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This paper aims to investigate the relationship between market orientation and innovative marketing strategies and the effect of innovative marketing strategies on the performance of agro-food manufacturers.

Systematic random sampling was used, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 380 agro-food manufacturers. Several statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis, were used to analyze the relationship between market orientation and innovative marketing strategies, and the effect of innovative marketing strategies on the performance of agro-food manufacturers.

All dimensions of market orientation – customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-functional coordination – have significant relationships with innovative marketing strategies (product, price, promotion and distribution), while customer orientation and promotion showed a very strong relationship among other variables measured. Innovative marketing strategies, specifically promotion, had the most effect on the performance of agro-food manufacturers.

The sample for this study was selected among agro-food manufacturers in major locations in Peninsular Malaysia. Hence, the findings may only give an initial overview of the current state of the agro-food manufacturers.

This study highlighted the significance of market orientation and innovative marketing strategies for the betterment of performance in the agro-food manufacturing sector.

The purpose of this paper is to examine organizational project management (OPM) as an integrative mechanism to mediate marketing and technology strategies for innovative performance. In addition, the moderating effects of firm size and turbulence on the relationships between marketing strategy, technology strategy, OPM, and innovative performance are examined.

The authors used empirical data derived from a survey of 5,000 firms worldwide in fast‐paced R&D intensive sectors. Respondents were typically chief technology officers or senior R&D managers. Fisher test and moderated regression analysis were applied on 715 usable questionnaires.

Evidence is found that OPM has a positive effect on innovative performance; and intervenes in the relationship between both strategies and innovative performance. The results also show some moderating effects of turbulence.

Marketing and technology strategies impact innovative performance, but part of this influence is established through OPM. Thus, OPM appears to be a good vehicle to translate strategies into concrete results. Project management can no longer be viewed as just a tool. Instead, OPM should be viewed as a decentralized, distributed function that is not innovative as such, but which supports innovation.

To date, the research has not explored OPM as an alternative whereby firms can integrate marketing and technology strategies to drive innovative performance, even if the firm's ability to generate a stream of innovations has become increasingly important. Therefore, probing the OPM links become an interesting search.

This study explores the influence of Taiwan’s high‐tech manufacturers’ innovative strategy and innovation motivation concerning the implementation of innovative activities, as well as the influence of innovative activities implementation on business performance. The two intermediate variables, industry group and enterprise scale are also considered. Through a review of the relevant literature, a theoretical model of the influence relationship is developed, while an empirical analysis is simultaneously conducted on Taiwan’s high‐tech manufacturers. The research result shows that the internal driving force of innovative activities has a significant impact on the level of implementing technological innovative activities and cultural innovative activities. The external driving force of innovative activities has a significant impact on the level of implementing market innovative activities and management innovative activities. Companies adopting self‐developed technology and purchased as well as self‐developed technology strategies, perform better than those adopting purchased new technology or those with neither purchased nor self‐developed technology strategies, at implementing technological innovative activities and cultural innovative activities. The level of implementing innovative activities has a significant influence on business performance (cost reduction and product/service differentiation). For the intermediate variables of “industry group” and “enterprise scale”, it is proven in this study that they have no significant influence on the level of innovative activity implementation or business performance.

The purpose of this paper is to present qualitative evidence on strategies undertaken by 34 innovative small firms.

The sample of innovative firms is solely recruited from the agri-business sector that are located in contrasting environments varying from rural areas with low urban influence to areas with high urban influence and “main” urban or city areas. The authors discuss strategies in the light of a theoretical approach that incorporates a resource-based view, dynamic capabilities (DCs) and social network theory.

Although there is diversity in strategies across the 34 innovative small firms, irrespective of their “rural” or “urban” environment, qualitative evidence sheds light on differences in the way that strategies are pursued.

The study indicates that small firms in rural environments can be just as innovative as their counterparts in urban environments; however, the authors demonstrate that they adopt different strategies, which have been shaped by their environment, to achieve innovation. The authors use the qualitative evidence to develop the theory of DCs and classify the sample into four clusters which marries the environmental context and innovative DCs.

The paper makes a contribution to a research gap on the way that the environment can shape management strategies in innovative small firms. It contributes to a limited literature in this area.

Strategy and organizational culture are indispensable for success within a business. Both behavioral scientists and practitioners have shown keen interest in understanding the association between culture and strategy; however, no strong consensus has been formed about this relationship. This paper aims to shed light on this relationship by answering the following questions: Is organizational culture separable from its strategies? Is there an association between organizational culture and strategy?

Using a sample of 496 service managers, this study empirically examines the relationship between culture and strategy. Due to the nature of the data, cross-tabulation research method was used for analysis and to check the association between organizational culture and strategy.

Results indicate that successful firms with a bureaucratic and innovative culture may demonstrate any of the four examined strategies (command, rational, transactive and generative). The results also suggest that successful firms with a supportive culture will likely use a transactive or generative strategy. Overall, the results found that all four strategies are associated with each of the three corporate cultures, except for the supportive culture-command strategy and supportive culture-rational strategy dyads.

There are diverse views about the organizational culture-strategy relationship; however, no strong consensus has been formed about this relationship. Using managerial data collected from service industry, this study examines the relationship between three organizational cultures, namely, bureaucratic, supportive and innovative, and four different types of strategies, namely, specially command, rational, transactive and generative.

The global prominence of languages and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which supports the necessity of German proficiency for the nation’s socioeconomic evolution, necessitate a deeper understanding of German teaching in Saudi international schools. This study delves into the influence of various teaching strategies on students' German writing skills. The research particularly focuses on traditional and innovative methods and considers the factors that drive these teaching approaches.

Data were collected from 304 students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, through a questionnaire. The relationships between teaching strategies and students' German writing abilities were analyzed using regression techniques.

The results indicate that both traditional and innovative teaching strategies positively influence students' writing skills. The regression analysis shows that the independent variables (traditional teaching strategies, innovative teaching strategies and factors influencing teaching strategies) collectively account for 68.9% of the variation in students' German writing skills. Even though a variety of techniques influence students' academic performance, the study’s findings indicate that several strategies – such as self-evaluation, pair work, oral feedback, grammar instruction and translation – have a major impact on students' German writing abilities.

This research brings unique insights into the German teaching realm of Saudi international schools, emphasizing the harmony between Vision 2030 goals and effective teaching methodologies. It elucidates the considerable influence of both traditional and innovative strategies on student writing outcomes. For educators in Saudi Arabia’s international educational environment, the study’s findings underline the importance of adopting student-centric approaches in the writing process, ensuring students evolve as proficient writers. Additionally, the research underscores the significant role of variables affecting teaching strategies, spotlighting their pivotal role in shaping student outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to determine how high-tech firms should choose between independent research and development and technology introduction as well as to ascertain the effects of the three elements of competitive dynamics on the evolution of innovative behavior-based decisions and competitive results.

This paper describes the construction of an evolutionary game model and a multi-agent-based model of innovative behavior-based decisions by heterogeneous high-tech firms. The models are used to analyze the evolution path and evolutionarily stable strategy of innovative behavior-based decisions. In addition, multi-agent-based simulation is used to gain insight into the effects of competitive dynamics on the dynamic evolution of innovative behavior-based decisions.

This paper reveals four evolutionary equilibrium states of the innovation behavior-based decisions of high-tech firms. Based on the findings, these overall evolutionary trends are not affected by the timing of competitive market entry or the intensity of competition. In addition, simulated evidence is added that the timing of competitive market entry is an important factor affecting market-leading innovative strategies and dynamic competition results, and competition intensity is closely related to the evolutionary speed of innovation behavior-based decisions.

