Competitive Pressures Research Articles

The determinants and consequences of firms’ boilerplate answers: Evidence from online interactive platforms in China

We use a BERT-based model to identify firms’ boilerplate answers on online interactive platforms in China. We find that firms are inclined to provide boilerplate answers to investors’ questions on firm performance, but less likely to questions about product market competition. Further findings indicate that the proportion of boilerplate answers is higher when firms’ performance is weaker, while lower when they face greater competition pressure or possess more market power. We also find that firms’ boilerplate answers negatively affect investor trading, market liquidity, and market efficiency. Furthermore, these negative effects are stronger in firms with a poorer information environment.

Overwork-induced exploitation of Chinese adults: Social isolation, loneliness as mediating effects on mental health

IntroductionIn the context of job competition and immense peer pressure in Chinese enterprises, excessive overtime has become an increasingly important risk factor affecting employees’ health. ObjectiveIn addition to low physical health from overwork, this research contributes a new perspective on the social isolation and loneliness on successive overtime to understanding employees’ increasingly low mental health. MethodWe used stepwise regression analysis and Bootstrap testing from a survey data. The subject, 583 employees, aged from 23 to 45 from various work institutions, completed a self-reported measure of overtime frequency, social isolation, and mental health. ResultsEmployees have higher family isolation and loneliness due to overwork, resulting in higher depression and lower life satisfaction, while friends’ isolation's mediating effect is insignificant. Employees with more overtime days, involuntary overtime or uncompensated overtime, tend to be higher depression and lower life satisfaction because of lacking contact with family and longtime loneliness. Moreover, this paper also considers individual-sensitive factors. Employees living alone are more vulnerable to suffering from family isolation. Besides, salary and occupation would affect the degree of loneliness. ConclusionThis study confirms that overtime significantly affects employees’ mental health through family isolation and loneliness as mediating effects. This paper proposes policy recommendations for mitigating overtime exploitation based on these conclusions.

INFORMATION ACQUISITION AND DIFFUSION IN MARKETS

AbstractConsumers acquire information through their own search efforts or through word‐of‐mouth communication within their social network. Information diffusion leads to free‐riding and less active search. Free‐riding consumers also create important positive externalities, however, as they are more likely to compare prices, imposing competitive pressure on firms. We show how market prices depend on network characteristics and search cost. For example, if search cost becomes small, price dispersion disappears, while prices converge to the monopoly level, with expected prices decreasing for small search cost. Prices are lower in societies with more connections, while price dispersion remains even in fully connected societies.

Fostering supply chain agility by prominent enablers’ identification and developing conceptual modeling based on the ISM-MICMAC approach

PurposeToday’s marketplace has witnessed intense competitive pressures and high levels of uncertainty and disruption. Therefore, supply chains require agility to obtain a sustainable competitive advantage and cope with uncertainties as well as disruptions. Although a wide range of studies exists on supply chain agility (SCA) from the perspective of antecedents or consequences, there is little research on the investigation of enablers of SCA and their relations among them. Furthermore, the literature has investigated proactive and reactive enablers for enhancing SCA, but most studies have not sufficiently framed their analysis of both aspects synchronically. This paper aims to find out the interrelationships among the proactive and reactive enablers for enhancing SCA.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review has been conducted to identify SCA enablers and a Delphi study has been performed to elucidate SCA enablers in the manufacturing industry in Turkey. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) has been used to identify the contextual relationship among the SCA enablers, and the model has been validated based on Matriced Impact Croises Multiplication Appliquee a un Classement (MICMAC) analysis.FindingsOn theoretical and practical levels, the proposed ISM model in this study can help organizations analyze and interpret interrelationships among enablers of SCA. For managers, it can provide better insights and understanding of the facilitators of SCA to enhance the effectiveness of the supply chain and cope with uncertainties and turbulence. According to results, enhancing “supply and demand side competency”, “delivery speed” and “strategic sourcing” are the most significant enablers of SCA.Originality/valueThe study extends the existing literature related to the enablers of SCA by modeling the proactive and reactive enablers of SCA based on the Al Humdan et al. (2020) classification. Arranging the enablers of SCA in a hierarchy and classifying the enablers into different levels with the help of the ISM-MICMAC approach is an exclusive effort to achieve successful management of the supply chain.

