International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development (7 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• The Barriers of Export in Microenterprises  
  by Matti Muhos, Martti Saarela, Peetu Virkkala, Jukka Majava, Jenni Helanderr 
  Abstract: Microenterprises represent the overwhelming majority of businesses and are essential enablers of renewal and sustainable growth. Only a small fraction of micro-sized firms is involved in international activities. Despite this fact, little is known about what prevents microenterprises from starting exports. This study bridges this gap by studying export barriers from the perspective of the managers of microenterprises through the following research question: what are the barriers to export perceived by the managers of microenterprises? This multiple-case study answers the research question by analysing the barriers to export in ten Finnish microenterprises. A framework of export barriers (Leonidou, 2004) was devised in this analysis. This study provided an in-depth analysis of export barriers in a microenterprise context, and the findings underscore informational, functional, marketing, and environmental barriers as central to microenterprise exports.
  Keywords: internationalisation; export; barriers; microenterprises; micro-sized enterprises.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2023.10053631
   
  
• Corporate governance and social responsibility in relation to a sample of 100 Indian firms listed on the BSE index between 2019 and 2022  
  by Sarfraz Hussain, Shikha Sharma, Vikas Choudhary, Sivakumaran C 
  Abstract: Research on corporate governance and social responsibility has yielded a wealth of information, but it is still unclear how these two concepts are intertwined in different institutional settings. Corporate governance and social responsibility (CSR) originated in Western nations, where both notions have evolved quickly over the last decade. SEM and partial least squares (PLS) were utilised to analyse the data in this investigation. The primary objective of good corporate governance is to strike a healthy equilibrium between the competing demands of an organization's many different types of stakeholders. The findings made it possible to shine light on areas in which there is room for development in terms of both sustainability and corporate governance. There's a strong correlation between improved employee trust in CEOs and the adoption of corporate social responsibility programmes. Additionally, studies have demonstrated that effective corporate governance structures may help to regulate CEO behaviour in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
  Keywords: Corporate governance; corporate social responsibility; national business system; Business Outcomes; National Outcomes.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2023.10053963
   
  
• A consumer perception study on CSR reputation shaping brand image in India  
  by Supriya Chouthoy, Roshan Kazi, Rahul Dass, Mahima Mishra 
  Abstract: The purpose of this study is to reveal that a brand incorporating corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives helps strategically shape its brand image and enables it to stand apart in a competitive market. Data for this research was gathered from a primary data collection exercise done across a sample of respondents in India. The paper succeeds in establishing the hypothesis (H1) of 'Whether CSR reputation (CSRR) and brand image (BI) are statistically related? ' through canonical correlation. The study established that there exists a positive correlation between CSRR and BI; consumers are willing to praise CSR performing brands publicly and easily distinguish such brands from other competing brands. Consumers' respect for such brands grows every time they learn of their CSR efforts. This study extends the dynamic relationship between the consumer and the brand. It concludes by suggesting that strengthening CSR makes business sense.
  Keywords: corporate social responsibility; CSR; social marketing; strategy; sustainability; corporate responsibility; India.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2023.10053196
   
  
• Organisational culture, revealed innovation advantage and growth - a framework of analysis  
  by Anwesha Modak, Tamal Datta Chaudhuri 
  Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for understanding the role of organisational culture in innovation for Indian companies of different sizes. We consider various aspects of an organisation like inward looking organisational emphasis, customer interface, competition driven organisational culture, organisational mindset, digitisation, digitalisation, digital transformation, organisational environment, leadership, emphasis on human resources and technology orientation that can aid in the process of innovativeness and innovation orientation of companies. A simple text mining exercise is proposed for the purpose and a revealed innovation advantage index is introduced to measure and rank companies in terms of innovativeness. We observe that companies, irrespective of their size, are lagging in terms of technology orientation, but their organisational orientation is strong. Specific insights emerge from the analysis regarding relation between innovativeness and growth, productivity and market perception.
  Keywords: innovation; innovation orientation; organisational mindset; technological orientation; revealed innovation advantage index; RIAI; market perception.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2023.10052838
   
  
• Buyer behaviour modelling of rural online purchase intention using logistic regression  
  by Thangaraja Arumugam, S. Shahul Hameed, M.A. Sanjeev 
  Abstract: Improvements in connectivity, smartphone adoption, data usage, a competitive e-commerce space, innovations in financial technologies, and logistics growth are expected to push the Indian e-commerce industry to 200 billion dollars by 2026. The growth will mainly be propelled by the rural populace - constituting 68% of the Indian population and accounting for half of its consumption. It will be primarily driven by their increasing aspirations, brand consciousness, and value search against a stagnant urban market. However, such growth depends on the marketer's understanding of rural consumers, whose online consumer behaviour has not been well investigated. The current study tries to bridge this gap by studying the antecedents of rural e-commerce adoption. The results indicate that service quality, enjoyment, and trust are the most critical parameters for rural e-commerce adoption. The study results can help e-commerce market participants design suitable intervention strategies to improve their rural sales and returns.
  Keywords: service quality; enjoyment; trust; website quality; returns; information quality; past experience; online shopping; logistic regression; modelling; rural; consumer behaviour.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2023.10052937
   
  
• A study on risk management practices in construction projects in India: from project organisation's perspective  
  by Muthukrishnan Nagarajan, R. Ganapathi 
  Abstract: The research paper aims to examine respondent's profile, in percentage, so as to identify the results of covariance and analysis of variance between role and experience level, critical risks in construction projects based on response, correlation between performance indicators, the influence of overall performance on profitability of a firm, the reliability of performance indicators, and to develop a risk assessment and management model. The results revealed that there is a significant positive correlation between project quality, project cost control, and on-time delivery with overall performance, while procurement risk is the highest factor of risk as opined by the respondents among all other risks. The risk management cycle consists of nine kinds of processes: 1) risk identification and assessment; 2) risk budgeting and monitoring; 3) risk elimination plan; 4) risk register monitoring and controlling; 5) risk treatment process; 6) risk dilution performance; 7) risk significant impacts and mitigation; 8) reconciling risk budget; 9) re-structuring the risk budget.
  Keywords: construction projects; project performance; risk management.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2023.10052932
   
  
• Business development in growth-oriented microenterprises: enhancing innovation capability  
  by Anneli Bäck, Kyllikki Taipale-Erävala 
  Abstract: This article focuses on the capability and business development of growth-oriented microenterprises. Despite their potential impact on economic growth, microenterprises and especially the growth-oriented ones are under researched. The descriptive research approach is supported by empirical interview data from 25 enterprises in southern Finland in a multi-case study. The study presents the varied ways for gaining competitive advantage, responding to customer needs as well as beneficial support actions. As a result, we define three innovation capability (IC) categories connecting business development and support needs. The findings benefit microenterprises by stressing the intertwined nature of business development, IC, and support needs. The study implies that both the entrepreneurs and regional actors need to understand the crucial role and systematic development of IC through entrepreneurial learning. In addition, regional actors may find more nuanced and effective ways to enhance business development by considering these developmental categories of growth-oriented microenterprises.
  Keywords: business development; entrepreneurial learning; innovation capability; IC; microenterprises; owner-manager.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2023.10052723