Category: Resource Management

Introduction

Waste management is often regarded as an important components of proper resource management strategy. In general, wastes should be removed from the manufacturing zone in order not to violate fire safety rules, or not to decrease the working comfort of the employees. The aim of this paper is to offer the most appropriate solutions for waste management by analyzing the working environment, and applying 5S principles for workplace management.

Analysis and Actions

The waste types that have been selected for the analysis are waiting and transportation wastes. The aim is to sort, to set in order, and to shine the working place for following all the principles of correct and accurate workplace management.

Actions that will be taken are associated with proper organization of waste supply and removal. Therefore, waiting wastes will be sorted in accordance with the material (metals, plastic, paper, and organic wastes), and then packed in separate containers. Sorting will be performed by every worker involved into the manufacturing process, and each will be assigned with a particular working area. Therefore, the entire working space will be divided into responsibility zones. (Boshoff and Mazibuko, 2008)

The next step – setting in order – means removing all the unnecessary parts from the working space, and setting specific rules for defining particular place for each item that will not be removed. This will help to monitor the area for wastes, and remove it in time, without letting the amassment.

Shine or maintaining the set order is the key step for keeping the high effectiveness of the working place. This will be performed after accomplishing the two previous steps, and a specific set of rules should be issued for stimulating workers maintain the tidiness of the working places. Hence, each worker will be obliged to clean his/her workplace at the end of each shift, and this will be the basis of the waste management system. The workshop will be equipped with waste tanks, or with waste press that will be used for disposal. (Moyers, 2003)

Transportation wastes are mainly paper, plastic, or metal. Therefore, these will be sorted in accordance with the material they are made of, and the amassments of the sorted wastes will be either pressed, or transported for recycling. This is required for cleaning the workplaces, and improving the workplace management principles.

Setting in order is similar to the previous type of wastes, however, the key distinction of the transportation wastes is that there will be no organic wastes. Therefore, they will be either disposed, or recycled. Paper and plastic wastes may be shredded, metal wastes will be stored, and recycled as scrap.

Shine step will be linked with the definition of workplace management rules for each worker. It should be emphasized that everyone should maintain the working order within the assigned area, and bonus / fine system will be the best motivator for the workers for they kept the workplaces in order, and did not allow the amassment of the transportation wastes.

The impact of the offered waste management system will be linked with the opportunity to maintain the high effectiveness of the workplaces, and follow the fire safety rules, as the emergency exits, as well as the free space will not be blocked up. Additionally, this will improve the supply chain management of the company, as wastes will be disposed or recycled in time.

Conclusion

Waste management for the factory regarded in this case should be performed from the perspective of the highest efficiency possible, and implementation of the responsibility standards for each worker. Hence, the problem of wastes of any kind will be resolved easily.

I think that we as Americans consume more resources. Our natural resources are needed for survival. These natural resources include water, sunlight, minerals, land and animals. Everything we use daily is from natural resources. I think that the American way of life can be up for negotiation. It doesn’t’ mean we have to give up everything but simply making changes to daily living could help. We need to enjoy our life but also learn to conserve in better ways to help the future of our environmentI believe the governments should use more renewable resources of energy. The use of solar power and wind power can help to reduce the use of fossil fuels. Making more fuel efficient cars would also help eliminate the use of fossil fuels and emission of pollution. Purchasing locally grown food can reduce the use of fossil fuels needed to transport the goods. You can use energy efficient light bulbs with energy-efficient modes.

Water is also a consumption issue, fixing plumbing fixtures that leak; turn off the water when you brush your teeth and water lawns at night. Look for products that use less packaging and buy reusable items over disposable items. Bring your own silvware and cups to work. Donate unwanted things you could reduce waste and also help others. Stricter laws need to be placed to preserve the nature. Over fishing and poaching threatens endangered species and disrupts natural environments and ecosystems.

I can definitely make changes in my life to reduce my footprint and help conserve the environment. I wish I could take public transportation for work but unfortunate for me it is not an option at this point and time in my career. I do travel often during the week and sometimes have to travel to two places in one day. Purchasing a more energy efficient car in the future would not affect the quality of my life but this is something that I would have to do in the future when I have enough money saved. I rent and do not own a house in the future that is my goal. I already take measures of unplugging unused appliances. The only appliances in my apartment that ecofriendly are my refrigerator and microwave. These are the appliances that I purchased but the oven and dishwasher were purchased by my landlords and are not energy efficient. I have never used the dishwasher and sounds a little weird but I don’t know how to. I have read that it reduces the use of water more than hand washing.

