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Purpose: This study analyses how investments and specific financial factors affect the financial performance of businesses in Kosovo. Exploring the relationship between investments and financial performance and their impact on performance volatility, performance is assessed using return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) investments.

Methodology: Quantitative methods using secondary data from audited financial statements of Kosova manufacturing and commercial enterprises cover a 3-year period (2019–2021), involving 40 enterprises with 120 observations. Statistical tests such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, linear regression, Hausman–Taylor regression, fixed effects, random effects, and generalised estimating equations (GEE) model are applied. The study also utilises ARCH–GARCH analysis to assess the relationship between investments and performance volatility.

Findings: Investments positively impact the financial performance of Kosova businesses and significantly reduce performance volatility. Long-term liabilities, retained earnings, and short-term liabilities also play a role in reducing asset return volatility, while cash flow from financial activities increases it. Investments, cash flows from financial activities, long-term liabilities, short-term liabilities, retained earnings, and solvency affect equity return volatility.

Practical Implications: The study sheds light on how investments and financial factors influence the financial performance and volatility of Kosova businesses. Policymakers can use these insights to create policies that foster the development of commercial and manufacturing enterprises, given their importance in Kosovo’s economy.

Significance: This research provides valuable insights for business managers to enhance investment strategies and improve financial performance. Policymakers can rely on this academic study to enhance the economic environment and promote the growth of businesses in Kosovo.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how utilization of non‐financial manufacturing performance (NFMP) measures impacts the lean manufacturing/financial performance relationship.

A structural equation model (SEM) is estimated using data provided by 121 US manufacturing executives. In addition to examining direct effects, the study examines whether NFMP measurement mediates or moderates the lean manufacturing/financial performance relationship.

The results provide substantial evidence that utilization of NFMP measures mediates the relationship between lean manufacturing and financial performance.

The study's findings regarding NFMP measurement suggest that the mixed results of prior studies of the lean manufacturing/financial performance relationship may be due in part to a failure to account for NFMP measurement. Limitations of the study are the non‐random sample and its small sample size, relative to the SEM estimated.

Managers who implement lean manufacturing without utilizing supportive NFMP measures may experience disappointing financial results.

This is the first known study that adopts a SEM framework to examine: how NFMP measurement affects the relationship between lean production and profitability; the direct relationship between NFMP measurement and firm performance; and the impact of lean manufacturing on externally audited, objective measures of firm performance.

Companies must use their resources effectively and productively if they are to compete in an increasingly competitive globalized economy. Effective performance measurement can support this competitiveness. To be able to do this, companies must know the factors that influence their performance and manage these factors in an effective manner. This study seeks to investigate the effect of manufacturing strategies of manufacturing companies on their financial performance and also the effect of firm size on the impact of manufacturing strategies.

A total of 200 manufacturing companies that are registered under the Chamber of Commerce in Gebze, Turkey were selected and their managers interviewed. A total of 102 questionnaires were returned out of 200. Regression analyses were performed using the results of the survey.

It was found, that an increase in the quality and cost/flexibility increased financial performance. However, the rate of delivery did not have any statistical influence on the financial performance. On the basis of the analysis done on the firm size, the last finding is that the effect of the quality and cost flexibility on financial performance is higher for large companies compared with SMEs.

The paper identifies the manufacturing strategies that significantly influence the financial performance of manufacturing companies and the effect of firm size on the effect of these strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there are different configurations of lean bundles leading to successful (bad) financial performance and to explore how the complementarities and substitutions between lean bundles shape these configurations.

A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was performed on 19 manufacturing firms. Data on financial performance (return-on-asset and growth rate) were retrieved from the AIDA database and data on the lean bundles of just-in-time, total quality management, total preventive maintenance and human resource management were collected via surveys conducted in all the plants belonging to the sampled firms.

None of the lean bundles is able to explain alone the firm’s successful financial performance. Lean bundles always have to be complemented by other lean bundles. There are different, equifinal configurations of lean bundles leading to successful (bad) financial performance. Configurations characterized by low implementation of lean bundles are related to bad financial performance.

By finding different configurations of lean bundles associated with successful and bad financial performance, this study informs operations managers on the most effective investments concerning the implementation of lean manufacturing.

