Strategic Barriers Research Articles

Analyzing Barriers to Innovation Management Implementation in Sustainable Tourism Using DEMATEL Method

The integration of sustainable practices in tourism is increasingly critical, given the sector’s substantial environmental and social impacts. Although the need for innovation management to promote sustainable tourism is widely recognized, various barriers hinder its effective implementation. This study employs the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology to systematically examine these barriers, identifying their interconnections and assessing their broader implications. The findings indicate that a short-term focus and financial constraints are the primary effect barriers to implementing innovation management in sustainable tourism. Their prominence as endpoints in the flow of impact within the model of interconnected barriers developed in this study underscores the need to further address the deeper, cause-related barriers that propagate these effects, such as inadequate leadership support, resistance to change, poor stakeholder communication and collaboration, insufficient knowledge and skills, and restrictive regulatory policies. Additionally, industry-specific challenges like a fragmented industry structure and fluctuating market conditions exacerbate these difficulties. Therefore, a comprehensive, holistic approach is essential for transitioning the tourism sector towards sustainable practices through innovation management and overcoming inherent financial and strategic barriers. This study advocates adopting the recently published Management System Standard ISO 56001:2024 as a structured innovation management framework capable of systematically and holistically mitigating these barriers. By analyzing the cause-and-effect relationships among the identified barriers, this study ultimately provides valuable insights that aid stakeholders—including policymakers, business leaders, and community representatives—in devising more effective, inclusive, and forward-thinking approaches to innovation in sustainable tourism. This is crucial for fostering a tourism sector that is not only economically beneficial but also environmentally responsible and socially equitable.

Identifying and prioritizing the barriers to TQM implementation in food industries using group best-worst method (a real-world case study)

PurposeIn today’s age of globalization, every industry puts well-determined efforts toward surviving in the market. Industries are well aware of the fact that offering quality products and improving customer satisfaction is the strategic decision toward successful outcomes. During the recent years, food companies have undergone remarkable growth and development worldwide. In the Middle East, with a wide variety of demand and range of cultures, Iran is leading the food industries and possessed a top position of paramount importance. The present research aims to identify and prioritize barriers to implementing total quality management (TQM) in the Solico Food and Beverage Production Group (SFBPG) as a case study.Design/methodology/approachFirstly, an initial list of barriers is prepared based on a literature review. The identified barriers are then classified into four groups namely behavioral, technical-structural, human and cultural and strategic barriers based on the viewpoint of an expert team at a well-known food company. Secondly, the barriers are prioritized by adopting a special approach to multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) called the Group Best-Worst Method (GBWM).FindingsThe obtained results reveal that the most substantial barriers prohibiting the successful implementation of TQM are lack of top management commitment and participation (0.334), high organizational burnout rate (0.128), instability and frequent changes of senior managers (0.123).Originality/valueIn general, this research has ranked the barriers from the most important one to the least significant instance. Additionally, this can enable managers and practitioners in the food industry to make worthy decisions and suggest multiple solutions to cope with obstacles to the successful implementation of TQM.

Quantum Technology in the Financial Sector: Econometric Analyses and Risk Management to Mitigate the Quantum Winter

In today's rapidly evolving financial landscape, methods as econometric modeling, predictive analysis, and risk analysis are becoming increasingly important. These methods offer critical tools for understanding and managing the potential of quantum technology in the financial sector. Quantum technology can achieve fast and precise results in data analysis, risk management, portfolio optimization, and market forecasting. However, to realize these possibilities, we need to overcome technical challenges as well as financial and strategic barriers. This paper discusses scientific awareness and proposed solutions to 'Quantum Winter' especially in the financial sector. Mitigating the risk of a 'Quantum Winter' is possible through steps such as building strategic partnerships, conducting risk analysis, developing specialized capabilities, securing government support, and establishing appropriate regulations. Econometric modeling, predictive analysis, and risk analysis are indispensable tools to understand the potential of quantum technology in the financial sector and to achieve sustainable success.

