scholarly journals Supporting the Sustainability of Natural Fiber-Based Value Chains of SMEs through Digitalization

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 8121
Author(s):  
Aida Kamišalić ◽  
Martina Šestak ◽  
Tina Beranič
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Natural Fiber ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Practical Demonstration

SMEs represent a significant share of business companies in Europe. Their limitations might be overcome by using value chains, resulting in successful development and growth also within traditionally low-digitalized, natural fiber-based domains. Reaching a sustainable competitive advantage for natural fiber-based value chains is possible by boosting the digitalization of the included SMEs. The digitalization level can be improved by properly addressing the detected digitalization issues and challenges. This paper aims at proposing a novel comprehensive approach for assessing the digitalization level of natural fiber-based value chains and the respective SMEs. Using the proposed dimensions, indicators, and corresponding measurement instruments, the digitalization level of a particular SME, as well as of the entire value chain of SMEs can be assessed. The paper additionally depicts a practical demonstration for applying the proposed approach within two case studies. The proposed approach favors low-digitalized SMEs to enter and benefit from the digitalized value chains, as well as provides the benefits and facilitates the growth and sustainability of the existing natural fiber-based value chains.

Sustainable Competitive Advantage from Information Technology

2001 ◽  
pp. 25-39
Author(s):  
David L. Bahn
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Strategy Analysis ◽  
Business Functions ◽  
Support Activity

The strategic benefit of IT (information technology) in supporting business functions is often seen as the basis for competitive advantage that is sustainable. The value chain concept has been a handy tool widely utilized in business strategy analysis to match firm competency in performing business activities with the achievement of sustainable marketplace advantage. When it comes to the assessment of the competitive value of information technology, the value chain concept seems to either categorize IT as a support activity or to overly narrow the scope of IT’s role in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This chapter reviews the concepts of the value chain and sustainable competitive advantage. Short case studies from a number of industries are presented in order to illustrate the limitations of using the value chain to describe information technology’s role in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. These examples demonstrate the subtle and often complex relationship between information technology and competitive advantage.

Sustainable Competitive Advantage from Information Technology

2001 ◽  
pp. 40-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Strategy Analysis ◽  
Business Functions ◽  
Support Activity

The strategic benefit of IT (information technology) in supporting business functions is often seen as the basis for competitive advantage that is sustainable. The value chain concept has been a handy tool widely utilized in business strategy analysis to match firm competency in performing business activities with the achievement of sustainable marketplace advantage. When it comes to the assessment of the competitive value of information technology, the value chain concept seems to either categorize IT as a support activity or to overly narrow the scope of ITs role in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. This chapter reviews the concepts of the value chain and sustainable competitive advantage. Short case studies from a number of industries are presented in order to illustrate the limitations of using the value chain to describe information technologys role in achieving sustainable competitive advantage. These examples demonstrate the subtle and often complex relationship between information technology and competitive advantage.

Culture of excellence

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Andrew Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Pressure ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: A culture of excellence is key to successfully implementing and sustaining entrepreneurial creativity, but stakeholder pressure is key in adopting sustainable practices in order to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Originality: The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Meta-analysis of U.S. intermediated food markets: Measuring what matters

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Blake E. Angelo ◽  
Becca B.R. Jablonski ◽  
Dawn Thilmany
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Food Value ◽  
Study Development

Purpose A body of literature and case studies has developed as part of the reporting, outreach and evaluation of the local and regional food system projects supported by grants and other funders. Yet, there is concern that food value chains are promoted without adequately evaluating the viability of these businesses, or how these markets affect the performance and welfare of key stakeholders: farm vendors and local communities/economies. Design/methodology/approach This paper reviews and summarizes a comprehensive set of U.S.-based case studies focused on food value chains. We conduct a meta-analysis to systematically capture what available case study evidence tells us about: 1) trends in the viability of food value chain businesses; 2) the impact of these businesses on participating farm vendors; and, 3) the associated community economic development outcomes (framed in terms of ‘wealth creation’). Findings In addition to sharing findings from the meta-analysis, we demonstrate how the lack of standardized protocols for case study development is a barrier to learning about metric comparisons, best practices, and what impacts these food value chain businesses may have. We conclude with some recommendations of how the field can move forward to evaluate and share lessons learned using more uniform, project-driven case study development. Originality/value This is the first study to conduct a systematic meta-analysis of U.S. food value chain businesses.

scholarly journals Explaining the competitive advantage generated from Analytics with the knowledge-based view: the example of Logistics and Supply Chain Management

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tino T. Herden
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Data Scientist ◽  
Functional Teams