The key contribution of this paper is its new view of innovative behavior-based decisions from a competitive dynamics perspective. The new competitive dynamics-based framework for innovative behavior-based decisions of high-tech firms proposed in the paper can resolve the problem of obtaining a sustainable competitive advantage for high-tech firms in a competitive dynamics context.

In this information era, innovation is among the most important factors for an organization to increase its performance. In this chapter, it is explored how to improve the business innovation in organizations effectively by using suitable management strategies in an emerging economy selected as Turkey. Among many strategies set and implemented for the ease of innovation, in this chapter, it is revealed that some have more direct and efficient effects. Among these strategies and practices there exist, strategic and innovative human resource management, goal setting for innovation, supporting employee creativity, empowering employees for innovation, developing effective organizational communication, leading for innovation, building an innovative organizational culture and establishing teams for innovation. These practices are derived from the selected Borsa Istanbul (BIST) Companies in Turkey. Strategies of five companies which are indexed in BIST30 and BIST Sustainability Index, and additionally, which are all candidates of innovation leader in their sector, were taken as examples reflecting the innovative atmosphere in Turkey.

This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of demand and supply in relation to the real-world supply chain strategies of local urban fresh food supply chains (FFSC). It generates insights into how a range of strategies is adopted by urban retailer businesses in attempting to cater for the particular requirements of food-literate urban consumers and small-scale local growers.

Using a multiple case study method, 12 urban local fresh food retailers in Sydney were studied and interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Local fresh produce has characteristics of both functional and innovative products. Retailers with strong upstream and downstream collaborations adopt hybrid strategies for increased time efficiency and product variety. The dominance of strategies for time efficiency in downstream activities is aimed at maximising the product’s freshness and taste, while product range improvement strategies mean innovative retailers are working with growers to introduce new product types and offering new recipes to consumers that encourage a wider use of products. Urban retailers of local fresh produce leverage on their relationships with upstream and downstream supply chain entities in implementing hybrid strategies.

Policymakers will make use of the new knowledge generated about the real enablers of contemporary urban food systems in designing developmental policies; findings will inform urban FFSC retailers about how harmonious relationships can be leveraged for sustainability.

The study generates new knowledge on the implementation of a leagile approach by studying the adoption of innovative hybrid strategies by urban local FFSCs in relations to demand and supply characteristics and the utilization of strong vertical relationships in a short supply chain.

Innovation has become an approach to create value for the customer to remain competitive in the market. However, previous research on innovation performance particularly among Bumiputera small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had received little intention. Hence, Bumiputera SMEs need to inculcate the innovation culture to generate innovation performance. As such, the purpose of this study is to examine the ambidextrous orientation and innovation strategy on innovation culture, and how innovation culture could mediate the relationship between ambidextrous orientation and innovation strategy and innovation performance. In addition, this study also examines the role of government support as the moderator between innovation culture and innovation performance.

Data were collected from 140 Bumiputera SMEs and analyzed using partial least square-structural equation modeling via Smart PLS.

Findings indicated that ambidextrous orientation (alignment and adaptability) and innovation strategy (proactive creativity strategy and growth risk orientation strategy) had a significant impact on innovation culture. Besides, innovation culture mediated the relationship between alignment, proactive creativity strategy, growth risk orientation strategy and innovation performance. Surprisingly, innovation culture does not significantly mediate the relationship between adaptability and innovation performance. However, government support plays an important role to support innovation culture and innovation performance in Bumiputera SMEs.

This study makes both theoretical and practical contributions, especially in identifying the significant role of Bumiputera SMEs in creating an innovation culture. Besides, it explained government support as an important role in strengthening the relationship between innovation culture and innovation performance. The findings of the study will provide great help to Bumiputera entrepreneurs in formulating innovation culture in Malaysian SMEs.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the strategies and organizational forms used by large Brazilian pharmaceutical companies (LBPCs) in interaction with universities for the development of innovation.

In the pharmaceutical industry, a science-based sector, the source of new knowledge is often outside the company environment. Thus, the search for innovation depends on the company’s strategic decisions of cooperation. This research uses the case study method, with secondary data from the 2008, 2011 and 2014 Innovation Survey (Pintec) about the innovative efforts of LBPCs, as well as primary data from semi-structured interviews with six of them.

The most recent data on innovation in Brazil show changes in the innovative efforts of LBPCs, involving the raise in the interaction with universities. The results of the field research also show that the LBPCs have differentiated innovative structures and are effectively using strategies for partnerships with universities, through the creation of radical innovation departments, the establishment of internal scientific committees and the internationalization of research and development.

These findings contribute to the literature on the industry-university interactions in Brazil and in developing countries. However, this analysis cannot be generalized for the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry as it uses the case study method. Moreover, it is too early to determine if the identified strategies were successful. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that the strategies of the six interviewed companies differ greatly from the patterns of the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry and the manufacturing industry.

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las estrategias y estructuras organizacionales de las grandes empresas farmacéuticas brasileñas (GEFBs) en la interacción con universidades para el desarrollo innovador. En la industria farmacéutica, un sector basado en la ciencia, la fuente del conocimiento suele estar fuera del ambiente de la empresa. Por lo tanto, la búsqueda de la innovación depende de las decisiones estratégicas de cooperación de la empresa.

Esta investigación utiliza el método de estudio de caso, a partir de datos secundarios de la Encuesta de Innovación (Pintec) de 2008, 2011 y 2014 sobre los esfuerzos innovadores de las GEFBs, así como datos primarios de entrevistas semiestructuradas con seis de ellas.

Los datos más recientes sobre innovación en Brasil muestran cambios en los esfuerzos innovadores de las GEFBs, incluyendo ampliación de la interacción con universidades. Los resultados de la investigación de campo también indican que las GEFBS poseen estructuras innovadoras diferenciadas y están aplicando estratégicas de alianzas con universidades, por la creación de departamentos de innovación radical, por el establecimiento de comités científicos internos y por la internacionalización de la investigación e innovación.

Este análisis no puede ser generalizado para la industria farmacéutica brasileña por utilizar el método de estudio de caso. Además, es muy temprano para determinar si las estrategias identificadas obtuvieron éxito.

Estrategias empresariales, interacción universidad-empresa, Brasil

Estudio de caso

Estos resultados contribuyen a la literatura sobre interacciones universidad-empresa en Brasil y en países en desarrollo. Asimismo, debe ser mencionado que las estrategias de las seis empresas entrevistadas difieren considerablemente de los padrones de la industria farmacéutica y de la industria de transformación brasileñas.

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar as estratégias e estruturas organizacionais das grandes empresas farmacêuticas brasileiras (GEFBs) na interação com universidades para o desenvolvimento inovativo. Na indústria farmacêutica, um setor baseado em ciência, a fonte do conhecimento costuma estar fora do ambiente da empresa. Portanto, a busca pela inovação depende das decisões estratégicas de cooperação da empresa.

Esta pesquisa utiliza o método de estudo de caso, a partir de dados secundários da Pesquisa de Inovação (Pintec) de 2008, 2011 e 2014 sobre os esforços inovativos das GEFBs, assim como dados primários de entrevistas semiestruturadas com seis delas. Os dados mais recentes sobre inovação no Brasil mostram mudanças nos esforços inovativos das GEFBs, incluindo a ampliação da interação com universidades.

Os resultados da pesquisa de campo também indicam que as GEFBs possuem estruturas inovativas diferenciadas e estão efetivamente aplicando estratégicas de parcerias com universidades, pela criação de departamentos de inovação radical, pelo estabelecimento de comitês científicos internos e pela internacionalização da pesquisa e inovação.

Esta análise não pode ser generalizada para a indústria farmacêutica brasileira por utilizar o método de estudo de caso. Ademais, é muito cedo para determinar se as estratégias identificadas obtiveram sucesso.

