Rovier Djeudja and Yang Salamon
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of the business climate on the sustainability of Cameroonian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in times of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of the business climate on the sustainability of Cameroonian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in times of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve this purpose, the study proceed with a quantitative analysis using the simple LOGIT model on a sample of 52 individuals.
Findings
Through the administration of questionnaires and estimations, results reveal that certain variables such as the taxation regime of the enterprise, the different types of taxes paid by the enterprise, the frequency of payment of income tax, the nature of the training of managers, the clauses of the debt contracts with banks/EMFs (Microfinance institution), the time taken to apply for a loan from the bank and the nature of the manager’s training have a negative influence on the sustainability of Cameroonian SMEs during COVID-19, while others such as the evolution of financial profitability in the context of the coronavirus pandemic in Cameroon, the company’s sector of activity and the main methods of financing the SME have a positive influence on the sustainability of Cameroonian SMEs during COVID-19 pandemic. The improvement of the business climate by the institutional authorities is, therefore, essential in the perspective of an eventual development of the country; the said development cannot take place without capitalizing on the potential for income and job creation by SMEs.
Research limitations/implications
The first limitation is related to the size of the sample and also to the specificity of our study. In fact, the study is conducted among individuals/actors likely to have access to information on the business climate and sustainability of Cameroonian SMEs at the time of COVID-19 encountered in the city of Yaoundé. In this context, the sample size is considered to be small (52). This element does not immediately allow the results of the present research to be generalized to all regions where SMEs are located in Cameroon, as other criteria or other elements must still be taken into account and the results obtained must, therefore, be interpreted with caution. This research could be deepened in the future by considering more business climate variables on the one hand and a larger sample size extended to all cities in Cameroon on the other.
Practical implications
The results of this research confirm the importance of institutional bodies establishing a rigorous policy of support for businesses. Such a policy would contribute to improving the business climate and extend beyond mere resilience.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the fact that it looks at the sustainability of SMEs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon using a simple LOGIT econometric model.
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Marcos Komodromos, Daphne Halkias and Nicholas Harkiolakis
The purpose of this paper is to explore and present current trends and developments in the field of managers’ perceptions of trust and the management of change in Cyprus, Greece…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore and present current trends and developments in the field of managers’ perceptions of trust and the management of change in Cyprus, Greece and Romania, in a period of strategic organizational change. A total of 126 managerial employees (communication managers, operation managers, quality control managers, safety & environmental managers, and office managers) working in different departments of organizations in Cyprus, Greece, and Romania respond and complete the online questionnaire.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study using an online questionnaire with interview questions was developed to arrive at the study’s findings. To acknowledge relevant perceptions of trust and the management of change during organizational change in different organizations in Cyprus, Greece and Romania, unique questions helped to support the research results and highlight themes that emerged from interview sessions with the study participants.
Findings
The findings highlight the need for organizational leadership to establish mutual trust and effective communication with managerial employees for successful cooperation during times of strategic change and enhanced overall employee performance. This study is relevant for researchers and academics in the areas of change management and communication, presenting current trends and developments in perceptions of trust and change management in Cyprus, Greece and Romania. It may also help them achieve recognition among their peers and colleagues from other disciplines.
Research limitations/implications
An important implication of the study derives from the finding on the uniqueness of the knowledge and information work carried out by the respondents and the impact that this can have in their working environment and their productivity. As a result of the above, this study provides indications to recruiters and managers regarding a number of desirable and necessary skills, and motivational factors that future employees may need to have or develop in order to carry out their job efficiently and effectively.
Practical implications
Researching managerial employees’ perceptions of trust and the management of change in organizations can have significant implications for human resources management during a time of strategic change.
Social implications
This research study may contribute to the management and communication area in European countries in stimulating new approaches to management and social issues and in the corporate management practice.
Originality/value
This study produces new knowledge instead of summarizing what is already known in a new form in the area of management and corporate communication. The researcher reports the results in analysis and interprets the results by discussing possible implications and solutions.
