Previous reports have shown that some bacteria utilize a dissimilatory nitrate reductase enzyme (NR) in anaerobic environments. This enzyme reduces nitrate to nitrite and also has been shown to co-metabolize chlorate to cytotoxic chlorite. A commercially available competitive exclusion (CE) product was evaluated for its nitrate reductase activity and therefore its experimental chlorate product (ECP) sensitivity. Of the 29 constituent bacteria of the CE culture, 11 had slight utilization of NR, 3 had moderate utilization of NR; the remaining were NR negative (with slight and moderate utilization: >0.1 to < 1.0 mM and > 1.0 mM nitrate utilized within 6 h, respectively). In vivo studies utilizing CE and ECP showed significant reductions in Salmonella. Although some of the bacteria were affected by ECP, the combined effect of the CE culture and ECP were effective in reducing Salmonella. Clostridium perfringens (CP) is a pathogen in the commercial poultry industry, which is the etiologic agent of necrotic enteritis (NE). Day-of-hatch broilers were fed a wheat diet and assigned to the following groups: control, commercial coccidia vaccine, commercial bursal disease vaccine, or the combination of the two, and challenged with CP in order to develop a disease model. Broilers in each treatment group had significant increases (P≤ 0.05) in lesion scores, mortality, and CP incidence. As pressure mounts for discontinuing the use of antibiotics in the agriculture industry, it is important to develop new strategies to combat these costly enteric pathogens. In vitro investigations evaluated a mixed gut culture with CP and the ECP at 5 mM or a 10 mM concentrations, over time. By 3 h there was a reduction (P≤ 0.05) in the 5 mM ECP and 10 mM ECP treatment groups. In vivo studies showed significant reductions in the incidence of CP and populations of intrinsic E. coli in all of the chickens provided ECP in the drinking water. Birds administered ECP in the feed showed significant reductions in lesion scores, incidence of CP and also had reduced E. coli log10 values. These results show that an ECP could provide the industry with a new management tool for controlling NE.

Drawing insights from strategic management and international business literature, the present study develops an integrated model to explain the competitive actions between multinational firms in a global context. Accordingly, two research questions are addressed: What key factors explain the competitive actions of multinational firms? What key factors moderate the competitive tensions experienced by different pairs of multinational firms? Using structured content analysis to identify competitive actions, the empirical findings of the present study suggest that subsidiary control, MNE size, national culture, government regulations and multimarket contact are all likely to exert important impact on a multinational firm's motivation and capability to compete and therefore influence its competitive aggressiveness in foreign markets.

This study is to investigate the inter-relationship among risk recognition, marketing management of the school, and the competition advantages of the teaching staff at junior high schools in Kaohsiung County. The study object is the teaching staff at public junior high schools in Kaohsiung County. The number of valid returned questionnaires is 494, with a kickback rate of 95.0%. Since the formal questionnaires were collected, the data have been analyzed and tested by description statistics, t-test, single-factor ANOVA, Pearson movement correlation, typical correlation, and multiple-gradual transgression. According to the results of data analysis, the following conclusions are reached: 1. Teaching staff at junior high schools possesses favorable recognition of risk, among which ¡§risk of employees¡¨ is the best. 2. Marketing management at junior high schools is good, in which the category of ¡§staff strategy¡¨ is the best. 3. Competitive advantages at junior high schools are favorable, especially the category of ¡§quality.¡¨ 4. Male teachers who are at age 51 or above, hold concurrent jobs as section deans, and teach in remote areas have better risk recognition. 5. Male teachers who hold concurrent jobs as section deans, teach in remote areas, and whose schools have less than 12 classes have better marketing management. 6. Male teachers who are at age 51 or above, hold concurrent jobs as section deans, teach in remote areas, and whose schools have less than 12 classes have better competitive advantages. 7. The better the risk recognition of the teaching staff at junior high schools, the better their ability to carry out marketing management. 8. The better the risk recognition of the teaching staff at junior high schools, the better opportunity they have to boost their schools¡¦ competitive advantages. 9. The better the junior high schools¡¦ ability to carry out marketing management, the better opportunity they have to boost their schools¡¦ competitive advantages. 10. Both the channel strategies of schools¡¦ marketing management and personnel strategies toward schools¡¦ competition advantages have conspicuous predictability, and the channel strategies is especially useful in precisely predicting schools¡¦ competitive advantages. Based on the main findings and conclusions, some concrete suggestions are provided for school and educational administrative authorities concerned for future reference.

