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Strategy as practice is one of the most vibrant approaches to strategy research. Yet, there is significant ambiguity around what characterizes an activity as strategic and thus as falling into the domain of strategy as practice. In this article, we address this fundamental concern by differentiating four distinctive views of what qualifies activities as strategic: (1) activities that have important consequences, (2) activities that are labeled strategic, (3) activities carried out by strategists, and (4) activities that perform an important recurrent pattern. Each of these views is associated with different research questions resulting in different research insights. We discuss how the four views together form a new research framework that expands the notion of strategy and thereby the research domain of strategic management. Managerial Summary: Strategy as practice is an important approach to studying strategic management that focuses on strategic activities. However, there is significant ambiguity around what characterizes activities as strategic. In this article, we identify four different views on this question: (1) activities that have important consequences, (2) activities that are labeled strategic, (3) activities carried out by strategists, and (4) activities that perform an important recurrent pattern of activities. Each of these views is associated with different questions and thus with different types of insights. We suggest that the four views together form a research framework that reveals distinctive links between strategy as practice and other lines of strategy research and that expands our notion of strategy and thereby the domain of strategic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketing scholars wield untapped potential to expand research into the wellbeing of consumers with mental illness beyond existing clinical and medical perspectives, enriching the field with unique insights into consumer behavior, market dynamics, and strategic interventions. This scoping review maps over 50 years of research at the intersection of mental illness and marketing in business disciplines. We examine a corpus of 1064 peer‐reviewed journal articles using the population, concept, and context framework to integrate extant knowledge and identify research gaps. We present a comprehensive future‐facing research framework that highlights gaps at the consumer, market, policy, and society levels that marketing researchers are particularly qualified to investigate. Through a series of illustrative research directives, we highlight areas of opportunities for better understanding and addressing the interdependencies that exist within this complex and multidisciplinary domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lean Startup movement fundamentally changed entrepreneurial education and the way new ventures evolve. While Steve Blank and other founders of the movement embraced academic ideas, the movement grew among practitioners largely disconnected from academic entrepreneurship research. The purposes of this special issue are (1) to better connect Lean Startup practice to academic entrepreneurship research and (2) to advance theory regarding Lean Startup practices and their outcomes. After a brief and personal story of Lean Startup's beginnings by its founder, Steve Blank, the first set of papers in this special issue juxtapose Lean Startup with alternative approaches to new venture creation developed by scholars outside the influence of the Lean Startup movement. The second set of papers describe how Lean Startup might be contextualized for different unique situations. The third set dives into different Lean Startup practices to help researchers and practitioners think more deeply about decisions and trade-offs made during implementation of Lean Startup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the intersection between the lean startup methodology and research on business models. We note that both perspectives are anchored on a systematic approach to needs discovery and highlight the importance of value creation (vs. value appropriation). However, while the lean startup is centered on creating value for customers through discovery of product-market fit, research on business models concerns value creation for all stakeholders through establishing product-market-business model fit. We also discuss how the lean startup method informs research on business models and vice versa. We observe that the promise of applying lean startup to business models lies in probing the viability of new business models with an efficient and effective process. We find that business model research, in turn, can contribute to the lean startup methodology by (a) suggesting extensions to the method that derive from the holistic, system-level nature of the business model construct and (b) highlighting a range of specific experimental subprocesses, refinements, and tools that could be applied to refine the customer needs discovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the structure and collections in business archives in order to create a list of suggestions to better prepare researchers seeking historical business data prior to 1970. Four business archivists were chosen for interviews from a variety of industries. The article shares seven tips gained from the interviews, including getting to know what is housed or not housed in the business archive, looking for archives with museum arms, and considering the importance of legal permission as part of the process for utilizing business archives. The authors also explore how business librarians can better support the work of business archivists into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to squeeze some critical viewpoints from the shifting landscape of business research (she), that conceals her true personality. Today, she is relentlessly struggling to strike a good balance between science and creativity. Therefore, she resolves to pivot the scholarly attention towards "scientific creativity". Design/methodology/approach: Business research is personified in this viewpoint paper. By adopting the methodology of third-person omniscient, the author pens the introspections of contemporary business research, and how she would express herself in modern times if she were a living person. Findings: Business research introspects that she is suffering from the phenomena of "existential crisis" and "popularity fallacy" in contemporary times. Though she believes that the science of business research is evolving significantly, worries about becoming scientifically monotonous grip her in the dark of the nights. She laments the grim reality of today; studies of a similar nature dominate the research literature while the philosopher in her is fading gradually. Therefore, she calls for more "scientific creativity". She realises that solving societal problems must remain her foremost priority. However, she believes that her priorities towards society and world peace depend on whether she could revitalise the fading philosopher of personality. Originality/value: The current viewpoint paper is an attempt to shed some light on the landscape of contemporary business research, which