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1 – 8 of 8This paper explores the challenges faced by the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the tourism industry in building capabilities toward being resilient in the wake of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the challenges faced by the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the tourism industry in building capabilities toward being resilient in the wake of crises through a stakeholder perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study identifies the barriers to building resilience through detailed literature review and expert interviews. A total of 13 barriers were identified and were classified into into three main categories, namely economic barriers, organizational barriers, and stakeholder barriers. Subsequently, primary data were collected to emperically validate the nature and strength of interactions between these barriers and to quantitatively identify their impact.
Findings
The study identifies that in long run, stakeholder barriers are the most significant in building capabilities toward being resilient in the wake of crisis. However, for initial recovery, economic barriers need to be focused. Subsequently, organizational capabilities needs to be developed through stakeholder support.
Practical implications
The study provides actionable insights to help MSMEs in the tourism industry to recover economically and to help them build lasting capabilities through organizational capability development and stakeholder support.
Originality/value
This study is novel on two aspects. First, the study investigates role of MSMEs in the tourism industry and how MSMEs are pivotal in helping the industry recover from a crisis by being resilient. Second, the role of stakeholders in the MSMEs sector in tourism is underexplored area and this study adds value to this nascent literature.
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Lijo John, Wojciech D. Piotrowicz and Aino Ruggiero
The impact of COVID-19 on the lives of people and businesses across the globe was devastating. While governments across the world had undertaken a slew of measures to control the…
Abstract
The impact of COVID-19 on the lives of people and businesses across the globe was devastating. While governments across the world had undertaken a slew of measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus within their geography, many of these measures had long and unintended consequences. The restrictions imposed by the governments on the movement of people and goods across the world brought supply chains to a grinding halt. This study identifies the cascading effects of supply chain disruptions (SCDs) on the energy sector and thereby on the security of supply of energy from a European Union perspective. Since these systems are closely integrated and the impact of COVID-19 needs to be analysed at a much broader level, this study uses a systems-thinking approach to study the effect of SCDs on energy services. The study develops a causal loop model to gain further insight into how SCDs caused by COVID-19 affected the coping capabilities of society and how critical services were affected. Furthermore, the study puts forth certain policy recommendations for both businesses and governments to prepare for and protect against a similar situation in the future.
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Lijo John and Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy
Sustainability as a construct is still debated and is yet to attain a consensus among researchers and practitioners. Sustainable development has been seen differently by players…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainability as a construct is still debated and is yet to attain a consensus among researchers and practitioners. Sustainable development has been seen differently by players from different industry sectors. There is need to understand the commonality prevailing on sustainability practices across different industry sectors to arrive at a consensual sustainability definition. The purpose of this paper is to propose four dimensions of sustainability and studies how it captures sustainability practices across key industrial sectors.
Design/methodology/approach
Current study argues the case for sustainability using four constructs, namely, economical, environmental, ethical, and social. Subsequently a holistic definition with a model is proposed incorporating the four constructs for sustainability. Studies documenting sustainability practices across industries, namely, automobile, infrastructure, cement and concrete, electronics, mining, paper, pharmaceutical, and logistics were reviewed to validate the applicability of the proposed four construct model across different key industrial sectors.
Findings
Current study validates the industry independence of the proposed four constructs of sustainability model through a literature review. Very few studies have documented industry-specific sustainability practices and much lesser have studied the ethical dimension of sustainability. Furthermore, the organizational strategic plan is developed for incorporating the environmental, economical, ethical, and social needs into the organizational business operations at the strategic, tactical, and the operational levels.
Research limitations/implications
Proposed model needs to be applied in multiple case organizations from diverse sectors to evaluate its capacity to capture the aspects of sustainability across different sectors. Future study could attempt to understand the interrelationships between the identified constructs and how they impact each other within different industrial sectors.
Practical implications
Model linked to organizational business operations at the strategic, tactical, and the operational levels helps in the alignment of the organizational activity towards the strategic intent of the organizational sustainability philosophy in the business ecology. It also helps in equipping the organization to achieve the operational excellence and the strategic business growth at the same time.
