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Item Metadata only Independent strategic evaluation. Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III), 2016-2025(United Nations Evaluation Office, 2024-09) Egbetokun, AbiodunThis report presents the independent strategic evaluation of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III), an initiative launched by the United Nations General Assembly to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) across Africa from 2016 to 2025. The initiative, led in its execution by UNIDO, aimed to overcome hindrances to ISID in Africa, including limited economic diversification, weak physical and economic infrastructure development, and shortages in human capital, among others. IDDA III leveraged strategic partnerships with the African Union, regional economic communities, and various international stakeholders to achieve its goals. The evaluation focused on the implementation and outcomes of IDDA III, assessing its effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, sustainability, and impact on Africa's industrial development journey. The findings reveal that IDDA III has significantly contributed to raising political commitment and mobilizing resources for Africa's industrialization. Through high-level advocacy, technical cooperation, and capacity-building initiatives, IDDA III has supported the development of industrial policies, enhanced institutional capacities, and facilitated the creation of industrial infrastructure. However, its implementation has been hindered by several challenges, including a lack of effective coordination, weak knowledge management, and limited funding. The evaluation concluded that IDDA III has been a relevant programme for inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Africa, and it is also coherent with existing major flagship frameworks. However, IDDA III fell short of its full potential due to the challenges faced in its implementation. The specific recommendations derived from the findings and conclusions include a need for better resource allocation to the coordination of future similar initiatives, the creation of a database for knowledge management, and a need for a programmatic approach in future initiatives. Moreover, the design of a potential successor to IDDA III should be radically different. It should follow the ECOSOC Guidelines for International Decades by allowing sufficient time between the proclamation of the decadal plan and the start of its implementation. It should also be framed within an enhanced African ownership, stronger governance and coordination, enhanced resource mobilization, and a robust monitoring and evaluation framework.Item Open Access Africa's Development Dynamics 2023: Investing in Sustainable Development(African Union Commission and OECD, 2023-07-07) Egbetokun, AbiodunAfrica’s Development Dynamics uses lessons from Central, East, North, Southern and West Africa to develop policy recommendations and share good practices across the continent. Drawing on the most recent statistics, the analysis of development dynamics aims to assist African leaders in reaching the targets of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 at all levels: continental, regional, national and local. This edition explores how Africa can attract investments that offer the best balance between economic, social and environmental objectives. Its fresh data and analysis aim to help policy makers improve risk assessments, strengthen African-led partnerships, and accelerate regional integration in ways that increase sustainable investments. Two continental chapters examine Africa’s investment landscape and related policy priorities. Five regional chapters offer tailored recommendations in strategic areas including natural ecosystems, renewable energy, climate finance and agri-food value chains. Africa’s Development Dynamics feeds into a policy debate between the African Union’s governments, citizens, entrepreneurs and researchers. It proposes a new collaboration between countries and regions, focusing on mutual learning and the preservation of common goods. This report results from a partnership between the African Union Commission and the OECD Development Centre.Item Embargo Mini‐Me Fashion Sharenting: Drivers, Consequences, and the Role of Market Mavens(Wiley, 2024-11-28) Luong, Van‐Ha; Manthiou, Aikaterini; Liu, Huaming; Hickman, Ellie; Klaus, PhilThe main purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological mechanisms that motivate sharenting behavior (the practice of parents sharing information and multimedia content about their children on social media) in the context of mini‐me fashion, where mothers or fathers wear matching outfits with their children. Based on mimicry behavior theory and self‐presentation, we use a mixed‐method approach to analyze 200 Instagram posts (study 1) and 303 surveys (study 2), and we examine the relationships of mimicry behavior and hedonism with