This study examined the factors that influence tourism arrivals and receipts in South Africa using times series from 1995 to 2017 The Autoregressive Distributed Lag technique was selected as the appropriate estimation technique due to different levels of stationarity in the series The study found that, at least in the long run, long haul tourism receipts are influenced by domestic GDP per capita, the consumer price index, real exchange rate, crime statistics, carbon dioxide, world GDP per capita and country risk Interestingly, in the long run, the crime statistics coefficient was negatively related to tourist receipts and statistically significant at the 1% significance level This provides strong evidence that a decline in crime in South Africa could result in a surge in tourist receipts, ceteris paribus However, only domestic GDP per capita influences international tourism arrivals In the short run, domestic GDP per capita, consumer price index, real exchange rate, crime statistics, carbon dioxide, world GDP per capita and country risk influence tourism arrivals The findings have policy implications as the evidence shows that a holistic approach is required to increase tourist receipts in South Africa Such an approach entails focusing on critical factors that influence tourism like GDP growth and reduced crime as inflation and exchange rates are already well managed through the country's monetary policy
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)INTRODUCTIONSupply chain management by definition is a complex endeavor requiring the integration of key business processes from the end-user through the original supplier (Lambert, Cooper, & Pagh, 1998). Managing this complexity while achieving supply chain efficiencies is especially challenging (Blecker, Kersten, & Meyer, 2005). One of the most challenging aspects for managers is the design of the logistics network (Manzini, Accorsi, & Bortolini, 2014). As demand patterns change so to must the networks required to efficiently satisfy those demands. Thus, managers increasingly need tools and methodologies to help them quickly evaluate and select the best network options. This need for tools and methodologies to quickly assess network designs served as the motivation for this research. More specifically, this study examines the use of an optimization-based methodology to assist managers in assessing facility location options. Facility location decisions are a central issue in the design of all logistics distribution networks.To be useful for managers, any tool or proposed methodology must accommodate multiple objectives. Thus, the multiple objective linear programming (MOLP) approach seems well suited to the task. The MOLP approach examined here considers network cost and time individually, or in combination providing managers the ability to quickly complete an initial network analysis and consider the trade-offs of available options.To explore the effectiveness of the proposed MOLP approach, this paper will utilize it to examine facility location options for a military logistics distribution network. While both military and for-profit businesses seek distribution network designs that reduce cost and/or time required to provide or receive supply, the military decision maker faces added challenges. For example, logistics networks supporting a traditional retail operation remain relatively stable for extended periods of time, while networks supporting military contingencies and humanitarian relief efforts require logistics networks be designed, established, and retired with little to no notice. Thus, military supply chain managers increasingly value tools and methodologies for designing efficient and effective logistics networks. If shown to be effective in the military environment, the proposed MOLP approach is certain to have implications that extend well beyond. In fact, a number of studies (Boone, Craighead, Hanna, & Nair, 2013; Russell & Saldanha, 2003; Skipper, Bell, Cunningham, & Mattioda, 2010) highlight the point that as the private sector is forced to deal with challenges similar to those found in the military, firms should look more often to leverage the experience of the military when selecting supply chain practices and strategies.THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVEOne key lesson firms can glean from the military is to value the distribution network as a key resource and means by which one can gain a competitive advantage. This ideal is further highlighted by resource orchestration theory which seeks to explain how firms can use their assets, or resources, more effectively (Simon, 2010; Sirmon, Hitt, Ireland, & Gilbert, 2011). The theory posits that whether or not an organization has all of the resources that it may need, it is more important to examine how the resources are managed (Ketchen, Wowak, & Craighead, 2014) across time as internal and external environments change (Sirmon & Hitt, 2009). Because the distribution network can have such a significant impact on the organization's performance (Chopra, 2003), and the network itself can provide a competitive advantage (Liotta, Stecca, & Kaihara, 2015), the network is a resource (Ndofor, Sirmon, & He, 2011). Organizations that manage and utilize this resource more effectively should develop a competitive advantage.BACKGROUNDIncreasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the distribution network is a key objective of the military. …
