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This research investigates the concept of resource enablement, defined as the degree to which a resource facilitates or reinforces the effectiveness of other resources through combination or integration. Resource enablement is characterised by two primary components: facilitation, making possible or easier, and reinforcement, strengthening or supporting. This study also introduces theconcept of resource miscibility and highlights its role, along with resource complementarity, as two primary dimensions of resource enablement. By examining the synergistic interactions among resources, this research advances the resource-based view and resource-advantage theory, providing new insights into how certain resources contribute to forming superior resource configurations that, in turn, drive competitive advantage. These findings provide actionable insights for firms to strategically deploy and align resources to form superior resource configurations. Future research should investigate the distinct roles of various resource types in resource enablement and extend the concept of miscibility to other marketing contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to explore the heterogeneous effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on the service productivity and profitability of tourism firms, applying the perspectives of stakeholder theory and the resource-based view. We employ data envelopment analysis to gauge service productivity and to conduct an analysis of inefficiencies and benchmarks for underperforming firms. Additionally, we employ a two-way fixed-effects regression model using unbalanced panel data to discern the heterogeneous effects of CSR practices on firm performance. Our findings indicate that internal CSR practices (involving managers and employees) are positively correlated with both service productivity and profitability. Conversely, external CSR practices (involving suppliers, customers, environmental and societal factors) exhibit a negative impact on profitability but do not significantly affect service productivity. Further analysis reveals that service productivity and profitability are less likely to be the primary drivers of CSR practices, mitigating concerns regarding a potential bidirectional relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of rapid digitalization, firms in Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) countries face unique challenges in adopting and integrating digital technologies (DTs). This study investigates how firms in Ghana and Nigeria navigate digitalization, examining both the drivers of DT adoption and the critical factors influencing successful integration. Through in-depth interviews with 12 CEOs of digital SMEs, the research reveals that while experience/exposure and problem-solving imperatives are primary adoption drivers, successful integration depends heavily on efficiency, quality, and cost considerations. The findings demonstrate that DT benefits manifest differently in BOP contexts compared to developed markets. While operational efficiency gains are universal to both contexts, benefits like financial inclusion and bridging institutional voids are distinctly valuable in BOP settings. The study extends RBV theory by showing that DTs can fundamentally alter organizational path dependencies in resource-constrained environments, enabling firms to bypass traditional infrastructure limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant influence of green human resource management (GHRM) on a firm's environmental performance (EP) has garnered considerable attention in recent literature. Research on GHRM has primarily focused on its impact on employee green behavior or outputs, neglecting its role as an organizational-level resource in facilitating the implementation of environmental strategy (ES). Additionally, limited attention has been paid to the influence of green consciousness (GC) of top managers on this process. Drawing on the resource-based view and upper echelons theory, this study employed a moderated mediation model to explore the relationships among ES, GHRM and GC of top managers. Data were collected from questionnaire responses of 476 senior executives from Chinese warehousing or logistics firms, gathered in three phases using a time-lagged approach. Results indicated that GHRM partially mediates the relationship between ES and EP. Additionally, it was found that GC of top managers moderates the relationship between ES and GHRM, acting as a boundary condition for the mediating effect of GHRM on EP. The study concludes with a discussion of several theoretical and practical implications arising from these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends research on buyer firm roles in improving supplier sustainability practices by considering institutions – norms and rules – in the organisational field in which suppliers and sub-suppliers operate, exerting pressures on these actors to align their respectivepractices. We introducethe resource-based view to arrive at a framework outlining key capabilities for institutional entrepreneurs that seek institutionalisation of corporate sustainability standards (CSS) as a new institution across a multi-tier supply chain. The paper draws on the results of an exploratory research study using six comparative case studies within four industries. While institutional entrepreneurship explains how organisations drive institutional change, the resource-based view outlines criteria for organisational capabilities enabling the focal firm to achieve the targeted institutional change. Our analysis suggests five key capabilities enabling a buying firm to effectively institutionalise their requirements in multi-tier supply chains: (1) inter-firm dialogue, (2) risk management, (3) external stakeholder collaboration, (4) cross-functional integration, and (5) continuous improvement. The key organisational capabilities identified help to extend the theory of institutional entrepreneurship with concepts that facilitate institutional change in multi-tier supply chains with respect to corporate sustainability. This exploratory work opens up avenues of additional research in general and supply chain theory development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has called for firms to prioritize reducing carbon emissions, however strategies to do so with external partners through institutional conformity and integration are lacking in research and practice. Drawing upon the resource-based view and institutional theory, the study in this paper proposes and tests a series of research hypotheses with Chinese firms. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse data and findings reveal carbon emissions reduction and low carbon institutional pressures are crucial forces driving external low carbon supply chain integration with external suppliers and customers. Further, low carbon supply chain integration overall positively impacts a firm's environmental performance, external customer integration positively impacts a firm's financial performance, and environmental performance plays a mediating role between external low carbon supply chain integration and financial performance. This study contributes by shedding new light on two patterns of external low carbon supply chain integration compared to prior studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeMethodology/ApproachFindingsResearch ImplicationsPractical ImplicationsOriginality/Value/ContributionTransformative marketing (TM) has reached considerable attention of both academic and practitioner communities. Being defined as the “confluence of a firm’s marketing activities, concepts, metrics, strategies, and programs that are in response to marketplace changes and future trends” (Kumar 2018, 2), TM aims at fostering beneficial customer-solutions and providing competitive advantages for firms and their stakeholders. However, five notable research gaps persist within TM to date: First, inadequate consideration of B2B contexts despite being a uniquely disruptive market constellation. Second, a lack of empirical TM studies hindering substantial insights on generalization. Third, scarcity of contextual foundations such as the prototypical, yet highly