bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL PATENT HARMONIZATION ON GLOBAL COMPETITION
Authors: Silverstein David
Published: February 2008

Recent efforts by Western, developed countries, particularly the United States, to achieve “harmonization” of global intellectual property (IP) laws predominantly along Western lines may fail to serve the best interests of the less‐developed countries (LDCs), the newly‐industrializing countries (NICs), and perhaps the international community generally. Such IP harmonization has been a centerpiece of numerous international conferences in forums such as the GATT negotiations, of various bilateral and multilateral negotiations such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and of unilateral threats of trade sanctions by the United States (Fiorito, 1991).
SERVICE JOINT VENTURES AS STRATEGIC TRADE ALLIANCES
Authors: Kaynak Erdener , Kara Ali , Akmal Hyder Syed
Published: February 2008

International alliances are becoming an increasingly important and recognized means of conducting business. Once viewed primarily as a strategy to enter foreign markets, alliances have become a very effective way for established businesses to accelerate technological development, enhance productivity and lower investment risks. In many ways joint ventures offer the most attractive form of trade alliance and a significant portion of the international joint ventures are in the service sector. Although, services are generally viewed by academicians and practitioners differently than products, this apparent difference has been neglected in the study of joint ventures formation and operations. Since the basic conditions and scope for services and products differ, one can expect that joint venture partners' interest and management strategies for service joint venture will also differ. Thus, the purpose of this study is to discuss and identify major research issues in studying service joint ventures. Some research propositions in regard to the service joint ventures are developed. Furthermore, future research avenues in international service joint venture operations are delineated.
PLOTTING COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES FOR DETROIT
Authors: Combs Howard W. , Tong Carl H.
Published: February 2008

The auto industry plays a vitally important role in the U.S. economy. Automotive products account for an estimated sixteen percent of all durable goods shipments in the U.S. and affect many other critical industries, such as primary metal, machine tools, plastics, rubber, glass, tire, battery, and electronics industries (Koretz and Treece, 1989). American auto companies together with their suppliers provide good‐paying jobs for several million American workers. A strong U.S. auto industry is essential to a prosperous U.S. economy.
PARADIGMS OF COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: Wayne Pace R. , Stephan Eric G.
Published: February 2008

One of the primary goals of organizations in a free enterprise system is to be competitive. Although the measures of competitiveness may appear different for manufacturing and service organizations or for government and religious organizations, in order to be competitive, any organization must provide products and services for which customers or clients are willing to pay a fair return or price. In the long run, in a free enterprise system, competitiveness is measured by the ability of the organization to stay in business and to protect the organization's investments, to earn a return on those investments, and to ensure jobs for the future.
SEGMENTING CONSUMER MARKETS IN THE U.S. AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES BY THE USE OF POLITICS AND IDEOLOGY
Authors: Larsen Val , Wright Newell , Busbin James
Published: February 2008

American business enterprise is increasingly seeking export markets for products as a means of expansion, and in some instances to offset loss in domestic business due to declining markets or international competitors. This paper deals with market segmentation and its role in the successful positioning of products in foreign markets. More specifically, the focus here is how consumer political identifications and ideological values can be used as a basis for effectively segmenting markets. To U.S. firms, the potential benefit of gaining this insight is twofold. First, firms may thus have at their disposal a segmentation tool as yet unrecognized by competitors. Second, politics and political ideology have constructs which appear to be common to most election‐based governmental forms; thus the segmentation applications explored here would be transferable to foreign markets, whereas many other more conventional means of segmentation transfer poorly from the U.S. to other countries.
MANAGING INTERNAL CONSISTENCY IN TECHNOLOGY INTENSIVE DESIGN PROJECTS
Authors: Cohen Moshe , Regan Robert A.
Published: February 2008

In this paper, we develop a framework to analyze and compare the way in which two technology intensive design projects internally coordinate to maintain the internal consistency of their product. We compare the projects to one another and to the technology management literature. Design projects begin with conceptual notions of a customer need and develop products or functioning systems to meet those needs. Distributed knowledge and resources must be combined. The division of labor and coordination of the actors to ensure that the product development remains internally consistent is critical. How this process is managed affects productivity, quality, and development time.
IMPROVING MANUFACTURING COMPETITIVENESS: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Vokurka Robert J. , Davis Robert A.
Published: February 2008

In the mid‐1980s, obituaries were being written for manufacturing firms in the United States. Foreign competitors, particularly those in Japan and West Germany, had productivity growth exceeding that of firms in the U.S. The result was increasing market shares for firms in those countries. U.S. firms were becoming less competitive in the global marketplace.
SUCCESS THROUGH AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS: MAZAK CORPORATION
Authors: Papke Brian
Published: February 2008

