Leading in the connected era

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saul Berman ◽  
Peter Korsten

Purpose – Leaders are recognizing that the current connected era is fundamentally changing how customers, employees and partners engage, according to an IBM survey of CEOs and senior public sector leaders from around the globe. Design/methodology/approach – Between September 2011 and January 2012, IBM leaders met face to face with leaders worldwide to better understand their future plans and challenges in an increasingly connected economy. The CEOs surveyed lead organizations of different sizes in 64 countries and 18 industries The analysis also sought to understand differences between responses of CEOs in financially outperforming organizations and those in underperforming organizations. Findings – Key survey findings include: CEOs are creating more open and collaborative cultures – encouraging employees to connect, learn from each other and thrive in a world of rapid change; the emphasis on openness and collaboration is even higher among outperforming organizations; to engage customers as individuals, CEOs are investing in customer insights more than any other functional area; and extensive partnering is providing the edge CEOs need to take on radical innovation. Practical implications – Three suggested initiatives to promote superior performance are: embrace connectivity and openness; engage customers as individuals; and amplify innovation with partnerships. Originality/value – Explains that to create greater value, CEOs must take advantage of newly enabled connections with and among employees, customers and partners. Shows that to lead in this unfamiliar territory amid constant change, CEOs will need to learn from their own networks. They will need to assemble those networks like portfolios – with generational, geographic, institutional diversity. Then, they will need to help their organizations do the same.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 831-846
Author(s):  
Bob Mckercher

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors that make tourist shopping districts successful. Design/methodology/approach In total, 12 sets of face-to-face interviews were conducted in 7 cities on 4 continents in September and October, 2019. In total, 21 individuals participated in the interviews. Interviews were conducted in Bangkok Thailand, Singapore, Melbourne and Brisbane Australia, Ottawa Canada, New York USA (three sets of interviews) and London England (four sets of interviews). Findings The literature focusses on operational issues, while respondents highlighted higher order issues relating primarily to organisational structure, governance and funding. Research limitations/implications The study focusses primarily on English speaking jurisdictions, with the exception of Bangkok. As such, the results may not be generalisable to non-English speaking economies. Practical implications Insights into factors influencing the success of tourism retail shopping districts are highlighted, especially the role of governance and creativity. Social implications The paper indicates that local stakeholders also play a key role in the success of such districts. Originality/value This is the first comprehensive, global study of the factors that make tourism shopping districts successful.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergely Szolnoki ◽  
Dieter Hoffmann

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to test the segmentation based on the usage of sales channels and to compare the segments with each other in terms of socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted using representative data collected in Germany through a face-to-face interview. 2,000 German consumers answered questions towards the usage of different sales channels when purchasing wine as well as socio-demographic and other behavioural questions. A hierarchical cluster analysis was run, to classify the respondents into segments. Findings – The results illustrate the usefulness of this kind of segmentation and show significant differences between the six consumer groups: discount-customers, food-retail-customers, supermarket-customers, cellar-door-customers, wine-store-customers and multichannel-customers. These segments differ in their socio-demographic as well as in their behavioural structure. Furthermore, the six segments could be split into two groups depending on their average purchase value: a basic group and a premium group. Practical implications – This segmentation provides an analysing tool for the German retailers, which is able to identify the loyal and potential consumers of the different sales channels. Originality/value – This segmentation was conducted using the purchase activity of German consumers in different sales channels. This segmentation approach has been never used to identify, describe and classify wine consumers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 418-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basak Denizci Guillet ◽  
Deniz Kucukusta

Purpose – This paper aims to segment spa customers based on their preferences for a set of spa attributes. With the considerable growth rate of the spa market, it is vital for spa professionals to understand spa-goers’ preferences. However, academics and industry professionals have not devised a structured method by which to manage spa customers. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted using a face-to-face survey with visitors to Hong Kong who had visited a spa. By applying conjoint and cluster analysis, customers could be categorized into distinct segments. Findings – Four customer segments were identified: spa enthusiasts, high spenders, value seekers and price-sensitive spa-goers. Spa enthusiasts were the largest segment among the four, followed by value seekers, price-sensitive spa-goers and high spenders. Research limitations/implications – Given the limited academic interest in the area, this study contributes to the literature by providing insights into spa-goers’ preferences and how those preferences can be used to segment spa-goers. Practical implications – Based on the different needs, preferences and socio-demographic characteristics of the four segments – spa enthusiasts, high spenders, value seekers and price-sensitive spa-goers – spa industry managers could customize their strategies and design different spa services and packages to meet the needs of the four segments. Originality/value – The combined use of conjoint and cluster analysis provides a new method of market segmentation in the spa industry. This study could help spa professionals to design customized spa products for the distinct segments, and thus retain and attract more spa visitors.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel León ◽  
Trino-Manuel Ñíguez

