Intensifying business success of Malaysian housing development firms through entrepreneurial learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-210
Author(s):  
Syed Putra Syed Abu Bakar ◽  
Mastura Jaafar ◽  
Masitah Muhibudin
Keyword(s):  
Business Environment ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Housing Development ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Entrepreneurial Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Private Housing ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Business Competitiveness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of entrepreneurial learning on the performance of Malaysian private housing developers. Although the extant literature on learning epistemology is quite voluminous, the focus within the housing entrepreneurship remains limited. With this lacuna, the investigation on the perceptions of learning propensity among residential developers is deemed timely. Design/methodology/approach Using snowball sampling, interviews were conducted with ten perceived successful private housing developers in Malaysia to understand the antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurial learning in steering their business toward excellence. Findings The research outcomes revealed that all the interviewed respondents concurred with the importance of entrepreneurial learning within the organization to strive for business success. The interviewed housing developers highlighted the significance of learning interest in their daily works to achieve business competitiveness and gain competitive edge against rivals. Through continuous learning, positive ideas and ethos could be instilled within the uncertain business environment. Research limitations/implications From an empirical standpoint, the sample was limited to private housing developers in one country. This limits the scope of generalization. Further studies, comparing between public and private developers in multiple contexts should be undertaken. Besides that, the research is based on a relatively small sample of ten respondents and the use of snowball sampling may have meant that the respondents would only tend to present a particular view of the industry. Practical implications The results raise interesting impacts on business success for scholars and entrepreneurs to ponder upon. The research contributes new knowledge about the effects of entrepreneurial learning toward the competitiveness of housing developers, by looking at the whole aspects of development process. A better understanding on how business knowledge could be retrieved from the perspectives of Malaysian housing developers is posited to be pragmatically employed. Originality/value Concomitantly with the above proposition, the study offers a novel insight into learning capabilities of Malaysian private housing developers that may be useful for global references. Understanding firm’s resources and capabilities is emergent that warrants further clarifications on entrepreneurial learning within housing development firms. The paper successfully illuminates comprehensive issues that have responded to this shortfall.

Virtual team experiences in an emerging economy: a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 778-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubhi Gupta ◽  
Govind Swaroop Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Work ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to document the experiences of team members in order to map the kinds of experiential outcomes that they report while working in virtual teams. The study will help to expand the understanding of various issues related to virtual work arrangements from the perceptions of information technology (IT) professionals in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted by adopting an exploratory approach with the use of qualitative methodology. The method of sampling adopted was purposive cum snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews (face-to-face and telephonic) were conducted by taking a sample of 52 respondents, who are employed by IT organisations. The interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed and analysed by using the content-coding approach followed by a thematic analysis.FindingsThe foremost contribution of the study is that it has considered the various motivators and the skills required to be a successful virtual team player. Significant challenges encountered in virtual teams have also been identified.Practical implicationsVirtual teams in the contemporary business environment are evolving with an unparalleled velocity. The findings of the paper have implications for managers, team leaders and change agents regarding how to transform and sustain in the rapidly changing business context of emerging economies.Originality/valueIn the extant literature on virtual teams very little is known about how individual members perceive this new form of teamwork. The findings of the study advance research on the topic of virtual teams by lending empirical support with respect to the interaction effects between IT and human beings. Recommendations have been provided for individual team members and organisations.

Understanding trust across cultures: an empirical investigation

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 286-314
Author(s):  
Namporn Thanetsunthorn ◽  
Rattaphon Wuthisatian
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Managerial Implications

Purpose In today’s business world, trust is an essential ingredient for business success, as it serves as a foundation for enhancing a network of positive relationships among businesses, clients, employees and stakeholders. This study aims to shed light on a deeper and more substantial understanding of trust by examining the casual association between national culture and trust. Design/methodology/approach The study empirically investigates the extent to which cultural factors promote and constrain the level of trust using a mixed sample of 46 developed and developing countries observed over the period of 1990-2014. Findings The study provides new empirical evidence that trusting behavior is explained systematically by national culture. Countries with high individualistic and high long-term oriented cultures are the most favorable environment that fosters trust among people in society. In contrast, individuals from countries with the expression of high power distance and high uncertainty avoidance cultures appear to exhibit less trust in others. Practical implications The study provides managerial implications, especially for managers and management consultants in a global context, regarding the cultural relevance of trust in the new and foreign environment, and the effective management of trust among culturally diverse workforces and business relationships. In addition, the study should serve as a supplemental learning material in the business and management disciplines to demonstrate the essential role of trust in the global business environment. Originality/value The study adds to the existing body of knowledge on trust by offering new empirical insights into how culture plays an influential role in the creation of trust. This serves as a good starting point for academic scholars and practicing professionals to further develop appropriate management strategies and execution plans for managing trust across different cultural settings.

