In pursuing sustainable competitive advantage, firms undertake a range of strategic initiatives such as innovation, customer relationship management, entering new markets overseas, and competitive actions within current marketplaces. Studies that examine these initiatives generally study the...

To maintain or achieve competitiveness and profitability, a manufacturing firm or enterprise must respond to a range of challenges, including rapid improvements in technology, declining employment and output, globalisation of markets and environmental requirements. In addition, substantial...

This conceptual paper reviews the existing literature on business Clusters and Networks, proposes a series of research questions concerning drivers and barriers to the establishment and implementation of effective clusters. Relevant literature on this topic involves a wide range of academic...

Continuous improvement (CI) has proved to be a useful way of business investing in people-centred low cost, high return improvements in firms both large and small. CI methods have become widely adopted and regarded as providing an important component of increased company competitiveness. CI...

Cross-case analysis is a qualitative methodology widely used in social science. However, systematic and rigorous analysis techniques that consistently produce objective and reliable findings need to be identified. This paper adapts Porter?s Strategic Group Mapping principles to form an analysis...

Throughout the centuries, business lives have been changing and modifying. Each era in history brought new needs, demands and requirements. During the Agricultural era land and tools played important roles, while during the Industrial era machines and factories played a dominant role in shaping...

Studies on mechanism design mostly focus on a single market where sellers and buyers trade. This paper examines the problem of mechanism design for capacity allocation in two connected markets where a supplier allocates products to a set of retailers and the retailers resale the products to...

Negotiation is one of the most important activities for organisations in conducting electronic business. Traditional purchasing and selling have been conducted through complex processes involving negotiation that includes coordination and cooperation. To conduct automated negotiation for...