Digital Disruption and Author Strategy: A Qualitative Study of Self-Publishing in the US Science Fiction and Fantasy Market as a Source of Intangible Assets

This paper will propose and explore a method to enhance focal actors’ abilities to enroll and control the many social and technical components interacting during the initiation, production, and diffusion of innovations. The reassembling and stabilizing of such components is the challenging goal of the focal actors involved in these processes. To address this possibility, a healthcare project involving the initiation, production, and diffusion of an IT-based innovation will be influenced by the researcher, using concepts from actor network theory (ANT), within an action research methodology (ARM). The experiences using this method, and the nature of enrolment and translation during its use, will highlight if and how ANT can provide a problem-solving method to help assemble the social and technical actants involved in the diffusion of an innovation. Finally, the paper will discuss the challenges and benefits of implementing such methods to attain widespread diffusion.KeywordsInnovationdiffusionenrolmenttranslation

This paper builds on existing knowledge of diffusion forecasting and integrates it with the disruptive and discontinuous innovation literature. Thus, a model is developed for forecasting discontinuous and disruptive innovations. This model takes into account the multiple markets served by discontinuous and disruptive innovation. The role of learning curve effects is also considered. Guidelines, based on the existing literature, are offered for the application of this methodology to forecasting the market diffusion of discontinuous and disruptive innovation. The ability to better forecast the market diffusion of disruptive and discontinuous innovation is especially important now since the convergence of many fields and advances in other areas are creating unprecedented amounts of disruptive and discontinuous innovation.

The emergence of Industry 4.0 and related technologies are changing companies' business model and it’s supply chains. A digital supply chain (DSC) powered by disruptive technologies (DTs) can help organizations to build a sustainable competitive advantage. Although studies on one or some of the DTs gaining momentum over recent years, the literature on DTs adoption in DSC does not report a sufficient number of studies focusing on individual-level adoption behavior. The current study aims to bridge this research gap by examining the determinants of the successful adoption of DTs in DSCs in the USA. Accordingly, this study developed a conceptual model based on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework and diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory. Further, this study tested the hypotheses using the PLS-SEM, a partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results indicated that organizational and technology factors influence adoption decisions. Environmental factors such as competitive pressure also play a significant role in DT adoption, but innovation factors do not have any influence whatsoever. Moreover, this study contributes new knowledge to the body of literature on the antecedents of DTs adoption in DSC.

This study aims to analyze the relationship between Digital Marketing Skills and the Sales Performance of Student Products on the Shopee Marketplace. The research employed a quantitative associative method, with a sample of 52 students actively selling on Shopee, selected using a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using normality, linearity, and Pearson correlation tests with SPSS 26. The results prove a strong and significant positive relationship between the two variables, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.795 and a significance of 0.000. This indicates that the higher the students' digital marketing skills such as online promotion, account management, and content creation the higher the sales performance of their products on the Shopee Marketplace. These findings reinforce the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, which positions digital skills as a strategic internal resource for achieving a competitive advantage and enhancing sales performance in the digital economy era

The scientific literature often refers to gaps in digital marketing skills in industries, but the gaps are not clearly defined. The purpose of this study is to identify gaps in digital marketing skills in the agricultural industry. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 agricultural industry experts. After that, a focus group was held, which verified the reliability of the data obtained. It was found that there are gaps in digital marketing skills in the agricultural industry, such as: limited knowledge and experience in using digital tools and platforms, insufficient understanding of the principles of SEO and content optimization, inability to effectively use analytical tools to evaluate the results of marketing campaigns, limited understanding of the characteristics of the agricultural industry. Based on the results obtained, a digital marketer model was developed, which described the key skills and competencies necessary for successful work in the field of digital marketing in the agricultural industry. As a result of the study, it is concluded that the research findings emphasise the need for further training and development of digital marketing skills in the agricultural industry. The development of educational programs and training aimed at filling the identified gaps can significantly improve the effectiveness of marketing strategies in this sector and contribute to the development of the industry as a whole.

