scholarly journals Financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in Africa: emerging perspectives and research agenda

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Kuada

PurposeThe purposes of the paper are to review the stream of studies that link financial inclusion to small enterprise growth in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) to identify the research gaps they provide and to prepare an agenda for future research in the field.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs systematic literature search method to identify relevant literature from journals. The study then adopts a narrative approach for the review, highlighting the findings from the prior studies and gaps requiring research attention.FindingsThe discussions reveal that there is a need for future studies that can unpack small enterprise growth determinants, identify growth-enabling entrepreneurial characteristics and examine the contextual variabilities that shape their effectiveness.Originality/valueThere is currently no comprehensive/integrated review exploring the link between financial inclusion and small enterprise growth in SSA. The review, therefore, provides insights that contribute to the development of this stream of research.

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Hobson ◽  
Christian J. van Nieuwerburgh

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a review of the evidence base on coaching and mentoring in education, to provide a commentary on literature published in the first 10 volumes of the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education (IJMCE) in particular and to offer some directions for future research in the field.Design/methodology/approachThis review and position paper draws on the authors’ knowledge of the extant literature on coaching and mentoring in education, their own research in the field and their perspectives as editors of coaching and mentoring journals.FindingsAmong the outcomes of their review and commentary, the authors observe that coaching and mentoring research conducted to date largely occupies two separate fields, and studies published in one field frequently fail to draw on relevant literature from the other or recognise the overlap between them. The authors highlight a number of additional limitations of the evidence base on coaching and mentoring in education and offer some potential means of addressing these.Originality/valueThe paper offers an original reflection on current research into coaching and mentoring in education. It is intended that the paper will inform the design and publication of future studies in this area to strengthen the evidence base and, in turn, inform improvements to coaching and mentoring practice. In particular, the authors hope to encourage the ethical deployment of coaching and mentoring which enhances, rather than inhibits, the well-being of all participants, while realising other positive outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Rashid Saeed ◽  
Umar Burki ◽  
Raza Ali ◽  
Robert Dahlstrom ◽  
Hashim Zameer

PurposeThe topic of brand personality (BP) has received extensive research attention in the last 2 decades, with a particular focus on examining its antecedents and consequences. This study, therefore, systematically reviews and synthesizes extant research on antecedents and consequences of BP of consumer products.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review approach is used to identify and analyze relevant studies from five major databases and a search engine. This review identified 62 articles from 43 journals published during 1997–2018. The relevant literature germane to the research objectives is extracted from these articles.FindingsThis study identifies and classifies antecedents and consequences of BP of consumer products, along with key mediators and moderators underlying these relationships. Additionally, the study reveals pertinent characteristics of BP literature, including conceptualizations, measurements, methods, theories and research settings. Finally, this study develops an integrative conceptual model and presents avenues for future research.Practical implicationsThis study provides insight to practitioners that create and develop brand personalities. The study would inform managers concerning the outcomes of BP.Originality/valueTo the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first systematic review that synthesizes existing empirical research on antecedents and consequences of BP of consumer products.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Roy

PurposeSupply chain traceability and supply chain visibility have become a critical element for the effective management of contemporary complex supply chains. At their core is information sharing, which has been acknowledged as a key prerequisite for logistics and supply chain performance, but whose notional underpinnings have not been delineated fully, leading to interchangeable deployment of these terms. Addressing the shortcoming, this paper aims to establish a contrast between the two notions.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from systematic review protocols, a multi-disciplinary review scope is constructed wherein the synthesis is strategized to primarily channel implications for the scholarship of logistics and supply chain management. The review is aimed at addressing two research objectives: (1) how the notions of traceability and visibility in supply chain management develop contrast in terms of their thematic emphasis and (2) to attain an integrative understanding of the notional convergence and divergence between supply chain traceability and visibility for raising strategic recommendations.FindingsThe review outcomes help contrast both the convergence and the divergence between traceability and visibility in the supply chain environment, and the differentiated but fundamental role that information sharing plays within these notions to outline why they are not interchangeable.Originality/valueThe originality of the findings lies in the conceptual synthesis of the relevant literature from both technological and non-technological perspectives to ultimately draw logistics and supply chain management implications. The review also points out key strategic considerations to demarcate the notional boundaries of traceability and visibility in future research.


