical implications By focusing on why and when questions, middle-range theorizing engages with the practical realities of LCS that interest managers and students. Middle-range theorizing moves researchers toward developing a detailed understanding of what actually has to change in order for desired LCS-related outcomes to occur and the contextual factors likely impacting the change process. The paper should, therefore, allow managers to better translate LCS theory into action.Originality/value Middle-range theorizing remains new to the supply chain logistics field. The application of middle-range theorizing to LCS research, and logistics research more generally, demands new perspectives on established relationships with the potential to drive original research in areas most relevant to managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in education organizations enables market competitiveness, innovation, flexibility and financial potential. TQM consolidates the motivation and creativity of its employees through its organization and thus generates great potential for improvement. TQM enables better control of processes in planning, design, distribution and contributes to greater flexibility. This paper gives an overview of the latest research in the area of TQM implementation in education. The 22 leading works dealing with this problem were included and analyzed. The working hypothesis of the research is that there is a positive link between applying the principles of overall quality management (TQM) and improving the quality of education. The aim of the research is to examine TQM models and systems through an analytical literary overview of integrated quality management (TQM) in order to improve the higher education system at national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation and competition are two major pillars in the information technology (IT) industry. In this paper, we examine the causal relationship between product market competition and innovations in the IT industry. We measure the innovations from both the quantity (number of patents) and the quality (number of non-self citations) perspectives. Based on the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index and natural experiments, we find robust evidence that the competition has a positive effect on the innovations of the IT industry. Specifically, after the exogenous shock to the market (import tariff cuts and thus increased industry competition), the number of patents per IT firm increases by 27.3 percent, and the number of non-self citations per IT firm increases by 38.2 percent on average. The effects are more pronounced in the more competitive sectors. Our study highlights the importance of the competition in the IT industry and suggests that the positive effect of competition on innovation in the IT context is likely to be driven by the parallel search effect. Our findings contribute to the recent policy debate and suggest that reducing import barriers may bring important welfare gains through innovations in the IT industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates international research collaboration (IRC) dynamics between the United States and the United Kingdom, examining co-publication and co-patent indicators. While IRC is crucial for enhancing research competitiveness and economic development, the choice of indicators remains a challenge. The paper addresses this gap by examining the association between co-publications and co-patents on the measurement of IRC. Findings indicate a robust positive correlation between co-publications and co-patents, reflecting increased collaboration in academic and industrial domains. Despite distinct growth rates, their aligned trends suggest potential redundancy in using both indicators. Notably, co-patents have a lasting positive effect on co-publications, emphasising the role of industrial innovations in forecasting scientific collaboration. Acknowledging study limitations, particularly its focus on core countries, prompts future research avenues to broaden insights into IRC dynamics. This study connects theoretical understanding with practical implications, offering nuanced perspectives for policymakers to formulate strategic plans for global scientific collaboration. Researchers are encouraged to consider these insights when selecting indicators, aligning choices with data availability and analytical ease to enhance the relevance and impact of their studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively address or eliminate the impact of CO2 emissions, it is crucial to conduct a CO2 emissions evolution analysis using a green investment model. Ecological innovation helps to limit carbon dioxide emissions, which is crucial to resource distribution and effectively summarizes the regularity and innovation of the process of limiting carbon dioxide emissions. Under the condition of fully grasping the principles of low-carbon city development and related policy protection, find a suitable low-carbon city development model. This paper analyzes the impact of ecological innovation and green investment on carbon dioxide emission limitations by building a data analysis model. The results of the case analysis show that the impact of the green investment scale on Chinese carbon dioxide emission restrictions is an inverted U-shaped relationship. The scale of green investment, economic competition, and marketization of capital allocation has a negative impact on Chinese carbon dioxide emissions, while green investment and ecological innovation have a positive effect on the green and low-carbon development of the Chinese economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By constructing a technology spillover connectedness index and connectedness matrix, this paper studies the technology spillover connectedness among innovation agents in China from the perspective of network topology. An empirical study based on invention patent data finds that there is noticeable technology spillover connectedness among the six innovation agents: central enterprises, other domestic enterprises, universities and scientific research institutes, troops, individuals and other organizations, and foreign-funded enterprises. Other domestic enterprises are the hub of technology spillover connectedness among these agents, while foreign-funded enterprises play a limited role. The study of further subdividing foreign-funded