INTRODUCTIONTo sustain their competitiveness in globalized markets, firms are adopting innovation-oriented strategies that seek to leverage innovation through alliances. The latter have indeed been viewed as drivers of innovation (Wuyts et al., 2004; Cui & OConnor, 2012). Several investigations made evident the necessity to engage in multiple alliances, configuring networks (Ahuja, 2000) or alliance portfolios - APs - (Faems et al. 2005). Wassmer and Dussauge (2011, p. 47) observed that firms no longer rely on a single alliance: many firms maintain entire alliance portfolios comprised of multiple simultaneous strategic alliances with different partners in order to access a broad range of resources (p. 47). Ozcan & Eisenhardt (2009, p. 246) noted that APs are theoretically important as they have aggregate properties, such as tie diversity and mix of tie strengths that influence performance (Uzzi, 1997), but are not significant for individual alliances. It is argued that the cross-functional integration that APs promote helps companies to generate innovation (Duysters & Lokshin, 2011), while mitigating risks associated with single alliances (Leiponen & Helfat, 2005) and thus contributes to ensuring their competitive edge.In fact, firms are increasingly leveraging innovation through multiple cross-border alliances, configuring international alliance portfolios and networks - IAP/networks (Sivakumar et al. 2011). Indeed, recent contributions have argued that access to international knowledge flows is especially important for firms aiming to tap into leading-edge knowledge (Griffith et al., 2006 apud Duysters and Lokshin, 2011, p.571). It is relevant that many of these alliances involve partners from emerging countries (Jacob et al. 2013). Given this trend, firms that seek to leverage innovation through IAPs should know which and how IAP/network characteristics positively influence innovation performance so that they can consider these in their strategic analyses and decisions. Also, they should have the necessary analytical tools. Phelps et al. (2012) carried out the first literature review (1990-2009) on knowledge networks. Stolwijck et al. (2013) made a bibliographic study on alliance network characteristics and technological development. They found that the more complex structural variables were hardly investigated. Wassmer (2010) conducted a literature review on APs. However, we did not find any that focused on IAPs and innovation performance.This article presents the results of bibliographic research performed between 2001 and 2014 whose objective was twofold: i) to identify firm IAP/network characteristics that have a positive effect on innovation performance; ii) to formulate propositions and present a conceptual model to help analyze the relationship between the most significant firm IAP/network characteristics and innovation performance, considering intervening variables. Since global technology alliances now increasingly include partners from emerging economies (Jacob et al. 2013), special attention was given to IAPs involving the latter. The remainder of this article is divided into four parts: theoretical background, research methods, results and analysis, recommendations for managers and final considerations.THEORETICAL BACKGROUNDWe adopted Gulatis (1998) definition of alliances as voluntary arrangements between firms, involving the exchange, sharing or co-development of products, technologies or services and classified them according to their degree of intensity that has been associated with performance (Contractor & Lorange, 1988).Linkages are thus classified running the following gamut from ... mergers & acquisitions - M&A, independent joint ventures, cross equity ownership, minority equity investment, joint Research and Development - R & D, production, or marketing, franchise alliances, know-how or patent licensing agreements... …
It is well known that the business endeavour is as old as mankind itself. The ability to trade is a precursor to the accumulation of wealth and procurement of scarce resources. In essence, mankind's' ability to trade is a direct response to the basic economic problem of how we provide for the material well-being of society. In the modern business environment, however, a critical debate is required on the fundamental purpose of businesses on the African continent and whether their role have been eroded, manipulated and re-interpreted to such an extent that the original intent has been lost. Businesses in Africa often have to survive and prosper in an environment characterised by scarce resources, poor infrastructure and a lack of knowledge and skill. What are the fundamental criteria for succeeding and creating wealth on the African continent? Should business leaders align their practices according to the original purpose of the organisation or should they adopt a new, emergent paradigm in the academic discipline of Business Management?The first manuscript in this issue opens the debate and argues that profit maximisation should not be the ultimate goal of an ethically guided business as it is inconsistent with the principle of serving society. Hence, in the authors' view, the most pertinent implication for the study, and practice, of business ethics centres on the inculcation of an ethical 