Search

An important legacy of Nathan Rosenberg’s work is the notion of general purpose technologies (GPTs). This paper studies whether and when firms specialize in developing GPTs and trading them in intermediate markets, a strategy we call “specialization in generality.” In particular, we address whether this is a strategy adopted by young firms or instead a long-term strategy adopted by established firms—against the “common wisdom” that such firms specialize in downstream product markets.

This article examines the development of partnerships between multinational companies (MNCs) and large nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) through voluntary product labeling schemes. First, the economics, management, and business literature are reviewed to highlight cross-checking, consistencies, and complementarities among these disciplines to identify and analyze the motives of partnering via voluntary product labeling. This analysis shows that, through such partnerships, companies and NGOs share similar objectives, viability and visibility and exchange essential resources, information and legitimacy. The development of shared goals and the complementarity of resources are the basis for successful partnerships, but they also create a phenomenon of blurred roles between companies and NGOs. Each partner enters the other&rsquo, s sphere, which allows for better communication among partners, a clear and common vision of the partnership, a mutual trust, and a symmetric commitment of partners, necessary conditions for successful partnerships. However, I show that this phenomenon also leads to new risks for partners: competition, &ldquo, NGO-capture&rdquo, and inconsistency.

This study explores possible routes to improve the adaptive management of firms and proposes to view firms as social-ecological systems. We conceptualise three possible ways in which firms can frame their relation with the natural environment. The first is impact related: strategies for assessing and reducing the negative impact of business on the wider natural system. The second is dependency related: strategies in terms of dependency of the firms on the wider natural environment. The third is mutual dependency related: strategies that explicitly view firms as social-ecological systems, due to a mutual dependence between business and natural environment.Through a qualitative approach by means of ten case studies we analyse the current ways managers of firms frame their companies’ vis-à-vis the natural environment. The last strategy is still in an early stage within theory as well as practice as shown among the firms. Therefore we formulate five principles that managers could use to stimulate the last frame: businesses as social-ecological systems.

Analysing a unique, domain-similar database including all horticulturalists in a major flower-producing country, this paper shows that a firm’s central position in a network significantly improves its financial performance. The effect of strategic positioning in a network is in large part mediated through its enhanced innovativeness. Strategically positioning in a network of firms contributes more to firm performance, both directly as well as indirectly, than other strategic options a firm has available, such as seeking scale, seeking to diversify, pursuing cost advantages, or locating in a cluster.

International audience; En mobilisant le cadre des modèles productifs (développé parBoyer et Freyssenet), ce papier discute de la distinction couramment faite entreassociationsetentrepriseens’appuyantsurlecasdel’aideàdomicile.Aprèsavoirpasséenrevuelesprincipauxenseignementdelalittératuresurlestensionsdansladéfinitionde ces deux types d’organisation autour de leur appartenance ou non à l’économiesociale, nous présentons le cadre théorique mobilisé afin de caractériser à la fois lesdimensionséconomiqueetpolitiquedecesorganisations.Celanouspermetensuitedeconstruire des versions idéelles des modèles productifs de ces deux formesd’organisationauregarddeleuridentitédiscursive.Cesdeuxidéaux-typessontensuiteconfrontés à des observations de terrain (monographie de 15 organisationsreprésentant l’ensemble des compétiteurs sur un bassin de concurrence). Uneclassification ascendante hiérarchique de leurs modèles productifs identifie deuxgroupesd'organisationsquicomprennentàlafoisdesassociationsetdesentreprises.Laclassification identifie également un groupe d’une association au modèle productifproche de l'idéal-type des entreprises. Nous en déduisons que l’observation par lesmodèles productifs contribue à remettre en question une oppositionassociation/entreprisefondéeleplussouventsurlesseulsstatutsjuridiques

