Business Excellence and Management

21-40

Authors: Jackline Akoth ODERO

The main objective of this study was to establish the influence of transactional leadership style on strategic plan implementation as moderated by organizational culture in private sugar manufacturing firms. Descriptive and correlational research designs were used. A Structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from a sample of 144 respondents in private sugar manufacturing firms in western Kenya. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Findings revealed a significant and positive relationship between the transactional leadership style and strategic plan implementation. Further organizational culture did not moderate the relationship between transactional leadership style and strategic plan implementation. The study recommends for leaders in private sugar manufacturing firms to capitalize on transactional leadership style through rewarding staff who accomplish required goals, specifying standards to be adhered to and intervening when issues arise in order to foster effective strategic plan implementation. The current study contributes to the existing literature as it underscores the value of transactional leadership style in accentuating strategic plan implementation in private sugar manufacturing firms. Further it delves into the moderating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between transactional leadership style and strategic plan implementation.

59-76

Authors: Ali GOLSHANI, Hossein ADAB, Abolghasem SARABADANI, Masoud SHAFAGHI

Technology valuation is needed by companies in today's knowledge-based economy. The intangible nature of technology, influence of environmental factors and conditions on it, have made calculating its value complicated. At present, a large part of the country's economic activities in the technological ecosystem is carried out by companies and startups, whose growth and development are possible with the influx of capital. Therefore, the aim of the upcoming research was to identify dimensions and explain the technology valuation model in Iranian startups. The approach of the research is qualitative, and in the research process, the Grounded Theory has been used. The 10 participants including active experts, policymakers, consultants, and CEOs in Iran's startup ecosystem, were selected by using the purposeful sampling method and analyzed by using the content analysis method. Participants identified factors such as lack of technology valuation requirements, bubble of startups claiming technology, innovation as causal factors, technology brokers and conflict of interests as interfering factors in the strategies of the desired phenomenon, development and promotion of technology valuation discourse, transformation of existing knowledge in the field of technology to valuable knowledge, leadership and idea management and localization of technology valuation as solution-oriented strategies, benefits of calculating the real value of technology and valuation process itself regardless of the result were expressed as the consequences of expanding the technology valuation model in Iranian startups. In this way, the dimensions of the desired model were extracted and explained.

96-112

Authors: Peter Sunday DARAMOLA, Tunji SIYANBOLA

Share price shows the strength of a business enterprise in the stock market and reflects investors’ perception to earn income in the future. Accounting variables have an impact on share price, however studies on accounting variables and share price have produced conflicting findings, necessitating additional empirical research. This study examined the relationship between accounting variables and share price of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) quoted in Nigeria. Ex-post facto research design was employed in the study. The population of the study consisted of twenty-two (22) DMBs quoted on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) as at December, 2019. Ten listed DMBs were selected using judgmental sampling technique. Data were collected from audited financial reports of the selected quoted DMBs for 10 years from 2010 to 2019. The study used descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse data. The results indicated that accounting variables without moderating effect of age and firm size impact market share price (MSP) with Adjusted R2 of 0.698, F -Statistic of 46.661 and p-value of 0.000. It was also revealed that with moderating effect of age and firm size, accounting variables significantly affect market share price with Adjusted R2 of 0.699, F-statistic of 33.896 and p-value of 0.000. The study concluded that accounting variables have significant impact on MSP of DMBs. The study recommended that Directors of DMBs in Nigeria should ensure prompt payment of dividends to shareholders and investors should use dividend per share (DPS) to predict MSP of DMBs quoted on the NGX.

21-30

Authors: Catinca-Elena IONESCU, Mattia MEGGIOLARO

Based on what we have witnessed in the last two years from several uncontrollable factors, such as natural disasters, disease pandemics and wars, it is worth exploring the potential rising prices of coffee-based products in the future. This research aims to find out people’s perceptions about the actual prices of coffee and their reasoning for their continuous financial contribution to the coffee-based industry. It is also looking for solutions regarding a suitable increase in the price range to maintain customer interest in coffee-based products in the Romanian market. Presuming that the target customers have already noticed the change in prices, different data-gathering methods come into effect to determine the level of awareness that a regular customer has regarding said price fluctuations. This will aid in providing answers to our research problem: How much can the prices be increased before profits drop significantly? The research sample consisted of 22 international people and the data found was processed to obtain the best accuracy of the results, in SPSS.

