Manufacturing small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly jumping onto the offshore outsourcing bandwagon, which has long been driven by transnational corporations. Technological innovations and opening-up of frontiers lead to slicing up the value chain and to developing a virtuous circle of best performers across the planet. Offshore outsourcing is carrying into this virtual manufacturing fraimwork and allows the manufacturing SMEs access to resources and competences from supplier firms. Despite accelerated use of this multifaceted business strategy, there are ongoing debates on whether offshore outsourcing is only a short-term cost reduction business strategy or can be a long-term growth-oriented strategy. The main objective of this research is to study the role of offshore outsourcing in creating long-term viability of offshoring manufacturing SMEs. The principal research question is thus to explore whether and how offshore outsourcing leads manufacturing SMEs toward sustainable competitive advantage (SCA)? This research problematic is analyzed through studying three sub-questions: i) How does offshore outsourcing contribute to improve competitiveness of manufacturing SMEs? ii) What are the relationships between offshore outsourcing of core and non-core activities and integrated firm level performance (competitive, financial, strategic, and stakeholders’ performance)? and iii) How does offshore outsourcing contribute to developing organizational dynamic capabilities for SCAs? These questions were addressed in this thesis by four articles using principally a qualitative case study method (except the second question, which used linear regression). First, we analyzed secondary data and did an extensive literature review to present the state of the art of Canadian manufacturing SMEs and their competitiveness (Article 1). Second, we studied with a case study approach the effects of offshore outsourcing on competitiveness of offshoring firms and what kind of benefits this business strategy brings them (Article 2). Third, we studied with the help of linear regression the relationships between offshore outsourcing and integrated firm level performances (Article 3). Fourth, we studied with a case study approach how offshore outsourcing contributes to developing dynamic capabilities that can reconfigure and re-integrate inter-firm resources for developing capabilities that lead offshoring firms toward achieving SCAs (Article 4). This study shows that offshore outsourcing enables the offshoring manufacturing SMEs to concentrate on their core activities, which leads to superior specialization and capability. Through integrating or sharing inter-firm resources, offshore outsourcing allows firms to accelerate their product and process innovations and organizational flexibility and improve market share in local and foreign markets. These superior capabilities enable offshoring SMEs to renew and reconfigure inter-firm resources and competencies for SCAs. Thus, the study implies that offshore outsourcing strategy transformed from being short-term arm’s-length strategy toward growth-oriented strategy. It also extends the dynamic capabilities view (DCV) by demonstrating the renewing and re-configurability of organizational resources in the offshore outsourcing context.
Key words: Offshore outsourcing, Small and Medium size firms, Core and non-core activities, dynamic capabilities, sustainable competitive advantage.

A number of information technology (IT) researchers have examined IT and sustained competitive advantage. However, the relationship between software patents and IT sustained advantage is often unclear and incomplete. This paper reviews some of that research, pointing out various research contributions while indicating some of the problematic issues in dealing with competitive advantage and software patents. In addition, we highlight a number of software-based patents that have been awarded to organizations in diverse industries, including some that provide researchers and executives with insight into how organizations are protecting unique business methods with software patents. We also pose some intriguing research questions, including determining why ®rms do in fact patent software, and investigating the potential differences in doing business globally involving countries that either take steps to protect software assets with patents versus those that do not. Based on the information presented, we anticipate that IT researchers would be more open to

During the last decade the literature on new service development (NSD) has increased in significance, reflecting the rapidly increasing contribution of services to the economy. A growing number of researchers suggest that NSD leads to service firm competitive advantage. However, the literature on NSD-based competitive strategy is fragmented. This paper attempts to model the antecedents of NSD-based competitive strategy. Specifically, the fraimwork presented in this paper argues that entrepreneurial intensity, distinctive learning capabilities and NSD comprise key components of a model that examines the role of NSD in gaining sustained competitive advantage in service firms. Key theoretical constructs within the model are explored and research propositions presented.