Narava tehnološko sestavljenih izdelkov zahteva dinamičen razvoj in gradnjo strategij mednarodnega tržnega delovanja podjetja z nadzorom ključnih sprememb v okolju in podjetju. Tveganje delovanja podjetja na mednarodnih trgih ni povezano le z odločitvijo izvedbe internacionalizacije, temveč tudi s strategijami delovanja na vsakem od izbranih trgov. Na najpomembnejše vprašanje internacionalizacije visokotehnoloških podjetij, vprašanje o načinu vstopa na tuje tržišče in vprašanje o metodah predstavitve prodajnega programa odjemalcem, je mogoče odgovoriti z univerzalnim modelom internacionalizacije, ki zagotavlja želeno rast in razvoj z gradnjo tesnega in osebnega stika prodajalca s kupcem, kar podjetje doseže z osebno direktno prodajo in gradnjo dolgoročnih odnosov s kupci. Z različnimi metodami utrjevanja tržne pozicije podjetja in izdelka, visokotehnološko podjetje gradi in razvija nove možnosti razširitve prodajnega programa, večjo prepoznavnost podjetja, dosega večji obseg prodaje, z večjim zadovoljstvom kupcev pa tudi utrjuje trajno sodelovanje z njimi. Aktivnosti pravilnega in uspešnega vstopa ter delovanja podjetja na trgu so povezane s spektrom različnih menedžerskih znanj, zato sodobna visokotehnološka podjetja vlagajo veliko časa in napora v poglabljanje znanja o trženju in razvoju odnosov s kupci, saj odlično znanje prodajalcev in povezanost s kupci podjetju prinese želene uspehe. Menedžment visokotehnološkega podjetja se zaveda, da so dobri, usposobljeni in motivirani zaposleni ključ realizacije ambicioznih ciljev podjetja. The nature of high-tech products requires a dynamic development and construction of international marketing strategies controlled by key changes in the environment and company. Risk of international markets operation is not associated only with the implementation of the internationalization decision, but also with the strategies of each selected market operation. The key issue of high-tech enterprises internationalization, the question of foreign markets mode of entry and the question of the mode of product range to customers presentation, can be answered with an universal model of internationalization that by building close and personal contact between seller and buyer, company achieves with personal direct sales and building long-term relationships with customers, provides desired growth and development of the company. With various methods of company and product market position, the high-tech company builds and develops new possibilities of sales extending program, business recognition, greater sales volume, greater customer satisfaction and long lasting cooperation with customers. Proper and successful market entry and business operation are linked with different managerial skills in which modern high-tech companies invest time and effort to extend their marketing and customer relationships knowledge and, accordingly, a company gains desired results through integration with proficient vendors and customers. Management of high-tech companies is aware that good, skilled and motivated employee is key to ambitious goals realization.

This study explores possible routes to improve the adaptive management of firms and proposes to view firms as social-ecological systems. We conceptualise three possible ways in which firms can frame their relation with the natural environment. The first is impact related: strategies for assessing and reducing the negative impact of business on the wider natural system. The second is dependency related: strategies in terms of dependency of the firms on the wider natural environment. The third is mutual dependency related: strategies that explicitly view firms as social-ecological systems, due to a mutual dependence between business and natural environment.Through a qualitative approach by means of ten case studies we analyse the current ways managers of firms frame their companies’ vis-à-vis the natural environment. The last strategy is still in an early stage within theory as well as practice as shown among the firms. Therefore we formulate five principles that managers could use to stimulate the last frame: businesses as social-ecological systems.

