Organizational Capabilities Research Articles

Impact of Knowledge Management Strategies on Organizational Ambidexterity Mediated by Organizational Learning Capability

Background: This study intends to investigate the relationship between organizational ambidexterity and knowledge management practices, with a focus on travel and tourism industries specifically. The research is conducted using a descriptive-correlation approach and involves 72 businesses located in Qom, Mashhad, and Tehran. A total of 369 managers and personnel from these organizations participated in the study, providing valuable insights into the dynamics of knowledge management and its impact on organizational learning and ambidexterity within the tourism sector. Methods: In this study, descriptive-correlation research methodology was used. Data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to 369 managers and personnel from 72 tourism organizations. The questionnaire focused on assessing the participants' perspectives on knowledge management strategies, organizational learning capability, and organizational ambidexterity. This quantitative approach allowed for the examination of relationships and mediation effects within the specified variables. Findings: The results of the study show substantial correlation between organizational ambidexterity, learning ability, and knowledge management techniques. It was found to be fascinating that the relationship between organizational ambidexterity and knowledge management strategies in the tourism setting was partially mediated by organizational learning capacity. Conclusion: In conclusion, tourism companies should place a high priority on implementing both explicit and tacit knowledge management strategies in order to attain structural ambidexterity. Effective HRM procedures as well as the advancement of knowledge management and information technology infrastructures must serve as the cornerstones of these strategies. Encouraging learning, unlearning, relearning, experimentation, and knowledge sharing are pivotal for enhancing organizational learning capability and, consequently, achieving organizational ambidexterity. This study underscores the need for a holistic approach that integrates human and technological elements to foster a dynamic and adaptable organizational structure in the tourism sector.

A System Dynamics Perspective on Workplace Spirituality and Employee Behavior

Purpose: This paper seeks to explore the influence of workplace spirituality on employee behavior within organizational settings. Design: Systems thinking is used to explore various interrelated concepts of workplace spirituality (WPS). This study delves into the intricate interactions between WPS and its impact on employee behavior. By highlighting the significance of WPS, the research establishes a foundation for fostering innovation and creativity, facilitating meaningful connections among employees within organizations. Additionally, WPS plays a crucial role in reducing workplace incivility. Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) as part of a systems thinking approach are utilized to visually depict the complex interplay of variables and feedback loops within organizations, offering insights into polarities and presenting a long-term perspective on how spiritual initiatives affect the workplace. Results: The findings indicate that WPS assists employees in comprehending their roles, enhancing productivity, increasing motivation, and fostering job satisfaction. Furthermore, WPS contributes to improved employee engagement, satisfaction, and decision-making. Significance: The research underscores the explicit involvement of employees in achieving favorable outcomes and enhances our understanding of the perceptions held by employers and employees regarding their roles and engagement. The study suggests that enhancing employees’ performance is achievable in workplaces where individuals comprehend their roles and align them with the job objectives. Novelty: This paper is unique in two aspects. Firstly, it strives to integrate the fragmented and diverse literature on the outcomes of WPS using a systems thinking approach. Secondly, it raises awareness, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan, regarding the importance of incorporating organizational capabilities into organizational practices.

Digital potential of the company: An integrated approach to its realization

Aim. To propose an integrated approach to the realization of the company’s digital potential in the conditions of modern challenges.Objectives. To analyze and evaluate the existing scientific approaches to the realization of the company’s digital potential; to propose its main structural components in terms of the relationship between the capabilities and the company’s ability to effectively implement them; to briefly formulate conclusions relevant for managers of companies carrying out digital transformation.Methods. The solution of the set tasks was carried out in the context of complementarity methodology with the use of methods of semi-structured interviews, search and analysis of causeeffect relationships, systematization, research and historical design.Results. The analysis of theoretical developments and business practices showed that digital transformation is not so much an effective use of IT, but rather a comprehensive development of the company based on the systematic application of new digital technologies. In this regard, the company’s digital potential is determined by its internal integrated resource, marketing, organizational capabilities, as well as the key competencies of managers for the balanced implementation of these capabilities on the basis of IT, creating a synergistic effect. A spectrum of new questions for future research is proposed.Conclusions. The rapid formation and realization of the digital potential of companies in various sectors of the Russian economy allow us to consider it a key concept that must be known and understood if we are talking about the digital transformation of entities. The emerging business practices of companies in this context correspond little to the available theoretical and methodological developments designed for stable conditions of economic development. The key task becomes the research and scientific substantiation of emerging trends. Brief conclusions form the basis for making the right managerial decisions on the choice of optimal options for the realization of the digital potential of the company.