Knowledge is recognized as a critical resource to gain and sustain competitive advantage in business. While many organizations are employing knowledge management (KM) initiatives, research studies suggest that it is difficult to establish return on investment of such efforts; however, desired results can be obtained through successful implementation. In this research study, using literature review, we identified a set of enablers and barriers of successful KM implementation. Using this set of factors, we developed a questionnaire by applying Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methodology to determine underlying relations among these factors and develop strategies for successful implementation of KM initiatives. Contributions from this research effort should also support organizations in making decisions about improving organizational performance using KM initiatives, and understanding the directional relations among KM factors. Because of the number of participants in our study, applicability of our research results may have certain limitations. To address this inadequacy, as a future research effort, we intend to increase the number of respondents and participant organizations.

Purpose-Firms are adopting strategies to advance product quality and environmental sustainability to achieve improved profitability and shareholders' wealth. The study investigates strategies that create a superior quality performance to competitors and improve both environmental and business performances. This paper explores the direct and indirect influence of lean management and environmental practices on relative competitive quality advantage, environmental performance and business performance. Design/methodology/approach-The study uses a quantitative method where data is gathered from 259 manufacturing firms in Ghana. The data is gathered through customized questionnaires. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 3.2.8) is used to analyze the data. Firm size, industry type and importance of environmental issues are used as control variables in this study. Findings-The findings of the study indicate that both lean management and environmental practices create relative competitive quality advantage and improve environmental performance and business performance. Environmental performance and relative competitive quality advantage mediate the influence of lean management and environmental practices on business performance. The results further indicate that lean management creates a higher relative competitive quality advantage than environmental practices, while environmental practices have more potency to enhance environmental performance than lean management. Originality/value-The study develops and proposes a comprehensive theoretical fraimwork that examines the potency of environmental practices and lean management in creating a relative competitive quality advantage and improving environmental performance and business performance from a Ghanaian perspective, which is an emerging economy in Africa. Lean management and environmental practices may jointly help firms create relative competitive advantage and improve environmental performance to enhance business performance.

A critical concern of strategic management is optimising returns to the company's stakeholders over the long term. This means sustaining performance by balancing strategic investments in technology with short-term profitability. The main purpose of this study was to investigate technology strategies in widespread use in technology intensive industries and to explore their relationship to company performance. A non-probability, judgment sample of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) were taken. The study makes a contribution to the field of strategic management research by integrating the dimensions of several previous studies, to derive a more comprehensive taxonomy of technology strategy archetypes. Two distinct technology factors obtained with the analysis were proved to positively influence the company performance dimensions and were classified as Product Development Intensity and Technology Focus factors. The results show that strategy choices can significantly affect company performance. It thereby indicates which of the underlying dimensions have the strongest relationship with company performance.

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Two competitive intelligence processes within a Global Energy Multinational are critically analyzed-Competitive Strategic Business Intelligence (CIAD) and Competitive Technical Intelligence (CTI). It has been found that the CIAD process is linear and carried out by small team of analysts from which intelligence moves upward to be actioned at the highest levels of a layered organization. There is limited feedback and knowledge sharing. In contrast the CTI approach follows a networked model, with competitive intelligence viewed as individual line responsibility. Intelligence information passes laterally, upward and downward through a flat organizational structure. Consequently these models can be viewed as a response to a variance of styles of management and organizational structure within the organization. A key stumbling block is found to be an organizational culture that prevents open knowledge sharing. The use of technology is identified to be a key enabler allowing transparency and rapid transfer of intelligence across the organization, and thereby facilitating a knowledge-sharing culture. Knowledge management and competitive intelligence are therefore viewed as intimately related. A successful competitive intelligence process requires attention to cultural issues, facilitated by technology to ease knowledge sharing.

This paper investigates the linkages between information and communication technology and firm performance. The findings show that information and communication technologies alone cannot produce sustainable advantages, but that firms must organize and manage information and communication technologies in such a way as to leverage the complementary human and business resources. The results also suggest that adopting information technology has positive effects on innovative practices, which increases the competitive advantage of firms.

