Högskolan i Skövde

There is much research into strategic business alliances in emerging markets, but none focuses on this form of collaboration within Europe’s emerging economies. This is a critical absence, as the European transition region is not only different from other European and Western regions but also from other regions with developing economies. Partners in the European transition region have unique cultural and social backgrounds, and consequently, unique ways of doing business. 

Transformations of Strategic Alliances in Emerging Markets focuses on this important gap. This book, the first of a two-volume set, makes a unique contribution to emerging market research by investigating the transformation of alliances in Eastern and central Europe over the past forty years. It provides a conceptual framework to describe and analyse the formation, development and functional mechanisms of strategic alliances in the European transition region, ultimately offering an in-depth overview of the challenges and opportunities around strategic alliance formation in emerging European markets.  

Transformations of Strategic Alliances in Emerging Markets, Volume I, is a must-read for academics and postgraduate students of development economics and business administration.

There is much research into strategic business alliances in emerging markets, but none focuses on this form of collaboration within Europe’s emerging economies. This is a critical absence, as the European transition region is not only different from other European and Western regions but also from other regions with developing economies. Partners in the European transition region have unique cultural and social backgrounds, and consequently, unique ways of doing business.

Transformations of Strategic Alliances in Emerging Markets focuses on this important gap. This book, the second of a two-volume set, makes a unique contribution to emerging market research by investigating the transformation of alliances in Eastern and central Europe over the past forty years. It provides a conceptual framework to describe and analyse the formation, development and functional mechanisms of strategic alliances in the European transition region, ultimately offering an in-depth overview of the challenges and opportunities around strategic alliance formation in emerging European markets.

Transformations of Strategic Alliances in Emerging Markets, Volume II, is a must-read for academics and postgraduate students of development economics and business administration.

Firms increasingly have to compete globally in order to survive. An understanding of the host country’s local culture arguably being one of the most important aspects of this survival. The greater the cultural difference, the higher the risk of miscommunication and of mismanagement. Given that cross-cultural management is acknowledged as an intrinsic part of firm establishment in foreign markets today, we set out to explore the linkages between the competence of international firms in managing cultural differences and the effectiveness of their business operations. How this ‘cross-cultural competence’ is acquired is of particular interest to this study. Swedish firms operating in Kenya, Lithuania, Poland and Russia are examined. The findings show that international firms tend not to formulate any preparatory measures to become ‘culturally competent’ prior to entering foreign markets. Learning takes place by doing. A Process Model of Acquiring Cross-Cultural Competence in Foreign Markets is constructed.

Our understanding of the process of firm establishment of foregin firms within the developing and emerging countries remains limited, while the market-specific context-driven nature of the firm establishment process has been largely overlooked in the literature. We aim to address these omissions and explore the establishment process of a Spanish multinational telecommunication firm, Telefónica, in Brazil and Chile applying the "Four Stages Firm Establishment Process Model" by Abraha (1994). We identify strategic responses crafted by Telefónica to overcome competitive challenges during its establishment process. We revise Abraha's model in view of the findings and conclude with implications for managerial practices and future research.

The Scandinavian market has changed significantly over the past half-decade with several online distributors, particularly of digital files such as music, originating locally. This ineffect has significantly further increased globalization of commerce in the Nordic countries. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of more traditional models of consumer choice regarding local vs global products in this context. While the major metro areas of Scandinavia have always been largely global, this research reaches further into the central part where attitudes and globalization tends to be adopted at a slower pace

Abstract: This article examines the Diplomatic Dimension of Nation building in Eritrea in light of the diplomatic vision adopted in 1994 by the so called the Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Both secondary and primary data are used to write this article. The primary data is collected through telephone interviews, personal interviews, skype-interviews and focus-group discussions with some veteran liberation fighters, former government officials, diplomats and some Eritreans who were holding key positions in the government and who have experience and knowledge as to how the narcissists and psychopaths deal with the neighboring countries and regional as well as international cooperation and relationships. The main findings show that the leadership has committed a diplomatic, moral and ethical blunder scoring one of its main failures in the diplomatic dimension of nation building. This is due to the fact that it has applied a militarist and one man owned, designed, decided and mismanaged diplomatic relationships which is not at all co-operative, although it claims that it applies a healthy neighborly, regional and international cooperation and relationships as stipulated in the diplomatic vision. Moreover, the dysfunctional militarist and one man owned, designed, decided and miss managed relationships and diplomatic approach is not properly planned and it is poorly coordinated and terribly mismanaged. This reality has a serious negative consequence on the diplomatic, economic, social, cultural, organizational and political conditions of the country. The other finding of this study is that the reason why the failed, i.e. narcissistic and psychopathic leadership applies a militarist and one man owned diplomatic relationships model is because it clearly understands that to maintain and strengthen its political, economic, cultural, organizational and social power i.e. power of all aspects it has to have a full control of all the diplomatic, economic, financial and human resources in the country. The reason why the psychopaths spear headed by the self-appointed destructive dictator do not implement the diplomatic vision is because like all the other visions envisaged in the 1994 charter, the diplomatic vision was not designed to be implemented but to help the dictator to get enough time to create the conditions necessary to implement the hidden vision which the Eritrean people couldn’t yet design appropriate strategies to fight it adequately and to dismantle its power apparatus. The last reason for the failure of the diplomatic dimension of nation building is the lack of a competent and authentic leadership that possesses the qualities of an effective, legacy building and developmental leadership.

