Narrow Results

We use an enhanced Russell model data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the efficiency scores of 75 global life and non-life insurance companies as a measure of business performance (BP) from 2018 to 2022. On top of cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling, we conduct ordinary least squares regression to examine the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and BP, while assessing the moderating role of human capital (HC) in this relationship. Our findings show that low social activity levels would lead to better BP, and the moderating effect of HC on ESG-BP relationships is mixed.

This study aims to understand how local enterprises establish brand awareness through tough entrepreneurship as well as focus on international markets so as to inject new ideas and to promote brand value. Examining this issue experimentally on B coffee company with data from Taiwan and China during 2010 to 2012, we use Network Meta-Frontier Data Envelopment Analysis to estimate the cross-strait performances of this firm in order to examine their differences and to propose direction for subsequent improvement. The empirical results are as follows. First, from 2010 to 2012 the channel scale and output in Taiwan is superior to that in China. Second, the performance of China’s channels is on the decline with large fluctuations, whereas Taiwan’s channels are getting better. Third, analyzing the average efficiency value of both sides comprehensively, we find that Taiwan’s channels perform more steadily due to a longer time of establishment and more mature allocation.

The entrepreneurship literature teaches us that the aspirations and competence of SME owner-managers as well as their strategic management behaviour can influence both the development and performance of their firm. However the research issues that surround the owner-manager's business venturing mode, that is, whether he or she has created a new firm, acquired an already existing firm, or acceded to a family firm's leadership and ownership by succession and/or inheritance, have rarely been addressed in an integrated manner. Now, founders, acquirers and successors may have fundamentally different strategic profiles, that is, in terms of the strategic capabilities they aim to develop and the type of performance they seek for their firm. In aiming to identify individual correlates and organizational effects of the entrepreneur's business venturing mode, an empirical study of 357 Canadian and French SMEs was thus undertaken. The results reveal significant differences between the three groups of owner-managers, that is, between the 196 founders, 96 acquirers and 65 successors with regard to their competence and motivations and with regard to the strategic capabilities and business performance of their firm. The results also reveal the owner-manager's business venturing mode to be a significant predictor of the firm's market and HR capabilities as well as its growth, productivity and profitability.

The management of competing stakeholders has emerged as an important topic for formulating business strategies. This is especially the case in the complicated business environment like the healthcare IT (Information Technology) industries. This paper proposes a methodology to formulate business strategies based on stakeholders' demands. Our methodology begins with the understanding of stakeholders' demands. This understanding is particularly useful for businesses with conflicting stakeholders. Our methodology consists of four phases: current business analysis, strategy development, strategy evaluation, and strategy implementation. Power, legitimacy, urgency, interdependence, cooperation, and conflict are used as stakeholders related variables. Strategic alternatives are derived on the basis of stakeholders' demands. Resolution, replacement, integration, reaggregation, and balance guidelines are employed for this derivation. Strategic alternatives are then evaluated according to a business social performance index. In order to demonstrate the practical usefulness of our methodology, three business cases for the Korean healthcare IT industry are illustrated. The case results imply that our methodology is useful for strategy formulation, especially in the case of competing business stakeholders.

This paper seeks to develop and test a model to examine the relationships between, technical aspects of IS resources (IS alignment, IS resources technical quality, IS advancement), supply chain process integration, and firm performance. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 227 supply chain, logistics, or procurement/purchasing managers of leading manufacturing and retail organizations. Drawing on resources-based view of the firm, and through extending the concept of process integration in supply network, as well as broadening the scope of role of IS resources in relation to process integration and performance gain from the focal firm to the entire supply chain, we found that supply chain process integration is an important multidimensional intermediate organizational capability through which the value of IS resources for supply chain management can be materialized. This capability serves as a catalyst in transforming the value of technical aspects of IS resources into higher performance gain for a firm. Thus, the importance of formation of all dimensions of this capability across supply network should be realized. Moreover, the result suggests that the technical aspects of IS resources need to be jointly developed by supply partners to effectively form supply chain capabilities.

The study examines the role of intellectual capital (IC) management in explaining the mismatch between performances of the Nigerian telecommunications industry’s annual growth rate (16.3%) and that of the nation’s economic average growth rate (4.3%) over the last two decades (1986–2010). Through a previously published research instrument, data were collected from 320 managers from 29 telecommunication companies using stratified random sampling technique. The major findings of the study as highlighted by the regression analysis (Partial Least Square techniques) of the data, revealed that the sampled telecommunication companies lack the organisational know-how and communication aptitude to leverage their embedded organisational knowledge (Structural capital) into business performance ($\beta =-0.046$, $\rho >0.05$) notwithstanding their knowledge creation and retention strategies. Hence, Knowledge utilisation rather than knowledge creation appears the main challenge of the industry which has made it perform below expectation despite the industry’s tremendous infrastructural investment. The study thereby recommends that policy makers and telecommunication managers should begin to analyse the economic impact and contribution of IC in the sector as a means of boosting the sector’s corporate business performance in the overall aim of accelerating the nation’s economic development. Moreover, as a way of addressing this obvious managerial inadequacy, the study recommends the position of Chief Knowledge Officer to be saddled with responsibility of effectively leveraging knowledge generated in the industry for optimum organisational performance and national development.

