Exploring the mediating role of intellectual capital and competitive advantage on the relation between CSR and financial performance in SMEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priyanka Jain ◽  
Vishal Vyas ◽  
Ankur Roy

Purpose The relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance (FP) is a much-researched topic in academic arena. Recent studies disclosed that intellectual capital (IC) significantly impacts the success and survival of organizations. Moreover, theoretical assertions confirm that competitive advantage (CA) mediates the association between IC and FP. This has opened up new dimensions for the study. Therefore, this study aims to develop a theoretical model, first, to specify these relations and, second, to explore the mediating role of IC and CA on the relation between CSR and FP in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses are tested through a survey conducted on 384 SMEs in Rajasthan state. A structured questionnaire having 38 variables was used, and collected data are subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to validate the measurement model and to test the mediating effect. Findings The findings indicate a weak positive relation between CSR and FP. The empirical data provide supportive evidence that IC has a profound impact on CSR and FP relationship. Specifically, it was noticed that the mediating role of CA on this relationship was not as reflective as described in the literature. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this study is that it is limited to one country, more specific to one geographical area of a country; therefore, findings of the study cannot be generalized in terms of its implications to other regions and countries. Originality/value Very few empirical studies have analyzed the mediating role of IC and CA on the relationship between CSR and FP. This study is expected to enable scholars and practitioners to have a more definite and direct understanding of the implication of IC and CA in association between CSR and FP.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahnoor Zahid ◽  
Hina Naeem ◽  
Iqra Aftab ◽  
Sajawal Ali Mughal

Purpose The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the effect of corporate social responsibility activities (CSRA) of the firm on its financial performance (FP) and analyze the mediating role of innovation and competitive advantage (CA) in the relationship between CSRA and FP in the manufacturing sector of an emerging country, i.e. Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach Data has been collected through an electronic structured questionnaire from 300 middle-level and top-level managers by surveying different manufacturing firms of Gujranwala, Pakistan. The study’s hypotheses have been checked by analyzing the reliability and validity of data and applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling through statistical package for the social sciences and analysis of moment structures. Findings Outcomes of this study supported the hypothesized model. It has been found that the CSRA plays a significant positive role in determining the FP of the firm. Furthermore, the CA and innovation have been proved as significant mediators between CSRA and FP. Originality/value The first time examining the intermediation of innovation and CA in the relationship between CSRA and FP is the primary input of this study to the literature. Practically, this study’s findings will help strategy makers of manufacturing firms in emerging countries develop better strategies for implementing CSRA, enhancing innovation, seeking CA and improving FP.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Asni ◽  
Dian Agustia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of financial performance (FP) in modelling the relationship between green innovation (GI) and firm value (FV), using ASEAN countries as sample with panel analysis.Design/methodology/approachA panel data was collected from 374 publicly traded companies in six ASEAN countries, and was analysed using feasible general least squares (FGLS) to control heteroscedasticity and serial correlation.FindingsThe findings suggest that financial performance, namely return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), has a significant value in mediating the relationship between GI and FV. This illustrates that investors in the ASEAN region's capital market are more interested in the economic motivation for companies implementing GI. Other findings also provide evidence that ROA and ROE have positive and significant effects on FV. This indicates that the profitability resulting from a firm's ability to continuously innovate has a positive impact on the creation of value by manufacturing companies in the ASEAN region.Research limitations/implicationsThe number of observations is still relatively limited, from manufacturing companies listed on stock exchanges in the ASEAN countries. The total number of samples used in this study was 374 companies with 22.30% of the total population.Originality/valueThis study combines the different types of secondary data to provide panel evidence on the mediating effect of financial performance using ROA and ROE in the relationship between green innovation and firm value, using ASEAN countries as the sample.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Saad Ahmed ◽  
Jia Guozhu ◽  
Shujaat Mubarik ◽  
Mumtaz Khan ◽  
Essa Khan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the mediating role of potential and realized absorptive capacity in intellectual capital (IC) and business performance. It also investigates the direct impact of the components of IC on business performance. Design/methodology/approach Partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the effect of IC dimensions on performance and to analyze the mediating role of absorptive capacity in this relationship. Data were collected from 192 managers using a survey questionnaire with Likert scale items. Findings The findings of the study show that potential absorptive capacity does not intervene in the relationship between the components of IC and those of business performance. However, realized absorptive capacity, measured as the transformation and exploitation of knowledge, played a positive mediating role in the relationship between the dimensions of IC and those of business performance. Social capital was also noted as a weak predictor of business performance, while human capital and organizational capital had a profound positive influence. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on IC by examining the role of realized and potential absorptive capacity in the relationship between IC components and firm performance. This research also helps practitioners recognize the importance of transformation and the exploitation of knowledge for business performance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 1601-1624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisha Paul Kulangara ◽  
Sherry Avery Jackson ◽  
Edmund Prater

