The effects of entrepreneurial orientation, social media, managerial ties on firm performance: Evidence from Vietnamese SMEs

This study examines the effects of entrepreneurial orientation, social media, and managerial ties on the business performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. In addition, the mediating effects of social media and managerial ties on the causal relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance is investigated. A total of 180 senior managers of SMEs were collected for data analysis by using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results reveal that entrepreneurial orientation strongly enhances social media and managerial ties, which are determinants of business performance. Specifically, entrepreneurial orientation has no direct impact on firm performance; but the mediating effects were confirmed. Based on the results, our study highlights some theoretical contributions and suggests practical implications for practitioners in Vietnamese SMEs to improve firm performance effectively and efficiently.

Project management methodology enhancement for the transport infrastructure facilities construction

The use of the current methodology of the systematic approach, which differs from the existing ones by the integration of methods for modeling multidirectional processes in construction, as a complex system, tested on the example of a bridge crossing, increases the efficiency of the project and determines the direction of rationalizing organizational and technological solutions. Currently, the most promising companies focus on customer satisfaction within a clearly defined deadline. Failing to complete the planned work on time is an important problem in the transport facilities construction business since it entails additional expenses, which accordingly reduces the organization’s profit. Today, it is important to use alternative methods and approaches that allow for more efficient and quality project management that take into account the real construction stages’ cost and duration. The main study idea is to improve the process companies support to increase management efficiency indicators in the transport facilities construction. The research is based on a systematic approach and software applied to construction processes. Managerial ties combination with correctly selected and used resources, in the presence of innovative technologies, will allow achieving visible results in the implementation of projects. Project management based on a systematic approach, using modern software, is recommended for implementation and use in construction organizations, as this allows you to optimize scheduling and increase economic performance, even in times of uncertainty; allows you to reduce the cost of the resources and, to reduce the construction time; take into account the risks of the project, as well as control and track the actual implementation of projects for the construction of transport infrastructure facilities.

Creating competitive advantage through network ties, entrepreneurial orientation and intellectual capital

PurposeThis study attempts to explore how a cultural and creative firm's competitive advantages can be maintained through the accumulation of intellectual capital and entrepreneurial orientation. Another goal of this study is to identify the different mechanisms of network ties to explore the interrelationships between organizational capital and competitive advantage in the context of Taiwan and China.Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 and study 2 settings are applied, and 786 samples (i.e., 418 samples from Taiwan and 368 samples from China) are used to examine the proposed model.FindingsStudy 1 reveals that entrepreneurial orientation may influence the organization capital through human capital and social capital, which discloses the mutual relationships of intellectual capital. Further, the results of study 2 confirm the mediating role of intellectual capital that links the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and competitive advantage. Specifically, this study also discovered that firms with more network or political ties (e.g. the Chinese samples) and business ties (e.g. the Taiwanese samples) tend to amplify the effects of organizational capital on competitive advantage.Practical implicationsAccording to our empirical results, cultural and creative managers should build a learning mechanism to encourage and develop entrepreneurial orientation and intellectual capital capacities and to provide means of understanding of customers' changing expectations. Hence, in enhancing entrepreneurial orientation and intellectual capital cultural and creative firms can develop a competitive advantage over competitors. Our findings also offer new insight to support further studies of the benefits of managerial ties for firms operating in Guanxi cultural settings in Chinese contexts.Originality/valueMost previous studies on tourism strategies have disregarded the impacts and different roles of government (e.g. political ties) and business (e.g. business ties) forces on cultural and creative firms' competitive advantages, suggesting a need to address social network issues in response to dynamic tourism environments. Therefore, this study examines differences in network ties and the differences observed between China and Taiwan in the context of Chinese cultural and creative firms.