Strategic Position Research Articles

Snapshots of nature: Harnessing Flickr data to frame sustainable brand positioning strategies for Thailand's national parks

National parks, crucial for nature-based tourism, often grapple with balancing marketing and sustainability objectives. Destination brand positioning offers a solution, yet techniques leveraging social media data for strategic positioning remain scarce. This research introduces a method, using Flickr photos, to: (a) identify the key features that define the brand identity of Thailand's national parks, (b) develop a categorical framework to group these parks based on their features and (c) uncover the distinctive features that differentiate parks within each identified category. Utilising Google Cloud Vision AI and LDA topic modelling, 51,387 photos across 125 parks were analysed, revealing 11 topics. K-Means clustering, supplemented by an innovative associative word analysis, discerned five park categories, and the distinctive features of each park. The findings advocate for Thai national parks to adopt strategies including brand positioning, repositioning, demarketing, and collaborative branding to harmoniously bridge sustainability and market demands. Management Implications•Association analysis can serve as an important tool for DMOs and conservation agencies to better understand and manage points of difference in nature-based tourism destinations.•The results of association analysis can inform brand positioning, repositioning, demarketing, and collaborative branding strategies that balance market needs with sustainability.•Distinctive brand positioning can be used to promote lesser-known destinations. Repositioning can be used to promote other strategic images and attributes of the destination. E.g., Khao Khitchakut National Park, which is famous for “Buddha footprint” can promote outstanding natural trails and wildlife that could attract high-value tourists. Demarketing may be necessary to conserve the uniqueness of certain destinations. We show some examples with overtourism that are put under great concern and should rely on carrying capacity strategies.

Albania and the European Integration

This study delves into the evolution of Albania's European integration process, focusing on various critical aspects. We examine the legislative and institutional reforms undertaken by Albania to meet the Copenhagen criteria and European Union standards. Specifically, we scrutinize the sectors of justice, public administration, and fundamental rights, assessing both progress made and lingering challenges. Furthermore, we explore the economic impact of European integration on Albania, evaluating how opening up to European markets and adopting common norms have influenced economic growth, employment, and the country's competitiveness. We also analyze social dynamics, examining how the integration process has shaped Albanian society, impacting culture, education, and social cohesion. From a geopolitical perspective, we consider Albania's strategic position in the Western Balkans and how this may affect regional dynamics and the country's role within the European Union. Finally, we discuss future prospects, exploring remaining challenges and outlining the opportunities that European integration could offer to Albania politically, economically, and socially. Received: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 February 2024 / Published: 23 April 2024

Factors Affecting Profitability of Food and Beverage Industries: A Resource-Based View and Competitiveness Approach

This study examines the determinants of profitability within Indonesia's food and beverage industry, specifically analyzing the role of firm size, liquidity, efficiency, leverage, and market power. Utilizing data from 24 companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2018-2022, the research employs multiple linear regression analysis to investigate these factors' impact on profitability, as indicated by Return On Assets (ROA). Results reveal that firm size, liquidity, efficiency, leverage, and market power collectively influence profitability, with market power emerging as the most significant determinant. While firm size and efficiency are positively associated with profitability, leverage negatively impacts it, and liquidity does not significantly affect it. The study's findings highlight the importance of strategic market positioning, operational efficiency, and prudent financial management in enhancing profitability.

La Pinekonez: navigating challenges of homestay business

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, the participants would be able to understand the challenges in building a sustainable homestay tourism business; develop a positioning statement for La Pinekonez which builds a unique competitive advantage; and outline elements of the business strategy to profitably sustain and grow a sustainable tourism homestay in terms of service offering, pricing, marketing and operations. Case overview/synopsis La Pinekonez Homestay, located in the beautiful region of Himachal Pradesh, India, is the subject of this case study, which explores both its successes and its difficulties. In August 2022, Arvind, the dedicated sole proprietor of La Pinekonez, grappled with multifaceted challenges, the first being the foray of established hotel chains into the homestay business. As the protagonist, was is in dilemma of preserving La Pinekonez’s unique identity amidst corporate competitors, particularly with regards to differentiating from the expanding hotel chains. The clash between customer expectations for hotel-like amenities and the homestay’s commitment to sustainable tourism presented a crucial challenge. Negative reviews questioning the authenticity of La Pinekonez’s green initiatives heightened the complexity. Adding to Arvind’s predicament were the seasonal fluctuations in tourist inflow and his aspiration to embrace immersive tourism trends. This case study facilitates exploration of strategic positioning, sustainability management and marketing strategies in the dynamic and competitive hospitality industry. It also offers insights into the complexities of balancing differentiation, customer satisfaction and sustainability while navigating the evolving landscape of tourism trends. Complexity academic level This case study is suitable for students of tourism and hospitality management at postgraduate level. The case study can be discussed once the basic concepts of hospitality management and service dimensions are covered. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CCS 12: Tourism and hospitality.