self‐presentation and their impacts on brand engagement. The findings make theoretical contributions by confirming that mini‐me sharenting is considered an act of online self‐presentation primarily driven by hedonism and mimicry desire, thus leading to higher brand engagement and eWOM. Furthermore, the level of fashion market mavenism amplifies the impact of hedonism on brand engagement.Item Open Access Mapping Authentic Marketing Research Trends through Bibliometric Analysis (2013-2023)(Prosiding Seminar Nasional Forum Manajemen Indonesia, 2024-11-22) Hermawan, Daniel; Egbetokun, AbiodunAuthentic marketing is a widely debated subject in several industries, including gastronomy, tourism, and culture. This study utilizes bibliometric analysis to identify the current state of the art in authentic marketing themes across multiple scientific disciplines. Bibliometric research analyzes the progress of research on authentic marketing from 2013 to 2023 by examining data from the past 10 years. Bibliometric analysis is to identify and analyze research trends across time, with the goal of generating new research ideas for future studies. Bibliometric research analyzes the progress of research on authentic marketing from 2013 to 2023 by examining data from the past 10 years. Based on bibliometric study, it is evident that the United States has a predominant presence in publications about legitimate marketing. In addition, the most commonly published type of article is the article, and the Journal of Business Research has the highest scientific influence in terms of publication sources, as it has the largest number of citations. Bibliometric analysis aims to identify and map the evolving trends in authentic marketing research, such as perception, sustainability, brand authenticity, social media, influencer marketing, purchase intention, and online social networking. This analysis can provide valuable insights and research ideas for future studies.Item Embargo Open Innovation and Risk(Elsevier, 2024-05-01) Mafimisebi, OluwasoyeOpen innovation as a collaborative approach sometimes produce unexpected and creative solutions to risky situations. Whilst risk creates uncertainty. Uncertainty creates opportunities for companies. Open innovation implies that organization do not primarily depend on its internal resources, sources and knowledge for innovation. In times of volatility and uncertainty in the market spaces, organizations can collaborate with other firms to overcome challenges and risks facing them. A risky situation can prompt organizations to explore and exploit a greater number of collective solutions. Smart organizations seize risk situations to rethink their innovation and business continuity infrastructure. No doubt, risk or crisis often alters the behaviors of companies’ executives, customers, partners, investors and regulators. In conclusion, open innovation is an excellent way to manage risk and crisis, bring needed flexibility, create value and capture value as well as gain competitive edge and improve company performance.Item Embargo Indigenous Knowledge and Entrepreneurship as a Strategy for Sustainable Development in Africa(FIIB Business Review, 2024) Mafimisebi, Oluwasoye; Onwuegbuzie, Henrietta N.; Orighoyegha, EserogheneWe problematize the knowledge emanating from indigenous people and entrepreneurship as crucial to sustainable development, yet scholars and practitioners have rarely focused on how indigenous knowledge and entrepreneurship serve as a strategy for sustainable development. To address this, we undertake a wide-ranging literature review of research that in some form explores indigenous knowledge, entrepreneurship and grassroots innovation within a sustainable development context. Our work advances the current debates on sustainable development to consider indigenous knowledge and entrepreneurship as valuable tools in addressing grand sustainability challenges and uncovers implications for the entrepreneurship policy agenda in the process. In particular, we show how indigenous knowledge, entrepreneurship and grassroots innovation resulting from the entrepreneurial actions of indigenous entrepreneurs serve as unexploited idiosyncratic sources of sustainable development and growth in Africa. The article concludes that promising avenues exist to utilise indigenous knowledge, entrepreneurship and innovation emanating from grassroots to achieve sustainable development.Item Open Access Government policy, IT structure, business model innovation and dynamic capability: catalysts for firm performance enhancement(The Slovenian Academy of Managment, 2024-11-11) Mai, B.; Nguyen, P.; Vo, N.; Ahmed, Z.; Stokes, PeterSmall and medium‐sized firms (SMEs) encounter substantial obstacles in today’s rapidly changing economic landscape, primarily due to their restricted resources and management capacities. This study utilises the resource‐based view theory to investigate how government policies might assist SMEs in