Carlos Aggio, Darío Milesi, Vladimiro Verre, Leonardo Zanazzi and Miguel Lengyel
The purpose of this paper is to understand how Argentina has successfully developed a non-traditional export business such as blueberry, explain the causes of the most recent…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand how Argentina has successfully developed a non-traditional export business such as blueberry, explain the causes of the most recent competitive crisis and analyze the emerging public–private strategies as a response.
Design/methodology/approach
The unit of analysis of this study is the blueberry agro-system which is a complex network of backward, forward and lateral linkages with specialized buyers, suppliers, institutions and other economic agents. Considering the qualitative and relational nature of the dimensions studied, a case study methodology was adopted. The data were collected from primary and secondary sources through in-depth interview techniques and documentary analysis. These techniques were complemented by the processing of quantitative information to enrich the analysis and put the case into a broader context.
Findings
The main finding of this study is that Argentina's export-oriented business model based on off-season high prices and scarcity of supply in the Northern Hemisphere markets must be revised and reformulated. This revision, already underway, was triggered by the Peruvian competition and is driven by the firm compromise of companies and chambers and in many cases has the backing of public bodies; this revision is an open-ended process in which the success of efforts to recreate profitability and competitiveness of the sector is not guaranteed.
Research limitations/implications
The case study methodology implemented in the study implies that the main findings cannot be directly extrapolated to other fruits or crops. In fact, lessons and policy implications for other sectors should be conceived with caution. Another limitation is that the research relies on the perspectives of domestic stakeholders who have to respond and adapt to specific rules established by traders and supermarkets. The views and perspectives of these big companies, which manage a buyer-driven global value chain, could not be incorporated and is an area for further research.
Originality/value
The study uses the concept of temporal window to analyze the business opportunity for off-season fresh fruits exports. This concept is a key to understand both the development of a modern value chain in a South American country to market blueberries in the Northern Hemisphere and the crisis created by the emergence of new more competitive suppliers such as Peru. The main explanatory factors are historical, technological, institutional, firm-related and market.
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Keywords
Marie-Anne Lorain, Raquel Pérez Estébanez, Miguel-Angel Villacorta, Monica Santos, Elisa Cano, Manuela Cañizares Espada, Gracia Rubio-Martin, Pilar López Sánchez, Alberto Martinez de Silva, Mercedes Ruiz de Palacios and Elena Urquia-Grande
The main goal of this study is to develop accounting students’ solidarity with and sensitivity to cooperation for sustainable development. This study also aims to analyze the role…
Abstract
Purpose
The main goal of this study is to develop accounting students’ solidarity with and sensitivity to cooperation for sustainable development. This study also aims to analyze the role of participatory learning activities in developing the dimensions of involvement, critical reflection and thinking analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
This empirical study analyzes a case study activity conducted in accounting seminars with students from different universities in Spain. After completing the activity, the students completed a questionnaire divided into four areas: sociodemographic information, involvement, critical reflection and creativity. Students also answered an open-response question that asked them to propose new activities to enhance their learning experience and contribute more to sustainable development. The study thus used mixed methods, complementing quantitative analysis with qualitative data.
Findings
The multivariate analysis obtained significant results showing that female students were more willing to help and that most students said they were more sensitive to these issues after the participatory learning activity. Furthermore, the items and dimensions analyzed revealed a positive impact of involvement, critical and creative thinking and participatory learning on accounting students’ commitment to cooperation for sustainable development. When students answered the open-response question, they proposed more activities to enhance their learning and improve the functioning of the Non-Governmental Organization’s (NGO’s) beneficiary. HEIs must design more transversal courses aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals in their social science degrees.
Originality/value
The study not only examines university education in sustainable development but goes a step further in trying to involve students in a real development project from a financial and accounting point of view. The study also focuses on education for sustainability, and the project invites the students to think critically, reflect and assess real situations.
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Keywords
Nagamani Subramanian, Suresh M. and John William A.
Demanding and highly competitive business environment has stimulated small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to restructure their manufacturing practices. Lean manufacturing (LM), a…
Abstract
Purpose
Demanding and highly competitive business environment has stimulated small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to restructure their manufacturing practices. Lean manufacturing (LM), a comprehensive alternative, is now being adopted, notably by manufacturing organizations, to increase business effectiveness and performance through a variety of lean approaches. Lean implementation, however, ran into a number of difficulties, which showed that non-technical factors such as human-related practices must also be integrated if lean is to be successful. This study aims to examine a thorough overview of the various human-related lean practices (HRLP) mentioned in recent literature and to determine which of them is more pertinent to a successful LM implementation in SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 193 publications published in 45 journals between 2013 and 2023 and based on the 4 reputable publishers, namely, Science Direct, Emerald Online, Taylor and Francis and Springer Link, were gathered based on a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed journal articles in LM.
Findings
The amount of research on human resource management and lean management that has been conducted has increased dramatically during the past few years. The outcome of this study will offer a thorough analysis of soft lean practices found in the LM literature that manufacturing SMEs should take into account while implementing lean.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of this research is restricted to a survey of scholarly works using the terms “Lean manufacturing” or “Lean production” as well as “human” or “people” or “soft-lean practices” in the title. Furthermore, only works published in scholarly publications that have undergone peer review were included. Also, due to the authors’ linguistic restrictions, only English articles were used. The HRLP linked to a smooth lean transition are described in this research. Thus, it can be used to assist the production and human resource departments in raising an organization’s long-term performance.
Originality/value
The study gives researchers a better grasp of the direction the subject is taking and what gaps still exist, which aids them in focusing their research on HRLP in small- and medium-sized businesses.