Leveraging business failure to drive eco‐innovation adoption: An integrated conceptual framework

Despite a growing body of research on business failure and eco-innovation, these two streams of research have developed in isolation, thus lacking an organizing framework to account for how businesses can utilize peer companies' failures as a source of eco-innovation. This study addresses this gap in the current literature by advancing an integrated conceptual framework that illuminates failure as a catalyst for learning and the mechanisms through which organizations can enhance their environmental innovation efforts and competitiveness. The study proposes a multidimensional 2 × 2 typology encompassing dimensions of process and product eco-innovation, alongside two underlying factors of business failure. These factors further elucidate the mechanisms through which organizations can learn from others' failures, ultimately becoming more resilient and adaptable in the face of new challenges. The implications of this analysis for future research and practice will be further examined, shedding light on promising domains for learning from failure and fostering innovation

Burning issues: Unraveling the nexus between dysfunctional institutions and counterfeiting in developing countries

Counterfeit and substandard products continue to bedevil public health in developing countries across the global South. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of this issue, there remains a critical gap in the scholarly discourse on how dysfunctional institutions in developing countries can create conditions that lead to the detrimental public health effects of counterfeiting. Drawing on insights from key stakeholders in Ghana, this research illuminates the mechanisms through which institutional deficiencies shape the detrimental effects of counterfeiting. The study led to the identification of three sequential and interconnected unfolding effects of counterfeiting, encompassing: tracing the growth and spread of deceptive counterfeiting to factors such as inadequate inspection and authentication of products, as well as the phenomenon of mixing counterfeit and second-hand products (Phase 1); highlighting the potential health and fire hazards stemming from policy and regulatory gaps (Phase 2); and then illuminating stakeholder mobilization and interventions (Phase 3). By exploring the linkages between these three phases, the study advances a more holistic view of the proliferation of counterfeit products, encapsulating the interconnected nature of its origins linked to the evolution of other phenomena, such as the growth of second-hand products in developing countries, and its impacts on society and public health

Opening Editorial: Multinational enterprises and business failures: A new research agenda.

This editorial advance a new research agenda on studying international business failures and failures of multinational enterprises’ subsidiaries to help in enriching understanding of strategy. By learning from the constraints and liabilities that make such firms vulnerable to market competition, organizations would be better positioned to develop resilient business models, capacity and expertise needed to decrease the risk of failure. This source of learning is not only essential in helping to enhance the market competitiveness of domestic firms but also helping them to transform into MNEs

An integrative framework of attributions after a business failure

Purpose – Although business failure has garnered a plethora of scholarly attention, there remains an ambiguity and lack of clarity about the process and types of attribution after a business failure. This article examines types of attributions after a business failure. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a synthesis of the multiple streams of research on the subject. This led to the development of an integrated framework of attributions after business failure. Findings – The paper integrates the business failure literature and attribution theory to develop a 2x2 conceptual framework which not only accounts for the effect on pace (time), but also locus of causality in the attribution process. Crossing the two main causes of business failure with two types of attribution produces the 2x2 matrix of types of attribution after a business failure which includes: early internal attribution, late internal attribution, early external attribution and late external attribution. Research limitation/implications – Our theorisation of the literature offers a number of implications for theory and practice. Originality/value – The study also explains the underlying processes inherent in learning from others’ failures and consequences of business failure. Our framework removes some of the ambiguity in the existing literature and outlines a number of fruitful avenues for future research

The evolution of lateral hiring and skill formation in the global airline industry, 1940–2010

Although lateral hiring (LH) has increasingly come to characterise today’s global labour market, past studies have largely overlooked how the practice unfolds as industry structure evolves. This article draws on the human capital theory to examine the evolution of LH and skills formations in the global airline industry from 1940–2010. This historical narrative identifies and distinguishes four distinct phases (i.e. the golden, human-factor, embryonic stage and ‘war for talent') which shed light on the changes in the industry facilitated by deregulation and liberalisation. The phases also elucidate the processes and factors that precipitate the fundamental shift from government-funded to employer-funded and then to largely employee-funded training that has emerged to characterise the industry. The implications and contributions to management history are examined

Explanations for strategic persistence in the wake of others’ failures

Purpose – Although strategic persistence remains a key issue in change management and strategy literature, our understanding of strategic persistence in the face of other businesses’ failure remains limited. This article examines factors that determine strategic persistence in the face of other businesses’ failures. Design/methodology/approach – Through a review and synthesis of the multiple streams of research, we provide a number of explanations for strategic persistence. The study complements the analysis with illustrative cases of failed companies. These led to development of an integrated framework of explanations for strategic persistence in the wake of other businesses’ failures. Findings – The analysis led to identification of individual, firm-specific and environmental factors rooted in past events (i.e. past successes, prior commitment and decisions by the top-management team), present circumstances (i.e. nature of the failure) and future outlook (i.e. paradox of success, looming threats and opportunities), which foster strategic persistence. We uncovered that persistence may also stem from factors such as “paradox of success” and “too much invested to quit”. Research limitation/implications – We suggest that organisations can learn from others’ failures without compromising their values by drawing on the expertise released by failed firms. The study also identified various mechanisms through which organisations can learn from the failure of others and factors that constrain them from doing so. Originality/value – Our theorisation and conceptualisation of the literature accommodates the multiple and contrasting perspectives of the subject such as the environmental buffers and paradox of success

The evolution of lateral hiring and skill formation in the global airline industry, 1940–2010

Although lateral hiring (LH) has increasingly come to characterise today’s global labour market, past studies have largely overlooked how the practice unfolds as industry structure evolves. This article draws on the human capital theory to examine the evolution of LH and skills formations in the global airline industry from 1940–2010. This historical narrative identifies and distinguishes four distinct phases (i.e. the golden, human-factor, embryonic stage and ‘war for talent') which shed light on the changes in the industry facilitated by deregulation and liberalisation. The phases also elucidate the processes and factors that precipitate the fundamental shift from government-funded to employer-funded and then to largely employee-funded training that has emerged to characterise the industry. The implications and contributions to management history are examined

Against all odds! Why the ‘three darlings’ failed?

Although a plethora of research has examined the benefits of government support for stateowned enterprises, our understanding of how domestic support can become a source of liability is severely limited. In this paper, we develop a novel concept of “liability of domestic support” to articulate how government support for state-owned firms can create conditions for business failure to occur. Analyses of the cases of Air Afrique, Nigeria Airways and Ghana Airways led to the identification of factors which helped to create the conditions that allowed inefficiencies, mediocrity and incompetence inherent in state-owned organisations to thrive, which ultimately led to their demises