Understand attitude-behavior gaps and benefit-behavior connections in Eco-Apparel

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Perry ◽  
Telin Chung
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Purchasing Behavior ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Environmental Attitude ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Cost ◽  
Attitude Behavior ◽  
Snowball Sampling Technique

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand Eco-Apparel consumption behavior in consumers who care about the environment. Design/methodology/approach – A snowball sampling technique was used to recruit 16 participants for in-depth interviews. Findings – Two attitude-behavior gaps existed: the gap between environmental attitude and Eco-Apparel purchasing behavior; and the gap between Eco-Apparel attitude and Eco-Apparel purchasing behavior. There were two connections: product and emotional benefits leaded to Eco-Apparel purchasing behavior; and personal cost benefits, emotional benefits, and economic considerations leaded to Eco-Apparel using and disposing behavior. These gaps and connections suggested participants have certain standards regarding Eco-Apparel consumption. First, the standard of purchasing Eco-Apparel was the same as regular apparel. Second, participants did not want to expend much effort. Third, for some participants, emotional benefits (e.g. fun, good feeling, satisfaction) were important. Research limitations/implications – The small sample size and the snowball sampling technique limit generalization of the study’s findings. Practical implications – These findings might be of interest to apparel manufacturers and retailers who want to re-enforce consumers’ positive attitudes leading to actual purchase and consumption behaviors. Originality/value – The current study for the first time examines the attitude-behavior gaps, proposes reasons behind these gaps, as well as connections between benefits and Eco-Apparel usage and disposal behaviors. In addition, the proposed framework is the first attempt to illustrate the relationships among gaps, connections, and consumption standards.

Behavioural factors influencing corrupt action in the Australian construction industry

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Brown ◽  
Martin Loosemore
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Informal Institutions ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Royal Commission ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transparency International ◽  
Global Construction ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
The Many

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore behavioural factors which are perceived to influence corrupt action in the Australian construction industry. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draw on Rabl and Kühlmann’s Model of a corrupt action and the results of face-to-face interviews with 23 people working in the Australian construction industry. Findings – The results suggest that corruption is ambiguously defined yet perceived to be very common and primarily associated with personal gain rather than breaking the law. The main forms of corruption were identified as kickbacks, fraud and bribery and this behaviour is perceived to be driven by high goal feasibility, by conducive attitudes and supportive subjective norms and by high perceived behavioural control over being caught. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a relatively small sample of 23 respondents and the use of snowball sampling may have meant that the respondents would tend to present a particular view of the industry. It is also important to point out that this research took place within a highly politicised environment coinciding the with launch of the third Royal Commission into corruption in the construction industry and is based on the respondent’s perceptions of corruption rather than incontrovertible evidence of corruption in practice. Nevertheless, given the care the authors took to avoid these biases, it does provide a useful window in the incidence and types of corruption in construction and the behavioural factors that might influence it. Practical implications – In terms of tackling corruption, it is recommended that greater attention be given to exploring the culture of the industry which appears to normalise corrupt behaviour and to the hidden informal “institutions” which appear to be undermining the many formal policies and procedures which have been put in place to tackle corruption in the construction industry. Social implications – The global construction industry has been identified by Transparency International as the most bribery-prone of 19 industries it rated. The cost is huge with scarce resources being diverted from much needed urban regeneration, community concerns about development being ignored, individual human rights being abused, productivity and efficiency being compromised and important environments, cultures and heritage being destroyed. In Australia, concerns about corruption in the construction industry have led to an unprecedented three Royal Commissions which have argued that there is a culture which encourages, accepts and rewards this behaviour. Originality/value – By using Rabl and Kühlmann’s Theory of a corrupt action this paper throws new light on how corruption is defined by members of the construction industry. The findings suggest that while formal technical and procedural solutions to corruption are important in addressing corruption they are likely to be undermined by strong cultures and informal institutions which dictate the “rules of the game” on the ground. There is a clear need to better understand how these informal institutions work to constrain formal rules devised to bring about reform.

scholarly journals Evaluating the motives of child labourers in the informal economy

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 409-424
Author(s):  
Aamar Ilyas ◽  
Muhammad Shehryar Shahid ◽  
Ramraini Ali Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Informal Economy ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Child Labour ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
The Body ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Entrepreneurial Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Informal Workers

