Diamond Model Research Articles

ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF SUGAR PRODUCTION AND EXPORT PERFORMANCE: THE CASE OF SOUTH AFRICA WITHIN THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA

Background: The economic performance of any sector is measured by the level of its competitiveness against its competitors. The South African sugar industry, as a member of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), faces stiff competition and is therefore challenged to improve its production and export performance to survive and dominate in the market in the long term. Aim: This study aimed to assess the competitiveness of the South African sugarcane industry by looking at the economic drivers of sugar production and export. Methods: The study employed Michael Porter`s Diamond Model to assess the competitiveness of the South African sugarcane industry, using primary data collected from a total of 123 sugarcane farmers and 100 key stakeholders. A 7-point Likert scale was applied to indicate the degree to which each of the determining factors is perceived to affect the performance and resulting competitiveness of the sugar industry. Results: The findings revealed that the major constraints experienced by respondents are the availability of skilled labour; cost of doing business; level of infrastructure development; cost of infrastructure; water availability; climatic conditions; rainfall patterns; availability of financial services; access to credit; crime; and HIV/AIDS. In terms of exports, tariffs were found to be the major constraint along with some of the aforementioned factors. Several factors that are experienced as having a positive effect on competitive success also emerged. These include product design; packaging; labelling and pricing; manager’s willingness to export; level of education and training; length of time in the business; experience; and language.

The determining mechanism of technology catch-up in China's photovoltaic (PV) industry: Machine learning approaches

The unexpected success of China's PV industry in technology catch-up has been noted. However, existing research has overlooked the multidimensional nonlinear complexities in its underlying mechanisms. This study introduces the "Seven-Element Diamond Model" theoretical framework and employs machine learning (ML) methods to address this. Using observed data from 84 listed China's PV companies from 2000 to 2021, we systematically examine the intricate mechanisms of technology catch-up in China's PV industry. Key findings include: 1) The self-enhancing mechanism stemming from R&D effort, government subsidies, and domestic demand is pivotal for the successful technology catch-up of China's PV industry. 2) Key regulatory directions are identified from R&D effort to market competition, technology spillover, productivity, and government subsidies. 3) R&D effort forms the underlying logic of China's PV industry technology catch-up, and domestic market demand is an extremely important driver for China's PV technology catch-up. Government subsidies exhibit a "blowout" incentive effect, and the synergistic coupling between key variables is also significant in driving China's PV technology catch-up. This study offers valuable insights into the catch-up of clean energy or sustainable technologies in China and other emerging economies.

Analisa Daya Saing Usaha Anyaman Keranjang di Kabupaten Simalungun dengan menggunakan Model Diamond Porter

This study aims to analyze the competitive advantage by using the Porter Diamond Model in the basket weaving craft business in Nagori Sirpang Dalig Raya, Kecataman Pematang Raya, Simalungun Regency. The research method used is descriptive with a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques were carried out by interview, observation and documentation. The results showed important determinants in the competitive advantage of woven basket craftsmen in accordance with porter's diamond model, consisting of factor conditions; demand conditions; company structure, strategy and competition; related industries and supporting industries; and the role of government. The formulation of appropriate generic strategies is to increase product innovation to other creative crafts, focus on opening bamboo plantations and improve labor skills to attend training and development

How to provide existential and spiritual support to people with mild to moderate dementia and their loved ones. A pilot study.

