What determines the performance of SMEs? Evidence from poultry farming in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Sarpong
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Positive Relation ◽  
Panel Estimation ◽  
Discrimination Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Poultry Farmers ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Poultry Farming

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors influencing the performance of poultry farmers and examine the potential disparities in performance among gender, formalization and association membership and the source of such disparities if they are established. Design/methodology/approach This study focussed on the poultry farmers located in the Bono Region of Ghana. Data was gathered on a total number of 155 poultry farmers located in the study area for two rounds. This study augmented the traditional C-D function and estimate the determinants of performance using panel estimation technique. The Binder-Oaxaca was used to investigate disparities in performance. Findings The empirical results established a significantly positive relation between association membership, size, as well as formalization of farms and performance. However, there existed a negative relation between the level of education of managers and performance. Also, the discrimination analysis revealed the existence of discrimination stemming from association membership and formalization. Research limitations/implications Although the data gathered was adequate for the purpose of this study, further studies on poultry production in Ghana/Africa can broaden the scope to other constructs which are not captured in this study. Originality/value This study contributes to the growing literature that delves into the poultry industry of the Ghanaian economy. Conducting a further discrimination analysis aside the determining factors make the study unique.

Organizational structure and innovation: analysis from the strategic co-alignment

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 388-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Armando Marín-Idárraga ◽  
Juan Carlos Cuartas
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Empirical Validation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Structural Variables ◽  
Innovation Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of the co-alignment of structural variables on innovation, wherein Bogotá-based SMEs, belonging to the industrial, commercial and services sectors, were used as samples. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted using a causal inference methodology and through the application of a structural equation model. Findings The results indicate that organizational structure has an influence on innovation, although this is true only for some variables and only when the analysis is performed separately. When performed under strategic co-alignment conditions, however, its influence becomes greater. Originality/value Organizational structure and innovation are determining factors of organizational performance. Although the strategic co-alignment theory has provided points of reference to understanding the phenomenon of organizational performance, there are still many gaps left to be filled. Additionally, it also requires empirical validation especially in relation to Colombian SMEs – and this is where this work makes a contribution.

Creating a growth mindset

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 155-160
Author(s):  
Ian Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Cultural Space ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fixed Mindset ◽  
And Performance

Purpose This paper aims to show that everything a business does is fundamentally reliant on its culture. Culture determines how successful a strategy is and whether that strategy can be executed. If the culture in a business is out of alignment, it is imperative to change it. This paper examines how HR professionals can take ownership of this cultural space and help to create a growth mindset throughout the organisation. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on experience gained through working with several large organisations to transform their people culture and performance by embracing a growth mindset and to help their HR leadership become the early champions of change, thus ensuring the process was successfully delivered. The paper includes case studies of two organisations where successful cultural shaping delivered improved results. Findings Companies with a growth mindset will outperform those with a fixed mindset. Changing mindsets is not overly complex, but it requires flawless implementation with the HR leaders at the forefront. Originality/value As Lou Gerstner, who turned around the computing giant IBM, said “I finally realised that culture is not part of the game, it is the game”. By understanding how individual mindsets impact culture, HR professionals can own and drive their organisation’s culture-shaping efforts.

They teach, but do they apply?

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 743-766
Author(s):  
Anete Petrusch ◽  
Guilherme Luís Roehe Vaccaro ◽  
Juliane Luchese
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Effective Sample Size ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Lean Thinking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Administrative Services ◽  
The Usa ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Although discussed for more than 20 years, information about Lean adoption in higher education institutions (HEIs) is scarce, especially in developing countries. This research aims to investigate the degree of Lean thinking adoption on administrative services of Brazilian private HEIs. The results are compared to studies from USA and UK, highlighting the maturity on enablers, principles, tools and performance measures related to Lean. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey research was carried out. The instrument is adapted for HEIs from the proposal of Malmbrandt and Åhlström (2013) for Lean services. Cronbach’s alpha and factor analysis were used to validate the adapted instrument. Additional data analysis was based on non-parametric tests. Findings No evidence of broad implementation of Lean thinking in administrative processes of Brazilian private HEIs was found, with the adoption being incipient. The results are convergent to those presented by other studies in the USA and the UK. There is a gap between the existing knowledge about Lean in the academic sphere of the HEIs and its application on their academic processes. Research limitations/implications The effective sample size was of 47, despite contacts being sent to 2,090 institutions. This sample allows exploratory research, although further research is required. Results are adherent to those found in research from other countries. Originality/value The research presents descriptive and exploratory results regarding the adoption of Lean in Brazilian HEIs. No previous similar research was found in the literature.

