IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v67y2014i9p1894-1903.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Old habits die hard: A tale of two failed companies and unwanted inheritance

Author

Listed:
  • Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph

Abstract

This article examines whether state-owned enterprises inherit the problems and stigmas resulting from the actions and inactions of their predecessor firms. In this direction, we advance two main theories of inherited background: the “wanted inheritance” and “sins of the father” perspective. We shed light on this issue using the cautionary tale of two failed companies: Ghana Airways (GA) and Ghana International Airlines (GIA). Our data indicate that GIA acquired some wanted inheritance such as former employees and their expertise, but this was accompanied by unwanted inheritance such as tainted ‘image’ and years of dissatisfaction of their customers from Ghana Airways, which affected its operations and precipitated its untimely demise. We conclude by outlining the implications of our findings for management and governments.

Suggested Citation

  • Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2014. "Old habits die hard: A tale of two failed companies and unwanted inheritance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(9), pages 1894-1903.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:67:y:2014:i:9:p:1894-1903
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.11.053
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296313004232
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.11.053?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. S. Lioukas & D. Bourantas & V. Papadakis, 1993. "Managerial Autonomy of State-Owned Enterprises: Determining Factors," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(4), pages 645-666, November.
    2. Simone Ferriani & Elizabeth Garnsey & Gianni Lorenzoni, 2012. "Continuity and change in a spin-off venture: the process of reimprinting," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 21(4), pages 1011-1048, August.
    3. Ewing, Michael T. & Jevons, Colin P. & Khalil, Elias L., 2009. "Brand death: A developmental model of senescence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 332-338, March.
    4. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2011. "Learning from the failures of others: The effects of post-exit knowledge spillovers on recipient firms," MPRA Paper 89223, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Hennart, J.M.A., 2012. "Emerging market multinationals and the theory of the multinational enterprise," Other publications TiSEM 23818daa-f6ed-4fd6-bca4-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    6. Corey C. Phelps & Hongyan Yang & Kevin Steensma, 2010. "Learning from what others have learned from you: The effects of knowledge spillovers on originating firms," Post-Print hal-00528393, HAL.
    7. Thang Nguyen & Marc Weinstein & Alan Meyer, 2005. "Development of Trust: A Study of Interfirm Relationships in Vietnam," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 211-235, September.
    8. Ufuah, Allan N & Utterback, James M, 1997. "Responding to Structural Industry Changes: A Technological Evolution Perspective," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 6(1), pages 183-202.
    9. Anne Marie Knott & Hart E. Posen, 2005. "Is failure good?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(7), pages 617-641, July.
    10. Bryant Ashley Hudson & Gerardo A. Okhuysen, 2009. "Not with a Ten-Foot Pole: Core Stigma, Stigma Transfer, and Improbable Persistence of Men's Bathhouses," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(1), pages 134-153, February.
    11. Julie M. Hite & William S. Hesterly, 2001. "The evolution of firm networks: from emergence to early growth of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 275-286, March.
    12. Bogomolova, Svetlana & Romaniuk, Jenni, 2009. "Brand defection in a business-to-business financial service," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 291-296, March.
    13. Bogomolova, Svetlana, 2010. "Life after death? Analyzing post-defection consumer brand equity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(11), pages 1135-1141, November.
    14. Julian Birkinshaw & Mary Yoko Brannen & Rosalie L Tung, 2011. "From a distance and generalizable to up close and grounded: Reclaiming a place for qualitative methods in international business research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 42(5), pages 573-581, June.
    15. Janice M. Beyer & David R. Hannah, 2002. "Building on the Past: Enacting Established Personal Identities in a New Work Setting," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(6), pages 636-652, December.
    16. Raymond Vernon, 1984. "Linking Managers With Ministers: Dilemmas of the state owned enterprise," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 4(1), pages 39-55.
    17. Moses Acquaah, 2007. "Managerial social capital, strategic orientation, and organizational performance in an emerging economy," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(12), pages 1235-1255, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sandberg, Susanne & Sui, Sui & Baum, Matthias, 2019. "Effects of prior market experiences and firm-specific resources on developed economy SMEs' export exit from emerging markets: Complementary or compensatory?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 489-502.
    2. Costa, Paula L. & Ferreira, João J. & Torres de Oliveira, Rui, 2023. "From entrepreneurial failure to re-entry," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    3. Li, Shenxue & Easterby-Smith, Mark & Hong, Jacky F.L., 2019. "Towards an understanding of the nature of dynamic capabilities in high-velocity markets of China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 212-226.
    4. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2016. "An integrative process model of organisational failure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 3388-3397.
    5. Forough Zarea Fazlelahi & J. Henri Burgers & Martin Obschonka & Per Davidsson, 2023. "Spinoffs’ alliance network growth beyond parental ties: performance diminishing, then performance enhancing," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 743-773, June.
    6. Joseph Amankwah‐Amoah & Johnny Syllias, 2020. "Can adopting ambitious environmental sustainability initiatives lead to business failures? An analytical framework," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 240-249, January.
