The linkages between business strategies, culture, and compensation using Miles & Snow’s and Hofstede culture framework in conglomerate firms

Contribution of green manufacturing for realizing business performance in Indian small and medium scale organizations (SME’s)

Purpose

The current manuscript is focused on evaluating the capabilities of green practices that affect various business performance (BP) parameters of small and medium scale Indian manufacturing enterprises (SME’s). This study aims to obtain multiple significant factors that influence the implementation of green practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The manuscript focuses on statistical testing of responses obtained from 168 Indian SMEs to determine the relationship between input parameters and BP parameters. This paper starts with deploying tests such as Cronbach alpha and inter-item covariance test to obtain confidence in data collected, followed by various statistical tests such as Pearson correlation, multiple regression, canonical correlation to extract various significant factors the study. Further Games-Howell post hoc test is deployed to evaluate the significant improvements in BP gained over a reasonable duration of time. Finally, a discriminant validity test is used to find out the success or failure of the organizations that participated in the survey.

Findings

This research contributes to the holistic effect of green manufacturing (GM) toward gaining improvements in terms of different BP parameters taken for the study. It has been found that various input factors such as customer attributes, adoption of new technology, social pressure and government pressure are the main parameters for GM implementation. Further, it is observed that those at the maturity phase of GM implementation are reaping higher benefits than the organizations at the transition and stability phase.

Originality/value

The current study has been accomplished in Indian SME manufacturing organizations to investigate the effects of GM implementation in the organization. Although research findings imply the effective use of green practices within the organization to reap BP parameters and improve the market’s competitive image, the study cannot be generalized and can be used as an insight for both academicians and end-users in understanding the overall achievements of GM.

An empirical investigation of maintenance practices for enhancing manufacturing performance in small and medium enterprises of northern India

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the contributions of maintenance practices and extract various significant factors that influence the implementation of maintenance practices in northern Indian small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

In the current study, 216 north Indian SMEs have been extensively surveyed to assess the contributions of different maintenance practices implementation dimensions and manufacturing performance attributes through different statistical techniques. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to statistically validate the hypotheses, while Levene’s experiment and Wilk–Shapiro tests were used to confirm ANOVA’s assumptions. Finally, the discriminating validity test extracts highly successful and moderately successful organizations.

Findings

The present research aims to evaluate the contributions of different maintenance practices implementation dimensions on SMEs’ manufacturing performance attributes. The study highlights that strategic maintenance practices such as corrective maintenance (CM), general maintenance issues, preventive maintenance (PM) issues and predictive maintenance (Pd.M) initiatives have enhanced overall equipment effectiveness, overall business performance, quality, cost optimization, safety, delivery and morale in SMEs.

Originality/value

The study validates the capabilities of maintenance practices toward significant improvements of various implementation dimensions such as breakdown maintenance issues, general maintenance issues, PM issues, Pd.M issues, CM issues, computer maintenance management system issues, maintenance scheduling issues and total productive maintenance issues. The study reveals significant implications for SMEs for realizing significantly improved manufacturing performance through strategic maintenance initiatives.

Identifying organizational variables to the implementation of horizontal strategy in conglomerates

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate organizational variables and develop their relationship with horizontal strategy. The cultural dimensions and organization structure have been considered as organizational variables. The study also aims to shed light on the implementation horizontal strategy in conglomerates.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was carried out with 122 conglomerate firms for examination. These companies were chosen to be of different sizes and sectors. The multiple regression analysis was utilized to analyze the data.

Findings

The results reveal that conglomerate firms also have a horizontal strategy. Additionally, organizational cultural dimensions namely, collectivism, clan culture, market culture and long-term orientation; formal and informal relationship; and horizontal organization structure (HOS) have positive and significant relationship with horizontal strategy. No significant relationship was found between uncertainty avoidance and adhocracy culture, and horizontal strategy.

Research limitations/implications

The major contributions of this study are explicitly identified as horizontal strategy exists in the conglomerate firms where the few organizational variables play a significant role in horizontal strategy implementation.

Originality/value

This study has been done in an effort to make supporting guidelines to fill the gaps in conglomerate firms. This study offers an effective role of cultural dimensions and structure as drivers of horizontal strategy implementation, and this study spells out and extends the literature and proposes a conceptual framework.

Justification of green manufacturing implementation parameters using fuzzy-based simulation model

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the contribution of significant factors in the success of green manufacturing (GM) implementation in Indian small and medium-scale manufacturing organizations (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the fuzzy inference system (FIS; fuzzy logic toolbox) is deployed to assess the implementation of GM. For this purpose, significant factors for GM implementation success parameters are identified from relevant literature and validated by industry experts.

Findings

The output of FIS in MATLAB has given insight that adoption of new technology, customer’s attributes, social and government pressure and green supply chain management can be named as significant predicted variables for the success of GM implementation in Indian small and medium-scale organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The current research is carried out in Indian small and medium-scale manufacturing organizations with inputs from all over India but this study would not be applicable to the organizations of different sectors such as servicing sector and would also not applicable to the large-scale industries and other geographical locations other than India.

Originality/value

The present research work establishes that GM initiatives have contributed in the business performance of Indian small and medium-scale manufacturing industry. So, the study stresses upon the need for improving coordination between various manufacturing parameters as well as competitive dimensions of GM paradigms to enjoy higher potential of business performance.

A model for examining the role of the Internet of Things in the development of e-business

Purpose

Nowadays, the Internet of Things (IoT) offers new intelligent services and business model opportunities by extending the internet connectivity into physical devices and daily objects. Recently, this technology has had a deep impact on all the aspects of human societies from industry to management and business. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to predict the impact of using IoT services on the development of electronic business (e-business).

Design/methodology/approach

For evaluating the model’s elements, a questionnaire was designed. It was revised by experts with significant experiences. For statistical analysis, SmartPLS 3.2 is used.

Findings

The findings have confirmed the validity of the proposed model. The results also have indicated that the quality of IoT services (scalability, availability, reliability and ease of use), security of IoT services (trust, reputation, privacy and encryption) and IT knowledge of users (usage skills, awareness, experience and accuracy) have a positive and significant impact on development of e-business. Furthermore, the obtained results have revealed that the operating cost of IoT services (transmission time, storage capacity, functionality and stability) is significantly influenced by the development of e-business.

Research limitations/implications

By capturing a number of important factors in the proposed model, this study can provide a significant theoretical influence for researchers in the related area of interest. In fact, this study provides a worthwhile direction by assessing e-business performance, which, so far, has not been well assessed in many developing countries.

Practical implications

From a practical perspective, the statistical results support the crucial role of the following factors: quality of IoT services, the security of IoT services, operating cost of IoT services and IT knowledge of users. Hence, aspects relating to these factors must be the focus of attention of any organization in their endeavor to development of e-business.

Originality/value

This study meaningfully contributes to the knowledge and literature by focusing more on development e-business and IoT as original technology for further understanding, investigating other important features and applying advanced statistical analyses technique. By doing so, this study was able to develop the current understanding regarding the main aspects of development e-business and IoT services.