Challenges of the Green Transformation of Transport in Poland

The transition to more eco-friendly forms of transport is one of the main challenges for the Polish economy in the coming decades. Poland, as a member of the European Union, must adapt to the requirements regarding, in particular, reducing carbon dioxide emissions related to new vehicles. The implementation of these changes will require significant financial outlays and structural reconstruction of transport (both public and private), as well as remodeling of the functioning and habits of society. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the challenges of the green transformation of transport in Poland. The following research methods were used: desk research, focus interview–expert research, and an original approach to the use of SWOT analysis. Based on the conducted analyses, Poland’s strategic position in the context of the “transport greening” process was determined. The strategy is in line with the concept of “reorganization”, calling for a thorough restructuring of the development strategy. This entails coordinated efforts, such as conducting in-depth evaluations of current strategies, securing increased funding, providing support for research, and implementing public education initiatives. In essence, the study emphasizes the necessity for significant endeavors to effectively manage the green transition of transportation in Poland.

Determinants of Intra-Industry Pharmaceutical Trades in China and its Primary Global Partners

This study examined the relationship between knowledge sharing, gross domestic product, economic development, and global demand on competitive advantage among intra-industry trade among pharmaceutical companies operating in China and its international partners. ⁤ It presented the demographic profile, key variables on the workforce, years founded, annual income, and several indicators using a Likert scale questionnaire. The research utilized a quantitative methodology that incorporated multi-regression analysis, ⁤⁤to find trends, patterns, and correlations using the following statistical treatment frequency, percentage, mean, median, standard deviation, and multiple regression. The study highlighted the need for proactive measures and focused approaches to enhance knowledge exchange within firms and the value of GDP in supporting economic growth and in making strategic decisions. The study underscores the need for comprehensive methodologies and strategic positions in formulating policies for long-term growth. It also presented the impact of knowledge sharing, GDP, economic development, and global demand on competitive advantage, emphasizing the need for proactive tactics and strategic considerations affecting economic development.

Strategic planning, budget monitoring and growth optimism: evidence from Australian SMEs

PurposeGrowth optimism, which describes the expected future growth of a firm, is an important but underexplored construct in strategy. This paper aims to assess the planning antecedents of such growth optimism by using a large Australian sample of small enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a secondary data set, gathered among Australian small to medium enterprises (SMEs), by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The analysis adopts a regression approach including a mediated and a non-mediated path to explore the direct and indirect effects of strategic planning and budgetary planning and management on expected future revenues.FindingsThis paper assesses the implications of concurrent strategic planning and financial management dynamic capabilities on anticipated future revenue growth, an important predisposition dynamic capability. The authors note that this configuration of actions and predisposition aligns closely with the necessary requirements for growth. The findings suggest that firms that use strategic planning and robust budget planning and monitoring processes exhibit higher optimism about future sales growth and firms that effectively configure these planning activities with market development tend to exhibit higher growth and more growth optimism.Research limitations/implicationsIn terms of theoretical contributions, the paper strongly supports the formality view in the formal/informal debates associated with effectuation strategies. The authors suggest that appropriate strategic and budgetary planning and control systems act as a counterbalance to organisational confusion and managerial capriciousness, leading to improved confidence among managers and their employees regarding future resource commitments and plans.Practical implicationsThe findings of the paper are potentially important for both managers and policy makers. For managers seeking to grow their future sales, planning is shown to be an important antecedent activity. The presence of financial and strategic planning may predispose firms to make important investment decisions that drive future growth. Also, a better understanding of the firm’s current and future strategic and financial position may be evidence of effective firm management, a situation that, in turn, drives growth.Social implicationsIn terms of social and policy implications, the data gathered for the survey by the ABS forms a valuable collection of information in relation to business practices. Australian firms are required by law to regularly report budget plans and outcomes. The research suggests that this data can inform policy initiatives, particularly in relation to programmes that may assist small and young firms to undertake prospective strategic and budgetary planning.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to investigate the particular configuration of strategic and financial planning and anticipated sales growth in the SME context.

