Coopetition as improvisation: an exploratory comparative case study investigation into Spain’s natural wine industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosana Fuentes-Fernández ◽  
Armand Gilinsky Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Industry Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cooperative Relationships ◽  
Consumer Confusion ◽  
Working Together

Purpose This paper aims to develop an understanding of cooperation and collaboration in the natural wine industry in Spain as well as a deeper understanding of the challenges facing natural wine producers in the 21st century. Design/methodology/approach Field interviews using a structured questionnaire were conducted with five Spanish producers of natural wine in five different regions during fall 2018 and late spring 2019. Interviewers prompted respondents to expound upon the potential of incorporating cooperative relationships to help producers grow their businesses, share production and marketing techniques and explain how they educate consumers about natural wines. Findings Content analysis among five field-researched case studies reveals common goals and challenges, but Spanish natural wine producers have not reached a consensus on the benefits of cooperative relationships. Respondents acknowledge that their indecisiveness and consumer confusion about natural wines are barriers to working together. Research limitations/implications Generalizations from a sample comprised five companies cannot be made, nor can we claim that respondents were unbiased. Respondents were reluctant to release financial and production data; thus, the outcomes of coopetition strategies were indeterminate. It may be that a coopetition strategy is only positive up to a fixed point, upon which a diminishing-returns effect is manifested. Observations were made during a period when the Spanish wine industry was contracting, as political uncertainty in that country and post-Brexit clouded the future of tourism in and exports from certain Spanish wine regions. Practical implications Collaboration and cooperation would afford Spanish natural wine access to shared resources, networks and farming technology and knowhow to enhance the image and reputation of natural wine in Spain and internationally. Social implications To explore how cooperative and collaborative relationships might be achieved, five case studies of natural wine producers in Spain illuminate their real-life challenges and goals. Cooperative relationships among these producers have the potential to contribute to industry growth and value creation, while creating shared competitive advantages. As these niche producers weigh how to come to a consensus about pooling resources and working together to educate the prospective natural wine consumer, doing so may well lead the next wave of entrepreneurial, innovative activity in an industry that is ripe for change. Originality/value To explore how natural wine producers face the challenge to increase transparency in its production and to help consumer to know what natural wine is. In the Old World, the French Fraud Control Office recognized the category “vin méthode nature” (wine nature method) as a special wine. It was the first step towards helping consumers to reduce the information asymmetries existing between the productive and consumption fields, increasing transparency in natural wines production.

Viewing organised crime and terrorist organisations through the financial threats they pose to society

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 940-950
Author(s):  
Thomas Ren
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Meaningful Difference ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Perspective ◽  
Enterprise Theory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there is a meaningful difference, viewed from a financial perspective, in distinguishing between organised crime and terrorist organisations, with regard to the control and mitigation of the threats that they pose to society. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses conceptual models obtained from enterprise theory and economics, as well as criminology, and makes use of case studies through the application of these models. Findings The paper finds that when viewed from a financial perspective, there is no meaningful difference in distinguishing between the groups because many have undergone processes of convergence and transformation, such that they assume each other’s operational and motivational characteristics. However, the answer also depends on how precisely one defines each type of illicit group as well as the transitions they undergo. Originality/value The value of this paper is that it applies two separate models on interactions between organised crime and terrorist organisations, the terror–crime continuum and interaction spectrum, to real life situations. After assessing their validity for more recent examples of such illicit groups, it then provides a balanced argument as to distinguishing between organised crime and terrorism. One limitation towards the paper’s originality, however, is that it draws mainly from pre-existing literature.

Site planning and design of green residential building projects: case studies in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 525-543
Author(s):  
Xiaosen Huo ◽  
Ann Tit Wan Yu ◽  
Wu Zezhou ◽  
Wadu Mesthrige Jayantha
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Site Planning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present site planning and design (SPD) relevant variables and items in practice for practitioners to better understand and implement SPD in green building projects. Design/methodology/approach The research methods include questionnaire survey and case studies in the context of China. A questionnaire survey was adopted to identify the importance of 13 variables and the corresponding 38 items in SPD of green residential buildings. Three green residential projects including one in Hong Kong and two in Mainland China were selected to investigate the SPD considerations in practice and to discuss the necessary improvement. Findings The results show that 12 out of the 13 variables of SPD in green buildings are involved in the three case projects to some extent, thereby underscore the importance of these variables. The potential improvement in real-life SPD of green buildings is also discussed such as adopting design-build and integrated project delivery methods and preserving and protecting cultural characteristics on site. Originality/value The research findings may serve as a reference for practitioners to better conduct SPD in green building projects.

