Purpose The present study intends to examine the role of AI in enhancing the process performance of manufacturing entities in India. It aims to explore factors that measure the business process performance, which are influenced by the adoption of AI within various business processes. Design/methodology/approach The research conducted an empirical survey on Indian Manufacturing organizations using a questionnaire-based survey method on those businesses that have adopted AI within their business processes. For this, the study targeted C-level technology managers in the select manufacturing businesses in India. The structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was applied for data analysis. Findings The findings of the study indicate that the adoption of AI has a significant positive role in improving the business process performance of manufacturing firms. It can bring manifold advantages to business firms, including accuracy, speed, operational cost reduction, improved quality, enhanced productivity and efficiency. These benefits can help organizations in India to gain a competitive advantage in the changing business world. Originality/value The present article explores the transformative role of AI in the manufacturing sector of a rapidly developing economy like India. It provides empirical evidence on certain crucial benefits of AI, including quality enhancement, cost efficiency and productivity enhancement. This research offers valuable insights for both business leaders and policymakers on leveraging AI to drive industrial growth and competitiveness. It contributes to the limited literature on the practical implications of AI in emerging markets, particularly within the Indian context.

Purpose This paper aims to illuminate the effectiveness of phenomenology in the zombification of firms, enriching the methodological rigor necessary to study holistic experiences, which are increasingly recognized as a part of the structure of today's business firms. Design/methodology/approach This study is considered exploratory in terms of methodological purpose and developmental in terms of results, which has attempted to present a paradigmatic framework in phenomenology in several steps. So, in the first step, through interviews with “18” activists with lived experience, an attempt was made to determine the propositional themes of this phenomenon by conducting interviews with open questions and codes emerging from the contexts of zombification of firms. Then, by creating a researcher-made checklist rated on the “+9”; “0” and “−9” scales, the study's second step in data collection methods sought to separate the propositions into more general aspects of the concepts, according to the focus group scores, in order to provide a paradigmatic framework by categorizing propositional themes. Findings By presenting the paradigmatic framework of zombification of firms, this study attempts to reveal the hidden aspects of this phenomenon through five dimensions: causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies and consequences. Among the main findings, the widespread problems of zombie firms were evident. The authors found that consistent support, either in the form of government grants or a weak financial framework, is among the policies that accelerate the emergence of these firms. Originality/value This paper makes three contributions: (1) Firstly, it highlights the concept of zombification of firms as an emerging phenomenon in the financial markets literature. (2) Secondly, it uses a paradigmatic phenomenological process to present an integrated cognitive framework for the zombification of firms. An approach that is novel and innovative in terms of implementation in the methodology of humanities fields and can be considered a window into the diversification of inductive analysis methods. (3) Thirdly, this study considers the combination of policy, structural and operational aspects as the core of understanding how zombification of firms occurs.

This study investigates the impact of management education on the entrepreneurial intentions of graduates in Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 30 business firms, equally divided between those led by management graduates and non-management graduates. The study aimed to compare entrepreneurial traits and performance outcomes across these two groups. The results showed that management education positively impacts entrepreneurial intent, with management graduates exhibiting higher self-efficacy, risk-taking ability, and creative thinking. However, non-management graduates demonstrated higher levels of motivation and passion. The study concludes that while management education enhances certain entrepreneurial skills, intrinsic motivation remains crucial to entrepreneurial success.

ABSTRACT The present study examines the association between artificial intelligence capabilities, marketing capabilities, and marketing effectiveness with support from resources-based view and dynamic capability theories. The study also examined the moderating impact of technology turbulence between artificial intelligence capabilities and marketing capabilities. The results were analyzed on Indian business firms using PLS-SEM. The findings revealed significant relationships between artificial intelligence capabilities, marketing capabilities, and marketing effectiveness. Moreover, technology turbulence did not show significant moderation in case of marketing planning capability and customer relationship management capability. This study contributes to strategic marketing literature by examining role of artificial intelligence capabilities in enhancing marketing capabilities and marketing effectiveness. The evidence underscores that, even under conditions of technology turbulence, firms can still unlock substantial gains in marketing performance by strategically investing in and orchestrating artificial intelligence driven capabilities. The study also offers practical insights for firms on integrating artificial intelligence for effective and efficient marketing strategy.

