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1 – 10 of over 34000
Article
Publication date: 10 October 2018

Payal Sharma and Jagwinder Singh Pandher

The quality of education depends upon the quality of teachers, i.e. professional competence. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the state of faculty’s quality in…

Abstract

Purpose

The quality of education depends upon the quality of teachers, i.e. professional competence. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the state of faculty’s quality in technical higher education institutions of Punjab (India) in terms of their competences. Later, differences in the quality of the faculty of both public (government funded) and private (partially or not funded by government) technical institutions were examined.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 35 technical institutes were selected to conduct a field survey and total 594 respondents including teachers, students and administrators had responded to the present study from different departments of engineering and management. The state of faculty’s quality in terms of their competences has been examined through confirmatory factor analysis in AMOS 20.0. Discriminant analysis in SPSS 20.0 has been performed to find the differences in faculty of both the public and private sectors.

Findings

This paper provides a broader picture of the poor quality of teachers in technical institutions of Punjab (India) in terms of lacking most of the competencies. The study also reveals significant differences in the faculty of both public and private sector institutes in terms of select competences.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates an alarming stage of poor-quality state of teachers. Therefore, educational administrators and policy makers need to show their concern for the improvement of teachers’ quality in technical higher education institutions of Punjab (India).

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 December 2019

Hee Song Ng, Daisy Mui Hung Kee and T. Ramayah

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of core competencies, namely, transformational leadership (TFL), entrepreneurial competence and technical competence on…

2015

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of core competencies, namely, transformational leadership (TFL), entrepreneurial competence and technical competence on financial performance through the mediation effect of innovativeness, among owner-managed small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model was developed to test nine research hypotheses. Self-report questionnaires designed for this study were sent to SME owner-managers in Malaysia. A total of 178 completed questionnaires were successfully collected. SPSS and SmartPLS were used to perform the data analysis to test the measurement model and structural model.

Findings

This paper provides empirical evidence that behavioural innovativeness mediates the relationship between TFL and financial performance, product innovativeness mediates the relationships among entrepreneurial competence, technical competence and financial performance and process innovativeness mediates the relationship between technical competence and financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study are potentially limited by perceptual measures, cross-sectional data and the risk of response bias from a single informant.

Practical implications

Owner-managed SMEs can focus on developing the core competencies to achieve financial performance through innovative products, processes and behaviours. Policymakers and practitioners can gain fresh insights into the complexity of sustaining the business activities and financial performance of SMEs through the core competencies and innovativeness.

Originality/value

The extant literature has revealed that entrepreneurship, leadership, expertise and innovativeness are considered key factors in promoting financial performance, yet little is known about the combined effects of the core competencies on financial performance through innovativeness for owner-managed SMEs in the context of a developing country. The study makes an important contribution to filling this research gap.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Hee Song Ng and Daisy Mui Hung Kee

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of transformational leadership, entrepreneurial competence and technical competence on firm performance via innovativeness in…

2955

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of transformational leadership, entrepreneurial competence and technical competence on firm performance via innovativeness in owner-managed small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered from 178 owner-managers of SMEs operating in Malaysia using a self-report questionnaire. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results show that, except in the link between transformational leadership and process innovativeness, all relationships linking transformational leadership, entrepreneurial and technical competence with innovativeness, and linking innovativeness with firm performance are significant.

Research limitations/implications

The self-report questionnaires that were administered to owner-managers of SMEs constitute a limitation for this research, as they may not always produce reliable and valid responses due to single informant response and common method bias.

Practical implications

The study findings have strong theoretical and managerial implications for owner-managed SMEs seeking to adopt the four core metrics, namely, transformational leadership, entrepreneurial competence, technical competence and innovativeness, as the management core, all of which are necessary for meaningful, sustainable, disruptive transformation to do well in business, even with limited resources.

Originality/value

The value of this study lies in its effort to focus on the core competence of owner-managed SMEs, which remains relatively underexplored in the context of developing countries. Moreover, little is yet known about their combined effects on firm performance.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 56 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2002

Chad Perry, Angele Cavaye and Len Coote

Most research about relationships and networks concentrates on social bonds such as trust and commitment. Little research considers technical bonds and how they interact with…

