Strategic Leverage Research Articles

Corporate Endorsement of Controversial Nationalist Movement: Influences of Divergent Customers and Consequences

A growing body of research has revealed that firms leverage nationalism in their strategies. However, it is unclear why some firms are more likely to do so than others. This paper uses institutional theory to address this question and examines the influences of domestic and foreign customers. We study firms’ responses to nationalist movements, a type of sociopolitical mobilization arising in response to international controversies. We argue that, as firms attempt to maintain legitimacy with their customers, those with more domestic customers are more likely to endorse nationalist movements, whereas those with more foreign customers from antagonistic countries are less likely to do so. Furthermore, reputation-sensitive customers exert a stronger influence than other customers. However, when firms have foreign customers who are targets of nationalist movements, they face an urgent need to demonstrate their patriotism and hence are more likely to endorse nationalist movements. We find support for these theoretical propositions in a study of Chinese firms’ endorsements of a nationalist movement. Chinese firms that endorsed the movement obtained short-term gains in the stock market and domestic sales but no significant growth in overall sales. These findings contribute to the research on antecedents of firms’ strategic leverage of nationalism, organizational responses to institutional complexity, and corporate side-taking in sociopolitical controversies.

How Channel Integration Benefits Manufactures’ Online Market Entry Agility? The Mediating Role of dealers’ Dependency Behavior

ABSTRACT Purpose The effectiveness of channel integration performed by manufacturers in facilitating their online market entry is still an under-researched topic. This study fills the research gap by investigating and comparing the effects of channel integration strategies and their components implemented by manufacturers. Methodology/approach A questionnaire was designed and distributed to purchasing managers in downstream dealers. The survey yielded 2051 valid responses, and data analysis employed hierarchical and polynomial regressions, along with structural equation modeling and response surface analyses. Findings First, dealers’ dependence plays a crucial role in triggering manufacturers’ online market entry. Second, manufacturers’ channel consistency and transparency are more relevant to dealers’ active dependence, while information and interaction integration lead to dealers’ passive dependence. Third, channel ambidexterity is superior to integration ambidexterity in ensuring dealers’ dependence. Originality/value Significant contributions to omnichannel integration research are made by introducing four distinct types of channel integration strategies. Enhancements to the interfirm dependence literature are achieved through a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of channel integration strategies in shaping dealers’ dependency behavior. Implications Manufacturers should carefully evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies, avoiding a blind pursuit of all forms of channel integration ambidexterity. Strategic leverage of channel feature ambidexterity is recommended as a cornerstone for fostering dealers’ dependence and achieving success in online market entry.

A ‘bridge’ pushed to the periphery?: Turkey’s geopolitical significance in the Asia-Pacific century

ABSTRACT This study scrutinizes the common wisdom concerning Turkey’s crucial geopolitical significance and central physical location against the backdrop of four global transformations that are taking place in the twenty-first century. These tectonic shifts include China’s rise and the ongoing Sino-US rivalry, trade routes and supply chains favoring the Asia-Pacific, technological changes brought by the fourth Industrial Revolution and finally, the decarbonization process. Based on an examination of these new dynamics, the article concludes that Turkey’s geographical location and its traditional ‘bridge’ status between Asia and Europe no longer provides it the strategic leverage it had enjoyed in the twentieth century.

Integration of business intelligence and marketing: Enhancing corporate reputation in the financial services sector

