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This study aims to investigate how firms of different sizes respond to competitive pressure from peers.

This study employs machine learning techniques to measure competitive pressure based on management discussion and analysis (MD&A) documents and then utilises the constructed pressure indicator to explore the relationship between competitive pressure and corporate risk-taking behaviours amongst firms of different sizes.

We find that firm sizes are positively associated with their risk-taking behaviours when firms respond to competitive pressure. Large firms are inclined to exhibit a high level of risk-taking behaviours, whereas small firms tend to make conservative decisions. Regional growth potential and institutional ownership moderate the relationships.

Utilising text mining techniques, this study constructs a novel quantitative indicator to measure competitive pressure perceived by focal firms and demonstrates the heterogeneous behaviour of firms of different sizes in response to competitive pressure from peers, advancing research on competitive market pressures.

Given the importance of leadership practices and knowledge resources in fostering innovation capabilities of firms, the purpose of this study is to explore the influence of transformational leadership on exploitative and exploratory innovation via mediating role of knowledge management capability. This study also attempts to increase understanding of the appropriate mechanisms for firms to pursue innovation capability by examining the moderating mechanism of competitive intensity.

This study utilized the structural equation modeling and cross-sectional design to test hypotheses in the proposed research model using survey data collected from 351 participants in 120 manufacturing and service firms.

The findings indicate that transformational leadership induces greater effect on exploratory innovation compared to its effect on exploitative innovation. The mediating role of knowledge management capability between transformational leadership and aspects of innovation capability is also supported. Especially, the influences of knowledge management capability on exploratory innovation capability are enhanced and depended on the degree of competitive intensity.

Future research should examine the mediating mechanisms of knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing and knowledge application to provide deeper insight on the role of specific components of knowledge management capability in linking transformational leadership and innovation capability.

The paper highlights the important role of transformational leadership practices for fostering knowledge management capability and specific aspects of innovation capability under high level of competitive pressure.

The paper is unique in the attempts to provide a prospective solution for firms to pursue and improve innovation based on the meaningful insights on the mediating role of knowledge management capability and moderating effect of competitive intensity in the relationship between transformational leadership and specific dimensions of innovation capability.

In the era of digitalization, digital technology has transformed businesses and created enormous opportunities for organizations worldwide. Unsurprisingly, research on digital transformation has garnered significant interest among academics in recent decades. However, this study aims to recognize the key and holistic antecedents influencing digital transformation in manufacturing firms. This study also investigates the indirect relationships of antecedents with firm performance.

The hypothesis was investigated using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The data was collected from 279 employees through a self-administered survey of manufacturing firms.

The results described a significant and positive impact of competitive pressure, leadership role, organization culture, organization mindfulness, government regulation, and IT readiness on digital transformation and firm performance. Furthermore, digital transformation partially mediates the relationship between antecedents and firm performance.

The study finds a holistic perspective of the critical antecedents of digital transformation using the mediation role of digital transformation and moderating effects of firm agility. Additionally, all antecedents have a significant association with Firm Performance.

The study explores the relationship between the breadth of external pressures facing leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the entrepreneurial stance they adopt for their firm, that is, entrepreneurial orientation (EO).

Blending attention theory with EO literature, we argue that increasing breadth of external pressures will challenge leaders' attentions with implications for how they seek innovation, risk-taking and bold acts. We highlight an inflection point after which a negative relationship between the breadth of external pressure and EO will turn positive. We use data from a survey of 125 small-sized wineries in France to test this and capture a range of 15 external pressures on entrepreneurs.

The main tests and additional robustness tests provide support. It is the breadth of external pressures – as opposed to intensity of any one specific form of pressure – that plays a fundamental role in shaping leaders' adoption of EO in small enterprises over and above internal characteristics.

While the results may be context-dependent, they provide support for an attention-based view of entrepreneurial responses by leaders of SMEs under pressure.

SME leaders and entrepreneurs should be aware of how their attention is challenged by breadth of pressures from external sources, as this can influence the EO they adopt for their SME.

This nonlinear perspective on external pressures influencing the EO of small firms has not been taken in the EO literature to date, despite some recent work that considers only a small range of external pressures.

During the previous two decades, “Green Supply Chain Management” (GSCM) has been gaining the attention of researchers and practitioners from various fields (e.g. operations, logistics and supply chain management). Its significance is constantly growing, and various studies are conducted in order to capture its overall organizational contribution. The present study attempts to bring together various organizational aspects that have never been collectively investigated before in the relevant literature. Under that rationale, a robust conceptual framework is developed and empirically tested. This framework includes 17 factors that are classified in three dimensions: (1) drivers of GSCM practices, (2) GSCM practices and (3) firm performance (GSCM outcomes).