enterprises according to their sources finds that the United States, South Korea, and Japan are the centers of technology spillover connectedness in China. The dynamic evolution of technology spillover connectedness shows that the total technology spillover connectedness among innovation agents presents an obvious downward trend, which is closely related to the complex and changeable international economic situation and the uncertainty of China's economic policy in recent years. This paper concludes with insights into how China uses the spillover connectedness among innovation agents to spur agents' innovation performance and promote the nation's economic growth and competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the initiatives in various jurisdictions to impose ex ante regulation on "digital gatekeepers" – large online platforms that are necessary intermediaries between business users and their customers – have attracted considerable attention, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate on the equally important need to strengthen effective antitrust enforcement in digital markets. The focus is on possible adjustments to the current competition law framework on unilateral conduct. The paper examines four proposals. First, it argues in favour of revisiting the error-cost framework and considering the introduction of presumptions of anticompetitiveness in limited circumstances. Second, it makes the case that competition authorities should make greater use of restorative remedies to reinject lost competition in the market. Third, it discusses the need for greater focus on harms to quality and innovation. Fourth, it argues that when competition has been irreparably harmed, EU competition authorities should consider exploitative cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Economic Administrative & Legal Sciences is the property of Arab Journal of Sciences & Research Publishing (AJSRP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper emphasises the fact that innovation is a driver for development and a leading factor in economic growth and ensuring a high level of competitiveness. The impetus for further development is given to those countries that already have a sufficient innovation level of the economy. The aim of the research is to determine the role of innovative development of a country in its economic development and competitiveness of the national economy. The world's leading countries now face the challenge of building a competitive economy, so the dynamics of positioning countries in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and Global Innovation Index (GII) has been provided and the view that innovation plays an important role in the country's development and the formation of its competitiveness confirmed. The authors have distinguished groups of countries by systematising the places they occupy. Furthermore, they have identified features of innovation strategies of the countries in the proposed groups. The paper also suggests integrated assessment of innovation and economic development of countries, which allows to determine their level, trace the dynamics and determine the relationship between innovation and economic development for every country. Additionally, the study has shown a relationship between the level of innovation and economic development for all countries under analysis. However, there is a difference in the degree of this relationship, which is higher for developing countries. Thus, it is expedient for these countries to pursue an active innovation policy to increase the level of economic development. Despite the fact that developed countries have more opportunities for active development of the innovative component in the national economy, their indicators in innovation and high-tech industries are declining and developing countries come to the fore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce and explore blockchain technology and its potential implementation to hospitality and tourism firms' wide range of business operations and transactions from a technological and functional point of view. This study's central interest is to produce novel and rigorous in-depth-review analysis and foundations for a broad discussion and outlook on the potential applications of blockchain technology benefiting hospitality and tourism research, as well as the industry as a whole. Design/methodology/approach: This study identifies and proposes several potential areas of the adoption and implementation of blockchain technology to the hospitality and tourism industry, including payment and cryptocurrencies, tracking and service customization, the disintermediation of hospitality and tourism, innovative loyalty programs, smart contracts, integrated property management systems, verified rating and review systems, collaborative initiatives and due diligence and smart tourism, each of which represents fertile avenues for future research. Findings: This paper provides extensive critical discussions, reviews and answers to a fundamental question: "What critical functions of Blockchain mechanisms can be implemented to the existing core operational (i.e. booking and reservation systems, guest management, etc.) and business functions (i.e. loyalty/reward programs, agent transactions, etc.) of hospitality and tourism companies?". Research limitations/implications: Future studies should specifically delve further into various angles of this "BizTech" environment based not only on business operations and competition but also on vendor and customer collaboration. Practical implications: This study intends to serve as a guidance for future research, facilitate knowledge accumulation and create a new understanding and awareness in both practice and academia. One of the most important applications of blockchain in this industry would be that pertaining to direct booking, online reservation systems (i.e. airlines and online travel agencies) and check-in/out with digital identities. With industry-wide blockchain adoption, guests' personal information can be digitally validated, saved and secured as previously established cryptographically secured codes verify one's identity without disclosing essential personal information. Originality/value: It is obvious that the hospitality and tourism industry needs urgent technological transformation, industrial innovations and new growth avenues such as the adoption of blockchain technology and systems to maintain its global market share in the future. Therefore, the implementation of blockchain systems can promote the formation of multi-center (i.e. guest operations and customer service), weakly intermediated (i.e. loyalty programs and/or review and rating systems) areas in this industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The paper aims to profile the theme issue of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes titled “How is the need for innovation being addressed by the Indian hospitality industry?