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to provide a theory-based explanation for the generation of competitive advantage from Analytics and to examine this explanation with evidence from confirmatory case studies. A theoretical argumentation for achieving sustainable competitive advantage from knowledge unfolding in the knowledge-based view forms the foundation for this explanation. Literature about the process of Analytics initiatives, surrounding factors, and conditions, and benefits from Analytics are mapped onto the knowledge-based view to derive propositions. Eight confirmatory case studies of organizations mature in Analytics were collected, focused on Logistics and Supply Chain Management. A theoretical framework explaining the creation of competitive advantage from Analytics is derived and presented with an extensive description and rationale. This highlights various aspects outside of the analytical methods contributing to impactful and successful Analytics initiatives. Thereby, the relevance of a problem focus and iterative solving of the problem, especially with incorporation of user feedback, is justified and compared to other approaches. Regarding expertise, the advantage of cross-functional teams over data scientist centric initiatives is discussed, as well as modes and reasons of incorporating external expertise. Regarding the deployment of Analytics solutions, the importance of consumability, users assuming responsibility of incorporating solutions into their processes, and an innovation promoting culture (as opposed to a data-driven culture) are described and rationalized. Further, this study presents a practical manifestation of the knowledge-based view.

Achieving a Sustainable Competitive Advantage: A Resource-Based View of Sport Sponsorship

1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Amis ◽  
Narayan Pant ◽  
Trevor Slack
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Management ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Sport Sponsorship ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Great Utility ◽  
Management Literature ◽  
International Companies

This study demonstrates that a recent development in the strategic management literature, the resource-based view of the firm, has great utility for furthering our understanding of sport sponsorship. The paper provides a theoretical framework to explain the application of the approach to sponsorship. Illustration and greater insight are then provided through the presentation of two case studies. These are used to identify the salient characteristics of agreements made by two international companies, each of which has been extensively involved in sport sponsorship but with varying degrees of success. The resource-based approach is used to demonstrate that the disparate returns of the companies' sponsorship investments could have been anticipated. As such, as well as providing a conceptual extension to the sponsorship literature, the paper also offers a route for more empirical analyses of potential sponsorship opportunities.

Mergers and acquisitions in the contemporary business markets: The differences and similarities between them, and the significance of the allusion that ‘mergers seldom produce the expected benefits that managers wish for’

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 334-347
Author(s):  
Francis Kwadade-Cudjoe
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Mergers And Acquisitions ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Business Markets ◽  
Ball Game ◽  
Magic Wand ◽  
Processing Line ◽  
Expected Benefits

Mergers and acquisitions have been popular in the time past, where organizations pride themselves by engaging in that venture to develop and promote their businesses to achieve competitive advantage. However, in the modern technological business dispensation, it has been a different ball game all together. This is due to the abandonment of the significance associated with the concept that mergers and acquisitions produce the expected gains that management look for. Currently, the magic wand found for organizations is to integrate backward / forward within the industry’s processing line or value chain for expansion and achievement of competitive advantage. This has been made possible, because organizations in the same market and value chain could easily integrate backward / forward to expand their businesses for success, as being practiced by the Japanese and most American companies in the vehicular and computer industries, respectively. Furthermore, the previous belief in the myth that mergers and acquisitions produce the expected results that managers look for, is now vilified. It therefore, behooves on organizations to integrate backward / forward within their market / supply chain for expansion, and consequently work hard to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Enterprise Cultural Heritage

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satu Aaltonen ◽  
Aleksej Heinze ◽  
Giuseppe Ielpa ◽  
Dorella De Tommaso
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
International Companies

Remaining in business and growing is a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food sector. The focus of this paper is the internal innovation avenue for SMEs that have been trading for decades and have developed the asset of enterprise cultural heritage (ECH). The authors examine ECH as a source of sustainable competitive advantage, using the value, rarity, imitability and organization (VRIO) framework and evaluating the practical potential of ECH to create sustainable competitive advantage through case studies of two international companies. The authors argue that companies that are only partially able to fulfil each of the VRIO criteria can still claim sustainable competitive advantage, as demonstrated by the case studies. Moreover, it is suggested that ECH is one of the key areas for innovation from within a firm and should be used in developing sustainable competitive advantage.

scholarly journals Framing smallholder inclusion in global value chains – case studies from India and West Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 239-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Franz ◽  
M. Felix ◽  
A. Trebbin
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Value Chains ◽  
Smallholder Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Produce ◽  
Development Agencies ◽  
Untapped Resource ◽  
Do So

Abstract. A resurrected interest in agriculture has brought in its wake growing interest in smallholders in the global South by scholars, companies, governments and development agencies alike. While non-governmental organisations and development agencies see the potential to reduce poverty, companies look upon smallholder agriculture as a widely untapped resource for the sourcing of crops and as a sales market for agricultural inputs. While the important role of large corporate buyers of agricultural produce as lead firms in value chains is often discussed and emphasised, the power of providers of technology and agricultural inputs is being rather neglected. In this paper, we analyse two case studies of technology and input providers in agricultural value chains and their role in smallholder inclusion with the aim of finding out how such companies impact the governance of the value chains. To do so we combine insights from the value chain literature with the concept of framing/overflowing.

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