This investigation extends into the intricate fabric of customer-based corporate reputation within the banking industry, applying advanced analytics to decipher the nuances of customer perceptions. By integrating structural equation modeling, particularly through SmartPLS4, we thoroughly examine the interrelations of perceived quality, competence, likeability, and trust, and how they culminate in customer satisfaction and loyalty. Our comprehensive dataset is drawn from a varied demographic of banking consumers, ensuring a holistic view of the sector’s reputation dynamics. The research reveals the profound influence of these constructs on customer decision-making, with likeability emerging as a critical driver of satisfaction and allegiance to the bank. We also rigorously test our model’s internal consistency and convergent validity, establishing its reliability and robustness. While the direct involvement of Business Intelligence (BI) tools in the research design may not be overtly articulated, the analytical techniques and data-driven approach at the core of our methodology are synonymous with BI’s capabilities. The insights garnered from our analysis have direct implications for data-driven decision-making in banking. They inform strategies that could include enhancing service personalization, refining reputation management, and improving customer retention efforts. We acknowledge the need to more explicitly detail the role of BI within the research process. BI’s latent presence is inherent in the analytical processes employed to interpret complex data and generate actionable insights, which are crucial for crafting targeted marketing strategies. In summary, our research not only contributes to academic discourse on marketing and customer perception but also implicitly demonstrates the value that BI methodologies bring to understanding and influencing consumer behavior in the banking sector. It is this blend of analytics and marketing intelligence that equips banks with the strategic leverage necessary to thrive in today’s competitive financial landscape.

Exploring strategic multi-leveraging of sport tourism events: An action-research study

Strategic planning of sport events should promote the maximisation of local communities' benefits. Among other dimensions of interest to the host destination's stakeholders, given the aim of sustainable development, sport events leveraging must integrate economic, social and environmental perspectives, justifying its multidimensional extensiveness. The general objective of this study was to stimulate and understand the process of planning and implementing strategic multi-leverage of international open water swimming events hosted in Portugal, in 2022, addressing the economic, social, environmental, partners and sport dimensions.This study employed a case study approach within an action-research methodology. The research design covered three action-research stages: planning, implementation and analysis. The data collection combined nominal group sessions, field observation, document analysis and interviews. The qualitative analysis used the triangulation of the data collected, and the content analysis was performed using the NVivo software.Actions were strategically planned targeting economic, social, environmental, partners, and sport dimensions, albeit with a prominent focus on economic and sport leverage. Excluding sport, the implementation of strategic actions ensured all dimensions' operationalisation. Six constraints (e.g. little adherence from local partners) and three drivers (e.g. commitment and authority of the leverage coordinating team) conditioned the strategic leverage implementation. The strategic planning of future sport events should outline actions that intensify the destination’s image, focusing the attention of stakeholders on valuing the natural attributes. This study strengthened knowledge about the multi-leverage approach applied to two sport events, reinforcing the need to implement cross-leveraging among the aforementioned dimensions to enhance the success of strategic leverage.

Strategic environmental leverage of a sport tourism event: Approaching the global challenge locally

The proactivity in the management of sport events is essential to maximise environmental benefits for the host communities through strategic leverage. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the process of strategic environmental leverage in an international nature-based non-mega event of sport tourism (Sintra PRO 2022 - stage of the IBC World Bodyboarding Tour) by means of action research. Data collection combined several methods and sources, namely, document research, nominal group sessions, field observation, and interviews conducted with organisers and partners of the event. Three actions, which synergistically linked the environmental values of community projects and the sport subculture, were implemented in order to focus stakeholders' attention on the environmental topics. The availability of local resources and the involvement of the network of local partners facilitated the implementation of environmental leverage. On the other hand, the lack of communication between those involved in the operationalisation and promotion of environmental leverage actions was a constraint in the process. This study highlights several implications for environmental leverage in sport events, as well as for the applicability of the environmental leverage model to promote strategic planning and the implementation of the resulting strategic environmental leverage actions in sport events.

An Analysis of Value Investing in Different Industries

This paper navigates through diverse sectors, starting with real estate, where value investing demands a nuanced understanding of unique challenges, such as low liquidity and strategic leverage use. The technology sector, with its disruptive innovations, challenges traditional investment paradigms. Examples like Amazon reshaping retail underscore how disruptive technologies erode value in traditional sectors. In healthcare, the impact of clinical trial results on stock performance is dissected using Moderna and Pfizer as case studies, highlighting the sector's asymmetrical response to positive and negative outcomes. This paper concludes by addressing the limitations of value investing, emphasizing challenges related to time horizon, industry dynamism, and market efficiency assumptions. This paper advocates for a balanced approach combining historical wisdom with adaptability in a dynamic market landscape. Acknowledging the limitations, investors are encouraged to embrace a forward-looking mindset, recognizing the evolving nature of industries. The resilience of value investing lies in its storied past and its ability to adapt, offering a guiding philosophy for modern investors navigating multifaceted financial terrains.

