Servitization and business performance: the moderating effects of environmental uncertainty

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 803-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Longwei Wang ◽  
Jie Gao ◽  
Xin Li

Purpose To obtain in-depth explanations of the effects of servitization, this paper aims to analyse the benefits and costs at different servitization levels. The authors also investigate the moderating roles of demand uncertainty and technological turbulence on such effects. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the resource-based view (RBV) and transaction cost economics (TCE) to analyse the varying benefits and costs associated with servitization at its different levels and proposes the hypotheses. Then they use the survey data of 239 Chinese manufacturing firms to empirically test these hypotheses. Findings The interplay among service benefits, adjustment costs and coordination costs results in a nonlinear relationship between servitization and business performance. A negative servitization–performance relationship is observed at low levels of servitization as adjustment costs would be dominant. At moderate servitization levels, a positive relationship is observed because service benefits increase substantially and outweigh the increase in adjustment and coordination costs. As servitization levels further increase, coordination costs become dominant and a negative servitization–performance relationship reappears. The study further shows the significant moderating role of demand uncertainty and the insignificant moderating role of technological turbulence. Research limitations/implications This study provides a nuanced understanding of the curvilinear effects of servitization on business performance in response to the calls for detailed insights from quantitative studies. Practical implications The findings provide guidance on the degree to which the manufacturing firm should extend its service businesses based on demand and technological environments. Originality/value This is one of the pioneering empirical studies applying RBV and TCE to examine the varying benefits and costs across different servitization levels. The findings provide insight into the ongoing discussion about “service paradox” and “deservitization”.

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeel Tariq ◽  
Yuosre Badir ◽  
Supasith Chonglerttham

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of green product innovation performance (GPIP) on a firm’s financial performance (i.e. a firm’s profitability and risk). In addition, it has adopted the resource-based view and contingency theory to explore how GPIP and a firm’s financial performance relationship is manifested when subject to the moderating role of a firm’s market resource intensity and certain environmental factors, such as technological turbulence and market turbulence. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 202 publicly listed Thai manufacturing firms. This research has used hierarchical regression analyses to empirically test the proposed research hypotheses. Findings The findings reveal that GPIP exerts a significant influence on a firm’s financial performance, i.e. higher the GPIP, higher the firm’s profitability and lower the firm’s financial risk. Moreover, findings support the theoretical assertions that the higher level of market resource intensity, market turbulence and technological turbulence further strengthens GPIP and a firm’s financial performance relationship. Originality/value By considering the independent moderating role of market resource intensity, market turbulence and technological turbulence, this research has contributed to reconcile the previously disparate findings regarding the GPIP and a firm’s financial performance relationship. Moreover, this research has highlighted the role of the essential moderators that business managers must understand and adjust to capitalize on and achieve superior financial performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (10) ◽  
pp. 1074-1092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Cheng-Xi Aw

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically test a model encompassing antecedents of webrooming, an emerging shopping behaviour in omnichannel retailing. This study delineates the impacts of shopping motivation, perceived channel-related benefits and costs on webrooming intention. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based survey was conducted using a purposive sampling technique. A total of 300 responses were collected, and data were analysed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling. Findings Shopping motivation, such as efficiency shopping and bargain hunting, negatively influenced webrooming intention. Immediate possession positively influenced webrooming intention. With regard to perceived costs of webrooming, purchase effort and expected price loss negatively influenced webrooming intention. An additional exploratory analysis uncovered the moderating role of efficiency shopping. Originality/value This study provides empirical evidence for the antecedents of webrooming intention and expands the understanding of this emerging yet largely unexplored cross-channel behaviour.


Author(s):  
Abid Ullah ◽  
Shahid Iqbal ◽  
S.M. Riad Shams

Purpose Customer relationship management (CRM) is instrumental to attain and sustain organizational competitive advantage. Innovation in terms of CRM adoption is the key to gain competitive advantage, and being innovative is dependent on how well organizations know about changing demands of customers and their changing ways to gain access to the market. There is hence a need to develop ongoing empirical insights from diverse management perspectives into the effect of CRM adoption on organizational performance. In this context, the purpose of this study is to develop empirical insights in relation to the moderation of technological turbulence in the banking sector. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were collected and analyzed from 277 CRM staff-members of the banking sector in Pakistan to test a conceptual model. Frequencies of demographics are calculated with correlation and regression analyses using SPSS. The correlation analysis was performed to identify the direction that exists between the dependent and independent variables, and the regression analysis was performed to study the strength/intensity of the independent variable over the dependent variable. Moderating regression analysis was performed to find the moderation effect of technological turbulence on CRM adoption and organizational performance. Findings The CRM adoption has a critical positive impact on organizational performance in the settings of business-to-customer (B2C) perspective in the banking sector. Moreover, the results uncover that improved client satisfaction through CRM adoption prompts better organizational performance in the B2C organization. The authors also have found that technological turbulence has a negative guiding impact on the association linking with CRM adoption, as well as organizational performance. Research limitations/implications The conceptual model that is proposed in this study and supported by empirical insights offers researchers to develop future research studies on the moderating role of technological turbulence to analyze the influence of CRM adoption on organizational performance. Practical implications The empirical insights of this study are valuable for the professionals in the banking sector and other B2C organizations to enrich their organizational performance through CRM adoption while considering the moderating role of technological turbulence. Originality/value Based on an empirical study, in support of an original conceptual model, the insights of this paper contribute to the extant literature in the CRM, bank marketing and management, service management, B2C marketing and the emerging economy knowledge streams.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1871-1892 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Pinheiro ◽  
Graça Miranda Silva ◽  
Álvaro Lopes Dias ◽  
Luis Filipe Lages ◽  
Miguel Torres Preto