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Yun‐Sheng Chung, D. Frank Hsu, Chun‐Yi Liu and Chun‐Yi Tang
Multiple classifier systems have been used widely in computing, communications, and informatics. Combining multiple classifier systems (MCS) has been shown to outperform a single…
Abstract
Purpose
Multiple classifier systems have been used widely in computing, communications, and informatics. Combining multiple classifier systems (MCS) has been shown to outperform a single classifier system. It has been demonstrated that improvement in ensemble performance depends on either the diversity among or the performance of individual systems. A variety of diversity measures and ensemble methods have been proposed and studied. However, it remains a challenging problem to estimate the ensemble performance in terms of the performance of and the diversity among individual systems. The purpose of this paper is to study the general problem of estimating ensemble performance for various combination methods using the concept of a performance distribution pattern (PDP).
Design/methodology/approach
In particular, the paper establishes upper and lower bounds for majority voting ensemble performance with disagreement diversity measure Dis, weighted majority voting performance in terms of weighted average performance and weighted disagreement diversity, and plurality voting ensemble performance with entropy diversity measure D.
Findings
Bounds for these three cases are shown to be tight using the PDP for the input set.
Originality/value
As a consequence of the authors' previous results on diversity equivalence, the results of majority voting ensemble performance can be extended to several other diversity measures. Moreover, the paper showed in the case of majority voting ensemble performance that when the average of individual systems performance P is big enough, the ensemble performance Pm resulting from a maximum (information‐theoretic) entropy PDP is an increasing function with respect to the disagreement diversity Dis. Eight experiments using data sets from various application domains are conducted to demonstrate the complexity, richness, and diverseness of the problem in estimating the ensemble performance.
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Zahid Hussain Bhat, Rouf Ahmad Mir, Raja Rameez and Riyaz Ahmad Rainayee
This study aims to highlight the role of individual and instructional design factors on training transfer and explore and review focal training factors that influence the transfer…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to highlight the role of individual and instructional design factors on training transfer and explore and review focal training factors that influence the transfer of training.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework has been developed for this study to better present the prevalent factors that have been empirically validated.
Findings
The facets of transfer encompassed in this study have gathered enough evidence to demonstrate a positive association with the transfer. This review points out that all predictor variables (learner characteristics, instructional design and environmental factors) positively and significantly influence the transfer of training. A mix of variables is proposed, with further investigation recommended to develop a robust training transfer hypotheses.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the training transfer literature in three ways. First, the authors have shown the positive influence of pre-training factors on training transfer. This study is grounded in a robust theoretical framework, thus fulfilling the previous gaps. This conceptual study elaborates on the importance of factors to establish the training transfer hypothesis. Future studies should test the suggested framework and look for other things that could help learners be more effective and motivated so that training can be more effective and transferable.
Practical implications
This study has significant findings for organizations operating in the current business scenario to enhance learning transfer, where the transfer is very low and a significant cause of concern for every organization. By making management aware of the success factors of training transfer, they can ensure a better training transfer. In this study, the transfer design considerations are discussed in detail, and their practical consequences are provided for training transfer in general and training professionals in particular.
Originality/value
The training transfer literature showcases two significant gaps; first, it lacks appropriate characteristics, and second, there is variability in the results. This study bridges the gaps and attempts to advance our understanding of training transfer grounded in the theoretical framework by focusing on learner characteristics, instructional design and work environment in training transfer, which predictor variables can improve training transfer. This study also contributes to the current training transfer literature by proposing a combination of factors that provide a theoretical foundation for developing a solid training transfer theory.
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Laura Berardi and Michele A. Rea
There are different types of non-profit organisations (NPOs) characterised by the different extents of their volunteer management practices. In addition, the use of volunteer work…
Abstract
Background and Purpose
There are different types of non-profit organisations (NPOs) characterised by the different extents of their volunteer management practices. In addition, the use of volunteer work measurement tools is infrequent among these organisations, especially in contexts where NPOs face no obligations or standard practices in this area, such as in Italy. The literature has stated that volunteer programmes and activities are effective if a NPO is highly structured and employs good volunteer management practices and that the measurement of volunteer work may increase the effectiveness of such programmes; this is frequent, for instance, in US NPOs. However, what would occur if a NPO introduces the measurement of volunteer work in a context where volunteer management is not highly structured, such as in Italy?
