Search

Abstract Background The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) should be a culture of a workplace, and deeply rooted in worker behavior and attitude during their practice. According to the recent studies only 64% of the workers use PPE properly. The present study aims to investigate the utilization of PPE among workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and its relationship with knowledge, attitude, performance, and safety culture among workers. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire tool across SMEs in Kashan city in year 2023. The used tool included three questionnaires: demographic, safety culture, and knowledge, attitude and performance. Study papulation was 529 SMEs. Totally, the sample size was 369 persons and questionnaires were distributed among the workers of SMEs. Finally, SPSS software was used for statistical analysis and structural equation modeling. Various statistical tests including T-Test, ANOVA, RMSEA, CFI, TLI, and the chi-square ratio were employed. Results The mean values (standard deviation) of age and work experience were 35.19 (12.33), and 15.60 (1.69) years, respectively. Among the 369 participants, 267 participants (72.4%) indicated that they use some PPE, although not all types. However, 102 individuals (27.7%) do not employ any PPE. The lowest score for safety culture dimension was attributed to safety training at 1.58. The results of the final model indicate that the assumed relationships between variables, as outlined in the study objectives, were well established, with all connections proving statistically significant. Conclusion It can be concluded that the missing of inadequate legal supervision for small industries exists. Therefore, it can be inferred that if supervision and regulation are enhanced for safety training and implementation that may lead to increased usage of PPE.

Background: The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) should be a culture of a workplace, and deeply rooted in worker behavior and attitude during their practice. According to the recent studies only 64% of the workers use PPE properly. The present study aims to investigate the utilization of PPE among workers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and its relationship with knowledge, attitude, performance, and safety culture among workers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire tool across SMEs in Kashan city in year 2023. The used tool included three questionnaires: demographic, safety culture, and knowledge, attitude and performance. Study papulation was 529 SMEs. Totally, the sample size was 369 persons and questionnaires were distributed among the workers of SMEs. Finally, SPSS software was used for statistical analysis and structural equation modeling. Various statistical tests including T-Test, ANOVA, RMSEA, CFI, TLI, and the chi-square ratio were employed. Results: The mean values (standard deviation) of age and work experience were 35.19 (12.33), and 15.60 (1.69) years, respectively. Among the 369 participants, 267 participants (72.4%) indicated that they use some PPE, although not all types. However, 102 individuals (27.7%) do not employ any PPE. The lowest score for safety culture dimension was attributed to safety training at 1.58. The results of the final model indicate that the assumed relationships between variables, as outlined in the study objectives, were well established, with all connections proving statistically significant. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the missing of inadequate legal supervision for small industries exists. Therefore, it can be inferred that if supervision and regulation are enhanced for safety training and implementation that may lead to increased usage of PPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify green human resource management (GHRM) practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the digital transformation era. As organizations increasingly adopt digital technologies, integrating environmentally sustainable practices into HRM becomes crucial. This research investigates the specific GHRM practices SMEs implement and explores their alignment with the digital transformation initiatives. This research is done through a comprehensive review of 26 articles and a thematic analysis of them in the qualitative part (metasynthesis) and a fuzzy Delphi method to screen and confirm the findings of the metasynthesis in the quantitative part. This is a kind of mixed method that is used in this study. Based on the findings, GHRM practices in the age of digital transformation were identified in 64 concepts. The findings contribute to understanding how SMEs can effectively incorporate sustainable HRM practices in the context of digital transformation, promoting environmental stewardship and enhancing organizational sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined the influence of trust on customer loyalty in SMEs in Tanzania. The study used trust-commitment theory, behaviourist theory, and cognitive theory to determine the influence of trust on customer loyalty in SMEs in Tanzania. Customers from bars, hair salons, and kiosks in Dodoma Urban City participated in the survey. Convenience sampling was used to obtain the sample size of 288 respondents. The study data was obtained from customers using questionnaires. The questionnaires were self-administered to customers of bars, hair salons, and kiosks to gather data. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize data and show meaningful patterns while inferential statistics which included correlation analysis and regression analysis was employed to test the study hypotheses. The findings showed that trust significantly influenced customer loyalty. The study therefore concludes that the application of trust improves customer loyalty in SMEs in Tanzania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study aims to draw valuable lessons for Mongolia from the Republic of Korea's (ROK) successful experiences in export support. Within this framework, the first section of the study provides an overview of key initiatives in industry and foreign trade development that have been implemented since the 1960s. The second section examines the comprehensive content, formats, and implementation methods of export support programs designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those in use since 2000. This section covers various aspects of export support, including financial assistance, marketing strategies, and technical services. It also includes illustrative examples. The study's findings recommend specific case studies and insights from South Korea's export development journey and currently operational programs, which have the potential to benefit Mongolia's own export efforts. БНСУ-ын Засгийн газраас үндэсний үйлдвэрлэл, экспортоо дэмжиж буй хэлбэрүүд Хураангуй: Уг судалгаа нь БНСУ-ын экспортыг дэмжих чиглэлд олсон амжилт, туршлагаас Монгол Улсад хэрэг болохуйц зарим жишээг тодруулах зорилго агуулсан. Энэ хүрээнд эхний хэсэгт 1960-аад оноос эхлэн хэрэгжүүлсэн аж үйлдвэрлэл, гадаад худалдааг хөгжүүлэх зарим онцлох бодлого хөтөлбөрүүдийг тоймлон судалсан. Хоёрдугаар хэсэгт 2000 оноос хойш хэрэгжүүлж буй жижиг дунд үйлдвэрлэл эрхлэгчдийн экспортыг дэмжих хөтөлбөрүүдийн ерөнхий агуулга, хэлбэр, хэрэгжүүлэх арга барилыг судалсан. Тухайлбал экспортыг дэмжих санхүү, маркетинг, технологийн үйлчилгээнүүд, тэдгээрийн онцлог, хэрэгжүүлж буй арга барилуудыг зарим жишээтэй оруулсан. Судалгааны үр дүнд тус улсын аж үйлдвэрлэл, экспортыг хөгжүүлсэн туршлага, өнөөгийн байдлаар хэрэгжүүлж буй бодлого хөтөлбөрүүдээс Монгол Улсын экспортыг дэмжих үйл хэрэгт нэмэр болохуйц зарим жишээг гаргасан. Түлхүүр үгс: БНСУ, экспорт, үйлдвэрлэл, жижиг дунд үйлдвэрлэгч, бодлого, хөтөлбөр