Bakgrund: Med bakgrunden av företags behov att utvidga sin verksamhetssfär, har företagsförvärv blivit alltmer frekventa och mer omfattande. Speciellt i branscher med snabb utveckling såsom IT-branschen, är detta av aktualitet. Med förvärvsvågors uppkomst, har även ett stort antal av dessa förvärv resulterat i misslyckande snarare än expansion. Förklaringen till detta är mångfaldig och kopplas till områden kring före, under och efter förvärvet. Det som förväntas av ett förvärv, är synergieffekter, det vill säga förmågor av förvärvsobjektet som bidrar positivt till moderbolagets verksamhet. Studien försöker koppla synergieffekters utkomst utifrån den strategiska logiken i företaget och konsekvenserna av logiken med förvärvsobjektet. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka huruvida IT-tjänsteföretag utformar sin strategi och på vilket sätt dess internationella förvärv utförs i enlighet med den övergripande strategin. Metod: Metoden baseras på en kombination av först en kvantitativ undersökning av moderbolags utveckling på nyckeltal (ROA & ROE) efter ett förvärv för att sedan på ett kvalitativt sätt undersöka den strategiska uppbyggnaden i respektive två mest lönsamma och minst lönsamma företag med hjälp av en textanalys. Slutsats: De undersökta fallen visade på en heterogen grupp med mycket annorlunda generiska strategier. Det hittades underlag för tolkningen att de fall där företagen hade högre lönsamhet också kunde påvisa att följa en mer konsekvent strategi även utöver den ordinarie verksamheten, det vill säga även i förvärvssammanhang. Background: In the light of a corporation’s need to expand into additional spheres of the global market, acquisitions have become more and more frequent. Especially branches where transformations occur rapidly, as is the case within IT, acquisitions are prevalent. Despite this prevalence, a tremendous amount of companies fail to achieve their initial goals of an acquisition. The synergetic effects, which previously are expected, fail to achieve superior advantages. This study tries to illustrate the connection between the synergetic effects of an acquisition with the acquiror’s strategic logic throughout its business and the acquisition itself. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine whether and how IT Service Companies design their strategy and in which way an international acquisition is conducted in accordance to their overall generic strategies. Method: The method is based on a combination of firstly quantitative calculations of a firm’s key figures development (ROA & ROE) after an acquisition, in order to secondly analyze a set of textual data with a hermeneutic approach. This is to evaluate the strategic logic of the two most and least profitable companies. Conclusion: The examined cases displayed a heterogeneous group consisting of considerably different generic strategies. There was evidence leading to the conclusion that companies with a higher profitability also could prove to be following their strategy more (or mostly) consistent even throughout their ordinary operations but also in the context of the implemented acquisition.

The seed industry has been in a state of restructuring for many years now. New firms have entered the industry and old players have merged. Firms from various backgrounds now compete in supplying seed to agriculture and horticulture: Traditional seed companies, new biotechnology firms, agrochemical companies, food processors and wholesalers/retailers. As biotechnology enables the enhancement of various quality attributes of agricultural products, downstream companies in the agrifood industry have become interested in co-deciding on plant breeding goals. Advances in plant biotechnology lead to more integrated agrifood chains. Access to proprietary genes and technology is essential for developing and commercializing genetically modified varieties. Dispute and uncertainty over intellectual property rights have induced mergers, take-overs and strategic alliances.

The continuous capacity of firms to learn is seen by many scholars as the critical solution in order to avoid firms from becoming locked into obsolete technological and competitive trajectories. This is a very common tendency, particularly in peripheral areas and/or labour-intensive industries. Networks are often seen as the channel to overcome the risk that firms may become rigid. By accessing other markets, assets and technologies, firms free themselves from their own limitations while following the technological trajectories of their competitors. In this paper, we approach the issue with respect to the relation between the competitive strategies of small firms and their networking profile. We report the results of the application of a common questionnaire to a sample of 165 SMEs from labour-intensive sectors belonging to the following southern European areas: North (Portugal), Valencia (Spain), Macedonia (Greece) and South Italy (Italy). Using multivariate statistical analysis, the firms were grouped according to the use of regional, national and international geographic scales for supply, distribution and sales networks. For each one of them, competitive strategies related with market, investments, technology and training were analysed. Our results allow us to observe that competitive strategies vary across the three groups, indicating that there is a relation between the capacity to improve the geographic scale of networking and the capacity to strategically react to market changing conditions. While the related literature confirms the advantages of networking for the competitiveness of firms, we conclude that not all firms have the ability to develop international or even national contacts. Firms with restricted backward and forward linkages are also the ones with lower technological, training and innovative performances. Another important and related insight regards the requirements of going global: the network scaling-up is related more with quality production, than with scale economies. The exploitation of marketing networks depends heavily on the openness towards new opportunities which, in turn, depends on the knowledge stock of firms (Cohen & Levinthal, 1990) and on the empowerment of employees to pursue it (Lechner & Dowling, 2003). The resource-base of firms is both an input for and an output of networking activity, and that can be either a vicious or a virtuous cycle.

