Basis For Competitive Advantage Research Articles

INDUSTRY 4.0 AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. AN ANALYSIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

There is some controversy about which are the theoretical bases that allow companies to improve performance when implementing Industry 4.0 production improvement programs. In this paper we compare, using the resource-based view of the firm, the technology-enabled capabilities theory and the knowledge-based view of the company as theoretical frameworks, how the implementation of Industry 4.0 and Japanese philosophy centered improvement programs (TQM, Lean Manufacturing) affect the sources, transfer, and integration of knowledge. Using this theoretical framework, we conclude that both improvement programs have very different strategies in terms of how to manage knowledge, and that, to a large degree, they are complementary. We conclude that they have very different bases of competitive advantage and that there is great potential in their joint implementation for the improvement of production processes. Keyword: Industry 4.0.; Knowledge capabilities; TQM; Lean Manufacturing; Competitive Advantage

Methodology and mechanisms of sustainable development of agricultural companies on the basis of competitive advantages

The problems of ensuring sustainable development of agricultural companies on the basis of their competitive advantages have been studied. The methodology of formation and development of mechanisms of sustainable development of the company on the basis of its competitive advantages is developed and the block diagram of the algorithm realising is drawn up. The developed methodology is based on the comparison of indicators of the managed and the leading company of the agro-industrial complex and the elimination of the difference on the basis of the development of sustainable development mechanisms and competitive advantages. The concept of sustainability of agricultural companies, which defines the state of continuous, dynamic development and ensures the current and future market demand for quality agricultural products, The mechanisms of sustainable development of the company are considered as an organisational subsystem of the campaign, implementing its activities to ensure sustainable development. The originality of the study lies in the development of an algorithm for the implementation of the proposed methodology for the formation of the mechanism of sustainable development of the company, providing sustainable development of the company on the basis of its competitive advantages and benchmarking.

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ КОМП’ЮТЕРНИХ СИСТЕМ ДЛЯ ПРОЕКТУВАННЯ ТА 3D-ДРУКУ ЛИВАРНОЇ МОДЕЛІ З ВЕНТИЛЯЦІЙНИМИ КАНАЛАМИ В ЇЇ СТІНКАХ

In the context of the implementation of the "Industry 4.0" concept, digitalization and automation today have become not just the basis of competitive advantage in the production of goods (works, services), in many areas they are perceived as a necessary condition for the organization of production processes. In particular, thanks to the digitization and automation of foundry production in Ukraine, there is an opportunity to create a powerful potential that will contribute to the recovery of the country. Due to the expansion of the use of computer systems for the design and 3D printing of polymer foundry patterns with ventilation channels, it became possible to develop one of the methods of metal casting according to gasifying patterns (LFC) with the use of printed patterns (models), which corresponds to the growing trend of digitalization and automation of foundries processes. This became possible due to the increase in the intensity of evacuation of the products of gasification of printed patterns in the foundry mold using the vacuum of this mold. The developed method allows you to get a total benefit both from fairly fast computer-oriented 3D processes of designing and printing a foundry pattern, as well as from short-term processes of forming and punching out castings due to the use of dry sand foundry molds at LFC. At the same time, the digital transformation of LFC is combined with the resource efficiency of the reversible use of molding materials without changing the current standards of control of metal products of foundries. And the adaptation of production to additive technologies allows direct interaction with the buyer of the product, which is designed according to his individual digital project, with the help of the Internet. The latter corresponds to the concept of "manufacturing as a service" (MaaS). Also, this implementation of the use of computer systems and new digital processes in traditional foundry processes shortens the time gap from the creation of prototypes and tools to the mass production of metal products.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Today’s Economy is rapidly facing changes in globalization and Knowledge-based products and services. The survival and performance of an organization are influenced by its ability and speed in Developing knowledge-based competencies among the employees (Salina and Fadzilah,2008) According to Goh, SC. (2002), One of the major challenges an organization faces are managing its knowledge assets. Increasingly, knowledge transfer is seen as a basis for competitive advantage. Organizations always face issues with the kind of information, competencies, and expertise that are essential for it to take widespread advantage of available opportunities (Husnain et al., 2021). In addition to these competencies, an organization must possess unique features that competitors find difficult to imitate while operating in the same market and industry (Sousa and Rocha 2019; Sohail et al., 2020). This paper explores, in-depth, the role that key strategic organizational capabilities play in facilitating or preventing knowledge transfer. The paper converses knowledge transfer in an organizational context, then discusses significant organizational capabilities that trigger knowledge transfer and further discuss how these organizational capabilities influence the ability to transfer knowledge, an important area of knowledge management. Each of these key capabilities and their influence on Knowledge transfer is discussed separately and then integrated into a framework to explain how effective knowledge transfer can be managed in an organization with such capabilities. Conclusions are drawn about the complexity of knowledge transfer and the need to take a balanced approach to the process.

