Business Competencies Research Articles

Stimulation of entrepreneurs' innovative activity: evidence from Kazakhstan

In recent years, Kazakhstan’s innovation policy has enjoyed a noticeable rally: ways to support innovation are being actively discussed, a suitable “toolbox” is developing, the susceptibility of decision-makers to the mechanisms for encouraging innovation is increasing. Nevertheless, effective levers of influence on business, in which innovation activity could manifest locally, have not been found yet. Although this does not change the overall economic situation. Following on from the results of a survey of various level business managers and factor analysis performed prior, the authors study the influence of incentive mechanisms on entity activities and their “inquiry” on the public policy content. The authors come to the conclusion that most of the tools to stimulate innovation entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan are currently aimed at successful market players, creating conditions for technological modernization of existing industries, and at improving the level of entrepreneurs’ business and technological competencies. According to a study conducted in Kazakhstan, it is necessary to increase the participation of universities, research institutes, local executive and legislative authorities in the development of management mechanisms and the promotion of innovation entrepreneurship.

BUSINESS COMPETENCES ESTIMATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Taking into consideration at the present business environment of the Russia, as well as its geographical position and the historical background, it is important to make use of these conditions for estimation and further development business competences at the universities of Russia. The object of the present research paper is business competences, the subject of the research paper is estimation of the business competences of Russia and the development them in the study process at the higher education organizations in Russia. The objective of the research paper is to study the integration process of students and academic staff representing Russian higher education organizations in formation of business competences in Russia, to elucidate the factors influencing the business competences, to develop proposals for estimation and improvement of business competences in Russia. Research methods: reported analysis of business competences, higher education organizations in Russia, study of correlation between business environment factors and business competences, economic and statistical analysis of the universities results, economic experiment, studying of public and non -governmental institutions data in Russia. The present paper includes further development of study on the contents of business competences, factors influencing it, higher education theory and policy.

The impact of entrepreneurship training on self-employment of rural female entrepreneurs in Uganda

ABSTRACT Although entrepreneurship training may improve labour market outcomes of individuals, little is known about the impact of entrepreneurship training on self-employment in Uganda. In this study, a survey of 300 rural women in Uganda is undertaken before and four months after participating in an entrepreneurship training programme to examine the impact of entrepreneurship training on self-employment. Business knowledge and business competence indices are used as measures of training effectiveness, and a self-employment probit regression model is utilized to examine the impact of training on self-employment. The main findings of this study suggest that an increase in the business knowledge index and the business competence index by one unit can lead to 6 per cent and 2.7 per cent increase in the probability of being self-employed. These findings are important for the design and implementation of appropriate policy and programmes to improve the labour market outcomes of women in rural Uganda.

IMPROVING EMPLOYABILITY BY MEANS OF PERSONAL COMPETENCIES IN HR

The subject of the present paper, among others, is to illustrate what employability means and what key business and personal competencies (can) enhance the success of employees and their competitiveness in the labour market together with some personality traits that have a powerful impact on hiring. Aim of research: An answer is also sought to the question of how competencies have been transformed, how their role was appreciated and re-evaluated and what skills and abilities are no longer necessary to be successful in the labour market versus the ones that were not required previously, but have become indispensable these days. Result of research: An overview of the current Hungarian labour market situation and specialities was given on the basis of our primary research. Conclusions: The present analysis contains the correlation between employability and (personal) competencies.

Creative destruction and knowledge creation as the mediation between innovation speed and competitiveness of food small and medium-sized enterprises in Malang, Indonesia

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of creative destruction and knowledge creation which is a mediation between the speed of innovation and the competitiveness of food small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Creative destruction and the creation of competency-based and market-based knowledge are usually carried out by companies in power to create barriers to entry and expand distance with similar businesses, so the role of creative destruction and knowledge creation as mediation to strengthen competitiveness is investigated. Design/methodology/approach The data in this study were collected from 161 UKM which are the population of food UKM in Malang, covering three regions, namely, Malang City, Malang Regency and Batu City. Warp Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (WarpPLS-SEM) has greater statistical requirements than other covariance-based methods, which are more likely to give results that are in accordance with the conditions of the population (significant if it is actually significant in the population) so that it is very efficient. Findings It is very important for the pace of innovation development to improve the competitiveness of food SMEs. Innovation ideas are quickly realized and products that enter the market faster have greater opportunities to increase competitiveness through profits and productivity. The pace of innovation development increases the competitiveness of food SMEs. This study proves that competitiveness can be increased once the pace of innovation development is followed by creative destruction and knowledge creation. In this case, creative destruction is done through increased competence and maintain the innovations that have been achieved by food SMEs. Increasing business competence can be done through cost efficiency, improving product quality and improving worker skills. This is done while maintaining innovation achieved to strengthen market networks, customer service and innovation in product packaging. The basis of organizational learning is knowledge creation; this point is missing in organizational learning theories. The focus here is on the creation of knowledge as a process, a missing factor in theories about learning organizations. Research limitations/implications This study has limitations that this study analyzes processed foods and innovations in general. Future research should investigate one type of processed food based on an innovation typology so that it can provide more effective and efficient recommendations. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first known analysis of innovation speed and creative destruction for SMEs of food sector.

