The main objective of this study was to explain top management perceptions of industry and firm effects on firm performance through the mediation of competitive advantage in financial service firms operating in a regulated industry in a developing Ethiopian economy. The resource-based and industry-based views, constituting the two main schools of thought explaining performance variations among firms, were used as theoretical foundation of this study. Porter’s five-forces framework was used during this process. The researcher employed a post-positivist paradigm using a cross-sectional survey design. A total of 27 financial service firms (15 banks and 12 insurance firms) that had functioned for three and more years were selected for the study. The unit of analysis was ‘firms’, while respondents were top level managers with a total target population of less than 300. A census survey rather than a sample survey was undertaken. A total of 287 survey questionnaires were distributed (banks 180 and insurance industry 107), of which 215 were collected from 26 firms (15 banks and 11 insurance firms). Of the questionnaires 206 were properly completed leading to a valid response rate of 71%. These were used for the data analysis. A variance-based PLS-SEM approach, which is relevant to evaluate the predictive effects of the industry and firm factors on firm performance, was used to explain the hypothesized model using SmartPLS 2.00 software as well as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program. The assessment of the hypothesized model indicated that the R2 result on firm performance variance due to the combined industry effects and firm effects was 39%, indicating a moderately significant predictive accuracy of the model. The relative direct effect size (f2) of the industry on firm performance was 3%, while firm had a direct effect size of 2%, which was small. The combined indirect relative predictive accuracy of industry and firm effect sizes on firm performance through competitive advantage was high at 27%. This was driven by the relative substantial predictive power of firm effect on competitive advantage (f2 = 65%). Furthermore, the predictive capability (Q2) assessment result of the model indicated that both industry and firm effects had a 23% relevant predictive power on firm performance. The direct relative measure of the predictive relevance (q2) value of industry effect (q2 = 0.02) on firm performance was relatively higher than that of the firm effect (q2 = 0.01). Competitive advantage had a relative predictive power of 0.12, which was driven by the direct relative predictive capability of firm effect (q2 = 0.25) on competitive advantage. The overall assessment results of the structural model revealed that the model had satisfactory statistical power to predict the hypothetical research model. The hypothesis that industry effects had an influence on the performance of financial service firms was not supported. The result indicated that industry effects had a positive and non-significant relationship with firm performance, which points to competitiveness in the financial services industry. These results were achieved against the tenets of Porter’s five-forces framework. The hypothesis that firm effects had a positive predictive effect on firm performance was also not supported, indicating that resources and capabilities do not directly lead to improved firm performance. The direct effect of competitive advantage on firm performance was supported. The mediating effect of competitive advantage between industry effects and firm performance was not significant, while the mediation of competitive advantage between firm effects and firm performance was highly significant. The findings of this study revealed that firm effects were relevant through the mediation of competitive advantage in explaining performance variances among financial service firms, operating in a strictly regulated industry. The relative predictive power of firm effect on competitive advantage was high. Firm resources, particularly intangible resources and dynamic capabilities, are the key predictors of firm performance indirectly through the mediation of competitive advantage. Such an advantage may not last long given the excessive supervision and regulations that exist and the fact that firms are being dictated to by the government to comply with its strategic direction as opposed to pursuing their own firm specific strategies. Such practice could encourage competing financial firms to converge and pursue similar types of strategies and encourage imitations to gain short term competitive advantage and superior performance. This finding contradicts the fundamental premise of the resource-based view and firm heterogeneity even though it tentatively supports the argument made by Foss and Knudsen (2003) who argue that heterogeneity is not a necessary condition to gain competitive advantage and superior firm performance. Financial service firms should not only develop and manage their resources and capabilities, but they should also monitor the changes in the industry. This finding highlights the fact that firms can create competitive advantage and enjoy superior performance in a closed and regulated industry. The findings of this research make a significant contribution to the existing debate on the resource-based and industry-based views in explaining the causes of firms’ performance variations specifically in a regulated environment. / Business Management / D.B.L.

The main objective of this study was to explain top management perceptions of industry and firm effects on firm performance through the mediation of competitive advantage in financial service firms operating in a regulated industry in a developing Ethiopian economy. The resource-based and industry-based views, constituting the two main schools of thought explaining performance variations among firms, were used as theoretical foundation of this study. Porter’s five-forces framework was used during this process. The researcher employed a post-positivist paradigm using a cross-sectional survey design. A total of 27 financial service firms (15 banks and 12 insurance firms) that had functioned for three and more years were selected for the study. The unit of analysis was ‘firms’, while respondents were top level managers with a total target population of less than 300. A census survey rather than a sample survey was undertaken. A total of 287 survey questionnaires were distributed (banks 180 and insurance industry 107), of which 215 were collected from 26 firms (15 banks and 11 insurance firms). Of the questionnaires 206 were properly completed leading to a valid response rate of 71%. These were used for the data analysis. A variance-based PLS-SEM approach, which is relevant to evaluate the predictive effects of the industry and firm factors on firm performance, was used to explain the hypothesized model using SmartPLS 2.00 software as well as the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program. The assessment of the hypothesized model indicated that the R2 result on firm performance variance due to the combined industry effects and firm effects was 39%, indicating a moderately significant predictive accuracy of the model. The relative direct effect size (f2) of the industry on firm performance was 3%, while firm had a direct effect size of 2%, which was small. The combined indirect relative predictive accuracy of industry and firm effect sizes on firm performance through competitive advantage was high at 27%. This was driven by the relative substantial predictive power of firm effect on competitive advantage (f2 = 65%). Furthermore, the predictive capability (Q2) assessment result of the model indicated that both