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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 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.Item Metadata only A state-of-the-art survey of evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS): Developments and applications(Elsevier, 2023-03-06) Torkayesh, Ali Ebadi; Deveci, Muhammet; Karagoz, Selman; Antucheviciene, JurgitaEvaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS), developed in 2015, is one of the well-known and frequently utilized methods which is applied for different types of decision making problems. The output of EDAS is a ranking order of alternatives based on their aggregated distance scores. In this regard, the literature lacks a comprehensive literature review on the developments and applications of EDAS. For this purpose, this study conducts a comprehensive literature review on developments, extensions, and applications of the EDAS method. First, the EDAS method and its well-known extensions are shortly introduced. Next, a theoretical literature review of studies is presented. A meta analysis is performed in terms of publication year, authors, authors’ countries, journals, and combined methods, uncertainty sets. Practical problems of the EDAS are categorized into nine application groups as agriculture, business management, construction management, energy and natural resources, healthcare management, information technology (IT), manufacturing, supply chain management, and transportation management. Results of this study can empower real-life decision makers to handle vague and incomplete information involved in decision process, and express opinions of different stakeholders in different applications under novel extensions of the EDAS.Item Embargo When Japanese ‘Omotenashi’ care fails in intercultural situations: an autoethnographic account of dynamics of thorny disharmony(Emerald, 2024-08-28) Ashta, Ashok; Stokes, PeterPurpose — ‘Omotenashi’ has become a buzzword denoting the Japanese ethic for excellence in customer care. However, while there is an emerging body of research on the spirit of the provider side, nevertheless, the customer care experiences from the beneficiary perspective—especially the dynamics that manifest when such care fails—remain undercommented. Thus, the objective of this paper is to identify critical dynamics of how unexpected thorny disharmony might manifest in instances of customer care failure, with a focus on customer service and intercultural lived experiences. In doing so it challenges a prevailing and dominant view of flawless Japanese customer care - Omotenashi. Design/Methodology/Approach — Drawing on a multi-disciplinary approach the current research proposes a conceptual model and uses autoethnography to offer insights at the individual level unit of analysis. Findings — The findings break ground towards innovative understanding of customer care failure dynamics, by considering intercultural situations. Research limitations/implications — By express design and paradigm, the research is limited to subjective interpretivism. The paper offers important implications for understanding customer beneficiary experience, especially to nuance and challenge the current hegemonic view of the positive nature of Japanese ‘Omotenashi’ customer care in extant literature. Practical implications — The findings have important practical implications for customer care managers. The paper aims to prompt pause for thought, a warning of a drift towards organizational self-satisfaction and back slapping in relation to customer care, and makes a call for a return to consider the holistic customer experience in the Japanese and inter-cultural contexts. Social implications — It can be argued that there appears to be a tendency in some quarters to massage and manipulate broader society by pointing to the positive. However, marketing scholars are aware that raising customer expectations in this way can magnify backlash when disconfirmation occurs. This study lends support to the notion that there may be a need to temper expectations and hype in customer relation contexts. This is predicated on the observation that individual—and therefore, beneficiary— experience is unique, that uniqueness may be accentuated in intercultural situations. Originality/value — The paper nuances the general positively portrayed aspects of Omotenashi by curating insights into when care fails. It addresses the paucity of lived experience accounts of beneficiary experience of Japanese Omotenashi care in intercultural situations. Keywords: Omotenashi, ethics, international business, customer care, customer satisfaction, cross- cultural management, Japan, autoethnographyItem Embargo Japanese cross-cultural marketing in Indian B2B situations: the potency of cultural values congruence and confluence(Taylor and Francis, 2024-08-28) Ashok Ashta; Stokes, Peter; Visser, Max; Hughes, PaulPurpose: Extensive research has been conducted on cross-cultural comparisons between Eastern and Western organizational cultures in major trading domains. However, there is a lack of examination of intra-comparative management nuances within Asian regions. This re-search paper focuses on the under-explored topic of the values, beliefs, and attitudes (VBAs) that influence the outcomes of East Asian (e.g., Japan) marketing strategies and operations when implemented in South Asian (e.g., India) markets and organizational contexts. The study aims to analyze the impact of VBAs on marketing effectiveness and provide insights for marketers in cross-cultural settings. The article analyzes the customer satisfaction orienta-tion (CSO) of Japanese business executives and draws insights that offer lessons related to cultural VBAs for overall marketing strategy and foreign investors. Methodology/ approach: The paper employs a social constructivist paradigm and gathers empirical research through multiple interviews. These facilitate novel and normally rare ac-cess and insights into Japanese business leaders’ lived experience of CSO in B2B Indian inter-cultural