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editor, contributors from the industry and academia and the theme issue outcomes.Design/methodology/approach The paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editor to reflect on the rationale for their theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process.Findings It highlights recent innovations that have taken place in the Indian hospitality industry especially in the areas of customer service, cost competitiveness, culinary management, revenue management and technology.Practical implications As hotel sector investment in India intensifies, this theme issue will be of interest to hoteliers, policy makers, analysts and others interested in the role that innovation can play in helping to facilitate differentiation between competing hotel products and services.Originality/value There is limited literature available on industry innovations in the Indian context. All the papers in this theme issue were written after several cycles of interaction between academics and practitioners and so they incorporate real–time, relevant and contemporary data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The aim of this paper is to unpack the nature of business innovation and understand the impact on regional innovation and competitiveness.Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a qualitative study of Advanced Manufacturing and Advanced Materials businesses in the Sheffield City Region (UK). Interviews were conducted with 23 firms in exploring how innovation in the firm translates to innovation-led regional economic growth.Findings The paper demonstrates that there is a tendency of owner managers to focus on innovation in terms of the development of new products, processes and/or services. Many of the businesses interviewed were technologically innovative, yet there was little evidence of wider business model innovation. This, the authors conclude, stymies regional innovation and with it regional economic growth.Research limitations/implications This study is based on a case study of the Sheffield City Region and is not generalizable, but offers insights into the nature of business model innovation which are valuable in generating questions for further research.Practical implications The paper highlights the need to think of innovation in broader terms and the scope of business model innovation to not only improve the performance of firms but also regional economic growth.Originality/value Business model innovation is a growing domain of the literature, and this paper highlights how narrow interpretations of innovation may serve to limit growth business growth, and with it regional economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is probably the first written paper using the concept of `the national innovation system' and it analyses how technological infrastructure differs between countries and how such differences are reflected in international competitiveness. It makes a critical review of new (in the 1980s) developments in the theory of international trade and confronts them with recent empirical results. It shows how competitiveness cannot be explained by wage rates/prices/currency rates. Technological leadership gives absolute rather than comparative advantage and technological leadership will reflect institutions supporting coupling, creating, clustering comprehending and coping in connection with technology. The analysis is rooted in historical context through references to Friedrich List and his criticism of Adam Smith and laissez-faire. Special emphasis is put on List's concept of mental capital. Finally, the analytical arguments are illustrated by the catching-up and forging ahead of first Germany and later Japan. The paper concludes that disequilibria in international trade will be persistent and that for laggard economy the free trade doctrine may be unduly restrictive. Another conclusion is that public investment in technological infrastructure and intellectual capital is crucial for successful economic development. It is pointed out that there is a need to couple education, science, trade and industry policy in order to build competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role played by skilled migrants in strengthening the competitiveness in the destination economy is relevant in the European debate. This paper analyzes the special link between migration and innovation by exploring the role of skilled migrants in the innovation process. More deeply, it introduces several results provided by the literature which help to describe and understand this phenomenon. Thus, the paper defines the existence of 'migration gain' for the innovation process of the destination countries and introduces the 'Brain Competition'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on articles and reports about research and development published in several periodicals. It includes "Special Issue: Venture Capital: A New Mode of Financing Innovation," in the "International Journal of Technology Management," "The Value of Innovation: The Interaction of Competition, R&D and IP," by Christine Greenhalgh and Mark Rogers in "Research Policy," and "The Role of Corporate Scientists in Innovation," by Ryuzo Furukawa and Akira Goto in "Research Policy."