Identifying patterns of innovative organizational culture, transformational leadership style and quality of work life: a qualitative study

Background and Aim: In today's business environment, the basis of competitive advantage has changed from quality to innovation, innovation allows companies to quickly adapt to changes and helps companies find new products and markets. In today's competitive world, the survival of organizations requires special attention to the category of innovative organizational culture. The purpose of this article is to identify patterns of innovative organizational culture, transformational leadership style, and quality of work life, and it is developmental in terms of its purpose. Methodology: The current research is qualitative and the statistical population includes professors of academic units and managers of Azad Universities of Mazandaran. The sampling method of this research was snowball. A semi-structured interview was used to collect information and 20 experts in this field were interviewed. In order to analyze the data in this research, the theme analysis strategy and six-step technique of Clark and Brown (2006) and MAXQDA software were used. Findings: The results of the research showed that in the main theme of innovative culture, four organizing themes of the effects of innovation, organizational learning, individual development of employees and the desire and tendency to innovate were obtained; In the main theme of transformational leadership, two organizing themes of individual considerations, mental motivation, and in the main theme of the quality of working life, three organizing themes of job nature, security and job relations, and rights and benefits were obtained. Conclusion: As a result, paying attention to the extracted factors and making policies for the development and optimization of the use of financial and economic resources to increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the university and to improve and modify the service delivery methods and solutions and suggestions in line with their desirability It was recommended to managers and trustees.

Национальная стратегия финансирования энергоперехода: оценка возможностей и поиск решений

This article examines the current trends and the state of development of the energy transition in the Russian Federation. This process presents many challenges and requires a country to develop a strategy for success. At the same time, the successful implementation of the energy transition requires a balanced solution for its organization and implementation and a clear economic calculation. The main purpose of the study was to systematize information on the organization and instruments of for financing the energy transition in the Russian Federation. Presented among the results of the planned modernization transformations of the economy, the energy transition must be considered in the system of existing relations to determine its role and place in this process. The article analyzes government decisions on the energy transition organization, describes key aspects of the modern energy agenda, and summarizes information on the main instruments of energy transition financing. The author concludes that Russia is shaping its energy transition agenda on the basis of competitive advantages and socio-economic development priorities. Regarding energy transition, the country currently adheres to the Paris Agreement, adapting cross-border carbon regulations. The system of organization of relations within the energy transition framework is only being formed in Russia today, while with regard to the funding mechanism there is some experience and groundwork formed in the organization of the financing process of the green economy. Financial flows are reoriented to sectors of the economy which ensure energy security, technological sovereignty and sustainable economic development of Russia.

Pengaruh Ekuitas Merek Terhadap Keputusan Pembelian Konsumen Pada Produk iPhone di Kota Surabaya

People's interest in technology, or brands, has always been very important. Therefore, technological developments increase the number of new products and competitors in the telecommunications industry, placing consumers first and consumers with more choices and information as king. In this era, telecommunications has also become a competitive business field for business actors because of its extraordinary potential. This situation causes competition between companies, and players find themselves needing to maximize their company's wealth to survive from companies that manufacture smartphone products. One way to achieve this state is BRAND. Kotler explains that a brand is very useful in identifying the goods or services of one publisher or group of publishers, distinguishing them from similar products from other publishers. For them, for every company, the 'brand' is everything that makes it up and the most important capital. Because it is the basis of competitive advantage and future source of income. In this study, we adopted the method of using a questionnaire based on the results obtained. Brand loyalty therefore receives the most dominant value in purchasing decisions. iPhone consumer loyalty has a significant effect on consumer purchasing decisions. As a result of this research, we can come to the conclusion that iPhone users often give consumers positive feedback.