It is a pleasure to participate in the American Society for Competitiveness Conference. This is an excellent forum as each of us searches for ideas to find success in industries where the nature of the competition increasingly becomes international.
COMPARATIVE MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT IN THE PERSONAL COMPUTER INDUSTRY
Authors: DiDominico Paul , Kartika Lina , Sibeck Gary P.
Published: February 2008

The United States has been experiencing economic change in many ways, particularly in the form of manufacturing competition from Asia. East Asia is emerging as the dominant region of the world for the manufacturing of computers. Most, if not all, major companies in the personal computer (PC) industry have manufacturing facilities in Southeast Asia. These include U.S. firms such as IBM, Apple, Compaq, and Hewlett‐Packard, Taiwanese challengers such as Acer and Mitac, and Japanese firms such as NEC. Still, some PC manufacturing operations remain in the U.S. despite large differences in labor costs, cost of capital, and tax structures. Clearly, the establishment of a production facility is not a simple matter of cheap labor or being close to markets. The decision is a complex one involving many variables. This paper addresses some of these variables, and how PC companies deal with them, in considering manufacturing as an issue in corporate strategy.
CHANGES IN THE COMPETITIVE MARKET POSITION OF THE U. S. VERSUS JAPAN, 1975–1995
Authors: Darling John R. , Taylor Raymond E.
Published: February 2008

The marketplace for virtually all product categories has become a competitive international arena during the past four decades. The marketing practices involved with products in the international marketplace have also taken on an increased multinational perspective and evolutionary importance—a globalization process that is now recognized as the most pervasive influence in business today (Samiee, 1994). To compete successfully in the international arena requires today's business firm and its management to have a profound understanding and empathy for the varying needs and demands of customers in the various markets within which the firm interacts (Kotabe, 1990; Darling, 1985). In the short span of four decades, Japan has attained a major competitive position in world markets (Lazer, Murata, and Kosaka, 1985; Cutts, 1991). And assuming this position remains, the future will continue to bring about an interesting and challenging competitive rivalry for U.S. products versus those of Japan in the international marketplace. This is particularly true with respect to Japan's involvement with Eastern Europe (Cutts, 1991). But what is the relative competitive position of U.S. versus Japanese products in the international marketplace?
KEEPING FAITH IN THE FREE TRADE SYSTEM
Authors: Ali Abbas J.
Published: February 2008

Adam Smith's vision regarding the invisible hand of the market economy has far‐reaching and new meaning in the age of globalization than ever imagined. The free movement of monetary and intellectual capital, and the relative improvement in the movement of labor across the globe, accentuate the importance of economic activities relative to national political border lines. Likewise, economic activities across the globe and the free market system, rather than the nation‐state, have a stronger role in boosting wealth and jobs even in places that are not strictly limited to national borders. Consequently, the fruits of free trade become available for people in areas that until recently were considered outside the world market.
A NEOCLASSICAL ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO EVALUATING GLOBAL AGRIBUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: Wes Harrison R. , Lynn Kennedy P.
Published: February 2008

The importance of high value products as a component of United States agricultural output has increased significantly in recent years. Moreover, high value products as a percentage of U.S. agricultural exports have also risen (Burfisher and Missiaen, 1990). Given these trends, it is not surprising that agribusiness competitiveness has become a topic of much discussion in both the popular press and in academic literature. Its importance is also evidenced by initiatives set forth by the Western Regional Coordinating Committee on Agribusiness Research Emphasizing Competitiveness and the International Agricultural Trade Research Consortium symposium Competitiveness in International Food Markets. More recently, the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges' Board on Agriculture endorsed the Agricultural Competitiveness Initiative (ACI). This initiative calls on land‐grant universities to consider new paradigms for conducting research, extension, and teaching on the issue of U.S. agricultural competitiveness.
THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MARKET
Authors: Buca Peter V. , Brausen James
Published: February 2008

The electric vehicle has been viewed as a technological solution to the dual plagues of dwindling fossil fuel supplies and pollutant emissions from gasoline powered vehicles. Futurists see a world where most personal transportation is electrically powered with energy supplied by tomorrow's power plants. In that future world, automobile power sources — representing millions of uncontrollable sources of pollution and energy waste — are consolidated into fewer, manageable, generators in fixed locations. With fixed and relatively few sources of pollution, resources can be better focused to provide clean, inexpensive energy for transportation. Many people share this vision of the future but few have been able to see how it can be brought into existence. Initial attempts have focused on legislation to stimulate the development of this market. As with any new technology, the electric vehicle field has developed its own terminology. For purposes of clarity throughout mis paper please bear in mind the following definitions.
THE FUTURE OF WORLD TRADE: GATT, NAFTA, AND THE WEB
Authors: Arnott David H.
Published: February 2008

1992 was the year of NAFTA, 1993 was the year of GATT. While these international trade agreements portend a future world of increasingly easy business relations, increasing evidence exists that both will eventually be replaced by a network web of individual agreements between countries.
COMPETITION AND EVOLUTION
Authors: Hayward Malcolm
Published: February 2008

