scholarly journals Competitive Strategies in Higher Education: Scale Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-93
Author(s):  
Jane A. Ekeagbara ◽  
Olaleke Oluseye Ogunnaike ◽  
Ayodotun Stephen Ibidunni ◽  
Busola Elizabeth Kehinde
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Scale Development ◽  
Service Differentiation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Managerial Implication ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy

AbstractLeveraging on resource based-view theory, this paper shows strategies adopted in higher education to remain competitive. Using scale development method, 60 questionnaires as survey instrument was distributed and 58 respondents completed and returned. The result of socio-economic demographic variables, factor analysis and validity using the statistical packages for social science. Five dimensions were adopted: cost leadership strategy, service differentiation strategy, cost focus strategy, integration strategy and diversification strategy. The validity and reliability result as well as managerial implication, limitation and future research were discussed.

scholarly journals Empirical Assesment of Service Quality Dimension in Technology–based Universities

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-76
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Danjuma ◽  
Amran Rasli
Keyword(s):  
Applied Sciences ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Environmental Technology ◽  
Managerial Implication ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Management Technology ◽  
Postgraduate Studies ◽  
Technological Universities

This study aims to verify the dimensionality of service quality within the context of Nigerian technological universities. Data for this study was collected from five public federal universities which are technology-oriented in Nigeria based on an adapted service quality questionnaire (ADSERVQUAL) from the original studies by Parasuraman et al. (1985, 1988). Respondents were students drawn from all faculties: engineering, management technology, environmental technology, science education, agricultural technology, pure and applied sciences and postgraduate studies. Factor analysis result gave rise to four dimensions from the 27 items of the ADSERVQUAL questionnaire, instead of the original five dimensions by Parasuraman et al. (1985, 1988). For this study, the four dimensions are named: empathy, tangibles, commitment and reliability. Dimensional analysis shows that students’ expectations were perceived to be higher than their perceptions of service quality, resulting to negative service quality perception. Therefore technological universities in Nigeria should strive towards reversing the negative perception of service quality by students in order to improve attachment. Managerial implication and suggestions for future research were made accordingly. Keywords: Technological Universities; Nigeria; attachment Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengesahkan dimensi kualiti perkhidmatan dalam konteks universiti yang berasaskan teknologi di Nigeria. Data untuk kajian ini telah diperolehi daripada lima universiti awam yang berasaskan teknologi di Nigeria berdasarkan asal soal selidik kualiti perkhidmatan yang telah diubahsuaikan (ADSERVQUAL) dari kajian asal oleh Parasuraman et al. (1985, 1988). Responden terdiri daripada pelajar yang dipilih dari semua fakulti: kejuruteraan, pengurusan teknologi, teknologi alam sekitar, pendidikan, sains teknologi pertanian, sains tulen dan gunaan dan pengajian siswazah. Faktor analisis telah berjaya menghasilkan empat dimensi daripada 27 item soalselidik ADSERVQUAL, bukan lima dimensi asal yang diperolehi oleh Parasuraman et al. (1985,1988). Untuk kajian ini, empat dimensi ini dinamakan: empati, tangibel, komitmen dan kebolehpercayaan. Analisis dimensi menunjukkan bahawa jangkaan pelajar dilihat lebih tinggi daripada persepsi mereka terhadap kualiti perkhidmatan, menyebabkan persepsi kualiti perkhidmatan yang negatif. Oleh itu, universiti yang berasaskan teknologi di Nigeria seharusnyaberusaha untuk menukar persepsi negatif oleh pelajar mereka untuk meningkatkan tahap kesetiaan. Implikasi pengurusann dan cadangan untuk kajian lanjutan diberikan. Kata kunci: Universiti Berasaskan Teknologi; Nigeria; kesetiaan

scholarly journals Generic competitive strategies on organizational performance in Nepalese Commercial Banks

