Competitive Capabilities Research Articles

A Systems Thinking Approach to Improving Firms’ Competitive Capabilities and Firm Performance

AbstractThis research aims to establish how systems thinking (ST) can be used to develop firm competitive capabilities (CC) and improve firm performance (FP). The focus is on ST applications in the South African information and communications technology (ICT) industry. The methodology includes Structural text condensation of relevant literature combined with interviews involving a selection of participants. From the analysis, some of the key findings are that ST enables the firm to contextualize itself in the wider systems environment, which results in improvements in FP. The research stream is specifically on soft ST and its contribution to improvements in firm CC and FP. This research creates an opportunity for further research into how soft ST can be leveraged in delivering firm CC and improvements in FP. The theoretical contribution made in this paper is exploring the relationship/linkage between the different concepts of soft ST, CC and FP.

Spectral graph convolutional neural network for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and multi-disease categorization from functional brain changes in magnetic resonance images

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurological disorder characterized by the gradual deterioration of cognitive functions, leading to dementia and significantly impacting the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for the effective management and treatment of this debilitating condition. This study introduces a novel framework based on Spectral Graph Convolutional Neural Networks (SGCNN) for diagnosing AD and categorizing multiple diseases through the analysis of functional changes in brain structures captured via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To assess the effectiveness of our approach, we systematically analyze structural modifications to the SGCNN model through comprehensive ablation studies. The performance of various Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) is also evaluated, including SGCNN variants, Base CNN, Lean CNN, and Deep CNN. We begin with the original SGCNN model, which serves as our baseline and achieves a commendable classification accuracy of 93%. In our investigation, we perform two distinct ablation studies on the SGCNN model to examine how specific structural changes impact its performance. The results reveal that Ablation Model 1 significantly enhances accuracy, achieving an impressive 95%, while Ablation Model 2 maintains the baseline accuracy of 93%. Additionally, the Base CNN model demonstrates strong performance with a classification accuracy of 93%, whereas both the Lean CNN and Deep CNN models achieve 94% accuracy, indicating their competitive capabilities. To validate the models' effectiveness, we utilize multiple evaluation metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, ensuring a thorough assessment of their performance. Our findings underscore that Ablation Model 1 (SGCNN Model 1) delivers the highest predictive accuracy among the tested models, highlighting its potential as a robust approach for Alzheimer's image classification. Ultimately, this research aims to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of AD, contributing to improved patient outcomes and advancing the field of neurodegenerative disease diagnosis.

Cultural profiles evaluation and their impact on the performance of production systems in Colombian companies using data analytics

Strategically managing production systems is crucial for creating value and enhancing the competitive capabilities of companies. However, research on organizational culture within these systems is scarce, particularly in the Colombian context. This research aims to evaluate cultural profiles and their impact on the performance of production systems in Colombian firms. The regional focus is vital as cultural and contextual factors can vary significantly between regions, influencing organizational behavior and performance outcomes. To achieve this, we make a study in a sample of Colombian companies, with participation from working students of the Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD). We used a data analytics approach to collected data. The results will be relevant to both the scientific community and business practitioners. This research seeks to determine whether the perception of the work environment within a company influences the perceived performance of the company. The findings will provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between organizational culture and production system performance, offering a foundation for business decision-making and enhancing competitiveness in Latin American context.

Type VI secretion systems promote intraspecific competition and host interactions in a bee gut symbiont