People with mild to moderate dementia and their loved ones may experience strong existential and spiritual challenges due to the disease. People with dementia could therefore benefit greatly from ongoing conversational support. Within the literature and in supportive practice, there are very few tools that help professionals provide this type of support. Professionals may therefore be unaware of, or uncertain of, how support can be given. To develop and test support approaches that may enable professionals to better conduct conversations with attention for existential and spiritual issues. Participatory action research was conducted with dementia care professionals who spoke to 62 clients and 36 loved ones. Research consisted of two cycles of analyzing support, formulating strategies to try, testing and reflecting on the success of these actions and formulating new ones. The Diamond model for existential and spiritual issues regarding mild to moderate dementia, developed in previous research, was used as a framework. Five types of approaches, corresponding to the five fundamental polarities within the basic framework, were found to be helpful in alleviating tensions and bolstering strengths. For issues of self-confidence and -worth, an approach of exploring the felt self was developed; for issues of capacity and adaptability, an exploring daily routines approach; for issues of security and loss, an exploring a trinity of needs approach; for issues of burden and enrichment, an exploring memory approach; and for issues of faith and meaning, an exploring ones' predicament approach. When exploring these approaches, participants found sets and sequencing of questions and prompts to be helpful and transformative. Professionals can use the Diamond framework to provide conversational support to alleviate tension, enhance meaning and bolster strength for clients and loved ones.

Competitiveness Analysis and Strategies to Improve Small and Medium Enterprises Performance

Global economic dynamics encourage industry to excel and be competitive. This research aims to identify industry characteristics, measure the level of industrial competitiveness; and then provide strategy suggestions to increase industrial competitiveness. The Porter Diamond Model is used in this research to measure the level of competitiveness of the exhaust industry, where there are four indicators of industrial competitiveness, namely factor conditions, demand conditions, company strategy and competitive structure, as well as related and supporting industries. Using qualitative methods, data collection is carried out using questionnaires. The primary data used was taken from exhaust manufacturers in Purbalingga Regency totaling 67 respondents. Strategy recommendations for increasing industrial competitiveness are determined based on urgency-performance analysis. The results of the industrial competitiveness analysis show that condition factors provide the highest contribution to the competitiveness of the exhaust industry compared to other indicators. Urgency-performance analysis shows that 5 out of 10 sub-factors driving competitiveness have underact status. The strategy to increase industrial competitiveness focuses on competitiveness sub-factors with “under act” status. These strategies include: 1) Providing better business development systems and services, 2) Developing business capacity, and 3) Expanding industrial cooperation.

Survival strategies for the transformation of traditional Japanese crafts based on the Double Diamond model

Traditional crafting is challenged by a weakening demand due to lifestyle changes and rampant, cheap alternative imports. With great difficulties in tapping into new markets and scarce successors carrying forward crafting traditions, external support is required to facilitate a positive transformation of traditional crafting. This study selected six cases as examples of positive transformation in traditional crafting designated by the Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI). Field interviews and investigations were performed, followed by a craft transformation framework based on the Double Diamond model. This study classified the survival strategies of traditional Japanese crafting industries into internal and external environmental reforms through an extensive literature review. Internal environmental reforms are related to collaborative reconstruction, design creativity, and brand recognizability. In contrast, external environmental reforms pertain to industry tours, industry-government-university-institution collaboration, and diverse marketization. This study’s findings are as follows: 1. Crafting survival strategies effectively promote public cultural recognition of its tradition; 2. Analyses of survival strategies through internal and external environmental reforms might inspire sustained operation of crafting traditions; 3. Craft transformation might contribute to cultural reflections in the past and present. Japanese crafting traditions should survive and thrive generation after generation through fueling by survival strategies.

Experimental investigation of pier scour depth and its scour hole pattern for different shapes

