Effects of Top Management Team Characteristics on Patent Strategic Change and Firm Performance

Patent strategy is increasingly recognized as a vital contributor in promoting core competitiveness of an enterprise. A top management team (TMT) has been indicated as one of the key factors driving changes in patent strategy. Based on upper echelons theory, this study examines how TMT characteristics, including, team diversity, emotional intelligence, and safety climate, influence enterprise patent strategic change and, hence, the business outcome. The data from 930 top managers in 228 enterprises showed that the changes in patent strategies are significantly influenced by the characteristics of top managers. These aforementioned internal TMT factors have diverse effects on the speed and scope of the enterprise patent strategic change, which in turn affects firm performance in a positive and negative way, respectively.

Internationalisation strategies of emerging market firms: evidence from Sarawak, Malaysia

Purpose This study aims to explore the internationalisation paths and strategies adopted by firms from an emerging market and serves as a step towards examining the suitability of prevailing internationalisation theories in the context of emerging market firms. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a qualitative methodology and gathered data through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 top managers of internationalised firms from the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. Data were analysed thematically. Findings The results revealed that the internationalisation strategies of firms from Sarawak can be classified under three main categories: motivations and markets, modes and measures. The constraints the firms faced were important determinants of their internationalisation strategies. The internationalisation paths and strategies of the firms were also found to exhibit both similarities to and deviations from the tenets of prevailing internationalisation theories. Originality/value The study contributes knowledge to the literature of both internationalisation theories and internationalisation strategies of emerging markets, in particular, it advances Fey et al.’s (2016) Five M Framework.

The Use of Employee Financial Participation in Lithuanian Companies

The chapter analyses the use of employee financial participation in Lithuanian companies. The methodology of current research is based on the qualitative research method and analysis of the company's documents. In a total of 19 semi-structured individual anonymous interviews and one focus group were conducted with competent representatives of the companies – heads of human resources and finance departments of companies, heads of legal departments or top managers of law firms representing them. According to the research findings, employers set different goals for share and profit-sharing programs or measures. Among the already examined, high, long-term employee motivation dominates. It also includes aspects of employee involvement in management, strengthening loyalty, forming a sense of ownership. The Scandinavian capital corporation, which manages several companies in Lithuania and applies for a share ownership program, has succeeded in achieving its goals by strengthening employee motivation and involvement.

The Adoption and Utilization of Electronic Business in Response to Global Economy during COVID-19

The COVID-19 epidemic has triggered unmatched impairment to businesses globally. There are unmeasurable financial influences in the short-term and long-term and have causes intangible destruction within businesses. This study investigates the adoption and utilization of e-business during COVID-19 by both organizations and the general populaces. The study used a questionnaire-based survey to collect data from top managers of business organizations and their clients. SPSS was used to analyze the adoption factors. The outcomes presented that embracing e-business can assist to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and can reduce the physical ways of doing business. The findings of this study will help strategy makers, companies, and officials in making better decisions on the implementation of e-business. This will reduce the rapid spread of community transmission since ordering goods and services can easily be done virtually without physical contact, which goes in line with the social distance policy and in return boost the country’s economy

Leveraging Green IoT and Blockchain Technology in the Era of Transformative Digitalization

This study focuses on the role of new blockchain technology in the green IoT ecosystem, highlights essential aspects for developing a green IoT ecosystem, and investigates how blockchain technology contributes to a greener IoT environment. Data from 360 Peruvian (Latin American) SME top managers (two informants from each of 180 SMEs) were quantitatively analyzed using Smart PLS 3.0 (SEM) and SPSS V25. The purpose of this study was to look into the direct impact of attitude, knowledge, and perceived ease of use on blockchain technology adoption for green energy usage. These three parameters' indirect effects on perceived feasibility were also evaluated. The investigations demonstrated a positive and significant association between blockchain technology adoption and perceived ease of use for green energy usage. There is no typical link between green energy usage attitudes and blockchain technology adoption. Furthermore, the data revealed that perceived feasibility mediates the impact between attitude and knowledge and blockchain technology adoption for green energy usage.