The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) is a sophisticated mechanism utilized by gram-negative bacteria to deliver toxic effector proteins into target cells, influencing microbial community dynamics and host interactions. In this study, we investigated the role of T6SSs in Snodgrassella alvi wkB2, a core bacterial symbiont of the honey bee gut microbiota. We generated single- and double-knockout mutants targeting essential genes (tssD and tssE) in both T6SS-1 and T6SS-2 and assessed their colonization and competition capabilities in vivo. Our results indicate that T6SSs are nonessential for colonization of the bee gut, although T6SS-2 mutant strains exhibited significantly lower colonization levels compared to the wild-type (WT) strain. Further, a defined community experiment showed that S. alvi wkB2 T6SSs do not significantly impact interspecific competition among core gut bacteria. However, cocolonization experiments with closely related S. alvi strains demonstrated that T6SS-1 plays a role in mediating intraspecific competition. Transcriptomic analysis of bee guts monocolonized by WT or T6SS mutants revealed differential expression of host immunity-related genes relative to microbiota-deprived bees, such as upregulation of the antimicrobial peptide apidaecin in the presence of WT S. alvi and the antimicrobial peptide defensin in the presence of T6SS-2 mutant S. alvi, suggesting that T6SSs contribute to shaping host immune responses. These findings provide insight into the ecological roles of T6SSs in the honey bee gut microbiota, emphasizing their importance in maintaining competitive dynamics and influencing host-bacterial interactions.

Boosting crayfish algorithm based on halton adaptive quadratic interpolation and piecewise neighborhood for complex optimization problems

The Crayfish Optimization Algorithm (CFish) is an innovative meta-heuristic approach that draws inspiration from the movements and behaviors of crayfish. CFish exhibits strong performance across many test sets and optimization issues, but it faces challenges with sluggish convergence, an uneven distribution between exploration and exploitation, and inadequate accuracy due to high-dimensional tasks. To tackle these concerns, this study presents an evolved version named QICFish, which integrates multiple sophisticated strategies to optimize performance. The CFish algorithm improves its population initialization by using the Halton sequence, resulting in a substantial enhancement of the exploration phase and an increase in population variety. Furthermore, the implementation of the adaptive quadratic interpolation approach enhances the algorithm's capacity to exploit its surroundings by eliminating individuals of worse quality and expediting the creation of solutions of superior quality. Furthermore, an adaptive mutation method is employed to improve the process of exploration and effectively locate more favorable areas inside the search space. Finally, the adaptive piecewise neighborhood strategy, enhances the pace of convergence and maintains a balanced transition between exploration and exploitation. Then, QICFish outperforms other cutting-edge algorithms across several dimensions of the CEC’17 and CEC’20 test sets, as shown by experimental comparisons. Furthermore, the efficacy and feasibility of the solution are confirmed by successfully addressing six intricate engineering problems and two truss topology optimization problems. The simulation findings demonstrate that QICFish exhibits robust competitive capabilities and shows great potential for engineering optimization challenges. Therefore, QICFish is a very efficient meta-heuristic approach for solving engineering optimization problems.

The relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and its competitiveness in China: The moderating effect of employee stock ownership plan

Using data from Chinese publicly listed companies spanning from 2010 to 2022, this study examines the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and corporate competitiveness. The findings show that the influence of corporate entrepreneurship on enterprise competitiveness is significantly “U-shaped”. As the degree of corporate entrepreneurship increases, it initially demonstrates a significant negative impact on enterprise competitiveness, followed by a significant positive impact. Mechanism testing reveals that the implementation of ESOPs can expedite the enhancement of corporate competitiveness. Further analysis suggests that compared to arbitrage entrepreneurship, innovative entrepreneurship can contribute to sustained enhancements in enterprise competitiveness. At the same level of corporate entrepreneurship, the increase in competitive capabilities of large companies surpasses that of Small and Medium-sized (S&M) companies. This paper provides empirical evidence and theoretical guidance for studying the economic implications of different types of corporate entrepreneurship.

Factors Deriving Sustainable Oriented Innovation Capability for Firm Competitiveness: Findings from the Family Businesses of an Emerging Countries

Factors Deriving Sustainable Oriented Innovation Capability for Firm Competitiveness: Findings from the Family Businesses of an Emerging Countries

The Impact of Cloud Technology on Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality Industry