Abstract: The main results of this article are (i) the PFDJ and in particular Isayas has committed a political blunder  in the political dimension of nation building by refusing to implement the constitution, (ii) the PFDJ militarized political ideology is a poisonous tool applied to secure the political power of the dictator, (iii) the political vision was not developed to be implemented but to consolidate the raw political power’ of the ‘raw dictator’ in the raw and secretive underground party by liquidating all democratic elements, (iii) the dictator is incompetent to lead the task successfully, and (iv) the other cause for the failure is the lack of an authentic leader who possesses the qualities of a developmental and legacy-building leaders.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the journey to and from strategic alliances and if alliances lead to the creation of new Alliances, how existing networks are managed and strengthened and to identify the factors which impact and determine the journey to and from strategic alliances. One of the findings of this chapter is that, in the pre-strategic alliance phase firms can have direct and indirect relationships which can lead to the formation of strategic alliances under certain circumstances, whereas in just the opposite circumstances those relationships might not lead to alliances formation. The other finding is that one of the main factors which determines the journey of strategic alliances is the degree of internationalization of the firm and the market. It is also found out that the journey of alliances can be different in the different groups of Central Europe countries depending on the pace or degree of adaptation of those countries, i.e. whether they are fast-, or medium or slow adapting countries.

Factors influencing firms’ standardization and adaptations decisions tend to be treated as static isolated entities in the extant literature. Further, the focus is predominantly on Western MNCs and product development or marketing functions with manufacturing firms and the emerging/developing country perspective underrepresented. We explore factors, as well as their interrelations that determine standardization and adaptations decisions when a developed country manufacturing firm establishes operations in a developing country. Purposefully, Italian manufacturing firms with operations in Vietnam are examined. We identify functions, processes, and practices that are standardized/transferred and those that are adapted. A theoretical model is developed based on the findings.

Our understanding of the process of firm establishment in foreign markets is relatively limited especially in relation to host-developing and host-emerging markets. The market-specific and context-driven nature of the firm establishment process is largely overlooked in the literature. Against this background, we aim to chart the establishment process of a Spanish telecommunication firm, Telefonica, in Brazil and Chile by applying the 'four stage firm establishment process model in foreign markets' (Abraha, 1994). We identify strategic responses crafted by Telefonica to overcome the challenges during its establishment process. We revise Abraha's model in view of the findings and conclude with implications for managerial practices.

While the scholarly focus has shifted from strategic alliance formation to alliance performance and thus alliance outcome, the process that leads to a particular outcome: alliance success or alliance failure remains indeterminate. Given their high failure rate, this study aims to identify factors that contribute to an alliance failure to better understand the strategic alliance management process to help alliances survive. Purposefully, the Volvo-Renault alliance break-up is investigated. A Process Model for International Strategic Alliance Lifecycle is developed. The findings establish that post-formation, the strategic alliance process necessitates managing interactions among: partners’ objectives; partners’ resource contribution; access to partner’s network; and alliance performance. However, for an alliance to sustain, learning and assessment must be an integral part. Learning and assessment are critical strategic inputs that serve as ‘binding forces’, and as an ‘alert mechanism’ whereby timely corrective managerial actions are triggered in favor of an alliance sustainability and vice versa.

While the advantages of globalization are numerous, (including economies of scale in research and development, production, marketing, access to large and many markets, access to new ideas, technologies, competencies, resources), globalization also brings with it new challenges. Cultural differences arguably being one of the most important of these challenges. Literature suggests that cultural differences and the firms’ ability to deal with them have a significant impact on firms’ operations as well as performance. Against this background, this study explores the relationship between cultural differences and the effectiveness of international business operations. The data is drawn from a sample of North European firms operating in diverse foreign markets. The findings show that for the European firms in our sample the learning, in the main, tended to take place 'by doing' over time. The paper concludes with managerial implications.

Bakgrund: Revision har en samhällsnyttig funktion eftersom den bland annat har som syfte att säkerställa att inga oegentligheter förekommer i redovisningen som används som beslutsunderlag. En revisor utför revisionen och en förutsättning för att denna ska kunna ske på ett korrekt sätt är att revisorn är oberoende i sina bedömningar. År 2002 infördes en lag i Sverige som bygger på en standard benämnd analysmodellen. Syftet med införandet av modellen är att säkerställa revisorns oberoende. Modellen är en självgranskningsmodell som revisorn använder för att pröva sitt oberoende genom att ta hänsyn till fem olika typsituationer som utgör ett hot mot oberoendet samt en generalklausul.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för hur analysmodellen uppfattas av revisorer samt beskriva hur revisorer agerar för att motarbeta hot mot oberoendet.

Metod: Studien är genomförd med en kvalitativ metod, och närmare bestämt semistrukturerade intervjuer. Detta för att metoden är tillämplig när syftet är att beskriva samt skapa förståelse. För att uppnå syftet krävs en djup förståelse för revisorers uppfattningar av analysmodellen och hur de agerar för att motarbeta hot som finns mot oberoendet.

Teoretisk utgångspunkt: Institutionell teori och teorin om meningsskapande används i studien för att analysera likheter och olikheter i uppfattningar och agerande. Institutionell teori har använts för att analysera likheter på organisatorisk nivå. Meningsskapande har tillämpats för att analysera både likheter och olikheter på individnivå.

Slutsats: Studien visar att analysmodellen uppfattas på ett likartat sätt av revisorerna. Analysmodellen anses vara ett tillräckligt verktyg för att hantera oberoendefrågor. Det förelåg inga väsentliga olikheter i sätten revisorer agerar på för att motarbeta hot mot oberoendet. Studien visar dock att det föreligger mindre olikheter som framförallt kan förklaras av att revisorernas personliga erfarenheter skiljer sig åt.