Strategic management has become a core activity of organisations and the adjective 'strategic' has now been applied to most fields of management. Consequently, understanding business strategy has become an issue of critical importance in organisation and management studies. By analysing changes in late twentieth century political economy, it is argued that the process of strategy is a key dynamic for firms, economies and capitalism itself However, post-Fordist changes in the process of capital accumulation now gives strategic management a different nature from that of its origins in the Fordist industrial environment of the 1960s. Specifically, these changes indicate three main directions for the future study of strategic management. These are: • An increased attention to intangible (soft) resources and the role that they play in the process of strategy. • More research is needed into strategy as localised practice and the investigation of the relationship between praxis, practice and practitioners. • The ontological and methodological consequences of researching subjective and processual phenomena within organisations. These research opportunities are hindered by the dominance of the functionalist paradigm within strategic management which emphasises the objective, structural and quantitatively measurable aspects of organisation. This has resulted in several gaps within the strategic management literature. The resource-based view of strategic management seems well-positioned to examine internal processes within the firm but its full potential has not been realised due to the constraining influence of the dominant functionalist paradigm, embraced by management and organisation scholars, within the strategic management literature. Hence, the primary objective of the thesis is to develop an alternative approach to the resource-based view that can examine the concerns of post-Fordist strategic management. Recently, attention has been given to developing theory and method that utilises different organisation studies paradigms. It is argued in this thesis that one literature that can be successfully applied to the resource-based view to bridge functionalist and interpretivist paradigms is 'actor-network theory'. The ways in which actor-network theory can be applied to the resource-based view to examine topics not well accommodated within the resource-based view are discussed. Actor-network theory has been mentioned within the mainstream of management journals such as the Academy of Management Review but remains relatively unknown within the strategy literature. Consequently, exemplar actor-network studies are discussed in relation to more well-known research methodologies. Finally, as a means of demonstrating some of the theoretical developments within the thesis, actor-network theory is applied to a particular category of strategic management, that of firm internationalisation.

Brand identity helps customers to identify, as well as distinguish alternative competitive brands. If there is a consistent marketing strategy and consistent messaging, brand identity remains consistent, which helps in improving sales management and generating better revenue for the brand. In this digital era, there are various digital marketing tools and capabilities to improve brand identity, which help in establishing close association with customers to influence their purchasing decisions. However, we have limited understanding of the antecedents of brand identity in the digital era, and how the moderating role of consumer belief in brands could influence their purchasing decision making process. In this context, this study aims to determine the antecedents of brand identity in the digital era, and to examine if there is any moderating impact of consumer belief in brand (CBB) on consumer purchase decision (CPD). Based on the resource-based view and social identity theory, a theoretical model has been developed. Following the survey responses of representatives from 302 organizations/brands, the covariance-based structural equation modelling validates our model. Our analysis affirms that e-WOM, digital infrastructure, skilled manpower, and digital marketing capability positively impact on developing brand identity, which influences sales strategy differently in different situation to influence CPD, where CBB plays a moderating role. The study results have been derived by analyzing the inputs of the respondents based out of India which invited external validity issue and it has been considered as one of the limitations of this study.

Purpose: This study investigates the influence of Green Strategic Management (GSM), Strategic Flexibility (SF), and Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) in the book publishing industry of Central Java, with Disruptive Technology (DT) acting as a moderating factor. Theoretical Reference: The research is grounded in Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities Theory, and Disruptive Innovation Theory. These frameworks explore how GSM, SF, and EO create a competitive advantage while disruptive technologies impact their relationships. Method: The study utilized survey data collected from 242 book publishers in Central Java, determined using Slovin's formula for sample size calculation. The data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method to assess the studied variables' direct and moderating effects. Results and Discussion: The findings indicate that GSM, SF, and EO positively and significantly influence SCA. Furthermore, DT positively moderates the relationship between GSM and EO but does not moderate the relationship between SF and EO. This suggests combining green strategies and entrepreneurial actions can enhance competitive advantages due to technological disruptions. Research Implications: The study suggests that book publishers adopting GSM, SF, and EO will achieve better competitive performance, particularly when leveraging disruptive technologies. The practical implications include guiding publishers in developing adaptive strategies to meet sustainability and technological challenges. Originality/Value: This research provides novel insights into the role of GSM, SF, and EO in sustaining competitive advantage within the context of the rapidly evolving publishing industry and how disruptive technologies can further amplify or limit these effects.

