scholarly journals Maintaining Sustainable Practices in SMEs: Insights from Sweden

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10242
Author(s):  
Desislava Tsvetkova ◽  
Emma Bengtsson ◽  
Susanne Durst
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Practical Implications

By addressing the scarce knowledge of sustainability practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the purpose of the paper is to identify drivers for the maintenance of such practices and their extent. Based on a series of semi-structured interviews conducted with small Swedish firms, our findings reveal certain external (i.e., suppliers and customers) and internal (i.e., employees, organizational culture, and competitive advantage) factors that are strongly linked to the maintenance of sustainability practices. Apart from these, the longevity of the business was identified as an additional sustainability maintenance factor. This factor has not been discussed previously in the literature, so given its strength, we suggest to have it stand separately. The findings further indicate that Swedish SMEs are not limited by size concerning their sustainability practices but they are consciously working on progressing in their efforts. Furthermore, drawing on our findings we provide practical implications that will help business owners’, managers, and policymakers to better enable sustainability practices.

Culture of excellence

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Andrew Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Sustainable Competitive Advantage ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Pressure ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: A culture of excellence is key to successfully implementing and sustaining entrepreneurial creativity, but stakeholder pressure is key in adopting sustainable practices in order to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Originality: The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

scholarly journals Creating Innovation in Achieving Sustainability: Halal-Friendly Sustainable Port

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13339
Author(s):  
Harlina Suzana Jaafar ◽  
Mona Leza Abd Aziz ◽  
Muhammad Razif Ahmad ◽  
Nasruddin Faisol
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Port Operations ◽  
Sustainability Practices

The expansion of liberalized trade has forced companies to consider the global market demand to stay competitive. Hence, ports have started to embrace sustainability practices in their activities throughout port operations. Various research has suggested that there is more innovation when sustainability is adopted as an integral part of their business activities. This study established a halal-friendly sustainable port concept and its implementation in meeting the objectives of sustainability practices to boost innovation. To embed sustainability within port organizations, it is vital to create an organizational culture that supports innovation and integrative thinking. Based on the qualitative data obtained from 38 port stakeholders in the southern of Malaysia, the respondents supported a halal-friendly sustainable port as a potential innovation in meeting the objectives of the sustainable practices. Four components that were found crucial for the proposed framework reflect the novelty of the research and its successful implementation.

Assessing the future of housekeeping operations in Dubai’s five-star hotel industry – room for innovation?

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Anthonisz
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Ownership Structure ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the need for innovation as a means of competitive advantage in the housekeeping (HK) department of five-star hotels in Dubai and consider how the nature of the industry in the region provides particular challenges. Design/methodology/approach – An initial White Paper produced by Amadeus served as the stimulus to conduct a preliminary literature review of innovation in the field of hospitality. The application of innovation was then considered via a content analysis of web sites in Dubai to identify potential candidates for interview. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Senior Housekeeping Executives in two internationally recognized chain hotels in Dubai to better understand whether there is a need for innovation, what types of innovation are important within these HK departments and understand the potential challenges confronting senior managers in fostering innovative practices. Findings – The key results of this study provide interesting insights into the problems of developing and managing innovation within HK operations, highlighting the issues that exist as potential barriers to innovation in terms of the organizational culture and the ownership structure within the industry in Dubai. The research also highlights the fact that much of the innovation introduced within the HK department is focused on utilization of technology and is very much “output”-orientated in terms of improving customer service and creating operational efficiencies. Research limitations/implications – The paper profiles the potential problems confronting the HK department when it comes to identifying and adopting innovation. The paper also highlights the ever-changing nature of the organizational culture and the ownership structure in the five-star hotel industry in Dubai as a critical influence in terms of the perceived importance of innovation as a success factor for the future. Originality/value – The study is the first in a series of research papers that explores the relationship between key stakeholders in the hospitality industry in Dubai as the customer demand alters and they try to identify and implement innovative ideas and concepts that provide return on investment, increased customer satisfaction, sustainability and competitive advantage. It is the first paper that identifies the context and the current internal and external environments and the drivers within the industry in Dubai (five-star) hotels with a particular focus on 2020. This is within an industry that is showing evidence of change management within the customization of the hotel build and specification, and within the adaption of IT, but is looking for innovation within the application of ideas into industry processes.