I do purchase as much as locally grown produce as I can. I did grow a small herb garden and small peppers on my fire escape this year. I would love to grow my own garden or have a small green house but I will not be able to do that until I own my home. I do recycle religiously and do not produce as much garbage as my neighbors.

My friends and I like to craft with bottles so I do save and reuse many jars and wine bottles. I donate clothes often, I believe another change I can make is to donate older electronics, I never really thought about that before until reading the material for this essay. I do have a couple of reusable bags that I use when I shop but not often. I always take the plastic bags and did not realize how bad they are.

This is change that I can make, I just have to get more reusable bags and bring them with me when I shop. I never overbuy when I food shop, I just get the essentials that I need for that time and use everything so it doesn’t spoil. I know it is not much that I can change but hopefully would help reduce my footprint a little bit. We should all start using our resources wisely to maintain our resources and environment.

Human Resources Management was brought out in the early 1900’s specifically for people who serve as employees for the organizations or companies. The key concept of organizations is to carry out enrollment, to manage and to provide superior supervision for the individuals who are employed at that organization. People, specifically speaking employers, are significant when it comes to the resources management aspect of a business, because that part is vital when it comes down to the planning and foreseeing all the actives that the company needs to be structured. Multidisciplinary organization functions are contrary just to sum up human resources because it deals with ideas such as: management, psychology, sociology and economics for Human Resources Management to be successful.

As for Human Resource Functions in the 21st century, it must start off with human resource planning, job analysis design, recruitment and section, orientation and induction, training and development, promotion/ transfer/termination, compensation and remuneration, motivation, welfare, health and safety, industrial relation, and the last thing is maintenance/ equal employment. Human Resources managers are orderly to find out the right people to hire for the job. They must influence, have growth in the organization and train the employees for a prolonged period until they get fired.

Human Resources can be managed by using either had or soft approach. The hard approach involves a development strategy for managing and directing human beings. Under the soft approach the manger focuses on enhancement of communication between employer and employee, motivating the personnel, and developing their leadership skills. The management of employee varies from organization to organization and it depends upon the ability and capability of the HR manager.

There are unbelievable percentages in the world for these organizations, organizations are a need for chance for the human resource function to challenge a serious role to help the organizations guide through these transformations. To entertain this role the HR will have to rise its actual and recognize the benefits. The role of anthropoid resources has been progress part of time. The change from personnel to force, for examples was a fragment of the change to confirm the value of staff workers as an organizational wealth, and was an attempt to replace a few of the stigma that was coming to be corresponding with slow, supervisory personnel departments.

Powerful human resources management has an outstanding change effort, a strong pioneer can develop a clear sight, and influence others to assist the vision. In the organization the role of human resource will require to service both within the HR group and with the organizational leaders to transform everyone’s assumptions of what HR can and will transport. The wealth of the change depends on HR’s potential to encounter the real requirements of the organization. The challenges of 21st century HRM are attracting and selecting the best candidate, promoting organization culture, career development of the employees, adopting human investment perspective and making new retention/ motivation strategies. Having to select the best candidate has been the toughest part to find acceptable talent for the process every candidate has to differ from alternatives to each other sense.

Culture is a big part in this organization it’s the fullness diversity in people, which means in an effective way as different minds and ideas will travel through the organization but managing a different culture can be a tough job. Developing the employees of the workforce is an important element in the organization being that training and developing will change the business environment. The human investment HR manger will have to adopt more active than the reactive approach. The mangers will have to create worldwide personnel, also keeping the written records and the management information of the cost for not paying observation to all these considerable issues. Having a motivating organization, the managers spot out that the employees are liking their jobs and re most likely not to leave. That means the mangers will have not to walk to extra mile to motivate their employees.

