bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Connecting strategy and competitive intelligence: refocusing intelligence to produce critical strategy inputs
Authors: Fahey Liam 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo refocus intelligence professionals toward the development of a short set of critically important outputs that can serve as inputs to strategy making – irrespective of the type of strategy or the kind of business involved.Design/methodology/ approachThe paper addresses how to build a bridge between the many outputs typically generated by intelligence professionals and the analysis needs of those responsible for developing and executing strategy.FindingsDrawing from the author's experience working with leading corporations, the paper condenses a wide range of intelligence outputs into five key sets domains: marketplace opportunities, competitor threats, competitive risks, core assumptions, and key vulnerabilities.Practical implicationsThe paper details the key outputs that the intelligence function should deliver to managers and other decision makers. It enables managers to guide intelligence professionals to create strategy inputs that will better support a range of strategic, operating and investment decisionsOriginality/valueThe paper provides a framework of desired intelligence outputs or strategy inputs that should enable greater efficiency and effectiveness in any organization's intelligence work and more tightly integrate intelligence work into all facets of strategy development and execution.
Intelligence teams
Authors: Fahey Liam , Herring Jan 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo show how teams can be used to do intelligence work – all phases of the work from data collection through to development and deployment of the final intelligence outputs.Design/methodology/ approachThe paper addresses how intelligence teams might be designed and managed. It integrates the approaches employed by many firms to setting up intelligence teams and to managing how they conduct intelligence work.FindingsDrawing from the experiences of the authors with leading corporations, the paper develops a framework for shaping the context of an intelligence team and for conducting an intelligence analysis. It provides sets of guidelines for key phases in analysis where the benefits of a team are particularly helpful.Practical implicationsThe paper details key dos and don'ts in managing any intelligence team. It identifies how to set up an intelligence team so that team members will be motivated to collaborate with each other and how to execute some key stages in a typical intelligence analysis project.Originality/valueThe paper provides both intelligence professionals and key decision makers with a roadmap to undertake key intelligence challenges more systematically and comprehensively that would otherwise be the case.
How strategic innovation really gets started
Authors: Chapman Wood Robert 
Published: January 2007

PurposeExplains (using a model and cases) how companies that lack a capability for continual strategic innovation can bring one into existence.Design/methodology/approachAuthor developed histories of how continual innovation emerged or failed to emerge in six firms, drew conclusions based on what worked in the successes.FindingsStrategic innovation gets started with a five‐step process that involves improvising initial innovation processes, then learning from what was improvised.Research limitations/implicationsThough the companies studied were selected to represent different industries and kinds of strategic innovation, the number was relatively small. Findings should be replicated in studies of more firms.Practical implicationsInstead of using standard organizational change models that call for clear goals that leaders can manage to, firms seeking repeated strategic innovation should create inspiring but necessarily vague goals, improvise first steps toward them, and encourage emergence of innovation routines based on what was improvised.Originality/valueProvides an evidence‐based model of how to bring Continual Strategic Innovation into existence.
Exploring the determinants of success/failure of the advertising agency‐firm relationship
Authors: Triki Abdelfattah , Redjeb Nejla , Kamoun Istabrak 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on the advertising agency‐firm relationship and aims at understanding and analysing its dynamics. In particular, it digs deep into the reasons behind success and failure of the relationship and attempts to unveil their determinants. This investigation is deemed important because a breaking of the advertising agency‐firm relationship is costly for both parties.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory study is conducted among partners of the relationship in a Tunisian small to medium‐sized business context. In‐depth interviews were conducted among key executives from the ad agency industry and from clients. Content analysis made it possible to extract factors related to ad agency performance, others related to client management, and still others related to interactive processes involved in the relationship.FindingsResults led to the development of a theoretical framework summarising the three components of the relationship. These are performance of the ad agency, internal policy of the firm, and interpersonal factors. This framework is deemed relevant for both ad agencies and firms in understanding the dynamics of the relationship and in managing eventual conflicts.Originality/valueThe originality of the research lies in the fact that it focuses on the interactive aspects of the relationship and takes into account not only the role of the advertising agency but also that of the client in developing and maintaining such a relationship. This approach allows one to unveil areas of convergence and areas of divergence between both parties' roles perceptions.
