Brian E. Porter and Todd P. Steen
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of Christian investors and the responsibility to promote justice and stewardship.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of Christian investors and the responsibility to promote justice and stewardship.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines three models of integrating the Christian faith with investing in the stock market. The first model considers investing in the stock market with minimal ethical discretion, looking at possible justifications for such behavior. The second model looks at the practice of avoidance of the stock market. The third model examines the ethic of active stewardship, where individuals more closely monitor the ethical behavior of firms.
Findings
Buying stock in a company makes one a part owner of that firm, and as an owner Christians have responsibilities to promote justice and stewardship within that firm. Although Christians may differ on the proper model for responding to this responsibility, the goal of all Christians should be to encourage fair business practices, honest labor‐management relations, care for the environment, and the production of goods that are truly useful in today’s society.
Practical implications
All three models can be based on various understandings of the Christian scriptures. The authors assert that whatever model is chosen, Christians need to look beyond just monetary returns when making investment decisions.
Originality/value
The value of this paper is that it explores the difficulty of integrating the Christian faith with investing and offers a model for being a responsible Christian investor.
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Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence…
Abstract
Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.
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In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of…
Abstract
In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.
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Marianne K. Collins and Brian Winrow
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the applicability of Porter's model of generic strategies as applied toward online retailers following the United States Supreme Court's…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the applicability of Porter's model of generic strategies as applied toward online retailers following the United States Supreme Court's decision in Leegin, which appears to signal greater tolerance for minimum vertical price maintenance agreements.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a review of the literature and examines cases relating to minimum resale price maintenance agreements. Relying heavily on Porter's framework, it explores the strategic implications of the recent decision in Leegin for on‐line retailers, many of whom rely on a cost leadership competitive advantage.
Findings
Since the increased likelihood that vertical minimum price maintenance agreements will be permitted, thereby lowering the barriers to entry, online retailers may be deterred from utilizing low costs to under‐price traditional retailers. As a result, the Leegin holding has devalued the feasibility of pursuing a cost leadership strategy, and e‐tailers may need to adopt alternative or integrative strategies for securing a competitive advantage.
Originality/value
The paper incorporates literature pertaining to Porter's model of generic strategies, online pricing strategies, as well as recent court cases.
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The practice of strategic decision‐making has two major perspectives to help managers create and maintain competitive advantage in the face of a range of business challenges. One…
Abstract
The practice of strategic decision‐making has two major perspectives to help managers create and maintain competitive advantage in the face of a range of business challenges. One stresses market position and the other core competence. (1) Market position – the positioning approach to strategy development is associated mainly with the work of Michael Porter; strategic choice is focused primarily on the structure of the industry and how it might be shaped to advantage. The aim is to establish a “privileged”/hard‐to‐replicate position in an industry that is difficult to enter. (2) Core competence – the competence‐led perspective is associated with the work of C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel; strategic choice focuses primarily on assessing which distinctive competences should be built, then considers the market opportunities that would exploit them best. It may be tempting to use one approach or the other because the market position and core competence approaches do create perspectives that see things very differently, and their analytical methodologies offer different guidance. But instead of picking one over the other, the astute strategist may be best served to test out both perspectives and generate a wider range of options. This is shown in the article’s illustrations of corporate strategy in the multi‐business firm and strategic renewal. In sum, looking at your business from both approaches will generate two sets of contrasting perspectives and options for action. For many firms, this binocular vision of the available strategic options will lead to a better result than if either perspective was used alone.
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Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some…
Abstract
Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.
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A.J. Astell, B. Malone, G. Williams, F. Hwang and M.P. Ellis
The purpose of this paper is to present the self-described “journey” of a person with dementia (Brian; author 3) in his re-learning of old technologies and learning of new ones…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the self-described “journey” of a person with dementia (Brian; author 3) in his re-learning of old technologies and learning of new ones and the impact this had on his life.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a single case study detailing the participant's experiences collaborating with a researcher to co-create methods of facilitating this learning process, which he documented in the form of an online blog and diary entries. These were analysed using NVivo to reveal the key themes.
Findings
Brian was able to relearn previously used technologies and learn two new ones. This lead to an overarching theme of positive outlook on life supported by person-centredness, identity and technology, which challenged negative perceptions about dementia.
Research limitations/implications
The paper provides an example of how learning and technology improved the life of one person with dementia. By sharing the approach the authors hope to encourage others to embrace the challenge of designing and developing innovative solutions for people with a dementia diagnosis by leveraging both current mainstream technology and creating novel bespoke interventions for dementia.
Originality/value
The personal perspective of a person with dementia and his experiences of (re-) learning provide a unique insight into the impact of technology on his life.
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The National News publishes the following :—
In this chapter, the author outlines the link between organization design and competitive strategy, focusing on rivalry. A firm’s organization design choices can affect its…
Abstract
In this chapter, the author outlines the link between organization design and competitive strategy, focusing on rivalry. A firm’s organization design choices can affect its competitive advantage as well as the strategic decisions of its rivals. Therefore, organization design can influence the nature and intensity of competitive interactions between firms. To illustrate this effect, the author focuses on the literature on divisionalization and offers a set of propositions as examples. Taken together, the author makes three main observations: (1) a firm’s competitive position and objectives are reflected in its organizational choices; (2) heterogeneity in competitive position and objectives lead to heterogeneity in organization design choices across firms; and (3) organization design and competitive strategy are interdependent processes. The author concludes by discussing the implications for strategy and management research and pointing out some opportunities for future research.
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The proper matching of industry structure to strategy is expected to have a positive impact upon organisational performance. This relationship has not been fully examined in the…
Abstract
The proper matching of industry structure to strategy is expected to have a positive impact upon organisational performance. This relationship has not been fully examined in the defence industry. The central aim of this paper is to link the competitive performance of small, high technology defence firms to their ability to adapt to industry structure changes. With this in mind a study was conducted to extend Porter's (1980) framework of the strategic management of industry structural change. The study draws upon the experiences of 40 small, high technology defence firms in the UK. Firms in the sample range from 5 to 200 employees, and £50,000 to £10m sales turnover. The study broadens the findings of exploratory research undertaken in the buying department of two large defence firms. A questionnaire was designed to identify macro level phenomena and detail hypotheses generated by the case studies. The empirical analysis of the creation and sustaining of competitive advantages will focus on strategic determinants, and inter‐organisational variables that influence the performance of small firms in tendering for defence sub‐contracts.