Candle under a bushel: communicating environmental performance to improve firm performance

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis Fonyee Nutsugah ◽  
Thomas Anning-Dorson ◽  
Stephen Mahama Braimah ◽  
Ernest Yaw Tweneboah-Koduah

PurposeThis study answers the question: “does the communication of environmental performance transmit positive overall firm performance?” The authors examine the influence of a company's environmental performance (EP) on its overall firm performance (FP) and the mediating role of integrated marketing communication (IMC) on the EP-FP relationship.Design/methodology/approachA survey of firms from the extractive, manufacturing and hospitality sectors of an emerging economy was used in testing our hypothesized relationships. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used in analysing the data from 194 firms.FindingsThe study found that EP negatively and significantly influences FP directly. However, the introduction of IMC into the direct relationship changes this effect. IMC was, therefore, found to have a partial and complementary mediation effect on the relationship between EP and FP.Practical implicationsThe negative influence of EP on FP found explains the reluctance of companies towards environmental protection. However, if companies can utilize their communication capacity well enough in creating the necessary awareness among their stakeholder audiences, a positive relationship is created between EP and FP.Originality/valueThe benefits of EP to companies and how companies can turn their EP into gains were not clearly established in the literature. The current study has explained one of the boundary conditions that convert EP, which appears to be a cost to the firm, into a positive influence on FP. This study has, therefore, established the mechanism through which EP affects FP.

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw ◽  
Jun-Hwa Cheah ◽  
Siew Imm Ng ◽  
Murali Sambasivan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine compulsive buying and its interrelationships with careful spending, loan dependence and financial trouble. This study also aims to investigate the moderating role of gender. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based survey was conducted. Two hundred and seven responses were collected using purposive sampling technique. Partial least square–structural equation modelling was performed to analyze the proposed hypotheses. Findings The salient findings are (1) careful spending negatively influences compulsive buying, (2) compulsive buying positively influences loan dependence and financial trouble, (3) loan dependence positively influences financial trouble, (4) the relationships between careful spending and compulsive buying, and between loan dependence and financial trouble differ between male and female consumers, (5) there is a sequential mediation effect between careful spending and financial trouble and (6) there are gender differences between careful spending and compulsive buying and between loan dependence and financial trouble. Research limitations/implications This study empirically validates the role of short-term money attitude, conceptualized as careful spending in compulsive buying context and how it attenuates the consequences of compulsive buying. Originality/value This study explains the serial mechanism in which careful spending can be used to counteract financial trouble of youngsters, and further looks into the differences of relationships in term of gender through multi-group analysis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 273-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eijaz Ahmed Khan ◽  
Mohammed Quaddus

Purpose – This study realize that the relationships between business environment and firm performance in context of small- and medium-sized enterprises and large organizations is well understood and focused, but less research has been done on microenterprises, especially in informal sector. The purpose of this paper is to examine these relationships. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method research design was used. In the field study, data were obtained from 14 participants via one-to-one personal interview. Content analysis was applied to extract, classify, and cross-examine of the data. In the quantitative approach, questionnaire was developed and data were collected from 438 informal microenterprises (IMs) owners. The data were analysed using the partial least square structural equation modelling. Findings – Results from this field study and survey recognized these relationships and vibrates well with the existing literature and establish the hypothesis. Practical implications – In order to create more favourable environment and ensure the performance, the policy makers, professional bodies could formulate decent requirements for IMs to have a code of business practices and socio-economic performance. Originality/value – This study provides a first step towards business environment and firm performance in context IMs and makes several contributions to the literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-258
Author(s):  
Muhammad Fahri Azmi ◽  
Yusralaini Yusralaini ◽  
Rofika Rofika

This study aims to see the effect of VACA, VAHU, STVA, and VAIC on financial performance and competitive advantage, as well as the role of competitive advantage in mediating the effect of VACA, VAHU, STVA, and VAIC on financial performance. The population in this study is Islamic commercial banks registered with the financial services authority in 2016-2018. The sample of this research was selected by sampling criteria. Hypothesis testing used in this research is Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) approach and the statistical test tool used is WarpPLS 7.0. The results of this study indicate that VACA has a positive influence on financial performance, VAHU has a negative influence on financial performance while STVA and VAIC do not affect financial performance. Furthermore, this study found that VACA, STVA, and VAIC had a positive effect on competitive advantage and competitive advantage also has a positive effect on financial performance. This research also found that, while VAHU did not affect the competitive advantage that competitive advantage plays a role in mediating the effect of VACA and VAIC on financial performance, whereas competitive advantage does not mediate the effect of VAHU and STVA on financial performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Purvendu Sharma ◽  
Ashish Sadh ◽  
Aditya Billore ◽  
Manoj Motiani