transformative application context of mobility ecosystems. Fourth, absence of a holistic view capturing TM instruments, strategies, and success metrics. Fifth, unexamined aspects of the Resource-Based View (RBV) in TM enabling further insights into firm’s transformation readiness. A distinctive feature of this research is its deliberate focus on B2B mobility firms, a domain characterized by high levels of disruption yet surprisingly neglected in TM literature. By delving into this overlooked sector, we aim to address critical knowledge gaps and unravel the intricate dynamics of disruptive B2B mobility ecosystems. For this purpose, we firstly delineate the morphology of disruptive B2B mobility ecosystems, shedding light on their structure and components. Secondly, we aim to develop a robust frame for assessing the “transformation readiness” of B2B mobility companies, crucial for navigating disruptive landscapes effectively. Thirdly, we endeavor to identify and scrutinize the TM instruments deployed within B2B mobility, with a view to constructing a comprehensive typology of TM strategies tailored to this context. Finally, we aspire to establish metrics for measuring the success of TM initiatives within B2B mobility companies, providing valuable insights for practitioners and scholars alike.This work presents a comprehensive qualitative study involving 30 in-depth expert interviews conducted between July-September 2023 in Europe and the U.S. Capturing the perspectives of multiple firm types active in B2B mobility, as suppliers, technology firms or mobility service providers (MSPs), the study takes a deep look into the TM phenomena of this turbulent environment. In addition to 14 managers with leadership experience in marketing, strategy and sales, our study incorporates 11 distinguished professionals from management boards encompassing CEOs, CFOs or CDOs. Further, we engage 5 leaders specialized in innovation and digitalization. The findings are derived through a thematic analysis employing both structural and open coding techniques (Saldana, 2013, Strauss & Corbin, 1998).Our study involves six major findings related to the questions defined. First, suppliers in B2B mobility have not yet transformed from a value-based toward an ecosystem-based acting and lack a customer-centric perspective (RQ1). Second, a company’s readiness for transformation is notably influenced by its commitment to design a market-oriented and integrated organization, its adoption of a transformative culture and its success to acquire software-oriented human capital (RQ2). Third, the transformative marketing (TM) instruments applied in B2B mobility markets relate to six thematic categories and are dominantly characterized by strategic levers – a facet, which has so far received limited theoretical and conceptual attention (RQ3). Fourth, there are four foundational TM strategies evident, namely dependent, progressive, reactive, and evasive approaches, distinguishable through their intensity and proactivity (RQ3). Fifth, the selection of TM success indicators remains largely independent from organizational types and management levels, with a primary focus on financial and profitability metrics (RQ4). And sixth, explaining the success measurement of TM in B2B mobility companies requires the consideration of a firm’s foundational TM strategy (RQ4).Our research advances the theoretical understanding of B2B TM, lays the foundation for further generalizing research and theory-building and enhances the current B2B TM perception toward a more strategic perspective. Additionally, we seek to contribute to a greater consideration of B2B marketing in contexts of turbulent environments. We emphasize that the integration of TM with the Business Ecosystem (BES) and the Resource-Based View (RBV) increases further explanatory power of transformational phenomena. In terms of the BES, we show that the perception of a turbulent environment varies depending on company type and has a major influence on a firm’s transformation. In relation to the RBV, our results demonstrate that within the B2B TM context, a stronger focus should be placed on identifying supportive and hindering transformation resources. Thus we propose describing the gap between existing (positive and hindering) and required resources as the “transformative resource gap (TRG)” and suggest, that this construct has the potential to enhance the RBV perspective on TM.The study presented offers the practitioner community to more thoroughly examine B2B firms’ TM phenomena. Connecting TM with concepts of the BES and the Resource-Based View (RBV) enables a deeper understanding of strengths and risks related to organization’s market-related activities. Further, we underline threats resulting from a missing market- and customer-centric perspective and recommend validating market assumptions near customers to reduce misjudgments. Additionally, our findings assist in managing the proactivity and intensity of TM, suggesting ways for reaching a progressive TM strategy. Ultimately, we encourage companies to select success metrics in line with their chosen strategy.Our research stands at the forefront of advancing the theoretical landscape of B2B TM by integrating two pivotal frameworks: the Business Ecosystem (BES) and the Resource-Based View (RBV). This integration is not merely incidental but strategically chosen to amplify our understanding of transformational phenomena within B2B contexts. By leveraging the RBV, we delve deep into the internal resources, capabilities, and competencies of B2B mobility BES, unraveling their unique strategic characteristics and sources of competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary developed Western societies, structural discrimination often bars ethnic minorities from entering mainstream entrepreneurship and labor markets. Consequently, minorities engage in microentrepreneurship for economic survival and to retain their social identities. Yet despite the economic value of ethnic minority microbusinesses, little is known about the underlying forces that develop fundamental resources which shape their performance. Based on Bourdieu's forms of capital and the resource-based view of the firm, our study presents a novel culture-induced entrepreneurship model. This model explains how ethnic minority culture shapes the development of human capital resources and how these resources contribute to business performance in communities which are often characterized as "left behind." Our study challenges the dominant underdog discourse of (cultural) capital deficit among ethnic minority entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to growing environmental concerns and sustainability issues, firms have to rely on green practices to overcome these challenges, and they should not be reluctant that it will adversely affect their financial performance. Some studies hold that a green entrepreneurial orientation is vital for achieving performance. However, scant research has empirically tested the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions under which green entrepreneurial orientation affects firm performance. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the influence of green entrepreneurial orientation on firm performance via green ('product and process') innovation. Additionally, multiple moderation effects: a). Corporate social responsibility moderates green entrepreneurial orientation and green ('product and process') innovation nexuses, and b). Differentiation strategy moderates green ('product and process') innovation influence on firm performance was also investigated. The hypotheses were empirically tested with primary data collected from 576 Italian small and medium-sized enterprises using the survey method and analyzed through structural equation modeling. On the foundation of the resource-based view, the results demonstrate that green entrepreneurial orientation directly and indirectly, through green ('product and process') innovation, influences firm performance. Evidence also confirms that corporate social responsibility and differentiation strategies positively moderate the proposed relationships. These results provide a new perspective on green entrepreneurial orientation, underlying mechanisms, and boundary conditions under which firms can improve their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning and innovation networks for sustainable agriculture (LINSA) are considered drivers of innovation towards a more sustainable agri-food system. However, sustaining long-term funding remains a challenge for many networks. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive conceptualization of how funding relates to LINSA continuation and suggests a classification of relevant funding instruments. Being purely conceptual, this paper combines perspectives of strategic management and nonprofit finance with empirical insights from innovation network literature to develop a conceptual framework on LINSA funding. The conceptual framework suggests that thriving LINSA require both an appropriate funding mix, which corresponds with the benefits provided, and an anticipatory utilization of financial resources to build and maintain relevant intangible resources. The availability of funding instruments which incorporate these findings is crucial for successful LINSA. The conceptual framework provides guidance to practitioners and policy makers who reflect on appropriate strategies and instruments for LINSA funding. By integrating perspectives from different disciplines, namely the resource-based view and the benefits theory of nonprofit finance, this paper contributes to an increased understanding of funding in network organizations. This is the first paper to offer an explicit conceptualization of how funding relates to LINSA development. It also provides a classification of relevant funding instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the perspectives of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) on sustainability performance reporting in Ghana and also determines the impact of the barriers and motivations on SMEs' decisions to engage in sustainability performance reporting. The study is based on cross-sectional data from 183 SMEs using a structured questionnaire as the research instrument. The study reveals that the extent of sustainability performance reporting of SMEs in Ghana is 38.3%. The results also show that financial constraints, lack of knowledge and awareness, lack of expertise, absence of legal/regulatory requirements and lack of motivation are some of the main barriers perceived as impeding SMEs from engaging in sustainability performance reporting. The study validates the propositions of the resource-based view theory. The findings of the study have important implications for considerations by the key stakeholders in trying to encourage SMEs to adopt or improve sustainability performance reporting behaviour in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human resource outsourcing (HRO) has been an important development in the HRM function since the 1990s as organizations seek cost reduction and competitive advantages. Does HRO enhance organizational competitiveness and strategic capability? Based on a systematic review of 97 journal articles published between 1999 and 2022, we identify several key patterns of existing research on HRO, such as a heavy reliance on quantitative methods, the dominance of traditional economic theories, and a focus mainly on the perspective of client organizations. However, whether HRO services can accomplish organizational strategic capability remains equivocal. To unpack the relationship between HRO and organizational performance, we establish an HRO process model which includes several blocks: HRO decision, HRO implementation, HRO perception, HRO evaluation, and HRO maintenance. Among these blocks, there is a dynamic interplay between multiple stakeholders across fields. We call for future HRO research and practice to pay attention to employee perception to enhance HRO's effect and value as part of strategic human resource management, thus extending HR system strength theory. We also call for future research to clarify the contextual role of emerging technology in promoting HRO, given the increasing use of digital technology and HR data analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is critical to identify ways to successfully implement blockchain which can transform the operations of shipping companies in the coming years. In this light, this study aims to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) of blockchain implementation using a comprehensive theory-driven approach, which is largely ignored by previous studies. The theoretical model is grounded on the synthesis of diffusion of innovation, resource-based view, institutional theory, stakeholder theory and technology-organization-environment framework. Correspondingly, five main-criteria and seventeen sub-criteria are identified. Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process is applied to rank the CSFs based on the feedback from experienced managers and directors working in maritime shipping companies. The findings show that in descending order of importance, the top five sub-criteria of blockchain implementation are relative advantage, internal leadership, human resources capability, scalability and ease of use. This study has provided a novel theoretical framework for blockchain CSFs research, offered strategy formulation in relation to marketing, technological skills upgrade, investments and subsidization, and knowledge cluster sharing to support blockchain implementation in the maritime industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green procurement expands firms' possibilities to contribute to environmental sustainability goals in supply chains, although knowledge of its drivers remains underdeveloped in developing countries. This research extends the literature on corporate environmental ethics to green procurement by developing a conceptual model, which posits that environmental training mediates the link between these variables under varying top management commitment conditions. The study's hypotheses are tested on survey data from 189 firms in Ghana. The results indicate that corporate environmental ethics does not directly relate to green procurement. Additional results suggest that corporate environmental ethics is a significant driver of green procurement if channeled through environmental training. Furthermore, the study finds that the contribution of environmental training to green procurement is amplified in firms where top managers demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental issues. Accordingly, this article presents insights into how firms in developing countries can leverage environmental ethics to pursue green procurement objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has been carried out in the field of business management to understand why some organizations perform better than others, while others fail. Strategic management field has a strong focus on exploring how firms operate and the performance differentials among them. In strategic management, predominantly, three theories are applied to assess firm performance. These theories are Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities theory (DC), and Contingency Theory (CT). Through a systematic literature review, this paper explores how these three theories have been applied to construction management literature to review and examine the performance of the construction firms. Review of 46 articles was carried out to identify the factors that affect the performance of the construction firms in line with the frameworks presented by the aforementioned theories. The findings of the study hold significance for future researches on performance determinants of construction firms by evidencing the application of RBV, DC, and CT in construction management literature, which paves the way to future research aiming at combining the underlying principles of these theories to explore construction firm's performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and the top management team (TMT) structural power framework, we investigate the relationship between Chief Information Officer (CIO) structural power and forward-looking firm performance. In addition, we examine the contingency roles of market turbulence, industry IT intensity, and operating efficiency in shaping the above relationship. Using a sample of 7,185 firm-year