Problems of automation of the broadcasting and production complex

In the TV and radio industry, the efficiency of the hardware and software of broadcast production complexes is the basis of competitive advantage, and therefore, in the context of global digitalization, television industry companies face the task of constantly improving broadcast production complexes. Such improvement is largely provided by new technologies, some of which are aimed at automating broadcasting processes. In the article, the author analyzes the existing problems of automation of broadcast production complexes and concludes that such problems are caused by the desire of TV and radio companies to replace the traditional approach to the production of programs using a team of specialists with software. However, the effectiveness of this approach is questionable, especially if the release of the program is associated with live work, where in an uncertain situation it is not possible to react promptly to any events using automated software. Hence, automation of production processes in the field of broadcasting becomes an effective and economical technology only with the correct configuration of the software and careful calculation of automation prospects. The real prospects for automation of broadcast production complexes are currently in almost unexplored areas for the television sphere - the areas of voice control, which is based on artificial intelligence based on various algorithms for training artificial neural networks, which requires additional study and development of an appropriate model adapted to a specific task.

STRATEGIC PLANNING OF COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE RESULTS OF INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITY IN THE FIELD OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

The relevance of the topic of the scientific article lies in the fact that at the present stage of economic development, intellectual property is the basis of competitive advantages, is a tool for managing the value of the company, is considered as a center of income. The author defined the specifics of intellectual property as an object of commercialization, and also identified the key factors on which the process of commercialization of intellectual property depends in order to analyze the key areas of strategic planning for the commercialization of the results of intellectual activity in the field of research and development.

Curriculum Management of Al Izzah Islamic International Boarding School Batu

Curriculum management is a basic component in the world of Islamic education. if it is developed through a good management system, it will become the basis of competitive advantage in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0. Islamic education, especially Islamic boarding schools will face the challenge of competition in providing educational services and will not be avoided, this happens because of the development of globalization of technology and information. Curriculum management will be a strategic component in responding to these global challenges.

Development Of Methods For Calculating The Level Of Sustainable Development In Textile Enterprises On The Basis Of Diagnosis

The article examines the issues of improving the method of calculating the level of sustainable development of textile enterprises through diagnostics on the basis of competitive advantage in a market economy, and develops proposals to ensure the sustainable development of these textile enterprises.

Big data for corporate social responsibility: blockchain use in Gioia del Colle DOP.

The traceability of the supply chain with strict compliance with the specification to demonstrate in "transparency" the production processes in compliance with legislation and from a corporate social responsibility perspective, represents a fundamental requirement at the basis of competitive advantage in the food industries (Patelli and Mandrioli, J Food Sci 85: 3670–3678, 2020). The purpose of this work is to illustrate the innovative method for the certification and protection of the production phases of the DOP food chain and specifically the Mozzarella DOP of Gioia del Colle produced by the company Capurso Azienda Casearia Srl. This innovative approach consists of several phases that will be described in detail in the following paper. Besides, the idea of the introduction of Blockchain technology in an industry like this is an important step. This technology, associated with more accurate and intelligent management of the data acquisition process (Big data approach), optimizes the productivity of small businesses such as the dairy company. Blockchain technology guarantees security in the management of large amounts of data as never before possible, an innovative and experimental approach that makes the entire path of the production chain more controlled and optimized (Giacalone et al. International workshop on fuzzy logic and applications. Springer, Cham, pp. 218–225, 2016).