Info ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 42-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daeho Lee ◽  
Dong-Hee Shin

Purpose The purpose of this study is to categorize network neutrality according to its issues under debate and assess the state of the debate based on such organization. In addition, the study discusses the reasons that network neutrality is so difficult to solve and the future research directions that would do so. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a critical review of the current network neutrality issues and summarizes the economic background of each position in the debate. The relevant literature is organized by issue to examine the reasons that the network neutrality debate is so difficult to solve and determine the further study required to solve it. Findings An analysis of the relevant literature suggests that the proponents and opponents of network neutrality disagree on the best methods of developing the Internet. Therefore, future research and regulatory and practitioners’ applications would greatly benefit from a comprehensive review of that literature. Originality/value Network neutrality regulation is receiving increased attention because the development and significant influences of the Internet are becoming more apparent.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Smith ◽  
Lorraine Warren

PurposeHumour and, in particular, jokes have received little serious academic scrutiny in the entrepreneurship literature to date. To address this, the purpose of this paper is to examine publicly available jokes about entrepreneurs to establish what such jokes tell us about how humour, particularly entrepreneur jokes shapes public perceptions of entrepreneurial identity. This is important because humour may be an integral part of an individual's entrepreneurial identity. The authors thus contribute to understandings of the complex nature of entrepreneurial identity and how public perceptions of humour influence such by encapsulating negative public perception of entrepreneurs which may act as a de-legitimisation mechanism.Design/methodology/approachFrom a representative sample of entrepreneur jokes located on the web using netnographic techniques, the authors apply a multi-disciplinary framework to analyse the material and its messages to establish how such jokes shape public perceptions.FindingsThe findings suggest that jokes convey a pejorative message about how entrepreneurs are perceived by the public with the content and message of the jokes being negative and derogatory. Common themes contained in the punchlines include – criminality, greed, dishonesty, hubris, stupidity, misfortune, ridicule and deviousness – all of which may de-legitimise generic entrepreneurial identity. In the process, the authors uncovered liminal aspects of joke telling and consumption in that the perception of jokes about entrepreneurs relate to the time and context in which the joke is told given that situational cleverness is a key facet of such jokes. In addition, the authors discuss variations across jokes.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors discuss learning outcomes for future research and potential future studies into humour in an entrepreneurial context.Originality/valueThis study places humour and joking on the research stage, making an incremental contribution. The authors add to the literature on the use of entrepreneurial humour and in particular in relation to how jokes influence public perception of entrepreneurs. From the data collected, the authors develop some fresh insights into the variation and range of entrepreneurship related jokes accessible online.


2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Ghasemi ◽  
Abdollah Aaghaie ◽  
Elizabeth A. Cudney

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze the current literature related to developing and improving the Mahalanobis-Taguchi system (MTS) and to present the shortcomings related to this method for future research. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, articles in the literature are classified to give an overview on the MT strategy. For this purpose, 46 articles are considered for classification from 2000 to 2013 on the basis of: MTS contribution area, description of the issue, and results. Findings – In this paper a review on the concepts and operations of the MTS was provided as a new method in the field of pattern recognition, multivariable diagnosis, and forecasting. A large number of studies were performed in recent years consisting of developing MTS and MTS case studies. The analysis of the articles showed the fields of MTS which had more potential for future studies and developing. The comparison of the MTS to other methods and the selection of the normal group for constructing the Mahalanobis space have received the most attention by researchers. In addition, several studies concentrated on the use of other methods instead of design of experiments, finding applications for multiclass MTS and finding an alternative for the SN ratio. Originality/value – This paper contains the publications in the field of MTS chronologically and shows different areas for developing and case studies. It will be useful to researchers and professionals who are interested in pattern recognition, multivariate analysis, and forecasting.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Bonamigo ◽  
Adrianne Alves da Silva ◽  
Beatriz Pereira da Silva ◽  
Steffan Macali Werner