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interrelationship between trust, socialization, and information sharing on the buying firm’s innovation capability in the context of the buyer-supplier relationship (BSR). A nomological model is developed that examines the mediating role of relational capital (supplier trust) on the relationship between structural capital (socialization and information sharing) and innovation capability. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted on 357 US executives. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Findings Information sharing and formal socialization activities increased the buying firm’s trust in its key supplier. However, formal socialization activities within the context of the business environment did not have a significant direct impact on buyer’s innovative capabilities; but when mediated by trust, it positively impacted innovation capabilities. Informal socialization within the context of the social environment directly impacted innovation capabilities but trust did not mediate the relationship. Information sharing impacted trust and innovation significantly and trust mediated the impact of information sharing on innovation capabilities. Originality/value This study defines the formal and informal aspects of socialization and investigates its impact on trust and buyer innovation capabilities. This is one of the few studies that highlights the mediating role of trust between firms to facilitate innovation capability.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhat Afshan ◽  
Purnendu Mandal ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Jaideep Motwani

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of immediate performance outcomes on the relationship between dimensions of supply chain integration (SCI) and financial performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study tests the proposed model linking dimensions of SCI, immediate performance outcomes and financial performance using structural equation modeling on a sample of Indian manufacturing companies.FindingsThe findings suggest that the relationship between dimensions of SCI and firm performance is fully mediated through the immediate performance outcomes.Originality/valueThis study deals with the potential benefits of SCI, especially in developing countries like India, where a little research has been done in this area. Also, this study provides support to practitioners that SCI is an effective way of improving both supply chain performance and financial performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-39
Author(s):  
Abdul Mannan ◽  
Muhammad Kashif

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the integrative effects of abusive supervision (AS), perceived injustice (PI) and ethical conflict (EC) on occupational turnover intentions (OTI) among frontline employees (FLEs). Furthermore, the mediating role of quiescent silence (QS) is examined. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected survey-based data from 320 FLEs working in different service sector organizations of Pakistan. The snow-ball sampling technique is employed to approach respondents of this study. The collected data are analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) technique using SmartPLS 3.0. Findings The AS, PI and EC are found to collectively predict OTI among FLEs with a mediating effect of QS. The EC is the strongest predictor of OTI. Practical implications The results imply that service managers must ensure that employees are treated fairly. Furthermore, relevant trainings are offered to FLEs in order to maintain the required ethical standards at work to reduce EC perceptions. Originality/value The study is pioneer in presenting the relationship between QS and occupational turnover among FLEs. Furthermore, the study advocates the mediating role of employee quiescent silence to enrich the relationship between socio-psychological factors (i.e. AS, EC and PI) and OTI.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Praveen Kumar Sharma ◽  
Rajeev Kumra

PurposeEmployee well-being is increasingly relevant and crucial for organizational success. As work engagement and employee well-being affect employee performance, this area is the focus of increasing attention both from scholars and industry professionals. The main objective of the present research study is to investigate the mediating role of work engagement on the relationship between mindfulness at work, organizational justice and employee well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted on information technology (IT) employees in India, and 331 complete responses were collected for the data analysis. The cross-sectional data were collected through purposive sampling. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to evaluate the proposed research hypotheses.FindingsThe findings support the convergent and discriminant validities of mindfulness, organizational justice, work engagement and employee well-being. The results indicate that mindfulness and organizational justice have an indirect relationship with employee well-being. In addition, the study demonstrates that work engagement significantly mediates the relationship between mindfulness and employee well-being as well as between organizational justice and employee well-being.Practical implicationsThe findings will help organizations and human resources (HR) departments to understand the importance of work engagement and employee well-being in the workplace.Originality/valueThe mediating effect of work engagement between the workplace mindfulness–organizational justice relationship on employee well-being is addressed by drawing on conservation of resources (COR) and job demand–resource (JD–R) theories. Prior research has exclusively studied the relationship of employee well-being with either mindfulness or organizational justice. This research provides empirical insights regarding the fact that both mindfulness and organizational justice simultaneously have a relationship with employee well-being.


