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The purpose of this descriptive research article is to investigate current benchmarking practices (2001 to 2010) so as to determine new approaches which may transcend the traditional benchmarking model developed by Watson.

Previous generations of benchmarking have been developed and utilized in the last century. Watson's generational benchmarking model predicted that global benchmarking would encompass future benchmarking. Watson's Strategic Benchmarking: Reloaded with Six Sigma links Six Sigma strategies with strategic planning and benchmarking.

Most articles and dissertations reviewed indicate usage of existing benchmarking practices. The research also uncovered complementary approaches, including the Boyd Cycle, which underscores flexibility and speed, Six Sigma tools to implement significant business change decisions, the insights of Hoshin Kanri's philosophy of management, which fosters communication such that everyone in an organization is working toward a common goal, and “rapidmarking” of business improvements.

These approaches, while complementary, do not represent a “new generation” of benchmarking.

The value of this article comes from making the connection between the very beginnings of benchmarking techniques and the latest techniques in use today.

The purpose of this study was to assess the mediating role of process innovation in the relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) and organizational efficiency among local governments. Further, the study assessed the moderating role of knowledge sharing in the relationship between process innovation and organizational efficiency.

The study focused on metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs) within the Ashanti region of Ghana. The sample size was 227 employees within the selected MMDAs. Structural equation modeling in Amos (v.23) was run to test the stated hypotheses.

It was concluded that GHRM had no direct effect on organizational efficiency within the MMDAs. The relationship was rather fully mediated by process innovation. Knowledge sharing further moderated the relationship between process innovation and organizational efficiency among the MMDAs.

Local governments and other public institutions should adopt GHRM, as it could enhance process innovation, leading to organizational efficiency.

This paper contributes to the understanding of GHRM in the public sector, particularly in the context of local government organizations, and provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to enhance their organizational performance and sustainability.

Although there is substantial evidence of GHRM within the private sector, less attention has been paid to the public sector, more specifically the local government. Furthermore, the interplay of process innovation and knowledge sharing adds to the knowledge of the relationship between GHRM and organizational efficiency.

From the agency theory’s point of view, this paper aims to analyze corporate governance mechanisms about the characteristics of the companies quoted in the segments Bovespa Mais and Bovespa Mais 2 and their influence on the creation of value in preparation for the opening of the initial public offering (IPO).

A quantitative approach was adopted to achieve the proposed objective using the panel data with fixed effects and secondary data collected on the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários website, using statistical software Stata® 13.0 for statistical tests. The population comprises non-financial companies belonging to the Bovespa Mais and Bovespa Mais Level 2 groups, as the survey sample took into account the period of adhesion of the companies, totaled in 15 companies, which cover the period from 2008 to 2019. The selected variables correspond to the ownership structure’s characteristics, then the board’s composition and the fiscal council as the body responsible for supervising the administrators’ acts.

The main results indicate that the number of independent members on the board of directors and the supervisory board’s participation positively influence market performance. However, it also reveals that the concentration of ownership brings fundraising for other companies’ acquisitions, risk reduction concerning information asymmetry between investing powers.

The main results indicate that the number of independent members on the board of directors and the supervisory board’s participation positively influence market performance. Despite this, it also reveals that the concentration of ownership brings fundraising for other companies’ acquisitions, risk reduction concerning information asymmetry between investing powers.

This paper advances a comparative institutional perspective to explain capital market choice by firms making an IPO in a foreign market. This paper finds that internal governance characteristics (founder-chief executive officer, executive incentives and board independence) and external network characteristics (prestigious underwriters, degree of venture capitalist syndication and board interlocks) are significant predictors of foreign capital market choice by foreign IPO firms.

While product market choices have been central to strategy formulation for firms in the past, financial markets’ integration makes capital markets an equally crucial strategic decision. This paper advances a comparative institutional perspective to explain capital market choice by firms making an IPO in a foreign market.