The classic case for competitiveness as a force driving change was made by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species by Natural Selection (1859). Adaptation, the ability to react successfully to a changed environment, accounts for multiplicity in the world of nature. Long billed birds are better able to dip beneath the surface of shallow lagoons for their food; the sharp, hard, short beaks of certain finches allow them to crack nuts and seeds. Darwin's reading of nature, so immediately popular and at the same time so controversial, fit well within the goals of nineteenth‐century scientific thought. Tracing the causes of change to fixed, logical patterns allowed scientists to remove non‐objective elements from their equations for evolution. Such issues as value, valor, or virtue held no place in a system of analysis unless they had survival value.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS A DETERMINANT OF COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: Salehi‐Sangari Esmail
Published: February 2008

Information systems is an area of the business enterprise that is growing in terms of increased legitimacy. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find an organization that does not use information technology in some form or that is not affected by information systems.
JUST‐IN‐TIME SUPPLY: COOPERATION, COMPETITION, AND ABUSE
Authors: Landry Sylvain , Trudel Yves , Diorio Mattio O.
Published: February 2008

Words like “marriage,” “mutual trust” and “partnership” are often used to describe buyer‐supplier relationships in a Just‐in‐Time environment. Using a transaction cost economics framework, we contend that this structure is and will continue to be the most efficient arrangement for both parties, as long as the balance of power is maintained. However, as the relationship evolves over time, the balance of power can shift and “cooperation” can turn into abuse.
WHAT IS THE PROPER MARKETING MIX WHEN THE RECIPE IS TAIWANESE?
Authors: Lee Monle
Published: February 2008

While the consumer movement was popular in economically advanced countries between 1965 and 1975, developing countries were not yet ready for such issues. The consumers in these countries, due to their economic, social, and political environments, were not aware of their rights. Taiwan was a typical case. Three main reasons contributed to the ignorance of the Taiwanese consumers at the advent of the worldwide consumer movement. First, in its early years, Taiwan was basically an agricultural society. The primary industry and its commodities made product differentiation impossible. It was nature, and not human beings that decided the quality and/or quantity of the products produced for the market. Everyday products were simple and few, and the choice between products, easy. Secondly, it was not until the 1960's that Taiwan turned slowly from an import‐oriented economy to that of an export‐oriented economy. Raising tariffs and controlling the importation of products were necessary to protect local businesses from foreign competition. Thus, the rights of consumers were sacrificed. Lastly, the very nature of the Chinese (e.g., psychological profile), led them to endure the suffering of any mistreatment. They would avoid a direct confrontation on any dispute. Therefore, organized activities against businesses was not possible. All of these reasons made the consumer movement unheard of in Taiwan during the 1960s.
MANAGING THROUGH CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Authors: Hanson Dave , Lackman Conway
Published: February 2008

Cultural differences often pose major difficulties in international negotiations and management. These cultural differences reflect differences in the assumptions people make about how business is organized and what social strategies should be followed for career success. Managers working in different cultures can identify these strategies by asking people about the types of skills in which they take the most pride and what they regard as the most prevalent causes for career failures. The foreign manager should also look at the ways in which subordinates interact. With whom do people tend to associate in the organization? How do they tend to present themselves? Finally, managers can promote changes in organizational culture by clearly and consistently setting out a framework in which different career strategies would become appropriate. Training should be provided in the new sets of interpersonal and organizational skills. The prospects for successfully changing behaviors in the foreign organization will be enhanced if people are not asked to adopt social strategies under the new rules that have generally been considered as sources of risk and ruin under the traditional patterns.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS OF ASIA‐PACIFIC COUNTRIES: A SINGAPORE PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Ahad M. Osman‐Gani A. , Ser Toh Thian
Published: February 2008

Many scholars have discussed Asia's prospects as a major player in the world economy as we enter the next millennium. The speed of economic growth in East Asia has conjured up a range of resonant descriptions, from national ‘Tigers’ to regional ‘Miracles’ and the imminent ‘Pacific century’ (Fitzgerald, 1994). Since the World Bank published the East Asian Economic Miracle (1993), there has been a spate of publications all referring to the high growth rates witnessed in a growing number of Asian economies and forecasting that a several of them will be new economic tigers as we enter the 21st century.
INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF HRD
Authors: Ahad M. Osman‐Gani A.
Published: February 2008

Economic development of a nation depends on the growth and development of its economic entities such as business organizations. In order for an organization to succeed and grow, it has to maintain a technological edge in this competitive global business environment. This can be accomplished either through technological innovation or through technological acquisition and adaptation. The innovated or acquired technology is then transferred to different units of the organization, located at different geographical locations. These transfer, implementation, and use phenomena are crucial for total organizational success and growth.
U.S. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN VIETNAM'S TRANSITION ECONOMY
Authors: Geib Peter
Published: February 2008

