Purpose This study aims to explore how financial stability and risk management, coercive institutional pressures and innovation capabilities influence strategic and supply chain innovation, and how these forms of innovation, in turn, impact the effectiveness of consortium buying. The research also examines whether artificial intelligence (AI) adoption moderates these relationships, with a particular focus on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) context. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected from 301 professionals across the UAE, Middle East, Asia and Europe. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The findings indicate that financial and risk, coercive pressures and resource significantly both strategic innovation and supply chain innovation. Supply chain innovation is significant mediating on consortium buying effectiveness, while strategic innovation is not significant. In turn, these innovation types positively influence consortium buying. However, the moderating role of AI adoption between innovation and consortium buying is not significant. Research limitations/implications The generalizability of the findings is limited to the geographic regions studied (UAE, Middle East, Asia and Europe), and the results may not fully apply to unregulated sectors. In addition, the cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal conclusions. Practical implications The study highlights the importance of aligning financial stability, regulatory responsiveness and innovation capabilities to improve procurement performance through consortium buying. Practitioners are advised to invest in innovation competencies while remaining responsive to institutional pressures and evolving technologies. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by integrating strategic, institutional and technological perspectives to explain consortium buying dynamics in regulated environments. By positioning AI adoption within a moderated mediation framework, the research offers fresh insights into procurement and innovation practices, particularly in high-risk or compliance-driven industries.
Purpose Workplace challenges, societal expectations and caregiving responsibilities create profound stress in women, as they play a dual role and balance their professional and maternal obligations. This study aimed to explore the factors leading to maternal guilt in working mothers, how they navigate it, and the role of entrepreneurship in alleviating this guilt. Design/methodology/approach This study employed a sequential mixed-method approach. In-depth interviews with 10 working mothers were conducted (study 1 - qualitative) followed by a survey with 456 working mothers (study 2 - quantitative). Findings Qualitative analysis (Study 1) using Gioia’s methodology revealed six key dimensions: motherhood penalty, supermom syndrome, parental altruism, maternal guilt, societal norms and mompreneurship intentions, from which a conceptual model was developed. This model was empirically tested using quantitative data in AMOS and PROCESS macro. Findings revealed that workplace challenges (motherhood penalty) and family responsibilities (parental altruism and supermom syndrome) significantly contributed to mompreneurial intentions mediated by maternal guilt. Furthermore, this indirect relationship was significantly moderated by high levels of societal support. Practical implications Study findings imply that the transition from traditional employment to mompreneurship is not just a career shift, but it serves as a coping mechanism for women to regain control over work-family balance. Originality/value This study offers a nuanced perspective on maternal career transitions by highlighting why working women pursue mompreneurship.
Purpose This study aims to examine whether the synergy between earnings quality and board gender diversity influences corporate risk-taking. Design/methodology/approach A data set of 335 industrial Thai listed firms with 3,350 firm-year observations from 2011 to 2020 was analyzed using a fixed-effects model and an instrumental variable with a two-stage least squares regression approach. Findings Board gender diversity moderates the relationship between earnings quality and corporate risk-taking. When firms have stronger earnings quality, female directors may encourage firms to take more accounting-based risks to earn higher returns. This implies that female directors tend to have a high incentive to balance corporate risk. Importantly, female directors may influence to increase corporate risk-taking when firms use accounting-rather than cash-flow-based metrics to estimate corporate risks because of the accrual basis of accounting principles. The findings are consistent with the agency theory, the resource dependence theory and the approach/inhibition theory of power. However, when firms use cash flow-based risk-taking, board gender diversity may be a potential moderator to increase the magnitude of negative relationship between earnings quality and cash flow volatility. Thus, the measure of corporate risks is crucial. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore whether female directors moderate the relationship between earnings quality and corporate risk-taking, and corporate risk measurements are crucial. It is also the first to investigate this issue in Thailand.
