Brand management practices in emerging country firms – exploring the patterns of variation and its impact on firm performance

Firms in emerging countries often face different sets of challenges in developing their brand management strategies. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities view, the present study examines brand management practices among firms in an emerging country. Drawing on a survey of 224 firms in Turkey, the study first aims to segment firms in terms of their adoption level of brand management practices and then relate them to their overall firm and brand performances. A three-cluster solution emerging from a K-means cluster analysis reveals that firms show significant differences with respect to both performance dimensions. The findings of the study also provide evidence to the view that brand management practices add to the dynamic capabilities of emerging country firms. Finally, the study concludes with practical implications and avenues for future research

How do supply chain management and information systems practices influence operational performance?:Evidence from emerging country SMEs

This study first provides a comparative analysis of the impact of supply chain management (SCM) and information systems (IS) practices on operational performance (OPER) of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in two neighbouring emerging country markets of Turkey and Bulgaria. Then, we investigate moderating effects of both SCM–IS-linked enablers and inhibitors on the links between SCM and IS practices and OPER of SMEs. To this end, we first empirically identify the underlying dimensions of SCM and IS practices, and SCM–IS-related enabling and inhibiting factors. Second, a series of regression analyses are undertaken to estimate the impact of the study's constructs on OPER of SMEs. The results are discussed comparatively within the contexts of both Turkish and Bulgarian SMEs and beyond. The study makes a significant contribution to the extant literature through obtaining and analysing cross-national survey data of SCM and IS practices in emerging country markets

Global delivery models: the role of talent, speed and time zones in the global outsourcing industry

Global delivery models (GDMs) are transforming the global IT and business process outsourcing industry. GDMs are a new form of client-specific investment promoting service integration with clients by combining client proximity with time-zone spread for 24/7 service operations. We investigate antecedents and contingencies of setting up GDM structures. Based on comprehensive data we show that providers are likely to establish GDM location configurations when clients value access to globally distributed talent and speed of service delivery, in particular when services are highly commoditized. Findings imply that coordination across time zones increasingly affects international operations in business-to-business and born-global industries

High-Performance Work Systems and Organizational Performance in Emerging Economies: Evidence from MNEs in Turkey

This study examines the association between the usage of high-performance work systems (HPWS) by subsidiaries of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in Turkey and employee and subsidiary level outcomes. The study is based on a survey of 148 MNE subsidiaries operating in Turkey. The results show that the usage of HPWS has a significant positive impact on employee effectiveness. However, their impact on employee skills and development, and organizational financial performance are far less clear. Our findings highlight the extent to which HWPS need to be adapted to take account of context-specific institutional realities. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Once bitten, not necessarily shy? Determinants of foreign market re-entry commitment strategies

We investigate foreign market re-entry commitment strategies, namely the changes in the modes of operation (commitment) undertaken by multinational enterprises (MNEs) as they return to foreign markets from which they had previously exited. We combine organisational learning theory with the institutional change literature to examine the antecedents of re-entry commitment strategies. From an analysis of 1,020 re-entry events between 1980 and 2016, we find that operation mode prior to exit is a strong predictor of subsequent re-entry mode. Contrary to the predictions of learning theory, we did not find support for the effect of experience accumulated during the initial market endeavour on the re-entry commitment strategies of MNEs. In turn, exit motives significantly impact on the re-entrants' decision to re-enter via a different mode of operation, by either increasing or decreasing their commitment to the market. We show that re-entrants do not replicate unsuccessful operation mode strategies if they had previously underperformed in the market. When favourable host institutional changes occur during the time-out period re-entrants tend to increase commitment in the host market irrespective of the degree of prior experience accumulated in the market

Steady late quaternary slip rate on the Cinarcik section of the North Anatolian fault near Istanbul, Turkey

The distribution of plate motion between multiple fault strands and how this distribution may evolve remain poorly understood, despite the key implications for seismic hazards. The North Anatolian Fault in northwest Turkey is a prime example of a multistranded continental transform. Here we present the first constraints on late Quaternary slip rates on its northern branch across the Cinarcik Basin in the eastern Marmara Sea. We use both deep penetration and high‐resolution multichannel seismic reflection data with a stratigraphic age model to show that a depocenter has persisted near the fault bend responsible for that transform basin. Successively older depocenters have been transported westward by fault motion relative to Eurasia, indicating a uniform right‐lateral slip rate of 18.5 mm/yr over the last 500,000 years, compared to overall GPS rates (23–24 mm/yr). Thus, the northern branch has slipped at a nearly constant rate and has accounted for most of the relative plate motion between Eurasia and Anatolia since ~0.5 Ma

The effects of endogenous and exogenous androgens on cardiovascular disease risk factors and progression

Cardiovascular disease incidence rates have long been known to significantly differ between the two sexes. Estrogens alone fail to explain this phenomenon, bringing an increasing amount of attention to the role of androgens. Contrary to what was initially hypothesized, androgens seem to have an overall cardioprotective effect, especially in men. Recent studies and published data continue to support this notion displaying a consistent inverse correlation with atherosclerosis progression and cardiovascular disease both in regressive and prospective study models. Clinical studies have also revealed what seems to be a differential androgenic effect on various cardiovascular risk factors between men and women. Further insight indicates that in order to avoid confusion it may be also preferable to separately examine the effects of endogenous androgen levels from exogenous testosterone administration, as well as discern the differential results of low to normal and supraphysiological administration doses. This review summarizes old and recent data according to the above distinctions, in an attempt to further our understanding of the role of androgens in cardiovascular disease

Conceptualizing and measuring distance in international business research:Recurring questions and best practice guidelines

Distance is a central concept in international business research, yet there is debate about the construct as well as its operationalization. In this editorial, we address three of the most important recurring questions posed by authors, editors, and reviewers by examining the theory, methods, and data of distance research. We discuss (1) how to theorize on distance, and (2) what method and (3) what data to use when constructing a distance index. We develop practical recommendations grounded in theory, illustrating and supporting them by calculating cross-country distance indices for all available country pairs and two of the most used distance indices: cultural and institutional. We show that, whereas a specific method to calculate distance may matter to some extent, the choice for a specific cultural or institutional framework to measure cultural or institutional distance has a major impact on country-pair distances. Overall, this editorial highlights the importance of matching data and method to the theoretical argument.</p

The Role of Responsible Business Practices in International Business Relationships Between SMEs from Developed and Emerging Economies

The different institutional environments of developed and emerging economies may dictate the business practices of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With national institutions’ current focus on better integrating SMEs into both international trade and sustainability goals, it is worth investigating the role socially and environmentally responsible business practices (RBPs) plays in SMEs’ international business relationships. The qualitative approach employed in this study reveals that environmental responsibility is not prominent in cross-border business relationships between Finnish and Russian SMEs, while social responsibility in part of ethics, transparency and partner responsibility is crucial for these relationships. The study thus contributes to the literature on responsibility in international business (IB) and international entrepreneurship (IE) by (1) suggesting that international business relationships can help raise the ethical behaviour of SMEs from emerging economies; (2) extending the research on sustainability-related issues in IB/IE towards emerging economies and the SME context; and (3) applying the institutional lens to explain RBP in international business relationships.Post-print / Final draf