Projective techniques in Taiwan and Asia‐Pacific market research
Authors: Boddy Clive R. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate the use of projective techniques in Asia‐Pacific markets with particular reference to Taiwan and to compare this with the literature on cultural differences in conducting research to see if any correspondence exists.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a literature review and a small qualitative study of indigenous and expatriate market researchers who work or had recently worked in South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Indonesia.FindingsThe paper concludes that the use of projective techniques in Asia‐Pacific can be usefully guided by an understanding of the different cultures there compared with the cultures in the UK and other western markets. It illustrates that projective techniques are as used and are as useful in market research in Asia‐Pacific as they are in the UK.Originality/valueThe research fills a gap in the literature and extends knowledge of how projective techniques are used in Asia‐Pacific markets.
Laddering: how (not) to do things with words
Authors: Brandi Sørensen Elin , Askegaard Søren 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide a discourse‐based critique of the laddering interviewing technique, and to make academics as well as practitioners aware of some of the limitations in applying this particular consumer interviewing technique.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first describes the laddering interviewing technique, which traditionally has been conceptualised within a cognitively‐oriented perspective, i.e. the laddering interview is seen as a cognitive task. Then a critical discussion of some of the problems inherent in this view follows. After this, an alternative conceptualisation of the laddering interview is proposed, namely, that it is a discursive event. On the basis of insights from Wittgenstein and Austin it is suggested that the laddering interview is a room for social actions where both interviewer and interviewee are “doing things with words”. An example of applying the discursive approach to a sample sequence from a laddering interview is also provided. Finally, it seeks to evaluate the laddering interviewing technique in terms of its capacity to tap into “the voices in the marketplace”.FindingsFinds that the laddering interviewing technique has its raison d'être as a quick and structured way of tapping into the voices and institutionalised rationales of the consumers in the marketplace. However, it is also found that the laddering interviewing technique “locks” the interviewee into one particular consumer identity; it prompts only answers that are valid with perfect strangers; it prevents the interviewee from unfolding his arguments fully; and it has a constant focus on personal preferences excluding the possible dissociations from other consumers – all of this making the data less rich and varied.Originality/valueThe unique value of this paper is that it sums up and provides a theoretically‐based critique of the laddering interviewing technique. It is believed that this critique will lead to a more appropriate appreciation of what is going on in a laddering interview and of the utterances that the consumers make in such an interview.
Auto‐ethnographic consumer research and creative non‐fiction
Authors: Hackley Chris 
Published: January 2007

PurposeNarrative accounts of subjective consumer experience are, in one form or another, a staple of qualitative market research. They have an obvious connection with the literary form of creative non‐fiction (CNF), yet this connection has rarely been explored. Based on the assumption that writing craft is a neglected yet fundamental part of qualitative research practice, this paper seeks to contribute a new, literary‐based perspective to the interpretive turn in qualitative market research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on a range of extant literature to draw out the distinguishing features of CNF, placing these in juxtaposition to biographical and narrative auto‐ethnographic consumer research. The overall aim is to begin to detail the particular qualities of writing that might contribute to better qualitative research. To assist in this quest the attempts at scholarly discussion in the paper are interpolated with a series of digressive interludes written in an auto‐biographical CNF style. These interludes are intended to exemplify aspects of the interpretive research mentality.FindingsThis is a conceptual paper seeking to draw attention to and develop a relatively neglected research agenda. The concluding reflections suggest some tangible consequences of this research. The paper suggests that a stronger focus on research writing craft through CNF can liberate the imagination of research respondents and enrich the analysis of narrative forms of qualitative data.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the vast area of narrative‐based qualitative research from a perspective which will be entirely new to many researchers and practitioners. It suggests tangible benefits that this new perspective could bring to the work of each.
