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The US federal government outsources much of its work abroad, spurring a large and competitive industry to implement these contracts. Simultaneously, the US government has an explicit foreign polic...

The tendency of strategic hackers to attack specific industries brings new challenges for information security management. This paper examines the interaction between firms in a specific industry a...

Consolidation of defence industry could be based on the model of MBDA, the Franco-British missile group, which has been able to unite both political and industrial visions. The aim is to develop a long-lasting and competitive industry that responds to needs and secures our independence.

The Chilean wine industry has been quite innovative in terms of winemaking and trading. Yet, to survive in this competitive industry, wine managers should be aware of the relevance of monitoring th...

Traditional studies show that CEOs’ overconfidence can mitigate underinvestment problem that occurs due to risk-aversion. To extend this argument, we investigate whether investment by overconfident...

We examine the impact of executive diversity on corporate innovation using an exogenous natural experiment: the implementation of high‐speed rail (HSR) in China. The findings suggest that after a city implements HSR, firms increase their executive diversity, resulting in better corporate innovation than firms in non‐HSR cities. Additional analysis suggests that when a firm belongs to a competitive industry, is located in a low marketization region, or operates in a poor transportation region, the impact of HSR on executive diversity and corporate innovation is magnified. Our findings carry implications for other emerging markets.

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the methodology used to identify clusters on the one hand and assess the economic impact that those may have on regions on the other hand. Design/methodology/approach – The influential work on “clusters”lead by Michael Porter since the 1990s has become a tool for promoting innovation and growth at national and regional level. Even if the theory has become very popular, a few empirical investigations were conducted since. In a recent study, Delgado, Porter and Stern developed a model to investigate the impact of cluster composition on the performance of regions in the USA. They find strong evidence that industries operating in a strong cluster environment perform better. The aim of this study is to improve the methodology used in evaluating the cluster environment and then to replicate their model and apply it to a highly competitive industry in Switzerland, namely, the precision goods sector. It enables to look closely at the importance of the microeconomic environment surrounding an industry at the regional level. Findings – In Switzerland, the precision industry forms a traded cluster in three different regions. The model then reveals that those regions perform better. The results show that industries located in or nearby regions with a strong cluster environment experience higher employment growth rates. Originality/value – It highlights the importance of the microeconomic environment even in small competitive countries.

Semiconductor manufacturing is a continuously challenging and competitive industry. It is important to detect any anomalies in the production facilities, or fabs, as they occur to avoid defect accumulations and loss of performance. In this paper we present a literature review of classification methods and detailed the chosen method which is One Class-Support Vector Machine (OC-SVM). This method is used for out-of-control detection in semiconductor manufacturing. The method is tested via an application using industrial data of the studied fab.

The article identifies and analyzes the priority factors that have a significant impact on the formation of a motivational mechanism for project management in strategically oriented enterprises. It is determined that well-selected staff and not just staff, but each employee is indispensable for the success of both the individual project and the enterprise as a whole, and if the company in today's highly competitive industry seeks to develop, it cannot afford dispersion in the selection staff and in motivating staff. It is established that since the focus of the development of the motivational mechanism of project management was a person, there is a need to analyze the motivational impact on staff during the project. It is also analyzed that the establishment of the main motives of the project team members, allows us to conclude that they all affect the effectiveness of strategic management of the enterprise as a whole. The article presents and argues the structuring of motivators and demotivators of the motivational mechanism of project management, which allows to summarize the main factors influencing the project team and increase the strategic activity of each project stakeholder. The article states that the key to the success of any company that implements the project approach will be to develop a management strategy in which actions in the company and its internal structure will be as consistent as possible with external conditions, and for this the company must develop such a motivational mechanism of project management, which will correspond to the system of strategic management of the enterprise as a whole.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to theoretically hypothesize and empirically test the impact of 3D printing (3DP) implementation on stock returns. It further explores how the stock returns due to 3DP implementation vary across different industry environments. Design/methodology/approach This paper integrates the dynamic capabilities view with contingency theory to provide a contingent dynamic capabilities (CDC) perspective on 3DP implementation. It argues that implementing 3DP enables firms to enhance their manufacturing capabilities and gain a competitive advantage, but the extent to which the competitive advantage can be realized is contingent on the fit between 3DP-enhanced manufacturing capabilities and firms’ operating environments. Those arguments are tested based on an event study of 232 announcements of 3DP implementation made by US publicly listed firms between 2010 and 2017. Findings The event study results show that firms implementing 3DP gain higher stock returns compared with their non-implementation industry peers over two years after the implementation. Such stock returns due to 3DP implementation are more pronounced for firms operating in more munificent, more dynamic and less competitive industry environments. Those findings are consistent with the CDC perspective. Originality/value This is the first research empirically examining the impact of 3DP implementation on stock returns. It provides important implications for managers to implement 3DP to enhance firms’ manufacturing capabilities and for researchers to study 3DP implementation from the CDC perspective.