Purpose This study aims to explore the antecedents and outcomes of brand community engagement (BCE) in the context of social media-based brand communities (SMBCs). Moreover, the mediating role of brand evangelism between BCE and brand defence and between BCE and brand resilience is examined. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected using a questionnaire-based survey from 201 active members of various SMBCs. Partial least square based structural equation modelling is used to test the proposed conceptual model. Findings The results suggest that brand identification and brand prominence are the antecedents of BCE. BCE positively influence brand evangelism and brand defence. Furthermore, the finding suggests that brand evangelism mediates the relationship between BCE and brand defence and also between BCE and brand resilience. Research limitations/implications The sample for this study involves respondents active on different SMBCs, which may constrain uniformity in respondents’ experiences. Practical implications The insights provided by this study are useful in enhancing BCE with the SMBCs. The study highlights the role of brand evangelism in actively endorsing and defending the brands. The brand manager can promote brand evangelistic behaviour through meaningful engagement with SMBCs. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature of brand community engagement by focussing on its antecedents and outcomes in SMBCs. Further, this study adds to the branding literature by connecting two crucial streams of brand research: BCE and brand evangelism. The study also explores the mediating role of brand evangelism. It enhances the understanding of consumer-brand relationships in the context of SMBCs.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huynh Thi Thuy Giang ◽  
Luu Tien Dung

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to examine the direct impact of transformational leadership on non-family employee intrapreneurial behaviour and through a mediating role of corporate adaptive culture and psychological empowerment in family-owned firms.Design/methodology/approachThe study’s sample consisted of 368 key role non-family employees at 109 family export and import firms in the Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam. The data is analysed using a partial least square–structural equation model (PLS-SEM).FindingsThis paper shows that transformational leadership had a positive and significant influence on non-family employee intrapreneurial behaviour directly and via adaptive corporate culture and psychological empowerment as a mediating influence mechanism.Practical implicationsFamily-owned firms might balance the need to maintain traditional core values and requires innovation through the development of human capital with non-family employee intrapreneurship.Originality/valueThis paper grants a unique approach to studying intrapreneurial behaviour in the context of the family-owned business.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Shoaib Farooq ◽  
Maimoona Salam ◽  
Norizan Jaafar ◽  
Alain Fayolle ◽  
Kartinah Ayupp ◽  
...  

Purpose Adoption of latest technological advancements (e.g. lecture capture system) is a hallmark of market-driven private universities. Among many other distinguishing features, lecture capture system (LCS) is the one which is being offered to enhance the flexibility of learning environment for attracting executive business students. Majority of foreign universities are offering the facility of LCS to their students in offshore campuses established in Malaysia. Yet, very little is known about perception and behaviour of executive business students towards acceptance and use of this facility. Therefore, to bridge the identified gap in academic literature, this study is an effort to explore the causal relationship between existing constructs of extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2), personal innovativeness (PI), intention and use behaviour (UB) towards LCS. Moreover, this study is aimed to extend the UTAUT2 by introducing a new variable, namely, PI in the domain of information technology (IT) (PIIT). Design/methodology/approach SmartPLS-3.2.6 was used for data analysis and all PLS-related calculations. For this purpose, a self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect data regarding acceptance and UB towards LCS. A sample size of 481 responses from executive business students, who were enrolled in offshore campuses of five selected foreign universities in Malaysia, was used for testing the proposed theoretical model. Findings The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, price value, hedonic motivation, habit and PIIT have a significant and positive influence on acceptance and use of LCS among executive business students. Unique to this study is that, findings of this study have highlighted PIIT as an important factor that affects intention and UB towards LCS among executive business students. Practical implications By validating and extending the UTAUT2, the findings of this study provide a number of practical implications along with a comprehensive, robust and useful framework for universities to successfully implement technological advancements, such as LCS, to enhance overall learning outcomes. Originality/value By investigating the factors determining acceptance and use of LCS among executive business students, using a partial least square (PLS)-based SEM approach, this study makes a sizeable theoretical, methodological and contextual contribution to the overall body of knowledge.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Baah ◽  
Douglas Opoku-Agyeman ◽  
Innocent Senyo Kwasi Acquah ◽  
Kassimu Issau ◽  
Farid Abdel Moro Abdoulaye

PurposeExploring ways to sustain competitive positions as well as improve firm performance through environmental production initiatives has been a major preoccupying topic for mostly practitioners and researchers. Despite several studies on the influence of environmental initiatives on firm performance, many questions remain unanswered as to how to further extract more gains from environmental production initiatives. This study, thus, explores environmental production practices impact on firm performance from proactive and reactive perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a survey research design, a quantitative approach and partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique in making data analysis and interpretations due to its suitability for predictive research models.FindingsThe results indicated that proactive environmental production practices positively related with process and environmental performances but negatively associated with financial performance. Although the findings contrast with majority of past findings, they gain the support of other scholars in establishing that early adoption stages of proactive environmental production initiatives strain financial capabilities and thus present a negative relationship. Reactive environmental production practices are positively and significantly related with process, environmental and financial performances.Originality/valueThe study is among the first to expose environmental production practices from a proactive and a reactive perspective and in the context of a developing country. As such, the study provides guidance to relevant authorities in further promoting sustainable production practices to preserve the environment by manufacturing safer consumer products through efficient sustainable production processes and practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 2788-2807
Author(s):  
Mustafa Daskin

