Changing in sync with societal preferences: LEGO masters strategic alliances

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chethan D. Srikant ◽  
Bethany Lessard
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Strategic Alliance ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Traditional Treatment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Societal Preferences

Purpose Changes in societal preferences can have a significant impact on the business strategy of companies. This paper aims to illustrate the utility of strategic alliances in channelizing societal preferences. Design/methodology/approach LEGO and its many strategic alliances are carefully examined to illustrate the need for considering strategic alliances from a societal preference perspective. LEGO’s strategic alliances are juxtaposed with two major societal trends of the past few decades, environmental movement and multiple efforts toward greater inclusivity. Findings The following important lessons are elaborated for helping business organizations pursuing strategic alliances: long-term orientation should not become an excuse for complacency, need for alignment of organizations within the strategic alliance, strategic alliances should be viewed as a bidirectional channel for influence and attending to internal transformations is crucial for success. Originality/value This paper deviates from the traditional treatment of strategic alliances as a business arrangement that only drives financial performance but instead provides insights into how strategic alliances can be connected to changing societal preferences. It also challenges the received wisdom in the academic literature on strategic alliance, which is dominated by some very restrictive theoretical perspectives.

Avoiding alliance myopia: forging learning outcomes for long-term success

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Mazloomi Khamseh ◽  
Maryam Nasiriyar
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strategic Alliance ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Alliance Portfolio ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intended Learning Outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for understanding the learning outcomes of strategic alliances. Design/methodology/approach – On the basis of two dimensions of any strategic alliance – that is, similarity or dissimilarity of contribution of partners and explorative or exploitative nature of alliance – the author proposes a framework that recognizes four types of learning outcomes. Findings – The distinction of four types of alliance enables the author to identify their distinctive characteristics and learning outcomes. Originality/value – The paper increases the awareness of managers about the learning outcomes of strategic alliances, which helps managers to consider intended learning outcomes not only in planning, managing and evaluating any individual alliance but also in managing the alliance portfolio.

Measuring intellectual capital in a firm belonging to a strategic alliance

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Veltri ◽  
Andrea Venturelli ◽  
Giovanni Mastroleo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Expert System ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Strategic Alliance ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Scant Attention

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a method to measure intellectual capital (IC) in firms involved in strategic alliances, an area that has received scant attention in the literature, as existing research is focused mainly on organizational level mainly and increasingly on macro-level unit such as regions or nations. There are very few works at the meso-level (i.e. alliances, clusters), and the paper aims to fill this void, by providing researchers and practitioners with a tool capable of combining measurement and management aims, developed at organizational level with the active participation of the researchers. Design/methodology/approach – The method of analysis is based on a model formalized through a fuzzy expert system (FES). The FES are able to merge the capabilities of an expert system to simulate the decision-making process with the vagueness typical of human reasoning, maintaining the ability to still have a numeric value as a response. Its construction requires the participation of experts, whose knowledge of the problem is accumulated in the form of blocks of rules. These features make it possible to formalize the decision-making process related to the IC valuation, handling qualitative and quantitative variables, and exploring the cognitive mechanisms underlying this process. Findings – The outcome of the application is a system designed to measure the intangible performance deriving from participation in a strategic alliance using FES. This study contributes to the broadening of the research community’s understanding regarding the alternative measurement of IC created within strategic alliances. Research limitations/implications – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, IC literature lacks methods expressly designed to measure the incremental value of IC originating from collaboration among firms. From a measurement perspective, the results may be regarded as valuable proof that IC performance within strategic alliances can be measured quantitatively. Practical implications – On the management side, the possibility of retracing the determinants of different IC intermediate indicators composing the final IC index allows strategic alliances managers to use this information for decision-making purposes. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first study applying FES to measure IC in a firm belonging to a strategic alliance. In the authors’ opinion, fuzzy logic methodology, recently applied in empirical work designed to evaluate IC, represents a reliable methodology because of the “fuzzy” nature of IC.

Intertwining CSR with strategy – the way ahead

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shital Jhunjhunwala
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Sustainable Business ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Business Models ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance and means of making corporate social responsibility (CSR) an integral part of corporate strategy with the help of case studies. Design/methodology/approach – The article explores the transformation of business from being egocentric to socially responsible. With the use of examples it demonstrates how integrating CSR into strategy can create sustainable business models. Findings – Firms need to develop a framework for integrating CSR into their business strategy for long term successful survival. Social implications – Corporates and society are intertwined and mutually dependent. Business cannot survive without society's acquiescence nor succeed without its active support. Originality/value – The article explains the benefits of CSR and how to make it an integral part of business strategy to gain a competitive advantage.

