Strategic Posture Research Articles

Disruptive innovation capability in resource-constrained environments: The role of strategic posture and human capital

The disruptive innovation framework has been suggested to enhance new venture sustainability in resource-constrained contexts. This paper explores the role of human capital and strategic posture on disruptive innovation capability in low-income and resource-constrained environments. Using a generic qualitative inquiry strategy, we develop propositions tested by 20 in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and industry role players in the South African startup incubation sector. Data from the interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis with constant comparison. The findings suggest that adopting an emerging market orientation and taking strategic risks assists in identifying the right consumer target market. Innovativeness is linked to effective product development processes, and a learning orientation contributes to the development of the skills and capabilities required for successful innovation in resource-constrained environments. Additionally, the findings emphasize prior founder knowledge and industry experience in shaping the strategic posture of entrepreneurs. Resource-constrained contexts vary significantly across regions. Our study contributes to the body of knowledge on disruptive innovations and small business sustainability in resource-constrained environments by investigating entrepreneurial dynamics in South Africa.

Analyzing Post-2010 China-US Defense Expenditures: Uncovering the NewArmsRace

The New Arms Race encapsulates a dynamic geopolitical competition characterized by escalating military capabilities and strategic posturing between the U.S and China. Amidst the intensifying Sino-US arms race, the objective of this research is to examine the trends and patterns of Sino-USdefense spending’s (2010-2022) to analyze the evolving military competition's strategic, economic and social implications, contributing to the discourse on global security and stability. Data from reputable sources like SIPRI, IISS, plus official budget reports and defense White-Paper’s inform the analysis. Using a mix-method approach, quantitative data is descriptively presented to highlight trends, patterns, and significant changes over time. Plus, qualitative analysis is conducted to interpret the implications of these expenses, drawing on International Relation’s theories and expert opinions to assess how shifts in military spending influences power dynamics, alliances, and conflicts? The results show that, the global military expenditures surpassed $2240 billion. China's defense spending has seen a 29-year consecutive increase, while the US maintains its top spender status, propelled by ongoing modernization efforts and diverse geopolitical strategies. This study is Grounded in the "Security Dilemma" framework, assumes that potential enemies would viewa country's attempts to strengthen its security as a threat, setting off a cycle of action and reaction that deepens mutual suspicions and contributes to the potential for an arms race. Due to the Sino-US ongoing military modernization plans and diverse geopolitical strategies, it is suggested that this tendency will persist in the foreseeable future.

Grasping the opportunity for small state leadership: Estonia’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reinforced Estonia’s long-held worldview and strategic posture rather than bringing about any principled foreign policy change. There was a remarkable change, though, in Estonia’s international visibility. The turbulent security environment created an opportunity for small state leadership especially in the framework of regional organisations. During the two first years of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Estonia’s foreign and security policy focused on shaping the policies of North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union with a view to providing maximum support to Ukraine and increasing the cost of aggression for Russia. Estonia acted as a leader through shaping the public narrative, setting the agenda, leading by example, building coalitions and orchestrating the desired outcomes. Through analysing the Estonian experience, the article addresses the broader puzzle of how small states can overcome their relative lack of power and take leadership in matters of international security, usually dominated by great powers.

Strategically (in)secure and economically (in)vulnerable: Australia, New Zealand, and their relations with China

ABSTRACT This article considers the extent to which the expectations embedded in Allan Gyngell's assessment – that Australia is strategically vulnerable but economically secure and New Zealand is economically vulnerable but strategically secure – are borne out in the strategic posture adopted by the two countries in managing their bilateral relationship with China in recent years. We argue that Gyngell's assessment is not obsolete, but that the policy differences between Canberra and Wellington are flattening. Heightened perceptions of vulnerability, both strategically and economically, are leading both Canberra and Wellington to adopt increasingly cautious and similarly arms-length approaches to their relations with Beijing. With the caveat that measuring foreign policy responses is a fraught and inexact task, we present a measurement framework and evidence drawn from the 2017 to 2024 period to reach this finding, which saw the two countries shift incrementally away from China. The Trans-Tasman allies converged more in how they see the world, and what they ought to do in response.