Realpolitik or a New Space Race? — Macroanalysis on Sino-America Geopolitics

The research analyzes into PRC’s strategic intensions behind the militarization of the South China Sea. It is hypothesized that the geopolitical and realpolitik statures in the South China Sea is signatory to a new Space Race. The analysis obtained positive results to the hypothesis, and type I and type II errors are discussed. The research holds the possible type I error as inevitable, and its implications relevant to the mapping of problem solutions. The supply advantage in the natural gas hydrate market is cognized to be the strategic leverage in the totalitarian and dictatorial power frameworks in the global institutions.

Feminist LCAs: Finding leverage points for wellbeing within planetary boundaries

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies are valuable tools for identifying high impact processes and redesigning supply chains. However, LCAs have limits, in the sense that they offer insight into relative sustainability and don't question whether a product, or its use, is sustainable in absolute terms. In this intentionally provocative paper, you join Emma, a fictional average American 15-year-old, as she consults an LCA researcher, a sustainable consumption expert and a sociologist to investigate the best way to reduce the environmental impact of her hair removal. This paper presents a streamlined LCA for shaving, waxing and laser and connects this to a socio-material analysis of the history of hair removal in the USA to offer intervention into leverage points beyond Emma's choice of product. Our argument is not that avoiding shaving or waxing or laser is ‘the best’ action an individual could take to lower their environmental impact, instead we highlight how even the smallest activities coalesce into billion-dollar industries globally, with attendant billion tonne emissions. Thus, we utilise some of Donella Meadows' twelve strategic leverage points to change systems in order to identify other interventions, such as (6) shifting information flows to make LCAs more impactful and accessible; (4) self-organising to normalise hairiness; or (3) changing the goals of the system. For example, valuing wellbeing over profit would arguably lead to regulation preventing medical professionals from marketing painful non-medical procedures. This paper reflects on how individuals make sense of their environmental impact within systems and argues for an increased emphasis on global wellbeing and absolute sustainability.

The challenge of renewing a varsity sport brand: a mixed-methods approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study was twofold. First, the authors analyzed how a major Canadian university sport brand was interpreted by its stakeholders and why the perception was so negative. Second, the researchers investigated how a dormant university sport brand could be revitalized.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods approach was designed. During the first year, a qualitative methodology was established. Researchers conducted 14 different focus groups, with students-athletes, students, coaches, university administrators, support staff and professors. In the second year, based on the initial findings, the researchers elaborated a quantitative protocol and built a multidimensional questionnaire which was administered to groups that were gravitating around the varsity brand. There were a total of 1,757 completed questionnaires.FindingsThe conclusions highlighted the weakness of the varsity brand and the limitations in leveraging the latter for the benefit of the institution. Contradictions in the marketing and branding decisions were noted, for which strategic recommendations were formulated.Research limitations/implicationsIn essence, the contributions of the paper relate to the strategic management of the brand and the mixed-methods approach borrowed in this research. Understanding how a brand is perceived is essential for managers in elaborating their strategy and, therefore, being able to connect effectively with their audience.Originality/valueThe potential strategic leverage of branding for universities becomes even more valuable as these institutions are increasingly using their varsity programs to compete with one another. This study specifically analyzes the case of a Canadian varsity brand whose values and resources differ greatly from other North American institutions.

Using machine learning pipeline to predict entry into the attack zone in football.

Sports sciences are increasingly data-intensive nowadays since computational tools can extract information from large amounts of data and derive insights from athlete performances during the competition. This paper addresses a performance prediction problem in soccer, a popular collective sport modality played by two teams competing against each other in the same field. In a soccer game, teams score points by placing the ball into the opponent's goal and the winner is the team with the highest count of goals. Retaining possession of the ball is one key to success, but it is not enough since a team needs to score to achieve victory, which requires an offensive toward the opponent's goal. The focus of this work is to determine if analyzing the first five seconds after the control of the ball is taken by one of the teams provides enough information to determine whether the ball will reach the final quarter of the soccer field, therefore creating a goal-scoring chance. By doing so, we can further investigate which conditions increase strategic leverage. Our approach comprises modeling players' interactions as graph structures and extracting metrics from these structures. These metrics, when combined, form time series that we encode in two-dimensional representations of visual rhythms, allowing feature extraction through deep convolutional networks, coupled with a classifier to predict the outcome (whether the final quarter of the field is reached). The results indicate that offensive play near the adversary penalty area can be predicted by looking at the first five seconds. Finally, the explainability of our models reveals the main metrics along with its contributions for the final inference result, which corroborates other studies found in the literature for soccer match analysis.

