Innovation and Patenting within Containerized Liner Shipping

Increasingly, in many industries, companies commercialize their technology and innovations through patenting to gain an edge over competition. Within the maritime sector, while literature on innovation is expanding, issues related to the importance of intangible assets, such as patenting, for the participant firms of the industry remain unaddressed. Utilizing innovational frameworks and patent data withdrawn from European Patent Organization’s (EPO’s) database, the aim of this paper is to investigate the innovative level, in terms of patents granted, of incumbent market actors in liner shipping. Apart from patent counts, this exercise sheds light on the areas to which these patents apply, providing a classification while also investigating additional attributes which relate to patent citations, investors and applicants. Although results indicate a varying degree of utilization of the patenting system amongst liner carriers, they nonetheless affirm to some extent that knowledge creation is a valuable tool in the arsenal of some liner carriers, and that patenting is one of the various means utilized to enhance their market position and achieve a sustained competitive advantage. In addition, findings suggest that liner carriers’ innovative efforts have, based on the forward citations received, some significance, while they focus primarily the development of patented technologies which enhance the operational efficiency of their vessels. In this respect, the investigation undertaken sheds some light and provides a novel perspective on understanding the behaviour and innovative propensity of liner shipping companies.

The Adoption of e-HRM: A View of a Telecommunications Company in Zimbabwe

The 21st-century has witnessed the catalytic effect of Information Technology (IT) on organisational operations through increased robustness and sustained competitive advantage in the knowledge economy. Technology’s disruptive diffusion has not sparred the human resource practice; thus, this study investigates the adoption of electronic Human Resources Management (e-HRM) by a telecommunications-based organisation in Zimbabwe. The study utilised a quantitative case design using a questionnaire targeting 130 managers and supervisors. In meeting the study’s objective, factor analysis using principal component analysis and varimax rotation was conducted. The results show that the three constructs had a direct impact on the adoption of e-HRM. The respondents agreed that e-HRM had automated employee records management and improved communication between employees and managers, increasing productivity. Identified benefits from the results include lowering administrative costs, delivering state of the art HRM services, enabling HR staff more time to focus on strategic reorientation, increasing HRM effectiveness and efficiency, and facilitating the scouting of the best talent globally. The respondents noted that aligning e-HRM processes to the HRM function had some restraints, such as unwillingness to accommodate change, confidentiality and security of personal records through hacking. The study generates new knowledge for benchmarking as Zimbabwean organisations endeavour to embrace e-HRM. The study contributes literature on e-HRM adoption, which appears scant in developing countries such as Zimbabwe. More research on e-HRM adoption in developing countries provides practical and theoretical implications for the HRM practice and the research community. Future studies could involve several organisations for more generalisability of the results.

EXPRESS: The Logic of Strategic Entrepreneurship

In this essay I attempt to clarify the construct of strategic entrepreneurship from a new angle. By comparing the ideal-type theory of strategy without entrepreneurship with the ideal-type theory of entrepreneurship without strategy, I shed light on what it means to combine the logics of entrepreneurship and strategy and illustrate the value of their complementarity. Entrepreneurship is blind without strategy and strategy is paralyzed without entrepreneurship. I further argue that many proponents of strategic entrepreneurship and action-based theories of strategy have prematurely given up on the idea of sustained competitive advantage. Disequilibrium and uncertainty do not automatically mean that no predictable and stable patterns can be relied upon for sustained competitive advantage.

Innovation in Indian Pharmaceutical Industry: Impact of Changing Regulatory Regime

Background: The Pharmaceutical industry has always been fostered with a culture of radical innovation. Nevertheless, the significance of radical innovation is yet unrealized by the Indian pharmaceutical firms. Introduction: The Indian pharma companies often seek immediate profit avenues rather than investing in radical innovation. They lead by imitation than innovation. This has been majorly due to the lax intellectual property laws in the country. Objectives: This paper ruminates on the significance of a stringent intellectual property regime and its impact on profitability and innovation. Result: The findings of the study indicate that increased R&D intensity enhances innovation. Furthermore, this relationship is bolstered in the presence of a stringent intellectual property regime. The findings also indicate that enhanced innovation activity increases the profitability of the firms. Conclusion: Innovation activity is enhanced in presence of a stricter intellectual property regime, and this indeed has a positive impact on the firm profitability as well. Hence, as the results of the study indicate, the pharmaceutical firms in India should be encouraged to invest in research and development, especially considering the stricter patent laws. It will help firms bolster their profitability and have a sustained competitive advantage in the industry.