50-64

Authors: Olajide Idowu OKUNBANJO, Joseph Olusola OJENIKE, Segun Kamoru FAKUNMOJU

The development of micro scale business in a developing economy cannot be overstated due to the economic contribution and nature of the business. One of the challenges of micro businesses identified by scholars in developing economy like Nigeria is accessibility of funds which microfinance institutions have been saddled with that responsibility. Thus, there is need to see how the microfinance institutions are lifting to expectation. Therefore, the study investigated how the microfinance institutions activities has impacted on the micro business development in selected Southwest States in Nigeria. The study employed descriptive research design with stratified sampling technique. Primary data was collected via questionnaire and 384 copies of questionnaire were administered but 297 were returned and useful for the analysis. The findings using regression analysis revealed that financial service of microfinance institutions has positive but insignificant effect on microenterprises development. Non-financial service of microfinance institutions has a positive and significant effect on microenterprises development in Southwest Nigeria. It is concluded that non-financial service influenced microenterprises development in the study. It was recommended that microfinance institutions in Southwest Nigeria should continue to offer non-financial services in terms of organizing training programs, give support to expand business, offer technical advice and give competent advice to the operators of micro scale enterprises Microfinance banks should lessen the conditions associated with their financial services to the operators of micro enterprises so that these operators may be able to access micro credit

76-93

Authors: Nindria UNTARINI, Anik Lestari ANDJARWATI, Yessy ARTANTI, Widyastuti WIDYASTUTI, Monika TIARAWATI

Advertising is one way for a business to reach more buyers. Utilizing stories in advertisements as an effective marketing communication tool for engaging audience emotions and building a strong relationship between brands and consumers. Through narrative online advertising, it can reach wider consumers, lower advertising costs, and target specific consumers. The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the effect of humorous narrative online advertising on attitudes to advertising and the moderating role of advertising involvement in the relationship between the two. Using quantitative method, data collected through a survey of 170 students were analyzed by MRA (moderation regression analysis) with SPSS. This study found that advertising vividness, advertising entertainment, advertising self-referencing, and advertising interactivity affected attitudes to advertising. And advertising involvement weakens the relationship between advertising vividness, self-referencing ad, interactive ad to attitude to advertising, except for entertaining ad. The limitations and implications based on the findings to demonstrate the importance of humorous narrative online advertising in encouraging advertising involvement and attitude to advertising are also discussed in this study.

13-29

Authors: Siphokazi NONYUSA, Robertson Khan TENGEH, Gervase Chux IWU, Darlington ONOJAEFE

Developments in technology have disrupted many industries. Companies can no longer afford to ignore such vital technology. Many people in South Africa believe that the entry of ride-hailing apps like Uber and Bolt threatens the future of the country's traditional taxi industry. The paper sought to ascertain the influence of app-based ride solutions on the sustainability of conventional metered taxis and the ensuing survival strategies. A hybrid approach using both qualitative and quantitative data was adopted. Twenty participants and 80 respondents provided the qualitative and quantitative data utilized. The results suggest high-quality services and comfort vehicles offered by app-based services like Uber and Bolt have harmed the long-term viability of traditional metered taxis in the Cape Town metropolitan area. Since the advent of app-based ride services (Uber and Bolt), metered taxi operators have faced new challenges, including technological advancement, the demand for high-end transportation, and changing consumer tastes. The research could be helpful to companies providing metered taxi services in Cape Town by pointing to ways to improve operations. Hopefully, the findings of this research will aid regulators and other interested parties in making it easier for taxi companies that use meters to compete. Theoretically, the study may also contribute to the literature on the subject

