Effects of entrepreneurial orientation on social media adoption and SME performance: The moderating role of innovation capabilities

Entrepreneurial Orientation and Open Innovation Promote the Performance of Services SMEs: The Mediating Role of Cost Leadership

In the 21st century, small and medium service firms face difficulty sustaining their performance. Additionally, the literature on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in SMEs is scarce. Moreover, the role of cost leadership strategy as a mediator lacks researchers’ attention. Therefore, this research aims to examine the relationship between EO and SMEs performance with the mediating role of cost leadership strategy. Based on the contingency theory, a theoretical model has been drawn. A survey approach with a questionnaire technique has been adapted to achieve the study objectives. The data were collected from 283 service SMEs in three states of Malaysia. The Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique was employed to analyze the empirical data. The study findings highlight that risk-taking and open innovation have no direct relationship with SMEs’ performance. However, through the mediation role of cost leadership, risk-taking and open innovation have a significant association with performance. Furthermore, the findings indicate that proactiveness, competitive aggressiveness, and autonomy have a positive and direct relationship with performance, whereas in the presence of cost leadership, competitive aggressiveness has a partial mediating effect. The empirical findings are helpful to policymakers, researchers, and practitioners.

The Competitive Advantage of Furniture SMEs in East Java: The Role of Aggressiveness in Entrepreneurship Orientation

This paper analyzes the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation in Furniture SMEs in East Java, Indonesia, towards competitive advantage. This study uses a quantitative approach with the survey method. This study uses primary data that is self-reported using a self-administered survey by distributing questionnaires directly to 84 owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) Furniture in Western East Java, Indonesia. A measurement used the structural equation model (SmartPLS 3.0) to analyze data. Five hypotheses were proposed, and only four had positive significant and positive effects on competitive advantage, that is, the influence of entrepreneurial orientation consisting of proactiveness, innovativeness, aggressiveness, and autonomy. In contrast, the hypothesis related to risk-taking towards the competitive advantage of SMEs Furniture has no positive and significant effect. The findings of this study show that the dominant influence of the entrepreneurial orientation dimension is aggressiveness. The theoretical implication of this research is that furniture business players need to continuously improve their aggressiveness in entrepreneurship according to the theoretical findings in this study, such as introducing innovative products made from local materials and following market trends. This research adds to the theory of aggressiveness in entrepreneurship to encourage innovations that will make industries that use local natural resources more competitively and help government policies. Aggressiveness is required by the furniture business to improve competitiveness for a labor-intensive industry with reliable local content to spur economic growth in Indonesia.

Toward Sustainable Consumption Behavior in Online Education Industry: The Role of Consumer Value and Social Identity

The prosperous development of online education in the digital age harvested countless consumers. Education for sustainable development is an important proposition for both academic community and practitioner, however, current little studies have shed light on Sustainable Consumption Behavior in online education industry (SCBOEI). The Consumer Value Theory and Social Identity Theory as theoretical basis linked with the field of Sustainable Consumption Behavior. This study is to further investigate the role of consumer value and social identity in the relation to Sustainable Consumption Behavior. Putting forward suggestions from this study to online education providers toward sustainable development.

Method

Data on the impact of personal value on SCBOEI through a survey method with 552 valid students as respondents are collected from higher education institutions in China. A structural equation modeling approach is employed in this study for data analysis.

Results

The result shows at the level of excellent model fit as indicated by all indicators: X 2/DF = 1.053 (<3), RMSEA = 0.010 (<0.08), CFI = 0.991, GFI = 0.971, TLI = 0.989, AGF = 0.961 (>0.9). The results showed that, through social identity, functional value (indirect effect = 0086, P < 0.001), emotional value (indirect effect = 0061, P < 0.001), and social value (indirect effect = 0.073, P < 0.001) influence the variance of SCBOEI. The finding reveals that both theories can explain the SCBOEI of higher education students by showing that functional, social, and emotional values as well as social identity are powerful predictors of the Sustainable Consumption Behavior. The proposed model highlights the mediating role of social identity between SCBOEI and the three values. The functional, emotional, and social values influence SCBOEI directly and through social identity.

