This paper is based on a pilot study which was conducted to test innovation on the sustainable growth of SMEs by focusing on the methodological viewpoints. The objective of the pilot study was to assess the viability, length of time, cost, and adverse effects of innovation on the sustainable growth of SMEs in Nigeria so as to enhance the design of the questionnaire before its full implementation. A review of the research instrument was performed by four multi-disciplinary academics who specialised in management, accounting, and strategic management, respectively. The aim was to ensure consistency in the questionnaire so that respondents would have no trouble completing them. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) Version 23 was used to assist in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) which tests for reliability and the Cronbach alpha values were used to examine the content and face validity of the instrument. All the constructs and items used in the model were adapted from previous literature. The sample size used for the study comprised 100 respondents recruited from the SMEs operating in Nigeria. The findings showed that all the constructs in the model carried a high Cronbach alpha value of above 0.7. Therefore, all items used in the instrument were retained. This study is expected to contribute to the literature on methodological multivariate studies, the quantitative approach research on innovation, and the sustainable growth of SMEs.

The purpose of this study is to investigates the effect of organisational culture on the sustainable growth of SMEs; mediating role of innovation competitive advantage. The electrical products small and medium enterprises was the realm of this study. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS was employed to test the hypotheses. Finding of this study revealed that organisational culture has a direct positive significant effect on sustainable growth of SMEs and innovation competitive advantage. Moreover, the study confirmed that innovation competitive advantage has a direct positive significant relationship with sustainable growth of SMEs. Furthermore, the findings established that innovation competitive advantage has fully mediates the relationship between organisational culture and sustainable growth of electrical manufacturing SMEs in Nigeria. This study sets out purposeful measures to encourage owner-mangers of the electrical manufacturing SMEs to maintain as well as installing innovative organisational culture that enhance efficient sustainable growth of SMEs and embedding innovation competitive advantage as a viable strategic mechanism in the enterprise. This study is distinctive because it tries to fill the small and medium enterprises gaps through encouraging managers of the electrical manufacturing SMEs to always strategize for better sustainable growth in the rapidly changing business environment. Keywords: Organisational culture, Sustainable growth of SMEs, Innovation competitive advantage, PLS-SEM (SmartPLS).

No abstract

Motivated by the low sustainability index and pressure to meet the global demand for eco-friendly crude palm oil (CPO) in the pandemic-ridden environment, this research aims to investigate the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess the drivers of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) of the Indonesian CPO sector to tackle supply chain disruptions. To achieve this aim, the study seeks to determine the sustainability drivers to accommodate the pandemic-ridden environment and if sustainability indicators can help improve the supply chain management of the CPO sector. A methodology is divided into two interrelated parts: first, based on a careful review of extant literature of the CPO sector and sustainable supply chain in the light of pandemic. The proposed methodology is then tested using the response data of 108 oil mills' representatives collected through survey questionnaires and analyzed using statistical tools of reliability, distribution, Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and diagnostic tests of CFA. The findings designate the environmental costs, rapidity, and adaptability as core economic indicators; the social and workforce development, health, and safety workforce development and consumer issues as crucial social indicators; while energy and material efficiency, management of waste and emissions, and sustainable suppliers as the best environmental indicators. This study provides a holistic platform on the implications of the pandemic to assess the SSCM of the CPO sector. These findings are expected to aid the industrial managers in employee skills and health protocols, customer service, and environmental management. The study is also anticipated to guide the supply-chain partners and government policymakers to take initiatives on SSCM in the context of the pandemic.

No abstract