Search results

Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV), this paper aims to analyse the relevance of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies and participation in global value chains (GVC) and the effects of the complementarity between both in the adoption of circular economy (CE) actions by small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

This paper analysed a large-scale international sample by employing logistic and linear regression models to test the research hypotheses on the effects of I4.0 technologies, GVC participation, and the interaction on CE actions (recycling or reusing materials, reducing the consumption and impact of natural resources, saving energy and/or switching to sustainable energy sources, developing sustainable products or services).

The evidence suggests that I4.0 technologies already represent important resources for CE adoption and SME participating in GVC display a greater likelihood of adopting CE actions. From the perspective of resource complementarity, by interacting the two factors viewed as resources in this article, results may report that adopting I4.0 technologies and simultaneously participating in GVC may turn out detrimental to SME undertaking CE actions, specifically as regards recycling and reusing materials, saving energy or switching to sustainable energy sources and in cases of widely adopting CE practices.

The paper returns novel insights into the adoption of CE practices by presenting evidence that I4.0 technologies and participation in GVC may be successful means for SME seeking to implement CE actions but must be combined carefully. This paper also provides theoretical and practical implications for SME managers, firms participating in GVCs and policy makers, and shedding light on new research avenues.

The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of digital technology (specifically mobile applications) use on employees' perceptions of motivation at work (MW) and job performance (JP).

Survey data were collected from 4,089 employees working in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered to Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization (SMEDO) in Turkey. The relationships were assessed through structural equation modeling with bootstrap estimation.

The results support the proposed framework illustrating the positive effect of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) of mobile applications on employees' perceived JP. Findings indicate that MW has exhibited a mediating effect between both PU and JP and PEOU and JP.

This article discusses the accelerating role of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on SMEs' technology acceptance and the acceptance's positive impact on employees' motivation and performance. This article adds to the literature on SMEs by enabling researchers and practitioners to understand the issues in digital technologies acceptance by SME employees and contributes towards enriching the knowledge on technology acceptance perceptions' role in SMEs coping strategies during the COVID-19.

This paper aims to conduct a tertiary review to analyse the state of the art of literature reviews on knowledge management (KM) published in academic journals and provide an overview of their evolution. From 2000 to 2022, about 500 reviews have been published in the KM field, with most systematic studies compared to bibliometric or meta-analytic studies, and an absence of previous tertiary studies. Therefore, given the lack of previous tertiary research, this paper provides a complete picture of the evolution of review topics in the past and presents implications for both researchers and practitioners.

A classification scheme was defined to cluster and evaluate the literature reviews, both in terms of methodological approach and content. Regarding the content, the various secondary papers were classified according to the purpose of the research (state of the art, taxonomy, research agenda and research framework), the unit of analysis (small and medium enterprise, large company, start-up and university), the KM models adopted and the thematic areas addressed. Furthermore, a tertiary review methodology was identified integrating two main approaches: a bibliometric approach for cluster identification and a systematic approach for the discussion.

Two categories of contributions emerge from the results: those concerning research topics that have found a continuous interest over time and those that have not yet found a constant research interest. This latter aspect is relevant to help researchers conduct future literature analysis in KM research to bridge existing research gaps.

This paper provides a unique compendium of search directions to offer a comprehensive overview of the scientific debate about KM. This overview can also be used as a managerial panacea to identify best KM practice guidelines from existing reviews.

This is a unique attempt to conduct a tertiary study on KM for more than two decades by providing insights into the structural body of knowledge through academic progress in the subject of KM. Thus, this study expands the field of KM and provides original approaches for research in the field.

Although recent literature has examined diverse measures adopted by SMEs to navigate the COVID-19 turbulence, there is a shortage of evidence on how crisis-time strategy creation behaviour and digitalization activities increase (1) sales and (2) cash flow. Thus, predicated on a novel strategy creation perspective, this inquiry aims to investigate the crisis behaviour, sales and cash flow performance of 528 SMEs in Morocco.

Novel links between (1) aggregate wage cuts, (2) variable operating hours, (3) deferred payment to suppliers, (4) deferred payment to tax authorities and (5) sales performance are developed and tested. A further link between sales performance and cash flow is also examined and the analysis is conducted using a non-linear structural equation modelling technique.

While there is a significant association between strategy creation behaviours and sales performance, only variable operating hours have a positive effect. Also, sales performance increases cash flow and this relationship is substantially strengthened by e-commerce digitalization and innovation.

