scholarly journals Identifying the configurational conditions for marketing analytics use in UK SMEs

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangming Cao ◽  
Yanqing Duan ◽  
Na Tian
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Subjective Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Alternative Pathways ◽  
Marketing Analytics ◽  
Configuration Theory ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Multiple Conditions

PurposeWhile marketing analytics can be used to improve organizational decision-making and performance significantly, little research exists to examine how the configurations of multiple conditions affect marketing analytics use. This study draws on configuration theory to investigate marketing analytics use in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachThis research employs a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis using data collected from a survey of 187 managers in UK SMEs.FindingsThe key findings show that (1) configurations of multiple conditions provide alternative pathways to marketing analytics use, and (2) the configurations for small firms are different from those for medium-sized firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe research results are based on several key configurational factors and a single key-informant method to collect subjective data from UK SME managers.Practical implicationsThe study helps SMEs to understand that marketing analytics use is influenced by the interaction of multiple conditions, that there are alternative pathways to marketing analytics use, and that SMEs should choose the configuration that fits best with their organizational contexts.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature by addressing an important yet underresearched area, i.e. marketing analytics use in SMEs, applying a configurational approach to the research phenomenon. It highlights different pathways to marketing analytics use in SMEs. The findings provide empirical evidence on the possibility and implication of marketing analytics use being asymmetrical and different between small and medium-sized firms.

scholarly journals Analyst ratings for firms filing for and reorganizing under Chapter 11

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-321
Author(s):  
Elena Precourt ◽  
Henry Oppenheimer
Keyword(s):  
Private Information ◽  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Analyst Recommendations ◽  
Security Analysts ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
One Year ◽  
Better Than

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine analyst followings of firms starting from one year prior to their filing for Chapter 11 and as the firms progress through bankruptcy proceedings with a focus on firms receiving “Hold” or better recommendations. The authors attempt to answer questions such as what the common characteristics of the firms receiving stronger than expected recommendations one year prior to filing for bankruptcy reorganization or while in bankruptcy are, and how the market reacts to the issuance of stronger ratings for those firms. Design/methodology/approach The authors design various regressions and apply them to a total of 2,754 sell-side analyst recommendations and 325 firms that are either approaching bankruptcy filing or in the process of reorganizing. In each analysis, the authors control for several firm and performance characteristics. Findings The authors find that the probability of securing stronger ratings is higher for small firms and for those followed by a greater number of analysts than for large firms and firms followed by fewer analysts. The market becomes more skeptical of optimistic evaluations closer to the date of bankruptcy filing (perhaps reflecting some anticipation) and reacts more positively to rating upgrades issued during bankruptcy protection than to the upgrades issued before the bankruptcy filing. Research limitations/implications The conclusions are based on the analysis of analyst recommendations issued shortly before Chapter 11 filings and during bankruptcy proceedings. The conclusions could be strengthened by further analysis of firms’ post-bankruptcy recovery and performance and examination of analyst recommendations issued for the firms after they emerge from Chapter 11.. Practical implications Analyst security ratings that are more positive than expected are perhaps the result of superior expertise and access to private information. During bankruptcy proceedings, when information disclosure is limited, investors could greatly benefit from reports issued by security analysts. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature in a number of ways. First, the authors contribute to the literature on the analyst ratings of firms in distress by considering the period between bankruptcy filing and emergence, while the existing literature provides analysis of pre-bankruptcy recommendations and forecasts. Second, the authors focus on better than expected ratings rather than all types of ratings as the firms approach bankruptcy filings and proceed through reorganization. Finally, they evaluate how investors react to stronger than expected analyst ratings.

