Strategies of European Energy Producers. Directions of Evolution

The article presents an innovative method of analyzing energy companies’ strategies, which aims to identify the strategic orientation of the entities subject to the research and, thus, to initially define the directions of strategic changes in the analyzed sector. The aim of the research, the results of which were used in this publication, was to identify the features of energy sector companies’ strategies in the European Union in the period of sector transformation caused by the new climate policy. The analysis area is the energy sector, i.e., the sector whose fundamental strategic goal is energy production. The research used a critical analysis of the subject literature and desk research method with the use of the researchers’ own analytical equipment, developed for the needs of this analysis. It was assumed in the conducted research that the primary source of information in the empirical study, the information subject to subsequent analysis, was the analysis of official documents (strategies, financial reports, etc.) posted on the websites of the surveyed corporations. The research results indicate the dominance of the resource-based approach in implementing strategic postulates of the surveyed companies. Nevertheless, the operational activity focuses on the implementation of innovative solutions towards decarbonization and climate neutrality.

SWOT-SOR Analysis of Activated Carbon-Based Technologies and O3/UV Process as Polishing Treatments for Hospital Effluent

The management and treatment of hospital wastewater are issues of great concern worldwide. Both in the case of a dedicated treatment or co-treatment with urban wastewater, hospital effluent is generally subjected to pre-treatments followed by a biological step. A polishing treatment is suggested to promote (and guarantee) the removal of micropollutants still present and to reduce the total pollutant load released. Activated carbon-based technologies and advanced oxidation processes have been widely investigated from technical and economic viewpoints and applied in many cases. In this study, the potential exploitation of these technologies for the polishing treatment of hospital effluent is investigated by combining a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis with a Strategic Orientation (SOR) analysis. This approach allows a coherent strategy to be extracted from the SWOT-SOR data, increasing the chances of success of each technology. It emerges that both technologies present relevant and sometimes similar strengths and can present opportunities. At the same time, activated carbon-based technologies are more likely to contain the main identified threats than O3/UV technology. The study also finds that, for both technologies, further research and development could improve their potential applications in the treatment of hospital wastewater.

Uncovering the worth of the past: the relationship between corporate museums' strategic orientation and dual performance

PurposeThe main aim of the study is to empirically investigate the relationship between strategic orientation and a dual conceptualization of performance (i.e. non-economic performance and economic performance) in the research context of corporate museums, which are owned and run by private companies. Furthermore, the study aims to explore the nature of the relationship between the dual performance, shedding light on the relevance of non-economic results for this peculiar category of museums.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on survey data from 105 Italian corporate museums, which represent almost the entire population in the country (91%). A structural model was estimated using SmartPLS software in order to examine the direct and indirect effects of strategic orientation on corporate museums' non-economic and economic performance.FindingsThe findings show that only if corporate museums are able to achieve non-economic performance, creating value for the owning company and the local community, they can also have good results in economic terms. Thus, the non-economic performance acts as a mediator into the relationship between strategic orientation and economic performance.Originality/valueThe current work is a pioneer study for the empirical investigation of performance within corporate museums. The empirical model of the study, based on a dual conceptualization of performance and a mediation analysis, is completely innovative in this research context.

Importance of ICT in Human Resources Management and Evaluation in Terms of Events

Electronic human resources management is the use of information technologies for human resources applications that enable easy interaction between employees and employers. Therefore, through electronic human resources management, information about recruitment, performance management, strategic orientation, and education is provided. Competitive business environments have made institutions and organizations to take into account innovations and superiorities to survive. In this context, one of the biggest obstacles that the human resources department has to overcome is the rapidly changing technological environment. The possibilities of technology for human resources management are infinite. In principle, all human resources processes are supported by technology. One of the areas where communication and information technology can be used effectively is events. This chapter describes how communication and information technology can be used effectively when planning and managing human resources in event organizations.