Esses resultados contribuem para a literatura sobre interações universidade-empresa no Brasil e em países em desenvolvimento. Outrossim, deve ser mencionado que as estratégias das seis empresas entrevistadas diferem consideravelmente do padrão da indústria farmacêutica e da indústria de transformação brasileiras.

Estratégias empresariais, interação universidade-empresa, indústria farmacêutica, Brasil

Estudo de caso

Intrapreneurs are those employees who identify and pursue opportunities in a firm. By pursuing these opportunities with new products, services or processes, intrapreneurial employees may influence the strategic direction of the firm, a process called intrapreneurial strategy-making. Little consideration has been given to how small firms may use this process to improve performance. To this end this paper describes the results of an empirical study conducted with 454 small firms. Analysis of the data indicates that intrapreneurial strategy-making has a significant positive relationship with firm performance, depending on the size of the firm, its organizational structure and the dynamism of the environment. It further shows that differentiation strategies may mediate this relationship.

This paper aims to deepen the current knowledge of seasonality by investigating visitors’ intentional and behavioural patterns during peak and off-peak seasons. It compares the variation in several key behavioural factors, namely, duration of stay, party size, revisit intention, spending and breakdown of spending in different sectors in hospitality and tourism including entertainment, restaurant, accommodation and transportation. Moreover, this research expands the understanding by examining the effectiveness of two innovative strategies of offering a digital app and organising a unique event to tackle seasonal imbalances through stimulating visitors’ intention to change their timing of visit from peak to off-peak periods.

The author initially used a Delphi approach to gather experts’ opinion on the two scenario settings: event organisation and a trip planner app. The scenarios aimed to potentially encourage visitors to change their visit time to off-peak seasons. Then, using a quantitative survey, the travel habits and spending behaviours of 310 participants were captured. Furthermore, the survey assessed their intention to travel during off-peak seasons in response to the implementation of the two innovative strategies.

The results revealed that although the number of visitors who travel in off-peak seasons may be lower, their daily spending is higher than peak season visitors. In addition to total spending per day, the duration of stay, part size, quality of accommodation and re-visit intention of visitors indicated significant variation between peak and off-peak seasons. According to the statistical analysis’ results, organising events (including festivals) proves more effective in encouraging visitors to travel during off-peak seasons compared to digital innovation (i.e. a trip planner app). This finding is in line with the tenets of the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory of innovation.

This study contributes by conceptualising the mechanism of seasonality and its impacts on subsectors of tourism and hospitality. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the few empirical research that compares the behavioural patterns of visitors including their average spending per day between peak and off-peak seasons. Previous studies focused on specific regions or sectors, whereas this research investigates visitors’ behaviour on a broader scale to provide more comprehensive view. Furthermore, this study is novel due to practising an outside-in approach through investigating the effectiveness of the two innovative strategies aimed at addressing seasonality in the hospitality and tourism industry from visitors’ point of view.

This paper aims to identify the combination of innovation determinants driving the creation of innovative products amongst market leaders and market followers in food and beverage (F&B) firms.

This research is based on the case study methodology by using two types of data sources: (1) semi-structured interviews with industry experts and (2) in-depth interviews with managers. In addition, a questionnaire adapted from prior research was used to consider market and firm types.

Suggesting an integrated theoretical framework based on firm-based factors and market-based factors, this study identified a combination of determinants significantly impacting innovative products in the market. Specifically, these determinants are competition intensity and innovation capability (a combination of research and development (R&D) investment and marketing capabilities). The study also examined how these determinants vary depending on whether the firms are market leaders or market followers.

This research provides practical insights for managers working in the F&B industry by using case studies and exploring the determinants of developing innovative products. In doing so, suitable strategies can be selected according to the market and firm situations.

The originality of the study is shown by focussing on how different combinations of market and firm factors could be applied in creating successful innovative products in the food sector.

The study focuses on (1) the success of three strategies employed during the pandemic – two “persevering” strategies, curbside pickup and return window extension and one innovative strategy, virtual try-on technology and (2) whether the strategies are likely to be successful in the post-pandemic world.

The authors utilize a panel dataset containing 17 department store chains in the US The panel includes weekly sales by the retailers at the city level from 2018 to 2021, encompassing both a pre-COVID-19 period and a period during the pandemic. A two-way fixed effects model, including retailer-city fixed effects and year-week fixed effects, is used to estimate department store sales.

The authors find that the two persevering strategies offset the negative impact of government-imposed containment and health measures on sales performance. On the other hand, the innovative strategy is more effective with a low level of containment and health measures, leading to our observation that virtual try-on may be more sustainable than the other two strategies in a post-pandemic environment.

This paper makes the following contributions: First, the authors contribute to the literature on strategies that may be used to respond to crises. Second, the authors contribute to the retail management literature, assessing the impact of the three retail strategies on department store sales. Finally, the authors compare the impact on sales of the two persevering strategies to the innovative strategy and conclude that a mix of these types of strategies may be most effective at generating short-term sales during a crisis and longer-term sales post crisis.

This chapter studies the importance of implementation of innovational projects of technological growth through public–private partnership (PPP). The authors determine the probability of implementing a project of PPP depending on distribution of risks between its participants. Usage of the mechanism of PPP allows optimizing possible risks during implementation of innovational activities, attracting large business for creation and implementation of new technologies, and forming sustainable ties between R&D departments and business structures. The types of risks in the projects of PPP are given, as well as tendencies of their emergence depending on the stage of implementation of the innovational project, including the following: formation of policy on development of PPP; preparatory, implementary, commercialization of the results of joint activities; and monitoring and control over execution of the project. The algorithm of the system of risk management in innovational projects of technological growth on the platform of PPP is presented. The methods of overcoming the risks that appear during implementation of an innovational project of technological growth within PPP are given. A special attention should be paid to the fourth (distribution of risks) and fifth (reduction of risks) stages. During implementation of innovational projects with application of a business model of PPP, the risks are dealt with by the participant who can manage them better. Reduction of risks is achieved better if several strategies are used – for decreasing the influence of the risk on the innovational project (strategies of risk evasion, acceptance of the risk situation, compensation, transfer, and reduction).

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model suggesting that innovation may act as a motivating force that increases entrepreneurs’ growth expectations, in which entrepreneurs’ growth expectations are shaped by their subjective values and entrepreneurial experience moderates this relationship.

This paper conducts statistical analysis on a sample of 11,579 entrepreneurs from 24 countries who participated in the IIIP survey of innovation in 2011 under the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project.

The results suggest that entrepreneurs involved in innovative entrepreneurship are more likely to have higher growth expectations, with subjective values playing a direct and indirect role in entrepreneurs’ expectations of firm growth. Additionally, the results indicate that the duration of entrepreneurial experience moderates the relationship between strategic orientation and confidence in innovation. This finding suggests there is feedback between having beliefs about the benefits of innovation and being an innovative entrepreneur, resulting in an over-estimation – at least in comparative terms – regarding firm growth rates. This relationship is stronger for novice entrepreneurs since experienced entrepreneurs tend to be more cautious about their expectations of growing.

This study deepens our understanding of the complex processes through which organizational-level decisions ultimately influence individual-level factors. The present findings contribute to progress in this task by suggesting that strategies aimed at cultivating innovation feed entrepreneurs’ subjective values of innovation as well as expectations of growth. Although the duration of entrepreneurial experience moderates the relationship between acting as an innovative entrepreneur and subjective values of innovation, the results suggest that entrepreneurs’ expectations are primarily driven by their internal perceptions of reality.

