Search results
1 – 10 of over 46000Gaurvendra Singh, Yash Daultani, R. Rajesh and Rajendra Sahu
Over the years, the fruit and vegetable supply chain has encountered several challenges. From the harvesting stage until it reaches the consumer, a significant portion of fruits…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the years, the fruit and vegetable supply chain has encountered several challenges. From the harvesting stage until it reaches the consumer, a significant portion of fruits and vegetables gets wasted in the supply chain. As a result, the present study attempts to identify and analyze the growth barriers in the fresh produce supply chain (FPSC) in the Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrated grey theory and DEMATEL based approach is used to analyze growth barriers in the FPSC. The growth barriers were analyzed and sorted based on their influence and importance relations.
Findings
The results emphasize that the most critical growth barriers in the FPSC that should be addressed to ensure food waste reduction are as follows: Lack of cold chain facilities (B2), lack of transportation or logistic facilities (B1), lack of collaboration and information sharing between supply chain partners (B3), lack of proper quality and safety protocols (B15), a lack of processing and packaging facilities (B14), and poor productivity and efficiency (B13). Results are also verified by conducting a sensitivity analysis.
Practical implications
The results are highly useful for policymakers to exploit growth barriers within the FPSC that require more attention. The obtained results show that the managers and policymakers need to utilize more funds to develop the cold chain facilities and logistics facilities to develop the FPSC. By improving the cold chain facilities, it is possible to improve the quality of food, make the food safe for human consumption, reduce waste, and increase the efficiency and productivity of the supply chain. Also, this study may encourage policymakers and industrial managers to adopt the most influential SCM practices for food waste reduction.
Originality/value
Many researchers have attempted to analyze the causes of food waste and growth barriers in the FPSC using various decision-making methods. Still, no attempts are made to explore the causal relations among various growth barriers in FPSC through the integrated Grey-DEMATEL technique. Also, we devise policy implications in the light of the new farm bills or the Indian agricultural acts of 2020. Lack of cold chain facilities (B2) was found to be the critical driving barrier in the FPSC, as it influences multiple barriers. Also, there is a dire need for cold chain facilities and transportation systems to enhance productivity and efficiency.
Details
Keywords
Meisam Modarresi, Zahra Arasti, Kambiz Talebi and Maghsoud Farasatkhah
The purpose of this paper is to identify the growth barriers of women’s home-based businesses (HBBs) in Iran.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the growth barriers of women’s home-based businesses (HBBs) in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative approach was used by 22 in-depth interviews with Iranian female HBBs owners/mangers.
Findings
Business growth barriers of women were categorized in a multi-level framework of individual barriers (micro), business-related barriers (medium) and environmental barriers (macro). The most important micro-level barrier is lack of skills and experience, while the financial barriers identified as the most business-related one and, finally, the problems of having work interactions with men is the most important environmental barrier women-owned HBBs mentioned.
Research limitations/implications
The results of this paper can help policy-makers better understand growth barriers for women-owned HBB and attenuate these barriers by developing purposeful supportive growth policies that are commensurate with the barriers. Also, HBB women owners themselves could better concentrate on removing barriers by deepening their understanding of their business growth barriers.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the scarce knowledge about women-owned HBBs in Iran, a rapidly growing, developing country, which can provide better insights from a less explored context. Moreover, as there is only a limited understanding of HBB growth, especially in relation to women business owners, the paper results can prove helpful for researchers in the domain of female entrepreneurs.
Details
Keywords
Tourism is one of the upcoming service industry in India with high potentials for future growth, particularly in rural areas. Many potential barriers are affecting the growth of…
Abstract
Purpose
Tourism is one of the upcoming service industry in India with high potentials for future growth, particularly in rural areas. Many potential barriers are affecting the growth of tourism in rural India. Therefore, it is essential to explore and prioritize the barriers to tourism growth in rural India.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative and quantitative responses from “16” experts related to tourism and hospitality management from central India are collected for this study. An integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) based framework is adopted to identify and relate significant barriers to tourism growth in India.
Findings
The result of the study identified many significant barriers and their importance to tourism growth in rural India.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study add to the knowledge base of tourism research in line with the previous literature. This study offers an in-depth understanding of barriers focusing on rural tourism growth and devising both the plan of action and the suggestive measures in dealing with rural tourism.