observations and a panel fixed-effects model, we find that CIO structural power is positively associated with forward-looking firm performance (proxied by Tobin's q). Further, our results suggest that the benefits of CIO structural power are higher under greater market turbulence, higher industry IT intensity, and greater operating efficiency. Our empirical results imply that the board of directors should consider endowing CIOs with a higher structural power, especially when an organization faces greater volatility in industry sales, competes in a more IT-intensive industry, and operates at a more efficient level. This research contributes to the RBV literature and integrates RBV and structural power frameworks to offer newer insights into the contemporary role of an important TMT member, the CIO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research makes an initial attempt to analyse the effects of blockchain patents on a firm's financial performance. Blockchain technology has received increased attention since bitcoin prices skyrocketed in 2016, and applications for blockchain patents rapidly increased thereafter. Prior studies have documented that blockchain innovation could add economic value to firms, but without robust empirical analyses. Therefore, this study provides the first empirical approach to determine the effect of blockchain patents on a firm's financial performance. We find that a firm's blockchain patents are positively associated with firm value and firm performance. Moreover, the association between a firm's blockchain patents and firm value or performance is more pronounced in markets with higher competition. This study provides theoretical and practical implications. The empirical results of this study lend credence to the argument that blockchain patent contributes to real value creation. We also add to blockchain literature and extend the literature discussing environmental uncertainty. Moreover, this study suggests useful insights for firms that consider developing blockchain patents and implies the signalling effect of blockchain patent in the capital market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Market orientation (MO) and technological capability (TC) have been regarded as critical determinants of Firm performance (FP). However, scant studies explain how technological capability and market orientation are linked in explaining firm performance. Using a Resource-based view and Dynamic capability as theoretical underpinnings, the present study seeks to examine this gap in the knowledge structure by adopting the Partial Least Squares SEM methodology. The findings indicate the necessity of alignment between a firm’s technological resources and marketing orientation for generating new insights, better communication, and coordination to respond to changing marketing needs. The empirical data was gathered from the founders, co-founders, managing directors, managers, and consultants of firms located in India (N = 141). The results of the PLS path modelling assert the significant relationship between TC and MO and how MO influences firm performance; however, the link between TC and FP was found to be insignificant in the presence of MO as a mediator. Therefore, the findings of the path analysis reveal the mediation impact of MO on the TC-FP link. Overall, the study emphasises the importance of fostering technological capabilities to generate and disseminate organisation-wide marketing intelligence for enhancing superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing has become relevant due to the increasing need for computing, storage, and communication over the internet. This growth, however, is not same across the geographies. While developed economies have adopted cloud-based services, emerging economies are still lagging. As digitization has become core to policy-level strategies, a slow adoption of cloud-based Information and Communications Technology (ICT) may impact growth. The adoption and growth of cloud-based services depends on the readiness of the broader ecosystem. This study evaluates the factors influencing the cloud computing readiness of selected countries. In the process, the study extends the existing understanding of the ranking system by providing additional insights into the countries' performances against their potentials by using technical efficiency analysis. The study identifies and categorizes countries into four groups: aspirants, initiators, performers, and achievers. Results suggest that political-regulatory-business environment, investing in research and development, tertiary education, and knowledge-worker significantly impact cloud computing readiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the value of provenance representations in the marketing and promotion of craft beers, which have seen an increase in sales in recent years. A cross-comparative analysis of qualitative data from the labels of 118 craft beers in Wales (UK) and 124 in Brittany (France) identifies an abundant use of cultural representations, especially language, symbols and folklore. Findings point to the value of craft brewing in supporting local economies through social terroir, and consumers' connections to place, which promote social and economic sustainability, and could be harnessed through marketing strategies to stimulate local beer tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper asks to what extent team tactics qualify as internal sources of competitive advantage in team sport industries. Team tactics are complex routines for situated action, which require highly skilled actors to perform them. However, in an industry structure facilitating a highly unequal allocation of athletic talent, the potential of tactical routines to create competitive advantage is limited and incentives to exploit new routine options are dulled. The paper addresses the research question on the basis of a quantitative case study on empty goal tactics in German professional league handball. There is evidence for a strong quality hierarchy between teams. Superior teams perform significantly better in standard tactic situations. A new tactical option is used primarily to resort to standard routines. New routines are avoided when incompatible with already established routines and do not promise a competitive advantage. In a highly hierarchical team sports industry, the key resource heterogeneity, which creates competitive advantage, remains athletic talent. Creating new tactical options will not suffice to increase competitive balance. Teams have to develop key upstream higher-level routines before team tactics become relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zoltners, Sinha, Sahay, Shastri, and Lorimer (2021) article provides an excellent macro model of how sales digitization is related to organizational success. Additionally, the authors provide recommendations for avoiding pitfalls and achieving success in sales digitization programs. The intent of this article is to facilitate future research on these linkages identified in the Zoltners et al. article by discussing how specific models and theories might inform research on these linkages, including Complexity Leadership Theory, business models and contextual boundary conditions, a resource-based view of the firm, and Transaction Cost Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study estimates the factors influencing micro and small enterprise financial performance in the non-farm sector of Ghana. Data was sourced from Ghana ECG/ISSER Socio-Economic Panel Survey in 2010. The study is underpinned by the resource-based view theory of firm performance. Ordinary least squares were used to determine the factors affecting financial performance and quantile regression used to analyse the variation of financial performance among enterprises. Many variables including; gender of the enterprise owner, enterprise owner's age, technical education, enterprise years of operation, enterprise location, enterprise sub-sector, number of casual, hired labour, and enterprise value of assets significantly influenced enterprise financial performance. Enterprise resources dominated industry and sector characteristics in shaping enterprise financial performance. Inter-quantile regression results