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Differentiation Strategy (differentiation + strategy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	66%

Selected Abstracts

THE ROLE OF DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY IN LOCAL TELECOMMUNICATION ENTRY AND MARKET EVOLUTION: 1999,2002,

THE JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2006
SHANE GREENSTEIN
We examine the role of differentiation among competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) in nearly 1,200 U.S. cities in 1999 and 2002, before and after a valuation crash affecting communications firms. We test and reject the null hypothesis of homogeneous competitors. We also find strong evidence that differentiated CLECs account for both potential market demand and the business strategies of competitors when making their entry decisions. Finally, product heterogeneity in markets in 1999 helps predict how the structure of markets evolved through 2002. We conclude that the policy debate for local telecommunications regulation should account for differentiated behavior. [source]

Extent of cell differentiation and capacity for cartilage synthesis in human adult adipose-derived stem cells: Comparison with fetal chondrocytes

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 2 2010
Nastaran Mahmoudifar
Abstract This study evaluated the extent of differentiation and cartilage biosynthetic capacity of human adult adipose-derived stem cells relative to human fetal chondrocytes. Both types of cell were seeded into nonwoven-mesh polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds and cultured under dynamic conditions with and without addition of TGF-,1 and insulin. Gene expression for aggrecan and collagen type II was upregulated in the stem cells in the presence of growth factors, and key components of articular cartilage such as glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen type II were synthesized in cultured tissue constructs. However, on a per cell basis and in the presence of growth factors, accumulation of GAG and collagen type II were, respectively, 3.4- and 6.1-fold lower in the stem cell cultures than in the chondrocyte cultures. Although the stem cells synthesized significantly higher levels of total collagen than the chondrocytes, only about 2.4% of this collagen was collagen type II. Relative to cultures without added growth factors, treatment of the stem cells with TGF-,1 and insulin resulted in a 59% increase in GAG synthesis, but there was no significant change in collagen production even though collagen type II gene expression was upregulated 530-fold. In contrast, in the chondrocyte cultures, synthesis of collagen type II and levels of collagen type II as a percentage of total collagen more than doubled after growth factors were applied. Although considerable progress has been achieved to develop differentiation strategies and scaffold-based culture techniques for adult mesenchymal stem cells, the extent of differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells in this study and their capacity for cartilage synthesis fell considerably short of those of fetal chondrocytes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;107: 393,401. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Competitiveness through political environmental strategies: The case of Michelin's green tires

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 1 2009
Julien Hanoteau
There is a debate as to whether green firms may become economically more competitive, as well. The answer appears circumstantial, depending on the abilities of these firms to implement and benefit from environmental competitive strategies such as environmental differentiation or eco-efficiency. This article discusses corporate political strategies, targeting environmental regulations, as another source of competitiveness. Based on the case of Michelin's green tires, we characterize this strategy and its conduct, and analyze the conditions for its success. We show that it was the necessary complement to the environmental differentiation strategy developed and implemented by Michelin since the early 1990s. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Strategic Quality Decisions under Heterogeneous Resource Endowments

JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS & MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, Issue 2 2001
Byong-Duk Rhee
The literature on product competition advocates a differentiation strategy assuming firm homogeneity in resources. However, firm heterogeneity in resource endowments has long been recognized in economics. Merging these two perspectives, we show that the increase in consumer preference for quality leads to firms' aggressive price competition instead of quality differentiation. As consumers look for higher quality, the cost advantage arising from superior resources increases and makes head-to-head competition more profitable than accommodating a less efficient rival. When consumers are highly concerned about quality, even a small resource difference leads a more efficient firm to initiate cutthroat price competition for market dominance. [source]

The Impact of Capacity Costs on Product Differentiation in Delivery Time, Delivery Reliability, and Price

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2006
Tamer Boyaci
We develop an analytical framework for studying the role capacity costs play in shaping the optimal differentiation strategy in terms of prices, delivery times, and delivery reliabilities of a profit-maximizing firm selling two variants (express and regular) of a product in a capacitated environment. We first investigate three special cases. The first is an existing model of price and delivery time differentiation with exogenous reliabilities, which we only review. The second focuses on time-based (i.e., length and reliability) differentiation with exogenous prices. The third deals with deciding on all features for an express variant when a regular product already exists in the marketplace. We subsequently address the integrative framework of time- and -price-based differentiation for both products in a numerical study. Our results shed light on the role that customer preferences towards delivery times, reliabilities and prices, and the capacity costs (absolute and relative) have on the firm's optimal product positioning policy. [source]

Using emotional benefits as a differentiation strategy in saturated markets

PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 11 2009
Ramo Barrena
The high level of product substitution in most consumer markets often makes it difficult to match supply with demand, especially in sectors with mature, saturated markets with intense competition and a high degree of product differentiation. The difficulty of using technical characteristics such as quality and/or price to differentiate products suggests that marketers could profit from gaining more insight into the way in which consumers' purchase decisions are influenced by their perceived emotions. This paper investigates this issue in the wine market, a highly saturated market with homogeneous supply, obtaining results that appear to support the notion that emotions do indeed play a part in consumer choice structures, which show a higher degree of abstraction in those segments that report a greater number of perceived emotions. This considerably complicates the task of creating a differentiated marketing strategy, in the sense that suppliers need to give much greater consideration to consumers' self-awareness. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]