Conclusively speaking, HR plays a dynamic role when it comes down to the employees, structure, organization, and the hierarchy of a business or an organization. This also helps build collaborating relationships with other individuals and generates room for growth as well. Since practices such as: organizational learning, Human Capital Management, and Counseling have emerged, this produces excessive endorsements and ethical practices for a business to increase.

As we make analyses back to past businesses and try to evaluate the HR structure, it becomes obvious that these businesses were not at all structured due to the main concept of HR was diminished, the economy was not as good, and, they did not have access to much and technology was not well known. Even though some businesses and organizations have faced crucial challenges such as: thee shift in demographics, trying to enhance creativity, gaining maximum market share, etc., but they still managed to move forward. Today, businesses are prospering and globally becoming known and expanding their brand.

Even though diversity is a challenge, they achieve the notion of productivity and continuing to extend their skill levels. This not only opens a window for growth but for opportunity as well. This helps the employees, because they can be all around skilled and not just be held captivated to a specific duty. As for the business, it helps the business because of the growth and it can create many gateways and create incentives to keep the employees. Today, the main focuses are the performance of the employees and how they can “praise” them for their good acts and punish them for not following out the HR practices. HR goes through rigorous processes to make sure, the people they recruit to certain positions they will know who will be the best fit for the job assignment. Human Resources is a very broad name for businesses of today, it is very essential, and it will continue to help the growth of businesses.

Do you agree or disagree?

It is a waste of money to spend funds on space travel or space exploration.

When first set sail into the unknown, the early humans took incredible courage. They have to conquer the nagging rumble of the stomach, threatened with the fear of hunger. They have to accept the challenges of the tremendous and utterly unaccountable tempest that put their lives at stake. They have to surmount the dolefulness from within. All these ventures are for no guarantee that they would return finding anything new. Skeptics criticized the necessity of taking such a high risk to seek the unknown since data have shown the varsity of money and danger spent on these journeys, yet history has proven the essence and significance of these explorations. This is also the case for space explorations, the rate of return might seem not worth the investigation, however, space exploration creates the opportunity to space mining, which may give humans a great fortune of resources in various ways, and countless innovations in everyday life.

The Earth’s resources are limited and are sharply descending, but space exploration provides an infinite number of rare elements. The earth’s heavy metals have been settling in the earth’s core since their early formation, and there are very few of them on the ground. The platinum we use to make rings derives from asteroids that collided with the Earth billions of years ago. In July 2017, an asteroid rich in heavy metals passed by the Earth, an ellipsoid whose size is half a kilometer by a kilometer. The close perigee provided the chance for scientists to continuously observed by ground and space telescopes. Data later reveals that the asteroid is composed of iron, nickel, cobalt, platinum, water, and other heavy metals, containing about 58,000 tons of platinum, more than the Earth has ever had. In terms of market value, it’s worth about $1.7 trillion, more than the GDP of Canada in 2017. Hence, by funding space exploration, humans can have infinite access to the elements in space that are in shortage on Earth.

The application of aerospace technology in modern society is also remarkable, and the technological revolution in space science and technology is indispensable to us today. Portable computers are one of them. When the United States went to the moon, it was in need of a small portable computing system to monitor the data for the trip. Although such a device may still be invented later if it wasn’t for space travel, the durations and cycles will indeed be much longer. The amount of money and manpower invested in space technology has been huge, but the resulting advances in computers and other modern technology have well compensated for the cost. Although many of the new technologies in space technology were not originally intended to apply to everyday life, they have eventually become realized to be the means of benefiting mankind. For example, the study of the effects of human exposure to strong radiation conditions, and the search for ways to prevent radiation from causing harm to astronauts’ blood has led to the discovery of treatments for blood diseases such as leukemia and anemia. Space science and technology have brought far-reaching impacts on people all over the world. Transforming space science and technology into practical industrial productivity and technologies that can be used for commercial use gives a good reason to invest money in space projects.

It’s clear that funding space explorations and travels furnish the opportunity for the creation of modern technology and access to space resources, which gives far greater paybacks than investments. Not only does this lead to a better understanding of human development, but the benefits we will obtain are enormous. Studies have shown that comprehensive space explorations and travels serve as a golden channel for the economic take-off of global countries. Investigating space projects ultimately leads to the alleviation of environmental stress on the planet. Not only should governments fund authoritative space projects like NASA’s but also should pay more attention to private cooperation like Elon Musk. This will bring benefits we never thought of before.