Egypt's Diminishing Strategic Leverage

Egypt's Diminishing Strategic Leverage Gawdat Bahgat (bio) Egyptian civilization is one of the greatest and oldest in the world. The nation has maintained its geographical configuration for thousands of years and enjoys a strong national identity. The county is mentioned in the holy books of the three Abrahamic religions (i.e., Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Its strategic location connects Africa, Asia, and Europe. Its population has always been the largest in the Arab world. Traditionally, its soft power has dominated the Arab world and indeed most of the Middle East. For generations, Egyptian culture (i.e., music, TV, movies, art, sport, education) has shaped Arab society. Given all these characteristics, Cairo has always been at the center of Arab/Middle Eastern affairs. With good justification, the Egyptians see themselves and are widely seen by their neighbors as the regional leaders. The Egyptian army is the largest in the Arab world. Not surprisingly, military and political analysts seek to understand where Cairo stands on any and all regional conflicts (e.g., Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, war on terrorism). The Egyptian army fought Israel four times (1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973), and former President Anwar El-Sadat was the first Arab leader to make peace and sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state. Despite these impressive credentials, Egypt's strategic leverage has been diminishing in the last few decades. The country's hard power and soft power have been challenged by neighboring states. Despite political and military intervention, Cairo has not been able to bring the civil war in neighboring Libya to a successful conclusion. Turkey, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia, France, and Italy compete with Egypt over [End Page 1] influence in Libya. Within this rivalry, it is not clear who has the upper hand. Similarly in both Syria and Iraq, other regional and global powers have played a more decisive role than Egypt. For good reasons, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi decided not to play an active role in the war in Yemen. Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran support opposing factions and accordingly, Cairo has little, if any, say in any future political settlement. Finally, Egyptian cultural dominance is being questioned. Egyptian movies and soap operas face strong competition from those produced in Lebanon, Turkey, and other Middle Eastern countries. This article argues that Egypt's strategic leverage (i.e., political, military, and cultural influence) has been waning mainly due to declining economic power and the growing gap between financial resources and political and leadership aspirations. Unlike oil and gas producing countries in the Persian Gulf, Egypt holds limited economic resources. Money does not make a regional power, but power cannot be projected without sufficient financial resources. The country does not hold massive oil and gas reserves. It has never been a major hydrocarbon exporter. Furthermore, the combination of limited natural resources and population explosion has made a bad situation worse. Egypt is not a large country, but its population has exceeded one hundred million people. Meeting the economic, food, and water needs of this large and growing population is a daunting challenge. Egypt produces only about one-third of the food it consumes and is the world's largest wheat importer. Like other countries, Egypt suffers from corruption and a lack of transparency. The limited economic and financial resources have been wasted on "white elephant" projects. Egypt ranks 117 out of 179 in the Corruption Perception Index.1 This article will examine the dire conditions of the Egyptian economy based on recent analyses from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and other national, regional and international institutions. More than almost all other Middle Eastern countries, Egyptian authorities have been able to avoid the huge economic setbacks inflicted by COVID-19. Indeed, both the World Bank and IMF have praised Cairo's economic performance. However, this relative success obscures major structural and deep-rooted challenges. [End Page 2] Egyptian Economy: An Overview Egypt's underlying economic potential stems from its young and growing population, its low-cost labor forces, a large domestic market, a particularly advantageous location at the confluence of three continents and global shipping routes, and untapped investment opportunities. Realizing this potential will...

