Purpose This study aims to test the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on large firms, with regard to a supply disruption, productivity, customer satisfaction and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey design and stratified sampling technique were implemented for employee selection and data gathering. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the data and model fitness, while the structural equation model was used for hypotheses testing. Findings The pandemic triggered supply disruptions, but did not significantly impact the productivity of manufacturing firms directly. However, supply disruption positively and significantly impacted productivity. Organisational productivity had no significant impact on customer satisfaction, however, when mediating the relationship between Covid-19 and customer satisfaction, it produces a positive indirect effect. Finally, Covid-19 and supply disruption when mediated by organisational productivity both had negative significant relationships on performance. Research limitations/implications Having a unique model, it creates a trail for future researchers to explore further. Though customer satisfaction was expected to be affected by the pandemic, it is interesting to find out that customer satisfaction when mediated by organisational productivity was positively influenced. Practical implications Disruptions are inevitable, managers must balance the pursuit of customer satisfaction and productivity so that one does not erode the other. Emphasis must be channelled towards managing the productivity of the firm to maintain customer satisfaction during these uncertain times. Deliberate steps like manufacturing flexibility investments should be initiated. Originality/value The first study to examine Covid-19, supply disruption, customer satisfaction, organisational productivity and performance in the Nigerian manufacturing sector.

PurposeMost studies on small and medium scale enterprises lump both small-scale and medium-scale businesses together as entirely similar phenomenon, thus creating an oversight of the degree of performance recorded by medium-scale businesses. In line with investigating medium-scale firms' performance, this study examines the role of quality management in the performance of medium-scale firms to evolve research-based recommendation for better performance.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional survey design and random sampling were employed. Analysis was based on 915 responses obtained via questionnaire copy distribution from employees within the supply chain, production, operations, and marketing/sales department of selected firms. Hypotheses testing was done using the structural equation model.FindingsA positive significant relationship between quality management and operational performance, employee performance, and quality performance dimensions was identified. An insignificant relationship between quality management and financial and innovation performance dimensions was discovered. However, when mediated by employee focus and process management, significant relationships were observed among all performance dimensions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study reveals that employee focus and process management have the greatest mediating impact on the relationship between quality management and the organisational performance of medium-scale manufacturing firms. This study charts the course for other studies to investigate the mediating role of quality management practices on the relationship between quality management and the organisational performance of medium-scale firms in other developing nations. The manufacturing sector has thirteen industries, but only six were captured in this study. This poses a limitation to the generalisation of the findings of this study. Further studies could strive for a representation of every manufacturing industry to aid generalisation purposes.Practical implicationsManagers of medium-scale manufacturing firms must understand that it might be impossible to get a one size fits all approach to improving performance dimensions. Managers are advised to choose one or two performance dimensions as the goal, then focus on achieving them. This will help clarify which path is best to get the desired results and maximise their quality management system.Originality/valueThis study examines the impact of quality management practices on an integrated performance model of medium-scale firms. The study also uniquely examines the mediating impact of exclusive quality management practices on the relationship between quality management and an integrated performance model.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the role of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) as a catalyst to all things good in great economies; however, sadly, Nigeria has been unable to unlock SME development and the many benefits. The paper’s examination revolves around SMEs and entrepreneurial development, employment generation, government policies and financial aid and its availability. With the intention of establishing the relevance of government role in creating vibrant economies via thriving SMEs and its ripple effect on employment generation. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a survey design, using a questionnaire for data gathering and percentile, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) for data analysis. Findings The study established a significant direct relationship between entrepreneurship development and infrastructure development and employment generation. Also, there was a significant direct relationship between government policies and infrastructure development. However, surprisingly, there was an insignificant relationship between government policy and financial aid and accessibility. Practical implications The government’s role in SMEs’ survival and entrepreneurship development is invaluable. The government must live up to their bidding and create an enabling environment to promote SME and entrepreneurship growth. Only this will transform the economy and minimize unemployment to its barest minimum. Originality/value The study’s research model is an interesting contribution to the body of work in SME and entrepreneurship development. The study is also an original attempt at having a good representation of the South-Western part of Nigeria, as research in high impact journals is usually domiciled in one state.

Inefficiency has been a major issue battling the service delivery of non-academic staff in most public universities in Nigeria and this has greatly affected the academic and research outlook of Nigerian universities. Interest in the study was to determine the extent to which induction, demonstration, on-the-job and formal training which are all elements of employee training and development enhance managerial efficiency by looking at employee productivity and quality of service delivery. The study adopts a convenience and stratified sampling technique to select 293 non-academic staffs in selected public universities in Nigeria and the analysis was carried out using the structural equation model (SEM). The results revealed that on-the-job training has a significant negative relationship with the quality of service delivery in Nigerian universities (t = -4.454), (p < 0.05) and β = -0.20) which could be because most Nigerian universities do not deliberately place new employees to learn directly from a current employee in order to improve their performance. Hence, the study demonstrates that the only way to resolve inefficiency among non-academic (administrative) staff in public tertiary institutions is to integrate effective training into employee career management and adopt employee performance evaluation process as contained in the private organizations.

Purpose Betting games have become a global industry worth billions of dollars providing employment to millions and contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP) of several countries. While there are debates and controversies surrounding betting games discourse, a growing body of literature shows that it has been exacerbated by growing unemployment rates. This paper aims to examine the nexus between the increasing involvement of youth in betting games and unemployment from the Nigerian perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts simple random and stratified sampling techniques to select participants for the study. Three hypotheses were tested for this study and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Findings The three hypotheses tested in this study were coined from previous literature. The study established a direct link between technology advancement, promises of winning big coupled with bonuses while unemployment was not significant to youth involvement in betting games. The study also showed that playing betting games provides another source of income to the youth, who are already engaged in one form of work or another. Finally, youth involvement in betting games has created awareness regarding different sports in the world, while contributing to Nigeria’s economy. Practical implications As betting games centre as a business in Nigeria has contributed substantially and positively to unemployment in Nigeria; the Government of Nigeria are encouraged to streamline and regulate the activities of the sector such that they can contribute significantly to the country GDP and provide employment opportunities to the youths. Originality/value The research shows that the reason why betting games have a massive turnaround of youths in Nigeria is not majorly because of unemployment but as another means to a substantial financial individual/family income. Thus, Nigerian youths see betting games as an avenue to make more money. The study is the first of its kind to examine the nexus between betting games, technology and unemployment hence, its contribution to knowledge.