A corporate innovation strategy implies that a firm’s strategic intent is to continuously leverage entrepreneurial opportunities for growth- and advantage-seeking purposes. Corporate innovation has gained greater research attention with a focus on the factors that influence an organization’s willingness to initiate and sustain an innovation strategy. In the current disruptive age, firms acknowledge the importance of corporate innovation (also referred to as corporate entrepreneurship) as the critical element for sustained competitive advantage in the global economy. Yet, it has been reported that many organizations struggle with the actual implementation of an innovative strategy. While there are key challenges that must be addressed by today’s corporate innovative leaders in this age of disruptive innovation, many of today’s technological companies are finding success in reaching for the future. As research on corporate innovative activity has evolved, there is still a need to examine some of the latest innovative developments with the technological sector since they are regarded as leading this disruptive age. This chapter examines the most recognized companies in the technological space and discusses their newest explorations. In addition, a framework is presented to illustrate similarities and differences in their approaches to corporate innovation activity.

The purpose of this paper is to present a new and comprehensive business strategy matrix which can be used to create competitive advantage for the value chain of every business unit of any firm.

This paper reviews the key findings of several well-known papers within the value chain literature and then adds several new conceptual insights to step by step create a logically developed, business strategy matrix featuring four strategy choices.

This paper presents the four business strategy choices of competitive value chains, based on the business strategies of innovative quality, lean cost, agile delivery and attentive service.

A future research implication of this paper is to empirically test the financial benefits for producers of custom products, of applying agile delivery as a key business strategy.

This paper provides the senior management of each business unit of any firm, with a clear guide to defining an optimal business strategy.

This paper is intended to advance the practice of business strategy by senior management, to enhance customer value across all business units.

This paper expands upon existing business strategy models by providing a comprehensive business strategy matrix, which can be applied to all possible business units. It does this by building upon current best practice to demonstrate that next to innovative quality, lean cost and attentive service strategies, an agile delivery strategy is required in the case of custom products.

Organizations are consistently seeking innovative strategies and novel pathways to enhance business processes and create differentiation. The global business ecosystem is changing and there is growing demand for multi-modal digital technologies, big data consolidation and data analytics to harness a cost-competitive agile system. Technological convergence and integration of digital systems is one of the preferred methodologies that facilitates new and effective workflows and revives business processes. The progressive interlinking of digital technologies with business operations leads to the convergence and blending of management disciplines, devices and applications. The growing inconsistencies in managerial understanding regarding the benefits of convergence prompts a comprehensive examination of digital convergence pathways, identifying the impacts on converging entities and business objectives. The State bank of India (SBI) mega-merger case study was selected to investigate the pragmatic framework of digital convergence and to understand the impacts on interlinked entities such as: business operations, strategic management, project team that support value creation and competitive differentiation. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the phenomena of techno-fusion of emerging technologies creating new opportunities, business models and unique strategies for global banking and financial service organizations.

This study applies the qualitative, inductive research method using critical reflection of before and after the implementation of convergence and digital integration strategies. The SBI case study employs this research strategy based on the premise that banks must stay agile and highly responsive to the changing environment to enhance its value proposition and competitive differentiation objectives. The study methodology incorporates cooperative inquiry and multiple levels of analysis using data collection techniques of exhaustive review of archives, informal interviews, questionnaires and observations to identify the synergistic process improvement pathway. The study is grounded on the concept that the convergence of diverse business pathways involves innovative and interlinked project, strategic and information technology (IT) workflows that results in open innovative systems.

The studies identify that organizational innovation and creative solutions are a result of ecosystem turbulence, environmental force diversity, competitive pressure and the need for differentiation. Organizations that harness the power of digital fusion and convergence of management, systems and data generate a competitive advantage. The technological convergence strategy pulls multiple business and technology processes (project, strategic, IT, Cloud, AI and business process management) at the organizational, divisional or functional level generating new opportunities and threats, new business models and unique growth strategies for global banking and financial services organizations. Organizations that fully integrate techno-fusion of business and digital strategies produce synergistic effects and enhance adaptability, innovation and resiliency in the face of competitive challenges.

Additional areas that can be explored further as an extension of this study are listed below: identifying factors to improve the speed of convergence; the current results are limited to large size organizations where formal management and technology functions are distinctive. Similar studies on smaller organizations are warranted.

This study focuses on the evolving field of technology innovation, which is increasingly being intertwined with business operations. Innovative digital technology is enabling the convergence of the disciplines of management, digital devices and applications. This facilitates the creation of a pragmatic framework that supports convergence of business operations, strategic management and digital fusion which leads to value creation and competitive differentiation. The techno-fusion of emerging technologies and digital strategies generates new opportunities and threats, new business models and unique growth strategies for organizations.

This paper examines three issues. First, do multiple possible paths to high versus low new product performance (NPP) occur among European, high-tech, industrial manufacturing firms? Second, what are the upstream influences on high NPP? For example, what background factors affect the levels of the KSFs? Third, do consistent country-level differences occur among Austrian, German, and Swedish executives in their evaluations of antecedents and high-tech NPP? To probe these issues, a total of 771 chief operating officers and project managers participated in face-to-face long interviews (McCracken, 1988) covering 241 less and 264 more successful than average industrial NPD projects. The empirical findings support the propositions that: (1) multiple paths lead to high versus low NPP; (2) unique antecedent variables affect the KSFs for high NPP; and (3) for several upstream and direct influences, consistent national differences occur among executives’ assessments of NPP. A key implication of the study for NPD executives is to recognize the possibility of alternative paths leading to successful NPD.

From 2002 to 2005, Taiwan's ODMs concentrated on PCs and consumer electronics. Even though they lacked any well‐known brand names, they managed to develop an outstanding 34 percent compound annual growth. The purpose of this study is providing a viewpoint of SMEs competitive strategy from Taiwan's ODM industry.

In this article, we first examine the SMEs Transition of ODMs in Taiwan, highlighting the challenges executive face between Taiwan and Mainland China for better competitive strategy. Next, we introduce some of the ODM strategies using the innovative division of labor from the SEM in Taiwan and describe how they can play a role in overcoming the challenge in the global market.

In the traditional closed business models, the operating efficiency of the ODM industry has been impacted by both the rise of innovative R&D costs and shortening of the revenue period. The new open business model (OBM) strategy can overcome the shortcomings of costly R&D in the traditional business models. The case study in this paper shows that there are four new profit sources in the OBM using the innovative division of labor.

The study is the first to shed light on the role of the OBM using the innovative division of labor for the SMEs. The findings may have noteworthy implications for the SMEs. From this article, managers may gain insights into the innovative division of labor for the SMEs ways to integrate these insights into their managing.

The agribusiness in Extremadura (Spain) is one of the main economic activities in the region. Within this industry, cooperativism stands out as a strategic component that influences the fixation of the rural population and the development of the territory. Likewise, innovation is fundamental for the competitiveness of companies. The aim of this study is to analyse the existence of a relationship between several business variables: strategy, culture, work climate, management, organisation and market orientation in the innovative performance of agri-food cooperative companies. Differences with other types of agri-food organisations are also analysed.

The authors proposed a conceptual research model, which aims to determine the influence of several business variables on innovative performance. A qualitative methodology was used through a multiple case study where five Extremaduran agri-food cooperatives were chosen to carry out the research.

The results show that the business variables are valued positively as factors that enhance innovative performance. Moreover, the peculiarities of cooperatives show several differences with respect to non-cooperative companies.

The results contribute to agri-food cooperatives' managers developing specific actions that improve the competitiveness and sustainability of agribusiness based on innovation.

La agroindustria en Extremadura (España) es una de las principales actividades económicas de la región. Dentro de esta industria, el cooperativismo destaca como un componente estratégico que influye en la fijación de la población rural y en el desarrollo del territorio. Asimismo, la innovación es fundamental para la competitividad de las empresas. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la existencia de relación entre diversas variables empresariales: estrategia, cultura, clima laboral, gestión, organización y orientación al mercado en el desempeño innovador de las empresas cooperativas agroalimentarias. También se analizan las diferencias con otros tipos de organizaciones agroalimentarias.

