Marc Baaij | Rotterdam school of Management, Erasmus University (original) (raw)

Papers by Marc Baaij

ERIM Article Series (EAS), Oct 1, 2004

Social Science Research Network, Jun 15, 2005

Offshoring is the buzz concept of the noughties. But no matter how much the material business is ... more Offshoring is the buzz concept of the noughties. But no matter how much the material business is diverted to other countries or even continents, headquarters are invariably located where the company originated-sometimes in out-of-the way towns and small cities. But, as Marc Baaij, Douglas van den Berghe, Frans van den Bosch and Henk Volberda point out, there are many cases where the case for relocating headquarters is excellent. So why doesn't it happen? Is it inertia, operational difficulty-or just that the companies haven't thought of it?

The Craft of Strategy Formation, 2015

European Management Journal, Oct 1, 2004

Sustainable competitive advantage is a key concept in strategy practice and research, not least b... more Sustainable competitive advantage is a key concept in strategy practice and research, not least because of its intended result of persistent superior economic performance. Previous research revealed that persistent superior performance is very rare. Also, theory predicts that Schumpeterian innovation will erode sustainable competitive advantage and thus prevent leading established firms attain persistent superior economic performance. This study of Fortune Global 500 computer firms, active in a dynamic industry with widely acknowledged Schumpeterian innovations, found a relatively high ratio of firms achieving persistent superior economic performance.

Van den Steen and Zenger. In particular, we build on the valuable 'structured problem solving' me... more Van den Steen and Zenger. In particular, we build on the valuable 'structured problem solving' method as successfully introduced in management consultancy by McKinsey & Company, and as described in various publications by former employees of this firm, such as Minto, Rasiel and Friga. This book is based on 16 years of work (2002-2017). Besides literature research, we have learned a great deal from strategy consulting to managers, as well as from training managers on strategy and coaching them on application to their own practice. We also benefited from teaching business students and supervising them on real-world field projects. Working with hundreds of managers and students over the years, enabled us to gain deep insights into the practical challenges of strategy. This work also inspired the development of the Mapping Method, and it challenged us to explain the method in the best way possible. Working with all of them has been a source of inspiration. We are indebted to our schools, Rotterdam School of Management at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the School of Management of Cranfield University, which provided room to explore and test our thinking. We feel privileged to have worked with inspiring colleagues and guest lecturers, among whom we would like to mention James Parker, Jacomijn Klitsie, Paul Pietersma, Mark Jenkins and Cliff Bowman, in particular. viii acknowledgements We are also indebted to many people with whom we discussed ideas and parts of the many, early versions. We especially owe thanks to the reviewers of the manuscript in the final stretch. Our publisher organized blind reviews of the manuscript. We would like to thank these anonymous reviewers for their very constructive feedback. The book title was one of their helpful suggestions. In addition to the blind reviews, we invited reviewers ourselves. We have been privileged to receive additional, valuable feedback from very knowledgeable executives and business school professors with extensive experience in strategic management and/ or strategy consulting at top-tier firms. The valuable reviews of the named and anonymous reviewers helped us make the manuscript better, simpler and shorter. We are much indebted to Hugh

Business Strategy Review, Jun 1, 2005

Strategic Change, 2007

ABSTRACT Understanding how superior financial performance of firms could be sustained is of great... more ABSTRACT Understanding how superior financial performance of firms could be sustained is of great importance to both practitioners and scholars given the increasing levels of environmental change.Our review of the diverse theoretical perspectives on sustained superior performance suggests that greater appreciation of the assumptions about environmental change and market imperfections may provide opportunities for a synthesis.We find empirical research to lag behind theoretical developments. To test the theoretical perspectives on sustained superior performance under high levels of environmental change, we suggest a research agenda to develop reliable guidance for practitioners.Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

European Management Journal, Jun 1, 2004

 We draw on a detailed grounded theory study of the reactions of Dutch food firms to the ... more  We draw on a detailed grounded theory study of the reactions of Dutch food firms to the recent introduction of genetically modified foods to inductively identify the capabilities that firms develop in response to reputational threats. Central to the view on capabilities we propose are the decision rules organizations use to link individual actions to organizational outcomes. Four reputation management capabilities were identified, which were aimed at, respectively: (1) engaging in a cooperative dialogue with relevant stakeholders; (2) presenting the organizational point of view favourably in the eyes of external beholders; (3) avoiding organizational 'ownership' of critical reputational threats; and (4) communicating meaningfully with affected parties, even under conditions of high adversity and time-pressure.

Long Range Planning, Feb 1, 2015

This paper examines relocations of core parts of corporate headquarters (CHQ) to alternative host... more This paper examines relocations of core parts of corporate headquarters (CHQ) to alternative host countries. Although previous studies have indicated that international relocations of corporate headquarters are on the rise, research into this phenomenon is scarce. Current research on CHQ relocations focuses on the headquarters as a whole. In this study, we adopt a more fine-grained perspective by distinguishing CHQ core parts; i.e. executive team members, CHQ core staff functions and the corporate legal seat. By investigating relocations of each of these core parts we create more insights into the extent to which multinational corporations (MNCs) are relocating CHQ core parts abroad, and into what drives and motivates MNCs to do so. Drawing on a sample of 58 of the 100 largest Dutch MNCs, we find, first, that MNCs are moving their CHQ core parts abroad to an increasing extent. Only the corporate legal seat still tends to be kept "at home", which explains why the "hollowing out" of CHQs in the MNC's home country is difficult for outsiders to observe. Second, we find that different CHQ core parts have different relocation drivers. We identify and investigate relocation drivers and associated strategic benefits related to two main categories of drivers: (1) an increase in the degree to which the MNC is internationalised; and (2) a decrease in the perceived attractiveness of the home country to the MNC. Strategic benefits for MNCs of moving their CHQ core parts overseas include: (a) better quality communication and knowledge exchange with overseas strategic stakeholders; (b) access to higher quality international strategic resources, including capital, talent and services clusters; and (c) access to a lower-cost fiscal regime and a higher quality legal and regulatory regime.