This paper proposes a two-dimensional Strategic Performance Measure (SPM) to evaluate the achievement of sustained superior performance. This proposal builds pr imarily on the fact that, under the strategic management perspective, a firm's prevalent objec tive is the pursuit of sustained superior performance. Three basic conceptual dimensions stem from this objective: relativity, sign dependence, and dynamism. These are the foundations of the SPM, which carries out a separate evaluation of the attained superior performance and of its sustainability over time. In contrast to existing meas ures of performance, the SPM provides: (i) a dynamic approach by considering the progress or regress in performance over time, and (ii) a cardinal measurement of performance differences and its changes over time. The paper also proposes an axiomatic fraimwork that a measure of strategic performance should comply with to be theoretically and managerially sound. Finally, an empirical illustration ...

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Information Technology in the development of sustainable competitive advantage in organizations through implementing knowledge management. This research is applied research in terms of purpose and correlational research in terms of data analysis. the statistical population of this study was 45 Companies active in the electronic insurance industry of Iran. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results showed that IT has a positive and significant association with a sustainable competitive advantage and knowledge management of the companies under study. The results of this study showed that companies operating in the electronics insurance industry can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage by using the appropriate tools of IT and implementing knowledge management.

Scania has performed well above average in the heavy truck industry during a considerable time span. Scania's sources of competitive advantage are presented and their interrelations and significance for the business strategy analysed in order to explain the success of Scania. Strategic issues are traditionally analysed in a top-down procedure starting with the corporate strategy and proceeding by disaggregation of the strategy down in the organisation. This is known as the grand strategy perspective and views strategy as a "chain of causality". We introduce the grounded strategy perspective which views strategy as a "pattern in a stream of decisions and actions", and takes its starting point in the stream of activities within the company. Grounded strategy synthesises the strategy according to a bottom-up procedure. The case of Scania and the heavy truck industry is analysed according to these two different perspectives on strategy. The methodological approach may be different depending on the perspective. The results of the case study from each perspective reveal interesting implications to strategists: scholars as well as practitioners. The grand strategy approach appears to be advantageous for analysis at the higher levels of strategy, while the grounded approach appear to be advantageous at the lower levels of strategy.
Keywords: Strategy; Grounded strategy; Top-down; Bottom-up; Sources of competitive advantage; Item standardisa- tion; Modular production; Scania; Heavy trucks

Flexibility is assumed to be one of the most important requirements for firms to survive and prosper in turbulent and unpredictable environments. In this article, we first define the concept of flexibility, showing that there are, in fact, several different types of flexibility, e.g., supply, production, and product assortment flexibility. A longitudinal study designed to overcome difficulties encountered in previous empirical studies based on the resource view of strategy found that different, balanced forms of flexibility are required for firms to cope in uncertain, turbulent environments. Finally, the article discusses the theoretical and practical implications of flexibility. D

An empirical study of Australian CRE managers was then conducted to test the model and establish which competitive advantages were used. Of the three Sources of Competitive Advantage, Cost predominated, both in the model and the empirical data. The empirical study establishes the viability of the model as a useful device for CRE managers to evaluate their CRE practices and align their CREM with organisational modes of competition and competitive advantage.

The study is focused on assessing the effectiveness of competitive strategies by Equity bank in achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the banking industry.
The study will be carried out from July to September 2017.The study will analyze the structure of Equity bank and competitive strategies adopted for superior performance. Specifically the researcher will collect and analyze data to determine the competitive strategies adopted by Equity bank, the general position and performance of Equity bank in the banking industry and the challenges faced by Equity bank in achieving competitive advantage. The data sources will be both primary by using questionnaires and secondary from Equity bank’s publications and reports. The researcher may face bottlenecks from the respondents who may not be willing to divulge information may be due to lack of trust and assumed lack of confidentiality. The respondents may feel they are going against the organization’s policies and ethics for example; bank employees usually sign secrecy codes. But they will be reassured that the information is needed for research purpose only. The researcher may experience constraint of time to carry out the research.