The aim of the paper is to provide information based on data collected from the review of different reports about tourism, a fast moving and competitive industry, an ongoing challenge for the future when travelling is easier and the tourist has more choices and is more aspirational. We value the tourism of experience and that of niche, as the consumers are more cultivated and selective, traveling for self-discovery. New groups of consumers are willing to spend their hard- earned money for authentic travel adventure. Each experience is different and has psychological impacts, the authentic experience being obtained through identifying some new interactions of the tourist with the respective destination. Within this segment regarding the emotional impact we value the satisfaction of the tourists that is being influenced by some factors depending on the locations they had chosen. Luxury, culture, authenticity, experiences will shape the future in tourism. The digital technologies have become imperative in this competitive world and are shaping the traveler’s experiences as they provide valuable information. Our longing for journeys will always make us spend more money due to the higher level of living and this will go on as the number of tourists is increasing as well as the countries that invest in tourism.

This paper finds that product market competition level (measured by Herfindahl Hirschman Index using Fama French 48 industries) affects the performance of zero-cost investment strategies based on gross probability. From 1973 to 2017, the positive returns from such strategy mainly comes from the most competitive industry quintile while a strong reversal exists the second most competitive quintile. The same strategy does not generate any statistically significant returns in concentrated industry quintiles. Out of 25 dependently sorted portfolios on product market competition level and gross profitability, the top performing portfolio comes from the least profitable firms in the second most competitive industry quintile, where 65% of firms are from pharmaceutical and oil industries.

In liner shipping, business conditions have become tougher in recent years in an already very competitive industry. Retaining customers and trying to attract new customers are crucial for liner companies’ survival. Thus, it is vital for liner companies to deliver superior customer value with limited resources. This study aims to introduce 7 innovative solutions as design requirements (DRs) and examine to what extent these 7 solutions facilitate to enhance 5 proposed customer values (CVs) in liner shipping. CVs and DRs are identified based on literature analysis and then validated by interviewing academic and industry professionals. A case study of K Line provides insight of the relationship between the CVs and DRs. The Fuzzy QFD approach is deployed to analyze the relative importance of each DR. The results reveal that “Use of Eco Ship and Eco Container Technology”, “Big Data Solution for Ship Information Management” and “Automation and Digitalization of System” are the three most effective innovative solutions for enhancing customer value in liner shipping.