This paper explores the relationship between the level of competition and innovation output for domestically focused businesses in emerging economies in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It uses survey data from 5054 businesses from the fifth Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey. A multivariate probit estimation of the likelihood of different innovation types finds that higher levels of competition are associated with greater likelihood of innovation, but this rises at a decreasing rate as competitor numbers grow. Also, firms operating in economies where competition policy is more effectively enforced are more likely to innovate. However, there is a point where ‘too much’ competition leads to less innovation – suggesting a tipping point effect. This suggests that policies to maximise competition, as measured by number of competitors, may not be optimal for promoting innovation in emerging economies. This requires a need for more nuanced competition policy approaches. The paper also finds that businesses relying on local markets are significantly less likely to introduce innovations than businesses trading domestically outside their local area, but increased competition in local markets increases the likelihood of businesses introducing product innovation. This points to a local rivalry effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abuse of dominance investigations around the world are often form-based, primarily centred on the pre-requisite of dominance. This may lead to false positives or restrict innovation in today's dynamic and complex markets. Accordingly, abuse of dominance enforcement requires a shift towards adopting an effects-based approach, weighing pro and anticompetitive effects and considering efficiency justifications. The European Union is increasingly moving in this direction, as is demonstrated by its case law that is analysed in this paper. The paper also explores competition law in India—traditionally a form-based jurisdiction for abuse of dominance investigations—and finds an encouraging trend towards an effects-based approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, interest in corporate environmental strategies shifts from cleaner processes to the holistic nature of green products. The relevant literature argues that firms have the opportunity to pioneer through green product innovation, allowing them to differentiate and thus gain competitive advantage. Environmental burden of products during their entire life cycle is undeniable. Due to the weakness of the existing literature that inadequately addresses a commonly accepted green product definition, as well as the thereby caused inconclusive academic empirical results on firms' competitiveness, there are many cases of businesses greenwashing behavior. The overall contribution of this exploratory paper, on determining and evaluating the degree of greenness of a product, is twofold; first, starting with a systematic literature review, authors further contribute by proposing an integrative definition that addresses the so far existing terminological gap. Next, after reviewing the existing environmental assessment tools, authors based on the developed definition and in accordance to its dynamic dimension contribute to the existing methodology, as the paper reveals issues that need to be considered in the evaluation of green products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a three-tier assessment model (TAM), aiming to identify and evaluate the competitiveness level of companies. The existing problem is that companies find it difficult to choose a proper model which can be deployed to benchmark with competitors in terms of their competiveness level in the marketplace. Most of the available models are not appropriate or easy to use. The proposed assessment model is able to provide an insight for better planning and preparation so as to gain a better chance of success comparing with their competitors. Most importantly, the proposal model adopts a pragmatic approach and can be implemented without going through tedious mathematical calculations and analysis.Design/methodology/approach TAM embraces three different approaches deployed in various stages of the application process. The first stage is to identify the relevant criteria using hierarchical holographic modeling and the second stage is to assess the associated weightings of these criteria used to rate the potential competitiveness of related companies. The technique used in stage two is known as fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) which is a combination of two well-established methods including fuzzy logic and analytical hierarchical programming. In stage three, a technique known as technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) is adopted to benchmark the level of competitiveness covering several companies in the same industry.Findings In this paper, a case study is conducted in order to validate the feasibility and practicality of the proposed model. Results indicate that TAM can be easily applied in various industrial settings by practitioners in the field for supporting operations management practices.Research limitations/implications Significant amount of work is needed to ensure that the proposed model can be practically deployed in real industrial settings.Practical implications This proposed model is able to capitalize on the benefits of the HMM, FAHP and TOPSIS methods and offset their deficiencies. Most importantly, it can be applied to various industries without complex modification.Originality/value This paper suggests a hybrid model to assess competitiveness level embracing three different techniques with the unique feature which is able to provide an insight for better planning and preparation in order to excel competitors. Companies may be able to follow the procedures and steps suggested in the paper to implement the model which is proven to be pragmatic and can be applied in real situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Question: The paper investigates a relationship between innovation and transformational/transactional leadership, as well as the impact of these two leadership styles on innovation. Motivation: As there is a small number of studies that have examined the impact of transformational and transactional leadership on innovations within the hospitality industry and in Serbia, the need for investigation is obvious. The paper draws on methodology and works of Bass and Avolio (1997), Hogan et al. (2011) and Nasution et al. (2011) which are, in this paper, applied to the context of hotel industry. The results of this study will expand theory in this field and can be used as a significant practical guide for hotel management in order to achieve business improvement. Idea: In today's turbulent business environment the ability of the organization to innovate has been a decisive factor of surviving, creating and maintaining competitive advantage