Rudolf O. Large, Nikolai Kramer and Rahel Katharina Hartmann
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether there is an impact, from a provider's perspective, of customer‐specific adaptations by third‐party logistics (3PL) providers on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether there is an impact, from a provider's perspective, of customer‐specific adaptations by third‐party logistics (3PL) providers on the success of 3PL‐relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
A document analysis is presented and hypotheses are developed based on research in 3PL, relationship marketing and transaction cost theory. Structural equation modelling and causal analysis with partial least square were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
This study provides evidence that customer‐specific adaptation by providers is an important prerequisite to 3PL‐performance. Furthermore, according to the transaction cost theory, the results express the importance of providers' adaptation to maintain 3PL‐relationships.
Research limitations/implications
Further research should compare customers' perceptions of partner‐specific adaptations and 3PL‐relationship success with the results of this study.
Originality/value
The paper shows that 3PL‐providers should adapt their systems and procedures to customers' specific requirements, to ensure high‐relationship performance. Satisfied customers should promote the providers' adaptations, because these adaptations enhance the probability of contract renewal and reduce the risk of providers' unexpected termination of the contract.
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Together, increasing globalization and the internet created fertile grounds for the establishment of multilingual digital libraries. Providing cross‐lingual access to materials is…
Abstract
Purpose
Together, increasing globalization and the internet created fertile grounds for the establishment of multilingual digital libraries. Providing cross‐lingual access to materials is of particular interest to political entities such as the European Union, which currently has 23 official languages, but also to multinational companies and countries that have different languages represented among their citizens. The main objective of this paper is to review the literature on multilingual digital libraries and provide an overview of this area.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a thorough literature search in four different databases, a core set of literature on multilingual digital libraries was retrieved. Literature on various aspects of this topic was reviewed. The paper is organized based on emerging themes directly drawn from the literature. Where warranted additional literature is brought in to provide necessary background information or clarification.
Findings
Creating a multilingual digital library is a highly complex undertaking and typically requires a collaborative effort between different organizations and people with different areas of expertise. Enabling users to search across languages requires translation resources to cross the language barrier, which can be challenging depending on the language and resource availability. Additional challenges were found to be in data management (localization and language processing), representation (dealing with different fonts and character codes), development (creating international software, cross‐cultural collaboration), and interoperability (system architecture and data sharing). Research in multilingual digital libraries was mostly system based involving experimental systems or system prototypes.
Research limitations/implications
Most likely the literature review does not include all possible journal articles on multilingual digital libraries even though the literature searches done to obtain these articles were thorough and deliberate. Journal articles without the descriptors used in this search and those articles not indexed in the four different databases used in the search will not be included here. The review excludes cross‐language information retrieval research unless it is directly related to existing multilingual digital libraries, or a connection to digital libraries in general is made in the paper itself.
Originality/value
This paper provides the first literature review on the topic of multilingual digital libraries and provides a concise overview of relevant aspects in this area. The number of multilingual digital libraries is growing, as is the interest from the research community in these libraries to apply their research findings from cross‐language information retrieval. This review article provides a valuable entry point to the field of multilingual digital libraries for researchers, practitioners, and other interested parties.
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Ghulam Sughra and David Crowther
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been consistently discussed by the retail companies as a key factor of their strategic plan. The widely divided literature on the link…
Abstract
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been consistently discussed by the retail companies as a key factor of their strategic plan. The widely divided literature on the link between CSR and financial performance has distracted the researchers to focus on the important variables of CSR, that is donations, community work and environmental performance. This chapter provides a reflection on why retail companies make these variables of CSR as the integral part of their core strategy and pinpoint the underlying benefits of adopting these variables. In the CSR disclosures, donations, community work and environmental performance are highly focused by the retail companies. Thus this chapter paves the way for the discussion for the highly significant variables of CSR in the retail industry. The chapter not only presents a framework on which future studies can be based but also improves the understanding of the concept that why donations, community work and environmental performance are important for the retail industry in the United Kingdom. The retail companies and the policy makers at the global or local level develop effective and relevant strategies by drawing on the multiple aspects of CSR. Despite having an extensive body of knowledge about CSR, there is however little known about the importance of community work, donations and environmental performance in relation to the UK retail industry.