Smaller Slices of a Growing Pie: The Effects of Entry in Platform Markets

Entry of new firms onto a platform has an ambivalent effect on the incumbent firms operating on the platform: the main tension lies between the negative effects of increased competitive pressure and positive indirect network effects. This paper empirically studies the net effect of these countervailing forces and its dependence on firm quality, using a quasi-exogenous shock on a large online platform. On average, market expansion favors incumbents, though the average effect masks substantial heterogeneity: high-quality incumbents experience significant increases in sales and revenue, whereas low-quality firms perform unambiguously worse. Lastly, the paper explores the main mechanisms and firms’ responses. (JEL D22, D85, L14, L15, L84)

Challenges of Digital Transformation in Rural Businesses: An Exploratory Paper

Digital technologies enable businesses to compete in a digital landscape via automation, efficiency gains, and customer reach. However, micro-rural businesses face unique issues that leave these businesses vulnerable to competitive pressures because they are often unaware of these valuable digital systems. We surveyed 37 rural businesses in Maine using surveys and open-ended questions to understand their successes and challenges in technology adoption. Our results suggest that while rural businesses recognize the need for digital strategies, a lack of access, and awareness of integrated systems and resources to implement technology persists. In addition, many micro-rural businesses lack adequate broadband Internet which is crucial to digital transformation. Our findings show that a multi-pronged approach is needed to address connectivity, education, and resource constraints. These include affordable access to broadband Internet and a proactive approach by government or non-profit organizations to help these micro-rural businesses understand the need for integrated software solutions as well as the training to implement them. Because micro-rural businesses represent the lifeblood of remote rural communities and digital integration represents a vital part of survival and growth, these findings suggest that digital transformation represents a necessary condition for success in businesses and their communities.

The Ukrainian milk processing enterprises export orientations development in the martial law conditions and under the migration processes influence

The article outlines the Ukrainian milk prosessing enterprises sustainability ensuring issues under the martial law conditions and migration processes. The main obstacles faced by the dairy industry during 2022 were associated with dairy farming decrease, production capacity loss, production costs increase, high competitive pressure, government dairy business support programs reduction. The article considers the planning logistics chains importance due to the dairy products peculiarities comparing other industrial products. Sustainable milk and dairy production, consumer balances achievement are important to ensure Ukrainian food security during the martial law. It is essential to use engineering management methods in dairy production in order to achieve the appropriate products quality under the transition to international dairy products quality standards terms. The production and export-import trends study made it possible to analyze the Ukrainian milk processing enterprises export potential to the EU, MENA, Asia, CIS countries, using effective logistics chains planning. It was determined that exports change in the geography contributes to the production leveling, which was excessive due to the large number refugees and internal migration. The main milk processing enterprises development prospects in the expanding export opportunities direction, cooperation with European partners and using the government grant programs opportunities have been determined.

Navigating the valuation conundrum: Unravelling challenges and flaws within the startup’s valuation technique

The environment of startups in the field of information technology (IT) is strongly connected with the dynamics of finance and valuation. IT startups sometimes rely on a variety of funding sources, including Venture Capitalists (VCs), Private Equity funds, Government subsidies, and even Hedge funds. Overvaluation has emerged as a key hazard harming the IT startup ecosystem. This phenomenon occurs when the valuation of a startup exceeds its true worth, which is frequently driven by enthusiastic investor optimism, market trends, and competitive pressures. The case addresses factors that might lead to overvaluation during funding rounds of startups. The case also explores various conditions like global economic slowdown, regulatory measures, sustainability of the product or idea of a startup that mitigates downturn of valuation. The measures from all the stakeholders of startups viz., investors, founders, governments etc. is dealt with for tackling the overvaluation conundrum.

