scholarly journals Main and Interaction Effects of ‘Power Distance’ and ‘Uncertainty Avoidance’ on Innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises in Egypt

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 198
Author(s):  
Tarek A. El Badawy ◽  
Rania M. Marwan ◽  
Mariam M. Magdy
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Interaction Effects ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Strategic Innovation ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The main objective of this study was to investigate the direct and interaction effects of two of Hofstede’s cultural metrics, namely power distance and uncertainty avoidance, on organizational innovation in small and medium enterprises in Egypt. A structured questionnaire adapted from a previous study was distributed amongst employees from different managerial levels. 326 completed questionnaires were collected. Results suggested that the national culture influences the level of strategic innovation in small and medium enterprises operating in Egypt. Power distance enhances strategic innovation; however, uncertainty avoidance inhibits it. Studies on Egyptian enterprises, and Egyptian small and medium enterprises are fundamentally underrepresented in previous literature.

scholarly journals The Innovation Type and Strategy Implemented by Chinese SMEs: Case Study of Manufacturing Industry in Shanghai

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 907-915
Author(s):  
Khaled Mohammed Alqahtani
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cluster Strategy ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Social Wealth ◽  
Innovation Type

In China, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in economic development and social wealth in terms of GDP growth, employment creation and poverty alleviation. In the age of technology and information, innovation has been regarded as one of the most significant drivers for the growth and prosperity of SMEs. Therefore, it is necessary for SMEs to implement innovation strategy, which would help them to initiate new products, adopt new processes and increase their competitiveness. From this point of view, this study attempts to identify the innovation situation of Chinese SMEs with regard to innovation type as well as innovation strategy. The research data is collected through structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews from SMEs of manufacturing industry in Shanghai, China. According to the data results, process innovation and marketing innovation are adopted more frequently than product innovation and organizational innovation by Chinese SMEs. This study also demonstrates most SMEs in China implement free-riding strategy; some of them adopt niche strategy; and few SMEs practice cluster strategy. Although innovation is increasingly important for Chinese SMEs, their implementation of innovation strategy is not highly effective and successful.

Firm Performance and Employee Downsizing: The Moderating Role of National Culture

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Andre Honoree ◽  
Mario Krenn
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Institutional Context ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Moderating Role

A limitation in the downsizing literature is its lack of attention on how firms’ institutional context interacts with firm’s internal drivers of employee downsizing. This study examines the firm performance - employee downsizing relationship in 1,747 firms across 35 countries over three years and demonstrates that while this relationship is similar among firms across countries, its magnitude varies across countries, and that the cultural dimensions of in-group collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance help explain this variance. Implications from these findings and future directions for employee downsizing research and practice are discussed.

Culture and Knowledge Transfer Capacity

2012 ◽  
pp. 305-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar E. M. Khalil ◽  
Ahmed Seleim
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Gross Domestic Product ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Future Orientation ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Control Variable ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Gender Egalitarianism ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Societal Level

Increasing interest exists in understanding the factors that explain knowledge transfer capacity (KTC) at the societal level. In this paper, the authors posit that national culture may explain the differences among countries in their knowledge transfer capacities. The authors adopt House and colleagues’ (2004) national culture taxonomy as the theoretical framework to derive and test eighteen hypotheses relating national culture values and practices to societal KTC. KTC correlates positively with gender egalitarianism values, uncertainty avoidance practices, and future orientation practices. KTC also correlates negatively with uncertainty avoidance values, future orientation values, institutional collectivism values, in-group collectivism values, humane orientation practices, in-group collectivism values and practices, and power distance practices. Further analysis using gross domestic product (GDP) as a control variable revealed that only humane orientation practices influence KTC. The research findings are discussed, research limitations are identified, and implications are drawn.

scholarly journals Underlying structures of risk response measures among small and medium contractors in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Berenger Yembi Renault ◽  
Justus Ngala Agumba ◽  
Nazee Ansary
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Risk Avoidance ◽  
Risk Response ◽  
Response Measures ◽  
The One ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Although attention has been given to the measures used to respond to risk in the construction industry (CI), there is limited literature that scrutinizes underlying structures of risk response measures (RRMs) especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study, therefore, presents findings from an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of RRMs. A positivist paradigm was adopted to collect empirical raw data from 181 conveniently sampled respondents in Gauteng, South Africa (SA), using a structured questionnaire. The results support the extant literature and empirically established the structural composition of risk response by two constructs. The construct with emerged measures was termed trailing measures while the one with popular measures was termed leading measures of risk response. However, the study yielded a two-factor model with all the six items supposed to measure risk response. Based on the results obtained, it seems that risk avoidance and risk mitigation are reliable measures for measuring risk response. This study could thus serve as a reference for the accurate measurement of risk response and for the development of agreed responses for each risk, including an appropriate strategy and specific responses to implement the chosen strategy. The study was limited to the CI and to a lesser extent, construction SMEs in Gauteng; hence the findings cannot be generalized to all SMEs in SA.