Objective - University branding becomes critical issue due to increasing number of private universities in Malaysia. Although education efforts in Malaysia has been continuously progress, institutions have difficulties to maintain as a powerful brand in competitive industry. Methodology/Technique - Bringing back a brand that consumers already familiar can save a lot of money. While some of institutions are able to maintain its brand image, some are still struggling even to meet the break even and unable to reposition the brand. While there are past studies and experiences on brand knowledge structures in hand, it is still confusing stage for how one could rebuild the brand image to achieve the intended positioning. Findings - The academic literature is particularly sparse in addressing this, and it is a confusing issue for the practitioners. The research discovers the theoretical foundations that relate to rebranding concepts and most critical factors that contribute to rebuilding the brand image of private institutions in Malaysia. Novelty - The current study seeks to shed light on the challenges of undertaking a rebranding exercise and introduce a framework that caters to the needs of brand managers at higher education institutions in Malaysia. Type of Paper: Review. Keywords: Brand Rejuvenation; Corporate Culture; Consumption Experience; Social Media; IMC. JEL Classification: A10, A30, A39.

The paper examines the benefits of financial accounting comparability for an emerging market. We document the benefits in the form of foreign equity investments. Our empirical results find that foreign investors prefer to invest in firms showing more accounting comparability. Our results also reveal that the benefits of accounting comparability are more prominent when firms have less visibility, operate in a less competitive industry, and have stock prices that reflect a lower level of firm-specific information. We further find that the effect of accounting comparability is lower for domestic mutual fund ownership. Overall, our study suggests that accounting comparability can complement a poor information environment concerning emerging market firms.

Due to the subjective and complex nature of topics like fun and enjoyment, the motivations for players engaging with interactive games are particularly difficult to explore. However, understanding player motivation within games is indisputably valuable for those wishing to succeed in this highly competitive industry. While numerous models exist to quantify the motivations felt by players, the industry is ever evolving, and emerging sub industries have given rise to new reasons to play. In this work, though a meta-ethnography study clustering 284 motivation metaphors extracted from 30 included papers, the Spheres of Motivation is proposed; a new preliminary typology which synthesizes the last three decades of player motivation research. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Fashion is a fast-paced industry where patterns last up to eight months, being an incredibly competitive industry where trends are constantly evolving. When it comes to companies, forecasting is a significant factor, knowing the trends and making right forecasts in line with the ever-changing trends can make a big difference in the success a company will have. It is important to investigate the various strategies introduced to achieve a more efficient way of predicting demands and consumer needs in order to better understand which techniques are to be used for the best possible outcome. The primary aim of forecasting is to better understand the patterns that impact markets and consumer needs. This paper analyzed the state-of-the-art forecasting methods used to predict market patterns in the fashion industry that could be implemented. The methods implemented to forecast, the models and algorithms used within the methods, the datasets used, and also the trade-offs for each system and model used are described in this analysis. In particular, this analysis will further explore Machine Learning models that are widely applied to support the forecasting efforts carried out in the fashion industry.

The study focused on understanding the impact of advertisement on adult buying behavior towards fast moving consumer goods among professional students. FMCG industry is the highly competitive industry where advertisement plays a vital role. MBA, MCA and Engineering students were selected for the study. A questionnaire was developed, which carried questions related to the demographic variables, purchase factors, advertisement factors, product and brand attributes. The collected data were coded, analyzed and tabulated with at most care. From the findings and discussions of the study and also from the literature review we came to the conclusion that advertisement influences the purchase factors which influence the buying behavior of the customers. The study started with a theoretical framework as attitude towards advertising influence both purchase factors and buying behavior, but this model was disproved and a new model has been developed using Structural Equation Model. The new model explains that advertisement and purchase factors have relationship and purchase factors influence the buying behavior

The operational costs of ship recycling yards will increase since the new regulations require more stringent standards for preserving the occupational and environmental health and safety of the people involved in recycling activities. Improvement of the current operational procedures and current levels of productivity will be critical to survive in a competitive industry dominated by low-cost substandard yards. The main aim of this study is to increase the productivity of the yards through the improvement of processes. In this study, cutting operation in the secondary zone is investigated using discrete event simulation. Alternative cutting technologies have been tested in a simulation to assess their impact on production performance and operating costs. This study shows that plasma cutting is a good alternative to oxyfuel cutting. Overall research conducted in this study is significant contribution to the literature as a novel approach for modelling processes and for the implementation of cutting technologies.