Growing and aging of entrepreneurial firms

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1087-1103
Author(s):  
Narongsak Thongpapanl ◽  
Eugene Kaciak ◽  
Dianne H.B. Welsh
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Entrepreneurial Firms ◽  
Reward Systems ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Job Rotation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Industrial Sectors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore whether job rotation strategies and joint reward systems are equally effective in encouraging cross-functional collaboration (CFC) under all organizational contexts, ranging from young and small firms to mature and large ones. Design/methodology/approach To ensure a wide applicability of findings in this study, the research model and hypotheses were tested with a sample of 232 Canadian firms active in a variety of industrial sectors. A survey instrument that comprised all the questionnaire items corresponding to the examined constructs is the foundation of the data used in this contribution. Findings This study shows that job rotation and joint rewards are strong and positive drivers of interdepartmental collaboration, which subsequently enhance firm performance. However, this illustration must be considered in the context of the firm shaped by its size and age because these two variables strongly and negatively moderate the relationships between CFC and its two antecedents. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to Canadian firms only. The manufacturing sector was not differentiated into subsectors, such as technology. Future studies could compare subsectors of manufacturing to see if there is any correlation between types of industries, age, and size. Originality/value Not all firms will be able to take advantage of the widely accepted values of job rotation and joint reward systems in generating CFC. Firms, to an extent, appear to be confronted with the liability of aging but not with the liability of smallness.

Training evaluation: a configurational analysis of success and failure of trainers and trainees

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 531-546
Author(s):  
Gonçalo Bernardino ◽  
Carla Curado
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alternative Pathways ◽  
Configurational Analysis ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Matched Data ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate the formative evaluations of the training programmes of a Portuguese national railway public company for an entire calendar year. The aim is to uncover alternative configurations for the design of training programmes to create better levels of evaluation. This study is based on the following research question: What are the configurations that lead to the success and or failure of trainers and trainees? Among those, are there any common designs that generate the success and or failure of both trainers and trainees? Design/methodology/approach This study used matched data from an entire calendar year to examine the trainers and trainees’ evaluations of 429 training events. This study also used a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to provide configurations that generate the success or failure of trainers and trainees. This methodology offers alternative pathways to the same outcomes and thus gives managers different options to reach similar results. Findings The results show that there are more configurations that lead to trainers’ success (five) than to its absence (four). However, the configurations that lead to trainees’ success (three) are less than those that lead to its absence (six). The findings indicate that a single common configuration exists that leads to high evaluations. Research limitations/implications This study does not address summative evaluations. Regarding data, the study acknowledges the use of self-evaluations for trainees, although they serve as a proxy for a learning evaluation. The generalisation of the results outside the Portuguese railway company’s context is not possible. Practical implications The proposed analysis is applicable to other settings without restrictions. Managers may replicate this study’s approach in their organisations to uncover the alternative configurations that lead to the success or failure of trainers and trainees. They may adopt the ones that lead to successful outcomes and avoid the ones that lead to undesired ones. Originality/value This study is innovative because it addresses concurrently the success or failure of trainers and trainees that is only possible by using the fsQCA method. This study opted to use this method to provide alternative pathways to extreme outcomes: the most successful or the most unsuccessful. These multiple pathways are better results compared to traditional quantitative statistical methods that only provide a single estimated solution to the presence of the dependent variable; for example, a regression analysis or structural equation modelling.

Strategic positioning and strategic types of small firms

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana María García-Pérez ◽  
Vanessa Yanes-Estévez ◽  
Juan Ramón Oreja-Rodríguez ◽  
Enrique González-Dávila
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Reference Points ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Strategic Positioning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Orientations ◽  
Strategic Process ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Miles And Snow

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the strategic process of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) including strategic reference points (SRP) (Fiegenbaum et al., 1996). Design/methodology/approach – The paper identifies the strategic positioning of SMEs (Lavie and Fiegenbaum, 2000, 2003) according to the importance that their managers give to internal and external SRP. Their influence on strategic types (Miles and Snow, 1978) and performance are analysed. This study uses information, from 83 SMEs in the Canary Islands (Spain), collected with a questionnaire. Findings – SMEs are primarily adaptive firms followed by narcissist ones: numerous SMEs focus their attention on internal SRPs. SMEs strategic positioning determines their strategic orientations to a much lesser extent than their characteristics (sector, size and age) do. The results show that product specialisation, the only difference between adaptive SMEs and narcissist and amorphous ones, is not evident in their performance. Practical implications – Decision makers and institutions should reflect about the maturity of the strategic process and the adaptation dynamic of SMEs. The need for SMEs to focus on their external vision should be highlighted. Originality/value – The study includes SRP in the strategic process of SMEs. It contributes to the literature by drawing a map of the strategic positioning of SMEs, based on their SRPs (Lavie and Fiegenbaum (2000, 2003) and by linking the strategic positioning of SMEs with their strategic types. It also has the value of applying the Rasch Rating Scale Model (Andrich, 1978, 1988).