Impact of national culture on organizations’ use of selection practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1145-1161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Ryan Prince ◽  
Rüdiger Kabst
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Psychometric Tests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ability Tests ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Panel Interviews ◽  
Selection Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of national culture on organizations’ use of selection practices, specifically to investigate the impact of in-group collectivism, uncertainty avoidance and power distance on interview panels, one-on-one interviews, applications forms, references, ability, technical and psychometric tests. Design/methodology/approach This study uses survey data from the 2008–2010 CRANET database. It uses OLS regression analysis to test the impact of national culture on organizations’ use of selection practices. Findings In-group collectivism increases the use of panel interviews and technical tests, and decreases the use of one-on-one interviews and application forms. Uncertainty avoidance increases the use of panel interviews and technical tests, and a decrease in one-on-one interviews, applications ability, and psychometric tests. Power distance leads to an increase in one-on-one interviews, applications and ability tests, and a decrease in panel interviews, psychometric tests and references. Originality/value This paper investigates the use of the impact of national culture on selection practices. Specifically, it looks at the use of a large number of selection practices panel interviews, one-on-one interviews, applications and references, and several different tests, ability, technical and psychometric.

scholarly journals The Effect of External Knowledge Sources on Organizational Innovation in Small and Medium Enterprises in Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-79
Author(s):  
Shoaib Abdul Basit
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Knowledge Sources ◽  
Community Innovation Survey ◽  
External Knowledge ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Firms increasingly depend on external actors for the process of generating innovation. Interaction with these actors might occur through an official collaboration agreement or via external actors as the source of information. Objectives: Although open innovation has received more attention, still less is known about its effect on organizational innovation. To fill this gap, this study investigates the impact of various external knowledge sources on the willingness of small and mediumsized enterprises to introduce organizational innovation. Methods/Approach: To achieve the proposed objective, the German Community Innovation Survey conducted in 2017 is used for the econometric analysis. Results: Different external sources of knowledge are relevant for the introduction of organizational innovation in small firms (customers in the private sector, competitors, conferences, and crowdsourcing) compared to medium-sized firms (customers in the private sector and industry associations). Conclusions: External knowledge sources are more important for small firms compared to medium firms, and those small firms are more likely to use various sets of external knowledge.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurial Resilience and Performance of an Organization: A Survey of Small and Medium Enterprises in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria

Webology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-461
Author(s):  
Ibini Emueje ◽  
Henry Odigwe Olannye ◽  
A.P. Olanye
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Research Survey ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Resilience is a vibrant process of adaptation which enables entrepreneurs to constantly direct a futuristic aspiration despite the volatile conditions of a market. The study examined entrepreneurial resilience on the performance of small and medium enterprises organization in Asaba, Delta State. The cross-sectional research survey research design method was employed. The study adopted the stratified random sampling technique. The sample size used was limited to 201 respondents. A structured questionnaire was the research instrument employed in the study. Descriptive statistics as well as multiple regression analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Findings showed overwhelmingly that resourcefulness, strategic diversity and pro-activeness has a substantial positive relationship with organizational performance. The study concluded that entrepreneurial resilience has a positive effect on organizational performance. The study result showed that resourcefulness has the highest affirmative effect on organizational performance. Thus, the study recommended that if enterprises understand the nature of the association amid the dimensions of entrepreneurial resilience, the failure rate of small and medium enterprises can be reduced.

scholarly journals Financial literacy training and micro insurance on the financial performance of SMEs in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 247-256
Author(s):  
Ciciana Amoah ◽  
John N. Mungai
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Government Regulations ◽  
Literacy Training ◽  
Micro Insurance ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

This research examines the effect of financial literacy training and micro insurance on the financial performance of Small and Medium Enterprises in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of Ghana. This study aims (i)to determine the effect of financial literacy training on the financial performance of SMEs, (ii) to establish the effect of microinsurance on the financial performance of SMEs; (iii) and to determine the moderating effect of government regulations on the relationship between financial literacy training, micro-insurance and the financial performance of SMEs. The study was based on the financial intermediation theory and Schumpeter’s theory of innovation. The study adopted an explanatory research design, using a sample size of 260 SMEs in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis, Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on financial literacy training, micro insurance, financial performance, and government regulations from SME owners and microfinance institutions. Analysis of the data collected revealed that both financial literacy training and micro-insurance had a positive and significant effect on the financial performance of SMEs. The study recommends that the management of microfinance institutions that provide financial literacy training and micro-insurance should undertake a survey on the needs of SMEs and the specific challenges they face in accessing microfinance services.

scholarly journals Learning from foreign operation modes: The virtuous path for innovation

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Villar ◽  
José Pla-Barber ◽  
Pervez Ghauri
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Operation Modes ◽  
Foreign Operation ◽  
Traditional Manufacturing ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Impact

In this article, we analyze the impact of learning from internationalization on small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) performance along different development paths. Drawing on the exploitation versus exploration logic, we use an alternative view of foreign operation modes (the learning perspective) to provide insights into the impact of such learning on technological and organizational innovation as well as overall performance. Our results, which are derived from a sample of 132 SMEs active in traditional manufacturing industries, point to a path to superior performance that entails resource-augmenting operation modes and organizational innovation. JEL CLASSIFICATION: O31; F23; L25; M10; M16

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