Competitive Tension Research Articles

POSTHARVEST SCIENCE AND VALUE CHAIN MANAGEMENT: USING THE VIRTUOUS VALUE CYCLE TO DEFINE COMMON GROUND

ISHS International Symposium Postharvest Pacifica 2009 - Pathways to Quality: V International Symposium on Managing Quality in Chains + Australasian Postharvest Horticultural Conference POSTHARVEST SCIENCE AND VALUE CHAIN MANAGEMENT: USING THE VIRTUOUS VALUE CYCLE TO DEFINE COMMON GROUND

The stability of African savannas: insights from the indirect estimation of the parameters of a dynamic model

Savannas are characterized by a competitive tension between grasses and trees, and theoretical models illustrate how this competitive tension is influenced by resource availability, competition for these resources, and disturbances. How this universe of theoretical possibilities translates into the real world is, however, poorly understood. In this paper we indirectly parameterize a theoretical model of savanna dynamics with the aim of gaining insights as to how the grass-tree balance changes across a broad biogeographical gradient. We use data on the abundance of trees in African savannas and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to estimate the model parameters. The analysis shows that grasses and trees can coexist over a broad range of rainfall regimes. Further, our results indicate that savannas may be regulated by either asymptotically stable dynamics (in the absence of fire) or by stable limit cycles (in the presence of fire). Rainfall does not influence which of these two classes of dynamics occurs. We conclude that, even though fire might not be necessary for grass-tree coexistence, it nonetheless is an important modifier of grass: tree ratios.

Life on the edge: navigating the competitive tensions between the 'social' and the 'economic' in the social economy and in its relations to the mainstream

Drawing on detailed empirical research in the UK, in this article I explore the motivations that lie behind the formation of social economy organisations (SEOs) and the multiple trajectories that these can then follow and the tensions to which this can give rise as the ‘social’ runs up against the ‘economic’. This can, and often does, involve competition between SEOs in limited local markets and in search of state grant income. For those that seek to transcend these limits, the tensions between the ‘economic’ and the ‘social’ can become acute, especially in those that seek to become self-consciously near-market social ‘enterprises’, with a growing focus upon their economic role and contribution and trading as the route to growth. This typically leads them into competition with firms in the mainstream capitalist economy, engendering tensions between the need to survive in competitive markets and the ethical and social motivations that informed their original formation. I then consider broader questions as to imaginaries about the social economy and of how the social economy is seen in the policy and academic literatures in terms of its socio-economic role. Finally, I offer some reflective comments as to the future for SEOs and the social economy and their contribution to social and economic life

Tug of war in innovation – coopetitive service development

Innovative new services are increasingly being developed in close collaboration between different organisations. As part of this development, competing firms have started collaborating with each other. These firms face new challenges arising from the service context and the existence of competitive tensions. We present an explorative case study of Finnish mobile TV service development with a focus on inter-firm coopetition (simultaneous competition and cooperation). Our results carry implications in terms of the nature, the challenges and opportunities involved, and of the management of coopetitive service development.

Auctions in the M&A Process: A Financier Worldwide Roundtable

Most buyers would prefer to negotiate privately with a target company, rather than fight for the asset in an open auction. But sellers will try to create competitive tension between multiple bidders wherever possible. In this roundtable, the panellists discuss the advantages and drawbacks of M&A auctions, and ways for both buyers and sellers to boost their chance of completing a successful process.

Characterization of competitive tension load goalkeepers at various levels in mini-football

Characterization of competitive tension load goalkeepers at various levels in mini-football

Competitive Tension: The Awareness-Motivation-Capability Perspective

This paper investigates competitive tension, or the strain between a focal firm and a given rival that is likely to result in the firm taking action against the rival. Drawing on the awareness-motivation-capability perspective, we show how perceived competitive tension, as constructed from managers’ and industry stakeholders’ competitor assessments, is influenced by the independent and interactive effects of three factors: relative scale, rival’s attack volume, and rival’s capability to contest. Our results provide a new avenue for studying competitors and the relationship between competitor analysis and interfirm rivalry. In science, there is a steady state in which opposing forces hold each other in check until the build-up of tension turns the static relationship into dynamic interplay—the point when the steel cable snaps, the steam chamber’s pressure valve opens, or one psychological force overwhelms the other. In business practice, a similar phenomenon exists: when tension that one opponent imposes on another triggers rivalrous actions. Competitor analysis is central to strategy and organization research (Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson, 2005; Porter, 1980). Previous research has explored a number of important issues, including conjecture variation (Amit, Domowitz, & Fershtman, 1988), competitor identification (Porac & Thomas, 1990), and blind spots (Zajac & Bazerman, 1991), and has made advances in such areas as theoretical integration of competitor analysis and interfirm rivalry (Chen, 1996). Fundamental questions—such as who a focal firm’s competitors are, and how much competition the firm faces from each rival—have been implicitly or explicitly addressed by a variety

