Domestic Rivalry Research Articles

The Muslim Brotherhood Faultline in Saudi-Qatari Relations: Domestic Divisions and Regional Rivalry

The commentary argues the Saudi-Qatari tensions lie in conflicting perspectives about the role of political Islam within the fabric of both states and their actions regionally. Funda-mentally, the rivalry stems from contrasting relations between political and religious elites in each country which has taken on an increasing political importance in tensions between Riyadh and Doha. Central to much of this are questions about the role played by the Muslim Brotherhood (and its various affiliates). More relatedly, the Saudi-Qatari rifts emerge out of competing understandings of authority and legitimacy, and with it, concern at the contesta-tion of these claims.

From the PYD-YPG to the SDF: the Consolidation of Power in Kurdish-Controlled Northeast Syria

Within a multiparty civil war involving domestic rivalries and regional antagonisms, the Kurdish-led PYD-YPG rebel movement managed to consolidate its political-military power in northeastern Syria. Using the analytical framework of Political Opportunity Structures (POS), we describe how, through its ability to maintain organizational cohesion and establish its own governance structures, and by forging alliances with domestic and foreign actors, it became the hegemonic power in the territory. Whereas it initially relied on coercive consolidation against its main Kurdish rivals, to secure local and international support against the significant threat posed by the Islamic State it had to shift to cooperative and cooptation strategies of power consolidation.

Sources of Leader Support and Interstate Rivalry

ABSTRACTSince segments of the selectorate differently experience costs and benefits from rivalry, the foreign policy choices of leaders reflect these domestic preferences. As a result, shifts in the composition of the domestic coalition of support backing the leader provide a fundamental determinant of rivalry termination. While previous research sought to explore the relationship between domestic political turnover and rivalry termination using regime transitions as a proxy for turnover of the state’s domestic ruling group, in practice this measure exhibits significant disconnection with the quantity of interest. Further, there are alternative pathways through which regime transitions may lead to rivalry termination. I test the relationship using new data from the CHISOLS project, finding that when rivals undergo a change in the source of support that maintains the leader in office, the probability of rivalry termination rises dramatically. I further find that regime transitions have an effect on the probability of rivalry termination that is independent of the effect of ruling coalition turnover. This study thus both asserts the relationship between domestic political turnover and rivalry termination and clarifies the mechanism by which the relationship operates.

NATO’s Problematic Partnerships in the MENA Region

This essay analyzes how the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is likely to address the new security environment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It investigates how factors internal and external to the alliance shape the possibilities and limits for its ambition to strengthen and develop its regional partnerships in order to enhance security and stability there. NATO’s ambitions are likely to be hampered by competing priorities within the alliance, as the as the members are increasingly facing diverging interests and financial austerity as well as domestic political change and regional rivalries in the MENA region.

Influence of Context and Culture on Managerial Perceptions and Practices in the Turkish Software Industry

This article provides an empirical examination of the Turkish software industry to understand how its current profile, managerial practices and perceptions are shaped by the context of an emerging economy and its cultural background. In comparison to a developed economy with a very different culture, Austria, employees, know-how, and access to new technologies are perceived as less important, while productivity and sales are considered more important. Marketing to foreign countries as well as policy related factors are perceived as more important barriers, while domestic rivalry, software piracy, and e-business readiness are perceived as smaller growth barriers. The domestic market is relatively developed, but rivalry is low and dominated by large companies, many of which have a close relationship with their few clients. Generally, the companies seem to exhibit a short-sighted perspective, with a limited focus on process maturity, improvement and investments in continuous training of employees, in line with the prevailing culture.

The Competitive Advantage of Weak Patents

Does U.S. patent law increase the competitiveness of U.S. firms in global markets? This Article argues that, contrary to the beliefs of many U.S. lawmakers, U.S. patent law currently undermines the ability of U.S. firms to compete in global markets because strong U.S. patent rights actually weaken an overlooked but critical determinant of U.S. competitiveness: rivalry among U.S. firms. Intense domestic rivalry drives firms to improve relentlessly, spawns related and supporting domestic industries, and encourages the domestic development of advanced factors of production — like specialized labor forces. U.S. patents restrict rivalry among foreign firms less because U.S. patents have little extraterritorial effect. Moreover, due to legal and economic differences between the United States and other countries, foreign patents do not equilibrate competitive conditions abroad. Consequently, for U.S. firms to benefit from the same competitive environment as foreign firms, U.S. patents should be weakened. Such changes, however, also threaten to reduce U.S. competitiveness because U.S. patents promote the development of new inventions that help U.S. firms compete in global markets. This Article thus exposes a deep tension in U.S. economic policy. Unfortunately, lawmakers have failed to recognize this tradeoff and, as a result, have adopted excessively strong patent protections that undermine U.S. competitiveness. This Article addresses this problem by proposing balanced reforms that will selectively weaken U.S. patent protection to increase U.S. competitive advantage.