utilising their information technology (IT) infrastructure for digital transformation and enhancing firm performance. In the face of emerging technology and increased competition worldwide, SMEs must give utmost importance to innovation and the ability to adapt to achieve long‐term success. The study, utilising data from 658 SME participants in Vietnam, highlights the significant impact of government policies on shaping IT infrastructure and emphasises the significance of innovation in bolstering dynamic capacities and overall business success. These findings provide valuable insights for managers and policymakers, indicating prospective areas for future research that have consequences for SMEs.Item Open Access Language Operative Capacity in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(Springer, 2024-10-30) Tibrewal, Ankita; de joing, Ad; Parkes, Geoff; Tenzer, Helene; Bel-Lahsen, Melissa.Language-related IB research predominantly targets large MNCs, often overlooking the challenges that internationalizing SMEs face in effectively utilizing their limited language resources. To address this gap and assist SMEs in overcoming their unique language challenges, we develop a scale for language operative capacity (LOC), which measures a firm’s capacity to deploy language resources most productively throughout its global operations. We validate this instrument with data from 417 SMEs and examine its impact on two critical internationalization metrics: export performance and international networking capability. Our study makes three key contributions to language-related IB research and capacity research. First, we provide a comprehensive and robust LOC instrument, incorporating distinctions between potential and realized capacity from the capacity literature. Second, we offer a deeper understanding of language as a multi-level phenomenon by highlighting the interaction between individual-level language skills and organizational-level capacities. Third, we extend the scarce language-related IB research on SMEs by offering a nuanced understanding of LOC as a strategic resource, by validating the LOC instrument in the context of internationalizing SMEs, and by demonstrating its explanatory power for essential internationalization metrics. Additionally, our research provides SMEs with an actionable tool to assess their linguistic capacities, develop their language resources and optimize the use of these language resources in international operations.Item Embargo HRD Practitioner Roles in Organizations: Challenges, Congruence and Changes(Sage, 2024-09-01) Jones, Jenni; Stewart, Jim; Kah, Sally; Hamlin, Bob; Poell, Rob F.; Lundgren, Henriette; Scully-Russ, EllenThis chapter focusses on the HRD roles performed by present day organization-based professional “HRD practitioners” and their respective colleague managers. In the absence of a universally accepted definition of the HRD domain of practice, our thinking was guided by Ruona (2016) who suggests both practitioners and scholars could lean on Hamlin and Stewart’s (2011) assertion that HRD is “in essence, a process or activity that helps or enables individuals, groups, organizations or host systems to learn, develop, and change behaviour for the purpose of improving or enhancing their competence, effectiveness, performance and growth” (p. 213). We have used their conceptualization of HRD to inform our thinking for this chapter. Little is known about the extent to which HRD organizational practitioners perform the core roles of HRD practice because, as Garavan et al. (2020) claim: (i) there is a dearth of research on such roles and the associated competencies; and (ii) there has been very limited progress in the alignment and strategic impact of HRD as advocated by HRD scholars and professional bodies, over the past 25 years. Research shows that many HRD practitioners lack credibility in the eyes of line managers (Thornhill et al., 2000; Hamlin, 2001; Torraco & Lundgren, 2020) with many line managers perceiving them as lacking the necessary business-related competencies to be an effective “strategic partner” (Garavan et al., 2020). Research also shows that many line managers fail to appreciate the critical importance of their own role within the HRD domain, supported by HRD practitioners, bringing about effective organizational change, development, and sustainable business success (Hamlin, 2016). In short, HRD research shows that there is a discrepancy between what HRD is doing, and what HRD should be doing (Torraco & Lundgren, 2020). In response to the above lack of research and role misunderstanding, the purpose of this chapter is to explore the HRD roles and activities performed by HRD practitioners and managers within organizational contexts, to clarify HRDs contribution and highlight areas to build future credibility. This is achieved by discussing previous and current research including the results of a recent HRD role-related cross-case/cross-nation comparative study