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Resource orchestration theory proposes that firms need resources, capabilities, and horizontal and vertical alignment to achieve high performance. Thus, we investigate which combinations of horizontal fit of resources (commitment-based HR systems for managers and nonmanagers) and capabilities (HR flexibility) together with vertical fit with business strategy (innovation versus cost leadership strategies) relate to superior performance.

Our study is based on a sample of 113 Spanish firms from which we collected data on commitment-based HR systems for managers and nonmanagers, HR flexibility, business strategy and performance. We employ a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze which configurations lead to firm performance.

The empirical analysis shows that both HR practices and policies (commitment-based HR systems) and HR capabilities (HR flexibility) need to be aligned for high performance. The path for performance is comprised of a combination of commitment-based HR systems for staff and HR flexibility and by the absence of an innovation strategy or commitment-based HR systems for managers, HR flexibility, and a cost leadership strategy. We also find four paths where performance relies on efficiently combining an innovation and cost leadership business strategy.

Our findings make three key contributions to the literature. First, we help elucidate multicausal relationships inside the black box of the “HR–performance” relationship for firm performance. Second, we study the vertical fit with business strategy by considering innovation and cost leadership strategies. Third, we analyze multicausal pathways, thus uncovering different combinations of resources and capabilities for performance.

The study investigates the mediating effect of HR flexibility in the relationship between capacity-enhancing HR practices and job performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in Egypt.

On the basis of the literature review, the results imply a quantitatively tested conceptual model. The model is empirically validated using the partial least squares method to structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with survey data from 270 SME owners and managers in Egypt. The sample was selected using a quota sampling approach for small and medium-sized businesses and a proportionate stratification sampling method for the industry and region.

Findings for the sample revealed that capacity-enhancing HR practices affected job performance positively and significantly. The findings also revealed a direct, positive and significant impact of capacity-enhancing HR practices on HR flexibility and HR flexibility on job performance. Functional flexibility was identified as a significant mediator of the capacity-enhancing HR practices-job performance link, whereas behavioural and skill flexibility were not significant mediators for such a relationship.

The study's cross-sectional design is an evident weakness. All variables were self-reported; this may raise issues regarding method bias. Other limitations include the generalisability of the study's findings outside the setting in which it was conducted. The accuracy of the field study results would have been enhanced if they had not been limited exclusively to the geographical confines of Egypt.

The paper proposes many implications emphasising the role of HR flexibility in enhancing the performance of SMEs. The study developed a mediation model to understand how SMEs boost the performance of human resources by focusing on flexibility dimensions. Accordingly, companies may strategically employ flexible practices and provide an environment that encourages skill and behavioural development.

Being clear and specific on what moderating and/or mediating variables are included and what effects are observed in academic research helps the reader to better understand the academic research context and results. But in terms of managerial relevance, it is also important to do this in a way that it provides descriptive, goal and operational relevance to decision makers in practice, depending on the type of intended research. This article wants to provide “a question-based step-by-step guide” on how to make the analysis of moderating/mediating variables and their observed effects more managerially relevant.

Based on a critical review of the literature, important criteria of managerial relevance are confronted with important aspects of theory building with respect to mediating and moderating effects, leading to best-practice insights and recommendations. Moreover, exemplary articles are used to illustrate these findings.

The insights and step-by-step recommendations assist the academic researcher in making choices when analyzing moderators and mediators, by not only taking a theoretical perspective, but also a managerial (relevance) perspective. Adding moderators/mediators may for instance challenge the “core logic of managerial practice” (in terms of thinking and decision making), even if it does not change the “core logic of a theory” as such. In the other direction, academics (and their theory) may be challenged by practitioners, in the way they define moderators/mediators and their levels. The steps in this article relate to aspects such as measurability, controllability and role of moderators and mediators in managerial problem and decision contexts. In case of multiple moderating and/or mediating variables, the decision architecture for managers becomes more complex, especially when the effects are countervailing/opposite. Multiple studies in this article illustrate that in that case, making optimal decisions becomes a “balancing” act for managers/decision makers and may even challenge their common beliefs (e.g. linear thinking).