Purpose This study aims to examine the factors that influence the intention to use Open Banking in Vietnamese commercial banks through the e-commerce channel. It focuses on performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, perceived credibility, hedonic motivation, price value and perceived barriers. It also explores the mediating role of perceived barriers in the effect of the intention to use Open Banking on use behavior. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 365 Open Banking users on e-commerce platforms in Vietnam. Structural equation modeling was used to quantitatively analyze data. The data is analyzed through two steps including evaluation model analysis and structural model analysis. Findings According to the results, the intention to use Open Banking is most positively impacted by perceived credibility, followed by performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence. Price value and hedonic motivation also favorably impact the intention to use Open Banking. The results also support the moderating role of perceived barriers in the relationship between the intention to use Open Banking and use behavior. Perceived barriers have a negative impact on the intention to use Open Banking. Research limitations/implications Although this study provides significant contributions regarding the factors influencing the intention to use Open Banking in commercial banks in Vietnam, there are still some limitations. First, the study mainly uses a quantitative approach with data collected from surveys, which may not fully reflect the psychological factors and underlying motivations of users. Combining qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews, could offer a better understanding of the actual barriers or drivers behind the decision to use Open Banking. In addition, the scope of the study focuses on customers in Vietnam, so the results may not be fully generalized to other markets where the level of acceptance of financial technologies could differ. Furthermore, while the study examines the factors influencing the intention to use, it does not deeply explore the process of transitioning from intention to actual behavior. Therefore, future research could expand the model by incorporating additional factors such as real-life experiences or post-use satisfaction for a more comprehensive view of user behavior. Practical implications These findings not only contribute to the theoretical framework of use behavior in digital banking but also have practical implications for Vietnamese commercial banks. Increased awareness of the value proposition of Open Banking, betterment of user experience and support conditions, and lessening perceived barriers will translate into enhanced access and use in the future. Social implications This study contributes to Technology Acceptance Mode theory by extending and testing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) model in the domain of Open Banking of Vietnamese commercial banks. A second contribution of the research lies in its effort to include PB, which is usually excluded from current technology acceptance models. The results suggest that whereas perceived barriers can reduce intention to use, it can be converted into an indirect determinant of heightened intention through mechanisms that boost awareness and enhance user experience. This offers a new understanding of financial innovation adoption theory in the sense that PB not only undermines but may also be a driver for technology acceptance behavior. Originality/value This study emphasizes how crucial it is to remove obstacles to increase Open Banking’s uptake in Vietnam. To boost intention to use, banks should prioritize improving user experience, building credibility and lowering obstacles, according to managerial implications. Longitudinal and qualitative approaches could be used in future studies to gain a deeper understanding of use behavior.
Purpose This study aims to focus on understanding how high-performance work system (HPWS) help build an agile organization by promoting employee agility (EA). This research examines how EA mediates the relationship between HPWS and organizational agility (OA) within the dynamic capability framework. Design/methodology/approach This study gathered data from a survey of 407 full-time employees working in the Indian electronics industry. The proposed relationships among HPWS, EA and OA were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The findings indicate that HPWS significantly and positively influences both employee and OA. Further, EA partially mediates the HPWS and OA relationship. Originality/value The originality of the study lies in testing EA as a significant mediator in the HPWS and OA relationship. By providing evidence from the Indian electronics manufacturing industry, the study adds contextual insight to existing research and advances understanding of how the human resource system is related to agility in dynamic environments.
Purpose This paper aims to embark on an exploration into the complex dynamics of family businesses by leveraging the theoretical frameworks of socioemotional wealth (SEW) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) theories. Building on literature highlighting SEW's role in motivating family firm owners, this study seeks to discern a consistently predictable relationship between SEW and family business sustainability (FBS) and analyze the parallel mediation effects of family commitment (FC) and EO in the SEW and FBS relationship.Design/methodology/approach This study employed a quantitative approach, utilizing a snowball sampling method to recruit 567 valid responses from family business stakeholders across North India. Partial least square (PLS)-structural equation modeling has been applied in this study using the latest version of SmartPLS 4.1.0.8 software to examine the objectives of the study.Findings The findings show that FC and EO mediate the SEW-FBS relationship. FC fosters long-term engagement, while EO drives innovation, both contributing to enhanced FBS.Research limitations/implications The study's limitations include a region-specific sample, reliance on snowball sampling and focus on only two mediators - FC and EO. Future research could explore additional mediators, incorporate economic factors and use longitudinal or more diverse sampling methods for broader insights.Practical implications This study provides practical insights for family businesses to enhance sustainability by integrating emotional drivers, such as family identity and legacy, with entrepreneurial strategies like innovation and proactivity. Policymakers can use these findings to craft supportive policies, while family businesses can engage future generations and adapt to market changes for long-term success.Originality/value This study's originality lies in combining SEW and EO theories, focusing on FC and EO as parallel mediators in the SEW-FBS relationship. It offers new insights into how family businesses balance emotional attachment with entrepreneurial actions for long-term sustainability.
