Nowadays, manufacturing firms are pressured by governments, non-governmental organizations and customers to operate in a sustainable manner. Although lean practices may provide environmental, social, and financial benefits to firms, their effect on sustainable performance is ambiguous. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of lean manufacturing practices on firms’ environmental performance by considering lean culture as a moderator. Data were gathered through a survey of 187 manufacturing firms in Malaysia and were analyzed using the partial least squares technique. The results indicate that process and equipment, product design, supplier relationships, and customer relationships have a positive and significant effect on sustainable performance. It is also interesting to observe that lean culture positively moderated the effects of process and equipment and supplier relationships on sustainable performance. These results have important implications for enhancing the sustainable performance of manufacturing firms through lean manufacturing practices.
This study was designed with a focus on self-enhancement by flying in first class to understand the intricate associations in the formation of well-being, brand attachment, and word-of-mouth. In addition, this study aimed to examine the moderating effect of third-party certification among consequent variables. For this, data were collected from 199 first-class airline travelers. A quantitative method that was comprised of structural equation modeling and multiple-group analysis wasused to test the research hypotheses. Our findings revealed that both achievement and power were significant drivers of well-being perception of first-class airline travelers and their perceived well-being contributed to building positive brand attachment and word-of-mouth. The association between brand attachment and word-of-mouth was also statistically supported. Furthermore, the moderating role of third-party certification was identified in the causal relationship between well-being perception and brand attachment. Implications were discussed along with diverse approaches for customized and exclusive offerings such as butler services pre- and post-flights or during transit at airports, and mini stretching sessions in flights to improve self-enhancement during the whole journey of a first-class experience.
A comprehensive review of the literature on service creativity revealed the necessity to expand the line of creativity-based research in the service-driven industry. It also called for the creation of a survey instrument that entails high-quality interpersonal relationships, psychological safety, and learning from failures, by including two creativity-related constructs, namely, creative self-efficacy and employees’ creative work involvement to the model. The current study aimed; (a) to assess the validity and reliability of measurement models; and (b) to empirically examine the integrated proposed model consisting of salient constructs. A convenience sample of 341 airline employees responded to a self-report questionnaire that was developed using the steps of researchers’ in a comprehensive literature review and refined based on the feedback provided by a panel of five professionals who had worked in airline firms. The resultant data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), second-order CFA, and structural equation modeling (SEM) using version 23.0 of AMOS. The results showed that high-quality interpersonal relationships positively influenced psychological safety, which in turn, positively influenced learning from failures and creative self-efficacy. Further, learnings from failures positively influenced creative self-efficacy but not employees’ creative work involvement. Finally, both psychological safety and creative self-efficacy positively influenced employees’ creative work involvement. These findings have significant implications for human resource management practices that aim to promote the creative involvement of airline employees.
This research paper explored the causal relationship between consumers’ brand value perception, brand credibility, brand prestige, and other consequential outcome variables. The conceptual relationships were described into a potential theoretical research model. The potential theoretical model was empirically assessed using structural equation-based modeling analysis using the survey data obtained from 309 coffee drinkers in United States. The data analysis outcomes revealed that utilitarian-related value perception creates consumers’ brand credibility. Moreover, coffeehouse consumers’ hedonic value perception and social value perception increase brand prestige perception. This study revealed that consumers’ credibility perception and perceived prestige level has direct/indirect influence on perceived brand trust, commitment, and loyalty. Based upon the research findings, suggestions for the industry and future studies are provided.