Service Quality of the Higher Vocational Education

Research Question: The paper will investigate the service quality of the higher education provided by the higher schools of vocational studies using SERVQUAL methodology. Motivation: The paper will show the characteristics of higher education of vocational studies, and it will point out the significance of creating and maintaining a quality management system in higher education institutions. The new reform of higher education in Serbia and establishment of academies of vocational studies are the main reasons why the question of service quality becomes one of the most important issues for higher education institutions and basis for competitive advantage, better image and reputation. Also, a growing competition on the higher education market and a smaller number of prospective students are also problems which higher vocational schools are faced with. Idea: The goal of this research is to find the differences between expected and perceived service quality. Furthermore, the paper will show if there are differences between perceived service quality among the students of different study years, as well as differences between the students with State scholarship and the self-funded students. Data: The research included 244 students of the first, second, and third years of bachelor studies from higher schools of vocational studies in Novi Sad, significant and the second-largest educational centre in the Republic of Serbia. Tools: Statistical methods used in this paper are frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, while the hypotheses are tested using the paired sample t-test, the independent t-test, and the one-factor variance analysis – ANOVA. Findings: The results of the research show that service quality of higher vocational education does not meet students' expectations (sig.<0,001) and that the gap is negative for all dimensions of service quality (Tangibles (-.32), Reliability (-.52), Responsiveness (-.49), Assurance (-.33), and Empathy(-.26)). It is also shown by this research that there are no differences in higher education service quality based on the status of students (sig.>0.05) and the year of studying (sig.>0.05). Contribution: The results can be used as basis for introducing further measures to improve the quality of service provided by higher vocational institutions.

Moderating Effects of Management Philosophy on High-Performance Work Practices–Firm Performance Relationship

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

Factors of the organization and peculiarities of small enterprises activities in rural green tourism

The subject of the research is theoretical aspects and practical approaches to organizing of small rural tourism enterprises and establishing the features of their activities. Setting the task, the purpose of the study. The purpose of the work is to substantiate theoretical foundations of the organization and practical approaches to small enterprises activities in rural green tourism on the basis of establishing their content and identifying factors and features. Method or methodology for conducting research. Both scientific and special methods of scientific cognition have become the methodological basis of the article. In the process of writing the article the following methods were used: monographic, historical, generalization and abstraction, SWOT-analysis, statistical groups, system and structural analysis and synthesis. Results of work. The article substantiates theoretical foundations and practical approaches to determining the nature and factors of organization of small enterprises in rural green tourism. The content and regulatory foundations of the organization of small forms of management, first of all, in rural green tourism are investigated. On the basis of the critical analysis of the most widespread interpretations of the concept of "small forms of business" the essence of small enterprises in rural green tourism is determined, as well as the peculiarities of their activity are set. The main factors of influence of the external and internal environment on the organization, activity and development of small rural tourism enterprises are revealed. Their use in management on the basis of competitive advantages is substantiated. The field of application of results. The findings and results can be used in the work of rural green tourism enterprises, rural territorial communities, and municipal authorities; in the educational process of higher education institutions of economic and tourism or their departments. Conclusions according to the article. Small forms of management in rural green tourism are the subject of micro-entrepreneurship. They carry out their activities in accordance with the requirements of rural development, hospitality, agriculture, transport, environmental situation and environmental activities in the countryside. In addition, it is one of the types of self-employment of the population, which raises the role of patriotism, local history; averages the elements of active work and recreation; creates a living environment close to nature; contributes to improving the living standards and quality of life of rural residents. In view of the above, the organizational and economic foundations of small forms of management activities in rural green tourism are determined in relationship of the business entity with the factors of its external and internal environment.

Creativity and leadership: neurocognitive insights in use

Creativity is seen as the “basis of competitive advantage”. Therefore it also is distinguishes the more from the less successful military leader. This quality of leaders is so important that it is one of the Austrian Armed Forces Leadership Principles: flexibility (in mind and manoeuvre) – being flexible in thought and action, to be mentally versatile. To increase the chances for extraordinary creative outcomes there are several aspects, which can be used in the DMP, in military training as well as in leadership. This article focuses on stimulus variation, reference level variation, association variation, emotional state variation, reduced and focused attention. By linking these aspects with steps of the decision making process, training and leadership new approaches in the daily business can be found and better achievements reached.

Critical success factors on project and process management in competitive strategy implementation

Goal: Raise in the literature of project and process management the critical success factors needed to implement a competitive strategy aiming to rank them and to recommend guidelines for a successful competitive strategy implementation.
 Design / Methodology / Approach: In order to reach the desired objectives, a research was carried out in the literature, enabling the creation of the questionnaire applied as a data collection instrument and the use of relative frequency analysis and measure of central tendency, mode, as the statistical treatments.
 Results: All the 42 requirements raised in the literature were considered as critical success factors for competitive strategy implementation and the analysis of the professionals' answers made it possible to include a further 12 critical success factors.
 Limitations of the investigation: The size of the sample, which was conditioned to the number of respondents of the questionnaire distributed by electronic means. And because the size of the population is unknown it is not possible to realize generalizations.
 Practical implications: A recommendation for companies was prepared through four priority actions in the competitive strategy implementation. The research concluded that beyond the pillar’s strategy, processes and projects, people, in the figure of client or employees, need to be included as one of the bases for competitive advantage.
 Originality / Value: The scheme ranking the requirements relevance for competitive strategy implementation is a way to support companies to promote actions to adapt the corporate environment so that all of productive links are aligned with the strategic objectives.