Introduction

It can be said without fear of exaggeration that the split of Everton Football Club in 1892 represents one of the most important events in football history. It brought Everton into the modern era as a limited liability company and Liverpool FC into existence, and gave football one of its most enduring domestic rivalries. Given the importance of the Everton split for the future of the game, therefore, it is surprising that a dedicated and detailed investigation of this event has never been attempted.

リスボン条約とイギリス

What was British role in the making of the Lisbon Treaty? Is Britain still “an awkward partner” in the European Union? This article aims to examine British policy towards the European Union from the failure of the ratification of European Constitutional Treaty in 2005 to the signing of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2007. Soon after the failures of the Treaty ratification both in France and in the Netherlands in June 2005, British Prime Minister Tony Blair declared to introduce “a period of reflection” to freeze the process of ratification. From the next month, Britain had hold the presidency of the European Council. Due partly to his domestic stalemate on the ratification, Blair exploited this opportunity to postpone difficult ratification of European Constitutional Treaty. This difficulty originated in Blair’s decision for a referendum on the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty in April 2004. European Constitutional Treaty which was signed on 29 October 2004 caused a big political debate in Britain. Both the Conservative Party and Eurosceptic medias represented by Rupert Murdoch criticized the government for its intention to further transfer political power to Brussels. Having faced with this serious political difficulty, Blair naturally was “off the hook”. He simply felt “the waves of relief”. Blair’s task was two-fold. First, he had to find a solution to this political stalemate as he would soon preside the European Council. Second, he was necessary to sell a new treaty to British people. To avoid a referendum, the British government needed to find a device which indicated that a new treaty was not “constitutional” one. In other words, a new treaty had to be a “reform treaty” without any new transfer of sovereignty. A new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, supported Britain to advance towards a “reform treaty”. Both French and British governments were contended with omitting any symbol of “federalism” or “constitution”. Within British government, it was generally agreed that Britain needed to defend the “red line” which prevented further transfer of power to the European Union. After having persuaded Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, Britain successfully secured the “red line”, and this meant that British government did not have to go into a national referendum. With this “success”, the EU could reach an agreement on the drafting of the Lisbon Treaty which would become signed in December 2007. After the referendum crises of 2005, British government led the argument on the future of failed Constitutional Treaty. The answer was to save the essence of it by abandoning “federal” and “constitutional” features of the Treaty. This British policy was basically motivated by its own domestic rivalry on the future of Europe. Although Britain might be “an awkward partner” within the EU, the Labour governments tried to find out a way to go out of the crises of 2005 by abandoning some of hopes and wishes that people dreamed.

Korean Sovereignty: Eastern and Western Philosophy in the Kaleidoscope of His tory

Throughout history, from obstacles involving foreign invasion and intervention coupled with domestic rivalry. the Korean peninsula struggled to legitimize and protect its sovereignty. This research involves an investigation and analysis of patterns in chat history. The article provides a broad examination of Korean political development with interdisciplinary insights into sovereignty while underscoring the need for new approaches and epistemological unity in political philosophy. The Korean peninsula serves as an example of the challenges.

Domestic rivalry and export performance: theory and evidence from international airline markets

Abstract The much studied relationship between domestic rivalry and export performance consists of those supporting a national‐champion rationale, and those supporting a rivalry rationale. While the empirical literature generally supports the positive effects of domestic rivalry, the national‐champion rationale actually rests on firmer theoretical ground. We address this inconsistency by providing a theoretical framework that illustrates three paths via which domestic rivalry translates into enhanced international exports. Furthermore, empirical tests on the world airline industry elicit the existence of one particular path – an enhanced firm performance effect – that connects domestic rivalry with improved international exports.

