Usha Ramanathan, M. Mathirajan and A.S. Balakrishnan
The COVID-19 situation affected the whole landscape of retailing in India and around the world. However, some businesses have used the pandemic-related difficulties into…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 situation affected the whole landscape of retailing in India and around the world. However, some businesses have used the pandemic-related difficulties into opportunities. E-tailing is one of the ways that helped people in India to continue shopping their essential products and choosing their luxury products without making any physical visits during the lockdown. This research understands the current situation through an observation study and suggests the e-tailing model suitable during the COVID-19 and beyond.
Design/methodology
We used secondary data to make the observational study. We also conducted two case studies and interviews with grocery shops and an automotive company.
Findings
This research suggests a simple collaborative e-tailing model combining all supply chain players to reduce people’s movement, timely delivery and enhanced service to meet customers demand during the lockdown period.
Originality/value
This paper has considered two real cases for discussion and also obtained information from public domain. The proposed model has been discussed with the case companies, and it hoped to support business planning for online services.
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Keywords
Innovation and entrepreneurship are regarded as the key drivers to steer the engine of economic development in any nation. As a result, to understand the context and process of…
Abstract
Purpose
Innovation and entrepreneurship are regarded as the key drivers to steer the engine of economic development in any nation. As a result, to understand the context and process of innovation and entrepreneurship there has been a steady rise in scientific literature and empirical studies. The purpose of this paper is to study the trends and progress of academic research on innovation and entrepreneurship in India by identifying the key articles, journals, authors and institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
Scientometric methods especially bibliometrics is used, for measuring the maturity of this research field in the country. The paper studies the research landscape in innovation and entrepreneurship in India by doing a bibliometric analysis using data from publications indexed in the Scopus database from the year 2000 to 2018. The study takes a multidisciplinary review of the literature in innovation and entrepreneurship research in India and could be used as a reference for future studies in this theme.
Findings
The study finds an increase in the scholarly studies in innovation and entrepreneurship in India in the last decade. It was also found that a large number of publications were joint-authored and collaborations between Indian and foreign universities is happening. The paper also highlights the authorship patterns, top journals and the most cited papers.
Research limitations/implications
A major limitation of this study is that it has considered publications which are indexed in Scopus. This paper has contributed by highlighting the growth of studies in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Indian context. The results can be used by future studies in this area as a starting point to highlight the nature of this research area.
Originality/value
The study attempts to present a trend analysis of published literature on innovation and entrepreneurship in India.
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Tarun Nanda, Himanshu Gupta, Tejinder P. Singh, Simonov Kusi-Sarpong, Chiappetta Jose Charbel Jabbour and Adriana Cherri
Technology and knowledge have become the buzzwords of the new millennium. Technological changes and demanding customers are creating a more knowledge intensive, turbulent, complex…
Abstract
Purpose
Technology and knowledge have become the buzzwords of the new millennium. Technological changes and demanding customers are creating a more knowledge intensive, turbulent, complex and uncertain environment. Organizations, which are able to continually build faster and cheaper new strategic assets than their competitors, create long-term competitive advantages. Thus, the growth of companies is directly associated with innovativeness and technological development, especially for small organizations that are more vulnerable to dynamic changes in market place. Organizations need a strategic framework that can help them to achieve the goal of technology development and competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to develop such strategic framework for small organizations for their technology development and, hence, survival in marketplace.
Design/methodology/approach
Options field methodology, options profile methodology, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy set theory are utilized to generate various options and profiles to propose a conceptual framework for technology development.
Findings
The results from the study showed that “mixed approach,” “strategic simulation approach” and the “regulatory environment approach,” in this order, emerged as the top three important options for the strategic technological development of small manufacturing enterprises.
Originality/value
This result can provide an original and more accurate implementation pathway toward technological innovative development in emerging economies. The proposed framework can provide valuable guidelines and recommendations to practicing managers and analysts for policy development to promote innovative and technological developments.
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Virupaxi Bagodi and Prasannna P. Raravi
The purpose of this paper is to identify the input, process and output factors (along with their manifest variables) of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and to establish cause…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the input, process and output factors (along with their manifest variables) of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and to establish cause and effect relationships amongst the factors and sub-factors. Systems thinking, a holistic approach, is used to carry out qualitative analysis of the feedback loops.
Design/methodology/approach
A well-structured questionnaire was developed to gather the relevant data to identify the factors affecting the performance of SMEs in a holistic manner. A total of 150 responses were collected during November 2015–March 2016. Factor analysis and path analysis were used to establish causal relationships between input, process and output factors. The systems thinking approach has been used for qualitative analysis.
