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There is a concern in literature about the critical elements of lean enterprise (LE) that can be represented as pillars of lean enterprise excellence. However, existing frameworks proposed on LE excellence are very few. The purpose of this paper is to develop a relationship model among the pillars of a proposed framework of LE excellence in Indian manufacturing industry by Jasti et al. (2020) with the help of interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and structural equation modelling (SEM).

The ISM is constructed on two exemplary cases of lean operations from two Indian manufacturing organisations. These cases were selected based on the implementation of lean practices in respective organisations. The two manufacturing organisations which implemented lean practices at different levels were selected as contenders for constructing ISM. The relationships among pillars and constructs of LE framework are obtained from ISM, and later subjected to statistical testing for model fit by using SEM. The input to SEM was the respondent's data collected in a previous study.

The outcome of the present study revealed that the successful implementation of LE framework requires an appropriate strategy along with top management commitment to get a complete benefits of LE. The study has proposed a strategy to implement the proposed LE framework in Indian manufacturing industry. This study has revealed that ISM developed based on the focal company that implemented lean practices effectively is statistically fit for LE framework.

The study has established paired relationships among lean pillars for an effective implementation of LE framework. The investigation was started by collecting opinions of experts to perform the appropriate interpretations subsequently. However, the expert judgements can be qualitative in nature and prone to bias and impact the final outcome. To overcome these a large-scale empirical survey is suggested to provide a better catch for interactions in LEs.

This study helps in providing concrete practical implications to both academic researchers as well as industry professionals. The practitioners normally focus on finding readymade strategies for implementing LE in the organizations. The comprehensiveness of the present work helps the practitioners in implementing LE strategy with ease. The study revealed that management commitment and leadership is driving force but needs strategic implementation methodology for successful implementation.

Manufacturing industries across the world have been struggling to understand and implement LE strategy effectively. Most of the governments across the world are supporting and motivating various industry practitioners to implement LE strategy by providing financial assistance for conducting training programmes. However, many organizations across the world were not able to implement LE strategy successfully. The present study provides a strategy to implement LE framework effectively in an organization.

The study offers a unique approach for analysing the underlying relationships among pillars of LE for effective management. Researchers can use the results of this study for developing frameworks in various domains of LE.

Poverty, business strategy and sustainable development. International development planning and poverty alleviation strategies have moved beyond centralised, top-down approaches and now emphasise decentralised, community-based approaches that incorporate actors from the community, government, non-governmental agencies and business. Collective action by Bottom of the Pyramid residents gives them greater control in self-managing environmental commons and addressing the problems of environmental degradation. Co-creation and engaging in deep dialogue with stakeholders offer significant potential for launching new businesses and generating mutual value. The case study rests on the tenets of corporate social responsibility. It serves as an example of corporate best practices towards ensuring environmental sustainability and community engagement for providing livelihood support and well-being. It illustrates the tool kit for building community-based adaptive capacities against climate change.

The field-based case study was prepared from inputs received from detailed interviews of company functionaries. Company documents were shared by the company and used with their permission. Secondary data was accessed from newspapers, journal articles available online and information from the company website.

The case study is about the coming together of several vital agencies working in forest and wildlife conservation, climate change adaptation planning for ecosystems and communities, social upliftment and corporate social responsibility in the Kanha Pench landscape of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. The case traces several challenges. First, the landscape is degrading rapidly; it requires urgent intervention to revive it. Second, the human inhabitants are strained with debilitating poverty. Third, the long-term sustainability of the species of tigers living in the protected tiger reserves of Kanha and Pench needs attention as human-animal conflicts rise.

The case would help undergraduate and postgraduate students studying sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a continuous improvement methodology used to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Although there are several articles published, only two have analyzed the literature from a bibliometrics perspective. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the LSS literature by bibliometrics, identifying its state of the art, scientific gaps and research trends.

Articles published up to 2016 in the database Scopus were investigated to identify the most significant articles, authors, journals, institutions and countries based on citation counting as well as the most frequent keywords and subject areas on LSS. Articles published in 2014, 2015 and 2016 were analyzed to point out scientific gaps and to identify eight main research trends on LSS.