Theoretically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first inquiries to espouse the strategy creation view to explain SMEs' crisis-time behaviour and digitalization. For practical purposes, to supplement Moroccan SMEs' propensity to seek tax deferrals, it is argued that debt and equity support measures are also needed to boost sales performance and cash flow.

In a context each day more global, a new paradigm has emerged – open innovation (OI) – which may be understood as an innovation strategy in which organizations use internal and external knowledge to leverage their business value, thus maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. This article aims to contribute to understanding this phenomenon, suggesting an integrated vision of OI strategies.

This paper systematically reviews and analyzes a sample of 66 articles from Scopus and Web of Science databases related to open innovation strategies.

The results obtained enabled us to group the existing literature into six different clusters: (1) Performance; (2) Open business model; (3) Intellectual Property; (4) Knowledge Management; (5) Innovation; and (6) Culture. Furthermore, this study identifies the major research gaps and provides suggestions for future research.

The paper presents the main elements that interfere and interact in the innovation strategy providing a conceptual model that can be useful in understanding the phenomenon of open innovation.

The review examines the existing literature on blockchain-based small and medium enterprise (SME) finance and highlights its trend, themes, opportunities and challenges. Based on these factors, the authors create a framework for the existing literature on blockchain-based SME financing and lay down future research paths.

The review follows a systematic approach. It includes 53 articles encompassing multiple dimensions of blockchain-based SME finance, including peer-to-peer lending platforms, supply chain finance (SCF), decentralized lending protocols and tokenization of assets. The review critically evaluates these approaches' theoretical underpinnings, empirical evidence and practical implementations.

The review demonstrates that blockchain-based SME finance holds significant promise in addressing the credit gap by leveraging blockchain technology's decentralized and transparent nature. Benefits identified include reduced information asymmetry, improved access to financing, enhanced credit assessment processes and increased financial inclusion. However, the literature acknowledges several challenges and limitations, such as regulatory uncertainties, scalability issues, operational complexities and potential security risks.

The article contributes to the growing knowledge of blockchain-based SME finance by synthesizing and evaluating the existing literature. It also provides a framework for the existing literature in the area and future research paths. The study offers insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners seeking to understand the potential of blockchain technology in filling the SME credit gap and fostering economic development through improved access to finance for SMEs.

This study aims to predict artificial intelligence (AI) technology development and the impact of AI utilization activity on companies, to identify AI strategies dealing with the broad innovation activity of AI, and to construct the strategic decision-making framework of AI strategies for a small- and medium-sized enterprise (hereafter SME), to improve strategic decision-making practices of AI strategy in SMEs.

This study used the multiple methods on the design of two data collection stages. The first stage is an expertise-based approach. It organized the three groups of expert panels and conducted the Delphi survey on them in combination with the brainstorming of technology, innovation and strategy in the fourth industrial revolution. The second stage is in the complement approach of expertise-based results. It used the literature review to involve the analysis of academic and practical papers, reports and audio materials relating to technology development, innovation types and strategies of AI. Additionally, it organized the four semi-structured interviews. Finally, this study used the mind-map and decision tree to conduct each analysis and synthesize each analytical result.

This study identifies the precondition and four paths of AI technological development classifying into specialized AI, AI convergence with other technologies, general AI and AI control methods. It captures the impact of non- and technological innovation through AI on companies. Second, it identifies and classifies the six types of AI strategy: the bystander, capability-building, capability-holding, management-enhancing, market-enhancing and new-market-creating strategy. By using the decision tree, it constructs the strategic decision-making framework containing six AI strategies. Actionable points, strategic priorities and relevant instruments are suggested.

The strategic decision-making framework covering from AI technology development to utilization in a SME can help understand the strategic behaviours in SMEs. The typology of six AI strategies implies the broad innovation behaviours in SMEs. It can lead to further research to understand the pattern of strategic and innovation behaviour on AI.

This practical study can help executives, managers and engineers in SMEs to develop their strategic practices through the strategic decision framework and six AI strategies.

This practical study elicits the six types of AI strategy and constructs the strategic decision-making framework of six AI strategies from AI technology development to utilization. It can contribute to improving the practices of strategic decision-making in SMEs.