Se propuso un modelo conceptual de investigación, cuyo objetivo es determinar la influencia de diversas variables empresariales en el rendimiento innovador. Se utilizó una metodología cualitativa a través de un estudio de caso múltiple en el que se eligieron cinco cooperativas agroalimentarias para llevar a cabo la investigación.

Los resultados muestran que las variables empresariales se valoran positivamente como factores que potencian el rendimiento innovador. Además, las peculiaridades de las cooperativas muestran varias diferencias con respecto a las empresas no cooperativas.

Los resultados contribuyen a que los gestores de las cooperativas agroalimentarias desarrollen acciones específicas que mejoren la competitividad y sostenibilidad de la agroindustria basada en la innovación.

A city is a spatial carrier of innovation activities. Improving the level of urban innovation can play a significant supporting role in building an innovative country. China began to implement the innovative city pilot policy in 2008 and continued to expand the policy into more areas for exploring the path of innovative urban development with Chinese characteristics and improving urban innovation.

Based on mechanism analysis, this paper used the panel data of 269 cities from 2003 to 2016 to empirically test the effect of the pilot policy on the level of urban innovation by using different methods, such as the difference-in-differences model.

The results show that the innovative city pilot policy significantly improves the level of urban innovation. However, according to the findings of the heterogeneity analysis, the effect of the pilot policy on improving the innovation level in direct-controlled municipalities, provincial capitals and sub-provincial cities is weaker than that in ordinary cities, and the effect of the pilot policy on improving the innovation level in cities with a higher quality of science and education resources is weaker than that in cities with lower quality of science and education resources.

Moreover, as the level of urban innovation increases, the effect of the pilot policy on improving the level of urban innovation is an asymmetric inverted V shape, which means the effect is first strengthened and then weakened. The research also finds that the locational heterogeneity of the pilot policy for improving the level of urban innovation is not notable. In addition, the innovative city pilot policy can strengthen the government's strategic guidance, promote the concentration of talent, incentivize corporate investment and optimize the innovation environment, having a positive impact on urban innovation. Moreover, the effect of concentration of talent and the effect of corporate investment incentive are the important reasons for the pilot policy to promote the improvement of the level of urban innovation.

The present paper contributes to the development of sustainable strategies by focusing on the social perspective and the role played by HRM. Specifically, we identified and compared the employee competencies that supported the compliance strategy as well as the innovative/proactive sustainability strategies – and their impacts on social outcomes.

After formulating hypotheses, we tested them on a sample of 179 companies from the chemical and metallurgical industries using the bootstrap method.

The results revealed that both sustainability strategies were present in the sample. The compliance sustainable strategy showed to be negatively associated with employee competencies, whilst proactive sustainable strategy firms presented a positive relationship with employee competencies. We also found that compliance strategies failed to have any impact on social outcomes, but proactive strategies had a positive effect on social outcomes. Indeed, normative and foresighted thinking competencies acted as mediating variables in such a relationship.

The originality of this paper lies in three aspects hitherto unaddressed in the literature: first, the conceptualisation and assessment of sustainable strategies focused on a social dimension; second, the identification of individual competencies required developing sustainable strategies; and third, the demonstration that it is only the firms that adopt proactive sustainable strategies that obtain positive social outcomes.

By developing a conceptual model, the purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of the role of social assistive technologies in facilitating the process of service innovation in care providing organisations to adopt the principles of the consumer-directed care strategy and reduce perceived consumer vulnerability.

Using a cross-sectional survey method, the authors collected data through a survey questionnaire distributed among 335 aged caregivers and specialists. The conceptual model and its 11 research hypotheses were examined using confirmatory factor analysis in structural equation modelling. The rival and mediation models were also estimated.

The conceptual model was validated and eight of eleven hypotheses were supported. It was found that dynamic capabilities are crucial to developing service innovation concept in care providing organisations. In this way, social assistive technologies play a facilitating role to promote the consumer-directed care strategy throughout care providing organisations and allow care providers to enhance wellbeing of vulnerable older people based on their socio-economic status. From the lens of aged care providers, it was also found that the consumer-directed care strategy implemented in aged care facilities may help reduce consumer vulnerability among older people especially when they use social assistive technologies in their service settings.

This study suggests aged care service providers should boost dynamic service innovation capabilities to improve the need for social assistive technologies in aged care facilities with respect to the importance of the consumer-directed care strategy.

This study contributes to the development and validation of a conceptual model for the use of social assistive technologies to sustain service innovation in aged care business models and enhance the consumer-directed care strategy’s performance to better understand consumer vulnerability among older people.

We develop a discourse of strategic management as design, using a conceptual base drawing upon the work of Michel Foucault, as an alternative to the prevailing strategy discourse (strategy as “economizing”). We then use contemporary design theory to theorize strategic management as a design activity in which the focus is on innovation, with the emphasis on future strategies based on the creation of desirable unknowns.

The funding of innovation is explained by typical cost-based financial approaches. This paper breaks away from such tradition, and the purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative view where innovation funding decisions are strategic and concern interactions between actors – each with their own characteristics and strategic intentions – project features, and traits of the setting in which interactions take place.

This paper builds up an alternative framework to understand how innovation is financed by considering the interplay of innovation characteristics, the strategic reasons of project owners and funders, and the role of the matching environment and conditions. This proposal includes explanatory elements overlooked by extant theories. An illustrative case is presented to support the need for this proposal.

The framework proposed proves useful to better understand innovation funding cases where the traditional financial theory does not suffice.

Innovative companies may improve decision making about resource allocation to innovation; innovation funders may refine their decision-making criteria and implementation; and policy makers and practitioners need to devise better supporting strategies for innovative companies.

This proposal considers a continuum of funding options where supply/demand will match on the grounds of strategic decisions made during the interaction itself, under certain contextual conditions. Hence, it enriches the understanding of strategic decisions regarding firm capital structure and investment theory when it comes to funding innovation.

This paper aims at investigating the rather unexplored issue of how green innovators address the knowledge needs emerging when initiating a sustainability path, comparing their knowledge strategies with those of non‐green innovators.

The authors investigate this issue using data from the 2008 Italian Community Innovation Survey (CIS). Focusing on manufacturing firms, they identify the main characteristics and knowledge assets of firms introducing environmental innovations (EIs) as opposed to those of other innovators.

The authors' results suggest that the development of EIs entails a higher recourse to external knowledge, in the form of use of external sources of information, acquiring R&D from external firms and cooperation. Relationships with partners that do not belong to the supply chain – including KIBS, universities, research institutions and competitors – are far more important than for other innovations. On the contrary, differences between the two categories are less marked when it comes to investments in internal knowledge resources. Finally, proactive environmental innovators have very different knowledge strategies than reactive ones, which resemble non‐green innovators.

The main contribution of this paper is that it investigates the unexplored issue of how firms assess and develop the knowledge needed to develop EIs. By comparing them with the strategies of non‐green innovators, the analysis performed in the paper allows understanding the peculiarities of such innovations. Furthermore, the authors contribute to the literature by verifying how knowledge management strategies vary according to the differential importance that sustainability has for the firm's innovative strategy.