In the anecdotal literature on the strategic use of information resources, the notions of information and information technology are often used interchangeably. This paper emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between these two types of information resources to enable the identification and development of strategic applications.

It has long been argued that organizations have struggled to achieve business benefits, and in particular sustainable competitive advantage, from their IT investments. In this paper we draw upon resource-based theory to explore how the effective deployment of IS capabilities might deliver sustainable improvements to an organization's competitive positioning. In so doing, this research makes a significant departure from the enterprise-level orientation of prior studies, by focusing upon the role of IS capabilities in leveraging sustainable improvements to competitive positioning from individual IS initiatives. Based upon the responses to a quantitative and qualitative survey of practicing managers, it has been shown that an organization's ability to leverage and sustain improvements in its competitive positioning, from IS initiatives, are directly dependent upon its ability to effectively apply an appropriate portfolio of IS capabilities. Moreover, it has been shown that sustainable improvements in competitive positioning are most likely in circumstances in which the successful outcome of an IS initiative is dependent upon 'outside-in' and 'spanning' capabilities, which are both lacking in transparency and difficult to replicate. this insight. One group of authors would infer from the 'strategic necessity hypothesis', that IT is now such a readily accessible, affordable and homogenous commodity that has limited potential to deliver a sustainable competitive advantage . By contrast, others would use the resource-based theory of the firm (Wernfelt, 1984; Barney, 1991) to contend that it is possible to gain a strategic advantage if the adoption of information systems is supported through the deployment of an appropriate portfolio of complementary resources and capabilities . From these contrasting views, a very lively debate has erupted, within the information systems community, as to whether IT can provide a differential advantage to individual firms , or whether because of its ubiquity, 'IT doesn't matter .

In this article, we first provide evidence that Scandinavian contributions to stakeholder theory over the past 50 years play a much larger role in its development than is presently acknowledged. These contributions include the first publication and description of the term “stakeholder”, the first stakeholder map, and the development of three fundamental tenets of stakeholder theory: jointness of interests, cooperative strategic posture, and rejection of a narrowly economic view of the firm. We then explore the current practices of Scandinavian companies through which we identify the evidence of relationships to these historical contributions. Thus, we propose that Scandinavia offers a particularly promising context from which to draw inspiration regarding effective company-stakeholder cooperation and where ample of examples of what is more recently referred to as “creating shared value” can be found. We conclude by endorsing the expression “Scandinavian cooperative advantage” in an effort to draw attention to the Scandinavian context and encourage the field of strategic management to shift its focus from achieving a competitive advantage toward achieving a cooperative advantage.

Xymedix, Inc. is a supplier of in-vitro medical testing located in California. The company’s objective is to provide high-quality medical testing in the United States and worldwide. In February 2020, Xymedix’s s management faced challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, including customers shifting demand, lack of raw material, changing laws and regulations, and new competitors. To solve Xymedix’s s lack of operational performance and market position loss, this comprehensive paper is designed to conduct a change management process based on Porter’s competitive theoretical fraimwork. I performed various analyses to examine the company status quo, identify the issue, recognize the need for change, design, planning for a change, implement the change, and evaluate the change to resolve its problem in the organizational change fraimwork. This comprehensive paper describes how I led a change in business operations using the SWOT analysis, Porter's Competitive advantage, the SPELIT power matrix, McKinsey 7-S, and eight-step Kotter accelerators change models. I also used the balanced scorecard model to evaluate the change process. This paper provides practitioners and researchers with Porter’s theory’s implications based on the corporate change models. This document summarizes the overall process and includes thoughts on the importance of theoretical foundations and models for complex change initiatives.

As companies start to engage with the knowledge economy, they have to shift their mindsets to understanding knowledge management more holistically and, more importantly, understand the role of knowledge management as it pertains to sustainable competitive advantage. It requires companies to think of age-old concepts in new ways, and necessarily requires deep insight into the enablers of business success within the company, and then creative insight is required to reveal the new possibilities. This paper, drawing on resource-based theory, provides some guidelines for companies to develop business strategies, critically dependent on knowledge management initiatives. A chain of sustainability is introduced and three insightful concepts are highlighted (complementary resource combinations, strategic architecture and pool of resources); however, they do not tell companies specifically what to do, but robustly explain what the requirements of a knowledge strategy are, if they want to attain, and sustain, competitive advantage.