A social capital explanation of the relationship between functional diversity and group performance
Authors: Randy Evans W. , Carson Charles M. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeFunctional diversity research has resulted in equivocal findings for group performance suggesting the need for theoretical clarification. A review of previous functional diversity research indicates that high quality productive relationships are a key determinant in the performance of cognitively diverse groups. A theoretical framework is provided that demonstrates that assets embedded in the social structure of group member relationships impact group performance. The primary goal of this paper is to consider the concept of social capital at the group level and explain its role in mentoring the relationship between functional diversity and group performanceDesign/methodology/approachThese concepts are supported by prior studies and theoretical development rather than empirical evidence.FindingsSocial capital is introduced as a moderator in the group performance model improving the group processes of communication, social integration, and coordination. Enhanced group processes in turn lead to elevated group performance. It is argued that social capital offers promise for understanding and improving the performance of functionally diverse groups.Originality/valueThis paper offers a bridge between the diversity‐group performance relationship. This bridge, social capital, offers a new and exciting means of further examining these key relationships.
Top management team, international risk management factor and firm performance
Authors: Auden William C. , Shackman Joshua D. , Onken Marina H. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe paper seeks to address four key Top Management Team (TMT) demographic characteristics in their relationship with firm performance: age, functional background, educational field, and team tenure. The study extends research on the TMT by explicitly introducing team performance as a new context measured in the form of International Risk Management Factor, in addition to demographic characteristic effects. International Risk Management Factor is developed based on multiple international risks trading off theory. In order to calculate that factor International Risk Management Index is introduced.Design/methodology/approachIn the paper a sample of 212 firms was used, including 4,009 executives; also four hypotheses were tested. The hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe findings in this paper support the proposition that top management team is an appropriate unit of study, due to its impact on firm performance. The results indicate that there is a significant correlation between TMT demographic characteristics and firm performance. This study concluded that three of the proposed four TMT demographic characteristics, including age, functional background, and team tenure influence firm performance. Results validate the proposition that TMT demographic characteristics show a significant positive correlation with firm performance, particularly when the accounting measure is applied. In addition, Top Management Team performance was positively correlated to team tenure, suggesting that as team tenure progresses team performance improves.Originality/valueThe paper differs in many features from previous research. Some of the most important aspects include scope of the study, scale of the sample, complexity of the moderated variable, uniqueness of moderated variable operationalization, and innovation in calculating International Risk Management Factor. For the first time, the study focuses exclusively on Top Management Team performance. The concept, which captures complexity of all TMT characteristics, is not included in demographic characteristics of TMT.
Trust and cross‐cultural dissimilarities in corporate environment
Authors: Rajagopal  , Rajagopal Ananya 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe paper aims to show how Latin American corporate executives are faced with a serious problem, low trust and peer confidence. The factors of criticism in the workplace, increased corporate controls, and growing expectations for improved performance and accountability, have accompanied this decline in trust. Traditional approaches to corporate governance, epitomized by organizational behavior theories, have focused on short‐term profits and organizational systems, which fail to achieve desired results. This paper presents the analysis of behavioral dimensions of cross‐cultural team performance in corporate environment in Mexico.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a literature review of previous research contributions focused on the managers of multinational companies operating in Latin American countries in a cross‐cultural environment. The success of the corporate ventures in Mexico has been evaluated from the perspectives of economic and relational attributes. The discussion in the study revealed that the degree of fit between a corporate parent and venture affects the success of the venture.FindingsThe paper finds that corporate venturing as a strategy for international business development has become significant in view of the process of globalization resulting in the free trade and business development opportunities for multinational companies. The success is associated with high levels of commitment, competitive skills and dynamics in functional management of the venture. In the study the variables of economic and relational dimensions of external and internal fit have shown greater association with venture success. It has also been found that ventures opt for greater autonomy and less economic dependency with their parent ventures for leading success and this finding makes intuitive sense.Practical implicationsThe paper shows that the success in corporate venturing is associated with high levels of commitment, trust, group dynamics and skills in functional management of the venture. The discussions in the paper offer analytical insights for the managers to develop an operational balance in the team to achieve higher performance.Originality/valueThe thesis of the paper is developed around the issues of the cross‐cultural variables affecting workplace environment in reference to trust, team work and gender sensitivity required for achieving efficiency in a business ventures. The paper explores and maps the symbiosis between the cognitive drivers of team member personality and organizational work culture.
