Competitiveness Of Firms Research Articles

Employee motivation as a predictor of organizational competitiveness of Nigerian bottling firms

This study focused on employee motivation and organizational capabilities of Nigerian Bottling Firms, South-East. The study adopted correlational survey design and questionnaire as instrument for data collection. The total population of the study comprised of 610 participants from the cadre of senior level managers, middle level managers, and lower-level staff/subordinates of the firm. The sample size was determined using Taro Yamane formula and calculated as 242. Simple random sampling technique was adopted in the distribution of the survey. Out of 242 questionnaires administered only 226 were filled and returned while the remaining 16 were not utilized for the study. The results of hypothesis confirmed a strong correlation between employee motivation and organizational competitiveness. The data collected from the field survey are limited to Owerri and Enugu production plant. The researchers contribute to knowledge in the literature through the use of new concepts in the research objective, use analytical tool, industry of study and geographic coverage. The researchers recommend managers to routinely re-evaluate their organizational strengths and weaknesses and work with the human resources department to fill competency shortages. The researchers developed a mathematical model representing employee commitment and organizational capabilities in the methodology.

Firm Competition and Cooperation with Norm‐Based Preferences for Sustainability

We analyze firms' incentives to coordinate on the introduction of a sustainable product variant when consumers' preferences for sustainability depend on the perceived social norm, which in turn is shaped by average consumption behavior. We show that such preferences could lead to multiple equilibria. If the level of competition among potential adopters is very low and adoption of the sustainable variant allows them to sufficiently expand their aggregate market share, they will coordinate on introducing the sustainable variant when a lenient legal regime makes this feasible. If competition among them is intense and market expansion under the sustainable variant is very limited, coordination can forestall the adoption of the sustainable variant. Our analysis thus both confirms and qualifies the notion of a sustainability “first‐mover disadvantage” as a justification for an agreement between competitors, which has gained traction in antitrust. We also provide empirical evidence for norm‐based sustainability preferences.

Linear programming and its application in analysing game theory

Game theory has been widely used in many fields including economics, politics and military for a long period of time. Game theory can be divided into two situations: zero-sum and non-zero-sum, since both situations can appear in the fields very often and should be of great importance to research, the objective is to maximize the finial net payoff or minimize the loss by linear programming. In zero-sum situations, this paper will create the payoff matrix and by the Max-min theorem, this paper can get the constraints to satisfy the condition of using python code, the calculation result of the code gives that strategy 3 and 4 should be the best input if the opponent is also choosing the best strategy. For non-zero-sum situation, this paper will discuss firm competition and American presidential Election, payoff matrix, linear formulation will be used to help get the result of best election result. The result shows that the resources should be put into the state with the most votes and net approval rating, python calculation will give these results.

Special Economic Zones and Competitiveness of Foreign Direct Investment Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

Special Economic Zones are designated areas within a nation's borders with the objectives of improving trade balance, attracting more investment, creating jobs, and enabling efficient administration. In Kenya, SEZs benefit from business-enabling policies and sector-appropriate on-site and off-site infrastructure and utilities. For the last 20 years, the Government of Kenya has been investing on Special Economic Zones as one among the innovative strategies geared towards enhancing competitiveness of Foreign Direct Investment firms in the manufacturing sector. While it is noteworthy that SEZs have somehow contributed to the increase in the inflow of FDIs in the manufacturing sector in Kenya, it is equally important to point out that such improvement is not commensurate with the size of Kenya’s economy as well as the level of investment put in by the Government. In fact, in a more worrying trend, a good number of FDIs have ceased their manufacturing operations in the country to retain only the marketing and distribution functions of their businesses, a decision that has cut thousands of jobs. These FDIs have shifted focus to offshore manufacturing. Therefore, this paper is the product of the study carried out to establish the influence of SEZs on the competitiveness of FDI manufacturing firms in Kenya. Specifically, the study focused on the influence of; technology spillovers, labour availability, market accessibility and level of export, on competitiveness of FDI manufacturing firms in Kenya. A cross-sectional research design was used in the study. The unit of analysis was the management staff of 66 manufacturing FDIs who were members of Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in the Nairobi Metropolitan while the unit of observation comprised; human resource manager 1, finance manager 1, marketing manager 1, production manager 1 and CEO/GM/owner 1. Multistage sampling method was used in the study. Multistage Sampling is the probability sampling technique wherein the sampling is carried out in several stages such that the sample size gets reduced at each stage. At the initial stage, the study applied Yamane formula to determine the number of firms in each of the 9 categories for the study. From the selected firms, 5 members of management (1CEO and 4 Managers) were selected using purposive sampling technique. Lastly, Yamane formula was used to arrive at the final sample size. This resulted to a total population of 325 and a sample size of 283. Primary data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire while secondary data involved analysis of statistical abstracts from published materials and reports. Data analysis was carried using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software version 25 as well as descriptive and inferential statistics. Primary data was collected through a semi-structured questionnaire while secondary data involved analysis of statistical abstracts from published materials and reports. Data analysis was carried using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software version 25 as well as descriptive and inferential statistics. In the overall the study found that special economic zones had influence on competitiveness of FDI manufacturing firms in Kenya, however the findings on some of the sub-variables calls for their review and relevant actions taken by the Government to ensure enhancement of competitiveness of FDI manufacturing firms. This is because about 37% of the respondents either moderately or never at all agreed that there was conducive business environment in their zones. Further, the study found that over 51.4 % either moderately or never at all agreed that other firms had acquired technology and skills from the FDI firms in the Zones. Consequently, the study recommends an evaluation of the policies and infrastructure that support SEZs in the Manufacturing sector in Kenya.

