A tale of two continents: the internationalisation of Millicom in Africa and Latin America

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-199
Author(s):  
Jason Whalley ◽  
Peter Curwen
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Telecommunications Industry ◽  
Telecommunication Networks ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Mobile Telecommunication ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Academic Paper

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to chart the growth of Millicom, a Luxembourg based but international operator of cable and mobile telecommunication networks. Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal case study approach is adopted covering the period 1990–2019 (inclusive). Data are drawn from multiple sources, including annual reports of Millicom and the trade press. Findings The analysis of this study highlights the changing geographical focus of Millicom. When founded, it was present in three regions – Africa, Asia and Latin America – but over time, it has concentrated its operations on the latter region. Secondly, Millicom has widened its operational remit to include more lines of business. This reflects the converged strategy that has been adopted in Latin America, where it is now active in cable and mobile telecommunication markets. Research limitations/implications The paper illustrates the difficulties of research into privately owned companies and especially those active in the telecommunications industry in the early 1990s. Practical implications The analysis of this study highlights the challenges of researching companies active, as the telecommunications sector began to be liberalised. There is limited data in the public domain covering the early 1990s, not least because the Internet as understood today had not yet emerged. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first academic paper to analyse the internationalisation of Millicom.

Altice: creating a complex and constantly evolving empire

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Whalley ◽  
Peter Curwen
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Networks ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holding Companies ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This paper aims to shed light on the development of Altice, a French-based but multinational operator of cable and mobile networks. Design/methodology/approach A detailed longitudinal case study approach is adopted covering the period 2002 to 2018 (inclusive). Data are drawn from multiple sources, including the annual reports of Altice, its filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission, the prospectuses of Altice S.A. and Altice USA and the trade press. Findings The paper demonstrates how, until recently, Altice’s presence in France was relatively limited. This changed, however, with the acquisition of Numericable and SFR. These purchases, along with those of Suddenlink and Cablevision in the USA, were funded by a substantial increase in Altice’s debt burden. To address the negative consequences of this burden, Altice has retrenched through selling or planning to sell some of its operations and spinning-off Altice USA to its existing shareholders. Research limitations/implications The paper highlights the complexity of multinational telecommunication companies. The challenges of developing a longitudinal case study of a company that operates in multiple countries through cascading holding companies is also illustrated by the paper. Practical implications There is a need for more data to be available in the public domain. This will, amongst other things, facilitate the analysis of companies like Altice that operate internationally and bundle products together to enhance their competitiveness. Originality/value This paper charts the growth of Altice, highlighting the role played by frequent merger and acquisition activity and debt in shaping its development and strategy.

scholarly journals The role of entrepreneurial orientation in crisis management: evidence from family firms in enterprising communities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Börje Boers ◽  
Thomas Henschel
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Management ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and understand how family firms manage a crisis by applying a processual and longitudinal perspective. The objective is to find out how crisis management is approached by family firms in Sweden, Scotland and Germany, using entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as an analytical lens. Further, this paper investigates the role of the owning family in creating and solving a crisis in family firms. Design/methodology/approach This study follows a processual and longitudinal case study approach. Cases are drawn from Germany, Scotland and Sweden. Data collection is based on a combination of interviews with archival data such as annual reports and press clippings. Findings The results show that all studied firms had high levels of autonomy combined with high risk-taking. It is noteworthy, that these dimensions also help to overcome the crisis. Risk-taking and proactiveness can be useful for addressing the crisis. Under certain circumstances, even innovativeness can help to develop new offers. Autonomy is considered central in family firms and only extraordinary circumstances can be owning families make willing to compromise on it. The EO-dimensions are not all relevant at all times. Rather, family firms will emphasize the dimensions during the consecutive stages differently. Originality/value This study compares case companies from Germany, Scotland and Sweden and how EO contributes to their crisis management by taking a longitudinal and processual perspective. Its originality lies in the in-depth studies of companies from three countries.