The value and importance of digital marketing for businesses

The current study aims to provide a descriptive analysis of digital marketing and its advantages over more traditional forms of promotion. Because of the growing complexity of the system, businesses have shifted their attention to online advertising in recent years. The company has adapted its marketing tactics to keep up with changing customer tastes, competitive pressures, and the market. The purpose of this article is to probe the common understanding and reaction to digital marketing. Relevant data for the task at hand is gathered from both primary and secondary sources.

Cost Management Accounting at Universities Under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs

University autonomy is an inevitable trend and an important condition to promote the development of the education system in general and higher education in particular today. Operating in this new environment, financially autonomous public universities have many opportunities to assert themselves but also face a lot of competitive pressure. This forces universities to strengthen management and control of all activities, especially finances. The article presents the current status of cost management accounting at universities under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, including 4 universities: the University of Labor and Social Affairs, Nam Dinh University of Technical Education, Vinh University of Technical Education, and Vinh Long University of Technical Education. Research using interview, survey, and comparative analysis methods From there, it points out the limitations in implementing cost management accounting work at universities under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs. At the same time, provide solutions to overcome those limitations.

Thriving in the global competitive landscape: competitive dynamics and longevity of emerging market firms

Drawing on the competitive dynamics perspective, this study examines how competitive aggressiveness and complexity affect the longevity of emerging market firms. In a longitudinal and survival analysis of 570 publicly listed Korean firms from 1998 to 2017, I theorize and reveal that emerging market firms pursuing competitive aggressiveness and complexity are more likely to survive longer, particularly those competing in industries with high competitive pressure stemming from industry globalization. Broadly, I contribute to the competitive dynamics literature by extending the scholarly understanding of the long-term survival implications of firms’ competitive initiatives, unveiling a new boundary condition—competitive pressure from industry globalization, and broadening the spectrum of competitive dynamics research from Western to non-Western contexts.

An Investigation Of Factors Influencing The Implementation Of Cloud Computing By SMEs

Cloud Computing has emerged as a groundbreaking technology with widespread impact, bringing ad- vantages such low initial costs, cost-effectiveness for intermittent use, ease of management, scalability, device and location independence, and rapid innovation to businesses of various scales. Despite the benefits of implementing Cloud Computing, SMEs are yet to fully embrace it. To increase cloud implementation rate there is the need to investigate the key factors that influence its implementation by SMEs. The study employed the TOE framework to identify factors that have great influence in cloud implementation through a literature review and a survey of selected SMEs. A closed ended questionnaire was developed to ascertain these factors within the context of Bolgatanga by engaging key stakeholders, including ICT managers, CEOs/General Managers, and Admin/Accounts personnel, of selected SMEs to provide insights into the study. The study reveals that relative advantage holds the most significant influence among various factors, such as compatibility, top management support, competitive pressure, and regulatory support, across technological, organizational, and environmental categories in the cloud implementation process. This underscores the importance for SMEs to prioritize effective communication especially the benefits of cloud technology to stakeholders. This would pose a great deal for SMEs to implement cloud thereby enhancing business operations.

Investigating the impact of introduced crabs on the distribution and morphology of littorinid snails: Implications for the survival of the snail Littorina saxatilis

Introduced species can have profound impacts on communities by displacing and consuming native organisms. The intertidal communities in the Gulf of Maine have been radically altered through a suite of invasions in the early 1800s, including the herbivorous snail Littorina littorea and the omnivorous European green crab Carcinus maenas leading to morphological and distributional changes in two native gastropod grazers (Littorina saxatilis and Littorina obtusata). Green crabs and native cancrid crabs occupy the mid to low intertidal zones, leaving the high intertidal zones relatively free from crab predation pressure. However, a more recent invasion in the 1980s by the intertidal omnivorous Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, has eliminated this predator-free zone in the high intertidal. This invasion is of particular concern to populations of L. saxatilis, which were relegated to the high intertidal through combined competition and predation pressure by L. littorea and C. maenas. In order to quantify the potential impact of H. sanguineus on native snails, we conducted both field and lab experiments, testing the susceptibility of different sized snails to predation by introduced crabs. Additionally, we measured the distribution, abundance, and morphology of intertidal snails and crabs. Smaller snails of all species were the most susceptible to predation, although susceptibility differed among snail species and predation capabilities differed among crab species. L. saxatilis was the most vulnerable snail species to predation, with 73 and 64% of the population susceptible to large H. sanguineus and small C. maenas, respectively, while >96% of the L. littorea population was resistant to predation. L. saxatilis has been relegated to the high intertidal where there is high abiotic stress and poor-quality food, but until the invasion of H. sanguineus, there was little predation risk. This added predation pressure may further threaten populations of L. saxatilis, especially as the upper intertidal becomes more hostile with increasing temperatures and possible species introductions.