The guidelines on managerial relevance of moderating and/or mediating variables and their effects can be used by academic researchers and editors of academic journals, pursuing not only academic rigor, but also managerial relevance. Besides being a guide for managerially relevant output, it also helps in determining for which questions in the research process, input from practitioners or at least insights from practice (e.g. through sources such as business magazines and portals) may be needed. The guidelines may also be used for teaching purposes, complementing more theoretical articles that mainly focus on methodological/statistical issues of moderating/mediating variables and their effects.

The research on sustainable business model innovation (SBMI) has seen a surge over the years. However, despite the surge, the literature on the antecedents of SBMI is still at a budding stage. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to expand the literature on SBMI by investigating the influence of managerial ties on SBMI.

Data were collected from 200 SMEs in Saudi Arabia to test the conceptual model, which was analysed using structural equation modelling.

The findings highlighted the significance of managerial ties in promoting SBMI. Furthermore, the findings highlighted that managerial ties might not optimally result in SBMI uncles channelized through absorptive capacity. However, the findings could not confirm the moderating role of strategic flexibility.

The findings from this study have implications for SME owners, recommending that these firms develop managerial ties and absorptive capacities to realize the benefits of SBMI.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to highlight the significance of managerial ties in promoting SBMI from an emerging market perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to bring new insights into the underexplored mediating role of psychological empowerment (PE) in the link between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and employees’ affective commitment. Furthermore, given the distinct behaviour that the different dimensions of PE have shown in previous studies, we have followed the call for more empirical research in this field by considering such specific dimensions. Thus, the present paper examines, from a multilevel perspective, the extent to which Spreitzer’s (1995) employee PE dimensions (meaning, competence, self-determination and impact) mediate the relationship between HPWS and employee affective commitment.

A multilevel approach, with matched data from HR managers and a sample of 504 core employees in 142 Spanish firms, is used to test the hypotheses through structural equation modelling methodology.

We corroborate that three of the dimensions of employee PE (meaning, self-determination and impact) mediate the relationship between HPWS and employee AC.

The study contributes to the existing literature by elucidating the importance of generating motivating feelings in employees as a way of promoting affective reactions in organisations. More specifically, it highlights the usefulness of examining and boosting different segments of the psychological empowerment construct when seeking committed employees.

This study aims to examine the effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee silence behaviour by developing a moderated mediation model. The model focuses on the mediating role of role breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect underpinning the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour, and the moderating role of interdependent self-construal.

The two-wave survey was conducted among 265 employees. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test the mediation and moderation mediation hypotheses.

Results indicated that high activated positive affect mediated the negative relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour. The authors also found that interdependent self-construal moderated the relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and role breadth self-efficacy, as well as the indirect effect of supervisor developmental feedback on employee silence behaviour via role breadth self-efficacy.

This empirical study provides preliminary evidence of the mediating role of breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect in the negative relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour. The moderated mediation results further show that the mediation of role breadth self-efficacy between supervisor developmental feedback is contingent on individual interdependent self-construal, such that the mediation effect is significant among individuals with high interdependent self-construal, but the mediation effect of high activated positive effect is independent of individual interdependent self-construal. The findings further extend boundary conditions (interdependent self-construal) that may constrain the effect of supervisor developmental feedback on role breadth self-efficacy and high activated positive affect. The research makes considerable contributions to the cognitive-affective personality system theory by specifying the cognitive and affective mechanisms between supervisor developmental feedback and employee silence behaviour, as well as the boundary conditions.

Innovative capabilities are essential for the survival and development of an organization. Previous studies have found a positive relationship between CEO transformational leadership (CEOTFL) and firm innovation. However, limited studies have endeavored to investigate the relationship between CEOTFL and firm innovation through the cognition and attitudes of the ordinary employees, despite their significant role in corporate innovation. Existing TFL literature has predominantly concentrated on “the close relationships” between leaders and their immediate subordinates, leaving the remote influence of CEOTFL on ordinary employees under-researched. Therefore, the current study aims to explain the relationship between CEOTFL and firm innovation from a micro-level perspective.