The Internationalization of Production by Italian Industrial Districts' Firms: Structural and Behavioural Determinants

Mariotti S., Mutinelli M. and Piscitello L. The internationalization of production by Italian industrial districts' firms: structural and behavioural determinants, Regional Studies. The paper argues that structural and behavioural determinants combine to influence internationalization of production through foreign direct investment (FDI) by industrial districts' firms. As far as the former, leadership effects, represented by the presence of large firms within the district, and Porterian effects, denoted by the intensity of domestic rivalry, positively influence the likelihood that district firms will start internationalize through FDI. Moreover, spillovers induced by the presence of foreign-owned multinational corporations positively impact on the district's degree of internationalization, provided it has already autonomously developed the ability to grow internationally. As far as behavioural features, previous export relationships increase the district firms' likelihood of undertaking FDI, while innovative capacity joins and strengthens internationalization processes already started. Mariotti S., Mutinelli M. et Piscitello L. L'internationalisation de la production par les entreprises situées dans les districts industriels italiens. Les déterminants structurels et de comportement. Regional Studies. Cet article affirme que les déterminants structurels et de comportement se combinent pour influer sur l'internationalisation de la production au moyen de l'IDE des entreprises situées dans les districts industriels. En ce qui concerne ces déterminants-là, des effets d'entraînement, representés par la présence des grandes entreprises au sein du district, et des effets du type Porter, représentés par l'ampleur de la rivalité intérieure, influent de façon positive sur la possibilité que les entreprises situées dans les districts aillent s'internationaliser au moyen de l'IDE. Qui plus est, les retombées dues à la présence des sociétés multinationales à capital majoritaire étranger influent de façon positive sur le taux d'internationalisation du district, pourvu que ce dernier ait déjà développée de manière autonome la capacité de s'agrandir sur le plan international. Quant aux déterminants de comportement, des rapports d'exportation antérieurs accroissent la probabilité que les entreprises du district font de l'IDE, alors que la capacité innovatrice se réunit aux processus d'internationalisation en vigueur et les renforcent. Districts industriels Internationalisation de la production Sociétés multinationales Retombées Mariotti S., Mutinelli M. und Piscitello L. Die Internationalisierung der Produktion von Firmen in italienischen Industriebezirken: Strukturelle und verhaltensspezifische Determinanten, Regional Studies. In diesem Beitrag wird die These aufgestellt, dass die strukturellen und verhaltensspezifischen Determinanten gemeinsam einen Einfluss auf die Internationalisierung der Produktion durch die ausländischen Direktinvestitionen von Firmen des Industriebezirks ausüben. Was die strukturellen Determinanten anbelangt, so wirken sich die Führungseffekte (repräsentiert durch die Präsenz größerer Firmen im Bezirk) sowie die Porter-Effekte (gekennzeichnet durch die Intensität der einheimischen Rivalität) positiv auf die Wahrscheinlichkeit aus, dass Firmen im Bezirk durch ausländische Direktinvestitionen mit einer Internationalisierung beginnen. Darüber hinaus übt die Wissensübertragung, die durch die Präsenz eines multinationalen Konzerns in ausländischem Eigentum herbeigeführt wird, einen positiven Einfluss auf das Ausmaß der Internationalisierung im Bezirk aus, sofern der Bezirk die Fähigkeit zum internationalen Wachstum bereits auf autonome Weise entwickelt hat. Was die verhaltensspezifischen Determinanten anbelangt, erhöht sich durch Exportverhältnisse der Vergangenheit die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass die Firmen ausländische Direktinvestitionen vornehmen, während die innovative Kapazität den bereits begonnenen Internationalisierungsprozess begleitet und verstärkt. Industriebezirke Internationalisierung der Produktion Multinationale Konzerne Wissensübertragung Mariotti S., Mutinelli M. y Piscitello L. La internacionalización de la producción de empresas industriales en comarcas italianas, Regional Studies. Determinantes estructurales y de comportamiento En este artículo sostenemos que los determinantes estructurales y de comportamiento se combinan para influir en la internacionalización de la producción a través de la Inversión Directa Extranjera (IDE) en las empresas de comarcas industriales. En lo que respecta a lo anterior, los efectos de liderazgo, representados por la presencia de grandes empresas dentro de la comarca, y los efectos porterianos, marcados por la intensidad de la competencia nacional, influyen positivamente en la probabilidad de que las empresas comarcales empiecen a internacionalizarse a través de la IDE. Además, los desbordamientos provocados por la presencia de empresas multinacionales de propiedad extranjera tienen un efecto positivo en el grado de internacionalización comarcal, siempre y cuando ya haya desarrollado de modo autónomo la capacidad de crecer a nivel internacional. En lo que respecta a las características de comportamiento, las relaciones de exportación previas aumentan la probabilidad de las empresas comarcales a participar en la IDE a la vez que la capacidad innovadora incorpora y refuerza los procesos de internacionalización que ya habían comenzado. Comarcas industriales Internacionalización de la producción Corporaciones multinacionales Desbordamientos

