Confronting the unprecedented: micro and small businesses in the age of coronavirus disease 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Bressan ◽  
Abel Duarte Alonso ◽  
Seng Kiat Kok
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Stakeholders

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how micro and small firms are navigating through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) threat, and the alternatives they are implementing to coexist with the ongoing crisis. To this end, Italy's socioeconomically and traditionally significant wine industry is examined. The study considers insights of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and develops a theoretical framework, which proposes various emerging theoretical dimensions, including proactiveness, support-reliance and resourcefulness.Design/methodology/approachWinery owners–managers were contacted and invited to partake in the study completing an online questionnaire. Overall, 167 useable responses were collected.FindingsWhile facing the loss of vital income through decreasing demand and exports, participants resort to exploiting various initiatives, including “reinventing” their firms. Their observations also recognise the vital supporting role of various key stakeholders, first and foremost family members, as well as clients and staff. Concerning how owners-managers envision managing their firm post-COVID-19, two predominant groups are identified, one strongly favouring modern-day alternatives, and the second committing to the firm's traditional business model. Overall, the different predictors of the TPB, namely attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control emerged.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first that empirically analyses micro and small firms in a socioeconomically and traditionally significant industry during an unprecedented event. In addition, the proposed theoretical framework provides a roadmap and guide to examine, understand and assimilate the entrepreneurial journey through a devastating event.

Retirement and organizations: perspectives and challenges for both workers and human resource management

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Henrique Helal ◽  
Cleverson Vasconcelos da Nóbrega ◽  
Tatiana Aguiar Porfírio de Lima
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to reflect on retirement, showing its different viewpoints, advocating the need to understand the issue from a procedural and multidimensional perspective, and especially, defending a more active role of human resource management in the process. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a theoretical framework of retirement, based on a procedural and multidimensional perspective. Findings To study how individuals adapt to retirement permits the discovery, for example, of how they obtain the quality of life after the transition and how they manage the internal and external aspects of the process. Human resource management must treat retirement as a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. This means it should consider retirement not only as a decision but also as a process. Originality/value This essay seeks to reflect on retirement, advocating the need to understand the issue from a procedural and multidimensional perspective, and especially, defending a more active role of human resource management in the process.

A literature review exploring the role of technology in business survival during the Covid-19 lockdowns

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salma S. Abed
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Business Survival ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Business Sectors

Purpose The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of human life. Even though the pandemic length was not too long, a huge volume of research relating to Covid-19 has been published in different contexts. This paper aims to review the literature investigating the impact of Covid −19 on businesses generally and explore studies examining the technology role of business survival during the Covid-19 lockdowns specifically. Design/methodology/approach This study implemented the concept of a systematic review approach to review the literature that has been conducted in the business field during the Covid-19 crisis in general. Additionally, it looks into the research examining the role of technology in business survival in the Covid-19 crisis specifically. All studies were conducted in 2020. A total of 53 studies were identified and categorised into different themes. The research methods, theories and locations have also been analysed. Findings It was found that Covid-19 pandemic has affected all business sectors in several ways. Technology adoption has a critical role for business survival during the Covid-19 crises especially with small businesses. Very limited research has been conducted on the adoption of different technologies during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Originality/value This study presents the most frequent themes and topics that have been explored in the literature during the Covid-19 crisis in the business field. It highlights the methods used in addition to the theories and research locations present in this literature. Finally, it proposes the possible implications of this literature review.

Credibility of a peer endorser and advertising effectiveness

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Munnukka ◽  
Outi Uusitalo ◽  
Hanna Toivonen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Advertising Effectiveness ◽  
Product Involvement ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Involvement ◽  
Endorser Credibility ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Brand Product

Purpose Advertisers use various tactics to influence consumer purchases and create positive associations with their brands. The purpose of this study is to explore the formation of peer-endorser credibility and its influence on attitude formation. The role of product involvement in the formation of attitudes and endorser credibility is also examined. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was conducted among university students. Data were collected using an online questionnaire concerning three advertisements for which identical questionnaires were constructed; 364 responses were generated. Findings The authors show that the credibility of a peer endorser is constructed from trustworthiness, expertise, similarity and attractiveness dimensions that positively affect consumers’ attitude toward an advertisement and a brand. Product involvement affects advertising effectiveness indirectly through the endorser-credibility construct. Finally, the authors show that a consumer’s experience with an advertised product affects the perception of endorser credibility and the effectiveness of the advertisement. Originality/value The findings reveal new insights into the little studied area of peer-endorser effectiveness. The authors shed light on the construction of peer endorser credibility and the relative importance of specific credibility dimensions on the effectiveness of an advertisement. This study also provides information on the direct and indirect effects of consumers’ brand involvement on attitudes toward advertisements.

scholarly journals Travellers’ destination choice among university students in China amid COVID-19: extending the theory of planned behaviour

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Wang ◽  
Philip Pong Weng Wong ◽  
Qi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Subjective Norm ◽  
Destination Choice ◽  
Student Responses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Travel Destination ◽  
Key Stakeholders