PurposeConventionally, the marginalised population was considered to engage in child labour due to poverty, education or lack of other options, but indeed, a few children work voluntarily. However, a growing number of scholars, in recent years, have drawn their attention to the valuable question, “why children are engaged in child labour in the informal economy”. Even though a few studies have explored the motives of informal workers, to our knowledge not a single paper has explored the motives of child labourers working in the informal economy. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap by evaluating the motives of child labourers, through three competing theorisations of the informal economy.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, face-to-face structured interviews of 45 child labourers were conducted, who worked in different automobile workshops in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. Respondents were selected using the snowball sampling technique as this strategy is suitable for researching sensitive issues and is feasible for small sample sizes.FindingsThe main finding is that no single explanation is universally applicable to all child labourers. Some (27 per cent) justify their participation in the informal sector as driven by necessity (structuralist perspective), majority (40 per cent) explain their participation in the informal economy as a rational economic choice (neo-liberal perspective) and finally, more than a quarter of respondents (31 per cent) engaged in child labour due to their own free will or voluntarily to work for their family (post-structuralist perspective). This study also revealed that entrepreneurial spawning is a key determinant of child labour as the majority of children, in our study, working in automobile workshops intended to start their own workshop business in the future.Research limitations/implicationsThis article shows that children early engaged in work with entrepreneurial intention/spawning. Entrepreneurial education is very important in a child’s life. Entrepreneurial education will be a ticket to fulfill their dreams and learn new things with entrepreneurial attitude.Practical implicationsGovernment should develop the vocational training institutes for children who left the schools.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of literature by providing a better understanding of why children work in informal employment, an occupation generally perceived as constituting exploitative working conditions. This study also contributes to the wider literature of entrepreneurship by exploring “entrepreneurial spawning” as one of the major reasons underlying the participation of children in informal work.

Conceptualising social media support for tacit knowledge sharing: physicians’ perspectives and experiences

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 344-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sirous Panahi ◽  
Jason Watson ◽  
Helen Partridge
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tacit Knowledge Sharing

Purpose This paper aims to explore the potential contributions of social media in supporting tacit knowledge sharing, according to the physicians’ perspectives and experiences. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative survey design, 24 physicians were interviewed. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to select the participants. Thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Findings The study revealed five major themes and over 20 sub-themes as potential contributions of social media to tacit knowledge flow among physicians. The themes included socialising, practising, networking, storytelling and encountering. In addition, with the help of the literature and the supporting data, the study proposed a conceptual model that explains the potential contribution of social media to tacit knowledge sharing. Research limitations/implications The study had both theoretical (the difficulty of distinguishing tacit and explicit knowledge in practice) and practical limitations (small sample size). The study findings have implications for the healthcare industry whose clinical teams are not always physically co-located but must exchange their critical experiential and tacit knowledge. Originality/value The study has opened up a new discussion of this area by demonstrating and conceptualising how social media tools may facilitate tacit knowledge sharing.

Achieving business success through land banking and market analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 562-574
Author(s):  
Syed Putra Syed Abu Bakar ◽  
Mastura Jaafar
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Market Analysis ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Land Banking ◽  
Banking Strategy ◽  
Corroborative Evidence ◽  
Business Competitiveness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of land banking strategy and market analysis towards the performance of Malaysian housing developers. Design/methodology/approach Through in-depth interviews, participants shared their opinions on success factors of housing development firms with a focus on land banking and market study. Content analysis was performed on the data, identifying the connection between both strategies and their superior performance. Findings The study presents interesting findings in that it lends support to the existing literature as such land banking and market analysis do affect the business competitiveness of housing developers. Albeit subjective in nature, the comments received from respondents are revelatory and have implications for the level of performance perceived by the organisations, as well as the experience of housing entrepreneurs in assembling the land bank and gauging the housing market. Practical implications Though not a substitute for quantitative problem solving, this piece of work serves as a corroborative evidence to improve the satisfaction of homebuyers, industry players and policymakers. The paper ends by recommending that the study be repeated in Malaysia, this time with the involvement of other stakeholders, to enrich the findings. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first research performed in the Malaysian context in which the strategies of private housing developers comprising land banking and market analysis were explored in relation to business success. Hence, the present study not only contributes to the existing property literature, but also makes an important contribution to the business performance and firm competitiveness in the lens of Malaysian entrepreneurs.