indicate that gender variable was statistically significant across six inter-quantiles emphasizing the importance of gender. Enterprises in the services sub-sector were less profitable relative to those from the manufacturing, trade and restaurant sub-sectors. The results from the quantile regressions dismiss the argument that a joint set of factors influence the financial performance of enterprises, and that those factors do not vary irrespective of whether the enterprise is performing well or not. Technical education should be promoted in order to improve enterprise performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The music industry has grown to depend financially on live events, making value creation and appropriation critical. Connecting the resource-based view and organisation population ecology, this study investigates how generalist and specialist live music event producers differ in their ability to create and appropriate value. Evidence based on 631 live music events shows that generalists are able to create and appropriate more value than specialists by setting higher minimum prices and employing more price categories. The generalisability of the findings is discussed by describing which market conditions drive the effect of niche width on value creation and appropriation, identifying high fixed costs paired with a superstar effect and a heavy reliance on status as likely candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study empirically investigates service provider firms' attempts to move to higher value-added market segments in competitive and fragmented markets, using logistics services as a context. Novelty is added by taking the provider not the customer or outsourcing actor perspective, common to current third-party logistics perspectives. Data were collected in the form of semi-structured interviews with management at various provider firms. The interview guide was based on theoretical constructs regarding tangible and intangible capabilities (RBV) as well as constructs related to governance and integration (TCE). Unlike customer focused studies, this study is able to identify what distinguishes the rare successful boundary crossing attempts that lead to a more profitable market position. The key finding which contradicts studies based on the customer/outsourcing actor perspective is that a switch from a highly commoditised market position to a higher margin position is only possible, if relationships and network capabilities are leveraged, regardless of the assets and physical resources available to the firm. The presentation of service boundaries as both dynamic and fluid and the use of RBV are contributions, building on existing theory, illustrating why providers of commoditised services cannot escape from low-margin, competitive market positions simply by acquiring tangible assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data application is a significant transformative driver of change in the retail, health, engineering, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Big data studies in construction are still somewhat limited, although there is increasing interest in what big data application could achieve. Through interviews with construction professionals, this paper identifies the capabilities needed in construction firms to enable the accrual of the potentially transformative benefits of big data application in construction. Based on previous studies, big data application capabilities, needed to transform construction processes, focussed on data, people, technology, and organisation. However, the findings of this research suggest a critical modification to that focus to include knowledge and the organisational environment along with people, data, and technology. The research findings show that construction firms use big data with a combination strategy to enable transformation by (a) driving an in-house data management policy to rolling-out the big data capabilities; (b) fostering collaborative capabilities with external firms for resource development, and (c) outsourcing big data services to address the capabilities deficits impacting digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government agencies can shape and impact organizations' opportunity sets and corresponding competitive environments. Therefore, firms realize that maintaining a close relationship with government agencies is crucial to create a favorable regulatory environment. Firms use lobbying as an effective method for influencing these agencies. Previous research studied the impact of public policies on firm outcomes and urged managers to understand the process of having successful relationships with government agencies. This research aims to capture the impact of firms' lobbying intensity on product diversification through firm-government agency interactions, building on the Resource-Based View. Findings indicate that higher firms' lobbying intensity is associated with higher levels of firm-government agency interactions. In addition, a greater amount of repeat firm-government agency interactions was associated with greater product diversification. The results suggest the importance of firms' lobbying intensity and firms-government interactions when seeking ways to increase firms' growth through product diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data has recently been recognised as one of the most important areas of future technology. It has attracted the attention of many industries, since it has the potential to provide companies with high business value. This paper examines the forms of business value that companies can create from big data analytics investments, the direct impacts it has on the financial performance of a firm, and the mediating effects of market performance and customer satisfaction. Drawing on the resource-based view theory, this study demonstrates that the business value achieved from investments in big data analytics leads to advantages in terms of the financial performance of a firm. The results offer evidence of the existence of a customer satisfaction mediation effect and of the absence of a market performance mediation effect. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed at the end of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud-based information management is one of the leading competitive differentiation strategies for firms. With the increasing criticality of information management in value creation and process support, establishing an integrated capability with cloud computing is vital for organizational success in the changing landscape of business competition. These issues have received scant attention, however. We draw on the resource-based view, dynamic capability hierarchy concepts, and the perspective of operand and operant resources to suggest a cloud value appropriation model for firms. We argue that, to appropriate business value from cloud computing, the firm needs to effectively deploy cloud computing and leverage cloud operant resources as firm capabilities in a hierarchical fashion toward the development of cloud computing-based service models in order to reliably achieve the desired business outcomes. We propose a model encompassing the principles of infrastructure and cloud platform deployment, integration and service orientation, and alignment with business processes that explain the linkage from cloud computing to firm performance. We test this approach to value creation with a cloud computing implementation assessment model using a sample of 147 firms that have implemented cloud computing in India. Our analysis uncovers a strategic value appropriation path from cloud technological capability to firm performance via cloud integration capability, cloud service portfolio capability, and business flexibility. This research offers new insights regarding the underlying mechanisms for how cloud computing affects firm performance via cloud-enabled capabilities and the business functions that are supported by cloud capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has established the dominant influence of collaboration and integration in manufacturing supply chains. However, the role of these characteristics in healthcare supply chain operations and performance has not yet been