Local scour, a complex phenomenon in river flows around piers with movable beds, can damage bridge piers during high floods. Predicting scour depth accurately is vital for safety and economic reasons, especially for large bridges. This study using hydraulic flume laboratory experiments compared diamond, square, and elliptical pier models of different sizes under steady clear-water conditions considering different flow rates and discharge levels to identify the most efficient shape with less local scour. Local scour, a complex phenomenon in three-dimensional flow around piers in rivers with movable beds, can lead to detrimental effects on bridge piers due to high flood velocities. Accurate prediction of scour depth is crucial for economic and safety reasons, especially for large bridges with complex piers. Hydraulic engineers are keen on forecasting the equilibrium scour depth. To achieve this, laboratory testing compared diamond, square, and elliptical pier models under steady clear-water conditions to identify the most efficient pier shape with less local scour. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing pier design to enhance bridge stability and resilience against scour-induced risks. A variety of configurations, including different sizes and shapes of piers were experimented with in the flume using diamond, square, and elliptical shapes. The test results showed that the local scour depth around elliptical piers was around 29.16% less, and around diamond piers, it was approximately 16.05% less compared to the scour depth observed around square piers with the same dimensions. The researchers also observed distinct patterns of scouring around different pier shapes. Specifically, the square-shaped piers displayed the highest level of scouring depth, that is, 48 mm, followed by the diamond-shaped pier which experienced a scouring depth of 48 mm while the elliptical-shaped piers experienced the least amount of scouring depth, that is, 34 mm. The test results also demonstrated that pier size significantly influences scouring, with an increase in pier size from 3 × 3 cm2 to 5 × 5 cm2 leading to a rise in scour depth by 26.04%. Moreover, this study findings also elucidated that an increase in flow results in an increase of in scouring depth i.e., elevating the discharge from 0.0026 cumecs to 0.0029 cumecs led to a 28.13% increase in scouring depth for the identical pier size. These findings provide valuable insights into the hydraulic behavior of various pier shapes and can aid in the optimization of bridge design and hydraulic engineering practices. The investigations further revealed that local scouring is sensitive not only to pier dimensions but also to other critical parameters, including flow rate, time of exposure, and the size of a pier.

An Interdisciplinary and Multilevel Analysis of Local Economy Determinants and Their Impact on Firm Performance—Considering Porter’s Diamond Model, Clusters, and Industry

Industrial Organization, the Resource-Based View, and the Relational View are some classical, well-established, and widely accepted theories in the strategic management domain regarding the understanding, explanation, and prediction of competitive advantage of firms and above-average firm performance. Recent evidence of economic geography and regional economics added to this stream of research new perspectives like cluster theory and microeconomic competitiveness. Despite the high enthusiasm with which companies and policymakers embraced the new advancements, there is some contradictory evidence regarding the positive effect of local conditions on firm performance. Thus, in this paper, we aim to empirically test some aspects of a modern regional development theory, proposed mainly by Michael Porter and collaborators, and the impact of these aspects on firm performance. External determinants considered at three levels of analysis (local economy, local clusters, and industry) will be investigated in relation to firm performance. We will analyze empirical data through detailed correlational analyses and by building multilinear regression models. After the statistical analysis of the answers provided directly by 67 medium and large manufacturing companies operating in Romania, we will provide empirical support for some external determinants, while for other determinants, we will show that the data rejected the proposed associations. The main conclusion derived from this study is that different combinations of external determinants, considered at all three levels of analysis, have a positive and significant effect on different measures of firm performance. The findings in our paper are important for both regional economics and the strategic management literature, suggesting the importance of creating local or urban conditions depending on the type of performance that the firms in the local economy are underperforming.

Comparative Study on Financial Services Trade Competitiveness in the Belt and Road Countries — Taking the Banking Sector as an Example

Based on the comprehensive evaluation results of entropy weight TOPSIS method, this paper conducted a comparative analysis on the financial services trade competitiveness in the Belt and Road Initiative countries, taking the banking sector as an example. The main findings are as follows: most Belt and Road Initiative countries lack competitiveness in financial services trade across borders and the gap is obvious when they are compared with Japan and other developed Western countries. China’s financial services trade competitiveness is ranked highly among the Belt and Road Initiative countries; the financial services trade competitiveness in East Asia and Central and Eastern Europe is stronger than that of other regions with South Asia being the weakest. Based on Diamond Model, this study analyzed the reasons for the gap between the Belt and Road Initiative countries and developed Western countries, and found that the gap between them is obvious in most aspects. Finally, countermeasures are proposed to improve China’s financial services trade competitiveness based on the analysis.