The Indonesian Community Organization (PERMAI) in Penang, Malaysia, supports a diverse array of MSMEs known for their high-quality food, beverages, and handicrafts. To sustain their growth, these MSMEs must embrace digital marketing. Currently, many rely on outdated manual methods and have limited exposure to digital tools, which hinders their market reach and strategic optimization. In today’s digital age, mastering digital marketing is essential for these businesses to remain competitive and unlock their full potential. The program focuses on three primary goals: (1) Skill Development: Empower MSME entrepreneurs with key digital marketing skills, such as SEO, social media marketing, content creation, and data analytics; (2) Technology Integration: Transition MSMEs from manual to digital marketing systems, enabling effective use of digital tools and platforms; (3) Competitive Edge: Enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs in Penang by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to implement impactful digital marketing strategies. Targeted outcomes include hosting hands-on workshops tailored to MSME needs, providing ongoing support and mentorship, and sharing success stories and best practices through scientific publications and media. By addressing the need for digital marketing skills and setting clear goals, this program aims to boost the digital marketing capabilities of MSMEs in Penang, ensuring their sustained growth and competitive edge.Keywords: Digital Marketing; MSMEs; Technology Integration

In higher education, the array of roles performed by digital tools has been increasing rapidly. While some areas of higher education, such as teaching, already employ digital tools, the use of such tools in student onboarding has not yet been thoroughly explored. This study sought to develop a better understanding of student perspectives regarding digital onboarding tools through an investigation that built on the technology acceptance model and expectancy–value theory. The goal was to identify what students expect from digital onboarding tools concerning, for example, content and design. To this end, we examined the data from five focus groups using qualitative content analysis. The results revealed that students expect the design of digital onboarding tools to feature websites that are usable on mobile devices and that such a tool should be readily available for their use independently of time and place. Our study also found that digital onboarding tools can influence students’ motivation to study. The learnings for higher education institutions are that digital onboarding tools should enhance easy information gain and provide opportunities that foster early socialization with fellow students.

In the last 50 years, many explanations of the determinants of a firm’s success have emerged. One main research stream has dominated the literature on strategic management, grounded in the ‘resource-based view’. Its main assumptions hold that resources possessing specific characteristics such as being valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable are the key determinants of a firm’s success, and are generally regarded to be intangible in nature. In an effort to add to the body of research within the ‘resource-based view’, this paper seeks to test the core assumptions of the ‘resource-based view’ within the Job Network industry in Australia. Given that firms access various intangible resources as they try to carry out a market strategy, this present study is interested in investigating whether or not, intangible resources (capabilities) classified as skills contribute more to Job Network providers’ success than intangible resources in the form of assets, as prescribed by the ‘resource-based view’ theory. To carry out the present study, a conceptual model of intangible resources was developed based on Hall’s (1992) classification of intangible resources divided into two categories: assets and capabilities, but extends this earlier work by including some other resources available for Job Network providers in Australia (e.g. relationships abilities and functional routine). A single hypothesis was posited to investigate the assumption that capabilities contribute largely to Job Network providers’ market and financial performance, rather than intangible assets. This model was tested via a survey encompassing Job Network providers in Australia. Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, a final sample of 69 providers was analysed using multiple regression analysis. Providers’ duration in business was used as a control variable. The findings of the present study revealed mixed results. Capabilities were found to be a significant contributor to providers’ market performance and not financial performance, after accounting for the effects of other intangible assets and the control variable. By contrast, organisational assets were found to be a significant contributor to both market and financial performance measures. In addition, intellectual property and reputation assets were not found to be significant in predicting providers’ market and financial performance. Therefore, in contrast to the ‘resource-based-view’ theory, capabilities were not found to be the single most important contributor to Job Network providers’ performance. Thus, the findings of this study may raise some important issues regarding which intangible resources are the most important contributors to providers’ market and financial performance. They also offer a rich avenue for further investigations.