Purpose: Cloud technology has significantly transformed modern business operations, particularly within the hospitality industry, by offering scalable, cost-effective, and flexible computing solutions. This paradigm shift has democratized access to advanced tools and services, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and competitive capability for entrepreneurs. This integrative paper examines the impact of cloud computing on entrepreneurship within the hospitality sector, focusing on operational efficiency, cost structures, scalability, and innovation. Materials and Methods: By employing the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT), this integrative study provides a framework for understanding how cloud technology enhances competitive advantage and adoption patterns. Findings: Through a comprehensive review of literature and case studies, this study identifies and addresses critical research gaps, including the limited empirical evidence on the long-term effects of cloud technology on business growth, sustainability, and competitive advantage. It also highlights the need for further exploration of regional differences in cloud technology adoption, particularly in emerging markets, and underscores the insufficient exploration of security and privacy concerns, advocating for more detailed research on cloud security models. Moreover, the study seeks to bridge gaps in understanding how cloud technology drives innovation in service delivery and customer experience. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Policy contributions from this study include recommending targeted guidelines for secure cloud adoption, strategies for addressing regional disparities in cloud technology implementation, and policy frameworks that support innovation while safeguarding data privacy. Recommendations for entrepreneurs include strategically adopting cloud solutions, investing in staff training, and continuously monitoring cloud-related expenses. This study ultimately contributes to a nuanced understanding of cloud technology’s role in shaping entrepreneurial practices and policies within the hospitality sector.

Thermal Stress and Its Relationship with Industry: A Systematic Review of The Literature

Objective:This study systematically reviews the literature on the impact of environment temperature on industrial workers and the competitive capacity of industrial organizations. Theoretical Framework:Research such as that by Ferrari et al. (2023) and Varghese (2018) indicates that the relationship between heat and occupational health is predominant, influencing productivity and economic costs. Borg et al. (2021) highlight the need to explore the economic impacts of heat in the workplace to develop effective management policies. Hariyani et al. (2022) emphasize the importance of integrating sustainability and technology into organizational strategies to increase competitiveness. Method:Using the PRISMA protocol and the Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus databases, the research analyzed 329 documents from 31 journals. Results and Discussion:The results indicate that high environment temperatures affect the physical and mental health of workers, reducing productivity. Organizations implement strategic actions and mitigation measures when they perceive competitive advantages. However, industries do not see environment temperature as a direct factor in reducing competitiveness, addressing it as secondary to the economic axis, which creates a knowledge gap. Research Implications:This research allows organizations to create new strategies to mitigate risks that may reduce their competitive capabilities. In addition, it allows for the creation of direct actions for the thermal comfort of workers, due to the central role of human beings in the competitive capacity of industrial organizations. Originality/Value:This work highlights a gap in the scientific literature and in organizational strategies in the search for competitiveness, since the main actors in the manufacturing process, the workers, who are the most affected by exposure to AT, are not seen as elements sensitive to environmental risk .

The Impact of Strategic Project Management on the Success of Construction Projects in the Contracting Sector in Riyadh

This study aimed to identify the impact of strategic management on the performance of construction projects in Riyadh. The impact was examined across dimensions including environmental analysis, strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation, and measured against project efficiency, adoption of innovation, and sustainability. The research employed a descriptive and analytical approach, reviewing relevant Arabic and foreign references to establish theoretical foundations. Additionally, a field study was conducted through the distribution of questionnaires to construction project managers in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 394 individuals participated in the study using a simple random sample method for data collection. The research yielded several key findings, indicating a high level of success in construction projects, with a strong positive correlation between strategic project management and project success in the Kingdom. Strategic project management was found to explain 78.9% of the changes in project success, with an increase of 1% in strategic project management correlating to a 0.391% increase in professional project success. However, the main hypothesis of the study was found to be invalid. Based on the results, recommendations were made, including the adoption of project management methods integrating strategic aspects and the encouragement of companies to implement continuous improvement of strategic project management practices to enhance long-term competitive capabilities.