The importance of financial literacy as a source of information for making financial decisions has been acknowledged, but little research has been done on how it affects SMEs' attitudes about taking risks. In order to examine the financial literacy and risk-taking behavior of small and medium-sized firms in Ekiti State, Nigeria, the research created an integrated model from a knowledge-based viewpoint. A survey research design was used for this study with a multi-stage sampling procedure. The study analyzed the primary data collected from the questionnaire. 154 managers and owners of SMEs in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, made up the sample. According to the results of multiple regression, financial behavior, knowledge, and attitude all have a positive and substantial impact on how risk-averse small and medium-sized businesses in Ekiti State, Nigeria, are about taking risks. The study's findings revealed that a high level of financial management literacy has a critical and significant influence on enhancing the entrepreneur's risk-taking attitude, which leads to the growth of small businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic research and the financial industry have recently shown great interest in Machine Learning algorithms capable of solving complex learning tasks, although in the field of firms' default prediction the lack of interpretability has prevented an extensive adoption of the black‐box type of models. In order to overcome this drawback and maintain the high performances of black‐boxes, this paper has chosen a model‐agnostic approach. Accumulated Local Effects and Shapley values are used to shape the predictors' impact on the likelihood of default and rank them according to their contribution to the model outcome. Prediction is achieved by two Machine Learning algorithms (eXtreme Gradient Boosting and FeedForward Neural Networks) compared with three standard discriminant models. Results show that our analysis of the Italian Small and Medium Enterprises manufacturing industry benefits from the overall highest classification power by the eXtreme Gradient Boosting algorithm still maintaining a rich interpretation framework to support decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a business approach which can provide a competitive advantage to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). To deploy a successful CRM strategy, SMEs need to invest in a CRM software but unfortunately, the adoption rate of such software is very low compared to large companies. This study is trying to identify the main reasons for not using CRM software and how adoption rate can be improved. In-depth interviews with marketing managers and business owners were conducted to investigate the types of relationships the organizations have with various stakeholders and find out the technical solutions used to implement CRM strategies. Several reasons were mentioned for not using, or using in a limited way, CRM software: they are not trusted, they do not work, they are too complicated or they are not needed because SMEs have a limited customer base and managing customer relationships is performed using simpler tools. The main problem is that respondents do not see the strategic importance of CRM software. As long as most respondents consider only the operational role of CRM software - which can be replaced with some success by other applications they already use - the adoption rate will continue to be limited.