on the market and also a critical factor in improving what the organization does. The aim of this research is to determine the predictive effect of transformational and transactional leadership on innovations within hotel industry in Serbia. Data: The study included 512 employees in 57 tree, four and five-star hotels in Serbia. A convenient sampling method was applied. The questionnaire used measured the employees' attitude towards innovations and transformational and transactional leadership, as well as sociodemographic variables Tools: The data were prepared and analysed using statistical software IBM SPSS 24.0. Statistical data processing methods used in this paper are descriptive statistics, the reliability of the instrument, correlation and regression analysis. Findings: The research results show that both transformational and transactional leadership styles predict innovations, where transformational leadership style is a stronger predictor and better correlates with innovations. The results show that transactional leaders may also encourage innovativeness, but within the frames of the tasks already set. They can also motivate the employees by using different methods such as stimulative rewards, however, they are primarily focused on task execution. Contribution: The results can be used in making future decisions, measures and standards related to human resource management, as well as the development and promotion of innovative activities in hotels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on the impact of competition on firms' efficiency and productivity. Looking at the effects of changes in competition overtime or analysing the relationship between competition and productivity across many product markets, a large body of empirical studies finds evidence of a positive relationship between competition and productivity, greater competition on the market leading to higher levels of productivity. On the other hand, the relationship between competition and innovation is highly debated, evidence suggesting a non-linear relationship with both very high and very low degree of competition discouraging firms from innovating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interorganizational business process reengineering is a logical extension of discussions of the potential for interorganizational systems to fundamentally redefine relationships among buyers, sellers, and even competitors within an industry. This paper presents a model of the relationship between technological and process innovations and describes the interdependence of these two forces. This model is used to explain the inconsistency in the literature regarding the benefits of EDI and other interorganizational systems, which are described as providing strategic competitive advantage in some papers and as providing little or no benefits for implementing firms in other articles. The framework describes the importance of merging technological and process innovations in order to transform organizations, processes, and relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is widely regarded as a key factor for the economic development and competitiveness of companies and countries. It is, therefore, widely considered a policy instrument in various sectors, such as agriculture. In this sector, agricultural innovation is seen as a systemic and interactive phenomenon, which is the result of interactions between innovators and knowledge-generating organisations, as well as social and economic aspects of the context. This paper studies the social structures of multi-actor partnerships involved in interactive innovation processes in agricultural innovation systems, analysing the type of actors involved and the roles they play in the innovation process. For this purpose, 17 case studies were analysed in the framework of the Liaison project, an H2020 project, using social network analysis (SNA) and descriptive statistics. The results show that the studied multi-actor partnerships have been mostly funded by outside sources of funding, highlighting European funds. The innovation networks have a heterogeneous composition, but when we analyse the frequency of interactions there is a tendency to establish greater interaction between organisations that are of the same type. In the "core" of innovation networks, research entities and farmers are central actors with the main role of technician expert and case study field workers, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The paper focusses on the efficiency evaluation of the EU-28 NUTS 2 regions production process according to the concept of the Regional Competitiveness Index 2013. Objectives: Production units are divided into four groups using the factors of regional competitiveness. Production technology also enables reduction of the undesirable outputs (a negative impact on health and long-term unemployment). Based on the analysis of distance of the production units from the efficiency frontiers, a directional output distance function assuming a constant return to scale is used. This approach thus respects the heterogeneity among the groups of regions. Methods/Approach: The nonparametric meta-frontier Data Envelopment Analysis approach was used in two steps. Firstly, the efficiency evaluation within each group of regions is provided and in the second step the meta-frontier is set down. For the measurement of the gap between the groupfrontier and the meta-frontier, the technology gap ratios are provided. The paper also analyses environmental inefficiencies. Results: The obtained results indicate that a significant improvement of meta-technology ratio holds within the European context. Conclusions: The combination of empirical findings, with respect to technology gaps and environmental technology gaps, supports the evidence that traditional differences of technological frontiers formation are more significant in comparison to group frontiers constitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovations currently represent a tool of maintaining the going concern of a business entity and its competitiveness. However, effects of innovations are not infinite and if an innovation should constantly preserve a life of business entity, it has to be a continual chain of innovations, i.e. continual process. Effective live of a single innovation is limited while the limitation is derived especially from industry. The paper