An Empirical Study of the Determinants of Digital Trade Competitiveness in APEC Economies: Based on Porter’s Diamond Model

Purpose – This study aims to analyze the impact of each factor on the international competitiveness of digital trade by selecting nine major APEC digital trading countries based on Porter’s “Diamond Model”. Design/Methodology/Approach – Based on Porter’s “Diamond Model”, this study established indicators influencing the national competitiveness of nine APEC member countries, and panel analysis was conducted by selecting eight indicators, including digital trade exports (DTE), production factors, demand conditions, corporate organization, strategy and competition, related and supporting industry performance, and government and opportunities, as explanatory variables. Findings – According to the panel regression analysis results, among the explanatory variables, both the number of fixed infrastructure broadband subscribers (FBS) and services trade exports (CSE) had a significant positive effect on digital trade competitiveness. Research Implications – The development of digital trade is closely related to the support of various infrastructure facilities, and information and communication technology-based digital trade has to offer technical assurances and methods for data input and output for industrial development. Most traditional service industries in APEC member countries still account for a large proportion. The export growth of service trade heavily relies on the overall improvement of the competitiveness of the service trade. Therefore, it is necessary to seize the development opportunities of the service trade, expand the export market share of traditional service industries, and actively develop emerging modern service industries to promote the harmonious development of the overall service trade industry and enhance the international competitiveness of digital trade.

Decoding the Digital Landscape: An Empirically Validated Model for Assessing Digitalisation across Public Administration Levels

This research advances the field of digital government by developing and empirically validating a model for measuring the digital state of public administration, with a specific focus on Slovenia. Moving beyond traditional digital maturity models, our study introduces a holistic framework that integrates elements of technology, process, structure, people and organisational culture, enriched by dimensions of digital principles, good governance, and external environmental factors. This framework is grounded in an adaptation of Leavitt’s diamond model, tailored to capture the nuances of digitalisation in public administration. The empirical validation is conducted through a comprehensive questionnaire administered to Slovenian public administration organisations at both local and state levels. The results provide a nuanced understanding of the current digital state that extends beyond technological aspects, including process optimisation, organisational structure, people elements and culture dynamics, and insights into internal and external barriers to digitalisation as well as principles of good governance and digitalisation. The study’s results show that ministries in Slovenia generally possess a more advanced digital infrastructure than municipalities, particularly in various aspects of ICT development and integration. While Slovenia aspires to align with the EU digital strategy, it faces various challenges, particularly at the municipal level, in achieving coherent development of digital skills and policy implementation. The comprehensive approach allows for a more informed evaluation of digital transformation efforts, offering insights into areas of strength and opportunities for further development. The findings have significant implications for policymakers and stakeholders, highlighting critical areas for targeted improvement and strategic planning in the digitalisation of public administration.

Increasing returns to scale and financial fragility

How do liquidity creation and financial fragility depend on increasing returns to scale? We study this question in a version of the Diamond and Dybvig (1983) model with limited commitment. We show that while a higher minimum scale generally lowers welfare since it makes the investment technology more restrictive, there exhibits a non-monotonic relationship between the degree of instability and size thresholds. In particular, to reap the benefits of scale economies, the bank facing somewhat higher scale cutoffs may issue liabilities prudently where such cautious behavior ameliorates depositors’ incentive to panic. Nevertheless, a relatively large minimum scale is not always associated with lower degrees of fragility in the sense that the bank facing medium size thresholds is most vulnerable to a crisis. Such findings indicate that failing to account for scale economies in banking activity leaves a significant void in policy debates regarding the stability of the financial system.

Research on the Measurement of Low-Carbon Competitiveness of Regional Cold Chain Logistics Capacity Based on Triangular Fuzzy Evaluation Rating–Gray Correlation Analysis

