- Home
- A-Z Publications
- International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development
- Previous Issues
- Volume 16, Issue 3, 2017
International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development - Volume 16, Issue 3, 2017
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2017
-
-
Individual and collective absorptive capacities of new external knowledge: The case of Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Authors: Salha Oumaya and Lamia GharbiAbstractThis article attempts to address a company’s absorptive capacity as a dynamic capability made up of a set of organizational learning capacities. We consider the different levels of organizational learning and distinguish between individual and collective absorptive capabilities. Unlike most previous studies, knowledge sharing is considered, here, as a crucial and a full dimension of the company’s absorptive capacity. An operationalization is proposed and a measure scale is constructed for the five absorptive capacity dimensions that are distinguished in this work. The Empirical study of 104 Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) validates the absorptive capacity conceptualization proposed in this article. It also outlines the main characteristics of this capacity in the Tunisian context.
-
-
-
The growth factors of Tunisian handicraft small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): Towards an integration of cognitive approaches
By Faten AmmarAbstractThis article aims to explore, through a qualitative study, the growth factors of the Tunisian handicraft small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Semi-structured interviews are conducted with six Tunisian owner-managers of handicraft SMEs. Data analysis was performed using content analysis, assisted by the NVivo8 qualitative data analysis software. The results highlight the role of strategic vision and organizational learning capability. These two concepts are rarely used to explain SMEs’ growth. Results highlight the importance of the role of cognitive approaches in comprehending growth. They can be integrated with explanatory approaches used in prior studies on SMEs’ growth and explain the divergent results. They could be used by supervisory institutions. They can help them better understand the managers’ logic of actions by taking into account their representations.
-
-
-
Explaining the impact of a customer-oriented strategy on the small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) global performance: Lessons from the Balanced Scorecard and the CUSTOR scale model
Authors: Houda Nouicer, Imed Zaim and Laroussi Ben AbdallahAbstractThis research aimed to explain the impact of a customer-oriented strategy on the small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) global performance. To do this, we proposed a modelling of this relation on the basis of the Balanced Scorecard and the CUSTOR scale model. A mixed methodology approach was used to validate our research model. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted among 25 SMEs Tunisian managers, which allowed us to develop and to study 25 verbatims by the content analysis method. Then, a PLS method was applied on data collected by a questionnaire from 137 managers of private SMEs of goods and service. Results showed that the financial axis of the global performance is affected by the customer intimacy and the continuous improvement of activity. The outcomes also reveal that the customer focus of global performance is affected by the customer intimacy, the customer retention and the business transparency. Moreover, the results reveal that the internal process axis of the global performance is only affected by the customer intimacy and the customer retention. These results also indicate that organizational learning is affected by customer retention, continuous improvement in activity and business transparency. In addition, our analyses highlighted a moderating effect of management’s commitment.
-
-
-
Non-market strategy, competitiveness and export performance of Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
More LessAbstractPublic interest may threaten businesses and can likely trigger lobbying and pressure movements from interest groups, which may counteract business’s interests. In order to cope, companies strive to develop legitimacy among public institutions through compliance strategies to public policy mechanisms, also called Legitimation strategies. The aim of this article is to examine whether implementing legitimation and lobbying strategies towards governmental institutions offering export promotion programmes could enhance SMEs’ overseas competitiveness and export performance. A survey was conducted and a sample of 74 exporting SMEs was included for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. The objective of the latter is to explain the relationships between the proposed concepts through the use of PLS-SEM. The data analysis results support the proposition of choosing and implementing certain types of non-market strategies that could lead to better export performance and enhance companies’ overseas competitiveness.
-
-
-
The determinants of trust in the customer–service provider relationship: The case of Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
Authors: Ali Haj Khalifa and Mohammed SaadAbstractIn the context of fierce competition, the development of lasting relationships with clients is becoming increasingly crucial. The quality of this relationship is a decisive part of the exchange in which mutual trust is one of its fundamental pillars. In the context of services, customer trust may be directed towards the company itself (organizational trust) and/or to its employees (interpersonal trust). Most of the actual research focuses on one or the other of the two targets of trust, but rarely on both at the same time. The objective of this article is to highlight the ambivalence of customer trust towards small and medium-sized enterprises service provider and to propose a conceptual model of its determinants. This research is based on a sample of 300 bank customers chosen randomly. Results show that the relational behaviour of personnel in contact is the determinant of interpersonal and organizational trust. However, reputation is the main factor that contributes towards the development of organizational trust.
-
Volumes & issues
-
Volume 22 (2023 - 2024)
-
Volume 21 (2022)
-
Volume 20 (2021)
-
Volume 19 (2020)
-
Volume 18 (2019)
-
Volume 17 (2018)
-
Volume 16 (2017)
-
Volume 15 (2016)
-
Volume 14 (2015)
-
Volume 13 (2014)
-
Volume 12 (2013)
-
Volume 11 (2012)
-
Volume 10 (2011 - 2012)
-
Volume 9 (2010 - 2011)
-
Volume 8 (2009)
-
Volume 7 (2008)
-
Volume 6 (2007)
-
Volume 5 (2005 - 2006)
-
Volume 4 (2005)
-
Volume 3 (2004)
-
Volume 2 (2003 - 2004)
-
Volume 1 (2002)