Motivation is the main force through which individuals allocate effort to generate and implement innovative ideas. However, employees are only motivated to go beyond their designated role and get involved in spontaneous and innovative activities if they have a strong identification with the organization. Organizational culture plays a critical role in motivating innovative behaviour, as it can create commitment among members of an organization in terms of believing in innovation as an organizational value and accepting innovation‐related norms prevalent within the organization. The research this paper reports on addresses the motivational aspects of the relationship between culture and innovation in construction firms. Specifically, it focuses on those managerial actions through which the importance of innovation may be communicated and innovation‐related behaviour may be induced and reinforced. An in‐depth case study investigating the innovation activities of a Swiss contractor revealed that project constraints and regional separation may diminish the motivational effects of managerial actions in construction firms. It is concluded that a culture that motivates new solutions and innovative improvements in particular first of all prevents ideas from getting lost in daily business and within the organization. Giving immediate feedback, providing communication channels for implicit knowledge, allowing for autonomous work and task identity, initiating innovation projects and using a comprehensive reward and incentive system are appropriate managerial actions in this regard.

Competitiveness and contemporary changes in our society and modern technologies force countries to apply the innovative processes in their managerial and marketing activities. Cities as the places of life of human beings and their coexistence with modern technologies could benefit from the implementation of place marketing and branding strategies and from the accepting of new approach to their consumers, predominantly citizens, but also local and international businesses and visitors. This process should be governed by the active and effective co-operation of public authorities, which means a symbiosis of multilateral parties aiming at one goal – a successful and satisfied city users and a destination with modern and effective leadership. For this reason, not only a concept of the effective co-operation is crucial, but also a concept of modern technologies application, for instance a model of smart city or the co-creation principles applied in the fulfilment of service provision to citizens. In order to succeed in competitiveness, it is important to support in destinations the application of the innovative development and sound managerial strategies. This chapter explored a strategy applied in city marketing of one city in Slovakia, Banska Bystrica. The methods of comparison and benchmarking to propose the innovative approach to marketing have been applied. In primary and secondary researches, mixed methods have been used, a combination of quantitative methods (demand side perspective) and the application of the importance–performance analysis and qualitative methods (interviews with the representatives of municipalities, private sector and non-governmental sector representatives, e.g., supply side perspective).

This research aims to provide an empirical comparison of the results of three brands' marketing defence strategies used in advance of generic brands entering the market. By reviewing the effectiveness of these strategies, this research looks to extend the research on marketing defence strategies into the importance of anticipating competitor launches.

A data set containing 243 weeks of scanned sales for 21 generic brands was used in a regression model aimed at measuring the effectiveness of each brand's defence strategies in deterring entry and limiting the market share of these generic brands.

The analysis shows that several marketing mix components were effective in limiting the impact of generic brands. What was critical to each component's success was ensuring that they were implemented before the launch of the generic brands.

This research has the limitation of being confined to a category of pharmaceutical allergy brands, which limits generalisation of the findings.

The managerial relevance of this research has two parts. First, it will encourage managers to move from implementing strategies in reaction to a competitor launch to implementing strategies in advance of their entry. Second, it provides insights into the effectiveness of several strategic options for brands facing the entry of generic brands.

This study brings together literature regarding entry deterrence and market share loss prevention to help highlight the importance of proactive marketing defence strategies in reducing both the number of entrants and the amount of market share lost. It uses a data set to provide an empirical review of a range of marketing mix components used by pharmaceutical brands against low‐price generic brands.

This paper aims to analyze the extent to which the influence of external knowledge search on innovation performance is contingent on both a firm’s innovation strategy and the industry context in which it operates.

The paper adopts a contingent approach that centers analysis on the influence of situational factors, either exogenous or endogenous to the organization, as determinants of the external knowledge search in promoting the firm’s innovation performance. The empirical study is based on a large sample of 18,955 firms operating in 29 industries that belong to 13 European countries.

This analysis reveals that a broad knowledge search is more effective for firms that innovate in new goods, while a deeper knowledge search is more effective for firms that innovate in new services. The results of this study also indicate that external knowledge search varies across industries, with search depth being used more in industries in which the knowledge development process is cumulative and appropriable, while the external breadth search is preferred in industries with a high level of technological opportunity.

The current approach implies recognizing that the knowledge search strategies may not always be effective, and that firms should align the search strategy to both internal and external factors. Analyzing the influence of these factors can help managers to better choose the type of knowledge search (e.g. intensive or extensive search) that best aligns with the firm’s innovation objectives.

Advances in technology, operations research, and data driven pricing and marketing are leading pricing strategy into new and untested waters – toward dynamic pricing, and variable pricing strategies, which ultimately require changes in how we view pricing strategy. The dominant view of pricing strategy is that pricing goals, objectives, and strategies should be formulated a priori, and should be consistent with marketing and corporate strategies – deliberate pricing strategy. This chapter argues that firms need to develop new strategic pricing skills that lead to more improvisational, innovative, or adaptive pricing strategies. I call this type of price strategy-making emergent pricing strategy. Innovative pricing strategies that the organization judges, or senses to be effective, are repeated, shared, expanded, and refined into successful pricing patterns that, over time and across situations, become pricing strategy. Thus, rather than specifically designing pricing strategy to achieve a goal, here the organization acts upon a price innovation that seems to make sense for this customer, this market segment, this setting, and this situation, then interprets the outcomes, signals, and reactions that seem to flow from the pricing action, and shares and encourages adoption and adaption by others in the organization. Emergent pricing strategy is particularly useful in unstable, turbulent, and complex product and market environments in which price-sensitive buyers wield significant power and influence.

This study aims to examine the effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on performance and mediation differentiation strategies and market development in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

This research was conducted using a survey method with a population of furniture SMEs in Jepara, Central Java, Indonesia using a sample area by collecting 158 questionnaires. The data analysis method used the partial least square.

The result shows that EO has an impact on differentiation, market development and performance. Differentiation strategies and market development mediate the influence of EO and performance. The differentiation strategy further mediates the influence of EO on market development and market development mediates the effect of differentiation on performance.

Managers instill entrepreneurial practice in the organization by proactively creating the market and taking high-risk jobs to provide quality products and services. SMEs require capabilities that are difficult to imitate in creating designs and product quality that are different, providing pre and post-sales services and maintaining good relationships with customers and partners. SMEs emphasize flexibility and speed of operation by adjusting the production process to short waiting times and reliable delivery. The government must support general training and market information, network development, access to capital and knowledge transfer.

This paper explains the importance of differentiation and market development strategies in determining the relationship between EO and performance that has not been explored in the context of SMEs in developing countries.

The purpose of this study is to explore the drivers of innovative behaviour of sustainable community-based enterprises (SCBEs) in the Mahasarakham province, Thailand.

Drawing on insights from a qualitative case study method, this paper uses a purposive sampling technique with 30 SCBEs from December 2019 to December 2020. This study uses in-depth interviews and applied content analysis (e.g. theme, categorisation, quotation and coding), using the ATLAS.ti software.

This case study shows that transforming the community into an enterprise is related to creation, venture and innovative management, sustained in community-based enterprises. The findings reveal that innovative behaviour is associated with intention, thinking, orientation, product development, service, collaboration, competition and technology, which drives SCBEs.

This study contributes to the understanding of community-based group and cooperative community-based enterprise with innovative behaviour, which can drive SCBEs growth.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the diffusion patterns of knowledge in inspiring technological innovations and to enable monitoring development trends of technological innovations based on patent data analysis, thus, to manage knowledge wisely to innovate.

The notion of knowledge innovation potential (KIP) is proposed to measure the innovativeness of knowledge by the cumulative number of patents originated from its inspiration. KIP calculating formula is regressed in forms of two specific diffusion models by conducting a series of empirical studies with the patent-based indicators involving forward and backward citation numbers to reveal knowledge managing strategies regarding innovative activities.

