Business Partners Research Articles

Exploring the Structure of the Network Marketing Industry through Graph Parameters

Network Marketing is a business tool that builds a network of business partners or distributors by directly selling products and services through a word-of-mouth marketing strategy. NM graph is a graphical representation of the network marketing industry. Just like a graph consists of vertices and edges, network marketing consists of distributors/ business partners which represent the vertices of the NM graph, and edges determine the genealogy of the network. In this paper, we explore the structure of an NM graph by graph parameters and see how the graph reflects various properties of a network of people. It is seen that an NM graph is a rooted binary tree. The measure of the influence of a network and the measure of profitability of a network is determined. It is seen that the objective to maximize profit by allocating different stakes to different persons is a typical case of an assignment problem. The genealogy of a network can be determined by studying the adjacency matrix of the NM digraph. Graph parameter like eccentricity represents the strongest person in the network earning maximum profitability. The domination number acts as a measure of the stability of an NM graph.

Abuse of Relative Dominance by Digital Platforms: A Law and Economics Perspective

Abstract In the age of AI, digital platforms are likely to hold significant market power, giving them a superior bargaining position over their business partners and enabling them to impose unfair trading terms. However, proving that a platform holds a dominant position under Art. 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is challenging. The multi-sided nature of platforms complicates the definition of the relevant market, and their innovative digital business models makes it difficult to assess lasting market power. This could lead to false negatives, resulting in under-enforcement from an economic perspective. To address this market reality, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) has been adopted as an ex ante instrument to, inter alia, complement competition law enforcement. However, since the DMA’s quantitative thresholds remain high, numerous platforms with superior market power vis-à-vis their trading partners may not qualify as ‘gatekeepers’, leaving the risk of under-enforcement unresolved. This article explores the desirability of introducing a prohibition on ‘abuse of relative dominance’, drawing on this long-standing concept in some EU Member States. Such a measure could help tackle the concerns arising from the superior bargaining position of digital platforms.

Pelatihan Penyusunan Pembukuan Keuangan dan Digital Marketing pada Usaha Banten Upakara Ibu Mangku Karta di Kota Denpasar

This community service program aims to enhance the partner's business management skills for ceremonial offerings through financial bookkeeping and digital marketing training. The methods include training on financial bookkeeping using the Paper.id application, designing business logos and banners, and digital marketing training via social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. The results indicate that the partner successfully understood and applied basic financial bookkeeping, designed business logos and banners, and utilized social media to expand market reach. This program effectively improved the partner's operational efficiency and business competitiveness.

Argentina–Qatar: From unlikely partners to a developing partnership (2011–23)

The question that guides this research is: How has the link between Argentina and Qatar evolved and what factors explained this evolution in the period between 2011 and 2023? As regards the methodological design, the work rests on a qualitative design, based on the collection and analysis of data from both primary and secondary sources. Among the former, unstructured interviews with key informants stand out. That said, the investigation shows that the Administrations that have succeeded one another in power in Buenos Aires between 2011 and 2023 have driven political–diplomatic relations with Doha, particularly as a result of the Argentine interest in strengthening economic–commercial ties with Qatar. Ultimately, the search to diversify business partners, to receive investments and to increase the volume of trade explains the deepening of these ties. Especially considering that Qatar is perceived as a potential partner based on its own need to ensure food security, something that Argentina may benefit from. In terms of the prospects of the bilateral relationship, it is clear that Javier Milei’s government is interested in continuing to cultivate its ties with Qatar. In fact, there is still insistence on the need to deepen economic and financial ties. However, the impact that the conflict in the Middle East will have on the bilateral relationship remains to be seen, even more considering Argentina’s alignment with the State of Israel and President Milei’s discourse, which has associated Islam with terrorism.