Multilevel and multi-sourced data from 1,627 employees across 145 firms was used to test the hypotheses in this study.

The results indicate that CEOTFL can enhance firm innovation by enhancing the collective task self-efficacy of regular employees. Moreover, this effect is not observed when employees are exposed to a low level of work–life balance practices.

The findings suggest that CEOs can perform increased TFL to promote firm innovation. It is recommended that CEOs demonstrate their TFL not only to their direct subordinates but also to regular employees using various methods, such as participating in corporate activities with employees, delivering public speeches and sending emails to employees. Meanwhile, the HRM system should consistently align with the CEO’s leadership approach within the organization.

This study strengthens the importance of ordinary employees and their contribution to firm innovation.

The present study contributes to the literature on the micro-foundations of the relationship between CEOTFL and firm innovation by considering ordinary employee reactions as a mediator. Furthermore, this study enriches the CEOTFL literature by investigating the distant influence of CEOTFL on rank-and-file employees through the lens of social cognitive theory. Additionally, the authors expand cue consistency theory to the realms of CEO leadership and HRM literature by integrating CEOTFL and work–life balance practices into a unified model. The findings reveal the importance of coordination between CEO leadership and HRM systems within an organization. The inclusion of Chinese sample data in this study augments the cultural diversity of the sample within the CEOTFL literature.

Based on trait activation theory and established HRM frameworks, this paper examines the effect of HR managers’ proactive personalities on their use of HRM systems in times of crisis. As ambiguity and uncertainty provide room for personal traits to unfold and HR managers gain influence in times of crisis, we hypothesise that highly proactive HR managers report more intense use of HR practices. We thereby explore a potential alternative to maximize the value derived from HRM in times of crisis and to contribute new insights about organisational and managerial crisis responses.

This paper draws on data from 269 HR managers collected during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hypotheses are tested by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis.

We find that a proactive personality can indeed influence the use of HR practices given that the impact of the crisis is not extremely high. This holds for HR practices that require investments (e.g., time and effort) from the HR manager, e.g., information sharing or employee involvement practices. Interestingly, we find that top management support weakens this link.

By emphasising the importance of managerial personality, we add important nuances to HRM frameworks that account for the influence of organisational actors (i.e. managers and HR managers) on HR policies and practices.

This study aims to evaluate the extent to which the criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model and the relationships between them are relevant in the management of rural territory development. Verifying this relevance is crucial as a first step to determine how the adoption of an excellence model could enhance the results of the local action groups (LAGs) in managing their territories. If successful, the benefits for the management of territorial rural development in Spain could be highly significant.

Field data were collected through a questionnaire distributed to the managers of 253 LAGs in Spain during the first quarter of 2021. Hypotheses were formulated to evaluate the significance of the EFQM model in the outcomes achieved by LAGs. The data were analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and necessary conditions analysis (NCA).

This study validates all the formulated assumptions regarding the EFQM model, including the mediating role of process management in the impact of strategy and the technical team (people) on outcomes. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the adoption of a model of excellence could increase the effectiveness of LAGs in managing the development of their territories.

Like all research, this study has its limitations. For example, the data used responds to an indirect approach to the criteria of the EFQM model. Direct measurement of the criteria was not possible because there were no LAG evaluations with the EFQM model or any other model of excellence. Additionally, the LAG sample used does not equally reflect the reality of the different autonomous communities, which, together with the relatively small nature of the sample, does not allow comparisons of the autonomous communities. The age of the participants was not included in the analysis, so it was not possible to evaluate the effect that this variable could have on the results. There are LAGs in other EU countries as well. It would be interesting to see whether the results obtained in this study with Spanish LAGs are consistent with those in other countries. The study was conducted at the criterion level. It would be of interest to delve deeper into the subcriterion level in future work. Finally, this study was based on the EFQM 2013, while the most recent study was from 2020, which is a limitation. When the study was designed, there was not yet sufficient experience with the 2020 model. It will be interesting to see in future work the extent to which the results and conclusions obtained remain consistent with those of the 2020 model.

