Enhancing Competitive Capabilities of Healthcare SCM through the Blockchain: Big Data Business Model’s Viewpoint

This study emphasizes the necessity of introducing a blockchain-based joint logistics system to strengthen the competency of medical supply chain management (SCM) and tries to develop a healthcare supply chain management (HSCM) competency measurement item through an analytic hierarchy process. The variables needed for using blockchain-based joint logistics are the performance expectations, effort expectations, promotion conditions, and social impact of the UTAUT model, and the HSCM competency results in increased reliability and transparency, enhanced SCM, and enhanced scalability. Word cloud results, analyzing the most important considerations to realize work efficiency among medical industry-related agencies, mentioned numerous words, including sudden situations, delivery, technology trust, information sharing, effectiveness, urgency, etc. This might imply the need to establish a system that can respond immediately to emergency situations during holidays. It could also suggest the importance of real-time information sharing to increase the efficiency of inventory management. Therefore, there is a need of a business model that can increase the visibility of real-time medical SCM through big data analysis. By analyzing the importance of securing reliability based on the blockchain technology in the establishment of a supply chain network for HSCM competency, we reveal that joint logistics can be achieved and synergistic effects can be created by implementing the integrated database to secure HSCM competency. Strengthening partnerships, such as joint logistics, will eventually lead to HSCM competency. In particular, HSCM should seek ways to upgrade its competitive capabilities through big data analysis based on the establishment of a joint logistics system.

Methodological Support of the Competitiveness Management of the Machine-Building Complex of the Republic of Belarus on the Basis of the Strategic Business Units Creation

In the context of a rapidly changing economic reality, the management of large industrial complexes at the macro level has been become increasingly complex and difficult to predict. Directly, the ability to find, create, and combine new and existing conceptual foundations of management policy that have not been used before, but take into account the trends and features of certain socio-economic systems provides an opportunity to develop and create a flexible, adaptive management competitive mechanism that allows, depending on the circumstances, both to re-develop the system from the inside and adjust it to the existing conditions of the macro-environment. Thus, management becomes the main strategic resource that ensures the competitive advantage of the socio-economic system, as well as its’ “survival”, adaptation, transformation and development. The machine-building complex of the Republic of Belarus is an example of a multidimensional volumetric socio-economic system that requires large management costs to increase and strengthen its competitive capabilities and potential. This article is devoted directly to the development of methodological tools for managing the competitiveness of the machine-building complex of the Republic of Belarus, taking into account the features and conditions of its functioning.

Sustainable Practices Through Competitive Capabilities in the Apparel Industry: Sri Lankan Experience

The study aims to explore competitive capabilities that enable sustainability practices in the Apparel Industry in the Sri Lankan context. It employs an exploratory approach using the case study method. The study discloses six competitive capabilities: organizational climate, operational flexibility, technological competency, alliance and partnership, knowledge sharing, and learning capabilities which drives twenty-four sustainable practices explored in ten categories: water conservation, energy conservation, carbon footprint reduction, fabric waste management, use of environment-friendly materials, controlling mechanism for suppliers, controlling mechanism for leasing/sub-contracting manufacturing plants, reduce the polluted air release, transportation, and ensuring the well-being of the people. Companies in the apparel industry should inculcate a supportive organizational climate, maintain operational flexibility, invest in required technology, maintain healthy relationships in the supply chain, share knowledge and encourage learning to adopt sustainable practices in the Apparel Industry. This study is the first to explore the specific competitive capabilities that bring respective sustainable practices in the Apparel Industry in a South Asian country.

AN ANALYSIS OF COMPETITIVE CAPABILITIES AND ACCOMMODATION PERFORMANCE FOR SMALL AND MEDIUMSIZED ACCOMMODATIONS (SMSAs) IN EAST-COAST OF MALAYSIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The COVID -19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented threat to the hospitality industry. Numerous hospitality firms have been impacted by strategies used to flatten the COVID-19 curve. Hospitality firms are required to significantly alter their operations in the COVID-19 business climate in order to secure industry survival and to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. As a result, this study focuses on small and medium-sized accommodations (SMSAs) on Malaysia’s East Coast, which are particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The study of SMSAs on Malaysia’s East Coast discovered that marketing and human resource management contribute significantly to accommodation performance, while the other two factors have a negligible effect on accommodation performance during this pandemic, as determined by multiple regression analysis.

