Japanese Amusement Arcades in the Retro Video Game Segment: A Case of Survival Strategy

Amusement arcades called Game-centers have tried to find ways of surviving in Japan. Independent game-centers with limited financial capacities have mostly struggled to find the best possible way to survive (Livedoor, 2015; Thutmosev, 2015; Nomu, 2016; SPEEDA, 2017; Chiba, 2018; Kamohara, 2019). For them, a niche strategy may be the best possible strategic direction to survive (Thutmosev, 2015; Sankei, 2016; Hirakawa, 2019; Kamohara2, 2019). This paper will focus on game-centers’ strategies in the retro video game niche to develop a general model of game-centers’ survival strategies. We will then refine the model through interviews with senior-level employees of Japan’s most successful retro game-center.

Profiling Visitors to Romanian Ecotourism Destinations

Visitors’ increasing interest in nature-based and cultural tourism, especially in the context of ecotourism destinations, has generated a heated debate in tourism literature. Some authors consider that ecotourism should be approached through a niche strategy rather than through mass marketing. Therefore, identifying the main characteristics of visitors to ecotourism destinations is very important in setting management and marketing strategies adapted to their specific needs. The present paper aims to identify the profile of visitors to Romanian ecotourism destinations, considering the ecotourism potential of this country and the scarcity of empirical studies on these types of destinations. To reach this aim, a survey was conducted in four Romanian ecotourism destinations. By computing the data collected from a sample of 1157 visitors, four visitor segments have been identified based on a single characteristic (visit purpose). Crosstabulation and Chi-square analysis were used in order to identify the profiles of these segments. The results reveal that most of respondents are nature travellers, followed by culture travellers. The findings may be used by ecotourism destination managers in order to target specific market segments and establish proper management and marketing strategies.

A model of entrepreneurial internationalisation in uncertain foreign environments: smaller firms and the global niche strategy

Purpose of the paper: By proposing a model of SMEs’ entry in foreign markets characterised by uncertainty, we test the relationships among the implementation of a global niche strategy, the perception of lower competition, and international performance. Methodology: Hypotheses are tested on a sample of 110 Australian firms by applying structural equation modelling through the PLS-SEM technique. Results: Our results support the idea that entrepreneurial firms need to create their own environment and, at the same time, control it by exerting high levels of control on manufacturing and technological capabilities and by vertically integrating production processes. Research limitations: More samples from more countries would increase the generalisability of the results. The operationalisation of the components of the global niche strategy which resulted as non-significant need further refinement. Longitudinal studies are required to measure the sustainability of the global niche strategy over time. Practical implications: A customer focus instead of a country focus can help manage perceived uncertainty while growing internationally. Furthermore, decision makers should leverage on product uniqueness through a continuous refinement of technology thanks to insourced production processes. Originality of the paper. To date, no study has advanced a model to represent firms’ internationalisation by considering a process that starts with the formation of strategic antecedents - here represented by the components of the global niche strategy - of international performance.

A Context-Choice Model of Niche Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship research has gravitated towards a singular focus on the Silicon Valley model as the standard model of entrepreneurship. By contrast, some entrepreneurship scholars have more recently suggested embracing entrepreneurship as diverse and colorful. We build on this latter stream of literature by analyzing the diversity of entrepreneurship from complementary institutional arrangements inherent in national economies. Drawing from Robert’s (2004) model of complementarities between context and organizational choice variables, we analyze the contextualization of diverging entrepreneurship models. Our findings indicate that some economies are complementary to a specialized niche strategy, while others instead promote a scalable mass-market manifestation of entrepreneurship.

Strategic management competitive potential of the enterprise

The purpose of this article is to scientifically substantiate methods and develop tools for managingthe competitive potential of enterprises. The main strategies for the development of the baking industry havebeen outlined, namely: for the enterprises with a high level of utilization of competitive potential the mostcost-effective strategy will be adequate; for enterprises with an average level of utilization of competitive potential the integration strategy is recommended; a differentiation strategy is recommended for an enterprisewith low competitive potential. It was emphasized that a niche strategy should be one of the key strategiesfor the development of the industry, providing sustainable competitive advantages. Managing the competitiveedge of the businesses being researched should be related to the product component.

Diplomazia creativa al servizio di strategie di nicchia di una piccola potenza

In the year marking the centenary since the foundation of the Azerbaijani Diplomatic Service, Baku’s foreign policy is increasingly characterised by a broader understanding of diplomacy, shaped by the gradual yet steady expansion of both areas and the tools for intervention. Guided by the attempt to develop a ‘niche strategy’ aiming at safeguarding and promoting Azerbaijani national interest, the Humanitarian Diplomacy emerges as a privileged field for Baku to adopt a pro-active and creative foreign policy. Building upon the debate around the interests behind the aid-providing activities of traditional and emerging donors, the article aims at introducing the motivations and the aims behind Azerbaijani aid policy. In particular, it aims at demonstrating that Baku’s Humanitarian Diplomacy aims chiefly at achieving immaterial benefits, having to do with international prestige and with the construction and international projection of a Good International Citizenship.

Coping with uncertainty in the internationalisation strategy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore uncertainty-coping strategic actions in the internationalisation strategy of entrepreneurial ventures, encompassing born globals/international new ventures, enduring established internationalisers, old born globals, born-again globals and micro-multinationals. Design/methodology/approach The authors developed a qualitative exploratory study applying a grounded theory approach to ten entrepreneurial firms to investigate the strategies they adopted to cope with Knightian uncertainty in international markets. Findings The global niche strategy emerged as a successful path to deal with uncertainty in smaller firms’ internationalisation. The authors uncover the components of this strategy, namely the creation of markets, the focus on global clients and the control of technology. Originality/value The contribution of this paper consists in exploring how entrepreneurial firms cope with uncertainty through a global niche strategy and in outlining its main components. The authors develop a model of smaller entrepreneurial firms’ international strategising under this perspective. The research thus links together international marketing and strategy with (international) entrepreneurship studies.