Tilman Slembeck, Armin Jans and Thomas Leu
Financial sustainability requires governments to run sufficiently large primary surpluses going forward to cover the cost of servicing its debt budgets to balance in the long run…
Abstract
Financial sustainability requires governments to run sufficiently large primary surpluses going forward to cover the cost of servicing its debt budgets to balance in the long run. In democracies, politicians who strive for reelection often tend to systematically violate this tenet. This paper discusses two types of “anchors” that may be used to cope with this problem by limiting the room for new and excessive public debt. First, we analyze national constitutional safeguards on the basis of the “debt brake” in Switzerland and Germany. Second, we discuss international institutions to maintain financial discipline, referring to the Maastricht-criteria. These anchors are designed to allow policymakers to commit to policies that provide long term financial stability and sustainability of public finances. However, as the recent crises have shown, the problem of time inconsistency in policy making remains, especially when anchors are weak. Therefore, the paper discusses the circumstances under which institutional anchors may help to restrict politician behavior to promote sustainability of public finances. We conclude by indentifying three conditions required for the proper functioning of collective anchors in the context of public finances.
In this chapter I argue that the distance research in international business studies is at a turning point, not in terms of its popularity, nor the quantity of articles published…
Abstract
In this chapter I argue that the distance research in international business studies is at a turning point, not in terms of its popularity, nor the quantity of articles published, but rather, in terms of the types of issues that are explored. Past distance research has largely been conducted at the level of the firm and/or the market – that is, linking national-level measures of distance with specific firm behaviors and outcomes. However, the seminal paper by Shenkar (2001) represents a shift in focus that is only just beginning to gain traction. This shift involves stepping back and beginning to unpack the black box we call ‘distance’ by exploring the micro-level mechanisms involved. In essence, it is about digging deeper in multiple aspects, to understand when, why and how distance matters in the international business (IB) context. These are issues that until now have typically been neglected. A metaphor borrowed from the social psychology literature, known as Coleman’s Boat, is used as a vehicle to explain the key issues involved in this shift and the opportunities for future research.
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Guangcheng Dong, Guangyin (Thomas) Lei, Xu Chen, Khai Ngo and Guo‐Quan Lu
Direct‐bond‐copper (DBC) substrates crack after about 15 thermal cycles from −55 to 250°C. The purpose of this paper is to study the phenomenology of thermal‐cracking to determine…
Abstract
Purpose
Direct‐bond‐copper (DBC) substrates crack after about 15 thermal cycles from −55 to 250°C. The purpose of this paper is to study the phenomenology of thermal‐cracking to determine the suitability of DBC for high‐temperature packaging.
Design/methodology/approach
The thermal plastic strain distribution at the edge of the DBC substrate was analyzed by using a finite element method with the Chaboche model for copper. The parameters of the Chaboche model were verified by comparing with the three‐point bending test results of DBC substrate. The thermal analyses involving different edge tail lengths indicated that susceptibility to cracking was influenced by the edge geometry of the DBC substrate.
Findings
Interface cracking was observed to initiate at the short edge of the bonded copper and propagated into the ceramic layer. The interface crack was caused by the accumulation of thermal plastic strain near the short edge. The edge tail can decrease the thermal strain along the short edge of the DBC substrate. Thermal cycling lifetime was improved greatly for the DBC substrate with 0.5 mm edge tail length compared with that without edge tail.
Research limitations/implications
The thermal cracking of DBC substrates should be studied at the microstructure level in the future.
Originality/value
Thermal cycling induced failure of DBC was analyzed. A method of alleviating the thermal plastic strain distribution on the weakest site and improving the thermal fatigue lifetime of DBC substrates under thermal cycling was proposed.
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Amanda Langley, Nada K. Kakabadse and Stephen Swailes
This paper aims to contribute to understanding of strategy development by reporting a detailed case study of one pharmaceutical company over an 11‐year period using a framework…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to understanding of strategy development by reporting a detailed case study of one pharmaceutical company over an 11‐year period using a framework for classifying strategic actions developed from a broader study of strategic behaviour in the industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilises a longitudinal text analysis using published documentary sources to explore the strategic actions and grand strategies realised by Bioglan during 1992‐2002.
Findings
The findings develop concepts from the economics, ecology and strategy literature in order to highlight that, rather than strategy research focusing on “with whom and how do firms compete?” the emphasis should be on “with whom and how do firms co‐evolve?”
Research limitations/implications
The paper only explored the realised strategies of one firm during an 11‐year period using only published documentary sources.
Originality/value
Previous research does not appear to have explored the evolution and co‐evolution of a firm's strategic actions prior to its death, a gap that this paper aims to help to fill.
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M.K. Nandakumar, Abby Ghobadian and Nicholas O'Regan
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between business‐level strategy and organisational performance and to test the applicability of Porter's generic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between business‐level strategy and organisational performance and to test the applicability of Porter's generic strategies in explaining differences in the performance of organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was focussed on manufacturing firms in the UK belonging to the electrical and mechanical engineering sectors. Data were collected through a postal survey using the survey instrument from 124 organisations and the respondents were all at CEO level. Both objective and subjective measures were used to assess performance. Non‐response bias was assessed statistically and it was not found to be a major problem affecting this study. Appropriate measures were taken to ensure that common method variance (CMV) does not affect the results of this study. Statistical tests indicated that CMV problem does not affect the results of this study.