PurposeThe authors apply their method to analyze which portfolios are capable of providing superior performance to those based on the Sharpe ratio (SR).Design/methodology/approachIn this paper the authors illustrate the use of conditional copulas for identifying differences in alternative portfolio performance strategies. The authors analyze which portfolios are capable of providing superior performance to those based on the SR.FindingsThe results show that under the Gaussian copula, both expected tail ratio (ETR) and skewness-kurtosis ratio portfolios exhibit remarkably low correlations respecting the SR portfolio. This means that these two portfolios are different respecting the SR one. The authors also find that copulas which focus on either the upper tail (Gumbel) or the lower tail (Clayton) render significant differences. In short, the copula analysis is useful to understand what kind of equity-screening strategy based on its corresponding performance measure (PM) performs better in relation to the SR portfolio.Practical implicationsCopula methods for evaluating relative tail forecasting performance provide an alternative tool when forecast differences are very small or found non statistically significant through standard tests.Originality/valueOur copula methods to evaluate models' performance differences are significant because when models' performance is rather similar, conclusions on statistical differences, can be defective as they may hinge on the subsample type or size used, leading to inefficient investment decisions. Our method based in copula is novel in this research topic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 923-938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Nikolic ◽  
Slobodan Milutinovic ◽  
Pece Nedanovski ◽  
Kornelija Mrnjaus

Purpose The paper aims to deal with the education for sustainable development (ESD) competences of university educators. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of opportunities for the development of ESD competences in higher education (HE) institutions in Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia. In addition, the paper explores the drivers and barriers experienced in this area using a process-oriented approach. Design/methodology/approach For the purpose of collecting data, internet and desktop research was carried out, which was then followed by interviews with key respondents and experts in HE. The interviews were carried out face-to-face or via telephone. In addition, information collected from the interviews was compared with both data found in the literature and official documents. Findings The comparative analysis indicated how specific institutional and cultural contexts affect the development of ESD competences in HE in the region. There were differences but also common opportunities for developing the ESD competences of university educators in the countries analysed. For each country, the drivers and barriers, as well as their relevance, were manifested differently and specific key constructs were identified to explain the implementation process for developing ESD competences of university educators. Practical implications This paper tried to respond to this diversity of perspectives, contexts and initiatives and attempted to extract the benefits of different approaches to the ESD professional development of university educators in Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia. It is hoped that this paper will provide valuable insights into the development of ESD in HE and support the development of ESD competences in the region. Originality/value This is one of the first papers that provide a comparative analysis of the ESD professional development of university educators in Balkan countries. The value of the paper lies in its potential to help us to understand the role that different drivers and barriers play in different patterns of implementation for developing the ESD competences of university educators.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 514-526
Author(s):  
Abdel Karim Halabi ◽  
Mohammad Salahuddin Chowdhury

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine professional accountant’s views on their satisfaction with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) offered by members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB). While there is a great deal of research on CPD and accountants in developed countries, less developing countries are absent from this literature, and there have been calls for this type of research. Design/methodology/approach The present study employed a survey of members of the ICAB. Findings Results show that accountants in Bangladesh are satisfied with the CPD provided by their profession, and when satisfaction is compared with more developed countries, Bangladesh is greater on a number of measures. ICAB members would like to also be provided with opportunities to undertake CPD in more ways than just face to face. Practical implications The study has important implications not only for accountants from emerging economies such as Bangladesh, but also for the International Federation of Accountants and other less developed countries (LDCs). The results advance the understanding of professional accounting bodies from an international perspective. Originality/value This is the first study of CPD and accounting professionals in LDCs. The information obtained can inform the development and practice of other professional accounting bodies in emerging economies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 10-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Kotter