Decoding herding dynamics in the generative AI investment amid key technological advancements: A timeline perspective

This study, using two herding dynamics metrics and Glosten–Jagannathan–Runkle Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GJR-GARCH) model, forecasts market trends, captures asymmetric volatility, and reveals the generative AI (GenAI) ecosystem's impact on individual assets’ returns. Results of this study highlight distinctive traits of each GenAI equity, crucial for strategic positioning, especially for investors in tech stocks tied to GenAI. Herding behavior exhibits greater strength in the initial four months post-announcement of ChatGPT, gradually diminishing. GJR-GARCH reports that most of GenAI stocks do not exhibit statistically significant leverage effects. These findings provide valuable insights to navigate the dynamic landscape of GenAI investments.

Meeting the closed‐loop challenge: The “Who‐What‐How” strategic choices for a successful remanufacturing approach

AbstractRemanufacturing is a life‐cycle renewal process recognised as one of the most effective circular strategies that can be adopted to achieve sustainable production. However, its potential has been hindered by the absence of an integrated perspective across various business domains to catalyse successful remanufacturing efforts. This paper aims to explore how such an integrated perspective can facilitate the creation of sustainable value within remanufacturing business models. To fill this gap, an in‐depth longitudinal case study was conducted on how remanufacturing practices can be effectively implemented in the white goods sector. The research identifies four fundamental mechanisms that, when used synergistically, pave the way for a successful remanufacturing approach yielding triple‐bottom‐line benefits. The study contributes to the remanufacturing literature by illustrating how (i) moving from products to solutions that fulfil customer priorities, (ii) resequencing business processes according to customer‐oriented logic, (iii) enhancing the clock‐speed of decision‐making and (iv) sharing risks within the supply chain, can unveil new strategic positioning for sustainable value creation. From a practical perspective, it advocates for the adept management of remanufacturing uncertainties through continuous, active questioning of “Who‐What‐How” choices and the cultivation of circular and organic interdependencies.

Позиция администрации Д. Байдена в реализации стратегии развития американо-китайских отношений

The Biden administration’s concepts and perceptions of China policy, as well as its future attitude and stance toward the development of Sino-US relations, will have a direct impact on the dynamics and development process of Sino-US relations. This article aims to discover the main provisions of the D. Biden administration’s strategy implemented in the relations between Washington and Beijing. The sentiments in the American society characterizing the peculiarities of interaction between the two countries are considered; the discussion of strategic priorities of American politicians of different ideological commitment is noted. From the perspective of the current domestic political environment, China’s strategic positioning, the strategic construction of Sino-US relations, and the prediction of the future of Sino-US relations are the subject of endless debates in political, academic, and strategic circles. The Biden administration’s understanding and perception of China is in a state of flux, and its attitude and position on some issues of Sino-US relations also give the impression of uncertainty. The extent to which these issues affect Sino-US relations, as well as how China and the US should rationally understand and deal with these issues, require strategic reflection and study.

Financial Analysis and Future Outlook of Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker founded in 1903. It is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world. This research delves into the financial condition of Ford Motor Company, an automotive industry leader, to provide a comprehensive analysis of its financial performance and prospects. Against the backdrop of an evolving automotive landscape and increasing consumer demand for sustainable and technologically advanced vehicles, this study is timely and relevant. The primary objective of this paper is to scrutinize Ford's financial health and prospects in-depth. The research combines quantitative data analysis of Ford's financial statements, historical performance, and market trends with a qualitative assessment of its strategic positioning and competitive environment. The findings indicate that while Ford faces certain financial challenges, it possesses the potential for growth and innovation. Recommendations include leveraging 5G technology to enhance product quality and cautiously exploring opportunities in the electric vehicle sector.

How tech companies advance sustainability through artificial intelligence: Developing and evaluating an AI x Sustainability strategy framework

Sustainability is at the top of the agenda of most tech companies. Specifically, tech companies increasingly utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to meet their sustainability goals. However, little is known about how tech companies can leverage AI to accelerate sustainability by formulating and implementing appropriate strategies. To better understand the intertwined nature of AI and sustainability from a strategy perspective, this research conceptually develops a novel AI x Sustainability framework by drawing from the nested sustainability model and integrating insights from different literature streams. It then applies this framework to six leading Big Tech companies (i.e., Amazon, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, and SAP) by conducting a comprehensive document analysis of 69 documents describing 244 individual AI x Sustainability initiatives to reveal whether and how these companies appear to follow specific AI x Sustainability strategies. Lastly, an exploratory survey with potential tech companies' clients (N = 192) sheds light on how clients perceive tech companies' communicated strategic positioning based on the framework. The research provides new theoretical insights, serves as a blueprint for other tech companies, including implications for their AI x Sustainability positioning, and offers a variety of future research directions.

