Business Research
... The prevalent attitude in Indonesia of stigmatising people who fail in business made finding entrepreneurs willing to share their failure stories a big challenge. Convenience sampling helped discover the first group of respondents (Zikmund, 2003;Farrington, 2012;Patton, 2002), followed by a snowballing technique to identify additional respondents known to the first respondents, their friends, families and religious communities (Hussey and Hussey, 1997;Cope, 2011;Singh et al., 2016). Two respondent types included restarter and nonrestarter entrepreneurs, requiring not less than four in each group to meet the minimum criteria (4 to 10 cases) for inductive patterns to emerge (Eisenhardt, 1989). ...
... A qualitative research design was generating narratives from face-to-face conversations to gain deep insights into each individual's personal experience of failing in business (Eisenhardt, 1989). Broad research questions that support an exploratory approach to uncover deep insights (Hussey and Hussey, 1997) required minimal interruption by the interviewer (Morse and Richards, 2002). Adopting the life story interview approach of Kevill et al.'s (2015), the conversation started with a simple question about the history of the business, then gradually approached the events of crisis and business closure. ...
This study investigates the personality differences of entrepreneurs who returned to business after bankruptcy and those who left their entrepreneurial careers. Failure narratives of 15 entrepreneurs helped explore enabling conditions that supported post-failure to either seek new business opportunities or abandon entrepreneurship. Analysis of the responses to shame from failure, coping strategies and personality traits revealed similar patterns of personality profile, shame processing and problem coping strategies for the restarter entrepreneurs who overcame their shame. Contrarily, non-restarters who could not cope with shame and depression exhibited distinctly different patterns of personality traits and coping approaches.
... The study adopted a qualitative research design to investigate strategies that are relevant to ensuring the continuity and survival of MSMEs during an environmental disruption arising from a health-related crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic [60]. We utilised a screen-to-screen interview that involved an online discussion with MSMEs owners that operate businesses in Lagos, Nigeria [61]. We utilised this approach especially because of the national lockdown and social distancing regulations that restricted household mixings during the COVID-19 pandemic [62]. ...
... All interviews were conducted and completed in May 2020. The initial group of respondents are known and conveniently selected by the researchers because of their vast experiences in business and their willingness to partake in this study [61]. The initial respondents referred to other respondents thereby creating a snowballing effect [63]. ...
There exists a noticeable void in the literature about strategies that business operators, especially those in highly vulnerable economies, can adapt to sustain their survival and to achieve growth in economically turbulent times. This study investigated strategies that can support the viability and survival of businesses in times of environmental disruptions. The study adopted a qualitative research design that involved the interview of 31 business owners across different sectoral groups including fashion and telecommunication that are operating in Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector. The interview sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. The findings reveal that amid disruptions, the business owners were resilient and established diverse digital strategies that helped them to keep their businesses afloat throughout the time of disruption. This finding contributes to the field of entrepreneurship as it offers practical strategies for supporting business owners during times of disruptions, especially in a developing country context.
... Conducting a case study in business and management research requires the gathering of primary data through interviews and questionnaires from key individuals such as managers, workers, and technical staff to extract expert knowledge about their experiences, beliefs, or opinions [48,53,54]. Semi-structured interviews are mainly used to gather qualitative data as well as when the researcher wants to delve deeply into a topic to thoroughly understand the answers provided [55]. Face-to-face interviews have the advantage of having the highest response rate in survey research [56]. ...
... In contrast, structural questions help the researcher to categorize groups of things and processes and to understand their relationships [54]. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews allow for new questions to emerge through the interview process [58], which may reveal new and different aspects of the topic [55]. Additionally, a protocol composed of 11 steps was developed to perform the semi-structured interviews. ...
Unlike subtractive manufacturing technologies, additive manufacturing (AM) can fabricate complex shapes from the macro to the micro scale, thereby allowing the design of patient-specific implants following a biomimetic approach for the reconstruction of complex bone configurations. Nevertheless, factors such as high design variability and changeable customer needs are re-shaping current medical standards and quality control strategies in this sector. Such factors necessitate the urgent formulation of comprehensive AM quality control procedures. To address this need, this study explored and reported on a variety of aspects related to the production and the quality control of additively manufactured patient-specific implants in three different AM companies. The research goal was to develop an integrated quality control procedure based on the synthesis and the adaptation of the best quality control practices with the three examined companies and/or reported in literature. The study resulted in the development of an integrated quality control procedure consisting of 18 distinct gates based on the best identified industry practices and reported literature such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guideline for AM medical devices and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, to name a few. This integrated quality control procedure for patient-specific implants seeks to prepare the AM industry for the inevitable future tightening in related medical regulations. Moreover, this study revealed some critical success factors for companies developing additively manufactured patient-specific implants, including ongoing research and development (R&D) investment, investment in advanced technologies for controlling quality, and fostering a quality improvement organizational culture.
... 8,26 In abductive analysis, familiarization paves the way for the transformative phase of defamiliarization, where researchers actively challenge and rethink their assumptions, gaining deeper insights into Figure 1. continuum of qualitative analysis approaches, ranging from theory-driven to inductive methodologies: (1) content analysis, [11][12][13][14] (2) template analysis, [15][16][17] (3) thematic analysis, 7,18,19 (4) discourse analysis, 11,20 (5) grounded theory, 21 (6) interpretative phenomenological analysis (iPa), 22,23 and (7) narrative analysis. 24,25 the phenomena. ...