Domestic Rivalry and Export Performance: Theory and Evidence from International Airline Markets

The much-studied relationship between domestic rivalry and export performance consists of those supporting a national-champion rationale, and those supporting a rivalry rationale. While the empirical literature generally supports the positive effects of domestic rivalry, the national-champion rationale actually rests on firmer theoretical ground. We address this inconsistency by providing a theoretical framework that illustrates three paths via which domestic rivalry translates into enhanced international exports. Furthermore, empirical tests on the world airline industry elicit the existence of one particular path - an enhanced firm performance effect - that connects domestic rivalry with improved international exports.

Using Competitive Advantage Theory to Analyze IT Sectors in Developing Countries:A Software Industry Case Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance for researchers and analysts on when, why, and how to apply Porter's competitive advantage theory to analysis of IT sectors in developing countries. To date, this theory has been rather poorly applied in such analysis, yet the question of how developing countries—as latecomers—can create competitive advantage in IT industries remains one of critical interest to policy makers, entrepreneurs, and international agencies. Understanding of IT sector growth is particularly important, in light of its significant potential contribution to economic development. From the five IT sectors—goods, software, infrastructure, services, and content— this paper focuses on software. Having provided a thorough explanation of competitive advantage theory, it applies this theory to the case of India's software industry, which it finds does have a competitive advantage, based on variables such as ever-increasing advanced skills, domestic rivalry, clustering, and government policy/vision. To assist researchers, the paper identifies emergent challenges to Porter's theory that can be resolved relatively easily but also some less tractable problems around the issues of government policy, processes of upgrading/innovation, and local/global linkages. All these require some identified amendments to Porter's original ideas. Nonetheless, Porter's theory is seen to be a valuable tool for development informatics/ICT4D research, applicable to a variety of IT sectors—not just software—and offering answers to questions about whether sectors are competitive, why they are or are not competitive, and what should be done to improve or sustain competitive advantage.

Analysing the Software Sector in Developing Countries Using Competitive Advantage Theory

Information and communication technology (ICT) production in developing countries has been under-researched compared to ICT consumption, yet it offers greater developmental returns. Within the ICT sector, software production is particularly attractive, with low entry barriers and strong potential to create jobs, exports, skills and other developmental externalities. Western nations were first movers in software, so a key research question is to understand how developing countries – as latecomers – can create competitive advantage in software. This paper presents Porter's theory of competitive advantage, based on the diamond of determinants, as a framework for addressing this question. It applies this theory to the case of India's software industry which it finds does have a competitive advantage, based on variables such as ever-increasing advanced skills, domestic rivalry, clustering, and government policy/vision. The paper identifies some challenges to Porter's theory that can be resolved relatively easily but also some less tractable problems around the issues of understanding government policy, processes of upgrading/innovation, and local/global linkages. All these require some amendments to Porter's original ideas. Nonetheless, Porter's theory is seen to be a valuable tool for development informatics research, applicable to a variety of ICT sectors – not just software – and offering answers to questions about whether sectors are competitive, why they are or are not competitive, and what should be done to improve or sustain competitive advantage.

National Competitive Advantage as the Context for Marketing Strategy: An Empirical Study of the New Zealand Wine Industry

National competitive advantage is a model which is widely taught in business schools but there has been limited research into its usefulness for managers and policy makers in particular economies and industries. This research looks at New Zealand, and in particular its wine industry as a context for the national competitive advantage model. The literature discusses the influence that both organisational resources and national competitive advantage have on organisational performance and profitability, examining such factors as domestic demand, the factors of production, related and supporting industry, the nature of domestic rivalry and how organisations are developed and managed. The data was gathered from CEO's of wineries, plus industry and national reports on the performance of the wine industry and the New Zealand economy. The research found that New Zealand suffers from policy inconsistencies, poor performance of senior management and competitive disadvantage in research and development, licensing, value chain management, regional sales and international distribution. Also, new knowledge created in Universities and Research Centres is not being transferred adequately to new and growing firms. However, it performs well in terms of competition policy, taxation and trade liberalisation. The New Zealand wine industry has both extensive and intense competition, has limited access to venture capital and does not have effective cluster development. There is considerable work to be done by the wine industry in terms of developing human capital and innovation if it is to remain internationally competitive. Also, it is essential to work co‐operatively in international markets and to identify clearly defined target market segments.

