THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOB SATISFACTION AND INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE OF IT EMPLOYEES

Purpose – The main purpose of this research paper is to investigate the correlation between job satisfaction of employees in the IT sector and their personal performance. Additionally, the study examines the overall level of employee satisfaction, as well as if job satisfaction levels differ significantly among the studied demographic groups. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on quantitative analysis of data collected through a questionnaire containing answers of 126 international respondents from over 25 different IT companies. The research methods used are one-dimensional methods for preliminary analysis, Cronbach alpha for reliability and consistency, one-way ANOVA for mean values comparison and correlation analysis for examining relationships. Findings – The findings show a moderate statistically significant correlation between job satisfaction and employees’ personal performance, which is bidirectional as influence and presumably depends on other variables like work engagement, motivation, stress or exhaustion, which were not examined in the current study. Additionally, most of the employees in the researched sample define themselves as satisfied with their jobs. Statistically significant variation of the mean job satisfaction levels was observed in two of the examined demographic variables – gender and years in the current position. Practical implications – The research results can be beneficial for different organizations since job satisfaction is important for employees’ long-term retention, for increasing their commitment and loyalty towards the organization, as well as for the creation of a motivating and productive work environment. Employees’ job satisfaction and their personal performance should always be considered main organizational values and key for achieving excellent business results and market leadership. Originality/value – The results of the current research are important for validating the position of these researchers, who claim that a positive correlation between an employees’ job satisfaction and their personal performance in the workplace exists and should not be neglected. Additionally, it contributes towards a better understanding of job satisfaction among IT employees.

Management by long-term development of a large company

The new methodological approach to study of market leadership which is based on long-term company development is developed in the monograph. The proposed methodological solution takes into account the manifestation of a complex of factors which are characteristic of world benchmark companies, as well as factors which are necessary to update the company's life cycle and determine the company's competitiveness in the conditions of knowledge economy. A system of indicators which are indicating the company's ability to occupy leading market positions and achieve other goals of various content has been proposed. Methods of revolutionary and evolutionary development are described. The importance of combining these methods during formulation the concept of company development is reflected. The approach of the world's best companies to setting corporate goals, forming a vision has been systematized, the corporate vision model has been proposed. The distinctive special aspects of the cultures of companies which are demonstrate the long-term sustainability are considered. The analysis of the important components of corporate culture, which are influence on the conditions for the development of the company was done. The total covered period by the research is 17 years. For students, graduate students, teachers of economic universities, heads of enterprises and entrepreneurs, as well as for those who are interested in business development strategy.

Chinese Firms’ Move to the Forefront in Digital Technologies

In the past two decades, China has achieved impressive progress and built competence in digital technology–enabled products, processes, business models, and hyperscale e-infrastructure. Driven by the globally largest internet user scale and fast catching up of information technologies, China’s strategy has been transformed from survival to growth and is transforming to market leadership. Now China has built its competence not only in telecommunication, consumer electronics, and PCs but also in some complex technology products like supercomputer systems. China has also witnessed the rise of hyperscale internet giants and the establishment of super e-commerce and mobile payment systems. However, there are still some great challenges that need to be overcome in some “bottleneck” technologies like the semiconductor and software sectors. China is thus seeking ways to move beyond the “global factory” model and cultivate its own technology-intensive industries and innovation capabilities. In the future, it is critical to maintain an open strategy among fierce global competition.

Dynamics of rice production among the food crops of Tanzania

Rice is an important crop in Tanzania which contributes significantly to the farmers, consumers, and the government. Recognising this importance, the government has made initiatives to attain rice self-sufficiency. These initiatives are crucial in contributing to regional self-sufficiency, enabling rice market leadership, and injecting productivity through significant improvements in the quality, quantity, and value of rice produced in Tanzania. We investigated the dynamics of rice area, production, and productivity and identified shifts in the land-use patterns in Tanzania. To analyse secondary data collected over a 33-year period from 1986/1987 to 2018/2019, we used compound annual growth rates, Cuddy-Della Valle Index and a first-order Markov chain approach. We found that the growth in the areas under rice cultivation, production and productivity were inconsistent as evidenced by the presence of instabilities. Rice remains the third most stable crop in the country in terms of area under production retention; however, this might decline in the next 2 years. Policies in future must enable strategies to increase productivity as well as promote high-yielding varieties, efficient input usage, and irrigation infrastructure development.