Findings
Feedback loops have been identified amongst input-process-output-input factors and amongst sub-factors. They enabled authors to infer that the managers/owners of SMEs are systems thinkers, if not completely, at least partially. Six negative feedback loops and one positive feedback loop prevail. System behaviour arises out of the interaction of positive and negative feedback loops; it appears that in the long-run, the SMEs attain their target levels. The following inferences are drawn: circular relationships are identified amongst input, processes and organisational performance (OP), modern management tools such as just in times, Kanban have long-term benefits and are perceived as ineffective by small enterprises and formal financing and functional transparency enhances OP.
Originality/value
Systems thinking, a holistic approach, has been used to study the effect of input, process and output factors on one another. Such studies are sparse, especially, in the Indian context. Many studies have been conducted to study the effect of input and of processes on performance such as innovation, information technology, human resource, technology, government regulation on performance of SMEs in a silo but, rarely all together. The qualitative analysis adds value to the research. Many of the outcomes of the research have been largely discussed in Indian print media which indicates the pragmatic approach of the research.
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Nadia A. Abdelmegeed Abdelwahed, Safia Bano, Mohammed A. Al Doghan and Bahadur Ali Soomro
Currently, innovation performance (IP) and innovation quality (IQ) are essential intertwined constructs that help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) thrive in a…
Abstract
Purpose
Currently, innovation performance (IP) and innovation quality (IQ) are essential intertwined constructs that help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) thrive in a competitive business environment and achieve long-term success and sustainability. This paper aims to examine the effect of top management knowledge values (TMKVs), knowledge-oriented culture (KOC) and rewards on IP and IQ through knowledge sharing.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a deductive cross-sectional data approach and a standardized questionnaire adopted from the literature to obtain responses from the employees of Egyptian manufacturing SMEs. The authors based this study’s findings on 316 usable samples by applying the purposive sampling technique.
Findings
Using structural equation modeling (SEM) with path analysis using SmartPLS4, the findings of this study demonstrate that TMKV positively affects IP but not IQ. On the one hand, the KOC and knowledge-sharing process (KSP) are positive enablers of IP and IQ. On the other hand, knowledge-based reward (KBR) has an insignificant effect on IP and IQ. Moreover, while KSP mediates TMKV’s and KOC’s connections with IP and IQ, it does not mediate KBR’s relationship with IP and IQ.
Practical implications
This study’s findings will help policymakers and planners create strategies through knowledge management to improve employees’ vision, commitment and dedication, culminating in a favourable impact on IP and IQ. These findings highlight the need to foster a knowledge-based culture that promotes communication networks, establishes trust and enables individuals to make decisions to enhance organizational success, IP and IQ.
Originality/value
In the case of a developing country, this study helps to fill the gaps by offering an integrated framework that simultaneously explores knowledge management enablers, IP and IQ.
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Muhammad Sabbir Rahman, Fadi AbdelMuniem AbdelFattah, Surajit Bag and Mohammad Osman Gani
As a global pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis has profoundly affected the development of local firms, threatening the survival of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study aims…
Abstract
Purpose
As a global pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis has profoundly affected the development of local firms, threatening the survival of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to present an integrated framework by investigating the impact of strategic tools (i.e. firms’ capability of business agility, marketing operational efficiency, optimisation of innovation capability [OIC], managing employees’ satisfaction and rethinking customers’ experience) on the survival strategies of SMEs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study used data from managers of SMEs and conducted an asymmetrical analysis (i.e. structural equation modelling [SEM]) to investigate the factors influencing the survival strategies of SMEs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also applied an asymmetrical approach (i.e. fuzzy sets qualitative comparative analysis-fsQCA) to explore the causal recipes and analysis of the necessary conditions to identify the factors required to achieve the expected outcome.
Findings
Results from SEM support all hypotheses. Results from fsQCA with the same data set show that firms’ business agility and OIC are necessary conditions for SMEs’ survival strategies. The result from fsQCA also reveals multiple sufficient conditions to succeed SMEs’ survival strategies amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Practical implications
Findings prescribe how SMEs adapt to this vulnerable business condition by applying the strategic tools and recipes suggested for survival.
Originality/value
This research applied an innovative analysis to reveal necessary and sufficient conditions that conventional methods such as SEM have limited power. This pioneering research in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is considered novel in terms of the prescriptive strategic recipes offered to SMEs to adapt to and survive in the crisis caused by COVID-19.
The financial resources limitation, the difficult conditions for entry into the market and the lack of sufficient funds are the most important problems facing Iranian small and…
Abstract
Purpose
The financial resources limitation, the difficult conditions for entry into the market and the lack of sufficient funds are the most important problems facing Iranian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). For these reasons, this paper aims to propose an appropriate methodology for formulating the most influential Iranian SMEs development strategies to make it possible to grow and make more income. Then, a framework is developed to precisely determine the target market for Iranian SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis; Pareto principle and analysis of the market conditions to propose the development strategies and uses a methodology based on multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) method to determine the target market.
