Competitive Market Environment Research Articles

Challenges and Strategies in Protecting Single-Colour Trademarks within the Fashion Industry

This paper examines the complexities of registering and protecting single-colour trademarks within the fashion industry, with a special focus on high-profile cases such as Christian Louboutin's iconic red soles. It investigates the unique legal challenges faced by brands in establishing trademark protection for colours, which lack inherent distinctiveness but can acquire significant brand identity through secondary meaning. Through a detailed examination of various international court cases, the study reveals how judicial systems manage to uphold the integrity of distinctive brand elements while fostering a fair and competitive market environment. Additionally, this research discusses strategic approaches that brands can adopt to effectively secure and defend their unique colour trademarks in diverse legal jurisdictions. The findings shed light on the dynamic evolution of trademark law, underscore the significant impact of judicial decisions on brand protection strategies, and explore the broader implications these have on global market competition. By integrating theoretical frameworks with case study analysis, this paper provides valuable insights into the intersection of law, commerce, and brand identity in the global fashion industry.

A customer-driven quality function deployment approach for intelligent product design: A case of automatic-dishwasher

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is one of the very effective customer-driven product development tools. With automatic dishwashers entering the Chinese market, manufacturers can use QFD to develop products that meet the unique Chinese customer requirements and explore the Chinese market. To help manufacturers maximize profits by developing automatic dishwashers to China’s market situation and competitive environment, this paper proposes an improved QFD model considering competitive learning and cost analysis based on market information analysis with Product Life Cycle (PLC) theory. On the one hand, the improved QFD model determines the life cycle stage of the product by analyzing the characteristics of the market. The improvement rate of customer requirements (CRs) determined by competitive learning in different stages has different influence on the importance weights of CRs, so that the new products developed based on design requirements (DRs) converted from CRs can better adapt to the current market environment. On the other hand, the cost strategy will also change according to different PLC stages. In cost analysis, different cost criteria weights will be determined in different life cycle stages to deal with product development risks in different market environments and help enterprises achieve better sustainable development. Finally, we take Chinese HE company’s automatic-dishwasher design as an example to show the specific application of the proposed model. The proposed model identifies the important DRs and their relative importance ranking for the product development. Comparison with existing QFD models shows the ranking obtained through the model is better integrated with market information, enabling the development of products that are better suited to the market, and helping companies to achieve sustainable development.

Factors Contributing to the Success of iPhone in the Chinese Market and Competitive Strategies

As one of the largest smartphone markets in the world, China’s huge market demand makes it an important player. Since entering the Chinese market, the iPhone has won a wide user base with its high-end brand image and innovative technology. The study focuses on analyzing the factors that have contributed to Apple’s success in the Chinese market, including brand building, product innovation, marketing strategies, and user experience. It also explores how Apple’s competitive strategies have helped it stand out in a fiercely competitive market environment. The study employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. By analyzing market data, conducting consumer surveys, and conducting market research, the study evaluates Apple’s performance and consumer preferences in the Chinese market, and explores Apple’s competitive strategies and market positioning. We found that Apple’s success in the Chinese market is mainly due to its strong brand effect, continuous technological innovation, precise market positioning, and effective marketing strategies. Apple has won the recognition of Chinese consumers with its high-quality products and excellent user experience. At the same time, it has successfully addressed competition pressure through differentiated competition strategies and the establishment of a unique ecosystem.

Research on Innovation of Food Logistics Supply Chain Management

In the context of globalization and constantly changing consumer demand, the management of food logistics supply chains has become increasingly complex and important. This paper mainly studies the problems and innovative methods in food logistics supply chain management, aiming to improve the efficiency and adaptability of the supply chain by optimizing management strategies. This paper adopts literature analysis and case analysis methods to analyze in detail the problems of information asymmetry, cost control, transportation efficiency, and inventory management in the food logistics supply chain. It proposes innovative supplier management models, digital management, modern supply chain management concepts, inter chain cooperation, and risk management solutions. Research has found that adopting information-sharing mechanisms and advanced information technology, as well as strengthening collaboration among various links in the supply chain, can effectively improve management efficiency and reduce operating costs. This study provides some useful references for food logistics enterprises in practical operation, helping them improve service quality and reduce operating costs in a fiercely competitive market environment, enhance market competitiveness, ensure food safety and freshness, and meet the growing needs of consumers.

