Showing papers in "The International Journal of Business and Management in 2014"

Qualitative Research Method: Grounded Theory

Abstract: In this literature review paper, the researcher has done some efforts to identify and further to elaborate the basiccomponents of a research methods chapter that are integral part of any research paper while conductinggrounded theory approach. Grounded theory is one of the data collection approach in qualitative researchmethods which is totally based on data rather thantry to emerge theory from data. There are bulk of books andresearch papers written by world renowned researchers and authors but the aim of this paper is to help the earlystage researchers in conducting their projects in grounded theory approach. In this paper, the researcher has shedlight on history of grounded theory, how this theory rather approach works, target population, samplingtechnique, data collection methods and the role of a researcher in this whole research process, and anotheressential part of a qualitative research, ethics which play a crucial role while conducting and gathering aqualitative data, have also been discussed in this paper.

The Relationships among Human Resource Management Practices, Organizational Commitment, and Knowledge Management Processes: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract: Human resources and knowledge management are considered to be one of the most important factors withinorganizations that help them to achieve a competitive advantage. However, organizations should take care of thehuman factor and increase their commitment within organizations to take advantage of the knowledge withinthem. The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between human resources managementpractices and organizational commitment, on the one hand, and their relationship with knowledge managementprocess, on the other hand.Consultancy firms operating in Jordan were used as the main sample of this study. A random sample wasselected where 220 questionnaires were distributed to such firms. Only 207 questionnaires were submitted backwith a response rate of 52%. A theoretical model was proposed and tested using structural equation modeling(SEM). The results of the SEM analysis indicated that human resources practices (recruitment methods, trainingand development, performance appraisals, and reward systems) have a significant influence on organizationalcommitment (affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment). Finally, the studydid not find a direct relationship between human resource (HR) practices and knowledge management (KM)processes (knowledge acquisition, knowledge distribution, knowledge interpretation, and organizationalmemory). However, causal links were founded between human resource practices and organizationalcommitment, on the one hand, and organizational commitment and knowledge management processes, on theother hand.

The Impacts of Electronic Word of Mouth on Brand Equity in the Context of Social Media

Abstract: Social media has become the driving force which transforms the web into an interactive information andcommunications technology device. Social media has a significant role in influencing customer’s choice inselecting products and services based on the customers’ feedbacks that appeared in the weblogs, web sites,online boards and other kinds of user-generated content (Raman, 2009). It is indeed important to remember thatbrand equity is no longer valued by large sums of money that companies invest; instead customers are dictatingthe value of brand equity by what they are saying to each other. Therefore, this study will focus on evaluating theroles of various brand equity constructs (including brand loyalty, brand association, brand awareness and brandimage) in mediating the interrelation among electronic word of mouth and the dimensions of brand equity in thecontext of social media. There were total of 300 usable questionnaires were collected in this research. Thefinding revealed that there is an indirect inter-relationship between electronic word of mouth and the dimensionof brand equity, mediated by the respective various brand equity constructs.

The Effect of the Liquidity Management on Profitability in the Jordanian Commercial Banks

Abstract: This research seeks to investigate the effect of the liquidity management on profitability in the Jordanian commercial banks during the time period (2005–2012). Thirteen banks have been chosen to express on the whole Jordanian commercial banks. The liquidity indicators are investment ratio, Quick ratio, capital ratio, net credit facilities/ total assets and liquid assets ratio, while return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA) were the proxies for profitability. Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) stationary test model was used to test for a unit root in a time series of the research variables and then testing hypothesis by using regression analysis. The empirical results show that a positive effect of the increase in the quick ratio and the investment ratio of the available funds on the profitability, while there is a negative effect of the capital ratio and the liquid assets ratio on the profitability of the Jordanian commercial banks. The researcher recommends that there is a need for an optimum utilization of the available liquidity in a various aspects of investment in order to increase the banks' profitability, and banks should adopt a general framework of liquidity management to assure sufficient liquidity for executing their operations efficiently, and they should initiate an analytical study of the evolution rates of liquidity and their ability to achieve a balance between sources and uses of funds.

