The Historical Role of Work Social Support, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Innovation Capabilities

This study aims to observe the impact of work social system (WSS) on innovative capability through knowledge sharing process and corporate social responsibility (CSR) through happiness feeling and job satisfaction. Several models from empirical studies were developed to test the relations such as organizational trust as moderator and happiness, knowledge sharing and job satisfaction as mediators. The data was collected in the form of questionnaires from the bank employees in the southern region of Pakistan. The study finds the results in consistent with the previous studies which show the positive relation between trust, innovation, and the supervisory support. This paper concludes that taking volunteer activities increases job satisfaction, happiness feeling in employees. This study has implications of promoting positive environment and culture by the managers and using organizational trust as a moderator instead of a mediator.

The Historical Role of Work Social Support, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Innovation Capabilities

This study aims to observe the impact of work social system (WSS) on innovative capability through knowledge sharing process and corporate social responsibility (CSR) through happiness feeling and job satisfaction. Several models from empirical studies were developed to test the relations such as organizational trust as moderator and happiness, knowledge sharing and job satisfaction as mediators. The data was collected in the form of questionnaires from the bank employees in the southern region of Pakistan. The study finds the results in consistent with the previous studies which show the positive relation between trust, innovation, and the supervisory support. This paper concludes that taking volunteer activities increases job satisfaction, happiness feeling in employees. This study has implications of promoting positive environment and culture by the managers and using organizational trust as a moderator instead of a mediator.

Simulation Study on the Evolutionary Game Mechanism of Collaborative Innovation in Supply Chain Enterprises and Its Influencing Elements

Collaborative innovation between companies is critical for increasing supply chain value. However, as a dynamic game process, the collaboration between manufacturer, provider, and seller in the supply chain is influenced by a range of elements. This paper is set out to investigate the collaborative innovation strategy adopted by manufacturer, supplier, and distributor (the “three players”). To meet this end, an analytical framework was built to study the evolutionary game of collaborative innovation in supply chain enterprises. Based on the analysis, this research further studied the dynamic evolutionary mechanism and influencing elements through four different simulation cases. The research showed the following. (1) When the three players have equal innovative capability, they are more willing to contribute to innovation if the projected revenue is higher reflecting an increasing coefficient of collaborative innovation gains. As a result, the three players are more likely to agree on their cooperation approach. (2) When the three players have different independent and innovative capabilities, they are more willing to innovate if the collaborative innovation gain coefficient increases, but supply chain players with stronger capability are more active to innovate than their peers. In other words, strong innovators attach particular attention to innovation. (3) When any collaborative innovation could generate profits for all players in the supply chain, the player who enjoys the benefit but lacks innovative capability will be unwilling to cooperate with others if additional gains rise. Thus, better maintenance of the stability of the collaborative innovation system requires a strictly implemented coordination mechanism.

DYNAMIC CAPABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF SMES IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA: THE NEXUS

Dynamic capability (DC) is an ability that has helped big corporations navigate successfully through the ever-changing and competitive business environment. However, SMEs in the southeast of Nigeria seem not to have fully maximized the opportunities embedded in these practices, hence, the need to examine the dynamic capabilities SMEs in Southeast Nigeria need, to stay relevant and ahead of competitors. This study, therefore, looked at the concept of DC and those capabilities that could help SMEs stay afloat in the ever-changing business environment. The capabilities looked at include sensing, absorptive and adaptive capabilities. Others are innovative networking and integrative capabilities. The study further examined the micro-foundations of DC and the composition of SMEs in South East, Nigeria. To embellish the work, Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT) was used to anchor the work. Some studies were reviewed empirically. The study concluded that DC is one of the surest ways to ensure that SMEs compete favourably in the ever dynamic marketplace. Hence, it was recommended among other things that SMEs need not to be operating in isolation of what is happening in the global market, as what happens outside has an implication on what happens inside the organization, and as such, need to be alert through the application of DC principles. Keywords: Dynamic Capability, Sustainability, SMEs, South-East, Absorptive, Adaptive and Innovative Capability.

Key Vulnerabilities and the Competitive Advantage among Commercial Banks in Kenya

Globalization and technological advancement have in a big way altered the business landscape, making it difficult for banks to sustain competitive advantage. The need to enhance competitiveness has forced banks to consider competitive intelligence not only as a tool to guard against threats but also as a mechanism for discovering new opportunities and trends. Competitive intelligence contributes to continuous improvement of the quality of products, services and solutions offered by banks to their clients as well as increasing a firm’s innovative capability. Key vulnerabilities have been identified as one of the strategic inputs of competitive intelligence that a firm needs to focus on in order to gain and sustain competitive advantage. This paper sought to examine the effect of identification and assessment of key organizational vulnerabilities on the competitive advantage among commercial banks in Kenya. The target population for the study were directors or managers in-charge of planning or strategy in each of the forty banks in the country. Primary data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was tested for both validity and reliability and was found to meet the required threshold. A response rate of 77.5% was achieved in the study and this was adequate for analysis. The study found that identification, assessment and hedging against key vulnerabilities had significant effect on the ability of banks to sustain competitive advantage. The study therefore concluded that key vulnerabilities should be identified, assessed and hedged against since they could inhibit a company’s strategy from succeeding in the marketplace. The study recommends that banks should raise the level of use of competitive intelligence in monitoring the competitive landscape to enable early identification and assessment of key vulnerabilities, then take steps to hedge the vulnerable areas from being exploited by rivals to the detriment of the bank. The study further recommends that managers should be continuously assessing the vulnerability of their banks with aim of hedging against attack by rivals.

Information technology (IT) governance and IT capability to realize firm performance: enabling role of agility and innovative capability

PurposeWith the ever-growing turbulent business setting, there is a great interest to study how a firm tailors information technology (IT) capability to shape agility and innovation capability to stay ahead of the competition. This study examines how IT governance and IT capability can be tailored to achieve firm performance through agility and innovative capability in a turbulent environment.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the dynamic capability theory, this study based on the primary survey data of 253 responses from senior IT and business executives in China proves the hypothesized relationship in the proposed model.FindingsThis study shows that the IT governance mechanism positively impacts on IT-enabled dynamic capabilities. Further, IT-enabled dynamic capabilities positively impact on agility and innovative capability that in turn support to achieve firm performance. The environmental uncertainty is only significant in the IT-enabled dynamic capabilities–business process agility relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThis study suggests corporate leaders and executives to better exploit their resources and tailor IT capabilities in the turbulent environment. Further, this study offers theoretical and practical implications.Originality/valueThis study proposes ways for executives to examine the multifaceted nature of environmental uncertainty to achieve agility, innovation and firm performance rather than simply investing in IT.