Search results

1 – 10 of 11
Article
Publication date: 4 June 2013

Sunday Amiolemen, Olutunde Babalola, Stephen Adegbite, Idowu Ologeh, Olapeju Adekola and Grace Ojo-Emmanuel

The paper examined the dimensions of innovation in small scale manufacturing firms with a view to understanding the interaction and relationship among product innovation, process…

Abstract

The paper examined the dimensions of innovation in small scale manufacturing firms with a view to understanding the interaction and relationship among product innovation, process innovation, organizational innovation, and marketing innovation. It further determines the relationship that exists between sales turnover and the four dimensions of innovation. Forty-six small manufacturing firms were sampled across the 4 major small scale Industrial Estates in Lagos State. The paper observed that these small firms engaged mainly in process innovation. The correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between marketing and process innovation (r = 0.51; p<0.01) while there is no causality between product and process innovation (r = 0.31; p<0.05); product innovation and organizational innovation (r = 0.22; p<0.05); product innovation and marketing innovation (r = 0.11; p<0.05); and process and organizational innovation (r = 0.27; p<0.05) in these firms. The paper concludes that these firms are solely interested in upgrading and renewal of products, improving new methods of production, supply and distribution. The paper finally submitted that the observed trend is not unconnected with poor R&D initiative between small firms and research institutions, poor technological innovation capability of firms, and poor linkages/collaboration among stakeholder on new product development.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2015

Babalola O. O., Amiolemen S. O., Adegbite S. A. and Ojo-Emmanuel G.

Innovation is not just an individual act of learning by a firm or entrepreneur, but anchored within a larger system that enables and draws on the innovation process. Hence there…

Abstract

Innovation is not just an individual act of learning by a firm or entrepreneur, but anchored within a larger system that enables and draws on the innovation process. Hence there is need to study internal and external factors that influence technological innovation outputs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs at four industrial estates in Nigeria were sampled for this study. Several internal factors such as firm size, turnover, age, ownership, and expenditure on innovation activities did not have significant relationships with innovation output, signifying they are not the factors promoting innovation levels. Quality of human resources and interactions with suppliers as an external factor within the national innovation system (NIS) both made significant impact on innovation. Innovative performance of the firms is mainly influenced by demand or market pull factors more than technology push sources. The study recommends increasing interaction and dynamism within the NIS; substantial investment to galvanize industrial and technological capabilities of the firms and their supply chains; and adequate supply of infrastructure and funds to SMEs.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Article
Publication date: 14 January 2022

Franklin Nakpodia and Femi Olan

Internal (e.g. firm performance, internal stakeholders) and external pressures (e.g. globalisation, technology, corporate scandals) have intensified calls for corporate governance…

Abstract

Purpose

Internal (e.g. firm performance, internal stakeholders) and external pressures (e.g. globalisation, technology, corporate scandals) have intensified calls for corporate governance reforms across varieties of capitalism. Yet, corporate governance practices among developing economies remain problematic. Drawing insights from Africa’s largest economy (Nigeria) and relying on the resource dependence theorisation, this study aims to address two questions – what are the prerequisites for effective reforms; and what reforms yield robust corporate governance?

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a qualitative methodology comprising semi-structured interviews with 21 executives in publicly listed Nigerian firms. The interviews were analysed using the content analysis technique.

Findings

This study proposes two sequential reforms (i.e. the upstream and downstream). The upstream factors highlight the preconditions that support corporate governance reforms, i.e. government commitment and enabling environment, while the downstream reforms combine elements of awareness and regulation to proffer robust corporate governance interventions.

Originality/value

This research further stresses the need to consider a bottom-up approach to corporate governance in place of the dominant top-down strategy. This strategy allows agents to participate actively in corporate governance policy-making rather than a top-down model, which imposes corporate governance on agents.

Details

Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, vol. 22 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-0701

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 April 2022

Emmanuel Donkor, Stephen Onakuse, Joe Bogue and Ignacio de los Rios Carmenado

This study analyses income inequality and distribution patterns among key actors in the cassava value chain. The study also identifies factors that influence profit of key actors…

2010

Abstract

Purpose

This study analyses income inequality and distribution patterns among key actors in the cassava value chain. The study also identifies factors that influence profit of key actors in the cassava value chain.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in Oyo State, Nigeria, using primary data from 620 actors, consisting of 400 farmers, 120 processors and 100 traders in the cassava value chain. The Gini coefficient was used to estimate income inequalities within and between actors. Multiple linear regression was applied to identify factors that influence the profit of the actors in the cassava value chain.