Enhancing the development of intercultural communicative competence in business and study environments

Enhancing the development of intercultural communicative competence in business and study environments

Key competencies for big data analytics professions: a multimethod study

PurposeThis study aims to identify the precise competencies that employers are seeking for big data analytics professions and whether higher education big data programs enable students to acquire the competencies.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes a multimethod approach involving three data sources: online job postings, executive interviews and big data programs at universities and colleges. Text mining analysis guided by a holistic competency theoretical framework was used to derive insights into the required competencies.FindingsWe found that employers are seeking workers with strong functional and cognitive competencies in data analytics, computing and business combined with a range of social competencies and specific personality traits. The exact combination of competencies required varies with job levels and tasks. Executives clearly indicate that workers rarely possess the competencies and they have to provide additional training.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation is our inability to capture workers' perspectives to determine the extent to which they think they have the necessary competencies.Practical implicationsThe findings can be used by higher educational institutions to design programs to better meet market demand. Job seekers can use it to focus on the types of competencies they need to advance their careers. Policymakers can use it to focus policies and investments to alleviate skills shortages. Industry and universities can use it to strengthen their collaborations.Social implicationsMuch closer collaborations among public institutions, educational institutions, industry, and community organizations are needed to ensure training programs evolve with the evolving need for skills driven by dynamic technological changes.Originality/valueThis is the first study on this topic to adopt a multimethod approach incorporating the perspectives of the key stakeholders in the supply and demand of skilled workers. It is the first to employ text mining analysis guided by a holistic competency framework to derive unique insights.

Paradigm Shift in Business Education: A Competence-Based Approach

The fast and unpredictable changes in the business environment lead to significant changes in the future job market. For current business students, the future will offer many new opportunities for their employment but, at the same time, it will also create many threats disguised in the disappearing jobs. Business education centered mainly on knowledge transmission is challenged to switch towards a competence-based approach which includes knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The present research focuses on the need to change the paradigm of business education by creating a new learning environment centered on business competencies, and on a new knowledge ecosystem dynamics. The approach uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the first phase the research is focused on a critical literature review, and extraction of ideas for the next phase based on quantitative methods. In order to evaluate the students’ perception on the need of competence-based business education, a questionnaire has been designed and applied to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in business and management programs. Data is processed by using SPSS and deriving six logistic regressions based on the conceptual model designed similar to a hierarchy Findings coming from students show a significant awareness for the need of paradigm shift in business education, from knowledge transfer to business competence development.

The effect of entrepreneurial orientation variables on business performance in the SME industry context

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide new practical and theoretical insights into how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adjust and further develop business competencies, innovations and performance by using market orientation, learning orientation behaviors and entrepreneurial orientation.Design/methodology/approachThe data was collected from manufacturing SMEs of textile products that had a number of employees between 5 and 99 people in the province of Bali, Indonesia, in 2016. Bali province was chosen as a research location because Bali was one of the tourism centers in Indonesia and even in the world was considered suitable for this research. It was because it had textile product industries that contributed in the fulfillment of the needs of tourism clothing, national economy, the fulfillment of fashion needs and foreign exchange contributors from non-oil exports (Industry and Trade Service of Bali).FindingsBased on the results of descriptive and inferential analysis that has been conducted, it can be concluded that the answer to the problems and objectives that have been determined is market orientation, learning orientation and entrepreneurial orientation affect business performance through knowledge competence and innovation directly and its influence is significantly positive. But market orientation, learning orientation and entrepreneurial orientation do not directly have a significant positive effect on innovation through knowledge competence. Market orientation, learning orientation and entrepreneurship orientation indirectly have a significant positive effect on business performance through knowledge and innovation competencies.Originality/valueThe lack of studies in the existing literature underscores the potential contribution of this subsequent study. The novelty of the research is first to develop a concept of learning orientation that is linked to competence of knowledge, which this link has not been much expressed in the context of industry SMEs; second, to build the concept of innovation development of small and medium-sized industry of textile industry based on market orientation by strengthening the mediation role of competence of knowledge.