Institutions do matter

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luen Tim Percy Lui
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
Special Administrative Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legislative Council ◽  
And Performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how institutional designs governing the executive-legislative relations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have weakened the government’s capacity to effectively govern the HKSAR. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines institutional designs and rules that govern Hong Kong’s executive-legislative relations. It uses the case of the HKSAR Legislative Council (LegCo) to illustrate the impacts of institutional designs and rules on the performance of political institutions and government performance. Findings This paper finds that institutional designs and rules do affect the performance of a political institution. This paper suggests changes to the institutional designs and rules that govern the operation of the HKSAR LegCo, and the interaction between the legislature and the executive so as to create a facilitative context for good governance. Originality/value Studies on governance in Hong Kong mostly focus on individual institution’s behavior and performance. This paper studies the problem of governance in Hong Kong from the perspective of executive-legislative relations. It adopts the institutional theory to examine the behavior, performance, and interaction between the legislative and executive branches.

Used vehicle global supply chains: perspectives on a direct-import model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangyan Shi ◽  
Tiru Arthanari ◽  
V.G. Venkatesh ◽  
Samsul Islam ◽  
Venkatesh Mani
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Global Supply Chains ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the supply chain (SC) operations of importing used vehicles into New Zealand and how such SCs affect business practices and performance. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an exploratory qualitative semi-structured interview approach to interview the different stakeholders involved in the global used vehicle SC. Findings The research identifies the overall network structure of the used import vehicle SC from Japan to New Zealand and characterises key aspects of its operations and network connections. This paper finds that Japanese buying agents have integrated increasing numbers of services to provide a trouble-free trading platform, which has created a direct-import model for used vehicle companies in New Zealand. Practical implications The findings and recommendations are useful in designing and managing the used vehicle SC for all stakeholders and effective real-time management of uncertain factors. Originality/value The paper primarily analyses SC operations by researching the cooperation and coordination between SC components and networks, based on providing the flow of used vehicles from Japan to New Zealand. It constitutes a pioneering practice-perspective research paper in this domain.

Simulation on an electro-hydrostatic actuator controlled by a high-pressure piezoelectric pump with a displacement amplifier

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bin Wang ◽  
Nanyue Xu ◽  
Pengyuan Wu ◽  
Rongfei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
High Pressure ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Characteristic Analysis ◽  
Piezoelectric Pump ◽  
Component Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Amplification Ratio ◽  
And Performance ◽  
System Characteristics

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a new hydrostatic actuator controlled by a piezoelectric piston pump and to reveal its characteristics. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a piezoelectric pump with passive poppet valves and hydraulic displacement amplifier is designed as a new control component in a hydrostatic actuator for high actuation capacity. A component-level mathematical model is established to describe the system characteristics. Simulation verification for cases under typical conditions is implemented to evaluate the delivery behavior of the pump and the carrying ability of the actuator. Findings By using the displacement amplifier and the passive distributing valves, simulation demonstrates that the pump can deliver flow rate up to 3 L/min, and the actuator controlled by this pump can push an object weighing approximately 50 kg. In addition, it is particularly important to decide a proper amplification ratio of the amplifier in the pump for better actuation performance. Originality/value The piezoelectric pump presented in this paper has its potential to light hydrostatic actuator. The model constructed in this paper is valid for characteristic analysis and performance evaluation of this pump and actuators.

Market orientation and women-owned SMEs performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Amir Rashid ◽  
Masood Nawaz Kalyar ◽  
Imran Shafique
Keyword(s):  
Market Orientation ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Survey Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis research aims to investigate the contingent effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and strategic decision responsiveness (SDR) on the link of market orientation (MO) and performance of women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (WSMEs).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 909 WSMEs of Punjab province Pakistan through survey questionnaire. Hierarchical regression is employed to perform the analysis.FindingsResults reveal that although higher-level dimensions of MO directly affect the WSMEs performance, however this linkage becomes stronger under SDR and higher-level dimensions of EO.Practical implicationsManagers should emphasis on the demonstration of EO's dimensions and SDR to utilize the full potential of MO to promote WSMEs performance.Originality/valueTo study the contingent effect of SDR and EO's dimensions in the MO–WSMEs performance nexus is the novelty of this study.

