Influence of Gender Diversity in Boards on Family and Non-family Businesses Towards Innovation and Creativity

This article aims to understand better the impact of the diversity of gender in boards on the innovation and creativity of companies in the context of the structure of business—family businesses and non-family businesses. Based on women’s participation in decision-making and family firm literature, we argue that women directors/executives’ impact on decision-making will rely on their relative power and credibility within the board. These dynamics are especially crucial, bringing creativity to family firm’s boardrooms as well. The results show that increases in innovation and creativity with women’s presence in family firms’ boards are due mainly to outsider non-family and insider family women directors/executives. Even after the division of women directors into independent and non-independent directors, the finding suggests that women independent directors have an impact on the company’s innovations. Conversely, women chair minimal effects on the innovation and creativity advances of the businesses. Furthermore, In the family business, the influence of women managers and women independent managers on the innovation and creativity of a company is slightly stronger.

Entrepreneurial Start-up Motivations and Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tanzania: The Role of Entrepreneur’s Personality Traits

This study aims to analyze the mediating effect of personality traits in the relationship between entrepreneurial start-up motivations and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) growth. A gap has been identified in the literature, particularly in the indirect association of critical factors that may be beneficial to the growth of SMEs. In this study, a cross-sectional survey design was used because data were collected once in a time. Furthermore, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze data obtained from 367 SMEs’ owners. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial start-up motivations such as a desire for achievement, financial rewards, social recognition and a desire for independence are positively and significantly related to SMEs’ growth. Also, entrepreneurial start-up motivations positively and significantly influence personality traits among entrepreneurs. It was found that there is a significant link between personality traits and the SMEs’ growth. Additionally, the findings indicate that personality traits mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial start-up motivations and SMEs’ growth. The study’s findings have implications for the practices and theories in the entrepreneurship context.

Customer Digital Engagement and Lifetime Value: An Empirical Study of Telecom Services in India

Digitalization has posed severe challenges to traditional businesses. Traditional firms are still not sure of the benefits of digitally engaging their customers. In contrast, the new-age firms have successfully leveraged digital media. This article examines the relationship between digital adoption by customers and customer lifetime value (CLV). This study analysed the mobile recharges by 13 million rural and urban prepaid telecom customers over 60 million transactions from January 2019 to June 2019 in the Indian telecom industry. The computed predictive CLV has been computed and compared across various customer segments (digitally engaged, partially digitally engaged and digitally unengaged customers). The studied data were statistically validated using the Kruskal–Wallis test. The data proved to be non-normally distributed as per the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. The results supported that digital adoption helps increase customer engagement, loyalty and CLV. The study presents several managerial implications, such as digitally engaged customers being a surrogate for high value and more profitable customers. Also, digitally engaged customers are relatively more loyal, contributing higher CLV than digitally unengaged customers.

The Effect of Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Capital on Knowledge, Service and Leadership Excellence: Knowledge Sharing and Trust as Moderators

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) and psychological capital (PsyCap) on knowledge–service–leadership (KSL) excellence. A conceptual model is developed to explore knowledge sharing as the moderator in EI and PsyCap. Further, the study explores trust as a moderator in the relationship between PsyCap and KSL excellence. Using a structured survey instrument, this article gathered data from 963 faculty members working in various colleges and universities in three cosmopolitan cities (Chennai, Coimbatore and Tiruchirappalli) in the southern part of India. The hierarchical regression results reveal that (a) EI is positively and significantly related to PsyCap, (b) knowledge sharing moderates the relationship between EI and PsyCap, (c) PsyCap is positively related to KSL excellence, (d) trust moderates the relationship between PsyCap and KSL excellence and (e) PsyCap as a mediator in the relationship between EI and knowledge and leadership excellence. The findings underscore the importance of EI, PsyCap, knowledge sharing and trust in achieving excellence in educational institutions. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Application of AHP in Aerospace Configuration Management

Aerospace products undergo frequent modifications throughout their product life cycle due to changes in requirements, technology, policy or environmental concerns. These modifications/changes are dealt with through configuration management (CM), which is a techno-managerial function. Conflicting interests of teams involved, complexity due to a long product life cycle spanning over years, R&D nature and techno-political compromises often end up in sub-optimal decisions during aerospace product development. In this article, an attempt is made to apply a scientific method to CM decision-making rather than leave it to techno-political compromises. The CM decision-making is modelled as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem and is solved using analytic hierarchy process (AHP). As an example, the CM change proposal on propellant tank material in aerospace is taken up and solved using the model. The authors believe that results of the study will also pave way for substitute development with improved attributes, realized through advances in technologies such as nanotechnology and additive manufacturing, as mentioned in directions for future research.