is undergoing unremitting changes. It also highlights the desirable changes in the context of business research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a combination of co-citation and co-word analysis, this paper reviewed the intellectual structure of the sales ethics research domain and its development over time. This multi-method bibliometric analysis included 183 sales ethics articles published between 1990 and 2020. Using co-citation analysis, we identified intellectual clusters within the research domain and explored the evolution of these clusters across three decades. We further leveraged co-word analysis to identify core themes (keywords) and delineated the field's changing landscape. The evolutionary trends and keyword network disconnections (i.e., structural holes) suggest promising areas for future research. In particular, our analyses identified potentially fruitful opportunities related to topics such as compensation, relationship marketing outcomes, salesperson job attitudes and well-being, training, sales force control, and sales technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What makes business research seemingly irrelevant outside of the closed circle of academia? This question has been discussed and debated in various forms in academic circles. Concerns such as increased relevance, access, and better communication are routinely touted as the way forward. However, these recommendations are often targeted towards researchers rather than academic journals which have strict publishing requirements. This research explores the role of academic business journals, the key means of communication between research and practice, in contributing to the research-practice divide and, hence, research irrelevance. We analysed the journal requirements and guidelines for authors of top-rated business journals from research areas including management, marketing, accounting and finance and tourism. Factors related to article structure, content, writing style, focus on theoretical and practical implications, journal subscription methods and fees, as well as journal primary target audiences and contributors, were analysed and qualitatively coded. Our analysis suggests that journal guidelines and requirements inhibit research communication to practice and, hence, contribute to business research irrelevance. We provide various recommendations as a way forward to improve the 'rules of the game', and develop a publishing model that will allow business research to contribute to the challenges facing our planet, societies and businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time is gaining recognition as an important research perspective, yet the assumptions, concepts, and boundaries of this perspective vary greatly across different fields. This diversity suggests that time offers both significant depth and relevance as a lens for research. However, the diversity of approaches also harbors ambiguity and a lack of coherence, hindering scholars' ability to integrate insights and harness the full potential of time as a research lens. To address this issue, we review the diverse time-based assumptions, domains, and concepts in extant research. Our review reveals three dominant manifestations of the temporal lens: time as resource, time as structure, and time as process. We analyze and synthesize insights of the three lenses to offer an integrative framework to support future research. The framework informs and reveals opportunities for time-based research by foregrounding connections and contrasts among the lenses. Building on this framework, we discuss two principal pathways for future research: connecting the three lenses through the study of tensions at their interfaces, and enhancing the three lenses through the study of more complex conceptions of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We take a process perspective to review the literature on corporate responses to social activism and argue that theoretical advances have not kept pace with the extensive and expanding scope of the literature. We identify three critical assumptions in the literature, which we believe can be traced back to two overarching issues: a mechanistic conceptualization that ascribes limited reflexivity to managers and an overreliance on variance theorizing. In order to tackle these challenges and propel future research, we suggest a research agenda that revolves around an enhanced role for managerial reflexivity in theory development and a stronger emphasis on the process-oriented view of the relationship between activism and response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased incorporation of time, theoretically and empirically, has dramatically advanced our understanding of management. Trajectories, which describe longitudinal change in constructs using functions of time, have become one of management scholars' most widely used methodological tools to examine if, how, and why constructs change. Yet, despite the rapid growth of trajectory research, we lack a coherent framework for understanding how trajectories can be used to generate valuable insights into change-related work phenomena. In this article, we review more than two decades of trajectory research to develop a taxonomy that delineates the theoretical extensions offered by different trajectory-related research questions. In addition, although seminal method articles offered initial how-to instructions for conducting trajectory analyses, there has since been no systematic review of the methodological practices actually used in trajectory research. Our review distinguishes eight critical methodological choices required in every trajectory study, catalogs the frequency of methodological choices made in prior research, identifies problematic practices that persist, and offers actionable recommendations to develop rigorous trajectory research. Finally, we discuss eight pressing issues in current trajectory research, including several prominent practices that must be abandoned, and suggest how to avoid or minimize these concerns in future studies. Together, our review provides management scholars with an organizing platform for developing trajectory-related research questions and a comprehensive guide to rigorous study designs and analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the advancement, availability, and accessibility of bibliometric software and scientific databases in recent decades, bibliometric analysis has become increasingly popular in recent decades as a tool for evaluating and analyzing researchers' and research center collaborations. This rising popularity can be attributed to bibliometrics' ability to reveal patterns and quantify the productivity and influence of scientific publications using quantitative measures. By detecting citation trends and collaborations within scientific domains, bibliometric analysis seeks to assess the impact of academics' work. Additionally, bibliometrics helps academics and organizations make well-informed choices about financing, partnerships, and marketing. Bibliometric analysis not only helps academics monitor the influence of their own work over time, but it also helps them find new fields of research and possible collaborators.

