Yes / The international business literature has mainly focused on the impact of top managers' psychological attributes on firms' strategic decisions. However, the potential moderating influence of industry conditions such as competition has not been well explored. Deriving insights from the regulatory focus and upper echelons theories, this paper extends the international business and regulatory focus literature by investigating how the impact influence of CEOs' regulatory foci on firms' degree of internationalization depends on the intensity of competitive market conditions. Using primary data gathered from 289 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana, the findings of the study revealed when competition is intense in the domestic market, the potency of a CEO's promotion focus as a driver of internationalization is amplified. In addition, the research shows that intense domestic market competition weakens the negative influence of a CEO's prevention focus on a firm's degree of internationalization. These findings have important research and managerial implications for international business.

Yes / Despite the growing research on the influence of stakeholder integration on organizational outcomes, our understanding of the specific firm-level conditions that may mediate the relationship between stakeholder integration and financial performance is lacking. Using primary data gathered from 233 small and medium-sized enterprises in Ghana, we found empirical support for our contention that the link between stakeholder integration and financial performance is mediated by a firm’s environmental sustainability orientation. In addition, our study demonstrated that competitive intensity moderates the indirect relationship between stakeholder integration and financial performance in such a way that the indirect effect through environmental sustainability orientation is stronger for higher levels of industry competition. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications of these findings.

According to the United States Government’s Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS), in 2016 the Government awarded contracts worth over $472 billion. While the majority of these contracts were for products, the Government spends an average of over $76 billion per year on professional services. Roughly 28 percent of these funds go to small businesses, as classified by the Small Business Administration. Supporting Government contractors, several firms provide nearly complete market information on Federal Business (FedBiz) contract opportunities through Data as a Service (DaaS) offerings. Such services create a unique environment where nearly complete information about upcoming opportunities is available to anyone for a price. Businesses need to understand the value of such data services and ask questions about how best to use them. This gives businesses a very unique information resource in a very unique market and should cause firms to adapt by developing new and different ways to become more profitable. The goal of this research is to provide conceptual insights into the impact of FedBiz DaaS on the Government marketplace itself and on the resource mix of Government contractors. The results of this research show that businesses that adopt FedBiz DaaS increase revenue and win more contracts. Implementation of FedBiz DaaS resources leads to an improved Competitive Position for a company; changes to staffing, roles, and processes for a company’s Organizational Capabilities; and changes to the Competitive Intensity of the overall marketplace. / Business Administration/Strategic Management

Yes / Although scholars have recognized that alertness is critical in identifying and exploring opportunities, empirical studies exploring when alertness drives innovation are lacking. Drawing insights from the cognitive and contingency perspectives, the current study addresses this gap in by arguing that variations in firm product innovativeness is a function of degree of entrepreneurial alertness and levels of internal firm capabilities and environmental conditions. Data were collected from from 385 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. This study used the hierarchical regression estimation technique to analyses the data and found that a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurial alertness and firm product innovativeness. Moreover, the findings showed that entrepreneurial alertness is beneficial for firms to innovate when pressures from customers and competitors are intense. Finally, the results revealed that stronger market information sharing and technological opportunism also amplify the alertness-innovativeness relationship.

Yes / Research shows that big data analytics capability (BDAC) is a major determinant of firm performance. However, scant research has theoretically articulated and empirically tested the mechanisms and conditions under which BDAC influences performance. This study advances existing knowledge on the BDAC–performance relationship by drawing on the knowledge-based view and contingency theory to argue that how and when BDAC influences market performance is dependent on the intervening role of disruptive business models and the contingency role of competitive intensity. We empirically test this argument on primary data from 360 firms in the United Kingdom. The results show that disruptive business models partially mediate the positive effect of BDAC on market performance, and this indirect positive effect is strengthened when competitive intensity increases. These findings provide new perspectives on the business model processes and competitive conditions under which firms maximize marketplace value from investments in BDACs.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between market orientation and business performance mediated by marketing resources and moderated by contextual factors. The study also examined the extent to which the conceptual model was a good fit to the sample data. A quantitative approach was used to test if there was a significant relationship between market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. For the purpose, a cross-sectional survey was carried out to obtain data pertaining to market orientation, marketing resources, contextual factors and business performance. The unit of analysis of the study was banks consisting of 3 public and 15 private banks. A sample size of 507 consisting of 492 branch managers and 15 top level marketing managers was used in the survey. With a response rate of 87.97%, 446 questionnaires were collected of which 377 were used for data analysis. A SEM was used to test the extent to which the theoretical model fits the sample data. Mediation analysis was used to test the indirect effect of market orientation on business performance and hierarchical regression analysis was used to test whether the relationship was moderated by market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation. Finally, an independent t – test was used to examine the statistical variations between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the modified model was fit with the observed data in terms of chi-square and the individual indices. The total effect of market orientation on business performance was moderate with a 0.36 regression coefficient. The indirect effect was high with a 0.91 regression coefficient where complete and inconsistent mediation was found due to suppression effect. The moderation analysis revealed that the interaction effect of market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation was not statistically significant. Finally the result showed that there was a statistically meaningful difference between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. Banks in Ethiopia shall strive to segment the market, differentiate their services, and build a strong brand with clear identity. Banks in Ethiopia shall also build on their marketing resources to enhance their business performance. / Business Management / D.B.L.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between market orientation and business performance mediated by marketing resources and moderated by contextual factors. The study also examined the extent to which the conceptual model was a good fit to the sample data. A quantitative approach was used to test if there was a significant relationship between market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. For the purpose, a cross-sectional survey was carried out to obtain data pertaining to market orientation, marketing resources, contextual factors and business performance. The unit of analysis of the study was banks consisting of 3 public and 15 private banks. A sample size of 507 consisting of 492 branch managers and 15 top level marketing managers was used in the survey. With a response rate of 87.97%, 446 questionnaires were collected of which 377 were used for data analysis. A SEM was used to test the extent to which the theoretical model fits the sample data. Mediation analysis was used to test the indirect effect of market orientation on business performance and hierarchical regression analysis was used to test whether the relationship was moderated by market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation. Finally, an independent t – test was used to examine the statistical variations between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the modified model was fit with the observed data in terms of chi-square and the individual indices. The total effect of market orientation on business performance was moderate with a 0.36 regression coefficient. The indirect effect was high with a 0.91 regression coefficient where complete and inconsistent mediation was found due to suppression effect. The moderation analysis revealed that the interaction effect of market dynamism, competitive intensity, and government regulation was not statistically significant. Finally the result showed that there was a statistically meaningful difference between public and private banks in terms of market orientation, marketing resources, and business performance. Banks in Ethiopia shall strive to segment the market, differentiate their services, and build a strong brand with clear identity. Banks in Ethiopia shall also build on their marketing resources to enhance their business performance. / Business Management / D.B.L.