The research trends are: “LSS implementation”, “Healthcare”, “LSS tools”, “Human factors”, “Expansion of results”, “SME”, “LSS combined with other methodologies” and “Education”. The research outcomes also point out the most significant articles, authors, journals, institutions and countries in LSS literature.

This research contributes to develop the state of the art of LSS and helps professionals as well as researchers to identify which issues new studies should address.

The performance of the literature is measured based on the number of citations and not on the number of published papers, and the bibliometric analysis covers the highest number of articles so far (319 articles). Besides, the identification of the main research trends on LSS is exclusively based on the most recent studies.

The Oman Development Bank (ODB) was established in the year 1976 under the Royal Decree No 31/76. The ODB is the first specialised development bank started in Sultanate for the purpose of contributing to the economic and social development in the country. ODB is attracted by more local and foreign investments created many investment opportunities in development projects by providing the funds, technical support and advice to its clients especially in the establishments of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). The objective of this study is to analyse the role of ODB in financing the small and medium scale industries with the aid of qualitative data. The study analyses the approved loans in region wise. To study the effectiveness of ODB in financing small and medium scale industries in sector wise. The study period is from 2006 to 2009. The analysis and findings of this study provide useful information for bankers, policy makers and to the customers who seek to start SMEs in Sultanate.

This chapter examined COVID-19 Impact on Small and Medium Scale Agro-Allied Enterprises (SSAMEs) in Southwest, Nigeria with a view to cushion the effects of the pandemic on these enterprises. The study made use of descriptive survey design using both primary and secondary data. Primary data were sourced through questionnaire administered to 438 owners/mangers and in-depth interviews conducted with selected executive members of National Association of Small and Medium Scale Industries (NASMSI). The findings revealed that COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted almost all the investigated firms. These impacts included: job losses, bankruptcy, inadequate staff strength; insufficient raw materials, lack of access to equipment and services; inability to access finance, and closed sales outlets. The study made recommendations to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on SSAMEs which included: lifting of ban on boarder closure; provision of palliative measures, partnership with local and financial services providers; provision of technical assistance among others.

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the role of the project champion and the project champion's experience in a business capacity building project in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The project champion mentored and fostered joint enterprises between and across actors engaged in the production, processing, distribution, retailing and exporting of lamb meat and cheese derived from sheep milk. The article aims to analyse and compare the experiences and knowledge from this project with that of knowledge in extant studies on demand chain integration and inter‐firm alliances.

A case study was crafted from information accessed from the project champion, key informants and information about the project presented in the web sites of the United States Agency for International Development and the project champion. The experiences presented in the case study were critically examined and evaluated with the findings in extant studies on inter‐firm alliances.

Demand chain strategy based on customer orientation and seamless integration of all actors in the value chain through a joint enterprise fosters relationship bonding, structural cohesion and transaction efficiencies. The role of a third party project champion in facilitating and mentoring the value chain actors contributed to the success of the joint‐enterprise.

The findings are based on a single case study, the unique characteristics of the study context limits the scope of generalising the findings.

Knowledge from this study is transferable to other industry sectors and can also be adapted in other environments in which individual small‐to‐medium‐scale enterprises experience competency and capacity constraints in developing their business.

Adopts a whole‐of‐chain capacity building approach. The dynamics of the study context (small‐to‐medium scale enterprises in all segments of the chain, niche high value products, transitional economy which recently adopted a free enterprise business model) are unique and this influenced project initiatives and outcomes. The study provides valuable insights into developing small‐to‐medium‐scale food enterprise capacity building projects.

The current manuscript is focused on evaluating the capabilities of green practices that affect various business performance (BP) parameters of small and medium scale Indian manufacturing enterprises (SME’s). This study aims to obtain multiple significant factors that influence the implementation of green practices.