Cold chain logistics is an industry that generates high levels of carbon emissions. In the context of a low-carbon economy, it is crucial to recognize the low-carbon competitiveness of regional cold chain logistics and to implement effective measures to guide the development and improvement of their low-carbon competitiveness. This is essential for transitioning the economic development model and promoting low-carbon economic growth. This article proposes a low-carbon competitiveness evaluation model known as the Triangular Fuzzy–Gray Correlation Evaluation Model. This model is based on the Triangular Fuzzy Theory and Gray System Theory. According to the calculated logistics low-carbon competitiveness index, a scatter plot is used to rank and classify the evaluation objects. This method utilizes triangular fuzzy numbers as evaluation levels and further expands upon them by introducing the concept of gray correlation in group decision making. By constructing relative closeness based on curve similarity, the improved method possesses a strong ability to capture information and objectivity compared to traditional models. The selected critical indicators cover four significant aspects: low-carbon environment, low-carbon flow service capability, energy consumption in cold chain logistics, and low-carbon energy transition. Empirical research is being conducted using relevant data from Henan in 2022. The measured results are divided into four levels of competition. Using the diamond model, this study analyzes the development of low-carbon cold chain logistics at different levels in each city and provides corresponding recommendations.

Central bank digital currency: When price and bank stability collide

This paper shows the existence of a central bank trilemma. When a central bank is involved in financial intermediation, either directly through a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or indirectly through other policy instruments, it can only achieve two of three objectives: a socially efficient allocation, financial stability (i.e., absence of runs), and price stability. In particular, a commitment to price stability can cause a run on the central bank. Implementation of the socially optimal allocation requires a commitment to inflation. We illustrate this idea through a nominal version of the Diamond and Dybvig (1983) model. Our perspective may be particularly appropriate when CBDCs are introduced on a wide scale.

Fraud Diamond Theory Detection on M-Score with Profitability as a Moderating Variable: A Case Study on Sharia Banking Companies

Financial statements provide information about a company's financial health and performance. Fraud involves deceit created for personal or group gain and can occur within financial reports. The Fraud Diamond model serves as a tool for fraud detection, while the M-Score method detects the financial health of a company. This research explores how profitability influences the relationship between fraud diamond variables and M-Score, aiming to prove whether profitability has an impact on the relationship between at least one fraud diamond variable and M-Score. Moderation Regression Analysis, facilitated by Microsoft Excel and SPSS, is employed as the analytical tool. The study utilizes data samples from Bank Mega Syariah, Bank Syariah Bukopin, Bank Syariah Indonesia, Bank Victoria Syariah, Bank Aladin Syariah, and BPD Riau Kepri Syariah for the period 2020-2022. The findings indicate that profitability strengthens the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables. Moreover, the moderating variable interactions significantly moderate 3 out of 5 X variables against Y. This research aims to fill knowledge gaps, provide deeper understanding, and make a significant contribution to the development of financial management theory. It also offers practical guidance for business stakeholders facing complex and dynamic challenges.

Enhancing competitiveness in cocoa associations: An integral project management approach based on Porter’s Diamond Model

This study aims to structure guidelines for an intervention model from the perspective of Integral Project Management to improve the competitiveness level of cacao associations in south region of Colombia. The research followed a mixed-method approach with a non-experimental cross-sectional design and a descriptive scope. The study employed a stage-based analytical framework which included: identifying the factors influencing the competitiveness of the cacao sector; grouping these factors under the six primary determinants of competitiveness with reference to Porter’s Diamond Model; and proposing guidelines for an intervention model to enhance the competitiveness of the studied associations through project management. The first stage was conducted via literature review. The second stage involved primary data collected through surveys and interviews with the associations, members, and cacao sector experts in Huila. The third stage entailed grouping the factors within the main determinants that promote and limit the competitiveness of the cacao sector in the context of Porter’s Diamond Model. Based on the analysis of the corresponding restrictive and promoting factors, strategic recommendations were formulated for the various sector stakeholders on the measures that can be adopted to address restrictive factors and maintain promoting factors to enhance and sustain the sector's competitiveness.

A Compendium on Risk Assessment of Phishing Attack Using Attack Modeling Techniques

With the advent of new attacking methodologies and types of attacks, it has become difficult to protect the systems. Therefore, it is necessary to decipher the impact of attacks before and after its occurrence to provide better security. It is hard to speculate future attacks, without understanding the network vulnerability and therefore, it is important to examine the network for identifying potential vulnerabilities using attack modeling. Phishing attacks is one of the prominent network attacks that pose continual threat to the network and organization. This article presents and discusses in brief attack modeling techniques that can be applied for risk assessment. The paper presents in detail modeling of phishing attack using attack graphs, cyber kill chain, diamond model, security incident response matrix, and data description model. Moreover, the article also discusses role of network defenders and system engineers in assessing risk and how attack models can be helpful to them for modeling attacks. The review presented in this paper can serve as a platform for researchers in the field of network security and risk assessment for developing effective and secure network environment.