Brand intrapreneurs and brand managers: in search of disruption

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deryck J. van Rensburg
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Real Life ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Variables ◽  
Entrepreneurial Action ◽  
Life Phenomena ◽  
Brand Portfolios ◽  
Internal Venturing

Purpose – The paper aims to postulate as to whether the brand manager function and role is best placed for creating high growth, disruptive brand portfolios. As a potential solution toward resolving this, prescriptions for nurturing brand intrapreneurs are advanced to accelerate corporate entrepreneurial thinking and action based on the empirical case material. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws from seven case studies of six large global consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms involved in strategic brand venturing activity. Interview quotations are used to provide an invocative account of key ideas and arguments in the paper. Data gathering comprised extensive documentation and observation, and 21 semistructured interviews with senior-level executives and entrepreneurs. Interviews ranged in length with a mean interview time of 1 hour 23 minutes. All interviews were recorded with interviewee permission and, subsequently, transcribed and analyzed. Within-case and across-case analyses were performed using the spiral methodology espoused by Creswell (2007). Findings – Findings are clustered under three themes: galvanic and savvy leaders, entrepreneurial program design and nuanced operating models. In particular, the simultaneous practice of external and internal venturing inside a single venturing unit was noted to generate unique learning and promote corporate entrepreneurial action. Research limitations/implications – While case studies offer a way of investigating complex real-life phenomena with multiple variables, their ideographic nature suffers from an inability to generalize findings to other populations. This research design is no different. Nevertheless, rigorous within-case and cross-case analyses were performed involving world-class CPG marketing corporations to arrive at the findings presented. Practical implications – Numerous prescriptions for implementing brand intrapreneurship are advanced in the paper. Originality/value – Although technology venturing is a well-researched topic, ambidextrous brand venturing groups among CPG corporations renown for their marketing and branding prowess are only beginning to catch-on in practice – this is one of the first empirical paper to enumerate the practices of brand intrapreneurship within a strategic brand venturing framework.

Reliability analysis of underground mining equipment using genetic algorithms

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Vayenas ◽  
Sihong Peng
Keyword(s):  
Reliability Analysis ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Reliability Assessment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Mining Equipment ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reliability Centered Maintenance ◽  
Potential Applications

Purpose – While increased mechanization and automation make considerable contributions to mine productivity, unexpected equipment failures and imperfect planned or routine maintenance prohibit the maximum possible utilization of sophisticated mining equipment and require significant amount of extra capital investment. Traditional preventive/planned maintenance is usually scheduled at a fixed interval based on maintenance personnel's experience and it can result in decreasing reliability. This paper deals with reliability analysis and prediction for mining machinery. A software tool called GenRel is discussed with its theoretical background, applied algorithms and its current improvements. In GenRel, it is assumed that failures of mining equipment caused by an array of factors (e.g. age of equipment, operating environment) follow the biological evolution theory. GenRel then simulates the failure occurrences during a time period of interest based on Genetic Algorithms (GAs) combined with a number of statistical procedures. The paper also discusses a case study of two mine hoists. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether or not GenRel can be applied for reliability analysis of mine hoists in real life. Design/methodology/approach – Statistical testing methods are applied to examine the similarity between the predicted data set with the real-life data set in the same time period. The data employed in this case study is compiled from two mine hoists from the Sudbury area in Ontario, Canada. Potential applications of the reliability assessment results yielded from GenRel include reliability-centered maintenance planning and production simulation. Findings – The case studies shown in this paper demonstrate successful applications of a GAs-based software, GenRel, to analyze and predict dynamic reliability characteristics of two hoist systems. Two separate case studies in Mine A and Mine B at a time interval of three months both present acceptable prediction results at a given level of confidence, 5 percent. Practical implications – Potential applications of the reliability assessment results yielded from GenRel include reliability-centered maintenance planning and production simulation. Originality/value – Compared to conventional mathematical models, GAs offer several key advantages. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has not been a wide application of GAs in hoist reliability assessment and prediction. In addition, the authors bring discrete distribution functions to the software tool (GenRel) for the first time and significantly improve computing efficiency. The results of the case studies demonstrate successful application of GenRel in assessing and predicting hoist reliability, and this may lead to better preventative maintenance management in the industry.