The Impact of IT‑Business Alignment on SME Performance: The Mediating Effects of Strategic Collaboration, Coordination, and Responsiveness

The alignment between information technology (IT) and business strategy is regarded as an ongoing issue for information systems (IS) researchers and practitioners. Although prior studies suggest the enabling role of IT‑business alignment on firm performance, our understanding of the processes through which such gains are achieved in the small‑to‑medium enterprise (SME) context still remains unclear. Moreover, there is limited research exporing how SMEs employ the alignment between IT and business strategy to work closely with their business partners in order to achieve business competences. In order to address these research gaps, this study investigates whether and how IT‑business alignment enables SMEs to achieve performance goals through developing strategic business activities effectively and efficiently. Using structural equation modelling analyses of survey responses collected from 211 Australian high growth SMEs, we find positive, significant, and impactful linkages between IT‑business alignment, strategic collaboration, coordination, responsiveness, and SME performance. The results also show that strategic collaboration, coordination, and responsiveness fully mediate the relationship between IT‑business alignment and SME performance. This study contributes to the IS research by providing empirically‑supported explanations for the critical role of IT‑business alignment in SME success. More significantly, through investigating the effect of IT‑business alignment at the inter‑mediate business process level, this research provides new insights to understand the underlying influential mechanisms of IT‑business alignment in the SME context. These findings have important implications for SME business managers.

Бізнес-освіта як ключовий фактор формування конкурентного ринку праці.

The article researches the relationship between labor market demand and supply and its imbalance. The purpose of the research is to study the correspondence of the existing competencies of university graduates in comparison with the competencies required by the business environment. The subject of the research is the existing and expected competencies. The discrepancies between the existing competences of university graduates and the skills required in the labor market are shown. It has been proved that the education system needs a reform taking into account a technological and innovative processes development. The concept of business education is offered as a flexible, adaptive education that forms competencies (skills, knowledge and personal qualities of a man) in accordance with the modern requirements of business and taking into account the prospects of economic processes, in the world and national level. The directions of development of modern education are considered, taking into account the needs of enterprises and the economy as a whole. The ways of achievement of conformity of graduates' competences with the requirements of economy according to employers are presented. It is recommended to continue the dialogue in the form of a tripartite partnership state-enterprise-education in order to resolve the sustainable development of all sectors of the economy. The relationship between labor outflow and unbalanced labor market conditions is justified. The vision of foreign and domestic experts on formation of business competencies and competencies of modern youth, differences and coincidences, is presented. The concepts of business education and business competence are outlined as prospects for further research. The needs of studying possibilities of implementing business education programmatic approaches to the formation of business competencies among university graduates have been formed. It is concluded that the real and financial sectors of the economy are one of the most important customers for specialists and they have influence on formation of labor market demand and supply, form the request for qualification of university graduates. The application of the results can be used in development of a business oriented education system. During the writing of the article, general scientific research methods were used: generalization, induction, analysis, synthesis, comparison, opposition

Interdisciplinary Aspects of Multivariate Models of Human Capital among IT Professionals

The publications concern business competencies, organizational ethics, job, and life satisfaction among IT professionals, as well as models of relations between these factors in information and IT systems. The results contributed to the development of science in the field of psycho-social aspects of innovation, organizational potential, and organizational ethics. It focused on micro and small enterprises. The Author studied these selected issues on the example of Polish, German and Indian companies. The Author's contribution is part of a stream of research on human capital, as well as non-material dimensions of motivation systems, such as job satisfaction, belief in the quality of life, work-life balance. Important dimensions of the conducted research were also considerations in the field of intellectual capital, in particular on the predispositions to make innovations, ethical competences, or the ability to communicate and theory of mind. These aspects were examined taking into account the IT dimension and competence to use IT systems. The series of publications contribute to the development of research methods, because Jolanta presented her approach based on passive experiments, proposing methods for selecting the sample and verifying its representativeness. The concepts developed were included in the work, which also resulted in computer software. They also make a very useful contribution to the development of those qualitative methods where the concept of representativeness is used and applied. Although, of course, it is difficult to assume that the presented research exhausts the topic, the author was able to make reliable considerations and analyze these important issues.