One way to contact clients, develop real-time connections with them, and ultimately win their pleasure is by using digital resources through digital marketing. With the use of digital marketing tools, this study aims to ascertain how entrepreneurial marketing affects marketing performance in Semarang, Indonesia. The research population The Area Sampling approach and the Stratified Random Sampling Technique were the two steps of the sampling approach used in this investigation. Path analysis using Smart-PLS software was the method of hypothesis testing adopted. The findings demonstrated that entrepreneurial marketing significantly and favorably affects marketing performance as well as digital marketing skills. Additionally, the performance of marketing is positively and significantly impacted by digital marketing skills. Nonetheless, there is less chance that digital marketing will act as a mediator in the connection between marketing performance and entrepreneurial marketing. Practically speaking, in order to sustain marketing performance, MSMEs must keep enhancing their skills and honing the application of entrepreneurial marketing strategies

Abstract. Information system (IS) innovation can be defined as a novel organizational application of digital computer and information communication technologies (ICT). This paper discusses how modalities of applying ICT technologies in their form and scope exhibit radical breaks, which are introduced herein as ‘disruptive IS innovations’. This notion of disruptive IS innovation is developed by drawing upon and extending Swanson's (1994) theory of IS innovation as well as the concept of radical innovation. Disruptive innovations strongly influence the future trajectory of the adoption and use of ICT in organizational contexts and make the trajectory deviate from its expected course. In doing so, these disruptive innovations distinctly define what an IS is and how it is deployed in order to address current and future organizational and managerial prerogatives. Such changes are triggered breakthroughs in the capability of ICT that lead to the revision and expansion of associated cognitive models (frames) of computing. Disruptive IS innovations are those that lead to changes in the application of ICT that are both pervasive and radical. The pervasive nature implies that innovative activity spans all innovation subsets of the quad‐core model of IS innovation introduced herein. Innovation types include: IS use and development processes; application architecture and capability; and base technologies. Radical in nature, disruptive is innovations depart in significant ways from existing alternatives and lead to deviation from expected use and diffusion trajectory. This paper demonstrates the importance of a concept of disruptive IS innovation by investigating how changes triggered by internet computing (Lyytinen et al., 1998) meet the conditions of a disruptive IS innovation defined herein. The analysis also affirms both the pervasive and radical nature of internet computing and explains how internet computing has fundamentally transformed the application portfolio, development practices and IS services over time. The analysis demonstrates that, with the concept of disruptive IS innovation, we can fruitfully analyse ‘long’ waves of ICT evolution – an issue that has largely been overlooked in the IS community. On a theoretical plane, the paper advocates the view that we need to look beyond linear, unidirectional, and atomistic concepts of the diffusion of IS innovations where innovative activity takes places in a linear fashion by oscillating between small technological innovations and small organizational innovations. In contrast, IS innovation can exhibit fundamental discontinuity; we need to theoretically grasp such disruptive moments. The recent influx of innovation, spurred by internet‐based technology, offers one such moment.