Purpose – This internationally recognized innovation expert asserts that today's organizations need a powerful new operating system to address the challenges posed by mounting complexity and rapid change. Design/methodology/approach – As a consultant to companies seeking to re-invigorate the innovation process, the author can describe how they have implemented the dual operating system – a network and a hierarchy – that he advocates. Findings – When organizations are dangerously slow to adapt to competitive threats and to pursue promising innovations, the solution to, which has been adopted successfully by many organizations, is to add a second operating system that is organized as a network that can create agility and speed. Practical implications – The author explains how all successful organizations operate with a dual system more or less during the most dynamic growth period in their life cycle, so a dual operating system will be somewhat familiar to veteran leaders. Originality/value – The organization's top management plays a crucial role in starting and maintaining the network and managing its communications with the hierarchy. For senior practitioners, the author describes the five basic principles of a well-functioning dual operating system.


Author(s):  
Tino Woschke ◽  
Heiko Haase ◽  
Arndt Lautenschläger

Purpose – This study deals with waste in New Product Development (NPD) processes of SMEs. The purpose of this paper is to reveal opportunities for SMEs to overcome resource constraints in their NPD process. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employed qualitative key informant interviews. This design was chosen because research in this field is still limited. The authors performed 49 interviews in engineering-oriented German SMEs to examine the dimension of waste in NPD processes. The data were collected by conducting semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Findings – The study highlights substantial waste types such as waiting times, rework and duplication of work. In contrast to contemporary literature, waste of material is considered to be relevant in particular for NPD processes of SMEs. In addition to that, the authors found that waste drivers differ to a great extent between the study and the hitherto literature on larger companies. Research limitations/implications – The overall outcome of this study can help organisations to address waste in NPD more thoroughly. The research presented was not specifically designed to draw statistical generalisations. For this reason, the results may not be applicable to all SMEs. Practical implications – Based on waiting times as the major waste type in NPD processes of SMEs, the authors claim that firms should pay special attention to disruptions of these processes. Originality/value – The paper gives insights into current waste types in the NPD processes of SMEs. Moreover, it uncovers the NPD activities which can lead to waste.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzan Burton ◽  
Paul Nesbit

Purpose – This study aims to show how diary-style voice recordings can be used to provide social marketers with greater insights into the influences on behaviour than those obtained from interviews. Diary data have the potential to provide deeper insight into the causes of behaviour than can be obtained from retrospective interviews or surveys. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 31 smokers and attempting quitters exploring their attributions for smoking and cigarette purchase, using both face-to face interviews and event-contingent voice recordings over a four-day period, with participants asked to make a recording whenever they were tempted to smoke or buy cigarettes. Findings – Voice recordings provided additional insights into the influences on smoking and cigarette purchase compared to face-to-face interviews. In particular, voice recordings appeared to provide insight into prompts for purchase and smoking that were not recalled during interviews, and, for some respondents, gave them greater control over unwanted behaviour. Research limitations/implications – The study relies on participants’ self-reports, and individuals may be unaware of some of the influences on their behaviour. Practical implications – The study shows that voice-recordings offer a novel method of obtaining insight into subtle influences on consumer behaviour that are insufficiently salient to be recalled in retrospective interviews. Originality/value – The study shows the value of voice recordings for providing near-real-time insights into triggers for different behaviours, and offers potential for extending the method into other areas of social marketing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 121 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 241-250
Author(s):  
Jonan Phillip Donaldson

Purpose Emergency transitions from face-to-face learning environments to digitally mediated learning require robust support networks, particularly in the form of communities of practice. Digitally enhanced communities of practice (DECoP) can be created and sustained when research-based design principles are used. The purpose of this paper is to present a set of evidence-based design principles for purposeful creation of digitally enhanced communities of practice. Design/methodology/approach This study used integrative literature review methodology. All literature regarding DECoP was collected, analyzed and synthesized to provide a set of design principles for building DECoPs. Findings The analysis resulted in 26 crucial design principles and 8 desirable design principles. Practical implications The synthesized set of design principles provides a blueprint for designing and facilitating the development of DECoPs. Originality/value This unique synthesis of the DECoP literature provides practitioners with guidance in creating and nurturing a new DECoP.


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