Сonceptual approach to an efficient natural gas consumption strategy for an industrial enterprise

Currently, the development of industrial manufacturing and the energy consumption management for the natural gas demand better methodological tools to evaluate the efficiency of the enterprise’s energy strategy because modern methodological grounds for energy efficiency analysis do not account for a number of factors which affect the usage of secondary energy resources and do not offer any reasonable management solutions aimed to improve the efficiency of natural gas consumption in manufacturing processes. Current conceptual approaches to the evaluation of the natural gas consumption strategy by an industrial enterprise do not comprehensively consider the interaction between the enterprise’s energy supply in-house factors and the factors of energy resource market environment. Along with that, developing a strategy for the efficient natural gas consumption turns out to be the key factor to increase the competitiveness of an industrial enterprise, to guarantee a sustainable economic growth of industry, and to improve the ecological situation in the country. The purpose of the present research is to develop a comprehensive approach to natural gas consumption strategy for an industrial enterprise, this approach including a business model for strategy implementation and efficiency evaluation tools. The novelty of the research is as follows: 1) the studies in the energy efficient strategy are offered to apply new notions such as strategic competencies of energy efficiency and business competencies of energy efficiency which were used to justify author’s mathematical tools for the development of energy efficiency strategy for natural gas consumption and its business model; 2) the paper proposes an evaluation method for energy efficient strategy in natural gas consumption and its business model which determines the proportions based on the key indicators of enterprise’s energy efficiency. A well-proportioned system of these indicators is developed from the strategic competencies of the enterprise’s energy efficiency and includes the assessment of energy efficient, economic, financial, ecological sustainability. The key purpose of strategy’s development is seen to be a ready-to-use management system for the efficient natural gas consumption at an industrial enterprise, the system arising from the sustainable, dynamic, and innovative energy consumption economy which meets all modern requirements of the energy efficient development in industrial manufacturing. Compilation and implementation of natural gas consumption strategy within the proposed system of well-proportioned indicators is examined under three criteria: compliance, competitiveness, and efficiency. The system of well-proportioned indicators includes a strategic management map for the efficient natural gas consumption. This map visualizes the strategic goals and the key tasks of the energy efficient strategy. The author’s model of the energy efficient strategy as a system of well-proportioned dynamic indicators can be applied by the national industrial enterprises to identify the areas and to reason the management decisions aimed to improve the efficiency of natural gas consumption in manufacturing. The author’s conceptual approach to the strategy of the efficient natural gas consumption was tested at the metallurgic enterprises in Chelyabinsk region. Test results prove the trend in extending the evaluation of the efficiency of the natural gas consumption strategy, which could support the coherence of the strategic goals for the energy efficiency management at different levels of economy hierarchy: country, region, industry, and an industrial enterprise. The research reveals the connection between the strategy, its business model, and the manufacturing efficiency when achieving the goals of the enterprise’s energy efficient strategy. It has been justified that the efficiency manufacturing organization provides a real basis for the natural gas consumption strategy and requires additional investments into the advanced energy saving and energy efficient technologies. In its turn, this intensifies the extended recovery of the fixed assets at the national enterprises. Further research is seen to be focused on the analysis of the trends in developing the energy efficient strategies for natural gas consumption at the industrial enterprises, on improvement of the methodological tools for quantitative analysis of the energy efficient strategy impact on energy, economy, and ecological safety, as well as on the development of management impacts system providing the efficiency of natural gas consumption at the industrial enterprises.

Does a successful future entrepreneur in the globalized world need to know logistics?

Starting a business entails huge demands on the future entrepreneur. Only a great idea and a desire to do business are not a guarantee of success. This future entrepreneur must be equipped with a wide range of knowledge, skills and personal qualities. These together form a set of business competencies. One area that clearly affects business success is logistics. Especially in today’s globalized world, without logistics, realized on top professional level, it is not possible to succeed in a tough competitive environment. Large volumes of various materials (raw materials, materials, semi-finished products, products, goods, but also people) are moved practically all over the world. Poorly controlled material flow has a direct impact on the quality of provided customer service and thus on customer satisfaction. A dissatisfied customer equals no customer. The aim of the article is to provide the attitude of successful entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic to the issue of business competencies, specifically in the field of logistics. To what extent does the future successful entrepreneur need to know about logistics, resp. about their different forms? In the text, partial results of the primary research carried out in the winter of 2018-2019 in the Czech Republic will be presented. Questions about the competence in the field of logistics have been asked by entrepreneurs, whose business has existed for at least three years. The main conclusions will be given to the need for knowledge of distribution logistics for the future successful entrepreneur.