The objective of the study is to test the relationship between knowledge management orientation (KMO) and business performance (BP). KMO is a higher-order construct consisting of three second-order constructs: learning orientation (LO), knowledge sharing orientation (KSO), and information technology orientation (ITO). The paper explores the mediating role of market orientation (MO) in the relationship between KMO and BP. In this firm-level study, the personal survey was administered to key informants in 400 listed firms (from manufacturing and service sector) from North Indian States and Union Territories [including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and National Capital Region (NCR)]. Two respondents each from these 400 firms were approached. The study found that KMO positively affects BP. MO does not mediate the relationship between KMO and BP. Rather, KMO fully mediates the relationship between MO and BP. The study provides evidence in support of KMO as a mediator between MO and BP. KMO of the firm provides a dynamic capability for realizing the benefits of a firm’s MO. The study contributes to the knowledge management literature by empirically validating the KMO, MO and BP constructs.

In a manufacturing organization, there are several issues that directly or indirectly affect the performance of the organization. The performance of the organization is measured by both nonfinancial and financial parameters. In this paper, the selection of these parameters is supported by a brief literature review and the organization’s annual report for carrying out the analysis. The organization is analyzed using the SAP-LAP framework for the development of interpretive linkages. The organization was assessed for its current situations using the framework. The framework maps its key elements with performance measures. From the analysis, it can be concluded that actors like top management and cross-functional teams are the most influential actors among the others. Similarly, actions AN1: adoption of policy management and AN2: implementation of SQC tools are the most engaging actions among the others for addressing the performance parameters.

Research into product innovation and financial orientation in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is burgeoning, yet our understanding of the finance product innovation and performance remains unclear. Given the lack of empirical research on the role of financial orientation on innovation performance in the SMEs, especially in an Asian context, the current study addresses the relationships between financial orientation, product innovation and business performance in the Japanese SMEs, because it has a long established record on product innovation. Data were generated from 189 Japanese businesses and the results were analyzed using multiple regression. Results confirm the study hypotheses. Implications for management are discussed, along with suggestions for further research.

One hundred fifteen female and 252 male entrepreneurs from Atlantic Canada and Ontario were compared to identify gender similarities and differences in terms of their perceptions of success as well as comparing general success factors present in the literature. Gender comparisons were based on a Success Factors' scale derived from the literature and on objective as well as subjective Performance Indicators. Factor analyses and other statistics revealed a positive relation between subjective and objective performance indicators, as well as a particular importance of government programs geared to entrepreneurs among female respondents. Both genders received considerable spousal support.

The study’s purpose is to examine the effect of experiential learning on business performance through the mediating role of entrepreneurial competencies. Quantitative research was conducted with 123 entrepreneurs in the business development phase, who were part of a business school’s experiential entrepreneurial program in South Africa. Multiple hierarchical regression analysis revealed that experiential learning led to mastery of entrepreneurial competencies that benefited business performance. Specific competencies played a role as mediators, such as opportunity recognition and market analysis. The findings also suggest that environmental factors such as access to finance shape the mediating role of entrepreneurial competencies on experiential learning and business performance. The study contributes to the entrepreneurship field by looking at experiential learning beyond entrepreneurial intentions to action. In addition, the study demonstrates that experiential learning and its outcomes are influenced by the stage of the business and intended learning outcomes. Therefore, researchers and practitioners should consider entrepreneurial competencies from a multi-dimensional perspective.

This paper explores links between developed innovations and business performance in small enterprises with fewer than 50 employees. It also examines how performance has changed over time during a period of five years. The empirical evidence is based on two quantitative datasets describing innovation and business performance in 145 small enterprises in 2005–2009. The study makes a contribution to academic literature by providing a detailed view of the differences in performance across innovation types. The results suggest that during the period of five years, non-innovators have been the best performing enterprises in terms of operating earnings and return on investments while radical innovations can be connected with sales growth. During the recession, the less vulnerable enterprises have been non-innovators and innovators characterised by the high diversity of developed innovations. Applying these results helps small business owners to consider what is the nature and timescale for getting return on innovations.

The main objective of the study was to understand how sustainable business strategies relate to business performance considering different sectors, sizes and levels of international integration. Thus, we identified the major social and environmental management practices of Brazilian companies and the leading indicators that make up the performance of the companies surveyed. The research was characterised as a quantitative research. Among the main aspects highlighted in the analysis one should mention the supremacy of the environmental variable in the relationship with the business performance. With less intensity arise the variable reputation/image, showing that this variable is among the priorities in the socio-environmental agenda of companies. The social variable seems to be among the least concerns of firms, or it is not yet seen by managers as a strategic element to their business competitiveness. The methodological procedures adopted allow us to confirm the existence of a relationship between socio-environmental management practices and business performance.

