MERCOSUR Union, Porter's Diamond and the Competitiveness of the Uruguayan Broiler Industry

This study focuses on the analysis and assessment of competitiveness within the Uruguayan broiler industry. Porter's (1990) 'national diamond' was selected as the appropriate framework for analysis and was applied to the six major Uruguayan broiler firms. This research reveals that the unique characteristics of the Uruguayan broiler industry are successfully accommodated within the selected framework to explain the success of the broiler industry against other meat substitutes. Therefore, this study has confirmed Porter's (1990) diamond system as an adequate conceptualization of success in the Uruguayan broiler industry. These results are consistent with those found in the existing literature, lending support to the view that Porter's (1990) model seems to be applicable to developing countries such as Uruguay. However, some modifications of the model are required to fully explain the progress of this industry. This research project presents an adaptation of Porter's (1990) 'diamond' to the singularities of the firms investigated in this study. This study opted for an industry-level case study research strategy that is operationalized through in-depth personal interviews with owner directors and managers in six of the seven possible organizations within Uruguay. This is augmented by further data collection (additional interviews) through sources in government and market relevant bodies in order to generate information on the national context. The selected research method showed its utility for the investigation of weaknesses and strengths within the Uruguayan broiler industry. These findings were used to accomplish the second objective of this research which was to elaborate policy recommendations out of the primary and secondary collected data that would help Uruguayan broiler firms to compete with international broiler firms in a regional economic block (MERCOSUR) without barriers

Can Social Capital and Psychological Capital Improve the Entrepreneurial Performance of the New Generation of Migrant Workers in China?

The new generation of migrant workers may play a crucial role in boosting China’s rural economy. With the rise of knowledge economy and the advent of the information age, it is difficult for human capital and economic capital alone to gain advantages in entrepreneurship. Thus, the study of social capital and psychological capital becomes more prominent. Within this context, this paper explores the relationships among entrepreneurs’ psychological capital, social capital, and entrepreneurial outcomes for the new generation of migrant workers in the Shaanxi province. This study uses a quantitative research approach. Primary data were collected from 525 rural households in the Shaanxi province. A structural equation model is used to verify the association between social capital, psychological capital, and entrepreneurial performance. The psychological capital of the new generation of migrant workers is found to exert a more significant impact on their entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial environment perception than social capital. Both entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and entrepreneurial environment perception of the new generation of migrant workers are conducive to the improvement of entrepreneurial performance. Nevertheless, the intermediary role of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition is more prominent than entrepreneurial environment perception

The competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector and its potential to attract German tourists

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector against its main competitors from Argentina and Brazil, as perceived by Uruguayan stakeholders on the supply side. The paper will also evaluate the potential of Uruguay as a rural tourism destination in attracting German tourists. Design/methodology/approach – Two different questionnaires were administered, one to Uruguayan rural tourism stakeholders and another one to potential German tourists in Germany. Findings – The findings indicate that the main strengths of Uruguayan rural tourism offer, compared to Argentina and Brazil, are the hospitality and friendliness of local people, the natural and cultural attractions and the country’s security and safety. Main weaknesses identified were the poor management of several destination components that are key to create a successful tourism destination and poor management of the “demand conditions” component of Dwyer and Kim’s (2003) integrated model. Originality/value – There is very limited research done on the competitiveness of Uruguay as a rural tourist destination in attracting foreign tourists (Mackinnon et al., 2009). The objective of this study is to partially fill this gap by assessing how competitive Uruguayan rural tourism is and evaluating whether Uruguay represents an attractive market for German tourists looking for agro tourism and farm holiday destinations. The German market was chosen because it is one of the top tourist-generating countries and one of the biggest spenders in international tourism (The World Tourism organization, 2010). Moreover, most tourists – from outside South America – selecting Uruguay as a tourist destination come from Germany, USA and Australia (Peralta, 2012)

Can Bio-labels help companies to gain competitive advantage in the organic food market in Germany?

Consumers’ attitudes towards food underwent large changes in Germany. This has resulted in an increase of demand for organic food. However, some analysts claim that the organic food market in Germany might be maturing. Within this context, this paper has two main objectives: first, to explore the attitude of German consumers towards organic food and bio-labels; and second to identify potential areas for improvement to help organic food companies to become more competitive. This study used a quantitative research approach. 627 German consumers completed the survey. The results of this study indicate that there is potential for the organic food market to carry on growing. Findings have also revealed that a large percentage of participants do not trust some bio-labels. Trust and brand recognition are the most important factors that have helped Bioland and Demeter to develop a competitive advantage against other labels

An Exploratory Research of the Potential Strategic Benefits of Specialising in Riesling Grape: A Case Study from the Niagara Wine Region

Abstract The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate the current business strategy of the Niagara wine region and to explore the potential of the Niagara wine region to specialise in Riesling grape variety. Questionnaires were administered to a range of different types of experts with a specialty in wine. Quantitative data from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario supplemented the core interviews. The results of this study indicate that differentiation through specialisation is the best strategy to develop the Niagara wine region. However, the structure of the wine industry encourages wineries to produce a vast array of grape varieties to cater to the needs of the domestic market. This has resulted in a loss of identity for the region. Though because Niagara Riesling is differentiable, world class, the most consistently awarded grape and unreproducible elsewhere, it is the prime candidate to become the representative grape for the region. By developing the Niagara style of Riesling and focusing on exporting small amounts of the variety, the region would benefit by developing an identity and increasing consumer confidence and sales. Keyword

Does the Conventional Paradigm help to Analyze the Competitiveness of an Industry?