The examination of the proposed conceptual framework was performed using a newly developed structured questionnaire that was distributed to a sample of Greek manufacturing organizations. Supply Chain managers and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) were used as key respondents, due to their knowledge and experience. After the completion of the three-month research period (last quarter of 2019), 292 useable questionnaires were returned. The empirical data were analyzed using the “Structural Equation Modeling” technique. The study is empirical (based on primary data), explanatory (examines cause and effect relationships), deductive (tests research hypotheses) and quantitative (includes the analysis of quantitative data collected with the use of a structured questionnaire).

Empirical results point out that internal environmental management, green innovative practices and environmental proactivity are GSCM practices with the most significant impact on firm performance. Moreover, the mediating role of GSCM practices in the relationship between GSCM drivers and firm performance is also highlighted. Finally, it was found that GSCM practices can explain 35% of the variance in firm performance and the drivers of GSCM practices can explain 78% of the variance of these practices.

The proposed three-dimensional conceptual framework of this empirical study and its underlining rationale has rarely been adopted in the relevant literature. Moreover, the study investigates which GSCM practices have an impact on firm performance, thus offering value to practitioners of the field. Also, it is one of the few similar studies that have been conducted on a European country.

Complexity has been called the 21st-century supply chain (SC) challenge. Most SC managers view it as a necessary evil, ever-present, costly and tough to manage, and few prioritize it. Still, anecdotes suggest some leverage it to drive operational excellence. This study aims to explore how they do it, delving into the development of a complexity management capability, under what circumstances it emerges and its effect on competitiveness.

To better understand why, and how, companies develop (or not) a distinctive SC complexity management capability, this study employed an inductive study of 10 leading European companies, each operating a complex SC.

Although SC complexity raises costs, increases disruptions and makes decision-making difficult, few companies have made complexity management a priority. Among those, most focus on reducing or absorbing complexity to improve operational excellence. A few invest to develop a distinctive SC complexity management capability. They manage complexity for market success. The interaction among competitive pressures, managerial attitudes and investments delineate a dynamic capability development process.

Despite extensive research on complexity drivers, the tools used to manage SC complexity and the impact of SC complexity on performance, the interplay among factors that promote, or hinder, the development of an SC complexity capability continues to be poorly understood. By mapping the complexity capability development process, this study explicates a more nuanced approach to managing SC complexity that can yield a competitive edge.

SC complexity prevails because the dynamic, iterative complexity capability development process is overlooked. Managers can use the complexity capability roadmap to assess the cost/benefits of pursuing a distinctive complexity management capability more accurately.

This study demystifies the development of a complexity management capability, showing how some companies develop the capability to distinguish between value-added and value-dissipating complexity and thus become empowered to leverage SC complexity for competitive advantage.

This study aims to focus on the five most relevant and discursive emerging technologies in accounting (cloud computing, big data and data analytics, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics process automation [RPA]). It investigates the adoption and use of these technologies based on data collected from accounting professionals in a technology-developed country – Canada, through a survey.

The study investigates the adoption and use of emerging technologies based on data collected from accounting professionals in a technology-developed country – Canada, through a survey. This study considers the said nature and characteristics of emerging technologies and proposes a model using the factors that have been found to be significant and most commonly investigated by existing prior technology-organization-environment (TOE)-related technology adoption studies. This survey applies the TOE framework and examines the influence of significant and most commonly known factors on Canadian firms’ intention to adopt the said emerging technologies.

Study results indicate that Canadian accounting professionals’ self-assessed knowledge (about these emerging technologies) is more theoretical than operational. Cloud computing is highly used by Canadian firms, while the use of other technologies, particularly blockchain and RPA, is reportedly low. However, firms’ intention about the future adoption of these technologies seems positive. Study results reveal that only the relative advantage and top management commitment are found to be significant considerations influencing the adoption intention.

Study findings confirm some results presented in earlier studies but provide additional insights from a new perspective, that of accounting professionals in Canada. The first limitation relates to the respondents. Although accounting professionals provided valuable insights, their responses are personal views and do not necessarily represent the views of other professionals within the same firm or the official position of their accounting departments or firms. Therefore, the exclusion of diverse viewpoints from the same firm might have negatively impacted the results of this study. Second, this study sample is limited to Canada-based firms, which means that the study reflects only the situation in that country. Third, considering the research method and the limit on the number of questions the authors could ask, respondents were only asked to rate the impact of these five technologies on the accounting field and to clarify which technologies are used.

