Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Management Practice

 

Special Issue on: "Competitiveness of Agro Food Firms: Threats and Opportunities"

Guest Editors:
Matteo Rossi, University of Sannio, Italy
Giuseppe Festa, University of Salerno, Italy

Over the last few years, the agro food industry has been undergoing a process of accelerated change, consequent to incessantly changing food geography, both from the demand and the supply sides. Recent studies (Brasili and Fanfani, 2006; INEA, 2011; Vrontis et al., 2011; Rossi et al., 2014) analyse the strategic choices of agro food firms as well as their strategic management processes, performance and capital structures. These studies focus on competitive strategies.

Other studies examine the importance of applying strategic processes and business marketing techniques to agro firms (Antonelli and Viganò, 2000), the internationalisation process of Euro Mediterranean SMEs (Bertolini and Giovannetti, 2006), the structure and role of local institutions in an international competitive context, and the impact of geographical attributes on the internationalisation process of agro food SMEs. Scholars put forward the notion that protected designation of origins (PDOs) and protected geographical indications (PGIs) are important tools, but their effectiveness depends on several factors which rely on the characteristics of the product, the production system, the individual firm’s characteristics and the destination market (Belletti et al., 2007).

In this context it’s important to investigate the critical factors of success and/or failure of the Euro Mediterranean agro food industry, the strategies adopted by firms, their resulting performance, their capital structure and the actions necessary to increase competitiveness.

References
Belletti G., Burgassi T., Manco E., Marescotti A., Scaramuzzi S. (2007), “The impact of geographical indications (PDO and PGI) on the internationalisation process of agro- food products”, International Marketing and International Trade of Quality Food Products , 105th EAAE Seminar, University of Bologna (Italy), Bologna, 8-9 March
Bertolini P; Giovannetti E (2006) - Industrial districts and internationalization: the case of the agri-food industry in Modena, Italy, Entrepreneurship And Regional Development, Vol. 18, pp.279-304
Brasili C., Fanfani R. (2006), “The Italian Food Industry: Structure and Characteristics” in Soldatos P., Rozakis S. (2006), The Food Industry in Europe - Erasmus Intensive Programme in Agri-Business Management with emphasis, Food Industry Enterprises Editors.
INEA (2011), Italian Agriculture in Figures 2010, Rome
Rossi M., Vrontis D., Thrassou A. (2014), Agro Business in a Changing Competitive Environment – Campania firms’ strategic, marketing and financial choices, World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 10, 2/3, pp. 312-333
Vrontis D., Thrassou A., Rossi M. (2011), Italian wine firms: strategic branding and financial performance, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 19, 4, pp. 288-304

Subject Coverage
Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Entrepreneurial characteristics of SMEs in the agro food sector
• The innovation process, sources of innovation, and types of innovation
• Networking in technology development
• Internationalisation and marketing strategies and financial performances
• Agro firms and wine tourism
• Competition strategy

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper was not originally copyrighted and if it has been completely re-written)

All papers are refereed through a double blind process.

All papers must be submitted online. Please read our Submitting articles page

Important Dates

Manuscripts due by: 22 February, 2015

Notification to authors: 5 April, 2015

Submission of manuscripts for second round review: 5 May, 2015 (if necessary)

Notification to authors: 31 May, 2015

Final versions due by: 20 June, 2015