Patrick M. Kreiser, Jari Ojala, Juha‐Antti Lamberg and Anders Melander
The primary purpose of this paper was to perform an in‐depth analysis of the strategic process that occurs within family firms.
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this paper was to perform an in‐depth analysis of the strategic process that occurs within family firms.
Design/methodology/approach
This study analyzed the historical development of the growth strategies of four family firms in the US, Finland, and Sweden.
Findings
The results of this study suggest that family firms typically adopt conservative strategies in the early part of their life cycle. During their formative years, family firms often implement financially conservative strategies and place an emphasis on maintaining tight control of the strategic decision‐making process within the family unit. However, the competitive pressures experienced by family firms over time often force these companies to embrace a more entrepreneurial posture during the latter stages of their life cycle.
Research limitations/implications
The stage in the company life cycle plays an important role in determining the strategic behavior of family firms. Future research aimed at replicating the results of this study may help shed further light on the strategic process that occurs within family firms.
Practical implications
Although the firms examined in this study were from various cultures, their strategic development over time was very similar. This tentatively suggests that the evolution of the strategic process that occurs within family firms may be generalizable across cultures.
Originality/value
Our findings indicate that there may be an important distinction between family firms and entrepreneurial organizations. That is, all family firms are not necessarily entrepreneurial, especially early on in their company life cycle.
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Ilkka Tapani Ojansivu, Kimmo Alajoutsijärvi and Jari Salo
The purpose of this research is to increase understanding of post-project business relationships in service-intensive projects, a topic unexplored to date. This research…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to increase understanding of post-project business relationships in service-intensive projects, a topic unexplored to date. This research contributes to the project marketing research focusing on post-project interaction, by building a conceptual research framework capable of illustrating the path from the initiation of a relationship through the project’s afterlife.
Design/methodology/approach
A comparative case study is used across four different service-intensive project contexts to highlight the conceptual research framework, derived from the IMP-related interaction research, in practice.
Findings
According to the research findings, there are at least four potential post-project business relationships associated with service-intensive projects. Furthermore, the findings indicate that these relationships embody certain antecedent and process characteristics, enabling us to compile four distinct development paths.
Research limitations/implications
The four cases of the empirical research were chosen on theoretical grounds to highlight the conceptual research framework in practice, and thus the purpose was mainly descriptive. The findings should be generalized only with caution, as more empirical research is needed in this emerging project context.
Practical implications
For managers, the findings provide practical guidance to deal with different post-project relationships. They will help managers to initiate, maintain and develop post-project relationships and to avoid a mismatch between relationship antecedent, processes and outcomes.
Originality/value
Post-project buyer – seller interaction has been studied by the project marketing research stream, but mainly from the perspective of social exchange and sleeping relationships. With the advent of service-intensive projects, however, a whole new breed of post-project business relationships is unfolding and demanding research attention. This research is a step toward understanding the different post-project business relationships associated with service-intensive projects.
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Tomi Solakivi, Juuso Töyli, Janne Engblom and Lauri Ojala
The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of and future expectations concerning the usage of the outsourcing of logistics operations in small‐ and medium‐sized…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of and future expectations concerning the usage of the outsourcing of logistics operations in small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), and to analyse and quantify the relationships between logistics outsourcing, costs and performance, financial performance, and the company context.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were 223 manufacturing and trading SMEs from the Finnish logistics survey combined with detailed financial report‐based data, both referring to the year 2008. Statistical analyses including ANOVA and factor analysis were applied.
Findings
Transport activities are excessively outsourced. Most companies report no outsourcing of order processing and invoicing, and half of them have not outsourced logistics IT systems. Outsourcing is expected to grow in all areas with strongest expectations in materials management, value‐added services, and in IT. The logistics costs for companies engaging in the medium level of outsourcing could be higher than those of other companies. Further research is needed to confirm this finding. No loss or gain in logistics performance due to outsourcing was observed. The more the companies are engaged in outsourcing, the more they monitor as well as collaborate internally and externally, or vice versa. In general, the results imply that management should not expect automatic gains from logistics outsourcing, and should rather analyse the company‐specific characteristics that support or in some cases suffer from the outsourcing decision.