Bakgrund: Dagens arbetsmarknad präglas av en ständig förändring där organisationers förmåga att engagera och behålla sina medarbetare är avgörande för långsiktig framgång. Denna studie ämnar utforska påverkan av medarbetarnas involvering i beslutsprocesser på deras engagemangsnivåer, med en särskild fokus på tjänstemän och icke-tjänstemän.

Syfte: Studien syftar till att identifiera och analysera effekten av medarbetarinvolvering i beslutsprocesser på arbetsplatsens engagemang, samt att undersöka eventuella skillnader i denna effekt mellan olika arbetsroller.

Metod: En kvantitativ forskningsmetod tillämpades, där data samlades in genom en enkätundersökning med 142 respondenter från olika organisatoriska nivåer och arbetsroller. Data analyserades med hjälp av statistisk mjukvara för att fastställa korrelationer och mönster.

Resultat: Resultaten indikerar en signifikant korrelation mellan graden av medarbetarinvolvering i beslutsprocesser och nivåer av engagemang, särskilt mellan arbetsroller. Dessa insikter pekar på vikten av strategiska beslutsprocesser som främjar en inkluderande och engagerande arbetsmiljö.

Slutsats: Studien visar att ökad involvering i beslutsprocesser kan leda till högre engagemangsnivåer, vilket i sin tur kan bidra till ökad organisatorisk framgång. Vidare forskning rekommenderas för att undersöka långsiktiga effekter av ytterligare variabler.

Frågeställning: Vilka utmaningar har distansarbetet fört med sig på chefers coachande ledarskap, motivation & kommunikation?

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa en förståelse kring hur cheferna inom vald kommun har hanterat de utmaningar som distansarbetet har fört med sig. Främst skall utmaningarna på motivation, kommunikation och coachande ledarskap belysas.

Teoretisk referensram: Denna forskningsrapport har utgått från olika teoretiska bidrag kring ledarskap, coachande ledarskap, ledarskap på distans, motivation och kommunikation. Belysningen utav dessa begrepp har varit grunden i den teoretiska referensramen för studien. Begreppen är hämtade från tidigare relevant forskning inom det valda ämnet. 

Metod: I denna studie användes en abduktiv forskningsansats. En kvalitativ studie har genomförts där intervju med åtta respondenter som har en chefsposition inom en kommunal enhet i Sverige. Litteraturstudien sammanställdes genom att samla in teori från tidigare forskning.

Resultat: De utmaningar som distansarbetet fört med sig på cheferna är att det ledde till ett aktivt och mer närvarande ledarskap. Utmaningarna på kommunikationen var både positiva och negativa och överkom varandra. På motivationen var utmaningarna mestadels negativa då det blev svårare att motivera medarbetarna till följd av distansarbetet.

Analys: Studiens analys utgår ifrån att redogöra och klargöra sambandet mellan empirin och det teoretiska bidraget. Analysdelen har bidragit till att redogöra för hur distansförhållandet har haft en inverkan på chefers ledarskap utifrån teoretiska faktorer som motivation och kommunikation.

Användande av sociala medier inom B2B-sektorn ökar i lägre takt än inom B2C och forskningslitteraturens bidrag är unisont; B2B-företag skulle gynnas av att använda sociala medier som verktyg på flera sätt när de etablerar och underhåller affärsrelationer. Konceptet förtroende visar sig ha stor betydelse för att bygga affärsrelationer. Med ledning av uppsatsens praktiska bidrag, modellen The Hourglassof Trust (Fig. 2), som illustrerar tre kategorier av förtroende; skapande, underhåll och förstörelse, belyses uppsatsens teoretiska bidrag; aspekter som påverkar förtroende. Aspekterna kan bidra till den strategiska planeringen av B2B-marknadsföring i sociala medier och öka möjligheten att bygga bättre affärsrelationer.

Ett huvudfynd och teoretiskt bidrag handlar om hur företag byter kanal från sociala medier till andra marknadsföringskanaler såsom mail. En del B2B-marknadsförare använder sociala medier enbart som ett skyltfönster, ett enkelriktat marknadsföringsverktyg för att skapa förtroende genom att nå ut, skapa leads, stimulera intresse eller endast i den inledande kontakten med ett annat företag för att sedan byta kanal och använda till exempel mail istället när relationen tagit sig förbi kategorinskapande av förtroende. Detta fynd är av särskilt intresse då Sverige som land bygger på socialt förtroende där sociala medier även har ett stort genomslag vilket gör att det kan betraktas som motsägelsefullt då sociala medier används som en kanal för envägskommunikation, likt ett skyltfönster. De empiriska resultaten visar att B2B-marknadsförares attityder är mer positiva till sociala medier än tidigare forskning visat och anser att det är ett kraftfullt kostnadseffektivt verktyg för att bygga långsiktiga i affärsrelationer.

Ett andra huvudfynd är att personliga värderingar associeras med att skapa och underhålla förtroende i företagsrelationer, vilket vänder strålkastarljuset från interorganisatoriskt förtroende till interpersonellt förtroende.

Vidare forskning uppmuntras att undersöka orsaken till att svenska B2B SMEs byter kanaler samt vidare undersöka B2B-förtroendet på sociala medier med hjälp av Hourglass of trust.

Titel: En kvalitativ studie om investeringsbedömning- och processer vid digitaliseringsinvesteringar i den kommunala verksamheten.

