scholarly journals Social Sustainability Practices on Small Businesses in Developing Economies: A Case of South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reginald Masocha
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Study Results

This study makes a significant contribution towards theory and knowledge of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within the social sustainability discourse. The study focused on investigating if SMEs in developing economies directly benefit from practising social sustainability through examining the relationship between social sustainability and financial performance, customer satisfaction as well as employee satisfaction. A total of 238 SMEs from the Limpopo province of South Africa were surveyed through a self-administered questionnaire at the hand of convenience sampling technique. The hypotheses in the study were assessed through structural equation modelling (SEM) through AMOS software version 25. The study results revealed that all three postulated hypotheses were supported. Thus, social sustainability was found to be positively and significantly associated with financial performance, customer satisfaction performance as well as employee satisfaction performance. The findings in this study indicate that by practising social sustainability, SMEs potentially benefit on a broader performance spectrum.

Supply chain practices and organizational performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shrikant Gorane ◽  
Ravi Kant
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Organizations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically test a framework which identifies the relationships between various supply chain practices (SCPs) and organizational performance (operational performance (OP), customer satisfaction, and financial performance) in the context of Indian manufacturing organizations. Design/methodology/approach From the literature, ten SCPs are selected which finally influences the organizational performance. In order to understand the interactions between SCPs and organizational performance, this paper grouped the ten SCPs into four constructs namely: information and communication technology, supply chain (SC) integration, operational responsiveness, and closed loop green practices. Three levels of firm performance are also examined, including OP, customer satisfaction, and financial performance. The paper-based and web-based survey yielded 292 responses from the Indian manufacturing organizations. The data collected were put through rigorous statistical analysis to test for the content, construct, and criterion-related validity, as well as reliability analyses. Further a structural equation model was developed to test the relationships between SCPs and organizational performance. Findings The finding suggests that a successful SCPs implementation not only improves the OP, but also enhances customer satisfaction and financial performance. In addition, higher financial performance is also attributable to better customer value resulting from the achievement of better customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications SCPs are complex constructs. While this study shows the effect of broadly accepted SCPs on organizational performance, not all possible practices are covered in this study. Again the study can be further extended to sector specific so that the results can be further refined. Practical implications This is one of the few studies which attempts to investigate whether there is any relationship exits between SCPs and organizational performance. The finding will help decision makers in the organization to know the importance of SCPs and how SCPs influence the organizational performance. Second, this study has developed and validated a multi-dimensional construct of SCPs, which can assist decision makers of Indian organizations to evaluate the competence of their current status of SCPs in the organization. Originality/value As per the knowledge of the authors, this is the first kind of study which empirically investigated the relationships between SCPs and organizational performance in the context of Indian manufacturing organizations.

scholarly journals Strengthening graduate employee commitment through internal marketing in the South African retail banking industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 91-105
Author(s):  
M. Roberts-Lombard ◽  
L. Reynolds-de Bruin
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Banking Industry ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Internal Marketing ◽  
Retail Banking ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Retail Banks

A strong internal marketing strategy can be critical to achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage as well as driving organisational change and enhanced organisational performance. This study sought to determine the influence of internal marketing mix elements on the satisfaction levels of recently employed graduates (GradDPs) within the retail banking industry in South Africa. The study also identified links between the satisfaction of GradDPs and their affective commitment in this context. A census approach to generating data was applied in the study by using a person-administered and an electronic survey method. Regression analysis was used to test the relationships proposed in the study. The results indicated that internal marketing significantly influences GradDP employee satisfaction within retail banks in South Africa and that a positive relationship exists between GradDP employee satisfaction and their affective commitment. The study results allowed for recommendations that retail banks provide training and support programmes to assist managers in developing a more participative style of leading. Such programmes would assist leaders in consulting employees more often and ensuring that they have sufficient autonomy when executing their work. It would also help leaders to create a safer GradDP employee environment that fosters openness, risk-taking and idea generation.

scholarly journals An empirical analysis of construction organisations’ competitive strategies and performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi ◽  
Abimbola Oluwakemi Windapo ◽  
Rotimi Olabode Bamidele James
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Chief Executive Officers ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Financial Performance Measures ◽  
Executive Officers