The Industrial Determinants of Transnational Solidarity: Global Interunion Politics in Three Sectors

This article compares forms of labour transnationalism in three industrial sectors: motor manufacturing, maritime shipping and clothing and textile manufacturing. In each case, unions engage in very different transnational activities to reassert control over labour markets and competition. As institutions of transnational cooperation deepen, unions continue to struggle with competitive tensions (worker to worker and union to union) which vary from one industry to another.

Managerial Economics and Global Competition

Global managerial economics tends to emerge in conditions of strong, continuous competitive tension, in contexts that are open and subject to political, social and technological instability. Globalisation and new competition boundaries oblige companies to adopt a new ‘market-oriented competitive management philosophy’ (market-driven management), in which customer value management predominates. Global managerial economics thus interfaces with numerous competition spaces, all with different levels of competitive intensity, and market-driven corporate management thus refers to specific competitive conditions, which may typically be summed up as: conditions of scarcity of supply (D>S), with business economics focused on price competition; conditions of controlled competition (D~S), where management economics embodies widespread internationalisation and non-price competition policies; conditions of over-supply (D<S), where management economics underlines the central role of corporate and product intangible assets.

Market Competition and Cultural Tensions Between Hollywood and the Korean Film Industry

Market Competition and Cultural Tensions Between Hollywood and the Korean Film Industry

Market Competition and Cultural Tensions Between Hollywood and the Korean Film Industry

The market shares of Hollywood movies in European and Asian markets are so large that policymakers around the world are concerned about the import domination not only in theaters but also in the subsequent windows. Media economists acknowledge that domestic producers have an advantage in terms of a "cultural discount," referring to the unavoidable disadvantage of imported films. However, expenditure on a film's production also determines the extent of popular appeal, thus creating an advantage for films that have a large and wealthy home market base such as Hollywood. In this article, I aim at understanding the dynamics of these 2 seemingly opposing forces in the motion picture market in Korea. I review the film market in Korea, explore the relation between performances of 2 windows, theaters and home video, over the two countries-the United States and Korea-and compare the determinants of performance of Hollywood and local films in Korean box offices. A strong hit orientation and preference for local content was empirically found.

The Fragility of Evolution: Part Two

This essay argues for a shift in evolutionary metaphor-away from natural selection and the elimination of the less fit, to a focus on the fragility of biological change. Three biological arenas, in which the organism and environment more obviously interpenetrate, will be examined. The vulnerable and exceptionally plastic neural system of organisms makes possible subtle capacities such as learning and memory. Behavior, as it often precedes morphological change, emerges as an evolutionary axis. Synergisms between organisms lead to novelty on a macroevolutionary scale-multicellularity, coloniality, sociality, and eusociality. Although fragile due to competitive tensions, novel cohesions have repeatedly emerged throughout evolution. Ecology involves the flow of energy between organisms and the biophysical realm, which life has increasingly shaped. Radical spatial heterogeneity and varying levels of temporal disturbances serve to enhance biodiversity, and restrict the dominance of any single species. The atypical event of evolution can occur relatively suddenly and on varied scales. Paradoxically, evolution can be prompted by novel stresses and spaces protected from harsh competitive stress. As life moves to a greater total complexity, fragility increases. In conclusion, this essay discusses the protection of "less fit" human populations.