Design/Methodology/Approach
To study this topic, we adopt the quasi-experimental approach to examine six Italian voluntary organisations (VOs) based in Abruzzo. The treatment consists of the gradual introduction of volunteer work measurement tools to the managers and volunteers who work for the selected organisations, as well as the observation of the early impact of this treatment on the effectiveness of volunteer programmes and activities. This paper aims to discuss the issue of the implementation of measurement tools for effectively managing volunteer services in two different contexts: Italian and US NPOs.
Findings and Implication
Our findings have practical implications, especially with regard to the management of relatively unstructured volunteer organisations that would like to introduce new tools of measurement but do not have the necessary skills to do so. We also wish to show in this work how some organisations are implementing these tools and highlight the initial effects produced by this implementation process.
Originality/Value
This study is innovative, particularly for contexts in which there are no obligations and customs with regard to the measurement of volunteer work.
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Stefan Heidenreich, Jonas F. Puck and Igor Filatotchev
Prior research on political strategies has predominantly analyzed singular political activities or drivers for firms to become politically active and, overall, only scarcely…
Abstract
Prior research on political strategies has predominantly analyzed singular political activities or drivers for firms to become politically active and, overall, only scarcely obtained insights on performance consequences of political strategizing. To further develop the realm of political strategy, this study analyzes the effects of two “generic” political strategies on firms’ (1) stakeholder network development and (2) performance. Specifically, we provide theoretical and empirical evidence whether the two political strategies add to or substitute each other in their effect on the corresponding outcome variable. We find that an information strategy significantly affects the stakeholder network development, whereas no influence of a financial incentive strategy could be detected. Moreover, we find that the stakeholder network drives firm performance and, more importantly, that the two political strategies substitute each other in their effect on firm performance. Thus, we provide initial insights on the efficiency of political strategies when firms opt to execute an information strategy and financial incentive strategy simultaneously. The results of our study have important implications for research as they put a new light on the efficiency of political strategies.
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José Chiu-C. Chen and Chen-Yang Cheng
The commercialization of non-profit organization (NPOs) has become a trend. Nonetheless, during the process of providing services and manufacturing products, NPOs frequently…
Abstract
Purpose
The commercialization of non-profit organization (NPOs) has become a trend. Nonetheless, during the process of providing services and manufacturing products, NPOs frequently encounter obstacles, such as distinctive organizational characteristics and social loafing, which hinder development. These obstacles impede effective production management process, especially in responding to market competitive logic and associated demands. The purpose of this paper is to assist NPOs in resolving the unique challenges posed by commercialization.
Design/methodology/approach
This study first examined related literature on the social loafing and Lean-Kanban model. Subsequently, existing service procedures of the Assistive Technology Resource Center were introduced, and the loafing situation and operational management issues within the organization were analyzed. Based on observed experiences in the case study, this study investigated the social loafing situation that NPOs are likely to encounter during the commercialization process. Adaptive strategies were then proposed to mitigate this situation. Finally, this study presents a summary and analysis of the study results, and offers recommendations regarding future research directions.
Findings
The findings of this study provide valuable information regarding NPOs commercialization, indicating that an understanding of the non-profit concept in relation to internal and external customers must be incorporated into the commercialization process. Social loafing is a sensitive topic in organizational research, particularly for NPOs without HR professionals. This study recommends that NPOs use Lean-management tools to reduce operational management issues caused by various social loafing situations. Further interdisciplinary, integrated research on the commercialization of NPOs of various types should be conducted to clarify concerns regarding the overall NPO commercialization environment.
Originality/value
This study examined a social welfare foundation and applied the Lean thinking model to investigate whether Lean-management tools alleviate and eliminate social loafing. The solution depends on interdisciplinary integrated research for improving NPO management practice. These management tools can be used to adjust the division of labor and reduce operational management problems caused by social loafing. These tools can provide NPOs with a reference for establishing a fair and equitable internal work environment and developing strategies that respond to market pressure and efficiency during commercialization.