Latent classes of accounting outsourcing firms

Purpose Outsourcing of accounting increasingly attracts research interest, but research concerning the impact of the benefits of outsourcing on firm capabilities and performance across firms remains limited. This paper aims to reveal the unobservable latent classes of firms that outsource their accounting functions by testing a research model concerning the topic. Design/methodology/approach The authors build on accounting outsourcing research and adapt a research model from the literature on business services outsourcing. The authors analyze the data from 261 small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe using finite mixture structural equation modeling (FMSEM) and additional methods. Findings The authors reveal three latent classes with different research models. Thriving outsourcers (N = 103) have a positive attitude toward accounting outsourcing and associate competitive capabilities with mediating the relationship from outsourcing benefits to firm performance. Annoyed outsourcers (N = 143) are dissatisfied with their accounting service provider and only associate outsourcing benefits with competitive capabilities. Convenient outsourcers (N = 15) feel comfortable with their current accounting service provider and associate outsourcing benefits with neither capabilities nor with firm performance. Research limitations/implications The study initiates the discussion about the unobservable heterogeneity among accounting outsourcers. The study introduces the use of the FMSEM method in accounting outsourcing research. Practical implications The study offers novel insights concerning accounting outsourcers and proposes original explanations for their outsourcing decisions that would help both the outsourcers and accounting service providers. Originality/value The study might be the first to categorize accounting outsourcers using FMSEM.

Relational Capital and Manufacturing Capability: The Role of Knowledge Transfer in Small and Medium Enterprises Manufacturing Sector

Knowledge transfer is a vital component in the growth and advancement of any industry. Manufacturing SMEs, who played a major role in a nation’s economy, relied heavily on relational capital need to capitalise on this resource to further enhance their competitiveness. One of the proposed methods is through knowledge transfer. Hence, this study endeavors to analyse the relationship between relational capital and knowledge transfer, and the role of knowledge transfer as the mediator between relational capital and competitive capabilities in the area of competitive pricing and quality. This study proposes that firms that promote knowledge transfer in their organisations will have improved competitive capabilities than firms that do not. Using the result from a total sample of 145 manufacturing SMEs survey showed that the relationship between a firm’s relational capital has a positive and significant relationship with knowledge transfer. Also, the study found that knowledge transfer played the role of mediator between relational capital and competitive capabilities in relation to the quality, but not for competitive pricing.

The Impact of strategic Agility on the SMEs competitive capabilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain

With a highly uncertain and changing business environment, the typical way of planning a business is not particularly useful in different organizations worldwide. The current literature explores the concept of strategic Agility based on the idea of flexible planning and implementation and can pivot direction at the time of crises. Three main theories underpinning these concepts are contingency-based theory, resource-based theory, and Dynamic capability theory. These theories have one common point of view: enterprises' ability to cope with unexpected changes, survive unprecedented threats from the business environment, and take advantage of changes as opportunities. The literature has identified various variables that impact the adoption of strategic Agility in the organization, including strategic sensitivity, Resource fluidity, and Leadership unity. Some studies in the literature have found these variables as dimensions of strategic Agility. Further, the literature discussed how competitiveness could be achieved through strategic Agility at times of crisis, particularly in SMEs, which are highly prone to external problems due to limited resources and budgets.

Sustainable Manufacturing Practices, Competitive Capabilities, and Sustainable Performance: Moderating Role of Environmental Regulations

Research highlights the increasing engagement of SMEs in adopting sustainable practices to enhance their sustainable performance. This paper extends the current literature on sustainable manufacturing practices (SMPs) and SMEs’ sustainable performance by examining the mediating effect of competitive capabilities and the moderating impact of environmental regulation. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 288 manufacturing SMEs in China. Research findings using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) revealed that adopting SMPs enables SMEs to gain competitive capabilities and to positively influence their sustainable performance. In addition, gaining competitive capabilities have a positive mediating impact on the relationship between SMPs and SMEs’ sustainable performance. Further, the interaction between SMPs and environmental regulation strengthens SMEs’ sustainable performance. At the end of this paper, a set of concluding remarks and implications is drawn.

The Importance of Endogenous Resources for Internationalization: Competitive Advantages in the Olive Groves of Southern Spain

The general objective of this paper was to determine how companies in the olive sector could convert the comparative advantages of olive-growing regions (e.g., culture, tradition, raw materials, knowledge, infrastructure, networks, technological centers, etc.) into competitive advantages, to internationalize, in an accelerated way, and become born global firms, contributing to economic, social, and sustainable development of regions. Thus, we analyzed four cases of exporting companies in this sector (two born global and two non-born global) in southern Spain (Jaén). We chose this province because it is the world’s leading producer of olive oil and, yet it is only the fourth largest exporter compared to the rest of Spain. For the case study, we conducted (and recorded) personal, semi-structured interviews with the founders/managers or individuals in charge of internationalization. To obtain our results, we used a data sheet that included an action protocol, we analyzed each case individually, and we employed sensemaking and pattern-matching techniques to add validity and reliability to the research. Finally, we proposed the “keys” for these companies to go international in an accelerated way, as it would increase their competitiveness, foster the creation of employment, develop networks between companies, boost investment in innovation, etc. The results indicate that it is necessary to follow market orientation, networking, and international entrepreneurship strategies, and that intellectual capital (human, organizational, relational, and technological) of companies (and, therefore, of regions) will be the means through which competitive capabilities are achieved.