Designing transformative nature-based wellbeing tourism experiences: a case study from the Finnish Lakeland Region

ABSTRACT Customer insights are essential to the tourism co-design process. However, diverse processes can be employed to gather them. Responding to the scarcity of research on facilitators’ roles in the co-design of transformative experiences, this paper examines the role of collaborative partnerships in soliciting customer insights and successfully employing them to co-design nature-based wellbeing tourism experiences for Japanese tourists through a case study of SaimaaLife, a sustainable wellness business in southeastern Finland, and its’ business partners. Through thematic analysis of triangulated data from interviews, focus groups, and client-facing business documents, this study illuminates their intentional and collaborative co-design process, including how it integrates transformational triggers alongside culturally embedded practices like forest bathing, guided nature relaxation, and authentic Finnish lifestyle elements to deliver on the desired wellbeing outcomes of tour participants. At the same time, this case study revealed how intentional approaches to the co-design and facilitation process support mSMEs to maximize resources, reduce innovation burdens, access new markets, and build meaningful collaborative relationships with customers and business partners. These findings contribute to academic understandings of collaborative co-design, including tourism entrepreneurs and experience facilitators roles in and approaches to designing nature-based wellbeing tourism experiences for transformation.

EXPRESS: Customer-Centric Contract Changes

Customers would frequently benefit from changes to an existing purchase contract with a supplier (e.g., due to a wrong order). Salespeople can voluntarily make such a change, which we label a “customer-centric contract change.” Formally, we define a customer-centric contract change as an act of a salesperson of amending the purchase contract in the customer’s favor without a legal obligation to do so. Since literature has neglected this prevalent and important phenomenon, we draw on social exchange theory to study the impact of such contract changes on relationship performance. Toward this end, we leverage panel data on over 57,000 customers, four experiments, and a survey study. Results suggest customer-centric contract changes increase relationship performance because customers are grateful for a salesperson’s relinquishing of power. Interestingly, this effect is less pronounced in close exchange relationships where a norm of solidarity between customers and salespeople exists. These findings add to emergent work that finds that business partners in close exchange relationships expect each other and are willing to forgo power advantages to alleviate each other’s hardships; we integrate these findings into what we coin “power-solidarity theory.” For practitioners, the findings offer guidance on whether and how to approve contract change requests.

ESG Reporting: Assessing Compliance of Polish Public Companies with EU Taxonomy Guidelines

The paper aims to evaluate how well Polish public companies' activities align with the European Union Taxonomy guidelines (EU Taxonomy). The research involved a review of literature on ESG and non-financial reporting, identification of key guidelines for mandatory disclosures, and analysis of reports from companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange’s three main indices. This approach allowed for determining the shares of activities that meet the EU Taxonomy's compliance and eligibility criteria, focusing on turnover, capital expenditures (CapEx), and operating expenditures (OpEx). The research shows a relatively low percentage of activities compliant with the EU Taxonomy among the studied companies. There are significant sectoral differences in the level of compliance of companies activity with the EU Taxonomy, with compliance level highest in industries with substantial environmental impacts (like industrial production and construction) and lowest in sectors with limited environmental effects (such as finance and healthcare). A key limitation is the analysis's scope, which covers only one year's reports due to the non-financial reporting standards' implementation schedule. Continuous monitoring of this issue is necessary. The ESG activities of companies are crucial from the perspective of building competitive advantage, influencing customer awareness, meeting consumer expectations or finally meeting non-financial reporting requirements, but involve complex processes, including operationalization, implementation, monitoring, and auditing of ESG practices. Non-financial reporting entails significant direct and indirect costs. Non-financial reporting enhances the transparency of companies' operations and is likely to influence company ratings for investment purposes. However, the costs associated with reporting could lead to higher prices and potentially burden consumers. The article addresses a current, practical problem faced by companies required to conduct non-financial reporting. It is relevant for various stakeholders, including consumers, shareholders, business partners, and financiers.

Using rational influence tactics to build long-term relationship and acquire knowledge in B2B marketing channels: evidence from Vietnam

PurposeRelationship between firms in a B2B marketing channel is often complex in nature. In emerging markets, there is a dramatic shift from traditional state-owned channels to a more market-oriented channel. Acquiring knowledge and expertise from channel firms is an important issue in these markets. However, the mechanisms to acquire knowledge in B2B marketing channels have been underdetermined in the current literature of B2B marketing channels. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between rational influence tactics and knowledge acquisition, with the mediating role of long-term relationship and the moderating role of helping behavior in the specific context of B2B marketing channels in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling is used to analyze a three-way time-lagged sample data of 530 questionnaires collected from purchase managers in Vietnam.FindingsResults indicate that rational influence tactics, including information exchange and recommendations, have a positive influence on knowledge acquisition. In addition, long-term relationship positively mediates the relationship between information exchange tactic and knowledge acquisition and that between recommendations tactic and knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, helping behavior positively moderates the relationship between long-term relationship and knowledge acquisition.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the current literature of B2B marketing channels by proposing and testing a unique model that explains the relationship between rational influence tactics and knowledge acquisition, with the mediating role of long-term relationship and the moderating role of helping behavior. Findings of this study provide implications for academic researchers and business managers in using rational influence tactics to build long-term relationship and acquire knowledge from business partners in B2B marketing channels.