Competitive strategies in the tourist hotel industry: Evidence from Greece

The tourism sector in Greece has shown very important points of recovery, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, being one of the steam engines of the Greek economy, contributing to its all-important economic terms and parameters. The above elements make the sector highly competitive, and the assessment of its competitiveness as well as the choice of the appropriate development strategies is a matter of particular importance (Chikan et al., 2022). On the other hand, competitiveness is a wide concept which can be estimated either using the Porter’s Diamond Model or financial indexes (Fischer & Schornberg, 2007). Taking this into account, the purpose of this paper is to assess the competitiveness of three of the largest Greek hotel units in economic terms with the use of financial indexes, as well as to determine the most suitable strategies for their further development, trying to fill the existing gap in the literature for the tourism hotel sector in Greece. The main results show that improving indicators such as liquidity and maintaining a good capital structure contribute to maintaining the sector’s sustainability and its further development holding special importance both for academics and policymakers taking into consideration the contribution of tourism to the whole Greek economy.

A study on brand competitiveness: A comparative analysis of European and Korean auto brands in the Russian automotive industry

This study compares brand competitiveness of European and Korean auto brands in the Russian automotive market based on cross-sectional datasets for 42 auto brands in Russia of the year 2022. The econometric models (OLS, WLS, and Robust least squares) are constructed by employing a theoretical frame of Porter’s diamond model. The results of the regression analysis allowed us to get to the conclusion that product diversification, accessibility to dealers (or retail shop) and active social media marketing are critical factors to promote auto sales in the Russian market. Based on the comparison, we can draw two important conclusions. First, Korean auto brands are ahead of the European auto brands in value chain management as they have a huge pool of dealers and maximize contact with potential Russian customers. Secondly, the German auto brands lead when it comes to product diversification and social media marketing. However, Korean auto brands are not behind based on those criteria compared to the average European auto brand, and take an above average-middling position. From the outstanding performance of Korean auto brands in the Russian market especially, it seems that securing numerous retail channels is particularly crucial. The results of this study are helpful for national and international automotives companies to create business strategies in the Russian automotive industry.

Research on National Cross-border E-commerce Trade Innovation and Development Strategy in the Context of Digital Economy

Abstract Cross-border e-commerce is divided into export cross-border e-commerce and import cross-border e-commerce. Based on the fact that the development of China’s export cross-border e-commerce trade is dominant at present, this paper takes the diamond model and the theory of platform economics as the basis of model construction and selects the trade demand, human resources, cross-border platforms, cross-border payment and cross-border logistics to constitute the influencing factors of cross-border e-commerce system variables. Among them, for the influence mechanism of e-commerce development level on cross-border e-commerce trade, a cross-border e-commerce development level measurement index system has been established. Utilizing the entropy value method and comprehensive index method, the measurement value of the cross-border e-commerce development level is obtained. The order of importance of each influencing factor is determined using principal component analysis. The trade gravity model is introduced, combined with cross-border e-commerce export monitoring data, to carry out the model smoothness test and regression model solving. From the regression results, the P-values of the t-test statistics of independent variables InGDP c InR i are 0.162 and 0.806 (>0.05), respectively, indicating that the influence of these two independent variables on the dependent variable is not significant. That is, China’s GDP and whether to join the “The Belt and Road Initiative” have no significant impact on the scale of China’s cross-border e-commerce trade. According to the regression results of the model, GDP, the coefficient of population size and the number of Internet users are highly positively correlated with the scale of cross-border e-commerce trade of the country, and the innovation of cross-border e-commerce trade can be based on the coefficient of GDP, the coefficient of population size, the number of Internet users and other aspects.