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Business Competitiveness Research Cluster

Cluster Leads

Professor Peter Galvin and Dr Pieter-Jan Bezemer

Abstract

This research cluster, called “Business Competitiveness”, will contribute to understanding organisational competitive advantage(s) and success by engaging in research studies that examine the motivations, behaviours, and outcomes associated with managerial choices at macro and micro levels.

At a macro-level, the focus of this research cluster is on better understanding organisational capabilities, inter-firm competitive dynamics, organisational boundaries and entrepreneurial activities.  The  current research  of  proposed cluster  members  addresses some  of  these issues; for example, how firm context shapes the strategic choices of organisations, what capabilities are required in different  industries,  how firms can  improve  their sustainability impact, and how not-for-profit organisations can improve their effectiveness.

At a more micro-level, the focus of this cluster is on how leadership and governance support firm-level decisions.  The current research by proposed cluster members includes issues such as how boards should engage with strategy, what leadership type is needed for the future and how ethical leadership can drive sustainability outcomes.

This research cluster supports ECU’s Central Research Themes of ‘Society and Culture’ and especially its sub-dimension of ‘Individual, economic, organisational, political and social transformation’  given  the focus  on  improving business  competitiveness  and transforming organisations. The proposed research cluster also meets the objectives established by SBL in that it supports excellence in research outputs, provides a vehicle for a more coherent and  focussed  targeting of  research  grants, and  will  support the  development  of  HDR students, all in one of the key areas identified by SBL (i.e., 3507). A research cluster with a clear aim on connecting managerial choices to business competitiveness stands to attract considerable attention in academia and industry. Research in the cluster will be focussed on examining these issues from both theoretical and industry perspectives, creating a point of point of difference and knowledge repository for industry to solve their problems.

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