This study assesses the sequential relationships between firm strategic factors, foreign direct investment (FDI) activity, and financial performance for a sample of U.S.-based multinational manufacturers. After using hierarchical regressions and path analysis, this study finds an unambiguously positive direct effect of FDI on performance, and a complementary effect between FDI and firm strategy on performance. Specifically, this study provides insights about the direct effect of FDI on performance, as well as about the joint effect of firm size and FDI, marketing intensity and FDI, and capital intensity and FDI on performance. Finally, these findings present evidence that FDI activity is an important factor for U.S. manufacturers’ financial strength.

Global value chain literature has proposed alternative forms of governance in explaining the global structure of industries and their dynamics. Despite the interest of those studies on how lead firms organize manufacturing activities at the global level, this framework has not been used to describe internationalization processes at the firm level. The paper is oriented at improving the understanding of firm internationalization strategies by applying the global value chain perspective, with a specific attention to SMEs. We argue that this approach can contribute to further explain how a firm can arrange its manufacturing activities on a global scale taking into account, on the one hand, how to select and coordinate international suppliers and, on the other, how to orchestrate international activities among countries (locations). The paper aims at analyzing the relationships between foreign suppliers’ selection—both in terms of competences and location—and a firm’s strategy. Based on a quantitative analysis on 196 Italian SMEs, our results show that there is no univocal relationship between a firm’s strategic intent—efficiency vs. innovation—and global suppliers’ selections—and that firms mix different forms of governance in globally structuring their value chains.

Les quatre régions du Grand Ouest ; Bretagne, Basse-Normandie, Pays de la Loire et Poitou-Charentes, représentent le tiers (29%) du chiffre d’affaires (secteur des boissons inclue) généré par le secteur des industries agroalimentaires au niveau national, le quart du nombre d’établissements (27%), le tiers des effectifs employés moyen (34%) et le quart (26%) de la valeur ajoutée. Pour ces régions, et notamment la Bretagne et les Pays de la Loire, l’ambition est de pérenniser cette spécialité agroalimentaire en soutenant l’existant et en améliorant son attractivité. Sur la base d’entretiens réalisés auprès de 27 firmes alimentaires des secteurs industriels de la volaille et des plats préparés, des logiques de « territorialisation » qui combinent des processus d’activation des ressources et des comportements d’entrepreneurs distincts sur un territoire donné sont mises en évidence. Elaborées dix ans auparavant dans les travaux d’A.-L. Saives (2002), ces logiques ont été « actualisées » compte tenu des trois grandes modifications qui ont infléchi les comportements des firmes durant cette période : l’internationalisation, le développement des normes et les nouvelles préoccupations sociétales. Les résultats des traitements qualitatifs et statistiques des entretiens montrent que dans les deux secteurs, l’implantation des firmes était, à l’origine, essentiellement liée à l’approvisionnement. Durant la dernière décennie, le comportement d’ancrage s’est complexifié en raison des nouvelles opportunités offertes aux entreprises par la mondialisation des échanges et les nouvelles technologies. La localisation d’origine et la détention du capital se révèlent en premier lieu des éléments structurants de l’ancrage des firmes. En termes de territoire, les pôles agroalimentaires spécialisés présents dans les régions Bretagne et Pays de la Loire jouent en second lieu un rôle essentiel dans le maintien des industriels sur site. Ces pôles réunissent en effet un ensemble d’éléments garantissant des économies d’échelle et des synergies. En revanche, les entreprises isolées en milieu rural comme en Basse-Normandie et en Poitou-Charentes sont davantage défavorisées d’un point de vue de la logistique, de l’approvisionnement, de la sous-traitance et des réseaux de professionnels. En dernier lieu, en fonction des différentes situations d’entreprises rencontrées, un ancrage sur le long terme reposerait sur quatre piliers complémentaires et non-exclusifs : un savoir-faire, un réseau de professionnels, une référence au terroir et un lien agriculture-agroalimentaire., The four regions of the West part of France ; Bretagne, Basse-Normandie, Pays de la Loire are Poitou-Charentes, account for about one third (29%) of the national agri-food sector revenue (beverages sector included), about one fourth of the amount of firms (27%), about one third of the average number of employees (34%) and about one fourth (26%) of the value added. Concerning these regions, especially Bretagne and Pays de la Loire, a goal is to perpetuate this agri-food specialisation in supporting the existing resources and in improving its attractiveness. On the basis of interviews conducted in 27 firms belonging to the poultry industries and processed food sectors, « logiques de territorialisation » logics which combine some distinctive processes of resource activation and manager behaviours on a given territory are highlighted. An analysis of the location of agri-food firms in the context of a regional development program was published by Anne-Laure Saives in 2002. This project considers the same issue ten years later. The project’s objectives are to validate and to extend the methods of Saives in order to address the current situation facing agri-food firms: internationalization, development of standards and new societal issues. The results of qualitative and quantitative treatments sort out that in the two sectors, firm location was essentially linked with sourcing. During the last decade, the reasons for firm location became more complex. More opportunities were given to firms consequent to the globalization and new technologies. First, the original location and the shareholding appear as structural elements of firm anchorage. Second, in terms of territory, the specialised agri-food « pôles » of Bretagne and Pays de la Loire have a critical role in maintaining these industries. These « pôles » compile elements which bestow economies of scale and synergies. Nevertheless, the isolated firms in rural areas like in Basse-Normandie and Poitou-Charentes have fewer advantages in terms of logistics, sourcing, subcontractors and professional networks. Last, depending on the different situations of the surveyed firms, a long term anchorage would be based on four complementary and non-exclusive elements : a know-how, a professional network, a reference to the “terroir”, and a link between agriculture and the agri-food system.

