Marketing management and optimism of Afghan female entrepreneurs

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 436-463
Author(s):  
Manizha Wafeq ◽  
Omar Al Serhan ◽  
Kimberley Catherine Gleason ◽  
S.W.S.B. Dasanayaka ◽  
Roudaina Houjeir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Function ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose For the present generation of entrepreneurs, the operating environment in Afghanistan has been among the most tenuous in the world. Numerous regime changes, civil unrest and war have created tremendous uncertainty, making civilian business planning difficult. These challenges incrementally impact female entrepreneurs. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between one aspect of entrepreneurial psychological capital – optimism regarding enterprise success of Afghan female entrepreneurs – and aspects of the marketing function. Design/methodology/approach Primary data collection was used for this study. A total of 248 women business owners were surveyed via telephone from five provinces of Afghanistan. Over half (133) of respondents were from the Afghan capital, Kabul. A total of 49 respondents were obtained from Herat, 44 from Mazar, 12 from Nangarhar and ten were obtained from Kandahar. Findings We find that a focus on marketing positively and significantly impacts reported optimism by female Afghan entrepreneurs, as do marketing planning efforts. However, self-reliance and orientation toward the outside world do not impact the perceived success of the entrepreneurial venture. Research limitations/implications Like other empirical studies, this research has its own limitation. First, we would have liked a larger sample size, but date collection in a war-torn country and from female business women in a male-dominated society is proofed very challenging task. Also, some cities had less representation due to security concerns especially Kandahar province. Practical implications Our results have significant relevance for economic development policymakers, non-governmental organizations and entrepreneurs throughout the developing world. What drives the psychological capital of these entrepreneurs under these extreme conditions should be of interest not only from the perspective of the entrepreneurship literature, but also for policymakers who are often uninformed regarding on the ground conditions under which individuals in the environment function. Social implications It is our hope that our results inform those in a position of power so that they support the development of human capital of Afghan women who are or who seek to be entrepreneurs. We also hope to raise questions for other researchers related to the importance of human capital investment and the business functions for entrepreneurs in other less developed, conflict-prone environments with low mean educational levels. Originality/value This paper is the first to use proprietary, hand collected survey data from Afghani female entrepreneurs to collect, analyze and draw conclusions and recommendations from a sample of 248 women-owned businesses regarding the relationship between the marketing function and one aspect of psychological capital – perceived optimism – in five Afghan cities.

scholarly journals The importance of good aquaculture practices in improving fish farmer’s income

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 1090-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roslina Kamaruddin ◽  
Amir Hussin Baharuddin
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Pond Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Brackish Water Fish ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Significant Factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the level of good aquaculture practice (GAqP) among aquaculture farmers; and to analyse the factors influence the level of practice and the importance of GAqP in increasing farmer’s income. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data were obtained through a survey conducted on 216 aquaculture pond fish farmers. The descriptive study was employed to identify the profile of respondents and their level of GAqP practices. The structural equation modelling (SEM) method was applied to analyse the factors influence the level of GAqP practice, and the influence of GAqP on the total income of aquaculture farmers. Findings – The results showed that the pond management by brackish water fish farmers is better than freshwater fish farmer, indicated by 77 per cent of them adopt GAqP at a level of 60 per cent and above, as compared to only 20 per cent by freshwater farmers. Physical and human assets were revealed to be most significant factors influence the practice of GAqP. The results also proved that GAqP was among the significant factor contributes to increasing in farmers’ household income; in addition to their other livelihood assets. Originality/value – To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the very first study that employs SEM method to analyse the relationship between GAqP with livelihood asset and farmer’s income simultaneously in Malaysia. Furthermore, since the empirical studies related to GAqP is very few, the study will contribute to development of knowledge in the field of aquaculture.

Women on the move: the self-initiated expatriate in China

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda Muir ◽  
Michelle Wallace ◽  
Don McMurray
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Women's Narratives ◽  
Career Opportunities ◽  
Compensation Packages ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the under-researched phenomenon of women, who of their own volition, are choosing to live and work in another country, as self-initiated expatriates (SIEs). Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from a career constructivist position, the qualitative framework relied on primary data gathering through semi-structured interviews with 25 western professional SIE women living and working in Beijing. Findings – The findings suggest that the SIE women's motivations for mobility and their career types and patterns are complex and varied. As an initial and tentative step towards developing a framework of female SIEs’ careers the authors introduce a typology of four career patterns. Research limitations/implications – As an exploratory piece of research there is limited generalisability since the findings are presented from the perspective of a particular cohort of women's narratives. Practical implications – There is a need to recognise the potential value of SIEs to MNCs particularly in light of the well-documented concerns regarding human capital. Companies risk losing this potentially valuable employee if the career opportunities, as well as compensation packages, benefits and support on offer, do not match the plans and expectations of the individuals concerned. Originality/value – The study provides new insights into the nature and dynamics of the different career modes and configurations of SIE women. This is an important and appropriate research agenda for several reasons. First, there remains a paucity of research on female SIEs. Second, little is known about their career-related behaviours and expectations and the relationship between mobility and career. Thus, it is hoped that a study such as this will add to the emerging body of knowledge about an under researched yet growing number of the some of the most mobile human capital in the world.