'moral fibre' that should permeate throughout the business organisation. If one conceives the business as part of society, that it has an active role to play in shaping society, and that this role should be one of helping to uplift society, then the outlook toward ethical practice is a different one. Instead of viewing issues such as ethical business practice, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and even sustainability as compliance issues, which are generally dealt with by checking the relevant tick box, these now become innate, and form the basis of business decisions, rather than considering these aspects after business decisions have been made.The second article in this issue continues the debate on ethics, specifically within the insurance industry in Ghana. After evaluating the situation of the insurance industry, the authors realised that the policies of businesses within the insurance industry in Ghana, contributed most to the unethical behavior of their sales and marketing officers. It is necessary for companies to motivate their sales and marketing officers through a structured pay system and the setting of realistic goals for their representatives to ensure they behave in an honest manner. …
INTRODUCTIONMany countries in sub-Saharan Africa experience severe poverty and hunger and, as a result, the life expectancy of the inhabitants is low in comparison with those in industrialised countries. With a view to statistics from the World Health Organisation, health, nutrition, development, and other factors are at levels considerably lower than in the more industrialised countries (WHO, 2014). Bottlenecks in the logistical processes are among the reasons for the situation (Arvis et al., 2014). Many challenges have to be addressed to overcome the existing situation; that is, the performance of logistical processes must be enhanced so that the supply of food and medicines flows smoother. In addition, the infrastructural conditions, educational level, and political circumstances have to be taken into account.This paper addresses the opportunities and challenges of logistics in sub-Saharan Africa with a special reference to the logistical processes and bottlenecks at Douala seaport in Cameroon to the hinterland in Cameroon and neighbouring countries such as Chad and the Central African Republic. The Douala seaport in Cameroon is representative of other African seaports, such as the Dar Es Salaam seaport in Tanzania. Both seaports are important for the respective country, but also for people and countries in the hinterland, and problems such as long delivery times and high logistics costs, also occur in both seaports. The findings of this paper are based on scientific literature sources and statistical analysis, as well as on more practical oriented sources from on-location inspections and expert-interviews in sub-Saharan Africa, with special reference to Cameroon.In this paper logistical processes and bottlenecks from the seaport in Douala to the hinterland in Cameroon will be highlighted by concentrating on one representative logistics chain from the seaport to a recipient in one of Cameroon's neighbouring countries. A standard for business process modelling "Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN)" will be applied to develop the model and to illustrate the current logistical processes and chains employed.Recommendations will be made to improve the logistics chain and to provide individuals in sub-Saharan Africa with an effective supply of food, medicines, and other goods. Aims and goals which are familiar to logistics experts - such as logistics costs and logistics service - are applied to evaluate the status quo and to identify improvements for this sub-Saharan African country.CHALLENGES FOR CAMEROON AS A SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRYWangari Maathai refers to farming in Africa and typical unsustainable processes as follows: "Whether it is in the middle of a big city like Yaounde, Johannesburg, Dar Es Salaam, or Nairobi, or in the countryside, the story is the same: slash and burn, plant, harvest once or twice, and move on to new land to repeat the same unsustainable process" (Maathai, 2010:12). This statement can be transferred to other challenges and problems with view to sub-Saharan Africa, such as leadership, governance, national identities, land ownership, development, dependency, corruption, and also the situation of infrastructure, education and available technologies - "they are not uncommon in many other cities and towns throughout the vast African continent" (Maathai, 2010:12).Considering this example and the special challenges of sub-Saharan Africa in mind, the situation of bottlenecks and lack of efficient logistical processes can be compared and widely transferred from one country - in this case Cameroon - to several other countries. The view of Wangari Maathai on Sub-Saharan Africa is a widely-held view on the macro-level, and it should be considered when dealing with logistics and logistical processes in Africa.Several statistics illustrate the situation in these sub-Saharan countries and the challenges that their people face. The World Health Statistics 2014 published by the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2014) provides statistics on health, nutrition, and other central information with regard to the supply of food, medicines, and other goods for development. …
