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Research SummarySuppliers from emerging economies have been particularly active in acquiring brands from advanced economies. We analyze changes in the global value chain (GVC) of the sports shoe industry and show how hollowing out the asset bases of brand‐holding firms through increasing outsourcing has enabled the emergence of rising power firms, as well as a new brand game and a market for brands. These developments in the GVC might be a future challenge for traditional brand‐holding lead firms. We show that managers focused on branding and distribution issues were myopic towards the strategic initiatives of suppliers. Managers need to pay attention to the potential long‐term consequences of outsourcing and offshoring activities, as suppliers could become competitors or acquirers of their order‐giving firms, leading to the question: Are we approaching a state of dual GVC leadership, or do lead firms risk being kicked out by their suppliers?Managerial SummaryWe explore the emergence of rising power firms from the peripheries of GVCs. An increasing number of major brand‐holding companies from traditionally industrialized economies have been acquired by suppliers from newly industrialized economies due to some fundamental changes. First, the emergence of a market for brands makes brands more volatile. Second, continuous outsourcing and hollowing‐out of the lead firm's asset base has reduced their ability to control the GVC. Through a longitudinal case study analysis, by adopting an attention‐based view, we investigate the behavior of the traditional lead firms. Lead firms were not only myopic to the activities of their suppliers, but their focus on downstream activities created increasing opportunity spaces upstream for rising power firms while weakening the defense capacity of brands.

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PurposeThis study contributes to a better understanding of the important actor-specific, micro-level legitimacy dimensions in dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs).Design/methodology/approachUsing an embedded case study approach and rich longitudinal data collected over 16 years within a French EE, the study analyzes the legitimacy gaining process of two actors coming from opposite founding conditions.FindingsThree dimensions of legitimacy (3L) are necessary to be accepted as functional actors within EEs: institutional legitimacy (IL) refers to the EE's acceptance of an actor as an institution active in the field of entrepreneurship; cultural legitimacy (CL) means that the actor is recognized as possessing and promoting values considered appropriate by the entrepreneurial community; relational legitimacy (RL) relates to the willingness of the entrepreneurial community to interact with the actor. These are complementary dimensions that members of EEs need to possess to acquire full legitimacy. Different paths are possible to achieve this full legitimacy.Research limitations/implicationsReplicating the study with a comparative approach including more actors could represent an interesting avenue for research.Practical implicationsThis research provides insights into the underlying dimensions of legitimacy in EEs, how various actors gain legitimacy in such contexts and how this influences the dynamics of EEs.Originality/valueThe results provide novel insights into the issue of legitimacy in EEs and legitimacy theory in general.

Les travaux concernant les PME suggèrent une spécificité induisant des modalités de gestion particulières des entreprises de petite dimension. Toutefois, sur quels ressorts repose cette spécificité ? La thèse défendue sera que la spécificité de la gestion des PME est la proximité. De nombreuses études ont démontré la préférence des PME, par l’intermédiaire de leur propriétaire-dirigeant, pour des relations de proximité. Nous chercherons à affiner cette vision en essayant de voir l’impact de cette proximité en ce qui concerne la perception d’incertitude de la part des PME. Sur la base d’une étude quantitative menée auprès de 239 PME et de tests statistiques à dimension exploratoire, nous essayerons d’appréhender deux propositions de recherche : la proximité est un réducteur d’incertitude et la proximité est un facteur de performance. Les résultats obtenus nous conduiront à envisager l’importance des relations de proximité.Researches on SMEs underline the specificities of these structures leading to a particular management style. Nevertheless, how to define this specificity ? The thesis defended in this contribution is the following : SME’s specificity consists in proximity. Many studies have shown that SMEs prefer to maintain proxemic relations through their manager. In this article, we aim to refine our vision, trying to show the impact of proximity on perceived uncertainty by SMEs. Based on a quantitative study of 239 SMEs and statistic exploratory analyses, we will try to apprehend following research suppositions : proximity reduces uncertainty, and proximity contributes to performance. The obtained results will lead us to evaluate the importance of proximity.Las investigaciones cientificas referentes a las pequeñas y medianas empresas, PyMEs, sugieren una especificidad induciendo modalidades de gestion particulares de las PyMEs. Sin embargo, sobre cuales recursos se funda esta especificidad ? La tesis defendida sera que la especificidad de la gestion de las PyMEs es la proximidad. Numerosos estudios han demostrado la preferencia de las PyMEs, por el intermediario de sus propietarios-directivos, para relaciones de proximidad. Trataremos de afinar esta vision procurando de ver el impacto de esta proximidad en lo que se refiere a la percepcion de incertidumbre por parte de las PyMEs. Sobre la base de un estudio quantitativo llevado a cabo acerca de 239 PyMEs y de tests estadisticos a dimension exploratorios, intentaremos de concebir dos proposiciones de investigación : la proximidad es un reductor de incertidumbre y la proximidad es un factor de performancia. Los resultados obtenidos nos llevaran a contemplar la importancia de las relaciones de proximidad.Die gängige Forschung von KMU schlägt den Kleinunternehmen spezifische Methoden der Unternehmensführung vor. Auf welchem Prinzip basieren aber diese Methoden? Die vertretene These argumentiert mit der unternehmerischen Nähe als entscheidendes Kriterium. Verschiedene Forschungen haben gezeigt, dass die Nähe der Eigentümer zu ihren Mitarbeitern ein wichtiges Merkm...