Delineating entrepreneurial orientation efficacy on retailer’s business performance

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Palaniappan Sellappan ◽  
Kavitha Shanmugam
Keyword(s):  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
World Order ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
The Impact

Purpose In today’s technology-led volatile business environment all established businesses are trembling and retailing is no exception. Exploration of the entrepreneurial side of retailers will expose the essential attitudes to survive in the new world order. The present study is an endeavor towards this end. Design/methodology/approach In this descriptive research, a pre-tested entrepreneurial orientation questionnaire constructed by De Nobrega (2012) was adopted, and it was fine-tuned to suit for the retail environment. Initially, an exploratory study was organized, and it was followed by confirmatory factor analysis. Data collected were analyzed with SPSS 23.0, and the conceptual model was validated in AMOS 23.0. Findings The study evinces that the retailer’s entrepreneurial orientation is induced by five factors, namely, autonomy, risk-taking, innovation, competitive aggressiveness and pro-activeness. The study exposes the five dimensions and their ascendancy on business performance. Research limitations/implications The study is operationalized in a small sample, confined to two types of trade, limited to small and medium retailers in Chennai and all the constructs are measured with the help of perceptual self-reporting scales. Practical implications The study highlights that the art of spearheading retail business performance lies in attitude orientation. This work will propel retailers and trade bodies to nurture the entrepreneurial orientation. Social implications The study emphasizes that boosting entrepreneurial mindset of retailers will enable them to achieve business progress and protects the grass root sector of the society. Originality/value This work is the very first study to identify and evaluate the impact of five-dimensional entrepreneurial orientation construct on small and medium retailer’s business performance. The present study is a pioneering empirical contribution to the Indian context.

Incorporating coopetition into the entrepreneurial marketing literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Crick
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Marketing Research ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Organisational Performance ◽  
Competitive Intensity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Literature ◽  
Entrepreneurial Marketing ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Rival Firms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the entrepreneurial marketing literature to account for coopetition (the interplay between cooperation and competition). This paper is also designed to highlight the research gaps surrounding coopetition, so that academics, working at the marketing/entrepreneurship interface, can undertake more investigations linked with this topic. Design/methodology/approach The entrepreneurial marketing literature was reviewed to develop a conceptual framework, guided by three research propositions, examining the antecedents and consequences of coopetition, as well as the boundaries of the coopetition–organisational performance relationship. Findings Coopetition activities are driven by an organisation-wide coopetition-oriented mindset – the degree to which managers and employees believe in the importance of cooperating with competitors. Also, coopetition can help entrepreneurs access new resources and capabilities from their competitors; however, “too much” coopetition can lead to tensions between such rival firms. Additionally, it is proposed that the relationship between coopetition activities and organisational performance is moderated by competitive intensity (a facet of the competitive business environment). That is, with higher levels of competitive intensity, entrepreneurs are less likely to improve their performance from coopetition activities. That is, the competitive business environment can affect the delicate balance between the forces of cooperativeness and competitiveness. Originality/value Entrepreneurial marketing research has concentrated on individualistic perspectives concerning how entrepreneurs operate their businesses. In this viewpoint, the competitive assumptions of the marketing/entrepreneurship interface are extended to account for coopetition. This paper also outlines the areas within the coopetition literature that entrepreneurial marketing scholars should appreciate. Specifically, entrepreneurial marketing scholars are recommended to examine the antecedents and consequences of coopetition, coupled with the moderating role of competitive intensity (a facet of the competitive business environment) in the coopetition–organisational performance relationship. This paper ends with a recommended methodology for academics to test the conceptual framework in future empirical research.

Agile learning strategies to compete in an uncertain business environment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Armanious ◽  
Jared D. Padgett
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Changing Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Agile Learning

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore what agile learning strategies businesses need to develop agile core competencies to respond to the uncertainty of the rapidly changing business environment and sustain their competitive advantage. Technology advances and unexpected crises have created an ever-changing environment in which traditional static corporate training methods have failed to continuously provide employees with the ability to listen to and interpret the rapid changes and respond accordingly. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative exploratory multi-case study was useful to explore what agile learning strategies businesses need to develop agile core competencies to sustain their competitive advantage. Snowball sampling enabled the discovery of 15 participants who represented 10 different industries. Participants represented both management and non-management roles. Data were collected from multiple sources such as interviews, observations, researcher notes and document reviews. A thematic analysis model was used to analyze the collected data. Findings The findings substantiated that organizations are operating in a fast-changing environment where agile learning strategies are vital to surviving. The data also showed that agile learning strategies must include individual learning paths to continuously develop employees’ agile skills to build their organizations’ agile core competencies. Originality/value This study underlined the importance of adopting agile learning strategies to help employees listen and accurately interpret their organizations’ external environments to enable quick responses to changes. Without agile learning strategies, organizational agile core competencies and competitive advantage will progressively decline.

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