The challenges to circular economy in the Indian apparel industry: a qualitative study

Purpose In recent years, researchers and practitioners have paid a great deal of attention to the circular economy (CE) due to its potential social and environmental benefits. However, limited attention has been devoted in the literature to studying the barriers to CE implementation in the apparel retail industry in emerging and developing nations besides China. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the barriers to implementing CE in the Indian garment retail market. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study uses a comprehensive literature analysis to identify the micro-level impediments to CE adoption in India's garment retail industry. The study aims to identify these barriers using a Delphi process, consisting of three stages. The first stage involves literature reviews and expert opinions, while the second and third stages involve survey methods with 14 industry professionals and academics. The use of the two primary data sources allows for triangulation of the data, which improves the validity of the findings and enables broader conclusions to be drawn from the results. Findings This study indicates that the top three challenges to implementing CE principles in the Indian apparel retail industry are “standards and regulation barriers” (84%), “strategic barriers” (82%) and “supply chain management and technology barriers” (79%). Strategies for overcoming these obstacles include gaining top management support, coordinating supply chain components, training and employee motivation. Research limitations/implications This study considers only Indian apparel retail industry, and the practical implications could potentially limit the study to emerging Asian economies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research of its type to explore CE obstacles at the organizational level in the Indian garment retail business. Thus, it contributes to a greater understanding of the topic and enables practitioners to develop effective policies and business strategies for CE and sustainability.

“We Feel Powerless”

Gender-based violence (GBV), especially sexual violence with a 90% prevalence rate, is a top concern in humanitarian settings. This qualitative study explored the challenges and experiences of social workers in addressing Gender-based Violence (GBV) in Ethiopian refugee settings. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight social workers between the ages of 26-37 years who have had five to twelve years of experience in GBV prevention among refugees. Data were analyzed thematically using a codebook and Nvivo12 software. Three major themes emerged: power and political interest, institutional barriers, and strategic barriers. The Social-Ecological Model (SEM) was used to guide the discussion of the findings. Most of the challenges experienced by social workers were structural barriers emanating from the unbalanced power relationship and political interest between and within institutions, strategic/policy gaps, and organizational resource limitations. It is imperative that social workers are trained to function in a politically-sensitive practice setting and are prepared to embrace political activism to overcome structural challenges. Adopting anti-oppressive and integrated developmental approaches is recommended to resolve the complex socio-economic and political factors behind the widespread GBV acts in Ethiopian refugee settings.

Barriers to information and digital technology adoption in humanitarian supply chain management: a fuzzy AHP approach

PurposeThe humanitarian supply chain (HSC) area is rich with conceptual frameworks with a focus on the importance of information and digital technology (IDT) applications. These frameworks have a limited scope in investigating and prioritizing barriers to IDT adoption in HSCs. The present study thus identifies and prioritizes the barriers to IDT adoption in organizations involved in HSCs.Design/methodology/approachBy using a literature review allied with expert discussions and a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP), the study identifies and prioritizes a comprehensive set of barriers that organizations involved in HSCs may consider to improve IDT adoption.FindingsThe study investigates five main barriers (strategic, organizational, technological, financial and human) interlocked with 25 sub-barriers impacting the level of IDT adoption in organizations involved in HSCs. The findings indicate that strategic barriers (SBs) are of greatest importance, followed by organizational, technological, financial and human barriers. The findings indicate the difference in ranking barriers influencing the adoption of IDTs in HSCs compared to the commercial supply chain.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough a three-step method adopted for this study is rigorous in terms of the way this research is conducted, it is essential to report that prioritization is based on the subjective opinions of the experts.Practical implicationsThe findings aim to assist policymakers and practitioners in developing effective strategies to improve IDT adoption in organizations engaged in HSCs. Moreover, the prioritization of barriers provides a systematic way to overcome any barriers to improve HSC performance.Originality/valueThis study is first of its kind that investigates and prioritizes the barriers to IDT adoption in HSCs.

Production and remanufacturing decisions in a non-competitive remanufacturing environment

This paper considers remanufactured products entering new markets without competing with prototype new products, which we call non-competitive remanufacturing(NCR). Changes in the functionality of remanufactured products urge the manufacturer to adopt a market diversification strategy, which leads the manufacturer to face market barriers when entering a new industry. In this paper, we study the manufacturer's production and remanufacturing decisions in a NCR environment and consider two scenarios: the manufacturer enters a new market with (ⅰ) the NCR product; (ⅱ) both the new and NCR products. To be specific, two dynamic Stackelberg game models are built to investigate manufacturers' interactions in the NCR environment in terms of product types, business types, and profits. Results show that the manufacturer's failed invasion stems from structural barriers and strategic barriers. Interestingly, it is not always optimal for the manufacturer to invade the new market with both the new and NCR products. There is a zone of the NCR product's market competitiveness, in which entering the new market only with the NCR product not only earns a higher profit for the manufacturer but also positively impacts the competitor's profit. In addition, from an environmental impact perspective, we find that entering the new market only with the NCR product is always better than entering with both the new and NCR products. Our results not only shed some light on the aero engine industry but also support the current practices for other industries.