The importance of financial literacy as a source of information for making financial decisions has been acknowledged, but little research has been done on how it affects SMEs' attitudes about taking risks. In order to examine the financial literacy and risk-taking behavior of small and medium-sized firms in Ekiti State, Nigeria, the research created an integrated model from a knowledge-based viewpoint. A survey research design was used for this study with a multi-stage sampling procedure. The study analyzed the primary data collected from the questionnaire. 154 managers and owners of SMEs in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, made up the sample. According to the results of multiple regression, financial behavior, knowledge, and attitude all have a positive and substantial impact on how risk-averse small and medium-sized businesses in Ekiti State, Nigeria, are about taking risks. The study's findings revealed that a high level of financial management literacy has a critical and significant influence on enhancing the entrepreneur's risk-taking attitude, which leads to the growth of small businesses.

Copyright of Transformations in Business & Economics is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

How can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) take care of their employees' wellbeing so that they can retain a productive and satisfied workforce? The present study examines the relation between soft controls and the well-being of employees in small and medium-sized enterprises. Soft controls are defined in terms of social safety, autonomy, support and empowerment. We use the job demands resources (JD-R) model and the self determination theory (SDT) to develop hypotheses on how soft controls are related to well-being. The research was based on data collected from the European Working Conditions Survey 2015. The sample consisted of 9255 salaried employees, working in SMEs across 35 European countries. Structural equation modelling showed that soft controls affect employee well-being. In European SMEs especially social safety is an important form of soft control. Social safety appears to promote employees' job satisfaction and engagement, while preventing burnout and workaholism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing is a broad field with different types of production processes. Therefore, specific processes can accommodate multiple parallel machines operating simultaneously in some production environments. This assumption is particularly crucial in factory scheduling for industries such as textile, aircraft, and semiconductor manufacturing. The assumption proposed in this paper is differ from FJSP in that they are closer to the real world by allowing different machines to perform the same multiple processes. In this paper, a new approach for solving the flexible job shop scheduling problem has been proposed, which is referred to as the flexible job shop scheduling problem in a parallel machine environment with a variable group. We proposed a hybrid genetic algorithm-based variable neighborhood search algorithm (GA-VNS) to solve this problem, where the multiple parallel machines can operate the same operations simultaneously and are grouped as a variable group. The GA-VNS algorithm combines the global searching ability of GA with the local searching ability of VNS to fully reflect the condition of the parallel machines with variable groups. The objective functions of the algorithm are to minimize the production makespan and to improve facility usage. Multiple simulation experiments are conducted using forty-seven test instances to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the new approach. This study is expected to reduce processing time and production costs for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with low cost and high efficiency compared to existing systems, such as the manufacturing execution system, enterprise resource planning, and job shop scheduling system.

