GJ #2022,1: "The Glocalization of Technocultures" by Mahfuzur Rahman
The opening-up of BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has been regard... more The opening-up of BRICS economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has been regarded as one of the benefits of globalisation. This paper explored the globalisation conundrum and the relationships between internationalisation, economic competitiveness and growth of emerging economies. It examines if there are economic gains and if they are widely shared by revisiting Rodrik's globalisation paradox and Adam Smith's propositions on the wealth of the nations and highlighting the difference between economic competitiveness and comparative advantage. This review covered the period between 2006 and 2021 to gain a better understanding of the globalisation paradox. The review suggests that the efficiency gains from trade liberalisation are not equally shared by every country leading to "unbalanced prosperity". Although the rise of China and India as global superpowers was due to globalisation, many Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are poorer or further behind economically (referred to in this article as "globalised but economically-forsaken").
Papers by Mahfuzur Rahman
International Journal of Emerging Markets
PurposeThis study examines the relationship between HR practices and millennial employee retentio... more PurposeThis study examines the relationship between HR practices and millennial employee retention in the tourism industry in Bangladesh. It investigates the moderating role of the work environment in the relationship between HR practices and employee retention in the industry.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers used non-probability judgemental sampling to collect 384 questionnaires through a survey of millennial employees. Partial least square-based structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data.FindingsThe results reveal that HR practices included in this paper have significant relationships with millennial employee retention in the tourism industry in Bangladesh, except employee participation in decision-making. In addition, the results show that the work environment only moderates the relationship between two HR practices (compensation, training and development) and millennial employee retention.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that managers in ...
Business Strategy & Development, 2019
The study aimed to examine the barriers to embracing enzymatic processing in the garment industry... more The study aimed to examine the barriers to embracing enzymatic processing in the garment industry in a developing country. We used the case of Bangladesh, which has the largest garment sector in the world. The research used semistructured interviews with 10 high‐profile figures in the industry, comprising scientists, manufacturers, enzyme traders, and policymakers. We found economic, sociocultural, informational, and policy‐related barriers to the adoption of enzymatic processing. Attending to each element would benefit manufacturers primarily; this will help identify its strengths and weaknesses to ensure the effective implementation of enzymatic textile processing to obtain optimum results. The study also found that manufacturers' desire to help improve environmental performance is a factor, which could motivate them in adopting green manufacturing innovation. It is expected that regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation—particularly from high social responsiveness and c...
Sustainability
Despite the plethora of explications of the direct and indirect impacts of green people managemen... more Despite the plethora of explications of the direct and indirect impacts of green people management practices on different dimensions of individual and organizational performance and sustainability, a holistic model demonstrating the constituent aspects and impacts of such sustainability on organizational, individual, and team performance is missing. The objective of this study is to address this gap/void through a review of 127 papers on green human resource management (GHRM) following a systematic literature review approach. Based on the systematic review, this study used a thematic analysis, which identified twenty-four disparate people and organizational aspects and grouped the most used ones into five theoretical lenses, including AMO = ability–motivation–opportunity, RBV = resource-based view, SHT = stakeholder theory, SET =social exchange theory, and SIT = social identity theory. These five sets of results were used to develop the first-of-its-kind holistic framework showing h...
Journal of Risk and Financial Management
This research investigates corporate governance (CG) norms in Bangladesh, a developing nation. Th... more This research investigates corporate governance (CG) norms in Bangladesh, a developing nation. This study assesses the codes’ key aspects and how they have evolved since the first code was released in 2006. This analysis shows that BSEC changed its recommendations from voluntary to mandatory in the subsequent revisions in 2012 and 2018. The modified versions increased board independence compared to the original code, although it is still lower than in some other emerging nations. Recent changes to the rules include conditions on the nomination and remuneration committees, along with some other amendments. However, critical governance components, such as choosing an independent board member as chair, improving board independence, and assuring gender diversity, could be implemented in future code development. It is believed that investors would be more interested in Bangladesh’s capital market if the policymakers could make the proposed modifications in accordance with the distinctive...