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.

Dimensions of Psychological Well-being and Subjective Happiness in the New Normal: An Exploration

The pandemic has brought in unprecedented changes in societies across the globe. It has altered the equilibrium and forced individuals to move out of their comfort zone, leading to disturbance in psychological well-being in the new normal (Kuster, 2021). This empirical study examines the effect of psychological well-being (PWB) on subjective happiness (SH) of students of higher educational institutions (HEIs) during the global pandemic. Total of 290 students of HEIs were administered with the PWB questionnaire and SH questionnaire. The relationship between the variables was examined using multiple regression. The results indicated that the SH levels of the sample were above average (M = 19.76). SH was found to be more in women. No gender difference was found in PWB levels. The findings also revealed that improving PWB will positively influence the SH (r = 0.581) of the students. PWB can explain 32% variation of SH. Self-acceptance (p = .01), autonomy (p = .01), positive relationships with others (p = .03), and personal growth (p = .002) increases the feeling of SH. The findings validate the set point theory that while recent life events influence SH, individuals tend to return to natural set point over a period in time. The findings add to the repertoire of research on PWB and SH in the context of Set point theory. Study findings can help in strategizing the student counselling process as well as curriculum design of HEIs to ensure greater SH of its stakeholders.

Effect of Deficit Financing on Economic Growth in Bangladesh: Cointegration and VECM Approach

Bangladesh has been encountering a budget deficit since 1972 because of a decrease in the source of income. This paper aims to examine the effect of budget deficit financing on economic growth in Bangladesh throughout 1981–2018. Using secondary data, the paper uses the cointegration test, vector error correction mechanism (VECM) and Granger causality test. Johansen’s cointegration test outcomes find that the study variables are cointegrated and subsequently have a long-run nexus among the variables. The study finds that in the long run, government domestic debt (GDD), government external debt (GEXD) and money supply (MS) affect positively economic growth (RGDP). The outcomes of the VECM approach express that in the short run, GDD, external debt and MS negatively affect economic growth. Also, short-run causality runs from the GDD, GEXD and MS to economic growth. The Granger causality test result shows unidirectional causal nexus running from GDD to RGDP, RGDP to external debt and GEXD to MS, and bidirectional causal nexus between MS and GDD in Bangladesh. The study suggests the governments should enhance moderate levels of domestic and external borrowing and uses it in productive and efficient ways to accelerate economic growth in Bangladesh.

Assessing Sustainability Governance and Its Dimensions

Sustainable performance is essential to stakeholders. Organizations have invested resources to attain competitive advantage, and finally, they get success. But organizations fail to achieve sustainable performance despite having substantial resources. Thus, scholars have realized the need for sustainability governance (SUGO) as an alternative solution to resolve these challenges. The need for this empirical study has arisen due to a lack of validated measurements. The objective of this study is to evaluate and validate the SUGO and its dimensions. To validate the suggested model, this study uses a mixed-method approach. Content analysis (Nvivo-11) describes dimensions in qualitative research, and it explains that all measurements and items are valid and reliable. In addition, partial least squares (PLS)-based structural equation modelling (SEM) (SmartPLS-3) is used to analyse the data collected in the quantitative survey. The results show that all hypotheses are statistically significant, and measurements reflect the SUGO. Furthermore, the results prove that SUGO is a second-order construct, containing four key dimensions: corporate sustainability, knowledge integration, stakeholder collaboration and performance incentive. Finally, the implications of outcomes are argued in the context of theory and practice and suggest further research direction.

The Impact of Micro and Macro Environment on Entrepreneurial Success: Case of J&K MSMEs

The present research is focussed on examining the influence of micro- and macro-environmental factors on entrepreneurial success; and the impact of entrepreneurial success on perceived socio-economic benefits in the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector. The information was gathered from 373 entrepreneurs of MSME from different industrial areas of J&K (India). Structural equation modelling (SEM) has been applied to study the relationship among various variables and to develop the model. The findings of the study showed that various micro- and macro-environmental factors significantly influence entrepreneurial success in J&K (India). Furthermore, the study also depicted that entrepreneurial success has a significantly positive impact on perceived socio-economic benefits in J&K (India). Finally, an entrepreneurial environmental and entrepreneurial success model was also developed for strategizing socio-economic development in J&K (India). The study suggests economists and policymakers to use entrepreneurship as an engine to stimulate economic growth, generate job opportunities and overcome poverty. The present study collected information from entrepreneurs of MSMEs operating in different districts of J&K (India). The study is imperative because of its empirical nature within the area of the business environment, entrepreneurial success and its perceived socio-economic impact on the J&K’s MSMEs sector, as little has been done in this area.