A study of the effect of team diversity on employee innovative behavior: The mediating role of psychological capital

In today's extremely competitive market environment, employee innovative behavior determines the innovation ability of the enterprise, and the innovation ability of the enterprise determines whether the enterprise can survive and develop under brutal market competition; thus, enhancing employee innovative behavior becomes critical for the long-term survival and development of the enterprise.This paper delves into the theoretical mechanisms by which team diversity and psychological capital affect employee innovative behavior. It leverages social identity theory and conservation of resources theory to provide a comprehensive understanding of these research. The study suggests that psychological capital acts as a mediator in this relationship, serving as a key factor that connects the elements of team diversity with the outcomes of employee innovative behavior. To empirically validate the proposed research model, which connects team diversity, psychological capital, and employee innovative behavior, the study gathered data from a national survey, resulting in 387 valid responses. The analysis employed PLS-SEM to conduct reliability and validity assessments, as well as tests for direct and mediating effects. The research results show that team information diversity can directly and significantly affect employee innovative behavior, team underlying diversity does not directly influence employee innovative behavior; team informational diversity significantly impacts employees' self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience, team underlying diversity significantly affects self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience, but not hope; Self-efficacy and hope do not influence employee innovative behavior, resilience and optimism significantly influence employee innovative behavior. optimism and resilience play a partially mediating role between team information diversity and employee innovative behavior; and optimism and resilience play a completely mediating role between team underlying diversity and employee innovative behavior.

Challenges and Perspectives of the Startup Ecosystem for the Development of Innovative Economy in Georgia

The processes of introduction of technology and innovation ecosystem in the economic development of the country have attracted special attention in the global world in the conditions of pandemic and post-pandemic. Accordingly, the research focuses on the formation and development models of modern start-up ecosystems, processes and determinants that ensure their transformation into innovations and the transfer of resources for economic development in the regions. The aim of the paper is to determine the main directions that will contribute to the development of startup ecosystems, taking into account global trends and state-specific practices; The research is based on the methods of grouping, comparison, analogy, analysis, generalization and systemic-structural approaches. As a result of the research, startup ecosystems were defined as an institutional mechanism that is open to the expansion of intersectoral networks and changes the competitive market environment in favor of the architecture of a stable innovative economy. The examples of Estonia, Spain, and Britain show the potential of developing a national startup ecosystem model that prioritizes long-term development, state technical self-sufficiency, and the ability to expand to new markets. Keywords: innovative economy, ecosystems, technoparks, startups, innovations, R&D, economic development

Strategic decision-making of competitive manufacturers: Assessing the role of product substitutability in energy performance contracting

Maximizing benefits through optimized strategic decisions is a crucial concern in Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) arrangements among competing manufacturers, yet this area remains underexplored. This paper develops a model to examine EPC cooperation between two manufacturers producing substitutable products in a duopoly market. By applying game theory, the study investigates the strategic decision-making processes of these manufacturers, with a particular focus on product substitutability. The analysis of equilibrium outcomes reveals that when both manufacturers engage in EPC, total market output increases. Although EPC results in lower prices, it enhances overall consumer surplus due to the price reduction. Additionally, EPC contributes to a decrease in total energy consumption as the cost of energy-saving service rises. The study find that as product substitutability increases, the sharing ratio determined by the client in the EPC arrangement gradually decreases. Concurrently, the level of energy-saving service provided by the Energy Service Company (ESCO) increases. However, when the cost coefficient of energy-saving retrofitting services is relatively high and the sharing ratio falls within a certain range, the service level initially decreases before rising again. This research offers novel insights into the impact of product substitutability on EPC engagements between two competing manufacturers, providing valuable perspectives on strategic decision-making within a competitive market environment.

