SMEs’ resilience from continuous improvement lenses

Purpose The business environment is increasingly volatile, complex, uncertain and ambiguous. Today, COVID-19 represents a super-disruption situation. This paper aims to explore small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) resilience from continuous improvement lenses. It explores the role of continuous improvement in building organizational resilience across SMEs. Design/methodology/approach A Delphi methodology has been adopted to capture evidence and opinions from 38 experts from several Jordan-based SMEs through three-online rounds. Findings The study finds that continuous improvement enhances SMEs’ resilience in the short term and long term. It can translate the concept of resilience into tangible working constructs for SMEs in visualizing and making decisions about their risks, adapting, absorbing changes and prevailing over time. The role of continuous improvement in building organizational resilience is fourfold; continuous improvement is a cyclical process; it has a vital cultural aspect and can be considered a business philosophy. It also emphasizes a holistic change approach based on small but constant changes. However, SMEs’ leaders must consider several issues for effective continuous improvement, including a continuous improvement culture and a results-focused approach. Originality/value Organizational resilience has been studied across various contexts; however, there are still unanswered questions for SMEs’ resilience. This study contributes to theory and practice by examining the role of continuous improvement in SMEs’ resilience.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Philosophies among Hungarian Business Students

This study attempts to identify a relationship between the perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the business philosophies (Machiavellianism, moral objectivism, legalism, ethical relativism, social Darwinism) among Hungarian business students. The goals of the investigations are (1) to explore the perception of CSR, (2) to analyze which business philosophies describe the students, and (3) to characterize typical patterns by means of cluster analysis. The data collection was performed by means of a self-administered, voluntary online survey including the Attitudes Toward Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) instrument. Grouping effects were tested with non-parametric analysis of variance; cluster analysis used the K-Means method. The research sample consisted of 865 responses. Machiavellianism was found to be the most dominant business philosophy among the respondents. The cluster analysis shows three patterns, namely (1) CSR believers, (2) large business-oriented, and (3) skeptic. The correlations between CSR perception and business philosophy scores confirm the relationship assumed. The understanding of the value system of the students allows targeted curriculum development for the higher education institutions and, as a result, a more effective approach to CSR applications. Moreover, the result on business philosophies itself provides a contribution to cross-national contribution in the field. Future research should include the extension of the analysis to other students and business practitioners.

Understanding Consumer Sentiments Towards Marketing: An Investigation in Indian Context

Consumers constitute one of the most important elements of marketing environment. Understanding their sentiments towards marketing practices is a sine qua non for the development of effective marketing strategies, thus garnering their patronage, and attaining improved business performance. Based on Gaski and Etzel’s (1986) framework, the present study attempts to investigate consumer sentiments towards marketing in India and compare the results with those of consumers in select other countries. Analysis of the data collected through a survey of consumers located in Delhi and the NCR region reveals consumers to be holding moderately favourable opinion that business firms pursue customer-oriented business philosophy. As regards marketing mix elements, retailing/selling emerges as the element towards which consumers have expressed the most positive sentiments. Practices in relation to advertising and product come next in order of favourability in consumer perceptions. Pricing is the variable for which consumers appear holding the least favourable opinion. In overall terms, though the consumer sentiments towards marketing in India are found only moderately favourable, these turn out to be relatively much more favourable when compared with those of consumers in other countries.

Perception of Internal Communication in the District Municipality of Yauca, Province of Caraveli, Arequipa, 2020 [Percepción de la Comunicación Interna en la Municipalidad Distrital de Yauca, Provincia de Caraveli, Arequipa, 2020]

The objective of the research was to know some factors that are directly related to the internal communication District Municipality of Yauca, Caraveli province, Arequipa. Among the main results, the predisposition to dialogue is a fundamental factor of internal dialogue, finding that 53.3% agree and totally agree, 20.0% neither agree nor disagree, another 20.0% disagree, and a 6.7% disagree with the existence of the dialogue. Interpersonal communication constitutes a dimension through which our condition as people is reaffirmed, it was found that 80% agree and totally agree, 13.3% neither agree nor disagree, and 6.7% disagree with this interpersonal communication. The development of empathy is the ability to understand a person's feelings and emotions, 40% agree and totally agree, 26.7% expressed that they neither agree nor disagree, 33.3% answered that they disagree and totally agree disagreement with the development of empathy. Reaching the conclusion that internal communication is an important strategic factor in the social sphere and in organizations, because its application and the management of institutional information can adequately transmit to employees and make them aware of the objectives, strategic values, institutional policies, the business philosophy, aspects that are the essence of the organization.