This study addresses a developing research concern about the relationship of organization performance (OP) with stakeholder integration (SI) (stakeholder interaction (SInt), behaviours of adaptation (BA)), environmental sustainability concerns (ESC) (knowledge, practice and commitment to environmental sustainability (CES)) and the level of competition (competition intensity). SI refers to the extent of SInt and adaptive behaviour that shapes the decision-making processes of any firm. ESC are reflected in organizations’ knowledge, practices and commitment to sustainability, while competitive intensity (CI) captures the external market pressure faced by firms. The study is based on a primary survey of 242 executive-level personnel and leaders of multinational corporations (MNCs) and business firms in India. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM), we have tried to establish the relationship between SI, ESC, level of competition, and OP. The growth of a firm is aided by its stakeholders, who make tactical choices. Ecological sustainability concerns and a firm’s competition level are other indicators linked with performance; thus, the present study measures the mentioned constructs through a causal relationship with SEM. Indicating that businesses’ efforts towards environmental sustainability practices and commitment contribute to an organization’s solid performance, and that SInt and competition intensity give businesses in developing countries like India a competitive edge. We find a positive and significant association between SInt, environmental sustainability practices, CES, and CI, whereas a non-significant relationship emerges between behaviours of adaptation and knowledge of environmental sustainability (KES).

This paper examines how business environment distortions and informal competition contribute to the persistence of low-scale formal firms in Peru. Using data from the 2015 National Enterprise Survey, the analysis estimates an ordered probit model with instrumental variables to assess these effects. Results show that limited access to working-capital credit and competition from informal businesses increase the probability of being a micro enterprise by 18 and 16 percentage points (pp), respectively. Likewise, complex tax regulations increase this probability by 10 pp, while inadequate infrastructure and institutional weaknesses raise it by 8 pp. However, simultaneous improvements in credit access, tax simplification, and institutional and infrastructure quality could reduce the share of micro enterprises by 39 pp while increasing the shares of small and medium/large enterprises by 27 and 12 pp, respectively.

This study assessed private-sector initiatives in fostering employment creation within formal business enterprises in Tanzania. Employing a cross-sectional research design and a mixed-methods approach, data were obtained from 193 respondents drawn from three private firms based in Dar es Salaam. Data collection techniques included structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and document reviews. The collected data were subjected to content and descriptive statistical analyses. The findings demonstrate that private sector efforts play a significant role in addressing employment deficits through business expansion, employee capacity building, and recruitment of additional human resources. These interventions directly contribute to job creation in formal projects. Furthermore, the study underscored the necessity of effective collaboration between the public and private sectors, grounded in a mutual understanding of legal and policy frameworks, as well as consistent communication. The study concludes that private sector initiatives are instrumental to employment growth in Tanzania. However, their success is contingent on the availability of institutional support, regulatory coherence, and active stakeholder participation. To ensure sustainable employment generation, the private sector must fulfil its expected responsibilities and remain committed to making meaningful contributions to the development of the formal economy.

Abstract Purpose The study examined how consolidated constructs of Blue Ocean Strategy, mediated by Firms’ core competence relate to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises’ competitiveness of the manufacturing and service firms in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Existing researches on Blue Ocean Strategy and constructs studied them in their monolithic context only without assessing their individualized and aggregated impact on business firms. The study has been designed to address the inherent loopholes. Research methodology Cross-sectional survey design involving questionnaire was adopted for the study with the aid of stratified random sampling technique. The target population of the study was 4, 572 owner managers of MSMEs in the entrepreneurially-economic active regions of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria with a sample size of 460. Reliability and validity of instruments were confirmed. Linear and multiple regressions including structural equation modeling validated the hypotheses. Results and findings Results strengthened positive mediating role of core competence between Blue Ocean Strategy and MSMEs’ competitiveness. Research evidence has also underscored higher predictive impact of aggregated constructs of BOS on competitiveness than when studied in their detached contexts. Empirical implications The mediating effect of core competence in the Blue Ocean Strategy–competitiveness linkage is comparatively stronger than a no-mediation scenario implying that owner managers should develop on their core competence in order to be competitively agile in the industry. Study originality/value Records are replete with avalanche of growing research in strategies and entrepreneurships. However, literatures that link Blue Ocean Strategy to MSMEs’ competitiveness are exiguously scanty; and while plethora of related studies have been attempted in advanced countries, rarely could be said of the MSMEs in Nigeria. In effect, most tools of the Blue Ocean Strategy are still alien to the Nigeria, thus strengthening the novelty and contextual bases for the study. Furthermore, the core competence as a mediating variable between Blue Ocean Strategy and firms’ competitiveness has been ignored by extant studies; and by modifying the Blue Ocean Strategic constructs and adding a new proxy, the study has provided new research ground for future studies.