Despite increased attention being given to Indigenous rights, decolonization, and reconciliation in a broader business setting, the engagement of business, marketing, and consumer studies with Indigenous cultures and peoples is negligible. Although Indigenous and First Nations peoples have a significant position in the social sciences, there is no specific body of marketing or consumer knowledge that is dedicated to Indigenous knowledge and practices, even though there is a growing interest in more inclusive and transformative marketing. This paper reports on current research on Indigenous worldviews and marketing, with a continuum of Indigenous research being presented which is particularly informed by Māori experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand. Several appropriate research methods for advancing Indigenous knowledge are presented. The paper concludes by noting the potential contributions that Indigenous knowledge may provide and some of the challenges faced.

Using a new trademark-based product market competition measure and a novel trademark-merger data set over the period 1983–2016, we show that companies facing greater product market competition are more likely to be acquirers. We further show that postmerger, compared to their nonacquiring peers, acquirers consolidate their product offerings by discontinuing more existing product lines and developing fewer new product lines. Using a quasi-experiment based on bids withdrawn due to exogenous reasons helps us establish the causal effect of deal completion on product-market consolidation. We conclude that acquisitions create product market synergies by cutting overlapping product offerings to achieve cost efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increased attention being given to Indigenous rights, decolonization, and reconciliation in a broader business setting, the engagement of business, marketing, and consumer studies with Indigenous cultures and peoples is negligible. Although Indigenous and First Nations peoples have a significant position in the social sciences, there is no specific body of marketing or consumer knowledge that is dedicated to Indigenous knowledge and practices, even though there is a growing interest in more inclusive and transformative marketing. This paper reports on current research on Indigenous worldviews and marketing, with a continuum of Indigenous research being presented which is particularly informed by Māori experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand. Several appropriate research methods for advancing Indigenous knowledge are presented. The paper concludes by noting the potential contributions that Indigenous knowledge may provide and some of the challenges faced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of the advancement, availability, and accessibility of bibliometric software and scientific databases in recent decades, bibliometric analysis has become increasingly popular in recent decades as a tool for evaluating and analyzing researchers' and research center collaborations. This rising popularity can be attributed to bibliometrics' ability to reveal patterns and quantify the productivity and influence of scientific publications using quantitative measures. By detecting citation trends and collaborations within scientific domains, bibliometric analysis seeks to assess the impact of academics' work. Additionally, bibliometrics helps academics and organizations make well-informed choices about financing, partnerships, and marketing. Bibliometric analysis not only helps academics monitor the influence of their own work over time, but it also helps them find new fields of research and possible collaborators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional approaches based on intuitive decisions of executivies, teams, or individuals often prove inadequate in managing complex technology development processes. Theoretical models proposed for successful technology development processes emphasize the necessity of standardized processes. However, empirical evidence regarding the applications and results of these models is limited. In this context, a model has been developed to examine how standardized technology development processes are implemented at the organizational level in companies. This model is defined by a scale that includes dimensions of technical research, business research, development, and performance. The proposed model is based on data obtained from companies with the highest R&D expenditure in Turkey. The findings provide evidence that a structured technology development process at the corporate level is necessary for success. It has been revealed that technical and business research phases are particularly determining factors in the development process. Additionally, it has been determined that the correct implementation of these processes has a positive impact on the performance of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study takes stock of business and economics research on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and provides a dynamic panorama of the overall knowledge structure of this ever-growing body of work ever since its inception in 1966. Our bibliometric analysis based on the full archive of 1024 studies identifies the main trends of and the major intellectual contributors to the extant knowledge of AI in business and economics research. Specifically, our results show that (1) AI-focused business and economics research wintnessed growth over three stages, particularly with a sharp increase after 2017. (2) While this body of research has gained tremendous momentum across the globe, the United States is by far the center of knowledge generation. (3) Research collaborations are still limited in this area. (4) Research topics flourished, ranging from early decision support systems, neural