Author(s):  
Ali Safari ◽  
Arash Adelpanah ◽  
Razieh Soleimani ◽  
Parisa Heidari Aqagoli ◽  
Rosa Eidizadeh ◽  
...  

Purpose This study aims at investigating the effect of psychological empowerment on job burnout and competitive advantage with the mediating role of organizational commitment and creativity. Design/methodology/approach The statistical population included all the managers and staffs of Tooka Company in Iran, and for data analysis, 120 completed questionnaires were used. Data analysis was carried out by SPSS 18 and Amos 20 software and structural equation modeling method. To test the mediating relationships, bootstrap method was used. Findings The findings showed that psychological empowerment has a significant direct effect on job burnout and competitive advantage. Also, psychological empowerment has a significant indirect effect on job burnout through the mediating role of organizational commitment. In addition, psychological empowerment has a significant indirect effect on competitive advantage through the mediating role of organizational creativity. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment, job burnout, competitive advantage, organizational commitment and creativity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Hamdoun ◽  
Mohamed Akli Achabou ◽  
Sihem Dekhili

Purpose This paper aims to examine the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and financial performance in the context of developing countries. More specifically, the mediating role of a firm’s competitive advantage and intangible resources, namely, human capital and reputation are studied. Design/methodology/approach The study considered a sample of 100 Tunisian firms. The analysis makes use of the structural equation modelling method to explore the relationship between CSR and financial performance, by including mediator variables. Findings The results confirm that CSR has no significant direct effect on financial performance. In particular, they indicate that the social dimension of CSR has a negative impact on performance. However, CSR does have a positive impact on competitive advantage via the two intangible resources considered, human capital and company reputation. Research limitations/implications The research fills a gap that occurred in the previous literature. In effect, previous studies focussed only on the direct link between CSR and financial performance. In addition, it enriches the limited literature on CSR strategies in the context of developing countries. However, further studies should explore the opposite relationship, i.e. the impact of financial performance on CSR strategy. In addition, the authors believe that amongst other potential research avenues, it would be interesting to study the moderating role of the activity sector. Practical implications From a practical point of view, this study suggests new applications with respect to the link between CSR and financial performance. To enhance their company’s financial performance, managers need to ensure that intangible resources are managed efficiently. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature by examining how a firm’s intangible resources mediate between CSR and competitive advantage and how competitive advantage mediates between intangible resources and financial performance. Second originality is related to the study of the link between CSR and the financial performance of business organisations in the context of a developing country.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fenika Wulani ◽  
Tarsisius Hani Handoko ◽  
Bernardinus Maria Purwanto

PurposeThis study investigates the effect of supervisor-directed organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) on leader–member exchange (LMX), the moderating role of impression management motives on this relationship, the effect of LMX on organizational and interpersonal deviance and the mediating effect of LMX on the relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and deviant behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a survey questionnaire to collect data. Respondents were 342 nonmanagerial employees working in Surabaya Raya, Indonesia. Hypothesis testing is done using Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results show that supervisor-directed OCB is positively related to LMX, and LMX is negatively related to organizational deviance but not significantly related to interpersonal deviance. The study also finds that impression management motives moderate the positive relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and LMX. Furthermore, LMX mediates the relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and organizational deviance, but not interpersonal deviance.Practical implicationsThis study suggests the importance of human resource management (HRM) activities and managers being aware of subordinate OCB motives and the impact of LMX on interpersonal and organizational deviance, as well as what supervisors need to do to reduce these negative effects.Originality/valueFew studies examined the relationship between supervisor-directed OCB and workplace deviance behaviors (WDBs). This study provides a mechanism of their relationship by considering LMX as a mediator. Also, heretofore the existing studies tend to focus more on LMX as an antecedent of OCB. This study provides an understanding of OCB as an antecedent of LMX with the moderating effect of impression management motives.


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