This study extends literature on complementarities in lean manufacturing literature. It also bridges together apparently contradictory research on the relationship between lean manufacturing and financial performance. Finally, the study demonstrates that lean bundles have different roles in reaching successful and bad financial performance.

The purpose of this study was to provide comprehensive overview, and exposure of the correlation between entrepreneurial orientation dimension (EOD) and business innovation environment (BIE) on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) financial performance in the Ghanaian manufacturing SMEs sector that enhances knowledge and contextualization in marketing and entrepreneurship literature.

Anchored on resource-based view theory, 520 manufacturing SMEs companies were conveniently drawn from Association of Ghana Industry, through National Board for Small Scale Industries, using structural equation modelling techniques to analyse the hypotheses.

This study revealed that three entrepreneurial orientation dimensions EOD: risk-taking, innovations and pro-activeness have positive significant impact on financial performance manufacturing of SMEs. BIE also has positive impact on financial performance of manufacturing of SMEs and BIE moderates SMEs financial performance.

This is a country-specific manufacturing SMEs sector, which means that the findings cannot be used to justify other SMEs in Ghana and SMEs in different country. However, the study was limited to only three EODs: risk-taking, innovations, pro-activeness and Ghanaian manufacturing BIE of SMEs. More countries and other SMEs are needed to expand the field of research in EODs and BIE.

It provides an insight into BIE which is important for marketers, entrepreneurs, regulatory bodies, SMEs owners-managers, directors, government and NGO to strengthening and reshaping their BIE in manufacturing SMEs sector policies, conducts and laws.

This paper fills knowledge and contextual gap in entrepreneurship and marketing literature by presenting comprehensive overview of BIE and EOD research that enhances the on-going discussion in the marketing and entrepreneurship manufacturing SMEs context and proposing priorities for future research streams within an emerging economy.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) often gives a humanistic touch to the marketing activities of firms and even creates the atmosphere that businesses are reliable. Yet, little is known about its interaction effect on the relationship between market orientation (MO) and financial and marketing performance in emerging economies. The present study aims to comparatively examine the interaction effect of CSR on the direct link between MO and financial and marketing performance in manufacturing firms in Ghana and Ethiopia.

The interaction effect of CSR is examined using a quantitative methodological study design. A total of 439 usable questionnaires across manufacturing firms in Ghana and Ethiopia were collected and analyzed using SEM-PLS 3.0. Analytically, the study used product indicator approach to test the interaction effect of CSR on the nexus between MO and financial and marketing performance, while PLS-multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) was used to test the significance of the observed differences in the results among the manufacturing firms in the two countries.

Results show that MO significantly improves financial and marketing performance. However, CSR reveals both “suppression” and “spurious” effects on the direct link between MO and financial and marketing performance under varying market conditions. The relationship between MO and financial performance is weakened in Ghanaian manufacturing firms but is strengthened in Ethiopian manufacturing firms when the level of CSR is high. Results, moreover, show that the nexus between MO and marketing performance is strengthened when CSR actions are high in both Ghanaian and Ethiopian manufacturing firms. The PLS-MGA revealed that these differences in findings in the two countries are statistically significant.

The findings suggest that company managers and marketing practitioners can use CSR in their marketing orientation campaigns to keep high performance and to remain competitive in today’s globalized market.

Findings illustrate that incorporation of social interests and sustainability initiatives into firms’ marketing orientation strategies can meet stakeholders’ interest and expectation.

This is one of the few studies that examine comparatively the interaction effect of CSR on the MO–financial and marketing performance linkage in two emerging economies. The study extends our understanding of the RBV and stakeholder theories regarding the role of CSR in firms’ marketing strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between inventory performance, both total inventory (INV) and its discrete components (raw material (RMI), work‐in‐process (WIP), and finished goods (FGI)), and financial performance in manufacturing companies.

Statistical analysis is applied to the financial information of US‐based manufacturing firms over the 26‐year period from 1980 to 2005.