Originality/value
The study provides a robust framework by integrating Interpretive Structural Modelling(ISM) and Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) to explore and prioritizing the critical barriers to rural tourism growth in India. The results of this study can help the decision-maker to fundamentally improve the economy of India through the growth of rural tourism.
Yuan Zhou, Guannan Xu, Jun Su and Tim Minshall
Literature shows that university spin‐offs (USOs) have idiosyncratic strengths in comparison to other new firms; however, evidence also shows that Chinese USOs have a low survival…
Abstract
Purpose
Literature shows that university spin‐offs (USOs) have idiosyncratic strengths in comparison to other new firms; however, evidence also shows that Chinese USOs have a low survival rate, and only a small percent of them can grow into sustainable businesses. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an empirical study to inquire about the variable growth barriers to Chinese USOs, in order to address two major research questions of this paper: what are the major growth barriers, and how significant they are; and what supports should university and government provide to eliminate those barriers?
Design/methodology/approach
In the first place, this paper attempts to explore the research questions through literature review and pilot interviews, based on which, a questionnaire for a survey was developed. Then, this study then attempts to address the research questions through a nation‐wide survey in 2009 across 69 national university science parks.
Findings
This paper finds that corporate governance issues, managerial concerns, and lack of infrastructure support are three major categories of barriers that thwart the growth of USOs in China. In addition, this paper also identified the support that is expected from universities and government agencies in order to cope with the barriers.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to theory in three ways. First, it tests and validates some existing conceptual frameworks concerned with the growth barriers to USOs. Second, it sheds light on the specific growth concerns of Chinese USOs and identifies three kinds of barriers. Further, this study provides evidence for future policy making regarding USOs and university technology transfer activities in China. This research will be of interest to policy makers, academic entrepreneurs, and university administrators.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to expand on existing conceptualisations of barriers to small business growth by addressing the question of how, or in what ways, do perceived barriers influence…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to expand on existing conceptualisations of barriers to small business growth by addressing the question of how, or in what ways, do perceived barriers influence the growth intentions and behaviours of owner‐managers?
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting an interpretive methodological approach, in‐depth semi‐structured interviews were held with 27 owner‐managers working in St Petersburg, Russia. Participants were asked about their intentions for their businesses, how they intended to grow and what, if anything, prevented or interfered with these intentions. Template analysis was used to develop owner‐managers' perceptions and experiences of barriers to growth, and to facilitate theory building.
Findings
Six ways in which perceived barriers influence the growth intentions and behaviours of small business owner‐managers were identified. Barriers: stop owner‐managers from intending to grow; undermine intentions; add to the ambivalence around growth intentions; provide incentives to grow; postpone intention realization; and slow down the process of realizing intentions to grow.
Research limitations/implications
Because data were collected at one point in time, it was not possible to capture the dynamic nature of barriers or the intentions/behaviours they influenced. Future research could be strengthened through the use of longitudinal designs and process‐based methods (e.g. diary studies).
Practical implications
Educators and policy makers should help owner‐managers understand the ways in which barriers can affect business growth and be overcome.
Originality/value
This study is the first to examine how barriers influence growth intentions and behaviours, and to facilitate theory development on the topic.
Details
Keywords
Santosh Kumar and Roopali Sharma
The health care industry has experienced vibrant growth since the last few decades. Total health care business has reached more than US$160bn in the country and is still growing…
Abstract
Purpose
The health care industry has experienced vibrant growth since the last few decades. Total health care business has reached more than US$160bn in the country and is still growing, but sustainable growth of industry is a major area of concern. An unsustainable and uneven growth might contribute in growth presently, but will not help in the long run due to extinction in future. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The research has been divided into two phases to analyze the barriers to achieve sustainable growth, i.e., identification of barriers and their analysis. The study has used three different research phases: identification of barriers from the literature, interviews with experts of industry and designing an ISM model. The identification phase led to the selection of 19 barriers from literature and by suggestions from industrial experts. The interpretive structural modeling (ISM) analysis was used to understand the impact and linkage of identified barriers. The barriers are further classified into four major categories on the basis of drive power and dependence power using “Matrices d’Impacts Croises Multiplication. Appliqué a un Classement” analysis.