Progress towards institutionalising field-wide water efficiency change

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 809-833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Egan
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
Efficiency Change ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Global Water

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how a heterogeneous range of water efficiency responses were driven across a field of seven water consuming organisations in Australia at a time of acute drought conditions into the late 2000s. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of individuals from 2008 to 2010. Findings – A loosely coordinated range of drivers motivated pervasive water efficiency responses in two of the seven case organisations. Would-be leaders sought to invoke a water efficiency field, and champion nascent logics and theorisation in order to gain some competitive advantage. There was little sense among others of any normative, mimetic or coercive pressure to adopt homogeneous practices. While the field lacked effective champions for change, an institutionalisation of novel water efficiency practices continued across the field into 2010. Research limitations/implications – Further research could investigate how water efficiency responses continued to develop or decline into the 2010s, and how such practices integrate with the management of other sustainability issues (including carbon). Practical implications – Global water resources are subject to increasing supply constraints. This paper responds by exploring how the institutionalisation of water efficiency change can be driven across a field of organisations. Originality/value – Relatively little is understood about “institutionalization” as an unfinished process. This paper responds by contributing an understanding of how institutional logics developed, and how theorisation for water efficiency progressed in the context of water scarcity in Australia in the late 2000s.

scholarly journals QSR customer sustainable behaviors and brand practice perceptions on willingness to pay a premium

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-125
Author(s):  
Michael C. Ottenbacher ◽  
Graciela Kuechle ◽  
Robert James Harrington ◽  
Woo-Hyuk Kim
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strong Point ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Quick Service ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of consumer sustainability attitudes and quick service restaurants (QSRs) practices along with the willingness of consumers to pay a premium for sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach A random sample of QSR customers in Germany resulted in 428 completed surveys. First, common factor analysis was conducted to assess the summated scales related to the sustainable behavior of customers, the importance attached by them to the different dimensions of sustainability and the extent to which customers perceive that QSR implement such practices. Second, the effect of these summated scales on the willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for sustainability practices were assessed by means of a logistic regression. Findings The findings indicated that WTPP for sustainability efforts is primarily driven by internal beliefs and behaviors of consumers themselves rather than actions by QSR firms. Furthermore, when comparing five major QSRs, QSR brands did not appear to create a strong point of differentiation in their sustainability practices in the minds of frequent QSR consumers in the context of this study. Practical implications Implications of these results suggest that a growing number of consumers place high importance on sustainability and engage in personal sustainability practices that impact behaviors such as QSR selection and a WTPP for QSR brands and products that are perceived as implementing sustainable practices. Originality/value This paper addresses a gap by assessing drivers of willingness of QSR customers to pay a premium for sustainable practices and if QSR brands sustainability practices differ in the minds of consumers.

scholarly journals Towards A Conceptual Framework of Sustainable Practices of Post-consumer Textile Waste at Garment End of Lifecycle: A Systematic Literature Review Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2965
Author(s):  
Esther Oluwadamilola Olufemi Rotimi ◽  
Cheree Topple ◽  
John Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Supply Chain System ◽  
Sustainable Practices ◽  
Textile Waste ◽  
Sustained Competitive Advantage ◽  
Changing Trends ◽  
Cradle To Cradle ◽  
Sustainability Practices

Fashion is characterised by rapidly changing trends and consumption patterns which have led to complexities and dynamism of the fashion supply chain (SC). Excessive generation of wastes highlights the need for innovative ways to address unsustainable practices by feeding the waste back into the supply chain system. This paper reviews the extant literature on sustainability within the fashion industry’s supply chain to establish available sustainability practices to manage post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) at garment end of lifecycle. Four sustainable practices emerged from the review—education and engagement, recovery and redistribution, reuse, and recycling—and are central to a framework that shows the interaction of garment end of lifecycle practices and could the achievement of strategic competitive advantage. Our findings emphasise the importance for interaction and collaboration between consumers and retailers and further involvement of the entire supply chain. In addition, sustainability paradoxes were evident across the sustainable practices. To avoid this, for retailers are urged to shift towards cradle to cradle (closed loop) lifecycle supply chains. Furthermore, retailers should evaluate the practices they adopt by questioning their aim in the achievement of sustainability. We suggest that firms should consider the entire supply chain when adopting a sustainable practice and each agent’s role in achieving the overall outcome of sustained competitive advantage.