Balancing Theory and Practice: A Reappraisal of Business-to-Business Segmentation

The article reviews some current guidance on when and how to segment business-to-business markets. It evaluates traditional segmentation processes and the variables usually recommended. Several important issues are highlighted including: the limitations of current definitions; the continuing tension between theoretically meaningful and managerially possible segmentation methods, and the difficulties in using product benefits as opposed to customer needs as a basis for segmentation. The paper proposes a new comprehensive definition of segmentation and a more balanced marketing-orientated approach to the process. We conclude that the appropriate approach to segmentation in business-to-business markets is governed by the objectives of the organizations involved and by prevailing investment priorities and competitive tensions, rather than by the idealistic recommendations of marketing theory always to focus exclusively on customer needs. The implications for managers and for future research are discussed.

Competitor Analysis and Interfirm Rivalry: Toward A Theoretical Integration

This article bridges two important subjects in strategy: competitor analysis and interfirm rivalry. Through a refined conceptualization of competitor analysis, the article introduces two firm-specific, theory-based constructs: market commonality, developed from the literature on multiple-point competition, and resource similarity, derived from the resource-based theory of the firm. The joint consideration of these two constructs shows the complementarity of these two prominent but contrasting strategy theories. Each firm has a unique market profile and strategic resource endowment, and a pair-wise comparison with a given competitor along these two dimensions will help to illuminate the prebattle competitive tension between these two firms and to predict how a focal firm may interact with each of its competitors. The idea of competitive asymmetry is introduced, that is, the notion that a given pair of firms may not pose an equal degree of threat to each other. To illustrate competitor mapping, measures of ...

Butchers and Fishmongers: Their Historical Contribution to London's Festivity

MEDIEVAL London was proportionately more dominated by fish and flesh sales than it is today. As early as the twelfth century, Eastcheap was almost entirely a meat market and Philip E. Jones expresses some surprise that the East side of the City had developed in this way, since it was furthest from supplies in Smithfield.' Fishmongers, too, were found at Eastcheap, while in West Cheap poulterers traded and to the West again, closer to Smithfield, was another enclave of Butchers and Fishmongers in the Shambles of St. Nicholas, which today is Newgate Street, Holborn. (Illustration 1) In 1283 a grant given by Edward I established a further market between the two already there, on an open space known as Les Stokkes. The market house built by the City was rented to a fishmonger, John Benere, and six others, to sub-let for both fish and flesh sales. There was room for seventy-one stalls inside and over twenty inferior places outside in this new market which continued alongside those already in use. It seems quite extraordinary that such accommodation was needed; most other traders were limited to a single street, and the proliferation of food markets makes one think that from the thirteenth century on Londoners expected a remarkably high standard of diet. Initially, Fishmongers were even better provided. They also had Bridge Street, Old Fish Street and Stock-fishmonger's Row by London Bridge. A charter of 1399 tried to limit them to Bridge Street, Old Fish and Les Stokkes, but in 1416 attempts were still being made to keep them to their five main venues. Information from disputes in Les Stokkes leads me to the conclusion that on meat days the Butchers used most of the better stalls, and on fish days, when meat was still allowed to the sick and to children under thirteen, the Butchers so licensed moved to the inferior positions. Although the authorities treated fish and flesh as one trade and of necessity Butchers and Fishmongers normally worked together amicably, competitive tensions, which could be called those between Carnival and Lent, inevitably broke out in their trading situations. One repeated quarrel was the question of who was to have the dominant selling places on the Eves of Christmas and Easter; the point being whether it was more correct, on the day before a return to meat, to observe the fast of the day in question, or to anticipate the feast of the following day. This was an annual dispute from 1361 with the Butchers eventually obtaining Easter Eve, but in 1443, two days before the Feast of St. Bartholomew, one fishmonger was wounded and the Butchers were constrained to enter into a bond to keep the peace. There was also as much conflict between Butchers and the Citizens of London on account of the smell of the trade. In Erasmus' Colloquy A Fish Diet the Fishmonger taunts his rival with the comment that 'people would rather have ten pimps than one butcher for a neighbour'.2 In the London Shambles slaughtering was done without access to the river and resulted in notorious byways, such as Stinking Lane, and rotting detritus which found its way into the Grey Friars garden. As an Ordinance of 1361, which introduced measures to improve sanitation, put it, 'the slaughter of cattle caused an

When Do Allies Become Rivals?