Antecedents of green manufacturing implementation by local MSMEs in Indonesia

This study aims to investigate the adoption of green manufacturing in the micro, small, and medium enterprises in Indonesia using the integrated framework. The paper used purposive sampling to select 258 micro, small, and medium enterprises in Indonesia that adopt green production processes to determine the supporting and inhibiting factors experienced in green manufacturing. Structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 3.0 application is used for data processing. The results show that the internal factors (organizational capabilities, internal competencies development, relative advantage, and organizational resources) affect green manufacturing implementation. This indicates that micro, small, and medium enterprises in Indonesia tend to adopt green manufacturing when they have organizational capabilities, internal competencies development, relative advantage, and organizational resources that support this practice. External factors that influence green manufacturing practices are government support. Indonesian micro, small, and medium enterprises consider that government support in the form of subsidies or regulations related to green practices will make it easier to adopt green manufacturing. AcknowledgmentThis study is funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia (Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia). The scheme of the grant is Fundamental Research entitled “Implementasi Green Manufacturing dan Dampaknya pada Kinerja UMKM Industri Kerajinan Lokal dalam Rangka Pengentasan Kemiskinan di Indonesia”).

What entrepreneurial skillsets support responsible value creation in health and social care? A mixed methods study

AbstractAlthough various scholars underscore the importance of innovating responsibly in view of today's societal challenges, less attention has been paid to the entrepreneurial skillset, that is, the range of individual skills and organizational capabilities, that innovation‐based organizations mobilize to deliver new responsible products and services. This paper thus explores the relationships between the entrepreneurial skillsets of 16 Canadian and Brazilian for‐profit and not‐for‐profit organizations producing Responsible Innovations in Health (RIH) and their degree of responsibility. Our mixed methods study includes interviews with entrepreneurs (n = 23) and fieldnotes as well as quantitative results from the RIH Assessment Tool. Our findings identify four skillset orientations—Technical, Technical + Business, Social, and Social + Business—that not only reflect (co)founders' training and entrepreneurial motivations but also a proclivity toward the consolidation of either “Technical” or “Social” skills and capabilities. Such consolidation is made possible by recruiting high‐level executives with diverse backgrounds or by tapping on external knowledge sources (e.g., boards of directors, incubators, or volunteers). As five enterprises had no formal business skills, patterns associated to their overall RIH score (ranging from 1 to 5) reveal intriguing results. Organizations with a Social + Business skillset have a slightly lower RIH score (4.1) than those with a Social skillet (4.4) and those with a Technical + Business skillset have a slightly higher score (3.5) than those with a Technical skillset (3.0). The presence of business skills thus appears to mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial skillsets and the degree of responsibility, which may be linked to the distinct roles of ordinary (“doing things right”) and dynamic capabilities (“doing the right things”). These exploratory findings have scholarly and practical implications. First, the tensions and synergies characterizing responsible value creation should be approached by examining the complementary skills and capabilities that need to be assembled and consolidated. Second, the eight cases with a Social + Business skillset clarify the unique capabilities needed to produce highly responsible health innovations. Third, entrepreneurs with a scientific or engineering background should recognize that a Technical skillset is not enough. Fourth, recognizing that “falling in love with the cause” of RIH is not sufficient, investors and boards of directors should adequately support responsible entrepreneurs towards the proper orchestration of skills and capabilities that can reconcile economic and social goals.