Transformations of Production and Consumption Forces of News: Economic Implications for the Slovenian Newspaper Sector

This article addresses a dialectical relationship between the production and realisation of news content, linking demands for increased newspaper productivity with forces of consumption. The economic performance of newspapers is evaluated by exploring the correlation between alterations in their revenues/market expansion on one side, and changes in productivity and employment on the other. The research serves as an illustrative analysis within the context of a smaller EU country – Slovenia. The methodology employed could potentially be applied for cross-country or EU-wide comparative analyses. The examination of economic newspaper performance is juxtaposed with the entire media sector (the competitive sector) and the advertising sector (the realm of business partners). The results underscore that economically sustainable news production is achieved through decreasing employment and intensifying the exploitation of newspaper workers, an aspect that is increasing annually in Slovenia, and surpassing the decline in revenues and profit.

The Internationalisation of Uzbekistan Automobile Industry: Implications for WTO Membership

This study aims to give theoretical and practical insights to potential investors who are thinking about investing in different business sectors in Uzbekistan. It investigates communication constraints during the internationalization process of Uzbekistan’s highly protected auto industry in light of its potential membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Using a case study approach, this study presents empirical evidence from semi-structured interviews with managers involved in the internationalization process of a joint venture between UzAuto and PSA Group. The Uppsala Model is emphasized as a conceptual framework for comprehending the phases of internationalization. The case study highlights insufficient market research and communication problems in relation to PSA Group’s unsuccessful business partnership with UzAuto. The study ultimately provides insights for organizations considering international expansion and offers guidance for navigating complexities, advocating for improved approaches to internationalization in Uzbekistan, an emerging economy that has received little research from a business and management perspective.

Rethinking the Relationship Between Dating Services and the Hospitality Industry Through Speed Dating Events: A Partner Ecosystem Strategy

This study aims to develop a conceptual framework for the relationship between the hospitality and dating services industries, theorising this relationship by focusing on the role of speed dating events as a connecting intersection. Several theoretical foundations, including value (co)creation, service ecosystems, cue utilisation theory, and criteria for feasible and sustainable partnerships, were adopted to conceptualise this relationship. The new conceptual framework of relational value (co)creation introduces a novel joint concept that integrates the cues of both industries while allowing each to retain its unique identity. This study contributes to the understanding of relationships between organisations from different but intersecting industries, highlighting that ‘control’ is a key agent influencing the level of trust between organisations operating in intersecting industries, whilst the development of new avenues for collaboration enhances mutual returns from partnerships within the service ecosystem and creates opportunities for ‘unsaturated’ business partnerships.

Ensuring Confidentiality in Supply Chains With an Application to Life‐Cycle Assessment

ABSTRACTModern supply chains of goods and services rely heavily on close collaborations between the partners within these supply chains. Consequently, there is a demand for IT systems that support collaborations between business partners, for instance, allowing for joint computations for global optimizations (in contrast to local optimizations that each partner can do on their own). Still, businesses are very reluctant to share data or connect their enterprise systems to allow for such joint computation. The topmost factor that businesses name as reason for not collaborating, is their security concern in general and, in particular, the confidentiality of business critical data. While there are techniques (e.g., homomorphic encryption or secure multiparty computation) that allow joint computations and, at the same time, that are protecting the confidentiality of the data that flows into such a joint computation, they are not widely used. One of the main problems that prevent their adoption is their perceived performance overhead. In this paper, we address this problem by an approach that utilized the structure of supply chains by decomposing global computations into local groups, and applying secure multiparty computation within each group. This results in a scalable (resulting in a significant smaller runtime overhead than traditional approaches) and secure (i.e., protecting the confidentiality of data provided by supply chain partners) approach for joint computations within supply chains. We evaluate our approach using life‐cycle assessment (LCA) as a case study. Our experiments show that, for instance, secure LCA computations even in supply chains with 15 partners are possible within less than two minutes, while traditional approaches using secure multiparty computation need more than a day.

Peran Resiliensi dalam Memediasi Pengaruh Budaya Manajemen Risiko Rantai Pasok terhadap Kinerja Organisasi

This study aims to analyze the impact of Supply Chain Risk Management Culture on Re-engineering, Agility, Collaboration, and Organizational Performance. Based on research involving 125 respondents, it was found that Supply Chain Risk Management Culture positively and significantly influences Re-engineering, Agility, and Collaboration. However, these variables do not directly affect Organizational Performance. Instead, they act as mediators connecting the Supply Chain Risk Management Culture with improved Organizational Performance. Additionally, further research on 125 respondents in automotive companies in Bekasi City revealed that the implementation of Collaborative Supply Chain Management positively affects Operational Performance through enhanced Operational Capability. Strong collaboration between companies and business partners supports production efficiency, cost reduction, and product quality improvement. This study emphasizes the importance of Operational Capability as an intermediary in strengthening the relationship between Collaborative Supply Chain Management and Operational Performance. In conclusion, Supply Chain Risk Management Culture and Collaborative Supply Chain Management contribute to improving company performance through mediators such as Re-engineering, Agility, Collaboration, and Operational Capability. Companies are advised to continue developing culture and collaboration strategies to achieve efficiency and sustainable competitive advantages.

Harnessing Human Capital: How Strategic HR Drives Competitive Advantage

Abstract: The article explores the evolution of HR leadership from an administrative function to a strategic business partner that is indispensable to organizational success. It examines how strategic human resource management (SHRM) views people as the primary source of sustainable competitive advantage, and highlights extensive research confirming that strategic and aligned HR practices drive key outcomes like employee engagement, productivity, innovation, and financial performance. The article outlines three core responsibilities for HR to function as a true strategic partner: aligning HR strategies with business goals, creating a high-performance culture, and developing strategic workforce capabilities. It provides practical recommendations for HR leaders to execute on these responsibilities, such as attending executive meetings, embedding culture into people processes, and using capability audits to identify and address future skill needs. By partnering with the C-suite and strategically optimizing human capital, the article argues that HR can position the organization for consistent competitive advantage through its greatest asset - its people.

Analysis of Business Partnership Network Mapping: A Case Study of The Inovac Cooperative in Banda Aceh City

Analysis of Business Partnership Network Mapping: A Case Study of The Inovac Cooperative in Banda Aceh City

Exploring the Adoption of E-Commerce among Small and Medium Enterprises in Saudi Arabia: A Technology-Organization-Environment Perspective

This study investigates the factors influencing e-commerce adoption among Saudi Arabian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. The research aims to identify key determinants that either facilitate or hinder e-commerce adoption in the Saudi context. A web-based survey was conducted among 480 Saudi Arabian SMEs (32% owners, 68% managers), employing multiple regression analysis to test eight hypotheses derived from the TOE framework. Variables were measured using established scales with Cronbach's alpha exceeding 0.80, examining eight independent variables across technological, organizational, and environmental contexts. Results revealed technology infrastructure as the strongest predictor (β = .576, p < .001), followed by IT human resources (β = .341, p < .001), business infrastructure (β = .156, p = .008), business partner pressure (β = .123, p = .039), and technical infrastructure (β = .075, p = .015). Notably, competitive pressure, government support, and firm size did not show significant influence on e-commerce adoption. The model explained 33.3% of the variance in e-commerce adoption. Study limitations include its cross-sectional design, sample size representing less than 10% of total Saudi SME population, and potential limited generalizability beyond the Saudi Arabian context. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and cross-country comparisons. The findings suggest organizations should prioritize investment in technology infrastructure and IT human resources, while policy makers need to reassess current support mechanisms for SME digital transformation. Technology providers should focus on integrated solutions addressing both technical and business infrastructure needs. These results can inform strategies to achieve Saudi Vision 2030 digital transformation goals. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of e-commerce adoption factors among Saudi SMEs using the TOE framework, challenging traditional assumptions about technology adoption drivers and offering evidence-based insights for stakeholders involved in Saudi Arabia's digital transformation.