Bakgrund och problem: Att satsa på digitaliseringsarbete bidrar till att kommunerna ska vara mer verksamma och effektiva i sina utformningar. Emellertid att göra vettiga bedömningar kan vara utmanande på grund av svårigheten att förutsäga framtiden. Detta betonar vikten av beslutsprocessen, där relevanta investeringsförslag tas upp och utvärderas, för att säkerställa att rätt resurser ska finnas tillgängliga vid lämpliga tidpunkter och i tillräckliga mängder.

Syfte: Syftet med arbetet är att åskådliggöra investeringsbedömning relaterat till digitaliseringsinvesteringar i den kommunala verksamheten genom att beskriva hur digitaliseringsinvesteringar genomförs samt vilka kriterier är avgörande vid investeringsbedömning. Dessutom ska det identifieras vilka strategier som finns kring digitaliserings investeringar inom kommun.

Metod: Uppsats har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod genom fallstudie på en mellanstor kommun med avsikten att kunna undersöka investeringsbedömning-och processer av digitalsieringsinvesteringar i kommunen på bästa sätt. Empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med digital strateg inom sektor vårdoch omsorg samt socialtjänst tillsammans med controller som jobbar med investeringar i kommunen.

Slutsats: Investeringar i digitalisering initieras från ett behov för att tillgodose högre kvalitet och effektivitet i verksamheten samt enklare vardag för alla som utnyttjar kommunens tjänster. Vad som kan konstateras är att det finns ett starkt samband mellan kommunens digitaliseringsinvesteringar och digitaliserings målbilder. Avsikten med alla investeringar som kommunen gör är att uppnå kvalité och nytta. Det vill säga oavsett investeringens slag och storlek är kvalité och nytta kriterier som måste beaktas vid investeringsbedömning samt är tänkt att uppnås vid slutet av processen.

Följande examensarbete ämnar undersöka och förmedla en djupare bild av kvinnliga ledares upplevelse av att leda i den svenska bygg- och anläggningsbranschen. Uppsatsen är en kvalitativ studie där åtta kvinnliga ledare djup-intervjuats om deras personliga upplevelser gällande de utmaningar som de navigerat sig genom under sitt avancemang i arbetslivet. Dessa utmaningar är i denna studie uppdelade i fem kategorier för att skapa en tydlighet för läsaren genom uppsatsen. Syftet är att generera en större förståelse för de utmaningar som kvinnliga ledare förhåller sig till, vilket i sin tur kan bidra till att utvecklingen går framåt inom branschen. Samt att undersöka om tidigare forskning kring de metaforer som används för att beskriva dessa utmaningar går att tillämpa på kvinnornas upplevelser av bygg- och anläggningsbranschen. Urvalet till studien omfattar åtta kvinnliga ledare med befattningar som platschef och arbetsledare, där majoriteten av den grupp som de leder består av män. Resultatet av studien visade att tidigare forskning gällande teorin om glaslabyrinten passar in på upplevelserna kvinnorna hade från sina karriärsliv, och andra föregående metaforer anses mindre relevanta i sammanhanget.

Inledningsvis uttryckte flertalet av intervjupersonerna att de inte upplevde några svårigheter att leda i branschen. Under intervjuerna uppdagades dock flera faktorer som kvinnorna tidigare inte upplevt som utmaningar, men som författarna till studien tolkar som svårigheter de fått förhålla sig till. Detta uppfattar författarna till uppsatsen vara en del av en copingstrategi för att hantera den rådande kulturen och således bli accepterad och respekterad av sina medarbetare. Dock framkom det i studien att den svenska bygg- och anläggningsbranschen på senare tid haft en positiv utveckling, men för att ytterligare förbättringar ska kunna genomföras behöver dessa utmaningar fortsätta att uppmärksammas i samhället.

Studiens syfte var att undersöka och påvisa vad ledarskapsteorin LMX som innefattar relationen mellan ledare och medarbetare, kan ha för betydelse för organisationsförändring. Samtidigt identifierar studien dimensioner inom LMX-teorin som mäter graden av LMX inom företagen och som vidare kan användas för att dra slutsatser om företagens organisationsförändringar. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ metod som kompletteras med en kvantitativ metod, för att på så vis få fler perspektiv på studiens ämnesområden, ledarskap, LMX och organisationsförändring. Arbetet utgår från fem småföretag inom detaljhandeln där fem intervjuer genomfördes med respektive företags butikschef. Företagens medarbetares perspektiv på studiens ämnesområden representeras vidare med hjälp av en enkätundersökning.

Studiens resultat visar att relationen mellan ledare och medarbetare, tillsammans med LMX-dimensionerna, har en avgörande betydelse på organisationsförändring. Starka, högkvalitativa relationer mellan ledare och medarbetare anses vara grundläggande för att skapa förutsättningar för framgångsrika förändringsprocesser. Därför rekommenderas butikschefer inom småföretag i detaljhandeln att inkludera medarbetarna mer aktivt i förändringsprocesser för att stärka relationerna vilket underlättar för de övriga dimensionerna inom LMX-teorin. Kommunikation visade sig vara avgörande för att minska motstånd och missnöje under förändringsprocessen samtidigt som engagerade medarbetare, som motiveras av relationen med ledaren, tenderar att vara mer samarbetsvilliga och positiva mot förändringar. Slutligen konstateras att förtroende är en central faktor som skapar trygghet och underlättar förändringsprocesser. Sammantaget är det tydligt att relationen mellan ledare och medarbetare, tillsammans med LMX-dimensionerna, spelar en avgörande roll för framgångsrika organisationsförändringar inom småföretag i detaljhandelsbranschen.  