Originality/value
The article explores logistics outsourcing in SMEs combining financial report data with self‐reported measures. It analyses and quantifies the relationship of logistics outsourcing to logistics costs, financial performance, logistics performance, and company context.
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Jouni Juntunen, David B. Grant and Jari Juga
The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of a shipper's dilemma as a customer. Shippers desire both lower costs and good service levels, and this dilemma may lead in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of a shipper's dilemma as a customer. Shippers desire both lower costs and good service levels, and this dilemma may lead in the long run to a trade‐off consideration between staying loyal to existing service providers and seeking cost reductions from competing providers.
Design/methodology/approach
A model was devised from the literature exploring how a shipper's propensity to switch logistics service providers may be affected by perceptions of service elements and logistics cost reductions. The model was tested with survey data from 235 Finnish industrial firms and analysed using structural equation modelling.
Findings
Findings indicate that in the short‐run trade‐offs do not exist, but there may be a propensity to trade‐off in the long run. Further, quality of service is a more important factor for customers than participating in tight price competition.
Research limitations/implications
The data were collected from one country and further studies are required to test these research propositions in other countries and contexts.
Practical implications
Logistics service providers should concentrate more on service quality and refrain from tight price competition to gain and reinforce customer loyalty. Further, shippers should also adopt a long perspective regarding strategy and refrain from short‐run, cost reduction seeking behaviour.
Originality/value
This study integrates several factors as drivers of outsourcing relationship continuity and/or change and presents a fresh collection of data for analysis.
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Sami Kokko, Lasse Kannas, Jari Villberg and Michael Ormshaw
This paper aims to clarify the extent to which youth sports clubs guide their coaches to recognise health promotion as a part of the coaching practice. The guidance activity of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to clarify the extent to which youth sports clubs guide their coaches to recognise health promotion as a part of the coaching practice. The guidance activity of clubs is seen parallel to internal organisational communication.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 93 (from 120, 78 per cent) youth sports clubs in Finland was carried out, and a total of 273 sports club officials acted as respondents. The clubs' guidance activity was examined under three domains: sports performance time, non‐performance sports club time, and health topics.
Findings
In general, youth sports clubs were passive on guiding their coaches on health promotion. Guidance activity was evident concerning actual sports performance time, whereas non‐performance sports club time received much less attention. Health topics were guided to a varying degree in that the clubs had been active in guiding the coaches on topics such as the risks of being physically active when ill, injury prevention, and sleep/rest, whereas topics such as nutrition and the use of various substances were much less acknowledged.
Research limitations/implications
The study limitations relate to self‐reported data, and the complexity of assessing sports clubs. As one of the first studies in the area, all the measurement instruments and methods were created from the outset. Therefore, further studies are required for validation purposes. Despite the limitations, this study provides pioneering baseline information.
Practical implications
The results indicate that youth sports clubs are still discipline and competition oriented. Health promotion guidance especially regarding non‐performance sports club time and several health topics needs to be addressed by the clubs in order to meet the clubs' own health‐related intentions.
Originality/value
These findings are unique in this relatively new setting for health promotion, and they can act as a baseline for research methodology development and further studies.
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David Grant, Jouni Juntunen, Jari Juga and Mari Juntunen
The purpose of this paper is to apply theory and techniques from the services and marketing literature to a supply-chain context consisting of a shipper or seller, a customer or…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply theory and techniques from the services and marketing literature to a supply-chain context consisting of a shipper or seller, a customer or buyer and a third-party logistics service provider (3PL) to investigate corporate brand equity resulting from service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty towards the 3PL.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model was developed from the literature and tested with Finnish industrial firms using an online survey. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling to examine relationships among the four constructs.
Findings
Hypothesised relationships among the four constructs in the conceptual model were supported; however, the relationship between loyalty and corporate brand equity was weak.
Research limitations/implications
This investigatory research is based on a one-country sample making transferability and generalisability to other countries difficult.
Practical implications
The findings of this research should enable 3PL managers to determine those service offerings most important to shippers and customers, develop a service package using such offerings to satisfy their needs and thus build loyalty and corporate brand equity with both.
Originality/value
This paper adds to our knowledge of these constructs in a supply-chain context, particularly for 3PLs, and provides an interdisciplinary approach to research in the supply-chain domain.