Управление инновационными процессами в социальной сфере: преодоление сопротивления персонала нововведениям

The article is devoted to the study of the problem of resistance to innovation in the field of social services of the population by staff in organizations providing social services to citizens of the older generation. In the course of the research, the key elements of personnel management during the introduction of innovations and the main strategic barriers to innovative development in the social sphere of St. Petersburg. In this paper, an attempt will be made to reveal the concepts of innovation, innovation activity and innovation management as a way of managing innovation processes, as well as the experience of innovative activities of social institutions in St. Petersburg. 
 In conclusion, the directions concerning the formation and development of the innovative potential of personnel and organizations in the social service system were formulated.

On the issue of industry firm dynamics

Today, in the Russian scientific literature, the peculiarities of the development of industry firm dynamics remain understudied, especially from the standpoint of their potential effects on the firms effectiveness. This article evaluates the impact of the entry and exit of firms on financial results and performance indicators of dairy companies. It is proved that the entry and exit parameters of firms, along with the level of industrial concentration, are significant factors determining both the dynamics of gross profit of companies and the industry average rate of gross profit margin. Against the background of declining industry dynamics in 2017—2020, a slowdown of a number of indicators of innovative activity of dairy industry companies and an increase of their profitability indicators have been revealed. At the same time, the impact of industry dynamics on efficiency indicators is ambiguous: it is noticeable on labor productivity values, but no such impact is observed on the efficiency indicators of the use of fixed capital. The influence of the age of industrial companies on labor productivity and capital return has also been established, and the hypothesis of higher production efficiency of younger companies has been confirmed. It is necessary to stimulate the influx of young and innovative companies into the industrial sector, increase the number of new firms, reduce the impact of structural and strategic barriers to entry, and improve the conditions of entrepreneurship in the manufacturing sector of the Russian economy.

Implementing safety leading indicators in construction: Toward a proactive approach to safety management

Safety leading indicators have been investigated as a proactive management approach to managing construction safety. However, there is a lack of insight into the implementation of safety leading indicators in construction projects and organizations. This causes difficulties in the adoption and consistent use of safety leading indicators in the construction industry. The aim of the research is to explore what and how safety leading indicators can be implemented to improve safety management in the construction industry. Built upon Xu et al. (2021), the study prioritized the relative importance of 17 safety leading indicators through a three-round Delphi survey and voting analytic hierarchy process (VAHP). It was found that organization commitment; client, designer and contractor engagement; training and orientation; safety climate and competence were most critical to safety performance in construction. Furthermore, operational, organizational and strategic barriers to the effective implementation of safety leading indicators were identified through the focus group discussion. The study suggested strategies for addressing these barriers and moving toward a proactive safety management approach. This study contributes to the theories and practices of construction safety management by linking the deployment of safety leading indicators with organizational and strategic issues at firm and project levels and addressing the root causes of poor performance. The effective deployment of safety leading indicators needs the engagement of clients, contractors, designers and supply chains to develop organizational capabilities to drive improvements from the project front-end to completion.

Identifying Faculty Unionization Barriers at Kabul University

Pupose: This paper aims to unveil the faculty unionization barriers in Kabul University. To utilize its sources and opportunities effectively and efficiently, universities need a cooperated faculty members. One way that makes faculties maintain their rights and privileges legally and build an equitable system is to establish Faculty Union. The research question addressed is: why Kabul University as one of the most influential and mother University in Afghanistan, still could not formed Faculty union?
 Method: For data analysis, the authors use thematic analysis to investigate the research question.
 Result: The results of this study show that Faculty Unionization Barriers at Kabul University classify under five categories including; Political barriers, Cultural barriers, Strategic barriers, Structural barriers and Legal barriers. The researchers of this paper believes that all these five factors rovolves around one axle; lack of an strong organizational culture in Kabul University. The identified barriers could be a facilitator for Kabul university faculty members and helpful in collaboration and Intra-Organizational Integration.