Abductive thematic analysis blends empirical observations with theoretical frameworks, fostering a continuous and dynamic exchange between research evidence and theory. It is distinct from other forms of analysis as it is underpinned by pragmatism and is flexible in its adoption of theory to best answer the research question. As a result of an interplay between theory and data, a surprising, puzzling, or anomalous finding may lead to new insights. This flexible approach to inquiry can draw from theories dependent upon what is best able to explain the data. This results in a theoretically informed explanation for empirical phenomena, which may in turn unveil unique insights about theories, making it a valuable tool across diverse research domains in medical science. The guidelines in this paper aim to illuminate abductive thematic analysis, steering the reader through each step toward maximizing novel theoretical contributions and fostering a comprehensive understanding for researchers and educators.
... The use of 7 points Likert scale will not cause a significant difference in reliability compared to a study using a 6, 5, or 3 points Likert scale (Kinnear & Taylor, 1987). Nevertheless, 7 points Likert scale provide an extensive range for the questionnaire to avoid a skewed response and guarantee a rigorous analysis (Hussey & Hussey, 1997). Question items adopted from the previous studies measure all variables in this study. ...
Purpose: Most fintech users will be the generation Z; thus, understanding the generation Z is essential. This study is aimed to explore the relationship between financial risk, legal risk, security risk, and operational risk with risk in using fintech. This study also examines fintech risk influence on generation Z’s intention to continuance to use fintech. Theoretical framework: Previous studies (Darmiasih & Setiawan, 2020; Leon & Diana, 2020; Putritama, 2019; Ryu, 2018) analyzed the relationship between risk and fintech use continuance by excluding the generation Z perspective from the study. This study fills the research gap by focusing on Generation Z. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a quantitative approach. This study distributes online questionnaires to Generation Z in Indonesia. This study utilized the Partial Least Square approach to answer the research question using 199 responses earned from the country survey. The analysis is assisted by SmartPLS 3.2.8 software. Findings: The analysis result showed a positive relationship between financial risk, legal risk, security risk, and operational risk with risk in using fintech. This study also found a negative relationship between fintech risk and Generation Z’s intention to continuance to use fintech among Generation Z Research, Practical & Social implications: This study gives a new insight into the fintech industry in anticipating future failure in the business. Originality/value: This study finding provides a new perspective (Generation Z) on fintech use and risk investigation, which was rarely conducted in the previous studies most publications.
... The study used a mixed research methods design (Creswell, 2007) to interrogate the research problem. The qualitative elements of study, consistent with suggestions in Strauss (1987), Hussey and Hussey (1997) and Denscombe (1998), used in depth interviews and focus group discussions with women informal retail traders. Altogether 25 women took part in this aspect of the study. ...
... However, this issue was resolved using a rule of thumb by Sekaran (2003), which stated that the data should still be included for analysis as long as the questionnaires' unanswered part does not exceed 25%. In this study, the questionnaire distribution response rate was 38.64 percent; hence, no sample bias, as suggested by Hussey and Hussey (1997). Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software on version 17.0 to execute statistical procedures for extracting useful information from the raw data to make informed decisions. ...
This study is intended to seek empirical evidence on factors determining web technology investment in the Malaysian logistics industry. Technological, Organizational and Environmental (TOE) Model is used as a basis to examine the determinants of web technology investments under three characteristics; technological characteristics (technology competence and web functionalities); organizational characteristics (firm size, firm scope, and managerial beliefs); and environmental characteristics (regulatory support and pressure intensity). Questionnaire surveys were sent to 169 companies listed in the directory of the Malaysian logistics industry. It was found that five factors (web functionalities (WF), firm size (FZ), managerial beliefs (MB), regulatory support (RS), and pressure intensity (PI)) significantly influenced web technology investment. This study provides a greater understanding on the perceptions of the Malaysian logistics industry towards web technology investment.
... The questionnaire s design, layout and content questions. It has been decided that the range of potential answers had to be limited in order to make analysis and interpretation easier (Hussey and Hussey, 1997). The assumption was that there were sufficient categories of responses . ...
... This study examines the impact of Samurdhi program on poverty alleviationin Kopay DS Division.It is based on a positivist paradigm and uses a deductive reasoning in establishing the causes and effects of a thus social phenomenon [Hussey & Hussey, 1997]. The reasoning is deductive [Jayasuriya, 2007] Interest rate repayment Livelihood activity Employment opportunity [Kumari, 2014] Training technical assistance Welfare activity Food stamp [Jayasuriya, 2007] [Sharif, 2005] . ...
The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of Samurdhi Program on poverty alleviation in Kopay DS Division. Two hundred questionnaires were issued to the Samurdhi beneficiaries of Kopay DS division, in Jaffna district, Sri Lanka Such as Kopay north (J/262),Irupalai South (J/257), Urelu(J/267) and Urumpirai south (J/265) divisions. Urelu (J/267) and Urumpirai south (J/265) divisions. Out of which, 177 questionnaires only could be collected. Hence, 177 Samurdhi beneficiary families were incorporated as samples. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data and examine the hypotheses by using SPSS. The adjusted R2 0.250 for the model implies that approximately 25% of the total variance in poverty alleviation can be determined by all dimensions of Samurdhi program as the independent variable in this model. Further, the model reveals that the remaining 75% of the variability was not explained in this model. In this study, the findings revealed that there is a significant impact of Samurdhi program on poverty alleviation. Microcredit has a positive and significant impact on poverty alleviation. Livelihood activity has an insignificant impact on poverty alleviation. Welfare has a positive and significant impact on poverty alleviation. Based on the findings the researcher can conclude that Microcredit and welfare activity is effectively working, and livelihood activity needs to improve itself.
... As the number of firms registered with Bursa Malaysia is small, with a population of 796 firms in May 2017, this study is using 203 non-financial firms. According to Hussey and Hussey (2015); Krejcie and Morgan, (1970) if it is feasible to study the entire population, then there is no need to take a sample. However, there are more than 796 firms operating in Bursa Malaysia with twelve industries (Fema & French, 2012). ...