INTRODUCTIONIn this paper, the authors propose that the fundamental purpose of business in society has been eroded, manipulated and re-interpreted to such an extent that the original intent has been lost. This reminds strongly of an event in Animal Farm (Orwell, 1945), where the original Seven Commandments composed by the pigs are altered by Squealer and in so doing, the original purpose of the Seven Commandments (to maintain order on the farm by uniting animals against humans and preventing animals from following evil human habits) are lost forever. The revision of the commandments demonstrates how simple a political doctrine can be turned into malleable propaganda.We suggest that in the sphere of management, much the same has happened. Over time, the original intention behind the early pioneers (and here we refer to both industrialists and scholars alike) has been manipulated. Things have been added that were not originally there, important bits have conveniently been 'left behind', and assumptions have been made that suited a particular situation at a particular point in time. All of this has led to a situation where it is highly questionable that our current conception of management theory is based on authoritative, first-hand accounts of empirical evidence that suits these 'new' theories.This paper adopts a critical-dialectic approach to re-open the debate surrounding the basic ontological issue on the reason for existence of the business organisation. Central to this dialectic approach is engagement with different points of view in the form of a conversational debate to establish reality through reasoned argument (Corbett & Connors, 1999). Our argument is epistemologically framed within the Critical Management Studies (CMS) movement. The CMS movement adopts a persuasive discourse, challenging the underlying assumptions of capitalism (Sulkowski, 2013). These assumptions, in turn, aim to maintain the dominant capitalist status quo through domination and exploitation. CMS therefore confronts the 'objective' and 'natural' status of (inter alia) business organisations, institutional order and management power (Alvesson & Willmott, 1992). More specifically, this paper employs a critical-dialectical technique termed denaturalisation (Grey & Willmott, 2005). Denaturalisation refers to the existence of oppositional politics. As the existing order of things becomes taken for granted and legitimised as natural or necessary, the existence of any alternative is nullified and suppressed. CMS challenges these assertions by questioning their underlying ideology and context-dependence (Alvesson, Bridgman & Willmott, 2011).These are ontological issues that we propose are at the very heart of our academic discipline. As management scholars we believe we have an obligation to be part of an emergent point of view that wishes to inculcate the Socratic notion of Radical Discourse into Business Management (and related areas) as a field of academic inquiry. Being three authors from different backgrounds, each with their own ontological positions, experiences and subject fields to contribute to the conversation, we are not claiming that our thoughts are novel ones. On the contrary, most of the ideas we put forward in this paper have existed for some time. Organisations are, from time-to-time questioned in the literature (Hiller, 2012; Hilliard, 2012). However, we do propose that looking at these issues from a critical perspective, causes one to think about these issues from a different point of view and in so doing leads to an alternative understanding of the basic ontological foundations of Business Management as an academic discipline. In so doing, we specifically focus on the organisation from a philosophy (knowledge) of management perspective.In this paper, and drawing from diverse areas of enquiry, we will proceed with a conversational argument on the purpose of the business organisation. …
INTRODUCTIONThis paper examines market orientation and the impact of environmental uncertainty among Botswana's small service firms. Market Orientation (MO) is defined as a set of behaviours and activities relating to customers, competitors and coordination between functional units within the business (Diamantopoulos & Hart, 1993; Narver & Slater, 1990). The development of the MO construct is based on the behavioural premise that firms need to gather market intelligence, coordinate this intelligence internally, and respond in a customer oriented manner (Kohli & Jaworski, 1990).In a wider context, MO is understood as a business response to a specific part of the external environment that is composed of consumers and competitors (Kohli & Jaworski, 1990; Narver & Slater, 1990). Small firms irrefutably remain critical to the development of any nation's economy as they are an excellent source of employment generation, help in development of local technology, and develop indigenous entrepreneurs (Erdern & Erdem, 2011). While a substantial academic literature has examined MO, this work is limited with respect to small firms (Blankson, Motwani & Levenburg, 2006).Specifically, previous research has yet to consider empirically the relationship between small firms MO and environmental uncertainty (Alpkan, Imaz & Kaya, 2007; Pelham & Wilson, 1996). Pelham and Wilson (1996) assert that to maximise