The aim of this research is to evaluate effective U.S. organization and management strategies in Vietnam's transition economy. The goal is to show effective organizational planning in terms of international firm structure as well as market entry strategies. Vietnam's economic reforms initiated in 1987 have created an important emerging market increasingly integrated with the Southeast Asian Political‐Economic system. The research fulfills several scholarly needs. It fulfills a need for information on the transition of a centralized command economy to a market economy. It also fulfills a need for an evaluation of effective management strategies including localization, training and development, relationship marketing, and niche marketing.
Globalized Mergers and Acquisitions: The Dangers of a Monoculture
Authors: Hayward Malcolm
Published: February 2008

The agricultural Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s was set in motion to attempt to solve the actual and projected shortfalls of food over the coming decades. Specialized hybrids of basic food crops, such as wheat, corn, and soybeans, could be created for higher yield, resistance to disease, and sustainable growth in various weather conditions and soils. The creation and widespread use of such designer plants were not, however, without its critics. One of the dangers pointed out was that since a single, specialized crop might be susceptible to an as‐yet‐unknown disease or blight or change in a weather pattern, a nation's or the world's entire harvest of that crop might be affected. The greater the diversity of seeds and crops, the less likely it would be that the system as a whole would be at risk. In addition, Malthusian forces would be in effect. That is, with more food available, world populations would tend to increase to the limits of available supply in bountiful times. Thus any future lean years would result in a crisis of far greater proportions than that then currently being faced. In general, the issue could be stated in a piece of farmers' folk‐wisdom: “Don't put all your eggs in one basket.”
MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP DECISION GUIDELINES: CRITICAL INGREDIENTS FOR COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: Rausch Erwin
Published: February 2008

No matter what the organization's activity, or country, the better the decisions of its managers and leaders, the more likely that the organization will thrive.
QUALITY FOR LIFE IN THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Balakrishnan Subra
Published: February 2008

This paper presents an in‐depth case study of a medium sized company's attempt to plan and implement a TQM program. It discusses antecedents to TQM initiation, planning issues, and challenges involved in defining and monitoring quality in such functional areas as manufacturing, sales, marketing, customer service, R&D, accounting, finance, and human resources. The focus of this paper is mainly on the humanistic aspects of planning and implementing a TQM program.
GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS AND CORPORATE STRATEGY IN THE 21st CENTURY
Authors: Zahra Shaker A.
Published: February 2008

As the new mellinum approaches, discussions of the nature and emerging rules of global competitiveness assume greater importance. These discussions are gaining more political currency because competitiveness, however measured, centers on human development, growth and improved quality of life. For a society, improved competitiveness translates into new jobs and better living conditions. For a company, competitiveness means the creation of new growth options that create value for shareholders. Wealth creation is the engine of economic growth and a mainspring of innovation.
STRATEGIC CONTEXTS, KNOWLEDGE FLOWS, AND THE COMPETITIVENESS OF MNCs: A PROCEDURAL JUSTICE APPROACH
Authors: Ellis Kimberly M.
Published: February 2008

This paper analyzes five characteristics associated with the overall decision‐making process that are necessary to achieve a high degree of perceived procedural justice within four strategic contexts of focal subsidiaries. Strategic contexts are based on the role of subsidiaries as defined by the flow of knowledge between these subsidiaries and the global network of MNCs. Propositions are developed that relate the five characteristics, the four strategic contexts, and high perceived procedural justice. The propositions represent a template for managers and researchers interested in the successful implementation of global strategic decisions and the improvement of the performance of individual subsidiaries as well as the global competitiveness of multinational corporations.
DETERMINANTS OF TRUST IN GLOBAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES: AMRAD AND THE AUSTRALIAN BIOMEDICAL INDUSTRY
Authors: Jennings Daniel F. , Artz Kendall , Murray Gillin L. , Christodouloy Christodoulos
Published: February 2008

Although the importance of trust in creating and maintaining interorganizational relationships has been acknowledged, little research has focused on the processes leading to the development of trust in international strategic alliances. This article addresses this shortcoming and reports the results of field research on the evolution of AMRAD Pharmaceuticals, a strategic alliance between U.S. and Australian biomedical firms. Based on this case study, a process model of trust is developed which describes how trust can be created and expanded between strategic alliance partners, and its implications for alliance performance. Propositions are developed to motivate and guide future empirical investigation.
THE IMPACT OF DOWNSIZING AND RESTRUCTURING ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: Lewin Jeffrey E. , Johnston Wesley J.
Published: February 2008