Sustainability
This article explores innovations in and pedagogical approaches to Responsible Entrepreneurship E... more This article explores innovations in and pedagogical approaches to Responsible Entrepreneurship Education (REE), with a specific focus on how to advance responsible entrepreneurial competencies (“know-how”) and entrepreneurial practices (“know-that”). Consequently, this article proposes the “4Rs” framework (re-imagining, reconfiguring, reshaping, and reforming) to guide entrepreneurship educators’ actions. Firstly, it is necessary to “re-imagine” the intended and enacted curriculum to develop a contemporary awareness and knowledge of social and environmental enterprises. Secondly, it is essential to “reconfigure” teaching pedagogies to problematize the entrepreneurship environment and outer world. Thirdly, it is required for educators to “reshape” the attained curriculum with the stakeholders to offer learners co-curricular and extracurricular experiences. Finally, pedagogical “reforms” provide an opportunity to incorporate innovations into the discovery of new knowledge and paths o...
International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 2018
Purpose People-related factors are very significant barriers for the internationalisation of larg... more Purpose People-related factors are very significant barriers for the internationalisation of large and small firms. Although the literature has identified a number of steps that SMEs need to take to increase their resilience in international markets, a study that identifies both the resilience and non-resilience barriers for SME internationalisation has not been undertaken in the scientific fields Human Resource Management and International Business. This paper aims to examine resilience and non-resilience barriers faced by SMEs in a developing country. In addition to the resilience literature, they examine non-resilience and combine its characteristics with resilience barriers from the Bangladeshi context. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative data analysis technique is used in this study to identify the impacts of these resilience/non-resilience issues’ internationalisation of SMEs both from micro and macro levels. This study has used primary data collected through the question...
Sustainability
In this article, we critique and extend Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital to develop the new ... more In this article, we critique and extend Bourdieu’s notion of cultural capital to develop the new concept of total diaspora cultural capital. We build on the limitations of cultural capital, which in the Bourdieu theory centre on materiality and class perpetuation. The article builds on an extensive review of the literature, using the PRISMA framework. We also use the findings of previous research to illustrate this argument. We differentiate between four types of organisations or groups that articulate various levels of cultural capital to build a body of evidence that establishes total diaspora cultural capital (type D groups) as a bounded collective identity creation encapsulating three main dimensions: appropriation, customisation and deployment. Total diaspora cultural capital is perceived as fitting the post-colonial global context through the acknowledgement that diasporas and hosts make the modern world, being agents who create and disseminate culture and economic sustainabil...
Businesses
This study investigated three key factors (technological-related, organisational-related and envi... more This study investigated three key factors (technological-related, organisational-related and environmental-related barriers) affecting the adaptation to or integration of developed ICT. It also examined how SMEs in less developed countries can explore the different stages of developed ICT by moving from one stage to the other. The integration of ICT in SMEs is important as technologies have become competitive tools in contemporary business practices. This study is based on a survey of 322 Nigerian SMEs which was successfully validated using the SmartPLS3 software. The quantitative analysis centred on the three hypothesised barriers to measure the extent to which SMEs’ internal and external variables could limit their competitiveness in relation to business expansion and organisational growth. The analysis helped explain some of the critical challenges faced by rural SMEs in an emerging economy such as Nigeria despite the literature’s previous emphasis on the impacts of ICT on the SM...
Although people and technology are very significant for the internationalisation of large and sma... more Although people and technology are very significant for the internationalisation of large and small firms the association between people and technology in the internationalisation of SMEs is under-represented from a developing country context. This paper examines and applies the characteristics of the configuration model of HRM onto SMEs to see what it might contribute to SMEs’ entrepreneurial behaviour. A quantitative method data analysis technique is used here to identify the barriers of SME’s internationalisation both from micro and macro levels. We used primary survey data from 212 Bangladeshi SMEs. Based on the data, this study has developed and validated partial least square based structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to compare technology and people-oriented barriers of SMEs’ internationalisation. It has successfully framed these two types of barriers as a model and found that none of the individual barriers is even more significant. The results show that both HRM and technolog...
Objectives A conceptual framework for the empirical analysis of some effects on rural enterprises... more Objectives A conceptual framework for the empirical analysis of some effects on rural enterprises of “the digital economy”, linked to the concept of an anticipatory system. The superficial context is the expansion of ‘superfast’ broadband into rural areas through public subsidy. The more significant research objective is to explore ways in which rural enterprises are sustained in a digital age, for example by innovation and what processes are employed in achieving such sustainability. How does being enterprising include anticipation and to what effect? Prior Work The focal point of the research is the notion of the ‘business model’ e.g. (Amit & Zott, 2001; M. Morris, Schindehutte, & Allen, 2005; Alexander Osterwalder, Pigneur, & Clark, 2010) and the related influences that rural contexts and broadband may have on the capacity of an SME to sustain itself, either through competitiveness or in value captured (Chesbrough & Rosenbloom, 2002). The work also builds on Fuller and Warren’s p...