The interplay among paradoxical leadership, industry 4.0 technologies, organisational ambidexterity, strategic flexibility and corporate sustainable performance in manufacturing SMEs of Malaysia

PurposeManufacturing firms must embrace smart technologies and develop complex leadership approaches to achieve sustainability. Using the dynamic capability theory, this paper aims to examine the influence of the adoption of industry 4.0 technologies (AT) and paradoxical leadership (PL) on corporate sustainable performance (CSP) of manufacturing small-medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Moreover, organisational ambidexterity (OA) is a mediator and strategic flexibility (SF) is a moderator in the study.Design/methodology/approachThe study is a cross-sectional, quantitative study design that collected 395 usable responses through a simple random sampling technique and a close-ended structured questionnaire. Structural equation modelling (SEM) procedures were followed to analyse the data.FindingsThe statistical outcome implies that the AT significantly influence CSP and OA and mediate with CSP in the presence of OA. Moreover, PL shows a significant impact on OA, is insignificant on CSP and mediates with OA and CSP. The authors found a significant association between OA and CSP; however, SF did not provide evidence of a moderate effect.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study clarify the role that organisational capabilities (OA, AT, PL and SF) play in fostering sustainability. The authors suggest incorporating SMEs from different geographies in other sectors by applying diverse methodologies and relevant constructs.Practical implicationsThe result injects new perspectives into policy, managerial and individual levels. Installing OA, AT, PL and SF makes SMEs sustainable.Originality/valueThe empirical validation of the influence of OA and AT on CSP and the interaction of PL and SF enriches the organisational and entrepreneurial literature.

Growth hacking: A critical review to clarify its meaning and guide its practical application

There is an increasing recognition among academics and practitioners that growth hacking provides a means to bridge the gap between strategy definition and strategy implementation. Significant tensions tend to arise across this gap. However, the data-driven experimentation, and the organizational capabilities developed within the firm, increase the ability of the company to foster technological forecasting and business model innovation. It is argued within this paper, that growth hacking actually mitigates these tensions. This paper is a critical review complemented with insights from practitioners and an illustrative case, the purpose of which is to: a) shed light on what growth hacking is; b) give practical tips on how to implement growth hacking. In achieving the first goal, the paper unravels the following myths. First, growth hacking is not a framework for platforms and high-tech companies only. Second, it is not only a marketing strategy and third, that growth hacking is a predefined process. These issues are traced back to two flawed assumptions underlying growth hacking; namely that (a) it is a framework designed for start-ups only and (b) that a “one size fits all” approach to growth hacking is appropriate. By unravelling those issues and combining these observations we shall provide ground for a fundamentally different approach to growth hacking, designed for business model scalability, enabled for adaptability in a changing business environment and focused throughout on the effective management of a firm's resources and capabilities. These insights shall guide scholars towards a better understanding of the phenomenon and of the two waves that characterize its evolution, providing also promising future research avenues. Moreover, the implications drawn from the discussion shall help managers in guiding their journey from strategy definition to strategy implementation.

Organizational Factors in Clinical Data Sharing for Artificial Intelligence in Health Care