Moderating effect of chief executive officer servant leadership on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance

Although entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is widely believed to benefit firms, it is increasingly considered necessary but insufficient for achieving superior firm performance. To better understand the circumstances under which EO is beneficial for firms, we adopt a resource-based perspective to introduce chief executive officer (CEO) servant leadership as a critical moderator of the EO–performance relationship. We validate our predictions using multi-point data from 170 small firms in India. The results reveal that three servant leadership behaviours – altruistic calling, wisdom and emotional healing – strengthen the EO–performance relationship. Furthermore, consistent with systems logic, the performance benefits of EO are found to be greater when the CEO servant leadership is closer to an ‘ideal’ configuration of behaviours. Overall, our findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of CEO leadership behaviours in fully actualising EO’s performance potential, thus illuminating the importance of aligning a firm’s strategic posture with other constructs of interest.

Islamist Government in Malaysia under PAS: Ideology, Policies, and Competition

ABSTRACT Dominant approaches to understanding Islamist politics tend to assume a uniform polity. Most notably, inclusion–moderation hypotheses presume Islamist parties are simply in or out: that the lure of office persuades radical Islamist groups to moderate their behaviour and ideologies to participate in elections. We suggest a different dynamic, in which an Islamist party adapts its mien and messaging to appeal simultaneously to heterogeneous audiences, without compromising its core positions. We find an exemplary case in Malaysia, where Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, PAS) contests both nationally and at the state level. At the federal level, PAS seeks support within a multi-ethnic, multi-religious polity, working in coalition with either secular, noncommunal parties, for whom an adamantly Islamist stance would be verboten, or Malay-ethnonationalist parties, for whom Islam is salient, but secondary. Meanwhile, PAS competes subnationally in its northeastern stronghold, where its confirmed Islamism confers strong advantage – but also in other states, with different approaches. Yet, across these stages, PAS sustains its underlying ideological consistency, especially on fraught social issues. We explore the extent to which electoral participation amid differing incentives reveals more a moderating effect on Islamist-party behaviour and ideology, or a capacity for strategic posturing.

International entrepreneurial culture as a booster of early and rapid internationalisation: A comparative study of Born Globals vs non-Born Globals

AbstractThe literature demonstrates how Born Globals (BGs) make recourse to distinctive strategic intangible assets to accelerate their internationalisation processes while, nevertheless, broadly neglecting the role of International Entrepreneurial Culture (IEC) in generating and differentiating BGs despite its relevant role. This study examines the IEC as a driver of the early and rapid internationalisation of BGs and correspondingly seeks to capture the prevailing differences compared to non-Born Globals (non-BGs).Thus, we empirically tested and validated an IEC scale for a sample of 66 BGs and 102 non-BGs and deployed multivariate analysis techniques to identify the main differences among company profiles. The results reveal how BGs stand out from their peers in terms of autonomy (a dimension of the international entrepreneurial orientation (IEO)), international motivation, and international market orientation. Therefore, concentrating on developing these dimensions may return an effective means of boosting rapid and early internationalisation and thereby stand out from the competition. The remaining IEO dimensions, the international learning orientation and the international networking orientation were not relevant to this differentiating process.This research has important theoretical and practical implications, encouraging and guiding BG managers to adopt a strategic posture emphasising some particular IEC dimensions to differentiate themselves from their competitors and succeed in their early international involvement.

Not More, But More Assured: Optimising US Nuclear Posture

The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States has urged Washington to adopt new measures to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent against Russia and China in a deteriorating security environment. Any effort by the United States to match its two nuclear peers warhead for warhead, delivery system for delivery system, would be costly folly, potentially reprising the Cold War arms race. A qualitative rather than quantitative response may well be more effective. Developing nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles, though challenging, would improve Washington’s ability to shape an opponent’s decision calculus and reduce its capacity to pursue deterrence by denial. These systems would also enhance the United States’ ability to hold at risk multiple high-value, well-defended targets and reinforce planners’ confidence in retaliatory strikes. Finally, a qualitative focus would enable the US to argue more credibly for quantitative limitations at levels similar to or lower than those existing today.