40-59

Authors: Paul Mukucha, Divaries Cosmas Jaravaza, Forbes Makudza

The study sought to determine the strength of the relationship between food quality and customer loyalty intention in the restaurant industry. More importantly, the study sought to determine the moderating effects of demographic variables (age, gender and level of education) on the association between food quality and customer loyalty intentions. The study was informed by the theory of customer loyalty. To substantiate the model of the study, a sample of 200 respondents was drawn from selected restaurants using a structured questionnaire. The main effects between food quality and customer loyalty intention were tested using inferential statistics whereas moderated effects of demographics (age, gender and level of education) were computed using moderated multiple regressions. All the hypothesised moderators were supported with significant interaction effects. The results suggest that the nexus between food quality and customer loyalty intention is not a straight forward relationship. More sensitive consumers were young adults, females and those with tertiary education. Therefore, the study validates the food quality and customer loyalty scales in a subsistence market. Testing moderating effects of demographic profiles brings precision in theoretical models in restaurant consumer behaviour studies, which are sparse in extant literature.

76-89

Authors: Durotimi Amos Dada, Dare Joseph Enimola, Ayuba Sule

This study focuses on constructive conflicts and organizational learning within SMEs in Kogi State. It examines the effects of trust and credibility, teamwork, performance improvement and common goals on constructive conflicts within SMEs in Kogi State; and ascertained the relationship between gender diversity and constructive conflicts within SMEs in Kogi State. The study uses a survey research approach and multi-stage sampling was adopted, the sample size of 367 was selected. Data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics, Stepwise Multiple Regression (SMR) and Pearson Correlation Matrix. Findings show that trust and credibility, teamwork, performance improvement and common goals have strong and significant effects on constructive conflicts within SMEs in Kogi State. Further, it shows that gender diversity has a significant relationship with constructive conflicts within SMEs in Kogi State. The study concluded that manageable amount of conflict is productive and recommended that SME owners and managers should be committed to long-term constructive conflict approaches, and should pay attention to gender diversity as a critical group contingency.

19-34

Authors: Simona – Cătălina ȘTEFAN, Andreea BREAZU

The SARS-CoV2 pandemic crisis presents unprecedented challenges and has profound implications for the way governments plan and manage their strategy for the development of the medical system, with increasing demand from patients. This phenomenon has led researchers to analyze more competitive management models for the development of organizations. Additionally, the emergence of the SARS-CoV2 virus has influenced the general outlook on how healthcare organizations have managed their resources and outlined sustainable development strategies. This article presents a bibliometric analysis, with the help of two datasets retrieved from Scopus, which aims to examine how literature reflects general competitiveness in the health system. Moreover, how literature reflect the global competitiveness of the healthcare environment during the pandemic period. Thus, in a first step, the data collection technique consisted of searching for the keywords 'competitiveness', 'competitive advantage', 'health system', 'health care' and their derivatives, while in the second step, the word 'COVID19' was added in the analysis together with its derivatives. The results indicate an upward trend in scientific research both for competitiveness at a general level and for the implications of the pandemic on the medical system’s competitiveness.

47-65

Authors: Steven Kayambazinthu MSOSA, Sarah RADEBE

South Africa is confronted with the problem of youth unemployment. Despite this challenge, young people have few options to stay relevant in the economy. While many young people consider starting a business, they face obstacles such as a lack of information, capital, networking, and mentorship. This makes it very difficult for young people, particularly university graduates, to pursue entrepreneurship as an alternative career. This study examined the antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions amongst higher education students in South Africa. A quantitative and descriptive research design was adopted using a positivist research philosophy. A self-administered online questionnaire was used to gather data. A total of 400 students were chosen as respondents using simple random sampling. The findings of this study show that entrepreneurial intention has a positive and significant relationship with subjective norms (β=0.619, t-value=8.197, p=0.050), perceived behavior control (β=0.171, t-value=1.969, p=0.050), personal attitude (β=0.137, t-value=1.967, p=0.050). In contrast, there was a negative and insignificant relationship between entrepreneurial intention and self-efficacy (β=-0.015, t-value=0.209, p=0.835). This research has contributed to the literature on entrepreneurship in higher education and the developing world. This study is also expected to aid scholars, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding the dynamics of entrepreneurial intentions amongst students in higher education institutions.