South Africa is a country struggling to meet its energy demands. Due to its rise in population and its climate problems as well as other factors, there is a need for the southern African country to focus on discovering or using as many ways as possible to meet the demands for fuel in the country. The country is now focusing on producing more renewable energy which is safe to the environment, South Africa producing bioethanol from Sugar Cane Bagasse (SCB) is one of the alternative sources of fuel, but they are still concerned whether it can be a reliable source to sustain them even in the future.

In the production of biofuels South Africa commonly use grain sorghum, sugar cane and maize is also a suitable feed to the process but it has been burned from being used in processes to produce fuels, it is no longer used in South Africa. Sorghum demands locally in South Africa has decreased leading to less production of sorghum, in the past the country used to produce large amounts of sorghum. Sorghum has drought resistant properties which make it a favorable raw material that they can use for biofuels, unlike maize which is affected by the countries climate. As for sugar, large amounts are produced in the country and 40% of the sugar is exported but sugar cane cultivation is limited as the crop requires large amount of water in a droughtstricken country. The country has now proposed the use of sugar beet as a possible feedstock to be used in the future.

The country is busy investigating possible things they could do to meet their demands which in turn will improve their economy. By comparing sugar cane and grain sorghum for bioethanol production, grain sorghum is very cheap with sugar being 25% mmore expensive in the same size of plants. While focusing on biodiesel soya beans and sunflower are possible feed, with soya beans having 50%greenhouse gas savings and its manufacturing cost higher than bioethanol. Biodiesel production creates 20 067 jobs per plant whereas bioethanol production creates 8 427 jobs per plant.

Sugar processing industries in south Africa generate bagasse at a yield of 0.30 ton per ton of cane processed which is generally low, south Africa sugar mills have poor efficiency if processes are coupled with low energy conversions then no surplus bagasse is generated and then no electricity export. If sugar mills with efficient conversion systems from biomass to energy, then excess bagasse is available. This excess together with those from post-harvest sugarcane could provide feedstock for biofuels production. There are costs associated with the utilization of this residues such as transport and cost for upgrading the plants, after all this cost are lower than purchasing biomass.

Capital cost of converting a sugar mill to make it energy efficient would be R4billion, ensuring that bagasse is given a reasonable value would contribute to rise in sugarcane price which will make an increase on sugarcane prices. Tongaat hull let a south African company has a plan to see 4-5 of the existing sugar mills to make a large-scale bioethanol plant also using sugars from other mills and it would allow the country to convert its export sugars to bioethanol and would provide E6 ethanol if all mills are running at full capacity.

In the summer evenings, I love to take walks in the park and just admire nature. As time goes on, I have noticed way more garbage being thrown onto the ground, rather than thrown out or recycled. People are becoming less appreciative of the environment. If we look at the ocean and see how the waste is affecting the animals. Animals become confused, they cannot tell the difference between waste and food. According to recycling-guide.org.uk, “A lot of energy goes into making products that come from raw materials. However, recycling uses way less energy which then helps preserve natural resources. Also, the increased amount of waste is related to global warming” (‘Recycling Is Important’, 2008). All this could be fixed with the simple act of recycling and trying to make little changes in our daily lives to become more eco-friendly. A majority of salons are taking action to become more eco-friendly they have partnered with a business called Circle Green Salons, which aims to recycle almost everything that hairstylists and barbers throw out. I have also noticed in the salon that I am currently in, the lights at the salon are always on. I want to propose a change that will help the salon save more money and become more eco-friendly. By using LED lights.

In Studio 133, they have partnered up with an eco-friendly company called Green Circle Salon. Their mission is “to provide North America with a solution to recover and repurpose waste from the salon so they can help keep people and the planet beautiful” (‘About Green Circle Salons’). Green Circle Salon is able to restore 95% of waste in salons, such as hair, foils, color tubes, aerosol cans, paper, and plastics. Shane Price is the man behind this amazing idea. Green Circle Salons officially began in 2009 and was made in Toronto. The hair that is recycled goes to the Alouette Correctional Center for Women in Maple Ridge. The women pack hair into stockings, these stockings filled with hair are used for oil spills. While the foils are cleaned and recycled, and chemicals are sent to a chemical waste plant. What is also really nice is Green Circle Salon makes weekly rounds to pick up the waste, so you do not have to remember to call them. Green Circle Salon has made me think about what I could possibly do or encourage Salon 133 to do for the environment, perhaps getting LED lights.