Drivers of generative artificial intelligence to fostering exploitative and exploratory innovation: A TOE framework

This research work aims to investigate the antecedents of generative artificial intelligence (GEN-AI) adoption, and exploratory and exploitative innovation. A conceptual model based on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework is proposed and tested empirically using online survey-based data collected from 260 managers and administrative employees located in the Jordanian retailing industry. To achieve the objectives of this work a covariance-based- structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) was employed. The results indicate that relative advantage, top management support, organizational readiness, and customer pressures positively influence GEN-AI adoption. The empirical results demonstrated that the influence of compatibility and competitive pressures on GEN-AI adoption are insignificant. It was found that complexity negatively influence of GEN-AI adoption, also the findings confirm the positive impact of GEN-AI on both exploratory and exploitative innovation. The findings of the existing research would be valuable for GEN-AI technology providers, managers and top management in the retail firms sector in terms of building effective procedures to promote the successful adoption of GEN-AI technologies and innovation.

Visitor-oriented: A Study of the British Museum's Visitor-centred Operations Strategy

 Today's era of global commercialization has made visitors the primary recipients of services and patrons of museums. The British Museum has chosen a visitor-centered operation strategy despite the challenges of inadequate financial investment and competitive market pressure. The British Museum has achieved "secondary development" and sustainable development, which is worth learning from, through four operational models: online exhibitions to build brand image, offline services to break even, cultural and creative peripherals to generate sustainable income, and multilateral cooperation among regional clusters.

Smart HRM 4.0 practices for organizational performance: the role of dynamic capabilities

PurposeThe study explores the factors affecting the use of smart human resource management 4.0 (SHRM 4.0) practices and its effect on dynamic capabilities and, consequently, on organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used socio-technical and dynamic capabilities theory to propose the notable research model. The authors explored the factors driving the use of SHRM 4.0 practices and their contribution to organizational performance through the development of dynamic capabilities. The authors collected data from 383 senior HR managers using a structured questionnaire, and PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results show that socio-technical factors such as top management support, HR readiness, competitive pressure, technology readiness and perceived usefulness influence the use of SHRM 4.0 practices, whereas security and privacy concerns negatively influence them. Furthermore, the authors also found the use of SHRM 4.0 practices influencing the dynamic capacities (build (learning), integration and reconfiguration) and, subsequently, its impact on organizational performance.Originality/valueIts novelty lies in developing a model using dynamic capabilities and socio-technical theory to explore how SHRM 4.0 practices influence organizational performance through dynamic capabilities. This study extends the literature on SHRM 4.0 practices, HR technology use, HR and dynamic capabilities by contributing to socio-technical theory and dynamic capabilities and expanding the scope of these theories in the area of HRM. It provides crucial insights into HR and top managers to benchmark SHRM 4.0 practices for improved organizational performance.

Adoption of fourth industrial revolution 4.0 among Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Using Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) technology, companies can upscale their innovation in organizing, managing, and controlling the value chain life cycle. IR4.0 is anticipated to bring challenges and opportunities to developing economies such as Malaysia, but due to its novelty to the Malaysian business community, the concept still needs clarity in its definition for proper understanding and business practice. This paper aims to examine the impact of IR4.0 adoption on Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by analyzing the organizational readiness, relative advantage, compatibility, top management support, government regulation, and competitive pressure, and its relationship with the adoption of IR4.0 to Malaysian SMEs. This study framework is based on the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI) and technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework. The study results verified the importance of relative advantage, compatibility, competitive pressure, and top management support as significant predictors of IR4.0 adoption. The study is expected to benefit regulators and business ecosystems in understanding the challenges in implementing IR4.0 in Malaysia and formulating intervention processes and programs for successful IR4.0 adoption.