The pace of organizational change has accelerated, competitive pressures have intensified, and most organizations are now forced to operate within much more complex environments than was the case a relatively few years ago. In the past, many organizations focused on vertical integration as a means of increasing control in uncertain environments and/or taking advantage of economies of scale. High volume was believed to be the key to success. Today, however, organizations are finding it less beneficial to own and operate a large number of factories or to employ a large number of people. Increased global competition has caused many organizations to realize that the key to competitiveness is not “high‐volume” but “high‐value.”
FIRM CAPABILITIES, BUSINESS STRATEGIES, CUSTOMER PREFERENCES, AND HYPERCOMPETITIVE ARENAS: THE SUSTAINABILITY OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR FIRM COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: Veliyath Rajaram , Fitzgerald Elizabeth
Published: February 2008

Matching Porter's (1980) three generic strategies appropriately in each of the four arenas of hypercompetition is proposed to offer temporary competitive advantages. The longer‐term sustainability of these competitive advantages is argued to depend on matching the firm's resources/capabilities with the provision of customer value and needs, as well as the presence of isolating mechanisms in the industry/market environment. Stringing together a series of such ephemeral advantages can enhance the firm's competitiveness in the long‐run.
CONFLICTING COMPETITION POLICIES IN A GLOBALIZED BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT: PROSPECTS FOR COOPERATION AND CONVERGENCE
Authors: Cordell Victor V. , Breland Erin
Published: February 2008

Countries have differences in competition policies, which are cause for friction in international trade and investment. This paper discusses those issues and develops a model to try to explain the willingness of countries to participate in a cooperative competition policy. The model suggests that countries which are economically advanced, active in trade, and already involved in trade regimes are most likely to cooperate in competition policy.
ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND SUSTAINED COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: TOWARD A FRAMEWORK
Authors: Narasimha Subba
Published: February 2008

Organizational knowledge is a multi‐dimensional concept with each dimension having differing effects on competitive advantage. This paper focuses on five specific dimensions and explicates their roles in assuring sustained competitive advantage. Additionally, the paper provides some preliminary thoughts on the catalyzing or constraining effects that specific human resources management practices and organizational design factors can have on the development and exploitation of the organizational knowledge dimensions.
MANAGING NEW PAY PROGRAM INTRODUCTIONS TO ENHANCE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS (MNCS)
Authors: Graham Mary E. , Trevor Charlie O.
Published: February 2008

The design and introduction of new pay programs may be particularly challenging for multinational corporations (MNCs) because, given their diverse employee base, they face varied employee expectations regarding pay. We offer a model of how national cultural norms affect employee expectations for, and judgments about, pay fairness. We also describe how firms can best use two international compensation strategies for MNCs (a global integration strategy and a local responsiveness strategy) to optimize employees' justice judgments regarding new pay programs. More favorable justice judgments should improve the chances of new pay program survival and, subsequently, contribute to firm competitiveness.
IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN MANUFACTURING: COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH PRODUCTIVITY GAINS
Authors: Kocakulah Mehmet C. , McGuire Brian L. , Sievern William R.
Published: February 2008

Business environments in the last decade have changed dramatically in the United States. Competition from companies with established world‐class techniques has placed heavy pressure on companies not quite as prepared for new realities. In the last ten years, leading companies with traditionally high market shares and profits have found themselves in a panic, implementing radical changes and new ways of doing things in order to survive in an environment where seemingly only the leanest, and most responsive, survive. This paper provides an analysis of how a medium‐sized company has reacted to a changing marketplace in order to remain competitive. Problems faced by this company in the last ten years are typical of the problems many firms in the US have faced: (1) competition in a global market, trends toward automated, high‐volume production and standardization, (2) rapid technology changes and their effect on human resources, and (3) advances in quality expectations. The most noticeable achievement by this company has been made possible by the technology exchange with its new parent company. The successful implementation of key automated manufacturing lines in high‐volume markets has set the pace for what the future business climate will demand.
RETHINKING COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES IN THE AMERICAN TRADE‐BOOK INDUSTRY
Authors: Phillips Beatrice K.
Published: February 2008

The American trade‐book industry offers a rather unique challenge for the application of theories and principles of competitive strategy. Despite the mergers with and acquisitions by publishing and entertainment conglomerates: (a) publishing housing (and their imprints, or divisions) continue to be small; (b) profit margins are low; (c) the synergy that was expected by the mergers into multimedia and entertainment companies has not been achieved; and, (d) the trade‐book industry continues to defy the predictions that electronic and other media will totally absorb and eclipse physical books.
FUZZ & AUTOMOBILE CURTAINS PRODUCE CLARITY OF VIEW TO THE ADEPT MARKETER
Authors: Hsu Tsuen‐Ho , Lee Monle
Published: February 2008