Projet PSDR CLAP, Grand Ouest, Série Les Focus PSDR3; We analyse and compare the impacts of increased imports of agricultural and agri-food products on the location and relative size of agri-food firms across the French regions. The results of this article are based on i) an econometric model applied to agricultural and agro-food products in the French regions and on ii) surveys conducted among poultry and processed food firms. We underscore that certain agricultural imports are directly competing with French agricultural products. Nevertheless, imports provide an opportunity for the French firms to become more competitive by appropriately adapting their sourcing policy.

The four regions of the West part of France ; Bretagne, Basse-Normandie, Pays de la Loire are Poitou-Charentes, account for about one third (29%) of the national agri-food sector revenue (beverages sector included), about one fourth of the amount of firms (27%), about one third of the average number of employees (34%) and about one fourth (26%) of the value added. Concerning these regions, especially Bretagne and Pays de la Loire, a goal is to perpetuate this agri-food specialisation in supporting the existing resources and in improving its attractiveness. On the basis of interviews conducted in 27 firms belonging to the poultry industries and processed food sectors, « logiques de territorialisation » logics which combine some distinctive processes of resource activation and manager behaviours on a given territory are highlighted. An analysis of the location of agri-food firms in the context of a regional development program was published by Anne-Laure Saives in 2002. This project considers the same issue ten years later. The project’s objectives are to validate and to extend the methods of Saives in order to address the current situation facing agri-food firms: internationalization, development of standards and new societal issues. The results of qualitative and quantitative treatments sort out that in the two sectors, firm location was essentially linked with sourcing. During the last decade, the reasons for firm location became more complex. More opportunities were given to firms consequent to the globalization and new technologies. First, the original location and the shareholding appear as structural elements of firm anchorage. Second, in terms of territory, the specialised agri-food « pôles » of Bretagne and Pays de la Loire have a critical role in maintaining these industries. These « pôles » compile elements which bestow economies of scale and synergies. Nevertheless, the isolated firms in rural areas like in Basse-Normandie and Poitou-Charentes have fewer advantages in terms of logistics, sourcing, subcontractors and professional networks. Last, depending on the different situations of the surveyed firms, a long term anchorage would be based on four complementary and non-exclusive elements : a know-how, a professional network, a reference to the “terroir”, and a link between agriculture and the agri-food system.; Les quatre régions du Grand Ouest ; Bretagne, Basse-Normandie, Pays de la Loire et Poitou-Charentes, représentent le tiers (29%) du chiffre d’affaires (secteur des boissons inclue) généré par le secteur des industries agroalimentaires au niveau national, le quart du nombre d’établissements (27%), le tiers des effectifs employés moyen (34%) et le quart (26%) de la valeur ajoutée. Pour ces régions, et notamment la Bretagne et les Pays de la Loire, l’ambition est de pérenniser cette spécialité agroalimentaire en soutenant l’existant et en améliorant son attractivité. Sur la base d’entretiens réalisés auprès de 27 firmes alimentaires des secteurs industriels de la volaille et des plats préparés, des logiques de « territorialisation » qui combinent des processus d’activation des ressources et des comportements d’entrepreneurs distincts sur un territoire donné sont mises en évidence. Elaborées dix ans auparavant dans les travaux d’A.