their flexibility and responsiveness under conditions of environmental uncertainty, requires small firms to have higher levels of MO. Alpkan et al. (2007) contend that studies have shown that MO is an important facilitator of flexible planning in small firms, helping them to improve performance.In general terms, MO is understood as a response to the specific part of the external environment that is composed of consumers and competitors (Kohli & Jaworski, 1990; Narver & Slater, 1990). While a substantial academic literature has examined MO, this study confines itself to small firms. This, therefore, lends credence to a new research direction as suggested by Atuahene-Gima, Slater and Olsin (2005) that will endeavour to expand the contingency view of MO, and external environmental factors need to be examined. This would advance extant marketing literature by explaining why some firms are able to adopt responsive and proactive MO more effectively than others. The findings of this study reinforce the view of MO as a dynamic construct which can help to explain the relationship between small firms and environmental uncertainty.Given the nature of the vulnerabilities and opportunities arising from the conditions of environmental uncertainty for small firms and the lack of previous empirical study in Botswana, there is a need therefore for empirical examination of the nexus of relationship between environmental uncertainty and small firms MO.RESEARCH OBJECTIVESAfter extensive review of extant literature underpinning the nomological web between overall market orientation and environmental uncertainty of small firms, the researcher managed to generate the research objectives as explicated:1) To determine if market turbulence has a significant effect on market orientation behaviour of Botswana's small service firms.2) To determine if technological turbulence has a significant effect on the market orientation behaviour of Botswana's small service firms.3) To determine if competitive intensity has a significant effect on the market orientation behaviour of Botswana's small service firms.LITERATURE REVIEW AND HYPOTHESES DEVELOPMENTThe concept of MO was put forth by Kohli and Jaworski (1990) and Narver and Slater (1994). Kohli and Jaworski (1990) define MO as the organisation-wide generation of market intelligence, pertaining to current and future customer needs, dissemination of the intelligence across departments, and organisations' wide responsiveness to it. …
The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of luxury brand consumption in emerging markets and to explore a new notion associated with brand positioning termed ‘opportunistic luxury b ...
It is well known that the business endeavour is as old as mankind itself. The ability to trade is a precursor to the accumulation of wealth and procurement of scarce resources. In essence, mankind's' ability to trade is a direct response to the basic economic problem of how we provide for the material well-being of society. In the modern business environment, however, a critical debate is required on the fundamental purpose of businesses on the African continent and whether their role have been eroded, manipulated and re-interpreted to such an extent that the original intent has been lost. Businesses in Africa often have to survive and prosper in an environment characterised by scarce resources, poor infrastructure and a lack of knowledge and skill. What are the fundamental criteria for succeeding and creating wealth on the African continent? Should business leaders align their practices according to the original purpose of the organisation or should they adopt a new, emergent paradigm in the academic discipline of Business Management?The first manuscript in this issue opens the debate and argues that profit maximisation should not be the ultimate goal of an ethically guided business as it is inconsistent with the principle of serving society. Hence, in the authors' view, the most pertinent implication for the study, and practice, of business ethics centres on the inculcation of an ethical 'moral fibre' that should permeate throughout the business organisation. If one conceives the business as part of society, that it has an active role to play in shaping society, and that this role should be one of helping to uplift society, then the outlook toward ethical practice is a different one. Instead of viewing issues such as ethical business practice, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and even sustainability as compliance issues, which are generally dealt with by checking the relevant tick box, these now become innate, and form the basis of business decisions, rather than considering these aspects after business decisions have been made.The second article in this issue continues the debate on ethics, specifically within the insurance industry in Ghana. After evaluating the situation of the insurance industry, the authors realised that the policies of businesses within the insurance industry in Ghana, contributed most to the unethical behavior of their sales and marketing officers. It is necessary for companies to motivate their sales and marketing officers through a structured pay system and the setting of realistic goals for their representatives to ensure they behave in an honest manner. …
