Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing

The purpose of this research was to explore and predict the relationship between the competitive priorities (quality, cost, flexibility and delivery) and the competitive advantage of firms in the Jordanian Industrial Sector. A population of 88 Jordanian manufacturing firms, registered on the Amman Stock Exchange, was targeted using a cross-sectional survey employing a questionnaire method of data collection. The results of the data analysis indicate a significant relationship between competitive priorities and competitive advantage. The research suggests that recognising and nurturing this relationship provides the master key for a firm to survive in a turbulent environment. Therefore, operational and marketing strategies should place emphasis on competitive priorities such as quality, cost, flexibility and delivery to achieve, develop and maintain competitive advantage. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between the competitive priorities of Jordanian manufacturing firms and their competitive advantage

Comparative Advantage, Competitive Advantage, and U.S. Agricultural Trade

International Relations/Trade,

From Temporal Competitive Advantage to Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Both industrial organization theory (IO) and the resource-based view of the firm (RBV) have advanced our understanding of the antecedents of competitive advantage but few have attempted to verify the outcome variables of competitive advantage and the persistence of such outcome variables. Here by integrating both IO and RBV perspectives in the analysis of competitive advantage at the firm level, our study clarifies a conceptual distinction between two types of competitive advantage − temporary competitive advantage and sustainable competitive advantage − and explores how firms transform temporary competitive advantage into sustainable competitive advantage. Testing of the developed hypotheses, based on a survey of 165 firms from Taiwan's information and communication technology industry, suggests that firms with a stronger market position can only attain a better outcome of temporary competitive advantage whereas firms possessing a superior position in technological resources or capabilities can attain a better outcome of sustainable competitive advantage. More importantly, firms can leverage a temporary competitive advantage as an outcome of market position to improving their technological resource and capability position, which in turn can enhance their sustainable competitive advantage

Competitive Advantage Analysis of Soybean Farming in Indonesia

Soybean is one of the commodities strategy, because the demand for soy in the International and domestic market has always increased. To fill the domestic soybean demand by importing soybeans. This is a serious problem because it will have an impact on the decline in farm income due to import soybeans. The aim of this study was to determine whether soybean farming in the village Banaran, Pracimantoro, Wonogirihas a competitive advantage and comparative advantage, as well as to determine the impact of government policy on soybean farming.The method used is qualitative method by interviews with soybean farmers. Results of interview with farmers processed by Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM), which produced the analysis forms of competitive advantage, comparative advantage, and the impact of government policy.Results from this study are of soybean farming in the village Banaran, Pracimantoro, Wonogiri only has a competitive advantage.Overall government policies protective of soybean farming in the village Banaran

Formation competitive advantage

Measuring Learning to learn is part of a process to establish and monitor the learning processes and outcomes needed to facilitate the development of lifelong learning in Europe. This report highlights the European political developments that have taken place which have placed learning to learn as a political priority within the Lisbon 2010 Education and Training process. It connects these with the move to a competence based approach that emphasises the testing of a holistic and real-world based capability that includes values, attitudes, knowledge and skills. The report analyses how the competence learning to learn has been defined. It highlights different understandings which have been developed from within the social-cultural and cognitive psychological paradigms. It investigates the European definition of learning to learn and how it relates to these epistemological positions. The report also establishes what learning is not by visiting concepts such as intelligence, problem-solving and learning strategies. In a second step the report investigates how learning to learn can be measured. 3 national tests that are combined within the European test are explained: the University of Helsinki test, the Bristol University test and the Dutch test. The European framework is then described and preliminary evaluation of the European learning to learn pre-pilot is briefly given. Existing international tests, in particular PISA, are analysed to see if these tests cover the definition. The results described are that these tests do not cover the full range of aspects of learning to learn and tend only to use the affective questions as explanatory variables for the test results rather than one dimension of the measurable outcomes. Finally, future directions for research to improve the conceptual basis of the European learning to learn test are proposed which highlights the need for more interdisciplinary research in the field of learning

Competitive advantage as a legitimacy-creating process

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how small firms in the tattooing industry actively shape institutional expectations of value for consumers in a changing industry. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws upon interviews with key actors in the firms under study to explore their experiences with consumers and other constituents in determining how competitive advantage is constructed in this environment. These data are complemented data with interviews with governmental representatives and material from secondary sources. Findings – The results reveal efforts of firms to construct and increase organizational legitimacy through the prominence of discourses of professionalism based on artistry and medicine/public health. These bases of competitive differentiation are not the clear result of exogenous pressure, rather they arise through the active efforts of the firm to construct value guidelines for consumers and other constituents. Practical implications – Strategic management in small firms is a complex and dynamic process that does not necessarily mirror that of large organizations. Constructing competitive advantage is an interacting process between key actors of small firms and various constituents. Originality/value – The paper extends the application of institutional theory in strategic management by illuminating the active role that firms play in creating industry norms, especially in industries where norms are not well established or no longer entrenched. Moreover, exploring an alternative site of study offers a means through which to see well-studied issues in new ways

BUILDING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH MARKETING, MANUFACTURING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGY: A CASE STUDY OF METAL PRODUCT SMEs IN TEGAL

This research investigates how the marketing strategy, manufacturing strategy and environment management create SMEs competitive advantage that will improve SMEs business performance. It gives both theoretical and managerial implications about steps must be taken by SMEs to improve their business performance through the competitive advantage gained from the marketing strategy, manufacturing strategy, and the ability to manage the environment. This research includes a data set from 121 SMEs. Results show that the manufacturing and environment management strategy positively affects SMEs competitive advantage, and the competitive advantage also positively affects SMEs business performance. Marketing strategy implemented didn’t affect the competitive advantage. This research proved that for now, the competitive advantage of metal product SMEs in Tegal lay on their ability to create product in accordance with consumers want. Metal SMEs always maintain their flexibility and product quality with competitive prices. To gain the competitive advantage, SMEs must have the ability to adjust with political and economics transformation such as general election or city major and governor transformation. Because of its flexibility, metal SMEs in Tegal can easily adjust with the transformation of political and economical climate. The last thing that must be noted from this research is that metal SMEs in Tegal didn’t implement the marketing strategy well because of the job-order system. The competitive advantage will be more perfect if the company also have superb marketing strategy

Competitive Bidding in Medicare Advantage

Outlines a proposed plan to cut healthcare spending through a competitive bidding system for Medicare Advantage plans that pays insurers the average of their submitted bids. Considers multiple estimates, arguments for and against, and implications

Competitive versus Comparative Advantage

I explore the interactions between comparative, competitive and absolute advantage in a two-country model of oligopoly in general equilibrium. Comparative advantage always determines the direction of trade, but both competitive and absolute advantage affect resource allocation, trade patterns and trade volumes. Competitive advantage in the sense of more home firms drives foreign firms out of marginal sectors but also makes some marginal home sectors uncompetitive. Absolute advantage in the sense of a uniform fall in home costs tends to raise home output in all sectors but also leads both countries to specialise less in accordance with comparative advantage.Comparative and absolute advantage; comparative and competitive advantage; exchange-rate protection; GOLE (General Oligopolistic Equilibrium); market integration