investigated. The current research proposes three assets under collaboration as dominant enablers of hospital-supplier integration: collaborative planning, collaborative execution and collaborative decision-making. Considering the advances in technology in healthcare, we propose that technology orientation moderates the above linkages. Survey-based responses were collected from hospitals, chemistry and pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment and surgical suppliers that are key entities in healthcare supply chains. In total, 239 completed responses were collected and analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings suggest all three as dominant enablers of hospital-supplier integration. Furthermore, technology orientation was found to positively moderate the impact of planning and execution on hospital-supplier integration. This orientation also suggested that hospital-supplier integration results in positive operational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates how a firm's foreign equity share affects its likelihood of strategic alliances with local firms, discussing the benefits and costs of such strategic alliances. Analysing a panel dataset of Korean firms, we find the inverted U-shaped relationship between foreign equity share and the likelihood of alliance involvement. We also find that the relationship depends on the types of alliance partner and industry. This relationship is relatively steeper when the foreign-owned firm collaborates with a local firm in a different industry. The negative effect of foreign equity share on the likelihood of strategic alliances dominates in high-technology industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the competitive advantage of the international logistics industry is vital for a country. While most literature addresses the competitive advantage of individual organisations from the resource-based view, relatively few studies assess various governmental influences on providing a competitive advantage to the logistics industry. Drawing on the institutional theory and resource-based view, this study empirically identifies the critical drivers that affect competitive advantage in the international logistics industry. From the initial findings and a review of the relevant literature, this study identifies infrastructure, technology, integration, and regulation as the main drivers. Empirical data were collected from 149 international logistics firms or service providers in Taiwan. The study results show that the logistics industry in Taiwan is satisfied with technology and infrastructure. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), this study finds that regulation and integration have a positive impact on the competitive advantage of the international logistics industry, whereas technology has a positive impact on integration. In addition, based on the results of bootstrapping analysis, integration has a mediating effect on the relationship between technology and competitive advantage of the international logistics industry. Theoretical, managerial, and policy implications are discussed to reinforce the competitive advantage of the international logistics industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romanian farming is characterized by fragmented land, high age of operating farmers and low productivity that raises the question of barriers and necessities for consolidation, development and succession. This study explores the development trajectories of smallholder farming in the Romanian counties of Cluj and Maramureș using the concepts of embeddedness (as outlined in the framework of global production networks) and the resource-based view. It aims to understand the interplay of framework conditions with the way how smallholders mobilize different types of resources. Conceptually, the study shows that the resource-based view should be applied within wider contexts: Aspects of societal and network embeddedness (including prevalent mistrust, informality in governing land and misaligned regulative incentives) favour high reliance on family for resource mobilization and hinder consolidation, succession and innovation. While commonalities with post-socialist countries exist, several structural factors are unique to Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon the resource-based view (RBV) theory, the present study examined the mediating role of absorptive capacity on the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and firm performance. A time lagged survey-based quantitative study was carried out for which the questionnaire was adopted from different published sources. With a total of 347 responses, the data was analysed using SmartPLS-3. The findings of the study supported all the hypotheses. The direct corporate entrepreneurship and firm performance relationship sought empirical support. Accordingly, absorptive capacity resulted as a significant contributor towards firm performance. Notably, it also mediated the corporate entrepreneurship and firm performance association. The paper underlines the novel idea of mediating role of absorptive capacity (ACAP) on the corporate entrepreneurship and firm performance relationship. In doing so, this paper explains how information plays a critical role in enabling a culture and performance factor of an organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses a gap in construction project performance measurement research from the perspective of small-medium-sized construction contractors in developing countries. Focussing on small-medium-sized contractors in the Jordanian construction industry, a survey of 231 Jordanian construction professionals was undertaken to investigate how different project stakeholders, intra and extra-organisational relationships and financial and non-financial measures support or hinder the delivery of project outcomes. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) an integrated theoretical performance measurement model was developed and tested which contributes to the advancement of construction project performance measurement research in a number of ways. First, it shows that small-medium-sized contractor project performance is a multi-dimensional, dynamic and contested construct which is bounded by environmental and organisational constraints, and inseparable from mainstream business performance. Second, it shows that performance is measured by six project-related constructs (project cost, time, quality, health and safety, environmental sustainability, and socio-economic performance) and three business-related constructs (profitability, client satisfaction and consultant satisfaction). Third, it shows that four intra-organisational groups of variables (leadership, management capabilities, human resource management and technical capabilities, resources and processes) have a significant impact on the overall project and business performance. Fourth, it shows that four extra-organisational groups of variables (client performance, consultant performance, supplier performance and external attributes) have a significant direct impact on project performance, but no moderating impact was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research expands our understanding of IT value by adding a customer-based view (CBV) to the prevalent resource-based view (RBV). Founded on a template analysis, this article suggests an integrated definition for IT value consisting of two complementary facets: monetary customer value and non-monetary organizational value. Value from IT investments can have direct or indirect effects on firm performance. This research also discusses the relationship between IT value, firm performance, and competitive advantage. Abbreviation: CBV: Customer-based view; CI: Customer intimacy (customer-value category); ER: External relations (initial organizational-value category); ESC: Enhanced skills and capabilities (organizational-value category); FX/A: Flexibility, agility (organizational-value category); IS: Information systems; IT: Information technology; K/C: Knowledge and control (initial organizational-value category); OE: Operational excellence (customer-value category); PL: Product leadership (customer-value category); RBV: Resource-based view; SA/SR: Strategic