scholarly journals Environmental and social sustainability priorities

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annachiara Longoni ◽  
Raffaella Cagliano
Keyword(s):  
Business Strategy ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Operations Strategy ◽  
Manufacturing Strategy ◽  
Competitive Priorities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Term Performance

Purpose – Environmental and social sustainability are becoming key competitive priorities for companies, but the way in which they are integrated in operations strategies remains an open issue. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether established operations strategy configuration models (i.e. price-oriented, market-oriented and capability-oriented models) are modified to include environmental and social priorities and whether different operations strategy configuration models are equally successful in the short and long term. Design/methodology/approach – Analyses were performed using data from the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (2009), including companies in the assembly industry in 21 different countries. According to previous studies, cluster analysis of competitive priorities and ANOVA analysis of the business strategy and short- and long-term performance were performed. Findings – The results show that traditional operations strategy configuration models are slightly modified. Market-oriented and capability-oriented operations strategies are complemented by environmental and social sustainability priorities. These operations strategies are adopted by companies with a differentiation and innovation business strategy. Moreover, capability-oriented companies, which are the most committed to environmental and social sustainability, perform better in both the short and long term. Practical implications – This research shows to companies that traditional operations strategies focusing on specific competitive priorities (e.g. low price) are being replaced by more holistic strategies that include sustainability priorities. However, environmental and social priorities contribute to competitive advantage when complementing capability-oriented operations strategies. Originality/value – This paper extends operations strategy configuration models highlighting how environmental and social sustainability priorities can be deployed together with traditional competitive operations priorities.

Knowledge management within a strategic alliances context: past, present and future

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisha Bamel ◽  
Vijay Pereira ◽  
Umesh Bamel ◽  
Giuseppe Cappiello
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strategic Alliance ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Intellectual Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Literature Reviews

Purpose This paper aims at reviewing the extant knowledge management (KM) research field within a strategic alliance context to understand the historical roots, its temporal progression, current state and potential future in a meaningful way. Design/methodology/approach Data for this study was retrieved from the Scopus database using a systematic literature search process. The bibliometric characteristics of 393 research documents were analyzed using bibliometric and structured network analysis. Findings The findings of the study suggest that the publication in the field have been growing with an average rate of 8.48%. This analysis also lists the most productive and impactful authors, main outlets, and the most impactful secondary and primary publication in the field. In addition, the conceptual and intellectual structure of the research field was constructed and discussed. Originality/value This paper uses an objective and quantitative approach by reviewing the related publications and virtually included all the relevant publications in the analysis, which was seen to be uneconomical when doing traditional literature reviews.

The Sicilian cooperative system of wine production

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-421
Author(s):  
Valeria Borsellino ◽  
Francesca Varia ◽  
Cinzia Zinnanti ◽  
Emanuele Schimmenti
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Strategic Alliance ◽  
Cooperative System ◽  
Agricultural Policies ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Wine Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Long Run

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to verify whether, besides the traditional organisational models mainly implemented by wine-making cooperatives, more modern and hybrid organisational forms can be profitably applied within an increasingly competitive wine market. Design/methodology/approach The study outlined in this paper deployed a mixed method. Specifically, an archived analysis, a survey and a descriptive case study (including visits, interviews and documentary analysis) were the methodological techniques used in this study, which were “in series but integrated” between themselves. In this paper, the landscape of Sicilian wine cooperatives is described by collating and processing different types of statistical sources, which have been integrated by direct surveys undertaken in 2017. Thereafter, the study focussed on a wine cooperative with a specific business model and a strategic edge by analysing its strategic choices and main structural and governance characteristics. Within this case study, a financial ratio analysis, which was based on 2011-2017 financial statements, was conducted to analyse the profitability, financial balance, capital structure and debt relationships of the wine cooperative. Findings The Sicilian wine cooperative system is still predominantly characterised by partial and vertical integration, implemented by cooperatives which elect to sell mainly bulk wine to wine merchants. In such a context, there is scope for other degrees of integration and strategic inter-firm alliances; the latter includes “vertical quasi-integration”. The study demonstrated how the wine cooperative under investigation is overcoming the structural problems of the regional wine sector and why it is retaining such a strategic alliance with one of the most important Italian wine conglomerates. Indeed, it has acquired greater strength and reliability since its collaboration with the aforementioned wine company. Thus, total revenue and the company’s market share of packaged wine have increased. However, there are still margins for improving sales’ profitability. Research limitations/implications This study has territorial limitations but Sicilian wine cooperatives generally play an important role in the regional, Italian and European wine industries. As such, this research should be considered as an exploratory study, deserving further investigation into different strategic choices within the wine cooperative system by performing cross-case comparisons. Results may also be useful in orienting cooperative strategies in Sicily (or further afield) to small-to-medium wine cooperatives, often lacking specific abilities relating to the distribution, marketing and selling of their wine. Public agricultural policies may also be enlightened by these research pathways. Originality/value The authors contend that their study provides hitherto missing information relating to inter-firm strategic alliances, which wine cooperatives might implement to enhance their competitiveness and survive in the long-run.