provides the results of research on innovations effects in the financial performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Czech Republic. Objective of this paper is to determine the length and intensity of the effects of technical innovations in company's financial performance. The economic effect of innovations has been measured at application of company's gross production power while the Deviation Analysis has been applied for three years' time series. Subsequently the Survival Analysis has been applied. The analyses are elaborated for three statistical samples of SMEs constructed in accordance to the industry. The results obtained show significant differences in innovations' survival within these three samples of enterprises then. The results are quite specific for the industries, and are confronted and discussed with the results of authors' former research on the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a model of innovations and endogenous economic growth with two main assumptions: first, the cost of searching for innovations differs across innovations, and second, innovations take time to find. The paper shows that given these two assumptions together, competition leads to patent races and to duplication of innovative activity. The paper then shows that duplication significantly reduces the effect of scale on growth. It also shows that competitive R&D creates too much research on easy innovations, and too little research on the difficult ones. Finally, the paper shows that risk sharing might increase duplication and reduce growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes competing firms' advertising strategies in markets characterized by dynamic market sizes. For new product innovations, a large literature has been developed on the basis of the celebrated Bass diffusion process, which captures what we call market-size dynamics. However, in spite of the significant literature incorporating competitiveness into the Bass model, few if any analytical results have been obtained, especially those with normative implications. On the other hand, important theoretical and empirical insights have recently been obtained using the famous Lanchester warfare model of competition, in which market-share dynamics are governed by advertising activities for mature products whose market sizes are typically fixed or stable. Our paper seeks to address the issue of optimal advertising strategies incorporating both market-share dynamics and market-size dynamics. In doing so, we seek to take advantage of the theoretical and normative insights currently available in the Lanchester formulation for mature products to obtain normative, analytical results on competitive advertising strategies for new product innovations whose markets evolve around the Bass process. We first obtain analytical solutions to the problem at hand and offer theoretical implications for competitive advertising on the Bass diffusion model. The model's parameters are then estimated using a set of data on sales and advertising expenditures of Polaroid Corp. and Eastman Kodak Co. in instant photography during the 1976-1985 period; optimal trajectories for the firms' advertising spending are then calculated, and other marketing and managerial implications of optimal advertising strategies are explored [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research is focused on the methodology for the evaluation of the programmes supporting smart growth based on knowledge and innovation drivers. The paper offers a synthetic view of the smart growth concept, its evolution in the last decades and the way it is transposed into the public interventions. The pressure for a better understanding of the interventions outcomes is increasing, and the quantitative methods are expected to improve the robustness and credibility of the evidence. However, the complex environment, data availability and accessibility are some of the constraints for extensive use of quantitative methods. Tailored evaluation frameworks with clear and strong links between the programmes implemented and the evidences produced and analysed are expected to ensure evaluations are useful and lead to policies improvements. The paper analyses the specific features of the evaluation framework of smart growth programmes with a focus on European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020, Smart cities strategies and their interactions. The research methodology is based on an extensive literature review, combining principles from theory and research with practical experience, testing the models on the specific case of current ESIF programmes and adapting them to the features of the smart growth - smart cities interventions. The paper outlines key elements of an evaluation framework, the programmes' elements and their causal links, potential evaluation questions from the perspective of smart cities stakeholders or ESIF stakeholders or both, an inventory of suitable variables with examples from the competitiveness and regional development programmes 2014-2020 in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to introduce a case study of Czechia in distribution of the EU funds and their spatial patterns. EU funds receive plenty attention from both European society and the scientific community. However, there is a lack of detailed evaluations of spatial and sectoral differentiation, which might bring a better understanding to the whole EU funds system. This paper attempts to fill this gap with a method of geographical differentiation analysis of the Czech operational programme Enterprise and Innovations 2007-15, which should increase the competitiveness of industry and develop services for commercial activities. Historically, subsidies often go to peripheral regions at the borderland with Slovakia and Poland, while regions along the borders with Germany and Austria receive only a low level of support. Jurisdictions of the major recipients from hi-tech sectors are mainly in the close vicinity of the largest cities (Praha, Brno), which are natural centres of high technologically demanding sectors, but a high share of high-tech subsidies goes to some peripheral districts as well. These findings can contribute not only to the academic discussion about contradictory developmental impacts of subsidies but to the all-European debate on the EU funds purposes as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]