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of manufacturing flexibility in the relationship between knowledge creation, technological turbulence and performance. In an increasingly competitive and changing environment, firms need to boost their technological and management know-how to adequately develop manufacturing flexibility.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes survey data collected from 370 manufacturing firms. Validity and reliability analyses were conducted using SPSS and Amos. The research hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling.FindingsThe main findings show that knowledge creation positively and significantly affects business and operational performances directly, and indirectly, through manufacturing flexibility. Moreover, technological turbulence has a positive and significant effect on it. This finding contributes to understanding why some firms get better outcomes from manufacturing flexibility than others, a disputed issue in the literature.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the need for manufacturing firms to foster cultures of knowledge creation, to better educate and train employees and to develop other instruments of knowledge creation.Originality/valueThis study makes several contributions to manufacturing flexibility literature: (1) establishing a link between technological turbulence and knowledge creation to develop manufacturing flexibility; (2) add empirical evidence on the relation between manufacturing flexibility and performance and (3) contributes to consolidating the mediation role of manufacturing flexibility in the relations between knowledge creation and business performance, as studies focussing on such a role are scarce in the literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1245-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mir Dost ◽  
Munwar Hussain Pahi ◽  
Hussain Bakhsh Magsi ◽  
Waheed Ali Umrani

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of internal and external sources of knowledge on frugal innovation (FI), and to what extent this relationship is strengthened/weakened, authors also analyzed the moderating role of market and technological turbulence. Design/methodology/approach This is an empirical research. Data were collected from 382 SMEs through questionnaire survey, applied SmartPLS technique to analyse the data. Findings Findings revealed the significant effects of internal and external sources of knowledge on FI. To what extent this relationship is strengthened/weakened, the moderating role of market and technological turbulence was analysed. Data revealed that the moderation of technological turbulence strengthens the effects internal and external sources of knowledge had on FI. Market turbulence strengthened the effects of external sources of knowledge but surprisingly weakens the effects of internal sources of knowledge on FI. Practical implications Findings provide valuable and timely insights for the modern managers as well. Managers who operate in SMEs will have to understand that how knowledge from internal and external sources can be gathered and utilized for producing frugal products. They also will have to weigh which source of knowledge is more important when there is market and technological turbulence. Originality/value Sustainable and social issues emerge mainly due to scarcity of available resources. Firms seek to solve such pressing issues through improvisation in resources. However, frugal products assist firms to significantly contribute in society and sustainability. Although prior research has discussed the importance of knowledge for innovation, yet the effects of sources of knowledge and role of contingencies mostly remain unexplained puzzle. This study contributes to knowledge-innovation literature by examining the missing link between different sources of knowledge and FI and how the moderation of technology and market turbulence strengthen/weaken this relationship. Authors believe that it also helps to comprehend FI’s enabling factors through which firms can capitalize upon, and solve the pressing sustainable and social issues.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest Kissi ◽  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Labaran Musah ◽  
De-Graft Owusu-Manu ◽  
Caleb Debrah

Purpose Supply chain (SC) disruption, whether demand sided or supply sided, is conversely perceived to affect organisational performance of construction firms. This paper, therefore, aims to examine the linkage of supply chain disruptions with organisational performance of construction firms through the moderating role of innovation. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative research, approach the views of 84 construction professionals were elicited using a structured questionnaire. Ordinary least squares were utilised to validate the hypotheses set. Findings The study proved that there is a negative relationship between demand-related disruption and business performance as well as project performance. Also, it was clear from the study that supply-related disruptions had a significant impact on both project performance and business performance. Although SC innovation was seen to impact business performance, it had no relationship with project performance. Generally, innovation was seen to have a moderating effect of demand and supply disruption of project performance, but it played no moderating role in business performance. Practical implications The findings suggest that business firms must be innovative with the supply chain, as it moderated project success. The supply chain of a construction firm plays a very critical role on projects; hence, this study recommends that a supply chain manager ought to be innovative in their operations due to the moderating role SC innovation has on project performance and largely business performance. Originality/value Various studies on supply chain has been done on different sectors in the economy; however, little can be said about the construction industry on how supply chain disruptions affects business and project performance and how innovation moderates such effects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 856-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Evangelos Psomas ◽  
Dimitris Skalkos