Influence of Capital Structure on Firm Performance: Evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract: This paper mainly studies the influence of capital structure on firm’s performance This investigation has beenperformed on a sample of 36 Bangladeshi firms listed in Dhaka Stock Exchange during the period 2007–2012We have used four performance measures; earnings per share (EPS), return on equity (ROE), return of asset(ROA) and Tobin’s Q; as dependent variables and three capital structure ratios; short-term debt, long-term debtand total debt ratios; as independent variables Using pooling panel data regression method, we found that EPSis significantly positively related to short-term debt while significantly negatively related to long-term debtThere is significant negative relation between ROA and capital structure On the other hand, there is nostatistically significant relation exists between capital structure and firm’s performance as measured by ROE andTobin’s Q Nonetheless, aside from the positive relation between EPS and STDTA, we can conclude that capitalstructure has negative impact on firm’s performance which is consistent with the proposition of Pecking OrderTheory

Servant Leadership, Employee Satisfaction, and Organizational Performance in Rural Community Hospitals

Abstract: Servant leadership in today’s healthcare settings provides a unique avenue through which to assess leadershipbehaviors and the relationship to employee satisfaction and healthcare patient satisfaction measures. This studysought to determine the degree that leaders in community hospitals were perceived as servant leaders and thelevel of employee satisfaction at these rural community hospitals. Two hundred nineteen surveys werecompleted from 10 community hospitals. This research revealed that servant leadership and employeesatisfaction are strongly correlated. In addition, servant leadership has a significant correlation between intrinsicsatisfaction and HCAHPS scores. Further research can be extended to additional categories and geographic areasof the United States to determine how servant leadership, employee satisfaction, and HCAHPS are related.Hospital administrators should examine the findings of this study for possible implications to their leadershipstyle and practice in determining how it may impact the organization they lead.

Firm Size and Profitability: A Study of Listed Manufacturing Firms ed Manufacturing Firms in Sri Lanka

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of firm size on profitability of quoted manufacturing firms inSri Lanka. In this study, data of 15 companies which were active in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) betweenthe years 2008 to 2012 has been used. As indicators of firm profitability, Return on Assets and Net Profit havebeen used whereas Total Assets and Total Sales have been utilized as indicators of firm size. Correlation andregression methods have been used in the empirical analysis. There is no indicative relationship between firmsize and profitability of listed manufacturing firms, the findings reveal. In addition, the results showed that firmsize has no profound impact on profitability of the listed manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka.

Cash Conversion Cycle and Firm's Profitability: An Empirical Analysis on a Sample of 4,226 Manufacturing SMEs of Italy

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to verify the impact and all the influences of the cash conversion cycle on theprofitability of firms. Using data from an extensive sample of Italian manufacturing firms (4,226 Italian SMEs),the present study is concerned about evaluating how cash conversion cycle affects the profitability. Resultsshowed that average receivables period is having significantly positive association with profitability indicatingthat it is not necessary that always the moral of the story must be: lesser the cash conversion cycle, greater theprofitability. The study takes Ebitda on net sales as measures of profitability to represent dependent variables.

Investigating the Moderating Effects of Gender and Self-Efficacy in the Context of Mobile Payment Adoption: A Developing Country Perspective

Abstract: The adoption rate of mobile payment technology is relatively low in the developing world, particularly in Jordan. The need to study why people in Jordan are unwilling to participate in its adoption is definitely imperative because the outcomes and conclusions of the current analysis could be thoughtfully and strategically utilized to improve and accelerate the adoption and diffusion of mobile payment in Jordan. To achieve this objective, the current study develops a theoretical research model as a framework based on modified Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2). The moderating influence of gender and self-efficacy on the adoption process of mobile payment was integrated in the current model. The quantitative data was collected via a paper-based self-administered questionnaire. A valid 366 data sets (of those just above 50% are females) were used to assess the model. The model parameters were theoretically analyzed by using the WarpPLS 4.0 software. PLS has been selected on merits because it can statistically handle the complexity of the proposed model. This study has concluded that the perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, subjective norm, output quality, and result demonstrability are all important determining factors of behavioral intention towards mobile payment adoption. Further, image and output quality determinants were empirically observed to influence perceived usefulness construct and indirectly influencing behavioral intention. In the meantime, gender differences were determined to have little moderating influence on the adoption process of mobile payment. However, the self-efficacy aspect was found to have a moderating influence on some of the hypothesized relationships of this model, implying that self-efficacy is a significant decision factor to consider for adoption of mobile payment technology. Moreover, the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are presented and discussed.