networks, and scheduling methods to more recent machine learning, automation, and big data. This study also identifies fruitful avenues for further business and economics research with an AI focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the creation and purpose of the Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) award in the UK, outlines the preparation and initial launch of the accreditation, describes the growth to mid-2023 and discusses how continued growth is needed not just in volume of chartered practitioners, but in the diversity of the accredited community. The paper describes the purpose and creation of the award, reviews growth and suggests where to focus next. The first part describes the two UK organisations who have been responsible for setting up and promoting the ChMC award – Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Management Consultancies Association (MCA) – and how the ChMC award supports their respective organisational raison d'etre. The second part provides a timeline between 2017 and 2020, in the run-up to the global pandemic. The third part describes the promotion of ChMC and the setting of pace coming out of the pandemic. The fourth part reviews the channels and levers used to accelerate growth in the take-up of ChMC during late 2022 and early 2023; and reflects on how to balance growth in volume of uptake whilst maintaining an appropriately reflective blend of community diversity. The fifth part discusses the practical challenge of promoting an industry-wide standard in a hitherto-unregulated environment. The sixth part covers the case for a strengthened approach; and The seventh and final part covers closing comments and a possible approach to build on the success achieved by CMI/MCA to date, drawing on the CMI's IC arm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Consulting Index (NCI) determines the strength of a national management consulting sector relative to other countries. It was first created in 2017 following research and analysis conducted at the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI). This paper provides an update to the NCI project and estimates the size of the management consulting sectors for several countries around the world. The paper also offers qualitative insight from some countries about the trends and dynamics of their management consulting industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance improvement interventions undertaken by management consultants, like many others, can experience difficulty in ensuring that the bulk of the effort put into the intervention translates into the desired change. While consultants themselves are limited in what they can control once their work is completed, there are nevertheless activities they can carry out or at least initiate to improve the chances of change being brought about. Goal setting, self-management and action planning have demonstrated positive effects, particularly where behavioural change is required. Similarly, based on a tested model of learning transfer, other activities relating to peer support, manager support and external coaching can be encouraged and set in train. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing internationalism, there is a shift in research patterns in developing countries, especially China and India, generating vital and contemporary research areas that are beginning to challenge the existing Western‐dominated research literature in social sciences. Yet, many of the new ideas within conceptual papers by the social sciences are not empirically validated, let alone operationalized. This is where the group concept mapping method can play a role in bridging the gap between phenomenal conceptualization and having an empirically valid model that can then be operationalized. The group concept mapping process involves five steps: create statements, sort statements, run multidimensional scaling (MDS) of sorted units, run cluster analysis, and label the clusters. This approach allows for the collective thoughts of a pre‐defined group to be collected and organized into a tangible output with academic rigor. This paper offers an overview of the group concept mapping methodology, discussing the processes of the method, how the method can be utilized fully within the business and broader social science context, and the strengths, weaknesses, and practical implications of group concept mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motion picture industry is subject to extensive business and management research conducted on a wide range of topics. Due to high research productivity, it is challenging to keep track of the abundance of publications. Against this background, we employ a bibliographic coupling analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of current research topics. The following themes were defined: Key factors for success, word of mouth and social media, organizational and pedagogical dimensions, advertising—product placement and online marketing, tourism, the influence of data, the influence of culture, revenue maximization and purchase decisions, and the perception and identification of audiences. Based on the cluster analysis, we suggest the following future research opportunities: Exploring technological innovations, especially the influence of social media and streaming platforms in the film industry; the in-depth analysis of the use of artificial intelligence in film production, both in terms of its creative potential and ethical and legal challenges; the exploration of the representation of wokeness and minorities in films and their cultural and economic significance; and, finally, a detailed examination of the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises on the film industry, especially in terms of changed consumption habits and structural adjustments.