scholarly journals Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007: reflections on developing practice and present day challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Mackay ◽  
Mary Notman
Keyword(s):  
Good Practice ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Protection Orders ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Local Agencies ◽  
Adult Support

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline the duties and powers of the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act (ASPSA) 2007 and place them in the wider Scottish adult protection legislative framework. It considers the potential value of a standalone adult safeguarding statute. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw upon their research and practice expertise to consider the merits of the ASPSA 2007. They take a case study approach to explore its implementation in one particular Scottish local authority, drawing on the qualitative and quantitative data contained in its annual reports. Findings Skilled, knowledgeable and well-supported practitioners are key to effective screening, investigations and intervention. Protection orders are being used as intended for a very small number of cases. Research limitations/implications The lack of national statistical reports means that there is limited scope for comparison between the local and national data. Practical implications Adult support and protection requires ongoing investment of time and leadership in councils and other local agencies to instigate and maintain good practice. Aspects that require further attention are self-neglect; capacity and consent and residents in care homes who pose potential risks to other residents and staff. Social implications ASPSA 2007 has helped to raise awareness of adults at risk of harm within the local communities and as social issue more generally. Originality/value The authors provide a critical appraisal of the implementation of Scottish adult safeguarding legislation over the last six years. They consider similar developments in England and Wales and argue for comparative research to test these out. Finally, they signpost future directions for bridging separate policy streams.

scholarly journals How do innovators stay innovative? A longitudinal case analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Tuzovic ◽  
Jochen Wirtz ◽  
Loizos Heracleous
Keyword(s):  
Customer Value ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Knowledge Integration ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Foundations

Purpose How can some companies be the innovation leader in their industry over prolonged periods of time, whereas others cannot? The purpose of this study is to understand a firm’s capability to be a successful serial innovator and to generate a constant stream of industry-leading innovations. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a longitudinal case study approach to gain an understanding of what and how Singapore Airlines sustained service innovation for over 30 years. The study uses triangulation, whereby the core data from in-depth interviews with senior and middle management and frontline employees were complemented with academic research, case studies, annual reports, observations and archival documents. In total, 240 single-spaced pages of interview transcripts with over 130,000 words were analyzed and coded using MAXQDA for identifying repeated patterns of meaning. Findings The authors identified three key institutional foundations for service innovation: innovation climate (i.e. leadership and service culture), human capital (i.e. recruitment, training and development and engagement and incentives) and resource configurations (i.e. systems, structure and processes). These foundations enabled the organization to build the following four service innovation-related dynamic capabilities: embrace ambidexterity, institutionalize learning and knowledge integration, orchestrate collaboration and reinvent customer value. Interestingly, these institutional foundations and capabilities remained largely stable across 30 years; what changed were the contexts and specifics, not the foundations and capabilities. Research limitations/implications Data were collected only from one company. Because of the method of thematic analysis, the generalizability of the findings needs further investigation. Originality/value This study is the first to investigate the drivers of industry-leading sustained service innovation over a prolonged period of time. The proposed framework provides a fuller and more integrated picture of sustained service innovation than past cross-sectional studies.

INSPIRE sustainability internships

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Susan Hayles
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Life Context ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to explore the outputs of an internship programme, one of a number of campus-based sustainability activities that have been introduced at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, to encourage student-led campus-based greening initiatives. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was undertaken, allowing the researcher to investigate the programme in its real-life context. The researcher used multiple sources of evidence to gain as holistic a picture as possible. Findings Interns report positive changes in their behaviours towards sustainability, s well as encouraging feedback on their experiential learning, the development of their soft skills and the creation of new knowledge. Moreover, students communicated perceived benefits for their future careers. The reported outcomes reflect mutually beneficial relationships for student and institution, for example, raising the profile of campus greening activities and supporting the University’s aim to embed sustainability throughout its campus, community and culture. Research limitations/implications The researcher recognises the limitations of the research, in particular, the small sample size, which has resulted primarily in qualitative results being presented. Practical implications Feedback from previous interns will be used to shape future internships. In particular, Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) will look for opportunities to work more closely with University operations, departments, faculties and alongside University staff, both academic and support staff. Social implications Following student feedback, INSPIRE will give students opportunities for wider involvement, including an opportunity to propose their own projects to shape future internships that meet the needs of student body on campus. Originality/value Despite being one case study from one institution, the research highlights the value of such programmes for other institutions.