Studio 133 is a student-run salon. Along with that, prices for services are low. However, produce, hydro, and water do not come at a discounted price. Lighting is the most important tool for a salon, but I want to introduce LED lights to the salon because not only will it be good for the environment, but it will also save the salon money too. According to Led source, “a salon called Vision Hair Salon has saved 78.5% of energy and money from switching to LED lamps” (‘Hair Salon Lighting LED Retrofit Case Study’). Some lighting can make hair colors seem too warm or too cool, however, LED lights give a more neutral light, so you can see how the color actually reflects in more realistic lighting. For environmental factors, LED lights have a way better light distribution focus than fluorescent lights. This means “fewer lights will reduce the light consumption. Less energy consumption equals a happier environment”, according to SEPCO (‘The Advantages of LED Lights for the Environment’).

To convince the teachers and the dean of my idea I would first I would call a meeting with the instructors who help run the Hairstylist program, to talk to them about my idea. I would create an eye-catching PowerPoint about the benefits of LED lights. With my PowerPoint, I would have a few videos of salon owners who have switched from fluorescent lighting to LED. Better yet, I could find someone in Woodstock or any local town or city that uses LED lights in their salon. I would ask them to come in a give a small presentation about their positive experience with LED lights and how it has benefited their salon. If the teachers liked my idea and I had their approval to go to the dean to give my idea. I would use the same PowerPoint and bring in my guest speaker as well.

In conclusion, as inhabitants of the Earth, we need to take better care of it. The effects of improper disposal of waste are shown in our parks and oceans. Hairstylists and salon owners can become eco-friendly salons. The Green Circle Salon has made it possible for salons to use waste as benefit to the environment, like hair. Hair that is recycled can be used to help absorb oil from the oil spills. Foils, color, and color tubes are properly disposable in a chemical plant. As a student hairstylist, I have noticed that the salon uses a lot of energy when it comes to lighting. I want Salon 133 to invest in LED lights to not only save money but to help the environment as well. I would present my idea to the teachers of the hairstylist program with a PowerPoint and a salon owner who uses LED lights. If the teachers approve of this idea, I would take it to the dean to convince him of the benefit of LED lights and approve the funding. If we make an effort to take care of the planet, the planet will take care of us.

A common source of intra-industry performance variations is pegged upon the differences in enterprises’ utilisation of organisational resources and capabilities (Spender, 1996; Teece et al., 1997). In the event that resources are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate, and seemingly non- substitutable – they could be a source of enterprise competitive advantage (Barney, 1991). An enterprise’s capability to effectively create, manage and exploit knowledge-based assets – represents one such a vital resource (Matusik & Hill, 1998). Thus, being a bundle of knowledge-based capabilities, ACAP could be a source of an enterprise’s competitive advantage.

Acknowledging that several ways exist in which an enterprise could realise a competitive advantage, two of the most predominant ones in dynamic markets comprise innovation and strategic flexibility (Barney, 1991). Following this cue, the transformation and exploitation capabilities that embody RACAP are likely to influence firm performance through – product and process innovation. Such that, for instance, firms may require knowledge leveraging and recombination skills – to pursue product line extensions and/or new product development (). RACAP embodies transformation capabilities, whereby through the process of bisociation, aid enterprises to develop new perceptual schemas and/or changes to existing processes. Correspondingly, exploitation capabilities further calibrate this process by converting knowledge into new products and/or services (Kogut & Zander, 1998). Noting that RACAP embodies knowledge exploitation – it could markedly enhance performance and consequently, affirm a competitive advantage (March, 1991; Liebeskind, 1996).

It has been noted in well-established scholarly quarters that enterprises most likely exhibit performance differences as evidenced by their capability development from differing starting points (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000). In the long-term, however, these capabilities tend to converge within an industry standard, wherein competitor capabilities become similar in key attributes. This resulting equifinality renders sustaining a competitive advantage an arduous undertaking, because capabilities could be fungible and effortlessly substituted – induced by commonalities in their key attributes (Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000; Zahra & George, 2002).