Pravaha ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-94
Author(s):  
Jitendra Pd. Upadhyay ◽  
Pitri Raj Adhikari
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Multiple Regression Model ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This paper attempts to examine the impact of generic competitive strategy on organizational performance in Nepalese commercial banks. It has employed descriptive and causal comparative research design to estimate the relationship between dependent variable (organizational performance) with independent variables (differentiation strategy, cost leadership strategy, focus strategy, organization’s core competency and bank size). Data has been collected from 384respondents by using structured questionnaire. The multiple regression model has been used to test the relationship. It is found that organizational performance of banks is influenced by cost leadership, differentiation, focus, organization ‘score competency and bank size.

scholarly journals Profiting from Green Innovation: The Moderating Effect of Competitive Strategy

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiawen Chen ◽  
Linlin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Strategy ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Green Innovation ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
Green Product Innovation ◽  
Green Process Innovation ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

Despite the importance of green innovation, empirical evidence on its relationship with firm performance is mixed. This study endeavors to address this inconsistency in the evidence by investigating the value-capturing role of competitive strategy. It argues that firms tend to choose appropriate a competitive strategy to maximize performance of green innovation, especially in highly competitive contexts. We collected data from 195 firms in China. Our results suggest that the performance implications of green innovation (including green product innovation and green process innovation) are moderated by competitive strategies (including differentiation strategy and cost-leadership strategy), and these moderating effects are more prominent when competitive intensity is high. The findings of this study enrich theoretical understanding both of green innovation and of competitive strategy and have practical implications for green innovation management.

scholarly journals Adoption of Brain-Based Instruction by Higher Education Science and Engineering Departments in Ethiopia: A Quantitative and Qualitative Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ataklti Abraha ◽  
Luo Siming
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Computational Sciences ◽  
Based Instruction

Brain-Based Instruction methods have become influential at almost all educational levels. This paper examined the extent to which Natural and Computational Sciences and Engineering instructors in Ethiopian Higher Education Institutions apply Brain-Based Instruction principles (i.e., relaxed alertness, orchestrated immersion, and active processing) in their learningteaching process. This paper used a descriptive survey research design with a concurrent mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methodology. A questionnaire was used to gather quantitative data from a random sample of 512 instructors (292 from Natural and Computational Sciences and 220 from Engineering). Qualitative data were gathered from six selected instructors (three from Natural and Computational Sciences and three from Engineering) via a semistructured interview. A pilot study was used to confirm the validity and reliability of the research instruments. Quantitative data were analyzed by standard univariate methods. Qualitative data were analyzed by thematic analysis. The findings depicted that limited implementation of Brain-Based Instruction principles. Furthermore, the study showed that Higher Diploma Program training and length of teaching experience positively influenced the use of Brain-Based Instruction principles. The paper discusses implications for Brain-Based Instruction in Ethiopia and suggests areas for future research.

scholarly journals Competitive Strategy Analysis from Entrepreneurship Stories

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Şeyma Gün Eroğlu ◽  
Ayşe İrmiş
Keyword(s):  
Production Process ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Strategy Analysis ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Focus Strategy ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

Organizations apply two basic competitive strategies in general. These are the cost leadership strategy and the differentiation strategy. The application of any of the mentioned strategies by focusing on a smaller field in the market is called a focus strategy. Companies gain value in the eyes of customer with the strategy they choose. The aim of this study is to analyze the competitive strategies applied by the enterprises and the results of these strategies. A semi-configured interview on the entrepreneurs of two firms which open to a wider market from local market in Denizli with their own brands, was conducted. The first enterprise, which has been maintaining its existence for 80 years and has many branches in the different provinces, is a firm producing sugar and sugar products (Firm A). The second, which has been maintaining its existence for 84 years and has branches in close neighbor cities and provinces, is a firm producing soft drinks (Firm B). The common feature of both firms is that they keep their local characteristics and take their competitive power from the local people. In the research, the competitive strategies of entrepreneurs have been defined and analyzed by benefiting from the entrepreneurship stories that have been brought up to the present day. It was concluded that firm A applied differentiation strategy in the product, production process, and market, while firm B differentiated in the production process without any differentiation in the product and used the focus strategy in the market.