Talent management related concepts and debates in container shipping industry by an emerging market perspective

Talent management (TM) is referred as a young and developing field and it is claimed to be require more contribution from the different industry and country perspectives. Because of the highly dynamic and competitive nature of the container shipping industry, possession of valuable and unique human capital assets is evaluated as a substantial necessity to achieve business objectives and sustained competitive advantage by container shipping companies. Accordingly, TM is considered to be an essential factor contributing the accomplishment of these goals and the successful implementation of corporate strategy. Therefore, this study aims to contribute the development of TM field by investigating and evaluating TM related concepts and debates in Turkish container shipping industry. Through this extent, a combined method of content analysis with in-depth interview, has been organized to analyse TM oriented subjects in container shipping industry.

Sustained Competitive Advantage Based on Industry-Specific Institutional Frameworks

This study investigates the relationships between industry-specific institutions, industry structure, and industry performance. The Norwegian Pelagic value chain’s harvesting industry and its processing industry comprised the empirical context. The study findings reveal that the harvesters (the fishers), on average, achieved nearly twice the return on assets relative to the processors. Furthermore, the fishers’ cash flow margin was, on average, more than eight times higher, and their annual growth rate was approximately 70% above the corresponding figures of the processing industry. This study argues that the two industries’ performance differences are related to the variations in their institutional setups. The processing industry is subject to the general Norwegian business environment, whereas the fish harvesting industry benefits from a sector-specific framework that supports its relative competitiveness. The fishers have collectively established a legally supported sales organization, thereby strengthening their bargaining power, vis-à-vis the processors (buyers). The fishers’ rivalry is curbed by catch share regulations, and incumbent fishers are protected from intruders through entry barriers, for example, license requirements. Moreover, the processing industry’s potential threat to vertically integrate upstream into the fish harvesting industry is blocked through legislation. Finally, in contrast to the processing industry, the fish input cost is free for the harvesting industry. This study concludes that the fish harvesting industry has gained a sustained competitive advantage over the processing industry, based on a more supportive industry-specific institutional framework.

InterGlobe Aviation Ltd.: need for strategy

Learning outcomes Discussion of the case will enable the students to: ● use “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats” analysis. ● Use “pros and cons” analysis. ● Explain what constitutes an effective strategy. ● Analyze the quality of the strategy for IndiGo Airlines (IA). ● Explain sustained competitive advantage through value, rareness, imitability and organization framework. Case overview/synopsis This case describes a situation in which InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. (IGAL) has been experiencing multiple engine snags because of the faulty Pratt and Whitney engines. In a span of two years between June 2018 and January 2020, IGAL faced around 22 snags. IGAL is known to be one of the safest airlines in the world, the engine issue has tainted its reputation. In October 2019, in just one week IA faced four-engine snags, forcing the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to come out with a guideline in November 2019. The faulty engines were to be replaced by January 31, 2020. If IA failed to complete the task by the given deadline then IA would have to ground around 70–80 aircraft. IA was way behind the deadline when on January 13, 2020, they received an email from DGCA mentioning an extension of the deadline to May 31, 2020. The purpose of this case is to provide an opportunity for the participants to take into consideration the data given for IA and make assumptions and resolve the dilemma through which Ronojoy Dutta (Dutta), the Chief executive officer if IA is going through. Complexity academic level The case engages the participants in deciding a suitable course of action for IA to develop a strategy and is ideal to teach elements of strategy. The case can be used in the following courses/programs: ● A strategy formulation module in strategic management program or post-graduate program in management. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

On The Origins of The Airframe Revolution

The airframe revolution was the greatest development in aviation history after the Wright brothers, marking the advent of the modern dominant design in aerostructures, namely, the all-metal monoplane, which is still largely in existence. Therefore, the importance of the airframe revolution can hardly be overestimated. Nonetheless, its origin remains poorly understood. The common opinion is that the development of new materials and scientific advancements were the drivers of the transition. However, the historical record tells a different story. This chapter demonstrates that an event of ‘modular exaptation’, namely, the design of the Fokker D.VIII fighter, initiated the revolution in 1918, several years before its recognized inception. This evolutionary interpretation reconciles the gradualist Darwinian vision with the discontinuous character of radical innovation. The Fokker D.VIII case study suggests that detecting technological exaptations ex ante is possible and can provide firms with sustained competitive advantage.