Cultivating Innovative Work Behavior: Insights from HRM Practices Integration

Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) has a prominent space in various literature, but what cultivates it remains inconsistent and fragmented. This study posits that controlled Human Resource (HR) practices can foster Innovative Work Behavior (IWB). It used Reflective Thematic Analysis (RTA) to examine from the lens of Perceived Organizational Support (POS) and Learning Culture (LC) theories based on the insights of 10 expert-respondents across 8 industries. The findings revealed that the organization’s support and the synergy of HR practices such as Diversity Management (DM), Work Life Balance (WLB), and Training and Development (TD) significantly succeeded to cultivate IWB while Rewards and Recognition (RR) practices failed to cultivate the desired behavior. The study also showed that championing cultural diversity and observing employees’ balanced work-family time propelled innovative behavior. Likewise, Learning Culture (LC) as enhanced by TD, DM, and WLB practices escalated the employees’ IWB. The study recommends to strategize RR practices, focusing on intrinsic rewards that are linked to IWB and to enhance TD practices for sustainable learning. It further highlights the crucial role of organizational support through HRM practices and learning culture in cultivating IWB. Since IWB is multi-factored, an investigation on other factors not addressed in this study and longitudinal research must be conducted to ensure consistent findings. The future direction of this study should also focus on external factors such as technological advancement, market competition, and regulatory environment that shall redefine the organization’s core values and consequently frame employees’ Innovative Work Behavior. This study does not only contribute to the existing body of literature, but also offers significant insights for both HR and Innovation managers in their respective practices. Keywords: Innovative Work Behavior, HR Practices, Organizational Performance, Diversity Management, Work-Life Balance, Training and Development, Rewards and Recognition, Perceived Organizational Support (POS) Theory, Learning Culture (LC) Theory

The Determinants of International Certification among Manufacturing Firms in Pakistan

This study investigates the factors that influence international certification among Pakistani manufacturing firms. About a third of such firms in Pakistan hold one or more certificates related to management or technical processes. The existing literature suggests that this demand is influenced by factors such as sector of activity, market competition, human capital and information environment, ownership type, and available resources. By analyzing a large, random sample of Pakistani manufacturing firms, we find strong correlations between these factors and international certification. We also discover that owner attitude, an aspect overlooked in previous studies, plays a role in the certification decision. While our statistical model does not fully explain the determinants of certification for small firms, we do find that certification is associated with increased profitability among small enterprises. This implies that small enterprise development agencies can improve the effectiveness of their programs by considering certification status as an additional criterion for allocating support funds. The results of our study have policy implications related to exporting, staff training, diffusion of firm ownership, and enhanced information access facilitated by modern technology tools.

Analysis of Green Intellectual Property Issues and Countermeasures from the Perspective of International Law

As an advanced form of productivity driven by green technological innovation, there exists a natural fit and close connection between new quality productivity and green intellectual property rights. Legal protection is the cornerstone of the development of new productivity, in which the comprehensive protection of intellectual property rights is particularly crucial: green intellectual property rights, as a key force to adhere to sustainable development and promote scientific and technological progress and economic growth, has a central role to play in incentivizing environmental protection as the core of independent innovation, thus becoming an indispensable institutional guarantee for the development of new productivity. This institutional guarantee ensures the legitimate rights and interests of innovation achievements, and is a powerful driving force and a long-term solution for the continuous progress of productive forces. At present, the field of intellectual property cooperation is encountering diversified challenges and problems: the unilateralization caused by some developed countries, the rigidity of international rules on intellectual property, the stagnation behind the digital age, and the imbalance in the distribution of existing international benefits of intellectual property, which should be paid close attention to. In order to effectively promote green technological innovation and escort the green intellectual property protection system to a stable and far-reaching future, countries and enterprises should face the current challenges rationally, correctly understand the differences and conflicts between green intellectual property rights and ordinary intellectual property rights, gain a deeper understanding of the existing relevant international law foundations, and promptly solve the green intellectual property rights issues, improve the relevant international conventions and treaties, strengthen the coordination and cooperation of international organizations, and establish a fair and reasonable green technology patent protection mechanism. fair and reasonable patent protection mechanism for green technology. Only when countries join hands to improve the green intellectual property protection mechanism, jointly combat transnational infringement and maintain a fair market competition environment can the legitimate rights and interests of innovators be safeguarded.