Measuring the Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices on Competitive Advantage: A Mediation Role of Reputation and Customer Satisfaction

Abstract: Corporates are facing increasing pressure to operate in a socially responsible ways. The importance of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives is due to their relation to competitive advantage, financial result, customer behavior, and corporate reputation as well. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of consumer satisfaction and corporate reputation on achieving competitive advantage for corporates, and then measuring the impact on creating competitive advantage for corporates that apply social responsibility in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The experimental results of the study have demonstrated that the initiatives of (CSR) are affected by the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary activities. The tests have also confirmed the direct relationship between the initiatives of (CSR) and competitive advantage as a strong positive relationship. The results of this study emphasize on the ability of customer satisfaction and corporate reputation to play completely mediating role between (CSR) and competitive advantage. Customer satisfaction also affects more strongly the achievement of competitive advantage. It affects with direct and indirect relationship through corporate reputation. This has been concluded based on the results from a sample of 300 Saudi corporates. The results of this study indicate that (CSR) appears as an effective strategic objective. Therefore, Saudi corporates should consider the initiatives of (CSR) as a way to construct intangible assets such as customer satisfaction and corporate reputation. Saudi corporates, therefore, need to exert all their efforts to engage in the activities of corporate social responsibility, which represent a powerful strategy for those corporates.

The Effects of Corporate Ownership Structure and Board Size on Earnings Management: Evidence from Turkey

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of corporate ownership structure and board size on earnings management for asample of Turkish firms registered on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) for the period of 2009 to 2012. The corporate ownership structure is measured with two variables: managerial ownership and institutional ownership. The board size can be defined as the number of members in the board. This study also uses three controlled variables: return on assets, size of the firm and financial leverage. The adjusted Jones Model (Dechow, Sloanand Sweeney, 1995) and the multivariate regression technique are utilized to examine the effect of corporate ownership structure and board size on earnings management. The results consistent with the previous studies show that the institutional ownership and the board size have a negative significant effect on the earnings management while the effect of the managerial ownership on the earnings management has positively statistically significant. The findings also reveal that the return on assets has a positively statistically significant effect on earnings management. However, the impact of the financial leverage on earnings management isnegatively statistically significant.

Effects of Organizational Justice, Employee Satisfaction, and Gender on Employees' Commitment: Evidence from the UAE

Abstract: This paper examined the direct effects of the different dimensions of organizational justice, employees’satisfaction and gender on perceived organizational commitment in the context of UAE service organizations.The paper used a questionnaire administered to a random sample of 174 employees working in 28 differentservice organizations. We used descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and regression technique to analyze thedata. The results revealed that employees’ satisfaction has a direct influence on commitment. However,perceptions of the three organizational justice components (distributive justice, procedural justice, andinteractional justice) do not have direct influence on employees’ commitment. But they do influence employees’satisfaction. In addition, employee gender, nationality, and tenure do not influence commitment directly orindirectly through satisfaction.

The Impact of Supplier Relationship Management on Competitive Performance of Manufacturing Firms

Abstract: Supplier Relationship Management is very important for manufacturing firms as it can ensure the supply of reliable and frequent deliveries in today's dynamic and competitive environment. For such relationship to be effective and long-term, it has to be beneficial for all parties, the buying and the supplier firms. This study attempts to examine the impact of supplier relationship management (SRM) on competitive performance in the manufacturing sector. Based on the literature review, we measure SRM through five main practices: supplier quality improvement, trust-based relationship with suppliers, supplier lead time reduction, supplier collaboration in new product development, and supplier partnership/development. We measure competitive performance through cost, quality, flexibility, delivery, and on time product launch. Using international data collected in Japan, Korea, USA, and Italy as part of round 3 of High Performance Manufacturing (HPM) project, and After using statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) to describe and analyze the data, the results show that two practices of supplier relationship management, supplier partnership/development and supplier lead time reduction significantly and positively affect the competitive performance of the buying firms. Discussion and conclusion are provided based on the results of this study.