Today’s complex and competitive business environment restricts the managers to plan their futures strategically. Thus, strategic orientation approach is taking the place of traditional approach to strategic management by spreading strategic thinking to the employees like a corporate culture. The aims of this study are to explore the mutual relationships among market orientation, technology orientation, and organizational innovativeness, and to examine the joint effects of those key drivers on firm performance, and to advance the understanding of the role of the strategic orientations of the firms. Due to the general structure of the research model, a questionnaire survey on 161 manufacturing firms has been concluded. According to analysed data a strong relationship between strategic orientations and the firm performance is indicated. Foremost, the results show that product innovation can significantly assist a competitor-oriented firm in improving its financial performance, while a technology-oriented firm improving its growth and market performance.

Product development is the crucial marketing capability for successfully and sustainably bringing new or adapted products to the market. Throughout the process, companies face challenges in how to adapt their products to international unknown markets while simultaneously enhancing their business performance. Inconsistent and confusing results on this relationship dominate previous research. We argue that the realisation of the marketing strategy of international product adaptation can only be accomplished by relying on a firm’s product development capability. The mediating link between product adaptation and performance induced by the product development capability moderated by sales integration and information processing was examined and confirmed for industrial goods manufacturers for the first time, which advances marketing capabilities theory in approving that the implementation of marketing mix capabilities into marketing strategy, the integration of the sales function and the processing of market information display a performance augmenting effect. Our results show that firms have to evolve a strong product development capability in order to be able to successfully implement strategic international adaptation decisions.

Based on the life cycle, competitive strategy and continuous innovation theory, we empirically examine how life cycle and competitive strategy affect firms’ continuous innovation in China. The results show that declining firms tend to engage in less continuous innovation compared with growing or mature firms, which are more inclined to engage in continuous innovations. Results have also indicated that firms with offensive strategy engage in more continuous innovation compared with those following defensive strategy. Surprisingly, continuous innovation has a significant negative effect on business performance in different dimensions, such as return on assets, operating profit margin and enterprise value. Considering that the effect of continuous innovation on enterprise business performance may not be evident during the same financial period, we further examined the effects of continuous innovation on firms’ assets return ratio, operating profit ratio and enterprise value over 1–5 years ahead. However, we do not find continuous innovation having any positive effects on business performance.

Business model innovation (BMI) is a subject that has been much investigated in recent decades. Despite this growing interest, and the general assumption that BMI contributes to business performance (BP), an absence of scale remains as a limitation, and more research is required regarding this correlation. We analysed the correlation of BMI, in terms of value creation, proposition and capture, and BP regarding consumer satisfaction, market effectiveness and current profitability. Our samples consist of 51 companies located in technological parks in Brazil and we used self-reported data to conduct the study. As a result, it was identified that there is a positive correlation regarding BMI and BP as main concepts. Value creation and proposition are also positively correlated, with BP as an aggregated variable and with customer satisfaction. Value capture, market effectiveness and current profitability do not present a positive correlation with the other variables.

Building on a robust data set of 281 manufacturing and service firms in the UK, the paper offers an empirical analysis of relationship between the three strategic orientations and novel business model (BM). The paper plugs the gap around design and implementation of new BM and role of diverse strategic orientations. The empiric in the paper is supported by structure equation modelling and findings confirm the validity of the model thereby providing theoretical support around complexity of BM and its relationship with three strategic orientations. In the light of strategic importance around renewed business model, our paper is a timely contribution to understanding some of the antecedents of novel business model, its link to business performance and implementation of BM across firms in manufacturing and service sectors.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of knowledge absorptive capacity (KAC) on innovation orientation in business services. An empirical analysis was conducted on two samples (scientific experts and—in the next step, business service companies). The authors applied one-way ANOVA, HSD Tukey’s post hoc tests, and structural equation modelling. Approached from a knowledge-based view, this research has found that the impact of KAC on all six innovation orientation dimensions is significant and positive. This empirical evidence also supports the thesis that KAC impacts the business performance of firms. Managers should raise a company’s competitive advantage by introducing an innovation orientation, which requires a high level of KAC. This study advances the literature on KAC and innovation orientation by confirming the significant impact of KAC on business performance and a firm’s innovation orientation.

Currently, SMEs are facing challenges across the globe, and to overcome these, there is a need for entrepreneurial competencies. Various past research studies had already proven that entrepreneurship leads to economic growth and development. Education institutions are also focusing on building entrepreneurial ecosystems and providing skill sets through workshops and training programmes so that students are industry ready. But the question in front of educational institutions is one of which skills are required for creating, managing and growing SMEs. The present case describes the entrepreneurial competencies of Mr. Pankaj Tyagi, founder of RP Inc., in creating and leading an entrepreneurial venture. The study also discusses and analyses the VRIO model of the company to know the business performance and how the entrepreneur utilises his resources optimally by applying his entrepreneurial and leadership skills. An exploratory study was done to know the types of skill required for the growth and management of SMEs, for which an unstructured interview with an entrepreneur was conducted to get in-depth knowledge about the entrepreneurial competencies, which was supported by past literature review. The key findings were that there is a strong need to focus on entrepreneurial and leadership skills for managing and growing SMEs. The study seeks to report the value and usefulness of these skills to persons pursuing entrepreneurial activities. This research forms the theoretical basis for future qualitative research.