More than one road goes to Rome: Understanding the complex behavioral solutions of mobile money clientele from the lens of fsQCA

The study was commissioned to investigate the complex behavioral dispositions of the mobile money service industry in Ghana, and its associated operational challenges. To achieve this, the views of 417, participants were sampled via a structured survey instrument. Tosmana and AMOS Graphics were used to analyze the sample data. The findings of the study demonstrate that the behavioral dispositions of mobile money clientele can be explained through twelve complex solutions. The six-factor model of the study constructs produced an overall solution coverage of 0.94, and an overall solution consistency of 0.80. Furthermore, the AVE and Cronbach’s alpha statistics of the study constructs were found to be above the recommended threshold of > 0.5 and ≥ 0.7, respectively. Moreover, cyber fraud, risky service landscape, poor network, insufficient electronic funds, unforgiven competition, and low financial literacy were identified as the main challenges bedeviling the mobile money industry. It is therefore, recommended that mobile money service providers as a matter of urgency must devise strategies to arrest these challenges in order to heighten service quality in the industry. Again, to ensure market leadership within the mobile money service industry, managers must develop varied product offerings to meet customers’ expectation in each stratum of the twelve complex solutions as enshrined in the findings of the study. Citation: Ampaw, M. E., Adu-Sackey, A., Baffoe, S., Frempong, J., Nbolen, M. N. A. and Azaare, J. (2021). More than one road goes to Rome: Understanding the complex behavioral solutions of mobile money clientele from the lens of fsQCA. International Journal of Technology and Management Research (IJTMR), Vol. 6 (2): Pp.1－20. Received: January 3, 2021Accepted: September 1, 2021

AMBIDEXTROUS INNOVATION IN STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES IN INDIA: THE ROLE OF NEW ENTRANTS, TECHNOLOGICAL DISCONTINUITY, AND KNOWLEDGE NETWORKS

This study examines the effects of competitive pressure by new entrants and technological discontinuity on the strategic innovations adopted by incumbent state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in India. Due to government ownership, these firms are dominant players domestically and their market leadership is challenged by new entrants. Technological discontinuity challenges technology leadership. Incumbent firms develop knowledge networks by working with partners, suppliers, and buyers. The incumbent firms must strike a balance between the exploitation of current technology and the exploration of new technology. This study aims to understand the effect of new entrants and technological discontinuity on the exploitation and exploration strategies of Indian SOEs in the manufacturing sector. The quantitative analysis is carried out using partial least squares structural equation modeling. For Indian SOEs, the technological discontinuity does affect exploitation and exploration, but new entrants have no such effect. The study confirms the moderating effect of knowledge networks on exploitation.

A synthetic indicator of market leaders in the crowdlending sector

PurposeThis study contributes to the limited literature on crowdlending by providing a data-driven analysis of the sector. A synthetic DP2 indicator is proposed to identify the leaders of the crowdlending market, the key factors behind their success and the medium-term competitive implications.Design/methodology/approachThe study examines 17 crowdlending platforms and eight performance indicators. The information provided by these indicators is aggregated using a synthetic indicator based on the P2 Distance (DP2) method.FindingsMintos, Evoestate, Peerberry, Bondster and Fellow Finance are the leading platforms. This method reveals the key variables in the identification of market leaders, namely year-on-year variation in the number of investors and year-on-year variation in lending per investor. The leaders in terms of lending volumes should not take their current situation for granted. Small and medium-sized platforms are pushing hard and may overtake the incumbents as market leaders.Practical implicationsFinancial intermediation through crowdlending is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional models. Changes in the sector are expected in the coming years due to the rise of platforms with a moderate amount of lending and solid year-on-year improvement. To become leaders and to attract both lenders and borrowers, platforms are encouraged to improve the information that they provide.Originality/valueThis paper offers the first analysis of market leadership in the crowdlending sector. It analyses the competitive market of the crowdlending sector based on its actors and key factors. These factors explain the differences in the market position of different platforms. Based on this analysis, the trends in this sector can be identified. This study is exploratory, so it offers empirical data that can be useful in the development of theories that apply to the sector.

Zolostays: competing in Indian co-living space

Learning outcomes The key learning objectives are mentioned as follows: to understand the attractiveness of the co-living sector using Michael Porter’s five forces model; to do competitive analysis of ZOLO by understanding its objectives, strengths and weaknesses; to understand various competitive strategies which ZOLO’s competitors could apply against it; and to understand application of various defense strategies, which ZOLO would follow to retain its market leader position. Case overview/synopsis ZoloStays (ZOLO) was an Indian real-tech start-up based in Bengaluru. It was in the business of co-living, i.e. providing affordable accommodation for students and young professionals who had to leave their home and temporarily settle in other cities in search for jobs or education. ZOLO had grown 300% and had served over 50,000 customers across 10 Indian cities, since its inception in 2015. It had claimed to be the largest co-living brand in India in FY 2019. Nikhil Sikri (Sikri), who was a Co-founder of ZOLO, had big plans of expanding the firm to a million beds in 5 years. However, increasing awareness of a huge untapped market in the co-living sector had led to entry of a flurry of competitors. Notable among them were Nestaway, Colive, StayAbode, CoHo and OYO Life. Facing such intense competition Sikri had the challenge to be able to sustain his company’s early momentum. How would he retain ZOLO’s market leadership position? What would be the best strategy to achieve further growth? Should ZOLO diversify into allied services or apply a more focused strategy? Sikri was facing all these challenging questions and had to quickly address them to continue to lead in this competitive race. Complexity/academic level The case can be taught in advanced undergraduate, MBA or executive-level programs dealing with marketing. This case study helps students in dealing with issues pertaining to a given market sector where a firm is operating, the strategies that could be used by the competitors and application of competitive strategies which the firm can apply. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing