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Modern technology can eliminate the limitations traditionally attributed to barter. This case study examines the operation of modern Italian barter systems and the motivations of companies to join such systems. Data is collected through website content analysis, interviews with key members of the barter community and a quantitative survey of firms currently using barter networks. In this case study we triangulate the data to debunk the myth that barter is only useful in times of economic crisis and show that barter can represent a strategic answer to SMEs growth and dexterity, allowing increase sales and access to new markets.

The problem of environmental degradation is large and widespread, with consumption of food being a major contributor to a households' ecological impact. The Product Ecological Footprint (PEF) is a new information management process of “self-improving” accuracy that enables producers to quantify product environmental impact. This study addresses two key questions; consumer willingness to pay and application readiness for PEF. We use choice experiments to identify the value consumers place on PEF as a label. We then examine data availability, information processing systems and accreditation protocols that would be required to support a market-wide application of PEF. Findings highlight an opportunity to influence the behaviour of the larger market segment of conventional (non-organic) consumers. Further research is required into the interaction between PEF and organics, PEF and origin, marketing and branding of the label, for market wide applications to be considered. A key question emerges as to whether PEF requires a different application platform than a voluntary eco-label scheme to instigate behavioural change.

We present a comprehensive briefing on the past and present of a business educational culture that is significantly different in ethos and structure to the widely known systems in the United States...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of inter-organizational networks in the emergence of a disruptive technology by taking a snapshot view of the UK market for mobile voice over internet protocol (mVoIP) technologies. By delineating the technologies required for an mVoIP call to occur, the role of incumbents, technology and inter-organizational networks is explored. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a case study approach using secondary data from a variety of sources including company websites, newspapers, technical press and users to form a picture of the current situation. Findings The authors show that inter-organizational networks can act both to enable and delay disruptive technologies. They discuss the difference between collaborative and collective actions and the way in which these can slow or even prevent a new emerging technology. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on secondary data and the research results may lack generalizability to other technologies. Practical implications The need for new business models for mVoIP is discussed. Originality/value Disruptive technologies are difficult to predict or map until after the market disruption has occurred. This paper aims to map a disruptive technology at a point in time when the technology is still emerging. The study is based on a comprehensive analysis of technology and market actions and is also based on secondary data: it is limited at the detailed level to one geographic market but provides a unique snapshot of an emerging disruptive technology.

Retailers use music in the service environment to try to change consumer behaviour with a view to increasing spend, or improving consumer mood. Previous research has largely focused on music but ignored the effects of other noises within a servicescape: yet all noises can impact consumers' affective states, and their behaviour. This study examines the role of both planned and other sounds within the supermarket environment. In particular, this study investigates the cognizant and emotional reactions of supermarket customers, and explores their shopping intentions in the context of shoppers' understanding of and reaction to the sounds they perceive.

The broad underlying understanding of what market orientation (MO) represents is widely accepted in the literature: A strategic orientation of the marketing concept, as it is a conscious and strategic decision to be responsive in the market. This orientation, as researched in the context of large organizations, may manifest itself through certain behaviors—including intelligence generation, intelligence dissemination and responsiveness (Kohli and Jaworski 1993), as well as customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination—and the profit and long-term focus of the organization (Narver and Slater 1990). It is this strategic, long-term approach to the marketing concept which raises questions about the application of MO to the context of micro-organizations: Micro-firms are defined as having less than ten employees and often fall into the realm of the entrepreneurial literature. They have a number of characteristics in common, such as a lack of resources and a lack of skills or knowledge in management. As such, the way these organizations are managed may be very informal, based on cognitive and emotional responses of one person to the organizational environment, as well as a lack of processes and resources. No assumption can be made that there is a long-term focus with the aim of growing the organization or its profits. The founders often act as CEO and play a dominant role in the firm’s decision-making so that their worldviews affect the direction of the firm (Sidik 2012). In line with this notion, individuals may not set out to follow the well-developed strategy—actions—performance models, nor do they necessarily follow a rational goal-driven model. Instead, they may work from the ground up by looking what can be done without having a strategic approach. It is thus the aim of this study to explore how the MO concept and its implementation apply to micro-organizational contexts.