Findings
The present research identifies 19 barriers in the field of growth of health care mainly in rural area with 11 levels in ISM-designed model. Barriers such as lack of awareness, medical mistrust, cost/benefit, transportation, high out of pocket expenditure, lack of health insurance, medical unawareness and the cultural dimension (traditional beliefs) have very high dependency power. These variables are highly influenced by other barriers. Barriers such as low outreach (geographical reach), information and communication, insufficient capacity planning, and highest growth in population have very high driving and dependence power. They have a very high impact on the system as any change in them will have a direct impact on others. Remaining seven selected barriers have a very high driving power and they are generally independent in nature and have less impact on the system as whole.
Social implications
This study seeks to identify which barrier is acting as the most dominant one and this result is helpful for policy-makers to achieve goals of National Health Mission (NHM) by removing the dominant barrier.
Originality/value
Total health care business reaches more than US$160bn in the country and is still growing, but sustainable growth of industry is a major area of concern. This paper is one of the preliminary attempts to identify which barrier is acting as the most dominant one and this result is helpful for policy-makers to achieve the goals of NHM by removing the dominant barrier.
Details
Keywords
Faisal Talib and Zillur Rahman
In recent years, sustainable issues have gained increasing importance in the higher education sector across the country. To remain competitive, higher education institutions…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, sustainable issues have gained increasing importance in the higher education sector across the country. To remain competitive, higher education institutions (HEIs) have to engage themselves in providing world-class opportunities for higher education and research so that the beneficiaries may not be at a disadvantage in the international level. However, many HEIs still encounter barriers that can affect their growth. The purpose of this study is to identify and interpret the most significant barriers affecting the growth of HEIs in India and understand the mutual interactions and interdependence among them.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, 12 barriers affecting the growth of HEIs in India were identified and sorted by literature review, and these were validated through discussion with experts. Contextual relationships were drawn between them during brainstorming sessions. A hierarchical, seven-level structural model of these barriers affecting the growth of HEIs was developed by utilizing the total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) approach.
Findings
The results of this study showed “lack of climate change research” as the topmost outcome of the model having the highest dependence and lowest driving power. “Facilitator domination over academic experts” occupied the bottom-level input, compared to other barriers of the model, with highest driving power and lowest dependence. Further, Matrice d'Impacts Croisés – Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis was also performed to categorize the identified barriers for better understanding. Under MICMAC analysis, five barriers were categorized as driver barriers, four barriers as dependent barriers and the rest as linkage barriers, while none as autonomous. A TISM-based model that partitioned the barriers into different levels was developed, showcasing direct and important transitive relations.
Practical implications
The TISM-based model developed in this study may provide a more realistic approach to the problems faced by decision-makers, academicians and top managers in the growth of HEIs in India. Thus, it will provide a roadmap to focus on the most influential barriers and reduce or eliminate them.
Originality/value
The present study identified major barriers that when dealt with can help overcome the effect of other barriers preventing the growth of HEIs in India. It also introduces a model to identify and manage the barriers by understanding the effectiveness of each barrier and minimizing the overall effect in Indian HEIs. Moreover, the analysis of interdependence and interactions studied among these barriers may also help decision-makers, academicians and top managers to find deeper insights, prioritize and rectify them, to re-establish the growth of HEIs and gain a competitive advantage.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to investigate women-owned businesses from a life cycle perspective and with a qualitative growth approach. Building on previous research that has…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate women-owned businesses from a life cycle perspective and with a qualitative growth approach. Building on previous research that has identified qualitative growth platforms, this paper takes into account the time aspect and investigates perceived barriers and support needs inside different qualitative growth platforms.
Design/methodology/approach
The study took place in Sweden and is based on 191 women entrepreneurs in a first survey and 101 women entrepreneurs in a follow-up questionnaire three years later. To answer the research questions, descriptive frequency analysis and logistic regression analysis techniques have been used.
Findings
The motivation of growth changes throughout the life cycle, and women entrepreneurs move between different qualitative growth platforms when required building blocks of previous platforms have been established and secured. In this transfer of growth ambition, a significant correlation between business age and intrinsic growth aspiration was identified. Initially, growth is extrinsically motivated and later on in the life cycle, it is intrinsically motivated. In the late life cycle, the motivation is extrinsically motivated again. The results discern barriers to growth that hinder movement from extrinsic to intrinsic business platforms, and the author argues that the transfer of growth ambition from one growing platform to another requires different types of advice and support from the surrounding community.
