Volume 24, Number 1, 2021

EN:

These days, doing business in Africa is a necessity. But in view of the difficulties involved, knowing and understanding the current factors that govern Africa’s business environment and impact firms’ behaviour becomes an imperative for businesses to succeed on the continent. This study is therefore useful as it sheds light on those factors, in order to identify the available contours and technicalities, thereby providing information that can help in coming up with viable strategies for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

EN:

In the past, most managers considered total quality management (TQM) philosophy very different from human resource management (HRM) philosophy because TQM focused on incremental improvements from the bottom up, whereas the HRM functions were based on a top-down approach in the organization’s hierarchy. Their understanding of the word “TQM” not only depended on process management but also on managing the process itself as in statistical process control (SPC). Therefore, the very few managers who did pay attention to quality implemented it on the floor-level of HRM activities where the core functions of the organizations were performed. The emerging thinking of HRM, however, is that TQM complements HRM functions and provides long-term competitive advantages to organizations. Supporting these ideas, this paper reflects on the past, examines the present, and proposes an integrated framework for organizations’ overall success.

EN:

The development of SMEs serves as a tool for creating employment opportunities in developing countries. SME growth can be attributed to how owners and managers use entrepreneurial marketing skills in their day-to-day operations. A quantitative study was used to gain an understanding of the application of marketing skills in SMEs and the development of SMEs in Ghana. Findings indicate that entrepreneurs acquire marketing skills during their years of operation, however, these skills are not in tune with modern business trends and market competition. Establishing marketing departments and equipping business owners with marketing skills enables their ability to deal with volatile consumer demands. Likewise, requisite marketing skills enable market understanding, new marketing approaches, and the design of demand driven products and services

EN:

This paper aims at offering a review and assessment of various emerging technologies and their business applications and implications. The study focuses on nineteen emerging technologies categorized under five major themes: (1) automation and robotics; (2) data and connectivity; (3) interfaces and visualization; (4) materials; (5) energy and resources. For each theme, the associated technologies are examined, their business applications and implications are assessed, and some examples are provided. In the end, an integrative table of nineteen emerging technologies is offered, and some avenues for future research are discussed.