The cashmere industry is an important sector in Mongolia, and it has the potential to contribute to the growth of the economy and poverty alleviation. It provides income and employment for over a third of the population, and raw cashmere and cashmere products are the Mongolia¡¦s third largest official export products after copper and gold. Mongolia is the world¡¦s second largest producer of raw cashmere, producing over 20 percent of world supply next to the neighboring country China. Nevertheless, 55.9% of the raw cashmere is used for manufacturing finished and semi-finished products, the capacity utilization rate remains low at all stages of processing, and processing firms are losing their competitiveness. Firstly, through the review of related literature, this study finds out the key issues of cashmere industry in Mongolia. Then, based on Michael Porter¡¦s Diamond Model with AHP method, this study develops a hierarchical framework including a goal, criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives affecting the competitiveness of cashmere industry. Secondly, this study intended to develop questionnaires for experts including CEOs and managers from cashmere industry, government organizations, and research institutions. The main purpose is to find out the relations among the factors, and give them their weights of importance, and it points out its further competitive advantages of Cashmere Industry. As a result, 25 responses were received at the end of the survey. The collected data from the survey was analyzed through the AHP approach. We have calculated a composite weight to each factor and put the factors in order based on the weight that each factor has got. Our study suggests that the cashmere industry in Mongolia should further upgrade its working efficiency in order to create a more sustainable advantage. In addition, our results further confirm that a government can play a significant role in creating competitive advantages. Finally, on the basis of the above results, we proposed several policy recommendations for relevant organizations in order to help cashmere industry upgrade their competitiveness by increasing the capacity of producing more value added products.

<p>Nowadays many companies are interested to improve their production system. It has become important in globalize and competitive market for the survival. The companies are looking to their production systems in the different direction to get the competitive advantages. But the most important is to find out the problem of the production system to make improvements.</p><p>In this thesis, a part of the production system of a company is studied to find the problems of the production system to make the improvements and to recommend some points to the company for the achievements of its goals. For this purpose, the overall equipment effectiveness calculations have been used to see the current situation of the production system of the company. These calculations of the O.E.E. of the different production work stations make the clear picture of the problems. It calculates the availability of the production system which shows that maintenance system’s effectiveness. The quality rate calculations of the work stations show the conditions of the machines and the worker’s skill and the calculations of the performance efficiency of the work stations show the utilization of the machines. The result of this thesis after all the calculations of O.E.E. is that there is a problem in the utilization of the machines. Most of the time the machines remain idle or wait for the maintenance if it fails.</p>

BACKGROUND Exploring literature about corporate sustainability and cost leadership strategy and to study the collusion of the two concepts through the case of Ikea. AIM Researching whether firms can align corporate sustainability approach to doing business on the imperatives of a cost leadership strategy. The contribution aims to provide guidance on choosing appropriate sustainability activities within the context of cost leadership strategy. Furthermore, it should be noted that this paper sets out to analyze the compatibility between sustainability and cost leadership remaining/gaining competitiveness. METHODOLOGY The study regards Ikea’s implementation of sustainable business practices through a mixed method, via informal interview, bottom-employees survey and secondary data. FINDINGS Companies having a deep understanding of sustainability can achieve to conciliate their efforts toward sustainability with their cost leadership strategy. KEYWORDS Corporate sustainability, cost leadership strategy, triple bottom line, maturity phase, challenges, competitive advantage

The understanding of competitive strategy as it is presented in scientific literature by many scientists is being analyzed in the master’s work. The theoretical presumption of competitive acquisition is analyzed. Following the methodology of strategy formation proposed by R. Jucevičius, G. T. Palubinskas, A. Vasiliauskas, the competitive strategy formation model of financial enterprises is prepared which consists of the analysis of external and internal environment, preparation of competitive strategy, evaluation and implementation. Appealing to the competitive strategy formation model in the financial enterprise, the competitive strategy of Joint Stock Company „Hansa Lizingas” which functions in Lithuanian leasing market, has been formed. Modeling the competitive strategy of Joint Stock Company „Hansa Lizingas” the PEST model was used to evaluate the external environment, and the analysis of competitive environment was carried out. Evaluating the competitive ability of the company, SWOT and internal section analysis were applied. The manager of the Joint Stock Company ����Hansa Lizingas” was interviewed.