The inclusion of cereal crops with maize and soyabean rotations impacts the morphology and phenology of Amaranthus tuberculatus

AbstractSimple crop rotations like maize and soyabean grown in succession often coincide with simple weed management tactics, resulting in weed infestations that are highly adapted to the conditions maintained for the selected crops. Amaranthus tuberculatus is a prominent weed species which possesses biological characteristics that allow it to persist in maize–soyabean rotations. Spring wheat and oats emerge earlier than A. tuberculatus and are grown in narrower rows than maize and soyabean, which may increase their competitive capability. A field study which measured morphological and phenological characteristics of three A. tuberculatus cohorts that emerged under fallow, maize, soyabean, spring wheat and oats was conducted to compare their competitive ability. Early emerged A. tuberculatus grew similarly in fallow, maize and soyabeans and grew to heights of >150 cm but was significantly reduced in spring wheat and oats, never exceeding 40 cm. Heights of the last emerged cohorts were more influenced by crop canopies never reaching 15 cm in spring wheat and oats compared to >70 cm in fallow. Early emerged A. tuberculatus canopy diameter and branches plant−1 were reduced by >80% in spring wheat and oats compared to fallow. Flowering was delayed in spring wheat and oats compared to fallow and seed production and biomass were reduced by 99% across cohorts. Growth suppression of A. tuberculatus, based on the findings, can be achieved under dense, competitive crop canopies such as in spring wheat and oats and these crops should be considered as additional crops in maize–soyabean rotations.

Examining the Role of Sustainability Performance in Enhancing Competitive Capability: Insights from a Sample of Indian Manufacturing SMEs

Examining the Role of Sustainability Performance in Enhancing Competitive Capability: Insights from a Sample of Indian Manufacturing SMEs

Classification and analysis of the types of interaction of regional innovation systems

This article is devoted to a detailed study of the interaction between innovation systems and innovation processes. The application of the regional-national innovation system (RIS) model has been studied, and it has been revealed that it is a targeted strategy aimed at accelerating economic growth through the introduction of scientific developments into the production cycle. The importance of including distinctive regional characteristics in analytical models for a more adequate representation of the real innovative and competitive capabilities of the regions under consideration is substantiated. The need for modification of methodologies for the analysis of regional innovation systems (RIS), adapted to the specifics of local development and external integration, is emphasized. It has been established that an adequate assessment of the innovative capacities and positions of regions in the global economic space is hampered by the presence of divergence in classification standards. The need to include a new type of RIS in the classification is shown, which adequately reflects the initial stages of systems development in the context of unique Russian regional features. An analysis of the dynamics of interaction between key actors within these systems has been obtained, contributing to a deep understanding of the mechanisms of transfer of innovative knowledge among actors, providing tools for managing the development of regions, identifying the drivers of their competitive advantages and focusing on market participants.

Competitive Effect of Overexpressed C-terminal of Snail-1 (CSnail) in Control of the Growth and Metastasis of Melanoma Cells.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a role in the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. During this phenomenon, Snail can promote tumor progression by upregulating mesenchymal factors and downregulating the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins. Therefore, interventions on the expression rate of Snails may show beneficial therapeutic applications. In this study, the C-terminal region of Snail1, capable of binding to E-box genomic sequences, was subcloned into the pAAV-IRES-EGFP backbone to make complete AAV-CSnail viral particles. B16F10 as a metastatic melanoma cell line, with a null expression of wild type TP53 was transduced by AAV-CSnail. Moreover, the transduced cells were analyzed for in vitro expression of apoptosis, migration, and EMT-related genes, and in vivo inhibition of metastasis. In more than 80% of the AAV-CSnail transduced cells, the CSnail gene expression competitively reduced the wild-type Snail functionality and consequently lowered the mRNA expression level of EMT-related genes. Furthermore, the transcription level of cell cycle inhibitory factor p21 and pro-apoptotic factors were promoted. The scratch test showed a decrease in the migration ability of AAV-CSnail transduced group compared to control. Finally, metastasis of cancer cells to lung tissue in the AAV-CSnail-treated B16F10 melanoma mouse model was significantly reduced, pointing out to prevention of EMT by the competitive inhibitory effect of CSnail on Snail1 and increased apoptosis of B16F10 cells. The capability of this successful competition in reducing the growth, invasion, and metastasis of melanoma cells indicates that gene therapy is a promising strategy for the control of the growth and metastasis of cancer cells.