With increasing global pressures on agriculture as well as increasing environmental concerns, and confusing or even misleading information about food, consumers still need to make multiple daily decisions about food purchases and consumption. Consumers have complex personal and socially driven values as well as situational information affecting their food choices. This two-part study examines consumers' values and norms to determine how these relate to their personal food choices and the influence of social media based comparison tools on this behaviour. Quantitative data was collected concerning personal values and norms as well as reactions to a social media comparison site. Our study shows that using appeals based on self-esteem and materialism and via social media would not be effective in bringing large-scale behavioural change towards environmentally friendly foods. Our contribution is twofold. First, we extend current knowledge around values, norms, beliefs and predicted behaviours within the context of environmentally friendly foods (EFF). Second, we examine whether these values or norms can be used as stimuli to encourage EFF purchasing through the use of social media. Whilst it is useful to understand these relationships, in order to exploit them and to effect change within society, social marketing messages would need to appeal to norms other than self esteem, materialism, rationality or peer influence through social media. Our study shows that as things stand now, social media is not an effective means of changing either values, norms or behaviours around EFF.

Actors work with resources in putting their business plans into practice, some of which are close-at-hand and some at arm's length to that business. Furthermore, actors can transform and translate resources in more or less complex ways in bringing them into the realm of a business activity, for instance through a single transactional market exchange or a series of social exchanges, the economic dimensions of which are very much in the background. The IMP group's framings of resources in the Actors, Resources and Activities (ARA) approach and in the Resource Interaction approach form this paper's conceptual focus. The paper examines three cases of actors mobilizing resources and emphasizes: (1) The prospective or future-oriented quality of resources, in connection with actors' business plans and activities; (2) The distinct rules, customs and practices in settings that individuals recognize to be more or less economic and more or less social; and (3) The roles and identities of individuals alongside their business units.

Corporate visual identity helps establish and maintain a company's corporate image, of which the colour and design of a company's logo is central. This study examines the triadic relationship between colour, design and the evoked meanings of logos to understand how these contribute to building a consistent corporate image. Results strongly indicate that consumers make clear judgements about the image of a firm from the logo design and have strong opinions about which colours are appropriate for different corporate images.

This paper introduces the idea of using a complex biochemical model as an alternative method for modeling managerial constructs in order to incorporate change within organizations. To illustrate the potential of using this type of modelling, two well established managerial concepts (strategic orientation and corporate culture) are reviewed and the differences and similarities between the constructs discussed. Traditional simplistic models are presented and the limitations of these for dealing with change within and between organizations are discussed. A more complex model based on enzyme action is presented, and integrated with case study material which allows rich, complex and dynamic modeling including the incorporation of evolutionary and co-evolutionary change within organizations.

This paper reviews the analogies of evolution and co-evolution within a business context. Specifically it examines some of the essential underlying assumptions of these theories including the unit of change, the unit of selection; the mechanism of selection, and the ability to change an organisational form. The usefulness of the application of theories of both evolution and co-evolution to explain firm behaviour is examined. Empirical evidence from the UK fresh produce industry is presented to illustrate that both firms and strategic alliances evolve, co-evolve and are subject to selection at individual, dyadic and group levels simultaneously.

The branding of products and organisations has long been recognised as central in marketing research successful branding strategies form positive brand images in consumers’ minds, which contribute to brand equity in the long run. Much research suggests that the image of a product’s country of origin (COO) can significantly impact consumers’ brand image perceptions and buying preferences. Traditionally, COO research has focused on the impact on of economic, political, social and technological variables on consumers’ perceptions of general country images and specific products stemming from these countries. With increased pressures put on natural resources and a rise in lobbying movements demanding more sustainable business practices, brand related ecological factors are now playing a role as well in the consumer decision-making process, particularly when buying food or food-related products. However, little is known about how environmentally friendly country images are used for wider organisational and product branding strategies. This is a particularly interesting field of investigation in circumstances in which the positive ecological image, the myth, might not match the country’s policies and industry practices, the reality, to sustain this image. The objective of this study is therefore to explore the manner in which an environmentally focused COO image is used by companies.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of a positive country image (CI) by companies. First, it examines how organisations embed dimensions of a positive country image into their external marketing communications. Second, it examines the alignment between the countries’ image dimensions and those of the company and how company values and actions could act to either use, abuse and detract from an established CI. Design/methodology/approach – A two-part methodology was adopted. Two countries with strong positive CIs were chosen for comparison purposes. Content analysis of web sites, together with interviews with company representatives, were undertaken. Findings – The use of the CI/country-of-origin framework is extended from an extrinsic “made in” cue for consumers, to being part of the value offering of a particular product or service from an organisational perspective is extended. Evidence is structured into a framework of companies which use and/or contribute to the CI. Research limitations/implications – The two chosen countries both have positive CIs: future research should examine this relationship in countries with different images. The sample size is relatively small and future research should determine the generalisability of the proposed typology. Practical implications – Generating, communicating and maintaining a CI requires co-ordinated efforts from policy makers but needs to be built on solid foundations of reality: companies using CIs should be cognisant of the alignment between their actions, messages and the CI. Originality/value – This study extends prior work by examining the relationship between CI, company strategy, products and services offered and the manner in which companies action's can affect CI.