This article presents the main development trends in cooperative economics. The main directions of development of the cooperative movement in the Russian Federation are analyzed. An assessment of the developed social passport of the national project, namely, the volume of financing of federal projects and the results by the timing of their implementation, is given. The social passport of the national project includes five federal programs. Also, the main problems of increasing export volumes of competitive industry were identified. The authors analyze the dynamics of changes in indicators of time and financial costs, the number of participants in foreign economic activity when exporting goods from the cooperative sector of the country’s economy. Also, the volume of state financial support for agriculture is presented in the paper. The structure of agricultural cooperation in the Russian Federation is analyzed. The main directions of development of the cooperative sector of the economy of the Russian Federation are proposed.

Although Africa has been one of the world’s fastest growing tourism regions, when comparing it to the rest of the world, tourism still lags behind. Tourism is a dynamic and a competitive industry that continues to develop whilst the tourists’ preferences are changing. Consequently, leading and managing in the tourism sector is of great importance, particularly in the 21st century. The purpose of this paper is to explore leadership concepts to draw lessons for the tourism sector in the African continent. Leadership in the African continent remains questionable and controversial; the nature of effective leadership has been the subject of great debate. The findings reveal the prominent African leadership concepts from Ubuntu, Culturally embedded values, Communalism, Common good and Paternalism as some of the existing leadership concepts that could be applicable to an effective leader in the 21st century in the tourism sector in Africa.

Unconditional convergence across countries worldwide is typically rejected in terms of GDP per capita. But when focusing on a specific internationally competitive industry, such as manufacturing, r...

Tourism is a global and intensively competitive industry and it entails diverse socio-environmental dynamics. It is however vulnerable to safety and security issues. A safe and peaceful ambience in the destinations is a dire necessity. Puducherry, a city in India, is a spectacular spot in the tourism map of India owing to its buoyant beaches and unique heritage manifests. This work assesses the efficacy of Tourism Oriented Policing (TOP) and other protection services incepted of late in Puducherry. The present study lays accent on the special attributes of tourism policing as distinct from the conventional mode of policing. The hallmark efforts such as capacity building programmes for the personnel responsible for tourists‟ safety and security are examined in the paper using a mixed-methods approach.

In today’s competitive world, organizations need constant innovations in products, services and processes in order to grow and survive. Key of Innovation is in the innovative behavior of organization employees. Various factors affect the innovative behavior of the staff. The existence of a social network among the employees is one of the factors which can affect this behavior. Despite this fact, the way it affects is one of the major issues in the society of IT professionals. The aim of the research is investigating the mediatory role of sharing mistakes in the impact of social network on innovative behavior of IT professionals. In order to evaluate the research variables, a questionnaire of 18 questions has been used. This questionnaire has been distributed among 210 IT professionals in Mashhad. To analyze the data, structural equation modeling has been used. The results of this research showed that social network has positive impact on sharing mistakes. Also sharing mistakes has impact on generating and promoting ideas. In addition sharing mistakes mediates the impact of social network on generating and promoting ideas. Finally, in the conclusion of the scientific achievement of this research, one can refer to the fact that to promote and develop the IT companies in this competitive industry, innovation is needed. Innovation is created by the innovative employees. To behave innovatively, the employees should have contact through social network, yet if the social network leads the employees to share their mistakes, it would enhance the innovative behavior to a greater extent.

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange is established to fund corporates, investments and economic growth. However, many companies operating in Abu Dhabi do not take the opportunity and list in the market. In this paper we survey a sample 145 chief executive officers and deputies of the CEO’s in order to explain why firms refrain from going public and float their equity in the market. Our findings indicate that the poor quality of the Abu Dhabi equity market in terms of its inefficiency and inadequate liquidity plays a crucial role in discouraging firms to list in the market. Moreover, management do not list in order to avoid dilution of ownership as well as to retain control of the company. Finally, we find that knowledgeable managers in big companies are more likely to list in the market particularly when they operate in a competitive industry.