Assessment of residential institute foodservice using Kano categorization and importance–performance analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aayush Singha Roy ◽  
Dipankar Bose ◽  
U.K. Bera
Keyword(s):  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Functional Type ◽  
Multiple Methods ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Residential Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Performance

PurposeIn this article, we identify various foodservice-related attributes that are important for undergraduate students residing in hostels and avail service from specific foodservice providers. We also investigate the performance of attributes to determine areas where the foodservice providers should maintain a high performance or where improvement is required.Design/methodology/approachWe apply the Kano methodology to design the questionnaire for 24 different attributes. For each attribute, we construct three questions; namely, functional type, dysfunctional type, and performance of the hostel foodservice. We collect a total of 317 responses. We use multiple methods to determine the dominant category. Finally, combining the values of these methods, we study relative positions of the attributes in the importance–performance grid.FindingsBased on the Kano categorization, quality-related attributes are most important, followed by hygiene, comfort, availability, variety, and time, in the descending order. The gender of the respondent plays an important role in categorization of some attributes. Using the importance–performance analysis, we identify the attributes where the foodservice provider should maintain a high performance or where improvement is required. Improvements in some attributes are difficult due to foodservice provider's self-assessment of high performance or high difficulty for improvement.Originality/valueIn this study, we examine the importance of various foodservice attributes among undergraduate residential students. We combine multiple methods of Kano categorization to compute importance values of the attributes. We also investigate the reasons behind the gap between student's and foodservice manager's perception of the performance of these attributes.

Emotional comprehension of a name-brand coffee shop: focus on lovemarks theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 1046-1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
HakJun Song ◽  
So Young Bae ◽  
Heesup Han
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Coffee Shop ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structural Relationships ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to identify the structural relationships among the drivers of lovemarks (mystery, sensuality, intimacy, trust, reputation and performance), lovemarks (brand love and brand respect) and loyalty of a name-brand coffee shop. Design/methodology/approach To this end, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted, and after eliminating the outliers, a total of 401 data were analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS statistical packages. Findings The results of the current study indicate that both customers’ brand love and respect are positively related to their brand loyalty and sensuality, intimacy, trust among drivers of lovemarks directly affecting their brand loyalty, suggesting that the theory of lovemarks is useful to understand the process of generating brand loyalty. Moreover, it was revealed that reputation and performance are significant antecedents of brand respect, while mystery, sensuality and intimacy are important to explain brand love. Practical implications The present research informed that effectively dealing with two constituents of lovemarks (brand love and brand respect) are of utmost importance in building patrons’ brand loyalty. In addition, patrons’ cognitive and emotional experiences should be improved to boost the level of loyalty for a name-brand coffee shop. Originality/value This study made a contribution to the literature by conceptually and empirically evaluating lovemarks’ dimensions simultaneously in the name-brand coffee shop environment. In addition, this research was the first attempt to explicate loyalty formation for a name-brand coffee shop by using the lovemarks theory.

Organizational capability for change and performance in artisanal businesses in Mexico

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-431
Author(s):  
Patricia S. Sánchez-Medina
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Organizational Changes ◽  
Organizational Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Performance Results ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeBusinesses in Mexico, particularly small and mid-sized companies, are faced with numerous challenges: a lack of competition, difficulty in positioning and maintaining oneself in the market, irrational use of natural resources, and poverty in the environment in which they develop. In spite of these problems, many are able to succeed; however, there is limited knowledge about how these businesses could implement organizational changes that would positively impact their results.Design/methodology/approachUsing dynamic capabilities theory and survey data obtained from pottery businesses in several artisan communities in Mexico through the application of face-to-face interviews, this paper analyzes the relationship between organizational capability for change (OCC) and economic and environmental performance.FindingsThis research proves that OCC positively and significantly impacts economic and environmental performance. Results contribute to the existing literature on OCC in the context of poverty.Originality/valueThis study offers empirical research that illustrates the relationship between OCC and the environmental and economic performance of pottery businesses. Additionally it contributes to a field of knowledge in progress; that is, OCC in contexts of subsistence where poverty is a constant issue. Artisans living in this context can also develop business capabilities that contribute to the permanence of their business in the market.

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