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The article gives an introduction to the wine market in China and outlines its development. It goes on to identify the key issues which need to be addressed in order to enter the market successfully. These revolve, tactically, around effective mangement of the 4 P's, with distribution and promotion being the most problematic. It would appear that cultural differences and both formal and informal entry barriers point towards a more strategic relational approach if successful market entry is to be achieved. The implications for would‐be market entrants are discussed, as is the need for specific further research into market structure.

National competitive advantage is a model which is widely taught in business schools but there has been limited research into its usefulness for managers and policy makers in particular economies and industries. This research looks at New Zealand, and in particular its wine industry as a context for the national competitive advantage model. The literature discusses the influence that both organisational resources and national competitive advantage have on organisational performance and profitability, examining such factors as domestic demand, the factors of production, related and supporting industry, the nature of domestic rivalry and how organisations are developed and managed. The data was gathered from CEO's of wineries, plus industry and national reports on the performance of the wine industry and the New Zealand economy. The research found that New Zealand suffers from policy inconsistencies, poor performance of senior management and competitive disadvantage in research and development, licensing, value chain management, regional sales and international distribution. Also, new knowledge created in Universities and Research Centres is not being transferred adequately to new and growing firms. However, it performs well in terms of competition policy, taxation and trade liberalisation. The New Zealand wine industry has both extensive and intense competition, has limited access to venture capital and does not have effective cluster development. There is considerable work to be done by the wine industry in terms of developing human capital and innovation if it is to remain internationally competitive. Also, it is essential to work co‐operatively in international markets and to identify clearly defined target market segments.

There has been considerable discussion concerning the resource dependency theory of strategy but relatively little qualitative, empirical research has been conducted on the proposed models. Using the value chain as the conceptual framework, the research aims to show how organisations, in this case small and medium‐sized wineries, use their resources and how they access other resources by using strategic alliances. The article also aims to discuss the influence that their resources and capabilities have had on their ability to develop sustainable competitive advantage and superior performance.

This exploratory research looks at four medium‐sized New Zealand wineries (between 200,000 and 2 million litres) and six small ones (under 200,000 litres), of which six have over‐performed and four have under‐performed the industry. Semi‐structured interviews were used to develop an understanding of how the wineries organised their alliances along the value and how they accessed resources which were not available internally.

The wineries have engaged in strategic alliances, rather than structural ties, at various stages of the value chain, to gain access to scarce resources and capabilities. There is clear evidence that the over‐performers have had access to adequate resources, which has led to sustainable competitive advantage and superior performance.

Only one industry is examined and wider research is necessary, both of a qualitative and quantitative nature.

The research provides empirical support for the resource dependency theory and extends the understanding of its significance for small and medium enterprises.

The aim of this paper is to set a research agenda which will explore the link between strategic human resource management (HRM) and business performance of the coal industry in Central Queensland, Australia.

Key performance indicators of coalmines are collected from official statistics and other publicly available records. A survey instrument is to be designed and used to collect data related to experiences and perceptions of managers and employees in coalmines. Statistical tools are used to test interrelationships between key variables.

The research will be the first empirical study of the link between strategic HRM and business performance of the coal industry. The research outcomes will contribute to the body of knowledge concerning the relationship between strategic HRM and business performance. Studying people management practices in the coal industry enables us to paint a clearer picture of the key HRM issues currently faced by the industry. As management educators, we may be more able, as a result of this study, to provide solutions to some identified problems in the industry.

The coal industry is very important to sustainable regional economic development. An analysis of the impact of people management approaches to business performance is likely to lead to identifying some best practices that can be potentially adopted in the wider regional business community.

The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the types of relationships that exist along the supply chain and the capabilities that are needed to manage them effectively.

This is exploratory research as there has been little empirical research into this area. Quantitative data were gathered by using a self‐administered questionnaire, using the Australian road freight industry as the context. There were 132 usable responses. Inferential and descriptive analysis, including factor analysis, confirmatory factor and regression analysis was used to examine the predictive power of relational factors in inter‐firm relationships.