situations. Findings: Interpretivist data analysis reveals several push-pull factors that influence CSO practice. The research identifies shared values such as long-termism and harmony that have the potential to boost CSO as a marketing strategy in India. Research implications: The paper develops a conceptualization of cultural VBAs that lead to successful CSO practice in India and is of relevance to foreign investors. Practical implications: This study suggests that East Asian marketers should carefully consid-er the impact of VBAs on their marketing strategies. Our research sheds light on the ongoing discussion on static versus evolving nature of culture and highlights the need to pay atten-tion to cultural change, particularly congruence and confluence in workplace values. Originality: The intercultural study contributes to the literature on international marketing strategy by highlighting the nature and importance of understanding traditional and evolv-ing cultural VBAs for appreciating receptivity to adoption and thereby efficacy of home coun-try marketing strategy.Item Open Access Response to Health Crises in Africa: Insight From Executing a 2-Year Project in Nigeria(Sage, 2024-08-20) Muhammad, Aliyu; Egbetokun, Abiodun; Ibrahim, Mohammed Auwal; Okoli, Peter Chukwunonso; Sogbanmu, Temitope Olawunmi; Ehilen, Oseghale Emmanuel; Isah, Murtala Bindawa; Mohammed, Isah Yakub; Animasaun, Isaac Lare; Anjorin, AbdulAzeez Adeyemi; Kenechukwu, Franklin Chimaobi; Ibrahim, Mutiat Bolanle; Ibor, Oju Richard; Adesiyan, Ibukun Modupe; Umeyor, Chukwuebuka Emmanuel; Garba, Zaharaddeen Nasiru; Anyanwu, Gabriel Oluwabunmi; Ifeanyi-Obi, Clara ChionwokeScience advice aids in integrating scientific evidence into policymaking. In Africa, a significant gap exists between science and policy, necessitating high-quality advisory services. The Multifaceted Response Development from Research on COVID-19 in Africa (MURDER COVID-19) project by the Nigerian Young Academy (May 2021–April 2023) aimed to bridge this gap. Project outputs included eight policy briefs, 10 webinars, a hybrid international conference, and a searchable research equipment database. The project effectively dispelled COVID-19 myths, promoted vaccine confidence, and highlighted the need to strengthen health systems and research capacity. The project provides valuable lessons/recommendations and serves as a model for collaborative initiatives addressing health crises and enhancing research capacity.Item Open Access Trust failure dynamics in developed and developing Asia intercultural communication: perspectives from a Japanese subsidiary in Thailand(Emerald, 2024-08-12) Ashta, Ashok; Stokes, Peter; Srisuphaolarn, PatnareePurpose Within international human resources management scholarship, the importance of trust for good employee relations is well-recognized. This paper aims to deepen understanding of extant intercultural communication (IC) studies on trust, with practical implications for globalizing organizations, by surfacing particularities of a developed Asia (Japanese) subsidiary in developing Asia (Thailand). It thereby contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on International Partnerships (UN SGD 17) and decent work (UN SDG 8). Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on first-hand interviews with Thai executives of varying responsibilities at a Japanese manufacturer to understand how IC can lead to trust failure in globalizing organizations. It follows a subjectivist, social constructivist epistemology to deepen understanding. Findings The findings break ground toward an innovative understanding of how Thai executives’ expectations might be betrayed, by surfacing a novel conceptualization of trust failure. Research limitations/implications Research is limited to the case examined and the limitation is recognized within the paper. This paper offers an important theoretical refinement – a novel understanding and contribution to how trust might falter. Practical implications The findings have important practical implications for international organizations to be wary of power (and especially inequalities), insecurity and the resultant need for empathetic interpersonal relations in Thailand. Similar insights could be potentially relevant in other developed–developing Asia dyadic contexts as well because of the broad-based design of the current case study. Recommendations for staff selection are offered. Social implications The study directly relates to global society’s sustainability objectives, especially decent work that targets a safe working environment for all. Originality/value The paper offers in-depth original insights into individual business executives’ values for trust creation in intercultural international organizations. It addresses the paucity of lived experience accounts of trust “failures” in Developed-Developing Asia contexts, valuable to realizing UN SDG 17 that pertains to international partnerships.Item Metadata only Reconcilement of conflicting goals: a novel operations research-based methodology for environmental management(Springer, 2022-05-06) Gušavac, Bisera Andrić; Karagoz, Selman; Popović, Milena; Pamućar, Dragan; Deveci, MuhammetThe elements of the supply and environmental chain are identified and connected through an operations research process. A framework is developed to include these chains into a process that deals with operations research problems within two different, complex areas: economic (supply) and natural systems (environmental), and emphasizes the influence of the solution on both systems and their performance. The framework helps researchers to get a better insight into the issues considering both environmental and industry aspects. The study proposes a causal relationship between the supply chain and environmental chain and begins to make a bridge between these two chains using operations research methods and techniques. In this context, a multi-period scenario-based stochastic model is developed. To deal with the uncertainties and to investigate the trade-offs between the objective functions, an