Search results

The combination of strategic orientation and digitalization for sustainable competitive advantage among small businesses is still not given much attention in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to understand the influence of strategic orientation on sustainable competitive advantage while mediating the relationship with digitalization.

This study used a cross-sectional design. This design helped collect data from 234 small businesses in Arusha city, Tanzania. Since the study used latent variables, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze relationships and conduct confirmatory factor analysis. Through bootstrapping confidence intervals, Hayes's Process was also used to test how digitalization mediates the relationship between strategic orientations and sustainable competitive advantage.

The strategic orientation attributes that include market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation and learning orientation were positively and significantly related to digitalization. Furthermore, the results on digitalization and sustainable competitive advantage show a significant positive relationship. Finally, digitalization was analyzed to mediate the relationship between strategic orientation, market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation and sustainable competitive advantage. Hence, all hypotheses were supported.

This study adopted a cross-sectional design that helped to capture the quantitative information. In addition, the current study is limited to Tanzania's small businesses; thus, the findings cannot assure generalization of the conclusion to other countries because of the differences in social, cultural and technology across countries.

This study integrates the concepts of strategic orientation from the strategic management discipline and digitalization from a technology perspective. As a result, the study adds new knowledge about combining two aspects and determining whether they add value in terms of providing a sustainable competitive advantage. This knowledge comes from digitalization, which acts as a mediator between strategic orientation dimensions and a sustainable competitive advantage.

This paper aims to examine the role of the inter-organizational learning contributing in transforming the green entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation to the improvement of sustainable competitive advantages.

The structural equation model was established to explain the complex relationship between green entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation and sustainable competitive advantage. To test the hypothesis, this study used partial least square with data from a survey of 280 firms.

There is a strong tendency that the inter-organizational learning plays a pivotal role as an intervening variable that operates by receiving the input from green entrepreneurial orientation and market orientation, which plays as the exogenous construct. Hence, the greater inter-organizational learning leads the firms to achieve the greater sustainable competitive advantage.

This study extends the discussion on how organization should contribute to the well-being of the economic, social and environmental system by investigating the role of inter-organizational learning in achieving the sustainable competitive advantage.

Without prejudice to the efficacy of other poverty alleviation mechanisms, micro-financing arguably enjoys relative prominence. However, notwithstanding the remarkable loan repayment rate that the microfinance firms report, they still face the challenge of sustainability. The paper aims to provide insights into how three dimensions of market orientation, namely, customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-function coordination, affect the two aspects of the sustainability of microfinance institutions (MFIs; management and financial).

To achieve this goal, this study focuses on Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), a leading microfinance provider which is also the largest MFI in South East Asia. Data elicited via a survey questionnaire administered on 190 management staff of AIM across Malaysia are subjected to statistical analysis via the partial least square-structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 2.0.

The results provide empirical evidences that indicate that management sustainability is significantly influenced by customer orientation and inter-function coordination. However, only customer orientation affects the financial sustainability of AIM. Nevertheless, competitor orientation has non-significant effects on both aspects of sustainability of AIM.

The result of the paper contributes to the literature in understanding the long-term sustainable financial and social performance-based market orientation.

Findings are useful for policy makers, management of MFIs, practitioners and academics to enhance microfinance system. Managerial implications, limitation of the study and suggestions for future research are also included.

This paper aims to examine the common roots of both logistics and sustainability phenomena in supply chains to derive a new potential construct, green logistics competency.

Theoretical synthesis and conceptualization of new construct.

Based on Madhavaram and Hunt’s (2008) resource hierarchy concept, the key to successfully competing with a sustainable supply chain may lie in whether the resources enabling both sustainability and effective supply chains are interdependent, as opposed to merely co-existent.

Most current theory regarding sustainable supply chains regards environmentally-friendly factors as resources that are additively bundled with supply chain resources. To determine if competitive performance differentials exist between truly green supply chains, and supply chains that merely adopt green practices, measurement must account for both the interdependence of green and supply chain resources, and their common cultural antecedents.

The study indicates that it is not sufficient for firms to have expertise in both sustainability and in supply chain practices; managers in each of those areas must develop the cultural antecedents of both supply chain and sustainability excellence if firms are to achieve meaningful competitive capabilities through sustainable supply chains.

This conceptual study addresses a paucity of theory describing how and why organizations build a genuinely green supply chain, as opposed to simply adapting supply chains to green practices.

Contemporary companies are operating under challenging and volatile circumstances, but at the same time they are also conditions which provide companies with powerful opportunities on an unprecedented scale. Marketers have a key role in the process of facing these challenges. By taking a lead in the process of implementing sustainability into marketing strategies, they can create sustainable company growth. The success of this process is determined by whether or not the concept of sustainability marketing becomes fundamental in the company. Sustainability marketing should be embedded at the heart of any corporate strategy and become integral to that strategy, not just a part of it or to supplement it. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the influence of the sustainable development concept on marketing strategy. To begin with, the chapter examines how the development of this concept influenced the understanding of the essence of the functioning of modern enterprises. Next, the process of managing an organization in the context of sustainable development as well as the idea of a company’s sustainable market orientation as a source of its financial and market success are discussed. The final part focuses on identifying the role of marketing in implementing the concept of sustainable development as well as clarifying the assumptions of sustainability marketing.

This study aims to observe the association between market orientation (MO), marketing capabilities and sustainable innovation and to determine the contributions of marketing capabilities, sustainable consumption and competitive advantage as mediators.