This study’s findings confirm that the organizational intention to adopt new technology is not primarily based on the characteristics of the technology. In the case of emerging technology adoption, the decision also depends upon other factors related to the internal organization. Furthermore, although this study found no support for the effect of environmental factors, it fills a gap in the literature by including the factor of vendor support, which has received little attention in prior information technology (IT)/ information system (IS) adoption research. Moreover, in contrast to most prior adoption studies, this study elaborates on accounting professionals’ experience and perceptions in investigating the organizational adoption and use of emerging technologies. Thus, the findings of this study are valuable, providing insights from a new perspective, that of professional accountants.

The study findings may serve as a guide for researchers, practitioners, firms and other stakeholders, particularly technology providers, interested in learning about emerging technologies’ adoption and use in Canada and/or in a relevant context. Contrary to most prior adoption studies, this study elaborates on accounting professionals’ experience and perceptions in investigating the organizational adoption and use of emerging technologies. Thus, the findings of this study are valuable, providing insights from a new perspective, that of professional accountants.

The study provides insights into the said technologies’ actual adoption and improves the awareness of firms and stakeholders to the effect of some constructs that influence the adoption of these emerging technologies in accounting.

Understanding the adoption of m-commerce in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is critical for their sustainable development. This study aims to investigate the adoption of m-commerce in Vietnamese SMEs, leading to the identification of the critical determinants and their relative importance for m-commerce adoption.

An integrated model is developed by combining the diffusion of innovation theory and the technology–organization–environment framework. Such a model is then tested and validated using structural equation modeling and artificial neural networks in analyzing the survey data.

The study indicates that perceived security is the most critical determinant for m-commerce adoption. It further shows that customer pressure, perceived compatibility, organizational innovativeness, perceived benefits, managers’ IT knowledge, government support and organizational readiness all play a critical role in the adoption of m-commerce in Vietnamese SMEs.

The findings of this study can lead to the formulation of better strategies and policies for promoting the adoption of m-commerce in Vietnamese SMEs. Such findings are also of practical significance for the diffusion of m-commerce in SMEs in other developing countries.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to explore the adoption of m-commerce in Vietnamese SMEs using a hybrid approach. The application of this approach can lead to better understanding of the relative importance of the critical determinants for the adoption of m-commerce in Vietnamese SMEs.

This study aims to consider factors that play an important role in adopting the halal food standard (HFS) among food manufacturers in Pakistan and to investigate the role of the traceability system in the compliance of the halal assurance system (HAS).

Present study included data from a survey by 134 professionals/food technologists from the food industry, and partial least square-structural equation modeling was applied.

The results indicate that consumer pressure, industry competition, marketing functions, operational improvement and the organization’s commitment have a significant impact on HFS adoption, while government regulations have an insignificant impact. The results also indicate that the HFS’s adoption and lack of a traceability system significantly impact HAS.

The current study’s findings are inconclusive. Hence, future researchers are suggested to further explore the studied phenomena, especially in other research settings.

For policymakers, the findings of this study offer valuable information as it not only benefits the industry but will also assist in providing better and safer halal food products to consumers.

This study highlights the importance of the adoption of HFS and compliance with HAS in a scenario where demand for Halal is increasing globally. Moreover, the findings of this study offer valuable information in motivating firms to implement HFS.

With the change in climate and increased pollution, there has been a need to reduce environmental carbon emissions. This research aims to develop a framework for reducing environmental carbon footprints to improve business performance.

This study uses Scientific Procedures and Rationales for the Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) approach. Articles are searched in the Scopus database using various keywords and their combinations. It resulted in 651 articles initially. After applying different screening criteria, 61 articles were considered for the final study.

This study provided four themes and sub-themes within each category. This research also used theories, methodologies and context (TMC) framework to provide future research questions. This study used the antecedents, decisions and outcomes (ADO) framework for synthesising the findings. The ADO framework will help to achieve carbon neutrality and improve firms' supply chain (SC) performance.

This study provides theoretical implications by highlighting the various theories that can be used in future research. This study also states the practical implications for the achievement of carbon neutrality by the firms.

This study contributes to the literature linking carbon neutrality with business performance.