3315

Abstract

Most research about relationships and networks concentrates on social bonds such as trust and commitment. Little research considers technical bonds and how they interact with social bonds within a relationship. Thus this research investigates how technical bonds of information technology link with social bonds in the relationship between two organisations in a business system, in particular, between a franchisor and franchisees within a franchise system. First, a framework of the structure of a relationship between business alliance partners was synthesised from the business‐to‐business literature. Then Australian franchisors were surveyed about the effects of their investments in information technology upon their franchisor‐franchisee relationship. Structural equation modelling techniques were used to analyse the survey data. The results provided support for the framework, with the franchisor’s increased technical competence from information technology improving the social bonds in a relationship but those bonds being secondary to further technical investment. An implication for managers is that investments in information technology operate through the social bonds within their business.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2013

Jonathan Linton and Steven Walsh

The purpose of this paper is to consider whether the characteristics of a technology affect the type of learning mode used for acquiring abilities related to specific…

1145

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider whether the characteristics of a technology affect the type of learning mode used for acquiring abilities related to specific competencies. While technological competencies have a direct impact on firm performance for technology‐intensive start‐ups, few if any of these firms posses all the prerequisite competencies required for a given technology‐product‐market paradigm as the firm enters or remains over time in that market. Consequently, high tech entrepreneurial firms must learn, acquire and develop competencies initially and in response to the changing requirements of industry standard products.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes a study of all 35 high‐tech start‐ups in the semiconductor silicon industry using primary and secondary source data.

Findings

The characteristics of a technology affect which of ten different learning methods are chosen by a firm to acquire a competence. The study finds that risk, uncertainty, status, pervasiveness, observability, disruptiveness, and centrality are technological characteristics that influence the learning modes that are selected by a firm.

Originality/value

This is the first study to focus on the impact of technological characteristics on learning methods used. Practical and theoretical value in determining under what technological circumstances a learning method should be used to acquire and develop skills with a new technology.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2018

Michael Adesi, De-Graft Owusu-Manu and Roisin Murphy

Professional quantity surveying (QS) services are critical to successful delivery of construction projects within planned budget, quality and duration. The supply of QS…

1084

Abstract

Purpose

Professional quantity surveying (QS) services are critical to successful delivery of construction projects within planned budget, quality and duration. The supply of QS professional services is largely dependent on the price level of services and the willingness of clients to pay. The pricing of professional QS consultancy services has been confronted with a myriad of pricing challenges due to rapid changes in the business environment; the pervasive influence of information technology; and the complexity of clients’ expectation. It is therefore necessary for QS consultancy firms to develop strategic competences for the pricing of their services. In addition, numerous studies have not given the pricing the pricing of professional services the requisite attention. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategic competences for pricing professional QS services.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was positioned within the positivist tradition. As a result, the quantitative approach was adopted using a survey questionnaire to collect data from QS consultants. The sample size of the study was 79 professional quantity surveyors chosen by using simple random sampling technique from a population of 372 registered professional QS of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors. Using the χ2 test and factor analysis, the study established relationship between strategic competences and pricing of QS services.

Findings

The study found that strategic competences for pricing QS professional services is significantly related to the managerial and professional competence of QS consultants. The strategic competences of QS consultants identified by this study include business management, services cost management; and production capabilities.

Practical implications

This study provides an empirical basis for QS consultancy firms to focus on strategic direction of their contractual arrangement with clients. Practically, resource configuration and on strategic competences for professional service pricing would create price leadership.

Originality/value

The study advances the pricing knowledge within the QS practice by demonstrating the nexus between strategic competences and the pricing of QS professional services which hitherto this study have not been effectively investigated.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2015

Mohamad Sadegh Sangari and Jafar Razmi

The purpose of this paper is to study the role of business intelligence (BI) in achieving agility in supply chain context by examining the relationship between BI competence

4855

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the role of business intelligence (BI) in achieving agility in supply chain context by examining the relationship between BI competence, agile capabilities, and agile performance of the supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical framework is developed drawing on the resource-based view, the dynamic capabilities perspective, and the competence-capability relationship paradigm, as well as an extensive review of the literature. Structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the data collected from Iranian manufacturers in the automotive industry.

Findings

The empirical results support the conceptualization of supply chain BI competence as a multi-dimensional construct comprising managerial, technical, and cultural competence, and confirm that it is a key enabler of supply chain agility in terms of both agile capabilities and agile performance. The results also provide support for partial mediation of agile capabilities on the relationship between BI competence and agile performance of the supply chain.

