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Presents a conjoint‐based method of preferential segmentation. It outperforms other techniques in that it provides a higher level of intra‐group homogeneity as far as the most preferred product/service design is concerned, and its interpretation is more straightforward. Illustrates the method by way of an application in the design of a new financial service.

Warns that although technology and innovation are often the key drivers in the formation of business partnerships and networks, reflecting the parallel relationship between the institutional set and the technological set, the formation of tightly knit networks of relationships often entails drawbacks and hazards like increasing complexity, loss of autonomy and information asymmetry, all of which can hamper innovation and technological change. Explores how networks simultaneously promote and block innovation in the partner companies involved. Attempts to define the concept of the network and its multiple variations. Analyses different attributes of networks as they relate to innovation: flexibility, speed and networks as learning systems. Concludes with suggested ways to extract the maximum innovative potential from interfirm networking.

In recent years there has been a growing interest in Asian business practices, in particular the use of social networks in China for business purposes. Because of its relational nature, some have identified guanxi with a traditional form of relationship marketing. We use the recent developments in relationship marketing theory to analyse guanxi. We find that understanding and managing guanxi is useful in the development of partnerships under the current economic situation in China, but does not support the other two basic strategic essentials of relationship marketing: service and process management. Additionally, we detect relevant changes in the structural conditions of China that make guanxi necessary in the access to the Chinese market.

Pro-poor innovations are innovations targeted at economically poor consumers. These innovations have the potential to improve consumer wellbeing. However, while take up of some such innovations has been rapid (e.g., mobile phones) take up of others has been slower (e.g., fuel efficient stoves). What explains why some pro-poor innovations fail and some succeed? While the literature on consumer innovation adoption in economically wealthy countries is vast, there is very little literature in the context of the “bottom-of-the-pyramid” (BoP) and subsistence marketplaces. This chapter aims to begin answering this question through a review of the extant literature in the area of consumer innovation adoption, which is integrated with literature in the area of consumption within subsistence marketplaces and the BoP. A conceptual model is proposed which outlines key parameters for marketers and managers. The chapter closes by outlining implications and a future research agenda.

Science and technology are transforming our world in ways that have not been seen in a long time, and we live in a rapidly changing world. Despite these changes, as citizens of today, we must not lose sight of the reality that these changes even cause crises that must be managed in order to place ourselves in a true working environment that allows us to survive as employees despite these changes. The main objective of this research is to find the relationship between interpersonal competences and teacher performance in a sustainable university. The methodology used was the quantitative, nonexperimental approach, as the variables will not be deliberately manipulated. In order to verify whether or not there was a relationship between these variables, 84 teachers from the Universidad Nacional Santiago Antunez de Mayolo were surveyed to evaluate the variables under study. The results obtained show a direct and significant relationship (Spearman's Rho = 0.731) between the two variables. Through this research, it was possible to determine that teachers who have developed interpersonal competences have a better performance, while in the relationships between interpersonal competences and the dimensions of teacher performance, a positive correlation was obtained.

The purpose of this paper is to show that high technology companies often find it challenging to select their first reference customer. This is a challenging decision because such clients are not simply an immediate source of revenue, but also a source of learning, a technology test bench and a powerful promotional tool. This paper aims to explore not only the factors that make such decisions strategically crucial, but also the motivations for a client organization to assume such a risk and the characteristics of such organizations.

Theoretical and case studies. These ideas are illustrated with examples in both hardware and software, with a longer examination of HP's adoption of AMD's Opteron technology for its server line.

The choice of the first customer is a strategic decision, not just a tactical one. It has implications in terms of revenue generation, technology development, business development and industry focus, and it can be decisive in the success of a new technology.

This is one of the first papers to address the selection of the initial reference customer in high technology industries.

Base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) markets are frequently characterized by institutional voids. However, it remains unclear how institutional voids impact corporate and supply chain risk and performance. This intersection will be analyzed in this paper.

This paper presents a systematic literature review of 94 BoP papers published between 2004 and 2019 in peer-reviewed, English-language journals available on Scopus. Drawing upon established frameworks for examining institutional voids, supply chain risks and BoP performance, frequency, and contingency analyses are conducted. Contingencies are established to provide insights into the associations between different constructs from the selected frameworks.

Supply chain risks are pervasive in the BoP discourse, especially when BoP markets are characterized by institutional voids. The frequency analysis of the constructs suggests that the key supply chain risks discussed in the BoP literature include social risk, credit risk, product market and operating uncertainties, knowledge and skill biases and decision-maker risks due to bounded rationality. The contingency analysis suggests that institutional voids are associated with supply chain risks that affect performance.

A theoretical framework aligning three research streams in the context of BoP calls for future studies to test the causality of highlighted constructs that are significantly associated. The analysis is confined to the constructs that are taken into account based on specific conceptual frameworks.

The study provides practitioners with a framework to manage supply chain risks in BoP-related firms to enhance firm performance. Managers can use key dimensions of supply chain risk, such as the product market, the input market and operating uncertainties, to evaluate performance in the BoP context.

Specifically, this research has strengthened the inquiry of supply chain risks in the presence of institutional voids that may have an impact on firm performance

The purpose of this paper is to explore the hypothesis that collaboration was a key characteristic of Cuban science to maintain their scientific capacity during a period of economic restrictions and an important feature of Cuban science policy and practice for the benefit of society.

Collaboration was studied through Cuban scientific publications listed in PubMed for the period 1990-2010. The search was carried out using the advanced search engine of PubMed indicating < Cuba > in the affiliation field. To identify participating institutions a second search was performed to find the affiliations of all authors per article through the link to the electronic journal. A data set was created to identify institutional publication patterns for the surveyed period. Institutions were classified in three categories according to their scientific production as Central, Middle or Distal: the pattern of collaboration between these categories was analysed.

Results indicate that collaboration between scientifically advanced institutions (Central) and a wide range of national institutions is a consequence of the social character of science in Cuba in which cooperation prevails. Although this finding comes from a limited field of biomedical science it is likely to reflect Cuban science policy in general.

Using bibliometric tools the study suggests that Cuban science policy and practice ensure the application of science for social needs by harnessing human resources through national and international collaboration, building in this way stronger scientific capacity.