ПРОЕКТУВАННЯ ОСВІТНЬОЇ КРАУДФАНДИНГОВОЇ ПЛАТФОРМИ ЗДОБУВАЧІВ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ АГРАРНОГО ПРОФІЛЮ, В КОНТЕКСТІ ФОРМУВАННЯ БІЗНЕС КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТЕЙ


 
 
 
 The article discusses some aspects of crowdfunding platforms. has been explored the relevance of creating a crowdfunding platform and introducing it into the educational process with the purpose of forming business competencies. This research focuses on student projects. The purpose of creating a student crowdfunding platform is to integrate higher education applicants into project teams, to bring innovative products to the market at the facilities of universities and enterprises, to conduct research in one or another area.The research examines the mechanisms of crowdfunding as a structural unit of the e-environment for the formation of business competencies in universities of agricultural profile. The basic principles of crowdfunding platform functioning as a system of training creation and implementation of startup projects are considered, researched the global crowdfunding platform market. The structural elements as well as the architecture of the crowdfunding platform for forming business competencies in agrarian universities are identified. Structural elements of the interface of crowdfunding platforms and platforms of the CIS countries are investigated. The architecture and organizational infrastructure, technological components of the crowdfunding platform were designed to create, promote and commercialize innovative projects.
 
 
 

ORGANIZATION OF EVENTS «CHALLENGE». ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENT OF EVENTS


 
 
 
 The active development and start-up of startups is characterized by the positive dynamics of their growth. Increased activity to support startups in the field of government regulation, rapid development of educational space, the emergence of business incubators and startups, organizations that support the space, support for funding both external and internal.The key aspects of the creation of environmental startups are considered, the mechanisms of their active promotion in the network are revealed. The role of the center of innovation activity of higher agricultural education institutions in the preparation of start-up projects has been determined through the prism of the main advantages and disadvantages of EcoChallenge.From the standpoint of scientific and pedagogical paradigm, development of entrepreneurial and innovative activity, systematic approach to the formation of business competence. The semantic analysis of "Challenge" made it possible to determine the popularity of the word and the main stages of such an event as Challenge. The mechanisms of development of the eco-union are revealed.The key aspects of the event information environment model for solving electronic communication issues and informing the participants are highlighted. Structural Elements of the Information Field Identified The color scheme and structure of the site were selected according to the purpose of the event.
 
 
 

Use of the Competency-Based Approach when Modeling Competitiveness of University Graduates

The article is devoted to the relevant problem of the formation of successful competitiveness of young professionals in the regional labor market, i.e. the development of a competitiveness model of a university graduate. The article discusses the concept of «a specialist’s competitiveness» and substantiates the authors’ point of view on its content. The authors have analyzed the existing Russian and foreign approaches to the definition of the essence of a specialist’s competitiveness and highlighted the key competencies for the formation of successful competitiveness of a university graduate. The authors presented the results of the study, a sociological survey of employers, conducted in 2017, which allowed them to rank the competencies in terms of their importance for the production process. Methodological research tools include a sociological survey, statistical data processing and a survey of employers in the Irkutsk region. In the process of the study, a correlation between the form of ownership of the enterprise and the employers' assessment of the professional, business and personal competencies of a young specialist was established. The authors proposed a hypothesis that the employer’s belonging to the public or private sector determines different requirements for certain competencies of a young specialist. The results of the study were presented at the scientific and methodological seminar in Irkutsk State University. The proposed competitiveness model of a university graduate is recommended for use when creating «twin models» of service industry enterprises of the region.