Limited sharing of data sets that accurately represent disease and patient diversity limits the generalizability of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in health care. To explore the factors associated with organizational motivation to share health data for AI development. This qualitative study investigated organizational readiness for sharing health data across the academic, governmental, nonprofit, and private sectors. Using a multiple case studies approach, 27 semistructured interviews were conducted with leaders in data-sharing roles from August 29, 2022, to January 9, 2023. The interviews were conducted in the English language using a video conferencing platform. Using a purposive and nonprobabilistic sampling strategy, 78 individuals across 52 unique organizations were identified. Of these, 35 participants were enrolled. Participant recruitment concluded after 27 interviews, as theoretical saturation was reached and no additional themes emerged. Concepts defining organizational readiness for data sharing and the association between data-sharing factors and organizational behavior were mapped through iterative qualitative analysis to establish a framework defining organizational readiness for sharing clinical data for AI development. Interviews included 27 leaders from 18 organizations (academia: 10, government: 7, nonprofit: 8, and private: 2). Organizational readiness for data sharing centered around 2 main constructs: motivation and capabilities. Motivation related to the alignment of an organization's values with data-sharing priorities and was associated with its engagement in data-sharing efforts. However, organizational motivation could be modulated by extrinsic incentives for financial or reputational gains. Organizational capabilities comprised infrastructure, people, expertise, and access to data. Cross-sector collaboration was a key strategy to mitigate barriers to access health data. This qualitative study identified sector-specific factors that may affect the data-sharing behaviors of health organizations. External incentives may bolster cross-sector collaborations by helping overcome barriers to accessing health data for AI development. The findings suggest that tailored incentives may boost organizational motivation and facilitate sustainable flow of health data for AI development.

Innovative telemedicine technology usage in rare diseases management in primary care in a COVID-19 pandemic era: Lessons learnt and recommendations for future practice

COVID-19 affected routine healthcare significantly and impaired the capability of healthcare organizations to deliver quality healthcare to achieve expected patient outcomes, including the care of patients with rare diseases. The rationale for this review is to highlight the important contribution of telemedicine technology to improving care quality of patients with rare diseases in a pandemic era. Aims and Objective: To explore the role and impact of telemedicine digital technology usage and user satisfaction in patients with rare diseases in the last two years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: An electronic database search was conducted using the PRISMA guide with search terms ‘telemedicine’ and ‘rare diseases’ in the last 2 years since the COVID-19 pandemic. The final search identified about 10 papers after screening, applying the exclusion criteria and sorting for eligibility and relevance. Results: Of the 10 papers reviewed, 6 were research articles while 4 were review articles. For the research papers there were 5239 participants or responders in total, with 1476 (28.2%) patients, 50 (0.01%) carers and 3713 (70.9%) clinicians and workers. The average age recorded by 4 of the research papers was 43.4 years while one paper particularly emphasized that telemedicine digital technology was used preferably by clinicians below 50 years of age. 52.5% of Clinician and Worker participants in 2 Studies were Male while 47.5% were Female, while only 22% of patient participants were Male, with 78% being Female. One paper recorded the proportion of patients who used telemedicine as 22.8 %, a second recorded the highest proportion of clinicians’ telemedicine usage as 59.8%, a third paper concluded the highest number of carers who were satisfied with telemedicine usage was 90%, with 58% also supporting its usage and a fourth recorded that 86% of patients were satisfied with its usage. However, another paper recorded that 26% of clinicians (psychiatrists) were not keen to use telemedicine. Conclusion: This review concludes that there is some evidence that telemedicine digital technology is a viable option and can be a long-term solution to primary care patients’ access to quality care in the post-pandemic era, including patients with rare diseases. International collaboration of clinicians via electronic or digital platforms will enhance quality of care, especially targeted to younger male physicians below the age of 50. Guidelines and protocol for its use within governmental laws and legal boundaries need to be strictly followed to ensure patient safety, reduce waiting times and achieve positive patient outcomes.

Assessing the significance of employee flexibility and organization policy for survival of organizations during turbulent conditions

