Calin Gurau

Internet transactions and physical logistics: conflict or complementarity?

Every business can be described in terms of flows – both of materials and of information. Materials flow into the company, between activities within it, and in the form of finished goods and services from the company to its customers. Simultaneously, there are flows of information in the reverse direction that provide valuable data for the system: feedback from the marketplace in the form of customers’ orders, customer reaction, and information on needs and wants; flows of information within the company that provide data in the form of inventory schedules, production schedules, etc., and orders from the company to outside suppliers. In one sense the whole company and the market in which it operates can be regarded as a series of linkages and relationships, and the company’s operating efficiency can be seen to depend on how well these connections work. If the system can be made to flow smoothly, at minimum cost, then the chances are that the overall company performance, measured by any criteria, will be high. In practice, however, it is very common to find bottlenecks and poor integration between different parts of this system, with consequent unsatisfactory performance.

“To legislate or not to legislate”: a comparative exploratory study of privacy/personalisation factors affecting French, UK and US Web sites

The trade off between customer privacy and Web site personalisation is currently moving to the forefront of academic and practical debate in marketing. The new Internet applications allow marketers to develop detailed customer databases where personal information is connected with buying patterns, providing a detailed behavioural profile. The collection and use of the data is regulated differently in the European Union and the USA. While Europe considers it important to implement formal legislation for the protection of customers’ privacy rights, the US authorities consider privacy policy to be determined through voluntary regulation by industry. Considering these different approaches, the present study explores and compares the privacy/personalisation dimensions of French, British and US Web sites.

Internet-enabled distribution strategies

This paper investigates the effects of the Internet on the structure of the classical marketing channels. The advantages offered by the Internet have determined many companies to adopt different models of Internet-enabled distribution strategy. The choice and the implementation of these strategies will be influenced, as in the case of any other marketing channel, by the characteristics of the company, of its clients, and of the traded products. On the basis of an empirical study of 500 Internet commercial sites, the present paper identifies the models of Internet-enabled distribution strategy implemented by the Web-active companies, and then verifies four hypotheses related to the factors that influence the choice and implementation of a particular strategy.

On‐line messages: developing an integrated communications model for biotechnology companies

The Internet is rapidly changing the way in which information is displayed and accessed on a global level. Taking into consideration the new communication opportunities offered on line, businesses will be forced to alter both their internal and external communication strategies, and be prepared to flow with the changes. One of the sectors that can benefit from the global expansion of Internet communications is biotechnology. In order to understand the on‐line corporate communication model used by biotechnology companies, the Internet sites of 600 firms were accessed and analysed. The data presented highlight the type of on‐line messages, their function (marketing or PR oriented), the targeted audiences, and the level of on‐line interaction provided by the company’s site. Finally, the interpretation of results concludes with an integrated on‐line communication model for biotechnology companies.

Marketing on the Internet: observations within the biotechnology sector

Investigates the application of the Internet marketing and information exchange strategies in the Biotechnology sector. The Internet is particularly valuable in this context because not only does it offer instant information about products and services, but it also allows an interactive medium for value added activities such as “virtual” molecular modeling. This type of activity can foster important joint research operations between companies on a worldwide basis.

Corporate reputations in UK biotechnology: An analysis of on-line 'company profile' texts

Internet technology is creating a new corporate communications framework, which is affecting communication channels, corporate audiences, message content and form, communication feedback and corporate personae. Confronted with a complex communications environment, which is characterized by many conflicting views and highly sensitive topics, biotechnology companies have to transmit a clear and powerful message to their target audiences. This study analyses the projection of corporate images in the ‘company profile’ texts published on‐line by biotechnology firms in the UK.

The challenge of cyber-marketing planning and implementation

This conceptual paper revisits earlier research to outline contemporary thinking on the planning and implementation of cyber-marketing strategies and the implications for organisations in the post-Net era. It identifies in particular recent frameworks, which appear to offer insights into the complexities and uncertainties associated with critical channels and new mediums for proactive marketing approaches. The emphasis within the paper is on the effective implementation of strategies driven by electronic networks generated through the internet. The firm implementing a cyber marketing strategy will have to consider the fit between organisational systems, procedures and objectives and the new challenges raised by the online transaction channel.

Flexible risk management in new product development: the case of small- and medium-sized biopharmaceutical enterprises

Risk is a characteristic of innovative industries. The process of new product development in the biopharmaceutical sector is extremely dynamic and unpredictable, creating both risks and opportunities for the small and medium-sized enterprises. The survival and development of these firms is determined by their capacity to develop flexible, but effective responses to the challenges of the competitive environment. This study investigates the risk management procedures implemented by the UK biopharmaceutical SMEs, and the importance of flexibility for enhancing risk management in the new product development process. On the basis of the data collected and interpreted, the study proposes a multi-level model of flexible risk management approach for biopharmaceutical firms.

The impact of managers' experience on the internationalisation process: the case of UK biopharmaceutical SMEs

Companies internationalise as a result of many factors, internal and/or external. The most important internal factor is probably the expertise and the composition of the Top Management Team (TMT), which comprises the executive and the non-executive directors of the firm. Based on the analysis of primary and secondary data, this paper investigates the relationship between the expertise of TMTs in terms of international experience, geographical knowledge and professional competencies, and the evolution of the SMBEs internationalisation process in terms of speed of internationalisation, choice of foreign target markets and implementation of specific market entry strategies. On the other hand, the study aims to evaluate the influence of the companys profile on the level of international experience of the top management team, considering the firms size, type of activity and stage of development as additional variables.

Bio-entrepreneurship in different economic systems : a comparative analysis of bio-entrepreneurs' profile in UK, France and Germany

The challenges of bio-entrepreneurship are related to the specific characteristics of the biotechnology sector. However, the circumstantial conditions of businesses and the social environment in various countries might also shape the profile of a successful bio-entrepreneur. This paper attempts to identify and compare the main traits of a successful entrepreneur in three different European countries that have a well-developed biotechnology sector: UK, France and Germany. This paper also aims to propose a model of the required competencies for a successful bio-entrepreneur.