Sustainability of positive relationship between environmental performance and profitability of SMEs

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Shahedul Quader ◽  
Md. Mostafa Kamal ◽  
A.B.M. Enamol Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Iso 14001 ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to conduct an in-depth study of any changes that small medium enterprises (SMEs) environmental performance face, in the retailing and manufacturing sector, as well as to identify their main drivers. Furthermore, it seeks to investigate SMEs’ perspectives regarding the environmental management systems and more specifically International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14001 on the one side, whether it is a positive relationship between the implementation of “ISO 14001” by SMEs and their profitability of business on the other. Design/methodology/approach This study is a qualitative research, which combines secondary data enriched with daily articles and primary data using in-depth interviews with experts from the SME sectors, which attempts to build a sufficient “theory” by answering the research questions. Findings The business world has started to get widely involved with the environmental issues and even if this, in some cases, happened only for marketing purposes, it is difficult now to be changed. The SMEs have started to realise their responsibilities and act accordingly, but there is a long way to cover until their actions will be actually beneficial for the environment. However, the improvement or stability of SMEs’ environmental performance, meaning the implementation of more environmental activities, depends on the impact that those changes will have in every SME, due to the unique idiosyncrasy that each of it consists. Originality/value This paper reveals proper method for documenting monetary rewards to entrepreneurship through maintaining environmental issues accurately using information about profitability of SME’s. After maintaining environmental factors, the premia illustrates about the entrepreneurs concentrating not only profitability but also environmental concern.

Impact of Innovation on the Entrepreneurial Success in Selected Business Enterprises in South-West Nigeria

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 29-38
Author(s):  
Olu Ojo
Keyword(s):  
Product Quality ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Corporate Image ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Entrepreneurial Success ◽  
South West ◽  
Business Enterprises ◽  
The Impact

This study examined the impact of innovation on the entrepreneurial success in selected business enterprises in SOUTH-WEST Nigeria. The paper dwelt on the extent to which the selected enterprises innovation effort affects the quality of their product as well as the company image. Five manufacturing companies in the Food and Beverages line were selected using purposive sampling method because of their contributions to economic development of Nigeria while the respondents were selected through stratified random sampling technique. Survey research design was used in carrying out the study. Both primary and secondary data were used in the study. Primary data were collected through the administration of questionnaire while secondary data were garnered from Annual Report and Accounts of the companies. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Hypotheses were tested at 0.05 significant levels with the aid of parametric student t-test. The results revealed that there is a positive relationship between innovation and product quality as well as a positive relationship between innovation and good corporate image and that both of them significantly affect entrepreneurial success. The study recommends that business enterprises should engage more on innovation of their production process to improve their product quality and even enhances good corporate image. This will help them to sustain their position in the face of stiff competition.

scholarly journals Home (not so) sweet home

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Rialp-Criado ◽  
Seyed Meysam Zolfaghari Ejlal Manesh ◽  
Øystein Moen
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Policy ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
International Expansion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to elaborate on the crucial effects that a seemingly detrimental policy change in Spain has had on the international entrepreneurial activities of domestic renewable energy (RE) firms. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were collected from nine RE companies in Spain and then triangulated with secondary data and interviews from informants in other local institutions. Findings Domestic RE firms, due to an institutional scape driver action, reacted to an increasingly uncertain and generally more adverse renewable energy policy framework in this country by preferring to internationalise towards foreign markets that had lower political uncertainty than the domestic one. Research limitations/implications This paper complements previous research primarily on firm-specific factors that enhance internationalising firms’ survival and growth through a focus on the impact of a changing institutional-political environment at the home country-level. Practical implications Practitioners in the RE sector should analyse the risk of focusing only on the home market, as it can be too dependent on uncontrolled variations in domestic energy policy. Social implications The findings indicate that a more stable and supportive, long-term perspective in the domestic RE policy is essential for the sustained growth and development of this emerging industry. Originality/value To analyse the strategy by which a number of purposefully selected companies were able to use international expansion as a survival-seeking strategy against a drastic policy-level change in the domestic RE market.