Purpose Prior tourism literature neglected the negative motivational or attitudinal elements influencing individuals’ travel destination decisions. This study aims to examine the relationships between animosity, ethnocentrism, attitude, subjective norm (SN), perceived behavioural control (PBC), destination overall image (DOI) and destination visit intention (DVI). Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was used using a survey methodology involving 402 student responses. The proposed hypotheses were empirically tested with SPSS and AMOS. Findings The results demonstrated that animosity and ethnocentrism negatively influenced DOI and DVI. A positive relationship was reported between attitude, DOI and DVI. Additionally, SN and PBC positively influenced DVI. Ethnocentrism, PBC and DOI were also identified with statistically significant differences through gender. Meanwhile, statistically significant differences in attitude, PBC, DOI and DVI were evident between postgraduate students and the counterparts. Originality/value This study extends the existing knowledge on how animosity and ethnocentrism influenced DOI and DVI in tourism literature and benefitted Western tourism and key stakeholders in tourism.

Investigating the role of regulatory focus in apparel attribute prioritization

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonghan Hyun
Keyword(s):  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Segmentation ◽  
Current Context

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to utilize consumers' regulatory focus as a segmentation variable to understand how and why consumers shift their tendency to prioritize certain apparel attributes.Design/methodology/approachSix hypotheses are developed and then tested via two experiments. Self-administered online questionnaire is used to collect data from a total of 1,178 participants recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. The collected data is analyzed using series of Chi-square tests and ANOVAs.FindingsResults show that promotion-focused (prevention-focused)) consumers are not only more likely to prioritize apparel attributes that ensure the attainment of satisfaction (avoidance of dissatisfaction) but also attach higher monetary value to apparel products bearing such attributes.Originality/valuePrevious studies of apparel attribute prioritization utilized static segmentation variables such as age or gender despite the dynamic nature of attribute prioritization tendency. This study extends the literature by demonstrating the significance of consumers' regulatory focus – a dynamic segmentation variable that has not been studied in the current context.

Economic growth in the Malaysian vegetarian market potential: internalized dimension of motivation

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 1181-1202
Author(s):  
Darshana Darmalinggam ◽  
Maniam Kaliannan
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theory Of Planned Behaviour ◽  
Vegetarian Diet ◽  
Market Potential ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Beta Coefficient ◽  
Start Ups ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the internalized dimension of motivation under the Unified Model of Vegetarian Identity (UMVI) model, namely, personal and prosocial motivators, for vegetarianism that spurs economic growth in the Malaysian vegetarian market potential.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured online questionnaire was adopted as the primary methodology from which a total of 163 respondents were obtained.FindingsBoth, personal and prosocial motivators do positively relate to the economic growth of the Malaysian vegetarian market potential. However, prosocial motivators has a greater impact with a beta coefficient of 0.374 compared to 0.273 for personal motivators.Research limitations/implicationsProbable inaccurate representation of the entire vegetarian population in Malaysia. Time and resources available.Practical implicationsPractically, the Malaysian vegetarian society and Malaysian government bodies benefit from the study in ensuing promotion of environmental awareness in line with a vegetarian diet.Originality/valueLack of literature resources on vegetarianism in Malaysia led to the study contributing to an expansion of literature on the matter. This pioneer study benchmarks global literatures on motivators of vegetarianism and their impact on economy against the scarce literatures available in the Malaysian context. It contributes to the Malaysian economy and potential vegetarian restaurant start-ups wishing to enter the Malaysian vegetarian market. Theoretically, the theory of planned behaviour, utilitarian function and the UMVI were jointly utilised in explaining the motivators capturing Malaysian vegetarians' intention towards demand for vegetarian food.

scholarly journals A resource-based view of the firm and micro and small Italian wine firms

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abel Duarte Alonso ◽  
Alessandro Bressan
Keyword(s):  
Small Firms ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Wine Industry ◽  
Small Enterprise ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustained Competitive Advantage ◽  
Red Tape

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm is adopted to explore the most important resources among micro and small firms operating in Italy’s wine industry. Second, the study incorporates a SWOT analysis to examine perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats based on the perceptions of owners and managers of these firms. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire was designed to gather both quantitative and qualitative data from Italian wineries; a total of 211 firms participated in the study. Findings Product quality, managerial/staff capabilities, knowledge, reputation, service quality and the territory/region emerge as most important resources, clearly aligning with the attributes of the RBV, namely, valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and (non)substitutable resources. However, based on the RBV, the future-sustained competitive advantage is threatened by, among other factors, the firm’s finances, competition, red tape and the complexity of increasing sales. Originality/value Fundamentally, the research contributes to micro and small enterprise literature, and to the limited number of studies that have used the RBV of the firm in the context of micro and small wineries. This theoretical framework is used among wineries of one of the world’s leading wine producing nations. Some dimensions of this country’s wine industry have received limited academic attention. In addition, the study provides practical value in identifying resources, limitations, and threats at a time when micro and small wineries are seeking to develop or increase their international presence.

