Top Management Involvement Research Articles

Navigating the Smart Circular Economy: A framework for manufacturing firms

In the past decade, industries have undergone significant transformations driven by digitalization and sustainable development, particularly through the integration of Circular Economy (CE) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0), known as Smart Circular Economy (SCE). This study investigates the adoption of SCE in manufacturing firms by identifying and validating fourteen key enablers through a literature review and expert opinions. The structural relationships among these enablers are explored using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Further, the fuzzy-MICMAC analysis categorizes them into four clusters. The results reveal that ‘technical capability,’ ‘top management involvement,’ and ‘supportive policies' are the prime enablers for SCE implementation. The developed structural model of the SCE enablers helps the practitioners by focusing on developing supportive policies for SCE, enhancing technical capabilities and involving the top management in SCE transformation. The findings also suggest allocating a suitable budget for adopting SCE and developing the infrastructure for process digitalization in the manufacturing firm. Further, this study also act as a reference point for organizations to transform the linear economy into SCE to face society's environmental challenges.

Navigating organizational change through a processual perspective on the transition toward the circular economy: Save The Duck case study

PurposeBy rooting our study in Lewin’s change management theory, we conduct an in-depth case study of a medium-sized fashion firm transitioning toward a CE. Through adopting a multi-level and processual perspective, we offer empirical evidence of the change process and elucidate the drivers and resistance to change factors.Design/methodology/approachWe opt for a single in-depth longitudinal case study of a fashion firm that was born with a sustainable business model and that is in transition toward the CE. We involve multiple informants, and we adopt a processual approach to uncover the drivers and resistance to change factors at different organizational levels (i.e. top and middle management and operational levels).FindingsOur findings enable us to highlight novel key drivers and resistance factors at the organizational level. Regarding the former, we reveal the involvement of top and middle management in the decision-making process and the recruitment of young people. For the resistance factors, we identify adaptation to structural change, reluctant mindset, internal divergence of ideas, and commitment of all organizational levels to the CE.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper presents some limitations. First, our research is based on a single in-depth case study, which, while allowing for rich, detailed exploration, inherently limits the statistical generalizability of our findings. Focusing just on one organization located in a specific industry and geographical context means that our results may not be directly applicable to all organizational settings. Firms belonging to other industries would probably show different patterns of change due to industry-specific drivers and barriers. Also, the institutional and geographical contexts of our case study inevitably influence the cognitive and cultural aspects of the drivers and barriers we identified. Then, our research provides a processual yet not longitudinal view of OCCE, thus not fully capturing the long-term dynamics of the phenomenon.Practical implicationsOur findings underscore the critical role of visionary leadership, particularly stemming from the CEO, in driving CE transition. Leaders should articulate a clear vision for sustainability, foster a culture of experimentation and actively identify opportunities for CE implementation. Moreover, our results suggest that organizational culture plays a fundamental role in supporting CE transition. Creating a dedicated sustainability team to coordinate CE initiatives and counter the internal resistance, fostering the engagement of all organizational levels in CE initiatives, developing training programs to enhance CE knowledge and skills throughout the organization and recruiting young talents are some of the key recommendations we posit to firms aiming to start the process of CE transition.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the emerging literature on “Organizational Change toward a Circular Economy” (OCCE) by providing a processual analysis of organizational change toward the CE. Through an in-depth exploratory study of a fashion firm in transition toward the CE, we were able to identify drivers and resistance factors and to offer a visual map of our findings to graphically show the change toward the CE and the drivers and resistance to change factors that have thus far been under-investigated from an organizational level (Graessler et al., 2024).