This study examines the effectiveness of board attributes in compelling dividend
payout policy after the amended Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance (MCCG) in 2012,
among registered non-financial companies of Bursa Malaysia. Difference in difference two-
tailed t-test is used to examine such difference applying data from a sample of 203 listed non-
financial firms on Bursa Malaysia for the period from 2005 to 2011 and 2012 to 2018. This study
examines the influence of board attributes on dividend pay-out pre- and post- MCCG 2012. This
paper is among the first empirical piece of evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of board
attributes in mitigating the conflict to announce dividend between the pre and post reviewed
MCCG. The empirical results on board attribute act a significant and effective part in stabling the
dividend payout policy after the modification of MCCG in 2012. The findings called for further
investigation into the roles of board attribute in justifying the dividend payout policy. The
research paper can be in assistance of security exchange commission to take some steps to
protect the investors. This study would also assist in attracting potential new investors to Bursa
Malaysia by smoothing MCCG future policies.
... Semistructured interviews are used to gather qualitative data and enable the researcher wants to ask additional questions to thoroughly understand the answers provided. 35 Face-to-face interviews are also known to have the highest response rate in survey research. 36 Furthermore, face-to-face interviews capture the most detail of both verbal and nonverbal communication. ...
Abstract The complexity of patient‐specific implants combined with the current limited expertise in reliability engineering and manufacturability in the additive manufacturing (AM) sector is posing a number of quality performance challenges. Worldwide medical device regulatory bodies are facing increasing pressure to devise adequate standards to ensure long‐term patient safety and product performance. The implementation of the Quality by Design (QbD) system to titanium 3D‐printed bone implants offers a proven system to ensure that products are designed and manufactured correctly from the beginning without errors. This article reports on the development of a failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) coupled with a 3D risk assessment approach. This integrated approach is based on a questionnaire performed with three industry firms and three university research groups with significant experience and expertise in medical device product development and/or research in this field. Research outcomes include a FMECA form containing 137 failure modes with AM materials, AM machine general, fabrication, electron beam melting machine, finishing, and design being as the most sensitive process areas in terms of product quality. We subsequently propose corresponding preventive and corrective strategies for risk mitigation. The approach forms part of the QbD system being developed by the authors specifically for additive manufactured titanium patient‐specific implants.
... Qualitative interviews are commonly employed in the social sciences (including accounting and finance) to enhance the reliability and validity of the research process. They are considered particularly appropriate in cases where the information being sought is highly confidential or complicated (Hussey & Hussey, 1997), but in all cases, they are invaluable in helping the researcher gain a rich insight into interviewees' background, experiences, views, aspirations, values, feelings, and attitudes (Bless et al., 2013). ...
This study aims to investigate the level of compliance with CG mechanisms and accountability in Libyan listed companies. It adopts a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews to collect the required data from two broad stakeholder groups: internal stakeholders (ISG) and external stakeholders (ESG). The findings of this study provide evidence that Libyan listed companies are to some extent committed to implementing CG mechanisms, but that CG and accountability practices are still at an early stage of development in the country and there are significant weaknesses in terms of practice. Listed companies’ commitment is most evident in their adherence to the BoD mechanism, but levels of disclosure and transparency are barely satisfactory; interviewees argued that at present, disclosure and transparency practices in Libya are designed only to meet local, not international, requirements. Listed companies have also taken practical steps towards meeting the LCGC’s requirements regarding the internal and external audit mechanisms, but the general view among ISG and ESG interviewees was that these mechanisms are currently not robust enough to ensure strong internal control systems. Finally, in terms of the shareholders’ rights mechanism, majority shareholders are seen to enjoy much greater protection, both legally and in practice, than minority shareholders. The results of the study reveal that the lack of knowledge and awareness about the concept of CG, the weakness of the Libyan legislative environment and the lack of accountability mechanisms are the most significant factors inhibiting the advance of CG in the Libyan environment. This study helps to enrich our understanding and knowledge of current CG and accountability practices by being the first to investigate CG mechanisms and accountability in Libyan listed companies.
... An applied research approach was maintained and the resulting data were themed to provide a more triangulated representation (Ghauri and Gronhaug, 2010;Hussey and Hussey, 1997) for ease of use in both business and HE environments. It is recognized that the ontological position of the author, working in both environments, must have had an impact on the interpretivist outcome (Bryman and Bell, 2003) and inserted a degree of positivism into the mix (Philips and Burbules, 2000). ...
This article sets out to capture the benefits of business and universities working together to create robust management development programmes for the competitive markets ahead. It attempts to illustrate the changes in business approaches to providing people with management development, given the increased mobility of individuals from company to company, the pressures on budgets in more restricted financial times and the benefits of partnering with university provision. Using qualitative data sourced from both business organizations and higher education institutions (HEIs), underpinning a more detailed pivotal case study, themes are extracted on the current provision from institutions to business, bringing to light the reality that desire and actual outcome are two different things. The systems created for institutions before their contemporary dealings with business are still used to serve current needs, and it is clear from early research and practice that they are not fit for purpose. The result is a slow service for business clients and a loss of potential third-stream income – valuable to HEIs in a new competitive market. In the light of this research, recommendations are offered for HEIs to become more competitive when trying to penetrate commercial markets for this income.
The electoral choices of a nation, combined with the practices of its political establishment and institutions, are a significant factor in the functioning of democracy, prosperity and the overall prospects of the state. Moreover, both political institutions and the surrounding political environment, on the one hand, and the communication intentions and broader political marketing of parties or candidates, on the other, have an impact on electoral behaviour and thus on a country's electoral choices. In this context, the study examines the relationship between institutions, political marketing and the electoral process. Consequently, the specific research considers the impact of political institutions and involves measuring and correlating the elements that make up political marketing with those of electoral motives and perceptions, as well as those of political engagement and measures the cycled relationship between those elements.