scholarly journals Finding Common Ground: The Need for Cooperation and Collaboration in the Spanish Natural Wine Industry

2019 ◽  
pp. 65-93
Author(s):  
Rosana Fuentes Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Common Ground ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Cooperative Relationships ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Wine Sector ◽  
Common Goals ◽  
Comparative Case Studies ◽  
To Come ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
And Control

In fall 2018 and late spring 2019, five small natural wine producers in Spain pondered the potential for cooperation and collaboration in their segment of the wine industry. As these niche producers shared their common goals and challenges, they debated how to come to a consensus about pooling resources and working together to educate trade customers as well as the prospective natural wine consumer. Providing an overview of the Spanish wine industry and the natural wine segment, this applied research paper uses comparative case studies to explore the potential of incorporating cooperative relationships that could help these producers grow their businesses, share farming and wine-making techniques, and educate consumers about natural wines. Similar to previous cooperative relationships undertaken in other wine-producing regions, co-opetition might not only perform branding and collaborative marketing and reward entrepreneurial activities in Spain’s natural wine sector, but also carry some downsides in terms of autonomy and control over decision-making.

Construction project productivity evaluation framework with expanded system boundaries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Zhan ◽  
Wei Pan ◽  
Le Chen
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
System Boundaries ◽  
Content Type

PurposeWhile the investment in construction projects has increased over the past few decades, low construction project productivity (CPP) appeared to be persistent, thereby reflecting an “investment-in-failure” paradox between the investment and CPP. Hence, this paper aims to develop a systematic and holistic CPP evaluation framework to explain the apparent paradox in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper first reviews the literature about the theories of system, production, principal–agent and project success evaluation to re-conceptualise the CPP and proposes a two-stage CPP evaluation framework. The framework is subsequently explored through a sequential qualitative mixed-methods design within the context of the Hong Kong construction industry by combining 32 semi-structured interviews with senior industry experts and exploratory case studies, with three real-life construction projects.FindingsThe paper identifies three system boundaries for CPP evaluation, that is, parameter, timeframe and stakeholder, and develops a two-stage CPP evaluation framework to indicate site efficiency and utilisation effectiveness, thereby accessing the productivity of both the construction and post-construction stages. The “investment-in-failure” paradox associated with current CPP evaluation approaches is primarily attributed to the narrowly defined CPP boundaries.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative exploration of the evaluation framework only focusses on the Hong Kong construction industry. Further case studies within other urban contexts could be used to improve the generalisability of the findings. Quantitative research is also necessary to advance theoretical development of the two-stage CPP evaluation.Practical implicationsThe systemic CPP conceptualisation and the two-stage CPP evaluation framework support the systems thinking of industry stakeholders and enable them to formulate holistic strategies for long-term CPP enhancement.Originality/valueThe research demonstrates the needs to expand the system boundaries of CPP to reflect its systemic value and to shift the paradigm of CPP evaluation from being output-orientated and quantity-focussed to being outcome-orientated and value-focussed.

Women entrepreneurship and sustainable development: select case studies from the sustainable energy sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritika Mahajan ◽  
Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it discusses the role of entrepreneurship, in general, and women entrepreneurship, in particular, in advancing the cause of sustainable development. Future research directions that emerge from the body of knowledge that the paper relied upon have been identified. Second, it presents unique cases of eight women-led enterprises in energy sector spread across three continents, namely, Asia, Africa and the USA; identifies the constraints and opportunities, analyses the business models and their impact on the quality of life pointers to demonstrate the role of women-led enterprises in sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach The paper combines a schematic review of literature at the interface of entrepreneurship and sustainable development coupled with select relevant case studies addressing the interface. The real-life case studies, which are consciously chosen and compiled from secondary data sources, complement and testify the insights drawn from the schematic literature review. The framework for analyzing the case studies is designed around multidimensional drivers and factors that steer the women-led enterprises. Findings The paper identified the need to look at entrepreneurship through the gendered lens not only for studying entrepreneurship as a discipline, in general, but also to gauge whether the inclusion of women as entrepreneurs is actually advancing the cause of sustainable development. Besides analyzing real-life case studies of accomplished women entrepreneurs to gauge their motivations and mindsets, the process of identification of pain points, identifying differentiating and innovative features, or studying the impact on society, economy and environment, the paper eventually created a schematic framework of key enablers, constraints and strategic response of women entrepreneurs. Originality/value Given the dearth of adequate theoretical and empirical contributions on the study of effectuation, mindsets and drivers of how women entrepreneurship steers the process of sustainable development, the paper is an endeavour in that direction.