EU Engagement in the Arctic: Challenges to Achieving Ambitions in an Area outside Its Jurisdiction

The European Union (EU) has underscored its will to heighten its engagement in the Arctic region. Beyond traditional areas of interest – such as tackling climate change, supporting research and developing cooperations – critical resources and security emerged as new topics in the EU’s most recent policy documents. These have become even more critical since February 2022 following Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. The Circumpolar North is the subject of many challenges caused by climate change and its fragile biodiversity, which, combined with the region’s importance for scientific research, access to natural resources, tourist activities, and military security, places it in a geopolitically strategic position. By focusing on EU ambitions in the Arctic, this article analyses the EU’s potential to implement policies and set consequential trends in an area of political interest outside its jurisdiction. It concludes that core political priorities and sector-specific regulations that directly guide the behaviour of EU members may have more influence than Arctic policy statements.

Research on the Development of International Functions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

International function refers to the system of urban functionalities that transcend national boundaries and exert a distributive, radiating, and influential role globally in the fields of economics, hubs, culture, communication, and services. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, one of the most open and economically vibrant regions in China, holds a significant strategic position in the national development framework. The development of international functions in the Greater Bay Area bears considerable strategic value to the nation's advancement. This research analyzes the development of the international functions in the Greater Bay Area from the perspectives of international economy, international hubs, international communication and culture, and international services. It explores new ideas for the development and layout of international functions under the backdrop of international cooperation and exchange, contributing to the refinement of the theoretical system and development models of international functions. Moreover, it offers significant reference value for the construction of international bay urban areas and world-class urban clusters.

Contamination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in soil surrounding an automobile industry factory in Jiaxing, China

The auto parts industry occupies an important strategic position in our national economy, which brings about the pollution problem in the processing of auto parts, particularly in soil polluted by heavy metals. Soil samples were collected from an automobile parts company in Jiaxing, China, and the data were evaluated using the land accumulation index method. The study found that the heavy metal pollution in the downwind direction of the Automobile Parts Co., Ltd. is mainly As, CD, and Zn mixed heavy metal pollution, and the distribution is uneven. The coefficient of variation of As was the largest, and the regional variation amplitude was large. The coefficient of variation of CD, Cr, and Ni is 50%, that of Zn is 39.38%, and that of PB is the lowest. The accumulative index of AS and CD was 6, which was a very serious pollution level. The content of As was 1994.7 mg/kg, exceeding the standard by more than 44 times, and the distribution of As in soil was uneven. The pollution level of Zn is 3, which belongs to the moderate level. The pollution degree of heavy metals in the soil decreases as the distance from the downwind outlet of the plant increases. According to the health risk assessment, the main route of heavy metals entering the body is through the mouth by breathing. Among exposure routes, oral exposure to heavy metals is the most harmful, so we need to pay special attention to farmland soil heavy metal pollution.

Farmland Intrusion Detection using Internet of Things and Computer Vision Techniques

Farmland security in Nigeria is still a major challenge and existing methods such as building brick fences around the farmland, installing electric fences, setting up deterrent plants with spikey branches or those that have displeasing scents are no longer suitable for farmland security. This paper presents an IoT based farmland intrusion detection model using sensors and computer vision techniques. Passive Infrared (PIR) sensors and camera sensors are mounted in strategic positions on the farm. The PIR sensor senses motion by the radiation of body heat and sends a message to the raspberry pi to trigger the camera to take a picture of the scene. An improved Faster Region Based Convolutional Neural Network is developed and used for object detection and One-shot learning algorithm for face recognition in the case of a person. At the end of the detection and recognition stage, details of intrusion are sent to the farm owner through text message and email notification. The raspberry pi also turns on the wade off system to divert an intruding animal away. The model achieved an improved accuracy of 92.5% compared to previous methods and effectively controlled illegal entry into a farmland.

Analysis of Coupling Coordination Degree of Digital Economy Industry Synergistic Development—Empirical Evidence Based on Urban Agglomerations in the Northern Region of China