Purpose This study aims to examine how Environmental Dynamism (ED) influences Firm Performance (FP) through a capability-driven process, positioning Organisational Resilience (OR) as a central transformation mechanism. It further examines how Resource Orchestration Capability (ROC) and Organisational Ambidexterity (OAD) enable resilience-building and sustained performance under turbulent conditions. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in dynamic capability theory, the study develops and tests a multi-stage conceptual model linking ED, ROC, OAD, OR and FP. Data were collected through an online survey administered to 211 managerial respondents across diverse industries in India. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was used to assess measurement validity, structural relationships and mediation effects. Findings The results indicate that ED does not directly influence FP but operates through internal capabilities. ROC and OAD significantly enhance OR, which in turn has a strong positive effect on FP. Additionally, both capabilities partially mediate the relationship between ED and OR, confirming a capability chain through which firms reframe environmental turbulence as an opportunity and convert it into sustained performance outcomes. Originality/value This study re-conceptualises ED as a capability-activating mechanism and positions OR as a higher-order dynamic capability. By advancing a capability-systems perspective, it provides a process-based explanation of how firms achieve sustained performance in high-velocity, emerging-market contexts.
Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of audit committee (AC) independence, board gender diversity and chief executive officer (CEO) duality on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of Australian listed firms over the period 2017-2023.Design/methodology/approach To examine the association between corporate governance characteristics and ESG performance, this study draws on stakeholder-agency theory and resource dependence theory. Empirically, the authors use fixed effects regression, controlling for both firm and year effects, to estimate the relationship between governance variables and ESG performance. To ensure the robustness of the results, the authors conduct additional analyses using two-stage least squares, generalised least squares and entropy balancing. These approaches address potential endogeneity, heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation concerns, thereby strengthening the reliability of the findings.Findings The results indicate that AC independence and board gender diversity are positively and significantly associated with ESG performance. In contrast, CEO duality is negatively associated with ESG performance. Furthermore, the moderation analysis reveals that audit tenure weakens the positive relationship between board gender diversity and ESG performance. Specifically, the interaction between gender diversity and longer audit tenure is negative and significant, suggesting that extended auditor-client relationships may reduce the effectiveness of gender-diverse boards in promoting ESG outcomes.Originality/value This study addresses a gap in the ESG literature by examining the role of AC independence, board gender diversity and CEO duality in influencing ESG performance among Australian listed firms. In addition, it investigates the moderating effect of audit tenure on the relationship between board gender diversity and ESG performance. From a theoretical perspective, the findings support the applicability of stakeholder-agency theory and resource dependence theory in explaining the governance-ESG relationship, gender diversity, AC, CEO duality, ESG, resource dependency theory and stakeholder-agency theory.
Purpose This study aims to investigate the contrasting effects of marketing mix (MM) elements on customer-based brand equity (CBBE) for private-label (PL) personal care products across online and offline retail channels in the beauty sector. It addresses the strategic need for channel-specific marketing approaches following intensified PL competition.Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative insights from 12 semi-structured interviews with quantitative data from a structured survey of 230 participants. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multiple linear regressions, enabling rigorous hypothesis testing.Findings Results underscore channel-specific patterns in how MM elements are associated with CBBE. In offline contexts, CBBE is primarily shaped by pricing strategies and in-store promotion, while in online settings it is more sensitive to monetary promotion. Contrary to traditional assumptions, price does not significantly influence online CBBE and consumer brand loyalty in online channels remains largely unaffected by conventional MM elements.Practical implications Retailers should adopt channel-specific strategies. Offline efforts should focus on in-store promotion, personal interaction and pricing, while online strategies should prioritize targeted monetary promotion and enhanced website and app quality.Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by investigating the role of extended MM elements on CBBE of PLs in the under-explored context of the beauty retail market, offering empirical insights for PL strategy optimization in multichannel environments.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop chindi dari, a recycled handwoven rug, into a wearable textile through an iterative design development process using a double diamond and material-driven design framework. The study addresses the gap in circular fashion research on systematically transforming the post-consumer textile waste into aesthetically pleasing and user-acceptable garments. By delving into this, the research seeks to offer sustainable and fashionable wearables to its prospective users.Design/methodology/approach A qualitative and experimental research design approach is employed to modify the fabric at several phases for the development of a wearable textile. The iterative process combined field-based material experimentation and expert evaluation. Qualitative analysis included focus-group discussions, expert interviews, and dialogues. The survey approach (n = 71) was employed to gather the opinions of men and women aged 18-45 years on the developed fabric.Findings After consolidating the expert reviews and survey analysis, the developed fabric displayed better drapeability, reduced bulkiness, and better aesthetics. The fabric was suitable for outerwear garments and stoles rather than body-hugging silhouettes. The user responses indicated that comfort, aesthetics, and functionality were frequently mentioned reasons for acceptance of the developed fabric.Originality/value The research provides an integrated double diamond and material-driven design roadmap to upgrade waste-based craft textiles into relevant wearable textiles. Chindi dari is treated as an evolving material system where yarn modifications, weave explorations, finishing, and thickness of the fabric are fine-tuned to make it drapeable, comfortable, and aesthetically appealing. The approach illustrates how upcycled craft-based textiles can enter the sustainable fashion market as a responsible outerwear and accessories contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12. This also opens new product and income opportunities for women-led craft clusters, supporting SDG 11.