2025). The impact of social responsibility on the competitive advantage of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hanoi, Vietnam. Abstract Small and medium-sized enterprises account for more than 98.2% of total enterprises in Hanoi and contribute significantly to the city's employment, innovation, and GDP. This study aims to analyze and evaluate the influence of corporate social responsibility and green marketing on the competitive advantage of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hanoi, Vietnam. With 292 valid survey responses, data analysis was conducted through PLS-SEM. The study results show that corporate social responsibility and green marketing are critical to the competitiveness of small and medium-sized firms in Hanoi. Corporate social responsibility positively influences green marketing (β = 0.812, p < 0.01) and corporate reputation (β = 0.458, p < 0.01). Similarly, green marketing strongly impacts corporate reputation (β = 0.440, p < 0.01), while corporate reputation contributes substantially to competitive advantage (β = 0.794, p < 0.01). Indirect effects were also observed. Accordingly, corporate social responsibility and green marketing enhance competitive advantage through corporate reputation, with indirect path coefficients of 0.364 and 0.350, respectively. Additionally, corporate social responsibility indirectly affects corporate reputation via green marketing (β = 0.358, p < 0.01). The findings show that integrating corporate social responsibility and green marketing strategies improves enterprises' reputation, which in turn improves competitive advantages. Tran The Tuan (Vietnam), Bui Van Vien (Vietnam), Do Thi Tho (Vietnam) The impact of social The impact of social responsibility on responsibility on the competitive advantage the competitive advantage of small and medium-sized of small and medium-sized enterprises in Hanoi, Vietnam enterprises in Hanoi, Vietnam
The current study, guided by resource-based and signaling theories, investigated the mediator's function of employer branding in the connection between human resources practices and employee engagement. Data analysis for this research employed PLS-SEM, with a sample size comprising 220 individuals employed in various IT companies within the Delhi-NCR region. The restraint to this probe is that it is transverse analysis and employs quantitative research methodologies. The outcomes of the present work unveiled a direct and statistically substantial relationship among human resource practices and employee engagement. Furthermore, employer branding was identified as a mediator in the relationship between human resource practices and engagement among employees. This research provides targeted guidance for HR professionals and leaders in the IT sector, presenting in-depth insights into human resources dynamics, specifically focusing on employee engagement. Emphasizing the intermediary role of employer branding, our study empowers managers with actionable insights to enhance HR strategies, fostering heightened workplace satisfaction and increased employee engagement for a resilient and thriving workforce.
SMEs engage in product innovation despite their inherent resource constraints, lack of financial slack, and the under‐development of competitively viable strategic configurations around the globe. While progress has been made in identifying the antecedents and capabilities attributed to successful innovation outcomes and the performance of these firms, there remain disparate and often paradoxical observations on the factors that affect SME innovation performance across geographies (i.e. developed vs developing countries) and operational contexts (R&D intensity and quality management practices). This study collected data from 241 resource‐constrained small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in a developing country (Ghana) to contribute to this debate. The results of structural equation modeling show that quality management mediates the relationship between R&D intensity and product innovation. The results also reveal the effects of knowledge integration and financial slack on the relationship between R&D intensity and product innovation, with a high level of knowledge integration enhancing the effect but a high financial slack hinders it. This study sheds light on a broader range of contextual and financial variables when seeking contingencies of SME product innovation performance within theory and practice.
The primary aim of this chapter is to explore what measures companies in the automotive aftermarket are employing to achieve more gender diversity in senior leadership positions. Gender equality in leadership has been stated as a sub-goal of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal number 5, emphasising that businesses have to respond to gender inequalities immediately. To explore what actions the automotive aftermarket is currently taking and what can be improved to alleviate the challenges that women are facing in career advancement, qualitative semi-structured interviews were employed. A sample of 10 female employees in high-ranking positions in different European automotive aftermarket companies yielded findings which show that there is a gender bias in the automotive aftermarket, which might impede career advancement for women. Another main challenge proves to be work–life balance, which shows that increasing job flexibility and female empowerment would support women and enable them to advance to higher positions. Importantly, several companies are already increasing their focus on gender equality by implementing specific diversity policies and mentoring programmes. Despite these initial efforts made by companies, experiences from women in the aftermarket show that there are still significant hurdles which the industry has to overcome.
The main aim of the study were to examine how AMU's Sawla campus, in particular, performed as an organization in relation to its working environment. 51 academic employees and 156 administrative employees participated in the survey as responders. The basic research issues were addressed by using an explanatory research approach. The data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis and correlation. The correlation analysis found that the working environment and organizational performance had a favorable and statistically significant link (r=.897**, p<0.01). The working environment accounted for 80.5% of the variance in organizational performance, according to the regression model's R Square value of 0.805. The variable that predicts with β =.661, p<.01, the workplace was determined to be the most significant predictor of organizational success. Improving organizational performance at the AMU Sawla campus necessitates working with relevant government agencies to establish an atmosphere that motivates employees to perform better.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as a disruptive technology with enormous potential to alter various fields, including libraries. However, research on IoTuptake in libraries still needs to be more extensive, especially in Pakistan. This research aims to fill that vacuum by exploring the variables driving IoTuptake in Pakistani libraries and assessing its effect on library services. A quantitative approach was used, with data collected from Pakistani libraries using a survey technique. The poll specifically addressed librarians and administrators to understand their views on the IoTadoption advantages they see. We designed a theoretical framework combining the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) paradigm and adding two variables: digital transformation and innovativeness. A total of 341 responses were gathered, providing insightful data on the IoT adoption trends in Pakistan. The research examines the connections between numerous variables impacting IoTuptake in libraries using advanced statistical approaches like SmartPLS-based partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings reveal several vital factors influencing the adoption of IoT in Pakistani libraries. The study emphasizes the significance of solid management practices and the effective use of technology resources in facilitating the successful implementation of the Internet of Things and ensuring enhanced library services. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing a comprehensive perspective on IoTadoption in Pakistan. It addresses a considerable knowledge deficit regarding the implementation of IoT in libraries, concentrating specifically on the Pakistani view. The findings of this study are beneficial for library professionals, researchers, and policymakers, as they enable them to make informed decisions and drive successful IoTadoption initiatives in Pakistani libraries.