When the consumer purchases a product, his/her preference of the product attributes is a subjective judgment. The values assigned in the questionnaire in which the respondents indicated their preferences often contain fuzziness and imprecision. Based on Fishbein's multiple‐attribute utility model, this paper uses the fuzzy‐set theory to build upon the Fuzzy Multi‐Attribute Utility Model (FMAUM). Furthermore, the FMAUM is used to analyze the purchasing behavior of automobile buyers in Taiwan. The results showed that the attributes which the consumers were concerned with were different under different purchasing situations (having a car already vs not having a car). U.S. automobile markets can use this FMAUM to determine which attributes consumers prefer or which attributes produce a clearer cognition, and emphasize those attributes in their advertisements. In addition, by using this model, marketers can determine the attributes consumers preferred most in one particular market and use this information as a guideline when they enter into that market.
E‐COMMERCE CAPABLE: COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE FOR COUNTRIES IN THE NEW WORLD E‐CONOMY
Authors: Sprano Esther , Zakak Alexandra
Published: February 2008

E‐Commerce capabilities can help boost a country's competitiveness and shift the worldwide competitive arena because of the efficiencies gained through Internet technologies. But many countries lag behind in the e‐business race, and in many cases, the e‐business laggards are those countries on the bottom of the traditionally measured worldwide competitive rankings. The reasons are three‐fold: language, education and technical infrastructure. But many governments are taking steps to address these issues because they understand that the Internet presents developing nations the opportunity to bolster their economy. The authors recommend that private industry look to investing in developing countries and that governments develop policies and regulations that support the establishment of a reliable technical infrastructure upon which thriving e‐businesses can be built.
LAYOFF POLICIES AS A COMPETITIVE EDGE
Authors: Smith P.C. (Peggy) , Walker Janet W.
Published: February 2008

This paper proposes that the development of a layoff policy gives an organization a competitive advantage over organizations without such a policy. How an organization communicates concern to employees is often through procedures and policies developed by the human resource department. Survey questionnaires were mailed to 1,400 vice presidents of human resources that held membership and whose names were provided through the Society of Human Resource Management. Over half of the organizations surveyed (57%) did not have layoff policies. By type of organization, healthcare had the greatest number of policies in their organizations with 70% affirming their existence. The study concludes with the following five proposed reasons why layoff policies do not exist: (1) “It can't happen here” syndrome (2) The cover‐up syndrome (3) If you plan for it, people will panic, (4) Managers are trained to focus on growth and to avoid decline, (5) There would be loss of control, and accompanying organizational sabotage, and (6) More policies equal less humane treatment.
THE EVOLUTION OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: HAS VIRTUAL MARKETING REPLACED TIME‐BASED COMPETITION?
Authors: Johnson Julie T. , Busbin James W.
Published: February 2008

Businesses succeed or fail based on competitive advantage. Over the course of business history a number of innovative business practices have earned the distinction of being “milestones” in competitive advantage. Examples of such groundbreaking competitive developments include portfolio strategies in product management and restructuring companies specifically to gain competitiveness. In the early 1990s “Time‐Based Competition” was proposed by Stalk and Hout to be a new major dimension of competition. The book on this subject by these authors, Competing Against Time, (1990) is regarded as a classic work in competitive strategy. In essence, time‐based competition focuses on gaining advantage by being faster than competitors—faster in responding to market changes, faster with new product development and introductions, faster in integrating new technology into products, and faster in distribution and customer service. Success stories of time‐based competitors are numerous; for example the Japanese used time‐based competition as a fundamental component of their automobile manufacturing strategy that caught U.S. firms off guard. Just as time‐based competition matured as a competitive strategy the Internet, World Wide Web and other “virtual” communications links have emerged, proliferated and profoundly impacted competitive strategy. This paper proposes a new dimension of competitive advantage to be called “virtual marketing.” Virtual marketing could be a new milestone in competitive strategy much like time‐based competition.
SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL SYSTEM: LESSONS FROM TEAMS, ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES
Authors: Harris Drew L.
Published: February 2008

Globalization creates a turbulent, stressful environment for groups, organizations, and communities (cities, states, nations). With rapid communication, affordable long‐distance transportation and the opening of borders, every institution worldwide feels the strain of adapting to a rapidly changing environment. To survive and prosper, social systems (groups, organizations, communities) need to develop their capacities for rapid, adaptive responses. Analyzing studies of highly effective and stable teams, organizations, and communities through the lense of complexity theory suggests a common, parsimonious set of design principles for sustainable social systems.
EFFECTIVE TRANSFER OF BEST PRACTICES ACROSS CULTURES
Authors: Raval Dinker , Subramanian Bala
Published: February 2008