Three factors were identified as having significant influence on relationships: sharing, power and interdependency. “Sharing” is the willingness of the organisation to share resources with other members of the supply chain. “Power” relates to exercising control based on experience, knowledge and position in the supply chain. “Interdependency” is the relative levels of dependency along the supply chain.

The research only looks at the Australian road freight industry; a wider sample including other industries would help to strengthen the generalisability of the findings.

When these factors are correlated to the types of relationship, arm's length, cooperation, collaboration and alliances, managerial implications can be identified. The more road freight businesses place importance on power, the less they will cooperate. The greater the importance of sharing and interdependency, the greater is the likelihood of arm's length relationships.

This paper makes a contribution by describing empirical work conducted in an under‐researched but important area – supply chain relationships in the Australian road freight industry.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of cross‐functional teams in the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness after the implementation of enterprise information systems (EIS). In addition, it aims to explore the contribution of cross‐functional teams to improvement in operational performance.

The research uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, in a two‐stage methodological approach, to investigate the influence of cross‐functional teams on the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness and the impact of the stated alignment on the improvement in operational performance.

Initial findings suggest that factors stemming from system effectiveness and the performance objectives stemming from operational effectiveness are important and significantly well correlated factors that promote the alignment between the effectiveness of technological implementation and the effectiveness of operations. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis has been used to find the structural relationships and provide explanations for the stated alignment and the contribution of cross‐functional teams to the improvement in operational performance.

The principal limitation of this study is its small sample size.

Cross‐functional teams have been used by many organisations as a way of involving expertise from different functional areas in the implementation of innovative technologies. An appropriate use of the dimensions that emerged from this research, in the context of cross‐functional teams, will assist organisations to properly utilise cross‐functional teams with the aim of improving operational performance.

The paper presents a new approach to measure the effectiveness of EIS implementation by adding new dimensions to measure it.

The launch of a new product into the marketplace involves substantial risk and management planning. Information and tools are required to efficiently test‐market the product price, segment‐based price, and competitive price benchmark. The traditional approach to pricing such products has been on a cost‐plus basis with subsequent adjustments as sales develop. This paper aims to look at a more rigorous method using statistical analyses of survey data and is based on a case study of a company which seeks to differentiate itself by providing fresh cut fresh fruit of exceptional quality.

The empirical research conducted involved surveys of sampling consumers in a regional centre (Rockhampton) and a capital city (Brisbane) in Queensland, Australia. The surveys involved a taste test, feedback on the product, questions on appearance and pricing options, and collection of socio‐economic data. Further statistical tests were conducted to establish the price range for market launch in the two regions.

The findings identify the key demographics of the sample, the price and the main product offering. The price for the cut fresh fruit should be set in the range $2.50 to $2.95 in order to maximise both volume sales and profitability.

The study makes significant theoretical contributions to the literature and also identifies implications for managers. It provides good information for developing an appropriate marketing plan, identifying key demographics, reducing the risk of product failure and implementing strategies effectively, particularly with reference to the critical decision of a launch price.

This paper aims to propose a conceptual framework to explore the link between strategic human resource management (SHRM) and firm performance of the coal mining companies in Central Queensland (CQ), Australia.

The paper reviews literature relating to the process and issues of transforming human resource practices and industrial relations of the coal industry in Australia for the past decade. Theoretical development and empirical studies on the SHRM‐performance linkage are discussed. Based on the literature review, the paper develops an integrated model for testing the relationship between SHRM and firm performance in the context of CQ's coalmines and proposes a number of research propositions.

Three perceivable outcomes are likely derived from application of this framework in the field. First, a testing of the linkage between strategic HRM and firm performance in the coal industry, using an integrated approach, would complement the empirical deficiency of treatments on the prior SHRM models. Second, data at firm level could be collected to develop a better understanding of how the adoption of strategic HRM practices in coal companies can affect firm performance. Third, the extent of flexibility practices, use of contractors and associated management practices could be identified.

The coal industry is central to economic development of regional Queensland. The industry contributes substantially to GDP via employment, investment and product export. An exploration of the impact of SHRM on the coal industry will likely result in identifying some best practices that could be potentially adopted in the wider business community to foster regional economic development in Australia and worldwide.