Findings

The result shows a gender pattern in the participation in the cassava value chain: men dominate in the production, whereas women mostly engage in processing and marketing of processed cassava products. We also find that incomes are unequally distributed among actors, favouring traders and processors more than farmers in the value chain. Women are better off in processing and trading of value-added products than in the raw cassava production. Spatial differences also contribute to income inequality among farmers in the cassava value chain. An increase in farmers and processors’ incomes reduces inequality in the value chain while an increase in traders’ income widens inequality. Age is significantly negatively correlated with actors’ profit at 1%, while educational level significantly increases their profit at 5%. Processors and traders with large households have a higher profit. We also find that farm size, experience and labour input have significant positive effects on farmers’ profit only at 5%. Membership in an association increases farmers and processors’ profit at 1 and 10%, respectively.

Practical implications

The study recommends that agricultural policies that promote agrifood value chains should aim at minimizing income inequality by targeting vulnerable groups, particularly female farmers to achieve sustainable development in rural communities.

Originality/value

Existing studies recognise income inequality in agricultural value chains in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there are few rigorous quantitative studies that address this pressing issue. Our paper fills this knowledge gap and suggests ways to minimise income inequality in the agri-food value chain, using the example of the cassava value chain in Nigeria.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 July 2023

Patrick Kraus, Peter Stokes, Neil Moore, Ashok Ashta and Bernd Jürgen Britzelmaier

Elite interviewing is a well-established area of interview research methods. Nevertheless, the actual casting of an “elite” has been generally conducted in a prima facie or broad…

Abstract

Purpose

Elite interviewing is a well-established area of interview research methods. Nevertheless, the actual casting of an “elite” has been generally conducted in a prima facie or broad manner. A consideration of entrepreneurs and owner-managers as “elites” has been less profiled and received less attention, therefore the paper views the entrepreneurs and owner-managers as constituting a form of “local elite” within given and varying sectorial, regional and community boundaries. The authors argue that a consideration of entrepreneurs as “local elites” and transferring knowledge from an elite interviewing perspective may strongly support scholarly research in the entrepreneurship field.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducts a comprehensive narrative literature review of elite interviewing literature and transfers key methodological insights to the entrepreneurship field. The methodological contribution based on literature is complemented by experiences and observations from an extensive inductive interview study with over 30 entrepreneurs of German manufacturing Small and Medium-sized Entities (SMEs) and are used to reflect on, and refine, interview research approaches with entrepreneurs.

Findings

The reflections and discussions in this paper provide valuable insights for other researchers conducting research in entrepreneurship domains regarding the power dynamics of negotiating access, procedural issues of interviews and thereby enhancing the quality of data.

Originality/value

The contribution to knowledge is mainly of a methodological nature. While the paper takes a novel act of recasting elite interviewing in the SME and entrepreneurship context, the paper methodologically contributes to the entrepreneurship and elite interview literature thereby facilitating higher quality interviews.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 October 2022

Joe Hazzam, Stephen Wilkins and Carolyn Strong

The study examines the role of social media technologies (SMTs) as a driver of organization cultural intelligence (OCI) and new product development (NPD) capabilities, and how the…

Abstract

Purpose

The study examines the role of social media technologies (SMTs) as a driver of organization cultural intelligence (OCI) and new product development (NPD) capabilities, and how the complementary effects of these capabilities contribute to multinational corporations (MNCs)’ performance. Further, the study investigates the capability–performance relationship under conditions of high and low market and technological turbulence.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey method was implemented, with the data provided by senior marketing managers employed in MNC regional offices. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling and multi-group moderation analysis, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

Findings

The results indicate that SMTs support the development of OCI and NPD capabilities, which in turn contribute to MNC regional performance. A high level of technological turbulence only weakens the relationship between OCI and performance.

Research limitations/implications

The results suggest that OCI contributes to MNCs’ performance, by deploying social media information and complementing the organization’s NPD capability under a specific environmental context.

Practical implications

The paper offers practical recommendations to MNCs on social media use when developing and launching new products in different regional markets. MNCs need to recruit culturally intelligent managers, who consider the level of market and technological turbulence when combining several types of capabilities.

