Angelo A. Camillo

A Strategic Investigation of the Determinants of Wine Consumption in China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine consumer characteristics, buying behaviour, and the factors that influence the Chinese wine consumer.Design/methodology/approach – The study applies qualitative and quantitative methodology, together with a literature review and a strategic environmental scan of the Chinese wine market and consumer behavior.Findings – Consumer education, wine‐related activities, channels of communication, taste, country of origin, quality, and price rank are found to be important factors influencing the buying and consumption behavior of Chinese consumers.Research limitations/implications – Results suggest that there is a need for stakeholders to develop and implement informational and educational marketing strategies to educate and inform consumers in ways that reflect their needs and expectations according to demographic characteristics.Practical implications – The challenge for the stakeholders will be to: penetrate this emerging market to establish presence and captu...

Recruiting, Retention, and Succession Planning of Accountants: An Investigation of the Determinants of Career Choice for Accounting Students

The accounting profession has attracted students for decades and copious studies have been conducted on the topic of career choice and the factors that influence the decision to pursue a career in the field of accounting. All firms across industries need accountants whether on staff or partially outsourced, and each firm is faced with the challenging task of recruitment, retention, and succession planning of accountants. The task encompasses finding the right candidate for the job, with proper qualification and motivation who can support the long-term growth and prosperity of the firm. Educational institutions are challenged in enrolling, and retaining students who choose the major and a career in accounting however a rather high attrition rate concerns all stakeholders. While many students complete their degree and continue their career in accounting, others choose otherwise. This study investigates the determining factors that influence a student to pursue a study and a career in accounting seen from different angles: from the accounting students’ point of view, from the practitioners in the field, and from the educators’ perspective. The results offer the stakeholders a fresh view by taking into consideration all environmental factors both intrinsic and extrinsic that influence a person in the decision making whether to pursue a career in accounting. Not surprisingly monetary reward is not the top influential factor instead: career advancement opportunity, prestige, fulfillment of psychological needs, social status, job security, higher earning potential, low variability of income ease of access to job opportunity, choice to work for large or small companies, job are available across industries and in desired geographic location are among the chief factors that have a significant influence in the career choice of a student pursuing a career in accounting. The results of the study will benefit all stakeholders in the recruitment, retention, and succession planning strategy of accountants.

Consumer Attitudes and Perceptions towards Western Cuisine: A Strategic Investigation of the Italian Restaurant Industry in Malaysia

This study investigates consumer attitudes towards Italian cuisine in Malaysia. The popularity of Italian cuisine continues to shape the global evolution of Western-ethnic cuisines. Simplicity, taste, and food preparation of Italian cuisine stimulates new restaurant creation. This study uses in-depth analysis of research literature together with a strategic environmental scan and structured interviews. The results show that high prices, doubts regarding authenticity, and Muslim concerns regarding pork dishes create uncertainty among Malaysian consumers. These negative perceptions could dampen growth in the Italian cuisine sector. The study contributes to strategic marketing, entrepreneurship, and tourism related studies and practitioners in the field.

Creating Competitive Advantage for Calabrian-Made Products: The Influences of Culture and Price Perception

The purpose of this article is to investigate the influence of culture on consumers’ price perception of local products as well as the creation of competitive advantage for local firms. In particular, we analyze the locally produced goods of the Calabrian region in southern Italy. The research methodology is based on qualitative approach and quantitative approach. The results of the study offer important insights into consumers and firms. Since the firm has a better understanding about the role of culture and its effect on consumer perception, it will be able to adjust or improve its pricing policy and thus achieve consumer satisfaction and retention and gain competitive advantage to increasing sales. In this study we introduce specific cultural factors, such as the image and tradition of Magna Græcia culture. Although substantial research on the influence of cultural factors on consumer’s perception exists in the field of consumer research, this study further contributes to the literature by acting as a catalyst for future scientific enquiries in this important area.