Product Innovation Among Furniture Firms: The Case of the Private Economy Area

Objective: The objective of this article is to analyze product innovation among furniture firms in the private economy area of Vietnam. Method: We designed a questionnaire related to product innovation among furniture firms in the private economy area. We determined the observed variables (scales) of product innovation among furniture firms based on previous studies and expert interview results. We use both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including descriptive statistics, reliability analysis through the Cronbach alpha coefficient, EFA analysis, the independent T test, and ANOVA analysis. Results: Four attributes of product innovation among furniture firms in the private economy area were quite high. All the attributes of the variables are statistically significant. There is no statistically significant difference in product innovation among furniture firms in the private economy area between these different genders and career seniorities. Conclusions: This research broadens the understanding of the importance of product innovation in the productivity and competitiveness of the furniture firms in the private economy area studied. This research has expanded product innovation among furniture firms in the private economy as an activity with profound business performance impacts. This study can be a basis for other research works and policy design oriented to achieve a comprehensive measurement of business performance and make business strategy in the firm.

Relationship between different resource and capability configurations and competitiveness – comparative study of Hungarian family and nonfamily firms

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify different types of resource and capability configurations among Hungarian family and nonfamily firms and explore which compositions can be considered competitive. In a rivalrous, dynamic world, understanding which sets of resources and capabilities lead to a higher level of competitiveness is vital.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a quantitative competitiveness survey carried out between November 2018 and July 2019 in Hungary. The authors used the Firm Competitiveness Index (FCI) to measure competitiveness and the resource-based view (RBV) approach to understand which configurations of resources and capabilities are responsible for a higher level of competitiveness based on 32 variables. An exploratory factor and cluster analysis were conducted to analyze the ownership's effect on firm competitiveness. The final sample size contained 111 companies, of which 53 were identified as family and 58 as nonfamily firms.FindingsFactor analysis reveals five factors determining resources and capabilities: “operational,” “leadership,” “knowledge management,” “transformation” and “networking.” Based on these factors, the cluster analysis identified five groups in terms of types of family and nonfamily firms: “Lagging capabilities,” “Knowledge-based leadership,” “Innovativeness and transformation-oriented management,” “Relationship-oriented management” and “Business operation-oriented management.” Results show that nonfamily businesses focus on operational and leadership capabilities, reaching a higher FCI than family businesses, which are likely to invest more in their networking, transformation and knowledge management capabilities.Originality/valueBy defining the different configurations family and nonfamily firms rely on to reach competitiveness, the paper applies an essential element to the Hungarian and Middle Eastern European contexts of family business research. The findings contribute to developing family business literature and point out specific resources and capabilities family firms should focus on to shift toward reaching a higher level of professionalization and competitiveness. The characterization of different types of competitiveness comparing family and nonfamily firms enables the firms to assess customized implications.

Supply Chain Agility and Competitive Advantage: A Moderated Mediation Analysis of Lean Marketing

This article brings to light the powerful connection between supply chain agility (SCA) and lean marketing as tools for gaining competitive advantage in this modern era of business. For organizations, achieving a competitive advantage is of the highest importance. Businesses use a variety of techniques to position themselves against their rivals as a result of rising competition. The study also looked at how SCA and firm competitiveness are moderated and mediated by lean marketing. In Ghana, information was gathered from 225 businesses via a questionnaire-based survey. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data obtained. The study demonstrated that the relationship between SCA and competitive advantage is highly influenced by lean marketing. The findings highlighted that lean marketing partially mediates the connotation between SCA and competitive advantage, while the moderating variables revealed that lean marketing has a significant but unfavorable influence on this association. The main goal is to ensure that firms focus on effective use of SCA and lean marketing to achieve competitive advantage. Firms should continually adapt to the fast-changing business environment and search for creative ways to satisfy new market needs.

