Smartphones have become increasingly essential in people’s daily lives. Studying the enablers that influence students’ smartphone buying intentions can inform technology-enhanced learning development, whereas research on brand loyalty and experience is important for marketing strategies. While prior research has acknowledged the importance of brand experience and customer loyalty, little literature has investigated the specific dimensions of brand loyalty and their connection to brand love and trust. This study investigates the effects of brand attributes on loyalty and word-of-mouth engagement in choosing smartphones in China, including the mediating role of brand trust and brand love between brand experience and loyalty. The study adopted a research framework based on the previous literature and tested it empirically. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey method, collecting 369 questionnaires from Chinese students in mainland China. The collected data were analyzed with the help of structural equation modelling by applying AMOS software version 26. The results showed that brand experience had a significant influence on brand trust, brand love, attitudinal loyalty, and word-of-mouth, except for behavioral loyalty. Likewise, the link between brand trust and attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty, and brand love was found to be significant. The effect of brand love on attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty became significant. Additionally, the study confirmed that behavioral trust and brand love significantly mediates the relationship between brand experience–attitudinal loyalty, and brand experience–behavioral loyalty, respectively. The study results provide numerous theoretical and managerial implications to help academicians and practitioners provide better customer and brand relationship management.

Change management plays a key role in enhancing sustainable organizational performance in a dynamic global business environment. This study investigates the dimensions of change management (i.e., readiness of change, climate for change, and change processes) in boosting the sustainable performance of higher education institutions (HEIs) through knowledge management and transformational leaderships as mediators. This study employed an explanatory, quantitative, and cross-sectional approach for collecting data from the top management of private HEIs in Malaysia. Structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 4.0 is carried out for data analysis. We find that two dimensions of change management (i.e., climate for change and change processes) have a significantly positive impact on knowledge management, and only climate for change has a significantly positive relation with transformational leadership. The results highlighted that knowledge management mediate between climate for change and change processes and HEI sustainable performance. However, transformational leadership acts as a mediator between the climate for change and HEIs’ sustainable performance. No moderating effect of green teams was found between the mediators and HEI sustainable performance. The research findings have several implications for adopting the change management elements for the enhanced sustainable performance of HEIs and guiding the top management of HEIs, policymakers, and related governmental institutes.

This chapter explores the main objectives of supply chain management and operations management, highlighting their importance for the success and endurance of entrepreneurial ventures. It delves into how good management of these areas may increase competitiveness, achieve efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and guarantee customer satisfaction. The importance of operations and supply chain management in fostering business growth and sustainability is emphasized. Addedly, the chapter highlights upcoming trends and changing problems, pushing entrepreneurs to adopt best practices and methods to manage their supply chains and operations for long-term success.

Higher education service quality and performance in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is critical for developing human capital for economic survival; however, the effects of service quality on organisational performance are still unclear. Furthermore, neglecting employee soft factors and ignoring higher education-specific models have hindered efforts to develop a comprehensive model for service quality excellence in order to improve higher education performance for organisations. This study aims to assess higher education service quality based on a modified higher education performance (modified HEdPERF) model, as well as consideration of the mediating effects of soft factors (i.e., job satisfaction and organisational commitment) in Malaysian polytechnic institutions. Based on random sampling, 214 department heads from 33 polytechnic institutes in Malaysia participated in this study. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires and were analysed using AMOS. The results uncover that service quality significantly affects job satisfaction, thus positively affecting organisational commitment, which enhances organisational performance sustainability. The findings also reveal that job satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between service quality and organisational commitment. Similarly, organisational commitment fully mediates the relationship between job satisfaction and organisational performance sustainability. The results have important implications for enhancing organisational performance sustainability in a TVET context when implementing the modified HEdPERF service quality model with simultaneous attention paid towards employee soft factors.

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of innovation management and learning orientation as the mechanisms playing the role of an intermediate relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kuwait. Background: SMEs are currently among the principal economic instruments in most industrialised and developing countries. The contribution of SMEs can be viewed from various perspectives primarily related to the crucial role they play in developing entrepreneurial activities, employment generation, and improving innovativeness. Developing countries, including Kuwait and other countries, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have recognised the key role played by SMEs as a strong pillar of growth. Consequently, many governments have formulated policies and programmes to facilitate the growth and success of SMEs. Unfortunately, the organisational performance of SMEs in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, remains below expectations. The lagged growth could be due to a lack of good managerial practices and increasing competition that negatively impact their performance. Numerous researchers discovered the positive effect of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance. However, a lack of clarity remains regarding the direct impact of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance, especially in developing countries. Therefore, the nexus between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance is still indecisive and requires further studies. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey and descriptive design to gather data within a specific period. The data were collected by distributing a survey questionnaire to Kuwaiti SMEs’ owners and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) via online and on-hand instruments. A total of 384 useable questionnaires were obtained. Moreover, the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Contribution: The current study contributed to the existing literature by developing a moderated mediation model integrating entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. The study also investigated their effect on the organisational performance of SMEs. The study findings also bridged the existing significant literature gap regarding the role of these variables on SMEs’ performance in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, due to the dearth of studies linking these variables in this context. Furthermore, this study empirically confirmed the significant effect of innovation management and learning orientation as intermediate variables in strengthening the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance in the settings of Kuwait SMEs, which has not been verified previously. Findings: The study findings showed the beneficial and significant impact of entrepreneurial leadership and innovation management on SME’s organisational performance. The relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and SMEs’ organisational performance is fundamentally mediated by innovation management and moderated by learning orientation. Recommendations for Practitioners: The present study provides valuable insights and information regarding the factors considered by the government, policymakers, SMEs’ stakeholders, and other authorities in the effort to increase the organisational performance level and facilitate the growth of SMEs in Kuwait. SMEs’ owners or CEOs should improve their awareness and knowledge of the importance of entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. These variables will have beneficial effects on the performance and assets to achieve success and sustainability if adopted and managed systematically. This study also recommends that SMEs’ entrepreneurs and top management should facilitate supportive culture by creating and maintaining an organisational climate and structure that encourages learning behaviour and innovation mindset among individuals. The initiative will motivate them towards acquiring, sharing, and utilising knowledge and increasing their ability to manage innovation systemically in all production processes to adapt to new technologies, practices, methods, and different circumstances. Recommendation for Researchers: The study findings highlighted the mediating effect of innovation management on the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership (the independent variable) and SMEs’ organisational performance (the dependent variable) and the moderating effect of learning orientation in the same nexus. These relationships were not extensively addressed in SMEs of developing countries and require further validation. Impact on Society: This study aims to influence the management strategies and practices adopted by entrepreneurs and policymakers who work in SMEs in developing countries. The effect will be reflected in the development of their firms and the national economy in general. Future Research: Future research should investigate the conceptual research framework against the backdrop of other developing economies and in other business settings to generalise the results. Future investigation should seek to establish the effect of entrepreneurial leadership style on other mechanisms, such as knowledge management processes, which could function with entrepreneurial leadership to improve SMEs’ performance efficiently. In addition, future studies may include middle and lower-level managers and employees, leading to more positive outcomes.