The manuscript focuses on statistical testing of responses obtained from 168 Indian SMEs to determine the relationship between input parameters and BP parameters. This paper starts with deploying tests such as Cronbach alpha and inter-item covariance test to obtain confidence in data collected, followed by various statistical tests such as Pearson correlation, multiple regression, canonical correlation to extract various significant factors the study. Further Games-Howell post hoc test is deployed to evaluate the significant improvements in BP gained over a reasonable duration of time. Finally, a discriminant validity test is used to find out the success or failure of the organizations that participated in the survey.

This research contributes to the holistic effect of green manufacturing (GM) toward gaining improvements in terms of different BP parameters taken for the study. It has been found that various input factors such as customer attributes, adoption of new technology, social pressure and government pressure are the main parameters for GM implementation. Further, it is observed that those at the maturity phase of GM implementation are reaping higher benefits than the organizations at the transition and stability phase.

The current study has been accomplished in Indian SME manufacturing organizations to investigate the effects of GM implementation in the organization. Although research findings imply the effective use of green practices within the organization to reap BP parameters and improve the market’s competitive image, the study cannot be generalized and can be used as an insight for both academicians and end-users in understanding the overall achievements of GM.

This study examines the nexus between entrepreneurship through small–medium enterprise (SME) business formation and the growth of the Nigerian economy. Furthermore, this paper seeks to explore the link between small enterprise development and econo.

The paper focused on secondary data for the period 1990–2016 for macro parameters including, registered small and medium scale enterprise, nominal gross domestic product, employment, total labor force and population. Forecasting technique was applied to obtain data for missing trends. Quantitative analytical techniques used include the dynamic method of the error correction model (ECM) and Johansen co-integration test for a long-run correlation.

The result shows an increasing number of SME formation which has also led to the growth of the economy. However, an increase in the amount of micro-small and medium scale enterprises did not contribute to the development of the economy more than existing businesses. The employment elasticity is positive and significant and shows that the contribution of entrepreneurship regarding employment is the most essential factor that advances economic growth and reduction of unemployment.

The paper examines how the persistent increase in small and medium enterprise formation improves the growth and development of the Nigerian economy, employing the ECM approach.

During the 1980s and early 1990s it was widely reported that large parts of the European countryside experienced considerable industrial growth led by a burgeoning of small and medium‐scale enterprises. The growth of these firms was closely associated with an expansion of trade and the intensification of competition on a world scale and the renaissance of industrial districts in specific localities. Within this context the notion of the “network” has been deployed in order to explore the complex interrelationships that exist in the relatively uncharted territory that lies between enterprises. This concept is employed to show how production units without any apparent legal connections establish a web of relationships in terms of flows of materials, information and finance. Social networks of entrepreneurs often lie behind the multitude of inter‐firm linkages. Focuses on a garment‐producing district of the northern Greek region of Macedonia that has experienced an explosion of enterprises and jobs since the early 1970s. Drawing on the experience of the small town of Polikastro and the adjoining rural county of Peonia, sets out to explore the processes of subcontracting and production networking. Aims to investigate the form and the nature of interorganizational relationships within the locality as well between rural industrialists, urban intermediaries and parent enterprises abroad. Examines changes in the linkages between firms within the context of developments that have taken place in the local communities and in the international marketplace.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of human resource development practices on employee performance in small and medium scale enterprises.

An integrated research model was developed by combining principal factors from existing literature. Data were collected through questionnaire from 500 employees of the selected SME’s. The validity of the model and hypotheses was tested using structural equation modeling. The reliability and validity of the dimensions are established through confirmatory factor analysis.

The results indicate that some human resource development practices impact employee performance. Performance appraisal however does not impact employee performance of the firms studied.

The research was undertaken in small and medium scale enterprises, and the analysis based on cross-sectional data which cannot be generalized across a broader range of sectors.

The findings of the study will help stakeholders, policy makers and management of SME’s in espousing appropriate and well-articulated HRD practices to improve employee competencies and enhance organizational effectiveness.

This study extends the literature by empirically adducing evidence that, human resource development practices impact employee performance of small and medium scale enterprises in Ghana.