Does an MBA degree advance business management skill or in fact create horizontal and vertical mismatches?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gazi Mahabubul Alam ◽  
Morsheda Parvin ◽  
Ahmad Fauzi Bin Mohd Ayub ◽  
Romana Kader ◽  
Md. Mahfuzur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Master's Degree ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Job Skills ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Master’S Degree ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mba Graduates

PurposeAn old saying –“Jack of all trades, master of none”– deliberately asserts that the purpose of a master’s degree program is to generate high level job skills in order to improve a nation's economy, while a bachelor degree produces economically productive graduates. Employment of such graduates is fundamentally important for personal and economic development. There is a link between a bachelor’s and master's degree and how these qualifications are linked to the job market. Both horizontal and vertical mismatches are developed which is the central focus of this research.Design/methodology/approachGiven the differentiated nature of research questions, multiple techniques are used to collect the data. However, this research bears the norms of the qualitative method. Both secondary and primary data are used, and meanwhile secondary data are collected by the banks, Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS), University Grants Commission (UGC) and by the institutions sampled. Primary data are gathered from interviews with key people. Data were collected from three institutions of higher education and from six commercial banks and from the Central Bank. The academic results of 21,325 MBA graduates and education backgrounds of 750 executives working in banks served as the basis for establishing our arguments.FindingsThis study discovers that MBA graduates who have studied science subjects achieved much better grades in the MBA compared to their counterparts who studied business from secondary provision to first degree. The market-driven MBA programme has become a “business product”. The major revenue of higher education institutions comes from enrolment in MBA courses. For this reason, a science-friendly MBA program is developed to generate more business. If this continues, the philosophy of the master's program would either be lost or will have to be redefined in the 21st century.Originality/valueWhile a few studies have investigated the area of HE in Bangladesh, none covers the impact of MBA degrees on the job market and its contribution to enhancing job skills.

The infrastructures of war and peace

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tore Listou
Keyword(s):  
Research Agenda ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Peace Operations ◽  
War And Peace ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Peace Operation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Host Nation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the need for and develop a framework for research on the effects UN peace operation infrastructure has on a host nation. Mission infrastructure serves primarily to sustain a mission. As the mission terminates, infrastructure is often transferred to the host nation. The mission infrastructures could have both positive and negative implications for the host nation and for local communities.Design/methodology/approachExploratory approach to develop a foundation for a research agenda in an area with little existing research. Identify theoretical contributions related to infrastructures, combine with primary data from one peace operation, secondary data from five other peace operations and from the UN repositories.FindingsThis study proposes a research agenda. As such our findings relate to the identification and classification of different infrastructures and their interdependencies.Research limitations/implicationsThis framework would contribute to new ways of exploring and analysing both the effectiveness of peace operations and the impact a mission has on the development in the host nation.Practical implicationsThis study proposes a framework for research. As such, it will have implications primarily for researchers.Social implicationsUnderstanding the interdependencies between mission infrastructures and the material and social infrastructures of a host nation would help understanding what value mission infrastructure brings to a host nation and the local communities.Originality/valueAnalysing the logistics in peace support operations as networks of infrastructures bring new perspectives into humanitarian logistics.

The impact of servitization on the environmental and social performance in manufacturing firms

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingsi Zhang ◽  
Liangqun Qi ◽  
Chengdong Wang ◽  
Xichen Lyu
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Absorptive Capacity ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Social Performance ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Slack ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to examine how servitization affects the environmental and social performance of manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses are tested using fixed-effect panel models based on secondary data of 1,413 manufacturing firms publicly listed in the USA.FindingsResults show that servitization is positively related to the social performance of manufacturing firms; this positive relationship is more prominent under high levels of human resource slack. However, the impact of servitization on environmental performance depends on the level of absorptive capacity and human resource slack. Servitization improves environmental performance under high levels of absorptive capacity and human resource slack, while this positive impact is insignificant under low levels of absorptive capacity and human resource slack.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on the degree (depth) of servitization but ignores the scope of services provided by manufacturing firms (breadth of servitization).Practical implicationsThis research suggests that servitization is an effective way of achieving simultaneous improvements in environmental and social performance. However, high levels of absorptive capacity and human resource slack are needed to achieve this goal.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the servitization literature by demonstrating the environmental and social sustainability benefits of servitization. The findings also highlight the crucial role of absorptive capacity and human resource slack on improving environmental and social performance through servitization.