When multinational managers attempt to transfer best practices across cultures, the challenges inherent in cross‐cultural transfer may actually diminish competitiveness, instead of enhancing it. Multinational managers need to understand the cultural context of best practices, both at the source and at the target, in order to overcome these challenges and facilitate the transfer process. The challenges to effective transfer of best practices between cultures may arise because of the kinds of variances between cultural environments. These variances may pertain to concepts, perceptions, standardization, gradation and validation, substitutability and decision rules. Unmediated transfer of best practices across cultures may produce distortions in perceptions, understanding, interpretation and motivation of customers, competitors, employees and market players in the global markets. These distortions may in turn lead to conflicts and resistance and adversely impact the cost structure, revenue mix and profitability options. Understanding the cultural context and adapting best practices in tune to the recipient culture can be an invaluable tool to preempt or respond effectively to competitive challenges in the global markets.
INTRA‐INDUSTRY TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE OF THE NEWLY INDEPENDENT STATES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION
Authors: Yu Tieliu T. , Zhang Miranda M.
Published: February 2008

This article discusses the intra‐industry trade (IIT) aspect of international trade. The authors focus primarily on the trade between the United States and the 15 newly independent states of the former Soviet Union. Using data for these countries and the United States, this paper estimate the share of IIT of the 15 newly independent countries. The Pearson Product‐Moment Correlation and the Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficients were employed to determine the relationship between the IIT share and the stages of economic development. The test of has been hypothesis was conducted to examine the significance of the relationship. As a result, the paper reveals that the IIT share is more closely related to GNP per capita than to the overall GNP, which suggests that GNP per capita may be a better measure of the stage of economic development.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: UNDERSTANDING THEORY AND DEVELOPING STRATEGY
Authors: Bell DeTienne Kristen , Jackson Lisa Ann
Published: February 2008

Knowledge management has become the latest strategy in increasing organizational competitiveness. Proponents are calling it the only solution for competitive advantage in the new century (Evans, 1997; Hedlund, 1994; Hibbard, 1997; Martinez, 1998; Trussler, 1998) and critics are calling it the worst in passing fads (Hibbard, 1997). Robert H. Buckman, CEO of Buckman Labs, says the purpose of the knowledge management and sharing system at his corporation is to “facilitate communication across all of the organization's boundaries, so that the entire company works together to help everyone to be the best they can be” (Buckman, 1998, p. 11). Buckman Labs has become the first name in knowledge management with its innovative and relatively long‐standing (since 1991) approach to harnessing employees' collective knowledge.
THE EXPERIENCE OF PORTUGAL'S ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION: WHAT COUNTIES WANTING TO JOIN A CUSTOMS UNION SHOULD EXPECT
Authors: Nakos George E. , Brouthers Keith , Moussetis Robert
Published: February 2008

The international economic trade environment has been transformed in recent years by the rise of several regional trade blocks. The most important of these regional trade associations has been the European Union. Many Eastern European countries are currently applying to join this regional group, hoping that it will help their future economic growth. This paper examines the trade impact of EU membership on Portugal, a country that joined the EU in 1986. Portugal experienced significant positive and negative changes in its trade flows in the years following its EU entry. The analysis of the trade data for the first seven years following Portugal's accession shows a deterioration of the Portuguese trade deficit and a vary rapid re‐direction of Portuguese trade towards EU countries.
HR SYSTEM EFFECTIVENESS IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE ORGANIZATION: LESSONS FROM LIBANCELL OF LEBANON
Authors: Ezzedeen Souha R. , Swiercz Paul M.
Published: February 2008

Libancell is one of several experiments in post‐war privatization in Lebanon. It was established in 1994 through a contract to build and operate a mobile communication network. In the three year period described in this case study, Libancell grew from 0 to 255 employees. This rapid growth, the uniqueness of the privatization experiment, and the company's high national profile provide an excellent opportunity to examine the interface between the HR system and work experience of organization members. Using archival research, interviews, and survey data, this study describes the rich and complex interaction between the HR system and other essential components of the organization.
COMPETITIVE STRATEGIES FOR INTERNET MARKETERS IN EMERGING MARKETS
Authors: Bandyopadhyay Soumava
Published: February 2008

In emerging markets, Internet marketers need to pursue strategies that are different from those in developed countries. The four major considerations that guide Internet marketers in emerging markets are technology, marketing functions, target markets, and the marketing mix. This paper analyzes these four issues and develops appropriate strategic propositions for Internet marketers in emerging markets. Upon recognizing the technology‐related constraints in emerging markets, marketers are advised to use the Internet more for informational rather than transactional or product‐delivery purposes, and focus on business customers and affluent consumers. Propositions are made regarding the appropriate product, promotion, pricing, and distribution strategies to reach these target markets in emerging economies by using the Internet.
HONDA: GLOBAL MANUFACTURING AND COMPETITIVENESS
Authors: Sonoda Takanori
Published: February 2008

I would like to limit my discussion to the experiences and strategies Honda has employed to evolve from our roots as a local company in Japan, with a global viewpoint — into what we are today, a global company with a local viewpoint.
IMPROVING COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: A CUMULATIVE IMPROVEMENT APPROACH
Authors: Vokurka Robert J. , Zank Gail M. , Lund Carl M.
Published: February 2008

