International Journal of Innovations in Business

Effects of tourism seasonality to a highland destination: evidence from Al Bahah Province, Saudi Arabia

Ahmad Puad Mat Som — 2020-02-01

Seasonality is a pervasive feature and a factor affecting all aspects of contemporary tourism. Within the industry, seasonality dramatically influences tourism supply and demand in terms of employment, operation of tourism business, travel pattern and tourist flow. Tourist destinations, typically those which are related to climate such as highland destinations, are very vulnerable to systematic fluctuations of demand. Thus, seasonality is considered one of the major challenges facing highland destinations, jeopardizing their sustainable development. In view of this and the fact that seasonality is one of the least understood features of tourism, this paper attempts to examine the effects of tourism seasonality to Al Bahah Province, a highland destination situated in the southwestern part of Saudi Arabia. Based on interview findings from key stakeholders, this paper suggests that the application and success of some of the recommendations made by the stakeholders are subject to factors such as the availability of various tourism resources and events, governmental support to encourage domestic tourism and improved accessibility to the destination.

An exploratory study of key success factors for business success of companies in the Namibian Tertiary Industry

Matthias Mpareke Ngwangwama — 2020-02-01

This study explores the key success factors for business success of companies in the Namibian Tertiary Industry. There is a dearth of scholarly research on key success factors for business success from a developing country perspective. Considering the differing operating contexts between the developed and developing countries, exploring the key success factors from a developing country viewpoint is warranted. The study employed a sequential Mixed Methods Research Approach, which begins with Interpretivistic research in the first phase and then progresses to Positivistic research in the final phase. Multiple and triangulated data sources, such as interviews from 54 participants, archival document analysis and personal observations were used to capture and socially construct key success factors for business success. A survey to establish the extent to which the identified success factors are observed and entrenched in Namibian companies is to be conducted in the latter phase. During the Interpretivistic research phase, the study used Grounded Theory techniques in collecting and analysing data. The study preliminary findings suggest that people in the organisation, especially activities and practices relating to continuing employee training and development, implementation of company-wide organisational communication, using Unions as instruments for meaningful employer-employee engagement, establishing a common organisational value system that appeals to all employees and senior management consistently practising a high set of personal values, are key success factors for business success. In view of the prevalent cultural diversities and differing educational levels in developing countries, managerial patience also emerged as a key success factor that managers should be aware of and practice. Although not an exhaustive and absolute list of key success factors, the study provides practical guidelines on managerial actions, activities and practices that companies should implement in their day-to-day management.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN THE FUNCTION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – THE EXAMPLE OF VUKOVAR-SRIJEM COUNTY

Matej Galić — 2020-01-10

In the past few years, terms such as knowledge society and knowledge economy are often used in conventional applications. Knowledge management and knowledge have gained a new dimension because they have become a new competitive weapon and determining factors upon which are based economic development and competitive position of companies in the market.

Unlike the past when the economic development of an area was based on natural resources and material goods, modern economic development is based primarily on the use of new information, innovations, knowledge, and, therefore, on the quality and educated human resources.Hence, the knowledge and educated human resources are imposed as a starter of an economic development of an area. Knowledge economy will be recognized as the foundation of successful economies of the developed countries.

An important role in the economic development have institutions of higher education from which is expected to make a market adjustment to new social needs, labor market, new knowledge and technologies.

Vukovar-Srijem County, although rich in natural resources, is one of the least developed counties in Croatia. What makes this county the back of country's average, is poor educational structure of population, which negatively affects the economic development. Knowledge and educated human resources must be recognized as the backbone of the socio-economic development of this area. The resulting need is to devote the necessary attention to knowledge management and restructuring of human resources in the Vukovar-Srijem County and thus accelerate economic development.

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the concept of knowledge, the impact of knowledge management on the economy and the application knowledge management in case of Vukovar-Srijem County, and there's been a proposition of further guidelines to develop economy within the knowledge management.

Keywords: knowledge, knowledge management, economy, education, Vukovar-Srijem

County

JEL classification: D83

Pension fund and real estate investment: evidence from a sample of italian pension funds

Elisa Bocchialini — 2020-01-08

The paper addresses the issue of real estate investment as a diversification opportunity available to italian pension funds. It develop an analytical work based on a sample of pension funds named “preesistenti”, that is oldest pension funds category in Italy and the only funds category that are granted the real estate investments in all its forms.

This work leads to conclusions confirming that real estate investment represents the most important alternative class for italian pension funds. Among the different forms of investment, the direct investment prevails (over 60% of total investments) and represents the historical form of real estate investment, but it is decreasing. Conversely, the indirect investment property (real estate investment trusts) are increasing.

In the comparison between samples of funds, many differences emerge between funds that invest in real estate and funds that do not invest in real estate, especially in terms of asset allocation.

These results confirm the capacity of the real estate to be a viable alternative for diversification in the Italian market too.

Wasta In The Jordanian Culture: A Study In The Banking Sector

Sa'ad Hussein Ali — 2020-01-08

Due to globalisation, the emergence and expansion of new overseas markets, extensive use of information and communication technologies in global trade and growing competition between multinational companies, international Human Resource Management (HRM) is an increasingly attractive and popular area of study. However, much of our knowledge is built on an Anglo-Saxon/ European base and there is a paucity of research that considers the transfer of modern (western) principles of HRM to developing countries, particularly in the Middle East. Arguably, Jordan is one country that may benefit from the promise of quality, equality and profitability offered by the systemic approach to managing people. Thus, this paper introduces a PhD research project, currently in its first year, that considers the transfer of western recruitment and selection frameworks into Jordanian culture.

Phase one of the research has involved a critical review of literature; in this paper we focus on culture as one key area of literature that will inform the development of our empirical work. There are many streams of research on culture, including organisational culture studies, comparative management, cross cultural management, international management and cross cultural psychology of organisational behaviour. Equally there are many definitions of culture: some connect with it around the notion of values, beliefs and practices that are shared by a group of people; others take a move active view, akin to ‘the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and to generate social behaviour’. Despite such differences, our understanding is uniform in that culture, nationally and organisationally, influences how organisations and people are managed.

Jordan is a service-based economy, actively encouraging foreign direct investment. This has led to a significant recent increase in the number of multinational organisations operating in Jordan. At the same time, Jordan is known for being a country based on tribal affiliations, where social status and political life is strongly affected by the nature of the country’s social setting. In modern organisational practice ‘wasta’ is the core concept related to tribalism; that is, favouritism based on family and tribal relations. This is significant with regards to HRM in that the practice of wasta is the only way for many people to get employed in Jordan (as is most Arab countries). Therefore, recruitment and selection practice is based on favouritism, contrary to the principles of contemporary (western) HRM. It is this juncture where our main research interest lies: we seek to examine the possibility of transferring western recruitment and selection frameworks to an environment culturally bound by historically and socially different value base. We propose to study the banking sector specifically. Following an in-depth review of literature in this area, an outline of the research aims and data collection methods bring the paper to conclusion.