Thunderbird International Business Review, 2021
Despite internationalization theory's recognition that place and policy constitute fundamental ba... more Despite internationalization theory's recognition that place and policy constitute fundamental barriers for the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), research into rural-based firms from the developing world is a much underdeveloped and neglected area. To address the need to examine this gap, the purpose of this study is to identify and compare place and policy challenges of rural SMEs' internationalization in Nigeria. We have developed a model that extends internationalization theory's overemphasis on the structural aspects of these barriers and thereby provide a resolution tool for managers. By using partial least squares (PLS) path modeling methodology, we also administered 403 questionnaires in six of Nigeria's geopolitical zones. Our threestage analyses reveal findings that the physical and geographical (or place barrier) challenges account for 90% whilst the traditionally neglected aspects of legal and regulatory barriers score 85%. Therefore, place related barriers should be given slightly higher priority if it is not possible to be given equal recognition in internationalization theory. These findings provide new insights into a more complex picture of SMEs' internationalization in emerging economies. It is recommended that our Human-centric Hierarchical Model could help inform managers' decision-making processes on what human aspects they need to prioritize when faced with policy and place barriers. It is also recommended that our model adds social value to SME businesses and provides a new lens for scholars to investigate place and policy related barriers to rural Nigeria's SMEs.
Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2020
The research aims to critically discuss key new biotechnologies in textile processing and examine... more The research aims to critically discuss key new biotechnologies in textile processing and examines the foundation of the resistance to adoption of such technologies in emerging markets. Using semi-structured interviews and the scientific literature, the paper draws on experts' opinions about enzyme applications; at the same time, the paper interrogates policymakers and economic operators about the barriers to biotechnology adoption in emerging markets. The paper finds that the application of biotechnologies in textile processing is an environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional chemical processing. Enzymatic processing involves less water and energy, thus causing less environmental degradation. The research builds on strategic management tools, such as Lewin force field analysis and change framework to examine drivers and barriers to enzymatic processing specifically in the textile sector in developing economies. This has enabled the paper to suggest more vigorous and systematic actions from both policymakers and economic actors for greater environmental sustainability. The research contributes to raise awareness about the environmental consequences of older textile processing methods and defuses the argument that new technologies are out of reach for emerging market economic actors. Biotechnologies in the form of enzymatic processing represent strategic opportunities for emerging markets in economic, environmental and public health terms.
International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development, 2020
Textile industries contribute significantly to the economy of many developing countries. Every ye... more Textile industries contribute significantly to the economy of many developing countries. Every year, these countries export millions of dollars’ worth of textile products to developed countries. However, textile industries use expensive and corrosive chemicals that pose a significant threat to environmental quality and public health. This has led to serious concerns and necessitated the inclusion of safer and environmentally friendly alternatives. Consequently, bio-based processing has created a new approach utilizing biotechnological advances. This article uses evidence from the scientific literature to examine the application of industrial biotechnology in textile-processing industries, which includes enzymes, as a sustainable alternative to the harsh toxic chemicals currently used in textile processing. The article draws on evidence that enzymes offer a competitive advantage over chemicals with less resource requirements (energy and water), reduced emission and less waste. Due to...
Journal of Work-Applied Management, 2020
PurposeThis article empirically assesses the extent to which factors rooted in the cultural and i... more PurposeThis article empirically assesses the extent to which factors rooted in the cultural and institutional framework in sub-Saharan African organisational contexts challenge and resist the penetration of global practices and how these dynamics impact on human resource management (HRM). This article examines whether universalistic perspectives are significant for African HRM. The article discusses the tensions between the contributions derived from local and historical factors and that of other environmental agents to African HRM practice.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a survey among 100 practising African HRM executives representing significant organisations in sub-Saharan Africa.FindingsThe main findings established that in spite of westernisation and globalising trends in learning and development in Africa, human resource practices are still profoundly embedded in the African cultural fabric. Significant elements of cultures in sub-Saharan Africa pervade organ...