Explorative study of entrepreneurship training programmes in Christian institutions in Ghana

Purpose The past two decades have witnessed a surge in entrepreneurship training (ET) programmes among religious organisations in Ghana. Despite this, current studies on the topic have revealed a gap in the perception of ET initiatives and the actual needs and expectations of trainees. This paper aims to explore the characteristics of ET programmes in Christian organisations in Ghana and the perception of beneficiaries on the relevance of these schemes. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was used for the study. The study used interviews and document reviews as data collection instruments. In investigating research questions one and two for case study one, interviews were used. For case study two, data were collected mainly through a review of documents for research question one and interviews for research question two. The data were analysed using thematic analysis techniques. Findings The results show some similarities in ET characteristics in the two cases studied, specifically regarding objectives and target outcomes. Therefore, ET programmes identified in both cases were targeted at both potential and practicing entrepreneurs in the congregations. Further, content appears adequate with an emphasis on topics that develop business management skills. The teaching approach varied within the studied religious organisations and although some practices were similar to best practice guidelines suggested in literature, there are lapses in the system. Regarding respondents? perception on the relevance of the ET programmes, the authors observed a positive outlook among all respondents who argued that the scheme addressed key issues at individual, organisational and national levels. However, the study revealed that religious institutions were unwilling to provide seed funding to beneficiaries. Research limitations/implications Further studies will need to validate findings in other Christian denominations not captured in the study. Furthermore, replicating this study among non-Christian religious institutions would be beneficial for policymaking. Practical implications This study suggests that managers of ET programmes in churches need to be helped to focus their programmes on developing business competencies, specifically technical skills. Originality/value There is a gap in understanding of the nature of ET programmes in religious institutions in Ghana and globally. This study provides insights on the characteristics of ET programmes in churches; thus allowing us to understand how they can be supported to deliver effectively.

Innovation speed and competitiveness of food small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Malang, Indonesia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of creative destruction as mediation between the speed of innovation and competitiveness of food small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Creative destruction that is competence-based and market-based is usually done by incumbent enterprises to create barrier to entry and widen the distance with similar businesses, then the role of creative destruction as a mediation to strengthen the competitiveness is investigated. Design/methodology/approach To test this, data were collected from 161 SMEs that is the food SME population in Great Malang covering three areas namely Malang Municipality, Malang Regency and Batu Municipality. warp partial least square-structural equation modeling (WarpPLS-SEM) was applied because parameter estimation with WarpPLS-SEM is very efficient because it has greater statistical requirements than other covariant-based methods, which is more likely to deliver results that match the population condition (significant if that is in fact significant in the population). Findings The pace of innovation development is very important to improve the competitiveness of food SMEs. The idea of innovation is quickly realized and products that enter the market faster have a greater chance to improve competitiveness through profit and productivity. The pace of innovation development enhances the competitiveness of food SMEs. This study proves that competitiveness can be increased once the pace of innovation development is followed by creative destruction. Creative destruction in this case is done through increased competence and maintain the innovations that have been achieved by food SMEs. Increased business competence could be conducted through cost efficiency enhancing product quality and improving worker skill. It is conducted while maintaining the achieved innovation to strengthen the market network customer service and innovation in product packaging. The government’s role is proven not to strengthen the relationship of the pace of innovation development and competitiveness of food SMEs. The role of the government is reflected through credit facilities business licensing promotion marketing and training. These have been carried out by the government. Nevertheless, these activities do not generate widespread impact in strengthening the pace of innovation development to enhance the competitiveness of food SMEs. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is that it analyzes processed foods and innovations in general. Future research should investigate one type of processed food based on the typology of innovation so as to provide more effective and efficient recommendations. Originality/value This is the first known analysis of innovation speed and creative destruction for SMEs of food sector.

Managerial competencies of 3PL providers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritise competencies of Indonesian third-party logistics (3PL) managers from the perspective of multinational corporations (MNCs) and local firms.Design/methodology/approachUnderlined by the theory of action and job performance (competency model), the study proposes a framework that consists of management, logistics, business and information and communication technology competency categories, with 15 competencies. Data are collected from five MNCs and five local 3PL firms operating in Indonesia. The analytic hierarchy process method is used to calculate the priority weights and to prioritise the competencies.FindingsResults indicate that both the local and MNC 3PL providers emphasise logistics as the “most important” competency category. In the “moderately important” competency group, MNCs prioritise competencies in the management competency category while local firms prioritise competencies in the business competency category.Research limitations/implicationsResults obtained in this study focus on 3PL firms in Indonesian businesses, which may not be applicable to other nations and other industries.Practical implications3PL firms, industry peak bodies (e.g. Indonesian Logistics Association) and education providers can benefit from incorporating the findings of this study in developing curricula for higher education and training programmes for certification designed to improve managerial competencies.Originality/valueBy including the perceptions of the MNCs and local 3PL providers, this study advances the literature on 3PL managerial competencies by extending such knowledge to the global environment.