Japanese major alcoholic beverage companies, whose businesses are mainly the production and sale of beer products, stand at a strategic crossroads. There are several reasons: a slow decrease in the Japanese population, which leads to a smaller drinking population; diversification of customers'...

This thesis explores the changes occurring in the software industry and the strategic implications thereof. The software industry has historically benefited from the rapid introduction of new platforms and applications, an increasing user base and nearly contiguous cycles of growth. However,...

Over the last few decades, we have seen an enormous evolution in the financial services industry driven by technology innovations. Indeed, we cannot imagine the current financial system without electronic fund transfers, ATMs, and Internet banking among many other innovative implementations. In...

Competition in the business world is becoming harsher as markets shrink due to the financial crisis of the late 2000s. Firms have to leverage their core competencies to survive by attracting more customers and attaining more efficient operations. In such circumstances, diversified corporations...

This dissertation is composed of three essays. I look at the role of two different but critical factors in shaping entrepreneurial outcomes: individual level career history and the institutional context. My work spans two outcomes in particular: individual decisions to choose high-tech...

In the backdrop of the dotcom bubble burst, companies cleaned up the excesses of the nineties and are more agile and efficient than ever before. However, companies face tremendous pressure to improve shareholder returns. A new trend is emerging as more and more capital is flowing into Private...