Challenges and Strategies to Improve Tomato Competitiveness along the Tomato Value Chain in Kenya

Abstract: Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum mill) is the second leading vegetable in Kenya in terms of production and value after potato. It can be grown either outdoors or under protected environment because of its wide adaptability and versatility. The potential to strategize the ways of enhancing its competitiveness in the value chain remains locked and unexploited due to a host of constraining factors along its value chain, which must be addressed. This paper has identifies the underlying constraints and proposes strategic interventions to enhance tomato competitiveness along the value chain in Kenya. Secondary data was obtained from Horticulture Crop Development Authority, Amiran Kenya limited and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries records. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in tables to ease understanding. Underlying constraints such as production inefficiencies, market inaccessibility, underutilization of processing facilities and consumers exploitation through exorbitant pricing were identified to affect tomato value chain performance. Strategic interventions like the adoption of greenhouse technologies; appropriate irrigation systems, and business model aggregator were identified to enhance tomato value chain competitiveness. Government was therefore recommended to partner with all stakeholders in order to enhance performance in tomato value chain.

Causal Relationships among Dimensions of Consumer-Based Brand Equity and Purchase Intention: Fashion Industry

Abstract: Due to the intense competition in market place, customers nowadays are exposed to several brands from across the globe. Building the brand equity becomes an important source of differentiation. It is widely recognized the important role of brand image in establishing brand awareness and brand attitude. Numbers of research are still debating on relationship among the dimensions of brand equity and yet no conclusive decision has been made. The purpose of the research is to investigate the relationship among the dimensions of brand equity and propose a model that predicts the purchase intention in fashion industry. The result confirms the casual relationship among the dimensions of brand equity. Interestingly perceived quality rather than brand image has stronger impact on brand loyalty and brand loyalty rather than perceived quality has stronger impact on purchase intention. This study contributes the original model of customer based brand equity of Aaker by introducing brand image as one of the assets to measure the brand equity concept. Strategic guidelines are provided to managers in building the brand loyalty.

Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in an Online Shop: An Experiential Marketing Perspective

Abstract: The rapid development of the Internet has facilitated the proliferation of online stores. How businesses can seize this enormous business opportunity and survive intense competition is an important issue. Based on strategic experiential modules (SEMs), including sense, feel, think, act, and relate, this study attempted to explore the type of experience preferred by consumers of lativ, a well-known low-cost apparel brand in Taiwan, and further examine the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Results showed that perceptions of experiential marketing differed significantly on some demographic variable; experiential marketing was positively related to customer satisfaction and customer loyalty; customer satisfaction and customer loyalty were positively related; and experiential marketing was a significant predictor of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The empirical results about experiential marketing were obtained from the online apparel retail industry.

The impact of corporate characteristics and corporate governance on corporate social and environmental disclosure: A literature review

Abstract: This paper aims at investigating the impact of corporate characteristics and corporate governance upon the level and extent of corporate social and environmental disclosure, with special reference to the case of banks. A desk-based research method has been used, by discussing and criticizing, where appropriate, the results of some related studies. The paper confirms the importance of these factors in determining the level and extent of such disclosure.