The contribution of quality tools and integration of quality management systems to the organization

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios Ismyrlis
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Final Conclusion ◽  
Quality Management Systems ◽  
Subjective Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Quality Tools

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution from the use of quality tools and the implementation of quality management systems (QMSs) to the management of an organization. The question is if these aspects have an impact on the important elements of a QMS, like critical success factors (CSFs), but more on the performance derived from its functioning. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was created and addressed to Greek companies which were certified with at least one QMS standard, in this case ISO 9001:2008. Findings It was concluded that companies implementing more than one QMS and more than nine quality tools gave more importance to specific CSFs of the QMS and also displayed better performance from the rest of the companies. The final conclusion is that the utilization of tools, techniques, and the implementation of more than one QMS – integration of management systems (MSs) – can contribute to many aspects of organization functioning. Research limitations/implications This study was based on the perception (subjective data) of only one quality manager/representative of each company. The companies were not asked about specific actions they have established to integrate their MSs. Practical implications This paper provides a closest look to the utilization of more than one QMS and the use of quality tools. These actions, as concluded, can play an important role in the management of organizations, and managers could use them in an appropriate way. Originality/value This paper aims to evaluate the value of QMS integration and the utilization of quality tools to specific issues of QMS as CSFs and performance in Greek companies.

A configurational perspective on subsidiary top management team national diversity and performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 1507-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Dahms ◽  
Suthikorn Kingkaew
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Top Management Team ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Management Team ◽  
Top Management ◽  
Subsidiary Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Configurational Approach ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate what role national top management team diversity (TMTD) plays in foreign-owned subsidiary performance. The authors develop a conceptual framework based on the asset bundling model and the neo-configurational perspective to argue that the impact of TMTD on subsidiary performance depends on its conjunction with other assets. Design/methodology/approach The authors test our framework on a sample of subsidiaries located in the emerging economies of Thailand and Taiwan. The authors utilise structural equation modelling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis techniques. Findings The results indicate that TMTD can contribute and hurt subsidiary performance depending on its bundling with other assets such as organisational network strength, competencies, as well as regional and cultural differences between the home and host country. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to empirically test the asset bundling model in the context of national TMTD in foreign-owned subsidiaries using a configurational approach.

Headquarters value added and subsidiary performance: insights from Thailand

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suthikorn Kingkaew ◽  
Sven Dahms
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Subsidiary Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relationship Strength ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Network Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of network relationship strength and subsidiary initiatives on the headquarters value added and performance in foreign-owned subsidiaries. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on survey data collected from foreign-owned subsidiaries located in Thailand. The authors use symmetric structured equation modelling partial least squared (SEM-PLS) and asymmetric fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) techniques to analyse the data. Findings The authors found that intra-organisational relationship strength is one of the key determinants for high headquarter value added. They also found that headquarter value added plays a crucial role in explaining subsidiary performance. The role of subsidiary initiatives seem overall less pronounced than initially thought. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in the conceptual framework based on networks and subsidiary initiatives. This is one of the few studies that empirically tests headquarters value-added determinants in subsidiaries located in an emerging market. Furthermore, the authors use SEM-PLS and fsQCA to look beyond more commonly tested symmetric associations.

