Senior Business Managers Research Articles

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM) ENABLERS AND STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION MODEL FOR MALAYSIAN MANUFACTURING SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contributed significantly to the Malaysian economy with 99% of business establishment. The contribution of SMEs to the GDP increased to 38.4% in 2022 as compare to 37.4% in 2021. They employed 7.32 million workers or 47.8% share to Malaysia employment and contributing substantial amount of RM580.4 billion or 38.4% in 2022 to the Malaysian GDP as compare to 2021 with RM520 billion or 37.4% (DOSM, 2023). Services and manufacturing sectors uphold their position as the main contributors to SMEs’ GDP, accounting for an 84.6% per cent share. The transformation and sustaining of the competitiveness of the service and manufacturing sector were among the major factors in determining the pace of economic activity for Malaysia. Therefore, strategies of the Twelfth (12th.) Malaysia Plan (2021-2025) was specifically designed to help the development of SME businesses to be more competitive in the market. Through an extensive literature review and interviews with academic experts in the field of TQM, the objectives of this study were designed to identify the enablers of successful TQM implementation, to determine what are the most contributing enablers as a result of TQM implementation and established strategic models engaged by Malaysian SME businesses. The self-administered questionnaire distributed to Malaysian SMEs to gain a general understanding of TQM implementation from the perspective of senior business managers. The finding indicates four enablers significantly contributed to the performance of organizations that includes customer focus, people's involvement, leadership and continuous improvement. As such it is reflected the importance to reinforce the role of management as systems designers in designing effective systems that are capable of sustaining levels of high performance.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Circular Economy among Senior Managers of Ethiopian Textiles and Agro-Food Processing Companies

AbstractCompanies are increasingly seeking to adopt a Circular Economy (CE) approach when aiming for greater corporate sustainability. In Ethiopia, a country rapidly industrializing, a CE approach in line with Ethiopia’s Green Manufacturing Strategy offers businesses a more sustainable and efficient economic approach than linear value chains. This study evaluates approaches towards implementing CE principles into novel business practices, focusing on the crucial role of senior business managers. Drawing on a sample of 145 senior managers of Ethiopian textiles and agro-food processing companies, we analysed their knowledge, attitudes, and practices vis-à-vis CE. The findings show that managers have high levels of knowledge about CE and hold positive attitudes towards it, although their companies’ practices did not reflect this. Logistic regression analysis showed that environmental management training, business circularity strategies, and the type of managerial positions are the major determinants of managers’ willingness to adopt circular practices. A critical finding was that participation in environmental management training and their managerial status negatively affect the willingness to adopt circular practices. Based on these findings, the study offers key recommendations focused on the potential to build CE models at the corporate level in developing countries, such as Ethiopia, through policy change and improved education and training.

Metacognition for Every Clinician

A call to action, Surgical Metacognition: Smarter Decision-making for Surgeons challenges surgeons to understand the processes that underpin decision-making and performance, and how we can use this new knowledge to improve a surgeon's performance both in and outside the operating theatre.
 Decision-making is a core professional activity for surgeons of all levels. It is a distinct high-level skill that is closely associated with the quality of surgical outcomes, patient satisfaction, teamwork, and a surgeon's well-being. Yet it has so far been woefully neglected in surgical training and professional development, with an assumption that these skills develop on their own and cannot be taught or improved. This is an unfortunate and costly oversight that it is time we redress.
 But how are good decisions and expertise made? And how can we as a profession improve our thinking to optimize our decision-making and train expertise?
 The answer lies not only in gaining more knowledge and experience, which although essential for good decision-making, do not address the fact that so few of us understand the process itself, let alone how to optimize and teach it. The first step, and focus of this book, is understating 'metacognition'; 'thinking about thinking, ' to improve self-awareness, critical thinking and how we make decisions.
 The profound developments of psychology and decision-science are now well established and have been successfully incorporated into other high-stakes professions such as senior business management, the military and aviation, to significantly improve both professional and personal outcomes. That surgery has yet to implement this knowledge is like a race car driver using a car with technology that is decades old, ignoring developments that would significantly increase performance. It is time for surgery to embrace this knowledge; to advance and modernize the profession with sharper critical thinking and teaching.
 With many real-world surgical examples, Surgical Metacognition: Smarter Decision-making for Surgeons reviews the psychological understanding of decisions and decision-making from recent decades of research, giving us the tools to improve how we think and teach this fundamental skill of expertise.