Explaining the formation and persistence of political and social coalitions is one of the most important problems in the social sciences. Solving this problem will help us understand which groups of people will cooperate and which political parties will form coalitions. However, in order to explain the formation of coalitions, we cannot simply examine the interests of their members. As Mancur Olson points out, a community of interests is not a sufficient condition for the emergence of social coalitions.' Extrapolating the same argument to political coalitions, we see that the mere existence of mutual interests among coalition partners is not enough to explain the existence of the coalition. coalition is a product of both cooperative and competitive tensions between the coalition partners. This means that the cohesion of a coalition is itself a variable to be explained. Game theory has provided a theoretical framework by which to begin studying political coalitions.2 However, the existing game theoretical literature, aside from being disputed on empirical grounds,3 focuses exclusively on the cooperative behavior of partners in a coalition. Thus, this literature addresses which coalition will form and not which coalition, once formed, is likely to dissolve. In a recent article published in Comparative Politics, Rochon and Pierce use the French Fifth Republic and, in particular, the two major partners of the Left-the Socialists and the Communists-to investigate both the cohesive and the competitive forces within coalitions.4 French Fifth Republic is the best empirical case for the study of the stability of coalitions. Under the French electoral system, parties have to stress both competition (in the first round) and cooperation (in the second round). In the first round of the run-off electoral system, strong criticism of the coalition partner may give a party the first place within the coalition and, therefore, the right to represent the coalition in the second round. In the second round, the cooperation of both partners is needed in order to win a parliamentary seat. But the French electoral system combines two unique institutional features, making it difficult for parties to pursue different strategies in the first and second rounds. First, the two electoral rounds are only a week apart and, therefore, there is no time to adopt two different strategies. Second, the strategies are electoral and, thus, visible as opposed to parliamentary. Rochon and Pierce's article is important and thought-provoking precisely because it focuses on an aspect of coalitions that has been neglected by the literature-the centrifugal forces that develop and operate inside an electoral coalition. Therefore, although it deals with a particular country, the article has more important theoretical implications for our understanding of political coalitions. Their analysis, however, comes to a surprising conclusion. The Socialist-Communist alliance appears (at least based on our data on the Socialist candidates) to be ruled by jealousy

Profitability Guardians and Service Advocates: The Evolution of Amtrak Training

The 1970 Rail Service Passenger Act established the twin objectives of service and profitability for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC or Amtrak). These objectives reflect distinct clusters of values in the American political culture that have been in historic conflict. They also represent different roles of the branches of government as expressed in the doctrine of separation of powers. Though synthesis of these values is not possible without affront to a basic tenet of American politics, guided policy conflict can narrow the range of differences between both values to benefit the public. Assuming that national rail passenger service is a viable policy, where either value is allowed to prevail, efficiency and effectiveness suffer. Uncontrolled service expansion implies a welfare operation; rigid emphasis on full cost pricing would shut down the entire system. While competitive tension between advocates of the two values must be encouraged, prolonged imbalance or forced synthesis seems to affect performance negatively. The lesson of the Amtrak experience (1972-1983) strongly suggests that where traditional service and profitability values conflict, Congress must exercise oversight by tightening fiscal controls and increasing managerial discretion. This permits direction of institutional resources toward improving policy performance.

Oarsman No. 7 Recalls 1924 Glory Days

A self-described miserable highjumper who became an oarsman on an undefeated rowing crew recalls no particular personal psychological stress at the 1924 Olympics. jumper-turned-rower is Benjamin Spock, MD, whose book on infant and child care has sold some 25 million copies in this country alone. He was No. 7 oar in the Yale University shell that won that event on the Seine River in Paris a half-century ago. That trip to France was the first abroad for the future physician, author, and presidential candidate, and, in his words, everything was exciting about it. But, in retrospect, he thinks the real competitive tension came before the Yale crew even left the United States. The Olympic trials were on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. That was a wildly close race. We came down the whole 2,000-meter [slightly more than a mile] course a quarterlength behind what was called the Navy officers'

The Struggle for the School. The Interaction of Missionary, Colonial Government and Nationalist Enterprise in the Development of Formal Education in Kenya

Although Kenya is taken as a specific case study, this book has a much broader scope which encompasses the development of the formal education system in African countries in general. Three related themes are explored; the lack of relevance of the alien school system inherited at independence; the importance of the struggle which took place over the control of the schools in the history of the independence movement; and the educational dilemma which faces the new nations now that independence has been achieved-schools are the focal point of competitive tensions yet they also promise ordered and rapid development. A most important contribution to a field in which little has yet been published.