Study on Green Enterprise Quality Management Based on Sustainable Development

Total quality management (TQM) is one of the quality-oriented approaches that many organizations imply and has been considered the important basis of competitive advantage of the organizations. Since the concept of sustainable development was put forward, global green awareness has continued to rise, and the world economy has moved toward a greener direction. Under the global green demands, the traditional ideas of TQM can not adapt to the development of enterprises to provide the green products. Meeting the green demands, the enterprises should pay attention on environmental production, focus on green products demands, ideas of TQM should be shifted from total quality management to the innovation of Green Enterprise Quality Management under the sustainable development environment. Based on the requirements of the sustainable development strategy, to meet the growing demand of the green consumption and to improve the sustainable competitiveness of the enterprise, the ideas of green enterprise quality management was proposed and its characteristics were analyzed. Comparison with total quality management, the similarities and differences between TQM and the Green Enterprise Quality Management were further further. The conclusion of this paper is that the implementation principles of Green Quality Management should be adhered to when the enterprises provide green products under sustainable development.

Trade secrets and innovation: Evidence from the “inevitable disclosure” doctrine

Research Summary: Does heightened employer‐friendly trade secrecy protection help or hinder innovation? By examining U.S. state‐level legal adoption of a doctrine allowing employers to curtail inventor mobility if the employee would “inevitably disclose” trade secrets, we investigate the impact of a shifting trade secrecy regime on individual‐level patenting outcomes. Using a difference‐in‐differences design taking unaffected U.S. inventors as the comparison group, we find strengthening employer‐friendly trade secrecy adversely affects innovation. We then investigate why. We do not find empirical support for diminished idea recombination from suppressed inventor mobility as the operative mechanism. While shifting intellectual property protection away from patenting into trade secrecy has some explanatory power, our results are consistent with reduced individual‐level incentives to signaling quality to the external labor market.Managerial Summary: While managers often list trade secrecy protection as their most important appropriation mechanism form and basis of competitive advantage (even more often than formal intellectual property protection), researchers have a hard time studying the effect of such secrets. We use a changing trade secrecy legal environment in some U.S. states (the introduction of the inevitable disclosure doctrine [IDD]) to study its effect on inventor‐level innovation. We find that a strengthened employer‐friendly trade secrecy regime adversely affects inventor‐level innovation. While part of the effect is due to substituting trade secrecy protection for patents, we also find that inventors’ diminished external labor market prospects may dampen their innovation output. Consequently, while employers may wish for strengthened trade secrecy protections, the results may paradoxically be against their innovation interests.

Under What Conditions Do Rules-Based and Capability-Based Management Modes Dominate?

Despite real changes in the work place and the negative consequences of prevailing hierarchical structures with rigid management systems, little attention has yet been paid to shifting management modes to accommodate the dynamics of the external environment, particularly when a firm’s operating environment demands a high degree of flexibility. Building on the resource-based view as a basis for competitive advantage, we posit that differences in the stability of an organization’s environment and the degree of managerial control explain variations in the management mode used in firms. Unlike other studies which mainly focus on either the dynamics of the external environment or management control, we have developed a theoretical model combining both streams of research, in a context frame to describe under what conditions firms engage in rules-based, change-based, engagement-based and capability-based management modes. To test our theoretical framework, we conducted a survey with 54 firms in various industries and nations on how their organizations cope with a dynamic environment and what management style they used in response. Our study reveals that the appropriate mode can be determined by analyzing purpose, motivation, knowledge and information, as well as the degree of complexity, volatility and uncertainty the firm is exposed to. With our framework, we attempt to advance the understanding of when organizations should adapt their management style to the changing business environment.