This study examines the relationship between supply chain orientation and knowledge sharing on small business strategy and firm performance. This paper also explores potential differences that may exist across national boundaries for international firms. 392 surveys were administered to managing directors of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the United States, France and India and explored how managerial practices may impact firm’s financial and non-financial performance outcomes via triple bottom line assessments. Interestingly, findings suggest that differences in managerial practices for business strategy exist across the three countries and that these differences are associated with differences with respect to firm performance outcomes. The paper discusses implications for scholars and practitioners, suggests future research opportunities, and provides concluding thoughts.

This study examines the influence of high performing organization (HPO) management principles and social media marketing strategies on firms’ performance, as reflected in firms’ triple bottom line (TBL). The study examines profit, planet and people – and whether or not HPO managerial and social media marketing strategies present differences in TBL performance outcomes for firms that are family businesses relative to those that are not family businesses. Employing a survey of 392 businesses, we conduct confirmatory, factor and regression analyses to explore the impact of managerial practices and social media marketing on firms’ performance (family and non-family) exploring both financial and non-financial outcomes. Findings suggest that HPO managerial practices and social media marketing strategies influence TBL outcomes and that performance outcome differences do exist between family and non-family firms. A discussion regarding practice implications, study limitations, prospective future research directions and concluding thoughts are provided.

Purpose This paper aims to study the performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the French hospitality sector and to determine what firm characteristics (particularly entrepreneurship orientation and strategic initiatives) explain differences in performance. The study is based on data from hotels and differentiates between high- and low-performing businesses. The study examines performance differences relating to entrepreneurial orientation and strategic initiatives. The conclusions indicate that there are differences between high- and low-performing groups, and overall, it seems that there is a relationship between high performance and entrepreneurial, well-planned strategic initiatives. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a structured telephone interview procedure to solicit respondents from owner/operators of the hotels throughout the region. The process for gathering data resulted in 66 hotels providing complete responses during interview sessions. Findings The primary intent of this study was to examine the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and strategic initiatives with SME performance. The findings suggest that differences exists. Interestingly, we found that better performing group used more people and tended to see business environment much more favorable compared to low-performing group. Originality/value Entrepreneurial orientation research suggest that SMEs firms operate distinct from other ones given different patterns used. These differences come from how SMEs leverage the proactiveness, risk-taking and innovativeness dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation in a firm. Waal and his colleagues suggested that activities associated with creating a high-performing organization using strategic initiatives will lead to subsequent high financial performance. The research found here would also support such an assertion. However, care should be taken in interpreting the generalizability of these results given the limited number of hotels participating in this study; more work is still needed.

The process of implementing successful franchise system has received limited attention in the literature. The purpose of our paper is to replicate in France a franchise development model developed in New Zealand that identifies significant sequentially activities in the franchising process. Using a case study approach franchisors in ten French start-up franchisees were interviewed in order to determine how they applied the franchising process identified in the New Zealand study. A quantitative measure is derived as the basis of comparison for different approaches in the two countries. Our findings lend some support for the model, while revealing interesting differences between franchise development in the New Zealand study and the franchising start-up environment in France.

Research into knowledge sharing has mainly treated knowledge from an instrumental, market‐driven perspective. On this view, research has focused on the psychological (e.g. motivation), cognitive (e.g. absorptive capacity) and social features (e.g. weak/strong ties) of the knowledge entities, the structural (formal or informal) characteristics of the organizational context and the nature of knowledge to be transferred (such as its stickiness and causal complexity). The present study seeks to suggest passion as a contingency that impacts the knowledge transfer process positively. Passion for knowledge may constitute a social bond that holds a community together. Passionate members are inclined to share their object of passion—knowledge—more readily. Our argument is based on information elicited from a number of scientific experts within the petrol industry. In their daily work, experts regard the transfer of knowledge as sine qua non of becoming expert, as interactions with others are (i) learning opportunities for themselves and (ii) as social occasions to relate to their peers and on to talk about and share stories about the object to their passion (knowledge). The contribution of the paper is thus to suggest emotional aspects (passion, attachment and interest) related to knowledge as a factor that impacts the transfer of knowledge. Finally, conclusions and implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study examines entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation, information technology competency, firm profitability and growth, with respect to differences exhibited among three size categories—micro, small and medium—within the SME classification. The results of our examination reveal significant differences among the three categories on some of the dimensions but no differences on others. Further, the pattern of similarities and differences may lead to useful suggestions for SME managers. The implications with respect to practice and further research are discussed.

Several researchers have sought to establish the drivers behind and effects of outsourcing on organizations (nations and economies at large). Less research, however, has concerned itself with the changing role that firms go through—from a producer of information technology services to a purchaser of those services—and the form of knowledge that this new role requires. The present paper describes this process of going from consumer to purchaser of information technology services, focusing on the form of knowledge that emerges in this process. As an illustration, the paper draws on case study material gleaned from four firms that have outsourced parts or all of their information technology activities. Becoming a purchaser, it is found, presupposes the development of “interactional knowledge”. Interactional knowledge or expertise involves a new language related to standardized monitoring performance and quality measurements, detailed contracts in the form of service level agreements—all of which facilitate communication, enable exchange, reduce transaction costs, and give birth to a new market. Several questions concerning the effects of outsourcing on firms can be revisited, and new research directions are suggested. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Research in the area of knowledge transfer has mainly addressed the transfer process from an instrumental, market-driven perspective. On this view, tacit knowledge is mainly regarded as an impediment to its transfer. This study argues that tacit knowledge, given its social and intrinsic nature, can facilitate the transfer process. Our argument is based on information elicited from a number of scientific experts within the petrol industry. In their daily work, experts regard the transfer of knowledge as sine qua non of becoming expert, since interactions with others are 1) learning opportunities for themselves, and 2) as social occasions on which they demonstrate their social status as experts. Consequently, we conclude, the social and the relational nature of expertise knowledge, as a form of tacit knowledge, can be regarded as facilitators in the knowledge transfer process, rather than a barrier. Finally, conclusions and implications are drawn out.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue that experts' degree of passion for, and attachment to their expertise knowledge facilitates knowledge acquisition and its transfer.Design/methodology/approachThe article draws on case study methodology. Twenty experts within the petrol industry were interviewed with a view to examining the motivators and inhibitors of transferring their expertise knowledge to freshly recruited engineers.FindingsIt seems to emerge that the more passionate an expert is the more intent they will on seeing thrive and diffuse to others. Assuming that expertise is dialogical, that is, the process of transferring is at the same a process of acquiring it. The two processes are conflated.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the study is that it relies on an in‐depth case study within a specific, scientific industry. How relevant are the findings remains to be studied.Practical implicationsTo the extent that passion is an intrinsic motive and since it is not amenable to management control and intervention (“expertise cannot be managed!”), attempts at managing it may be counter‐productive. If curiosity and passion are the main drivers behind transferring (and pursuing intellectually challenging tasks) are the mainspring, managers are faced with providing context that stimulates such drives, not necessarily resorting to monetary rewards.Originality/valueThe originality of this study is to emphasize the significance of passion in the process of transferring and acquiring knowledge.

Knowledge inpatriation : Knowledge flows between Chinese subsidiaries and their European headquarters

Abstract: Theorists have taken a keen interest in the factors that boost or diminish employees’ motivation,to share

Abstract In the past, research into brand alliances has had a mainly cognitive approach. Recent development of research carried out on the customer brand relationship, in particular those concerned with how the consumers identify with the brand, has allowed the introduction of a relational approach to this practi- ce. This article deals with the question of how identification is transferred between,associated,brands. Keywords