This paper presents an empirical study of an industrial cable manufacturer in Korea. This manufacturer has also consistently been experiencing issues regarding inventory management, which have been related to production duration and the dormancy of the stock and materials. This causes unavoidable obstacles during operations, which the manufacturer cannot afford. The production orders in the case had each data set of 21 indexes, meaning a total of 21 indexes * 1,106 order samples (23,226) altogether. Two multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP ANN) models were developed for the analysis. The results from two MLP ANN models successfully presented estimations for the predictive variables, these being production days (R^2 value of 0.919) and the latency days of completed products (0.773). The hierarchy of resource importance for each model was also demonstrated, which finally aims to support the judgments of small and medium-sized enterprises in regard to the inventory management. The relevance of the presented research lies in its contribution of empirical data analysis. The high number of samples contributed to making a reliable demonstration of an ANN in a practical operation system. As newly created knowledge, the data-driven advice will support the practitioners in planning inventory management, primarily when they aim to reduce the dormancy of the stock and materials by SMEs' limited storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to look at the factors affecting the quality of risk management used by SMEs in Thailand, and to see how that quality relates to the success of those businesses. The study combined quantitative methods, such as survey responses from 545 SMEs and secondary data from the office of small and medium enterprises promotion's database, with qualitative methods, like indepth interviews with 30 SMEs using best practice in risk management. Both sets of findings showed that the quality of risk management was influenced in a positive way by a set of six critical success factors, including size of the entity, investment in risk management information technology, investment in the development of human resources associated with risk management, risk management competency, risk management organizational structure, and risk culture. When compared to the other factors, risk culture consistently produced good findings across all statistical methodologies. Concurrently, findings from quantitative and qualitative studies corroborated a link between SMEs' risk management practices and their success. Thus, in order to improve performance, Thai SME entrepreneurs should improve the quality of risk management conducted by themselves, especially through cultivating a culture of risk management. This enhancement will generate a competitive edge, giving SMEs more capacity to contribute to Thailand's long-term economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to draw valuable lessons for Mongolia from the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) successful experiences in export support. Within this framework, the first section of the study provides an overview of key initiatives in industry and foreign trade development that have been implemented since the 1960s. The second section examines the comprehensive content, formats, and implementation methods of export support programs designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those in use since 2000. This section covers various aspects of export support, including financial assistance, marketing strategies, and technical services. It also includes illustrative examples. The study’s findings recommend specific case studies and insights from South Korea’s export development journey and currently operational programs, which have the potential to benefit Mongolia’s own export efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although agile methods gained popularity and became globally widespread, developing secure software with agile methods remains a challenge. Method elements (i.e., roles, activities, and artifacts) that aim to increase software security on one hand can reduce the characteristic agility of agile methods on the other. The overall aim of this paper is to provide small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the means to improve the sustainability of their software development process in terms of software security despite their limitations, such as low capacity and/or financial resources. Although software engineering literature offers various security elements, there is one key research gap that hinders the ability to provide such means. It remains unclear not only how much individual security elements contribute to software security but also how they impact the agility and costs of software development. To address the gap, we identified security elements found in the literature and evaluated them for their impact on software security, agility, and costs in an international study among practitioners. Finally, we developed a novel lightweight approach for evaluating agile methods from a security perspective. The developed approach can help SMEs to adapt their software development to their needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes an alternative conceptualisation and operationalisation of international marketing agility as a higher-order dynamic capability constituting overseas market-sensing decision-making flexibility and international marketing adaptability. The international marketing agility – new technology adoption relationship was examined under the moderating effects of new technology relative advantage and complexity among a sample of 162 small and medium sized enterprises (SME) exporters in Thailand, where new internet-enabled inventory management systems were being promoted. The self-administered survey data were analysed using multiple-group structural equation modelling. Results reveal that new technology adoption is driven by higher-level competencies such as international marketing agility, which develops, integrates and reconfigures resources through the three first-order capabilities to enable SME exporters to cope with volatile environments. Such adoption is enhanced by SME exporter perceptions of internet-enabled inventory management system's relative advantage, but is otherwise diminished by perceptions of its complexity. These findings provide important implications for policymakers and technology vendors responsible for securing adoption by SMEs in emerging markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In times of a complex, uncertain and dynamic world with increasingly faster product life cycles agile approaches in the early phase of product development are demanded in small and medium sized enterprises (SME’s). Despite the high demand, there is still no generally valid and need-specific solution concept for the integration of agile approaches due to different company specific requirements such as the level of maturity, experience and application purposes. Within this research, the question about the actual needs as well as the corresponding design of a concept for integrating agile approaches in product development for SME requirements is tackled. In order to identify existing challenges in the field of agile product development an empirical study with eleven mechanical engineering companies is conducted and analyzed. By using agglomerative-hierarchical clustering, three distinct types of SME’s with similar needs are structured. As a result, this research proposes a systematic procedure, enabling SME’s to be clustered by their needs and enable the integration of agile approaches through a problem-oriented roadmap with specified recommendation of actions. Enhancing the integration and application of agile approaches effectively in product development projects, the level of agility appropriate to the situation and needs must be identified and introduced. Therefore, the potential that arises from the process-oriented support of the product development teams in the early phase of innovation projects will be outlined.

The study analyzes the impact of social and human capital on the corporate value of Pakistani enterprises listed on the stock exchange. The research specifically focused on Pakistan firms operating in the manufacturing sector. It assesses the moderating effect of QOFDP between social capital (SC) and human capital (HC) on corporate value. A quantitative analysis approach is applied to the primary data collected through a close-ended survey questionnaire from 600 supply chain employees of Pakistan manufacturing industry. Results were used to construct a quantitative inquiry approach for the primary data. The association and impact of Social capital (SC) on the corporate value of manufacturing enterprises were found to be statistically significant, and it was also shown that Quality of financial decision and policy making (QOFDP) acted as a moderator between HC and corporate value. The moderating of QOFDP was exclusive to SC and HC, although all factors indicating SC (i.e., internal, and external network of social capital) and human capital (HC) affected company value positively and considerably. In light of the above findings, it has been advised that Pakistani manufacturing companies participate in rational financial decision-making to increase business sustainability and corporate value. However, this study is limited to the manufacturing industry in Pakistan and cannot be applied to other industries or nations.