scholarly journals Audit committee attributes and firm performance: evidence from Malaysian finance companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basiru Salisu Kallamu ◽  
Nur Ashikin Mohd Saat
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Islamic Banking ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of audit committee (AC) attributes on the performance of finance companies in Malaysia in both period before and after the Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance (MCCG) was issued in order to determine which of the AC attributes enhances performance of finance companies in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – The population of the study comprises firms listed under finance sector of the main market of Bursa Malaysia. The number of firms listed on the main market of Bursa Malaysia as at the time of data collection (2012) was 822, out of which 37 were finance firms. Since the number of finance companies listed on the main market was only 37, all companies were used as sample for this study. This comprises companies involved in commercial, investment and Islamic banking, insurance, Takaful and other finance-related services. The sample for the period prior to MCCG varies over the period of observation. The number of finance companies in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 was 36, 40, 44, 47 and 54, respectively. The sample comprises companies in commercial banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, insurance, Takaful and other finance-related services. The sample comprises firms listed on the main board of Kuala Lumpur stock exchange as it was called before the name was changed to Bursa Malaysia. The companies listed under the Ace market are not included due to their small number and because they are subject to different listing requirements. The list of the finance companies for the period 2007-2011 is obtained from the web site of Bursa Malaysia while for the period 1992-1996, the list is obtained from Bursa Malaysia knowledge centre. The observation period for the study covers financial period from 2007 to 2011 which represents post MCCG period while period from 1992 to 1996 represents the period before MCCG. Findings – The findings suggests a significant positive relationship between independent AC members and profitability while dual membership of directors on audit and nomination committee is significant and negatively related with profitability. The result supports agency theory which suggests that independent directors provide effective monitoring of the management thereby enhancing profitability and reducing possibility for opportunistic behavior by the management and ultimately enhancing performance. In addition, the result indicates that there was significant improvement in corporate governance in finance companies after the MCCG was issued compared to the period before it was issued. Research limitations/implications – The study focussed only on finance companies listed on Bursa Malaysia. The attributes examined include independence, expertise, experience, executive membership and interlock of directors, future studies could examine other attributes such as internal process of the committee and personal characteristics of the directors. Furthermore, the study used secondary data future studies could use primary data or a combination of primary and secondary data. The study only examined the period before MCCG and after the code was issued, future study could examine the impact of the first and second revision and compare it with period after the first and second revision. Practical implications – The findings contribute to the literature and the understanding of the influence of AC attributes such as independence and experience of the directors on the committee by showing an association between director independence, expertise, experience and improved performance. Management and board of companies may use the findings to make appropriate choices about AC attributes and governance mechanisms to improve performance particularly with regards to independence, expertise, experience and interlock of the directors. Social implications – The study has provided policy makers with a better understanding of the various features a AC should have which could be incorporated in future policy formulation in order to safeguard investments of shareholders, protect the interest of various stakeholders and enhance the flow of capital and foreign direct investment into finance companies and the economy in general. Comparison of the result between the pre MCCG and post MCCG period shows an improvement in corporate governance in finance companies after the MCCG was issued. This implies that the initial issue of MCCG impacted positively on the governance of the finance companies. Originality/value – To best of the authors knowledge the study is the first to examine the attributes of AC in finance sector as a whole and to examine the impact in the period before and after the MCCG was issued.

scholarly journals COVID-19: it’s impact in Hajj and Umrah and a future direction

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aishath Muneeza ◽  
Zakariya Mustapha
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
First Year ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Direction ◽  
The Impact

Purpose There is a misconception that Hajj and Umarah is just a worship matter and the consequences of suspending these religious gathering due to the pandemic is only limited to delay of going Saudi Arabia to perform it. However, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact of the pandemic in Hajj and Umrah by exploring its impact on different stakeholders affecting its disruption due to the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This is a library-based study that uses qualitative method to explore the impact of COVID-19 on Hajj and Umrah. Thus, provisions of Quran and hadith on Hajj and Umrah were examined as primary data for the research to establish the importance of the rituals in Islam. Guidelines set by Hajj regulators and instruments enabling them in that behalf were examined likewise. In addition, content analyses were made of relevant secondary data from published sources including articles, books, newspapers and web resources that embody scholarly, scientific and religious views on the issue being studied. Findings It is realised that in the first year of the pandemic, while Umrah is entirely suspended, Hajj was scaled back and performed by 10,000 people altogether, a tiny segment of the over two and half million that partook in the ritual previously. Hajj and Umrah have been greatly inhibited and jeopardised by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in religious, social, economic, psychological effects on the eligible but affected Muslims and Muslims countries. Along these lines, recommendations were accordingly proffered on the way forward to better Hajj and Umrah management. Originality/value It is anticipated that the findings of the research would assist policy makers to comprehend the impact of the pandemic on Hajj and Umrah to ensure that the policies they make in this regard would adequately cover every aspect affecting the stakeholders which is deliberated in this research. It is also expected that the recommendations provided in this paper will assist stakeholders of Hajj and Umrah to grasp the importance of taking precautions for any crisis similar to COVID-19 when it happens.

Do green policies build green reputations?