The data for this study were collected by administering a survey, and well-defined scales were used for quantifying the data. Theories propounded by various authors were used to form the theoretical framework of the study while keeping those theories relevant to the Indian context. The study uses structural equation modelling to empirically test proposed hypothesis and research model of the relationships.

The results indicated that MO has a positive influence on marketing capabilities, including product development, communication, channel linking and pricing. The study also found, albeit with exceptions, a positive association between marketing capabilities and sustainable innovation. These exceptions were communication capability on technical innovations and channel linking capability on non-technical innovations. In addition, findings reveal that marketing capabilities fully mediate MO to performance link while sustainable consumption partially mediates the relation between sustainable innovation and competitive advantage. Competitive advantage also partially mediates marketing capabilities to performance relationship.

This study deals with four marketing capabilities only and uses cross-sectional data, instead of longitudinal data, that comprises data of 192 service firms in India.

The study sets forth empirical evidence for the argument that specific marketing capabilities lead to sustainable innovation. The study further clarifies contributions of marketing capabilities, sustainable consumption and competitive advantage as mediators in the proposed research model.

The purpose of this study is to identify groups of manufacturing firms having different combinations of strategic orientation (market and technology orientations) and compare the viable groups for differences in their sustainable innovation (SI) performance.

A sample of 373 Italian manufacturing firms is clustered (using non-hierarchical cluster analysis) based on their combinations of market orientation (MO) and technology orientation (TO). Subsequently, the one-way between-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc tests is conducted to detect how the resulting groups differ in their SI performance.

The synergistic co-alignment of TO with both dimensions of MO (i.e. responsive and proactive) can help firms enhance their performance regarding SI. Amongst the groups of manufacturing firms identified in the context of this research, ‘future-oriented entrepreneurs’ appear to represent the strongest combination of MO with TO, leading them to achieve higher levels of SI performance.

This study, by referring to a survey-based empirical study of manufacturing firms in Italy, extends the literature by arguing that higher levels of balanced TO–MO results in greater SI performance. To confirm and extend the results of this work, future research should assess the examined combinations of orientations in other contexts, and with respect to other performance variables (e.g. sustainable entrepreneurship).

By recognizing the real value of foresight practices, manufacturing firms should be equipped with organizational capabilities that enable them to systematically predict potential discontinuities, explore the future and simultaneously maximize their innovation and technology capacity. The findings of this research provide insights to managers on how to invest in resources linked to different configurations of MO and TO so that they can lead to the improvement of sustainability-oriented innovation performance.

This work represents a first attempt to explore the viable combinations of MO (including responsive and proactive dimensions) with TO in the manufacturing context, and to investigate how these combinations contribute to different levels of SI performance.

This study aims to assess the impact of an established market orientation on the implementation of green supply chain practices and environmental performance.

Data collected from 225 manufacturing managers are analyzed using a partial least squares structural equation modeling methodology.

Findings indicate that market orientation both directly and indirectly (through green supply chain management practices) impacts environmental performance.

The study focuses on the impact of a market orientation on environmental sustainability within the manufacturing sector, thereby limiting generalization to other sectors.

Manufacturing practitioners are provided with information emphasizing the importance of implementing and maintaining a strong market orientation as a precursor to establishing an environmental sustainability strategy.

The results have important societal implications, in that a marketing approach that leads to the more rapid adoption of environmental sustainability programs within the manufacturing sector is identified.

This is believed to be the first empirical investigation of the relationship between market orientation and environmental sustainability.

This study aims to examine the three dimensions of market orientation, namely, customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-function coordination, which influence the accountability in the financial and social performance of tourism operators in large touristic cities.

In total, 95 usable questionnaires as the required data were collected from the top managers of four- and five-star hotels in Iran.

Partial least squares (PLS) results confirm that customer orientation and inter-function coordination influence both the financial and social performance of the hospitality sector yet reveal that competitor orientation has no significant relationship with social performance.

These findings not only highlight the compatibility of PLS with various forms of statistical analyzes but also furthers the current understanding of hospitality networks in megacity economies, where literature are scarce.

The findings of this study can help policymakers, tourism associations and practitioners enhance the accountability and sustainable financial and social performance of the hospitality industry in megacities. This study proposes some unique measurements for the social and financial performance of the hospitality sectors.

The paper states some new measurements for the social performance of the hospitality sectors. In addition, measuring the impacts of market orientation on the financial and social aspects of hotels is totally unique.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between market orientation (MO) and stakeholder orientation (SO) in sustainable corporate performance, with a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) results.

This research is operationalized by way of a structural equation model (SEM) involving 208 energy companies and covering a worldwide context. Primary data relating to MO and SO were collected by survey questionnaire, while secondary data on sustainable performance were collected from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability report.

The results reveal that SO not only enhances strategic positioning and activities linked to market intelligence, but also serves as a determining factor of superior performance. The findings provide new insights into how MO is connected with sustainable corporate performance.

The impact of this study leads to improvements in planning marketing and in market intelligence process, which are essential activities of managers and marketing planners. There are also implications for other organizational processes. The authors point out the relevance including multi-stakeholders, whose impact is perceived in the organization's results, and improving relations with them.

The authors' first contribution is empirically examining organizational competence with regard to the MO and marketing intelligence that have the greatest impact on sustainable performance. Second, the authors operationalized the SO construct, which until then had been treated in isolation in the literature.