FROM A WILLING GOOD COP TO A RELUCTANT BAD COP: THE (D)EVOLUTION OF UNITED NATIONS SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA

This study posits that the ineffective and futile efforts of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to contain North Korean nuclear ambition are a result of the United States (U.S.) consistently and strategically developing its sanctions regimes, rather than the limited implementation of the UNSC’s measures or by the non-compliance of China and Russia, the two North Korean-leaning permanent UNSC members. The U.S/ has endeavoured to maximise its strategic leverage against North Korea by consolidating bilateral channels to increase its foreign policy capacity and flexibility, instead of reinforcing multilateral pressures through the UNSC. Although both the U.S. and the UNSC share the goal of nuclear non-proliferation in Northeast Asia, the former deliberately exploited the deficient decision making process of the latter to maximise its foreign policy flexibility. Consequently, the U.S. has flexibly pursued both engagement and containment of North Korea while maintaining its hard-line stance against it at the UNSC, whereas the UNSC’s sanctions on North Korea have gradually become rigid and inflexible, without achieving tangible outcomes. We argue that the U.S.’s unilateral use of sanctions against North Korea is building on its instrumental use of the UNSC’s multilateral framework, which has significantly lost its legitimacy and effectiveness amid the looming U.S.-China rivalry over hegemony in Asia.

Nationalising foreigners: The making of American national identity

AbstractWhereas the literature asks whether immigrants and their descendants come to resemble the ‘mainstream’, this paper places the acquisition of a new national identity at the centre of attention, contending that the views of ethnic outsiders provide strategic leverage in identifying any underlying consensus regarding the bounds of the nation and the means by which those bounds should be implemented. We contend that becoming ‘American’ entails adopting American attitudes towards persons beyond the territorial divide, a population that includes nationals of one's country of origin or ancestry. The paper develops a conceptual framework to understand how attachment to the people of the state of emigration gets transformed into attachment to the people of the state of immigration. The paper provides a demonstration of that process, focusing on Mexican immigrants and their descendants and using a variety of data sources to highlight and unpack different dimensions of Americanisation.

Intrinsic and Strategic Leverage of Religion in Development

Strategic religious engagement (SRE) is important for five main reasons: (a) the direct and significant contributions of religious actors to humanitarian assistance and development, not least their high levels of trust and access, and their distinctive contributions to spiritual care; (b) The local presence and knowledge of faith-based organizations (FBOs) and religious communities that are critical to self-reliance; (c) the significant if often complex relationships that FBOs and religious communities have with governments and other civil society actors; (d) the dual capacity of religious communities to amplify/ameliorate suffering and conflict; and, (e) the central roles of religions in shaping humanitarian norms and law.

Strategic Integration for Hardware and Software Convergence Complexity

Ever-increasing digitization of the physical world and products is driving the growth of software content in manufactured products that requires higher performance in product development and operational excellence to manage the higher project, product, and system complexity. Failure to effectively manage the growing complexity has undermined even companies with best-of-breed quality systems, denting brand equity and depressing sales. Unmanaged complexity is a risk factor for product development and manufacturing supply chains, threatening growth potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) that depends on products becoming smart and connected. Traditional product development organizations plan for a linear increase in the number of components and modules but not an exponential increase in possible interactions due to software. Complexity due to increasing software content in traditionally hardware products is analyzed from the perspective of innovation demand (such as the growth of IoT). Hardware/software convergence complexity is then modeled to determine the basis for strategic product integration. Component interaction coverage is found to provide strategic leverage for managing integration effectiveness.