Prediction of corporate financial distress in an emerging market: the case of Turkey
Authors: Uğurlu Mine , Aksoy Hakan 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo identify predictors of corporate financial distress, using the discriminant and logit models, in an emerging market over a period of economic turbulence and to reveal the comparative predictive and classification accuracies of the models in this different environmental setting.Design/methodology/approachThe research relies on a sample of 27 failed and 27 non‐failed manufacturing firms listed in the Istanbul Stock Exchange over the 1996‐2003 period, which includes a period of high economic growth (1996‐1999) followed by an economic crisis period (2000‐2002). The two well‐known methods, discriminant analysis and logit, are compared on the basis of a better overall fit and a higher percentage of correct classification under changing economic conditions. Furthermore, this research attempts to reveal the changes, if any, in the bankruptcy predictors, from those found in the earlier studies that rested on the data from the developed markets.FindingsThe logistic regression model is found to have higher classification power and predictive accuracy, over the four years prior to bankruptcy, than the discriminant model. In this research, the discriminant and logit models identify the same number of significant predictors out of the total variables analyzed, and six of these are common in both. EBITDA/total assets is the most important predictor of financial distress in both models. The logit model identifies operating profit margin and the proportion of trade credit within total claims ratios as the second and third most important predictors, respectively.Originality/valueThis paper reveals the accuracy with which the discriminant and logit models work in an emerging market over a period when firms face high uncertainty and turbulence. This study may be extended to other emerging markets to eliminate the limitation of the small sample size in this study and to further validate the use of these models in the developing countries. This can serve to make the methods important decision tools for managers and investors in these volatile markets.
The cultural diversity phenomenon in organisations and different approaches for effective cultural diversity management: a literary review
Authors: Aytemiz Seymen Oya 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo make a literary review related to effective management of cultural diversity in organisations and to systematically bring up different views put forward regarding this issue.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the literature which covers the “diversity management” and “cultural diversity management” is reviewed in detail and then tried to explore the contributors’ different views about the effective cultural diversity management approach. In the paper these different perspectives about this matter are classified.FindingsThe answer to the question of how cultural diversity should be managed effectively cannot be given easily. There are various typologies about the organisational and managerial literature. In order to be able to effectively manage cultural diversity in organisations, it is beneficial to develop a “cultural diversity management model” peculiar to the organisation by considering the positive and negative sides of different perspectives located in this study.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the main aim is to make only a detailed literary review and bring up different views through a classification, there are no theoretical interpretations nor personal critiques about the writers’ different perspectives in the paper.Practical implicationsThe researchers of this topic would be able to make empiric and theoretical evaluations in the frame of perspectives explored in the paper.Originality/valueThis paper will provide a contribution to cultural diversity in organisations related to its management as an anthology and will be a systematic knowledge base for researchers.
Creating value from cross‐cultural teams
Authors: Evans David 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo demonstrate the added value potential of cross‐cultural teams specifically related to Franco–British joint ventures. The paper begins by outlining the current context in M&As across Europe, then homes in on the specific trade links between France and the UK. To what extent are cultural differences a hindrance or a driving force in attaining mutual performance goals?Design/methodology/approachThe main findings are collected from a survey of 300 companies in France and the UK carried out in 1999. The respondents were HR managers, training officers or middle managers in general. The research was supplemented by three in‐depth, semi‐directive interviews with HR managers at BP, Vivendi and Eurotunnel.FindingsThe research uncovers some of the main obstacles encountered when setting up Franco–British teams. Certain factors such as education systems, training systems and employment norms are brought to the forefront in an attempt to explain these fundamental differences.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is longitudinal and aims at providing a more representative sample since the response rate on the English side was lower than that in France. The authors viewpoint is fuelled by information received during the in‐depth, semi‐directive interviews.Practical implicationsThe article provides a useful insight into the workings of cross‐cultural teams in France and the UK.Originality/valueLittle has been written to date on the specific field of the cultural barriers influencing the success of Franco–British work teams.