Title: Strategic orientation, innovative operation strategies, and competitiveness of small firms in face of uncertainty: evidence from the Malaysian manufacturing firms

Authors: Nezal Aghajari; Aslan Amat Senin

Addresses: Faculty of Management, Universiti Technologi Malaysia (UTM), Kampus Johor Bahru 81310 Skudai Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia ' Faculty of Management, Universiti Technologi Malaysia (UTM), Kampus Johor Bahru 81310 Skudai Johor Darul Ta'zim, Malaysia

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to develop a more fine-grained view of the strategic-orientation-competitiveness relationship by accounting for the mediating role of the innovative operation strategies of the firm. For this purpose, a new typology of innovative operation strategies was validated and used. Data from a survey of 201 firms in Malaysia was analysed using a structural equation modelling approach. Analysis revealed that assumptions of this models hold for small manufacturing enterprises. These findings have significant implications for the alignment between the firm's operation and strategy and unveil a new framework for competitiveness of small manufacturing firms.

Keywords: innovative operation strategies; manufacturing SMEs; uncertainty; strategic orientation; competitive performance; structural equation modelling; SEM; dynamism; Malaysia; small and medium-sized enterprises; competitiveness.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBCG.2014.060317

International Journal of Business Competition and Growth, 2014 Vol.3 No.3, pp.254 - 271

Received: 19 Oct 2013
Accepted: 08 Jan 2014

Published online: 31 May 2014 *

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