Purpose Foreign and local banks in Malaysia are competing in terms of skilled staff, innovative products and services, rendering quality services and customer satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to examine the overall service quality and customer satisfaction of both foreign and local banks. Design/methodology/approach The data used to test the hypothesis were collected from 748 foreign and local bank customers in Malaysia. The research model was analysed using a structural equation modelling technique. Findings Results show that knowledge and staff competencies, as well as convenience of the bank is more significant for local bank customers while bank image and internet banking are important components for foreign bank customers. The results also reveal that foreign bank customers have higher satisfaction as compared to local bank customers. Research limitations/implications No analysis is undertaken of any difference in the service quality dimensions between banks of different size. Further research on banking services could usefully test services quality dimensions across banks of different sizes. Practical implications The findings serve as a valuable reference for local banks understand service quality challenges they may face from foreign banks in this competitive industry. Findings suggest that, to provide high-quality services, financial institutions need to heighten customer satisfaction differentiation strategies. Originality/value The outcomes of this study enhance the knowledge on the performance of both local and foreign banks in Malaysia as well as customer satisfaction, which are invaluable to all bank managers and industry players in improving their services.

Meetings and conventions organized by associations are considered the most competitive industry segment due to the number of associations and their frequency of regular meetings and events. The suc...

The purpose of this paper is to analyse Tesla’s strategy for ensuring own sustainable future growth, while acting as a catalyst of change in the automotive industry. The paper utilises the document analysis as a main method, with the presentation of the results in a case study format. It was realised that Tesla has managed to create a product that has a rather unique positioning in a highly competitive industry. However, Tesla was unable to capitalise on the potential demand regardless of superiority of its products, as the current market leaders have a considerably lower price and are competing with a different class of vehicles altogether. The implications for industry development are discussed in connection with competition in Hybrid Electric Vehicle and Battery Electric Vehicle categories.

This meta-analysis attempts to synthesize and review decades of research on the relationship between institutional factors and host country foreign direct investment (FDI) attractiveness. Using prior tests derived from 97 primary studies, we find support for prior theoretical predictions that institutional factors such as political stability, democracy, and rule of law attract FDI, while others such as corruption, tax rates and cultural distance deter it. Further evidence suggests a need for exploration of moderating factors that may influence previous key findings. Specifically, environmental effects such as level of development, region of destination, and competitive industry environment have varying influence on the strength and significance of the relationship. We also explore a number of methodological and economic moderating variables, providing additional interesting insights into previous empirical analyses. We conclude with suggestions for future research that stress a call for further contextualization of the relationship.

Unlike other south European Union countries with tradition in wine production, Greece has not yet exploited the industry׳s export potential. However, there are expectations that under certain policy orientations, a competitive industry with internationally recognized labels could emerge. This paper explores the drivers of wine production in Greece from a macro perspective and assesses their impact vis-a-vis international trade in order to contribute to these orientations for the development of a competitive industry that will assist Greece in the search for an exit from economic depression. The findings indicate that international trade impacts more on wine production in Greece than domestic consumption of Greek wine and that productivity boosts wine production at the same time as personnel costs are a significant impediment. Policy orientations based on the findings are discussed.

This study develops an intertemporal efficiency model designed to accommodate unbalanced panel data. In an intertemporal efficiency evaluation, there is no guarantee that sample sets of panel data over continuous periods will be balanced, especially in a competitive industry. Therefore, the proposed model is offering a more flexible approach to intertemporal efficiency assessment. The other main contribution is the establishment of indicators, TPR and IPR, which are used to identify the influences of frontier shift and individual change on efficiency. The proposed model is used to evaluate a dataset of tourist hotels from 2007 through 2011, and the empirical results provide several findings for tourist hotel management.