The role of factor conditions in high-technology exports: An empirical examination

Fostering competitiveness in high-technology industries is important to national economies because high-technology industries are associated with high value-added production and high compensation levels. The results of high-technology activity diffuse to other economic sectors, leading to increased productivity and business expansion. The objective of this study is to examine the role of factor conditions (human resources and technology) in export performance in high-technology industries. So far, no empirical research has been done on the relationship between the state of factor conditions in a nation and high-technology export (HTX). The study also examines the relative importance of other variables such as inward investment, domestic rivalry (DR), home demand, and exchange rate (ER) in determining export performance in high technology. The findings are supportive of the fact that (a) the level of factor conditions in a nation is a strong predictor of export performance in high technology and (b) other variables such as inward investment, domestic rivalry (DR), and home demand also influence high-technology export (HTX). A proper understanding of this relationship will help managers and public officials to devise appropriate policies for encouraging the growth and expansion of high-technology export (HTX).

Atatürk's Navy: Determinants of Turkish Naval Policy, 1923–38

Turkish naval policy between the establishment of the Turkish Republic and the Second World War was influenced by a set of institutional, domestic and international factors. Until the mid-1930s domestic political rivalry and Turkish military culture relegated the navy to a secondary role in support of the army for territorial defence. Because of the new republic's international isolation, naval policy was shaped largely in a diplomatic vacuum. Ankara gradually tried to take advantage of emerging great power rivalries in Europe to secure affordably priced naval arms. In the process, politically unsatisfied powers such as Germany and Italy figured prominently as suppliers of naval arms to Turkey. After 1934 changing international political and economic conditions weighed more heavily than domestic factors in setting the parameters of Turkish naval policy. The armaments programme adopted in 1934 provided for naval expansion to counter the Italian threat in the Aegean. This shift of emphasis is in naval policy also reflected Turkey's changing international status from an ‘outcast’ to a pro-status quo power. However, the coming of the Second World War denied Turkey the chance to build the fleet envisaged under its new naval programme.

Assessing Porter's framework for national advantage: the case of Turkey

This study applies Porter's diamond framework, which tries to identify the sources of international competitive advantage, to Turkey. The major objective is to contribute towards an improvement of this framework, and thus towards a better understanding of the sources of competitive advantage. The study also aims to shed some light on the competitive structure of the Turkish industry. The findings are generally supportive of Porter, meaning that the diamond framework works in a developing country setting. The results suggest, however, some major areas in the framework (especially domestic rivalry and the role of government) where one or more of the Turkish case studies contradict the Porter hypothesis.

Competing at Home to Win Abroad: Evidence from Japanese Industry

The study explores the influence of domestic competition on international trade performance, using data from a broad sample of Japanese industries. Domestic rivalry is measured directly using market-share instability rather than employing structural variables such as seller concentration. We find robust evidence that domestic rivalry has a positive and significant relationship with trade performance measured by world export share, particularly when R&D intensity reveals opportunities for dynamic improvement and innovation. Conversely, trade protection reduces export performance. These findings support the view that local competition—not monopoly, collusion, or a sheltered home market— pressures dynamic improvement that leads to international competitiveness.

Sources of competitive advantage of Turkish construction companies in international markets

Michael Porter's diamond framework, a relatively recent attempt to improve our existing knowledge on the sources of competitive advantage, is applied to the Turkish construction industry. The results of this undertaking challenge a common approach that attributes Turkish contractors' success in international markets to labour cost advantages and geographic and cultural proximity to several promising markets. In the light of the diamond framework, Turkish contractors' advantages are found not to be limited to these ‘factor conditions’ and ‘chance’ events. There are other important advantages behind their success, such as the existence of a dynamic home market, favourable entrepreneurial variables, and pressures to upgrade stemming from intense domestic rivalry. The analysis also points to the areas in which they face troubles, including problems induced by the government, financing difficulties and the weak international position of the Turkish design engineering and consultancy services industry.