Originality/value
Current study is unique in its attempt to understand the capability of proposed sustainability dimensions to capture the sustainability practices followed across different industrial sectors.
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Humanitarian Supply chain Management (HSCM) is concerned with managing the efficient flow of aid materials, information and services to reduce the impact of disaster on human…
Abstract
Purpose
Humanitarian Supply chain Management (HSCM) is concerned with managing the efficient flow of aid materials, information and services to reduce the impact of disaster on human lives. Post 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the relief activities in India were not planned and executed properly. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the present situation existing to tackle a disaster, identify the gaps and suggest few mechanisms to overcome the gaps.
Design/methodology/approach
A situation‐actor‐process (SAP) learning‐action performance (LAP) model has been applied to analyze the HSCM activities in India. The “situation” represents the present scenario of the organization. Actors are the participants, influencing the situation to evolve different business processes. Based on SAP, various “learning” issues have been analyzed which lead to suitable “action” to be followed by impact of SAP on the “performance” of the supply chain of the organization.
Findings
Various issues that need attention are identification of the supply sources, co‐ordination among the actors, importance of a central authority, role of experienced SCM professionals, scarcity and abundance of the resources may be seen together, supply chain understanding in the disaster management and necessity of a financial supply chain.
Research limitations/implications
The general model of SAP‐LAP is used to explain various issues of HSCM in a managerial context.
Practical implications
The SAP‐LAP model presents the situation of HSCM in India to actors who may initiate the relief operations. It also helps in identifying issues in the current method of operation. The synthesis of SAP leads to LAP, which helps in suggesting the improvement actions or the learning from the present situation, actors and processes.
Originality/value
The paper presents a novel approach to analyze qualitative issues of HSCM in a single model comprising various perspectives on activities undertaken during the relief operations, both prior to disaster and post disaster.
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Princy Thomas, Daniel John and Lijo Thomas
The objective of the study was to explore the factors influencing the career decisions of students doing the students' undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes from…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of the study was to explore the factors influencing the career decisions of students doing the students' undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programmes from urban private universities/colleges in the Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
Career decision-making is determined by different factors and is contextual. The present study explores and identifies the prominent factors influencing career decision-making. A pool of 33 questions was developed, and these questions were initially administered to a sample of 233 students. Principal component analysis with Varimax Rotation identified salient factors. In the second study, confirmatory analysis was performed based on the opinion of 304 students.
Findings
The study shows that the student's career deciding factors include (1) career clarity, (2) career exploration, (3) career reward and recognition and (4) career initiative for professional and personal growth.
Originality/value
The study focussed on career-deciding factors for UG and PG students from urban universities/colleges in the Indian context and the findings can be used for planning career counselling interventions.
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There is no doubt that there is a need for new traditions, that is, wisdoms for enhanced responsible business in Africa. As one of the oldest world economies, Africa has a rich…
Abstract
There is no doubt that there is a need for new traditions, that is, wisdoms for enhanced responsible business in Africa. As one of the oldest world economies, Africa has a rich history of responsible indigenous business traditions that have sustained and supported her people’s principled business entrepreneurship over the centuries. However, there is little knowledge about these African responsible indigenous business traditions in the international literature. Currently, internationally familiar Western responsible business traditions dominate global responsible management knowledge and practice. The chapter explores responsible indigenous business traditions amongst the Sesotho-speaking people of Southern Africa called Basotho, bringing to light an aspect of responsible indigenous business management knowledge and practice from Southern Africa. These Basotho’s responsible indigenous business traditions embedded in Mokorotlo business model are Seahlolo, that is, communal, or mutual aid sharing, Letsema, that is, communal work party, Tsimo-ea-lira, that is, the field of enemies, Moelela, that is, food paid for work at threshing time, and Mafisa, that is, communal livestock loaning. The chapter concludes by suggesting that these Mokorotlo business traditions are prima facie attractive to be taken seriously in the global responsible management knowledge and practice.
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