using empirical data previously collected in the USA, the UK, and the NL, respectively (Stewart et al., 2022). The specific research question addressed was as follows: To what extent is there congruence in role expectations of organization-based HRD practitioners and their colleague/line managers?Item Open Access Cultural and Creative Industries as Agents of Sustainability: Investigating SDG11 through Agra Heritage Walks(BAM2023 conference proceedings, 2023-09-12) Chhonker, M. S.; Agarwal, Gautam; Zaidi, HiraThe cultural heritage of communities provides the platform to achieve sustainable development goals (SDG11). However, the heritage proponents lack the requisite financial resources for marketing purposes. There is an urgent need for marketing innovation in the form of organic marketing or zero money approach to enable the artisans to diffuse their knowledge and art to broader sections of society. This paper extensively studies Agra Heritage Walks, a company involved in spreading knowledge about the city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, and its rich and diversified cultural heritage. Through in-depth interviews, the authors analyse the positive impact the organization is having on the craftsmen, artisans, and other stakeholders through their curated walks culminating in rich experiences for their patrons.Item Open Access Beyond Survival: How Black and Asian-Led Social Enterprises are Responding and Adapting to the UK Cost-of-Living Crisis(Elsevier, 2024-09-27) Kah, Sally; Murithi, William; Ogunmokun, Olapeju Comfort; Osei-Nimo, Samuel; Munawar, MawishThis report provides comprehensive evidence of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on businesses, individuals, and society, focusing on social enterprises led by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) individuals in the United Kingdom. It focuses on the innovative strategies adopted for economic crisis whilst acknowledging the barriers facing BME social entrepreneurs, including increased business costs, difficulties with financial planning, and the potential threat of business death. We use a qualitative research design and interviews as the data collection medium to provide evidence of BME-led social enterprises’ response to the cost-of-living crisis and their adaptation strategies. Fourteen founders and directors were interviewed between March 2023 and January 2024. The social enterprises are predominantly micro and small operating in England, tackling various economic and social issues. The analysis of the interviews suggests five main categories of resilience strategies: strategic business planning, working from home, asset optimisation, fuel voucher schemes, and grant diversification. Our findings provide ten practical recommendations for social enterprise decision-makers, funding institutions, and government bodies, which are divided into two parts. Recommendations for social enterprise decision-makers are: 1) financial planning, 2) operational efficiency, 3) diversification of income streams, 4) flexible work arrangements and 5) community engagement. Recommendations for funding institutions and government bodies: 6) flexible funding models, 7) long-term support, 8) collaborative initiatives, 9) capacity-building programmes and 10) policy support and advocacy. Investing in flexible funding and sustainable collaboration between social enterprises and relevant stakeholders, such as social investors, can empower social enterprises to develop resources and capabilities fit for crisis response.Item Open Access Interplay between GHRM and Logistics Social Responsibility: When big data analytics matters(Emerald Publishing, 2024-09-19) Jaaron, Ayham A. M.; Javaid, Mudaser; Garcia, R. L. FernandoPurpose: This paper analyses the role of green human resources management (GHRM) practices on the application of logistics social responsibility (LSR) practices and examines the moderating effect of big data analytics (BDA) utilisation levels within these relationships. Design/Methodology/Approach: Based on quantitative research methodology using survey data from 404 managers in the logistics service providers (LSPs) industry in the Philippines, PLS-SEM technique was used to test hypotheses formulated in this research. Findings: Empirical results achieved suggest that GHRM practices have a significant positive impact on LSR. Among all individual GHRM practices, green training and development did not have any influence on LSR. While the results also revealed that BDA assimilation acts as a moderator of the relationship between GHRM and LSR, no support was found for the moderation effect of BDA acceptance or adoption on this relationship. Originality: The study fills a gap in the logistics literature by introducing dynamic capabilities theory to the nexus between GHRM and SLR for the first time, which reveals previously unknown answers on effects of GHRM practices on LSR. The study also introduces BDA assimilation as an important