Purpose – The essence of strategy formulation is to assist an organisation obtain a strategic fit with its environment and help enhance organisational continuous improvement in achieving performance excellence. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the type of competitive strategies used by construction organisations in attaining their strategic goals in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs an inductive research approach using a well-structured questionnaire to elicit information from large construction organisations based in South Africa. Findings – The research identifies five strategic attributes that could assist organisations to grow their businesses and enhance their returns. It reveals that all Porters’ generic competitive strategies are significantly related to organisational financial performance measures except focus strategy. The research found that three generic competitive strategies are positively related to non-financial performance and that differentiation and cost-leadership strategies are capable of assisting organisations’ achieve their financial performance goals. Practical implications – The study results will be of immense benefit to chief executive officers as well as managers of construction organisations in growing their businesses and enhancing their corporate performance. Originality/value – The paper contributes both theoretically and empirically to the current discussion and findings on competitive strategy and its relationship with organisational performance. The results presented in the paper have important implications for the implementation of competitive strategies in construction companies and future studies in the area of strategic management.

scholarly journals Attributes of Shopping Mall Image, Customer Satisfaction and Mall Patronage for Selected Shopping Malls in Southern Gauteng, South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 682-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorah Dubihlela
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
South African ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Shopping Mall ◽  
Shopping Malls ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Final Data

This paper identifies the main features of a shopping mall that govern customer satisfaction in Southern Gauteng in South Africa. Literature is reviewed, identifying various features in shopping malls such as merchandisers, accessibility, service, amenities, ambiance, entertainment, security and among others. This literature is based on previous authors' scientific work, on mall features that influence the satisfaction and patronage by customers. A quantitative study was conducted with 429 questionnaires used in the final data analysis. The study results suggest the important shopping mall features in Gauteng South in South African and confirm that specific shopping mall features are positively related to customer satisfaction and mall patronage. The paper further develops suggestions on mall features that should be emphasised for promotional campaigns, customer satisfaction and mall patronage by customers.

Local Culture, Internal Marketing and Employee Satisfaction in Improving Financial Performance: A Case Study of Microfinance Institutions in Bali

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-95
Author(s):  
I Putu Astawa ◽  
Tjokorda Gde Raka Sukawati
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Internal Marketing ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Local Culture ◽  
Microfinance Institutions

Objective - Local culture acts as a bridge in empowering the resources owned by a firm so they can operate harmoniously. This research tests the theory of local culture, internal marketing, and employee satisfaction in an effort to improve financial performance. Methodology/Technique - The research is supported by the existing phenomenon of increasing credit issues. The data is obtained from 1,364 questionnaires and is quantitatively analyzed through Structural Equation Modelling. A qualitative analysis is used to deepen the anomaly relationship through a phenomenological approach. Findings - The result show that local culture becomes the organizational culture, but has no direct influence on the improvement of performance. Indicators related to the environment have a very low contribution to the development of organizational culture. Internal marketing indicators, such as recruitment processes and internal communication, have a significant contribution on the achievement of financial performance. Further, employee satisfaction has a significant impact on the achievement of financial performance. Novelty - This study develops a new model that can be used to enhance financial performance. The integration of local culture into internal marketing and employee satisfaction is a relatively novel invention. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Local Culture; Internal Marketing; Employee Satisfaction; Financial Performance; Microfinance Institutions; Bali. JEL Classification: Z1, Z10, Z19.

scholarly journals Does Environmental Sustainability Impact Innovation, Ecological and Social Measures of Firm Performance of SMEs? Evidence from South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reginald Masocha
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Firm Innovation ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Sustainability Practices

This study investigated the question of whether environmental sustainability influences firm performance. Firm performance, a multidimensional construct, was researched utilizing innovation, ecological and social measures on the premises of SMEs in South Africa. Thus, the study hypothesized that environmental sustainability is positively and significantly related to innovation, ecological and social measures of firm performance. A cross-sectional research design was adopted in this study to test the abovementioned hypotheses. A total of 208 self-administered questionnaires distributed to SME owners and managers were analyzed utilizing structural equation modelling (SEM) and Amos Version 24 software. Primarily, the study established that environmental sustainability was significantly and positively correlated to all three measures of firm performance used in this study. Thus, the inferences from the findings suggest that environmental sustainability practices contribute positively towards firm innovation, ecological and social performances. The findings of this study greatly contribute towards the practice and theory of small businesses and firm performance by providing a more specific and streamlined perspective for approaching firm performance.