International audience; Successful branding strategies form positive brand images in consumers' minds, which contribute to brand equity in the long run (Aaker, 1991). Much research suggests that the image of a product's country of origin (COO) can significantly impact consumers' brand image perceptions and buying preferences (e.g. Hsieh, Pan & Setiono, 2004; Wang & Lamb, 1983). However, little is still known about how country branding (a country's whole image, covering political, economic, historical and cultural dimensions), interacts with country product image (Fetscherin 2010). Switzerland has a strong country image and therefore provides a unique case (Yin 2003). Brand Switzerland governed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to oversee the communication of the country's image (www.imageswitzerland.ch). This department monitors the view of Switzerland overseas, and has determined that the key brand values should be trustworthy, premium quality and authentic with two secondary concepts of secure future, and self-determination. The objective of this study is to analyse the degree to which Swiss companies use these key dimensions of the official country image.

This study examines the application of the co-evolution literature to strategic alliance formation in SME’s in the UK and Australia in two differing industries at different stages of the industry life-cycle. Extending the framework developed by Das and Teng (2002) and that of Wilson and Hynes (2009), it engages with wider industry and environmental characteristics present in these two countries, specifically examining whether different theories of alliance formation are better suited to different stages of an industry life cycle. The issues discussed above are explored and developed through the use of a qualitative case study approach. Findings indicate strong resource-based drivers for alliance formation in both industries, with firms dependent on the co-evolution of their alliances and indeed selected by the results of their alliance participation. However, differences emerged in the strategic use of alliances in these two industries. The influence of the stage of the industry life cycle on this is discussed.

Flexible work, contracting, start-ups, teleworking, knowledge work and the “boundaryless” career have all contributed to the “new economy”. Yet this new flexibility can result in significant drawba...

Disruptive change is change that radically alters an end market; typical examples of this include the replacement of vinyl records by CD and later by soft copies (mp3/iTunes etc.), the replacement ...

Whilst China is the largest single world economy, e-commerce has been relatively slow to develop, especially within consumer markets. In more advanced e-economies such as the USA the switch between traditional retail sales and e-sales is growing all the time and is predicted to be as high as 10%. If only a small percentage of retail sales in China were switched to e-commerce, the potential market in China is immense. In addition, in terms of international competitiveness, the risks of not participating in what is such an increasing important global arena are also high. Therefore, the development of a long term and sustainable e-commerce environment is of great importance to China's economy. Whilst there are many practical reasons why e-commerce development has been slow, this study examines the barriers from a consumer's perspectives using empirical data collected from Chinese consumers via the internet.

Studies have shown that market orientation has been associated with superior performance in several industries. However Dedicated Biotechnology Firms (DBFs), and other technology-based firms operate in turbulent environments where knowledge, alliances and being first to establish technical leadership are paramount. The importance of technological orientation is exaggerated. This international empirical study examines the relationship between market and technological orientation and firm performance, including new product success. A new scale to capture technological orientation is developed and validated but no relationship between this and firm performance is found. Results show the cross-cultural validity of the scale for market orientation and positive association between some measure of performance and the level of market orientation.

The IMP group's ARA model, with its emphasis on interaction, captures social and economic dimensions of exchanges. We draw on it to compare three cases and assess how actors act in skilful and nuanced ways in mobilizing resources, given the very different norms of social and economic capital. We prioritize action ahead of structure and, given the inherent uncertainties that actors encounter in connection with resources, argue that trust is a cognitive and heuristic dimension of action, distinct from resources, actor-bonds and social capital. We conclude that for business practice, managers should be mindful that in order to trust others, they need to act in the distinct realms of social and economic capital, tempting though it is to interpret and measure the costs of actions economically. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.