FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED: AN ANALYSIS OF PIONEER AND FOLLOWER FIRMS' MARKET AND NONMARKET ACTIONS IN THE EUROPEAN MOBILE TELEPHONE INDUSTRY

This study examines the relationship between erosion of the first-mover’s market share and the differences in competitive behaviour of pioneer firms and followers. Particularly, we pay particular attention to market actions related to innovation, pricing and promotion, and to non-market actions related to judicial issues. The empirical study has been carried out with companies that are present in a dynamic context, such as the European mobile telephone industry. Our results show that when followers take more non-market actions than pioneers the negative effect on the firstentrant’s advantage is more significant. On the contrary, we have not found a significant impact of innovating and pricing actions.

HAVE SPANISH COMPANIES BUILT GREATER ENTREPRENEURSHIP AFTER PRIVATIZATION?

This study analyses some of the strategic and organizational changes experienced in public firms following privatization in its double facet: sale of companies and deregulation. Specifically, we analyse the process of innovation in terms of products, processes and organization. We also look into the development of new businesses and strategic renewal, which in the end shape the entrepreneurial capacity of a company. A sample of Spanish firms which were privatized between 1985 and 2000 shows that after privatization, these companies have experienced a significant increase in entrepreneurship. These changes are even more appreciable when a high sector competition is added to the ownership shift. Once they join the private sector, their level of product, process and organizational innovation is higher. They also develop new businesses at national level, reinforce their international activity and embark on strategic renewal processes by shedding the lesser profitable businesses and modifying their competitive strategy so as to gain efficiency.

LA COMPETENCIA DINÁMICA ENTRE PIONEROS Y SEGUIDORES. APLICACIÓN AL SECTOR DE LA TELEFONÍA MÓVIL EN EUROPA

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar cómo las diferencias en la conducta competitiva de las empresas pioneras y seguidores afectan a la ventaja del primer entrante. Se plantea un modelo teórico a partir de la literatura sobre la estrategia basada en acciones y se contrasta empíricamente en el sector de la telefonía móvil en Europa en el período 1997-2000. La metodología utilizada ha sido la del “análisis de contenido estructurado”; que permite medir la estrategia como una secuencia de acciones en el tiempo. Los resultados obtenidos indican que el número de acciones que emprenden los nuevos entrantes influye positivamente en la erosión de la cuota de mercado de la empresa pionera. Asimismo, se comprueba que los clientes valoran positivamente la simplicidad competitiva de las empresas seguidoras. Finalmente, también se ha encontrado relevante en la erosión de la ventaja del pionero la experiencia previa en el sector de los nuevos entrantes.