Cristian Castillo, Marta Viu-Roig, Eduard J. Alvarez-Palau and Debora Gottardello
This research comprehensively analyses the profound impact of Digital Transformation and Process Innovation (DT&PI) on business models (BMs) in the Food Service Sector (FSS)…
Abstract
Purpose
This research comprehensively analyses the profound impact of Digital Transformation and Process Innovation (DT&PI) on business models (BMs) in the Food Service Sector (FSS), especially in the post-pandemic context. The study is guided by three primary research questions: (1) Identifying key FSS players and their interconnections, (2) Understanding the differentiation strategies these entities employ and (3) Assessing how COVID-19 has altered their BMs.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilises a rigorous methodology, starting with a thorough analysis of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) for 100 prominent Spanish FSS firms, culminating in a comprehensive sector-wide BMC. Cluster analysis is then applied to group firms based on common attributes and relationships identified in the overall BMC. Additional insights are gathered through semi-structured interviews with representatives from FSS companies.
Findings
The study identifies five distinct clusters of FSS companies, each defined by unique BM strategies. These strategies mainly focus on sales and distribution channels, differentiating between those using multiple channels and those solely relying on digital platforms. Importantly, the study shows that digital transformation in the FSS was already in progress before the pandemic but was greatly expedited by it. COVID-19 stimulated the digitalisation of services, expanding sales channels and diversifying customer engagement.
Originality/value
This research enriches the dynamic capabilities theory by examining how DT&PI influence BM innovation in the FSS, highlighting adaptation to technological trends. It offers a fresh perspective on value creation and stakeholder interaction, contributing to the foundational theory for future FSS BM research.
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Debora Gottardello, Rosalía Cascón-Pereira and Deirdre Anderson
This study aims to explore how intersecting identities shape experiences of workplace discrimination faced by Muslim employees in Catalonia, Spain. We seek to understand the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how intersecting identities shape experiences of workplace discrimination faced by Muslim employees in Catalonia, Spain. We seek to understand the interplay of religion, ethnicity, gender and age in their employment experiences in order to improve managerial practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employs a qualitative approach, conducting in-depth interviews with 39 diverse Muslim employees in Catalonia through convenience and snowball sampling to support an intersectional analysis.
Findings
Findings reveal that Muslim employees navigate a workplace environment where their experiences of discrimination are shaped by intersecting identities including religion, age, gender and ethnicity which become salient at various stages of their careers, prompted by HRM practices such as recruitment, selection and promotion. Their experiences as recipients of these practices illuminate the complex ways in which intersecting identities shape the experiences of discrimination. The study reveals the hiding of their religious identity, giving up on traditional career paths, seeking social support from other Muslims and emphasizing privileged identities, to deal with discrimination.
Originality/value
This study deepens understanding of the complexity of religious identity in minorities and explores its role in workplace discrimination. In particular, the research sheds light on the psychological impact in the form of feelings of guilt and shame which arise from coping strategies such as concealing religious markers which are adopted by these employees in response to organizational and managerial practices. Lastly, the paper stresses the need for intersectional approaches in order to improve effectiveness of HR policies and managerial practices.
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Debora Gottardello and Solmaz Filiz Karabag
Using the lens of crisis innovation and strategic alignment, this study explores how a segment of the restaurant sector that may be less agile than others—Michelin-starred…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the lens of crisis innovation and strategic alignment, this study explores how a segment of the restaurant sector that may be less agile than others—Michelin-starred restaurants—perceives and aligns with the challenges brought about by the COVID-19-pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collected data from 19 Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain using a qualitative interview method. The data were analyzed qualitatively and organized thematically.
Findings
Four key categories of strategic challenges were identified: human resources, uncertainty, control and economic challenges. In response, chefs displayed both behavioral and organizational strategies. Those organizational strategies were new human resource management, reorganization, product and service innovation and marketing. While the new human resource management actions adopted to align with the human resource challenges identified, a misalignment remains between some of the other strategic actions, such as product and service innovation, marketing and economic and uncertainty challenges.
Originality/value
The findings offer new insight into Michelin-starred restaurant chefs' challenges and (mis)alignment strategies, an area that has been understudied in the current literature on innovative responses in the hospitality sector post-pandemic.