Towards a cybersecurity culture-behaviour framework: A rapid evidence review

A strong organisational cybersecurity culture (CSC) is critical to the success of any cybersecurity effort, and understanding and measuring CSC is essential if it is to succeed. To facilitate the framing and measurement of CSC we conducted a rapid evidence assessment (REA) to synthesise relevant studies on CSC. The systematic search identified 1,768 records. 59 studies were eligible for the final synthesis.Thematic analysis of the CSC definitions in the included studies highlighted that CSC should not be viewed solely as a technical problem but as a management issue too; CSC requires top management involvement and role modelling, with full organisational support for the desired employee behaviours. We identify both theoretically and empirically derived models of CSC in the REA, along with a range of methods to develop and test these models. Integrative analysis of these models provides detailed information about CSC dimensions, including employee attitudes towards CS; compliance with policies; the role of security education, training and awareness; monitoring of behaviour and top management commitment. The evidence indicates that CSC should be understood both in the context of the wider organisational culture as well as in the shared employee understanding of CS that leads to behaviour.Based on the findings of this review, we propose a novel integrated framework of CSC consisting of cultural values, the culture-to-behaviour link, and behaviour itself. We also make measurement recommendations based on this CSC framework, ranging from simple, broad-brush tools through to suggestions for multi-dimensional measures, which can be applied in a variety of sectors and organisations.

The Role of Top Management Involvement and Supply Chain Integration on Smes’ Innovation Performance: Moderation Impact of Firm Experience Capability

The Role of Top Management Involvement and Supply Chain Integration on Smes’ Innovation Performance: Moderation Impact of Firm Experience Capability

Empirical Study on the Influencing Factors of Small and Medium Enterprises' Willingness to Adopt Digital Technologies under the Context of New-Quality Productive Forces

Under the development of new-quality productive forces, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have encountered unprecedented challenges, and digital transformation has become the path to break through. Based on the TOE (Technology-Organization-Environment) analytical framework, this study explores the influencing factors of SMEs' willingness to adopt digital technologies in Guangdong Province. The findings indicate that at the technological level, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have significant positive impacts on SMEs' willingness to adopt digital technologies. At the organizational level, top management involvement has a significant positive effect on SMEs' willingness to adopt digital technologies, while the influence of top management attitudes is not significant. At the environmental level, mimetic pressure and normative pressure have significant positive impacts on SMEs' willingness to adopt digital technologies, but the impact of coercive pressure is not significant. Based on these findings, suggestions are put forward from the three levels mentioned above to assist SMEs in achieving digital transformation and upgrading.

Tax Debts Pose a Significant Challenge for Tax Institutions

In 2020, the Tax Administration of Kosovo implemented a tax debt collection reform with three main objectives. 1) Consolidation of personnel from 10 regional offices into a centralized facility; 2) Equitable allocation of work responsibilities; 3) Enhancement of debt collection efficiency. During the period from 2020 to 2022, the implementation of the reform resulted in a substantial improvement in debt collection efficiency, exceeding 100% compared to the pre-reform years. Currently, tax officers handle debt collection cases with well-defined responsibilities and tasks, and the distribution of duty is more fair. This study investigates the involvement of top management and staff in the development and reform of the Kosovo Tax Administration's debt collection function. It also compares its participation with that of other Balkan countries. Tax authorities in developed nations have constructed their tax systems around the concepts of taxpayer self-assessment and voluntary tax compliance. Consequently, each tax revenue agency must establish an environment that facilitates taxpayers in declaring and remitting taxes while also implementing measures to combat informal economic activities and promote legitimate business operations. These efforts are crucial for achieving optimal levels of voluntary compliance and fostering public confidence in the tax administration.

An exploration of operational excellence methodologies implementation in the logistics sectors: a global study

PurposeThe aim of this study reported in this paper was to explore the application of operational excellence methodologies in a global context.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative interview approach was used to understand the current state, benefits, challenges, success factors, tools and techniques of operational excellence methodology implementation with relevance to logistics companies worldwide. About 16 interviews were undertaken with practitioners working in leading companies and with leading academics in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Australia.FindingsThe findings show that operational excellence methodologies including Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma and Agile can apply in logistics firms to improve operations and productivity and save costs. Top management support and involvement play an important role in the success of operational excellence projects in the logistics service.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings will be of interest to top and middle managers and logistics practitioners, with a dual aim of improving logistics performance and saving costs.Originality/valueThe present study has been one of the first global study attempts to explore the implementation of operational excellence methodologies in the logistics sectors.