Integrative Model of Strategic Environmental Scanning based on Crises Management Approach

The aim of this study is to examine the way top managers scan environmental conditions to diagnose and interpret issues during periods of crisis. Despite each of these processes being widely and individually represented in the research literature, there is a lack of integrative models that examine their internal dynamics in-depth. In this study, structural equation modeling methodology (EQS 6.3) was applied to a sample of 120 top managers to examine how the cognitive orientation of scanning (rational vs. intuitive analysis of environment) may influence final issue categorizations. The overall findings of the current study show that strategic Environmental Scanning is conducted in UNRWA and has a stoical relation with crises management. This relation is weak and need to be strengthen especially during and after the crisis. The study suggest that strategic Environmental Scanning must be conducted permanently for external and internal environment to help UNRWA developing its strategic planning and to be to prepared to deal with potential crises in the future. Keywords: Strategic Environmental Scanning, Crises Management, UNRWA

Digital transformation of management system of institutions of additional education of schoolchildren

The article focuses on studying the modern trends of digital transformation of the management system of institutions of additional education of schoolchildren. Theoretical and methodological provisions have been scientifically substantiated and practical recommendations have been developed to improve the management system of additional education of schoolchildren in the context of digital transformations. It is proved that the institution of extracurricular education is also a community characterized by dedication, formal and informal structures, autonomy, cyclicality, freedom of choice of extracurricular activities. For the first time it was proposed to use a system-cybernetic approach to the strategic management of institutions of additional education of schoolchildren based on the procedural model of strategic management and the information management system, tested in the management system of Russian Childrenʼs Center “Ocean”. It is proved that Management Information Systems (MIS) uses the information necessary for top managers at all levels in making operational, tactical and strategic decisions. The advantages and positive factors for institutions of the sphere of additional education of schoolchildren from the introduction of MIS within the boundaries of the procedural model of strategic management are highlighted. The characteristic features of the management activities of the subjects of management of institutions of additional education of schoolchildren are outlined. There are presented the management models, the knowledge of which will provide the heads of organizations of extracurricular education with data on selecting MIS. The importance of further development of the theory, methodology and practice in the strategic management of additional education of schoolchildren in the context of digital transformations has been proved.

Defence mechanisms as predictors of trust and positive relationships in top management teams

BACKGROUND: Top managers are heavily exposed to strong negative emotions due to the difficult decisive situations that they experience and the persistent pressure of time and uncertainty. At the same time, the relationships they build within TMTs shape their decisions, experiences and reactions at work. The paper refers to defence mechanisms as relatively persistent means of individual response to unwanted emotions and affects. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the paper is to examine the defence mechanisms of TMT members as antecedents of perceived trustworthiness of other team members and positive relationships in the team. METHODS: The empirical study was conducted in a sample of 123 members of top management teams representing furniture industry companies in Poland. RESULTS: The results show that defence mechanisms determine TMT members’ perception of trustworthiness of other team-members and that perceived trustworthiness mediates the relation between the defence mechanisms of TMT members and their evaluation of relationships within a team. CONCLUSIONS: The study explains links between individual characteristics of TMT members and processes within the teams. It contributes to upper echelon theory and literature on trust and positive relationships at work. It also contributes to the line of research introducing unconscious processes and emotions to management studies.

DIFFERENCES IN BUSINESS RISK EFFECTS ON THE FUTURE OF SMEs DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The article aims to identify, analyze, and quantify disparities in the impact of entrepreneurial risks on the future of small and medium-sized enterprises in the business environment of the Czech Republic in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was carried out on 814 SMEs in two phases. 454 SMEs participated in the first phase of the research, which took part before the COVID-19 pandemic. 360 SMEs took part in the second research phase during the pandemic. Statistical methods such as correlation analysis and linear regression modeling were applied to evaluate statistical hypotheses. The results yielded interesting findings. According to respondents, the three most significant business risks in the SME segment include market, financial, and personnel risk in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneurs saw the adequacy of sales and financial performance of the business as key determinants that impact the future of SMEs over a 5-year horizon. Conversely, during the COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneurs perceived the management of the company's personnel performance, financial performance, and ability to manage financial risk as determinants that affect the future of SMEs over five years. According to owners and top managers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the most significant factor is the adequacy of personnel risk in SMEs.On the one hand, the findings benefit the owners themselves and the top managers of SMEs. On the other hand, government institutions and organizations that decide on government measures promote a penetrating environment. Also, the non-profit sector (e.g. Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic) assists SMEs in their edible activities and activities.