82-97

Authors: Adewumi Zaid ADEYEMI, Adesoji Aderemi OKE, Oluwatimileyin Esther ADENLE

Past research studies have established that corporate organizations are associated with certain characteristics which may have positive or negative impact on their performance. It is on this note that this research work aims to investigate impact of firm characteristics on performance of listed fast consumer movable goods companies in Nigeria from 2008 to 2019. Leverage, liquidity, operating expenses, growth rate, firm size and firm age are the variables used to capture firm characteristics. Return on shareholders’ funds used to capture performance of sampled companies. Secondary data collected from financial statements of sampled firms were used, while multiple regression analysis was engaged to analyze the data. Study’s results demonstrated that growth rate, firm size and firm age have positive and substantial influence, while liquidity had favorable but negligible influence on return on shareholders’ funds. Furthermore, leverage and operating expenses have negative impact on return on shareholders’ funds. The study recommends that sampled firms need to maintain the existing or further increase their liquidity, growth rate, firm size and firm age in order to sustain or increase their current return on shareholders’ funds.

17-30

Authors: Claudia SEVERESIA, Prio UTOMO, Friska NATALIA

The food and beverages industry is one of the most contributing sectors for Indonesian economic growth. It is a profitable business to invest in, due to the development of the Indonesian population. However, the competition in the market is inevitable; thus, companies need to generate strategies of differentiation to retain the customers. One crucial thing in maintaining customer loyalty is to have good management in customer experience. Customer experience was mainly discussed in the Business to Customer (B2C) sector but limitedly explored in the Business to Business (B2B) sector. Customer satisfaction can directly affect and predict customer repurchase intention and customer loyalty. Repurchase intention is crucial in the B2B industry because the buying process in the B2B industry is a rational decision, and it costs more to deal with the new customers than keeping customers already had. Therefore, current research is focused on customer experience; value, loyalty, and satisfaction on repurchase intention in one beverage manufacturing company in Indonesia whose market focus is on the B2B sector. Quantitative research was conducted on July 13th, 2021, to August 5th, 2021 using the availability sampling method and obtained 85 respondents who are the customers of the beverage manufacturing company in Indonesia. Data was analyzed using PLS-SEM (Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling) method. This study shows that 78.2% of repurchase intention is explained and significantly affected by the variables discussed in the research. Customer satisfaction is more likely to affect the repurchase intention. However, customer value has no significant effect on repurchase intention. Therefore, it is hoped that this study will give insights to B2B organization managers to set their marketing strategy

43-61

Authors: Tirimisiyu Kunle LASISI

The study used an ex-post facto research design to determine the effect of corporate governance traits on the corporate risk reporting of Nigerian publicly traded financial services firms. The population of research was comprised of all fifty-two (52) publicly traded financial services companies in Nigeria as at October 2021. To sample thirty-nine (39) publicly traded financial services companies, a judgmental sampling approach was used. Secondary data was taken from annual reports and financial statements of selected Nigerian publicly traded financial services companies for five (5) fiscal years covering 2015–2019 and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The findings demonstrate a favorable association between the size of the board of directors and corporate risk reporting by Nigerian financial businesses. While independent directors and board gender have no effect on the corporate risk reporting of Nigerian financial services companies. Board activity and profitability have an inverse relationship with corporate risk reporting of Nigerian financial firms. Finally, the research establishes a positive correlation between business size and financial services companies' corporate risk reporting in Nigeria. It is recommended that the regulatory bodies formulate laws relating to risk governance that will enhance corporate risk reporting in Nigeria. Also, the number of independent and female directors should be increased so as to have more influence on decisions that can increase risk reporting transparency.

73-92

Authors: Daniel RUSU

Based on the strategic management processes, it is particularly necessary to initiate but also develop a connection between CSR integration through a dynamic approach and the social philosophy of management, a systematic analysis of the processes that strategically manage CSR and the socially oriented implementation of the topic strategic integration of CSR. Related to these research topics we need to know closely the strategic management processes that integrate CSR, how they work, what influences strategic change and especially how we can define the management tools used to support the implementation of social management philosophy. In this sense, it is absolutely necessary to initiate a theoretical model that highlights, from an organic point of view but also structurally, the dynamics of the relations supported by the philosophy of social management.