The potential of Logistics 4.0 technologies: a case study through business intelligence framing by applying the Delphi method.

The growing competitiveness and the importance of data availability for organizations have created a demand for intelligent information systems capable of analyzing data to support strategy and decision-making. Organizations are generating more and more data due to new technologies associated with Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0, making it essential to transform this data into relevant information to streamline decision-making processes. This paper examines the influence of these technologies on gaining a competitive advantage, specifically in a logistics company, which is scarce in the literature. A case study was conducted in a Portuguese company using the Delphi method with 61 participants-employees who use the company's integrated BI tool daily. The participants were presented with a questionnaire via the online platform Welphi, requiring qualitative responses to various statements based on the literature review and the results of semi-structured meetings with the company. The study aimed to identify areas where employees believe more investment/ development is needed to optimize processes and improve the use of the BI tool in the future. The results indicate that BI is a crucial technology when aligned with a company's objectives and needs, highlighting the necessity of top management's involvement in optimizing the BI tool. Encouraging employees to use the BI tool emerged as a significant factor, underscoring the importance of leadership in innovative projects to achieve greater competitive advantage for the company. This study aims to understand the importance of Business Intelligence (BI) and how its functionalities should be adapted according to a company's strategy and objectives to optimize decision-making processes. Thereby, the discussion focused on the essential role of BI technologies in leveraging the company's competitive advantage.

Assessment of the readiness and maturity for Industry 4.0 adoption in Indian automobile industries

Purpose: This paper addresses the urgent need to comprehensively assess the preparedness of the Indian automobile industry for adopting Industry 4.0 technologies, a critical imperative for sustaining global competitiveness in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive sectors. The study introduces the Maturity Assessment and Readiness for Industry 4.0 in the Indian Automobile Industry (MARI-IA) Scale, offering a novel contribution to the scientific discourse on this vital issue.Literature Review: The existing literature review underscores the scarcity of tailored tools specifically designed to evaluate Industry 4.0 readiness in the distinctive context of the Indian automotive industry. Methodology: To bridge this gap, the paper employs a survey methodology involving 55 participants from 14 diverse organisations, spanning original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), supplier industries, and service centers. The chosen research object is these organisations, strategically selected to represent the spectrum of the industry. Utilising the MARI-IA Scale, the study systematically assesses maturity and readiness across five pivotal dimensions: Vision, Machines, Practices, Products, and People. Results: The findings reveal discernible variations in readiness levels, with OEMs exhibiting the highest preparedness, followed by supplier and service industries. Large-scale industries consistently outperform their medium, small, and micro-scale counterparts, indicating a pronounced scale-dependent disparity. Notably, the ‘People’ dimension garnered the highest rating, suggesting an existing readiness for skill enhancement initiatives and heightened customer awareness initiatives. In contrast, the ‘Vision’ dimension is rated the lowest, signalling a pressing need for increased strategic commitment and top management involvement in implementing Industry 4.0 initiatives. Value: The empirical analysis conducted substantiates the relevance and applicability of the MARI-IA Scale in effectively evaluating ndustry 4.0 readiness in the unique context of the Indian automobile industry. Beyond a mere assessment tool, the results of this study carry significant practical implications for stakeholders, offering a roadmap for enhancing Industry 4.0 preparedness and maintaining a competitive edge in the global automotive landscape. This research is a foundational resource for scholars, industry practitioners, and policymakers navigating the dynamic landscape of Industry 4.0 adoption in the Indian automobile sector.