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the dimensions of innovation on manufacturing firm performance taking into consideration the moderating role of environmental uncertainty among these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A research study was carried out using a sample of 580 Greek manufacturing firms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied to extract and validate the latent factors. K-means cluster analysis was also applied in order to group the responding firms. Finally, the structural relationships among the latent factors were determined through structural equation modeling. Findings According to the study findings, only three dimensions of innovation performance directly contributes to business performance. Moreover, this paper shows the differential effects of firm innovativeness on business performance under the influence of environmental uncertainty. Research limitations/implications The sample of the responding firms which is limited to the Greek manufacturing sector and the subjective business evidence coming from only one firm representative constitute the main limitations of the present study. Practical implications Firms can properly manage innovation dimensions. In case of high uncertainty, they should focus on product, marketing and process innovation, while in case of low uncertainty the focus should be on process, organization and product innovation. Originality/value Based on the multi-dimensional structure, this empirical study determines the contribution of innovation performance to business performance taking into consideration the role of environmental uncertainty as moderator on this relationship.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nwamaka A. Anaza ◽  
Aniefre Eddie Inyang ◽  
Jose L. Saavedra

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore salesperson empathy and the moderating impact of positive/negative affect on a salesperson’s listening and adaptive selling behaviors. It also seeks to identify whether and how empathy influences performance. Design/methodology/approach The study’s hypothesis was analyzed using data collected from business-to-business salespeople working for a manufacturing firm. A partial least squares analysis was used to test the study’s proposed hypotheses. Findings The results of this study show that empathy and the moderating role of positive affect foster desirable sales behaviors (listening and adaptive selling behaviors) that subsequently enhance in-role (expected) and extra-role (discretionary) performance. Originality/value Contributions from the findings enhance the literature through its consideration of how the direct effect of empathy on sales behaviors (a salesperson’s listening and adapting selling behavior) is moderated by the salesperson’s positive and negative affect and how sales behaviors impact final sales outcomes (in-role and extra-role performance).


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Kriese ◽  
Joshua Yindenaba Abor ◽  
Elikplimi Agbloyor

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of financial consumer protection (FCP) in the access–development nexus. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on cross-country data on 102 countries surveyed in the World Bank Global Survey on FCP and Financial Literacy (2013). The White heteroscedasticity adjusted regressions and Two-stage least squares regressions (2SLS) are used for the estimation. Findings Interactions between FCP regulations that foster fair treatment, disclosure, dispute resolution and recourse and financial access have positive net effects on economic development. However, there is no sufficient evidence to suggest that interactions between financial access and enforcement and compliance monitoring regulations have a significant effect on economic development. Practical implications First, policy makers should continue with efforts aimed at instituting FCP regimes as part of strategies aimed at broadening access to financial services for enhanced economic development. Second, instituting FCP regimes per se may not be enough. Policy makers need to consider possible intervening factors such as the provision of adequate resources and supervisory authority, for compliance monitoring and enforcement to achieve the expected positive effect on economic development. Originality/value This study extends evidence in the law–finance–growth literature by providing empirical evidence on the effect of legal institution specific to the protection of retail financial consumers on the access–development nexus using a nouvel data set, the World Bank Global survey on FCP and Financial Literacy (2013).


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 913-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeen-Su Lim ◽  
William K. Darley ◽  
David Marion

Purpose The study aims to explore supply chain influence (SCI) on the linkages among market orientation, innovation capabilities and firm performance (FP), using the resource-based view as a theoretical backdrop. Design Survey data from 182 top managers who are involved in strategy formulation and innovative direction of their companies was collected and analyzed using moderated multiple regression analysis. Findings Results revealed a moderating role of the SCI in that the proactive market orientation (PMO) and FP relationship is stronger when SCI is high, and innovation commercialization capability (ICC) and FP relationship is stronger when SCI is low. Practical implications Firms pursuing high PMO strategy must collaborate with supply chain function to achieve the full effect of PMO. Additionally, as supply chain is critical to meeting customers’ needs, these firms should allow supply chain to exert greater influence to enjoy the positive effects of PMO in addition to ensuring full integration into marketing strategy implementation. Also, firms with high ICC need to limit SCI to maximize the benefit of ICC on FP, just as innovation management needs to be cognizant of other functional areas. Originality/value The study investigates the potential moderating role of SCI on the relationships among market orientation, ICC and FP. The study fills a gap in the understanding of the nature and role of supply chain in the marketing–supply chain interaction, and the impact on FP.


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