Findings
The results of this study indicate that firms adopting one of the strategies, namely cost‐leadership or differentiation, perform better than “stuck‐in‐the‐middle” firms which do not have a dominant strategic orientation. The integrated strategy group has lower performance compared with cost‐leaders and differentiators in terms of financial performance measures. This provides support for Porter's view that combination strategies are unlikely to be effective in organisations. However, the cost‐leadership and differentiation strategies were not strongly correlated with the financial performance measures indicating the limitations of Porter's generic strategies in explaining performance heterogeneity in organisations.
Originality/value
This study makes an important contribution to the literature by identifying some of the gaps in the literature through a systematic literature review and addressing those gaps.
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Farah Y. Shakir and Yih-teen Lee
Global leadership involves the ability to connect with individuals from different cultures. Connecting is an actionable process that creates mutual understanding, positive…
Abstract
Global leadership involves the ability to connect with individuals from different cultures. Connecting is an actionable process that creates mutual understanding, positive feeling, and a common approach to collaborate. Forming interpersonal connections can be an effective way for global leaders to cut across cultural differences as it is based on a universal human need for belonging. Our study aims to understand the specific actions global leaders engage in to connect with people across cultures. Furthermore, we examine how identity experiences of multicultural individuals contributed to their capabilities of connecting with people from different cultures in their role of global leader. Through a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with multicultural individuals in global leadership positions, we develop a model of connecting across cultures involving specific leadership actions that lead to emotive, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions for connection. Our model also illustrates how multicultural identity experiences equip global leaders with qualities such as empathy, perspective-taking, and integration, which enable them to engage in actions for connecting to people across cultures. The research in this chapter contributes to a better understanding of global leadership with novel insights into how global leaders connect to people and sheds light on the advantages of multicultural identity experiences in this process.
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Antoinette Halsell Miranda, Halima Alhassan and Maureen J. Ito
Identity construction is a dynamic process that encompasses a variety of factors such as commonalities, loyalties, power struggles, and survival instincts (Lei, 2003). The complex…
Abstract
Identity construction is a dynamic process that encompasses a variety of factors such as commonalities, loyalties, power struggles, and survival instincts (Lei, 2003). The complex dimensions of Black identity are influenced, in part, by community, comfort, and acceptance which at times imposes fixed categorizations, characteristics, and singular depictions. Recent research suggests that more attention be paid to the needs of Black adolescent girls and how their race and gender impact what happens in schools (Koonce, 2012). Moreover, it challenges and influences academic success, as it is challenging and difficult to excel in environments that fail to value every aspect of one's identity or identities (Rollock, 2007).
Black girls' interaction with each other, especially in urban schools, can also be problematic and resemble “relational aggression,” when in fact it is a form of posturing to increase their social status. Contextual factors (e.g., culture, school climate) can serve as risk or protective factors for involvement in posturing, relationship aggression, or increasing one's social status. Research focused on peer relationships has found differences in friendship patterns among ethnically and socioeconomically diverse youth, suggesting the importance of examining friendships within the context of ethnic and socioeconomic diversity (see Brown, Way, & Duff, 1999; Crothers, Field, & Kolbert, 2005). Sisterhood among Black girls can serve as a supportive network that enhances the “Black girl experience” as well as promote wellness and healthy identity.
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Thomas Martin Key and Astrid Lei Keel
This paper aims to explore how chief executive officers (CEOs) and C-suite marketing executives (chief marketing officers [CMOs], chief customer officers [CCOs], chief branding…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how chief executive officers (CEOs) and C-suite marketing executives (chief marketing officers [CMOs], chief customer officers [CCOs], chief branding officers [CBOs], etc.) talk about marketing concepts to better understand how marketers can more effectively articulate their value and increase their strategic influence within the firm.
Design/methodology/approach
Artificial intelligence-enabled computerized text analysis was used to identify and weight keywords from 266 CEO and C-suite marketing executive interviews. Custom marketing concept dictionaries were used to gauge overall marketing focus.
Findings
The analysis revealed opportunities for C-suite marketers to align specific marketing concepts with that of CEOs for increased strategic influence. Comparisons between C-suite marketing roles showed that CMOs are more focused on marketing strategy than specialized C-suite marketing positions, such as CCO and CBO. This points to a potential decrease in strategic impact for marketing executives dependent on the specialization of their position.
Research limitations/implications
Using IBM Watson’s black-box artificial intelligence may limit the ability to replicate results from the content analysis; however, the results identify important ways that marketing executives can use to increase their ability to articulate their value within the firm.
Practical implications
C-suite marketing executives who want to increase the strategic alignment of their role with their firm must pay close attention to the marketing concepts they talk about, and how those align with their CEO’s marketing knowledge. The creation of specialized C-suite marketing roles may unintentionally limit the strategic thinking and firm-level impact of marketers.
Originality/value
This paper represents the first use of artificial intelligence-enabled computerized text analysis to explore and compare executive speech acts to help increase marketing’s influence in the firm. It is also the first to explore differences in marketing concept use between C-suite marketing roles.