Literature on strategic management has been recently criticised for not being able to explain the success of a number of companies. Within this context, this paper has two main objectives: first, to assess whether one of the most comprehensive strategy models, Porter’s diamond (1990) remains valuable to analyse the competitiveness of the Zimbabwean aquaculture industry; and second to produce recommendations to improve the competitiveness of the Zimbabwean tilapia industry. This study uses an intensive research approach, by means of in-depth personal interviews with stakeholders from the selected industry. The results of this study indicate that 26 years after its development, Porter’s diamond remains a valuable tool to analyse the competitiveness of the Zimbabwean aquaculture industry. Findings have revealed that the main strengths of the Zimbabwean tilapia industry are the availability of natural resources and labour costs. Main weaknesses identified through Porter’s framework are: lack of access to capital; lack of access to technology; lack of skilled workers and lack of adequate infrastructure. The findings of this research make a contribution to the existing literature by extending the discussion on the suitability of conventional theory to explain firm competitiveness. To date no other research has been carried out in relation to the development of tilapia aquaculture in Zimbabwe

Can Bio-labels help Companies to Gain Competitive Advantage in the Organic Food Market in Germany?

Consumers’ attitudes towards food underwent large changes in Germany. This has resulted in an increase of demand for organic food. However, some analysts claim that the organic food market in Germany might be maturing. Within this context, this paper has two main objectives: first, to explore the attitude of German consumers towards organic food and bio-labels; and second to identify potential areas for improvement to help organic food companies to become more competitive. This study used a quantitative research approach. 627 German consumers completed the survey. The results of this study indicate that there is potential for the organic food market to carry on growing. Findings have also revealed that a large percentage of participants do not trust some bio-labels. Trust and brand recognition are the most important factors that have helped Bioland and Demeter to develop a competitive advantage against other labels

Understanding Consumer Behaviour to Develop Competitive Advantage: A Case Study Exploring the Attitudes of German Consumers towards Fruits with Cosmetic Flaws

Worldwide, there is a great contradiction when it comes to food waste. On the one hand, it is estimated that up to 40 % of the globally produced food is lost or wasted every year, on the other hand about 925 million people suffer from malnutrition. In addition, food production has to be increased by 70 % to feed a population of 9 billion people in 2050. Due to these estimations, it becomes increasingly important to start initiatives to reduce food waste and its impact on natural resources. One reason why fruits and vegetables are wasted in developed countries is aesthetic standards set by retailers. Aesthetic standards regulate the shape and appearance of fruits and vegetables. Retailers have set these standards based on the assumption that consumers are only willing to buy fruits and vegetables without any cosmetic flaws. The result is that produce which are misshapen are sorted out in advance and go to waste. Within this context, this paper has two main objectives: first, to explore the attitudes of consumers towards fruits and vegetables with cosmetic flaws; and second, to unveil how these attitudes influence consumers’ purchase intentions. A survey was conducted for this research in order to investigate whether this food waste is avoidable or not. A total of 213 participants from Germany took part in the survey. The results of this research indicate that consumers in Germany are potentially willing to buy misshaped fruits and vegetables and have a positive attitude towards them. However, the degree of willingness and the attitude of consumers depend on the price of the product and on the type of cosmetic flaw. Based on the assumption that consumers are willing to buy misshaped fruits and vegetables, retailers have the possibility to take responsibility and ease their aesthetic standards for an additional offer of misshaped products. This Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative would create environmental and social benefits as well as economic benefits for the retail sector

The competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector and its potential to attract German tourists

The purpose of this paper is to assess the competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector against its main competitors from Argentina and Brazil, as perceived by Uruguayan stakeholders on the supply side. The paper will also evaluate the potential of Uruguay as a rural tourism destination in attracting German tourists. Design/methodology/approach – Two different questionnaires were administered, one to Uruguayan rural tourism stakeholders and another one to potential German tourists in Germany. Findings – The findings indicate that the main strengths of Uruguayan rural tourism offer, compared to Argentina and Brazil, are the hospitality and friendliness of local people, the natural and cultural attractions and the country’s security and safety. Main weaknesses identified were the poor management of several destination components that are key to create a successful tourism destination and poor management of the “demand conditions” component of Dwyer and Kim’s (2003) integrated model. Originality/value – There is very limited research done on the competitiveness of Uruguay as a rural tourist destination in attracting foreign tourists (Mackinnon et al., 2009). The objective of this study is to partially fill this gap by assessing how competitive Uruguayan rural tourism is and evaluating whether Uruguay represents an attractive market for German tourists looking for agro tourism and farm holiday destinations. The German market was chosen because it is one of the top tourist-generating countries and one of the biggest spenders in international tourism (The World Tourism organization, 2010). Moreover, most tourists – from outside South America – selecting Uruguay as a tourist destination come from Germany, USA and Australia