Strategic Management and Crisis Communication Interdependence in the Global Context: A Preliminary Investigation

This research discusses the topic of communication in general with emphasis on managerial communication and crisis interdependence from a strategic management perspective within the global context. This study illustrates the severity of the consequences that firms can suffer due to lack of preparedness, poor planning and coordination of communication, and crisis management and their interdependence when an event occurs. The study uses the recent credit cards data breach of major US retailers. The result of a qualitative inquiry confirms that communication and crisis are interdependent and must be strategically planned and managed with clear policies in place. Such a strategy can prevent potential negative effects in the firm and lead to success. Strategic management is about survival in the hypercompetitive business world. Management must, therefore, prepare and decide when and how to act to prevent dealing with unexpected events.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship Development in the Accommodation Sector: The Case of the “Albergo Diffuso” (Diffused Hotel) in Italy

This paper investigates the concept of “Albergo Diffuso” a new form of sustainable development within the tourism and lodging industry. The authors analyze its main characteristics and discuss its future development and sustainability practices. The analysis includes an assessment of the Albergo Diffuso concept with that of a standard hotel to determine if and how this emergent concept differs from the conventional accommodation by looking at its distinctive features. A data collection through structured interviews with Albergo Diffuso owners in a focus group setting was conducted. Overall, the authors identified the main characteristics of the Albergo Diffuso: it offers similar and unique amenities of a typical hotel brand, it contributes to the creation of new sustainable enterprises, and it contributes to the development of new sustainability policy for marginal regions. They also evaluated the challenges and opportunities this new entrepreneurial concept faces. Sustainable Entrepreneurship Development in the Accommodation Sector: The Case of the “Albergo Diffuso” (Diffused Hotel) in Italy

Medtronic, Inc.: Competitor’s Strategic Audit, A Case Study

With a mission to alleviate pain and restore patients to full health, Medtronic, Inc., created in 1949, produces a wide range of medical equipment to treat chronic diseases such as heart failure, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Following its creation, Medtronic had significant growth and expansion in Europe, Africa, Canada, Cuba, and Australia. However, in 1962 the company found itself on the verge of bankruptcy. Fortunately, it was able to receive a cash infusion by a capital firm, which helped turn the company around. By 1977, the company was selling in over 70 countries. From 1985 to 2006 it had a dynamic compounded growth rate of 18 percent. Again, the success did not last, and in early 2010 the company’s stock value plummeted. In June of 2011, Omar Ishrak was hired as the new CEO to turn the company around.

The Home Depot: A Competitor’s Strategic Audit, A Case Study

The Home Depot, Inc. (Home Depot) was founded in 1978 by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank with the help of investment banker Ken Langone and merchandising expert Pat Farrah. The vision was of a one-stop shopping location for the do-it-yourselfer, and the idea materialized with the opening of the first two Home Depot stores on June 22, 1979, in Atlanta, Georgia. The first stores, each at around 60,000 square feet and carrying an inventory of over 25,000 items, were far larger than the average hardware stores of the time. However, the idea was not new in Europe. In 1962, Heinz-Georg Baus, a resident of Mannheim, Germany, had the idea of bringing all hardware specialty stores together under one roof. He had been looking for tools and building materials, and was continually frustrated by having to drive to numerous stores to find what he needed. The same year, he opened the first store called Bauhaus in Mannheim, with an inventory of about 25,000 products in a building measuring about 2, 691 square feet. Today, the German company has over 250 stores in 17 European and Near-Eastern countries (Bauhaus, 2014). Sixteen years later, Home Depot revolutionized the home improvement industry in North America by bringing the know-how and the tools to the consumer, and saving them money in the process.

The Glocalization of International Firms: An Empirical Investigation in the Hospitality Sector

A relatively recent term that has come into favor by shedding light on the transformative processes of globalization has been “glocalization.” In a narrow sense, glocalization has come to suggest the interplay between the global and the local dynamics in order to produce unique kinds of political, social, and economic relations. Several studies suggest that the intersection of global strategies and local elements produces the source of a durable competitive advantage in the case of multinational firms. However, little research has empirically investigated the ways in which multinational firms are able to successfully apply a glocal approach in order to obtain superior performance.

Gender and motives for accountancy

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether some motives for the choice of an accounting career, disproportionately stronger among women than among men, explain disproportionately more women (60 percent) than men (40 percent) in the accounting profession. Design/methodology/approach - – The ordered probit model is used to analyze online survey data of approximately 580 responses collected from members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Findings - – This study finds three reasons why more women (than men) enter the accounting profession: locational freedom, social status, and income stability. Women who choose accounting as a career value these three offered by accounting more than do men who choose accounting as a career. These findings represent mainly those of older CPAs (who are older than 50). The finding related to social status is reversed in the case of younger CPAs. Research limitations/implications - – The papers findings may be limited to some extent because the authors investigate only three motives for the choice of an accounting career. Also, the online survey data may not be generalized to the entire CPA population. Originality/value - – The hypothesis that relates motives for the choice of an accounting career to more women in the accounting profession is carefully derived using Bayes’ theorem. This hypothesis is tested by the ordered probit method.