As the 4th industrial revolution with development of information and communication technology advances, the importance of investment in intangible assets is increasing. Korean distribution companies, which have been relatively sluggish in investment in intangible assets compared to manufacturing companies, are also expanding their investment in intangible assets, such as logistics system, platform business, big data analysis and artificial intelligence. The impact of such intangible assets on firm value may vary across industries, because intangible assets of distribution companies have different characteristics from manufacturing sector companies and other service sector companies. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of investment activities related to intangible assets, R&D, advertising, and human capital on the market value of distribution companies listed on the KOSDAQ market. In particular, the paper explores the impact of efficiency and intensity of such investment activities on the market value of distribution companies, as measured by the market price to book value ratio (PBR). To examine the effect of efficiency and intensity of investments on PBR, a research model is derived as follows: (1)PBR=ROE×PER (2)ROE=ERB=ERSALE×SALERD×RDB×BADV×ADVSALE×SALEAIT×AITB×BHM×HMSALE×SALETAN×TANTA×TAB where ER : Net Income B : Book Value SALE : Revenues RD : R&D Expenditure ADV : Advertising Expenditure AIT : Intangible Fixed Asset such as patent, license, and trademark HM : Expenditure related to salary, incentive, education&training, fringe benefit TAN : Tangible Asset TA : Total Asset PBR in equation (1) can be expressed in terms of ROE and PER. Using the DuPont system of analysis, ROE can be further broken down into trunover (efficiency) ratios and intensity ratios for R&D, advertising, intangibles, and human capital, as shown in equation (2). Inserting equation (2) into equation (1), substituting the operating profit growth rate (OPERt−OPERt−1OPERt−1) for PER, equation (1) can be written, after taking the logarithm, as follows: (3)log(PBR)=a+b1log(ERSALE)+b2log(SALERD)+b3log(RDB)+b4log(BADV)+b5log(ADVSALE)+b6log(SALEAIT)+b7log(AITB)+b8log(BHM)+b9log(HMSALE)+b10log(SALETAN)+b11log(TANTA)+b12log(TAB)+b13log(OPERt−OPERt−1OPERt−1)+e Equation (3) is estimated by using panel regression analysis. The sample used for this study is consisted of companies in the "Wholesale and Retail Industry" section of the Korea Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC), which were listed on the KOSDAQ market from 2009 to 2019. The total number of sample observations is 1,010. The results show that the intensity of investment in intangible assets held by distribution companies increases the market value of firms, indicating that the size of intangible assets is an important factor determining the market value of firms. In the case of R&D and advertising expenditures, their turnover ratios, rather than their intensity ratios, are important factors in determining the market value, indicating that investors value the investment efficiency more than the investment intensity. On the other hand, there is no significant relation between the investment on human resources and the market value of distribution companies. Table 1 Result of Pannel Regression Analysis Variables Prediction Estimated Coefficient t-value Pr > |t| Intercept 1.296 8.73 <.0001 log(ERSALE) -0.088 -2.53 0.012 log(SALERD) + 0.021*** 2.49 0.013 log(RDB) + -2.943 -3.72 0.000 log(ADVB) - -0.045 -0.12 0.905 log(SALEADV) - -0.010* -1.40 0.163 log(SALEAIT) + -0.013 -1.33 0.185 log(AITB) + 1.776*** 6.54 <.0001 log(HMB) - 0.058 0.34 0.737 log(SALEHM) - -0.027 -0.71 0.481 log(SALETAN) -0.037 -1.70 0.090 log(TANTA) -0.981 -3.98 <.0001 log(BTA) -0.126 -1.00 0.315 log(OPERt−OPERt−1OPERt−1) -0.031 -1.29 0.197 R2 0.12 Housman test for random effect m Pr > m 23.29 0.0383 ***,**,* Note) Significant at the level of 1%, 5%, and 10%, respectively(one-tailed test) This study is meaningful in that it empirically analyzes the relevance of the investment in intangible assets and the market value of distribution company, which has not been empirically studied in existing literature. This study also shows that the DuPont analysis provides practical implications in that it analyzes the effectiveness of investments and their impact on the valuation of distribution companies listed on the KOSDAQ market.

The steam man is a trope of early US science fiction, one inaugurated by the first dime novel Edisonade, Edward Ellis’s 1868 story The Steam Man of the Prairies. Focusing on early steam man stories as well as the historical origin of the trope—Zadoc Dederick’s 1868 invention, dubbed the Newark Steam Man—this essay argues that the course of US science fiction and US technology more generally was shaped by the racial discourses of the Reconstruction. Coming on the heels of the Civil War, the steam man stories, like Dederick’s patent, drew on extant black caricatures to explicitly racialize their central invention, vividly illustrating the afterlife of slavery at the birth of America’s machine culture.