Dimensión política y legal en el ámbito de la administración y dirección de empresas

Senior business management is an activity that, due to its size, requires a higher level of organization in terms of policy formulation and design, which allows it to achieve its objectives in a context of high global competitiveness. The purpose of this article is to describe the political and legal dimensions of business management and administration. In order to achieve the proposed objective, a descriptive and hermeneutic analysis methodology was used, based on the review of various bibliographic sources, with a predominance of documentary sources in digital format, which were analyzed and discussed to elaborate the conclusions of the study. The results obtained allow us to conclude that the political and legal dimension in the administration and management of companies is oriented to customer service and to offer quality goods or services that allow them to maintain their competitiveness and profitability over time, while reasonably managing the available financial and human resources, which transforms them into miniature political units or systems where the organizational and managerial structures have formulas similar to those of a State, which must be governed under objectives and spheres of particular interests.

Stakeholder and Stockholder Viewpoints of Corporate Ethics: A Comparison among Senior Business Students, MBA Students and Managers

To contribute to the ethics literature, this study collects data from senior business students, MBA students, and managers, to assess whether there are within and between group differences in perceived stakeholder and stockholder views, controlling for gender, age and work experience. The results indicate that, for both seniors and MBA students, their perception of the stakeholder view is significantly greater than that for the stockholder view. Conversely, managers identify more closely with the stockholder view, The results also indicate that managers have a significantly lower (higher) perception of the stakeholder (stockholder) view than either of the student groups. Senior business students have a higher (lower) perception of the stakeholder (stockholder) view than MBA students.

The role of enterprise architecture-driven dynamic capabilities and operational digital ambidexterity in driving business value under the COVID-19 shock

This article builds upon the dynamic capabilities view and argues that firms that developed their dynamic capabilities using enterprise architecture (EA) are better equipped to cope with the COVID-19 shock. An online survey collected data from 414 senior practitioners, business and IT managers, and executives. The study’s research model containing three hypotheses was assessed by applying Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM), PLS-SEM. Outcomes point out that dynamic capabilities driven by EA enhance the firm’s digital dynamic capability and, therefore, the competencies to manage digital technologies. This capability subsequently enhances the firms' operational digital ambidexterity. Also, outcomes show that operational digital ambidexterity significantly impacts business value. This study advances our knowledge and insights on developing EA-driven dynamic capabilities under COVID-19 and unfolds key areas where decision-makers should invest in enhancing business value.

Senior clinical and business managers’ perspectives on the influence of different funding mechanisms, and barriers and enablers to implementing models of employing General Practitioners in or alongside emergency departments: Qualitative study

PurposeHealth policy in England has advocated the use of primary care clinicians at emergency departments to address pressures from rising attendances. This study explored senior managers’ perspective son funding mechanisms used to implement the policy and experiences of success or challenges in introducing GPs in or alongside emergency departments. MethodsThe perspectives of senior clinical, business and finance managers with responsibility for emergency department services and on-site primary care service implementation were investigated in semi-structured interviews with 31 managers at 12 type-1 emergency departments in England and Wales (February 2018 - September 2019). Emergency departments operated one of three GP models or had prior experience of implementing a GP model. Interviews were thematically analysed. ResultsPerceived successful GPs models in emergency departments were reliant on well-organised and unified funding mechanisms, appropriate staffing and governance, and consideration of population demands and needs. Funding mechanisms and the flow of funds were reported as complex, especially in Inside-parallel GP models. The most efficient mechanisms were described at departments where funding was unified, in collaboration with health and community care services. Staffing with local, experienced GPs was important. There were cautions from experiences with private locum providers. ConclusionOur findings contribute to debates about implementing policy on how primary care clinicians are effectively and safely deployed in emergency departments and how local context should be considered.