Implications

The study significantly contributes to market promotion, college students, education planning, and teaching. Online education market personnel and college students can better understand the significance of sustainable development aspect of online education. Teaching and learning activities help lead students to SCBOEI by shaping their values and identities while paying more attention to quality education, knowledge sharing, and social equality.

The influence of accounting information system on management control effectiveness: The perspective of SMEs in Yemen

In today’s competitive market, SMEs need to realize that accounting information system (AIS) can enhance management control effectiveness (MCE) - one of the areas necessary for their survival and success. This paper aimed to measure the influence of AIS success on MCE among SMEs of Yemen, a less developed country, as research and knowledge are very limited in such context. Data were collected from 315 SME owners and managers via a questionnaire. SmartPLS 3 software was employed for data analysis. The results concluded positive links between AIS success and MCE. Specifically, the results revealed that AIS information quality, system quality, and usage positively impact MCE; quality of information and system are essential drivers of AIS usage and satisfaction; user satisfaction positively influences AIS usage. Interestingly, the quality of service showed to be insignificant in the context of AIS. Moreover, user satisfaction showed no significant impact on MCE. This research is deemed one of the first to introduce empirical evidence on the influence of AIS success on MCE among SMEs in Yemen, as a less developed country context.

Sustainable customer retention through social media marketing activities using hybrid SEM-neural network approach

Social media has changed the marketing phenomenon, as firms use social media to inform, impress, and retain the existing consumers. Social media marketing empowers business firms to generate perceived brand equity activities and build the notion among consumers to continue using the firms' products and services. The current exploratory study aimed to examine the effects of social media marketing activities on brand equity (brand awareness and brand image) and repurchase intention of high-tech products among Chinese consumers. The study used a cross-sectional design, and the final analysis was performed on 477 valid responses that were collected through an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis were performed. The obtained results revealed positive and significant effects of trendiness, interaction, and word of mouth on brand awareness. Customisation, trendiness, interaction, and word of mouth were found to positively affect brand image. Brand awareness and brand image were found to affect repurchase intention. The results of multilayer ANN analysis suggested trendiness as the most notable factor in developing brand awareness and brand image. Brand awareness was found to be an influential factor that nurtures repurchase intention. The study's results confirmed the relevance of social media marketing activities in predicting brand equity and brand loyalty by repurchase intention. Marketing professionals need to concentrate on entertainment and customisation aspects of social media marketing that can help to achieve brand awareness and image. The limitations of study and future research opportunities are presented at the end of this article.

Travel-Business Stagnation and SME Business Turbulence in the Tourism Sector in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, apart from having an impact on public health, has also caused the stagnation of travel-bureau businesses and the management of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector. This study aims to analyze the COVID-19 pandemic as a determinant of travel-business stagnation and turbulence in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the influence of human resources, business development, and product marketing on the productivity of the travel and SME business, the direct and indirect effects of business innovation, economic digitization, and the use of technology on business stability and economic-business sustainability. This study uses an explanatory sequential qualitative–quantitative approach. Data were obtained through observation, in-depth interviews, surveys, and documentation. This study is focused on assessing the efforts made by travel-agency-business actors and SMEs in responding and adapting to changes in the business environment, both internally and externally. Human resources, business development, and product marketing together affect the productivity of travel agents and SMEs with a coefficient of determination of 95.84%. Furthermore, business innovation, economic digitization, and the use of technology simultaneously affect business stability with a coefficient of determination of 63.8%, and business stability affects the sustainability of travel and SMEs with a coefficient of determination of 67.6%. This study recommends a strategy for travel-agency-business sustainability and the stability of SMEs’ economic-business management towards increasing economic growth in the North Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.