The Impact of Market Orientation, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and Relationship Orientation on the International Performance of SMEs

The relationship between strategic orientation and SME international performance is empirically inadequate, specifically in a developing country. This study focuses on the effect of three dimensions of strategic orientation, namely market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation, and relationship orientation on the international performance of SMEs applying the theory of resource-based view. The study is quantitative and uses the data collected from 296 managers of SMEs operating an international business in Nigeria. The authors revealed that entrepreneurial orientation, relationship orientation have a positive effect on firm international performance. On the other hand, market orientation has no significant impact on a firm international performance. The authors explain the managerial contribution of study findings and provide future research suggestions.

Tackling organizational innovativeness through strategic orientation: strategic alignment and moderating role of strategic flexibility

PurposeThe purpose of the research was to examine the effect of strategic orientation on organizational innovativeness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, in order to highlight the constructive role of strategic orientation, the study also observes the intervening role of strategic alignment and moderating role of strategic flexibility.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 209 owner/managers of SMEs through self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, correlation and hierarchical regression were used for testing the study hypotheses.FindingsResults revealed that strategic orientation is positively related to SMEs innovativeness. Strategic alignment mediates between the strategic orientation and innovativeness link. Furthermore, the findings also established that the association between strategic orientation and strategic alignment is stronger when SMEs are strategically flexible.Originality/valueOrganizational innovativeness is of vital importance for SMEs strength, especially in the context of developing economies. Although researchers have acknowledged several antecedents of SMEs innovativeness, however, it is still unclear how strategic orientation influences organizational innovativeness. Moreover, the study focuses on another important element of strategic alignment through the integration of goals and strategies to achieve innovativeness.

The Impact of Business Strategic Orientation on Innovation-Driven Mergers and Acquisitions: An Empirical Study

The “innovation-driven” development approach plays a crucial role in transforming and developing current China’s national economy. Many innovation-driven mergers and acquisitions (M&As) emerge in the M&As activities of firms, and the acquiring firm’s business strategy of conducting innovation-driven M&As has drawn significant attention. To study the impact of business strategy on innovation-driven M&As, this paper adopts the probit model to conduct logistic regression analysis on the 223 M&As data samples, exploring which business strategy is inclined to perform innovation-driven M&As. The results show that prospective firms are more likely to conduct innovation-driven M&As. Besides, the firms that conduct prospective business strategies are more likely to have a higher innovation level than firms operating defensive business strategies. The innovation level plays the role of a mediator variable in the model of business strategies influencing innovation-driven M&As. This paper analyzes the innovation-driven motivation from the perspective of business strategy, enriching the research of M&A and offering a method to predict the possibility of innovation-driven M&A by measuring business strategy.

Facilitating Servitization in Manufacturing Firms: The Influence of Strategic Orientation

Servitization has significant implications for the sustainable development of manufacturing, the economy, and the environment. However, it does not always produce returns as the firms expect, which may discourage them from engaging in this transition. In this study, we examine the facilitating effects of two dimensions of strategic orientation (i.e., technology and market orientation) on two types of servitization (i.e., basic and advanced service provision), and further investigate the performance impacts of these servitization types contingent on firm size. By conducting an empirical study, using survey data comprising 210 samples, we confirm that both technology and market orientation are positively related to basic and advanced service provision. Moreover, while they have equal effects on basic services, market orientation is more important than technology orientation for providing advanced services. We also find that, for basic services, these two strategic orientations function independently, whereas they reinforce each other in the provision of advanced services. Finally, the relationship between servitization and firm performance is contingent on the size of the firm. Our results show that small firms can benefit from providing basic services, rather than advanced services, while only advanced services can improve the performance of large firms further.

Think human, act digital: activating data-driven orientation in innovative start-ups

PurposeThe study queries the drivers of innovation management in contemporary data-driven organizations/companies. It is argued that data-driven organizations that integrate a strategic orientation grounded in data, human abilities and proactive management are more effective in triggering innovation.Design/methodology/approachResearch reported in this paper employs constructivist grounded theory, Gioia methodology, and the abductive approach. The data collected through semi-structured interviews administered to 20 Italian start-up founders are then examined.FindingsThe paper identifies the key enablers of innovation development in data-driven companies and reveals that data-driven companies may generate different innovation patterns depending on the kind of capabilities activated.Originality/valueThe study provides evidence of how the combination of data-driven culture, skills' enhancement and the promotion of human resources may boost the emergence of innovation.