루마니아 내 한국학 교육에서의 북한학

Interest in Korean studies in Romania is gradually increasing. This is largely due to the heightened national status associated with the rapid growth of the Korean economy and the Korean Wave, which has rich and high-quality cultural contents. With this trend, Korean studies in Romania have created a large demand for education within a short period of time and are accumulating various research achievements. At this point, a more strategic attitude and effort are required to find long-term and stable growth engines for Korean studies. In addition to the development of human resources, which have played a central role in Korean studies education, communication from various perspectives for Korean studies research must be achieved. For the desirable development of Korean studies in Romania, where language education is the center, it seems that much discussion will be needed on what kind of educational contents are required and how these should be prepared and delivered to learners. The way to continue to raise the awareness of Korean studies, which has been heightened by the Korean Wave, is to operate Korean studies with rich educational contents. From this perspective, providing education on North Korean studies, especially their history, is considered necessary to build more diverse educational contents. The need for history education has been emphasized for overseas Korean language learners, but in fact, education about the history of North Korea, which is part of the Korean studies, has been taboo. We need to approach history more freely from ideological views and prejudices and instill in students a correct understanding of history. This is believed to be one of many problems that must be resolved for the development of Korean studies education.

Strategic attitude expressions as identity performance and identity creation in interaction

We assess the strategic alignment of attitudes and the active construction of attitude-based identity across two studies. Study one assessed the twitter response (hashtags in English) to the war in Ukraine for five months after Russia’s first invasion of Ukraine 2022 (N = 8149). Results demonstrated that individuals publicly expressed hashtags similar to others close to them in the followership network, showing their support for Ukraine and condemnation of the Russian invasion in qualitatively different ways. Study two was a preregistered Prolific experiment with geographical European participants ran in September, 2022 (N = 1368). Results demonstrated that attitude interaction with ingroup members motivated interactants towards attitude alignment, and attitude alignment strengthened the identification that motivated the alignment in the first place. Results suggest that attitude expression is performative and constrained by one’s group relationship with one’s audience and the definition of social identity can be constrained by opinion-based identity performance.

Tomorrow is already here: Exploring how corporate foresight can contribute to ambidexterity

AbstractCorporate foresight involves strategically exploring multiple potential futures and serves as a tool to guide organizational decision‐making processes. Despite its significance, a predominant focus on immediate, short‐term issues often characterizes the operational mindset of many companies. As a result, companies frequently encounter challenges in achieving organizational ambidexterity—the ability to balance and leverage both the exploitation of current capabilities and the exploration of new opportunities in the future. In this paper, we propose a theoretical investigation of corporate foresight. We develop a conceptual framework that delineates different relationships between corporate foresight and organizational ambidexterity, providing a structured approach to understand how these concepts interact and influence each other. Our framework proposes three ways corporate foresight can significantly enhance ambidexterity within organizations. First, corporate foresight can be pivotal in identifying and analyzing future trends and disruptions, which can inform strategic decision‐making. Secondly, corporate foresight can better align an organization's long‐term strategic goals and short‐term operational objectives, thus enhancing ambidexterity. Finally, corporate foresight can bridge different organizational units, promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing, aiding in developing a holistic approach to strategic planning that encompasses daily operational excellence and future‐oriented strategic posture.

Strategic performance blueprint: Optimizing business performance through tailoring strategic postures to environmental and institutional contexts

ABSTRACT In a world where one-size-fits-all strategies are increasingly inadequate, this study examines the strategic triad of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), market orientation (MO), and entrepreneurial marketing (EM) and their context-varied effects on organizational performance. Using structural equation modeling and data representing diverse sets of U.S. organizations and industries, we demonstrate that when market growth is slow, supplier power is strong, and competitive intensity is low, EO outperforms MO and EM. Smaller organizations and those with less diverse and smaller networks are better suited for EO. MO functions best in stable markets with significant growth and limited supplier power, as well as for large organizations and those with strong and diversified networks. EM works best for mid-sized organizations and those with weak networks and in environments of high supplier power, intense competition, and high market turbulence. Offered vignettes demonstrate which strategic posture should be chosen by executives in different contexts.