-L. Saives (2002), ces logiques ont été « actualisées » compte tenu des trois grandes modifications qui ont infléchi les comportements des firmes durant cette période : l’internationalisation, le développement des normes et les nouvelles préoccupations sociétales. Les résultats des traitements qualitatifs et statistiques des entretiens montrent que dans les deux secteurs, l’implantation des firmes était, à l’origine, essentiellement liée à l’approvisionnement. Durant la dernière décennie, le comportement d’ancrage s’est complexifié en raison des nouvelles opportunités offertes aux entreprises par la mondialisation des échanges et les nouvelles technologies. La localisation d’origine et la détention du capital se révèlent en premier lieu des éléments structurants de l’ancrage des firmes. En termes de territoire, les pôles agroalimentaires spécialisés présents dans les régions Bretagne et Pays de la Loire jouent en second lieu un rôle essentiel dans le maintien des industriels sur site. Ces pôles réunissent en effet un ensemble d’éléments garantissant des économies d’échelle et des synergies. En revanche, les entreprises isolées en milieu rural comme en Basse-Normandie et en Poitou-Charentes sont davantage défavorisées d’un point de vue de la logistique, de l’approvisionnement, de la sous-traitance et des réseaux de professionnels. En dernier lieu, en fonction des différentes situations d’entreprises rencontrées, un ancrage sur le long terme reposerait sur quatre piliers complémentaires et non-exclusifs : un savoir-faire, un réseau de professionnels, une référence au terroir et un lien agriculture-agroalimentaire.

This article introduces the notion of community-focused strategies to refer to the set of actions, activities and policies that firms undertake to establish connections or relational links with one or more target communities of (potential) customers. Drawing on social identity theory and strategy research, this study begins with a proposed taxonomy of different community-focused strategies. Then it illustrates how such strategies contribute to the creation of competitive advantage and explores their boundary conditions. Finally, the authors offer implications for theory development and practice, as well as suggestions for further research. Financial support from the Ministry of Science and Innovation (ECO2009-08308; ECO2010-09184-E) Publicado

A method of territorial/location of agrifood firms analysis was previously presented within a regional development program and was published by Anne-Laure Saives in 2000. The project developed here continue the same issue ten years after and its objectives consist in to validate and to improve the method within the current context for agrifood firms. The first surveys conducted in the Grand Ouest region of France in the prepared food processors sector, allow already to confirm and to extend the clusters of agrifood firms behaviours in term of links with their territories., Une méthode d’analyse permettant de caractériser les modalités de localisation/territorialisation des firmes alimentaires a été présentée dans le cadre d’un précédent programme sur le développement régional et publiée dans la thèse d’Anne Laure Saives en 2000. Le projet mené actuellement reprend le même questionnement et se donne pour objectifs de valider la méthode dans le contexte actuel et de la faire évoluer si nécessaire. Les premières enquêtes menées dans le secteur des plats cuisinés-traiteur, activité d’assemblage du grand ouest permettent déjà de confirmer et d’enrichir la typologie de comportement des firmes agroalimentaires en matière d’attachement à leurs territoires.