The strategic role of corporate online references: building social capital through signaling in business networks

PurposeThis paper aims to conceptualize corporate reference management as a strategic signaling activity in business networks. While research has extensively outlined how firms develop and maintain social capital through business-to-business (B2B) relationships, less is known about how they signal their participation in business networks to develop this social capital. Therefore, this paper conceptualizes B2B references, in particular corporate online references (COR), as a tool through which firms “borrow” attractiveness from their business network. Through the lens of structural social capital theory, COR is shown to capture advantages related to interconnectedness between firms.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports on a two-step qualitative and quantitative research design. First, the authors undertook a qualitative study that reports on the COR practices of senior business managers. A quantitative study then uses social network analysis (SNA) to audit a digital business network comprising 1,098 firms in a metropolitan area of the UK, referencing to each other through their corporate websites using COR.FindingsThe analyses find that COR practices contribute to building structural social capital in networks through strategic signaling. Firms do so by managing B2B references to craft strategic signals, using five steps: requesting, granting, curating, coding and decoding references. While the existing literature on business marketing portrays reference management as a routine and operational management practice, this investigation conceptualizes reference management, in particular COR, as a strategic activity.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use SNA to represent B2B references in the form of COR as a network, which overlaps with (but is not entirely identical to) the business network. Further, the study re-conceptualizes reference management as a strategic signaling activity that leverages the firm’s participation in business networks to build structural social capital by borrowing attractiveness of prestigious business partners that leverages existing structural social capital. Finally, the paper coins and conceptualizes COR as an exemplar of referencing management and offers propositions for further research.

IT strategy and business strategy mediate the effect of managing IT on firm performance: empirical analysis

PurposeThe multifaceted effect of IT in organizations has been widely examined. However, the intervening role of IT strategy and business strategy on the effect of managing IT on firm performance remains less strong. This study examines how managing information technology (MIT) effects on firm performance by looking at the mediating role of IT strategy and business strategy.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the resource-based view of IT and contingency perspective, theoretical insights for managing IT and the mediating effect of IT strategy and business strategy on firm performance are established. The model is empirically tested by using hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling for the data collected through the survey of 194 senior IT and business managers in China.FindingsThe significant and impactful relationship found in the model for the proposed idea. The results show that both IT strategy and business strategy partially mediate the effect of managing IT on firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings highlight that managing IT does not merely influence better firm performance; instead, the coherent amalgamation of IT strategy and business strategy can enrich firm performance. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.Originality/valueIn line with the call for rigorous research to integrate the managing IT and firm strategies, this study demonstrates the mediating role of business strategy and IT strategy between the managing IT and the firm performance relationship, hence contributing to the IS research literature.

How does business-IT strategic alignment dimension impact on organizational performance measures

PurposeDespite the conceptual, empirical and theoretical advances in alignment–performance relationship, there is a limited research on the alignment dimensions and organizational performance measures. Though strategic alignment is believed to improve organizational performance, the purpose of this paper is to develop conjectures for understanding how different alignment dimensions influence organizational performance measures.Design/methodology/approachThe data were acquired from 161 senior IT and business managers paired responses in China and were analyzed by using a structural equation modeling technique.FindingsThe hypothesized relationships are largely supported. Thus, quality-oriented strategic alignment dimension has a significant relationship with all performance measures. Contrary to expectations, both product and marketing-oriented strategic alignment dimensions do not show a significant impact on financial return. The marketing-oriented strategic alignment dimension also has an insignificant relationship with operational excellence.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that the business–IT alignment can be dimensioned to better combine business strategy and IT strategy. Hence, managers can focus specific alignment dimension instead of entire strategies of a firm for a better decision making.Originality/valueFindings suggest guidance for formulating combined business and IT strategic alignment into dimensions and proposing insightful and practical implications.

India Inc. and globalization: The rise of neo-liberalism and a transnational managerial elite?

ABSTRACTIn our paper, we present an empirical study that tests claims regarding the purported impact of economic globalization on business elites, namely that elites become increasingly transnational in their careers and life style and neo-liberal in their action orientations. We draw upon the results of a study that (a) tapped life course data for 100 current top managers in India and (b) implemented a collective mindset analysis using in-depth interviews that were conducted in India with retired and serving senior business managers. Our findings indicate that endogenous institutions have an important and enduring role to play in the shaping of careers, as well as generating embedded cognitive frameworks. Drawing from this exploratory study, we propose a set of hypotheses and a research agenda to argue that socio-cultural mechanisms of selection and socialization must be taken into account in discussions regarding the emergence of a global corporate elite.