The purposes of this study are: examining the effect of talent management on organizational performance being mediated by a synergized innovation climate and investigating the moderating power of organizational culture in the relationship between talent management and organizational performance. This study reports the responses of 292 owners of SMEs in Indonesia. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to test the hypotheses. Our findings fail to support the view that talent management has a positive effect on organizational performance. Synergized innovation climate appears to mediate the relationship between talent management and small business performance. In addition, organizational culture strengthened the relationship between talent management and organizational performance. Our research extends the application of cognitive social theory, whereby talent management functions as a value-adding activity within small business firms.

This study examined the relationship between differentiation strategy and Market Performance of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in South Eastern Nigeria. The study was carried out to identify the extent differentiation strategy business approach has helped to achieve business goals. The design adopted was survey; and questionnaire was used as an instrument of data collection. The data collected were presented in tables and analysed using mean statistic and tested with Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (at 0.05% level of significance) through SPSS version 21.0. From the results of the test of hypotheses, it was found that differentiation strategy has significance and positive relationship with sales volume, customer acquisition, and market share. It was concluded that the achievement of improved market performance in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) depends on the extent of implementation of differentiation strategy. The study recommends that small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) should try as much as possible to differentiate their products from that of their competitors to achieve more sales. Also, business firms should adopt differentiation strategy as a way to introduce uniqueness to their products to attract and retain more customers.

Purpose With growing access to technologies, the customer journey becomes more omnichannel every day, transforming shoppers’ expectations, interests and behaviours. Demands for omnichannel services have not spared the corporate sector. This study aims to prove the existence of diverse business-to-business customer segments according to varying channel behaviours and identify their characterising traits. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on an exclusive dataset of 616 German pharmacy supply firm business customers, this article explores customers’ channel behaviours in an omnichannel context. Cluster analysis is employed to identify segments, followed by Multivariate Analysis of Variance to reveal their key traits. Findings Five customer segments with varying channel behaviours are detected, most of which show omnichannel tendencies. Constructs like advice orientation or perceived service quality were found to significantly differentiate the segments. Research limitations/implications Though this article provides novel insights into the omnichannel behaviour of business-to-business customers, additional research is needed to validate the applicability of results beyond pharmaceutical packaging. Practical implications The differentiation of clusters entails varying implications on how managers can address customers based on their preferred channel choice and specific characteristics. Moving sales towards digital channels in an omnichannel system may be beneficial and can free up sales representatives’ time to focus on segments with higher consultation needs or higher profitability. Originality/value This research paper addresses a gap in omnichannel customer segmentation literature by investigating, first, B2B customers and, second, the healthcare sector.

Recent international studies on CEO pay in Europe, Japan, and South Korea reveal significant differences from the U.S. in the use and effectiveness of equity-based CEO compensation, raising questions about the ability of conventional contracts based on agency theory to align with actual CEO compensation practices. Our study contributes to this debate by evaluating nine hypotheses from an extended principal–agent framework in which CEO equity and cash incentives are jointly determined in the shareholder return-maximizing contract. The extended model also incorporates the noisy market valuation relationship between firm income and its market equity value, and distinguishes between firm ‘business risk’ and ‘equity risk’. Our empirical results show that CEO cash incentives increase with firm growth prospects and equity risk and decline with firm business risk and firm scale as predicted by the model; meanwhile, CEO equity incentives are partially consistent. Overall, given the dominance of equity compensation in U.S. CEO pay, our results show that cash pay tied to firm business performance (e.g., operating cash flow) is efficient and plays an important role in aligning CEO and shareholder interests and reducing corporate governance risks associated with agency misalignment.