188 p. Submitted by Santiago Fabio (fabio.ssantiago@hotmail.com) on 2012-12-17T20:37:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 5959595959.pdf: 2368108 bytes, checksum: 065c98849d77e300640299f7665acccc (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2012-12-17T20:37:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5959595959.pdf: 2368108 bytes, checksum: 065c98849d77e300640299f7665acccc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 A petroquímica é um dos segmentos mais expressivos de qualquer economia industrial, produzindo insumos para diversos bens de consumo. A partir da década de 1970, com os dois choques do petróleo, essa indústria passou por intensa reestruturação em todo o mundo, aprofundada na década de 1990. A racionalização dos negócios petroquímicos promoveu uma intensa onda de fusões, aquisições, joint ventures e spin-offs, refletindo as estratégias adotadas pelas empresas líderes, de integração vertical e focalização em core business. As grandes petrolíferas moveram-se downstream, beneficiando-se de vantagens de custo e acesso a matérias-primas. Os anos 2000 foram marcados pela emergência da Ásia como centro produtor, adicionando-se novas capacidades no Oriente Médio, e consumidor, com destaque para a China, apontando que o acesso às matérias-primas e aos mercados com elevado potencial de crescimento são as variáveis com maior capacidade de desencadear movimentos de reestruturação nessa indústria. No Brasil, a petroquímica foi implantada seguindo um modelo tripartite, com importante participação do Estado, via Petroquisa, que acabou por resultar em uma estrutura industrial fragmentada, de empresas monoprodutoras, diversa do padrão mundial do setor. Na década de 1990, a abertura da economia e a privatização, com redução expressiva da participação da Petroquisa, tornou manifesta a vulnerabilidade das empresas nacionais e a necessidade de reestruturação. A formação da Braskem e o retorno da Petrobras deram início ao processo de reorganização da petroquímica nacional. O objetivo do presente trabalho é analisar se o processo ocorrido no Brasil guarda semelhança com aqueles ocorridos em nível mundial, bem como identificar, utilizando-se de modelo das decisões de investimento nessa indústria baseado em determinadas driving forces, as principais estratégias da Braskem, maior player nacional, e da Petrobras, além dos desafios competitivos enfrentados pela petroquímica brasileira, associados à disponibilidade de matérias-primas, escoamento da oferta, mudanças tecnológicas, crescimento da demanda e políticas governamentais. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que a reestruturação ocorrida, além de fortalecer a petroquímica brasileira, equacionou parte de suas fragilidades competitivas, adequando-a ao padrão mundial do setor. Seu crescimento está bastante vinculado ao mercado interno brasileiro e uma maior inserção no âmbito internacional demonstra hoje boas perspectivas de se concretizar, especialmente no continente americano, tanto pela via das exportações, quanto pela internacionalização das empresas nacionais, in casu, a Braskem. Apesar dos desafios que se apresentam, majorados pela crise financeira de 2008, essa indústria conseguiu alcançar melhores condições competitivas para seguir uma trajetória sustentada de crescimento. Salvador

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um modelo de análise das decisões de investimentos na indústria petroquímica, destacando as principais variáveis que as têm motivado e induzido os movimentos de reestruturação no setor. O modelo estrutura/conduta/desempenho (ECD), largamente usado na literatura de economia industrial, e as características estruturais da indústria petroquímica embasam o modelo analítico proposto. A aplicação do modelo para o período iniciado em 2000 revelou que, no conjunto das variáveis identificadas, o acesso às matérias--primas e aos mercados com maior potencial de crescimento tem sido aquele com maior capacidade para desencadear os movimentos de reestruturação da indústria petroquímica no período recente. The aim of this paper is to propose a model of analysis of the investment decisions in the petrochemical industry highlighting the main variables which have bringing them about and causing the restructuring movements in the sector. The structure/conduct/ performance (SCP) model (widely used in the industrial economics literature) as well as the structural characteristics of the petrochemical industry support the analytical model proposed in this work. The application of the model to the period from 2000 onwards showed that, among the proposed variables, the access to raw material and to the most dynamic markets came out to be the most important ones to launch restructuring movements in the petrochemical industry.