Top management and teacher involvement in the strategic planning process in Zimbabwean schools

In this study I investigated the involvement of top management and teachers in the strategic planning process in 5 district schools located in the Bulawayo Metropolitan Province guided by the Take Stock Analysis (TSA) model. The constructivist/interpretivist paradigm was the qualitative methodology adopted for the study using a case study research method. The participants were 5 education managers and 5 focus groups of 4 teachers, each purposively selected from each school as an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon was sought through face-to-face interviews. Interview data were inductively and thematically analysed while strategic plans provided were inspected using content analysis and supplemented with interview data. The findings were reported following the concept of strategic planning, the formulation, monitoring and evaluation process. The results reveal that some schools used the centralised or decentralised strategic planning process while others hired strategists with minimal involvement from the teachers and the top management of the school. I recommend that stakeholders are actively involved in the entire strategic planning process to enhance ownership and commitment at the operational level. Most importantly, joint periodic evaluations are needed for modification purposes and relevance.

Content and Contextual Analysis of the Total Quality Management and Innovative Performance through Organizational Learning

The research is based on Innovative Performance (IP) as viewed through the quality management and innovation performance lenses. For this, a content analysis of the concept was performed to investigate the phenomenon of interest in depth. This paper aims to identify the most important quality variables as predictors of innovation performance in the Sultanate of Oman, with a focus on employee involvement, customer focus, and continuous improvement. A systematic literature review (SLR) was used to conduct content analysis for the study. Furthermore, contextual analyses were performed to investigate the phenomenon in depth. According to the findings, top management, consumer support, and employee involvement all have a good impact on IP and OL. However, the study discovered that continual quality improvement did not affect IP or OL. The study suggests that future research be undertaken to investigate the aspects that can have a favourable impact on organizational performance and innovation through continuous quality improvement.

Modelling of barriers in implementing sustainable manufacturer-supplier collaboration and coping strategies

Finding new, creative ways to improve the performance of their supply chains is one of the biggest problems that manufacturing organizations confront in the age of globalization and competition. To achieve better performance, companies should engage in networking activities such as integrating with other supply chain participants. Manufacturing businesses also face sustainability issues caused by suppliers' practices that fail to meet sustainability criteria. In this sense, developing a collaborative relationship with a supplier is essential for successfully implementing sustainable practices and gaining a competitive edge. Therefore, it is imperative for manufacturing companies to effectively manage their relationships with their suppliers by strengthening their suppliers' commitment to sustainability. The concept of sustainable supplier collaboration (SSC) emerges from the combination of sustainability and supplier relationship building. SSC, in general, broadens the traditional supplier management system by incorporating long-term partnerships into the sustainable aspects. Companies have begun to acknowledge the value of SSC and are taking initiatives in this regard. The adoption has been extremely slow, despite the assurances of sustainable collaboration with suppliers. Hence, research is required to determine how supplier collaboration with economic, environmental, and social promises has been hindered. It is important to acknowledge any hurdles that manufacturing organizations may have while developing SSC. Also, a thorough analysis of these barriers is essential so effective and sustainable collaboration with suppliers can be achieved. Therefore, the primary goal of the study is to identify and analyze barriers to sustainable collaboration with suppliers. The integrated methodology of Total Interpretive Structural Modelling-Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (TISM-DEMATEL) is used to achieve the purpose of study. An extreme case scenario involving one manufacturer of home appliances and its suppliers is used in a dyadic India based case study. The findings of this study reveal that the most significant barriers to SSC are lack of manufacturer-supplier communications for sustainable standards and appropriate regulations, lack of trust between manufacturer and supplier, lack of scope and focus for sustainable collaboration, unwillingness to share risks and rewards, lack of top management involvement, lack of combined training programs, and lack of consistent and adequate performance measurement systems. These barriers not only contribute directly to hindering SSC efforts but also influence other barriers at intermediate and lower levels. Additionally, the study offers detailed explanations of each barrier, thereby providing valuable insights for better understanding and effective implementation of sustainable manufacturer-supplier collaboration (SMSC).