Thunderbird International Business Review, 2020
The way this study has used the "best-fit" approach has facilitated the investigation of how thre... more The way this study has used the "best-fit" approach has facilitated the investigation of how three hypothesized constructs of political, economic, and social barriers can deepen our knowledge of their impacts on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)' internationalization within a small developing country context. Based on a quantitative analysis of the three hypothesized barriers, we used the "best-fit" approach to measure the extent to which the SMEs' internal variables like people, products, services, and practices might best fit some of the people and non-people factors external to the businesses. The application of the "best-fit" approach onto the three hypotheses-politics (H1), social (H2), economics (H3), helped us in explaining the major social and politico-economic barriers faced by a developing economy' (Bangladeshi) SMEs' internationalization despite previous literatures' emphasis on the impacts of globalization, market drivers or their oversight. Based on the findings, we point to future research trajectory. This study used primary survey data from 212 Bangladeshi SMEs and successfully validated an HR model by using Smart PLS3 software. The results from the hypotheses were used to produce the HR model to help SMEs identify the significance of people and economic factors and propose these aspects for inclusion in the "best-fit" approach, SME, and globalization research.
Sustainability, 2019
Participation of women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international trade is ... more Participation of women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international trade is gaining more importance in the transformation of institutional changes. Although women entrepreneurs contribute to the social and economic development, the role of social, cultural, and legal institutions in fostering women entrepreneurship is still debatable. This argument remains controversial as there is no single theory that has explained the phenomenon of women-owned firms in international trade. Because of the missing link between gender sensitivity and the existing theories of entrepreneurship and internationalization, there is a significant research gap. To fill up this research gap, this study revisited existing theories from three research domains: feminism, entrepreneurship, and internationalization. Factors derived from revisiting theories of entrepreneurship and internationalization were evaluated based on findings from the review of the feminist theories. Finally, key param...
BUSINESS STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT, 2019
This study focuses on identification, categorisation and comparison of regulatory barriers to int... more This study focuses on identification, categorisation and comparison of regulatory barriers to internationalisation for the SMEs from an emerging market context. Primary data were collected to develop and validate a structural model to assess the salient regulatory barriers of internationalisation with a particular attention to the SMEs in Bangladesh. Structured questionnaire has been used to collect data from 212 SMEs operating in Bangladesh. The results indicate that both administrative and economic regulatory barriers are significant for the internationalisation of SMEs whereby administrative regulatory barriers are slightly more substantial. This study provides further discussion from both theoretical and methodological aspects. By developing and validating structural model, this study contributes to the literature on small business and regulation with particular attention to the emerging markets.
BUSINESS STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT, 2019
In today's global marketplace, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly looking... more In today's global marketplace, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly looking at internationalisation strategies to boost growth, profitability and competitiveness. However, challenges, such as, socio-cultural differences, political institutions, limited resources, competitive challenges, market threats, economic and technological barriers all hinder SMEs from entering and competing favourably in the international markets. Considering the important link between lack of resources and internationalisation of SMEs, this study examined economic and technology related barriers of SMEs internationalisation from a neglected yet emerging market context in Bangladesh. To compare the relative importance of these two particular categories of barriers, this study developed and validated a Partial Least Square based Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) with primary data gathered from questionnaires from 212 Bangladeshi SMEs. The findings of the paper suggest that, technology related barriers seem slightly more influential than economic barriers. As the difference is very low, importance should be given to both types of barriers as found. Conceptually, this study extends this area of research by reframing economic and technology related barriers of internationalisation as a hierarchical reflective model within an emerging economy context. Empirically, it confirms that PLS-SEM can be used to compare the relative importance of these two types of barriers. Practically, policy makers can give slightly more priorities on the technology related barriers where it is not possible to give equal importance to both because of limited resource and research neglect on developing economies.
Annals of Operations Research, 2021
Although innovation from analytics is surging in the manufacturing sector, the understanding of t... more Although innovation from analytics is surging in the manufacturing sector, the understanding of the data-driven innovation (DDI) process remains a challenge. Drawing on a systematic literature review, thematic analysis and qualitative interview findings, this study presents a seven-step process to understand DDI in the context of the UK manufacturing sector. The findings discuss the significance of critical seven-step in DDI, ranging from conceptualisation to commercialisation of innovative data products. The results reveal that the steps in DDI are sequential, but they are all interlinked. The proposed seven-step DDI process with solid evidence from the UK manufacturing and research implications based on dynamic capability theory, institutional theory and TOE framework establish the building blocks for future studies and industry practice.
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GJ #2022,1: "The Glocalization of Technocultures" by Mahfuzur Rahman
Papers by Mahfuzur Rahman