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the significance of employee work flexibility and the policy of the organization for survival during any crisis. This study also investigates the moderating role of leadership support (LS) during such turbulent conditions. Design/methodology/approach This study has used literature from the fields of organization performance, human resources and organization policy (OP), along with the theories of resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capability view (DCV) to develop a conceptual model. Later, the conceptual model is validated using the structural equation modeling technique. The study used a survey method with a sample of 311 participants. These participants are employed as human resource managers (HRM) and other supportive workforce at different levels in the organizations. Findings The study shows that innovativeness and employee flexibility (EFL) are critical toward organizations’ survival during any crisis. Also, the study highlights the importance of OP and LS for the survival of organizations during and after any turbulent condition. Research limitations/implications This study provides valuable inputs to the leadership teams of organizations, especially HRM. This research also provides food for thought for policymakers and researchers in the field of organizational performance. This study also contributes to the overall body of literature on organization analysis and extends the literature on RBV and DCV. Originality/value The study adds value to the overall body of literature on organization performance and capabilities along with human resource management. Few studies have nurtured issues on EFL during turbulent conditions. Also, there are limited studies in the areas of OP such as favorable and unfavorable policies toward employees. Thus, this study can be considered unique. Moreover, the study investigates the moderating role of LS which adds value toward the body of literature on organizational leadership capability.

A Conceptual Framework for Tacit Knowledge Transformation in Family Business: A Case Study of Plastic Family Firm in Malaysia

This article investigates the transformation of tacit knowledge on enterprise development in family business, specifically on generational change. Different generations exhibit different characteristics that will influence organization outcome and strategy management, this motivates the current work to form a conceptual framework, which determines the factors that trigger generation change in family enterprises. First, the case study of plastic family firm examines the firm’s historical profiles that were attained from Malaysia’s companies house (SSM) to assess the organization capabilities towards enterprise development. Second, this article examines the influence of strategy management during generational change upon innovation capacity. In this case study of plastic family firm in Malaysia, this firm focuses on the firms’ ability to keep and advance their tacit knowledge, which prompted them to pick up new technology and skills to achieve innovativeness in their products and services. As the business is inherited by the later generation with a good education background, they tend to form new knowledge.

The Influence of Business Process Management System Implementation on an Organization’s Process Orientation: A Case Study of a Financial Service Provider

ABSTRACT This study investigates the influence of Business Process Management System (BPMS) implementation on an organization’s process orientation through a case study of a financial service provider. Business process maturity models are utilized to capture change in process orientation. Explorative data analysis, Bayesian ordinal regression, and structured interviews are employed for the analysis. Findings suggest that a successful BPMS introduction positively influences diverse aspects of process orientation, extending both process and organizational capabilities beyond process automation.

Importance of human factors to innovation and organizational performance

ABSTRACT Human factors, including work-life balance and organisational learning capability, are postulated to influence innovation and overall organisational success. Despite their theoretical importance, empirical examinations, particularly within the transformation sector of Brazil, are limited. This study investigates the relationships between work-life balance, organisational learning capability, innovation performance, and organisational performance. Data from 354 companies were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modelling. The findings indicate positive correlations between work-life balance, organisational learning capability, innovation performance, and organisational performance. Further, organisational learning capability was identified as a significant determinant of both innovation performance and organisational performance. These results underscore the necessity for organisations to implement practices that enhance work-life balance and promote a learning environment to optimise innovation and organisational outcomes.

Increasing Managerial Capabilities in Non-Profit Organizations in Leles Garut

This community service activity aims to analyze strategies for increasing managerial capabilities in non-profit organizations in Leles Garut, Indonesia. Non-profit organizations are faced with unique challenges in their management and operations, requiring innovative approaches to increase effectiveness and social impact. The methods used in this activity include literature analysis, surveys of non-profit organizations in Leles Garut, and interviews with organizational leaders. The results of the activities show that technology integration, human resource development, and business strategy adaptation are key factors in improving managerial capabilities. Technology integration, such as the use of digital platforms for project management and data digitization, has been proven to increase operational efficiency. Training also plays an important role in updating the knowledge and managerial skills of staff. Human resource development through leadership training, mentoring programs, as well as regular evaluation and feedback, supports the formation of competent and adaptive teams. In addition, adapting business strategies through SWOT analysis strengthens an organization's capacity to face competition and changing needs. This activity concludes that non-profit organizations in Leles Garut can achieve improved performance and greater social impact by implementing managerial strategies tailored to their local needs and context. These results provide practical guidance for non-profit organizations in developing managerial capabilities, as well as a theoretical contribution to the non-profit organization management literature.