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Aniekan Essien, Godwin Onyekachi Chukwukelu, Nikolai Kazantsev and Nachiappan Subramanian
The global food industry is faced with the dilemma of finding a balance between food wastage and food shortage. Approximately one-third of food produced globally goes to waste…
Abstract
Purpose
The global food industry is faced with the dilemma of finding a balance between food wastage and food shortage. Approximately one-third of food produced globally goes to waste, while about 800 million people suffer from undernourishment. Given this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate the unresolved challenges related to enhancing transparency associated with products of high perishability and low shelf life.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted 25 interviews with global agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) experts to ask what impedes the progress of the current technologies, such as blockchain, to enable transparency and traceability (T&T) in AFSCs.
Findings
The findings indicate barriers at the individual, firm and supply chain levels. Based on these barriers, the authors propose an interconnected framework to explain technologically-driven T&T and guide on barrier removal from AFSCs. The authors conclude that by applying technology (i.e. blockchain) the authors can resolve the tension of supporting T&T in AFSCs. This can enable the efficient and transparent tracking of goods, reduction of food waste and loss, as well as promotion of the use of recyclable packaging and further sustainable practices and materials, all of which are aligned with a range of UN Sustainable Development Goals (2, 8, 10 and 12). Moreover, the authors see that some factors are interrelated. Based on these factors, the authors build an interconnected framework to guide on barrier removal from AFSCs. Managers in AFSC would find the findings especially relevant.
Originality/value
Drawing on industrial network theory and signalling theory, the authors propose an interconnected framework for explaining barriers (challenges) and potential solutions (opportunities) to T&T in AFSCs. This framework is developed by examining the interconnections of barriers at micro, meso and macro levels and applying signalling theory to explain how solutions address these barriers. The specific contributions of this study are: the list of barriers that impede the implementation of technological solutions for T&T in AFSCs; and a three-stage framework that explains how to remove the barriers for T&T. The study is limited by the focus on blockchain, which calls for future research once the next decentralised technology becomes available.
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Petra C. Besenhard and Nikolai G. Wenzel
The purpose of this paper is to study the decline of the Tuareg, and explore the emergence of traditional elements of Tuareg culture to circumvent formal barriers to trade.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the decline of the Tuareg, and explore the emergence of traditional elements of Tuareg culture to circumvent formal barriers to trade.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper examines the history of the Tuareg through the lens of the New Development Economics.
Findings
This paper examines three elements of past Tuareg wealth: the caravan trade as spontaneous order; the unintended consequences of forced modernization policies under colonization and post-colonial states; and contemporary problems from hindered freedom of trade. The bad news is that the Tuareg are facing impediments from failed states with low economic and political freedom. The good news is that traditional elements in the Tuareg’s entrepreneurial culture are re-emerging to circumvent formal barriers.
Research limitations/implications
The literature on the Tuareg is largely pessimistic, as the Tuareg’s traditions have largely been quashed by post-colonial boundaries and failed states. The New Development Economics offers a new perspective, with two implications. First, there is hope for the Tuareg, and a possible win-win, if the local states adopt a policy of laissez faire and international trade, rather than assimilation or repression. Second, this theoretical lens can be used in other cases throughout Africa (and the world) involving post-colonial borders.
Originality/value
There already exists a rich literature on the Tuareg. This paper uses the New Development Economics to examine the history of the Tuareg’s decline – and to find hope in traditional elements of Tuareg entrepreneurship emerging to circumvent local failed (and predatory) states.
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Igor Gurkov and Nikolay Filinov
This paper aims to outline the current and future influence of digitalization on the corporate parenting styles (CPSs) of multinational corporations (MNCs).
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to outline the current and future influence of digitalization on the corporate parenting styles (CPSs) of multinational corporations (MNCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used conceptual modeling in this study.
Findings
The authors identified five types of CPSs (Hypnos, Cronus, Rhea, Zeus and Athena). The overall impact of digitalization on CPSs is related to new, formidable opportunities for decreasing costs and increasing the efficiency of the intra-corporate transfer of knowledge and talent. Furthermore, digitalization leads to greater tightness in subsidiaries’ performance targets and greater intensity of control over subsidiaries’ activities, lower degrees of subsidiary autonomy and lower level of trust between the corporate headquarters and subsidiary managers. These effects endanger the existence of two CPSs (Hypnos and Athena) and significant changes for the other three CPSs.
Practical implications
Digitalization may lead to more homogeneous corporations, with the lower variety of CPSs and the greater centralization of decision-making in corporate and regional headquarters and stronger control on operations and performance of subsidiaries. Increased opportunities of a horizontal value transfer (knowledge) within the corporation will present an additional competitive advantage of subsidiaries of MNCs. The increased ability and willingness of corporate and regional headquarters of value appropriation from subsidiaries in different forms (profit, revenues, knowledge and talent) will force subsidiaries to use that additional competitive advantage to become more aggressive competitors in local and global markets.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt in the academic literature to predict the mutation of CPSs of MNCs under the impact of digitalization.
