Companies know the amount of profit they make, but may not know whether they are operating on the uphill side or downhill side of the profit function with respect to each marketing investment variable. We first identify the risks of an uphill-located firm acting as if it were a downhill-located firm. Then, we develop a diagnostic tool to infer a company’s type based on its location on the profi...

T he importance of simultaneously facilitating short-term efficiency by exploiting existing knowledge and technologies to make profits today, and long-term innovation by exploring new knowledge and technologies to adapt for future demands, is continuously highlighted in the management literature (e.g., Jansen, Tempelaar, van Den Bosch, & Volberda, 2009; March, 1991; O’Reilly & Tushman, 2013). M...

One of the main shortcomings of the profit persistence literature is the fact that it looks only at surviving companies. This paper uses a unique dataset to analyze profit persistence in two different stationary series: 85 surviving US companies from 1950-1999 and 72 exiters. While the exiters perform more competitive than the survivors there is still significant evidence for profit persistence...

The rising cost of healthcare in America is eroding profits at an accelerating pace and leading toward a disaster for businesses, shareholders, and employees. Unless something is done about this alarming trend, companies will have to close up shop or make the tough survival decision of no longer providing healthcare for their people. This could be one of the worst lose-lose situations in our co...

It is noted that over the last few years the implementation of several mineral exploration, development and mining projects has been suspended and even completely stopped due to resistance from local communities. The key concerns of local residents typically include perceived or real impact of mining enterprises on the environment, unfair distribution of profits from mining and exploration acti...

Media companies generally enjoy increasing profits if more customers watch a program. The viewer drawing capability of stars serves as a prominent instrument to increase the audience. The literature distinguishes between two different types of stars: highly talented and therefore ‘self-made' superstars, and famous but ‘manufactured' and thus rather trivial celebrities. Whereas ‘self-made' super...

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to explore the various ways in which clinical executive directors and non-clinical executive directors are interpreting and responding to the extensive reforms and restructuring in the UK health service. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The paper draws upon detailed research in two very large teaching hospital organizations in order to understand how actors cru...

In opposition to foundational economic principles, four studies show that people view profit as fundamentally socially harmful. Studies 1 and 2 find a strong negative correlation between profit and perceived social value across both real firms and entire industries. This relationship holds for both perceived profit and actual profit information from public data. Study 3 confirms that this effec...

For any country the project management has been a vital part for its development. The highly competitive business world has created tremendous pressure on the project managers to achieve success. The pressure is derived from survival and profit building in business organizations which compels the project managers to pursue unethical practices. As a result unethical activities in business projec...

Development of the profit-oriented food enterprises, growing consumers’ expectations and concerns as regards food quality and safety, as well as increasing requirements of food chain actors, forced many companies to improve safety and quality of their products through implementation of the quality and safety assurance and management systems. This chapter attempts to discuss the problem outlined...