States that we have witnessed, over the last several years, a profound change in understanding the dynamics of competitive advantage. Managers now acknowledge that a firm’s success is tied, in part, to the strength of its weakest supply chain partner. This paper develops the concept of supply chain management and argues that only through close collaborative linkages through the entire supply chain, can one fully achieve the benefits of cost reduction and revenue enhancing behaviors. Data are presented that look at a range of supply chain management practices and processes. By examining differences in practices and processes between buyers and sellers, along with the supply chain, attempts to understand better the challenges facing managers who espouse supply chain management. Also proposes a change in mind set for the traditional procurement manager and present insights for him/her to adapt to the requirements of the new competition.

An empirical investigation into supply chain management: a perspective on partnerships

(1975). The Limits of Organization. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 543-544.

The Limits of Organization

Purpose – Facing the multiplication of entrepreneurship education programmes (EEP) and the increasing resources allocated, there is a need to develop a common framework to evaluate the design of those programmes. The purpose of this article is to propose such a framework, based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB).Design/methodology/approach – TPB is a relevant tool to model the development of entrepreneurial intention through pedagogical processes. The independent variables are the characteristics of the EEP and the dependent variables are the antecedents of entrepreneurial behaviour. To illustrate and test the relevance of the evaluation methodology, a pilot study is conducted.Findings – Data are consistent and reliable, considering the small scale of this experiment. The EEP assessed had a strong measurable impact on the entrepreneurial intention of the students, while it had a positive, but not very significant, impact on their perceived behavioural control.Research implications/limitations – This...

Assessing the impact of entrepreneurship education programmes : A new methodology

This analysis demonstrates the relevance and robustness of the theory of planned behavior in the prediction of business start-up intentions and subsequent behavior based on longitudinal survey data (2011 and 2012; n = 969) from the adult population in Austria and Finland. By doing so, the study addresses two weaknesses in current research: the limited scope of samples used in the majority of prior studies and the scarcity of investigations studying the translation of entrepreneurial intentions into behavior. The paper discusses conceptual and methodological issues related to studying the intention–behavior relationship and outlines avenues for future research.

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Robustness of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Predicting Entrepreneurial Intentions and Actions

Purpose – Facing the multiplication of entrepreneurship education programmes (EEP) and the increasing resources allocated, there is a need to develop a common framework to evaluate the design of those programmes. The purpose of this article is to propose such a framework, based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Design/methodology/approach – TPB is a relevant tool to model the development of entrepreneurial intention through pedagogical processes. The independent variables are the characteristics of the EEP and the dependent variables are the antecedents of entrepreneurial behaviour. To illustrate and test the relevance of the evaluation methodology, a pilot study is conducted. Findings – Data are consistent and reliable, considering the small scale of this experiment. The EEP assessed had a strong measurable impact on the entrepreneurial intention of the students, while it had a positive, but not very significant, impact on their perceived behavioural control. Research implications/limitations – This is a first step of an ambitious research programme aiming at producing theory-grounded knowledge. Reproduction of the experiment will allow researchers to test how specific characteristics of an EEP influence its impact and how the impact differs across several cohorts of students. Those comparisons will serve to improve a priori the design of EEP. Originality/value – The new methodology is built on a robust theoretical framework and based on validated measurement tools. Its originality is about a relative – longitudinal – measure of impact over time and a particular use of the theory of planned behaviour which is seen as an assessment framework.

Assessing the Impact of Entrepreneurship Education Programmes: A New Methodology

– This paper sets out to present a detailed empirical investigation of the entrepreneurial intentions of business students. The authors employ the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), in which intentions are regarded as resulting from attitudes, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms., – The methodology used was a replication study among samples of undergraduate students of business administration at four different universities (total n=1,225). Five operationalisations of intentions are used as well as a composite measure. Prior to the main study, qualitative research conducted at two other universities (total n=373) was held to operationalise the components of the TPB., – The results show that the two most important variables to explain entrepreneurial intentions are entrepreneurial alertness and the importance attached to financial security., – Various research design features are used that result in better and more detailed explanations of entrepreneurial intentions., – Should one want to stimulate entrepreneurship in educational or training settings, then this paper's results provide guidance. Several suggestions are offered on how entrepreneurial alertness can be improved and financial security concerns can be reduced., – The study provides detailed and solid results on entrepreneurial intentions which are positioned in the career literature.

/pdf/explaining-entrepreneurial-intentions-by-means-of-the-theory-n6a10t8o99.pdf

Explaining entrepreneurial intentions by means of the theory of planned behaviour

The relationship between organizational structure and performance in small firms has received relatively limited attention over the last few decades. In understanding small firm performance this seems to be a serious omission. In this paper, we first present the rationale for including organizational structure in the analysis of small firm performance. Then, from the literature on organizational theory, we retrieve several dimensions that may be postulated to describe organizational structures of small firms. Based on the study of a stratified sample of 1411 Dutch small firms we show that nine structure stereotypes can be delineated. We further investigate the relevance of the empirical taxonomy by looking at the relationship with firm performance in terms of sales growth, profitability and innovativeness. Eventually, we conclude that organizational structure indeed matters and that it deserves to be taken into account in models and future analysis of small firm performance.