Purpose Extensive literature and business consultants assert that digital transformation (DT) substantially enhances firm business operations, while there are significant counterarguments suggesting that DT may squander resources and fall short of delivering the anticipated benefits. Additionally, the impact of uncertainties arising from the buyer–supplier relationship has been largely overlooked. Drawing upon information processing theory (IPT), we propose to decipher the relationship between DT and operational efficiency through the buyer–supplier perspective, and further examine how uncertainties at the task, source and supply network levels moderate this relationship by influencing information processing capabilities. Design/methodology/approach Using secondary data derived from Chinese A-share listed firms, our study evaluated a total of 257 listed buyer firms with 892 firm-year observations. Findings The findings reveal that DT positively influences operational efficiency, with this effect being moderated by buyers’ technological resources and supplier dependency (SD). Interestingly, the supplier digitalisation level and buyer–supplier distance (BSD) do not significantly moderate this relationship. Originality/value This study contributes to technology literature by empirically investigating the actual impacts of DT on operational efficiency and identifying how various uncertainties at different levels can be managed for improved performance. The distinctive application of IPT offers a novel perspective on addressing these uncertainties in technological advancements. Moreover, this research provides valuable practical insights for firms on effective digitalisation process and offers guidance to policymakers in supporting DT initiatives.

The energy sector in Kenya contributes significantly to the country's economic development by creating employment opportunities and raising people's living standards. However, there is compelling evidence that solar energy technology products end of life e-waste poses great danger to the environment today and hence remains a strategic management challenge, not only for Kenya but the whole world. This study therefore employed strategic management concept in analyzing and understanding the strategic management practice critical success factors explaining green marketing strategy status among solar energy technology dealers in Nairobi County in Kenya. The study was underpinned by Resource Based Theory and Stakeholder Theory. The specific objectives were to establish the influence of Technological CSFs, organizational CSFs, environmental CSFs and individual CSFs on Green Marketing Strategic Management Practices among solar energy technology dealers in Nairobi. Descriptive research design was adopted with a target population comprising of all 521 solar energy dealer business firms situated within the Nairobi city county area according to EPRA (2022) registration records. The sample size comprised 226 respondents selected using purposive sampling method so that only those with at least five years’ experience in the solar energy supply business in Kenya were included. Both open and closed ended questionnaires were then administered to them to collect both qualitative and quantitative data for analysis. The data was analyzed into both descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using frequency tables and chats. The study found that technological factors (β=0.52, p=0.0023) and organizational factors (β=0.99, p=0.0002) had a positive and significant effect on GMSS, while environmental factors (β=-0.47, p=0.0615) and individual factors (β=0.37, p=0.0741) had no significant effect, with the model explaining 27.1% of GMSS variance (R=0.52, R²=0.271, p=0.003). The study recommends that all the technological factor indicators identified in the study be put into consideration when developing and implementing green marketing strategy and associated strategic management practices, especially for the solar energy technology market in Kenya. Keywords: Strategic Management Practices, Solar Energy Technology, individual CSFs, Green Marketing, Technological CSFs, organizational CSFs, environmental CSFs

Purpose: The current paper seeks to understand the effect of subcontracting practices among manufacturing firms in Kenya. Methodology: In a correlational survey design of 596 firms, the paper employs Kreycie & Morgan sample tables to select a sample of 234 firms. Primary data were collected sing a structured questionnaire from the heads of procurement departments who make up the unit of analysis. Descriptive statistics and linear regressions guide analysis process. Findings: Results indicate that subcontracting practices has a positive significant effect among manufacturing firms and accounts for 39% variance in performance (R2 =.390, β=.625, p<.05), providing evidence that unit adoption use of the practices improves performance by 0.625 units. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: Study supports knowledge in the systems theory, that subcontracting is an important sub system for alleviating firm performance. The study concludes that improvements in adoption-use of subcontracting practices improves performance in the manufacturing firms. The paper provides interesting discussions that supply chains in business firms can be agents of value creation through there sub-contracting practices, but then recognize that such efforts can only bear fruits if such firms effectively and religiously implement such practices.