Sustainability and authenticity: are they food risk relievers during the COVID-19 pandemic?

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Marozzo ◽  
Marta Meleddu ◽  
Tindara Abbate
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Binomial Distribution ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relevant Role ◽  
Consumer's Perception ◽  
High Uncertainty

PurposeThe study jointly investigates sustainability and authenticity concepts in the food context during the COVID-19 outbreak with a fourfold objective: (1) understanding whether sustainability and authenticity are equivalent concepts in consumers' perceptions; (2) advancing knowledge on the role played by them about food frauds' perception; (3) investigating whether these concepts are considered as “risk relievers” by consumers, (4) comparing the concepts to understand which one has a greater weight on the consumer's perception.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a Combination of a Uniform and a shifted Binomial distribution (CUB models) on data gathered in Spain between June and August 2020 through an online questionnaire.FindingsThe findings reveal that: (1) consumers perceive sustainability and authenticity as different concepts in the food context and (2) as two important indicators of fraud protection of a product for consumers; (3) besides, authenticity is seen as a “risk reliever” in buying a food product, as well as sustainability, (4) although results underline high uncertainty in the latter case.Originality/valueBy considering that the COVID-19 outbreak seriously threatens food safety, security and nutrition, this research elucidates the relevant role of food sustainability and authenticity concepts as “risk relievers” in terms of food frauds and negative issues related to COVID-19.

Can halal certification influence logistics performance?

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib ◽  
Abu Bakar Abdul Hamid ◽  
Thoo Ai Chin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Resource Based View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish the halal certification–logistics performance relationship by means of developing a theoretical model and to suggest areas for future research undertakings. The relationship between various forms of certification and logistics performance has been reported in many logistics literature. However, there is paucity in research concerning the relationship between halal certification and logistics performance. Design/methodology/approach The literature representing the concept of halal, halal logistics, institutional support and logistics performance are synthesised to develop a framework. Two distinguished management theories, namely, the resource-based view (RBV) and institutional theory, set the foundation of the proposed theoretical framework. Findings The paper suggests that proper application of resources, in this case halal certification, could positively influence logistics performance. The paper asserts that governmental factors act as the moderator between the halal certification–logistics performance relationship, or could directly influence logistics performance. Research limitations/implications The paper presents a synthesis of previously unconnected variables of halal certification and logistics performance, and integrates the RBV and institutional theories as the basis for a theoretical framework. However, the proposed theoretical framework requires further validation through the supports of additional empirical research. Practical implications Apart from implementing halal certification as a tool to gain business legitimacy, the paper offers insights to logistics service provider as to how halal certification can be used as a mechanism to improve organisational performance, particularly logistics performance. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to establish the relation between halal certification and logistics performance and highlights the prominent role of government support as an independent and moderating factor. It constitutes a preliminary argument that entices research within the halal certification and halal logistics spectrum.

The role of absorbed slack and potential slack in improving small business performance during economic uncertainty

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Omar Jifri ◽  
Paul Drnevich ◽  
Larry Tribble
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Competitive Intensity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Slack ◽  
Environmental Hostility ◽  
Absorbed Slack

Purpose While previous strategy research has provided significant attention to resource slack and its important roles in firm performance, particularly through strategic agility and flexibility in responding to environmental conditions, the majority of such theory and empirical work was developed for large business contexts. Therefore, the understanding of the relative contributions of absorbed and potential slack, particularly for resource-constrained small businesses, remains largely under theorized and unexamined. As many small businesses often face internal resource limitations, the ability to access external resources, in addition to internal resources, is likely significant, for firm performance, especially when small firms face high economic uncertainty. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this paper the authors utilize a data set from National Federation of Independent Business on small business economic trends. The sample consists of approximately 13,000 US-based small and medium businesses. Findings The findings highlight the importance of resource slack in firm performance offering general support for the applicability of classic management theories to the small business context. Environmental hostility and competitive intensity appear to positively moderate the observed relationship between both absorbed and potential resource slack and performance, but in different ways. Environmental hostility positively moderates the relationship between potential slack and firm performance, while competitive intensity positively moderates the relationship between absorbed slack and firm performance. Research limitations/implications Because most classic theories in strategic management were only theorized for, and examined through, large organizations, entrepreneurship research should consider these potential limitations and carefully consider factors differing between large and small firms. Practical implications Business owners and managers should be aware that not all types of slack have equal performance implications. Absorbed slack is extremely valuable in highly competitive situation. Therefore, business owners should develop plans to recover absorbed slack during highly competitive situations as a defensive strategy. One the other hand, potential slack forces more accountability, which lowers the possibility of small firms using it to engage in price wars, but it is extremely valuable during worsening economic conditions. Originality/value In this paper the authors separate absorbed slack from potential slack conceptually and then test their individual effects on firm performance. Through this study, the authors establish boundary conditions for the important role of resource slack on performance through the moderating roles of environmental hostility and competitive intensity.

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