interactive fuzzy multi-objective method is performed. In the case study section, reconcilement of the conflicting objectives in a waste management case is questioned and the future recommendations are highlighted.Item Metadata only A Novel Stochastic Optimization Model for Reverse Logistics Network Design of End-of-Life Vehicles: A Case Study of Istanbul(Springer, 2022-05-26) Karagoz, Selman; Aydin, Nezir; Simic, VladimirWaste management is gaining crucial importance as recycling aims at transforming produced waste into value for the economy. As the automotive industry is growing fast worldwide, recycling end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) attracts great research attention. Due to the promulgated regulations, multiple players like the last owners, manufacturers, treatment centres, and municipalities require a more cooperative engagement. The participation of multiple actors in the recycling process of ELVs brings various uncertainties. Additionally, parameters of the recycling process, like the number of vehicles withdrawn per year, cost items, and material composition tend to change due to technological, social, and economic developments. The automotive industry has crucial importance in the Turkish economy, which is highly affected by socio-political and economic issues. Furthermore, the Istanbul metropolitan area has the highest rate of vehicle ownership in Turkey. For that purpose, this paper proposes a scenario-based real-life stochastic optimization model to improve ELV supply chain network management in Istanbul. Sensitivity analyses to changes in scenario occurrence probabilities and changes in the amount of collected ELVs are performed to question the consistency of the study. The results of the mathematical model highlight that the operational cost items have the greatest ratio comparing the other cost items in the model. Furthermore, the results of the sensitivity analysis underline that the operational costs and selling prices of the materials from the ELVs have a significant impact on the profitability of ELVs’ recycling process. In addition, uncertainty in the number of ELVs has a significant effect on both operational and strategical decision-making processes. This research can be extended in the direction of examining the effectiveness of ELV management in Turkey since Istanbul could represent the whole of Turkey with its economic and cultural characteristics. Further works can also try to implement the novel concept of a “socially resilient supply chain” in the ELVs’ management.Item Embargo Women’s Enterprising in Africa: A Systematic Literature Review(De Gruyter, 2024) Mwila, Natasha Katuta; Woldesenbet, K.; Ogunmokun, Olapeju ComfortThis chapter evaluates the state of research knowledge on women’s enterprising in Africa by conducting a systematic literature review of 104 studies published between 2000-2020. The chapter provides important insights into the context in which African women entrepreneurs operate; their motivations, orientations, and competence to venture into business. The chapter further provides insights into the enabling and/or constraining roles of the embeddedness of African women entrepreneurs in multiple contexts (i.e., economic, cultural, family, social and legal). We found that many studies lack qualitative exploration of women’s enterprising and instead sought to identify factors such as traits, characteristics, access to various resources, etc., that account for gender gap in enterprising and firm performance. The chapter argues that better understanding of women’s enterprising in Africa can only be achieved by theories and methods which consider the multiple embeddedness of women’s enterprising in their contexts.Item Embargo Creative Placemaking in the Scottish Rurality: Comparing Two Small Towns(Emerald, 2025-02-28) Rae, DavidThis chapter explores two cases of small towns as creative places in the Galloway and Borders regions of Scotland. It considers and compares their cultural development, economic contributions, resilience and sustainability. The chapter uses prior works on policy, theory, and creative rural economies as conceptual framing. The study is an empirical exploration, which used cultural observation as an interpretive method to undertake desk and field research in the two towns presented as cases, Wigtown (Scotland’s national Book Town) and Coldstream. It offers findings under headings of the effects of the COVID pandemic on the creative sector; cultural identity branding; the roles of anchor attractions and events; policy; digital economy; and cultural inclusion or exclusion. The conclusion is that creative placemaking is a medium-to-long term activity involving community and joint entrepreneurship between stakeholders to demonstrate sustainability and resilience. However, creative places need to be or become distinctive in some respects for the ingredients and enabling factors of placemaking to combine and sustain effectively as a destination.Item Metadata only Business Ecosystem and Sustainable Innovative Practices(Springer Nature, 2024-07) Altaf, Meryem; Khan, Nosheen JawaidThis chapter provides evidence of how the business ecosystem affects companies adopting innovative approaches for sustainable outcomes. We contend that companies alone cannot achieve sustainable outcomes and require collaborative approaches to innovate processes. We identify various internal and external factors in the business ecosystem which could either facilitate or hinder the company’s sustainable innovation approaches. Using multiple case study designs, documentary analysis, and semi-structured interviews, we explore various crucial external factors, e.g., the country’s regulatory framework, culture, available resources, and collaboration of companies with stakeholders, in developing sustainable, innovative approaches. These sustainable innovations (e.g., digitisation, training on health, education, drip irrigation, and water sense technologies) help firms improve their existing products and processes and contribute positively to the environment and society.