Two specific diffusion models for regressing KIP formula are compared by empirical studies with the result indicating the Gompertz model has higher accuracy than the Logistic model to describe the developing curve of technological innovations. Moreover, the analysis of patent-based indicators over diffusion stages also revealed that patents applied at earlier diffusion stages normally has higher forward citation numbers indicating higher innovativeness meanwhile the patents applied at the latter stages usually requiring more knowledge inflows observed by their larger non-patent citation and backward citation amounts.

Although there is a large body of literature concerning knowledge-based technological innovation, there still room for discussing the mechanism of how knowledge diffuses and inspired knowledge. To the best of authors' knowledge, this study is the first attempt to quantitate the innovativeness of knowledge in technological innovation from the knowledge diffusion perspective with findings to support rational knowledge management related to innovation activities.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the linkages between company’s strategy, open innovation and innovation performance, focusing on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In more detail, the aim is to investigate the influence of firm strategy on the level of openness adopted and then the impact of open innovation on firm performance. Finally, the influence of context-specific variables (such as firm size, technology intensity, geographical area, experience of the company and technology turbulence) on the relations mentioned above will be verified.

A survey has been conducted in the Italian manufacturing context and a database of 107 responses was obtained. The constructs of the research framework were created and validated using factor analysis; further, structural equation modeling was performed to verify the hypothesis about the studied relations.

The obtained model confirmed most of the relations hypothesized, giving useful indications on how to define competitive strategy and coherent level of open innovation to pursue improved firm performance. Results highlight that firms, which pursue an innovative strategy are those who invest more on technical skills and core competencies. Companies who choose a strategy of diversification are likely to use, exclusively, managerial practices of open innovation, while firms focused on a strategy of efficiency are inclined toward open innovation practices and, to a lesser extent, to the development of core competencies.

The main original contribution is the development of an integrated model that links company’s strategy, open innovation and innovation performance in SMEs.

The purpose of the work is to determine conflicts that may appear in clusters.

The methodology of the research is based on combination of systemic, institutional, and evolutional approaches, including private general scientific methods of subject-object, factor, comparative, functional and structural and descriptive analysis, classification, and modeling.

Comparison of programs of development of territorial innovational clusters is conducted, as well as comparative analysis of methodological approaches to analysis of the institutional basis of regional clusters; a ranking of target directions of regional programs of development of innovational territorial clusters is compiled. The authors’ classification of conflicts of regional clusters is offered.

The performed analysis helped to determine presence of various defects, dysfunctions, and negative effects with clusters that emphasize their high susceptibility to conflicts that have to be taken into account during formation of regional cluster policy, aimed at their conflict-free functioning.

Previous research has indicated that entrepreneurial marketing (EM) positively influences small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) performance. While most studies have examined the relationship in a stable environment, EMs’ effectiveness during environmental instability remains uncertain. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the influence of EM on Indian manufacturing-based SMEs’ performance during the COVID-19-induced environmental instability. Additionally, it explores the mediating role of innovative performance in the relationship between EM and SME performance.

The data were collected by distributing a structured survey questionnaire to 302 owners/managers of SMEs. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The result indicates that EM significantly impacts both innovation and SME performance. Furthermore, the innovative performance partially mediates the link between EM and SME performance. The findings suggest that even within severely affected sectors (manufacturing) during the pandemic, SMEs can achieve growth and innovation through effective EM practices.

This study validates the theoretical notion that EM remains effective even in unpredictable environments such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings offer valuable insights for SMEs seeking innovative strategies to enhance their performance, particularly those in emerging economies.

Prior studies have relied on a single layer of abstraction to analyze the impact of EM. The present study is the first to extend standard construct (EM) conceptualization. Furthermore, it evaluated the efficiency of EM in situations characterized by instability, which is rare in the EM and SME literature.

Inefficiencies in the power sector resulting from underinvesting and underselling reduce the ability of governments to adequately finance energy projects. The purpose of this paper is to explore mechanisms of energy financing, benefits and challenges associated with innovative financing of energy infrastructure as well as strategies to improve innovative financing of energy infrastructure.

Questionnaires were used to elicit responses from respondents. Seventy-eight responses were retrieved. Mean score ranking, Kruskal–Wallis test and discriminant validity were the analysis conducted.

Partial credit guarantee; partial risk guarantee; credit enhancement; and loan guarantees were the significant mechanisms. Production efficiency; reduce pressure on public budgets; access to management expertise; and self-sustainability of infrastructure facilities were the significant benefits. Lack of transparency and adequate data for risk assessment; high up-front cost; heterogeneity, complexity, and presence of a large number of parties; and lack of a clear benchmark for measuring investment performance were the severest challenges. Complete transparency and accountability; political stability and public view on private provision of energy infrastructure services; and macroeconomic environment were the significant strategies.

This study is beneficial to energy sector as the current government of Ghana hints on willingness to involve private sector in management of the power sector.

The novelty of this study is that it is a pioneering study in Ghana on innovative financing of energy infrastructure.

Openness to external knowledge has recently gained popularity as a means for firms to complement and leverage internal knowledge in the pursuit of innovation outcomes. However, conflicting evidence exists regarding the role of openness in external knowledge acquisition. This paper aims to propose that openness to external knowledge has a nonlinear effect on innovation performance and that this nonlinear relationship is contingent on an ambidextrous knowledge search strategy.

Based on original large-scale survey of 246 interfirm collaborations in the high-technology industry, it is found that the impact of openness to external knowledge on innovation performance exhibits an inverted-U shape and that this relationship is affected by an ambidextrous knowledge search strategy.

The results indicate that an ambidextrous knowledge strategy that addresses the depth and breadth of external knowledge significantly influences a firm’s ability to derive benefits from increased openness to external knowledge. Empirically, the authors provide an original contribution to high-technology firms by exploring how and why an ambidextrous knowledge strategy can be a critical catalyst spurring innovation performance.

The research scope is limited to a single industry. Further research could extend the theoretical framework to multiple industries, which may increase the likelihood of innovation theory development.

The results suggest that firms opening up the boundaries of their innovation activity to engage in external knowledge are able to leverage their in-house innovation to enhance their innovation performance. The authors advocate that in innovation management domains, greater emphasis is needed on how openness to external knowledge has more positive impacts not only on innovation performance but also on innovation implemented management.

This study is among the first to investigate the ambidextrous knowledge search effect on the external knowledge of high-technology firms. This paper contributes to the theoretical and practical literature concerning openness innovation and knowledge management by reflecting on the ambidextrous knowledge search strategy.

Service members of the US Department of Defense (DoD) have alarmingly high rates of depression, anxiety, probable stress disorders and suicidality, all of which are negative health conditions exacerbated by various external stressors. High-stress work conditions – to include shift work, hazardous territories, high-stakes mission sets and generally disconnected sites – require a work environment that facilitates, rather than inhibits, stress reduction and mental well-being. This paper aims to present “salutogenic design” as an innovative approach: Salutogenic design offers demonstrated architectural solutions that improve health and well-being.

This paper describes salutogenic design strategies beginning with the need for such an approach, the call to action to implement strategic and tactical solutions and the challenges and financial impacts of such a broad and innovative strategy to improve workplace health, well-being and performance in the DoD and beyond. Examples of these strategies, via biophilic design solutions, are presented in the central Table 1 as an easy-to-reference tool and supported by the voluminous literature as referenced, in part, through this research paper.

Salutogenic design strategies offer innovative, financially viable solutions to help mitigate stress and improve workforce well-being while maintaining the highest level of building security requirements in access-controlled spaces and disconnected sites, such as military installations and government compounds.

Issues of mental and physical health are complex and multi-faceted, and they require complex and multi-faceted solutions. Salutogenic design is presented as one facet of that solution: a tangible solution to an often-intangible issue. Further, as a novel approach to address a critical DoD issue, Table 1 bridges the common gap between high-concept design theory and practical construction-application solutions, with positive value to the health, performance, quality-of-life and well-being of service members.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to approach the DoD’s imperative to reduce service members’ mental stress with “salutogenic design.”