The Role of the Gulf in the Longue Durée Of China's Foreign Policy

AbstractThis article examines the evolution of China's policy toward the Persian Gulf, linking its contemporary strategies to its historical principles of diplomacy, particularly those rooted in Maoism. It first outlines a conceptual framework that connects China's Gulf policies to the enduring Maoist tradition in its foreign policy. The analysis then delves into Mao Zedong's theory of intermediate zones and its influence on China's strategic posture in the Middle East from the mid‐20th century to today. The focus shifts to the increasing importance of the region, especially the Gulf, in the current iteration of China's intermediate‐zones strategy. Situating China's policies within the context of Mao's anti‐hegemonic stance and the concept of intermediate zones provides a nuanced perspective on the Chinese approach to the Middle East. The authors argue that China's longstanding anti‐hegemonic strategy has hindered the development of a more independent and assertive regional policy. However, they suggest that the recent intensification of the Sino‐American rivalry, the perceived decline in US regional influence, and the “new centrality” of the Persian Gulf may prompt China to adopt a more proactive role in the region, moving beyond its traditional strategy of active defense. This article is part of a special issue examining the responses of Gulf countries to rising Sino‐American competition, edited by Andrea Ghiselli, Anoushiravan Ehteshami, and Enrico Fardella.

Mitigating ransomware attacks through cyber threat intelligence and machine learning

<div>In the face of escalating cyber threats, particularly the rampant and sophisticated nature of ransomware attacks, organizations are compelled to adopt a proactive and multi-faceted strategy for mitigation. The fusion of machine learning (ML) algorithms enables the system to dynamically adapt and evolve in response to evolving attack vectors and tactics employed by cybercriminals. This paper presents a comprehensive approach that synergistically integrates ML and cyber threat intelligence (CTI) to fortify defenses against ransomware assaults. The proposed methodology incorporates three distinct machine learning techniques, namely random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and adaptive boosting (AdaBoost). Empirical evidence derived from the study affirms the efficacy of this approach in effectively discriminating between malicious and ransom software, achieving a notable identification rate of 98.55%. The incorporation of CTI enhances the strategic posture by providing actionable insights into the threat landscape. The proposed focuses on identifying and neutralizing ransomware, aligning with contemporary cybersecurity imperatives, offering a proactive defense against ransomware attacks, ultimately safeguarding critical assets, and preserving the integrity of digital ecosystems.</div>

Dual Pathways of Value Creation from Digital Strategic Posture: Contingent Effects of Competitive Actions and Environmental Uncertainty

Dual Pathways of Value Creation from Digital Strategic Posture: Contingent Effects of Competitive Actions and Environmental Uncertainty IN STOCK SKU 48.1.15 Publication History Received: October 9, 2019 Revised: December 20, 2020; February 23, 2022; November 7, 2022; June 7, 2023 Accepted: August 3, 2023 Published Online in Issue: March 1, 2024 https://doi.org/ Downloadable File Article PDF $15.00 Add to Cart Abstract Digital strategic posture (DSP) is defined as a firm’s overall strategic stance toward investing in information technology (IT) initiatives relative to that of rival firms. This study examines how a firm’s DSP affects firm performance. Drawing on the competitive dynamics perspective and contingency view, we demonstrate that DSP influences competitive actions through dual pathways. First, DSP enables firms to take competitive actions that are more appropriate given the level of environmental uncertainty (captured by industry dynamism). In particular, our findings suggest that a proactive DSP enables relatively more innovation-oriented actions in dynamic industries while enabling relatively more operations-oriented actions in less dynamic industries. Second, DSP plays a facilitating role in firms’ execution of competitive actions such that a firm’s value from its proactive DSP is enhanced when there is a fit between the type of the firm’s competitive actions and its level of environmental uncertainty. Specifically, we find that firms with a more proactive DSP achieve superior firm performance from innovation-oriented actions in dynamic industries and from operations-oriented actions in less dynamic industries. Taken together, our findings suggest that a proactive DSP not only allows firms to take appropriate competitive actions that fit their environmental conditions but also contributes to firms’ performance by facilitating the execution of these appropriate actions, thus enhancing their efficacy. Additional Details Author , , , and Year 2024 Volume 48 Issue 1 Keywords Digital strategic posture, competitive actions, innovation-oriented actions, operations-oriented actions, competitive dynamics, contingency view, business value of IT, IT strategy, industry dynamism Page Numbers 409-426