Optimal control of variably distributed‐order time‐fractional diffusion equation: Analysis and computation

AbstractFractional diffusion equations exhibit competitive capabilities in modeling many challenging phenomena such as the anomalously diffusive transport and memory effects. We prove the well‐posedness and regularity of an optimal control of a variably distributed‐order fractional diffusion equation with pointwise constraints, where the distributed‐order operator accounts for, for example, the effect of uncertainties. We accordingly develop and analyze a fully‐discretized finite element approximation to the optimal control without any artificial regularity assumption of the true solution. Numerical experiments are also performed to substantiate the theoretical findings.

The Role of Inclusive Quality Management in Improving Competitive Capabilities: A Field Study on Money Exchange Companies in the Republic of Yemen

هدفت الدراسة إلى بيان دور إدارة الجودة الشاملة بأبعادها: (التركيز على العميل، التحسين المستمر، التدريب، دعم الإدارة العليا، التدريب)، في تحسين القدرات التنافسية بأبعادها: (الريادة في تخفيض التكاليف، التركيز على الإبداع والابتكار، تقديم خدمات متميزة، التسليم في الوقت المحدد) في شبكات الصرافة في الجمهورية اليمنية، واستخدمت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، شملت عينة الدراسة (167) مفردة، وكان مجتمع الدراسة (363) مفردة. واستخدمت الاستبانة كأداة للدراسة. وأظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن: مستوى إدارة الجودة الشاملة والقدرات التنافسية في شبكات الصرافة اليمنية كان عاليًا. وكشفت النتائج وجود علاقة إيجابية ومهمة إحصائيًا بين ممارسة إدارة الجودة الشاملة والقدرات التنافسية لقادة وموظفي شبكات الصرافة المدروسة. وقدمت الدراسة مجموعة من التوصيات أهمها: يجب على شبكات الصرافة الاهتمام الكبير بالبرامج الخاصة بتثقيف الموظفين بخصوص نشر ثقافة الجودة الشاملة، وعقد ورش العمل وندوات؛ لفهم كيفية تطبيق إدارة الجودة الشاملة. كما ينبغي على إدارة شبكات الصرافة إنشاء وحدة خاصة بالتطوير؛ لتنمية برامجها وخدماتها بناءً على معايير الجودة، وكذلك الاهتمام بتقييم رضا العملاء؛ لأهميته في تحسين الخدمات وتطويرها.

Is Google driving us dumb? The introspective looping

Creativity is a key source of strategic advantage in nowadays knowledge-based society. However, reactive paradigms still dominate innovation theory: solutions follow well-known problems. But triggering radical innovation requires proactive creativity, implying using information to constantly find new problems to solve. Led by Google, personalization strategies use algorithms to obtain filtered information, meeting particular users’ expected preferences. This phenomenon, largely neglected by management research and practice, has received substantial criticism, around the concerns that it impoverishes social discourse, slows down human brain thinking capability, and eventually reduces creativity and innovation potential. Indeed, research has confirmed the positive impact that exposure to numerous and divergent external stimuli has on individual creativity. Thought-provoking questions emerge: Will customized search outputs affect companies’ competitive capabilities? If personalized search results reduce the diversity and overall wealth of stimuli received, will creativity and innovation in organizations be diminished? How can managers prevent this potentially dangerous process?

Analysis of the efficiency of the use of labor resources in agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan

In the article, the authors consider the current state of the labor market in the rural sector, namely, the efficiency of the use of labor resources in agriculture through quantitative and qualitative indicators. The analysis of these indicators allows to get information about the main problems and difficulties faced by employers in the process of using labor resources. Based on the analysis, the authors note that one of the main problems of agricultural enterprises affecting the competitive capabilities of the industry is the qualification of labor resources. At the level of senior management, the provision of high-quality personnel is relative. But there are not enough middle-level specialists and working professions. The authors also note that young professionals have no interest in staying in agriculture, so there is a high turnover of personnel. The authors conclude that the rapid development of technologies of the fourth industrial revolution, including digitalization, automation, and generational change of specialists and workers in the industry are the driving forces that change the requirements for the professionalism of employees of the agricultural industry. Therefore, in order to be competitive in the labor market, it is necessary to master new competencies and skills that can make their work indispensable. To win competition with machines, it is necessary to develop the ability to communicate with different people and the ability to work in a team, to train the willingness to solve problems and the desire to think outside the box. These competencies are universal for all professional fields of activity.