The role of internal auditors as a tool to boost competitiveness of Greek firms

The role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the modern economy is crucial, and they have emerged as the most alluring and inventive system. To investigate and assess SMEs’ operations, internal auditing was formed as an independent assessment. Internal auditors’ planning and implementation of a quality program of internal audits can result in several advantages to SMEs. The current study investigates how internal auditors might help SMEs become more competitive. To fulfill the study’s requirements, 200 employees of Greek SMEs who were relevant to the internal audit function in their business environment were invited to answer a questionnaire. Internal auditors are viewed positively by most of the (100) employees who responded. Ranging from 34% to 53% in part B of the questionnaire (the role of internal auditors), they strongly agree with the positive role of internal auditors in Greek SMEs. Regarding the evaluation of internal auditors, most respondents gave a relatively negative opinion. From 31% to 34% respondents in part C of the questionnaire (evaluation of internal auditors) agree a little with the positive evaluation of internal auditors in Greek SMEs. Furthermore, the results showed that internal auditors must be professionals, comprehend the audited activities in-depth, offer ways to remedy problematic activities, and voice their thoughts objectively to succeed in the competitiveness of Greek SMEs.

Sequential versus concurrent final phase product development: Approval uncertainty, time‐sensitive consumers, asymmetric competition, and government subsidy

Should a firm begin its production even before its new product is approved? In a competitive market with time‐sensitive consumers, a firm may choose to adopt the “concurrent process” by conducting the approval process and the production process in parallel so that the product will become available for sale once approved. However, to avoid incurring upfront (production related) investments that are nonrecoverable should the product fail to receive approval, a firm may opt for the “sequential process” so that the production process will only begin after approval. But such a sequential process can delay product launch, making the firm less competitive. These trade‐offs between the concurrent and sequential development processes and the recent Covid‐19 vaccine development motivate us to examine the process choice in the presence of three salient factors: (a) uncertain product approval, (b) time‐sensitive consumers, and (c) asymmetric firm competition—firms have different ex ante approval probabilities. Our equilibrium analysis reveals that it is possible for the laggard firm (the firm with lower ex ante approval probability) to aggressively adopt the concurrent process whereas the leading firm (the firm with higher ex ante approval probability) adopts the sequential process. First, as the approval requirement tightens, both firms have a lower chance of receiving approval, and the laggard firm is more likely to adopt the sequential process than the leading firm. Second, as consumers become more time sensitive, the leading firm is more eager to adopt the concurrent process than the laggard firm. Finally, when the firm asymmetry is large, competition does not always soften and both firms may compete directly by adopting the sequential process. We also examine the case when consumers are “forward‐looking” instead of “myopic.” We find that forward‐looking behavior increases competition and motivates both firms to adopt the concurrent process. Finally, we consider the case when the government offers subsidies to defray the nonrecoverable investments to increase the chance of having an approved product available sooner. Interestingly, we find such a subsidy can backfire resulting in lower consumer welfare and lower profit for the firms especially when consumers are time insensitive.

Artificial intelligence - partner relationships management for climate management in B2B firms to achieve sustainable competitiveness

Drawing on the dynamic capability view and resource-based view, this study investigates the relationship among artificial intelligence (AI)-based partner relationship management, firm performance, and sustainable competitiveness concerning the climate management of business-to-business (B2B) firms. Throughout this investigation, the study additionally explored the impact of several other dimensions, including information communication technology capability, firm fit, and technological readiness, as fundamental requirements for the implementation of AI-based partner relationship management. The present study also investigates the relationship between firm partner engagement and firm information processing systems for climate management of B2B firms and their impact on achieving firm performance and sustainable competitiveness. A mixed-methods approach was employed that involves in-depth interviews with senior managers from a diverse set of B2B firms, and the proposed hypothesis model was evaluated by analysing the collected B2B data of 142 responses using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings of the study show that information communication technology capability and technological readiness play a significant role in improving the performance of AI-based partner relationship management. Furthermore, the implementation of AI-based partner relationship management in B2B firms would help partner engagement and information processing systems for climate management, leading to sustainable firm competitiveness. The outcomes of this study offer many implications for managers and practitioners in the B2B sector and suggest potential avenues for future research.