Organizations of today must learn how to learn in order to become competitive. How an organization reaches maturity clearing this area is not clear. This paper presents an initial version of a maturity model aiming to set directions for how to become a learning organization, and to assist people when discussing where in this process the organization finds itself in. Future work consists of detailing the model and develops guidelines for how to measure maturity.

Sveriges generationsväxling på arbetsmarknaden kommer innebära nya rekryteringsbehov för samtliga arbetsplatser. Inom den offentliga sektorn lär det behövas rekrytera upp mot en halv miljon medarbetare fram till år 2020. I dagsläget råder det redan brist på medarbetare inom den offentliga sektorn och kan behöva anpassa sin employer branding strategi för att attrahera nya potentiella medarbetare. Nya potentiella medarbetare som ska inträda på arbetsmarknaden inom snar framtid är högskolestudenter. Eftersom den offentliga sektorn har begränsningar i att konkurrera genom högre löner, krävs det istället satsningar på symboliska attribut så som organisationskultur och värderingar.

Syftet är undersöka utifrån högskolestudenters perspektiv hur den offentliga sektorn kan använda sig utav employer branding och dess brand attribut för att attrahera nya potentiella medarbetare. Detta uppnås genom en utförd kvalitativ studie där tio högskolestudenter intervjuas. Denna metod användes för att fånga respondenternas uppfattning och erfarenheter vad gäller den offentliga sektorn som en potentiell arbetsgivare.

Studien har bidragit med att den offentliga sektorn bör utvärdera dess employer branding och de egenskaper som utlovas och om dessa verkligen hålls. Brister detta så brister även den sociala identifieringen som en gång skapade attraktion och detta skapar ett initiativ till dåliga rykten. Vidare har viktiga attribut identifierats så som värderingar, organisationskultur, arbetsförhållanden, karriärutvecklingsmöjligheter men också lön har fått en plats bland de viktigaste attributen. Högskolestudenters inställning gentemot den offentliga sektorn baseras både på egna erfarenheter och familj eller vänners erfarenheter samt sociala medier. Det blir därför viktigt att det som utlovas faktiskt hålls eftersom rykten bland en individs sociala krets/sociala medier kan påverka attraktionen av nya potentiella medarbetare. 

In poverty-stricken countries, the middle or working-class usually falls out of focus in fiscal policy discussions, especially during crisis situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in which governments seek to keep trade moving through grants and subsidies and work to sustain the poor. The current research aims to determine if the pandemic has had an impact on the subjective well-being (SWB) and financial anxiety (FAS)  for a middle-class Bangladeshi sample, according to four critical demographic factors: gender, income, residency (capital or outside the capital), and job security. At the height of the pandemic (July 14–24, 2020), 129 respondents completed a self-reported survey questionnaire. The results indicate that although people appear to be happy in general, they are worried about their relationships. Women score lower on total well-being than men, as do those with household incomes below the average. People living outside the capital score marginally higher; people with well-secured jobs denote their higher well-being too. Furthermore, the FAS results indicate higher levels of anxiety among people with lower incomes and unsecured jobs. Therefore, the COVID-19 experience might inform future fiscal policies, including potential efforts to introduce universal job security insurance and financial counseling to employees after the pandemic. 

The Covid-19 pandemic had devastating effects on small and medium businesses (SME). The immediate shock, uncertainty, varying restrictions, and the risk to life disoriented the small and medium industries. In the last 4–5 years, we’ve seen small and medium businesses worldwide gradually return to their former state. Digital transformation is one of the tools used in this comeback effort. This topic has been the subject of several conceptual, empirical, and review studies. However, no systematic review has been conducted that examines digital transformation enablers and how digital transformation can lead to organizational resilience. This study aims to fill the gap. I conducted this systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. On the basis of the 37 studies that met the inclusion criteria, I identified two clusters of enablers (strategic orientations, capabilities, and capacities) as well as six mediating strategies (frugal innovation, organizational agility, strategic agile process, dynamic strategic planning, social entrepreneurship and competitive intelligence, and sustainable business processes) of digital transformation on SME resilience. A consolidated conceptual model was developed based on the findings of this review. Scholars will be able to use these results to understand the knowledge boundary and develop effective strategies for promoting the resilience of SME’s. 

This study aims to examine the impacts of demographic variables (gender, age, and income) on consideration of future consequences (CFCs) and compulsive buying tendencies (CBT). It also investigates if and to what extent the demographic characteristics might influence the effect of CFC on CBT. Data for this study were collected from 394 adult respondents using a self-administered survey. The structural equation model in AMOS reveals that consideration of future (CFC-F) has a significant negative effect on CBT, whereas consideration of immediate (CFC-I) has no significant effect. In addition, the multi-group analysis found that the influence of CFC on CBT does not change across genders, yet it varies with income and age differences. These novel insights into consumer behaviour have implications for both research and practice.

Individuals’ subjective well-being is influenced by their financial well-being, family relationship quality, spiritual well-being, gender, and age. However, our knowledge of potential associations between these factors is limited, especially in non-western developing countries. Further, human thinking’s complexity, interconnectedness, and asymmetry fit nicely with subjective well-being conceptualizations. Therefore, this research is one of the very first studies from a typical Asian country that conceptualizes subjective well-being asymmetrically. The primary objective of this study was to determine which combinations of these factors resulted in higher or lower subjective well-being. We used a self-administered questionnaire to survey 250 married working people in Bangladesh’s capital city. The factor combinations are identified with a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Despite not finding any necessary condition for high or low subjective well-being, the analysis identifies two equifinal combinations of high subjective well-being and four combinations of low subjective well-being. In Asian cultures, where family bonds and spiritual well-being are feared to be declining, the combination of identified configurations re-emphasizes the importance of family relationship quality and spiritual well-being. Using a configurational approach, the findings contribute to the literature on subjective well-being and family relationships by explaining how different combinations of factors determine an individual's well-being. Additionally, this has important implications for policymakers and society as a whole.

