Editorial

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Competitiveness Review, Volume 26, Issue 2

We are pleased to introduce the papers selected from the 7th Annual EuroMed Academy of Business Conference held in Verona, Italy (September, 16-18th, 2014), to be published in this issue of competitiveness review. These papers have been selected related to their subject linked to the competitiveness of companies and institutions from different countries and then submitted to a double-blinded review process. These papers cover different industries such as high education, oil, truck, tourism and furniture.

The first paper, entitled “Evaluation of the national higher education system’s competitiveness: theoretical model” (Stonkienė M., Matkevičienė R., Vaiginienė E.), is theoretical. It aims to present a model analyzing the competitiveness of the higher education system based on application of M.E. Porter’s diamond model for the research of the competitiveness of the national higher education system. The application of the selected model provided factors for assessment of the performance of higher education institutions and their performance, the ability of higher education institutions to monitor the environment and, depending on the changes in the environment, to introduce internal changes.

The second paper is related to the competitiveness of Russian regional oil complexes (Belyaeva Zh.S. Krivorotov V.V., Kalina A.V., Yerypalov S.E.). The authors develop a specific assessment methodology and competitive development strategies that could be implemented within the framework of a scenario approach. They choose a case study of the oil complex of the Republic of Udmurtia that has yielded competitiveness assessment forecast for a variety of development scenarios up until 2025. A methodology of competitiveness assessment is proposed as a result of the analysis of the two cases.

The third paper is “Radical innovation of a business model, an action research case study: Is business modeling a key to understand the essence of doing business?” (Philipson S.). Based on an action research within ABB Truck Sweden, the author shows how fundamental the concept of business model is to understanding the nature of the business, and how issues like “strategic fit”, “dominant logic”, “sustainable competitive advantage”, “structural capital” and “knowledge management” are part of such an understanding. She proposed a concept for “business model” and highlighted the importance of “tacit knowledge” in business model innovation.

The next paper is focused on the competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector and its potential to attract German tourists (Topolansky Barbe F., Gonzalez Triay M., Häufele C.). The authors assess the competitiveness of the Uruguayan rural tourism sector in comparison with their main competitors Argentina and Brazil. They also evaluate the potential of Uruguay as a rural tourism destination in attracting German tourists. Conducting a quantitative study, the findings indicate that the main strengths of Uruguayan rural tourism are the hospitality and friendliness of local people; the natural and cultural attractions; and the country’s security and safety. Therefore, the main weakness was the poor management of several destination components.

The final paper draws attention to the market potential and determinants for eco-smart furniture products attending consumers of the third age (Papadopoulos I., Trigkas M., Karagouni G., Papadopoulou A., Moraiti V., Tripolitsioti A., Platogiann E.). Based on a large-scale questionnaire in Greece, this study highlights the importance for managers to focus on third-age smart and green furniture because of their significant interest in purchasing green and smart furniture (GSF) and their willingness to pay an extra amount than the regular price. The authors identified also the most important factors in purchasing GSF, which are as follows: price, quality, functionality, safety and ergonomics, as well as type of raw materials.

To conclude, we hope you will find, through this issue, the papers inspiring and interesting. We would like to thank the journal’s editorial team and staff. We do appreciate the time and efforts of all authors who contributed their valuable suggestions to all the papers submitted.

Dorra Yahiaoui, Department of Management, Kedge Business School, Marseille, France, and

Hela Chebbi, EDC Paris Business School, Courbevoie, France

About the Editors

Dr Dorra Yahiaoui is a Professor of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior at Kedge Business School. She holds a PhD in Management from the University of Lyon III, France, and is a co-chair of the research group Human Resource Management at EuroMed Research Business Institute (EMBRI). Her research is mainly focused on the international transfer of HRM practices, transnational innovation and comparative CSR practices, and she has published in a number of international refereed journals. Dorra Yahiaoui can be contacted at: dorra.yahiaoui@kedgebs.com

Dr Hela Chebbi is a Professor of Strategic Management at EDC Paris Business School. She is also Head of the OCRE research center (Observatoire et centre de recherche en entrepreneuriat). After a masterˈs degree in International Management, she obtained her PhD in Management at IAE-Lyon III University. Dr Chebbi is carrying out many research programs in two fields: innovation/intrapreneurship and transnational management.