/pdf/organizational-structure-and-performance-in-dutch-small-529vl2x4ex.pdf

Organizational structure and performance in dutch small firms

■ The focus of this paper is on the internationalisation process of small businesses. We investigate if, how and why small firms use a cooperative or autonomous strategy to internationalise their activities and the possible changes in this use of strategy over time. We assume that, because of unique resource constraints, small firms opt for a cooperative internationalisation strategy. We examine not only the impact of firm- but also of industry characteristics. ■ The empirical investigation uses a sample of Dutch firms from two different sectors: one that can be labelled as typically 'old economy' (i.e. mechanical engineering) and one that can be described as 'new economy' (i.e. computer software).

/pdf/exploring-the-internationalisation-process-of-small-business-40ucuuq8xf.pdf

Exploring the internationalisation process of small business: a study of Dutch old and new economy firms

This paper is on the growing importance of strategic human resource management (SHRM) for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Many small firms encounter serious human resource problems, while at the same time these human resources play a vital role in developing and sustaining their competitive advantages. In (S)HRM literature specific issues concerning small firms are rarely addressed. This paper explores this issue further. We conclude that the available knowledge on HRM in small firms is highly descriptive and fragmented. We propose the application of the strategic labour allocation process – model (SLAP) as a tool to analyse HR problems in SMEs. This model focuses on the balance between the supply of and the demand for labour on a firm level. The application of the SLAP model produces two strategic scenarios for Dutch SMEs presently confronted with a tight labour market.

Strategic HRM for SMEs: implications for firms and policy

During the last few decades many technology- and sales-oriented companies have transformed themselves into competitive customer-driven organizations. Many others need to follow their example as we approach the twenty-first century. Rapid technological developments, growing globalization of markets, and higher customer requirements have resulted in cutthroat competition in many consumer and industrial markets: * Integration of the European market, tumbling trade barriers in countries such as Mexico and China, and democratization of eastern European countries and the former Soviet Union result in increasing investments by Japanese and American firms. * For years now, American giants such as IBM, Gillette, Dow Chemical, Hewlett-Packard and Xerox have generated a major share of their sales from outside the United States. * In industries like telecommunications, new technologies and deregulation eliminate traditional monopolies and create global markets. * Emergent global markets are populated by stateless companies that try to position themselves as local firms by emphasizing local content. In this continuously changing world, the importance of price has been reduced and quality has become a significant means of realizing sustainable competitive advantage.[1] Detailed studies have shown that product quality is a major factor in successful new product development.[2] Others report that the measurable elements of quality determine 50 percent or more of the purchasing decision[3] and that a high level of product quality often goes hand in hand with high market share and ROI.[4] Good product quality can only be achieved through incorporating quality requirements in the design of new products and in the purchase of existing ones.[5] Increasing levels of specialization have led many firms to concentrate on their core activities and outsource the production of many parts and components. This development has had a major influence on the tasks, responsibilities, and role of the purchasing function. The existing literature emphasizes the changing character of purchasing. As early as the 1960s, some purchasing professionals discussed the need for active supplier development. In the 1980s many recommended the use of single sourcing,[6] whereas others went on to point out the long-term dangers of relying on just one supplier.[7] In 1988, Leenders and Blenkhorn introduced the term reverse marketing for an aggressive kind of purchasing that they encountered in the United States and Japan.[8] Reverse marketing describes how purchasing actively identifies potential suppliers and offers suitable partners a proposal for long-term collaboration. Others noted a similar phenomenon, variously called proactive procurement and market-driven procurement.[9] PURCHASING AND MARKETING The current development of the purchasing function shows remarkable similarity to the development of the marketing concept. The product/production orientation, which dominated management practice for many years, can be compared to traditional purchasing's focus on product and price. The subsequent sales orientation emphasizes the efforts of sales representatives to get customers to buy their products. This is very similar to the purchasing department, which directs its efforts toward identifying suitable suppliers that can deliver the desired products at the right time. Only when the whole organization is focused on serving the customer optimally (an integrated effort), does it really employ the marketing concept. Similarly, successful reverse marketing requires a concerted effort. Clearly, the development stage of purchasing depends on both the industry and the country.[10] This conceptual parallel between purchasing and marketing can also be found within individual firms. First, purchasing and marketing are basically comparable activities directed at facilitating exchange transactions and relationships with external parties. …

Maryse Brand

Papers

Explaining entrepreneurial intentions by means of the theory of planned behaviour

Organizational structure and performance in dutch small firms

Exploring the internationalisation process of small business: a study of Dutch old and new economy firms

Strategic HRM for SMEs: implications for firms and policy

Reverse Marketing: A Synergy of Purchasing and Relationship Marketing