Effect of intellectual capital and entrepreneurial orientation on innovation performance of manufacturing SMEs: mediating role of knowledge sharing

Purpose: Manufacturing sectors are identified to be of the foremost importance expected to increase Malaysia's GDP contribution to the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11th MP). The present study aims to examine the effects of intellectual capital and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on knowledge sharing in manufacturing SMEs. The impact of intellectual capital and EO on firms' innovation performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is accordingly investigated by considering knowledge sharing as the mediator. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected via a questionnaire consisting of the owners or top managers of 121 manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia. Partial least square (PLS) was used to analyze the obtained data. Findings: Results indicated that human capital, as well as external relational capital, has a positive correlation with both knowledge sharing and innovation performance mediated by knowledge sharing. It was also shown that knowledge sharing has a significant impact on firm innovation performance. Interestingly, structural capital, internal relational capital and (EO) did not significantly impact knowledge sharing and innovation performance. However, all of these elements are important to influence the firm's innovation performance. Practical implications: The study contributes to the literature on intellectual capital, entrepreneurial orientation, knowledge sharing and innovation through developing and testing the possible connections among them. The finding of this study will provide owners and top managers in manufacturing SMEs insight into the variables improving firm innovation performance. Originality/value: This study provides a basis for researchers to reach more mounting evidence about the practice of knowledge sharing and innovation performance among manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia

Determination of Optimal Leadership Styles through Knowledge Management: A Case from the Automotive Industry

This study proposed a model to examine the impact of various leadership styles on knowledge management. This case study identified the best leadership style, which can affect the key factors of the knowledge management success. The statistical population was composed of all staff of the Pars Khodro Company headquarters in Iran, in which 226 people were accordingly chosen as the sample. The required data for examining research hypotheses were also collected using questionnaire. Results revealed the impact of leadership styles on knowledge management. The transformational leadership style was consequently found to have a positive and significant impact on the knowledge management key success factors, in contrast with other leadership styles including self-management, pragmatic, conservative and structure-based

Safety Technology Adoption: Predicting Intention to Use Car Dashcams in an Emerging Country

This study investigates the factors that affect the user's intention to use dashcam in Malaysia. This study examines the quantitative relationship of intrinsic as well as extrinsic factors such as personal innovativeness, perceived uniqueness, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, perceived behavioral control, social influence, price value, and trust to the purchase intention of dashcam. Purposive sampling technique was employed to collect responses from 232 respondents based on two criteria: first, individuals who have experienced driving on the road and have a car; and second, individuals who not yet adopt or purchase the dashcam. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS (version 3.3.2). No relationship between personal innovativeness and perceived usefulness was found, in contrast to a significant relationship the former and perceived ease of use. Furthermore, perceived uniqueness was found significant to both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Consistent with the literature, both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were identified as factors influencing attitude. However, perceived usefulness did not affect intention. Perceived behavioral control, social influence, attitude, and trust significantly affected the behavioral intention to use the dashcam in Malaysia. This study attempts to integrate and adapt two technology adoption models, namely the Combined Technology Acceptance Model and Theory Planned Behavior and extension of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, also extends the model with personal innovativeness, perceived uniqueness, and trust to fulfil the study's objectives as well

The Mental Health of Healthcare Staff Working During the COVID-19 Crisis: Their Working Hours as a Boundary Condition

Purpose: Healthcare staff operate at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 and hence face enormous physical and mental pressures. We aim to investigate healthcare staff’s mental health issues and the associated predictors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this paper aims to identify some unique predictors of healthcare staff’s mental health issues in Iran, the second country after China to experience a major COVID-19 crisis. Methods: An online survey of 280 healthcare staff in all 31 provinces of Iran assessed staff’s mental distress (K6), depression, and anxiety (PHQ-4) during April 5–20, 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis. Results: Nearly a third of healthcare staff surpassed the cut-off for distress, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Females or more educated healthcare staff were more likely to experience distress. Those who were unsure whether they had COVID-19 were more likely to experience distress and depression symptoms. The number of COVID-19 cases among a healthcare worker’s colleagues or friends positively predicted the worker’s anxiety symptoms. Amongst healthcare staff, doctors were less likely than radiology technologists to experience distress and anxiety symptoms. Technicians and obstetrics staff experienced fewer anxiety symptoms. The age and the weekly working days of healthcare staff interacted such that age is a significant predictor of mental health issues among younger but not older healthcare staff. Conclusion: The identification of the predictors of mental health issues can guide healthcare organizations to screen healthcare workers who are more likely to be mentally vulnerable in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemi

The Relationship Between Age and Mental Health Among Adults in Iran During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The evidence on the predictors of mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed contradictory findings, which prevent effective screening for mental health assistance. This study aims to identify the predictors of mental health issues, specifically examining age as a nonlinear predictor. Based on a survey of 474 adults using snowball sampling under the COVID-19 pandemic during April 1th–10th, 2020, in Iran, we found that age had a curvilinear relationship with nonsomatic pain, depression, and anxiety. Specifically, it predicted pain, depression, and anxiety disorders, negatively among adults younger than 45 years, yet positively among seniors older than 70 years. Adults who were female, were unsure about their chronic diseases, or exercised less were more likely to have mental health issues. This study, being the first paper to examine age curvilinearly, suggests future research to pay more attention to nonlinear predictors of mental health disorders in the COVID-19 pandemic

The Outcomes of Corporate Social Responsibility to Employees: Empirical Evidence from a Developing Country

Employees creativity has been recognized as a crucial part of an organization’s ability to be innovative. To know which factors contribute to employee involvement in creative work, in this paper, we first examine the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to employees. Moreover, we study the employees’ positive work attitudes and their intention to leave as a mediating mechanism to explain the effect of CSR to employees on the involvement of employees in creative work. Survey data from 209 employees in 45 small-sized enterprises in Iran were used to test the hypotheses of the study. The hypotheses were tested with hierarchical regression analyses using SPSS software. The results support the direct impact of CSR to employees on employees’ creative work involvement. In addition, the findings indicate that the indirect effect of CSR to employees on the involvement of employees in creative work through positive work attitudes and their intention to leave are significant. Consequently, small-sized enterprises should reinforce CSR to employees to elevate their involvement in creative work

Human-behavioural micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities: a systematic review of the last two decades of research

Given the importance of dynamic capabilities in gaining competitive advantage and improving the organisational performance, recent studies have focused on its human-behavioural micro-foundations as a basis for improving dynamic capabilities at organisations macro level. This article reviewed the literature in the field of behavioural and human resource foundations of dynamic capabilities using a systematic literature review method and evaluated the quality of articles with CASP method. After a systematic review of 41 final articles, 15 themes were identified for the behavioural foundations of dynamic capabilities. The sensing dimension includes personal and interpersonal indicators, in seizing dimension, indicators of communication, conflict management, organisational climate, etc. The reconfiguring dimension involved the indicators of knowledge management, leadership, talent management, capacity building, and diversity of employees

Identification and prioritisation of factors affecting lean leadership model

Lean leadership has attracted many scholars in the human resource area. Eight factors affecting this conceptual construct with the highest significance level were identified and confirmed by the experts. Two significant outputs, i.e., the MICMAC analysis model, were obtained by applying soft operational research approaches and using structural-interpretative modelling and implementing its stages step-by-step. In the next stage, to enhance the analysis level, priorities were based on the severity of influence and how factors affecting lean leadership were addressed through the DEMATEL approach. This study showed that the most important factors on the new constructs of pure leadership are improvement, perspective, organisational culture, pure implementation, supportive structures, team performance, daily management and development of oneself and others. Research findings showed that the most influential factors on the modern construct of lean leadership include continuous improvement, vision, organisational culture, lean implementation, supportive structures, team performance, day-to-day management, and self-development

Elucidating cause-and-effect relationships of components affecting talent absorbing organisation

Organisations are required to identify, recruit, and foster talented individuals in order to optimise their own capacity in achieving business outcomes and build a competitive advantage in the future. The present study aimed at elucidating cause-and-effect relationships of talent absorption components using type-2 fuzzy set extension of the decision-making and trial evaluation (DEMATEL) method in the electronics industry. Following the review of the research literature and surveys of expert opinions, 22 main components in three 'strategic', 'retention-related', and 'organisational' dimensions were identified. After developing and distributing the study questionnaire among experts, the cause-and-effect relationships of these components were explained using type-2 fuzzy set extension of the DEMATEL method. The results revealed that the 'retention-related' dimension was the effective one and the 'strategic' and 'organisational' dimensions had been affected