Purpose - This study aims to examine the main communication strategies adopted by Inditex and H&M Group to address accusations of greenwashing, focusing on how they communicate around corporate responsibility, sustainability and transparency. Design/methodology/approach - This study adopts a case study design with purposive sampling of H&M Group and Inditex. Data comprise publicly available corporate communication materials (annual reports, sustainability reports and corporate websites) published between 2019 and 2023, analyzed through content and comparative analysis. Findings - The results show that both companies' strategies revolve around three pillars: transparency, responsibility and circularity. Reports provide more detailed technical information, while websites emphasize consumer awareness and stakeholder engagement. However, neither company applies a clear and comparable measurement framework for sustainability performance, and Inditex in particular was found to lack sufficient transparency. Research limitations/implications - This study focuses exclusively on publicly available corporate materials, excluding other communication channels such as social media or press releases. Practical implications - The findings offer insights for global fashion brands into how communication strategies can strengthen credibility in sustainability narratives and help mitigate reputational risks associated with greenwashing. Social implications - By highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability, this study underscores the role of communication in shaping consumer trust and advancing sustainable practices in the fashion industry, particularly in Asian production contexts. Originality/value - This study provides a communication-focused comparison of how leading fast-fashion companies address greenwashing through formal corporate disclosures. It conceptualizes sustainability communication as legitimacy management and identifies recurring strategic patterns - transparency, responsibility and circularity - while exposing limitations in measurement and comparability that affect the credibility of sustainability claims.
Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between firm performance and CEO tenure in major Japanese electrical equipment firms, which operate in an industry that is important within the Asian corporate governance context. Design/methodology/approach Using a 26-year panel dataset (FY1999–FY2024) covering 621 firm-year observations from 24 major Japanese electrical equipment firms, this study estimates the tenure–performance relationship with fixed-effects regressions and cluster-robust standard errors, as indicated by the Hausman test. Findings The results reveal a horizontal S-shaped relationship between firm performance and CEO tenure. This pattern appears to be driven by a small number of founder-led firms with exceptionally long CEO tenures, and should be interpreted with caution given the limited observations and the focus on accounting-based performance. Research limitations/implications The findings extend Hambrick and Fukutomi’s (1991) CEO life-cycle perspective by suggesting that, under certain conditions, long-tenured CEOs may again contribute positively to firm performance. The results may also be informative for Asian firms operating in environments where external governance mechanisms are relatively weak and CEO turnover is less market-driven. Originality/value First, by using long-term panel data from major Japanese firms, this study provides rare empirical evidence on the effects of CEO tenure on firm performance. Second, it identifies a polarized distribution of CEO tenure in Japanese electrical equipment firms, where extremely long tenures, concentrated in a small number of founder-led firms, coexist with short tenures often associated with post-appointment performance declines. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of CEO succession practices in large Japanese corporations.