Selecting Capabilities to Mitigate Supply Chain Resilience Barriers for an Industry 4.0 Manufacturing Company: An AHP-Fuzzy Topsis Approach

The aim of study is to prioritize resilient capabilities required for an Industry 4.0 manufacturing business. These capabilities are prioritized considering the barriers faced by their supply chains in becoming resilient. After the review of literature and discussion with experts from the case company and other supply chain professionals, the barriers and resilient capabilities were shortlisted. The study utilized a hybrid of AHP-fuzzy TOPSIS technique to provide weights to the criteria variables (here barriers) and rank the alternatives (here resilient capabilities). Five criteria of barriers were identified for the purpose of the study, namely, strategic barriers, technological barriers, cultural barriers, individual barriers, and organizational barriers. Twenty-three subcriteria were identified for these barriers. Six capabilities were decided upon to be prioritized out of which planning capabilities were obtained to be the most important followed by collaborative, agile, supply chain design modification capability, interoperability, and supply flexibility. The study attempts to fill the gap identified in the literature regarding the lack of studies on supply chain resilience barriers. It therefore provides a realistic framework to prioritize the resilience capabilities required for mitigating such barriers.

Prioritisation of barriers for supply chain management implementation in the Malaysian automotive industry

Paper aims Several Barriers impede the robust effectiveness of the supply-chain management implementation for the Malaysian automotive industry. The purpose of the present work is to identify these Barriers and prioritize them. Originality Originality of the present work lies in identifying the Barriers, putting them into categories and subsequently prioritize them by applying a scientific method such as Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP).Research Research method This study has identified five main categories of Barriers through literature reviews. Fourteen practitioners who are involved with the automotive industry helped prioritise those Barriers by applying the AHP.Main Main findings Five main categories of Barriers are found to be technological, organisational, individual, strategic, and cultural barriers. Organisational barrier is the most critical barrier followed by technological and strategic barriers. Implications for theory and practice This research provides important feedback to the automotive company managers to take appropriate measures to minimise negative impacts of the barriers identified.

On Strategic Transmission of Gradually Arriving Information

The main insight of the literature on strategic information transmission is that even a small conflict of interest between a fully informed sender (e.g., a financial adviser) and an uninformed receiver (an investor) often poses considerable difficulties for effective communication. However, in many real-life situations, the sender is not fully informed at the outset but gradually studies the case before offering advice. The gradual arrival of information to the sender weakens the strategic barriers between the players and significantly improves communication.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION IN THE ZIMBABWEAN PUBLIC SECTOR: A CASE STUDY OF PUBLIC PROCURING ENTITIES IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE

This study investigated the barriers to effective supply chain management implementation in the context of Zimbabwean public sector. We aimed to identify strategic barriers affecting supply chain management implementation among public procuring entities in Harare and establish the technological barriers affecting supply chain management implementation among public procuring entities in Harare. It was also premised to uncover the organizational barriers affecting supply chain management and implementation amongst public companies in Harare. The study was a cross sectional survey of selected public procuring entities in Harare. These included the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Economic Development. A total of 132 respondents took part in the study. The findings revealed that the government departments under study lacked supply chain management planning that is well synchronized with the respective ministries’ overall strategic planning. Inconsistencies were identified between the departments’ supply chain structure and information systems that had been implemented and it had become difficult to incorporate real-time information sharing into supply chain operations.

A Graph-Theoretic Approach to Evaluate the Intensity of Barriers in the Implementation of Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 is seen as a relatively new concept with regard to developing nations like India. It is, however, recognized as an innovative approach for ensuring competitiveness and sustainability in manufacturing according to the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) perspective. But the practitioners are not endorsing the concept with much enthusiasm due to numerous barriers across the different segments of the manufacturing sector. Therefore, determining the essence and impact of these barriers is essential so that practitioners can devise appropriate mitigation strategies. In this direction, an attempt has been made to evaluate the intensity of barriers in the implementation of Industry 4.0 by using a graph-theoretic approach (GTA). Based on this methodology, a single numerical index value (i.e. I4.0BII) (Industry 4.0 Barrier Intensity Index) has been calculated to evaluate the intensity (or overall impact) of the barriers with respect to the considered case company. The GTA results revealed that the case company is most significantly impacted by organization-related barriers, strategic barriers, and technology-oriented barriers. In contrast, it is least affected by ethical and regulatory barriers and socio-cultural barriers. Furthermore, the scenario analysis was conducted to develop a scale that would assist practitioners in evaluating and benchmarking the implementation of Industry 4.0. It was observed from the developed scale that the case company was placed under the category “partially ready to meet the expectations of Industry 4.0” with a normalized I4.0BII value proportional to 0.78. The case company practitioners need to concentrate on those barriers which have a high I4.0BII value, and accordingly, strategies can be developed to mitigate their hindering impacts.