Positivity at the workplace

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 494-523
Author(s):  
Sehrish Shahid ◽  
Michael K. Muchiri
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Positive Organisational Behaviour ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Recognising the value of positive organisational behaviour at the workplace, this paper aims to provide a major review of the current state of research on positivity, and subsequently proposes new pathways for more theory building relating to important constructs conceptually related to positivity. Following the integration of emerging but disparate research on workplace positivity and related concepts, the paper develops a conceptual framework depicting the relationships amongst authentic leader behaviours, organisational virtuousness, psychological capital, thriving and job performance. Design/methodology/approach The paper offers a systematic critical review of published studies representing the literature addressing authentic leadership, organisational virtuousness, thriving, psychological capital and job performance. The paper relied on computerised keyword searches in the main business source databases of Emerald, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, EBSCOhost and SpringerLink. Findings This paper leads to a conceptual framework proposing direct relationships between authentic leadership, psychological capital, organisational virtuousness and job performance. Further, authentic leadership is proposed to potentially nurture organisational virtuousness, psychological capital, employee thriving and job performance, given the theoretical linkages between these conceptually relevant variables related to positivity. Additionally, organisational virtuousness and psychological capital are projected to mediate the relationship between authentic leadership and employee thriving. Finally, organisational virtuousness, psychological capital and employee thriving are designated as mediators of the relationship between authentic leadership and job performance. Research limitations/implications This paper proposes a conceptual framework focusing on one form of positive leader behaviour and also assumes specific causal pathways using a positivistic research approach to understanding the leadership–performance relationship. The paper did not examine all possible antecedents of positivity at the workplace. Practical implications The proposed conceptual framework should form the basis of many organisational interventions, especially in relation to boosting authentic leadership, organisational virtuousness, psychological capital, employee thriving and job performance. By suggesting the association between authentic leadership, psychological capital and organisational virtuousness, this paper highlights potential benefits from effective leaders’ commitment to enhancing psychological capital and organisational virtuousness and engendering thriving behaviour and job performance. Originality/value This novel paper has the potential to stimulate the empirical studies on workplace positivity through the association of authentic leadership, psychological capital, organisational virtuousness and thriving.

scholarly journals How the validation of prior learning can be used to assess entrepreneurial human capital investments and outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Fahrenbach
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Capital Investments ◽  
Prior Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Capital Investments ◽  
Entrepreneurial Human Capital

Purpose This paper aims to depart from the premise that human capital investments and human capital outcomes are often tacit – an aspect, which is often neglected in the current literature on entrepreneurial human capital. The idea of this conceptual paper is to shed light on the social process of how human capital investments and human capital outcomes can be valued and made visible through the validation of prior learning. Thus, this study conceptualises the validation of prior learning as a post hoc, the reflective process through which an aspiring entrepreneur is guided. Design/methodology/approach This paper is conceptual and introduces a process model. Findings Findings indicate that the process of the validation of prior learning is well-suitable to inform aspiring entrepreneurs of their investments into human capital and their human capital outcomes. The process results in a (partial) certified qualification that provides entrepreneurial legitimacy. Research limitations/implications Thus far, the model is conceptual and should be validated via interviews and further empirical studies in the field. Practical implications Literature in the field of entrepreneurial human capital suggests that human capital outcomes are more important for success than inputs. Furthermore, context-specific knowledge, skills and abilities are more important than generalised outcomes. These findings have implications for the design of validation procedures. Originality/value Human capital has only been recently conceptualised as consisting of human capital investments and outcomes of human capital investment. However, thus far the literature falls short in acknowledging the tacit nature of human capital investments and human capital outcomes. This paper contributes a structured process of how human capital investments and human capital outcomes are linked and assessed. In so doing, this study extends a recent model of human capital investments and outputs (Marvel et al., 2016, p. 616).

scholarly journals The Influence of R&D Intensity on Financial Performance: The Mediating Role of Human Capital in the Semiconductor Industry in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 5128
Author(s):  
Tsung-Chun Chen ◽  
Yenchun Jim Wu
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Intangible Assets ◽  
Semiconductor Industry ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
High Tech ◽  
The Relationship