INTRODUCTIONOrganisational performance remains a topic of interest to both practitioners and academics, as it is argued that it can be improved (Aguinis, 2013). The gap between planned and realised performance has been under scrutiny for a number of years from a variety of viewpoints (Alexander, 1985; Beer & Eisenstat, 2000; Cocks, 2010; Crittenden & Crittenden, 2008; Dinwoodie, Quinn & McGuire, 2014; Evans, 2012; Hrebiniak, 2006; Jooste & Fourie, 2009; Mintzberg, 1994; Mankins & Steele, 2005; Porter, 1985; 1998; Robert, 1991; Sandy, 1991; Schaap, 2012; Tait & Nienaber, 2010, Van der Merwe, 2013; Wery & Waco, 2004). However, conclusive reasons for the performance gap are still unclear. Although many reasons are advanced for this state of affairs, authors are not in agreement (Alexander, 1985; Cocks, 2010; Crittenden & Crittenden, 2008; Evans, 2012; Hrebiniak, 2006; Jooste & Fourie, 2009; Mintzberg, 1994; Mankins & Steele, 2005; Porter, 1985; 1998; Robert, 1991; Sandy, 1991; Schaap, 2012; Tait & Nienaber, 2010, Van der Merwe, 2013; Wery & Waco, 2004). The ambiguity about the performance gap encourages the persistence of this phenomenon, with negative consequences for the long-term sustainability of the organisation, ultimately adversely affecting wealth creation.It is odd that performance gaps persist, given the voluminous publications on strategy, the tool for ensuring organisational performance. Authors differ widely about the meaning of strategy. Nag, Hambrick and Chen (2007) have defined strategy as a field that deals with the major intended and emergent initiatives taken by general managers on behalf of owners, involving the utilisation of resources to enhance the performance of organisations in their external environment with a view to financial gain. This definition is consistent with the view that strategy is the tool management uses to achieve organisational performance manifested as goals (Andrews, 1987; Ansoff, 1965, 1988; David, 2013; Pearce & Robinson, 2009), associated with economic results (Drucker, 1954; Nilsson & Ellstrom, 2012) and expressed as financial gain (Ronda-Pupo & GuerrasMartin, 2012). To be effective, strategy should be based on 'competitive advantage' (David, 2013; Pearce & Robinson, 2009; Porter, 1985; 1998). Competitive advantage essentially means that the organisation does something better than the competition in attracting customers on the basis of value offered (Porter, 1985; 1998). To be persistent, competitive advantage should therefore be embedded in the organisation.Competitive advantage is described as valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable and associated with the resource-based view of the firm (Barney, 1991). Moreover, competitive advantage consists of three interrelated dimensions, namely (a) the arena where the organisation chooses to compete, (b) customer value (customer capital), and (c) access to the required resources, including employees or talent (human capital), processes, systems and assets (structural capital) to provide customer value in the chosen arenas (Nienaber, Cant & Strydom, 2002; Ordonez de Pablo & Lytras, 2008). Of these dimensions, resources, processes, systems and assets are entrenched in the organisation, and thus potentially persistent. Moreover, resources are the most important among these dimensions for providing customer value. Human resources play a particularly important role because of the knowledge, skills, experience and attitudes they bring to the workplace, which may change owing to changes in the workplace and/or environment (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 2002; Campbell, Coff & Kryscynski, 2012; Lewis, 2011; Lockwood, 2007; Ordonez de Pablo & Lytras, 2008; Owen, 1813; Pfeffer, 2010; Whelan & Carcary, 2011).Previous research about the performance gap generally solicited the views of top management who blamed poor strategy implementation for the gap, while a lack of resources, inadequate skills and capabilities were routinely identified by these top managers as the predominant strategy implementation barriers (Alexander, 1985; Mankins & Steele, 2005; Tait & Nienaber, 2010; Van der Merwe, 2013). …
INTRODUCTIONPelser (2001) argues that technology plays an essential role in interactions among the individual, society and nature. Technological advances have major effects on each of these entities and are, in turn, influenced by them. Management of technology involves developing an understanding of these relationships and dealing with them in a rational and effective manner. The widely acknowledged importance of technology will grow; increasing the emphasis top managers must place on their companies' ability to compete through technology (Nambisan & Wilemon, 2003).The 2011-12 R&D survey, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC, 2014), shows that South Africa's performance remains far below the government's initial target of spending 1% of GDP on R&D by 2008. South Africa had spent R22.2bn on R&D in 2011-12, or 0.76% of GDP. This was precisely the same ratio reported for 2010-11, and is noticeably down on previous surveys: it was 0.87% in 2009-10, 0.92% in 2008-09 and 0.93% in 2007-08. These findings emulate the global trends of slowing growth in R&D investment in many parts of the world as a result of the recent global financial crisis. Unfortunately for South Africa, it also trails far behind the international average of 1.77%, and lags