Repositioning for the future: African hand-washing innovation Shesha Geza streamlines its strategic direction

Learning outcomes After completion of this case study, students should be able to reflect on the concept of creating shared value and then determine whether Shesha Geza can be referred to as a shared value company and, if so, what level of shared value it demonstrates. They will be able to subjectively and objectively understand the possible meaning of when a social enterprise embarks on a strategy to scale the organisation; clarity of construct will enable managers to better plan and successfully implement scalability goals. They will also be able to recognise, once scalability goals are better understood and planned, that there are a multitude of intra-organisational levers and drivers that may contribute to the organisation’s ability to scale its operations, which are related to specific internal organisational capabilities of social enterprise companies. In addition, there are situational factors that may affect the business either positively or negatively in relation to the scalability success of which a social entrepreneur should be aware. Case overview/synopsis In April 2021, Dean Boniface and his brother, Roger, had just signed off a new informational video for their Shesha Geza innovation, a low-cost hand-washing station designed for use at commuter hubs and high-traffic areas across the African continent. The unit used diluted chlorine instead of alcohol-based sanitisers to ensure a more expedient and sustainable solution, one better suited to Africa’s logistical challenges. Boniface, the co-founder of Vue Architects, had conceptualised the idea of the hand-washing hub during South African Government’s enforced COVID-19 lockdown from 27 March 2020 to 1 May 2020. Shesha Geza’s speed to market was a key contributor to its successful response in solving a critical social need. Throughout 2020, Boniface and his team built successful partnerships and secured an impressive order pipeline within a short span. Export opportunities across Africa, installations and maintenance of a sizable number of units across South Africa and the development of a behavioural change programme aimed at hygiene in schools kept the momentum going in the business. However, a year into the business and the future sustainability of a crisis–response enterprise and the ability of a shared value enterprise to scale were playing on Boniface’s mind. He was worried about the future of the small resource-constrained business. Holding onto the mental map of everything the team had learned over the past year, Boniface was confident about one thing: “All the programmes we build around Shesha Geza are value-adds to our current business. Hand hygiene will not diminish after COVID-19; it will continue to be an important social issue across the African continent.” Complexity academic level This case is intended for discussion in post-graduate-level courses such as an MBA and in postgraduate courses focused on business model innovation or on creating shared value. This case is suitable for use in the environment of business courses in relation to environmental situational factors that may affect the ability to scale social enterprises or strategic implementation courses, considering the still pervasive challenge of scaling increasingly important social impact enterprises. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

Human work in the shift to Industry 4.0: a road map to the management of technological changes in manufacturing

The fourth industrial revolution tempts manufacturing companies to transform into smart factories, which in turn affects the human work. We examine this complexity from the perspective of human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) by analysing the organisational capabilities needed when seeking and selecting new technology solutions, and designing and implementing them into local application. This qualitative study focuses on manufacturing companies that have pioneered adopting high technologies in their processes. Empirical material was collected from 15 Finnish manufacturing companies of different sizes. Particular attention is paid to how HF/E are present when companies (1) sense new opportunities for technological development of their production, (2) seise these opportunities through design actions, and (3) shift the solutions into use. Analyses revealed that companies, regardless of their size and the technology being implemented, do not fully understand the fundamentals and value of HF/E, resulting in technology and production-oriented solutions in which human skills and capabilities are often neglected. A novel road map is proposed for integrating HF/E expertise and knowledge when seeking, selecting, and utilising new production technologies. This study increases understanding of the role of HF/E when adopting new technologies in manufacturing. The road map improves possibilities for fact-based decision-making.

