Jay Weerawardena

Networking capability and international entrepreneurship: How networks function in Australian born global firms

Purpose – International entrepreneurship (IE) is a new field of multi‐disciplinary enquiry that has its origins in the research on born globals. Within international marketing the concept has attracted the attention of researchers examining the factors driving small‐ and medium‐size firm internationalisation. These small, rapidly internationalising, entrepreneurial new ventures have recently both challenged and fascinated scholars and practitioners. While IE researchers are beginning to call for a broadening of the field of IE enquiry, this research continues the focus on the special breed of small firms, the born globals. We do this to deepen our understanding of IE, and focus on networking in born globals to attempt to develop richer insights directed towards establishing more in‐depth understanding and more robust theoretical frameworks.Design/methodology/approach – Relationships and networking have been important in internationalisation studies for some time, and for small firms in particular are of i...

The role of marketing capability in innovation-based competitive strategy

In recent years there has been a considerable debate on the role of marketing in competitive strategy. Marketing researchers argue that one way of marketing making a more significant contribution to the theory and practice of strategy is by explicit articulation of marketing capabilities. The new research agenda must explore the role of distinctive marketing capabilities as they relate to innovative and entrepreneurial firm behaviour. However, the literature on the role of marketing capabilities in competitive strategy has been limited. Similarly there have been inadequacies in the conceptualization and operationalization of innovation and sustained competitive advantage constructs. This paper presents the results of a study that examines the role of marketing capabilities in innovation-based competitive strategy. Results suggest that marketing capabilities influence both the innovation intensity and sustained competitive advantage of the firm. The research contributes to strategic marketing theory and practice by developing, refining and validating measures of entrepreneurship, marketing capabilities, organizational innovation and sustained competitive advantage.

Exploring the role of market learning capability in competitive strategy

It has been argued that a firms capacity to learn from its market is a source of both innovation and competitive advantage. However, past research has failed to conceptualize market‐focused learning activity as a capability having the potential to contribute to competitive advantage. Prior innovation research has been biased toward technological innovation. However, there is evidence to suggest that both technological and non‐technological innovations contribute to competitive advantage reflecting the need for a broader conceptualization of the innovation construct. Past research has also overlooked the critical role of entrepreneurship in the capability building process. Competitive advantage has been predominantly measured in terms of financial indicators of performance. In general, the literature reflects the need for comprehensive measures of organizational innovation and competitive advantage. This paper examines the role of market‐focused learning capability in organizational innovation‐based competitive strategy. The paper contributes to the strategic marketing theory by developing and refining measures of entrepreneurship, market‐focused learning capability, organizational innovation and sustained competitive advantage, testing relationships among these constructs.

Examining the role of international entrepreneurship, innovation and international market performance in SME internationalisation

Purpose – The current study aims to examine the role of international entrepreneurship and innovation in small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) internationalisation, also touching on the role of the firm size as a proxy of resources in the SME internationalisation process. The study seeks to look at these issues in the context of manufacturing firms, arguing that entrepreneurial SMEs pursuing international market entry undertake organisational innovation, which in turn enables such firms to achieve higher marketplace performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper was based on the development and administration of a self‐completed survey of 302 managers.Findings – The results suggest that international SMEs differ from non‐international SMEs in terms of international entrepreneurship, organisational innovation intensity and firm size.Research limitations/implications – The cross‐sectional research design and the regional nature of the sampled firms may limit the generalisability of the findings. The m...

Learning, Innovation and Competitive Advantage in Not-for-Profit Aged Care Marketing: A Conceptual Model and Research Propositions

ABSTRACT The rapid expansion and the increased commercialization of the elderly consumers market have forced not-for-profit organizations (NFPs) to adopt a competitive posture in their operations and to pursue innovative ways of delivering superior aged care to the target market. This paper attempts to model the antecedents of innovation-based competitive strategy in NFPs. Premised on the capability-based model of sustained competitive advantage and incorporating the emerging concept of social entrepreneurship, it is argued that entrepreneurial NFP organizations, in their mission to create social value to multiple stakeholders, build and nurture distinctive learning capabilities that enable them to formulate innovative strategies for superior aged care delivery. Key theoretical constructs within the model are explored and research propositions are presented.

