Strategic planning and performance: Extending the debate

This article extends the debate regarding the relationship between strategic planning and performance. It addresses criticism of previous empirical studies that have largely investigated direct and bi-variate relationships, producing equivocal results. The current study investigates the mediating effects of four types of flexibility on the strategic planning and performance relationship. Flexibility is defined as the extent to which new and alternative decisions are generated and considered in strategic planning, allowing for positive organizational change and adaptation to environmental turbulence. Through investigating simultaneous equations in a structural equation model, we find that two types of flexibility mediate the relationship between strategic planning and financial performance, while the other two types mediate the relationship between strategic planning and non-financial performance. The results are new empirical insights that have not been previously reported

The Internationalization Trajectory of Bossini: A Fashion Retailing Enterprise from Hong Kong

Established in 1987 and originating from Hong Kong, Bossini has established itself as a famous casual-wear international fashion retail brand. Based on information and financial data publicly available in Bossini’s annual reports from 2000/2001 to 2013/2014, this chapter investigates the internationalization trajectory of Bossini. By exploring both operational and marketing models, we examine how Bossini has successfully emerged as an international fashion retailing group. We also discuss how Bossini survives and excels under conditions of market disruption, and statistically evaluate the operational performance of Bossini in its four core markets: Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Singapore. The chapter concludes by analyzing the critical success factors for Bossini.Institute of Textiles and Clothin

Market orientation, innovation, and firm performance—an analysis of Albanian firms

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the concept of market orientation as an outer source of innovation for organizations in the context of Albania. We investigate the market orientation relation with innovation and firm performance by analyzing a sample of 99 companies operating in Albania. The relationships and the impact of market orientation on innovation and performance is tested empirically through structural equation modeling techniques (SEM). The analysis confirms prior theoretical and empirical findings in developed economies, however, it gives way to some contextual interpretations. The implications of this study are considerable in academia and in managerial purposes. In academia, considering that there is no research in Albania on the topic of us being aware of, nevertheless, we identify the need for deeper and wider research, especially with bigger sample sizes, industry-specific, and across industries to grasp more about market reality. On managerial account, its relevance relies in the distinction of market orientation construct and the right division of components within the company, and the adequate approach toward intelligence generation, dissemination, and reaction on it by responding to market needs and competition with innovative products and services