What do we know about capabilities and early internationalization? A review and synthesis

Purpose The purpose of this study is to organize and assess knowledge on the capabilities pertinent to the early internationalization of born globals (BGs) and international new ventures (INVs). Design/methodology/approach A systematic approach is used to search, code, organize and synthesize 155 peer-reviewed journal articles on capabilities and early internationalization. Findings The study delimits eight operational and five dynamic capabilities. The synthesis links capabilities to three antecedents (i.e. firm specific factors, managerial socio cognitive attributes and market factors) and three outcomes (i.e. precocity, survival and performance). While 7 of the 12 linkages identified are well-established, relationships involving market factors, survival and dynamic capabilities are sparsely researched. Research limitations/implications The authors know more about the effects of firm specific factors and managerial socio cognitive attributes on operational and dynamic capabilities than we do the influence of market factors on either group of capabilities. Likewise, the authors know more about the influence of operational and dynamic capabilities on performance than we do their impact on precocity or survival. Practical implications As the pandemic has shown, businesses with adaptable capabilities (e.g. shifting from a brick and mortar to an online/omnichannel approach or micro-breweries competent to switch from manufacturing beer to hand sanitizer) have increased their chance of survival while helping society cope. Originality/value This to the authors’ knowledge is the first study to provide a comprehensive review of literature on the nebulous concept of capabilities, in the context of the burgeoning research stream on early internationalization.

Acceptance of in-store apps: factors that influence the intention to adopt location-based retail apps – insights from Germany

PurposeDue to recent developments of indoor location-tracking technologies, brick-and-mortar retailers are now able to add location-based marketing capabilities to their existing retail apps, providing retailers with new opportunities to interact with customers inside of their stores. The aim of this study is to identify factors influencing the customers' adoption intention of location-based retail apps for stationary retailing.Design/methodology/approachBased on the technology acceptance model, a conceptual model was developed. A Web-based survey was conducted in Germany with a final sample of 501 cases. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results confirmed the positive relationship between attitude and the customers' intention to use location-based retail apps. Perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment promote a positive attitude toward location-based retail apps, while privacy concerns and fear of spam hinder the formation of a favorable attitude. Subjective norms have a positive effect on customers' usage intention.Practical implicationsThe results help retailers who want to establish location-based retail apps at the point of sale (e.g. in the context of omni-channel strategies).Originality/valueAs previous research about location-based apps has mainly used empirical data from either Chinese or American samples, less is known about the perception of European customers. Research indicates that existing findings might not be transferable to European countries due to differences in values, social norms or regulations. Also, the failure of Shopkick in Germany illustrates the need for more research. Based on this, using a German sample to answer the research question, this study aims to provide a European perspective on location-based retail apps, and thereby extend existing research.

Online Pilot Grocery Intervention among Rural and Urban Residents Aimed to Improve Purchasing Habits

Online grocery shopping has the potential to improve access to food, particularly among low-income households located in urban food deserts and rural communities. The primary aim of this pilot intervention was to test whether a three-armed online grocery trial improved fruit and vegetable (F&V) purchases. Rural and urban adults across seven counties in Kentucky, Maryland, and North Carolina were recruited to participate in an 8-week intervention in fall 2021. A total of 184 adults were enrolled into the following groups: (1) brick-and-mortar “BM” (control participants only received reminders to submit weekly grocery shopping receipts); (2) online-only with no support “O” (participants received weekly reminders to grocery shop online and to submit itemized receipts); and (3) online shopping with intervention nudges “O+I” (participants received nudges three times per week to grocery shop online, meal ideas, recipes, Facebook group support, and weekly reminders to shop online and to submit itemized receipts). On average, reported food spending on F/V by the O+I participants was USD 6.84 more compared to the BM arm. Online shopping with behavioral nudges and nutrition information shows great promise for helping customers in diverse locations to navigate the increasing presence of online grocery shopping platforms and to improve F&V purchases.

Sustaining India's Gig Economy in Industry 4.0

Today's corporate landscape is undergoing a transformation process, and India is not untouched by these phases of transition as humans are replaced by computers and brick-and-mortar firms are substituted by e-commerce companies. In the midst of these shifts, issues such as labour dynamics have changed dramatically. One such consequence is the Gig Economy. With the gradual improvement in the labour market and the focus of government on localisation, it remains important to analyse the widespread influence of growing gig culture in making India a self-reliant economy. This chapter of the book therefore seeks to review the different components of the gig economy along with the advantages and disadvantages and how gig can contribute towards a localised and self-reliant Indian economy. The chapter also evaluates the regulatory framework of the gig economy in India. The chapter also proposes a conceptual model incorporating various pillars that could serve as an analytical framework for the rapidly increasing number of concepts and policy proposals.

Web-Based Learning for Adolescents

This chapter assesses the innovations and challenges of web-based learning for adolescents. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was used to establish the determinants for the challenges and innovations of web-based learning for adolescents. Challenges coined include virtual engagement, adaptability, motivation, technical issues, time management, learning styles, destructions, communication skills, and the digital divide. Web-based learning is an emerging and innovative approach to teaching and learning that meets the evolving needs of adolescent learning. Adolescents should embrace the transformation from traditional brick-and-mortar classroom practices to a web-based environment. Stakeholders must continuously overcome the challenges of web-based learning. Future research can concentrate on developing well-defined web-based course content that supports the holistic learning needs of adolescents and the development of a web-based learning model for adolescents.

Digital Transformation

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the digitization of traditional businesses. In the retail sector, e-commerce played a fundamental role and promoted major changes in the consumer pattern. This evolution and its impact can be studied through the digital transformation lens, which is a multidisciplinary and holistic concept that encompasses a new strategy and new ways of strategizing. The present study aims to describe the digital transformation strategy implementation path at a Brazilian pre-digital retail company and discusses the role the COVID-19 pandemic had played. Moreover, the case highlights important strategic issues and provides the opportunity to analyze whether it is a strategic process or a strategic practice. Thus, it can enlighten which theory best supports DTS studies. This study also increases the understanding of the strategic configuration of digital transformation embracing context, process, and outcomes. And it also sheds light on the dilemma between brick-and-mortar stores and digital ones.

Strategic Provision of Trade Credit in a Dual-Channel Supply Chain

This study focuses on a a dual-channel supply chain that consists of a capital-constrained brick-and-mortar retailer and a manufacturer, where a manufacturer can simultaneously sell products through a traditional retail channel and a direct online channel. Supplementary pricing strategy and competitive pricing strategy are simulated in our model, and we find that the former one is the better choice for the manufacturer when the retailer suffers capital constraints. In our analysis, the capital constraint on retailer could mitigate the price competition between two channels, and it may be beneficial to the manufacturer under certain conditions. Our findings show that the manufacturer should strategically provide trade credit to retailers rather than unconditionally provide it. We present two trade-credit strategies (trade credit with positive interest rate and trade credit with zero interest rate) and suggest that the manufacturer should choose an appropriate trade-credit strategy according to the initial capital of the retailer. To guide the manufacturer when and how to provide trade credit, we conduct several numerical simulations based on our results and further plot out a graph to direct the manufacturer to an appropriate strategy of trade credit.