Knowledge transfer is a strategy used by high-tech companies to acquire new knowledge and skills. Knowledge can be internally generated or externally sourced. The access to external knowledge is a quick fix, but the risks associated with reliance on external sources are often overlooked. However, not acquiring such knowledge is even riskier. There have been a slew of litigations in the semiconductor industry in recent years. The acquisition and assurance of intangible assets is an important issue. This paper posits that internal R&D should take into consideration the knowledge intensity and capital investment in the industry. This study focuses on the relationship between intangible assets and financial performance. It sourced the 2004 to 2016 financial data of semiconductor companies in Taiwan for panel data modeling and examined case studies for empirical validation. This study found that the higher the R&D intensity (RDI) in the value-added component of human capital, the better the financial performance of the company. RDI has a positive influence on the accumulation of human capital and financial performance metrics, and such influence is deferred. Meanwhile, human capital is a mediating factor in the relationship between RDI and financial performance. RDI is integral to the semiconductor industry’s pursuit of business sustainability.

scholarly journals Creating relationship continuity across projects in the construction industry

IMP Journal ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malena Ingemansson Havenvid ◽  
Elsebeth Holmen ◽  
Åse Linné ◽  
Ann-Charlott Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Mutual Orientation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Relationship Continuity ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Strategy Types ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship continuity across projects among actors in the construction industry, and to discuss why and how such continuity takes place. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on the results from four in-depth case studies illustrating different strategies for pursuing relationship continuity. The results are analysed and discussed in light of the oft-mentioned strategies suggested by Mintzberg (1987): emergent, deliberate and deliberately emergent strategies. Furthermore, the ARA-model is used to discuss why the relationship continuity strategies are pursued, and which factors might enable and constrain the relationship continuity. Findings The main findings are twofold. First, the authors found that the strategy applied for pursuing relationship continuity may, in one-time period, contain one type of strategy or a mix of strategy types. Second, the type of strategy may evolve over time, from one type of strategy being more pronounced in one period, to other strategies being more pronounced in later periods. The strategies applied by construction firms and their counterparts can thus contain elements of emergent, deliberate and deliberately emergent strategies, in varying degrees over time. It is also shown that the strategies of the involved actors co-evolve as a result of interaction. Also, the main reasons for pursuing continuity appear to lie in the re-use and development of important resources and activities across projects to create efficiency and the possibility to develop mutual orientation, commitment and trust over time, and thus reduce uncertainty. Research limitations/implications Further empirical studies are needed to support the findings. For managers, the main implication is that relationship continuity can arise as part of an emerging interaction pattern between firms or as part of a planned strategy, but that elements of both might be needed to sustain it. Originality/value The authors combine Mintzberg’s strategy concepts with the ARA-model to bring new light to the widely debated issue of discontinuity and fragmentation in the construction industry.

When and how does perceived overqualification lead to turnover intention? A moderated mediation model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Riya Vinayak ◽  
Jyotsna Bhatnagar ◽  
Madhushree Nanda Agarwal
Keyword(s):  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Moderated Mediation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Supervisor Support ◽  
Perceived Overqualification ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe study is aimed at developing and testing a theoretical model where psychological capital acts as the intervening mechanism explicating the relationship between perceived overqualification (POQ) and turnover intention. It also explores how perceived supervisor support (PSS) influences the mediating role of psychological capital in the perceived overqualification and turnover intention association.Design/methodology/approachThe authors test the model through a sample data of 314 workers employed in the Indian IT service sector. IBM SPSS and SPSS AMOS software were utilized for conducting analysis and testing the model involving first-stage moderated mediation.FindingsThe study confirms that perceptions of overqualification have a positive relationship with turnover intentions. Further, it finds that the positive association between POQ and turnover intention will be mediated by psychological capital. The results reflected that perceived supervisor support shall weaken the relationship between perceptions of overqualification and psychological capital.Originality/valueThe research is amongst the limited researches which look at the influence of psychological capital and perceived supervisor support with regards to POQ. It attempts to lay down the underlying psychological mechanism of POQ and highlight the role played by perceived supervisor support.

