scholarly journals Achieving innovative firm performance through human capital and the effect of social capital

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 326-344
Author(s):  
Sarminah Samad

AbstractFor the past decade, human capital has been recognized as one of the crucial assets of any firm’s overall performance. Previous studies widely advocated a linear link between human capital and innovative firm performance, arguing that there are a variety of factors to examine if the relationship between human capital and innovative firm performance is to be properly understood. The focus of this study was to examine the effect of social capital on the relationship between human capital and innovative firm performance. Specifically, it examined the relationship between human capital and social capital and between human capital and innovative firm performance. It also examined the relationship between social capital and innovative firm performance. A total of 294 questionnaires were obtained from managerial staff in automotive companies in Malaysia and the data was analysed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) test. The results indicated a direct effect between human capital and innovative performance. It was found that human capital is significantly related to social capital and that there is a significant relationship between social capital and innovative firm performance, indicating the ability of social capital to improve innovative firm performance. Finally, it revealed that innovative firm performance could be achieved by human capital through the role of valuable social capital and that good innovative firm performance leads to more prudent and sustainable organisations. The results provide pertinent implications for academia, policymakers and market players while also contributing to the research fields of strategic management, human capital, social capital and performance.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Acatia Finbow

This chapter shows how over the past two decades the relationship between the museum and performance has undergone a radical shift with the acquisition of performance-based artworks into the collection, shifting the role of the museum from that of a repository to that of a vital participant in the activation of the work. This chapter reflects on the new value this turn affords to documentation, and on how it is being used to support the effective activation of performance-based artworks in the museum. It reflects particularly on Tate’s development of documentation practices that address these new institutional needs and on how these navigate both immediate and potential future value.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaynab Dadzie ◽  
Ahmed Agyapong ◽  
Abdulai Suglo

Purpose This study aims to examine the mediating role of internationalization in the relationship between the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance, empirical study of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in a developing nation. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a sample of 158 exporting SMEs based in the sub-Saharan developing economy, Ghana. The use of hierarchical regression (ordinary least square analysis) was used by the researcher to assess the suggested model of the study. Findings Largely supporting the conjectural predictions, the study indicates that EO positively and significantly influences performance; internationalization fully mediates the relationship between innovativeness and performance of export firms; internationalization fully mediates the relationship between risk-taking and performance of export firms; and finally, internationalization partially mediates the relationship between competitive aggressiveness and performance of export firms. Managers are, therefore, encouraged to strategically develop both their EO and internationalization, as the study has confirmed that EO has both a direct and indirect relationship with performance. Originality/value This study integrated a resource-based view of the firm and international entrepreneurship theory as a theoretical foundation. Theoretically, internationalization’s mediating role reveals the relevance of this construct in the linkage between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. Furthermore, the study extends the entrepreneurial orientation concept to the international business literature by estimating and testing models of the mediating link between entrepreneurial orientation and performance. Moreover, the study seeks to broaden the knowledge of entrepreneurial orientation and its relationship with performance in small and medium businesses. The study further extends the limited studies on performance, driven by entrepreneurial orientation and internationalization in a developing nation (Ghanaian) context. This paper besides seeks to highlight the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on performance when channeled through internationalization. The study also reveals the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation to be important antecedents of internationalization, in attempts at unearthing the critical predictors of firm performance, especially those of international characteristics.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Kwaku Gyan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the previous mixed findings in the relationship between diversification and firm performance. Using international and industrial conglomerates, the paper introduces productivity as a moderating variable to ascertain whether the mixed views in the diversification-performance nexus is due to variations in productivity. The findings in both proxies of performance (q and return on asset (ROA)) show that productivity is not a significant moderator in the diversification-performance link, except that under industrial conglomerates productivity enhances ROAs significantly. Meanwhile, the results show that diversification either has no significant value on firm performance or relates negatively with performance – a contrasting result to the hypothesis of this study. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts diversification measurement, categorisation approach and the methodology used in the work of Fauver et al. (2004) and the subsequent modification by Lee et al. (2012). This study, however, investigates the moderating effect of productivity on diversified firms and not ownership as shown in the previous studies. Performance is measured by two proxies to show robustness of the study. ROA is an accounting tool and Tobin’s q reflects a market-based performance of the firm. Findings The results show that productivity has no moderating impact on a market-based performance of a diversified firm. Regarding ROA, results show a split in finding by showing that productivity has no significant impact on international diversification; however, for industrial diversification, results show significant impact. Originality/value The paper adds to knowledge of finance by ruling out the view that the inconsistencies in the diversification and performance nexus in emerging economies could be due to vagaries in productivity. It is confirmed that productivity technically does not strengthen the link between diversification and performance: suggesting that factors other than productivity could establish a maximal impact on that link to minimise the inconsistencies in the findings on diversification-performance link.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-57
Author(s):  
Jyoti Paul

Because of recent failures in the past, the role of Board and the Board monitoring have become important. The directors are expected to be more accountable. In this study, the researcher tries to investigate the relationship between the level of board activity and firm value for firms in FMCG sector over a three-year period from 2010–2011 to 2012–2013. The primary aim of the article is to provide empirical evidence and specifically find out the impact of board activity measured by number of meetings and its impact on firm performance. The results indicate that the attendance in board meetings is significantly positively correlated with ROA. The OLS results with both the performance measures show that the point estimates of attendance at board meetings were significant indicating that attendance in such meetings is perceived to be an indicator of good monitoring activities of the board.