Order-sensitive competitive revenue maximization for viral marketing in social networks

The Competitive Influence Maximization (CIM) problem is a critical issue in viral marketing, focusing on selecting a set of influential individuals, known as seed users, for competitors to maximize their revenue. These seed users have significant sway in social networks and serve as valuable marketing resources provided by the platform. They are often displayed in a certain order launched by the platform and the potential information hidden in the order can profoundly affect the final marketing outcomes. However, current CIM research predominantly emphasizes designing effective algorithms for seed selection while ignoring the impact of the seed order launched by the platform. Therefore, this paper focuses on identifying the optimal seed order to maximize platform revenue in a competitive market environment. Specifically, we introduce a new problem called Order-Sensitive Competitive Revenue Maximization (OSCRM) to investigate the CIM problem from a new practical perspective. We prove the problem to be NP-hard and present a simple greedy algorithm with a 1/3-approximate ratio. To address it more efficiently, we further propose an enhanced greedy algorithm called GMST. This algorithm leverages the maximum spanning tree (MST) and achieves a 1/2-approximate ratio. Extensive experiments on four real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed GMST algorithm.

Strategies for Effective B2B Sales in the Corporate Gifts Industry: Best Practices and Success Tactics in the w.r.t Bag Manufacturing in Ahmedabad City

The corporate gifting industry has grown exponentially due to increased brand awareness and relationship management in corporate environments. Therefore, an effective B2B sales strategy is an important task for companies operating in this sector. The study focuses on the corporate gifts industry, particularly the banking sector of Ahmedabad, a commercial and industrial hub. Corporate gifts, including bags, are an important tool to increase brand awareness and promote business relationships at events, employee engagement, CSR activities and customer engagement. Recognizing the importance of these gifts requires a thorough analysis of effective B2B sales strategies to meet the branding and marketing goals of corporate clients. This paper discusses strategies to improve B2B sales efficiency in manufacturing banks in Ahmedabad and examines the various product offerings and customization options available in the market. To analyze the current market trends, key players, customer needs and competitive environment related to Ahmedabad. Successful marketing strategies in this area are customer-oriented and focus on customized solutions, quality, design, personalization and customer experience. In addition, the use of digital marketing and e-commerce platforms is essential to increase visibility, engagement and customer satisfaction in this evolving environment. Strategic partnerships and collaborations with suppliers and distributors play a key role in optimizing sales growth and market intelligence. By examining best practices and successful strategies, the study aims to provide useful insights to banks in Ahmedabad looking to strengthen their sales strategies and achieve growth in the highly competitive corporate gifting industry

The Effect Of Product Development, Price, And After-Sales Service On Purchase Intention Mediated By Electronic Word Of Mouth On Ryu Brand Power Tool Products In Jakarta, Indonesia

This study explores the impact of product development, pricing strategies, and after-sales service on purchase intention, with a specific focus on the mediating role of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in the context of RYU brand power tool products in Jakarta, Indonesia. The research aims to identify how these key factors influence consumer behavior and decision-making processes in a competitive market environment. Data were collected through surveys from a sample of consumers in Jakarta, and the relationships between variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings reveal that product development and price significantly affect purchase intention, while after-sales service exerts a moderate influence. Moreover, eWOM is found to be a critical mediator that amplifies the impact of these factors on purchase intention. This study provides valuable insights for marketers and business practitioners in enhancing consumer engagement and driving sales through strategic focus on product innovation, competitive pricing, and effective after-sales services, while leveraging the power of eWOM.

To Evaluate the Influence of Demographic Factors on Purchase Behaviour

Advertising in the media has become increasingly important in today's competitive marketingenvironment. The purpose of this research is to investigate the numerous ways in which advertising in themedia influences consumers' choice of product across different markets. The research takes a holistictack, utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods to present a whole picture of the topic under study.Theoretical foundations of consumer behavior and the function of media advertising within this context areexplored initially. The study builds on well-established theories like the Elaboration Likelihood Model andthe Theory of Planned Behavior to examine the complex link between advertising and consumerbehavior. The influence of media advertising on consumers' purchasing decisions is measured usingquantitative research methodologies. In order to gather a good cross-section of the population, a largescalesurvey is done. Information about commercial memory, attitude development, buy intent, andactual purchasing behavior is collected in this study.