Digitalization & Covid-19: An institutional-contingency theoretic analysis of supply chain digitalization

Black Swan external contingencies like the COVID-19 pandemic or Suez Canal blockage have a significant impact on the technology adoption decisions in firms. At a firm level, supply chains are the segments that are most prone to disruption due to these shocks. Hence the need to study the role of these contingencies in enabling digitalization in supply chains. Modern supply chains operate in a strong institutional environment that influences various aspects like technology adoption and digitalization. In this study, we bring these two aspects together by applying an institutional and contingency theory perspective. We investigate the institutional forces and the effect of environmental contingencies on the digitalization of supply chains. We propose a generalizable model to investigate digitalization readiness independent of the technological artefact being implemented. To achieve the same, we identify the forces of digitalization in the supply chains from the review of the extant literature. We then model the forces of digitalization into a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). The study finds that organizational readiness and people readiness are critical elements of digitalization readiness. Our study reports the importance of top management's involvement and employees' training as the critical forces aiding digitalization.

Influences of Total Quality Management on Innovation Performance and Organizational Learning

Throughout history, businesses have struggled to maintain and improve organisational performance in an effort to maintain a competitive advantage. The important elements of the quality management system must be confirmed by the senior management of the organization to increase and enhance performance. The purpose of this article is to identify the most significant quality factors as predictors of innovation performance in Oman. It focuses on top management support, employee involvement, customer focus, and continuous improvement. The study’s empirical data, which came from a self-administered survey, served as its foundation. The Ministry of Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, which identify 260 enterprises, provided the information. Data gathering involved the use of convenient sampling. Moreover, SMART-PLS was used to analyse the data. The study found that top management, consumer support, and employee involvement have a favourable impact on organisational learning and innovation performance. The study did discover a negligible effect of continuous quality improvement on organisational learning and innovation performance. The study suggests that future research be conducted to investigate the factors that can have a positive impact on organisational performance and innovation through continuous quality improvement.

Modeling Critical Success Factors of Lean Strategy in the Manufacturing Industry

This article aims to provide valuable new insights into organizations implementing Lean Manufacturing (LM) as a continuous improvement strategy, focusing on those which are reducing waste in order to increase their competitiveness. A statistical approach was used to model the causal relationships between LM Critical Success Factors (CSFs) to achieve this goal. We used an instrument which has been previously validated in the transportation equipment manufacturing sector in the Mexican manufacturing industry. The proposed hypotheses were subjected to empirical tests using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique. The results indicate that Top Management Involvement and Commitment, with Project Leadership as a mediator, contributes indirectly and significantly to the increase in the benefits of LM projects. In addition, it was observed that Customer Focus, Linking Lean to the Suppliers, and Training and Education directly influence the increase in the benefits of LM projects in the sector. These findings offer a frame of reference for manufacturing industries with similar characteristics to the sector in this study who wish to increase their benefits by developing projects using LM methodology.

Determinants of Company Performance with Supply Chain Risk Management as an Intervening Variable: Empirical Studies on BUMN Construction in Indonesia

BUMN construction companies are required to be competent to maintain the quality of the company by having good performance. Due to the phenomenon of declining financial performance and the phenomenon of outsourcing, a system is needed which is a synergy between SCM and risk management, that is Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM). This study aims to further explore the supply chain risks that occur in state-owned construction companies in Indonesia by developing a system that can control risk and play an important role in Vendor Trust, Contractor-Vendor Relationship and Top Management Involvement to measure company performance. The data collection was carried out using a survey method using questionnaires and interviews. Respondents were selected using the purposive sampling method, that experts on Indonesian BUMN construction projects using the Smart PLS analysis method. The results of the study concluded that Vendor Trust has no effect on Supply Chain Risk Management. This is related to the existence of Law No.2 of 2017 reinforced by Minister of BUMN No.08 of 2019 which regulates the readiness of database infrastructure and Vendor criteria. Based on this regulation, a Vendor Management System was created that applies ratings, sanctions and Blacklists to Vendors, if there are errors or even a shortage of Vendor expertise documents, Unverified will occur and the impact on billing to contractors will be hampered so that trust can increase mutually beneficial relationships in long-term partnerships hard to do. Contractor-Vendor Relationship and Top management Involvement influence SCRM. Vendor trust, Contractor-Vendor Relationship and Top Management Involvement influence company performance after being mediated by Supply Chain Risk Management.