most of the other members of BRICS (an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).The progressiveness of technology management, however, goes beyond basic research and development (R&D) expenditures. Increasingly, corporate strategists are focusing on the integration of technology throughout the organisation as a source of sustainable competitive advantage (Song, Zhao & Di Benedetto, 2013). This particular study builds on the previous works of Pelser (2014a, 2014b, 2014c, 2014d, 2014e) regarding strategy taxonomies and their link to company performance.LITERATURE REVIEWAccording to Thongpapanl (2012), the management of technology links engineering, science, marketing, operations, human resources and other management disciplines to formulate strategy, develop technological capabilities and apply them to achieve strategic objectives. This study follows the usage of Clark, Ford & Saren (1989), who use the term to refer to the organisational issues and the processes involved in developing and implementing a strategic approach to technology. Technology management thus relates to the process aspects of technology policy (Harmon, & Davenport, 2007).The strategic approach has evolved from the control paradigm, which argues for an integration of technology with corporate strategy (Pelser, 2001). Technology has been seen as an essential component of the strategy and forms part of the strategic thinking and planning process (Pelser, 2014a). Companies will concentrate on constantly refining their abilities to acquire and deploy relevant technologies, which will be treated as an integral part of their corporate strategies. The technology leaders will be faced with technology acquisitions and deployments. Hence, sustainable competitive advantage will be realised only from the company's ability to become skilled at the technology acquisition and deployment tactics (Pelser, 2014a, 2014b, 2014c, 2014d).Technology Performance MeasurementHansen (2010, p. 17) remarks, that in many manufacturing companies' managers do not have adequate measures for evaluating company performance or for comparing overall performance from one subsidiary to the next. The author go further by stating that the traditional cost-accounting figures can be used, but that these figures do not represent the true nature of company performance. What Hansen (2010) found even more disturbing, is that private sector accounting systems, as traditional management information systems, which are supposed to represent the organisational reality, are problematic themselves.Zahra & Hayton (2008) established that the literature on performance is very extensive, but that it shows a lack of consensus as to the meaning of the term. …
INTRODUCTIONQuality Management, Innovation and Performance have been thoroughly studied, nevertheless there are not many studies that address all these three issues jointly. Our research tries to follow this novel path, , allowing attempting to relate these concepts in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of this complex relation between all these variables.The drive for quality is an ongoing challenge for managers and how they organize the activities of the company, so they can meet their real intentions and expectations of their customers .Quality management is an important option for organizations achieve gain competitive advantages over their competitors.Based on the concepts of Quality management, innovation and performance it was our purpose to realize the extent to which these factors are connected and how they influence the turnover of Portuguese textile sector companies. The textile sector, specifically the clothing industry is undergoing a period of restructuring and conversion that lead to the elimination of thousands of jobs. With the end trade barriers for Chinese companies, strong competitive pressure created by economies of cheap labor, required several changes. Portugal to a new competitive capacity and flexibility both with respect to products and the production processes and management structures.The main objectives of this research are to verify:- What is the relationship between Quality Management, Innovation and Performance?- What is the relationship between these two dimensions (Quality and Performance) and the level of innovation?- Are There mediating variables in this relation?QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATIONTQMIn 1956, Armand Feingenbaum introduced the concept of Total Quality Control (TQC) that was defined as an effective system for integrating the efforts of developing, maintaining and improving quality to allow the marketing, engineering, production and service reach complete customer satisfaction (Santos, 2010).. His work was the starting point for the Standards of Quality Assurance System, which later, in the 1980s , led to the international standards ISO 9000 ( International Organization for Standardization , 1987 ) based in Geneva (Santos, 2010). This concept was the also the foundation of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Quality Managament fields.Nevertheless, there is not a clear definition of TQM. According to Miller, W. (1996), TQM, is a progressive process through which management takes all necessary steps to allow any member of the organization in carrying out its activities, it is responsible for compliance with standards and to meet