scholarly journals Quality ambidexterity, competitive strategies, and financial performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1496-1519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Herzallah ◽  
Leopoldo J. Gutierrez-Gutierrez ◽  
Juan Francisco Munoz Rosas
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Competitive Strategy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
West Bank ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between quality ambidexterity (QAMB), competitive strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, and focus), and firm performance in Palestinian industry, and to analyze the combination of quality exploitation (QEI) and quality exploration (QER) (QAMB) associated with the different levels of each competitive strategy. Design/methodology/approach Using data collected through a survey of 205 Palestinian industrial firms, the study conducted structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. Additional statistical analyses were applied to the combinations of QEI and QER for each competitive strategy. Findings The results show a positive and significant relationship between QAMB and three competitive strategies, and between competitive strategies and financial performance, focus strategy excepted. Balanced combination with similar levels of QEI and QER is found to be more suitable for higher levels of competitive strategies implementation, whereas an excess of QER over QEI is associated with lower levels of strategies implementation. Research limitations/implications Although Palestine has two regions, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, all survey respondents were from the West Bank. The data used in this study come from the industrial sector only. Originality/value This study is the first empirical test to examine the impact of QAMB on financial performance through competitive strategies. The study results may help managers to implement QEI and QER practices in order to allocate resources effectively and ultimately improve financial performance.

Customer satisfaction with Ijarah financing

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iman Adeinat ◽  
Naseem Al Rahahleh ◽  
M. Ishaq Bhatti
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess customers’ perceptions of Islamic banks (IBs) of customers who have used or intend to use Ijarah service to purchase a car. The study further examines the mediating role of clarity and accuracy (CAA) of service offered between customer perceptions and customer satisfaction. This paper focuses on connecting in quantitative terms customers’ perceptions of IB services to customer satisfaction by providing the first evidence of this relationship in the context of car Ijarah financing. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a model is proposed to assess customers’ perceptions of the Ijarah service used by IBs to finance car purchases. The model connects customers’ perceptions to customer satisfaction with this Shariah-compliant service. The data are drawn from 300 randomly selected customers living in five major cities in Pakistan, and factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used to understand the patterns of correlation/covariance among a set of variables and to evaluate customers’ perceptions of Ijarah financing for car purchases. Findings The results of the study show a significant positive relationship between customers’ perceptions and customer satisfaction. In particular, the CAA of the services provided is a significant predictor of customer satisfaction. This paper finds that CAA is a partial mediator between customers’ perceptions and customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications As this study is based on only one country and one simple car Ijarah financing product, the results cannot be generalized to the entire industry. Therefore, deeper research is needed in which data from other countries are used and a range of models and approaches are applied to secure knowledge about the multinational and multifactor variations of Ijarah financing. Practical implications In terms of their implications for IBs, the study results provide a basis for the banks to more effectively cater to their customers by improving the services offered in line with customers’ expectations and thereby increasing profitability. This investigation is much needed in academia and industry because the market share for Ijarah financing is growing and competition between IB products and conventional banking products is increasing. Originality/value This study presents the first endeavor to use exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to assess customer satisfaction in Ijarah financing using Pakistani banking clients’ data. This approach is also applicable to various IB financial products and Shariah contracts.

scholarly journals Owners' Characteristics and the Financial Bootstrapping Strategies Used by Rural Small Businesses in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4(J)) ◽  
pp. 277-286
Author(s):  
Maurice Nchabeleng ◽  
Olawale Fatoki ◽  
Olabanji Oni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
T Test ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Financial Bootstrapping

The purpose of this study was to examine if there are significant differences in the financial bootstrapping strategies of rural small businesses on the basis of owners' demographic characteristics (level of education and gender). The research followed a quantitative research method with descriptive research design. A sample of 104 rural small businesses participated in the survey. Data was collected through the use of self-administered questionnaires in a survey. The participants in the study were rural small business owners in Fetakgomo Municipality located in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study utilised the convenience and snowball sampling techniques to select the study participants. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, factor analysis and the T-test. The Cronbach alpha was used to measure reliability. The results of the T-test showed significant differences between gender and level of education and the financial bootstrapping methods used by rural small businesses. Recommendations are made to improve the awareness of bootstrapping by small business owners. 

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