The evolution of data analytics through the lens of business cases

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sepanta Sharafuddin ◽  
Ivan Belik
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Real World ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Rapid Changes ◽  
Business Cases

PurposeThe present study provides a comprehensive review of the evolution of data analytics using real-world cases. The purpose is to provide a distinct overview of where the phenomenon was derived from, where it currently stands and where it is heading.Design/methodology/approachThree case studies were selected to represent three different eras of data analytics: Yesterday (1950s–1990s), Today (2000s–2020s) and Tomorrow (2030s–2050s).FindingsRapid changes in information technologies more likely moving us towards a more cyber-physical society, where an increasing number of devices, people and corporations are connected. We can expect the development of a more connected cyber society, open for data exchange than ever before.Social implicationsThe analysis of technological trends through the lens of representative real-world cases helps to clarify where data analytics was derived from, where it currently stands and where it is heading towards. The presented case studies accentuate that data analytics is constantly evolving with no signs of stagnation.Originality/valueAs the field of data analytics is constantly evolving, the study of its evolution based on particular studies aims to better understand the paradigm shift in data analytics and the resulting technological advances in the IT business through the representative real-life cases.

scholarly journals Unlocking innovation in the sport industry through additive manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 456-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlon Meier ◽  
Kim Hua Tan ◽  
Ming K. Lim ◽  
Leanne Chung
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
New Products ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Fast-changing customer demands and rising requirements in product performance constantly challenge sports equipment manufacturers to come up with new and improved products to stay competitive. Additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, can enhance the development of new products by providing an efficient approach of rapid prototyping. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current adoption of AM technologies in the innovation process of the sports industry, i.e. level of awareness; how it is implemented; and it impact on the innovation process. Design/methodology/approach This work followed a qualitative research approach. After conducting a research of the current literature, this paper presents findings that include case studies from different companies, as well as a semi-structured interview with an outdoor sports equipment manufacturer. Companies from all over the world and of different sizes from under 100 employees to over 70,000 employees were considered in this research. Findings Literature research shows that AM brings many possibilities to enhance the innovation process, and case studies indicated several obstacles that hinder the technology from fully unfolding. AM is still at the early stage of entering the sports equipment industry and its potential benefits have not been fully exploited yet. The findings generated from the research of real-life practices show that AM provides several benefits when it comes to the innovation process, such as a faster development process, an optimised output, as well as the possibility to create new designs. However, companies are not yet able to enhance the innovation process in a way that leads to new products and new markets with AM. Limitations, including a small range of process able material and an inefficient mass production, still restrain the technology and lead to unused capability. Nevertheless, future prospects indicate the growing importance of AM in the innovation process and show that its advancement paves the way to new and innovative products. Research limitations/implications Limitations exist in the qualitative approach of this study, which does not include the quantitative verification of the results. Originality/value Very few studies have been conducted to investigate how firms can harvest AM to increase their innovation capabilities. How firms can use AM to shorten product development time is an emerging topic in business and operations but has not been studied widely. This paper aims to address this gap.

scholarly journals Why replication studies are essential: learning from failure and success

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Wil Harzing
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
International Business ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
First Case ◽  
Learning From Failure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pervasive problem of a lack of replication studies in international business based on van Witteloostuijn’s (2016) commentary “What happened to Popperian Falsification?” Design/methodology/approach The author presents two short case studies from her own research, one in which no replication studies took place, and one in which a replication study was conducted shortly after the original study was published. Findings The author shows how the lack of replication in the first case study example resulted in the creation of research myths, whereas the judicious replication in her second case study strengthened arguments for a new – less biased – measure of research performance. The author also discusses why most journals in the field are not open to replication studies and provides recommendations on how to move forward. Originality/value Using two real-life case studies provides a vivid illustration of the problems created by a lack of replications and illustrates the benefits of good replication studies.

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