The goal associated with quality costs management, is to reduce them, because they can make up a significant proportion of a company’s overall expenses, but the majority of Portuguese companies from the textile industry sector do not use quality cost management systems. Additionally, there is a scarcity of sectorial case studies on this topic. Thus, a research gap seems to exist demanding more case studies on the application of quality cost models on specific contexts. The main objective of this work is show how to implement the Prevention-Appraisal-Failure (PAF) Model in a dyeing and knitting finishing company. The implementation established an appropriate categorization for each quality cost element, data were collected and analysed. The total quality costs represent 12% of sales turnover, distributed unevenly by four categories: 23% of prevention costs; 26% of appraisal costs, 46% of internal failures costs, and 5% of external failures costs. Top managers considered this value higher than initially anticipated and promoted the deployment of improvement projects. This work can provide guidelines for companies in the same sector to adopt such quantification as a means of justifying new improvement projects and reduce costs.
Research is not just the “gathering of facts or information”, “moving facts from one situation to another”, or “a word to get your product noticed” (Walliman, Your research project: a step by step guide for the first-time researcher, Sage Publication Inc., 2005, p. 8), it is rather a procedure that “includes the components for collective inquiry, research design, methodology, data collection and analysis, concluding with the communication of the findings” (Juznic and Urbanija, Library Management 24:324–331, 2003, p. 324).
In the world of work where demands and pressure are prevalent, personal stress is inevitable. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has noted work-related stress as a medical condition that requires attention. Professionals have coined the term occupation stress to denote to what employees experience in the workplace. Such stress at work can have a toll on the employees' productivity and well-being. In the academic work, there have been high levels of stress caused by the job demands, and this has caused an adverse effect on the individuals. A semi-structured interview of 30 variable hour teaching staff was utilised in the UK Higher Education. The findings indicated that most variable staff experienced job stressful elements. Overall, this chapter provides insights into the determinants of occupation stress among variable hours teaching staff.
The study was conducted to examine the effect of employees’ motivation on organizational performance in case of AMU, specifically in sawla campus. The study was conducted with 51 academic staff and 156 administrative staff as the respondents for the study. To overcome the basic research questions explanatory research design was used. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The results of the correlation depicts that, there was statistically positive and significant relationship between employees training, employees salary, working and organizational performance with (r= .736**, P<0.01), (r=.790**, p<0.01), (r= .897**, p<0.01) respectively, The result of the regression model results in R Square value of 0.864 indicating that 86.4% of the variation in organizational performance was explained by the motivational factors. Among the motivational factors, employees training has with (β= .106, p<0.01), and employees salary with (β= .095, p<0.05) statistically significant and positively influences organizational performance. In order to improve the organizational performance. AMU, sawla campus in collaboration with concerned government bodies, it is butter to adjust capacity building trainings for the staffs by coordinating the available organizational resources, improving employees salary in collaboration with concerned government bodies and policy makers, and giving trainining for employees for the increment of organizational performance.
Purpose: Leadership research demands an understanding of what constitutes effective leadership. Self-awareness is described as critical for effective leadership, yet there is little research dealing with the link between a lack of self-awareness in leaders and destructive leadership. The prevalence of destructive leadership is surprisingly common and bears a high cost to organisations in terms of employee turnover, absenteeism and decreased productivity. The emotional toll it takes on employees is severe and affects their well-being and identification with the organisation.
Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative, exploratory approach was used to gain insights into the role that self-awareness plays in effective leadership and how a lack thereof affects employee engagement and behaviour. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with executives who had experience of working for a manager with low self-awareness. Thematic analysis was then conducted to identify the main themes found in the data.
Findings/results: This study found that leaders with low self-awareness exhibit behaviours consistent with toxic and destructive leadership. Negative effects on subordinates were felt in terms of employee engagement and increased resistance to the leader occurred. Subordinates then engaged in retaliatory and deviant work behaviour as a result.
Practical implications: A model for conceptualising how self-awareness results in destructive leadership and its influence on followers’ behaviours and attitudes emerged, enabling an improved understanding of this organisational behavioural phenomenon.
Originality/value: Literature is limited on self-awareness even though more research is being carried out on destructive leadership. The research has implications for how talent management is conducted within organisations.
This chapter has reviewed the major available research paradigms methodologies and data collection techniques. A suitable and fitting research paradigm (Realism/Post-positivism) and associated methodology (Mix Method) have been selected and justified. The positive outcomes of using quantitative and qualitative methods in triangulation (multi-method research approach) have been discussed in detail, and the value of using this approach has been highlighted and justified. The chapter also presented details about the specific methodologies used for the qualitative and quantitative approaches. These included discussion about participants, instruments, data analysis techniques, ethical considerations and validity and reliability measures for both approaches.
This chapter introduced the research with background information, the research problem, research questions, research propositions and finally provided justifications for the research. These were established on the basis that the findings extend the existing scholarship on the research topic as well as contribute to a new model towards the ERP application adoption by individual employees in the organisations. It then outlined the research design and methodology together with the quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments and analysis employed by this study, the ethical considerations involved and the limitations it faces.
Societal Impact Statement
Opuntia ficus‐indica, commonly known as prickly pear, is a widely distributed plant originating in central America. Its wide distribution and popularity as a cultivated plant are due to the sweetness of its fruits. Here, the role of O. ficus‐indica in the livelihoods of people in Limpopo Province, South Africa, was investigated. Roadside traders of prickly pear were surveyed 2019–2020 using paper‐based questionnaires and a convenience sampling strategy. Evidence of O. ficus‐indica trading as a means to generate income was uncovered. Notably, none of the traders knew about invasive species. Future studies should seek to understand the motivations of purchasers. The extent to which rural communities use this species for food security and poverty alleviation is not fully understood.