In English

Fullerenes are interesting objects of research in view of their promising use as a nano-sized additive to coatings, films, adsorbents, as well as active components in medicine, pharmacy, cosmetology. This paper considers the possibility of modifying commercial adsorbents - silica gel and cation-exchanger based on activated carbon with available and inexpensive linear carbon radicals. Behentrimonium chloride (C22H45(CH3)3N+Cl-) and cetyl alcohol (C16H33OН) were chosen as the latter. The obtained adsorbents were compared with a commercial sample of silica gel modified with a linear hydrocarbon radical –C18Н37. The adsorbents were described by the methods of IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, the main characteristics of the porous structure were determined by the method of low-temperature adsorption-desorption of nitrogen. Modification of adsorbents based on silica gel leads to a decrease in the specific surface area to 202.4 and 236.5 m2/g and the total pore volume to 0.32 and 0.39 cm3/g, which is almost 2 half source material. Increasing the fraction of micropores contributes to better separation rates of large molecules. Treatment of cation-exchanger based on activated carbon by cation modifier leads to a significant decrease in the specific surface area, as well as to an increase in the size of pores with the predominant formation of mesopores. It is shown that the modification of silica gel is carried out both through silanol and siloxane groups, in contrast to the commercial sample of silica gel. The approximate number of modifier groups on the surface of the original SiO2 matrix was estimated, which is one modifier group ~ per 11 SiO2 molecules. To study the behavior of adsorption of C60, C70 fullerenes and their mixtures on adsorbents, column experiments were carried out with changes in the geometrical parameters of the column and the initial concentrations of the solutions. The results showed that the modified silica gels are potential adsorbents for the separation of a mixture of fullerenes with a ratio of 65/25. Silica gel modified with cetyl alcohol C16H33OH showed the best separation efficiency. By the help of an adsorbent, it is possible to separate C60 - 90.52 % from a less concentrated solution and 87.26 % from a more concentrated solution. To increase the purity of the product, it is necessary to pass the solution through the sorbent 2–3 times. The competitive capability of the proposed modified silica gels, together with economic efficiency, ease of modification, and the possibility of fullerene separation characterize the proposed adsorbents as potential materials for practical application. Due to the significantly lower cost and simpler manufacturing methods, the proposed adsorbents can be used for separation at a large scale.

ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE COMPETITIVE POTENTIAL OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY ENTITIES: A METHODICAL APPROACH

The article highlights the issues of developing a methodical approach to the analysis and assessment of the competitiveness capability of tourism industry (TI) entities. The main tasks of the study include the analysis of the existing methodical approaches to the assessment of the competitive potential (CP) of business entities and the level of TI development, the justification of the author's methodical approach based on the criteria of transformation of the CP, which allows to determine the level of balance between providers of tourist services and their consumers. The author's methodical approach to the analysis and assessment of the CP of the subjects of the TI is substantiated. The main features of the methodical approaches to assessing the competitive potential of TI entities (CPTIE) are the use of quantitative assessment methods, wide coverage of indicators, an assessment of the entity's strengths and weaknesses, its competitive advantages and relevant conditions for sustainable development, extensive use of the rank method. The proposed methodical model consists of 5 blocks: Block 1 – justification of research elements; Block 2 – determination of research areas; Block 3 – selection of indicators system; Block 4 – calculation of the integral index; Block 5 – transformation of the CPTIE depending on the level of balance/imbalance between suppliers and consumers of tourism services. Each of the blocks contains structural elements of analytical research. The results of the study indicate that the proposed methodical approach to the assessment and analysis of the CPTIE can be used as a basis for developing differentiated approaches to the assessment of transformational changes depending on the phase of their current state.