Purpose – This study examines the drivers of country-level high Social Media Penetration (SMP) rate by considering the concurrent causation of cultural and socio-economic conditions.

Method – Ninety-four countries across continents were analyzed using the set-theoretic configurational approach fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA 3.0).

Findings – Results reveal that the adult literacy rate is the necessary condition and found four causal combinations for high SMP.

Limitations – Limitations related to using secondary data at a single point and including only two socio-economic conditions in the design are recognized.

Contributions to literature- This study is believed to be among the first to use QCA for testing and providing evidence of SMP as an outcome of cultural and social-economic conditions. It contributes to theory by advancing our knowledge of what combination of cultural and social-economic factors would result in high or low SMP.

Practical Implications- This study provides managerial implications for both digital marketers and social media technology designers and suppliers. With the increasing connectedness in this digital age, global marketers should be more mindful and respectful of the expectations of their customers around the world and shape their decision-making processes accordingly. Social media can be a very effective tool to help global marketers learn about other cultures, overcome adjustment challenges, and establish as well as maintain relationships. All these can accelerate the integration into the host culture during their adaptation (Sawyer and Chen, 2012). Our study provides greater insights of what combination of cultural and social-economic conditions may facilitate or inhibit the adoption of their platforms. Our findings can also help social media managers in their global targeting initiatives. Customized social media programs can be designed to target a specific cluster of countries according to usage patterns based on technological capability and social norms.

Social implications- More and more reports have been published to attest to the economic and social impact of social media. Despite the rapid growing influence on our societies, social media remains a relatively untapped source of information to catalyze policy action and social change (Yeung, 2018). Our study offers insight for social policy making by identifying multiple paths to enhance social media’s penetration as decision makers increasingly realize its potential and long-term benefits resulted from continued use of social media analytics.

Originality- This study is believed to be among the first to use QCA for testing and providing evidence of SMP as an outcome of cultural and social-economic conditions. It identifies four complex antecedent paths that are responsible for high SMP, allowing for a more comprehensive explanation of our outcome of interest.

Purpose: This study aims to formulate propositions based on combinations of causal conditions that lead to high or low financial anxiety among European students, particularly in Poland and Czechia.

Design/methodology/approach: The data for this study were collected in September 2023 from 265 undergraduate and graduate students with their income at one university in Poland and three in Czechia. Students’ views on financial anxiety were explored using a seven-item Likert scale. This study uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), an emerging marketing research technique.

Findings: There are specific factors that may cause increased financial anxiety among young adults in Poland and Czechia, leading to the following key findings: (1) A mix of factors such as perceived lack of financial knowledge, being female, living with parents, having a low monthly income, single status and working a few hours or not at all is linked to higher financial anxiety. (2) Experiencing financial anxiety is also likely when there is low financial knowledge, female gender, living away from parents, single status and a high number of work hours. (3) The combination of low financial literacy, female gender, living with parents, being single and working more hours can elevate financial anxiety.

Originality/value: This study expands the scope of personal financial research by examining how cultural, socioeconomic and psychological factors affect students’ financial anxiety in two European countries that were infrequently studied in this context. It contributes to identifying the drivers of increased and diminished financial anxiety among young adults in Poland and Czechia.

Purpose: Financial anxiety has become a global concern and a growing research area with significant potential to contribute to the behavioral and personal finance literature. Despite this, the literature is fragmented and inconsistent. Prior studies vary greatly in the breadth of definitions and measures of financial anxiety. There has been no systematic evaluation of literature on financial anxiety antecedents, consequences, and coping strategies. This systematic review fills this gap. Design/methodology/approach: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched Scopus and Web of Science and identified 55 eligible studies published between 2009 and 2024. Findings: Financial anxiety is defined and measured differently in different research domains. We identified several antecedents, including socio-demographic factors (e.g. gender, age, ethnicity, income, employment, racial background, and language proficiency), personality traits, compulsive and impulsive buying behavior, depression or other mental issues, family health issues, and the COVID-19 pandemic and consequences of financial anxiety, including psychological and psychic health, societal and personal relations, financial behavior and well-being, and job-related outcomes. In addition, the literature presents six financial anxiety coping strategies (self-imposed coping mechanisms, spiritual and theological resources, increased financial capability, social and family support, seeking professional help, and language proficiency training). Several future research directions are presented. Originality/value: This review represents the first systematic compilation and evaluation of the research findings on financial anxiety.

Retirement planning has been extensively studied in developed countries; however, it received scant scholarly attention in developing nations. Thus, this study examines the role of cognitive factors in retirement planning intentions in the context of a developing country, focusing on financial risk tolerance and self-efficacy within the cognitive appraisal theory framework, considering the mediating role of retirement planning attitudes and the moderating impact of financial resource availability. A survey was conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with 301 valid responses analyzed using a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. Findings reveal that retirement planning attitudes mediate the relationship between cognitive factors and retirement planning intentions. Interestingly, risk tolerance negatively impacts retirement planning intentions through attitudes, while financial self-efficacy shows a positive influence. Furthermore, the availability of financial resources moderates these relationships, indicating that retirement planning attitudes significantly influence intentions when financial resource availability is low. This research contributes to the understanding of retirement planning in a developing country context, highlighting the importance of cognitive factors and financial resources. It suggests that tailored retirement planning strategies should consider individual financial conditions and cognitive beliefs. The insights are valuable for policymakers and financial advisors, particularly in developing nations.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the impact of social comparison orientation (SCO) on financial management behavior (FMB) in a developing country with a collectivist culture. It examines how SCO is related to FMB directly and through financial self-efficacy (FSE) and how financial socialization (FS) moderates the SCO–FMB relationship.

Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected from 301 adults in Dhaka, Bangladesh, using self-administered survey questionnaires. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using Smart PLS software.

Findings: The results indicate that SCO was positively associated with FMB. FSE mediates this relationship, enhancing SCO’s positive impact on FMB. Additionally, FS moderates the effect of SCO on FMB, with higher levels of FS strengthening this positive relationship.

Research limitations/implications: The primary implication of this research is the revelation that SCO can positively impact FMB, contrary to traditional views, particularly when FSE mediates the relationship and FS moderates it. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing FSE and promoting FS can improve FMB. These insights are valuable for financial educators, policymakers and individuals in developing countries seeking to improve financial behavior.

Originality/value: This study makes four significant contributions: first, it demonstrates a positive direct relationship between SCO and FMB. Second, it reveals that FSE mediates the relationship between SCO and FMB. Third, it shows that FS moderates the SCO–FMB relationship. Fourth, it focuses on a sample from the emerging middle class in a developing country representing a collectivist culture, providing unique insights into this dynamic segment.

While Facebook usage intensity (FBUI) and compulsive buying tendency (CBT) have individually received increased research attention, very little is known about the mechanisms through which FBUI affects CBT. This study proposes and tests a multiple mediation model in which the effect of FBUI on CBT is mediated by personality characteristics (envy, self-esteem, and self-promotion). The study also explores the moderating effect of depression on these mediated relationships. The results of a self-administered survey of 393 Bangladeshi adults support the proposed moderated mediation model. The effect of FBUI on CBT is mediated by envy and self-esteem independently. The FBUI indirectly affects CBT through serial mediators: 1) envy and self-esteem; 2) envy and self-promotion. These serial mediating effects are moderated by depression. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. 

This study examines the applicability of an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) that incorporates trust, perceived risk, and self-enhancement as antecedents to the TAM constructs. Data collected from 299 Vietnamese online consumers, through a self-administered survey, were entered into a structural equation model using AMOS 23 to establish causality. The results partially confirm the applicability of TAM to the online shopping intentions of Vietnamese consumers, though contrary to expectations, perceived ease of use does not predict behavioral intentions. Trust and self-enchantment fit well with the TAM; the inclusion of perceived risk as an antecedent is questionable. The findings offer new opportunities for explaining TAM theory in light of Schwartz’s value dimensions. This article thus concludes with a discussion of the research contributions and implications.

Drawing on the transaction cost analysis perspective, this study examines how three types of exchange risks influence performance in exporter-importer exchange relationships. These risks include cultural distance, which gives rise to behavioral uncertainty and its associated measurement problem; market turbulence, a dimension of environmental uncertainty that gives rise to an adaptation problem; and transaction-specific assets, representing a safeguarding problem. The conceptual model assesses how an informal governance mechanism, inter-organizational trust, responds to these three exchange risks and, in doing so, fosters relational and export performance. Based on a structural equation model conducted in PLS, our findings indicate that cultural distance relates positively to inter-organizational trust, and market turbulence positively relates to exporter-specific assets. Exporter-specific assets and inter-organizational trust were found to have a reciprocal relationship. This research also confirms the mediating role of relational performance concerning the effects of exporter-specific assets and inter-organizational trust on financial export performance. 

This research on relationship marketing aims to revisit and reposition different foci of trust, commitment, and performance perception in the export/import relationships and explore the interconnectedness effects. We have collected self-reported survey questionnaire responses from 142 non-oil exporters in Ecuador. The data were analyzed with SmartlPls 3.0 software. We found that calculative commitment negatively moderates inter-organizational trust and affective commitment relationships. The other significant findings include the indirect relationship (mediating effect) of affective commitment to financial export performance through relationship export performance. With these novel contributions, we also identify some expected relationships- as both interpersonal and inter-organizational trust positively affects affective commitment, and relationship export performance significantly predicts financial export performance. Cross-sectional data collection and responses from one side of the export-import dyad are one of this research’s limitations. However, they are not uncommon in export marketing literature. Giving a justified position of different dimensions of trust and commitment in the export-import equation is the novelty of this scholarship. Clarifying the affective commitment and export performance relationship is another contribution of this research. Nevertheless, the dimensional views of trust and commitment re-established some known assumptions in a less researched country setting should also be considered a contribution.

This longitudinal qualitative study examines how globally operating readymade gar-ment exporters from Bangladesh build organisational resilience in order to cope inthe turbulent business environment. We found that at the time of crisis, such as theone caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the studied exporters lacked robust-ness, and were not prepared for unexpected external shocks. However, the compa-nies built resilience by adaptation to the situation as well as possible. Their ability tobuild resilience was found to be partly rooted in the local culture. At the time of cri-sis, the companies combined jugaad—a regional cultural practice—with a Westernmindset and management tools. In this study, this unique combination of regionaland Western practices is labelled as jugalbandi. Interestingly, organisational resil-ience which is achieved in this way seems to be temporary: the exporters discardedthe locally-embedded practices when the situation stabilised. Our study challengesthe mainstream views on organisational resilience espoused in earlier research, anddevelops a context-sensitive, culture-embedded framework of resilience building.

