This paper provides an overview of an annotated bibliography
This paper provides an overview of an annotated bibliography that includes ten research articles in total. The first five articles are on strategic management and the influence of competitive advantage, while the next five are about the internal cultural environment and its impact on competitive advantage.
Journal libraries with current peer-reviewed publications were chosen for the research
Journal libraries with current peer-reviewed publications were chosen for the research when searching for various research articles. Emerald Insight, Science Direct, and Sage periodicals were among the libraries used for this study. Articles written in English language and that elaborated on the subject of the research, namely, strategic management and the impact of competitive advantage and internal cultural environment and the impact on competitive advantage were selected while those that did not elaborate on the same were excluded. In addition to highlighting the articles, a summary is provided for each article.
Strategic management and the impact on competitive advantage
McClell, S. (1994). Gaining Competitive Advantage through Strategic Management Development (SMD). Journal of Management Development, 13(5), 4-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02621719410058338
This article was selected since it meets the set criteria and further, it describes how strategic management development enables organisations to gain competitive advantage. The rationale behind the paper is that as global competition has forced downsizing and restructuring of companies, it has also led to a deficit in the number of trained and experienced managers. As such, for companies to maintain their competitive edge, there's need to integrate management development in the competitive strategy formulation process. However, it highlights that this process is challenged by the fact that most companies lack commitment to adopt concepts of strategic management development, fail to understand its long term value and lack the knowledge to take the steps necessary to develop strategic management as a component of the competitive strategy. As a result, the paper presents a conceptual framework that can be used by companies in adopting and integrating strategic management development into the competitive strategy.
Brown, P. (2005). The evolving role of strategic management development
Journal of Management Development, 24(3), 209-222 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02621710510584035
In this paper, the author tests two conceptual frameworks that are significant in strategic management development, namely, the life-cycle typology matching an organization's level of commitment to strategic management with the design of an effective strategic management and the causal network that shows the development of strategic management capability. Using case studies from six different organizations, the author finds out that both models are supported by the case studies. As a result, he cites that the models proposed give insights into the complexities of strategic management development and can be used to inform analysis and planning of more effective strategic management development interventions.
Roslin, R., & Ismail, N. (2008). Assessing Competitive Advantage of SMEs through Effective Supply Chain Management
Paradigm, 12(2), 130-141. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0971890720080213
In this article, the authors seek to assess the drivers for effective supply chain management in Small and Medium Enterprises and their impact in the realization of competitive advantage by incorporating relational elements in supply chain management. They find out that SMEs ought to focus on incorporating the relational elements: cooperation; information sharing and integration in the supply chain management as they are highly correlated to competitive advantage.
Chawinga, W., & Chipeta, G. (2017). A synergy of knowledge management and competitive intelligence
Business Information Review, 34(1), 25-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0266382116689171
The rationale for the paper is that with competition becoming more intense and complex, the market orientation perspectives dictate that enterprises whether large or small have one choice if they are to survive the torrent and turbulent market environment in which they operate to upgrade their internal business activities and to integrate events from the external environment. Further, the authors point out that Knowledge Management (KM) and Competitive Intelligence (CI) can be used as springboards to enable Small and Medium Enterprises gain competitive advantage particularly for businesses located in Mzuzu, Malawi.
Longenecker, C., & Ariss, S. (2002). Creating competitive advantage through effective management education
Journal of Management Development, 21(9), 640-654. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02621710210441649
In this article, the authors highlight that inasmuch as the twenty-first century has led to a global marketplace, it has also led to increased competitive pressures for businesses. As such, the authors elaborate on how effective management education can help businesses create competitive advantage. They conclude that for businesses to remain competitive, management education and development is a significant factor.
Internal cultural environment and the impact on competitive advantage
Sadri, G., & Lees, B. (2001). Developing corporate culture as a competitive advantage
Journal of Management Development, 20(10), 853-859. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02621710110410851
In this article, the authors begin by defining the concept of corporate culture and cite further that it has both positive and negative effects in organizations. In this particular research, the authors profile organizations with positive cultures where they find out that an effective culture must be aligned with employee values and be consistent with the environment in which the organization operates. The main finding from the paper is that a positive culture can provide a significant competitive advantage to a business
Carmona-Moreno, E., Céspedes-Lorente, J., & Martinez-del-Rio, J. (2012). Environmental human resource management and competitive advantage
Management Research: Journal of The Iberoamerican Academy of Management, 10(2), 125-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/1536-541211251607
In this article, the authors attempt to to analyze the moderating effect of environmental human resource management on the relationship between firms' environmental management practices and competitive advantages of cost and differentiation. The research samples 94 Spanish chemical firms and uses partial least squares methodology to test the various hypotheses. The findings obtained are that companies with a high level of human resource environmental practices can benefit from the advantages in costs and differentiation derived from the implementation of pollution prevention technologies.
Griffiths, D., & Koukpaki, S. (2012). Societal HRD and Societal Competitive Advantage
Advances in Developing Human Resources, 14(3), 318-332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1523422312446058
In this article, the authors highlight that human resources development is a problematic area in the development of societal competitive advantage and that the awareness of this dynamic will allow human resource development (HRD) professionals to better understand the need for engagement with education providers in developing and protecting their future competitive advantage. To come up with a solution, the research is based on the Kingdom of Bahrain and its transition from an economy built on natural resources to a knowledge-based economy, as a lens for enquiry. The solution signposts a need for engagement between organizations and higher education institutions (HEIs) to lift the future competitive advantage of the country and the organizations that transact within its borders.
Tucker, M., Meyer, G., & Westerman, J. (1996). Organizational Communication: Development of Internal Strategic Competitive Advantage
Journal of Business Communication, 33(1), 51-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002194369603300106
In this article, the authors note that despite the fact that many organizations are experimenting with structures that aim at empowering communication that is cross-functional, they are often faced with challenges. Through the paper, they propose that knowledge creation and communication are the foundations of new forms of organizations. In conclusion, they opine that the capability of an organization to create and communicate knowledge is viewed as a resource that can create global strategic advantage.
Primc, K., & Čater, T. (2015). The Influence of Organizational Life Cycle on Environmental Proactivity and Competitive Advantage
Organization & Environment, 29(2), 212-230. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1086026615584684
In this article, the authors highlight that there is need to study the circumstances in which environmental management contributes to a firm's competitiveness. As such, in their study, they examine the relationship between environmental proactivity, life cycle stages of the organization, competitive advantage and industry. Their study reveals that there exists a correlation between environmental proactivity and organization life cycle in addition to elaborating on the complex relationship that exists between competitive advantage and environmental proactivity.