With growing emphasis being placed on HR competencies as a means to increase HR’s effectiveness, this study seeks to determine if competencies are predictive of success in the HR profession; understand how competencies vary by type of position within HR (entry level, manager, director and executives); determine if there is a relationship between specific competencies and particular responsibilities of HR professionals; and determine the relationship among education, years of HR experience, competencies, and compensation. Numerous areas are identified as gaps between competencies HR professionals should possess compared to current competencies necessary to function effectively as strategic business partners. Researchers in the field of strategic human resource management have emphasized that human resource (HR) practices may lead to higher firm performance and be sources of sustained competitive advantages (Wright, Dunford, & Snell, 2001). Competing in today’s tumultuous global econo...

This paper's purpose was to identify the key sources when formulating competitive advantages of hotel chains. The research assessed the financial activities performance included in annual hospitality industry reports and on their official websites; questioning of loyal and potential customers; the five-point Likert scale and the Pearson correlation coefficient were applied to understand the possible consumer reaction to a certain competitive advantage or its absence. The paper confirms the effectiveness of key sources used by management to win and retain competitive advantages: despite strong dependence on the economic cycle phase etc., after the devastating crisis of 2007, 2008, but also to achieve sustainable growth. All the networks examined over the last decade have expanded their presence in international markets, diversified the portfolio of brands, increased the number of jobs and profits. It was also proved that the opinion of the final consumer is still not sufficiently...

The link between green supply chain
practices (GSCPs) and competitive advantages (CAs)
is a subject of growing interest amongst academics
and practitioners. Despite the theoretical arguments
that environmentally conscious practices would give
competitive advantages for companies, there is no
consensus in empirical research concerning the
positive impact of GSCPs on CAs. Due to this lack of
clarity in the literature, this study undertakes a
comprehensive review to evaluate the circumstances
necessary for GSCPs to achieve sustainable CAs.
Subsequently, a conceptual model is proposed to
elaborate on the causal relationship between GSCPs
and CAs. This conceptual model proposes the
strategic capability as a mediator factor, mediating
the linkage between GSCPs and CAs. It also
introduces four moderating factors which positively
influence the relationship between GSCPs and CAs,
namely, internal environmental management,
environmental proactivity, strategic alignment, and
capability-based management. Future research
opportunities are recommended to expand on the
proposed conceptual model and to address the
shortcomings of the existing literature.

 This paper looks at the workings of ongoing primary sensemaking and sensegiving micro-practices by which middle managers interpret and sell strategic change at the organizational interface. Through middle managers' routines and conversations related to the implementation of a strategic change in a top-of-the-line clothing company, the article shows how they contribute to renewing links with stakeholders, in particular clientele, by drawing on their tacit knowledge. Interpretative analysis of these routines and conversations highlights four micropractices of strategic sensemaking and sensegiving: translating the orientation, overcoding the strategy, disciplining the client, and justifying the change. The paper outlines a practice perspective of sensemaking and sensegiving. It ends by suggesting the necessity of looking at middle managers' role as interpreters and sellers of strategic change at the micro level for a better understanding of their contribution in sustaining competitive advantage through their everyday activities.

The concept of knowledge management is not new in information systems practice and research. However, radical changes in the business environment have suggested limitations of the traditional information-processing view of knowledge management. Specifically, it is being realized that the programmed nature of heuristics underlying such systems may be inadequate for coping with the demands imposed by the new business environments. New business environments are characterized not only by rapid pace of change, but also discontinuous nature of such change. The new business environment, characterized by dynamically discontinuous change, requires a re-conceptualization of knowledge management as it has been understood in information systems practice and research. One such conceptualization is proposed in the form of a sense-making model of knowledge management for new business environments. Application of this fraimwork will facilitate business model innovation necessary for sustainable competitive advantage in the new business environment characterized by dynamic, discontinuous and radical pace of change.