Аспекти стратегічного спрямування діяльності підприємств

The article examines aspects of the strategic direction of enterprise activity. We proceed from the fact that the enterprise, by definition, is a purposeful, open system that exchanges goods and material values, energy, and information with the external environment. Pay attention to the strategic direction of the enterprise’s activities from the point of view of its management to maintain its level of system excellence, particularly system potential and the ability for sustainable development. The management of domestic enterprises still perceives most aspects of strategic management as formal processes that are declared but, in fact, still need to form the basis of the enterprise’s activity and, accordingly, reduce the potential for achieving long-term sustainable results in practice. If the management of the enterprise does not deal with these issues, then the staff, depending on the system of their values and culture as a way of life, will consider their work at the enterprise within the scope of their activities. More likely, only from achieving their own goals and satisfying personal interests. The most attention is paid to the task of the enterprise’s mission as an element of a set of strategic targets. However, there is currently no single approach to developing the company’s mission. Considering the list of elements of the mission and choosing those that are most relevant from the point of view of the current system state of the enterprise in the context of its strategic direction is directly reflected in the choice and implementation of the approach to the formation of the mission of the enterprise. The functioning of the enterprise in the direction of the defined mission becomes possible thanks to the establishment and achievement of the goals of its activity. At that time, the goal is a specific state of the desired result in the future, which the company seeks to achieve. The mission of the enterprise and the strategic goals of activity arising from it allow the enterprise to coordinate the level of system potential, harmonizing its ambitions with the state of the external environment in which it operates. The target orientations are the basis of the strategic direction of the enterprise’s activity and determine its future desired state, in particular, the possibility of being potentially competitive in market conditions in the long term. Also, they enable the company’s management to look from the future into the present and determine what actions must be performed by everyone inside the company today to achieve a particular state in the future. In general, it can be said that the task of targeting strategic landmarks allows the enterprise to acquire such characteristics that provide it with the possibility of long-term effective functioning in a highly competitive market environment. In this regard, it is relevant to consider the approaches to the task of target strategic orientations of the enterprise, which exist today in foreign and domestic theory and practice of strategic management. Keywords: strategic management, strategic guidelines, enterprise, strategic direction.

Regional judicial capacity and corporate total factor productivity: Evidence from the establishment of circuit courts

The strategic importance of total factor productivity (TFP) in the high-quality development phase of enterprises is increasingly prominent, and understanding the impact of regional judicial capacity on corporate TFP is crucial. We treat the establishment of Circuit Courts as a quasi-natural experiment for regional judicial capacity and construct the staggered difference-in-differences model to examine how regional judicial capacity affects corporate TFP. We find that the establishment of Circuit Courts significantly enhances corporate TFP. Mechanism tests show that the establishment of Circuit Courts improves the macro-level market competition environment, legal environment, and contractual environment, enhances micro-level resource allocation efficiency, strengthens innovation capacity, reduces bribery expenses, eases financing constraints, and promotes specialized division of labor, thereby improving corporate TFP. The positive effects of Circuit Courts are more pronounced among firms in regions with higher levels of local protection and administrative intervention, lower levels of intellectual property judicial protection, weaker product market competition intensity, and among non-state-owned enterprises without political connections. Our results remain robust after a series of robustness and endogenous tests. Overall, this study not only reveals the important role of judicial capacity enhancement on enterprise development, but also provides evidence support for deepening the reform of the judicial system and improving the Circuit Courts system.

MD&A tone and stock returns

This paper examines the impact of the MD&A (Management’s Discussion and Analysis) tone on cross-sectional stock returns in the unique context of Chinese A-share companies. We find a significant and positive relationship between the MD&A tone and Chinese stock returns after controlling for quantitative financial metrics. Our results suggest that the MD&A tone provides additional value that further enhances the information quality in MD&A disclosures and market responses. Furthermore, we observe that the textual tone effect is more pronounced for firms with lower institutional ownership, lower financial transparency, in less competitive market environments, and both the information factor and the sentiment factor of MD&A tone positively affect stock returns. Thus, we provide convincing evidence that MD&A narratives can serve as an effective communication tool to facilitate disclosure and mitigate information asymmetry between corporations and investors.

