The Impact of Managerial Networking Relationships on Organizational Performance in Sub­Saharan Africa: Evidence from Ghana

This paper focuses on how managerial networking relationships developed with external entities affect organizational performance using survey data from organizations in Ghana. Networking relationships with external entities are established so as to obtain resources, valuable information, and to acquire and exploit knowledge, in order to overcome the high level of uncertainty in the business environment. The findings provide strong support that managerial networking relationships developed with top managers of other firms, government bureaucratic officials, community leaders, and leaders of employee unions and representatives enhance organizational performance. However, managerial networking relationships developed with politicians at different levels of government are either not related to performance or impede performance. Empirically, the findings confirm that managerial networking relationships may have beneficial as well as detrimental effects on organizations

Human Capital Availability, Competitive Intensity and Manufacturing Priorities in a Sub-Saharan African Economy

Several studies have been done on the relationships between human resources management (HRM) practices and manufacturing activities. However, most of these studies have been confined to well-developed economies where the focus of HRM practices is mostly on the investment in human capital to facilitate the use of advanced manufacturing technology. In less developed economies, the primary HRM concern is attracting and retaining skilled, knowledgeable and experienced labor. In this study, we examine the relationships between human capital availability, competitive intensity and their interactive effects on manufacturing priorities in a Sub-Saharan African economy — Ghana. We found that competitive intensity is an important determinant of the emphasis firms plan to place on manufacturing priorities (low-cost, quality, flexibility, and delivery). However, human capital availability affects the emphasis firms plan to place on low-cost and delivery. Furthermore, competitive intensity moderates the relationship between human capital availability and the emphasis that firms plan to place on the manufacturing priorities of low-cost and quality

Environmental orientation and sustainability performance; the mediated moderation effects of green supply chain management practices and institutional pressure

This research delves into the examination of how green supply chain management practices serve as a channel, and how institutional pressures act as limiting factors, affecting the connection between environmental orientation and sustainability performance. The investigation draws on data collected from 202 small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. The results of the study indicate that while environmental orientation has a positive impact on environmental performance, it does not significantly influence economic performance. Moreover, the study highlights that the relationship between environmental orientation and environmental performance is mediated by the adoption of green supply chain management practices. However, this mediation is not observed in the context of economic performance. Notably, the research underscores that the positive indirect correlation between environmental orientation and environmental performance, facilitated by green supply chain management practices, remains significant with the boundaries of regulatory institutional pressure. This study makes a noteworthy contribution by offering empirical evidence from an African economy, shedding light on the effectiveness of institutional pressures and environmental orientation on both economic and environmental performance

Performance implications of combining creative and imitative innovation strategies

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance effects of pure innovation strategies (creative and imitative) versus the combination of the two innovation strategies (combination innovation strategy) and to determine whether implementing the combination innovation strategy produces an incremental performance benefit over the pure innovation strategies. Design/methodology/approach: We used archival data from the Korea Innovation Survey (KIS) completed by a large sample of South Korea manufacturing firms and some financial data provided by the South Korea Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI). We used hierarchical multiple regression analysis to analyze the data from 486 firms. Findings: The findings indicated that firms implementing any of the three innovation strategies of creative innovation, imitative innovation and combination innovation outperforms noninnovators. Results also show that while firms implementing the combination innovation strategy perform better than those implementing imitative innovation strategies, they do not significantly differ in performance from firms implementing the creative innovation strategy. Moreover, we find no performance difference between creative innovation and imitative innovation strategies. Practical implications: The study highlights the importance of combination innovation strategies for manufacturing firms that rely on imitative innovation strategies to gain competitive advantage in the market. However, it demonstrates that firms that are successful in using creative innovation strategies must use their resources in exploiting that advantage. Originality/value: Although extant studies have demonstrated the importance of both creative innovation and imitative innovation strategies in enhancing performance, it is not clear whether implementing both strategies at the same time has incremental value for firms. This study focusses on empirically examining the performance implications of creative innovation and imitative innovation strategies, and whether the pursuit of a combination innovation strategy (simultaneous pursuit of both innovation strategies) provides any incremental benefit is unique

Utilization and value of social networking relationships in family and nonfamily firms in an African transition economy

This study investigates the utilization of managerial networking relationships with social and political entities to create social capital in family-owned and nonfamily firms, and compares the impact of the value of the social capital derived from the networking relationships on performance between family-owned and nonfamily firms. Using data from Ghana, the findings show that there are differences in the utilization of networking with social and political stakeholders to create social capital by family-owned and nonfamily firms. While networking relationships with government bureaucratic officials and community leaders have an inverted U-shaped relationship with performance for family-owned firms, it has a linear, positive and monotonic relationship with performance for nonfamily firms. Overall, the findings suggest that networking relationship matters, but extensive utilization of networking relationships with external stakeholders may have diminishing returns to performance for family-owned firms