Purpose This study aims to investigate how external resources, specifically social capital and government support, influence sustainable performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam, an emerging economy. Drawing on social capital theory (SCT) and dynamic capabilities theory (DCT), the study examines the direct effects of relational and institutional resources on internal capabilities, including absorptive capacity, digital transformation and green innovation that drive sustainable performance.Design/methodology/approach The study uses survey data collected from 439 SMEs operating in Vietnam's Southern Key Economic Zone. The proposed research model was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.Findings The results show that social capital has a significant positive effect on absorptive capacity, digital transformation and sustainable performance. Government support positively influences green innovation and sustainable performance, although it does not directly affect digital transformation. While digital transformation is a powerful driver of sustainability, green innovation shows no significant direct impact, indicating an implementation gap common in transitional markets. Absorptive capacity also significantly promotes green innovation; however, its direct effect on sustainable performance is not statistically significant.Originality/value This study offers a novel integrated theoretical explanation of how social capital and government support are transformed into sustainable performance through dynamic capabilities. By combining SCT and DCT in an emerging-economy context, the research provides new insights into the differentiated roles of absorptive capacity, digital transformation and green innovation. It also identifies digital transformation as a key mechanism for achieving sustainability.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the effects and relationships of corporate social responsibility transparency (CSRT) and product innovation (ProI) elements on brand image (BI) and purchase intention (PurI) in fast fashion brand communication strategies. Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), this study further investigates whether personal involvement (PI) moderates these relationships and whether differences in consumer motivational behavior emerge across gender groups within the research framework.Design/methodology/approachOnline survey data were collected from 360 consumers in Taiwan who had prior purchase experience with UNIQLO. Structural equation modelling (SEM) based on the partial least squares (PLS) approach was used to test the proposed hypotheses, examine the moderating role of PI and test gender differences using PLS multi-group analysis (MGA).FindingsBoth CSRT and ProI exert significant positive effects on BI, which in turn strongly predicts PurI. BI fully mediates the effects of CSRT and ProI on PurI, while the direct effects of CSRT and ProI on PurI are not significant. PI variable significantly moderates the impact of ProI on BI, but does not significantly moderate the effect of CSRT on BI. The results of this study suggest that motivationally relevant PI amplifies sensitivity to ProI to BI path, which can be viewed as the central route (CR) in ELM, whereas PI does not significantly moderate CSRT to BI path, which can be viewed as the peripheral route (PR) in ELM. MGA further indicates that the ProI to BI effects (CR) are significantly stronger for male consumers, whereas the effect of CSRT to BI effects (PR) has no significant differences across genders.Originality/valueThis study contributes to sustainable branding research by integrating CSRT and ProI within its research framework and demonstrating that their effects on PurI operate primarily through the mediation of BI. By incorporating PI as a motivational variable, the findings highlight that consumer responses to heterogeneous brand signals are conditional rather than uniform. The results extend the ELM-based persuasion research by showing that PI amplifies responsiveness to ProI related information, while CSRT exerts a more stable influence. Furthermore, the gendered mechanism was confirmed by PLS-MGA, indicating that the effects of ProI on BI (CR) are significantly stronger for male consumers, whereas the effects of CSRT on BI (PR) have no significant differences across genders. From a managerial perspective, the findings suggest that CSR communication can be broadly leveraged across gender segments, whereas innovation-focused messaging may be particularly effective among male consumers.
Purpose - Street vending has a significant economic impact in the developing nations. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has put street vendors in a terrible financial situation, which has led to mental health problems like suicidal ideation and self-harm. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and integrated motivational-volitional theory, this study aims to examine the causes and consequences of suicidal ideation among street vendors. Design/methodology/approach - Data have been collected from 249 street vendors in Chennai, India, and the time-lagged data from 212 vendor were finally considered for analysis. The relationship between perceived stress and suicidal ideation with mediating role of helplessness has been verified. Also, the study has examined the moderating role of positive religious coping and creative self-efficacy in this relationship. Findings - The study found that learned helplessness and suicide ideation are positively impacted by pandemic stress. In addition, the results of this study show that religious coping helps as it moderates the relationship between pandemic stress and learned helplessness. Originality/value - This study has tried to verify the conservation of resources theory and integrated motivational-volitional theory in the present work. Moreover, the study has carried out the study on a population, i.e. street vendors, which is usually an unattended section by the business researchers.
Purpose This study aims to synthesize how digitalization is transforming Asian family-owned businesses across macro, meso and micro levels, clarifying implications for strategy, business models, operations and societal outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), 46 studies (2003-2024) were identified, screened and assessed for inclusion. Findings External catalysts, including COVID-19, industrial policy and business networks, drive digital adoption in Asian family firms; however, uneven uptake persists due to capability constraints and succession challenges. Digitalization enhances collaboration and customer engagement but requires improved digital literacy for operational excellence. While guanxi and family capital remain influential, growing demands for gender equity and corporate social responsibility necessitate multi-stakeholder engagement. Research limitations/implications The authors introduce a framework that combines institutional theory and the dynamic capability view to link external conditions with firm actions. The research agenda has been set on the three priorities of policy, technology and industry-relevant skills development for Asian family businesses. Practical implications Policymakers can accelerate micro-small-medium enterprises digitalization via infrastructure, digital literacy and supportive policies. Family firms should professionalize Human Resources (HR) and learning, involve nonfamily specialists and codify knowledge for transparency and succession. Digital tools can be extended beyond traditional ties. Originality/value This review maps the influential factors and mechanisms driving digital transformation in Asian family firms and offers a framework that links external contexts to internal processes and organizational outcomes.