Findings
According to the research results, it is necessary for the Iranian SMEs to follow the brand strengthening, product and market development, enhancing product quality and creating research and development units strategies focusing on the domestic market. The results obtained from the empirical study also indicated that the customer acquisition rate improved from 0.06 to 0.13 per month, and the company's income has a 64% growth in 2016 than the year 2015 through the selection of some public customers as the target market.
Originality/value
Very few studies have been done so far on the formulation methodology of a market entry strategy for SMEs. Studies by researchers imply that no studies have been conducted in Iran in this regard. International studies also mainly focus on the impact of some marketing activities.
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Paras Kanojia and Gurcharan Singh
This paper empirically explored the influence of external and internal factors on technological and non-technological innovation of 5747 Indian firms. The study also explored…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper empirically explored the influence of external and internal factors on technological and non-technological innovation of 5747 Indian firms. The study also explored novel insights about manufacturing firms by segregating them into high-technology and low-technology industries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed hierarchical regression analysis to analyse a cross-sectional dataset gathered from the World Bank enterprise survey. The firms are segregated into high-technology and low-technology industries based on the technology-intensity classification of the manufacturing industry given by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Findings
The main results highlight that technological and non-technological innovation was primarily driven by internal resources and capabilities rather than external factors. The authors found the highest effect of research and development spending on both forms of innovation. In both high-tech and low-tech industries, technology transfer is positively associated with technological innovation and negatively associated with non-technological innovation. Furthermore, external business support has substantially influenced non-technological innovation in low-tech industries.
Originality/value
This study used two-step hierarchical regression to explore the influence of external and internal factors on technological and non-technological innovation separately. Exploring determinants of innovation in high-technology and low-technology industries also brings the distinct prerequisites of enhancing innovation to the attention of policymakers and industry experts.
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The purpose of this paper is to focus on contribution of technical efficiency change (TEC) and technological progress (TP) to output growth (OG) and addresses the issue of poor…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on contribution of technical efficiency change (TEC) and technological progress (TP) to output growth (OG) and addresses the issue of poor total factor productivity growth of electronics hardware industry during liberalization. Inter‐sector differences in productivity have been explained from the perspective of management decision making and their performances.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis is primarily based on 81 electronics hardware firms with incessant operations from 1993 to 2004. The firms have been categorized into four homogenous sub‐sectors and the years into two periods.
Findings
The industry, in general, emphasized more on TP than TEC as the industry moved to a greater liberalization regime. The industry lacked the efforts to develop indigenous technology. It catered to huge domestic demand by importing technology without proper adaptation leading to poor TEC.
Research limitations/implications
The limited database prevented us from exploring the impact of the entry of multi‐national companies, foreign direct investment and foreign investments on the productivity of the electronics firms. The inconsistent and missing data on tariff or duty rates for item‐wise products further limited their scope.
Practical implications
The differences in TEC and TP among sub‐sectors has been due to the differences in managerial decision making and management performance which are firm specific in nature.
Originality/value
This paper has applied a novel approach of combining two established but independent theories of estimating stochastic production function and then estimating OG as a function of IG, TEC and TP. This paper provides a valuable reference for Indian electronics hardware industry not only in reviewing their efficiency, but also focusing on enhancing their management performance.
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Fatema Shabib and Subhadra Ganguli
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness on the attitudes of Bahraini women consumers in the age group of 18-55…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness on the attitudes of Bahraini women consumers in the age group of 18-55 and their buying behavior toward cosmetics products.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative method is used for focusing on Bahraini women consumers aged between 18-55 years. Primary data comprising consumer’s buying behavior and attitudes were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using software like SPSS and Microsoft Office Excel.
Findings
The empirical findings revealed that Bahraini women are not aware of CSR. This lack of awareness leads to the exclusion of CSR as a factor in their purchase decisions. However, the awareness of CSR can become a reason for avoiding purchase of specific cosmetics when the consumer discovers that the producer has been involved in socially irresponsible business practices. Moreover, Bahraini women do not seek CSR-related information voluntarily from the cosmetics industry.
Research limitations/implications
This research paper is subject to sample size limitations; it focuses on women of a specific age group using cosmetics and is limited to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Survey method was used as the only primary data collection method.
Practical implications
This research provides a clear picture of how consumers behave in the absence of any or very little awareness of CSR. It can benefit cosmetics companies, both existing and new, for adopting future long-term marketing strategies to create public awareness of CSR.
Social implications
This research highlights the importance of raising awareness of CSR in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the possible implications of such activities on consumers’ purchases of cosmetics products.
Originality/value
This paper contributes significantly toward information regarding Bahraini consumers’ lack of awareness of CSR and sheds light on consumers’ behavior toward cosmetics products in the Kingdom of Bahrain.