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PurposeAcross country and regional borders firms are faced with the question whether to address individual markets on a stand-alone basis or cooperatively. In order to support such strategic decisions, this paper aims to develop a decision framework accounting for the most relevant market dynamics affecting joint venture (JV) decisions, particularly in the truck industry. Moreover, the authors apply the framework to an expert Delphi and scenario approach to back a Western original equipment manufacturers (OEM's) JV decision in the truck industry in Russia. Based on country-specific projections structured along the globally applicable decision framework, the authors serve executives' individual information demand in an institutionally unique emerging market environment.Design/methodology/approachOnline real-time expert Delphi study; scenario analysis; and expert workshops were used in this study.FindingsAmong other insights, the results predict hard times for Russian OEMs as they will likely face strong foreign competition, leading to decreased sales volumes and market shares. Although some experts doubt the survival of several Russian truck manufacturers, the Delphi sheds light on possible strategic responses, including consolidation, cooperation or focusing on new markets. Based on the Delphi results and an additional expert workshop, we draw multiple scenarios addressing, particularly, uncertain aspects of the industry's development and their likely impact on the key stakeholder groups.Originality/valueAlthough there are some studies following a similar methodological approach as that in this study (von der Gracht and Darkow, 2010; Gnatzy and Moser, 2012), the authors break new ground in developing a JV-dedicated decision framework and applying it to a special emerging market industry setup.

One key challenge for consumers at the base of the pyramid (BoP) is access to products that could transform their livelihood, leading to nonconsumption as the dominant pattern. Previous studies have claimed that nonconsumption could be addressed with services offering access to goods without ownership. Drawing on expected utility theory, we conduct two experimental studies in rural India that provide the first empirical support for the idea that the availability of access-based services reduces nonconsumption at the BoP. Additionally, we show that this effect is explained by BoP consumers' expected utility assessment as reflected in their perception of access being more affordable and entailing less financial risk than ownership. We also demonstrate that access temporality, an important configurational variable for access-based service providers, affects the degree to which nonconsumption can be decreased. Compared to short-term access, BoP consumers perceive long-term access to be too similar to ownership in terms of affordability and financial risk, which causes them to refrain from purchasing. Overall, the results suggest that access-based services represent a viable alternative for addressing nonconsumption at the BoP. However, service providers should be aware that short-term access is required to gain acceptance among BoP consumers.

Unternehmen sind häufig mit ungünstigen institutionellen Gegebenheiten konfrontiert. Dabei handelt es sich entweder um institutionelle Zwänge, die unternehmerische Entscheidungen und Aktivitäten limitieren, oder um institutionelle "Lücken", d.h. unterentwickelte oder gänzlich fehlende Institutionen, die seitens der Unternehmen ausgeglichen werden müssen. In beiden Fällen ergibt sich die Frage, inwiefern Unternehmen auf solche äusseren Gegebenheiten reagieren können, in dem sie institutionelle Zwänge abschwächen und institutionelle Lücken umgehen oder füllen. Auf Basis einer gründlichen Analyse und Strukturierung der akademischen Literatur im Bereich des Managements und angrenzenden Fachgebieten bietet die vorliegende Dissertation einen fokussierten Überblick zu unternehmensseitigen Reaktionen auf institutionelle Zwänge und institutionelle Lücken. Des Weiteren werden zu diesen Reaktionen Umstände und Anwendungsgrenzen diskutiert sowie verschiedene Forschungsfragen und -felder identifiziert, welche für weiterführende akademische Untersuchungen vielversprechend erscheinen. Institutionelle Lücken sind in Schwellenländern eine besonders häufige und schwerwiegende Herausforderung. In diesen Ländern sind strategische Entscheidungen vor dem Hintergrund tiefgreifender Unsicherheit und Ambiguität zu treffen. Im Kontext der "organizational information processing theory" (OIPT) analysiert die Dissertation, inwieweit etablierte Entscheidungstheorien, organisatorische und prozedurale Ansätze einen Beitrag zum Umgang mit Unsicherheit und Ambiguität in Schwellenländern leisten können. Anschliessend wird das Potential zukunftsorientierter Delphi-Studien als Informationsverarbeitungs- und Entscheidungsunterstützungs-Methodik diskutiert und anhand von Fallbeispielen aus verschiedenen Branchen und Schwellenländern demonstriert. Im nächsten Schritt wird ein Experten-basierter Delphi-Szenario-Ansatz auf die russische

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a set of nine hypotheses linking four purchasing and supply management (PSM) practices directly to purchasing performance and indirectly to financial performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data in a global cross‐industry survey of 148 companies, combining primary interview and survey data with secondary data on firm performance, in order to minimize the impact of common method variance.FindingsSupport was found for eight of the nine hypotheses. In particular, a positive impact was found of cross‐functional integration and functional coordination on purchasing performance, and of purchasing performance on firm performance. Both talent management and performance management have a positive impact on cross‐functional integration and functional coordination. Talent management also has a direct impact on purchasing performance, in contrast to performance management.Originality/valueThe association of enhanced PSM maturity levels with financial performance metrics collected from secondary data sources provides robust empirical support for the stated but to this point largely untested positive impact of PSMmaturity on the firm's competitive position.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a model for upstream supply chain risk management linking risk identification, risk assessment and risk mitigation to risk performance and validate the model empirically. The effect of a continuous improvement process on identification, assessment, and mitigation is also included in the model.Design/methodology/approachA literature review is undertaken to derive the hypotheses and operationalize the included constructs. The paper then tests the path analytical model using partial least squares analyses on survey data from 162 large and mid‐sized manufacturing companies located in Germany.FindingsAll items load high on their respective constructs and the data provides robust support to all hypothesized relationships. Superior risk identification supports the subsequent risk assessment and this in turn leads to better risk mitigation. The model explains 46 percent of the variance observed in risk performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study empirically validates the sequential effect of the three risk management steps on risk performance as well as the influence of continuous improvement activities. Limitations of this study can be seen in the use of perceptional data from single informants and the focus on manufacturing firms in a single country.Practical implicationsThe detailed operationalization of the constructs sheds further light on the problem of measuring risk management efforts. Clear evidence of the performance effect of risk management provides managers with a business case to invest in such initiatives.Originality/valueThis is one of the first large‐scale, empirical studies on the process dimensions of upstream supply chain risk management.