The Influence of Organizational Capability on the Development of Village-Owned Enterprise Business Models

The Influence of Organizational Capability on the Development of Village-Owned Enterprise Business Models

The THE APPLICATION OF ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS (AHP) TO DETERMINE BEST CITY FOR TEA FACTORY OPENING

PT Surya Sentosa Sejahtera (PT SSS), a leading tea manufacturer in Indonesia, faces a pressing urgency to reach consumers nationwide in a cost-effective manner within the booming tea industry. The current distribution channel, originating from their facility located in Medan, North Sumatera, incurs substantial delivery costs for destinations outside Sumatra. These high logistic expenses, about fifty percent more than ideal, negatively impact the company’s profit margins and hinder expansion. In response, the company intends to construct a new facility in a more strategic location in 2025, but the optimal factory location remains uncertain. With the core objective of enhancing logistic efficiency, the study centers on utilizing the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as one of the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method to identify the most suitable location for establishing tea plant. The AHP method is developed through a literature review and brainstorming with five key employees who are involved in the project. Four-critical criteria are identified, consisting a total of twelve sub-criteria, leading to five alternative locations. In the criteria level, the AHP analysis indicates that Organizational Capability carries the highest weight, followed by Location, Operational Requirement and Financial Viability. At the sub-criteria level, Partnership Readiness emerges as the most significant, followed by Manufacturing Supervisor Availability, Prospective Area and Easiness to Build Distribution Network. At the alternative level, Surabaya is the most preferred site, followed by Bogor, Lampung, Batam and Makassar.

Impact of Airline Service Quality and Safety Perception on Airline Brand Loyalty: Mediating Role of Passenger Expectation

This research aims to examine the influence of airline service quality and safety perception on brand loyalty. Furthermore, passenger anticipation employed as mediating variable for in-depth research. In order to achieve the goal of this research, data were gathered from a sample of 384 customers who use airline services. The convenient sampling approach was employed for data collection. The findings from the structural equation modelling revealed that brand loyalty has a considerable impact on the evaluation of airline services quality and safety perception. Additionally, the study identified the important mediating function of passenger expectation. This research assists the authorities and managers in the airline sector in formulating effective and efficient strategies to meet customer demand and cultivate brand loyalty.

Becoming a Multilatina: strategic capabilities as necessary conditions for the internationalization of Latin American firms

PurposeThis study aims to challenge the generic interpretation of Multilatinas as Latin American firms that have been able to internationalize because of highly competitive strategic capabilities. The authors test whether capabilities that international business researchers commonly associate with internationalization are necessary at different stages of the internationalization process to better understand the extent to which emerging market (EM) firms need to develop them.Design/methodology/approachInternational business research suggests a positive association between strategic capabilities and firm internalization. However, it remains unclear what specific capabilities are necessary and when they are necessary. These questions are particularly important in the context of the internationalization of firms from emerging economies, such as Latin America. The authors apply necessary condition analysis (NCA) on a sample of Latin American firms at different internationalization stages to test what strategic capabilities represent necessary conditions for becoming a Multilatina.FindingsThe findings suggest that only a few strategic capabilities are necessary for Latin American firms to become “Multilatinas”. While entrepreneurial orientation and marketing and sales capabilities represent necessary conditions, EM firms may internationalize even though other capabilities are developed to a lesser extent. The authors reflect on how shifts in local markets and technology drive the emergence of different types of Multilatinas.Research limitations/implicationsMeasuring strategic capabilities across multiple EM firms implies a risk that firm-specific aspects are not fully captured. While the authors focused on the comparative competitive strength of capabilities and took great care to minimize measurement error, the authors acknowledge possible bias. Also, while NCA does not require a minimum sample size, findings from our sample of firms from four countries may not generalize to the region or other EMs.Originality/valueAs a relatively new statistical technique, the use of NCA has spread rapidly. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the linkage between organizational capabilities and firm internationalization has not been tested from a necessary conditions perspective yet. The reflections on the “Multilatina” concept based on the notion of EM firms as configurations of strategic capabilities inform current debates on EM multinational enterprises.