This situation generates value to shareholders and is perceived by the market and, ultimately, generates a direct relationship with the market performance of companies. While product market choices have been central to strategy formulation for firms in the past, financial markets’ integration makes capital markets an equally major strategic decision.

This study aims to explore how the three dimensions of karma – karmic duty orientation, indifference to rewards and equanimity – influence empathy and moral obligation, with implications for social economics.

The research was conducted on a valid sample of 401 university students in Vietnam, using hierarchical regression to test formulated hypotheses.

The analysis reveals that karmic duty orientation and indifference to rewards significantly enhance empathy and moral obligation, indicating that individuals with a strong sense of moral duty and intrinsic motivation are more likely to engage in ethical and pro-social behaviors. Equanimity was not found to impact empathy or moral obligation significantly.

Organizations and policymakers should focus on cultivating moral duties, intrinsic motivations and resilience in ethical behavior to promote social responsibility and sustainability and ensure long-term social and economic stability.

This study contributes to social economics by integrating ethical dimensions of karma into the analysis of moral behavior, offering a fresh perspective that challenges traditional economic models centered on self-interest. The research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how moral principles influence economic decisions and social outcomes.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-07-2023-0571

To provide a selective bibliography for researchers and graduate students who have an interest in induction processes applied to the electromagnetic processing of materials.

The objective is to provide references that identify seminal, early work, and references that represent the current state of the art. References are listed in categories that cover the broad range of induction modeling and application issues.

A brief overview of the key areas in induction processing of materials is provided, but greater emphasis and space is devoted to the references provided.

The middle years of each topic area are not covered.

A very comprehensive coverage of material is provided to those with an interest in induction processing of materials.

This paper fulfils an identified information/resources need.

The Baldrige criteria for assessing business performance excellence (BCPE) suggests a relationship among seven self-assessment categories. The purpose of this paper is to take an in-depth look at the BCPE by testing the causal relationship among categories grouped into four basic dimensions – driver triad, work core, outcomes, and brain centre. Identifying meaningful interrelationships for leaders helps them transform their organisations to achieve performance excellence.

A systems perspective supports system mapping for understanding meaningful interrelationships among dimensions and mediating factors affecting business performance excellence. A 35-item questionnaire designed to measure seven categories of the BCPE (version 2022–2023) was administered to export and import (EXIM) businesses across Thailand. Valid responses (n = 290) were analysed through SPSS and AMOS via structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypotheses and explore the influencing factors.

A strong systems perspective focus is essential for high organisational performance. The result reveals that all seven BCPE categories are significantly linked. In addition, mediation analysis (taking selected mediators) proved hypothesised cause-and-effect relationship as significant. The results demonstrate that the brain centre plays a crucial role in driving business success promulgating its influence within the model.

This study provides the necessary backgrounding in systems perspectives confirming that the BCPE premises on a set of four basic dimensions: driver triad (leadership, strategy, and customers category), work core (workforce and operations category), brain centre (measurement, analysis, and knowledge management category), and outcomes (results category). These four dimensions define the essentials of an integrated management system. Further, the study shows that measurement, analysis, and knowledge management directly influenced customer focus, the highest coefficient path among the criterion in the Baldrige framework. This is the critical driver in predicting performance outcomes via meaningful feedback.

From a managerial point of view, the structured system management framework proposed provides a specific guide for the alignment in quality management, which can change its practice in business management and award assessment. The results evidence a significant relationship among driver triad, work core, brain centre, and outcomes to propose a form of system management. The findings help award examiners or business practitioners provide system mapping for evaluation – i.e. how well organisations meet their goals and how best to prepare feedback reports to applicants that paint meaningful pictures.

This study promotes a systems perspective when approaching business performance excellence, whereas other studies provide evidence to individual relationships. Moreover, the examined interrelationship among dimensions – driver triad, work core, outcomes, and brain centre – provide novel system mapping to guide managers, practitioners, or award examiners in evaluating quality management practice.