Students’ readiness for blended learning in a leading Malaysian private higher education institution

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donnie Adams ◽  
Mabel Hwee Joo Tan ◽  
Bambang Sumintono
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Field Of Study ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Teaching and learning are being transformed by digital technology, where the present generation of students, termed millennials, are more adept with the increasingly digitalised world we live in. Following this, lecturers and institutions are adapting and adopting a blended learning model across disciplines, which now commands an entire domain of research and application. However, questions remain about how ready students are for a blended learning model of instruction. The purpose of this study is to investigate students’ readiness for blended learning in a leading Malaysian private higher education institution. Design/methodology/approach This study used a non-experimental quantitative research design. Data were gathered from a sample of 274 pre-university and undergraduate students using the blended learning readiness engagement questionnaire. Data was analysed using WINSTEPS Rasch model measurement software to determine the validity and reliability of the instrument. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) scores, (logit) value of the item and (logit) value of a person was used to examine students’ readiness for a blended learning model of instruction and specifically assess their readiness based on gender, age, ethnicity and field of study. Findings Findings indicate that students were ready for blended learning. Further analysis indicated there were differences in students’ readiness for blended learning based on gender, age, ethnicity and field of study. Originality/value This study provides insight into students’ readiness towards blended learning in a leading Malaysian private higher education institution, discusses implications for blended learning practices and offers recommendations for future research.

International competitive strategies, organizational learning and export performance: a match and mis-match conceptualization

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry F.L. Chung ◽  
Mia Hsiao-Wen Ho
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Market Share ◽  
Export Performance ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Performance ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of international competitive strategies, i.e. cost leadership and differentiation, on export (market share and strategic) performance. This study further explores the roles of exploitative and exploratory organizational learning in the relationships between international competitive strategies and export performances. To fill research gaps, this study intends to provide guidance on how varied exploitative/exploratory organizational learning and cost leadership/differentiation strategy combinations would affect export performance. The outcomes of this study provide a new match and mis-match conceptualization to extant international competitive strategy and organizational learning literature. Design/methodology/approach This study selected New Zealand (NZ) exporting as the research setting because exporting plays such a vital role in NZ’s economy and NZ exporting firms have long been highly competitive in international markets (e.g. meat and dairy exporters), with the primary data collected through surveys conducted in 2010 and 2013. This study adopted a three-year lagged performance approach. Findings Cost leadership strategy has a positive effect on market share performance. This effect is enhanced by exploitative learning but dampened by exploratory learning. Cost leadership also has a positive effect on strategic performance, which is not affected by exploitative and exploratory learning. Differentiation strategy bears no relation to market share and strategic performance, even allowing for exploitative and exploratory learning. Collectively, the contingent role of organizational learning in the international competitive strategies and export performance framework is far more comprehensive than was expected. Research limitations/implications This study reveals that a match between cost leadership strategy and exploitative learning may result in a superior market share. The configuration of differentiation strategy and exploitative learning and the integration of cost leadership strategy and exploratory learning are suggested as mis-matches, as these combinations would not lead to any significant and positive market share and strategic performance. Unexpectedly, the co-alliance of differentiation strategy and explorative learning is not suggested as a match, as it does not result in a superior market share and strategic performance. This latter outcome suggests that the differentiation strategy-export performance link may be stimulated by other moderating factors (e.g. business managerial ties). Practical implications While choosing an appropriate international competitive strategy, managers may use cost leadership over differentiation strategy to achieve successful export performance in both the market share and strategic perspectives. Export managers focusing on cost leadership strategy may further implement exploitative learning instead of explorative learning, when market share is vital. Meanwhile, they may note that explorative learning may not have a moderating effect on enhancing strategic performance through cost leadership. These points signify that exploitation of existing knowledge may be more effective than exploration of new knowledge for market share expansion when cost leadership strategy is devoted to exporting activities. Differentiation strategy, however, does not influence market share and strategic performance in exporting, even with an alignment of exploitative/exploratory learning. Managers are urged to pay attention to the mis-match of differentiation strategy and organizational learning when market share and strategic performance are the priorities in export performance evaluation. Originality/value This study contributes to the organizational learning literature by providing a new match and mis-match conceptualization relating to international competitive strategy and export performance. The new framework provides directions on when firms should use organizational learning to enhance their competitive strategies (a match scenario) and when they should not use it (a mis-match scenario). This study broadens the existing research that has mainly focused on alignment combinations such as organizational learning-internationalization strategy and organizational learning-social network.

Subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism: a scale development

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 659-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Fernanda Wagstaff ◽  
Adrienne Collela ◽  
María del Carmen Triana ◽  
Alexis Nicole Smith ◽  
Marla Baskerville Watkins
Keyword(s):  
Scale Development ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
The Usa ◽  
And Control

Purpose – Drawing from social dominance theories and conceptualizations of paternalism, the purpose of this paper is to define and develop a measure of subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism (SPSP). Design/methodology/approach – The authors assess the validity of the measure using Hinkin’s (1998) scale development steps. Findings – The authors found evidence of the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure of subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism drawing from three different samples. Participants in the study were also able to differentiate a low from a high paternalism condition using the measure of paternalism. Finally, as expected, the interaction between a supervisor’s benevolence and control was significantly associated with subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism. Research limitations/implications – The authors provide evidence for the validity of a measure of subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism while controlling for various status signals represented by demographic variables. Results may have been influenced by common method variance. However, there is no theoretical reason to expect any such interactions. Additionally, as the authors limited the data collection to the USA, the authors caution against generalizing beyond that context. Practical implications – The authors provide validity and reliability evidence for a unidimensional measure that is short and easy to administer in future research to further examine the consequences of perceptions of supervisor paternalism. Social implications – Defining and measuring subordinates’ perceptions of supervisor paternalism is important to society given the potential adverse consequences of these perceptions. Because paternalistic relationships pervade many supervisor-subordinate interactions, both subordinates and supervisors can become more sensitive to the consequences of such interactions by understanding the conditions under which supervisor paternalism manifests itself. Originality/value – Conceptually, in this study, the authors build on prior research and define supervisor paternalism from a social dominance perspective. Empirically, the authors contribute a statistically valid and reliable unidimensional measure.

Survival of construction SMEs in macroeconomic crises

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 654-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serdar Ulubeyli ◽  
Aynur Kazaz ◽  
Selim Sahin
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cost Leadership ◽  
Differentiation Strategy ◽  
Leadership Strategy ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Focus Strategies ◽  
Cost Leadership Strategy

PurposeThis paper aims to present the effect of innovation on implementing competitive strategies (CSs) and to find their relationships on the survival of construction-related small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in macroeconomic crises.Design/methodology/approachData were compiled from construction SMEs in Turkey. The research used structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships between innovation, CSs and firm survival (FS).FindingsInnovative construction SMEs may implement differentiation and focus strategies and survive without CSs, whereas innovation may be obtained through cost leadership strategy. Also, differentiation and focus strategies may play a role to survive. However, the cost leadership strategy may be implemented after survival. Finally, differentiation strategy may be triggered by innovation and focus strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe model may be applied on other construction organizations. Future studies may also examine the difference in findings concerning other industries and regions. Moreover, different factors may be added to the model. However, a larger group of samples could cause different results.Practical implicationsThis study may be a roadmap for practitioners to plan their firms’ strategies, considering innovation, CSs and FS. In this context, they may pay attention to innovative production processes to survive.Social implicationsSurvived SMEs may sustain their works through the prevention of crisis-based unemployment. Hence, this benefit may bring a wealthier society.Originality/valueThis research is first to propose a model connecting innovation and CSs for SMEs’ survival in macroeconomic crises. This is convenient for rivalry of SMEs planning to be long-lasting enterprises.

scholarly journals Absorptive Capacity: Scale Development and Implications for Future Research

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Chauvet
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Scale Development ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Recent Criticism ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Multidimensional Construct

In response to recent criticism concerning Absorptive CAPacity (ACAP) research we developed a new measure of this concept. Unlike past empirical studies that used proxies, this work tries to take advantage of past research in considering ACAP as a multilevel and multidimensional construct. This article, based on a large literature review, tries to fill this gap in developing and testing a scale of ACAP, composed of four factors and 18 items, that meets main validity and reliability criteria. We believe this research contributes to develop our understanding concerning ACAP and hope it facilitates the emergence of a new approach of the concept.

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