Recent literature on economic geography suggests the emergence of a new theory of advantage for the 21st century - constructed advantage - following absolute, comparative and competitive advantage theories in the previous three centuries. However, current definitions and descriptions of this construct suffer from conceptual ambiguity and unclear distinstion from former theories, in particular competitive advantage. This study attempts to clarify current knowledge of the concept of constructed advantage at the regional level and extend it to the organizational level. The main question addressed by the present study are: 1) What is "Constructed Advantage?" and 2) What are the differences between construcyed advantage and competitive advantage? These research questions are "what-type"questions, reflecting the exploratory nature of this study. The present study is grounded in a chronological review of the four refered theories of advantage, drawing from different bodies od literature - internatioal economics, industrial economics, industrial marketing and purchasing, and economic geography. For that purpose, the bibliography was carefully selected and analysed, without directly refering to data collection and analysis. Thus, this research is exclusively theoretical. A structured view of the theories of advantage is proposed. These theories are arranged according to an integrative matrix model with two dimensions, relating four centuries of advantages theories. Industrial marketing and purchasing proponents see business relationships as a network of suppliersand customers, thus suggesting a distinction between supply and demand, the two dimensions of the matrix. Economic goegraphers and strategists argue in favor of a more dynamic approach to the "construction" of advantage, which suggests the existence of a static-dynamic dichotony. Given this model, we then redefine constructed advantage. This study concludes with a discussion of implications (...)

<p>Research Questions: Is the usage of existing IT/IS in SCM just a necessity or a key factor contributing to their success for Company BETA?</p><p>Purpose: The purpose of our thesis is to describe how a successful distributor like Company BETA manages their supply chain activities, then to analyze and discuss their performances as well as the IT support on their operations.</p><p>Method: We conducted qualitative research. Our main primary data came from the interviews with employees of Company BETA while our secondary data was collected from literature books, websites, and database. The data was gathered and analyzed in the light of our literature review.</p><p>Conclusion: Company BETA’s existing IT/IS is not the main factor contributing to their success. There are more possibilities in the markets nowadays and more importantly, Company BETA could have considered and leveraged their IT/IS better.</p>

Background The market together with the demands on companies are ever-changing and it has for long been a growing trend for companies to work in a responsible way towards its society, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR gives the opportunity of improving a company‟s brand image, but it has yet to been explored which dimensions of the well known- and cited CSR pyramid, that affect brand image among consumers. Purpose To explore how consumers brand image of companies are affected by companies‟ CSR activities.Methodology The thesis was conducted by a qualitative case study, through focus groups. Conclusion To be able to gain brand image from the work of CSR, companies have to work above the line of what is expected by society‟s consumers. The economic and legal dimensions have to be fulfilled, but they do not independently create a strong brand image. Philanthropic, and partially ethical CSR activities however, provide the possibility of a strengthened brand image.

Research Questions: Is the usage of existing IT/IS in SCM just a necessity or a key factor contributing to their success for Company BETA? Purpose: The purpose of our thesis is to describe how a successful distributor like Company BETA manages their supply chain activities, then to analyze and discuss their performances as well as the IT support on their operations. Method: We conducted qualitative research. Our main primary data came from the interviews with employees of Company BETA while our secondary data was collected from literature books, websites, and database. The data was gathered and analyzed in the light of our literature review. Conclusion: Company BETA’s existing IT/IS is not the main factor contributing to their success. There are more possibilities in the markets nowadays and more importantly, Company BETA could have considered and leveraged their IT/IS better.