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Abdelzaher ◽  
William Newburry
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Environmentally Conscious ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Policy ◽  
Environmental Footprints ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Today, we are witnessing a wave of multinational corporations who seek to be recognized for being environmentally conscious, which can become a source of competitive advantage. But how many of them actually have the policies in place to achieve this? Drawing from the strategy literature, this paper aims to argue that firms who seek to achieve green reputation must align their policies in a way to achieve this goal. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a framework that discusses the key elements of the corporate environmental management process, and then empirically examines the impact of green policy on green reputation among Fortune 500 US firms. Findings The findings support a positive significant relationship between green policy and green reputation, with environmental performance to partially mediate this relationship. Insights from this study highlight the importance of focusing on company-level green policy for building green reputation as well as for discriminating across the flux of corporations that all claim to be environmentally conscious or green. Research limitations/implications First, the study is limited by the unavailability of environmental performance data at the subsidiary level, which, if incorporated, would yield a better specified model. Second, to strengthen the causal relationships examined in the models, time-series analyses would likely be useful. Third, other informal measures that could be incorporated can include other forms of corporate verbal communications, which include 10K reports as well as shareholder letters. Practical implications Given the increased flux of firms that are racing to be known as environmentally conscious firms, one can benefit from the use of an internal mechanism that can discriminate between rhetoric and action. Therefore, when differentiating between firms’ environmental consciousness, investors and key stakeholders should investigate more internal environmental firm policies, because they are likely to be more indicative of their actions. Originality/value This study uses a quantified assessment of companies’ actual environmental footprints, drawing from a cross-sector sample within the manufacturing industry. The secondary data used in this study are combined from a number of prominent data sources in corporate social responsibility/environmental management literature.

Building apparel manufacturing competitiveness through policy–a system dynamics approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-302
Author(s):  
Shellyanne Wilson
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Apparel Manufacturing ◽  
Role Of Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Competitiveness ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of Government via its industrial policy aimed at building competitiveness in apparel manufacturing in a developing country.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework that proposes the causal relationships between policies and competitiveness is applied to the apparel manufacturing sector in Trinidad and Tobago. The study utilises primary data from interviews and observations, and secondary data sources inclusive of industry and fashion companies reports. Data analysis of four vertical policies is performed via the use of system dynamics modelling and simulation.FindingsThe four vertical policies were found to impact three interrelated elements in the apparel manufacturing sector: the market, apparel products and productive resources. Policies that intentionally focussed on improving market attractiveness benefited wide segments of the industry. However, policies that focussed on product and resource attractiveness that were designed as direct support for selected firms had a lower impact on overall industry competitiveness than those that had an industry-wide focus.Research limitations/implicationsA single industry in a small developing island state limits the generalisability of the research findings. Additionally, non-reporting of export data and aggregation of industry data limits the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the impact of the vertical policies on the apparel industry. 10; 10;Practical implicationsPolicy-makers should consider the scope of the vertical policies in terms of the number of firms in the industry to benefit, and the need for complementary horizontal policies for creating enabling environments for competitiveness.Originality/valueThe paper proposes a conceptual framework to capture relationships between vertical policy and competitiveness.

scholarly journals Tax audit and tax productivity in Lagos state, Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clement Olatunji Olaoye ◽  
Stephen Ayodeji Ogunleye ◽  
Festus Taiwo Solanke
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Data ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Revenue ◽  
Lagos State ◽  
Routine Basis ◽  
Tax Audit ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the tax audit on tax productivity in Lagos state, Nigeria. Specifically, the study analyzed trends of tax audit and tax productivity, and the impact of Desk audit, Field audit and Back-duty audit on tax productivity in Lagos state. Design/methodology/approach The study made use of both primary and secondary data. Primary data used in the study were collected with the use of questionnaires administered to 350 randomly selected staffs of Lagos state Internal Revenue Services, while secondary data used in the study were sourced from Federal Inland Revenue Service and Lagos Internal Revenue Service audit division in Lagos state over the period spanning from 2000 to 2015. Data collated in the study were analyzed descriptively using inferential methods such as unit root test, and estimation techniques such as Fully Modified Least Square (FMOLS) co-integration regression and Logit regression analysis. Findings The study revealed that Field tax audit, desk tax audit and Back duty tax audit exert a significant positive impact on tax productivity with reported estimate of 0.530454 (p=0.0044<0.05) for FIDAUD, 0.774450 (p=0.0085< 0.05) for DEKAUD, 1.244317 (p=0.0001<0.05) for BAKAUD. Research limitations/implications Relevant tax authority (RTA), tax auditors and FIRS staff members should have full knowledge of modern audit tools like Computer Aided Audit Tools (CAATs) to enhance performance and maximum tax revenue generation. Practical implications The study concluded that tax audit enhances the level of productivity of tax administration in Lagos state and that any form of tax audit has the tendency of influencing revenue accruing to the government from taxation positively. Hence, tax audit should be carried out on a routine basis to ensure that actual revenue collected is what the RTA remits to the government. Tax audit department should be given autonomy to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Social implications Tax audit should be carried out on a routine basis to ensure that actual revenue collected is what the RTA remits to the government. Tax audit department should be given autonomy to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Originality/value This tax audit and tax productivity in Lagos state, Nigeria, fulfills an identified need to study how brand-supportive behavior can be enabled.

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