Purpose This study aims to examine the direct impact of digital transformation on human resource efficiency in Vietnamese commercial banks and investigates the distinct moderating roles of labor cost, labor productivity and labor size in shaping this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Using panel data from 12 listed Vietnamese commercial banks (2014–2023), this study uses feasible GLS regression to examine the impact of digital transformation on human resource efficiency. Labor cost, labor productivity and labor size are modeled as moderating variables, while bank-specific financial characteristics are included as controls. Findings The research findings indicate that digital transformation investments by commercial banks enhance human resource efficiency. Moreover, factors such as labor cost, labor productivity and labor size among digitally skilled employees play a moderating role that amplifies the positive impact of digital transformation on human resource efficiency. Consequently, the outcomes of digital transformation among commercial banks vary depending on their operational context. Notably, supported by government policies, Vietnamese banks have accelerated digital transformation, invested in digital talent and achieved positive performance outcomes. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on listed Vietnamese banks and an accounting-based digital transformation proxy, so results may not extend to unlisted banks or other economies. Nevertheless, findings show that digital transformation investments deliver greater human resource benefits when paired with targeted labor spending and productivity gains – guiding managers and policymakers in sequencing digital and human-capital investments. Originality/value By integrating the resource-based view, human-capital theory and lean thinking, this study provides novel emerging-market evidence linking digital transformation to bank-level human resource efficiency and reveals how labor cost, productivity and scale shape its effects—offering policy implications for coordinated technology and skill investments.
Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between overall corporate sustainability performance (CSP), its key dimensions economic, environmental and social performance and firm performance (FP) in emerging Asian nations. Design/methodology/approach The study uses secondary data from sustainability reports and other non-financial disclosures, covering 1,440 firm-year observations from 2016–17 to 2021–22. CSP scores are derived using content analysis. Tobin’s Q is used as a proxy for FP, with financial and control variables sourced from the Bloomberg database and other relevant websites. The relationship is analyzed using a generalized method of moments (GMM) model and robustness is confirmed through a generalized estimating equation (GEE) population-averaged model. Findings The results show that CSP and its sub-components positively affect FP, even after controlling for firm-specific, governance-specific and country-level factors. Notably, the environmental dimension exerts the strongest influence on FP. Practical implications Managers can strategically leverage CSP as a value-enhancing tool, while policymakers can promote improved sustainability performance by mandating the adoption of formal sustainability frameworks, which in turn may contribute to stronger FP. Originality/value This study makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature by offering empirical evidence on the relationship between both the level and the quality of overall CSP, including its three sub-components and FP within the context of emerging Asian nations.
Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of franchisor support and communication on franchisees’ trust in the franchisor and satisfaction with the franchise partnership, thereby positively influencing their perceived operational and financial performance. Previous studies have provided empirical evidence of communication and support as key in nurturing franchise partnerships. Yet, both factors have not been investigated together in a single study to explore franchisees’ experiences with the franchisor and the franchise system. Therefore, this study employs Social Exchange Theory as a theoretical foundation to examine the effects of franchisor communication and support on franchisees’ trust, satisfaction, and overall franchise performance. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted with 221 franchisees of a leading café franchise brand from Thailand, invited through online franchise business communities. Findings Both communication and support enhance franchisees’ trust in a franchisor and satisfaction with the franchise partnership. Satisfaction then positively influences franchisees’ perceived performance. Specifically, through satisfaction, the effect of trust on franchisees’ performance is enhanced. Originality/value This study first highlights that both perceived support and communication are expected from the franchisor, from the franchisees’ perspective. Positive evaluations of these lead to their trust in a franchisor and satisfaction with the franchise partnership, influencing their perceived performance. Then, it shows that trust in a franchisor is the underlying mechanism, enhancing the effects of franchisor communication and support on franchisees’ satisfaction with the franchise partnership. Finally, satisfaction with the franchise partnership serves as a link between their trust in a franchisor and their perceived performance.