The purpose of the study is to examine the use of alternative information in bank lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Understanding alternative information and its use in bank lending to SMEs is important because it has become a growing part of the future of SME finance. The results and findings of my study not only enrich the finance literature but, more importantly, also address the use of Fintech in the risk management of SME lending, a new and complex problem that is specific to both the information technology and finance field.

To answer the research question, the author used a case study approach that relies upon qualitative data and analysis. By iterating between the existing literature, theoretical pieces and empirical findings, the author explain and interpret in detail how the use of alternative information impacts loan outcomes and develop insights to guide future research.

The case is outlined in two time periods including the prepartnership period and the postpartnership period. It highlights the establishment of a partnership between LoanBank and FintechInc (pseudonym), aimed at SME-focused Fintech lending. The findings underscore how the partnership has enabled a mutually beneficial situation where LoanBank and FintechInc leverage each other’s strengths to provide efficient and effective lending services. The adoption of alternative information in the risk management Fintech (RMF) platform of FintechInc has transformed LoanBank’s lending processes, showcasing how technological innovations can enhance SME lending practices.

The study’s originality mainly lies in the three detailed insights regarding alternative information’s impact on SME lending: information, platform properties and financial inclusion. The information part demonstrates that RMF platforms expand the information used for lending decisions, shifting from traditional hard and soft data to incorporating various alternative information sources. The platform properties part suggests that location, openness and technology also play a pivotal role in shaping lending outcomes. Finally, the financial inclusion part proposes that the use of alternative information has the potential to improve financial inclusion and offer better credit terms to previously underserved borrowers.

This study empirically investigates how ambidextrous innovations and their balancing affect the supply chain financing performance (SCFP) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), based on signaling theory. Moreover, this study explores the moderating effect of the breadth and depth of digital technology deployment on the relationship between ambidextrous innovations and the SCFP of SMEs.

A mixed-methods design is used, including a qualitative study and a quantitative study. Qualitative data have been collected from six multi-cases in different industries. Questionnaire data have been collected from 259 SMEs in China, and a multiple regression model is used to verify the research hypotheses.

The findings indicate that, in supply chain financing, both exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation are helpful in improving the SCFP of SMEs. For resource-constrained SMEs, a relative balance between exploitative innovation and exploratory innovation can help improve SCFP. The breadth of digital technology deployment can strengthen the relationship between exploitative innovation and SCFP, while the depth of digital technology deployment can weaken the relationship between exploratory innovation and SCFP. In addition, increasing the depth of digital technology deployment strengthens the positive correlation between the relative balance of ambidextrous innovations and SCFP.

To effectively obtain supply chain financing, SMEs can either concentrate their limited resources on a single type of innovation or use relative balance strategies to simultaneously pursue two innovations. In addition, in the process of obtaining supply chain financing by ambidextrous innovations, SMEs should appropriately deploy digital technologies.

This study first deconstructs the impact mechanism of ambidextrous innovation capabilities on SCFP based on signaling theory, and then discusses the balancing effect of ambidextrous innovations on SCFP in the cases of resource-constrained SMEs. This study also goes further and finds the negative moderating effect of digital technology deployment in the process of supply chain financing.

Blockchain technology has brought about significant transformation among organizations worldwide. This study aimed to explore the effects of organizational and technological factors on blockchain technology adoption (BTA) and financial performance (FP) in Pakistan.

This is a co-relational study which used the cross-sectional data. We gathered the data from the managers of Pakistan’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which functioned their industries with blockchain technology. We applied convenience sampling to identify the respondents. Finally, we based this study’s findings on 274 valid cases.

We used structural equation modeling (SEM) in this study, to exert a positive and significant impact on organizational factors such as organizational innovativeness (OI), organizational learning capability (OLC), top management support (TMS) and organizational work climate (OWC) on BTA. In addition, the technological factors, such as complexity (CTY), technology readiness (TR), compatibility (CBTY) and technology capability (TC), have a positive and significant effect on BTA. Finally, this study’s findings show that BTA positively and significantly impacts FP.

This study’s findings will help policymakers and planners to design policies to adopt other blockchain technologies to improve SMEs’ operations. Moreover, this study’s findings will inspire policymakers and planners to actively seek new ideas, knowledge and skills through acquiring new knowledge to assist with their IT-related decisions.

This study empirically confirms the role of organizational and technology factors toward BTA and FP among Pakistan's SME managers.