在台灣經濟的發展上中小企業一直扮演著關鍵性的角色，至今仍舊是維持台灣競爭力的一股強大力量，隨著企業的成長，許多中小企業逐漸轉型成為大型企業，然而卻依舊保持著小企業的經營格局或心態，潛藏著經營發展上的危機。本研究的主要目的即是針對台灣中小企業，探討其在不同的條件資源基礎或產業環境下，如何建構其策略優勢，並瞭解在企業發展的同時，會產生那些成長障礙，並探討其背後發生的原因。 　　本研究之研究目的包括： 　　1. 不同型態的中小企業，是如何利用其特質、產業特性或企業能力，選擇其策略重點，進而創造其策略優勢？ 　　2. 中小企業在發展過程中為何產生成長障礙？與企業特質、產業特性、企業能力或策略作為間的互動關係為何？ 　　本研究在研究模式上採行個案分析的探索性研究方法。以個案公司訪問與次級資料蒐集資訊的方式，來進行研究主題的探討。本研究個案公司主要以符合在產業相對規模為中小企業者，共計樣本數為七家公司。 　　本研究探討「策略優勢」與「成長障礙」的推論模式基礎在「策略優勢」方面有三，包括「企業特質－策略作為－策略優勢」、「產業特性－策略作為－策略優勢」、「策略作為－企業能力－策略作為－策略優勢」。在「成長障礙方面」有四，包括「企業特質－成長障礙」、「產業特性－成長障礙」、「策略作為－企業能力－成長障礙」、「策略作為－成長障礙」。 　　本研究的主要研究發現如下： 　　一、個案研究結果 　　本研究針對中小企業策略優勢的成因進行個案探討，主要的研究結論如下： 　　1. 創業資源、網路關係、企業主性格意向、組織規模，以及產業特性是形成中小企業策略優勢的來源，其中以創業資源為最主要的因素。 　　2. 中小企業創業者或企業主掌握產業技術與know-how是形成策略優勢的來源。 　　3. 中小企業主的企圖心是形成中小企業策略優勢的主要來源。 　　4. 中小企業透過網路關係掌握業務來源，創造競爭優勢。 　　5. 中小企業因為規模小而產生的經營彈性，可以創造市場競爭優勢。 　　6. 中小企業掌握產業特性，發展策略，可以形成競爭優勢。 　　本研究針對中小企業成長障礙的成因進行探討，主要的研究結論如下： 　　1. 創業資源、企業主性格意向、組織規模，以及產業特性是形成中小企業成長障礙的來源，其中以企業主性格意向為最主要的因素。 　　2. 中小企業在創業初期都將市場視為優先考慮的重點，而忽略了對人員的培養，使得人才不足成為發展上的障礙。 　　3. 中小企業主能順利從老闆的角色轉換到管理者的角色，是突破成長瓶頸的關鍵。 　　4. 中小企業主企圖心是否能持續維持，是影響企業未來發展的重要因素。 　　5. 中小企業主注重關係導向，許多中高階職務都由創業成員擔任，無法利用職位升遷的誘因來激勵非創業初期的新進員工，以致無法留住人才。 　　6. 中小企業通常專注於其擅長的工作部份，且此方面的能力愈累積愈強，組織規模擴大後，其他企業能力的不足會造成成長上的障礙。 　　7. 外在競爭環境的改變會形成中小企業成長上的障礙。 　　二、研究過程的其他觀察 　　本研究的其他觀察包括： 　　1. 中小企業透過策略作為所累積的企業能力，多為功能性的能力，較少為策略能力，此與一般中小企業主或創業者缺乏策略思考能力有關。 　　2. 中小企業的企業特質與策略優勢及成長障礙間有較密切的關係，形成策略優勢的因素，往往也是成長障礙的來源。 　　3. 網路關係代表中小企業運用外部資源的能力與意願，對中小企業而言通常可以帶來正面的利益，較少產生負面的影響。 　　4. 中小企業組織規模小可以創造許多大企業所沒有的優勢，但在「創業資源」結構特別複雜時，即使組織規模小，也較難發揮其規模小的優勢。

企業必須因應環境的變化而做出適當的策略決策，只有不斷加強自己核心能力，並且提出正確的策略的企業才能夠面對大環境的改變而不被淘汰。如今企業必須面臨的改變，來自環境氣候變遷而延伸出的政府與環保團體更多的要求、綠能科技的進步、消費者對綠色產品的喜好等趨勢。在這樣的外部環境下，企業除了被動地減少污染之外，其實還有更多創新的可能性藏著環境策略的背後，提早準備的企業將可以運用這些策略，建立更長久的競爭優勢。 本研究整理環境管理策略的相關研究，從歷史、能力與生態系統三個觀點分析企業環境管理思維的變化，進而提出三階段的論點：第一階段為產品（製程）改善、第二階段為價值共創，最後一階段為模式創新，這是一個由內而外的過程，先從企業內部本身的產品與製程改善做起，再結合外部其他不同產業的公司共創更高的價值，最後經由技術更新或事業再編而達成模式創新改變整個產業的遊戲規則。 為了應證三階段的管理思維演進，本研究針對美日各選擇一家領導企業：奇異電器和日立集團，作為討論的個案。美國與日本的領導企業面對的是最競爭的第一線戰場，對於環境管理有許多先進的觀點，但美日企業文化的不同，也造成兩家企業在環境管理上的差異。藉由三階段的觀點分析兩家個案公司在環境管理思維的做法，本研究期望可提供未來產業及後續研究者一個關於環境管理的做法與方向。