Measuring Public Transport Satisfaction from User Surveys

Abstract: Customer satisfaction has been considered one of the most important factors in any industry or service due to its direct relation to customer retention. Recent estimates indicate that the mode share of public transport in Amman is only 17%; of these users 65% do not own a car, hence they are considered captive riders. This paper focuses on the user satisfaction with the public transportation system in the city. A user survey was developed to explore the satisfaction of bus users, minibus users and jitney users. Bus users were found to be the most satisfied. However, the overall average of satisfaction reflects that generally all users are not sufficiently satisfied with the transit system. Transport planners and decision makers could utilize the results and findings of this study, to focus on the attributes that are important for public transport users. The outcomes also direct the attention of transit authorities and operators towards the attributes that scored low in satisfaction, consequently requiring improvement. It is necessary to increase user satisfaction through improving the public transport system in Amman, in order to maintain existing users and attract new passengers. These improvements will make the city more sustainable and reduce the use of private cars in the future. Future research could replicate the adopted methodology with public transport users in similar countries for comparison purposes.

Closed versus Open Innovation: Evolution or Combination?

Abstract: The concept of open innovation has attracted great interest from the academic and industrial sectors alike.Despite the ongoing debate, we can see some lack of consistency of its principles. The purpose of this paper is toset out a conceptual reflection on the foundations of innovation and its process and discuss new proposals fromthe literature on open innovation. We question whether this concept is really a new model, or if it is nothingmore than a recent combination, sponsored by academics. We have examined Chesbrough’s six principles ofopen innovation, showing how they are based on a false dichotomy that opposes necessarily closed innovationto open innovation. We show how this new paradigm lacks conceptual clarity confusing innovation withinnovation process, resurrecting the linear view, and ignoring many earlier studies. We hope to contribute to thediscussion on innovation management and to enrich understanding for all concerned.

Public spending on education and Economic Growth in Algeria: Causality Test

Abstract: In this article, we seek to study the relationship between education and economic growth. For this purpose, we studied multiple entrances (dimension ) information relating education and Economic Growth on theoretical and empirical background in the first, as the second part of study to analysis and examine the effect of Public spending on educa tion on economic growth in Algeria over the period 1974-2012. with the use of endogenous growth model. In this model, gross domestic product (GDP) is based on the Cobb Douglas form which is the function was adopted with five variables: Real Gross National Product (GDP), Capital (K), Labor (L), Expenditure on Education (SEDU). Two unit root tests (Philips-Perron Test) have been employed to test the integration order of the variables. study uses Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Johansen Co-integration test and Causality Test is as analytical techniques for this purpose. The empirical results support the main hypothesis of this study that Public spending on education aff ects positively economic growth in Algeria. Even though that the most important effect on economic g rowth is for education, the other three explanatory variables affect also, positively, the economic growth; yet their effect is relatively les s important than the effect of education.

Perceived Organizational Support, Psychological Empowerment, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Job Performance and Job Embeddedness: A Research on the Fast Food Industry in Istanbul, Turkey

Abstract: The objective of this study was to provide empirical evidence on the relationships among psychologicalempowerment, perceived organizational support, organizational citizenship behavior, job embeddedness and jobperformance. Fast food restaurants have existed in Turkey for more than 20 years over which time they haveregistered an average of 10 percent growth per year, and have attracted foreign fast food chains to invest inTurkey. Istanbul has the most fast food restaurants throughout Turkey with 45 percent. Thus, the fast foodrestaurants which are located in Istanbul is focused in this study. Questionnaires were distributed toapproximately 700 employees and data were collected from June to July 2013. The response rate was 61.2%.Structural equation modelling was used to test the relationships between variables. The results that obtainedthrough the tests support the hypothesized model. This research represented a strong relationship betweenpsychological empowerment, perceived organizational support, organizational citizenship behavior, jobembeddedness (as a moderator) and job performance of the employees in fast food industry in Istanbul, Turkey.This result is noteworthy for employers and managers to retain their talented employees. In addition to that,since there is not any study that conducted in fast food industry in this study’s context in the literature, this studymakes a valuable contribution to the literature.