Advancing entrepreneurial marketing: Evidence from born global firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to advance the domain of entrepreneurial marketing (EM) responding to the challenge to EM scholars to more fully develop EM as a school of marketing thought. The paper seeks to argue that the context of the born global firm is an appropriate and novel context in which to undertake this research.Design/methodology/approach – The need to examine the processes of EM justifies the use of case study method. In total, nine born global firms, located in the three most populous states in Australia: Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, were selected for study. The firms were drawn from hi‐tech and low‐tech industry sectors, and included online businesses, in an attempt to capture maximum theoretical variation.Findings – The analysis identifies the four key strategies of entrepreneurial marketing as comprising opportunity creation, customer intimacy‐based innovative products, resource enhancement and importantly, legitimacy. These core strategies of EM are identified by m...

Gendered perceptions of experiential value in using web‐based retail channels

Purpose – This paper compares the experiential consumption values that motivate consumer choice to purchase online for both male and female purchasers and non-purchasers. Design/methodology/approach – Using the theory of consumption value the study examines gendered perceptions of the functional, social and conditional value of using a virtual consumption setting for purchasing. Data was collected through an online survey and analysed using multiple discriminant analysis to determine meaningful differences between male and female purchasers and non-purchasers. Findings – The findings show that male online purchasers are discriminated from female purchasers by social value and from male non-purchasers by conditional value. Female purchasers are discriminated from male purchasers by functional value and from female non-purchasers by social value. Female non-purchasers are discriminated from female purchasers by conditional value. Male non-purchasers are discriminated from male purchasers by functional and social value. Research limitations/implications – Limitations include using an Internet survey and an Australian sample which may impact the generalisability of the findings to a wider population of Internet users. Future research should involve replication of the study in a country more or less developed in terms of gender composition of internet users to extend the generalisability of the findings. Additionally, researchers should examine whether other dimensions of consumption value,such as social influence through on- and off-line communication networks, may influence consumer choice to purchase online. Practical implications – The study provides practical implications for marketers to leverage consumption values that influence male and female consumers’ choice to purchase online and then drive their behaviour online through integrated marketing campaigns that involve both on- and offline strategies. Originality/value – The research makes an original contribution to the consumer behaviour literature as to date, no research has been found that undertakes such a comprehensive gender-based comparison of the perceived value of using a virtual consumption setting for purchasing.

Competitive Strategy in Socially Entrepreneurial Nonprofit Organizations: Innovation and Differentiation

Social entrepreneurship has attracted an increasing volume of research in an attempt to understand the basis of successful value creation aimed at solving social problems. In an effort to advance social entrepreneurship research beyond its current focus on conceptualizing the concept, this article addresses the role of innovation in achieving greater social impact. Using multiple theoretical case studies, this research finds that innovation-based competitive strategies of socially entrepreneurial nonprofit organizations substantially contribute to the achievement of social value. Innovation-based strategies are uniquely characterized by a primary focus on differentiation, with innovations directed at product, process, and system change levels. They tend to actively involve both externally and internally focused learning. Nonprofit organizations’ innovation strategies are strongly influenced by their organizational characteristics, in particular the need to build sustainable organizations. The article concludes with implications for theory and practice and directions for further research.

Branding in the non-profit context: The case of Surf Life Saving Australia

Whilst brand management as a specific sub-field of marketing management is well developed in business research, it is still an emerging area in non-profit organisations. Non-profit organisations are faced with distinct brand challenges, which include issues related to multiple stakeholders in managing the brand and the need to negotiate partnering and sponsorship arrangements. Newly established non-profit organisations can begin their organisational development with strong branding strategies, however many established non-profit organisations have a strong brand heritage, which requires special preservation, renewal and extension strategies. This paper uses a case study methodology to examine the branding issues in Surf Life Saving Australia, a volunteer community beach safety organisation that holds a unique position in the Australian community and cultural psyche, which nevertheless must continually renew and extend its brand heritage in order to achieve its evolving organisational objectives. While the organisation is unique, the paper identifies issues in stakeholder brand management and brand preservation, renewal and extension with wider theoretical and practical implications for non-profit organisations and contemporary perspectives on branding.

New Service Development and Competitive Advantage: A Conceptual Model

Abstract During the last decade the literature on new service development (NSD) has increased in significance, reflecting the rapidly increasing contribution of services to the economy. A growing number of researchers suggest that NSD leads to service firm competitive advantage. However, the literature on NSD-based competitive strategy is fragmented. This paper attempts to model the antecedents of NSD-based competitive strategy. Specifically, the framework presented in this paper argues that entrepreneurial intensity, distinctive learning capabilities and NSD comprise key components of a model that examines the role of NSD in gaining sustained competitive advantage in service firms. Key theoretical constructs within the model are explored and research propositions presented.