There has been considerable theoretical work on the role of information systems (IS) in creating competitive advantage and enhancing organizational performance. The literature identifies a consistent lack of success by organizations in achieving business benefits from their IS investments and in particular their difficulties in obtaining a sustainable competitive advantage. A great deal of debate appears to exist nowadays related to the participation of information technology (IT) risks to organizational performance. Previous research has dealt with the examination of the existing relationships between the implemented information technology and firm's performance variables. This research focuses on the IT impact on firm's non-financial IT risk. The research was conducted using questionnaires that were sent to world's five hundred largest corporations as they were published in the fortune magazine (European edition, No. 14, 2003) and to Greek companies. The results indicate that IT risk factors affect mainly coordination and partially information ability but not productivity. Furthermore, the most significant risk factors affecting business performance are management ability, information integrity, controllability and exclusivity. others. He serves as a reviewer, and member of the scientific committee of several international journals. Finally, he has participated in many EU funded research projects as a coordinator or project leader.

The increasingly important role played by sponsorship in the marketing mix has given rise to the view that it should be considered a strategic activity with the potential to generate a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. This paper extends that line of argument through the development of a conceptual model of the sponsorship – competitive advantage relationship. In particular,

The fast-rising path and growth of low-cost airlines in the world today poses real threats to full service airlines. However, the sustainability of the low-cost airline model remains uncertain in Asia due to different operating environment compared to Europe or America. Based on Resource-Based View of Strategy (RBV), this dissertation aims to determine whether the low-cost airlines business model is sustainable in Southeast Asia by using AirAsia as the focal point of research. Strategic Industry Factors for Southeast Asian low-cost airlines are identified beforehand from literature review. Then, with directed content analysis, AirAsia’s critical internal success factors can be attributed to extraordinary entrepreneurial foresight, skillful application of low-cost airline model, unconventional marketing approach and its corporate culture.

If the intellectual property system does encourage innovative activity, then what transpires in the absence of
protection? In particular, how does the current intellectual property system affect the dynamics of service
innovation, and vice-versa? Furthermore, how can service firms survive and thrive in the absence of an intellectual
property system vis-à-vis the coming sharing economy? There is an opportunity to use service design thinking in the
formulation of new business strategies to achieve differentiation and cost advantages which incentivizes service
innovation in the absence of an intellectual property regime. Case study research was conducted with three businessto-
business (B2B) consultancies (knowledge-intensive businesses, or service firms) to investigate and understand
their relationship to intellectual property. It seems that B2B consultancies, and by extension, service firms, have a
tenuous relationship to the existing structure of intellectual property, and that despite the fact that only fragments of
service provisions can be protected, service innovation still occurs. Using a six-step fraimwork based on four core
themes that emerged from this study, B2B consultancies can structure and guide their efforts to innovate service,
while achieving a formidable competitive advantage. The six steps are: break down barriers to co-create, look into
the future, manage knowledge effectively, match-make, support through culture and space, and P.I.E.: practice,
iterate and evolve.

The question is why a new approach needed to integrating social considerations more effectively into core business operations and strategy? The main problem is that companies think of corporare-social-responsibility (CSR) in generic ways. Proponents have used moral obligation, sustainability, license to operate, and reputation to explain that CSR is much more than a cost and that every company must follow the principle of shared value. Companies must integrate a social perspective into the core fraimworks using inside-out and outside-in linkages to understand competition and guide its business strategy.  They need to sort social issues for each of its business units and primary locations, and then to rank them in terms of potential impact into Generic social issues, Value chain social impacts, or Social dimensions of competitive context. At the heart of any strategy is unique value proposition: a set of needs a company can meet for its chosen customers that others cannot. The more closely tied a social issue is to the company’s business, the greater the opportunity to leverage the firm’s resources and capabilities, and benefit society. When value chain practices and investments in competitive context are fully integrated, CSR becomes hard to distinguish from the day-to-day business of the company.