Text Mining Analysis of Patent in Innovation Studies: Trends, Issues and Future Research Agenda

Innovation is a cornerstone of progress, and patents play a pivotal role in protecting and promoting novel ideas and technologies. This paper delves into the dynamic intersection of text mining and innovation studies by focusing on patent data. This literature review paper presents an in-depth assessment of the trends and developments in text mining techniques as they relate to patent analysis within the context of innovation studies. This paper presents a thorough study of text mining literature through a systematic literature review of 162 articles in 20 peer-reviewed journals published from 2003 to 2022. We undertake a thorough literature review in this study, identifies themes and categorize the papers into five clusters of Technology opportunities identification, Firm competition strategies, Emerging technology forecasting and evaluation, Patent technical intelligence, Technological convergence and open-endedness. The study shows that most articles concentrated on technological firms and focused on technological-driven strategies. This paper highlights key results, open issues and outlines a compelling research agenda for further investigation and development in the field of text mining in innovation studies related to patents

Data-driven digital capabilities enable servitization strategy——From service supporting the product to service supporting the client

The development of data intelligence provides opportunities for implementing servitization strategies, and the concept of digital servitization is attracting increasing attention. However, there is little empirical evidence concerning the specific types of data-driven digital capabilities that manufacturing firms require, as well as the digital implementation paths and outcomes of different services. Drawing on dynamic capability theory, this study constructs three types of data-driven digital capabilities (i.e., digital collection capability, digital analysis capability, and digital application capability), and develops a research model of the digital servitization process. Structural equation modeling is performed with survey data from 246 Chinese manufacturing firms. The results demonstrate that data-driven digital capabilities positively affect services supporting the product (SSP) and services supporting the client (SSC), thereby indirectly enhancing firm competitiveness. Specifically, digital application capability positively affects both types of services and is the most important of the three focal capabilities. Furthermore, data-driven digital capabilities indirectly affect SSC by influencing SSP. To provide high-quality services (i.e., SSC), firms should therefore not only develop data-driven digital capabilities but also further learn from the services that support their products.

Finance, informal competition, and expectations: A firm-level analysis

This paper documents the link between finance and informal competition. Using longitudinal firm-level data, we show that formal firms that are more exposed to the competition of informal firms are less likely to apply for a bank loan. This result is not due to sample selection, omitted variable bias, or reverse causality, and it is robust to different econometric specifications, including the use of an IV strategy. As for the mechanism explaining our result, we show that firms more exposed to informal competition have worse expectations on future sales growth, which in turn are associated with a lower probability of loan application. Finally, we provide suggestive evidence excluding supply-side mechanisms that may explain heterogeneities in firms’ access to finance.

Sales manipulation strategies of competitive firms on an e‐commerce platform: Beneficial or harmful?

AbstractConsumers are affected by the relative sizes of products’ sales volumes, which is regarded as consumers’ sales comparison behavior when purchasing online. Therefore, some firms manipulate their sales volumes to attract consumers. To shed light on firms’ sales manipulation, we develop game theoretical models to investigate sales manipulation strategies for a high‐quality firm and a low‐quality firm on a platform. We identify conditions for firms’ sales manipulation and investigate its impact on the platform. We find the following: (1) A small amount of sales manipulation volumes may harm each firm. (2) When only the high‐quality (low‐quality) firm manipulates its sales volume, the total market share shrinks (expands), and the profit of the low‐quality (high‐quality) firm is damaged. In this case, the platform can only benefit from the high‐quality firm's sales manipulation. When both firms manipulate sales volumes, each firm aims to claim a higher sales volume than its competitor. (3) At equilibrium, when the unit sales manipulation cost is intermediate, only the high‐quality firm manipulates its sales volume. When the unit sales manipulation cost is low, both firms manipulate sales volumes and consequently get trapped in a Prisoner's Dilemma. In this case, the platform's profit cannot be improved. This study then incorporates considerations of consumers’ sales comparison behavior, nonlinear cost structures for sales manipulation, firms’ long‐term vision, and sales manipulation strategy in competitive supply chains to reveal that most aforementioned results are qualitatively robust.