The Impact of Accounting Variables on Stock Price: Evidence from the Colombo Stock Exchange, Sri Lanka

Abstract: A number of empirical studies have been undertaken by the different countries to identify the factors that affectstock price. Past literature reveals that movements of stock price depend on internal and external factors. Amongthe internal factors, firm specific factors such as dividend per share (DPS), earnings per share (EPS) and bookvalue per share (BVPS) affect the determining of stock price. The present study examined the impact ofdividend per share, earnings per share and book value per share of stock price on a sample of 100 companieslisted in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) from 2008 to 2012. Using a single and multiple regressions modelthe results reveals that EPS, DPS, BVPS were positive and had a significant impact on the stock price in theCSE.

Trust and its Relationship to the Quality of Communication and Employee Satisfaction in a Large Indonesian Workplace

Abstract: The increasing demand for Halal products by Muslim consumers due to their religious obligation has created new services known as the Halal transportation services. These services are specially designed to meet the demand from the Halal manufacturers to maintain the integrity of their Halal products. However, the adoption of the halal transportation services in Malaysia is relatively low. By adopting the TOE framework, this study will try to identify the enablers influencing and barriers impeding the Halal manufacturers from adopting the Halal transportation services. Using the systematic sampling method, data was gathered from 140 participants of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2013. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach was used to test the relationship between the research model construct. The findings show that perceived benefits, organizational readiness, customer pressure and competitive pressure are significant enablers for the adoption decision. Meanwhile, the complexity was found as a barrier to the adoption and government support was found to be a not significant factor to the adoption of Halal transportation. The findings, besides presenting the suitability of PLS in statistical analysis, have also provided useful information to a better understanding regarding the enablers and barriers to the adoption of Halal transportation services. Halal service providers and government agencies which are related to the Halal services could use the findings to make a proper plan in enhancing the adoption of Halal services among Halal industry players. The limitation, implication and suggestion for future research are also discussed.

Impact of Job Design on Employee Performance, Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction: A Study of FMCG’s Sector in Pakistan

Abstract: The present study intends to measure the effect of job design on employee performance while the mediation effectis job satisfaction, although the job design has several methods but we use JCM model (Oldman & Hackman,1976), which has five dimensions of Job Characteristics Model (skill variety, task identity, task significance, jobautonomy and feedback) on employee performance. We have conducted this survey because nearly all companiesworking in FMCG industry are multinational; they are following the same procedures and policies of their parentcompany with minute change accordingly Quantitative method of research was adopted and received 90%responses out of 150 sample size. Findings of the present research indicate a positive relationship between jobdesign and employee performance. While the mediating effect of Job satisfaction is also found having a positiveeffect on employee’s performance. Organizations always have quest of finding the unique ways in order toenhance the performance of the employees, this research would help to analyze that how an adequate job designwould help to increase the employee performance.

The Impact of Green Innovation on Organizational Performance, Environmental Management Behavior as a Moderate Variable: An Analytical Study on Nuqul Group in Jordan

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of green innovation (green product innovation, green process innovation) on organizational performance. The study was applied on Jordanian industrial companies, specifically on Nuqul Group in Jordan. Design/Methodology/Approach: The questionnaire was developed and distributed by 143 questionnaires to the higher managerial employees and the middle managerial employees (General Manager, Assistant General Manager, head of department, assistant head of department and supervisors). The researchers used the Simple regression and stepwise analysis to measure the effect of Green Innovation on Organizational Performance, and Environmental Management Behavior as a Moderate Variable. Finding: The most important finding of the study is having impact of moral green innovation in organizational performance, and also there is impact of the environmental management behavior as a moderator variable between green innovation and performance organizational. Implications: This study confirms the presence impact of green innovation in organizational performance, and this confirms that the practices of green economic and green management have significant benefits at the level of the national economy and achieve significant savings at the level of the Industrial sector.

Firm Bankruptcy Probability and Causes: An Integrated Study

Abstract: The objective of the study is to examine the impact of both the number and types of causes of business failure onthe failure risk as indicated by values of bankruptcy scores during the process of business decline. Causes ofbankruptcy were obtained from court judgments for 70 Estonian manufacturing firms and classified into twotaxonomies–the number of causes and the different types of causes of failure such as internal (differentmanagement deficiencies) or from factors external to the firm. Bankruptcy scores for the first and secondpre-bankruptcy years were calculated using both Ohlson’s model and a local (Grunberg’s) bankruptcy predictionmodel. Independent samples median tests were applied to examine, whether different causes are associated withdifferent failure risk. Findings indicate that multiple causes lead to a significantly higher bankruptcy risk than asingle cause for the year prior to the declaration of bankruptcy. On the contrary, no significant effect of differenttypes of failure causes was found on the risk of failure. Implications of the results for research and practice arediscussed.