With the rise of the national strategic position of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster, Central Plains city cluster and Shandong Peninsula city cluster, inter-city cluster collaboration has become particularly important, and scientific evaluation of the level of digital economy industry synergistic development of major northern city clusters is conducive to cracking the dilemma of industrial synergy of major northern city clusters, and forming the pattern of high-quality integrated development. The data related to digital infrastructure, digital industrialization and industrial digitization of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster, the Central Plains city cluster and the Shandong Peninsula city cluster from 2013 to 2021 are selected, and the coupled synergy model is applied to evaluate the level of collaborative development of digital economy industries in major northern city clusters based on the analysis of digital economy industry development in major northern city clusters. The study found that: the coupling and coordination degree of digital economy industry of the three major northern city clusters from 2013 to 2021 has been improving, and the digital economy industry of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster will reach the intermediate level of coordination in 2021; in terms of the spatial synergy of the digital economy industry of the three city clusters, the synergy of the digital economy industry among the three clusters has reached the level of just barely dislocation, but the degree of industrial digitization synergy among the three clusters has obviously lags behind the level of digital infrastructure synergy and industrial digitalization synergy. Based on this, it puts forward countermeasures and suggestions to accelerate the top-level design of digital economy industry synergistic development in the major northern city clusters and to establish institutional mechanisms to support the synergistic development of digital economy industry in the cities.

Probing altered receptor specificities of antigenically drifting human H3N2 viruses by chemoenzymatic synthesis, NMR, and modeling

Prototypic receptors for human influenza viruses are N-glycans carrying α2,6-linked sialosides. Due to immune pressure, A/H3N2 influenza viruses have emerged with altered receptor specificities that bind α2,6-linked sialosides presented on extended N-acetyl-lactosamine (LacNAc) chains. Here, binding modes of such drifted hemagglutinin’s (HAs) are examined by chemoenzymatic synthesis of N-glycans having 13C-labeled monosaccharides at strategic positions. The labeled glycans are employed in 2D STD-1H by 13C-HSQC NMR experiments to pinpoint which monosaccharides of the extended LacNAc chain engage with evolutionarily distinct HAs. The NMR data in combination with computation and mutagenesis demonstrate that mutations distal to the receptor binding domain of recent HAs create an extended binding site that accommodates with the extended LacNAc chain. A fluorine containing sialoside is used as NMR probe to derive relative binding affinities and confirms the contribution of the extended LacNAc chain for binding.

Goffman against DNA: genetic stigma and the use of genetic ancestry tests by white nationalists

How do white nationalists use genetic ancestry tests? This article provides a qualitative analysis of posts from Stormfront, a white nationalist message board, to understand how white nationalists use genetic ancestry tests to advance ideological claims about the threat of genetic admixture. Starting in 2004, members of this message board began discussing the promises and pitfalls of using genetic ancestry tests to prove their whiteness. Using Goffman’s framework of stigma and impression management, we explore how they manage undesirable test results and genetic stigma amongst themselves – when they take genetic tests and discover they are partially non-white. Finally, this article looks at how they simultaneously deploy exclusionary or inclusionary strategies that challenge past concepts of whiteness built on the one-drop rule. Pragmatic concerns often drive their strategic positioning when confronted with undesirable test results, as they are aware that too strict exclusionary policies may impede the group’s demographical survival.

To be, or not to be in formalization: the relationship between HR practices and work engagement in the aviation industry

Purpose This study aims to examine the moderating role of formalization in the relationship between human resources (HR) practices and work engagement (WE) in aviation industry employees. The research revealed the moderator role of formalization, which is still one of the most critical components for aviation industry workers. Design/methodology/approach In the study, the authors used the survey method. In this explanatory and cross-sectional study, the authors examined a data set collected from aviation industry employees (n = 226) in Turkey using the partial least squares (PLS) method and tried to moderate the formalization. The authors analyzed the moderator role of formalization in the relationship between HR practices and WE with SmartPLS 3.0 and HAYES Process Macro. Findings The results of the study explain the effect of HR practices on WE in the context of social exchange theory through formalization. Findings show that formalization is an essential factor in HR practices’ resulting in higher WE. Research limitations/implications The study is cross-sectional. Research participants participated in the study voluntarily. This situation, in turn, may lead to a social desirability bias in participants' self-reported responses. To avoid this, the authors have prepared a standardized measurement tool. Again, since the authors do not request the names and institutions of the participants, confidentiality and anonymity are provided. Practical implications Research findings offer implications for companies and employees in developing economies, especially in the aviation sector. It refers to the necessity for companies aiming for a sustainable strategic position in the competitive aviation sector to attach importance to HR practices that will enable them to see their employees as a competitive advantage. In addition, the results emphasize the need for aviation industry companies to adopt an approach that considers both practices that can increase WE and formalization procedures that can affect employee behavior. Originality/value This research provides a comprehensive understanding to examine the interrelationships between HR, formalization and WE in the context of the mechanism of social change in the context of aviation industry workers. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other researcher has holistically addressed these links in general, particularly in a developing country. The findings significantly enrich the literature on HR practices and WE, particularly in the context of a developing country.