Recipes for new product success: the interplay between orientations and environmental turbulence

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1345-1357
Author(s):  
Joanne Ho ◽  
Carolin Plewa
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
New Product ◽  
Environmental Turbulence ◽  
High Tech ◽  
New Product Success ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Success ◽  
Configuration Theory ◽  
Turbulent Environments ◽  
Strategic Orientations

Purpose Prior studies suggest that strategic orientations not only impact innovation outcomes individually but also by interacting with each other and with environmental factors. Yet, inconsistent results in the literature remain, likely due to the common use of regression analysis and related limitations in capturing the complex reality of interdependent effects. This paper aims to overcome this challenge. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on configuration theory, this research uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to investigate configurations of customer, competitor and technology orientations, interfunctional coordination (IC) and environmental turbulence leading to new product success (NP) among high-tech manufacturing business-to-business firms. Findings Findings show seven configurations of strategic orientations as determining NP, including four configurations specific to firms operating in turbulent environments. Originality/value This study offers important theoretical, empirical and managerial contributions. In particular, it is the first to reveal configurations of strategic orientations that determine NP. It also advances knowledge by delineating those configurations that are most suited to firms operating in turbulent environments. Finally, findings demonstrate the interchangeable nature of facets traditionally joined as a single market orientation construct – customer and competitor orientation as well as IC.

scholarly journals Purchasing alignment under multiple contingencies: a configuration theory approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Mikalef ◽  
Adamantia Pateli ◽  
Ronald S. Batenburg ◽  
Rogier van de Wetering
Keyword(s):  
Firm Size ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Strategic Orientation ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Configuration Theory ◽  
Customer Intimacy ◽  
Performance Gains ◽  
Operational Excellence

Purpose – Strategic alignment is a theory-based state that is considered as crucial for organizations in order to realize performance gains from information technology (IT) investments and deployments. Within the domain of purchasing and supply chain management there has been a growing interest on how purchasing strategy can be effectively aligned with IT and what conditions facilitate this state. The purpose of this paper is to investigate complex causal relationships of contingency elements that are key in enabling the “fit” between purchasing strategy and IT. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a configuration theory approach and propose that purchasing alignment is dependent upon patterns of multiple contingencies. In adherence with contingency theory, the authors group these elements as relating to strategic orientation, organizational factors, and purchasing decisions. On a sample of 172 international companies the authors then apply the novel methodology of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Findings – The paper empirically demonstrates that depending on the strategic orientation that a company follows, there are alternative combinations of elements that lead to high purchasing alignment. For companies following an operational excellence strategic orientation, a high contract binding scheme, or a small firm size facilitates purchasing alignment. Enabling elements for product leadership companies include a decentralized purchasing structure, a broad supplier base, and a large firm size. Purchasing alignment for customer intimacy companies is supported by a centralized purchasing structure, loose contract binding, and a large supplier base. Practical implications – The findings of this study suggest that practitioners aiming to attain a state of purchasing alignment should consider a number of contingency elements in the process. The paper shows that there is equifinality in the configurations that lead to purchasing alignment. This means that attaining purchasing alignment is dependent upon various clusters of contingency elements which must be taken into account when formulating a purchasing strategy. Originality/value – In contrast with past studies examining purchasing alignment as a result of the isolated impact of several antecedents, we applied a configuration theory approach to demonstrate that it is facilitated by the combined impact of a set of cause-effect relationships. In cases were non-linear and synergistic relationships exist between independent variables, this type of research may be a viable alternative.

Logistics firms performance: efficiency and effectiveness perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 686-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wai Peng Wong ◽  
Keng Lin Soh ◽  
Chu Le Chong ◽  
Noorliza Karia
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Managerial Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
And Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and performance of logistics companies in Singapore and Malaysia which are the growing logistics hubs in Asia by using a triangular data envelopment analysis (DEA). It also identifies various factors that significantly affect the efficiency, effectiveness and performance of the Singaporean and Malaysian logistics companies and proposes ways to improve their competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach – First, this study employs a triangular DEA to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the companies. Second, Tobit regression is used to explore the factors that affect logistics performance. Third, the managerial decision-making matrix is addressed and suggestions made to help logistics managers improve performance. Findings – The results reveal that small firms, on average have more potential than the large ones. The results also demonstrate that investment influences firm performance significantly. Originality/value – This paper is the first attempt to apply a triangular DEA-based approach by decomposing performance into efficiency and effectiveness for logistics companies in Singapore and Malaysia.

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