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Ishani Buddika Soysa, Nihal Palitha Jayamaha and Nigel Peter Grigg
The purpose of this paper is to develop a performance measurement (PM) framework for Australasian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) involved in healthcare, and operational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a performance measurement (PM) framework for Australasian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) involved in healthcare, and operational descriptions for each PM dimension within this framework.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature relating to the balanced scorecard and other PM frameworks was examined to develop an initial conceptual model, and this model was substantially improved by collecting qualitative data from nine Australian and New Zealand healthcare NPOs using a case study approach.
Findings
The study identifies nine causally related PM dimensions: mission, strategy, organisational capabilities, infrastructure and people development (people and information), financial health, processes, and stakeholder satisfaction (clients, people, and donors). The study also recognised that “Mission” and “Strategy” should be PM dimensions and that healthcare NPOs should focus on satisfying its people, not only donors and clients. Additionally, 41 operational descriptions are developed for each of these dimensions and can enable detailed PM items to be derived by organisations.
Originality/value
The study is the first study that has been undertaken to develop a PM framework for the Australasian NPOs to a level that it can be readily used by the practitioners (following customisation to their own specific context). The developed model also serves as a basis for future quantitative academic research aimed at testing and empirical validation of the conceptual model.
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Hera Khan, Ayush Srivastav and Amit Kumar Mishra
A detailed description will be provided of all the classification algorithms that have been widely used in the domain of medical science. The foundation will be laid by giving a…
Abstract
A detailed description will be provided of all the classification algorithms that have been widely used in the domain of medical science. The foundation will be laid by giving a comprehensive overview pertaining to the background and history of the classification algorithms. This will be followed by an extensive discussion regarding various techniques of classification algorithm in machine learning (ML) hence concluding with their relevant applications in data analysis in medical science and health care. To begin with, the initials of this chapter will deal with the basic fundamentals required for a profound understanding of the classification techniques in ML which will comprise of the underlying differences between Unsupervised and Supervised Learning followed by the basic terminologies of classification and its history. Further, it will include the types of classification algorithms ranging from linear classifiers like Logistic Regression, Naïve Bayes to Nearest Neighbour, Support Vector Machine, Tree-based Classifiers, and Neural Networks, and their respective mathematics. Ensemble algorithms such as Majority Voting, Boosting, Bagging, Stacking will also be discussed at great length along with their relevant applications. Furthermore, this chapter will also incorporate comprehensive elucidation regarding the areas of application of such classification algorithms in the field of biomedicine and health care and their contribution to decision-making systems and predictive analysis. To conclude, this chapter will devote highly in the field of research and development as it will provide a thorough insight to the classification algorithms and their relevant applications used in the cases of the healthcare development sector.
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Jingru Li, Jian Zuo, Weiping Jiang, Xizeng Zhong, Jinggang Li and Yulun Pan
This study aims to identify and quantitatively evaluate the factors that influence the construction and demolition waste (CDW) policy instrument choice, and provide a systematic…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify and quantitatively evaluate the factors that influence the construction and demolition waste (CDW) policy instrument choice, and provide a systematic framework for local governments to select the appropriate policy instruments with a consideration of their specific situations.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature review and expert interviews were conducted to identify the key factors. These factors were quantitatively evaluated via a questionnaire survey. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to explore the underlying structure of these variables and organize the factors into a systematic framework.
Findings
Resource, clarity of policy problem and goal, legitimacy, acceptance of targeted group and environmental concern of public are the five top variables, which should be emphasized in the selection of CDW policy. The respondents with experience in policymaking and those without experience had slightly different views on the importance of these variables. A total of six latent factors were identified and organized into a framework.
Research limitations/implications
The questionnaire survey was conducted with government staff via a snowball sampling method, which may affect the representativeness of conclusions to a certain extent.
Practical implications
This study provides a useful reference for local government to choose appropriate policies to address the CDW problem. Matching attributes of policy instruments with the policy goal and the problem is the starting point in choice of the CDW policy. The matched instruments will be further narrowed by social context, i.e. environmental concern and socioeconomic situation. The final selection must undergo bargaining between policymakers and targeted groups.
Originality/value
Policy instruments choice is a complicated process, which is shaped by the interaction of many influential factors. However, the impact of these factors on CDW policy choice is largely overlooked. This study will contribute to the knowledge body pertaining to policy selection in the CDW field.