Research limitations/implications
By broadening the view of growth to include both a quantitative and qualitative approach, it is possible to identify a widespread growth ambition in women-owned businesses which experience various barriers and supportive needs. Business programs that encourage exchange of experience among entrepreneurs in various growth platforms might be a way to overcome the perceived barriers. As women’s businesses only receive a low proportion of the government funding, they are prevented from developing their growth ambitions. To ensure that all forms of growth are stimulated, different measures are required depending on which stage in their life cycle the women-owned businesses belong to.
Originality/value
By considering business growth from a qualitative perspective, barriers and needs that the traditional approach may overlook can be highlighted. For example, growth aspiration in terms of more employees will not be considered until the previously, qualitative growth platforms are established and secured. The support system, however, is designed to only favor growth in terms of employment, which results in difficulties to qualify for financial support.
Details
Keywords
Paul Jones, Paul Beynon‐Davies and Elizabeth Muir
The development of Ecommerce within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales is restricted by a number of barriers. Various projects initiated by government and academic…
Abstract
The development of Ecommerce within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales is restricted by a number of barriers. Various projects initiated by government and academic bodies exist to assist SMEs overcome these barriers. However, whether these projects represent the needs of SMEs is debatable. The opportunity for SMEs to exploit information communication technology has increased due to the improved affordability and sophistication of computing equipment, along with the development and utilisation of the Internet. This progress has seen the emergence of Ebusiness and Ecommerce, whereby SMEs can operate, communicate and trade in global markets. Recent surveys by academia, government and trade bodies have identified Wales as the worst performing region for Ebusiness in the UK with sceptical attitudes towards its increased adoption. This paper reports on a quantitative study investigating Ebusiness utilisation within SMEs in Wales. Specifically this paper focuses on the key barriers influencing the adoption of Ebusiness within SMEs in Wales. The survey of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce (CCC) membership was undertaken in 2001. The CCC is a trade body of approximately 1000 SMEs encompassing a geographical area covering Cardiff, Bridgend, Newport and the Valleys areas. The postal survey and telephone follow up achieved a response rate of 100 SME classified enterprises, a response rate of approximately 10%. Academic research has identified these barriers as deficiencies in financial resources, time, information and skills; concerns over security, legal issues and competition and doubts over the applicability of Ebusiness to their business practices and cultural and infrastructure issues. These barriers are a major influence as to how Ebusiness will develop within SMEs and this paper identifies the significance of each factor in constraining growth. The paper concludes by investigating the assistance for SMEs from academia, government and trade to develop Ebusiness activities and questioning whether these are representative and effective mechanisms for this sector. This paper contributes to knowledge by appraising and contrasting existing barriers to Ebusiness literature and comparing it with the relevant SOGM literature. Secondly it classifies barriers in two ways by type and time of occurrence. Finally the paper recognises that the support mechanisms for Ebusiness within SMEs remain unproven and require further investigation to verify their effectiveness.
Details
Keywords
Herring Shava and Willie Chinyamurindi
The study explores growth barriers experienced by a sample of women subsistence entrepreneurs operating within the informal sector in South Africa.
Abstract
Purpose
The study explores growth barriers experienced by a sample of women subsistence entrepreneurs operating within the informal sector in South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilizes a descriptive-exploratory research approach and design relying on semi-structured interviews. A purposive sample of 45 women subsistence entrepreneurs formed the participant pool.
Findings
Three main narratives emerged. First, a sense of personal contentment existed as a potential barrier for women subsistence entrepreneurs. Second, the women subsistence entrepreneurs had no expansion strategy due to their circumstances. This served as a barrier to growth. Finally, challenges emanating from the home-front served as a limit to the growth of the informal sector business.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the findings, strategies are offered to assist the women subsistence entrepreneurs in tackling the identified barriers to the growth of the informal sector business. A limitation of the research concerns issues that accompany qualitative research. Notably, these include sampling issues.
Practical implications
Based on the findings, strategies are offered to assist women subsistence entrepreneurs in tackling the barriers that affect their businesses.
Originality/value
Given the popularity of the informal sector in emerging nations such as South Africa, the study proffers suggestions that assist the advancement of subsistence entrepreneurship, especially within the informal sector. The role of women in all this is heightened.
Details