Other arguments suggest alternative depictions, for instance, by postulating that the timing of capability deployment and the differential costs associated with organisational change among enterprises could sustain performance differences amongst them (Zott, 2001). On a similar vein, notwithstanding equifinality tenets in capabilities, the centrality of a competitive advantage is pegged upon an enterprise’s ability to proactively identify and respond to environmental cues prior to significant performance-oriented benefits (Cockburn et al., 2000). Hence, enterprises could possess similar capabilities, however, performance differences germinate from the differing developmental paths that they follow and the timing of the deployments of these capabilities.

As such, PACAP would be path dependent and influenced by it’s past experiences, which may determine an enterprise’s success or failure (). Under this development, enterprises may fall into three types of competence traps: familiarity, maturity, and propinquity (Ahuja & Lampert, 2001). Familiarity traps arise from an overdependence to refine and improve existing knowledge, which impedes the enterprise from exploring alternative knowledge sources, and therefore, limiting organisational schemas. Maturity traps arise from a desire to realise reliable and predictable outputs, which could impede knowledge exploration. Propinquity (nearness) traps pertain to an enterprise’s disposition to explore knowledge within close proximities to its existing expertise, which preclude an examination of radical shifts within an industry. These competence traps tend to render enterprises a myopic view of radical innovations that could transform their industry, resulting to enterprise failure (Christensen, 1997; Zajac & Bazerman, 1991). A highly recommended strategy for overcoming such unwarranted myopic impediments include organisation learning endeavours, which would mitigate the risk of missing a window of opportunity witnessed during an industry’s radical shifts.

Therefore, enterprises endowing well-developed capabilities of accessing and assimilation (PACAP) are more likely to be adept at constantly recalibrating their knowledge stock – by identifying trends within their external environment and internalising this knowledge and as a result, be able to overcome some of the aforementioned competence traps. Being adept comprises two dimensions: timing and cost. Initially, a functioning PACAP aids enterprises in monitoring changes within their industries more effectively and as such, facilitates the deployment of pertinent capabilities, for instance – production and technological competencies, at an opportune juncture. For example, prior works have posited that core competencies that are grounded in learning ideally undergird the footing of sustained competitive advantages (e.g, Lei et al., 1996). Correspondingly, noting that capabilities are subsumed within an enterprise’s routines, as an enterprise gains experience that enables it to more effectively manage its routines, the costs emanating from capability development decrease in the long-term. A functioning PACAP minimises sunk investments in altering an enterprise’s resource positions and operational routines. Hence, the costs of change are likely to be minimal when enterprises have accumulated sufficient knowledge and prior experience with the new knowledge and/or skill base (Teece et al., 1997; Zander & Kogut, 1995; Zott, 2001).

PACAP assumes an important role in renewing an enterprise’s knowledge-based and the pertinent skills to compete in evolving markets. Enterprise’s that are flexible in utilising their resources and capabilities could reconfigure their resource bases to capitalise upon emerging strategic opportunities (Raff, 2000). Such opportunities could aid enterprises to sustain superior performance, owing to first mover advantages. Hence, ACAP’s components could engender a sustainable competitive advantage in the event that it is effectively deployed, in tandem with an enterprise’s other complementary assets and resources. This development would suggest that enterprises endowing robust knowledge transformation and exploitation capabilities (RACAP), could more likely realise a competitive advantage for instance, in product development and overall innovative endeavours – in comparison to those with mediocre capabilities. Correspondingly, enterprises endowing robust knowledge accessing and assimilating capabilities (PACAP), could more likely realise a sustainable competitive advantage owing to their heightened flexibility in reconfiguring enterprise resource bases and in effectively timing capability deployment at a minimal cost – in comparison to those with mediocre capabilities.