industry and firm effects had a 23% relevant predictive power on firm performance. The direct relative measure of the predictive relevance (q2) value of industry effect (q2 = 0.02) on firm performance was relatively higher than that of the firm effect (q2 = 0.01). Competitive advantage had a relative predictive power of 0.12, which was driven by the direct relative predictive capability of firm effect (q2 = 0.25) on competitive advantage. The overall assessment results of the structural model revealed that the model had satisfactory statistical power to predict the hypothetical research model. The hypothesis that industry effects had an influence on the performance of financial service firms was not supported. The result indicated that industry effects had a positive and non-significant relationship with firm performance, which points to competitiveness in the financial services industry. These results were achieved against the tenets of Porter’s five-forces framework. The hypothesis that firm effects had a positive predictive effect on firm performance was also not supported, indicating that resources and capabilities do not directly lead to improved firm performance. The direct effect of competitive advantage on firm performance was supported. The mediating effect of competitive advantage between industry effects and firm performance was not significant, while the mediation of competitive advantage between firm effects and firm performance was highly significant. The findings of this study revealed that firm effects were relevant through the mediation of competitive advantage in explaining performance variances among financial service firms, operating in a strictly regulated industry. The relative predictive power of firm effect on competitive advantage was high. Firm resources, particularly intangible resources and dynamic capabilities, are the key predictors of firm performance indirectly through the mediation of competitive advantage. Such an advantage may not last long given the excessive supervision and regulations that exist and the fact that firms are being dictated to by the government to comply with its strategic direction as opposed to pursuing their own firm specific strategies. Such practice could encourage competing financial firms to converge and pursue similar types of strategies and encourage imitations to gain short term competitive advantage and superior performance. This finding contradicts the fundamental premise of the resource-based view and firm heterogeneity even though it tentatively supports the argument made by Foss and Knudsen (2003) who argue that heterogeneity is not a necessary condition to gain competitive advantage and superior firm performance. Financial service firms should not only develop and manage their resources and capabilities, but they should also monitor the changes in the industry. This finding highlights the fact that firms can create competitive advantage and enjoy superior performance in a closed and regulated industry. The findings of this research make a significant contribution to the existing debate on the resource-based and industry-based views in explaining the causes of firms’ performance variations specifically in a regulated environment. / Business Management / D.B.L.

Notre travail porte sur les ressources et les connaissances professionnelles des professeurs. Nous nous intéressons en particulier à l'enseignement du nombre à l'école maternelle et considérons le cas des ressources technologiques. Concevoir et mettre en oeuvre un enseignement ayant recours à ces ressources d'une manière qui favorise les apprentissages est complexe et implique sans doute des évolutions dans les ressources, les pratiques et les connaissances professionnelles des professeurs. Notre thèse s'intéresse précisément à saisir ces évolutions et les moteurs de ces évolutions. Nous mobilisons l'approche documentaire du didactique qui nous permet d'envisager l'intégration des ressources technologiques dans le système de ressources des enseignants. Nous articulons à cette approche la notion d'orchestration et analysons les délicates gestions didactiques des ressources technologiques et de ressources tangibles dans les classes de maternelle. Notre travail s'inscrit dans un projet de conception de ressources (projet Mallette, groupe MARENE). Nous suivons sur une durée longue le travail documentaire de deux professeures impliquées dans ce projet.Nous proposons une « plongée » au coeur de la documentation de ces deux professeures. Nous mettons en évidence les articulations entre un système de ressources général et un système de ressources local, lié à l'enseignement du nombre. Nous développons les notions de ressources indispensables et pivots pour penser ces liens. Nous proposons d'y articuler la notion de blocs de ressources situées. Notre étude permet également d'identifier de nouvelles orchestrations spécifiques de l'école maternelle. Elles sont liées à des connaissances professionnelles et des ressources partagées par les professeurs exerçant dans ce contexte (importance de la manipulation en mathématiques, ressources tangibles). Cette étude met en relief des genèses documentaires différentes chez les deux professeures suivies. Nous montrons l'existence de genèses dynamiques dans lesquelles s'entrelacent des processus d'instrumentalisation et d'instrumentation portant sur la conception et la mise en oeuvre d'un enseignement impliquant les ressources technologiques, mais aussi plus largement portant sur l'enseignement du nombre. L'observation des élèves et le collectif sont des moteurs essentiels dans le déploiement de ces genèses. / Our research focuses on kindergarten teachers' resources and professional knowledge. We examine how numbers are taught, particularly with technological resources. Designing and implementing teaching units with these resources, in a fruitful way, is complex, and probably implies that these resources, along with teachers' practices and professional knowledge, evolve. We notably attempt to grasp these evolutions and their impetus. Our theoretical framework mainly refers to the documentational approach of didactics, that allows us to observe how technological resources are integrated in teachers' resource systems. We link up with this approach the notion of orchestration, and analyse the fine didactic management of technological and tangible resources in kindergarten classes. Our study lies within the framework of the research group MARENE, a project on the designing of resources and of the follow-up of their use. Thus, we follow the long-term documentation work of two teachers involved in this project.We propose an « immersion » at the core of these two teachers' documentation activity. We highlight how a general resource system is articulated with a local resource system on the teaching of numbers. We develop the notions of essential ressources and of pivotal resources in order to examine this articulation. We propose to join another notion to these, the notion of set of situated resources. Our research also makes us identify new specific orchestrations at kindergarten school. These are deeply linked to professional knowledge and to resources shared by teachers working in this context (importance, in mathematics, of manipulation, of tangible resources) . We bring out differentdocumentational geneses among the two teachers we follow. We show the dynamic geneses in which the instrumentalisation and instrumentation processes overlap, when it comes to the designing and implementation of lessons including technological ressources, but also, in a broader perspective, as regards the teaching of numbers. The observation of pupils and the collective are essential incentive for the unfolding of these geneses.