Competitive Advantages amongst Travel Agencies in Malaysian SMEs: The Role of IOE Factors and Web Technologies & E-Business Adoption

In response to the volatile industrial landscape, particularly about Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), organizations have extensively embraced electronic business (e-business) as a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing their competitive advantage mechanisms. Nevertheless, the adoption of e-business amongst local Small and Medium Travel Agency (SMTAs) is still negligible. This study seeks to introduce a comprehensive model encompassing the factors driving and the consequences resulting from the adoption of e-business within SMTAs. The determinants of e-business adoption and the adoption of web-based technologies were empirically examined by employing data obtained from a sample of 323 managerial personnel. The collected data was subjected to analysis through structural equation modelling methods. The findings revealed the significance of specific determinants in influencing the adoption of e-business. Particularly, owner support, perceived ease of use, and government support emerged as critical factors influencing the decision to adopt e-business within SMTAs. In contrast attitude, competitive pressure, and relative advantage were found not significant. While e-business adoption has a major impact on SME functioning and operational progress, it also influences competitive advantage. This study's exploration of the factors influencing, and the consequences associated with the adoption of e-business offers valuable insights. These findings offer e-business practitioners and managers practical guidance for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of e-business adoption within their respective organizations. The results also provided a basis for more precise e-business studies to be conducted for small and medium companies in developing countries.

Positive but un-sustained wildlife community responses to reserve expansion and mammal reintroductions in South Africa

The creation and expansion of protected areas, coupled with wildlife reintroductions, are increasingly used as conservation measures to combat wildlife declines worldwide. Although these types of restoration efforts are expected be beneficial to wildlife populations, variable species management and interactions among species within complex food webs have the potential to lead to unintended species-specific responses to reserve expansion which can counteract the anticipated positive effects. We used a multi-season camera trap study to investigate community-wide responses of wildlife to a reserve expansion and associated wildlife releases in South Africa. We analyzed the camera trap data using community occupancy and N-mixture models to assess how the occupancy and intensity of use of individual species changed in the four seasons following reserve expansion. We found species-specific responses to reserve expansion, although responses were generally positive in occupancy and intensity of use but un-sustained. The apex predator, the lion (Panthera leo) and the majority of managed herbivores exhibited sustained or delayed positive responses, whereas most subordinate predators and unmanaged herbivores had short-lived, fluctuating, or neutral responses. Interactive effects of top-down suppression, competitive pressure, and increased space and food resources likely resulted in the temporally-variable responses of most species. Although no species responded negatively to reserve expansion and mammal reintroductions, the lack of sustained positive responses for most species indicates the complexities of implementing conservation actions to benefit multiple wildlife species. Our results highlight the importance of monitoring the entire wildlife community following management actions such as reserve expansion or wildlife reintroductions.

The moderating impact of organizational readiness, competitive pressure and compatibility on the cost of using precast concrete components

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors affecting the cost of concrete component prefabrication using the moderating role of organizational readiness, compatibility and competitive pressure. Design/methodology/approach The information collected in this study was obtained from 188 questionnaires filled out online by civil engineers active in the Iranian construction industry. Data analysis was performed by partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results reveal that perceived risk has the greatest impact on cost of using precast concrete components (PCC). Furthermore, the organizational readiness, competitive pressure and compatibility variables have moderating role in the relationship between perceived risk and perceived usefulness. The results can help policymakers and managers to apply the appropriate perspective and strategy to promote this method by illustrating the factors affecting the cost of using PCC in the building construction. Originality/value Using the variables of perceived risk, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use to predict factors affecting the cost of using PCC is considered as an innovation in this research. In addition to identifying the most important factors affecting the cost of PCC prefabrication in the construction industry, this research tries to identify the impact of environmental factors on the model by examining the moderating role of organizational readiness, competitive pressure and compatibility.