Supply chains can improve their performance by developing competitive priorities in a specified sequence: quality, reliability, flexibility, agility, and finally, cost efficiency. This paper extends Ferdows and De Meyer's (1990) sand cone model and Vokurka and Fliedner's (1998) sand cone model extension incorporating agility to supply chain management priorities. This work provides a framework for a cumulative and sustainable improvement process by which supply chains can build a strategic competitive advantage.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES, DECISION‐MAKING THEORIES, AND LEADERSHIP STYLES: AN INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK
Authors: Kedia Ben L. , Nordtvedt Richard , Pérez Liliana M.
Published: February 2008

International management researchers have examined the relationships between many components of strategy including mode of entry (e.g., Anderson and Gatignon, 1986; Hill, Huang and Kim, 1990; Kim and Huang, 1992; Kogut and Singh, 1988), international collaboration (e.g., Bresser and Harl, 1986; Buckley and Casson, 1988; Contractor and Kundu, 1988; Osborn and Baughn, 1990; Parkhe, 1993), and global integration vs. local responsiveness (e.g., Athanassiou and Nigh, 1999; Prahalad and Doz, 1987; Roth and Morrison, 1990; Taggart, 1998), among other things. Other management scholars have written about decision‐making from multiple perspectives including bounded rationality (Simon, 1955) and speed (Eisenhardt, 1989; Nordtvedt, 2000). Another subject of interest to management scientists has been that of leadership and its influence on organizational performance (e.g., Petrullo & Bass, 1961; Stodgill, 1974; Burns, 1978; and Bass, 1985). Although these three dimensions of the management discipline (i.e., international strategies, decision‐making, and strategic leadership) are individually important to organizational success, they have not yet been collectively researched or conceptually reviewed to understand how the nature of their interaction affects the internationalization of the multinational corporation.
IDENTIFYING VARIABLES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PRIVATIZATION, AND COMPETITIVE SKILLS IN CENTRAL EUROPE: A SURVEY DESIGN
Authors: Fitzgerald Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2008

This exploratory paper identifies variables for investigating competitive skill development; variables that help to shape a firm's entrepreneurship, and the privatization process in Central and Eastern Europe. The paper is organized as follows: The topics of entrepreneurship, privatization, and competitive skills are briefly introduced and grounded in the literature. A methodology section is then provided which includes a proposed firm‐level survey design, propositions, and survey questions. The last section discusses implications for future research.
AN ANALYSIS OF CHINA'S COMPETITIVENES BETWEEN 1995 AND 1999
Authors: El‐Namaki M.S.S.
Published: February 2008

Competitiveness is the issue of the decade. Country competitiveness could have far reaching implications to the country's scale and scope of contribution to international trade, its ability to attract foreign direct (and indirect investment), its ability to gain access to international forums as the World Trade Organization (WTO) and last, but certainly not least, its ability to foster longer term economic growth. It is no surprise, therefore, that competitiveness performance is held central in national and international forums and that it is stated, compared and analysed over time and across borders. Two organizations have gone a long way towards measuring and recording competitive performance: The World Bank and the International Economic Forum. The World Bank began measuring competitiveness years ago. It did not produce a single measure, but a combination of measures that could lead to a judgement. The measures are elaborate and constitute a blend of the building blocks of the concept. The World Economic Forum has developed a unique series of measures that, taken together, should lead to a “competitiveness rank” or a sequencing of countries according to their competitive clout. Countries are subjected to an annual review of their composite parameters and ranked accordingly.
THE ETHICS OF HIRING IN THE NEW WORKPLACE: MEN AND WOMEN MANAGERS FACE CHANGING STEREOTYPES DISCOVER CORRELATIVE PATTERNS FOR SUCCESS
Authors: Merrick Beverly G.
Published: February 2008

“Which advertisement fits reality?” asked Pamela Butler, researcher into gender communication. The top ad represents selected adjectives used to describe feminine characteristics in the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), a psychometric testing instrument, while the bottom ad represents so‐called masculine personality characteristics. The ads were adapted from Butler's advertisements for “Insurance Executives” in Self‐Assertion for Women.
THE EFFECTS OF WORKPLACE DEMOCRACY ON EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOR: IMPLICATIONS FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Authors: Holtzhausen Derina R.
Published: February 2008

This paper explores the relationship between workplace democracy, the improvement of internal communication and the implications for organizational transformation and competitive advantage. The internal communication function in a large South African organization was decentralized to cost center level, where communication champions were democratically elected. Survey research among two internal populations confirmed the importance of workplace democracy for the improvement of trust, information flow, face‐to‐face, and superior and subordinate communication. To a limited extent it also reduced fear to communicate. These results could theoretically be linked to an organization's ability to change, which would increase its competitive advantage.