Turnaround, Decline, and Strategic Posture of SME: Empirical Evidence

AbstractThis study evaluates how the environment, the strategic posture, and the organizational structure contribute to the decline and performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME). Based on a sample of SME and through recourse to Altman’s Z-score model, we evaluate the situation of companies that declare they are facing difficulties in conjunction with their financial performance. The results demonstrate that a strategic entrepreneurial posture and an organic organizational structure, characterized by dynamism, decentralization, and control over the objectives, positively contribute to the performance of companies and prevent their bankruptcy. Our study findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors that lead to SME decline and failure while highlighting the factors that improve their performance levels. The study also reflects on the turnaround process and the redefinition of strategies, new ways of planning, internal organization, and management control.

Investigating the Potential Strategic Implications of COVID-19 for Biological Weapons Pursuit: A New Expert Simulation.

To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the strategic decisionmaking of leaders with respect to biological weapons, this study employed a prospective simulation technique called Asynchronous Strategic Dynamics Red Teaming. Using an immersive, multimedia simulation conducted remotely and asynchronously, the effort engaged 240 carefully selected and curated expert participants in either biological weapons or the countries of interest (as well as 60 naïve participants). Across our sample of 30 countries, simulated interest in pursuing some type of biological weapons program (defensive or offensive) remained low to moderate. While such interest increased after the simulated onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was limited overall, with only a handful of states showing salient increases in offensive biological weapon interest. When directly referencing why their countries might have changed their post-COVID-19 interest in biological weapons, the most commonly cited reasons were: (1) COVID-19 demonstrated the power of biological weapons to disrupt societies and cause large-scale economic harm, and (2) the pandemic revealed either the state's own or its rivals' vulnerability to diseases like COVID-19, as well as an inability to efficiently respond and contain such diseases. In sum, despite a global pandemic with massive consequences, the simulation revealed that most states are not likely to dramatically change their strategic posture regarding pursuit of offensive biological weapons.

Geopolitics in Space and the Role of the European Union

The changing nature of traditional geopolitics has seen world powers turn to space as the ultimate frontier and potential battlefield. This paper addresses one of the key issues in the international security agenda today: the rise of space as geopolitical concept. It shows how the topic has become a topic of concern to the international community. Its main objectives are 1.) to examine the current developments in the strategic posture of the leading space powers and 2.) to elaborate a new perspective on the European Union’s role in space exploration which places at the centre of a debate the need for major improvements and autonomous capacity building.

Competitive Analysis or Stakeholder Pre-Commitments? How Firms' Strategic Decision-Making Choices Mediate the Relationship Between its Strategic Posture and Digitalization

This article aims to understand the influence of strategic posture of a firm on its decision-making orientation related to competitors and partners, and evaluates if such decision-making orientation of firms mediate the relationship between a firm's strategic posture and digitalization. The article uses partial least squares based structural equation modeling technique on primary data from 100 enterprises belonging to manufacturing and electronics sector operating from India. Based on the analysis, the article empirically establishes the linkage between a firm's strategic posture and its decision-making preferences in the contexts related to engaging with competitors and partners, taking digitalization as context. Next, it extends available knowledge on firms’ decision-making literature by establishing that a firm's decision-making orientation related to its competitors and partners has direct influence on its degree of digitalization. Finally, it empirically deduces that in the context of digitalization of firms, market-based analysis is the dominant decision-making paradigm as against obtaining stakeholder partnerships or precommitments.

Deep fires and the British strategic posture: does the war in Ukraine validate it?

Deep fires and the British strategic posture: does the war in Ukraine validate it?