Originality/value

This paper provides a response to the identified need for empirical evidence on the benefits derived from BI, especially in the supply chain context. It also contributes to the existing supply chain agility literature by providing insight into the value and role of BI in enhancing agile capabilities and performance in the inter-organizational supply chain.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 January 2010

Yongtao Tan and Liyin Shen

The “multi‐criteria selection” has become popular practice in selecting contractors, especially for public works, which involve multiple stakeholders. In line with this…

Abstract

Purpose

The “multi‐criteria selection” has become popular practice in selecting contractors, especially for public works, which involve multiple stakeholders. In line with this development, contractors need to consider more factors apart from offering a lower bidding price in formulating a bidding strategy. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a quantitative method, namely the fuzzy competence requirement (FCR) model, for assisting a contractor to formulate a better bidding strategy by better utilising its competence for meeting the best multiple criteria imposed by clients.

Design/methodology/approach

The fuzzy linear programming with multiple objectives technique is applied in this paper and an illustrative example is introduced to demonstrate the application of the proposed model.

Findings

The FCR model can assist in generating a range of bidding strategies by assuming different confidence levels that contractors may perceive. These strategies could be valuable references for contractors to develop their competitive bidding strategy, which enables contractors to efficiently utilise their competence to meet clients' multiple selection criteria.

Research limitations/implications

The FCR model can provide contractors with useful information for formulating their bidding strategy. However, other factors, such as the sense of the market and estimation of rivals' bidding strategy, should also be considered in the bidding decision.

Practical implications

The FCR model can help contractors make better decisions in bidding by considering their competence and meeting client's multiple criteria.

Originality/value

This paper introduces a new model – FCR model – for helping contractors improve the efficiency of their bidding decision.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 April 2020

Chiara Cimini, Albachiara Boffelli, Alexandra Lagorio, Matteo Kalchschmidt and Roberto Pinto

This article aims to investigate the organisational implications of adopting Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, giving specific attention to operations. The paper addresses these…

6181

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to investigate the organisational implications of adopting Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, giving specific attention to operations. The paper addresses these implications in two directions: organisational prerequisites for, and consequences of, I4.0 technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on a multiple case study of Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in manufacturing. Ten case studies have been developed through interviews, company visits and secondary data collection.

Findings

The multiple case study results show that: (1) a lean organisational structure supports effective adoption of I4.0 technologies; (2) introducing such technologies is linked to developing a new kind of job profile (i.e. the “Autonomous Operative Job Profile”); and (3) higher levels of technology adoption create a higher need for non-technical competences.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this research relates to the highly heterogeneous maturity levels of the sampled companies, due to the relative newness of the I4.0 paradigm. Future research could, therefore, longitudinally analyse the technology integration process within organisations.

Practical implications

This research provides preliminary evidence about how organisations and technologies co-evolve, thus suggesting that managers should co-design these areas. It also demonstrates the extreme importance of designing a structured process and a clear set of human resource management tools to favour SME organisational development.

Originality/value

The study is built upon a conceptual framework derived from the sociotechnical perspective that analyses the interconnections between technology implementation and organisational change. From the results, three research propositions are derived to be tested on a larger scale.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Ralph Williams, W. Randy Clark, Deana M. Raffo and Leigh Anne Clark

Leader credibility is often discussed in literature. Although the literature discusses many facts related to building leader credibility, organized and structured knowledge of how…

Abstract

Purpose

Leader credibility is often discussed in literature. Although the literature discusses many facts related to building leader credibility, organized and structured knowledge of how leaders build leader credibility is missing. The present study's purpose is to begin closing that gap by drawing concepts from the literature related to building leader credibility, categorizing them into relevant constructs and building a model. The present study provides a foundation, built from items drawn from peer-reviewed literature, for future research on how leaders build credibility.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors reviewed 66 articles discussing or exploring building leader credibility. From those articles, they drew potential leader credibility antecedents. They analyzed the antecedents, seeking to group them into understandable constructs that provide a building leader credibility model. Seeking nomological validity (evidence that our building leader credibility constructs reflect real-world thinking), they conducted an open-ended survey to compare what practitioners say builds leader credibility to our model.

Findings

The leader credibility antecedents the authors drew from the literature fell into two dimensions: competence and character. The competence antecedents fell into three subdivisions: interpersonal competence, technical competence and leader competence. The character antecedents fell into two subdivisions: character behaviors and character attributes. Responses from our open-ended survey fit our five subdimensions for building leader credibility, providing some nomological validity for our model.

Practical implications

The authors’ model may help practitioners see the big picture of building leader credibility, develop specific tactics for building leader credibility and provide a basis for assessing their building leader credibility approach.

Originality/value

Although leader credibility is vastly researched and leader credibility antecedents are discussed or explored, a big-picture model of building leader credibility is lacking. This study pursues a path previously not taken, developing a credibility-building model drawn from concepts presented in the literature.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 34000