alliances/supplier relationships (organizational-value category); SP/DM: Strategic planning/informed decision-making (organizational-value category) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to explore how strategic resources in petroleum industry projects are to be best managed and exploited in order to deliver enhanced project performance and sustained business competitiveness. Framed upon the Resource-Based View ('RBV') theory, these resources should be 'Valuable', 'Inimitable', 'Rare' and be able to draw on 'Organisational support' ('VIRO'). Qualitative data were collected from petroleum industry organizations operating in the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman between 2017 and 2019. The analysis shows that at the project level, 'Value' and 'Organisational support' attributes of resources were positively related to competitive advantage and both impacted by dynamic capabilities and innovative environment. However, the 'Rareness' and 'Inimitability' attributes showed less evolution. We also find that at the project level, the main characteristics of organizational resources were that they are 'Valuable', 'Organizationally supported', and that they could be 'Uniquely exploited' while being 'Readily available'. The results suggest a desire by project-oriented organizations to replace the 'Rareness' and 'Inimitability' attributes within VIRO with two alternative attributes, namely 'Unique exploitation' and 'Timely availability' of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few external shocks have had as severe an impact on organisations as COVID-19. To date, research on how management can respond to such a trigger event is lacking. Due to their economic relevance, family firms, which are typically resource-constrained and rely on idiosyncratic resource allocation behaviour, are of particular interest in this regard. Based on a multicase study of German family firms and building on longitudinal insights from 112 semistructured interviews, we develop a framework explaining how an external shock such as the COVID-19 pandemic can trigger a change in family firms' motives. Linking adapted motives of family firms (i.e. survival, utilisation, and opportunism) with their resource allocation behaviour during the crisis (in terms of resource preservation, resource recombination, and social boundary resource development), we reveal how digital innovation (digital process innovation, digital product innovation, and digital business model innovation) originates as a result of a process of entrepreneurial action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to classify a set of circular supply chain collaboration attributes and propose a cause-and-effect framework in the Vietnamese healthcare industry. A circular supply chain is argued to better retrieve value from end of life products to create zero waste, the collaboration within the value chain is seen as a critical facilitator for the transition process and the attributes for bringing this collaboration into practice still need to be discovered. The five aspects suggest as vision and learning in circularity, connection in a circular supply chain, circularity in business model, reverse logistics policies and enabling collaboration by information technology. Fuzzy Delphi method is applied to eliminate unnecessary criteria; decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory and analytical network process are employed to prioritize attributes and identify the interrelationships. Results illustrate that vision and learning in circularity, reverse logistics policies and enabling collaboration by information technology belong to causal group, whereas connection in a circular supply chain and circularity in business model are members of effect group. The top criteria are shared vision guidance on collaboration, a shift in problems framing in supply chain, a shift in problems solving in supply chain collaboration and information technology competency in circular supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore how environmental and social performance of manufacturing firms can be improved as sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) develops and evolves within a firm from internal to external practices. Importantly, this study considers how key suppliers’ sustainability performance and buyer–supplier trust mediate and moderate such a development. A conceptual framework is developed which relies on resource-based theories and emerging empirical evidence. Then, partial least square methodology is applied on survey data from a sample of Italian manufacturing firms. Results show that manufacturing firms’ sustainability performance improves as SSCM develops; however, while internal practices have a direct impact on performance, the effect of external practices on a manufacturing firm’s sustainability performance is fully mediated by key suppliers’ sustainability performance. Yet, buyer–supplier trust significantly influences the scope of such gains. Since evidence suggests that manufacturing firms are still struggling with how to leverage supply chain innovation potential for sustainable development, this study provides a timely and valuable contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Equipment management capability is crucial to the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing enterprises. Past studies ignore its significance and have not assessed manufacturing performance from the perspective of capability maturity yet and still want evidence from empirical test. For addressing this research gap, we combine research methods of qualitative and quantitative to define equipment management capability for exploring and verifying the relationship between equipment management capability maturity and manufacturing performance. Results of this study from 136 valid questionnaires indicate that capabilities of strategy, personnel and IT infrastructure have direct positive effects on manufacturing performance. Among them, equipment management strategy takes organisational & process and IT infrastructure as mediating variables, which have indirect positive influence on manufacturing performance. Meanwhile, organisational & process takes IT infrastructure as mediating variable which has indirect positive influence on manufacturing performance. Our work opens the black box of equipment management capability system and provides theoretical guidance for improving manufacturing performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the determinants of first-time diversification activities undertaken by about 3,000 startups in the United States. Drawing on the resource-based view, we examine the impact of resource endowment on the timing of diversification. We further examine the effect of the timing of diversification on the likelihood of firm survival and then test for persistence. The analysis offers three main insights. First, resources play a crucial role in early diversification. Second, early diversification reduces the hazard of exit from the market. Third, the positive impact of early diversification on survival attenuates after five to six years. Our study contributes to the literature on the resource-based view and firm survival. The findings have important implications for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and entrepreneurship scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some scholars and practitioners argue that markets have become hypercompetitive, decreasing the opportunities for sustainable competitive advantage. We test for increasing competition in a panel of 266 Danish firms from 7 industries over the period 1980–2017. We find no support for the argument that the market across industries has become hypercompetitive over this period. The durability of abnormal business returns has remained stable. Dynamism only changed in the 1980s, and levels of munificence are also stable. We do, however, find a small decrease in the survival probability rate of firms over time. Our results lead us to caution against the use of hypercompetition as a universal label for the state of contemporary competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas strategic alliances have been widely used to foster product innovation, the extant literature