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International Business, International Entrepreneurship, International Marketing.
Abstract
Subject area
International Business, International Entrepreneurship, International Marketing.
Study level/applicability
Advanced undergraduate and graduate students are the primary audience. The case can also be used in executive classes with emerging economies as a focus.
Case overview
Kaspersky Lab is a provider of information technology (IT) security products such as anti-virus, anti-spam and network security software. It is Russia's largest software company and the only Russian firm that ranked among the world's top 100 software companies. This case presents several interesting features of the company and its environment. The foci of the case are on potential barriers facing firms based in emerging economies in their internationalization initiatives and negative country of origin effects associated with emerging economies.
Expected learning outcomes
The learning objectives of this case include:
To identify internal and external sources of competitive advantage for a developing world originated successful entrepreneurial firm.
To assess the potential barriers facing an emerging economy-based firm in the internationalization process and analyse whether such barriers differ across economies of various characteristics.
To evaluate whether the natures of obstacles and challenges faced by an emerging economy-based firm is different in a newly evolving industry.
To analyze how an emerging economy-based firm can overcome some of the barriers to internationalization.
To identify internal and external sources of competitive advantage for a developing world originated successful entrepreneurial firm.
To assess the potential barriers facing an emerging economy-based firm in the internationalization process and analyse whether such barriers differ across economies of various characteristics.
To evaluate whether the natures of obstacles and challenges faced by an emerging economy-based firm is different in a newly evolving industry.
To analyze how an emerging economy-based firm can overcome some of the barriers to internationalization.
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Abel Diaz Gonzalez and Nikolay A. Dentchev
Social entrepreneurs (SEs) often face various challenges whereby they rely on the support of others to realize their objectives. In this context, ecosystem thinking is very…
Abstract
Purpose
Social entrepreneurs (SEs) often face various challenges whereby they rely on the support of others to realize their objectives. In this context, ecosystem thinking is very helpful to understand how various stakeholders can assist SEs. The purpose of this paper is to develop a classification of the different types of support that third parties can provide to SEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have developed the arguments in this paper based on a literature review of 258 articles on ecosystem thinking and social entrepreneurship. Articles have been retrieved from the Web of Science database, using as search parameters on the one hand publications in top journals, and on the other articles with more than 60 citations. In addition, the authors have received recommendations for relevant good-quality articles following a snowball procedure.
Findings
This paper contributes by distinguishing three support categories for SEs – fuel, hardware and DNA – based on what we know from ecosystem thinking. This paper elaborates on the building blocks of each support category, points at the relevant actors and discusses the interrelatedness across support categories.
Research limitations/implications
The three support categories are developed by building on predominantly ecosystem literature. This study implies that the scalability of SEs’ social impact does not only depend on their strengths but also on how well they are supported.
Practical implications
The three support categories are complementary to the strengths of individual SEs. SEs can therefore start with what they have, and then gradually expand their support structure by surrounding themselves with stakeholders that can assist them with fuel, infrastructure and DNA.
Originality/value
Social enterprise theories have elaborated on the various challenges that SEs face. Lack of resources, lack of staff, lack of professional management, underdeveloped networks and mission drift are seen as the most pressing. Although the relevant literature does rightly point out the indispensable support of others, it does so without differentiating between the kinds of support that can help SEs increase their social impact. This paper offers to remedy this by creating three separate support categories: fuel, hardware and DNA.
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Malte Stefan Ackermann, Michael Stephan and John M. Penrose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to quantify the communication of organizational innovativeness (OI) on a large scale; and to examine the relationship of communicating OI and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to quantify the communication of organizational innovativeness (OI) on a large scale; and to examine the relationship of communicating OI and the corresponding investments in research and development (R & D) of multinational corporations (MNCs).
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 3,043 annual reports from 326 MNCs are examined utilizing quantitative content analysis, which focusses on fixed selected terminologies, in the years 1998-2008.
Findings
Scholars assume that the capacity for OI is becoming the single most important task in organizational survival. Even though in the sample the investments in R & D are not increasing, even slightly declining, the communication of OI is increasing. Using mixed-effects regression analysis, the findings indicate that the corporations that are investing in R & D are also communicating these efforts correspondingly.
Practical implications
This is the first study that measures the communication of OI using quantitative content analysis.
Originality/value
The results indicate that not only do the communication efforts of an organization’s OI have a perceived increasing importance. They also suggest that OI itself has become more important for organizations from a strategic point of view.