In recent decades, a new social condition has emerged, in which human beings increasingly seek to strengthen their identity by belonging to communities. The role of these communities as providers of identity may offer a powerful construct for explaining and interpreting a vast array of firm activities and actions, as well as evaluating their potential for creating and sustaining competitive advantage. We develop a framework in which firms implement strategies to interact with communities. The framework provides insights that apply to various domains of the organization literature, ranging from corporate identity to supplier relationships and from human resource practices to corporate social responsibility.

P. 511-537,Set./Dec. Submitted by JURANDI DE SOUZA SILVA (jssufba@hotmail.com) on 2011-09-02T18:15:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 a06v13n3.pdf: 159518 bytes, checksum: 99050494cef60919436b684e3057053f (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2011-09-02T18:15:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 a06v13n3.pdf: 159518 bytes, checksum: 99050494cef60919436b684e3057053f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um modelo de análise das decisões de investimentos na indústria petroquímica, destacando as principais variáveis que as têm motivado e induzido os movimentos de reestruturação no setor. O modelo estrutura/conduta/desempenho (ECD), largamente usado na literatura de economia industrial, e as características estruturais da indústria petroquímica embasam o modelo analítico proposto. A aplicação do modelo para o período iniciado em 2000 revelou que, no conjunto das variáveis identifi cadas, o acesso às matérias-primas e aos mercados com maior potencial de crescimento tem sido aquele com maior capacidade para desencadear os movimentos de reestruturação da indústria petroquímica no período recente. Rio de Janeiro

Tez (Yüksek Lisans) -- İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi -- Kaynakça var. Küresel rekabet şartlarında firmalar, mevcut durumlarını doğru anlamak, geliştirmek ve yerinde stratejik kararlar alabilmek için performanslarını değerlendirmek ve performanslarına etki eden faktörleri analiz etmek ihtiyacındadırlar. Bu çalışmada, küçük ve orta ölçekteki işletmelerin performanslarına etki eden faktörlerin analizi yapılmıştır. Bu amaçla bir anket geliştirilmiştir. Araştırma için veriler 76 imalat firmasından elde edilmiştir. Önerilen araştırma modeli ve hipotezler SPSS 15.0 yazılımı kullanılarak istatistiksel olarak test edilmiştir. Çalışma firmanın strateji tercihleri ile firma performansı arasındaki ilişkinin önemini ortaya koymuştur. Sonuçlar teknoloji odaklı olmanın firma performansını pozitif etkilediğini vurgulamaktadır. Bu araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre firma performansını en çok etkileyen faktörün yenilikçi strateji olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Müşteri odaklılık ise firma performansını etkileyen ikinci en önemli faktördür. Teknoloji odaklılık, saldırgan strateji ve savunmacı strateji de firma performansını pozitif yönde ve anlamlı bir şekilde etkilemektedir. Ancak, beklentilerin aksine, rakip odaklılık ve toplam kalite yönetimi firma performansı üzerinde bir etki göstermemektedir. Under the global competition conditions, firms have to evaluate the performance and analyse factors affecting its performance for understanding of current status, improving and making right strategic decisions. In this study, factors which influence the small and medium firms’ performance were analysed. A questionnaire designed for this purpose. The data for this research obtained from 76 manufacturing firms. The proposed research model and hypotheses are statistically tested using SPSS 15.0. The study showed that the relationships between firm strategies and firm performance are significant. The results also support the positive influences of technology orientation on firm performance.According to findings of this study, proactive strategy is the most effecting factor of firm performance. Also, customer orientation is second most affecting factor of firm performance. Technological orientation, aggressive strategy and defensive strategy influence firm performance, positivelyand significantly. But, contrary to expectations, competitor orientation and total quality management don’t have any significant effect on firm performance.

We review the recent literature on market structure, firm strategies and public policy in network industries. In particular, we focus on the latest applied work, including case studies and empirical work as well as refinements of the established theoretical results. We group each set of results along two dimensions: Static (within-generation) and dynamic (across-generations).