The paper finds a significant positive correlation between inventory performance (total as well as the discrete components of inventory) and measures of financial performance (at both the gross and operating levels) for firms in manufacturing industries. The correlation between the performance of discrete types of inventory and financial performance varies significantly across inventory types. RMI performance has the highest correlation with all financial performance measures. Between WIP inventory and FGI performance, the former is more highly correlated with gross profit measures while the latter is more highly correlated with operating profit measures.

This paper is the first to systematically analyze the relationship between inventory performance and financial performance for a large sample of firms across all manufacturing industries. The paper adds to prior literature by discussing and testing the relationship between both INV performance and the discrete types of inventory (RMI, WIP, and FGI) and profitability of operations, both at the gross and at the operating profit levels. The paper also analyzes the results for firms across as well as within manufacturing industries. The results obtained support the operations management literature's claim that a managerial focus on inventory performance results in value creation for manufacturing firms.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the simultaneous effects of two process variables: functional involvement in strategy formulation, and manufacturing improvement programs, on manufacturing performance and financial performance of manufacturing firms in China.

Rigorous empirical research methods are used to ensure proper data collection process, and reliability and validity of constructs. Structural equation modeling is used to examine the relationships between functional involvement, improvement programs, manufacturing performance and financial performance.

It was found that involvement of marketing, finance and operations in strategy formulation have an effect on cost and quality whereas the involvement of emerging functions such as human resources, public relations, research and development and information technology have an effect on all aspects of manufacturing performance.

Studies of manufacturing strategy have primarily focused on choices and plans that denote strategic intent, rather than on the process of formulating and realizing strategy. Typical studies have used data from developed countries, such as Europe and North America. Insufficient attention has been paid to the process variables of manufacturing strategy and their effects on manufacturing performance. The study addresses these gaps in the literature using data collected from Chinese firms.

The purpose of this paper is to study management control mechanisms (social, behavioral, and output control mechanisms) and their complementary effects on firm performance in lean manufacturing firms.

The study uses second-order structural equation modeling to analyze survey data from 368 different lean manufacturing facilities.

The paper finds that the complementary effects of management control mechanisms in lean manufacturing firms outweigh their additive effects on firm performance.

Applying isolated lean management control mechanisms leads to inferior performance, as these management control mechanisms are complementary. Thus, to realize the full potential of lean manufacturing, this paper suggests that lean management control mechanisms should be implemented as an integrated control system.

Firms seeking to benefit from the implementation of lean manufacturing should understand the complementarity among the management control mechanisms, as the performance effects of lean management control mechanisms when applied together are greater than their isolated additive effects.

This paper is the first to provide empirical evidence of the superior firm performance effects of complementary lean management control mechanisms compared with their additive effects. This paper also expands the understanding of how to conceptualize lean management control mechanisms. Specifically, this is the first paper to distinguish between social cultural control and social visual control mechanisms as well as between non-financial and financial control mechanisms. This paper is also the first to use a second-order structural equation model to properly test and account for the complementary effects on firm performance that stem from multiple control mechanisms.

Based on recent government reports, the manufacturing industry is considered one of the most important sectors in Palestine. In this sense, this empirical study aims to investigate the influence of production performance on financial and market performances, assess the influence of market performance on financial performance and test the mediating role of market performance on the relationship between production and financial performances.

A convenience sampling method was applied. Accordingly, a set of questionnaires was distributed to 384 managers at Palestinian manufacturing enterprises. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to analyse the collected data.

The study findings unveiled that production performance directly positively has a positive and direct influence on the financial and market performances. Furthermore, the result revealed that financial performance is positively affected by market performance level, whereas market performance has a partial mediation role in the relationship between financial and production performances.

The study designs are restricted to the manufacturing companies. Hence, the empirical results may not generalise to the other industries.

The findings of this study can draw responsible parties and firms’ top management attention in developing countries to the importance of market performance as a key pillar of firm performance.

To the best of authors’ knowledge, most of the prior contemporary studies have been restricted to examine the direct relationship and have not considered the mediating influence of market performance. Besides, this study emphasised the inter-relationships between the firms’ performance dimensions. This study contributes to manufacturing firms’ performance literature by providing further validation of the performance scales from a developing countries “Palestine” with unique business environment because it is under ongoing occupation.