    7. Karabag, Solmaz Filiz, 2019. "Factors impacting firm failure and technological development: A study of three emerging-economy firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 462-474.
    8. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2017. "Cultivating greater self-confidence in African management research," MPRA Paper 79751, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2017.
    9. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2017. "Global consolidation of industries and business failures: insights from brick-and-mortar and online outlets," MPRA Paper 82509, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2019. "Opening Editorial: Multinational enterprises and business failures: A new research agenda," MPRA Paper 101145, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2019. "Big data analytics and business failures in data-Rich environments: An organizing framework," MPRA Paper 91264, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2014. "Explanations for strategic persistence in the wake of others’ failures," MPRA Paper 63409, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Zhang, Hongxu, 2014. "What can we learn from failed international companies?," MPRA Paper 63591, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2014.
    14. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2015. "Solar energy in sub-Saharan Africa: The challenges and opportunities of technological leapfrogging," MPRA Paper 88627, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2014. "An integrative framework of attributions after a business failure," MPRA Paper 63384, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Zhang, Hongxu, 2015. "Business failure research," MPRA Paper 67848, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2016. "Emerging economies, emerging challenges: Mobilising and capturing value from big data," MPRA Paper 85625, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nathaniel Boso & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Dominic Essuman & Oluwaseun E. Olabode & Patience Bruce & Magnus Hultman & James Kofi Kutsoati & Ogechi Adeola, 2023. "Configuring political relationships to navigate host-country institutional complexity: Insights from Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(6), pages 1055-1089, August.
    2. Rodrigues, Suzana B. & Dieleman, Marleen, 2018. "The internationalization paradox: Untangling dependence in multinational state hybrids," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 39-51.
    3. Vanhaverbeke, W.P.M. & Beerkens, B.E. & Duysters, G.M., 2003. "Explorative and exploitative learning strategies in technology-based alliance networks," Working Papers 03.22, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies.
    4. Yongbo Sun & Shuang Du & Yixin Ding, 2020. "The Relationship between Slack Resources, Resource Bricolage, and Entrepreneurial Opportunity Identification—Based on Resource Opportunity Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-25, February.
    5. Mbalyohere, Charles & Lawton, Thomas & Boojihawon, Roshan & Viney, Howard, 2017. "Corporate political activity and location-based advantage: MNE responses to institutional transformation in Uganda’s electricity industry," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(6), pages 743-759.
    6. Bogomolova, Svetlana, 2016. "Determinants of ex-customer winback in financial services," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 1-6.
    7. Gerrit Rooks & Kim Klyver & Arthur Sserwanga, 2016. "The Context of Social Capital: A Comparison of Rural and Urban Entrepreneurs in Uganda," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(1), pages 111-130, January.
    8. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2014. "An integrative framework of attributions after a business failure," MPRA Paper 63384, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Vukicevic, Jelena & Fallon, Grahame & Ott, Ursula F., 2021. "A theoretical and empirical investigation into investment activities of technologically-intensive Chinese state-owned enterprises in the UK," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1).
    10. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2011. "Learning from the failures of others: The effects of post-exit knowledge spillovers on recipient firms," MPRA Paper 89223, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Ifere, Simeon Emezana & Nyuur, Richard B., 2016. "Human capital and strategic persistence: An examination of underperforming workers in two emerging economies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4348-4357.
    12. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph & Hinson, Robert E. & Honyenuga, Ben & Lu, Yingfa, 2019. "Accounting for the transitions after entrepreneurial business failure: An emerging market perspective," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 148-158.
    13. Simone Santoni & Paolo Ferri & Maria Lusiani, 2013. "Novelty Conduits and Forms of Network Ties: To Bond or to Bridge?," Working Papers 34, Venice School of Management - Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
    14. Bozeman, Barry & Laredo, Philippe & Mangematin, Vincent, 2007. "Understanding the emergence and deployment of "nano" S&T," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 807-812, July.
    15. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2014. "Explanations for strategic persistence in the wake of others’ failures," MPRA Paper 63409, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Busch, Christian & Barkema, Harry, 2022. "Align or perish: social enterprise network orchestration in Sub-Saharan Africa," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115350, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2016. "An integrative process model of organisational failure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 3388-3397.
    18. Amankwah-Amoah, Joseph, 2017. "Human Capital Flows in Failing Organizations: An Integrated Conceptual Framework," MPRA Paper 80781, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2020. "Unpacking the process of overseas knowledge recontextualisation in returnee entrepreneurship - a learning perspective : a study of returnee entrepreneurs in Vietnam," OSF Preprints y5psh, Center for Open Science.
    20. Mbalyohere, Charles & Lawton, Thomas C., 2022. "Engaging informal institutions through corporate political activity: Capabilities for subnational embeddedness in emerging economies," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(2).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:67:y:2014:i:9:p:1894-1903. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.