Connecting the poor: the internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion in Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 568-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaniyi Evans
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
The Internet ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Macroeconomic Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
Causality Tests ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The increased adoption of internet-enabled phones in Africa has caused much speculation and optimism concerning its effects on financial inclusion. Policymakers, the media and various studies have all flaunted the potentials of internet and mobile phones for financial inclusion. An important question therefore is “Can the internet and mobile phones spur the inclusion of the financially excluded poor? This study therefore aims to examine the relationship and causality between internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion in Africa for the 2000-2016 period. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis followed these three steps: examination of the stationarity of the variables; testing for the cointegration; and evaluation of the effects of the internet and mobile phones on financial inclusion in Africa for the 2000-2016 period using three outcomes of panel FMOLS approach and Granger causality tests. Findings The empirical evidence shows that internet and mobile phones have significant positive relationship with financial inclusion, meaning that rising levels of internet and mobile phones are associated with increased financial inclusion. There is also uni-directional causality from internet and mobile phones to financial inclusion, implying that internet and mobile phones cause financial inclusion. The study also shows that macroeconomic factors such as capital formation, primary enrollment, bank credit, broad money, population growth, remittances, agriculture and interest rate, as well as institutional factors such as regulatory quality are important underlying factors for financial inclusion in Africa. Originality/value In the literature, there is a dearth of research on the internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion, especially in Africa. Most of the related studies are conceptual and micro-based, with little empirical attention to the relationship and causality between internet, mobile phones and financial inclusion. In fact, this dearth of rigorous empirical studies has been attributed as the main cause of inadequate policy guidance in enhancing information communication technologies (Roycroft and Anantho, 2003), despite saturation levels in developed economies. This study fills the gap by evaluating the effects of the Internet and mobile phones on financial inclusion for 44 African countries for the 2000-2016 period.

HC and financial performance with two HRM strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nopadol Rompho
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Lead Time ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strategy Choice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between levels of human capital and financial performance of firms that use two distinct human resource management (HRM) strategies. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 128 HRM managers was conducted to assess differences in human capital between firms using different HRM strategies. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between firms’ human capital and financial performance. Findings The results show that companies employing a make-organic strategy have a higher level of human capital than companies employing a buy-bureaucratic strategy. There was no relationship between the level of human capital and long term financial performance of firms with both make-organic and buy-bureaucratic strategies. Research limitations/implications This research contributes toward understanding the effect of HRM strategy and facilitates an optimal strategy choice depending on the organization. However, this study did not consider the lead time between changes in human capital and the effect on financial performance. Practical implications The research encourages firm managers to understand the value of human capital, preparing them for changes in the future. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate the relationship between human capital and financial performance considering different HRM strategies.

Psychological capital and career commitment: the mediating effect of subjective well-being

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 458-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hansika Singhal ◽  
Renu Rastogi
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Career Commitment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discover the role of psychological capital (PsyCap) as a predictor of subjective well-being (SWB) and career commitment (CC). Further, it aims to analyze the mediating role of SWB in the relationship between PsyCap and CC in the Indian manufacturing sector. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey-based research design employing data from 300 employees in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India was used in the present research. Findings The results demonstrated that PsyCap acted as a predictor for SWB and CC. Additionally, SWB partially mediated the relationship between PsyCap and CC. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the present research would have to do with the purposive sample set chosen during the data collection. The sample consisted of middle- and upper-middle-class Indian employees working in the NCR having knowledge of English language and computer skills. Perhaps, future research works should take into account a wider sample in terms of the regions across India and not only the NCR. Although the findings showed that SWB reduced the relationship between PsyCap and CC, still that relationship was significant statistically. Further research studies might also explore various moderators while simultaneously studying SWB. In the research, SWB acted as a significant mediator of the relation between PsyCap and CC, yet at the same time, it may be the scenario that employees who are committed toward their career would be more inclined to espouse a greater sense of SWB (i.e. mediator is caused by the outcome). Hence, the authors duly recognize the need to test this substitute model. Since, SWB places chief emphasis on respondent’s own experiences and perspectives; it does not denote a consummate understanding of their mental health as people may have psychological disorders even if they experience happiness. Hence, the use of other measures in addition to SWB in comprehending a person’s psychological health is desirable (Diener et al., 1997). Practical implications This study suggests that in order for organizations to have a workforce committed to their career and hence, their profession, the supervisors will need to train the employees having a higher incidence of PsyCap to increase their SWB. Consequently, the supervisors will, in turn, need to recruit employees already having the four dimensions of PsyCap, i.e. hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism at the workplace in order for them to have a higher life satisfaction, positive affect, reduced negative affect (three components of SWB) and increased CC. Social implications Employees who develop within themselves a state of being hopeful, efficacious, resilient and optimistic will also be strongly oriented toward having greater life satisfaction, positive affect and lower levels of negative affect. This, in part, would help them achieve the required commitment toward their career and hence, help them in sticking with their jobs. Originality/value The present study advances the existing work on positive organizational behavior by exhibiting the noteworthy role of PsyCap in predicting SWB and CC. Further, it helps in demonstrating the inevitable role of SWB in partially mediating the relationship between PsyCap and CC.

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