Sivil Havacılık Alanında Rekabet ile İlgili Hazırlanan Lisansüstü Tezlerin İçerik Analizi

With the deregulation in the civil aviation industry, competition has started to increase. Firms operating in the sector had to continue their services in a competitive environment. For this reason, scientific studies and theses have been conducted on competition for firms operating in the field of civil aviation. The aim of the research is to profile the postgraduate theses prepared in the field of civil aviation and competition in Turkey by examining them bibliometrically. All postgraduate theses prepared in the field of civil aviation and competition in the National Thesis Center were included in the research. The number of theses prepared in the field of civil aviation and competition topics was determined as 24. The content analysis method, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. It was determined that most of the theses examined adopted the qualitative research method. When the samples of the theses were examined, Turkish Airlines for 10 theses and Pegasus for 8 theses were taken as samples. The first five frequently used keywords are competition, airlines, airline transportation, competitive strategies, and civil aviation, respectively.

Close competitors? Bilateral bank competition and spatial variation in firms’ access to credit

Abstract We interviewed 379 bank CEOs in 20 emerging markets to identify their banks’ main competitors. We show that banks are more likely to identify another bank as a main competitor in small-business lending when both banks are foreign owned or relationship oriented; when there exists a large spatial overlap in their branch networks and when the potential competitor has fewer hierarchical layers. We then construct a novel bilateral competition measure at the locality level and assess how well it explains geographic variation in firms’ credit constraints. We show that intense bilateral bank competition tightens local credit constraints, especially for small firms, as competition may impede the formation of lending relationships.

Greening the Supply Chain: Drivers and Outcomes in the Korean Manufacturing Industry

This research investigates the determinants of green supply chain management (GSCM) adoption and its impact on organizational performance, while considering the potential moderating factors influencing GSCM adoption. Despite the growing prevalence of GSCM practices among Korean firms, the factors driving their adoption have not received sufficient attention. To bridge this gap, the study uses structural equation modeling, integrating stakeholder theory and resource-based theory to explore how green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO), institutional pressure, and relational capital affect GSCM adoption. Additionally, the study explores the effects of GSCM implementation on competitiveness and economic performance. Drawing data from a sample of 213 Korean manufacturing firms, the PLS-SEM analysis highlights the significant influence of GEO, institutional pressure, and relational capital on GSCM adoption. Additionally, the study emphasizes the positive impact of GSCM implementation on firm competitiveness. These findings provide valuable insights for enhancing sustainability in supply chain management and are applicable to similar context countries such as Taiwan, China, Japan, and the Netherlands.

Transforming talent management as a game changer for firm competitiveness of Islamic banks

Transforming talent management as a game changer for firm competitiveness of Islamic banks

Firm heterogeneity in competition among the big and the small

AbstractThis paper makes comparative statics in a model in which oligopolistic and monopolistically competitive firms that are heterogeneous in productivity compete. We demonstrate that (i) entry of oligopolistic incumbents, (ii) reduction in entry cost of monopolistically competitive entrants, and (iii) market size expansion improve the average productivity in the whole economy. However, (i) and (iii) raise welfare, but (ii) may lower welfare because of the presence of oligopolistic firms.

Bringing novices from the passive role in knowledge sharing to the active role

Purpose: The nature of firm competition between firms and the source of competitive advantage in many industries has shifted toward a knowledge-based economy. This is particularly the case in knowledge intensive industries, wherein a firm’s competitive advantage is highly dependent on its ability to generate and deploy new knowledge solutions. Although knowledge management (KM) is relevant to all organizations, it is likely that its importance is higher at some functional units like maintenance. The field of industrial maintenance is complex and knowledge-intensive. Typically, industrial maintenance knowledge is inaccessible due to industry policies and practices; furthermore, motivation to share knowledge is low or inexistent, due to its tacit and complex nature. Despite these difficulties, sharing knowledge between experienced workers and managers, on one hand, and novices and new comers, on the other hand, is a fundamental problem in industrial maintenance settings, and about which there is still much to be known. The current research reports an investigation aimed at increasing knowledge sharing (KS) between novices and other workers in industrial maintenance. Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative field longitudinal research was carried out at a maintenance department of a high-tech company. The research included three steps: the first one assessed the current situation of KM and KS in the department; the second one implemented a number of training programs aimed to increase KS between novices and the rest of the department; and the third one collected information about KM and KS, to assess changes between the two observation moments. Findings: Novices can take an active role in KM and KS in maintenance departments of high-tech industries, rather than a passive role, which can significantly facilitate and improve their own and other employees' knowledge while moderately enhancing the culture of knowledge sharing. Practical Implications: sharing knowledge is a very challenging issue to maintenance managers, faced with risks and problems that need to be acquired by novices. The current research helps knowledge-intensive companies by highlighting solutions that can be designed and adapted to improve employees' knowledge and also KS. Originality/Value: Empowering novices to transition from a passive role in knowledge sharing to an active one, while simultaneously improving their knowledge and also KS practices in industrial maintenance through their involvement.