An Examination of the Influence of Organizational Structure Types and Management Levels on Knowledge Management Practices in Organizations

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference between organizational structure types, andmanagement levels, in terms of perceived levels of knowledge management practices within organizations. Datawere collected from a sample of 155 individuals employed in San Diego County by way of a web-based survey,and were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of the study indicate that the knowledgemanagement practices of knowledge transfer, information filtering, and knowledge culture are influenced byorganizational structure type. According to the study, knowledge sharing training is not significantly influencedby organizational structure type. Furthermore, the results of the study indicate there is no significant influence ofmanagement level on the knowledge management practices of knowledge transfer, information filtering,knowledge-sharing training, and knowledge culture. In summary, the results of this study solidify the assertionthat organizational structure types do influence knowledge management practices.

Qualitative Research: A Case for a Multi-Angle View to Enhance ‘Validity’

Abstract: Qualitative and quantitative organizational research methods have been fiercely debated with regards to their ‘value’ in terms of the ‘validity’ and ‘generalizability’ of their respective research outcomes. Qualitative or phenomenological research paradigm requires a ‘holistic’ approach to analysing a particular phenomenon in order to address ‘validity’ and ‘generalizability’ issues, and therefore necessitates more ‘intense’ and ‘comprehensive’ approach to data analyses. This conceptual paper adds to the current debate among the positivists and the phenomenologists on the superiority of a particular research method and, resorting to the dialectical analysis, contributes to the current literature on organizational research methods through conditionalising the ‘validity’ and ‘generalizability’ of the research outcomes under the qualitative research paradigm to the use of appropriate ‘research design’. Using the microfinance sector’s paradigm shift of the 1990s as a case, the paper argues that, under the qualitative research paradigm, ‘viewing’ and ‘analysing’ a qualitative set of data with a combination of two or three established theoretical constructs would help the researcher overcome the relative ‘flaw’ or ‘incapacity’ of a single theoretical construct to address all aspects of a social phenomenon under investigation, and therefore, not only enhance readers’ understanding of the issue but also conclude the research with relatively more ‘valid’ and ‘generalizable’ outcomes.

Project Failure: The Way forward and Panacea for Development

Abstract: There is an unambiguous relationship between development and the successful execution of projects as well associetal wellbeing. This paper examined the concept of project failure. The rationale was to identify the mainfactors responsible for project failure and suggest strategies aimed at curbing project failure and facilitatingdevelopment in the future. Data was obtained from a focus group comprising of eight project managementpractitioners in Nigeria. The results were recorded, transcribed and entered into the qualitative research softwareNVivo. Validity and reliability were achieved by first assessing the plausibility in terms of already existingknowledge on some of the issues raised by the focus group participants. The emerging key issues suggested thatproject failure may be contingent on several factors but established based on consensus that corruption and lackof professionalism were among the main causes of project failure in Nigeria. The main results were furthersynthesised into action points which included: the need for an introduction of governance mechanism toincorporate processes standard guidelines that supports projects to achieve their objectives, enshrining punitiveactions against erring project stakeholders who engage in corrupt and unethical practices.

The Benefits of Organizational Citizenship Behavior for Job Performance and the Moderating Role of Human Capital

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior directed towardindividuals (OCBI) and the organization (OCBO), and job performance. In addition, the moderating role ofexperiential/intelligential human capital on the above relationship was also examined. Data was collected from585 RD in other words, OCB would be of greater benefit toless experienced employees than to experienced ones. Finally, the current study also found that employeesengaging in OCBO would have even better job performance if they also had greater intelligential human capital.