Personnalité et activisme professionnel

BackgroundThe Compulsive Tendency to work assessed with the Workaholism Battery WorBAT of Spence and Robbins is, in the literature, correlated with Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness and Openness to experience. The Job satisfaction's dimension is correlated with Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. However, no research to date studied the links between the facets of these personality traits and the different profiles of workaholics (no workaholic, enthusiastic workaholics, “real” workaholics or no enthusiastic workaholics) differentiated by Spence and Robbins with their “workaholic triad” (Work Involvement, Drive, Work Enjoyment). They describe: (a) the no workaholic employees; (b) the enthusiastic workaholics (high scores on three components); (c) the “real” workaholics or no enthusiastic workaholic (high scores on Work involvement and Drive and low scores on Work Enjoyment). ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to fill this gap in identifying the traits and the facets of personality linked to these different profiles of workaholics (no workaholic, enthusiastic workaholics and no enthusiastic workaholics). Participants and methodsOne hundred and fifty-five junior and senior business professionals and managers (56 women, 99 men) responded to the Spence and the Robbins's workaholism Battery (WorkBAT) while 140 of them completed as well: (1) the 240 items of the revised NEO Personality Inventory (Costa and McCrae), validated in French by Rolland and Petot in order to assess the 5 traits of personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness) and their 30 facets (6 facets per trait); (2) the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS) in order to measure the two dimensions of workaholism (Work Excessively and Work Compulsively). ResultsThe factorial analysis run on the WorkBAT questionnaire validates two of its dimensions (Compulsive Tendency to work and Job satisfaction) and invalidates the Work Involvement as already shown in the literature. The scores in Work Excessively evaluated with the Dutch Work Addiction Scale and the scores in the Drive and Work Enjoyment estimated with the WorBAT permit to distinguish the no workaholics, the enthusiastic workaholics and the no enthusiastic workaholics. Neuroticism differentiates significantly the two profiles of workaholics (enthusiastic workaholics versus non enthusiastic workaholics). The non-enthusiastic workaholics had: (a) a score of Neuroticism significantly higher than enthusiastic workaholics; (b) higher scores than that of enthusiastic workaholics on three anxious-depressive facets of Neuroticism (Anxiety, Depression, and Vulnerability of stress). The scores of Conscientiousness were not different between the no workaholics, the enthusiastic workaholics and the no enthusiastic workaholics. ConclusionNeuroticism and its anxious-depressive facets (Anxiety, Depression, and Vulnerability of stress) differentiate “real” workaholism from enthusiastic workaholism. These results and these distinctions are an essential ingredient for an efficient preventive strategy and for a relevant therapeutic indication.

‘I am How I Consume’: The Construction of Identity through Use of the Mobile Telephone

Although identity construction has been discussed extensively in relation to consumption, such studies have also been criticised for reducing consumption objects into mere signifiers or symbols of various identities, ignoring the complex meaning construction processes of objects in use. This paper addresses this criticism, through a study of mobile telephone consumption practices in Sri Lanka, by examining how different usage patterns of the mobile telephone could play a role in consumer identity construction processes. The study focuses on three consumer groups: senior business managers, young consumers representing a high socio-economic stratum, and young consumers representing a lower socio-economic stratum. The findings indicate that consumers use differences in consumption patterns as a means of distinguishing their identities from those of others; further, varying the consumption patterns is used by consumers to manage multiple identities of the same individual.

The policy process in Washington: a conceptual template for public affairs programming

Professional and scholarly literatures are rich at individual steps within Washington policy formulation. But a single, guiding template for the entire process—from start to finish—is absent. This creates two difficulties: practitioners toil additionally to explain process intricacies to senior business managers, and educators labor to teach students the public affairs process. This article fills the void. As the policy process unfolds, options to mold policy outcomes in Washington change and increase substantially over time. Knowing what stage one faces within the policy process prescribes communication strategy and tactics. What begins narrowly ends broadly with a virtually universal right to make the government listen and respond. The United States virtually stands alone among democracies globally in the organization of its policy process. This study offers a single, holistic approach to the US public policy process and ways to influence it. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Postmodernism and customer centricity