This research revisits the role of different foci of trust (interpersonal and inter-organizational), commitment (affective and calculative) and relationship lengths (inter-organizational and interpersonal) then on export relationship performance. 142 Ecuadorian non-oil exporters completed a self-administered questionnaire. This study applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and the findings help to re-establish the need for both trust dimensions and affective commitment in exporter–importer relationships. This research found three possible configurations of achieving high export relationship performance. The managerial implications noted that export managers should nurture trust and affective commitment to ensure improved relationship performance. This research is one of the very few studies to investigate the role of commitment and trust by taking a complexity theoretical turn. Exploring the causation of the relationship lengths on relationship performance also represents a novel contribution.

This research investigates the effect of consumer perceptions regarding the ethics of online retailers (CPEOR) on repurchase intention through reputation, satisfaction, and trust. The authors performed structural equation model analysis with SmartPLS on a sample of 458 responses collected from Vietnamese consumers. They found that CPEOR has a significant positive effect on reputation, satisfaction, and trust. As expected, trust and satisfaction directly predict repurchase intention; however, reputation does not directly follow this pattern. Instead, two prosocial constructs, namely trust and satisfaction, channel the effect of reputation on repurchase intention. Contrary to the conventional understanding that a favourable reputation will predict higher consumer trust, they found a negative correlation between these two factors. The managerial and theoretical contributions of the research and direction for future research are highlighted.

Purpose: This study aims to identify the causal combinations of factors that shapes millennials and generation Z (Gen Z) consumers' intention to use online banking, aiming to better align banking services with the needs of this demographic in a fast-evolving digital landscape.

Design/methodology/approach: This study uses Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to analyze 132 survey responses from Romania, applying the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and UTAUT-2 models to explore the factors influencing young consumers' intentions towards online banking.

Findings: The study identifies two necessary conditions for young consumers to adopt online banking: enhancers (performance expectations, effort expectations, facilitating conditions) and enablers (Hedonic Motivation, Social Influence). Moreover, the study highlights how these factors interact to influence the willingness to use online banking. Three causal combinations are identified for high interest in using online banking.

Research limitations/implications: This research notes its limitations such as reliance on cross-sectional data. Future research should expand to include diverse populations and cultural contexts to enhance the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications: The detailed analysis of what drives millennials and Gen Z consumers intention towards online banking offers banks valuable guidance. Developing strategies that cater to this group's specific needs, considering the importance of context and demographic factors, is crucial.

Originality/value: Using the Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and the comprehensive UTAUT and UTAUT-2 models, this study significantly enhances understanding of technology adoption, focusing on online banking for young consumers. It provides new insights for banks on engaging digitally with this demographic.

The authors explore how distance and the communication climate perceived by exporters influence export performance both directly and as mediated by relationship quality. The ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh yielded 185 responses. A mediation model was tested using structural equation modeling, applying partial least squares techniques. The results show that distance is negatively related to communication climate and relationship quality; relationship quality mediates the distance–export performance relationship, whereas communication climate is positively associated with relationship quality and export performance, and a full mediating role of relationship quality is found in the communication climate–export performance relationship. A strong positive relationship between relationship quality and export performance is also identified. The managerial implication of the study includes that with better relationship strength, it is possible to neutralize the negative impact of distance on export performance. The implications and limitations are also discussed.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is threefold: to investigate how relationship quality affects export performance; to see if and to what extent export performance affects exporter satisfaction; and to determine whether exporter satisfaction ultimately affects the expectation of continuing the export-import relationship in an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reports the findings of a survey of 185 respondents from the ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh chosen from a convenience sample. The responding exporters were located in Dhaka city or nearby areas. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares technique. Findings - The results support four out of five hypotheses, indicating that there is a significant relationship between exporter relationship quality and financial and strategic export performance. Additionally, a positive relationship between financial export performance and exporter satisfaction and between exporter satisfaction and the expectation of continuing the relationship are shown. No significant relationship between strategic export performance and exporter satisfaction is found. Practical implications - The findings have practical implications for managers and policy-makers interested in developing effective strategies for building and maintaining high quality export-import relationships, especially in the context of an emerging market. Originality/value - In order to accomplish the research goal, the main constructs from two influential streams of literature - social exchange theory and the disconfirmation of expectation theory - are utilized. This is new in the context of an emerging economy perspective.

This research integrates transaction cost and relational exchange theories to depict a more nuanced explanation of exporter-importer exchange relationships when exporters operate from a developing country. Our study examines whether exporters’ investments in specific assets directly influence perceived importer opportunism, or whether these perceptions are driven by the mediating effects of interpersonal and inter-organizational trust and power. Contrary to the general transaction cost argument, we did not find any direct effect of exporter specific assets on perceived importer opportunism. Instead, we found that perceived importer power and exporter inter-organizational trust jointly mediate the exporter specific assets – perceived importer opportunism relationship. By incorporating a dimensional view of trust, we help to resolve conflicting theoretical specifications and empirical results found in the extant literature.

This study explores how relationship quality might mediate the link between transaction cost variables and export performance. In the proposed conceptual model, relationship-specific assets and uncertainty affect export performance both directly and through relationship quality; survey data from 185 exporting organizations in Bangladesh provide the test of this model. This article thus proposes that transaction cost economics and relational exchange theories are complementary rather than competing theories. These conclusions arise because this study accounts for not only the direct effect of asset specificity and uncertainty on export performance but also their indirect effects through relationship quality, which have not been empirically tested or clarified previously.