Management control systems, business strategy and performance: A comparative analysis of family and non-family businesses in a transition economy in sub-Saharan Africa

This article compared the relationships among management control systems (MCS), business strategy and firm performance in family businesses (FBs) and non-family businesses (NFBs) in the context of a transition economy in sub-Saharan Africa that has not been previously studied – Ghana. The findings indicated that the influence of MCS on business strategy is contingent on whether the firm is a FB or NFB. The influence of (i) DCS on the cost leadership strategy is stronger for NFBs than FBs; (ii) ICS on the differentiation strategy is stronger for FBs than NFBs; and (iii) the dynamic tension created by the joint use of DCS and ICS on both the cost leadership and differentiation strategies is stronger for FBs than NFBs. Moreover, business strategy mediates the MCS-performance relationships; however, both the indirect and total impacts of MCS on performance are stronger for FBs than NFBs

Enterprise Ownership, Market Competition and Manufacturing Priorities in a Sub-Saharan African Emerging Economy: Evidence from Ghana

The economic liberalization policies being implemented by many African economies have led to significant efficiency and performance improvements in the activities of privately owned enterprises. This study examines the effect of the economic liberalization policies on the entrepreneurial development of domestic-owned enterprises. This is done by examining how the type of enterprise ownership (wholly domestic-owned enterprises vs. foreign–domestic joint ventures enterprises), and the increase in competition affect the manufacturing priorities of privately owned enterprises in Ghana. The results show that the enhancement in manufacturing efficiency and quality improvement in privately owned enterprises could be traced to the activities of foreign–domestic joint venture enterprises. However, as market competition increases, wholly domestic-owned enterprises emphasize manufacturing efficiency and quality improvement more that foreign–domestic joint venture enterprises. Implications for policy are discussed

The determinants of service recovery in the retail industry: A study of micro and small enterprises in Ghana

Purpose: Service recovery strategies are efforts used by organizations to bring back dissatisfied customers to a state of satisfaction with the organization. It has been argued that successful service recovery by organizations is dependent on the effectiveness of front line employees. The purpose of this paper is to examine a model of service recovery performance (SRP) of front line employees in the retail industry in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses personally administered survey data collected from 136 employees in 20 micro and small retail enterprises in Ghana. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis is used to test the direct and interactive effects of organizational variables such as perceived managerial attitudes and work environment factors on the SRP of front line employees. Findings: The findings indicate that the SRP is influenced by employee empowerment, interaction between customer service orientation and empowerment, interaction between customer service orientation and training for customer service excellence, and the interaction between empowerment and training for customer service excellence. Research limitations/implications: Focussing only on the antecedents of SRP, and using cross-sectional data based on the self-assessments of the front line employees from one country. Practical implications: Empowering front line employees to deal with service failures should be combined with training them in job related and behavioral skills to attend to the needs of customers. Moreover, it is critical to combine perceived customer service orientation with training front line employees in job related and behavioral skills. Originality/value: First study to examine the antecedents of SRP of front line employees in a sub-Saharan African environment. Moreover, study examines the interactive effects of organizational and work environment variables on SRP

Firm-Specific Managerial Experience and the Social Capital-Performance Relationship in a Sub-Saharan African Transition Economy

The authors examine the direct and moderating effects of firm-specific managerial experience on the relationship between social capital and performance. Using data from Ghana, the findings show that social capital from bureaucratic officials and community leaders, as well as firm-specific managerial experience, have a positive influence on performance, while social capital from politicians has a negative influence on firm performance. Furthermore, firm-specific managerial experience positively moderates the relationship between (a) social capital from politicians and performance, and (b) social capital from community leaders and performance. Therefore, firm-specific managerial experience attenuates the detrimental effects of social capital from politicians on performance. The findings contribute to knowledge in the social capital and resource-based view literature

The impact of managerial networking relationships on organizational performance in sub-Saharan Africa: evidence from Ghana

This paper focuses on how managerial networking relationships developed with external entities affect organizational performance using survey data from organizations in Ghana. Networking relationships with external entities are established so as to obtain resources, valuable information, and to acquire and exploit knowledge, in order to overcome the high level of uncertainty in the business environment. The findings provide strong support that managerial networking relationships developed with top managers of other firms, government bureaucratic officials, community leaders, and leaders of employee unions and representatives enhance organizational performance. However, managerial networking relationships developed with politicians at different levels of government are either not related to performance or impede performance. Empirically, the findings confirm that managerial networking relationships may have beneficial as well as detrimental effects on organizations