scholarly journals Technological mediation in the future of experiential tourism

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellis Urquhart
Keyword(s):  
Technological Development ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Technological Mediation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
The Future ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the role that technology may play in the future of experiential tourism. This viewpoint paper begins to question future developments in technological mediation and how these may challenge the author’ view of experiences and their construction in a period of immense and rapid technological development. Design/methodology/approach This is a short viewpoint paper driven by theoretical perspectives in the existing academic literature and the author’s personal stance on the future of experiential tourism. Findings This paper suggests that while there is considerable research into the role and application of technology within tourism, there is a lack of future-orientated debate. The views expressed within the paper argue that three potential directions exist for the future of technological mediation in experiential tourism: mass acceptance and customisation; experiential convergence or “rewinding the clock”, each with significant implications for the management of technological mediation in experiential tourism. Originality/value The paper provides an initial insight into future directions of the tourism industry in a period of immense technological development. Based on existing theoretical perspectives, these viewpoints indicate three potential routes for the industry and act as a catalyst for further dialogue within tourism scholarship.

Knowledge transfer in Hero Motor Corp Ltd.

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 260-263
Author(s):  
Geeta Rana ◽  
Alok Kumar Goel ◽  
Ajay Kumar Saini
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
Strategic Alliance ◽  
Influencing Factor ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Us ◽  
Cross Country

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the issues of knowledge transfer in international strategic alliance within Hero Moto Corp. Ltd., an Indian multinational company. International Strategic alliances have been increasing in numbers in the past decades and transfer of knowledge and its transfer in multinational companies is wider debate. The case explores the complex issues involved in cross-organization and cross-country transfer of knowledge. The company has forged a strategic alliance with the US-based Erik Buell Racing for accessing technology and design inputs. Design/methodology/approach – It presents a structured case study that examines a wide range of knowledge transfer issues of international strategic alliance. Findings – It reveals that a major influencing factor is the national culture of the parents and that of the host country which provides the context with in which alliances are operate. It is also explored the ways in which the multi-parentage of strategic alliances influences their Human Resource Management (HRM) policies and practices. Originality/value – It provides plenty of useful information on an issue that affects virtually every employee and organization.

Escaping the niche: how one company broke the mold

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chethan D. Srikant ◽  
Patrick Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Limited Capacity ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Traditional Treatment ◽  
Organizational Complexity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Identities ◽  
Organizational Perspective ◽  
Target Segment ◽  
Focus Strategy

Purpose Companies may spend capital and effort to ensure the survival within their niche but have limited capacity to expand into other niches or broaden their target segment. This paper aims to provide insights into how they can overcome this niche entrapment – companies becoming trapped in the very niche they have cultivated, the weight and inertia of their investment shackling them to its continued existence. Design/methodology/approach Cedar Fair’s acquisitions and its organizational structure are carefully examined to illustrate the need for considering niche entrapment as a concept. To understand the complexities that firms face in their attempts to overcome the niche entrapment, this paper analyzes Cedar Fair using the concepts of categories and inherited identities. Findings The following important lessons are elaborated for helping business organizations overcome niche entrapment: embrace the organizational complexity; use gateway and complementary identities; consider brand disassociation; and achieve ambidexterity through a portfolio of offering. Originality/value This paper deviates from the traditional treatment of niches as a focus strategy that firms can select to build competitive advantages but instead provides insights into how those very niches can become constraints. It also conceptually evaluates the attempts to overcome these constraints from an organizational perspective instead of an industry perspective. Apart from using categories in a novel way, it also introduces a new concept of inherited identities, which are the organizational identities that firms inherit as they acquire and assimilate other firms.

Mexico projects will not drive post-pandemic recovery

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Strategic Alliances ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Investor Confidence ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
Exploration And Production ◽  
Term Energy

Significance The package of 39 projects, worth MXN297bn (USD14.5bn), aims to boost post-pandemic economic growth through privately funded investments or strategic alliances between private entities and state governments in infrastructure, energy and communications. Several government flagship infrastructure projects also receive increased resources in the proposed 2021 budget. Impacts The ARE will not solve Mexico’s long-term energy needs as it excludes major areas such as hydrocarbons exploration and production. The 190,000 jobs that the ARE may create will do little to offset the 2 million formal jobs lost due to the pandemic in March-August. Most of the employment that will be created by the ARE and government priority projects will be temporary, low-paid jobs. Concerns regarding contractual security under the current administration will continue to dampen investor confidence.

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