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of ethical climate as an antecedent of polychronicity, then in turn the effect of polychronicity on frontline employees’ service innovative behaviours (SIBE) and error strain and the moderating role of organization mission fulfilment in these relationships in a hotel job context in Penang, Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach In the current study, the data were collected from 312 frontline employees in the survey premises. A partial least square approach of the structural equation modelling technique (PLS-SEM) was used to test the associations among study variables. Findings The study findings reveal that ethical climate had positive impact on polychronicity. Significantly, polychronicity made positive influence on SIBEs and negative influence on error strain. Organization mission fulfilment was found to boost the influence of ethical climate on polychronicity. Finally, while organization mission fulfilment was found to boost the positive influence of polychronicity on SIBEs, on the other hand, buffers the negative impact of polychronicity on error strain. Practical implications The present study procures implications for practitioners in terms of establishing ethical climate in work environment and maximizing the frontline employees’ SIBEs while minimizing error strain. In addition, this research procures valuable implications to apply efficient managerial tools and improve job results in the lodging industry context of Peninsular Malaysia. Originality/value This study by investigating the untested associations such as the influence of polychronicity on frontline employees’ SIBEs and error strain contributes to the related literature.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi Abdel Muniem Abdel Fattah ◽  
Abdul Hakim H.M Mohamed ◽  
Mohamed Izzeldin A. Bashir ◽  
Abrar Mohammed Mubarak Al Alawi

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how students’ attitude (SA), students’ subjective norms (SN), students’ knowledge sharing intentions (KSI) can contribute to the enhancement of knowledge sharing behaviour (KSB) among students at higher education institutes (HEI) in Oman. Design/methodology/approach This study follows the quantitative methodology and the deductive causal research approach. The data were conveniently collected through a Web-based questionnaire (Google forms) from 285 active students who are affiliated to Omani universities. SPSS was used to statistically analyse the collected data, including partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM V3.3) to draw the results. Findings The study concluded that SA has both direct and indirect positive impact on SN, KSI and KSB. Moreover, the result revealed that there is a mediation effect between SA and KSB through KSI, SA and KSI when SN is playing as a mediation role. Research limitations/implications Although this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge, this study is limited by the scarcity of the related literature in the Omani context. It is recommended that these shortfalls be addressed together while improving the knowledge-sharing behaviour among students and administrative staff. Furthermore, the potential variation between academic staff and students in terms of factors affecting their intentions to share knowledge within HEIs should be explored. Practical implications This research provides policymakers in academic fields with the appropriate approaches to leverage the knowledge-sharing behaviour amongst Omani students with the understanding of the main factors affecting individuals’ knowledge-sharing behaviours. Social implications This will help in improving the means of employing and practising knowledge-sharing strategies within HEIs, which can generate competitive advantages amongst students and institutions while benefiting knowledge management strategies and its members. Originality/value The importance of the study stems from its context being conducted in Oman as a developing country. In addition, this study is one of the initial attempts to investigate KSB by considering SA, SN and KSI and its applicability on HEI in Oman. The findings of the study can serve as inputs to HEI in developing best practices across KSB dimensions and expanding the knowledge-sharing culture amongst HEI’s students in Oman. One of the developed strategies is the spreading of the knowledge-sharing culture among students by positively directing their attitude towards the practices of knowledge exchange.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Ivar Håvold ◽  
Ole Kristian Håvold

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of how different kinds of power influence trust and motivation in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach To analyze the links between power, trust and motivation, a framework of social power is tested on measures of trust in managers and motivation. Quantitative data from 137 respondents were collected. Partial least square is used to evaluate the theoretical model. Findings Legitimate, referent and reward power has a positive influence on trust, while coercive power has a negative influence on trust. In total, 41.8 per cent of the variation in trust in managers was explained by power. Trust, reward power and expert power explained 30.9 per cent of the variation in motivation. Practical implications The research indicates that in knowledge organizations such as hospitals, leaders should be careful in using coercive power. Expert power seems to influence motivation but not trust, while legitimate power seems to influence trust directly and motivation only through trust. Referent power seems to have a weak influence on trust and no direct influence on motivation. Reward power has a very strong influence both on trust and motivation. Originality/value It is important for leaders to consider how power can influence trust, motivation and the performance of a health organization. Although this study was conducted in Norway and Finland, the findings may have relevance on a broader scale.


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