Agency as the achievement of reform ownership

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-262
Author(s):  
Lauren Godfrey ◽  
Carol Booth Olson
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Teacher Expertise ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Advance Student ◽  
Current Reform

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how, through the cultivation of reform ownership in the professional development (PD) program, the Pathway Project, agency was achieved for the development of teacher professionalism and teacher expertise in the cases of Mrs. Cruz and Mrs. Keyes. This, in turn, provided opportunities to advance student learning. Design/methodology/approach Multiple sources of data (focused classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and collected artifacts) were analyzed through a case study approach to understand the processes by which an agentic context materialized for these two teachers. Findings The authors identified the following three stages in the cultivation of reform ownership in the cases of Mrs. Cruz and Mrs. Keyes: emerging; developing; and deepening. Each of these stages proved critical to the achievement of agency for the development of teacher professionalism, teacher expertise and student learning. Originality/value The cases of Mrs. Cruz and Mrs. Keyes offer a renewed vision of the ways in which teachers can achieve agency in the current reform environment. Given the proliferation of reform efforts within today’s educational landscape, their cases suggest that PD developers take seriously the responsibility of cultivating reform ownership for the achievement of agency and deep and lasting change.

Drivers and barriers of omni-channel retailing in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 657-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Ye ◽  
Kwok Hung Lau ◽  
Leon Kok Yang Teo
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Organizational Management ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Chinese Market ◽  
Strategic Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Study Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the drivers and barriers to omni-channel retailing in China, and attempts to understand how companies formulate their business strategies during their transformations to omni-channel retailing. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts an exploratory case study approach to investigate the omni-channel retailing transformations of two well-established Chinese fashion apparel retailers. The study draws on multiple sources of evidence, comprising: interviews with eight business executives from three major operational departments; on-site observations in firm’s retail stores, factories and distribution centres; and secondary data review of firm business reports, news, whitepapers and archival records. The findings are established through a consistent within-case data analysis and cross-case comparison. Findings The study reveals that the two retailers formulated different strategies in developing their omni-channels, and exhibited different degrees of success. The similarities and differences in the drivers, as well as the barriers, were analyzed and compared in this study. Operational variations (i.e. enablers and inhibitors) due to the unique context of the Chinese market were also explored. The findings reveal that coherent leveraging firm resources and capabilities from the three perspectives – marketing, logistics and supply chain, and organizational management – is critical to the full implementation of omni-channel retailing. They provide relevant managerial insights that can assist firms in formulating appropriate strategic action plans during the transformations. Originality/value As a theoretical contribution, this paper identifies a set of drivers and barriers for omni-channel retailing in the developed market, and classifies them into three categories: marketing; logistics and supply chain; and organizational management. The empirical-based qualitative analysis reveals the key factors impacting on omni-channel retailing within the Chinese market, and suggests a series of practical implications for local retailers planning to embark on omni-channel retailing.

