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on Economics of Strategic Management |
| By: | Turki Abalala (King Abdulaziz University); Md. Mazharul Islam (King Abdulaziz University); Md. Mahmudul Alam (UUM - Universiti Utara Malaysia) |
| Abstract: | Purpose: The real challenge of establishing and maintaining business ethics in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has become a global issue. We investigated the driving forces of ethical practices (EP) and its contribution to the overall performance in businesses. Design/methodology/approach: This study collected primary data from 117 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia by using a well-designed questionnaire survey amongst SMEs and draw inferences using the structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis. Findings/results: Findings suggested that top management's characters and ethical commitment, ethical policy and culture of the organisation and external pressure positively influence the ethical practice in the organisation, which leads to a significant positive impact on both financial and non-financial performances of SMEs. But the level of fraud and corruption and the level of monitoring show a mixed moderating effect on the relationships between ethical practice in the organisation and business performance. Practical implications: The findings of this research will help SMEs' administrators and managers, as well as the companies to instil workplace ethics, which manages the level of business performance. The policymakers and other relevant authorities can also utilise the outcomes of this study to develop ethical policy guidelines and frameworks to improve SMEs' competitiveness and sustain their companies in the long run. Originality/value: The unique feature of this research is that both the causes and effects of EP are considered in one integrated model. This gives a more vivid picture of the ethical issue in a business organisation. |
| Keywords: | Business Ethics,Business Performance,Ethical Practices,Ethical Policy and Culture,Ethical Commitment,Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) |
| Date: | 2021–08–25 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03538179&r= |
| By: | Kapetaniou, Chrystalla (University of Southampton); Pissarides, Christopher A. (London School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | In a model with robots, and automatable and complementary human tasks, we examine robot-labour substitutions and show how it they are influenced by a country's "innovation system". Substitution depends on demand and production elasticities, and other factors influenced by the innovation system. Making use of World Economic Forum data we estimate the relationship for thirteen countries and find that countries with poor innovation capabilities substitute robots for workers much more than countries with richer innovation capabilities, which generally complement them. In transport equipment and non-manufacturing robots and workers are stronger substitutes than in other manufacturing. |
| Keywords: | robots-employment substitution, automatable tasks, complementary task creation, innovation environment, industrial allocations |
| JEL: | J23 L60 O33 O52 |
| Date: | 2022–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15056&r= |
| By: | Abalala, Turki Shjaan; Islam, Mazharul; Alam, Md. Mahmudul (Universiti Utara Malaysia) |
| Abstract: | Purpose: The real challenge of establishing and maintaining business ethics in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has become a global issue. We investigated the driving forces of ethical practices (EP) and its contribution to the overall performance in businesses. Design/methodology/approach: This study collected primary data from 117 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia by using a well-designed questionnaire survey amongst SMEs and draw inferences using the structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis. Findings/results: Findings suggested that top management’s characters and ethical commitment, ethical policy and culture of the organisation and external pressure positively influence the ethical practice in the organisation, which leads to a significant positive impact on both financial and non-financial performances of SMEs. But the level of fraud and corruption and the level of monitoring show a mixed moderating effect on the relationships between ethical practice in the organisation and business performance. Practical implications: The findings of this research will help SMEs’ administrators and managers, as well as the companies to instil workplace ethics, which manages the level of business performance. The policymakers and other relevant authorities can also utilise the outcomes of this study to develop ethical policy guidelines and frameworks to improve SMEs’ competitiveness and sustain their companies in the long run. Originality/value: The unique feature of this research is that both the causes and effects of EP are considered in one integrated model. This gives a more vivid picture of the ethical issue in a business organisation. |
| Date: | 2021–11–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:xg3bf&r= |
| By: | Kaufmann, Carsten |
| Abstract: | A major challenge for organizations’ strategic management is to cope with uncertainty and constantly adapt to a turbulent environment. In organizations, project portfolios constitute the responsible entities to operationalize the adaptation by developing new opportunities and ensuring the implementation of an adapted organizational strategy. Thus, in this dissertation, I investigate how project portfolio and project management can strategically and operationally cope with uncertainty, increase portfolio and project success, and thereby support an organization’s successful adaptation. In regards to the strategic decision-making of portfolio management, I empirically reveal that decision-makers can effectively cope with projects’ and environment’s uncertainty through real options reasoning and thereby increase portfolio innovativeness and success. Furthermore, I show that portfolios consisting of agile projects benefit the valuable recognition of emergent strategies. In addition, I highlight the important role of entrepreneurial orientation and innovation climate as antecedents and moderators of portfolio management decisions. In regards to the operational implementation of a portfolio’s strategy, I investigate how portfolio and project managers can cope with projects’ uncertainty in their operational decisions. I show that project management effort causally increases projects’ profitability and that the marginal impact of project management effort increases for higher project complexity. Furthermore, I show that project managers’ reporting behavior is significantly associated with projects’ future performance. This dissertation contributes new insights on portfolio and project management in general and portfolio management’s strategic and operational decision-making under uncertainty in particular. Furthermore, it adds new aspects to the interaction between portfolio and project management and thereby opens up new perspectives on behavioral and contextual decision-making in portfolio and project management. |
| Date: | 2022 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dar:wpaper:131236&r= |
| By: | Kazemian, Soheil; Djajadikerta, Hadrian Geri; Said, Jamaliah; Roni, Saiyidi Mat; Trireksani, Terri; Alam, Md. Mahmudul (Universiti Utara Malaysia) |
| Abstract: | Market orientation has been known as an efficient managerial tool to assist in sustaining the performance of organisations. Market orientation has three dimensions, namely customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-function coordination. This paper evaluates how corporate governance influences the three dimensions of market orientation within Iran's upscale hotels. The impacts of the three dimensions of market orientation on the hotels' social and financial performance are also examined to determine if market orientation mediates the relationships between corporate governance and performance. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to analyse the survey data collected from the executives of four- and five-star hotels in Mashhad, Iran. Results show that corporate governance positively influences the three dimensions of market orientation, while overall market orientation influences financial and social performance. Specifically, customer orientation and inter-function coordination significantly reinforce such mediation, whereas the influence of competitor orientation is limited to financial performance. |
| Date: | 2021–11–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:ajmvn&r= |
| By: | Drydakis, Nick (Anglia Ruskin University) |
| Abstract: | The study utilises the International Labor Organization's SMEs COVID-19 pandemic business risks scale to determine whether Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications are associated with reduced business risks for SMEs. A new 10-item scale was developed to capture the use of AI applications in core services such as marketing and sales, pricing and cash flow. Data were collected from 317 SMEs between April and June 2020, with follow-up data gathered between October and December 2020 in London, England. AI applications to target consumers online, offer cash flow forecasting and facilitate HR activities are associated with reduced business risks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for both small and medium enterprises. The study indicates that AI enables SMEs to boost their dynamic capabilities by leveraging technology to meet new types of demand, move at speed to pivot business operations, boost efficiency and thus, reduce their business risks. |
| Keywords: | SMEs, business risks, COVID-19, artificial intelligence, dynamic capabilities |
| JEL: | O33 Q55 L26 |
| Date: | 2022–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15065&r= |