The embedded relationship between organizational culture, leadership, and flexibility

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Organizational Leadership ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Poor ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper analyzes the dynamics between innovative organizational culture, leadership, and flexibility to adapt to market demands. The results from the analysis of resource-poor SMEs in Ghana reveal that organizational leadership and culture both positively drive a service company's competitive advantage. Also, market flexibility fully impacts the relationship between organizational culture and competitive advantage, with a partial impact seen on the relationship between organizational leadership and competitive advantage. Firms are advised to create flexible attitudes in their people culture, leadership, and processes, as a way of competitively adapting at low cost to market shifts and customer demands. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

How focusing positively on errors can help organizations become more communicative

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Simonsson ◽  
Mats Heide
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Error Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain new knowledge of how organizational errors can be used to early detect signals of impending crises and thereby develop internal crisis communication. Three communication processes – organizational culture, leadership and learning – that are particularly important for the development of internal crisis communication are focused. The paper also discusses what kind of learning error management supports, and suggests how crisis communication as a practice can be developed. The thesis is that intensified work of improving internal crisis communication is a vital step of becoming a communicative organization, where all coworkers are understood and act as strategic communicators. Design/methodology/approach This empirical study is part of a three-year research project on internal crisis communication within a Swedish university hospital. This paper is based on a sub-study with 37 qualitative semi-structured interviews with nurses, physicians, managers and crisis management specialists within the hospital. Findings The paper offers knowledge about how internal crisis communication can be developed by focusing on errors as resource to anticipate a crisis and as material for organizational learning. Coworkers are mainly focused in the article and are seen as important sources and strategic communicators. It is further emphasized that error management is not a matter of technological solutions, but rather a question of communicative aspects of leadership and organizational culture. Practical implications It is suggested that initiatives to develop internal crisis communication is an important step for organizations in becoming communicative organizations, and communication professionals have an important role to facilitate this development. Originality/value This paper gives a new understanding of internal crisis communication and the importance of leadership and culture.

Ethical Issues in Private Practice: A Phenomenological Investigation of Music Therapy Business Owners

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Wilhelm ◽  
Lindsey Wilhelm
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Private Practice ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Music Therapists

Abstract As a music therapy private practice is both a business and a healthcare service, it should adhere to ethical standards from both disciplines. However, this topic has rarely been examined in the music therapy literature. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore ethical dilemmas experienced by music therapy business owners (MTBOs) in their private practice and how MTBOs avoid or address ethical dilemmas. Utilizing convenience and snowball sampling techniques, 21 MTBOs in the United States were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. To answer the two areas of inquiry, we identified three themes and 12 subthemes: (1) Ethical issues related to client welfare, (2) Ethical issues related to business relationships and operation, and (3) Strategies to address or avoid ethical dilemmas. MTBOs also shared how they ensure ethical behavior in themselves, with their employees or independent contractors, and when interacting with professionals outside the private practice. These findings provide a better understanding of MTBOs’ lived experiences of ethics in their private practice and may benefit other music therapists who are in private practice or are wanting to go into private practice. Limitations and recommendations for further research are provided.

Expressions of loneliness: Different perspectives of loneliness among school deputy principals

2021 ◽  
pp. 174114322110214
Author(s):  
Peleg Dor-Haim
Keyword(s):  
Educational Organizations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

The study of loneliness in the workplace has received extensive attention recently. However, there is a lack of research concerning loneliness within educational organizations and no study to date has examined loneliness among deputy principals. The current study examined deputy principals’ interpretation of loneliness in the workplace and posed two questions: (a) How do deputy principals interpret their experience of loneliness at work, specifically in regard to how it manifests across different contexts? (b) What do deputy principals note as the reasons for their feelings of loneliness at work across different contexts? Based on 19 semi-structured interviews with Israeli school deputy principals, four distinctive themes of loneliness expressions were found: (a) loneliness perceived as separateness, (b) loneliness perceived as abandonment, (c) aloneness in carrying the burden of responsibility, and (d) aloneness in commitment to the school. From an analysis of the deputy principals’ accounts, several insights are provided and practical implications are suggested.

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