Digital transformation and firm business diversification: An inverse U-shaped relationship

Constantly evolving business environment and technological innovations, such as business analytics and artificial intelligence, press firms to rethink their information technology governance approaches in order to secure business value extracted from these technologies. Business analytics governance comprises several key mechanisms, among which is business analytics organizing, which guides the firm’s business analytics activities, related decision-making authority, and location of business analytics function within the organization. The pros and cons of different approaches to business analytics organizing have been discussed in the existing business analytics literature, but there is only scant empirical evidence on how they help firms extract business value of their business analytics capability investments. Further, current literature posits that the level of uncertainty of the external business environment has a strong influence over which information technology governance approach a firm adopts, but the links between the external uncertainty, business analytics organizing, and firm performance are unestablished. Our study seeks to contribute to the contemporary business analytics literature by developing and testing a research model that comprises a firm’s business analytics capability, firm’s operational performance, and the moderating impact of business analytics organizing and uncertainty of the firm’s external environment. In more detail, we propose that business analytics capability is positively associated with the firm’s operational performance, and that business analytics organizing, ranging from centralized to decentralized, moderates this relationship. That is, centralized business analytics organizing characterized by concentrated expertise and standardization of analytics services helps firms achieve operational efficiency gains, while more de-centralized organizing approach burdened with a lack of control and possible agency issues weakens the association. Further, we also propose that the uncertainty of the external environment further moderates the other moderation effect, i.e., the centralized business analytics organizing approach works better in low uncertainty environments, while a decentralized organizing approach characterized by wider spread business analytics expertise and agile decision-making outperforms the centralized organizing approach in more uncertain circumstances. Our paired-response survey data collected from Finnish firms provide support for our hypotheses.

Objective: This study explores the influence of Business Model Innovation (BMI) on organizational capabilities and firm performance during two recent Brazilian crises: the 2015-16 recession and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology/Approach: The research was conducted with a two-wave cross-sectional online survey, targeting executives that interacted with a Brazilian business school. The first wave took place during the 2015-16 recession, and the second during the 2020 pandemic. The survey focused on BMI, organizational capabilities, competitive intensity, and environmental turbulence. Originality/Relevance: This research contributes to the understanding of how firms respond to crises of different nature by innovating their business models and the role of organizational capabilities in mediating this process. It offers insights into how the impact of BMI on firm performance varies under different turbulence levels. Key Findings: In the 2015-16 crisis, firms in less turbulent industries that embraced BMI achieved higher performance. In contrast, during the 2020 pandemic, BMI in highly turbulent settings led to superior performance. The study highlights the importance of resource and capability alignment with the crisis context for organizational fit and performance in turbulent times. Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: This research aligns with Resource-Based Theory (RBT) and dynamic capabilities literature, shedding light on the interactions between BMI, organizational capabilities, and turbulence during crises. Social/Management Contributions: Understanding the interplay between BMI, capabilities, and turbulence can guide firms´ responses to economic crises, supporting strategic decision-making and adaptability. This research offers valuable insights for organizations facing turbulent environments.

This study aims to analyze the effect of business risk and firm size on profitability (ROA), with capital structure as a moderating variable in general insurance companies listed on the IDX for the 2021–2023 period. The method used is panel data regression with the Random Effect Model (REM), based on secondary data from financial statements. The results show that business risk has a significant positive effect on ROA, while firm size has no significant effect. Capital structure moderates the effect of business risk on ROA, but not firm size. These findings underline the importance of risk and capital structure management.

The dearth of studies in sub-Saharan Africa on how eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) enhances disclosure quality necessitated this study. Thus, this study aims to provide an overview of XBRL in the financial reporting space of sub-Saharan Africa-listed firms. This study discusses the evolution of corporate financial reporting and relates it to how business reporting software enhances the quality of information disclosure and transparency. Based on previous studies, we assessed XBRL in its format for reporting and cost implications from a global perspective. The findings indicated that by reporting using XBRL, we make the case for opening up sub-Saharan African investment markets and improving corporate governance quality in the global investors’ view. In other words, listed firms in the sub-region currently have a periodic and manual reporting approach to financial reporting, which makes it quite difficult for investors to have an up-to-the-minute view of the listed firms for investment purposes. Researchers and business firms need to understand the availability of XBRL technology and its application to enable voluntary corporate disclosures. In addition to the information disclosed, it is important for their search to determine how the software employs information in financial reporting. To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the few in Africa, especially in the context of sub-Saharan Africa exchanges, to use the review to understand how prior studies involved XBRL reporting to enhance the transparency of listed firms.