moderator that can strengthen positive impact of GHRM on LSRItem Open Access The Future of Local Councils: A Survey of Parish, Town and Community Councils in England and Wales(SLCC, 2023-01) Rose, Jonathan; Giovannini, Arianna; Griggs, Steven; Parker, Steven; Parker, StevenFor many communities across England and Wales, parish, town, and community councils are the first tier of elected local government. Yet, the roles and responsibilities of these local councils, like other tiers of local government, remain poorly understood by many members of the public. Local councils can raise their own funds. They can act as stewards of communities. They hold in trust halls and buildings, provide playgrounds and sport facilities and manage green spaces. They deliver and support local services. And they represent and empower community voices in local planning and neighbourhood development. Yet we know relatively little about the day-to-day work of local councils and those who serve them. This report addresses this knowledge gap, and presents the results of a major new survey of local councils.Item Open Access The impact of changes in funding on third-sector organisations providing employment and skills support(ERSA, 2024-04-10) Payne, Jonathan; Butler, Peter; Rose, JonathanItem Open Access Shouting into the Void? The introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and its impact on third-sector organisations delivering employment support in England(Published on ERSA website at: https://ersa.org.uk/news/third-sector-providers-of-employment-support-shouting-into-the-void-on-ukspf/, 2024-04-26) Payne, Jonathan; Butler, Peter; Rose, JonathanItem Open Access Local authority commissioning of employability support in Scotland and its impact on third-sector provision(De Montfort University, 2024-08-06) Payne, Jonathan; Butler, Peter; Rose, JonathanItem Open Access Entrepreneurial learning in informal apprenticeship programs: Exploring the learning process of the Igbo Apprenticeship System (IAS) in Nigeria(Taylor and Francis, 2024-09-10) Irene, Bridget; Chukwuma-Nwuba, Kemi; Lockyer, Joan; Onoshakpor, Chioma; Ndeh, SionaThis research examines the unique learning process of the Igbo Apprenticeship System (IAS). This approach to the development of enterprises and entrepreneurship, originated in the ethnic group of communities in the Southeastern part of Nigeria, uses mimetic learning to instil in its participants’ knowledge and behaviours intended to create a lifelong approach and mindset to entrepreneurship development. This form of mimetic learning predates the mediaeval era and takes place outside the formal educational system. As a consequence, it largely does not rely on participants having a specific level of educational achievement. Rather it requires a long-term commitment from the apprentice, their family and the entrepreneur. The research expands the theoretical understanding of entrepreneurial learning through an evaluation of an entirely experiential base using the Mimetic Theory and Institutional Logics as the critical lens to explore the antecedents of entrepreneurial intention and social learning. It evaluates and combines the available evidence into a conceptual framework that shapes the process of entrepreneurial learning as an experiential activity. Qualitative data were gathered from 40 former and current apprentices and critically analysed using the illustrative case study and process tracing approach. The research contributes to the extant entrepreneurial learning process literature by identifying, reviewing and synthesizing available research into a conceptual framework that explores the process of entrepreneurial learning as an experiential process. It also highlights effective mechanisms of skills transfer and business training, contributing to the literature on informal/vocational training and human capital development. Key issues in entrepreneurship education including the different informal learning processes of the IAS and the identification of specific dynamics in the interaction and development of the learners were examined.Item Metadata only Trusting in indigenous institutions: exporting SMEs in Nigeria(Emerald, 2021-07-22) Omeihe, Kingsley Obi; Simba, Amon; Rae, David; Gustafsson, Veronika; Khan, Mohammad SaudPurpose The purpose of this article is to develop new insights into the interplay between trust, indigenous institutions and weak/dysfunctional formal institutions using the Nigerian context – a developing country in Western Africa. It advances new understanding on how Nigerian entrepreneurs trust in their indigenous institutions such as family ties, kinship, chieftaincy, religion, cooperatives and trade associations to resolve disputes arising from their exporting activities as opposed to dormant formal institutions in their country. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study adopts an interpretive research paradigm, and it utilises a case study strategy. Data collected through observations, archival records and qualitative conversations with 36 exporting Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is analysed by utilising a combination of within and cross-case analysis techniques. Doing so enabled an in-depth study of the methods their owner-managers use in order to take advantage of the relationships they established through their long-standing cultural institutions in the place of weak formal institutions in their country. Findings Indigenous institutions have evolved to replace formalised institutions within the business environment in Nigeria. They have developed to become an alternative and trusted arbiter for solving SMEs' export issues because of weak/dysfunctional formal institutions in the Western African country. The owner-managers of exporting SMEs perceive formal institutions as representing a fragmented system that does not benefit their export businesses. Practical implications The findings demonstrate that there is need for policymakers to consider the role of informal institutions in the Nigerian context. Such an approach is essential given the economic importance and increasing number of SMEs that trade and export their goods through informal structures in Nigeria. Originality/value The study indicates that it is not just the void or absence of institutions that exist in a developing country such as Nigeria, but weak/dysfunctional formal institutions have been replaced by culturally embedded informal institutions. Thus, the study provides a new theoretical avenue depicting the concept of trusting in indigenous institutions.Item Embargo The ‘performative’ university: Theoretical and personal reflections(Taylor and Francis, 2024-09-09) Visser, Max; Stokes, Peter; Ashta, Ashok; Andersson, L.For centuries, universities have proliferated and flourished around the world, playing an important role in societal knowledge production and diffusion. However, in the past four decades, this old organizational form has been subjected to neoliberal, managerialist policy doctrines such as New Public Management. Following this, universities have tended to become more ‘business-like’ in their internal management and governance, with generally perceived adverse effects on the quality of academic education, research and working conditions. These developments pose fundamental threats to academic freedom and free knowledge production and diffusion. Acknowledging various forms of academic resistance to, and coping with, these threats, the purpose of our paper is twofold. First, we adopt the concept of ‘performativity’—hitherto researched mainly in primary and second-ary schools in Anglo Saxon contexts—to account for, and critique, neoliberal university policies and practices in a variety of Global North settings. Second, through collaborative autoethnography, we add our own personal narratives to ‘talk back’ to managerialism.Item Metadata only Picture fuzzy extension of the CODAS method for multi-criteria vehicle shredding facility location(Elsevier, 2021-03-20) Simic, Vladimir; Karagoz, Selman; Deveci, Muhammet; Aydin, NezirAn emerging question for waste managers is how to determine the best vehicle shredding facility location from a finite set of available alternatives under numerous conflicting criteria as well as high levels of imprecise, vague, and uncertain information. For the first time, we investigate the vehicle shredding facility location problem via the picture fuzzy sets (PFSs), which show a great power in capturing ambiguous, uncertain, and vague information, and mitigating information loss. This paper aims to exploit PFSs and develop a novel picture fuzzy COmbinative Distance-Based ASsessment (CODAS) method for multi-criteria vehicle shredding facility location. The developed method is applied to a real-life case study for locating a new vehicle shredding facility in the Republic of Serbia. The results show that “Bor” is the best alternative among six possible alternative locations. In the decision-making process, four main criteria, such as economical, environmental, social, and technical, and 23 sub-criteria are considered. The robustness of the proposed method is validated by comparing its results with the outcomes of the PFS based TOPSIS, EDAS, TODIM, VIKOR, MABAC, Cross-entropy, Projection, Grey relational projection, and Grey relational analysis methods. The ranking similarity between the proposed picture fuzzy CODAS method and the available state-of-the-art PFS based methods is checked by applying the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, in which 90% of rankings are matched. The results of the comparative and sensitivity analyses showed that the proposed method generates highly robust outcomes. The formulated picture fuzzy CODAS method can help waste managers to more naturally express their preferences by voting and identify the best facility location. Besides, it can be used to solve any other MCDM problem under the picture fuzzy environment.