Current management accounting techniques have not been widely accepted as a means to develop a competitive advantage. The information obtained from the literature reviewed and the results from an empirical study that involved a sample of forty respondents from Equity Bank found that the modern management accounting practices provide very important skills and techniques in building competitiveness. The practices play an important role in the planning, developing, implementing and evaluating strategic competitive policies that result in a competitive advantage. The study outlines the importance of management accounting practices in providing strategies that lead to the creation of a competitive advantage in an organisation. However, the conclusions are drawn on a conceptual level and a future empirical investigation is needed to ubstantiate these claims further. The study also sets a foundation for more focused research into the importance of modern management accounting practices in developing a competitive advantage especially in the banking sector.

The portfolio of three papers delves into the resource-based view (RBV) of competitive advantage within e-commerce capabilities. Research Paper 1 reviews competitive theories in e-commerce, contrasting external competitive forces with RBV theory, which posits that advantage stems from unique, valuable, and non-substitutable resources. The paper emphasizes the need for empirical validation of the RBV model's application to e-commerce. Research Paper 2 conducts an empirical study to determine if e-commerce capabilities contribute to firm-level performance, finding a significant positive correlation. It suggests that firms must cultivate hard-to-replicate capabilities for sustained advantage, rather than relying solely on technology or outsourcing. Research Paper 3 examines the correlation between e-commerce barriers and firm performance, revealing a significant negative impact on performance. It underscores the importance of simultaneously developing capabilities to mitigate competitive disadvantages. The findings align with theoretical models, highlighting the vulnerability of firms to durable disadvantages. Overall, the papers underscore the significance of e-commerce capabilities in achieving competitive advantage, emphasizing the need for firms to focus on developing and maintaining unique capabilities to thrive in the e-commerce landscape.

In Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage Dhirendra Kumar shows how the Enterprise Excellence (EE) philosophy is a holistic approach for leading an enterprise to total excellence. It does this by focussing on achieving sustainable significant growth in revenue and profitability, reducing the business cycle time, strategically managing the enterprise risk and focusing on the needs of the customer. There may be various organizations within an enterprise but they must all focus on meeting or exceeding customer needs. Therefore, EE is an integrated approach affecting every employee, every functional area and strategy within the organization. Enterprise risk must be identified, assessed and prioritized; developing a growth strategy proposal which leadership has to execute in order to achieve goals. As business leaders spearhead the efforts, they must minimize, monitor and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events and maximize the realization of opportunities. The achievements in Enterprise Excellence can range from greater cost efficiencies, improved market perceptions, fundamental changes to markets, to new product and service offerings. There may also be significant upgrades in skills, technology, and business strategies. The scope of Enterprise Excellence can also range from operations activities, to business functions, to overall organization and to the enterprise as a whole. Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage is a comprehensive reference book for practising professionals, teaching faculty, and students alike.

Completely updated and revised, this eleventh edition arms managers with the business tools they’ll need to succeed. The book presents managerial concepts and theory related to the fundamentals of planning, leading, organizing, and controlling with a strong emphasis on application. It offers new information on the changing nature of communication through technology. Focus is also placed on ethics to reflect the importance of this topic, especially with the current economic situation. This includes all new ethics boxes throughout the chapters. An updated discussion on the numerous legal law changes over the last few years is included as well. Managers will be able to think critically and make sound decisions using this book because the concepts are backed by many applications, exercises, and cases.

'A remarkably insightful collection of contributions, combining the strategy capability and the knowledge creation and sharing perspectives. Very useful reading for the serious scholar.' - Yves L. Doz, INSEAD, France This volume is the imaginative outcome of several international strategy scholars who have cultivated original research on the broad relationship between strategic capabilities and knowledge transfer at both intra- and inter-organizational levels.

The way organizations manage their value chain has changed dramatically over the past decade. Today, organizations take account of economic issues, but they also adopt a broader perspective of their purpose including social and environmental issues. Yet despite its global spread, sustainable value chain management remains an uncertain and poorly defined ambition, with few absolutes. The social and environmental issues that organizations should address easily can be interpreted as including virtually everything. Current literature on the topic seeks to understand the effects and management of initiatives dealing with diversity, human rights, safety, philanthropy, community, and environment. However, the penetration of social and environmental considerations into value chain management is described as ’desire lacking reality’ thereby making the idea a patchy success. The objective of this research anthology is to investigate different angles of sustainable value chain management. The book’s 27 chapters fill holes and explore new fields; the chapters are organised in five sections: Sustainable value chains - context, drivers, and barriers; Sustainable value chains - managing activities; Sustainable value chains - managing networks and collaboration; Sustainable value chains - integrative perspectives; and Sustainable value chains - specific sectorial and industry perspectives.

As technologies advance and markets shift, organizations must prioritize relearning to remain competitive and resilient. Strategies and frameworks for relearning are essential in fostering a culture of improvement and adaptability, enabling employees to update their skills and knowledge. Embracing relearning processes may also encourage collaboration diverse learning perspectives which drive modern innovation. This proactive approach enhances workforce capabilities while cultivating a growth mindset that is crucial for navigating challenges and organizational risks. Further research into effective strategies for relearning is necessary to prepare businesses for continued change while allowing them to thrive. Strategies and Frameworks for Relearning in Organizations examines the process of adapting and evolving within a rapidly changing business environment. It explores case studies, strategies, and frameworks for fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within organizations while providing valuable insights into organizational behavior, change management, and innovation practices. This book covers topics such as management science, sustainable development, and digital technology, and is a useful resource for business owners, managers, policymakers, government officials, economists, researchers, and academicians.

The book outlines and develops an integrated and pragmatic socio-economic approach towards undertaking effective MNC strategy in emerging country markets. This, labelled the 'institutional network approach' (INA), applies a new strategic perspective to international business operations and emphasises the continuous interplay between institutions and networks in designing and executing global strategies. The INA integrates the shareholder and stakeholder viewpointinto a comparative holistic perspective of international business strategy based on a broader societal approach.

Michael Porter is recognized as one of the top authorities on corporate strategy and business competition. The historical review of strategic management clearly shows that Porter’s research has bridged up two general paradigms (before and after the 1980s) thus helping both researchers and practitioners to better understand unanticipated global changes. His two generic strategies: costs and diversification, the two interdependent strategic options, are key in the context of the competitiveness of orthodox microeconomic theory. This is where Porter went further, constructing a popular value chain concept that provides the ability to disaggregate the key activities of business process in creating products and services in terms of cost analysis and value creation. This book is a collection of seven interconnected chapters that provides a coherent understanding of Michael Porter’s contribution to the field of strategic management. It addresses key changes and challenges in the global business environment. The value chain concept has become highly applicable in both theory and practice. In the book, the authors offer an original interpretation of the Porters’ research on strategic management in order to unravel or simplify his key theoretical concepts. It will be of interest to researchers, academics, practitioners, and students in the fields of strategic management and international business.

This Proceedings contains many research and practical papers dealing with the impact and influence of information technology on the global economy.