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and select various significant technology push (TP) strategies affecting sustainable development in manufacturing organizations. The study deploys structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to empirically validate the interrelationships amongst significant TP strategies and sustainable development indicators in SEM-TP Model.

Confirmatory factor analysis approach is utilized to generate an effective SEM-TP Model by using AMOS 21 (Analysis of Moment Structures) software. The data have been collected from different manufacturing organizations practicing TP strategies, using a well-framed TP questionnaire for the evolution of SEM-TP Model.

SEM modeling of various TP strategies like, innovative capability (IC), research and development, corporate strategy (CS) and export orientation towards achieving sustainable development in manufacturing industries has been performed. SEM-TP Model has been planned and reports obtained before and after modification indices (MI) of the model are correlated, which further establishes improvements in model’s effectiveness. The research concludes that two TP strategies namely, IC and CS are found to be significant in the present context. These strategies have emerged as a foundation for several development initiatives and actively support manufacturing industries in achieving sustainable development. The results obtained from final model may support organizational managers and TP practitioners to improve the overall performance of manufacturing industries involved in the present study. The manufacturing enterprises will be able to frame or enhance their corporate strategies and innovative capabilities in a more appropriate way.

In the present study, contributions of TP practices are determined to accomplish sustainable development in manufacturing industries. Otherwise, issue-wise independent modeling can also be performed to assess the importance of TP practices towards achieving quality and sustainable development under specific orientations.

The research gives priority to enhancement in the coordination among various TP practices and sustainable development parameters in the industries, to inculcate TP as a crucial strategy to meet challenges in global markets.

It has been exhibited from model that adequate TP strategies can effectively contribute towards recognition of sustainable development to compete in the highly progressive markets. The results of various interrelationships among TP practices and sustainable development indicators in SEM-TP Model portray the effectiveness of TP practices for accomplishment of organizational and social ambitions.

The outcomes of the study will help organizational managers, HR executives and TP practitioners in manufacturing industries to know about the significant TP strategies to be followed holistically for achieving sustainable development.

The purpose of this study is to help gain an accurate and distinct understanding of information-based business concepts and critical steps in designing an appropriate business model, by providing a framework for designing an innovative information-based business to help fledgling businesses development in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry of Iran. What is a business model framework with the strategic innovation approach in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of ICT industry? What are the components of this model and the relations between them? Business model is a logical response to how a business can create value. Changing business environment means that business models are rapidly growing; accordingly, innovation is no longer optional. However, innovation is important in general, but the kind of innovation that is widely and directly dependent on business model will be quite critical for all parts of the organization. In fact, business model innovation is an exquisite technic to create, deliver and earn value by changing one or more components of a typical business model. Business model innovation needs information and form business environment based on dynamic information system.

The present paper focuses upon SMEs in ICT. Grounded theory has been used for this purpose, with 15 interviews conducted.

An emerging market is one in which commercial exchanges of a particular industry between the countries are relatively new but possess great investment attractiveness and a high potential to grow (such as Iran).As the ICT industry of Iran is a leading industry, and the country itself is an emerging market, the main purpose of this study is to provide a framework for designing an innovative information-based business to help fledgling businesses development in the ICT industry of Iran.

The purpose of this paper is to help accurate and distinct understanding of the business model concept and critical steps in designing an appropriate business model. Studies conducted to simultaneously deal with the business model and strategic innovations are few, and by the time the proposal was written, there was no research observed from Persian sources.

Drawing upon curiosity drive theory, we examine the effects of epistemic curiosity (EC) on employees' innovative work behavior. Additionally, we explore the potential mediating role of work engagement (WE) and the moderating effects of leader-member exchange (LMX).

The data were collected from 406 employees employed in public service organizations within the United Arab Emirates. Structural equation modeling was employed as the analytical approach to test the hypotheses.

The findings of this study indicate that EC is positively related to innovative work behavior. Further, WE mediates the relationship between EC and creative work behavior. Moreover, LMX moderates the indirect effect of WE on the link between EC (interest and deprivation types) and innovative work behavior. The mediating association is stronger when the leader and member’s exchange is high.

This study will assist practitioners of service organizations in focusing their attention on EC to enhance employees' innovative work behavior and achieve optimal performance. Our research extends work on interest and innovative work behavior in an emerging economic context.

Our study suggests that policymakers should embrace the philosophy of curiosity to nurture innovative behavior in the workplace.

The purpose of this study is to examine characteristics and factors affecting innovation in young and old family‐owned businesses. The research focuses on three important factors to innovation: organisation type, age and size; covering gaps in existing literature.

A postal survey of 500 small family‐owned businesses across sectors in the UK is conducted. The study uses regression analysis to test effects of environment, innovation strategy, family culture, family involvement, owners' background and learning on innovation in young and old family businesses as well as innovation effect on their financial performance.

The findings suggest social capital theory to be extended to include non‐family employees in the innovation process of family firms, and formal learning has a positive impact on young firms' innovation. Market condition, industry sector, business goal and long‐term orientation positively affect family firm innovation.

This paper makes valuable contributions to the understanding of theory and practices of innovation in family businesses. It has policy implications.

The paper presents results from four surveys of rural businesses in mountainous and less‐favoured areas of Southern Europe. Institutional support to rural businesses is extensive and delivered through the traditional instruments of capital subsidies, training and assistance to financial and technical management. Strategic orientations vary among case study areas and businesses. Results show that institutions should design and implement de‐centralised, flexible policies of business support in the less favoured areas of the European Union.

Outlines the foundations and dimensions of marketing myopia and proposes a two‐dimensional classification of its several types. Presents an integrated analysis which is intended to enrich, rather than replace, the existing explanations and to clarify and reinforce a caveat proposed 30 years ago. Makes a recommendation for seeking innovative marketing strategies which are designed to remove some of the myopia‐caused restrictions on the range of strategic options.

The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of Michel Porter's generic business-level strategies adopted by the organisation on its employer branding strategy. Based on the expert’s opinion and insights, this study aims to determine the extent to which the employer branding strategy, its inherent significance, the requisite investment and the used tactics are influenced by the organisation's business strategy.

Considering a phenomenological research design, this study adopted semi-structured interviews as a means to gather qualitative data from a purposive sample comprising HR professionals. The collected data were subjected to thematic analysis, enabling the identification of recurring themes and patterns. Findings and conclusions were subsequently derived in accordance with the outcomes of the thematic analysis.

The study revealed that the significance, nature, challenges and ways of implementation of employer branding strategies vary depending on the type of business strategy adopted by the organisation. While organisations pursuing a differentiation strategy heavily invest in employer branding and placing considerable efforts into developing an appealing employee value proposition, companies pursuing cost leadership invest relatively less in employer branding by implementing cost-effective tactics. Companies implementing a focus strategy demonstrate a moderate level of investment in employer branding initiatives.

The study is limited to IT, manufacturing and banking sectors only. Additionally, the sample of the study is limited.

Employer branding as a strategy has been widely explored in the recent past. Similarly, Michel Porters’ generic strategies have also been widely researched. However, the interconnection between these two levels of strategies presents novel perspectives for business strategists and HR professionals involved in the formulation and implementation of HR strategies. This linkage provides valuable insights that facilitate effective decision-making in relation to employer branding strategies, enabling organisations to prioritise their objectives more effectively.

The existing literature lacks research that investigates the connection between employer branding strategy and business strategy. Hence, this study represents a pioneering effort that aims to explore this unexplored linkage. Further, this research effort has also uncovered previously uninvestigated findings concerning the comparative analysis of employer branding strategies across different sectors while examining the connection between business strategy and employer branding strategy.