Understanding customer loyalty in banking industry: A systematic review and meta analysis

To overcome the current competitive market environment, obtaining high customer loyalty is a key success of retaining customers as loyal customers display high commitment to continue their support with the current service providers. Therefore, banks need to continue offering superior financial products and services to their customers to ensure high customer satisfaction which can ultimately trigger their customer loyalty. This research aims to enhance comprehension of customer loyalty in banking industry by conducting a comprehensive literature study. This research selected 149 published research articles related to customer loyalty in banking industry indexed by Web of Science and Scopus between 2012 and 2024. Only 44 final research articles that met the criteria were used for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Results highlighted that bank customer loyalty was often investigated in India, followed by Indonesia, South Africa, Vietnam, Ghana, Brazil, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, and China. Meanwhile, results also underscored that satisfaction, trust, service quality, image, commitment, reliability, perceived value, ethical, perceived usefulness and experience often and significantly influenced customer loyalty. Finally, results also outlined that consumer research mechanism of customer loyalty in banking industry evolved frequently and significantly shifting from general to electronic banking service consumption following banking 5.0 of “how Fintech will change traditional banks in the new normal or post pandemic”. Moreover, these results were essential to marketing managers in banking industry in order to analyze, understand and further improve their existing financial products and services to their customers so that banks can obtain more customer loyalty.

The The Influence Of Service Quality, Brand Trust And Customer Perceived Value On Costumer Satisfaction Study Of Amaris Hotel Customer In Indonesia

The hotel business can grow rapidly quantitatively by capturing the market in the tourism sector which continues to grow very rapidly. A hotel company will be able to compete and win market share if the hotel is able to provide good quality products and services. This study investigates the correlation between service quality, brand trust, customer perceived value, and their collective influence on customer satisfaction, focusing study of Amaris Hotel Indonesia. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of literature and employing a quantitative research approach, data were collected from a sample of hotel customers through structured surveys. Utilizing advanced statistical techniques such as regression analysis, the study examines the influence of service quality, brand trust, customer perceived value on customer satisfaction. Target included Amaris Hotel Indonesia customers. A total of 272 valid questionnaires were collected and verified with PASW Statistics 18. The conditions were: Service quality positive and significant impact on customer satisfaction. Brand trust has a positive and significant impact on customer satisfaction. Customer perceived value positive and significant impact on customer satisfaction. This indicates that customers who perceive higher service quality, exhibit greater trust in the hotel brand, and perceive greater value are more likely to be satisfied with their hotel experience. Additionally, this study reveals distinct interactions and moderation effects among these variables, highlighting the complex dynamics underlying customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry. These insights contribute to both theoretical understanding and practical implications for hotel managers seeking to enhance customer satisfaction in a highly competitive market environment.

Research on Pricing Strategy of new Energy Vehicle Market

With the increasingly severe global climate change and environmental problems, new energy vehicles, as an important choice for green travel, have received widespread attention. However, the pricing strategy of the new energy vehicle market has been one of the important challenges facing automakers. Especially in China, as the world's largest automobile market, the pricing strategy of new energy vehicles not only affects the profits of enterprises, but also directly relates to the purchasing decisions of consumers. Taking BYD Auto as an example, as a leader in China's new energy vehicle industry, its pricing strategy has important reference significance for the entire industry. Through literature review, interview and investigation, and content analysis, this paper analyzes and studies the current situation of BYD automobile in terms of pricing strategy, and combines the current situation of China's new energy automobile industry to find out existing problems and propose corresponding optimization measures to improve the performance of new energy automobile enterprises. After in-depth research and analysis, this study draws the following conclusions: BYD Auto's existing pricing strategy has taken into account consumer psychology and market competition environment to a certain extent, but there are still some problems. Therefore, BYD Auto should flexibly adjust its pricing strategy according to changes in the market environment and consumer demand, strengthen communication and interaction with consumers, and improve brand awareness and loyalty. This study provides useful reference and enlightenment for BYD Auto and other new energy vehicle manufacturers, and helps enterprises to formulate more scientific and reasonable pricing strategies to achieve sustainable development.