Corporate social responsibility, green innovation and competitiveness – causality in manufacturing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and green innovation in boosting competitiveness in manufacturing in an emerging market context. This study adds green innovation as mediator in the relationship between CSR and competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach A model with three second-order constructs is developed and tested, in a sample of 325 managers from manufacturing companies in Ecuador, using quantitative and cross-section methods. Findings After obtaining adjusted and validated measurement models, a structural equation model was conducted, where the main hypotheses were confirmed, providing empirical evidence that CSR and green innovation significantly influence manufacturing competitiveness in a developing economy. Research limitations/implications This study considers only manufacturing companies in Ecuador, focusing on CSR practices in a single territorial case study. It arguably contributes to reinforce the business case for CSR, with new evidence on the causal relationships between CSR, green innovation and competitiveness, in the context of emerging market manufacturing industries. Although the literature often points at a positive relationship between CSR and firm-level competitiveness, supporting empirical evidence remains scarce. This model, introducing green innovation as mediator in the relationship between CSR and competitiveness in developing markets, accounts for a novel theoretical approach. Practical implications The findings are consistent with previous research, reporting the positive influence of CSR activities on organizational competitiveness, reducing risks and cost structures, as well as improving the relationship with employees, enhancing talent attraction, retention and productivity. Incorporating formal CSR tools to the model allowed us to highlight the relevance of ‘green’ certifications as a means to provide a competitive edge, along with increased bargaining power in the supply chain, resulting in competitiveness gains. The findings on the role of green innovation suggest a transition from cost-savings to a more strategic leverage on responsible innovation as a source of competitive advantage. Social implications Additionally, this research contributes to shed light on the impact of green processes and product innovations on social and environmental performance, providing evidence of a more efficient use of energy and natural resources, increasing productivity and by extension, profitability. CSR shapes an innovation culture that, through the use of social, environmental and sustainability controllers, can create new business models, products, services or processes that boost both firm-level and supply chain productivity, benefits that eventually spill over to the host community. Originality/value This study aims at bridging the research gap on the interplay of CSR, green innovation and competitiveness in manufacturing in an emerging market context.

The Mine or the Mire? - Mobilizing Place and Identity in Resource Struggles

In mining, the ideas of consultation and participation together with the frames of corporate responsibility and sustainable development have become the lingua franca of mining conflict resolution. This paper takes post-Gramscian approach to explore how different forms of power and dissent are performed in dialogue processes; and draws from political ecology literature to examine how place and place-based identities are mobilized in the conflicts. The findings show how place is actively utilized as a power resource by both the company, and those who resist it, and that place-basedness becomes a frame for contestation. The local values, meanings and knowledge are connected to the persuasion and control through dialogue. While the place contexts can offer strategic leverage for fringe stakeholders to oppose mining - instead of being disempowered by the hegemonic CSR practices - the power struggles and local dynamics can also silence some of the resistance. The empirical context of the paper is a project by mining multinational in Finnish Lapland. The paper contributeS to the theorization on the often veiled power struggles in corporate-community relations, and the limits of conciliatory mechanism; and to the research on identities in organisation studies by theorising on the significance of place as source of identity and how that influences the corporate-community relations.

Wage and Leverage : Worker-Level Evidence from Korea

ABSTRACT This paper provides new empirical evidence on the wage and leverage relationship, which supports the notion of strategic leverage. Unlike in previous papers, I use worker-firm matched data of Korea and find a significant negative relationship between wage and leverage. I argue that this negative relationship stems from Korean labor market conditions closer to the price-taking workers and price-setting firms. I further find that the relative bargaining power of workers significantly affects the wage and leverage relationship. Among the directors and union members, the negative relationship between wage and leverage becomes weaker. Finally, the relationship between the two remains significant after possible endogeneity concerns are accounted for by the instrumental variable approach.

Diplomasi Pertahanan Maritim Indonesia dalam Menghadapi Ancaman Keamanan Non-tradisional Upaya Mewujudkan Visi Poros Maritim Dunia

Sitting between two world’s biggest oceans and bussiest shipping lanes, Indonesia’s geographic positioning has given it a very strategic leverage. Such potential is then stressed out during the era of President Joko Widodo with his vision of Global Maritime Fulcrum. One of the crucial aspects needed for optimalization in order for this idea to be achived is security. Indonesian waters have been known to be quite hostile due to the ploriferation of non-traditional threats such as piracy, terrorism, and transnational crimes. A series of maritime defense diplomacy thus have been initiated and intensified—along with other means—to counter them, both bilateral and multilateral in form. This article would elaborate more on the manifestation and implications of those actions made, and why Indonesia specifically focused more on Its maritime defense diplomacy. Based on the findings, it is then revealed that such diplomatic move can be owed to Indonesia’s lacking defense system—making diplomacy a rational alternative to compensate for Its flaw in capacity.