offers inconsistent arguments and inconclusive empirical evidence regarding how the number of partners (i.e., partner multiplicity) in an alliance affects a focal firm's product innovation performance. The resource-based view (RBV) posits that having more partners in an alliance should benefit a focal firm's product innovation because of more diverse and a large shared knowledge pool among partners, whereas transaction cost economies (TCE) holds that alliance partner multiplicity may hurt a focal firm's product innovation due to highex-ante and ex-post costs, and increased governance difficulty and coordination complexity. Building on the RBV and TCE, this study examines the contingent roles of partner-, alliance-, and industry-level factors (i.e., alliance foreignness, alliance duration, and industrial competition). Drawn from multi-informant survey data, the findings reveal that alliance partner multiplicity does not significantly affect a focal firm's product innovation performance in an emerging market. However, such an effect becomes positive in alliances that involve only domestic partners, operate for relatively short durations, or operate in highly competitive industries. These findings yield new insights with which to disentangle inconsistent arguments in the existing literature and offer important implications for firms seeking innovation benefits from multilateral partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a novel historical angle, this paper examines a fundamental question of why bribery is so prevalent throughout Vietnamese history, why it has become a culturally acceptable norm, and what historical factors attributed to its prevalence at all levels, individual, firm, and country. We examine the moderating effect of Vietnam's historical eras on the relationship between the ethical judgement of bribery and the likelihood of bribing. Moreover, the concept of strategic firm competition is introduced to the ongoing debate on whether large firms are more likely to bribe and whether there is a link between market openness and bribery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of manufacturing flexibility (MF) is gaining growing importance in production/operations management, mainly due to the changing nature of competition, and in such a context, the efficient use of resources may be a major concern and challenge for manufacturing strategy in many industries, particularly in the capital intensive automotive industry. Building on the foundation laid by previous researches on flexibility concerns, the objective of this study is to gain further insights on the nature of the linkage between employees’ skills and MF, as well as its impact on business performance. Moving toward such purpose, a structural equation modelling is applied to data collected from 144 manufacturing firms in the automotive industry from several countries. Findings provide evidences that workforce’ skills may foster MF as an effective approach to cope with uncertain environments and turbulent markets. More precisely, results show that employees’ skills directly influence new product, volume and mix flexibility, which in turn directly influence business performance. Moreover, findings revealed that MF mediates partially the relationship between employees’ skills and business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A salient characteristic of China's public–pgrivate partnerships (PPPs) is the deep involvement of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), particularly those administered by the central/national government (CSOEs). In this research social network analysis (SNA) was used to examine the role of different actors in transport and environmental protection PPPs in China in the period 2012–17. The results largely confirm the resource-based view and resource-dependency theory, showing that while CSOEs are dominant in both sectors, their dominance and control is greatest in transport sector projects that are more dependent on their accumulated experience, expertise, human capital assets and managemgent skills, that their dominance has increased over time, and that it is aligned with the provincial distribution of Chinese CSOEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research evidence has signified that relationship between human resource practices and performance is contingent on the effect of a contingent variable. Nevertheless, survey of the extant literature signifies paucity of research on moderating effect of management philosophy. Thus, this study examined the moderating effect of management philosophy on the relationship between high-performance work practices (i.e. selective hiring, training & development, performance appraisal, pay-for-performance, and succession planning) and firm performance. The study employed cross-sectional research approach in which data were collected from a sample of 372 managers in Nigerian firms. Partial Least Squares Method (PLS) algorithm and bootstrapping techniques were used to test the study's hypotheses. The overall findings confirm that selective hiring, training and development, performance appraisal and succession planning have significant positive influence on firm performance while pay-for performance has non-significant effect on firm performance. The findings also indicate that the positive effect of HR practices on organizational performance cannot be strengthened, if management philosophy of a firm is not consistent with the values, attitudes and beliefs of the employees. The findings have profound implications for both theory and practice. The findings support resource-based view (RBV) by implying that firm's human capital can serve as a basis of competitive advantage, given that employees are of strategic importance to the success of organization. HPWPs can be used as tools in managing human capital effectively. Nonetheless, the vague process (i.e. black box) in the HPWPs-Performance nexus should be examined by the future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social enterprises pursue social and economic goals simultaneously, but little is known about how they start an exporting strategy, especially if they are from emerging markets. We examined the determinants of exports of 522 emerging markets social enterprises (EMSEs) from Colombia. Based on a quantitative approach, our results show that EMSEs leverage their resources to start export operations if, in addition to capital, they leverage their structural and experiential resources. Structural resources include externally validated accounting and financial books, process certifications, and exposure in trading shows; experiential resources include the firm's staff having primary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firm-specific human capital (HC) is widely recognised as the most important resource for superior firm performance. Contemporary literature on the resource-based view (RBV) and resource orchestration has stressed the importance of organising resources, such as firm-specific HC, in order to fully exploit them. However, companies with idiosyncratic resources cannot rely on established resource exploitation practices, making the exploitation of firm-specific HC a complex issue. Nevertheless, few studies have empirically examined how to orchestrate firm-specific HC. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine how resource orchestration—operationalised as collaborative human resource management (CHRM) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) both individually and combined—moderates the relationship between firm-specific HC and firm performance. Based on a sample of 151 Swedish manufacturing firms, the findings demonstrate that CHRM and EO do not independently influence the relationship between firm-specific HC and performance. However, firms with firm-specific HC benefit from either being highly entrepreneurial and relying on CHRM or being non-entrepreneurial and not focusing on CHRM; they perform worst if they are entrepreneurial without using CHRM. Whereas previous RBV-studies on resource exploitation have mainly stressed that HC has to be exploited, this study contributes to the RBV by examining how firm-specific HC should be exploited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]