A decision support model for evaluating risks in the digital economy transformation of the manufacturing industry

In recent decades, digital technologies have seriously changed socioeconomic systems on a global scale. Unfortunately, consequential issues have remained mostly uninvestigated. The literature lacks research into the risks that may arise in the procedure of developing digital capabilities that have considerable impacts on firms’ innovative growth. In addition, inadequate research has been conducted on challenges that may arise when a business is being developed in the context of the digital economy. Moreover, the advent of new risks specific to the digital economy has not been addressed in the overall system of modern economic relations. As a result, the current study aims to investigate the major areas of relevance to transforming companies into the digital economy, considering the impacts of new risks encountered during such transitions. Along this line, this paper develops a decision support model for evaluating risks in the digital economy transformation of the manufacturing industry. This approach is applied to compute the weights and the study ranks the most important risks for digital economy transformation in the manufacturing industry. In addition, the proposed method model is implemented to find industries’ priorities of different risks for the digital economy transformation of the manufacturing industry. Finally, a case study is carried out to assess the most important risk for the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry. The results show that lack of top management involvement (f7), with a weight of 0.0563, an unstable market environment in terms of the uncertainty industry, and market volatility, with a weight of 0.0542, are the most considerable risks for the digital economy transformation (DET) of the manufacturing industry. Additionally, comparison and sensitivity analyses are made to illustrate the advantage of the presented approach.

Pickled eggs: GenerativeAIas research assistant or co‐author?

Pickled eggs: Generative<scp>AI</scp>as research assistant or co‐author?

Peering through the lens of high‐reliability theory: A competencies driven security culture model of high‐reliability organisations

AbstractTo improve organisational safety and enhance security efficiency, organisations seek to establish a culture of security that provides a foundation for how employees should approach security. There are several frameworks and models that provide a set of requirements for forming security cultures; however, for many organisations, the requirements of the frameworks are difficult to meet, if not impossible. In this research, we take a different perspective and focus on the core underlying competencies that high‐reliability organisations (HROs) have shown to be effective in achieving levels of risk tolerance consistent with the goals of a security culture. In doing so we draw on high‐reliability theory to develop a Security Culture Model that explains how a firm's supportive and practical competencies form its organisational security culture. To refine and test the model, we conducted a developmental mixed‐method study using interviews and survey data with professional managers involved in the information security (InfoSec) programs within their respective HROs. Our findings emphasise the importance of an organisation's supportive and practical competencies for developing a culture of security. Our results suggest that organisations' security cultures are a product of their InfoSec practices and that organisational mindfulness, top management involvement and organisational structure are key to the development of those practices.

How and when does top management interaction with customers impact customer satisfaction?

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the effect of top management’s customer interactions (TMCI) on customer satisfaction. This study argues that TMCI’s overall relationship with customer satisfaction follows an inverted-U shape due to its positive and disruptive effects on the customer relationship efforts of frontline service/sales employees (FSEs). This paper further investigates the frontline competence of both FSEs and the top management team (TMT) as moderators of the impact of TMCI on customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model was tested empirically using data from managers, frontline employees and customers of microfinance firms. A multilevel structural equation modeling approach was used to test the hypothesized model.FindingsThe results show that TMCI has a curvilinear relationship with customer satisfaction. The results also show that frontline employees’ collective efficacy attenuates this relationship by shifting the turning point of the curvilinear effect to the right. Furthermore, TMT frontline competence amplifies both the positive and negative effects of TMCI on customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThis study advances knowledge on the effects of TMCI on customer satisfaction and highlights the nuanced relationship between top management involvement and indicators of firm performance.Practical implicationsThe findings show the importance of considering the frontline competence of both top management and frontline employees when encouraging TMCI in organizations.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine TMCI’s direct impact on customer satisfaction and propose the frontline competence of both top management and frontline employees as boundary conditions on this relationship.