There are many different explanations of customer centricity, and many people are in support of that concept whereas many others are against it. Different meanings can be found for customer centricity in literature. Which one could be the proper and most reliable one? Most of the views on customer centricity are based on foundational philosophical approaches and many different patterns are set as a guideline for the organizations which are willing to be customer-centric. In this paper, the aim is to look at the customer centricity phenomenon from the postmodernist point of view. The question of this study is linked to an anti-foundational philosophical approach (postmodernism) and it is shown how different the answers could be based on the philosophy approach that we choose. To collect the data, 10 in-depth interviews were done with senior business managers of customer-centric organizations in Iran. The results showed completely different answers from the postmodernist point of view.

The Theory of Practice and the Practice of Theory

As academics who interact with senior and mid-level business managers on a regular basis, both informally and as consultants, the authors often note that ideas of theory and practice are not well developed among people outside of academia. It is posited that this deficit offers the prospect of less than optimal approaches to matters such as solving business problems, understanding the role of management education and nurturing useful interaction between businesses and business schools. This paper attempts to explain the role of theory and its relationship to practice in a business setting so that it can act as a standing reminder for business practitioners.

Customer Relationship Management in Practice: A Study of Multicredit Ghana Limited, a Micro Finance Institution in Ghana

Most organizations acknowledge that customer relationship management has become unavoidable part of business, but the importance of its management is not yet understood by Senior Business Managers. The purpose of this study is to examine customer relationship management in practice at the Multi Credit Ghana Limited Company in Kumasi. Twelve senior managers who were purposively sampled and thirty sales personnel who were randomly selected were used for the study. A descriptive survey design which involved a case study was used for the study. An interview schedule was used as the main instrument to collect data from the respondents and the data collected was analyzed using qualitative and interpretative procedures. The results of the study revealed that five resources or competencies have shown key concerns for customer relationship management in the company. The findings were CRM strategy formulation, planning process, top management commitment and involvement, top management support for CRM and the relationship between CRM and business. The competencies and their related attributes identified were used as mechanisms to explore CRM practical experiences in the case study institution, Multi Credit Ghana Limited .It is recommended that single organization should not be used to study CRM issues which is a broad and complex concept.

Moving up in industry.

Charlotte Covell is commercial business manager at Virbac UK, a role that gives her responsibility for the company's sales to corporate practices, some buying groups and internet pharmacies. She began her career as a veterinary nurse, but moved into industry and now has a role in senior business management.

The Implications of Big Data Analytics on Business Intelligence: A Qualitative Study in China

Social media has brought about a revolution and dictated a paradigm shift in the operational strategies of firms globally. It has resulted in collection of massive data from a variety of social media channels, necessitating use of this data for business intelligence purposes. Despite its importance, little research exists on the implications of the use of Big Data analytics for business intelligence purposes. This study fills this gap in knowledge by examining the role and implication of Big Data analytics on business intelligence for the data collected from Social media channels in China. Given the exploratory nature of the research, the study takes a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. Based on an extensive literature review, the study has developed a robust semi-structure questionnaire. We plan to conduct approximately 35-40 interviews with respondents such as IT managers, IT consultants, and Senior Business managers among others from a wide range of industries including retail and manufacturing settings. The data will be analysed using Nvivo to identify issues that are critical for creating value through Big Data analytics for business intelligence purposes. The results have significant impact for both theory and practice to devise plans and strategies to optimise the benefits of social-media channels for business value.

Electrical power systems engineering undergraduate courses in Brazil: Academic and market perspectives

The economic growth seen in developing countries enhances a demand for multidisciplinary background of professionals in infrastructure and technology-related areas. The wide range of applications and capacity for abstraction acquired by graduates throughout their Electrical Engineering education distinguishes this particular area of expertise as core factor for workforce qualification. In this context, this paper presents the main results of a nationwide survey performed in order to deliver a current overview of Brazilian Electrical Engineering undergraduate degree programs with concentration in power systems. The academic curricula of the most relevant undergraduate programs in electric power systems in Brazil were analyzed aiming to identify the core contents offered in Brazil. Finally, an online survey was conducted with more than 300 individuals, ranging from recent graduates to senior business managers, hoping to verify the consistency between the education offered by the Academia and the current skill set required by the labor market.