Summary
The Opuntia ficus‐indica (whose fruits are traded in South Africa) is a species that is classified according to the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (10/2004) Alien and Invasive Species (NEM:BA A&IS) regulations as an invasive species. This study sought to provide an understanding of the socio‐economic value of O. ficus‐indica and the characteristic profiles of the people who trade with O. ficus‐indica in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
A convenience sampling strategy was conducted along trading roads in Limpopo province, and the data were collected by surveying traders' attitudes toward the prickly pear trade using questionnaires.
Our findings show that at the time of sampling 72 traders participated in prickly pear trading along the roadside. Unemployment is cited as the primary reason for their involvement in trading. O. Ficus‐indica is an important fruit for rural communities in Limpopo province. It helps communities living below the poverty line to generate income and to support their livelihoods.
Our study highlights the need for the establishment of a Prickly Pear Traders' Agency in order to promote the trade of O. ficus‐indica as a measure to generate income, alleviate poverty, and ensure food security. The paper concludes with recommendations for local government support for O. ficus‐indica traders through the formalization of the trade and through monetary support.
This chapter presents a case study of bushfires and public inquiries in Victoria, which shows the ways in which sensemaking and learning unfold after significant disasters. I examine these bushfires and public inquiries by using a qualitative and interpretive methodology. By examining publicly available documents and commentaries in relation to four of Victoria’s most significant bushfire inquiries, I show that public review processes have resulted in significant learning, which has enabled emergency management organizations to plan for and respond to significant bushfires more effectively. However, my analysis shows there has been very little variation in terms of the findings that emerge from public inquiries. Accordingly, I suggest that learning from bushfires has become stifled as a result of public inquiry recommendations that are rolled over from previous bushfire events and have little relevance for ameliorating the effects of present-day and future disaster events.KeywordsPublic inquiriesCase studyTextual analysisSingle-loop learningDouble-loop learning
It is important that the investment managers make into the self-development of their employees identifies and targets the actual needs, and that real learning occurs that is observable in positively changed behaviours. This research identifies the self-development priorities of Human Resource (HR) managers and presents the findings from an innovative learning event called ProjectMe; a filmed innovative learning experience that involved project teams, an expert panel, presenters, live audience participants and live-streamed on-line participants in real-time. This involved using a recent organisational issue which was presented to two project teams to solve, presenting their recommendations ‘live’. Over-laying the organisational issue was a self-development issue, in this instance, “The right amount of ego”, which aimed to highlight the role of ego in individuals and teams, and challenge everyone to evaluate how that impacted on self. The multiple perspectives represented by the different learners provided excellent refractions of understanding, because so many perspective-giving vantage points offered learning opportunities for using reflective feedback which raised accountability, thereby taking people to the last step of transformation: action. As part of ascertaining what self-development HR practitioners needed, the results of a survey that asked them what it was they wanted to develop in themselves towards achieving their personal and/or professional goals are presented. The survey was sent via the Human Resource Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ) website to 790 practitioners, with 90 responses. Additionally, so as to make a methods contribution via this study, an expert panel of six was engaged in a role-play and statistical simulation (adapting Q methodology for a mock training needs analysis). Key words: learning, Q methodology, self-development, transformation.
This study investigates the impact of peer assessment on students’ engagement in their learning in a group work context. The study used regression analysis and was complemented by qualitative responses from a survey of 165 first-year undergraduates in a UK university. Findings suggest that students’ perception of their contribution to group work fosters engagement and enhances their learning in a group. Also, that students’ perception and the overall experience of rating their peers’ work impact their engagement within a group. The study contributes to the literature by focusing on the assessment of the entire learning journey within a group rather than the final group output. In particular, the study highlights the significant contributions of peer assessment in managing student engagement in modules and/or assessments for large cohorts.
Science shows as a medium for communicating science are used widely across the UK, yet there is little literature about the long-term impact they may have. This longitudinal study looks at the short-term and long-term impact of the science show Music to Your Ears , which was initially performed throughout the UK on behalf of the Institute of Physics in 2002, and which has since been offered at schools and events through the enterprise Science Made Simple. The impact was measured using the immediate reaction to the show, the number (and type) of demonstrations (demos) recalled over the long term, and the applied use of any memories from the show. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered using questionnaires immediately after the show and focus groups held two and a half years later. To enrich the data, and minimize bias, interviews with professional science presenters were also included in the data analysis. Data from the questionnaires were used to develop a framework of five demonstration categories to describe their essence, or main purpose. The categories used in this study were: curiosity (C), human (H), analogy (A), mechanics (M) and phenomena (P). It was found that even after two and a half years, almost 25 per cent of demos from the show could be recalled without prompting. When prompted with verbal and visual clues, over 50 per cent of the demos from the show could be recalled by the group tested. In addition, around 9 per cent of the demos were recalled and related to an alternative context to the show, suggesting that some cognitive processing may have happened with the most memorable elements of the show. The ‘curiosity’ type of demo was found to be the most memorable in both the short term and long term.
Financial scandals in developed countries such as the USA and the UK have highlighted the need for greater transparency and credibility in order to protect shareholders and stakeholders alike. It has been argued that the audit committee (AC) is a key mechanism for achieving this transparency and protecting shareholders’ interests. While there have been numerous attempts to investigate AC practice and effectiveness in developed countries, little is known about how these committees operate in developing countries such as Libya. Therefore, this research aims to: (1) explore the current role of ACs in the Libyan banking sector, (2) investigate the factors that affect their performance and (3) identify actions to enhance their effectiveness.
