The transformative and evolutionary approach of omnichannel in retail companies: insights from multi-case studies in Portugal

PurposeOmnichannel implementation in retail requires business transformation and faces several operational barriers. This research discusses how omnichannel has been implemented, in a managerial perspective, and how integration of operations has overcome the identified transformative barriers.Design/methodology/approachThe authors followed a multi-case study approach, with observation and interviews with managers of four big retail companies in Portugal.FindingsThe results suggest that retail companies have overcome the barriers to implement omnichannel models through the integration of information technology (IT), the accomplishment of organisational changes and the optimisation of customer feedback, achieving positive business indicators, namely increased sales.Research limitations/implicationsThe conclusions of the paper provide valuable information to help companies to design the process of channel's integration in order to overcome the transformative constraints of omnichannel. However, those conclusions emerge from Portuguese case studies of retail companies, and a generalised discussion should consider the contextual diversity of consumer expectations, cultural user experiences in retail and the maturity of digital transformation and omnichannel implementation stage in each country.Originality/valuePrevious studies had characterised the items of omnichannel retail, fulfilment processes, the benefits of channels' integration in customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty and had identified barriers for its implementation. Considering the existence of different stages of omnichannel implementation, this paper explores how retail companies increment omnichannel operations, overcome transformative barriers and achieve the omnichannel benefits, through the whole involvement of the organisation system, the customer approach and the business model, besides the technology integration.

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Business Practice: Some Key Insights

This paper provides an overview of some of the key economic impacts of COVID-19 on business practice, especially in the U.S. In particular, we synthesize some of the latest research, findings and developments from various academic literature and business sources to provide a managerial perspective of the effects of this pandemic. In addition, we show some characteristics of the so-called “new normal” and what kind of innovative business opportunities could arise as a result of the fundamental changes in the global economy. We conclude by highlighting how some emerging countries like India could tap into such opportunities despite the dire global situation.

Outsourcing and the strategy of organizations in Mexico

Outsourcing has been a very commonly used strategy to increase productivity in a variety of organizations. In Mexico, it can be said that it has had a positive impact on employment rate. Nevertheless, there is a “dark side” in this strategy, since it has been used as a way to avoid direct hiring of employees and to evade fiscal and social security regulations. This document aims to analyze outsourcing from a regulatory and contractual approach, as well as its role as a way to increase the employment rate, and from a managerial perspective. As a result of this analysis, it was found that in our country outsourcing has been a successfully used strategy by many organizations of different sizes, but at the same time, the lack of an appropriate legislation has originated a series of unethical practices. In Mexico, in 2021 a new legal framework that tries to balance the relationship between firms and employees was approved. This paper ends with a reflection of the possible impacts of this new legislation.

Diversification Perspectives of a Single Equity Market: Analysis on the Example of Selected CEE Countries

The study addresses the benefits of a unified stock market in terms of diversification risk for the eight CEE stock markets. For this purpose, each stock market was treated as a separate portfolio based on the companies listed during 2018–2019. Portfolio diversification techniques were used to identify risk linked with the eight Central Eastern European stock markets. The results show that the stock market with the lowest diversification risk was the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, followed by the Prague Stock Exchange, the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, and at the end stands the Zagreb Stock Exchange. The portfolio constructed from the Zagreb Stock Exchange carries the highest portfolio risk, but it also offers the highest weekly weighted average returns. Stock markets that benefit in terms of portfolio risk from unification are the Bratislava Stock Exchange, the Budapest Stock Exchange, the Bucharest Stock Exchange, the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and the Zagreb Stock Exchange. The indexes where the portfolio risk increases at the time of unification are the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, and the Prague Stock Exchange. From a managerial perspective, financial investors get a novel outlook on the diversification possibilities offered within a hypothetical unified CEE stock market.

Possibilities for Coping Strategies Development of Management Students

Coping with demanding situations is a regular part of managerial work; therefore, training in it ought also to be part of the pre-graduation preparation of students of Management. From a managerial perspective, demanding situations are perceived as either unpleasant or as a potential opportunity for career advancement. This paper presents the results of an experimental research project investigating coping strategies development, specifically among students of Management. An experimental group underwent specific preparation, whereas a control group did not. The experiment was conducted on a research sample of 293 management students using the COPE (b) methodology. The experimental results confirmed statistically significant differences between the ante- and the post-measurement within the experimental group in terms of these five coping strategies: Positive reframing, Active coping, Planning, Humour, and Venting. Within the control group, no significant differences were recorded.