Author(s):  
Misagh Tasavori ◽  
Reza Zaefarian ◽  
Teck-Yong Eng

Family firms benefit from internal social capital, which refers to resources related to structural, relational and cognitive aspects of family relationships. However, it is not clear if and how possession of internal social capital can enhance the international performance of emerging economy family firms. Based on the data collected from 192 small- and medium-sized family firms from Turkey, we show that family firms can improve their international firm performance by utilising the internal social capital of family relationships. Our findings also demonstrate that the relationship between internal social capital and international firm performance is mediated by participative governance capability. In participative governance, family members as well as board members have the capability to contribute to strategic decision-making and implementation. We also show that all structural, relational and cognitive aspects of internal social capital should be developed in order to improve international firm performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hoang Thanh Nhon

The purpose of this article was to explore the moderating role of the manager skills on the relationship between the intangible capitals and firm performance. Specific aims included (a) to synthesize the prior literatures and definitions related to human, organizational and social capital, firm performance and manager skills, (b) to refine conceptual definitions of the human and social capital with associated conceptual antecedent, organizational capital, and consequences, firm performances, (c) to propose a synthesized conceptual framework guiding the mediated moderation of the manager skills on the relationship between intangible capitals and firm performance. The analysis include data collected from a survey with the total of 370 information communication technology (ICT) firm’s managers. The mediating and moderating techniques are used to analyze the indirect effects of organizational capital on firm performance via human and social capital and the moderating role of manager skills on the relationship between intangible capitals and firm performance. The results show that all intangible capital dimensions have direct impacts on firm performance. In addition, there is the existences of the mediating role of the human and social capital on the relationship between firm performance and organizational capital and moderating role of the manager skills on the relationship between intellectual capital dimensions and firm performance. This is the first paper to examine comprehensively the conceptual framework of the moderating role of manager skills on relationships between intangible capitals and firm performance in ICT sector in a developing country like Vietnam.


2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1407-1419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Nihat Solakoglu ◽  
Nazmi Demir

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the effect of gender diversity on firm performance and evaluate how that relationship is influenced by some firm-specific factors for firms in an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected firm level financial data and firm level characteristics for the firms listed in BIST100 index of Borsa Istanbul for the period between 2002 and 2006. Due to endogeneity of gender diversity and firm performance, the authors utilize unbalanced panel data with 2SLS specification. To observe the sensitivity of results across measures of performance, three measures of performance, two accounting-based and one market-based, are utilized. Findings – Overall, the authors find some weak evidence that gender diversity impacts firm performance. In particular, the findings imply significant association between gender diversity and firm performance for firms that are targeting local markets, for firms in the financial sector and for firms that are family or block-owned. Moreover, findings are fragile with respect to the measures of diversity and performance selected. Originality/value – Although the relationship between gender diversity and firm performance are investigated several times in the past, there are not many studies that examines the role of firm-specific factors on that relationship. By revealing the factors that are important, this study provides an explanation why the existing literature leads to mixed results.


Author(s):  
Mercedes Delgado

How important is location for successful regional and firm performance? To answer this question the first part of the chapter reviews studies using sophisticated methods for defining and mapping clusters—geographical concentrations of related industries, firms, and supporting institutions. These studies show the importance of clusters for entrepreneurship, innovation, and other performance dimensions. The second part of the chapter examines the relationship between location and firm strategy and performance. Location within a cluster by itself does not ensure that a firm will benefit. Thus, a firm’s strategic positioning and its location choices are interrelated. I offer a framework that takes into account the role of internal agglomerations (intra-firm linkages that are facilitated by geographical proximity) and external agglomerations (inter-firm linkages in clusters) on the location choices and performance of firms.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mavis Yi-Ching Chen ◽  
Long W. Lam ◽  
Julie N.Y. Zhu

PurposeIn this study, the authors employ an intellectual-capital based view of the firm to examine the relationship between three bundles of human resource development (HRD) practices (i.e. developmental, constructive and collaborative HRD practices), three dimensions of intellectual capital (i.e. human capital, organizational capital and social capital), and organizational performance improvements. Specifically, the authors investigate the mediating role of intellectual capital in the relationship between HRD practices and changes in organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors randomly distributed questionnaires to 1,000 HR executives of Taiwanese firms to assess the firms' HRD practices and intellectual capital. Firm performance data in terms of return on assets (ROA) were obtained from the Taiwan Economic Journal (TEJ). To test the model, the authors used the longitudinal data over three years from 213 firms in Taiwan.FindingsThe results show that human capital and social capital mediate the relationship between HRD practices (i.e. developmental and collaborative HRD practices) and organizational performance improvements in terms of return-on-assets growth.Originality/valueThis study adds to the empirical evidence regarding whether or not investment in HRD practices can lead to positive changes in financial performance.


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