Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) survival is critical for economic sustainability due to the multifaceted role of the economy. Thus, halting SMEs operation hurts the aggregate economy. During the present pandemic, SMEs’ sustainability in Bangladesh is under-challenged because of limited market demand, supply constraints, financial incapacity, and capital restrictions. However, with the concerted effort from firms and the government, SME’s have been trying to reestablish from the unforeseen consequence by capitalizing on innovation, skills, and economic resources. The motivation of the study is to gauge the impact of innovative finance, technological adaptation, and the government’s role on SMEs’ sustainability during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. As a study sample, 2000 SMEs were considered for data collection through a structured questionnaire from 10 December 2020, to 28 January 2021. A sample of 1895 SMEs was returned with their responses. However, after a careful data cleaning procedure, only a sample of 1395 (69.75%) responses was found suitable for study. The study applied structural equation modelling to explore causal effects and test the proposed hypothesis for the hypnotized model, i.e., more precisely, to explore the direct effects of technology adaptation and innovative finance and indirect effects through government support on SMEs. Study findings revealed that SMEs’ sustainability positively accelerates by applying innovative finance and integration of technological adaptation. In contrast, the mediating role of government was also established with indirect assessment. Study findings suggest that policy formulation and implementation must be initiated, focusing on effective online financial services, settling business transactions, and integrating IT advancements in operation.

The determinants of innovation output in empirical literature were extensively investigated by considering diverse sets of variables. Still, the impact of economic policy uncertainty on innovation output is yet to unleash. To mitigate the existing research gap, the study investigated the association between EPU and innovation output, considering a panel of 22 countries over 1997–2018. The study employed a dynamic panel quantile regression and system-GMM specification causality test for discovering elasticity and directional association both in the long-run and the short-run. Study findings disclosed negative statistically significant effects running from EPU to innovation output except innovation measured by R&D. Moreover, institutional quality and FDI exposed positive and statistically significant association with innovation output. In terms of directional causality, unidirectional causality running from EPU and FDI to innovation output was established, whereas bidirectional causality was established between institutional quality and innovation output.

Purpose: This study examines the effects of incremental and radical creativity on both product and process innovation by considering the moderating roles of knowledge sharing in intensity and quality.Design/methodology/approach: Primary research is conducted over 250 employees from service and manufacturing firms operating in Pakistan. Principal component analyses are conducted for the data reduction process, and multiple regression analyses are performed to test the research hypotheses.Findings: Knowledge sharing intensity and the quality of knowledge sharing moderate the effects of radical creativity on product and process innovation that predicts firm performance. Besides, the research presents the differences in the impacts of incremental and radical creativity with the moderations of organisational knowledge on product and process innovations between the service and manufacturing firms and implications for practitioners and researchers.Research limitations/implications: This work represents a sample from manufacturing and service firms operating in Pakistan. Still, caution is the generalising specific results to other organisations in either service or manufacturing domains or manufacturing.Practical implications: While boosting creativity in organisations, knowledge sharing practices differ for sector domains. For service firms, knowledge intensity is essential, while knowledge quality is meaningful for manufacturing firms.Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature at the crossroads of organisational creativity and innovation twofold; the first is to investigate the combined effects of incremental and radical creativity on product and process innovation separately. The second is to examine the moderator roles of knowledge sharing practices of knowledge quality and intensity while predicting product and process innovation with incremental and radical creativity.

This study examines the influence of Systematic Strategic Planning (SSP) on the Sustainable Performance (SP) of manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. Despite SMEs’ vital contribution to economic growth, there is limited empirical research on how strategic planning enhances sustainable performance in SMEs operating in emerging economies facing political and economic instability. Drawing on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and Resource-Based View (RBV) theories, this study investigates the mediating roles of Strategic Intent (SI) and Strategic Formulation (SF) in the SSP-SP relationship. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected through structured questionnaires distributed to senior executives and decision-makers of manufacturing SMEs. A total of 410 valid responses were received. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied using AMOS 28 software to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships. The results demonstrate that SSP has a significant direct effect on SP and an indirect effect through SI and SF. Specifically, the components of SSP—strategic analysis, strategy creation, strategy execution, and monitoring and evaluation—enhance SMEs’ economic, environmental, and social performance. The study highlights that adopting systematic strategic planning practices enables SMEs to navigate complex and uncertain environments, achieve competitive advantage, and contribute to sustainable development goals. This research fills a critical gap in the literature by focusing on manufacturing SMEs in Pakistan, an under-researched context in the sustainability and strategic management fields. It offers practical insights for SME managers and policymakers to develop and implement comprehensive strategic planning frameworks that foster sustainability. The study also provides theoretical contributions by integrating SI and SF as key mediators within the TBL and RBV theoretical frameworks.

This paper explores the impact of integrating human factors—such as ergonomics and employee involvement—with technological innovations on manufacturing performance, sustainability, and productivity. It develops a holistic framework that organizations can adopt to achieve world-class manufacturing excellence, emphasizing the synergistic relationship between human factors and technological advancements, and highlighting their combined effect on fostering operational improvements and sustainability. The research adopts a robust quantitative approach, utilizing comprehensive surveys to analyze the individual and combined effects of human factors and technological innovation on manufacturing outcomes. The methodology involves data-driven analysis supported by statistical models, ensuring a rigorous examination of the relationships between variables. The findings show that integrating human factors with technological innovations significantly enhances both industrial production levels and operational efficiency, underscoring the importance of this integration for promoting sustainable manufacturing processes and maintaining competitiveness in the face of rapid technological changes. One key limitation of this research is the generalizability of findings across diverse industry contexts, as the pace of technological evolution and the emergence of new technologies may affect the applicability of the proposed framework. Future studies should investigate the evolving nature of human–technology integration in various sectors. The paper provides practical strategies for manufacturing managers and policymakers to employ when integrating human factors with technological innovations, outlining a strategic implementation framework aimed at improving manufacturing performance, fostering innovation, and ensuring a competitive edge within the dynamic context of Industry 4.0. This research contributes to the existing literature by offering a comprehensive, synergistic approach to the integration of human factors and technological innovation, providing valuable insights for industry practitioners seeking to implement sustainable manufacturing practices and achieve operational excellence.