or exceed the needs of its internal and external customers. According Zehir C. et al. (2012), the TQM is a holistic approach to quality improvement for businesses in order to improve performance in terms of quality and also innovation.The benefits of using TQM in management are different and quite important. These practices can lead to improved operational efficiency, optimized resources, reduced costs and increased employee motivation. While being on one of the tools with greater impact on turnover, TQM is also one of the most difficult tools to implement effectively. Its main philosophy is that organizations acquire strengths by satisfying the needs of their customers (Zehir et al. 2012). TQM is an option to redirect the management of organizations. According to Longo et al. (1996), it values the human being within organizations, recognizing their ability to solve problems on the spot when they occur, and implements an enduring search of perfection.It uses a variety of analytical techniques and management tools, such as the Six Sigma methodology to analyze processes, performance and supply chain logistics. Thus, the general principles of Total Quality are:Customer Focus,Quality first,Improvement of products and processes,Involvement, commitment and human resource development. …
INTRODUCTIONWithout a doubt, health care costs continue to rise. In the United States, health care costs are expected to reach $4.8 trillion by 2021 (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2013). According to the World Bank, health care cost were approximately 17.9% of GDP in 2011 (World Development Indicators, 2013). Supply chain management in hospitals can account for as much as 30 percent of total hospital costs (Schwarting et al, 2011, p.2). Some experts, such as Bruce Johnson, CEO of GHX, states that supply chain is the second largest and fastest growing expense for healthcare providers; with only labor costing most providers (HIT Consultant, 2013). Approximately one third (31%) of annual operating expense can be attributed to the healthcare supply chain (Nachtmann, and Pohl, 2009).The technology of healthcare delivery is heavily dependent on supply chain decisions, operations and status. Adding to the concern of the healthcare supply chain are the tensions on reduced reimbursements for healthcare services, inflationary pressure of pharmaceuticals, high preference supply items, high volume supply items and the move to 'accountable care organizations.' According to Vance Moore, CEO of ROi (the supply chain entity within the Sisters of Mercy Health System based in St. Louis, Missouri), in a 2008 presentation in Chicago, the trend in the cost of the healthcare supply chain continues to grow such that, if the trend continues, supply chain could equal labor cost for annual operating expenses for hospitals and health systems between 2020 and 2025 (Moore 2008). Clearly, maximizing efficiency of the healthcare supply chain is an increasing concern. From an analysis of charges for fiscal year 2003, approximately 36% of inpatient nursing floor unit supply charge capture items were actually being charged correctly (Bacon and Pexton 2010).Other industries have mitigated their market risks and cost increases through the use of strategic partnerships and outsourcing (Vitasek, Ledyard and Manrodt, 2010). Firms like McDonald's, Proctor & Gamble and Microsoft have obtained cost saving, flexibility, transformation and innovation by developing key strategic partnerships (Vitasek, Manrodt, Kling, 2012). Relationships, partnerships and alliances for organizations can generate more opportunities than threats (van Aduard de Macedo-Soares and Moraes, 2013). These efforts must also hold firms responsible (Brusseau, Chiagouris and Fernandez Brusseau, 2013). The purpose of this article is to explore the possibility of reducing costs, increasing flexibility and transforming the work processes in healthcare through strategic relationships.One way to view these strategic relationships is through the lens of transaction cost economics. This lens has been used by several researchers in the health care field over the past two decades (Donato, 2010; Parker and Hartley, 2003; Coles and Hesterly, 1998; Ashton, 1998; Pelletier-Fleury, Fargeon, Lanoe and Fardeau, 1997).Specifically, we focus on a single article written by Williamson (2008) for several reasons. First, the article describes various types of relationships a firm can have with their suppliers, ranging from transactions to strategic partnerships. Second, his focus is on improving the performance of the supply chain. Finally, while our analysis provides insights on how these lessons relate to healthcare, many of them can also apply to other disciplines and industries as well.This articles is divided into three main parts. In the first part we begin with a brief overview of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE). Second, we start to apply his insights into ten specific lessons for health care professionals. This will be completed in the third part in the series. Finally, we will discuss future implications.What Exactly is Transaction Cost Economics?Transaction costs are the costs that occur when participating in a market. To use a very simple example, when buying a book, there is not only the purchase price of the book but also the costs you incur in purchasing the item. …