Effective internal communication is an important factor for organizational success. Organizations need to evaluate and improve their internal communication especially in an increasingly difficult and competitive economic environment. In this regard, measurement instruments enable organizations to monitor communication effectiveness of internal communication systems (Ruck &amp; Welch, 2012). The focus for this study will be the concept of internal communication within an organization. In order to establish and identify the purpose of the study a literature review was        performed that examined the existing research within the field.The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the effectiveness of internal communication from the employee perception at the logistic department of Electrolux. Three research questions were then conducted in order to answer the purpose. The study has been conducted through a case study in the form of in-depth interviews. The study was carried out through 11 interviews with employees from the logistic department of Electrolux Laundry System AB in Ljungby. In the current business environment a formal way of strategically handle the              communication that is practiced within an organization is needed in relation to higher competitive advantage. The study reveals that Electrolux logistic center is not practicing this in any higher degree in accordance to the theory of effective communication. No clear goal regarding communication or measuring communication was identified. In accordance to this practical managerial implication was concluded based on these findings. The presented research model done was suggested to be developed as a further research

ABSTRACT This research is about identifying the characteristics or success profiles of professionals working in the turnaround industry. The turnaround industry possesses a number of dynamic capabilities in processes, positions, resources and paths that are unique to its industry. The firms that compete in the turnaround industry serve their clients, the dying organizations, by using a mix of these dynamic capabilities. While these dynamic capabilities are seen as the turnaround firms’ “secrets of success,” they have over time evolved into “best practices.” This commoditization of best practices in the turnaround industry has created a need for turnaround firms to search for a competitive advantage. Specifically, this advantage is identified in the literature as the skills, knowledge, and experience of the turnaround professional. These unique characteristics of the turnaround management professional (TMP), see appendix C for a complete definitions of terms, have been accounted for in the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) certification process called the Certified Turnaround Professional, or CTP. One of the TMA’s goals is to establish professional work standards and guidelines and to regulate the industry. While a noble effort, this focus takes the “competitive advantage” away from the turnaround organization and standardizes it into the “best practices” arena via “certified” professionals leaving these organizations to compete on size and location alone. Evidence from a focus group, case research interviews, and two different surveys, suggests that there is a profound difference in the effectiveness of TMPs beyond the knowledge, skill, and experience levels identified as one of the core components of dynamic capabilities theory. This evidence led to the investigation of psychometric profiling as a method to measure the distinct success profiles of these “highly successful” TMPs, or Most Valuable players (MVP). Measuring the thinking style (cognitive reasoning ability), work motivation, personality behaviors, and occupational interests of MVP s, has led to the discovery of a success composite. The findings of this research suggest that MVP s score higher on this composite than do other TMPs who were identified as “low performers”, or Least Valuable Players (LVP), as well as non-turnaround managers, executives, and business professionals in general. It is postulated that by using this composite score in hiring, training, and promoting turnaround professionals, a turnaround firm will obtain a competitive advantage in their industry and generate higher success for all stakeholders. Resultantly, the researchers have uncovered a critical gap in the dynamic capability theory surrounding the construct of human capital. Evidence suggests that psychometric profiling is an acceptable and, indeed, important measure of the value of human capital.

Business processes and information technology are two areas that are very closely related to the sustained competitive advantage in organisations. However, investment in information technology often leads to disappointment, which may in part be due to the non-alignment of the information system domain with the business process domain. Simulation modelling is an established technique often used in business process change projects, as it allows a comparison of different possible scenarios without the expense of physically implementing the system. However business process simulation fails to effectively capture the information systems perspective in the model. This thesis contends that by combining information systems modelling techniques with business process simulation the model will be able to capture all the four perspectives (functional, behavioural, organisational and informational) of an organisation, and the design of the business processes and the information system will be better aligned. Initially, attempts were made to integrate business process simulation with computer network simulation in a simple two- or three-layered simulation model, but this gave rise to significant problems the most significant being the underlying assumptions of the original hypothesis. This led to a refined hypothesis in which the layered models were discarded along with the network domain. The revised hypothesis aimed to capture the informational changes that occur in the information system and therefore combines prototyping with business process simulation. This overcomes the unsafe assumptions of the initial hypothesis about whether the system is 'correct' and provides a method of validating the design of the information system within the context of the business processes. The integrated model allows concurrent design of the information system domain and the business process domain and therefore ensures that the domains are better aligned. The framework is tested on a case study and the results indicate that it is an effective tool in the combined design of business processes and information systems.