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main criteria for selecting actors to compose these business platforms and addressing the co-creation of value and improve the performance of startups. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on the search for key factors for the selection of actors and the understanding of co-creation of value and the concept of startups. The content of this paper is substantiated on an extensive review of the literature related to the subjects’ value-cocreation and new startups, and the review is based on the articles found in the databases of Ebsco, Emerald, Science Direct, Scopus, Village and Web of Science. Findings This paper identifies the main key-factors found in the literature for selecting actors to co-create value in startups and organizes the findings in five categories: value creation, interaction, actor behavior, client and partnership. It also presents the possibility of future research that will be able to put the study in practice. Research limitations/implications The results of this research have not been tested empirically, which opens the door for future studies that can prove the effectiveness of the findings. It is also important to mention that there are few articles in the literature that directly address this topic, and some definitions of actor/co-creation of value/business model may also change. Practical implications The selection criteria of the actors listed are useful for service entrepreneurs and managers to assist in decision-making at the stage of choosing their partners for value co-creation in startups. Furthermore, it involves mitigating waste in startups and maximizing the economic gains of partners through value co-creation in startups. Originality/value This study is one of the first attempts to recognize the key factors for selecting actors to co-create value in startups, aiming at their success in the market.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasnan Baber

Purpose Using data from World Bank and Global Islamic Finance Report, this paper aims to compare the performance of countries following Islamic and conventional finance system in terms of financial inclusion and FinTech. Design/methodology/approach Ten countries from both financial systems have been selected based on the presence of Islamic finance and conventional finance in the country. Data was analyzed from year 2011 to 2017 and keeping the former as base year to measure the change in the population fraction. Findings The findings found that Islamic finance countries are more inclusive in terms of financial inclusion and women are financially more empowered as compared to the counterpart. On the contrary, countries with conventional finance have a higher number of FinTech users. Research limitations/implications The difference between the performances of two systems in terms of financial inclusion is relatively small; therefore, future studies should incorporate more indicators for financial inclusion. Originality/value This study will be useful for understanding the nature of both financial systems, and the further research can be done to find the determinants of financial inclusion.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beata Glinka ◽  
Przemysław G. Hensel

PurposeThe phenomenon of imitation has attracted immense attention in studies of big companies, but it has been largely neglected in the immigrant entrepreneurship research thus far. The purpose of this paper is to address that gap by proposing a theoretical framework for studying immigrant entrepreneurship imitation decisions.Design/methodology/approachThe framework is based on a review of relevant literature covering the issue of imitation within three perspectives: institutional, heuristics of judgement and organisational learning. We validate the framework by juxtaposing it with existing studies on immigrant entrepreneurship, where imitation practices were directly and indirectly referred to. The framework is also initially validated with data from three qualitative studies performed by the authors.FindingsThe literature-derived framework consists of three major building blocks (i.e. causes, target and content of imitation) while immigrant-entrepreneurship specificity (ethnic groups and clusters, ethnic identity, generation, and resources) constitutes the context of the framework. The authors formulate 12 propositions on which the framework is based. The specific character of immigrant entrepreneurs' imitation decision is discussed, and differences in that regard between immigrant entrepreneurs and established local businesses are highlighted.Research limitations/implicationsA more diversified sample and quantitative studies are needed to further verify the proposed framework and propositions.Social implicationsThe framework is intended to expedite future research on immigrant entrepreneurs' imitative decisions and facilitate better-adjusted public policy to support immigrant entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThis paper drives attention to a widely used, yet understudied phenomenon of imitation, provides an analytical framework for the study of imitation in immigrant entrepreneurship, provides a preliminary validation of the framework and contributes to a better understanding of immigrant behaviour.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eldrede T. Kahiya

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to appraise methodological rigor in the application of discriminant analysis (DA) in export-focused research and to offer guidelines for future studies. Design/methodology/approach The sample includes 89 empirical peer-reviewed studies, comprising 102 models published over the period 1979-2014. Content analysis and vote counting are used to evaluate each of these studies. Findings This review highlights major flaws in the application of DA in export research. The shortcomings are self-evident particularly concerning suitability of DA for research context, completeness in the reporting of descriptive results, and validity and reliability of predictive results. Practical implications The study takes the position that the lack of methodological rigor may be undermining the eminence of knowledge in exporting, and this has extensive implications for both researchers and practitioners. Originality/value This review outlines steps to assess methodological rigor associated with DA and offers guidelines for scholars seeking to enhance rigor in future research.


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