Netnography is a special kind of qualitative social media research. It applies ethnographic techniques to comprehend social interaction in settings of modern digital communications. This article aims to highlight the key contributors and knowledge structure of this research domain. Utilizing bibliographic data of 722 articles retrieved from the Scopus database, researchers used performance analysis to have insights into the most prolific authors, institutions, countries and journals. Keywords co-occurrence analysis was done to map the knowledge structure. The thematic map tool was used to recognize basic themes, motor themes, niche themes, and emerging themes in order to suggest future research directions. The results indicate that, in terms of research publications, the most productive nation is the United Kingdom. The most lucrative organization has been acknowledged as Griffith University. The most influential author is stated to be Mkono M. The most resourceful source is Journal of Business Research. In addition, three significant knowledge clusters important to study utilizing netnography were identified as a result of co-occurrence of keywords analysis namely, consumer behaviour, co-creation in online brand communities and authenticity. Further, niche and emerging themes include-sustainable tourism, customer engagement and sharing economy. When taken as a whole, this review is a useful tool for quickly understanding the most recent research findings and potential directions for further investigation. An assessment of the state of netnography in business and management research has not been systematically investigated. Hence, the present study aims to thorough a grasp of the state-of-the-art in Netnography research field over the past decades along with the future research directions. Studying the state of the art in the field adds to academic knowledge and provides updated information on the procedure.

The concept of environmentally friendly marketing has developed due to public awareness. This matter made many companies apply the green marketing concept in marketing their products to create customer satisfaction. Research was conducted with the aim of finding out The influence of green marketing on customer satisfaction. In the process of analysis, research A case study was conducted at Starbucks Coffee located at Bez Plaza. The location was selected because Starbucks Coffee is one of the first businesses to implement a green marketing system. The research method used is quantitative. The data collection process is carried out by distributing questionnaires to 243 visitors. In this research, it was concluded that green marketing has a significant effect on customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motion picture industry is subject to extensive business and management research conducted on a wide range of topics. Due to high research productivity, it is challenging to keep track of the abundance of publications. Against this background, we employ a bibliographic coupling analysis to gain a comprehensive understanding of current research topics. The following themes were defined: Key factors for success, word of mouth and social media, organizational and pedagogical dimensions, advertising—product placement and online marketing, tourism, the influence of data, the influence of culture, revenue maximization and purchase decisions, and the perception and identification of audiences. Based on the cluster analysis, we suggest the following future research opportunities: Exploring technological innovations, especially the influence of social media and streaming platforms in the film industry; the in-depth analysis of the use of artificial intelligence in film production, both in terms of its creative potential and ethical and legal challenges; the exploration of the representation of wokeness and minorities in films and their cultural and economic significance; and, finally, a detailed examination of the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises on the film industry, especially in terms of changed consumption habits and structural adjustments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Credit rating is a matter of significance for institutions, professionals, and researchers in diverse sectors. Recently, it has garnered increased attention within the scientific community, particularly regarding various banking aspects. Our research employs bibliometric data to explore trends in credit rating. We examined 107 articles from Scopus-indexed journals in Business and Economics up to 2022, focusing on "credit rating" and "Europe" in titles, abstracts, and keywords. Our findings unveil influential journals, authors, countries, and emerging terms. This provides insights into the current state and essential terminology in credit rating research. Furthermore, we suggest potential complementary studies to enrich this research and propose future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University entrepreneurship programs in Indonesia have been rapidly developed under the policy Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka. This article analyzes the compatibility of university entrepreneurship programs and students' entrepreneurial characteristics. A mixed method based on sequential approach was used as research methodology. The data were collected though Focus Group Discussion and interview with stake holder, practitioner, and academicians. The finding of research shows that the dimension of the compatibility of entrepreneurship program to millennial generation should pay attention to adaptive entrepreneurship education material, instructor's experience, teaching method, the compatibility of science background, socialization of program, creating a business ecosystem, ease and flexible of budget management, legal assistance, business orientation, discretion in solving the problem, entrepreneurial mindset, business research, and facilitation. The recommendation given is that to improve the entrepreneurship program, a dynamic entrepreneurship program is required in all Universities in Indonesia corresponding to the millennial generation's needs in post-industrial society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]