CSR in Afghanistan: a global CSR agenda in areas of limited statehood

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameer Azizi ◽  
Dima Jamali
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Telecommunications Industry ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Mobile Telecommunications ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Explicit Csr ◽  
Mobile Telecommunications Industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain the emergence of CSR in Afghanistan as a novel context in the South-Asian CSR debate. Design/methodology/approach – The findings of the paper are based on case studies of four corporations in the Afghan mobile telecommunications industry. Multiple sources of qualitative data are coded according to the analytical framework of the paper to generate the findings. Findings – The findings highlight that the Afghan national setting can be conceptualised as an “area of limited statehood” indicating the weak national institutional setting, which enables space for manoeuvring for non-state actors to play a pivotal role in business-society relations. The paper highlights that the CSR practices are driven by the multi-level organisational field that through a unique blend of global coercive, mimetic and normative pressures lead to convergence around explicit CSR themes. Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on CSR practices that are explicitly stated and do not include informal and/or implicit business-society practices in such contexts. Originality/value – This paper combines the literature on areas of limited statehood and the neo-institutional theory to explain the emergence of CSR the Afghan mobile telecommunications industry. The paper advocates for a shift from a national setting focus to a multi-level institutional field lens in providing contextualised explanation of the emergence of CSR in developing countries.

A comparative analysis of the internationalization of sub-national and central state-owned enterprises: shreds of evidence from Latin America

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Finchelstein ◽  
Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez ◽  
Erica Helena Salvaj
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Case Analysis ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
National Politics ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Central State ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Market Factors

Purpose In this exploratory multiple case study, we aim to compare the internationalization of two state-owned enterprises (SOEs) owned by subnational governments with three owned by central governments in Latin America. This study provides a contextualized answer to the question: What are the differences in the internationalization of subnationally owned SOEs compared to central SOEs? This study finds that the speed and diversification of these two types of SOEs’ internationalization differ because they have a different expansion logic. Subnationally owned SOEs have a gradual and diversified expansion following market rules. Central government’s SOEs are specialized and take more drastic steps in their internationalization, which relates to non-market factors. Design/methodology/approach This study builds an exploratory qualitative comparative case analysis that uses multiple sources of data and information to develop a comprehensive understanding of SOEs through process tracing. Findings The study posits some assumptions that are confirmed in the case analysis. This study finds relevant differences between sub-national (SSOEs) and central authority (CSOEs’) strategies. SSOEs’ fewer resources and needs to increase income push them to follow a gradual market-driven internationalization and to diversify abroad. CSOEs non-gradual growth is justified by non-market factors (i.e. national politics). CSOEs do not diversify abroad due to the broader set of constituencies they have to face. Research limitations/implications Given the exploratory comparative case study of this research, the findings are bounded by the particularities of the cases and their region (Latin America). This paper and its findings can be useful for theory building but it does not claim any generalization capacity. Originality/value This study adds complexity into the SOEs phenomenon by distinguishing between different types of SOEs. This paper contributes to the study of subnational phenomena and its effect in SOEs’ internationalization process, which is an understudied topic. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is among the first studies that explore subnational SOEs in Latin America.

Exploring the link between institutional pressures and the timeliness of corporate internet reporting: the case of an emerging economy

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahade Hasan ◽  
Shah Md Taha Islam
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Institutional Pressures ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Websites ◽  
Isomorphic Pressures

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role played by coercive, normative and mimetic pressures in stimulating timeliness of corporate internet reporting (TCIR). Design/methodology/approach This study uses content analysis technique to track the TCIR practices of top 100 non-financial companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange. A disclosure index of 14 items is developed to capture the extent of TCIR. The authors collected the relevant data from multiple sources, such as corporate websites, monthly review reports and corporate annual reports for the year-end 2019. This study uses Poisson regression models to explore the association between institutional pressures and TCIR. Findings Consistent with the predictions of institutional isomorphism theory, the authors find that coercive isomorphic pressures through ownership by foreign investors, government, general public and connection with parent multinational corporations have positive associations with TCIR. The authors also find that normative pressures resulting from cross-directorships have positive influence on TCIR. The authors provide evidence of mimetic pressures through industry memberships (i.e. companies operating in technology-based industry) positively impacting TCIR. The additional analysis suggests that institutional pressures are rather associated with the extent of voluntary TICR and to a lesser extent to regulatory TICR. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to show the positive impacts of coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphic pressures on TCIR in an emerging economy characterized by weak institutional environment and mixed prospects for TCIR.

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