High-growth firms contribute disproportionately to the creation of employment, wealth and economic development on a global basis. Yet, knowledge of the circumstances under which such growth patterns occur is limited, and the findings with regard to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are inconclusive. Adopting the behavioural agency model, we analyse the effect of family control and related nuances (i.e. degree of family ownership and presence of a family chief executive officer (CEO)) on SME growth. Furthermore, we argue that the type of slack resources and their availability are a crucial organisational contingency when investigating high growth in SMEs. Using a sample of 39,631 European SMEs over a 13-year period, we find that family firms are less likely to achieve high growth compared to non-family firms; having a family CEO further reduces this likelihood. Instead, at higher (vs lower) levels of family ownership, the probability of family firms achieving high growth increases. Furthermore, the availability of high- and low-discretion slack resources influences these relationships. Our study advances current understanding of high growth in general, and family firms in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxation practices are embedded in a complex web of institutional and social factors, norms and values, some of which encourage, some of which depress tax compliance. Rather than simply constituting a revenue generating practice, taxation also represents a powerful tool to govern citizens. Studying the everyday practices of paying taxes means analysing how tax rules are applied, respected, contested and subverted in real life. Contributing to a growing canon on the social practices of taxation, this article asks: How do small- and medium-sized business owners navigate their relationship with tax authorities and attempt to make sense of their compliance and non-compliance? Through an in-depth study of the everyday practices of taxpaying in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa using interviews with business owners, this article demonstrates that taxpayers apply two different forms of reasoning to describe their taxation practices, a business logic and an emotional response. Taxation practices are governed by the double aim of reducing the financial, as well as the emotional burden associated with paying taxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we revisit questions about the onshore employment effects of firms that conduct foreign direct investment (FDI) in countries with substantially lower average wages. Our results derive from the use of rich administrative records on the universe of employees in German multinational enterprises (MNEs) that were active in the Czech Republic in 2010. Compared with former studies, the unique data set in this study includes a much higher fraction of small‐ and medium‐sized firms and leads to strikingly different results for service MNEs. Applying coarsened exact matching for firms and an event‐study design, we show that the domestic employment growth of MNEs decreases relative to that of non‐MNEs and that the affected workers are those with low or medium educational attainment in the manufacturing sector and with medium or high educational attainment in the service sector. Regarding workers' tasks, our results do not show that FDI affects routine jobs beyond a worker's skill level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the influence of tax administration corruption on different types of innovation inputs and outputs in Vietnam. It utilizes firm-level panel data derived from biennial surveys of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam from 2005 to 2015. In terms of estimation method, the study applies the control function method for a dynamic binary response panel data model with endogenous explanatory variables, state dependence, and initial condition problems simultaneously. The key estimation results confirm the grease-the-wheels hypothesis that petty tax corruption positively affects all types of firm innovative activities. It is further found that innovation outputs and machinery innovation input of an SME are positively determined by its innovation 2 years earlier and innovation in the initial period. The key finding of the study implies that it is a challenge for governments in transition economies to fight against tax corruption, especially for Vietnam, which is known to be a high tax collection, high tax effort country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contemporary world, the words data and sustainability play a crucial role in determining the financial budgets of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Usually, it is stated that the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is directly proportional to the growth and sustainability factor of the nation. The economic sustainability of a nation is dependent on appropriate functioning of SMEs. Any kind of direct impact on the working of SMEs will have its impact on the whole economy of a nation. There are different factors such as lack of financial capacity, low market demands, restrictions with regard to the capital, and barriers in the supply chain that affect the sustainability of SMEs worldwide. Nevertheless, small, and medium sized enterprises around the world are greatly investing on skills, innovation, and other capital related resources to mark up the demands of the external market. The main objective of this study is to examine the financial budgets of technology-based SMEs from the perspective of sustainability and big data. For this, the study collects data through a questionnaire from 1,800 Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. Based on a detailed and careful examination of the data, only 1,400 of the responses received were considered valid (79.75%). To test the hypothesis stated, the study employs structural equation modeling. This will help the researcher to examine the direct effect of financial budget and technology adaption of SMEs from the perspective of sustainability and big data. Results of the study stated that SMEs sustainability and big data are directly and positively related to the financial budget planning of technology-based SMEs. The study also found that big data plays an important role in the businesses, specifically for their own growth.