Of essence, a factor that could affect an enterprise’s sustained competitive advantage, herein, as reflected by an E.F.SME’s ability to amplify the effective management of the accessed new market and technological knowledge resources (in tacit and explicit form) derived from its varied alliance portfolio partners – pertains to the regime of appropriability. Regime of appropriability appertains to the institutional and industry dynamics that affect an enterprise’s ability to insulate the advantages of new products and/or processes, hence – furnishing potential varied heightened benefits, therein (Antonelli, 1999; Buzzacchi, Colombo, & Mariotti, 1995). In the event that appropriability is low (i.e., experiencing high-level spill-over effects), investments in ACAP are likely to be depressed (Spence, 1984). Under these circumstances, investments might be ill-advised because imitation by rivals might be widespread (Boisot & Griffiths, 1999). In a rejoinder, the positive absorption incentive pertaining to spill-overs could suffice in some situations – to offset the negative appropriability incentive (Cohen & Levinthal, 1990). This occurrence signifies that in the event that regimes of appropriability are robust, the payoff from RACAP could be heightened, because enterprises may protect their knowledge assets and continue to generate profits from such innovative endeavours. Furthermore, in the presence of robust regimes of appropriability, enterprises would for instance, patent their inventions and insulate revenue streams, derived from innovative actions (Anton & Yao, 2000).

Such robust regimes of appropriability entail that imitation is likely to be arduous, owing to rivals’ heightened knowledge replication costs, and as such – contributing to performance differences across enterprises. Correspondingly, under weak regimes of appropriability, dynamic capabilities could sustain performance differences – in the availability of isolating mechanisms. Isolating mechanisms pertain to the idiosyncratic features of an enterprise’s management that creates insulations to imitation (Rumelt, 1987). Of noteworthy significance, barriers to imitation may not necessarily create a competitive advantage. Rather, these barriers could purely be defensive in nature and as such, contribute towards sustaining and most likely, reinforcing a hitherto existing competitive advantage (Zott, 2001). An example of an isolating mechanism is the secrecy of organisational routines and processes. For instance, some enterprises are more receptive to secrecy over patenting, which may furnish competitors with widespread information (Cohen et al., 2000). In this instance, inventions customarily have limited legal protection, such that information disclosure within patents could furnish sensitive information that would enable rivals to circumvent the process and as a result, realise the desired output (Anton & Yao, 2000). Therefore, under weak regimes of appropriability, enterprises could likely sustain performance differences by developing isolating mechanisms, and as a consequence – potentially stymie knowledge spill-overs.

An implicit depiction of ACAP is that these sorts of capabilities could be socially complex and hence, difficult to imitate (Teece et al., 1997). This argument contends that enterprises could sustain performance differences under different regimes of appropriability, in the event that they develop and utilise isolating mechanisms. For example, in industries that endow low regimes of appropriability, enterprises need to expend more effort into developing their ACAP. This endeavour would be directed towards formulating in-house innovation capabilities, as opposed to depending on information disclosures and/or possible knowledge spill-overs from rivals. Such investments engender auspicious economic returns in the long-term by enabling enterprises to possibly develop disruptive innovations. These arguments suggest that the regime of appropriability possibly moderates the relationship between RACAP and sustainable competitive advantage, herein operationalized as – a focal E.F.SME’s ability to amplify the effective management of the accessed new market and technological knowledge resources (in tacit and explicit form) derived from its varied alliance portfolio partners. Furthermore, under robust regimes of appropriability, a significant positive relationship between RACAP and a sustainable competitive advantage should hold, owing to the heightened costs bored through imitation. In addition, under weak regimes of appropriability, a significant positive relationship between RACAP and a sustainable competitive advantage should hold, exclusively in the event that enterprises insulate their knowledge assets and capabilities via isolating mechanisms. In the absence of such an inherent undertaking, such a relationship is likely to be weak or non-existent, therein.

Taken together, and by referencing the aforementioned postulations, it would appear that a superior level of ACAP would be developed and established, whereby for instance, E.F.SMEs would likely be able to amplify the effective management of the accessed new market and technological knowledge resources (in tacit and explicit form) derived from their varied alliance portfolio partners.

In this view, the developed and established superior ACAP, in conjunction with its two dimensions of PACAP and RACAP, would most likely aid an E.F.SME to act in a superior ambidextrous manner. Acting in a superior ambidextrous manner refers to the idiosyncratic ability to effectively manage internal organisational exploration and exploitation activities that leads to ascertaining the likelihood of realising the successful enhancement of an enterprise’s sustained entrepreneurial growth endeavours.