Does COVID-19 Affect Safety and Security Perception in the Hospitality Industry? A Romanian Case Study

The objective of the article is to analyze, based on social exchange theory, the different risk and safety perceptions of employees and customers in the hospitality industry regarding the protections against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in an emerging market, namely in Romania. To this end, a questionnaire was administered simultaneously to both categories in Romanian hospitality units obtaining a sample of 561 employees and customers in the sector. While the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 virus has generated a lot of diverse research, studies focused on this particular topic, also regarding both customers and employees, were much less exploited. Therefore, eleven working hypotheses were formulated. It was highlighted that there is a positive perception of safety at work for employees, and jobs are protected from disappearance due to the pandemic through active measures taken by the organization. Employees do not show a significant desire to change jobs due to the new working conditions. The magnitude of safety measures taken had a positive impact on the customers, and customers do not pose a significant threat in hospitality industry units regarding the possibility of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The paper enlarges the understanding of behavioral effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, while from a managerial perspective the results are particularly useful for hospitality industry owners in order to attract and retain employees and to communicate and develop better relations with customers.

Manager’s Role and Performance Information Use: Evidence from US Federal Agencies

This article explores the relationship between performance information use for different functions based on two of Moynihan’s analyses and a managerial perspective, utilizing passive and purposeful use. The results of this study suggest that both accountability and managers’ proximity to the performance system exert strong influence on the use of performance information in the public sector. In terms of organizational factors, data quality and meaningful measures are associated with performance information use. On the other hand, external attention has no effect on performance information use regardless of the types of performance information.

A network model approach to enhance knowledge sharing for internationalization readiness of SMEs

PurposeBuilding upon the insights of the resource-based view and internationalization theories, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role networks play in SMEs' readiness for internationalization. By investigating three different types of knowledge sharing, namely economic-setting, market-specific and customer-specific, the study analyzes their effect on SMEs' readiness for internationalization.Design/methodology/approachThe four research hypotheses derived by from the analysis of the literature have been investigated by applying the multiple regression technique. By means of an online survey, 300 valid questionnaires were collected and information from a sample of Italian SMEs belonging to 11 agro-food consortia have been analyzed.FindingsThe results suggest that SMEs' readiness for internationalization could be supported by sharing customer-specific, market-specific and economic-setting knowledge with other firms operating within the same agro-food consortium. Additionally, data analysis highlights a negative relation between the risk perception in the process and readiness for internationalization, suggesting the importance of knowledge sharing in reducing the criticality issues of being a newcomer entering international markets.Originality/valueFrom a theoretical perspective, this study aims to fill the gap in knowledge management and international relationship marketing literature. Since proposes a combination of different kinds of knowledge that contribute to reducing the criticalities SMEs must face by identifying useful information to be conveyed within the network. From a managerial perspective, the study provides useful insights for the agro-food sector, highlighting how experiential and network knowledge constitutes a pre-condition for managing internationalization complexity and discovering opportunities on foreign markets.

Guest editorialNew challenges for business actors and positive heuristics

PurposeThe purpose of this guest editorial is to present an overview of the contributions in this special issue and proposes a positive approach to heuristics deriving from the growing interest in the decision-making topic with respect to the new challenges emerging in uncertain environments in management and marketing research.Design/methodology/approachThe authors explore the reasons for a positive view of business actors' judgments and choices based on heuristics, not only in terms of effectiveness in practice, but their fit with human cognition and behavior, and the potential distinctiveness in contexts where technological devices and algorithms are more widespread, but not necessarily more appropriate.FindingsThe authors present and discuss the emergence and evolution of heuristics as a topic in the management literature, and the themes and insights proposed in the papers published in this special issue contributing to research aimed at systemizing a managerial perspective of the concepts and tools that may be useful for practitioners and researchers in this field.Originality/valueThe paper discusses the positive role that heuristics can play, offering some propositions for future research by framing heuristics as a set of tools (toolbox) for business actors in uncertain contexts, without constituting a cognitive limitation for effective solutions.