A framework for prioritizing the solutions to overcome sustainable manufacturing barriers

The manufacturing sector can contribute significantly to the economic growth of any nation by adopting ingenious methods which can reduce negative environmental impacts. Sustainable manufacturing has gained enormous attention during the last decade for improving sustainable performance. For enhancing sustainable performances, manufacturing organizations need to overcome barriers to sustainable manufacturing. The present study has applied a three-level approach to identify barriers and solutions of sustainable manufacturing in manufacturing organizations. A combined approach of extensive literature analysis and the Delphi technique is utilized to finalize the barriers and solutions. The present study has identified 7 main barriers, 33 sub-barriers, and 27 solutions. The best worst method (BWM) is employed for the prioritization of finalized barriers. Financial and strategic barriers are the most significant barriers which hinder sustainable manufacturing adoption. The present study is an initiative to utilize extended Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations II (PROMETHEE2) for ranking the solutions of sustainable manufacturing. The ranking of solutions suggests “supportive governmental legislations” as the uppermost solution to overcome selected barriers. A sensitivity analysis is also executed to investigate the fitness of the final results of the present study. The present findings will enable the case organizations to identify the most obstructive barriers and also enable them to adopt solutions that can reduce the intensity of barriers. A comprehensive analysis of manufacturing organizations can be executed to compare the findings of the present work.

Value-Sensitive Design of Unmanned Aerial Systems

What happens when an engineer attempts to address the value-neutral paradigm and the holistic deficits in engineering science? This paper sets out to account for the interplay between an unmanned aerial system engineer acting as a “champion” of value sensitive design (VSD) and their more objectivist research organization. Action research methods are used by the authors in an attempt to implement VSD in a real-world research organization and thereby bridge the theory-practice gap. Primary empirical data are collected which indicate the engineer has internalized and often utilizes a VSD approach. Both barriers and catalysts to wider adoption of VSD within the organization are experienced, and recommendations for overcoming paradigmatic, strategic, structural, and cultural barriers are addressed. This work demonstrates how action research can be used to shift engineering away from a value-neutral paradigm towards the value-sensitive approach advocated by the authors.

Automizing the manual link in maritime supply chains? An analysis of twistlock handling automation in container terminals

The study at hand elaborates on potential barriers, prerequisites and optimization potentials for the automation of the twistlock handling process in container terminals. A case analysis enlightens latest automation developments of this essential task in container transport. Eight experts from different organizations in maritime logistics and seaport operations were interviewed in a qualitative multiple-case research design. The interviews were evaluated by qualitative-quantitative content analysis with MAXQDA software.Automated twistlock handling systems are hardly implemented, although they represent the missing link between other container handling technology in the automated container transport. The study reveals that most implementation barriers consist of technological issues, followed by economic and strategic barriers. The study identifies implementation strategies and their key success and shows that safety improvements and cost reductions are major benefits of this automation. An innovation framework for this field of automation is conceptualized as scientific contribution. Practical implications include recommendations for relevant stakeholders in container logistics.

Do strategic planning dimensions and transformational leadership contribute to performance? Evidence from the banking sector

While some organizations realize the important role of strategic planning (SP) and leadership in influencing their business performance, it is unknown what SP dimensions and leadership style are required to improve the performance of banking institutions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of transformational leadership (TL) style and SP dimensions (strategic planning level, implementation and barriers) on organizational performance. To this end, a self-administered questionnaire is distributed to a sample of 246 managerial employees from private banks in Yemen. The analysis with structural equation modelling using partial least squares indicates that TL style and SP dimensions significantly influence the performance of Yemeni banks. The results reveal that TL and SP dimensions are profoundly needed to enable Yemeni banks to propel to improved bank performance. The results draw several pertinent implications for decision makers that will help enhance the performance of the banking sector. Limitations from the findings and recommendations for further research are put forward.