Originality/value

Within the dynamic marketing capabilities literature, this is the first study to incorporate and reliably measure cultural intelligence capability. The research offers empirical evidence that OCI and NPD capabilities are necessary to achieve superior MNC performance and depend on the level of market and technological turbulence.

Article
Publication date: 19 December 2018

Ben Kwame Agyei-Mensah and Samuel Buertey

The study aims to examine the simultaneous influence of corruption and culture on corporate social and environmental performance of selected companies.

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to examine the simultaneous influence of corruption and culture on corporate social and environmental performance of selected companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Theoretical propositions on how corruption and culture influence corporate social responsibility performance were developed and empirically tested. Corruption is measured using Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index and Schwartz (2008) cultural dimension is used as a measure of culture. Descriptive analysis was performed to provide the background statistics of the variables examined. This was followed by regression analysis which forms the main data analysis.

Findings

The multiple regression analysis results indicated that corruption and two of the three cultural dimensions (embeddedness and Mastery) are significantly related to corporate social responsibility performance.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the corporate social responsibility literature by revealing that corruption and culture are key determinants of corporate social responsibility performance.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 15 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2022

Mfon Solomon Jeremiah, Kassa Woldesenbet Beta and Raphael S. Etim

This study aims to develop a framework that enables the identification of sustainability factors from industry-specific environmental issues, and it proposes that these factors…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to develop a framework that enables the identification of sustainability factors from industry-specific environmental issues, and it proposes that these factors, in turn, can influence the corporate environmental performance (CEP) of firms in such an industry. It also validates the factor identification aspect of the framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper starts by reviewing relevant literature extensively and then developing an issue-based environmental sustainability framework to highlight the structural relationship of industry-specific sustainability factors with CEP. By involving 131 participants from academics in Niger Delta, the paper uses exploratory factor analysis techniques to reduce industry-specific sustainability factors from several environmental and socio-economic issues in the Nigerian oil and gas (O&G) industry.

Findings

Environmental risk originates from business environmental issues, and it triggers community reaction, which impacts negatively on corporate image. The nature of firm’s strategic responsiveness to these factors determines CEP.

Research limitations/implications

The study draws from the perspectives of academics on environmental issues in Niger Delta to validate the factor identification aspect of the framework. The views of other stakeholders are not included, and hence, it should be applied with caution.

Practical implications

Useful in identifying and managing industry-specific environmental issues, and thus, achieving some sustainable development objectives.

Originality/value

Although most previous studies have focused on generic CEP drivers, this study proposes sustainability factors that can originate from industry-specific environmental issues as crucial drivers of CEP in such an industry. It provides empirical evidence of such credible sustainability factors emerging from the Nigerian O&G industry’s environmental issues.

Article
Publication date: 11 March 2014

Monica Mensah and Musah Adams

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate governance and records management in private and public hospitals in Ghana, with the aim of finding out

2252

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate governance and records management in private and public hospitals in Ghana, with the aim of finding out how the effective and efficient management of a hospital's records can facilitate its governance obligations, which includes but not limited to accountability, transparency and information security.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was informed by the triangulation of the Stakeholders' and Records Continuum Theories. Data used for analysis were drawn from 90 respondents from four hospitals with the use of questionnaires and personal observations. A total of 82 questionaries' were returned in their complete forms and used for the analysis. Linear regressions were performed to establish the relationship between corporate governance and records management.

Findings

The key finding of the study was that, the hospitals generated different types of records in the course of their business activities but existing records management standards, practices and systems were inadequate and undermined the contribution records could make in support of the governance function in the hospitals. Results of a linear regression also revealed that positive and significant relationships exist between corporate governance and records management. Furthermore, all variables used as predictors of corporate governance had positive and significant relationships with records management except information security.

Research limitations/implications

Participants were from four hospitals in only one Region in Ghana, and as such the results could not be generalised to the whole country.

Practical implications

The study has established the recognition of the essential but often ignored conditions necessary for an effective and efficient governance system for hospitals.

Originality/value

The study has demonstrated that the effective management of hospital records is a critical factor in providing capacity for hospitals' efficiency, accountability, transparency, information security and indeed good governance. This research has also contributed towards bridging the theoretical gap identified in the study.

Details

Records Management Journal, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0956-5698

Keywords

1 – 10 of 11