Fresh Fruit Time based on STP analysis and statistics method (Changchun) Word-of-mouth marketing strategy research

At this stage, the beverage market has become the Red Sea. HEYTEA, Naixue’s Tea at the top, and Michelle Ice City, which occupies third- and fourth-tier cities, account for most of the total market. How to gain a competitive advantage in the beverage market where competition is fierce and marketing methods tend to be consistent is a problem that Fresh Fruit Time (Changchun) needs to solve. This paper analyzes the existing marketing mix of Fresh Fruit Time (Changchun) and finds that it has shortcomings in word-of-mouth marketing. With the help of STP analysis and statistics method, combined with Fresh Fruit Time’s product characteristics and business philosophy, it identifies young white- collar women as the target market, positioning a healthy and comfortable buying environment, and proposing word-of-mouth marketing suggestions for creating topical events through related media, viral communication and search marketing optimization. The combination of STP and statistics method is an innovation, making statistical methods more realistic.

Transformation of Ukrainian Automotive Industry in the Context of Electromobility: Applying the Experience of Visegrad States

2009 has marked the start of a decline in Ukrainian automotive industry. Its volumes neared insignificancy in 2020. The authors consider the issue of the industry’s revival in the national economy. The basis of the concept is the creation of enterprises for the production of electric vehicles, including components, semi-finished products and accessories to them. It is suggested that investors can be attracted by developing cooperation of legislative and governmental institutions and local governments with world market leaders and taking measures to improve the national indicators in terms of the ease of doing business. It is proposed to focus the business philosophy of new enterprises on the use of vehicles rather than the field of production, as has been the case since the invention of the automobile. The choice of innovative areas should take into account the megatrends and use individualization, urbanization, artificial intelligence, mobility, digital culture, cooperation with other industries, offers of additional goods and services as its foundations.

System Theory Approach as a Basis of Strategic Management

The introductory article to the special issue “The Strategic Management in the Context of Dynamic Complexity” substantiates that models and representations of the theory of complex systems are becoming the most relevant science-based background, which allows us to respond to the challenges of our time. The increasing complexity of social and economic development processes, accompanied by uncertainties, instabilities, unexpected turns, digitalization in the economy and the birth of Industry 4.0, the growing importance of network structures in business activity, new environmental standards associated with the need to switch to circular processes in the economy - all this requires changes in the management strategies of firms and corporations. Unconditional advantages are received by those firms that embed the principles of systemic, holistic, and non-linear thinking in their business philosophy.

MULTINATIONAL CORPORATE RELATIONS IN JAPANESE COMPANY TOYOTA WITH OVERLOOK ON COOPERATION WITH PHILIPPINES

This paper aims to consider the issue of the special management and production model developed at Toyota, and its contribution to the development of other economies in the world, with special reference to production in the Philippines. Japan was the first country in Asia to embark on a path of modernization and as such, became a model for the surrounding countries. The Philippines is one of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region that followed the path of change and adopted the Kaizen philosophy. Japan has influenced more widely, globally, all companies in the world that strive to conduct this way of doing business in their own environment. Toyota's business philosophy and the application of kaizen as a new model of corporate governance has become synonymous with quality corporate governance around the world and has influenced the establishment of new laws in the field of economy, culture and society, in a global context.

POSITIVE VALUE OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC FOR MSMEs: A CASE STUDY IN YOGYAKARTA

The research entitled the positive value of the covid-19 pandemic for MSMEs in Yogyakarta City was motivated by the covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia, starting with the findings of Covid-19 sufferers on March 2, 2020 to April 18, 2020, 6,248 confirmed positive cases of Covid-19 with 631 recovered cases and 535 died cases. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has established various policies such as social distancing, PSBB, learning-working-worshiping at home. The impact of the policy was that various social, tourism and economic activities stagnated. The impact of this stagnation has an impact on MSME actors in general, including MSMEs in Yogyakarta. A qualitative research approach is a case study of MSME actors who are gathered in the home business camp (HBC) and Karang Mitra Usaha (KaMU) in Yogyakarta City. Data were collected through interviews via social media, observation and literature study. Qualitative data analysis used the Creswell 2016 technique. The conclusion of the research was that the reasons behind positive thinking for MSMEs as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic were religious, psychological and educational factors. So that MSME players can take lessons by innovating, evaluating business and developing creativity. Suggestions in research, this research needs to be continued with wider informance and post-Covid-19 MSME actors need to be strengthened through disaster management training for advanced creativity development, psychology, entrepreneurial religiosity and business philosophy. Keywords: positive value, COVID-19 pandemic, MSMEs Yogyakarta