To achieve these aims, the study employed a combination of quantitative (questionnaire survey) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) methods to understand how five groups of actors within Libya's banking sector (i.e. board and AC members, executive managers, and internal and external auditors) perceive the role and practice of ACs. The questionnaire survey was designed to collect initial data, while follow-up interviews sought to gain an in-depth understanding of all relevant aspects of the subject. In total, 218 survey responses were analysed, and 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior directors and managers.
Although the findings broadly support agency theory’s assumption that ACs play a vital role, they also indicate that ACs in the Libyan banking sector are not performing to a satisfactory standard; they play too limited a role in monitoring financial statements and enhancing the external audit process, and their effectiveness is too dependent on the strength of their relationship with the internal audit department. Institutional theory provides one possible explanation for this: ACs may be primarily designed to create legitimacy outside the organisation rather than to protect the interests of shareholders. The findings also show that a number of factors variously enable (e.g. independence, financial expertise and size) or inhibit (e.g. weak board governance and Government intervention) AC effectiveness. Finally, a number of actions were identified that could be taken to enhance the effectiveness of these committees (e.g. the proposal to strengthen the accounting and auditing profession in Libya).
The study contributes to the ongoing debates about the AC’s role by being the first to investigate how this role is performed in Libyan banks, which are in the early stages of implementing corporate governance. It addresses an information gap by providing new evidence from a developing country regarding the AC’s role in corporate governance and discussing the impact of fourteen enabling and inhibiting factors on AC effectiveness. Finally, it is the first step towards identifying ways of enhancing the effectiveness of these committees and encouraging regulators and shareholders in Libya to pay greater attention to corporate governance mechanisms, including ACs.
Purpose This study distinctively explores the firm-level and national-level determinants of audit committee effectiveness (ACE) in the Libyan banking sector (LBS). Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach has been employed to enhance the quality of the collected data and reduce the risk of bias. Five groups of actors in the Libyan banking sector were surveyed, including board members, AC members, executive managers, internal auditors and external auditors, further to interviewing a representative sample of these groups. In total, 218 survey responses were gathered, and 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Findings The study results show that AC authority, financial expertise and diligence are positively and significantly attributed to ACE, although AC independence and resources are not significantly related to ACE. The authors find that the legal and regulatory environment, government intervention, and the accounting and auditing environment are perceived as important and associated with ACE regarding national-level factors. These findings are strongly supported by semi-structured interviews and suggest that both firm-level and national-level factors are essential in understanding ACE in Libya's banking sector. Research limitations/implications The study’s evidence reiterates the vital need for more concentrated work to integrate governance, legislative and regulatory reforms to ensure the effectiveness of ACs as a key corporate governance (CG) mechanism in developing economies. Originality/value This study extends the literature relating measures of AC inputs and outputs by examining the perception of stakeholders to understand both the firm-level and national-level factors that affect ACE in a single institutional setting. Additionally, this work adds to the limited number of recent studies examining the role of ACs in the banking sector in developing economies.
p>Nowadays, the sustainability has become a driver for effectiveness in essentially all manufacturing sectors. Furthermore, this concept has become crucial to research and business practice since of prompt depletion of disquiets over affluence inequality and natural resources and corporate social responsibility. As the interest in sustainable development grows, the cement industry essential be able to support sustainable development, environmentally responsibility, balancing economic prosperity, social equity. Cement is a vital construction material and a strategic commodity in the construction sector. Nevertheless, the cement industries are facing challenges to implement sustainable manufacturing into their products and processes. This paper is seeks to address and examine the barriers and challenge toward the sustainable manufacturing supposed to be suitable to the cement industry from the perspectives of the construction stakeholders. Accordingly, study data was collected through a semi structure questionnaire survey of randomly selected professionals in cement factory in Kuwait. The output results demonstration that crucial barriers towards practices of sustainable cement factory for instance shortage of local environmental regulations, Inadequate regulation support, political decision makers, and clients , lack of strategy to promote sustainable construction, and lack of environmental awareness by the industry.</p
Purpose of the study: The objective of the study was to examine the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in SMEs, by enabling them to benchmark their progress, overcome the barriers, and meet the challenges. In contrast to most previous studies, this research examined the TQM practices-performance relationships by investigating the effects of TQM practices on the performance of Omani SMEs. Methodology: A survey was performed on 200 respondents from selected SMEs in Oman. Statistical software, SPSS 15.0 was used to process the data, which consisted of chi-square test of independence for a contingency table and correspondence analysis. The hypotheses were examined at two significance levels: α = 0.01, 0.05. Other statistical tests (e.g., path analysis and structural equation modeling), which are inherently more powerful than those used in the present study, could not be used due to the small population size. Main Findings: It was revealed that leadership factor was the most critical strategic factor and was vital in ensuring a successful implementation of TQM in an organization. The other elements that were considered as critical are quality goals and policy, continuous improvement, and organizational culture. Implications of this study: The suggestions from the SMEs allow the relevant Omani agency to design an effective TQM policy to increase the performance. Novelty of this study: This study demonstrates the steps that need to be taken by the management of Omani Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to succeed. The findings enables the Omani SMEs’ management to plan the phases ahead of time to be familiar with the circumstances and take suitable action to rise above any obstacle that they would confront in their journey.
Τhe transformational role of e-government can be achieved through engagement of the citizens in the e-government rollout and subsequent adoption. The present study integrates constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusions of Innovation Theory and Trust Models in order to propose a research model to guide future e-government initiatives. The critical acceptance factors, namely: trust, security, and regulation are analyzed for the citizens’ adoption process. The citizen’s perceptions of electronic services adoption are analyzed based on the case study of the National Governmental Portal.
Drawing on associated literature and empirical research, this paper examines the engagement and expertise of hotels in handling customer complaints. This is of considerable interest to practitioners and academics within the field of hospitality management. The study explores hotel management’s attitudes and practices toward handling customer complaints within the hospitality industry in Scotland. In this paper, the authors analyze case study interviews with four and five star hotel managers in Scotland. The findings reveal that encouraging customer complaints and feedback should be seen as a way in which to develop a better relationship with and retain customers. The results also confirm the importance of having employee training in the area of customer complaints, recommending that employees handle complaints themselves. Furthermore, the study suggests that hotels must be well equipped for logging, processing and analyzing complaints. Management implications and areas for further research are also discussed.
Τhe transformational role of e-government can be achieved through engagement of the citizens in the e-government rollout and subsequent adoption. The present study integrates constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusions of Innovation Theory and Trust Models in order to propose a research model to guide future e-government initiatives. The critical acceptance factors, namely: trust, security, and regulation are analyzed for the citizens’ adoption process. The citizen’s perceptions of electronic services adoption are analyzed based on the case study of the National Governmental Portal.
The paper examines the critical success factors for employees’ adoption of the unified Local Government Access Framework (LGAF), deployed for the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece. Following an extensive bibliographical survey, an initial conceptual framework (CF1) based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) for LGAF adoption is proposed, which is empirically explored within sixteen Local Governments Organizations. The CF1 is revised using the structured-case approach. New concepts discovered during each research cycle revealed that LGAF adoption is a procedure of experiential judgement. The applicability of the TAM is investigated and the model is enhanced, exploring additional variables that affect perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and actual use. A final complementary CF2 is presented and the evaluation of this model according to the data received from the case studies is discussed.
Through an international Delphi study, this article explores the new electronic human resource management regimes that are expected to transform internal staffing. Our focus is on three types of information systems: human resource management systems, job portals, and talent marketplaces. We explore the future potential of these new systems and identify the key challenges for their implementation in governments, such as inadequate regulations and funding priorities, a lack of leadership and strategic vision, together with rigid work policies and practices and a change‐resistant culture. Tied to this vision, we identify several areas of future inquiry that bridge the divide between theory and practice.
Cultural organizations nowadays open up to be more outgoing, a fact that forces them to adopt marketing and consequently to brand themselves in order to gain ground and be capable of accomplishing their mission to the society. In this manner the paper outlines how, branding acts as a benefit to the function and the mission of a cultural organization. Accordingly, the paper examines the notion of branding as a strategic asset for a forthcoming cultural organization in Pafos, Cyprus, by inspecting the given situation and by proposes research and further steps. More specifically, the paper evaluates the assets and the branding inheritance of the forthcoming body, as they derive from the merge of the local cultural infrastructure of the town and suggests ways on how to establish a brand that will add the value of the organization. In this manner, the paper stresses the synergies may emerge, and discusses the managerial implications and the limitations rise mainly by the unspecified instructional framework and the lack specific order and authority.
This chapter examines the link between personal values and investment decisions among individual shareholders in a developing economy. It contributes to the knowledge on behavioral finance and decision sciences that individual shareholders' personal values have influence on their investment decisions and the choice of companies they invest in. It employs a grounded theory approach. The chapter highlights that individual shareholders hold value priorities and that honesty, a comfortable life and family security play a significant role in their lives and their investment decisions and the kind of companies they make investment in. In addition, to the individual shareholders, there is a clear distinction between a comfortable life and a prosperous life in the sense that they are not incentivized more by the latter but the former in their investment decisions.
Continuous improvement of practical and theoretical knowledge represents the basis for further cognitive paradigm and innovations leading to new, more efficient practice in athletics. The need for affirmation of knowledge (everything we know) stimulates the process of acquiring knowledge about a human in this sports discipline (ontological context) including knowledge based on scientific-research work (methodological context). It is a fact that application of the scientific method has led to new knowledge in favour of athletic practice and to establishment of new cognitive horizons in studying the scope of human sports performances. The source of knowledge is athletic theory and practice. At the same time they are the starting point for studying dynamics of human performances manifested through various athletic disciplines. For a number of analysers, results achieved on big athletic competitions provoked a discussion about platforms and 'conservation' of human abilities, whereas for the others it was a starting point for inquiry about the final reach of knowledge about human athletic being (gnoseological context). The origin of knowledge about the athletic being of humans dates back to the ancient philosophy of Plato and Socrates. us it can be claimed that the source of knowledge is as old as discussions about nature of change of a human being under the influence of exercising. In this study athletics is presented through the space of knowledge (subject of the study) integrating primordial and scientific with the outcome such as new and efficient training and competition practice.
Continuous improvement or more generally improvement is a necessity for companies in a dynamic context. The effectiveness and efficiency of such improvement can foster company sustainability, particularly if it exhibits characteristics of a learning organisation. This paper shows a methodology to develop organisational learning through the use of one quality improvement methodology known as Quality Control (QC) Story. The work is based on a case study from a manufacturer of electronic products. It describes QC Story application over 10 years and its effects on key performance indicators. Organisational learning is assessed through a questionnaire survey. A method to manage knowledge based on a lessons-learned procedure is described and a generalisation is induced. Results suggest that repetitive use of QC story along with the presented procedure of lessons-learned contributes to improving processes performance over long periods. It is also concluded that this company using the presented procedure exhibit characteristics of a learning organisation.
This article describes how the alignment of business and information technology (IT) strategies impact organisational performance. The alignment involves an entire organisation. However, much of the research has focused on the factors affecting alignment at the senior executive level, and there appears to be less attention placed upon factors that affect the lower operational levels. This article attempts to address this gap in the literature through a case study of a healthcare organisation. Semi-structured interviews with ten employees at an operational level were qualitatively analysed to elucidate factors. Organisational culture, management expectations, communication, and the provision and recognition of skills were identified as main factors that may affect the alignment of business and IT strategies at the lower levels
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