Sustainable Investment Practices of Franchisees: The Role of Green Finance, Net Zero Literacy and Corporate Governance

Investing in a sustainable company increases returns, and reduces risk, along with combatting climate change and even supporting diversity. The purpose of the study is to uncover the importance of green finance, net zero literacy, and corporate governance as predictors of sustainable investments from the perspective of selected business partners. Using the G*Power version 3.1.9.4, the total sample size needed for this study is 77 while the actual participants was 94. The members of sample size were selected through purposive sampling, and the researcher used a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesis and model. While the findings indicated that green finance, net zero literacy, and corporate governance have no direct relationship with sustainable investments, the researcher uncovered indirect effects between net zero literacy and sustainable investment practices through green finance and corporate governance. Moreover, green finance can be integrated with corporate governance to achieve significant results. Lastly, indicators of green finance links significantly with corporate governance. The findings of the study show that there is no one-way straight approach for claiming sustainable investments show that there is no one-way straight approach to claiming sustainable investments practices in the context of franchising. This study can be the basis of identifying indicators that will add value to maximize resources deployed by the government to educate the society on sustainable investment practices. While the study’s participants were business partners of franchise businesses, the researcher recommended including possible moderating variables, meet the parametric sampling requirement, increasing the sample size, and considering mixed method design in the methodology for a more compound investigation for future research.

ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY IN THE ASPECT OF STRATEGIC ADAPTATION IN A CHANGING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

The aim of the article is to analyze organizational agility in the context of strategic adaptation of companies to the changing global environment. The hypothesis assumes that organizational agility is a key element enabling companies to effectively adapt to dynamic market, technological and cultural changes. The article conducts a case study of Siemens, which has demonstrated an exceptional ability to flexibly manage resources, quickly respond to changes and implement modern technologies. The Siemens example illustrates how managing cultural diversity, building relationships with business partners and developing advanced risk management strategies contribute to long-term success. The findings indicate that organizational agility is essential to maintaining competitiveness in the global business environment. Recommendations for companies include investing in new technologies, developing diversity management skills, flexibility in the approach to business models and promoting an organizational culture conducive to cooperation and continuous learning.

PENINGKATAN PRODUKSI DAN PENGEMBANGAN PEMASARAN INDUSTRI RUMAH TANGGA PANGAN KHAS KABUPATEN TABANAN IBU SUMAWATI

The partner traditional food home industry sells lawar, tum, and timbungan. Every day the partners process 6 kg of meat, 0.5 kg of chilies, 1 kg of shallots, and 0.5 kg of garlic. The amount of production in a day reaches 5 timbungan, 12 packs of lawar, and 50 packs of tum. The produce is marketed locally at partners' kiosks from four in the afternoon to seven in the evening. The partner's business has the potential to develop further, because the number of orders on holidays and weekends can increase by up to 50% currently, the partner has problems with a shortage of production and product marketing quantities. The solution to overcome partner problems is carried out by providing assistance with production equipment, installing packaging labels, and installing brochures, banners, and promotions via social media Instagram and Facebook. Based on the activities that have been carried out, the results obtained are that the production equipment assistance provided is able to increase the number of partners' production by up to 50% and make the production time process more efficient. Creating Instagram and Facebook social media can be an alternative for marketing partner products to reach a wider market share. Apart from that, other capabilities obtained by partners, such as the use of production equipment and product packaging with packaging labels, have increased by up to 100%.

Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Usaha Mikro, Kecil, Dan Menengah Dalam Upaya Penguatan Ekonomi Masyarakat Di Kecamatan Kampar

The research aims to determine the legal protection of UMKM in an effort to strengthen the community's economy in the Kampar sub-district. This research uses the Sociological method. In order to find out how the implementation of existing regulations related to legal protection for UMKM and the extent of their effectiveness in supporting the economic growth of UMKM in Kampar District and the main challenges faced by UMKM in Kampar District in obtaining legal protection in running their businesses. Micro, small and medium enterprises (UMKM) in Indonesia are one of the sectors that make a large and significant contribution to national economic development. This is because the existence of UMKM has proven to be able to drive the economy and reduce the number of unemployed people. UMKM are regulated in Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 20 of 2008 concerning UMKM. The government has actually provided protection for UMKM as formulated in Article 35 Paragraph (1) of Law No. 20 of 2008 concerning Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, that “Large enterprises are prohibited from owning or controlling micro, small and medium enterprises as their business partners in the implementation of partnership relationships.” However, in practice this has not been effective given the absence of a supervisory mechanism from the government. On the other hand, this provision is considered only a formality, so that the goal of empowering national entrepreneurs or UMKM is not achieved.