Approaches to tackling the problem of rural development have often relied on intuitive and practical trial-and-error methods in the implementation of public policies rather than on a solid and validated theoretical foundation. Therefore, verifying the relevance of the criteria and their interrelationships, intrinsic to models such as the EFQM 2013 model, in the context of managing rural territories, can greatly aid the management of these types of organisations.

The development of rural territories is a critical issue that remains unresolved in many countries. Failure to address this, or not doing so in a timely manner, has consequences for equity and migration to large urban centres. Enhancing the effectiveness of the LAGs can improve the living conditions of people in rural areas and contribute to the overall development of rural territories in Spain. This can simultaneously help mitigate the depopulation of rural areas.

Traditional approaches to rural development have often relied on practical trial-and-error methods in implementing public policies. The decision to adopt an excellence management model for the development of rural territories hinges on the validity of criteria and their interrelationships, such as those intrinsic to the EFQM 2013 model, within the context of rural development.

The EFQM model of excellence is applicable in managing the development of rural territories, although some relationships between criteria, such as the case of Partnership and Resources on Results, are affected by the context in which local action groups currently operate in Spain.

This study applies PLS-SEM in the analysis of the relationships between criteria of the EFQM model in the context of managing the development of rural territories.

Quality management practices (QMP) have stood as one of the critical strategic differentiators for enhancing firm performance. The production and manufacturing industry is the main driving force of economic growth and social development for any developed or developing country. This study aims to focus on two primary dimensions of QMP: soft quality management practices (SQMP) and hard quality management practices (HQMP) from the socio-technical system perspectives. Based on institutional theory perspectives, the study explores the impact of SQMP and HQMP on quality performance (QP), innovation performance (IVP) and financial performance (FP) in Indian oil processing organizations.

A proposed research model is validated using 289 cross-sectional survey data collected from the senior officials of oil processing firms in India. Covariance-based structural equation modeling is used to verify the proposed theoretical model.

SQMP, directly and indirectly, influenced QP and IVP while only indirectly to FP mediated through QP. HQMP directly impacted only QP while indirectly to IVP and FP mediated through QP.

Impact of organizational legitimacy in proper utilization or application of QMP in achieving the firm sustainable growth. The future study may address the following Research Question (RQ) also: How do QMP enhance the legitimacy of organizations operating in the oil processing industries? Are there specific mechanisms or pathways through which improved performance contributes to enhanced organizational legitimacy? How does legitimacy impact the success and sustainability of organizations, particularly, within the context of the oil processing industries? Are there regulatory requirements or industry certifications that organizations must adhere to in order to maintain legitimacy?

Similarly, manufacturing firms establish QMP of interaction and maintaining relationships with all the stakeholders, total employee empowerment and involvement, workforce commitment and workforce management, helping to control their reputations and maintain legitimacy (Li et al., 2023). Similarly, in the health industry, the health management information system (HMIS), which uses the DHIS2 platform, establishes that isomorphism legitimizes data QMP among health practitioners and, subsequently, data quality. Further, it was concluded that mimetic isomorphism led to moral and pragmatic legitimacy. In contrast, normative isomorphism led to cognitive legitimacy within the HMIS structure and helped to attain the correctness and timeliness of the data and reports, respectively (Msendema et al., 2023). Quality, flexibility and efficiency of Big Data Analytics through better storage, speed and significance can optimize the operational performance of a manufacturing firm (Verma et al., 2023).

The study provides the academician with the different dimensions of QMP. The study demonstrates how a firm develops multiple performance capabilities through proper QMP. Also, it shows how vital behavioral and managerial perspectives are to QMP and statistically solid tools and techniques. The study draws their importance to risk factors involved in the firms. Since the SQMP play a vital role, thus, emphasis on the behavioral dimension of quality requires more investigation and is in line with hard technological advancements in the quality field.

The study of the impact of HQMP and SQMP on performance is still not established. There are inconsistencies in the findings. The study of the impact of HQMP and SQMP in oil processing industries has not dealt with before. The effects of HQMP and SQMP on the firm’s FP have least been dealt. In context to the intended influence of QM implementation, QP has not been examined as a potential mediator between FP. Research carried out in the past is limited to American and European countries. However, a limited study was done in Asia, and no study has been conducted in the Indian context.